It had been a week.

A week of panic, insecurity, and venom throughout the school.

Who would be taken next? When would the next attack be? The flourishing school was now in a state of nearly constant pandemonium, everyone on edge constantly. I was bitterly humored by it.

Dean Ramino, in all of her pointy-nosed glory, had started a new routine where classes had been turned into training periods where all students had to learn how to defend not only themselves, but their dragons and peers as well. I think maybe part of it had been to reassure the nervous students, convincing us we could defend against the writhing shadows. The Dean had trained dragons on how to use their fire, because as of now that seemed the only way to ward off the monstrous flits.

"This is dumb." Amber growled, seeming tired and frustrated. The four of us, Shana, Amber, Aiden, and I, along with our dragons, sat outside in the warm golden sunlight, eating a delicious pasta lunch.

"We can't even feel safe in our own school!" The brunette continued, and then smiled weakly as her sapphire-colored Rainsong swiped her tongue across Amber's face in a comforting gesture.

"That's why we have to defend it," I reasoned.

All the while Shana was picking at her nails. It was odd, while the rest of us were angry, she had always just seemed nervous when we brought up the subject of the attacks. I suppose she was just scared for her beloved foresty dragon, Alya.

"And on top of it all," Aiden groaned, "Is the new mole in the school."

"What?" Shana jumped, staring at him. "T-There's a mole in the school? L-Like, someone who would rat us out to the Shadow thingies?"

"Yes." Aiden's eyes were narrowed as he glanced around at all the now peaceful students. "And the worst part is, we don't have the first clue on who it is."

Shana frowned and Alya nuzzled her.

I felt Avyn's breath rustling my air, and I leaned back to scratch his smooth face. He leaned into my touch, and if he was a cat, I swear he'd be purring.

It'll be okay. Everything is always okay in the end, the indigo dragon reassured me.

Avyn, I try not to show it, but I'm really, really worried. What if something happened to my friends, or... I shuddered at the thought... You?

Little human. I can defend myself from those wretched things. He rumbled.

My voice was dark as I replied, the three kidnapped dragons couldn't.

There was silence between us as I sighed. I don't mean to be a downer. I just couldn't live with myself if something happened.

My dragon's eyes were a soft shade of pink as he watched me, and I recognized the emotion as love. If my eyes could change color, they'd be pink right now too. I loved my dragon.

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I swung the blunt wooden staff in a smooth downward motion, combatting the strike of my enemy. She, in return, pulled it back and then stepped backwards, not surprising me in the slightest. I dodged to the right to avoid her own blow and used my staff to whack her shoulder. She grunted but slid forward, too quickly for me to defend myself, and managed to jab her own stick in my stomach. I felt slightly winded, but whirled around and tackled her, and we sprawled down, fighting to win the battle.

Just as we were about done wrestling for dominance in the fight, a painfully loud whistle filled my ears and I rolled off my opponent. We sat up, heaving for breath, and then Amber and I laughed in unison. The spar had been fun, especially when both of us were already accomplished fighters.

"Good, now everyone, go find a sparring partner who you've never spoken to before." The instructor's voice sounded. There was a bit of confusion in the group (which, seeing as I forgot to mention, had a third of my grade, a third of the second years, and a third of the third years), as the students looked around for a stranger.

I looked around, recognizing most of the faces, before I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw a tall, lean girl with vibrant red hair and golden eyes. She didn't look quite old enough to be a third year, and definitely wasn't in my grade, so I assumed she was a second year.

"Hi," She smiled, seeming friendly. There was something hollow in her gaze though, something that showed a deep feeling I couldn't recognize.

"Hello," I greeted back with a smile in return.

"Well, um, my name's Thalia. Thalia Aven." The literal red-head dipped her head. My own sea-green eyes lit up at her last name.

"Aven!" I grinned, hearing how similar it was to my dragon, Avyn's name. She looked a little confused but I just shook my head. "My name's Lana Pennington. It's nice to meet you," I nodded to her in return.

"So, shall we spar?" She twirled her staff and I gritted my teeth, knowing instantly she would be challenging to beat.

"You're on," I held my own staff tightly and listened as the whistle blew again.

I lunged forward, swinging my staff. Thalia easily blocked it. Again I tried to strike, and again she smoothly deflected my blow. I was testing her; swinging again and again, looking for weakness. I never found was as Thalia twisted, swirled, swung, and stabbed repeatedly, every time, our staffs just met, never landing a blow.

And then she advanced on me, and I was pressured to defend myself. I was able to do it, never letting a strike from her staff in, but my breathing was labored, my movements stiffer than hers, which had grace in the way she fought.

Finally the whistle blew. Neither of us had managed to best the other. I grinned at the girl, and her golden eyes glittered back.

"Class is dismissed for now." The droning voice from our teacher spoke. I stood, wiping the sweat from my forehead, and chucked the battered wooden staff into the big pile of them. Students dispersed, and I managed to calm my pounding heart from the strict training period we had just went through.

Amber had jogged back to me, and we both recounted our fights with the strangers. We managed to cool off and relax before the next Youth Guard rotation, and as always, continued our duties; training, protecting, and preparing for the inevitable next attack.