Tommy jumped on the sidewalk as a big, red building rose up in front of us: Ava First School kindergarten-eighth grade. I would be going to Ava High School tomorrow if I got a dragon for myself. If that is. I felt my life was revolving on if’s right now. If I got my dragon, if my Talent would come. If’s were making the world spin. High school would be cool...hopefully. My lessons would get harder, I would learn how to fight with my dragon, and how to control my dragon. Mabye I would even make a few friends...something I’ve never been able to do. Inside my classroom, I went to my seat at the back of the class and hid my face in a book. My vision became blurry as I thought about the Choosing. I gripped my desk tightly and gulped as my vision came back. I looked at my book. What was thiff and hiner?? I set the book down, sighing.
Miss Simpson caught my eye and mouthed, Good luck. She’d been the one to support me through the bullying and teasing of my classmates. She was my role model, considering Mom was dead and Dad was never around because he was busy, running the town. The bell rang and she said in her soft little voice,” Good morning, class. As you know, today is the Choosing and we will be going to the Choosing Ground in a few minutes. Please take all belongings with you!” My desk had been cleaned out yesterday and I would get new textbooks tomorrow as a ninth grader and this desk would be taken by a new eighth grader. There was a scramble for forgotten pencils, notebooks, books and other belongings.
I grabbed my backpack and went to the end of the line like a shadow, not wanted to be seen. We went into the hallway and into the elevator. It was big enough for fifty people and everyone was running high on excitement and nerves as Miss Simpson pressed the button labeled CG, the button that none of us had ever dared to press. The elevator jiggled as we went up. I gulped as the doors swung open

... to reveal a forest. It was calm and peaceful here like time was frozen. Sunlight beamed through the empty patches of leaves, making the place look mysterious and where you could find a new life.
“ Attention, students. There are glades in this forest and that is where the eggs are. Go to one glade, touch all the eggs and if none claim you, go find the next glade. You have thirty minutes. Go!” Miss Simpson and the elevator faded immediately.There was a buzz as people tried to figure out what to do. I slipped away as they sorted themselves into groups, knowing I wouldn’t get picked into one of them. The first glade I got to had dozens of Flutterfly dragon eggs: The weakest dragon with white scales and green eyes. Mabye my dragon would be here. I touched the nearest egg to me and winced. No such luck. When I finished, I knew I had no hope in finding a dragon. If the weakest dragons had rejected me, would I get a stronger dragon to choose me? The next glade had three Emeraldis eggs. A green-scaled dragon with lightning-fast speed, it was one of the common dragons.
The next glade was crowded full with people. I saw Dad, the Chief, sit in his chair while a man, leaning on his staff, stood next to him. He was middle-aged with dirty, travel-worn clothes and black-grey hair. His blue eyes showed that he was intelligent and when he looked at me, his expression turned to one of alarm. He turned to my dad and pointed at me, asking him a question. I couldn’t hear it because of the buzz. A shriek came from the other side of the clearing.
Alexa, a classmate, had exploded into tears, clutching her swollen hand. She’d touched a egg. I recognized the egg immediately. An Inferno egg. The strongest, rarest dragon with silver scales and blue eyes. The last one hatched 60 years ago. The crowd groaned as another kid failed. The weakest dragons had rejected me? How was I supposed to win the heart of an Inferno? Just the Musculattes left. I walked out of the clearing, hearing another groan from the audience.

