D E A D !

April's mind was going 1000 miles an hour. There was an academy out there that actually trained dragons. Trav and the Cole guy must have sensed her confusion because before she knew it Cole had placed his thumb and index finger between his lips, blowing out and creating and ear-piercing whistle.

"What was that f-? "

April was completely cut off when a gush of wind nearly knocked her over, leaving the dragon's body to steady her. The force of the wind continues until the sound of wings becomes audible and she realizes it's another dragon flying down beside the guys. She was absolutely stunned when the dragon started rubbing itself against Cole and emitting a purring cat-like sound. Its beauty was captivating and she found herself at a loss for words.

Gentle amethyst/sapphire, eyes sit rooted within the creature's long, horned skull, which gave it a rather peaceful looking appearance. Two crystal growths sit atop its head, just above its tiny, angular ears. Several rows of crystal growths run down the sides of each of its jawlines. Its nose is stubby and has two narrow, oval nostrils and there are small horns on its chin. Rows of sharp teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and give a slight hint at the terror hiding inside.

A broad neck runs down from its head and into a colossal body. The top is covered in small scales and an armored ridge runs down its spine.

Its bottom is covered in scale-like skin and is colored differently than the rest of its body. Four muscular limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand noble and dignified. Each limb has 3 digits, each of which ends in barbed talons seemingly made of stone.

Enormous wings grow starting from just above its shoulders and end at the lower end of its back. The wings are angular, a specialized layer of skin is all that's visible inside and jagged edges at the bottom almost give it a feathered look. Its flat tail ends in a gentle point and is covered in the same small scales as its body.

If it wasn't for the sharp contrast of colors, April would think it would look a lot like the one holding her up.

"So... is this enough proof for you?" The guys say almost in complete unison with an excessively sarcastic tone aimed directly at April from Cole.

"Plenty" She retorts drily, only now making a move to put some space between her and the dragon who she saw enclosing its tail around her sneakily. "What's...?" April pauses, finding herself in the same predicament as she was when she first met the dragon when he was practically clinging to her.

"Her" Cole adds in knowing exactly what she was about to ask but allowing her to ask it herself.

"What's her name?" April asks staring, slightly mesmerized, at the pure white dragons. Cole smiles proudly, whilst the brunette grumpily chuckles a little at his friends' actions.

"Her names Pura... means- "

"-Means pure in Latin... Yeah, I know. It suits her." April cuts in, stopping and thinking for a second before looking back at the creature holding her, and then back at Cole. "Does he have a name?" Her curiosity gets the best of her as she looks innocently waiting for an answer.

"No... we didn't exactly get much of a chance to name him before he ran off." Trav laughs under his breath, clearly remembering something between himself and Cole from Cole's statement.

"Whelp then, I'll be on my way!" April says saluting the guys with two fingers as she turns around and begins walking away. She knows the information they told her is confidential and she most likely will actually have to go with them, but it never hurts to try. She doesn't regret it. There's no way April could just stand by and watch what happened to her parents happen to someone else.

"Um... There are two reasons why we can't allow you to leave." Trav asserts making April turn around abruptly and jumping at the proximity of the dragon's face from her... even though she had just walked away from him.

"Go away!" She aims at the dragon, taking a deep breath to calm her down. "And what might those be?" April pushes with virtuous eyes, becoming a little tense when she remembered what they had said before, which ends up making her clutch her missing dagger by reflex. Receiving an apologetic look, she sighs "Right... you're meant to kill me now." She adds in her own bunny ears again on the word 'kill' for effect, covering up how she was hurt that even these complete strangers wanted to kill her.

"Well to be quite honest, I don't want to kill anyone," Trav remarks lightly, trying to bring a little humor to the sour conversation as he laughs awkwardly. "So instead you'll have to come with us." He announces coming off harsher than he would've liked.

Above, the moon stood proudly as stars scattered the night sky. "If you haven't noticed... I've hurt my ankle... and I have places to be... people to meet... a normal teenager life to upkeep." April stretched out, a faint fake smile plastered on her lips, as she searched their faces hoping they'd let her go.

"Didn't you, quote-on-quote, have no one to tell?" Cole raises his pitch higher to imitate April whilst she takes another step away from the dragon who keeps getting too close for comfort... especially when she wants to run away from her current situation. Her analyzing eyes not wavering from him, as she scowls at Cole.

Taking another deep breath and spinning away from Cole and his friends she retorts back to him "Precisely why I shouldn't have to come with you." April bites her teeth together when the pure action of changing positions hurts her. Though, being as stubborn as always, she ignores the stabbing pains shooting through her leg, until the dragon begins to follow her. Suddenly she comes to a halt and faces the dragon crossly to tell him to go away again but when she sees him limping with the same leg, she had injured right in front of her she looks over at the guys for answers. Just like her, they seemed bewildered... if not more. They looked absolutely baffled as they glanced between her and the dragon.

"What's your name?" Trav abruptly demands.

April looks at him questioningly, asking a complete stranger's name was completely absurd but their eyes stay etched with surprise as they stare at her expectantly. She shakes her head, raising a hand to rub it, completely speechless at their obscure inquiry... Were they joking? Asking for someone's name was just purely rude.

"You know, it's quite impolite to ask someone their name when you haven't even introduced yourself." She counters, ignoring the aching pain firing from her ankle. Though her mind is all fogged up with distant feelings she keeps her composure; raising a brow at the two guys stood before her. There was no way she was backing down from this. They had no right to know her name, never mind asking for it so crudely.

Deeply and collectively sighing, the pearly white dragon puts its two front feet in front and uses them to curl into a ball, almost like a cat when starting to sleep. "Look, how about we camp out here for the night and talk things out." Cole tiredly comes up with a compromise, running his hand over his messy black hair and sitting down regardless of whether she was going to comply or not. Thinking back April had noticed how he never really talked much. Preferred to stay in the background of conversations and blend in with the surroundings only adding in a few comments here and there when he thought necessary. It made his bond with Trav interesting to her. Such opposites, but such close friends at the same time. In her village, anyone who was remotely different was seen as an outcast by most. Of course, there'd be the odd few who would be kind to her when no one was looking but apart from the old lady at the tailor shop and the couple at the blacksmith she got her bows from, no one dared defy the villages so-called 'rules'.

Snapping her out of her thoughts Travis basically repeats what the other guys said looking just as exhausted. April guessed searching for a missing baby dragon and finding it attached to some weird run-away girl hadn't been on their schedule. "You should warp your ankle up. Dragons don't typically show pain unless it's significantly bad...." He pauses. "Well, they don't typically show anyone else's pain except their own." Aprils hesitant but when her breath hitches in pain, she begrudgingly agrees and sits herself down. Looking relieved Cole and Trav look at each happy for the fact she finally compromised before they shuffle closer to her (Pura lifting her head and deciding to follow behind Cole and wrapping herself around him) and set themselves down almost in a triangle with her.

"I'm Cole... Cole Black" Cole breaks the silence. His lack of conversational skills shines through any attempt at hiding them and April struggles to keep herself from chuckling slightly at his antisocial behavior. After all, it was rather amusing seeing it from someone else's point of view instead of it always being her. "This self-exposing idiot over here is Travis- "

"Travis Wyatt... a pleasure to meet you." Travis -previously known to April as the brunette/Trav- says with a mischievous smile as he bows his head a little for added effect. Nodding in acknowledgment and respect for them telling her their full name, she decides it wouldn't hurt for them to know hers. It's not like she comes from a well-known family or she has anything to hide. She just felt a little wrong telling them her name at first because they were still strangers, however having her instincts calm and no longer on high alert she was more relaxed and didn't feel the need to be on edge about everything. "Would you do us the honor of introducing yourself?" Travis says with a posh, classic accent; smiling when eyeing the dragon slowly moving closer and closer to April without her consent. Finally, more intrigued, Cole looks at her expectantly, waiting silently with a slightly raised eyebrow for her answer.

Sighing, April rolls her eyes dismissing them, starting to search in her pack for some cloth or material to wrap her ankle and head with. "My name is April. April _____ "distracted by trying to find what she needed she barely caught the bandages thrown at her by Cole "Thanks.".

Silence enwraps them again as of April bandages her head swiftly and expertly before moving to her ankle, not expecting what was about to happen next. "Wait... _______" Travis questions all of the sudden, making her look at him inquisitively... did he know her... or did he know her family? Her last name didn't hold much meaning to anyone but her... and even that, having a run-off brother and a violent mother tarnished it in her mind... especially after she had to watch her parents be killed.

"Isn't _______ one of the third year's surname?" Cole deadpans puzzled, pausing for a second before chuckling a little. What was so funny? How could somebody have April's family name? Did she have some distant relatives... no that was impossible... people didn't leave the Village. Her brother was the only one who had ever really left and even then, it was against everyone's wishes and behind their back... and well... She was kicked out. April is tense, a million thoughts racing through her mind. Could the academy be where her brother ran off to?

"Luke... right? ... or does he go by Lucas now?" April asks, an angry expression behind her words. She and Luke had been extremely close; he and father together had taught her a lot about hunting and surviving in the wild. They'd take her on their hunting trips and teach her the ways of nature like they liked to call it. She had waited for months by the door praying and begging anyone who'd listen to bring her brother back. However, no matter how hard she cried and pleaded he never returned... and she soon came to learn...

Luke had abandoned her.

"Yeah, do you know him?" Travis's face morphs with newfound puzzlement. Cole mirrors his expression and the white dragon looks up for a moment and whorls her tail around him before settling back down. Uncomfortable, April looks over only to find the dragon wrapping his tail around her too. She squirms forgetting the question at hand before giving up and allowing the dragon to curl up around her.

"Sadly yes... if we're talking about the same person, then he happens to be my older brother."

. . .

Silence...

"Luke's your brother!" Travis shouts out loudly making April flinch slightly but huff in announce to cover it up as she rubs her ears from the sudden noise. The dra-... maybe she should give it a name... I mean... she was going to be spending a while with it... maybe... Raven...for its color... Finding it hard to find a suitable name April pauses when she thinks of something. He blends in with the shadows... almost like one himself. A minuscule smile appears on her face as she decides to call him Umbra. The Latin word for Shadow.

Cole's face was just as shocked. "So, you're the 'April' Luke's always talking about..." he mumbles barely audible but somehow April catches it.

"Lu Lu will be so happy to see you. Maybe we could even go surprise him with your parents too." Travis speaks quickly almost incoherently with excitement at the thought. April can't help but feel envious that he calls her brother 'Lu Lu.'... After all, that was what he would always force her to call him... He'd never accept anything else, and it only ever made their bond stronger.

Chuckling dryly, she rolls her eyes at his ignorance. "Your about 4 months too late for that." Raising his head, the dragon lifts it from beside her and puts it on her lap sensing her concealed sadness. She ignores their questioning looks, sighs, and strokes Umbra's head, tracing its intricate details with the tip of her fingers.

"What do you mean 4 months too late?" Travis's face scrunches up, flummoxed as he stares at April intensely.

"Their dead."

. . .