I stood on the bench, my hands in my hair like I was about to tear them out. Everyone had a dragon except me and the Inferno hadn’t hatched.
“ Everyone did go, right?” Dad asked. I made myself stare at the ground. I was an embarrassment to him. His Talentless, dragonless daughter.
“ I know one who didn’t. That girl,” said the man next to Dad. Dad looked at me, surprised.
“ Lily. You didn’t go,” he said.
“ Dad. An Inferno isn’t going to pick me and everyone here knows it. I’m Talentless...” my voice broke.
“ Don’t you know that you’re....” said the man next to Dad.
“ Since that Inferno egg isn’t going to hatch anytime soon, we’ll be more than happy to take it off your hands,” said a voice. We’d been surrounded.
Bandits. The word whispered all around us as we looked into the faces of them. They were dressed from head to toe in black with masks to cover their faces and had swords, thankfully, sheathed at their side. They wanted the Inferno egg.
“ Over my dead body,” said Dad, his whole body bristling with anger. Since Dad is built like a Viking, the look of him angry is enough to make fully-grown men start crying and run away. But the bandit leader held his ground though the others flinched a bit.
“ Very well. Attack!” he roared and the bandits drew their swords.
I ran to the egg and where Miss Simpson was standing and said, “ Give me the egg. I’ll run and hide so that they won’t get it.” She turned the idea over in her head and surprisingly agreed to it. I took off my sweater and wrapped the egg in it, making sure that it was fully wrapped before I started to run.
There were trees everywhere as I ran. I heard screams and laughs of triumph until I heard a roar.
“ Find it and get it!” echoed around the trees. Find it and get it. Adrenaline pumped my sore muscles, making me run faster. I heard footsteps behind me and ran faster. I looked behind me and saw five bandits, chasing after me with eight inches of glittering steel in their hands Elevator. Where is the stupid elevator, I thought as I jumped over tree roots and bushes. I saw the sign and sprinted inside, pressing the close button and L.1. The bandits roared as the doors closed behind them. Downstairs, I sprinted into my classroom and into a hiding spot, I’d found this year. I pulled back some boards and crawled in. I replaced the boards and scrambled into the corner. I opened up my sweater and somehow didn’t find an egg. I found a baby dragon.
Her scales were silver like moonlight and she slept peacefully. An Inferno. An INFERO had hatched for ME. Not Alexa or Gabby or Lisa. Me, Lily, the Talentless freak. Why would one hatch for me? I heard a creak and covered up the dragon immediately.
“ She has to be here somewhere,” I heard someone say. A shadow crossed the light that the boards were giving in. I shrank back.
“ When I find her, I’ll kill her,” I heard the leader say.
“ How did she not have pain when she touched it,” said someone else.
“ She wrapped it in the sweater, idiot,” said another voice.
“ She’s not here, boss. Let’s try another classroom.” I heard footsteps cross the room and relaxed. I felt my eyelids close. I was so tired. I didn’t get that much sleep last night from nerves and my stress was over. My eyes closed and I slept.
“ Lily,” I heard. “ Lily.” I felt someone shaking me. I opened my eyes and saw Lisa shaking me. “ Thank God. You weren’t breathing. She’s alright.” It looked like the entire town had gathered in this one classroom.
“ What happened?” I asked, groggily.
“ The bandits left. They couldn’t find you and it took us a few hours to find you what happened?”
“ I ran until I found the elevator then went into that hiding spot. Inside, I found out well I guess I should show.” I unfolded the sweater and everyone gasped. It was the baby Inferno, still sleeping.
“ It hatched..for you!” I heard envy and amazement in everyone’s voices.
“ I knew it would,” said the man, still leaning on his staff.
“ Lily, this is Jack, an old friend of mine. His Talent is that he knows other people’s Talents.”
“ I knew what Talent you had the moment I set eyes on you. You were blocking me but I had enough feel from that shield.” Blocking? Shield? What was he talking about? “ You’re a Shield Talent.” Shield Talent. Me. He had to be joking. Talents didn’t work on Shield Talents. They got blocked. Also when the attacker tried to use their Talent more than once, the Shield Talent got that Talent.
“ Shield Talents are extinct. Everyone knows that,” I said.
“ Not extinct. Rare. Extremely rare. You’re the first Talent in 4000 years! You, George, try your Talent on her.”
“ Are you sure that’s a good....” I started but too late. George blew fire at me and a purple shield erupted around me, blocking it. He tried again and again blocked. I held up my hand and a flame erupted out of it.“ So cool,” I said.
“ Really cool.”

I’d made a cot for Yue, my dragon, on my bed. She’d opened her eyes after I’d gotten the Fire Talent.
“ Lily,” Jess called. She’d been a lot nicer to me, considering I was a Shield Talent and Tommy was thrilled I had a Talent.
“ What?” I called down.
“ Come downstairs.” A man in a suit was downstairs. He was dressed completely in black, reminding me of the bandits. I must have looked ratty to him, dressed in sweatpants and my hair in a sloppy ponytail.
“ Are you Lily?”
“ Yup. What do you want?” Jess twisted herself nervously as she waited for his response. My heartbeat went faster as I heard the next words.
“ You’re being transfered to the Academy for Extraordinary Talents.”

“ You’re being transferred to the Academy for Extraordinary Talents.”
My mouth dropped open. The Academy! For Extraordinary Talents! I’m dreaming, I thought.
“ Um...” I stammered out. Jess looked dumbfounded.
“ According to regulation rules, you have an hour to pack your things and leave with me. That hour begins now!” said the man.
Jess pulled me upstairs. As I sat down on my bed, she started stuffing clothes into my suitcase. After I managed to get back my senses, I helped her.
The Academy! For Extraordinary Talents! It was a boarding school where the rarest and strongest Talents went for training. It was also extremely expensive.
“ How are we going to pay for it?” I asked Jess.
“ While you were out of your senses, the man said that you had gotten a scholarship. Now can you help me?” said Jess, opening another of my drawers and taking out jeans, sweat-pants, skirts and shorts. I opened my shirt drawer and took out T-shirts and other blouses.
Jess set out a outfit for me to wear: jeans, a blouse, and my boots. I changed into it, stuffed my old clothes into the suitcase and looked around. My room was empty. Completely empty. I picked up Yue’s basket with her in it and walked downstairs, pulling my suitcase behind me. I went back upstairs for my backpack and when I came downstairs, I sat in a chair in the kitchen and just sat there, completely stunned. Tommy came downstairs and noticed everything.
“ Where are you going, Lily?” he asked.
“ I have to leave. I’m sorry though,” I told him.
“ Why do you have to leave?” he asked.
“ A school forced the government to have me in that school?” I replied.
“ Because you’re a Shield?” he asked.
“ Yes, because I’m a Shield...” My voice trailed off. Jess came down and gave me a quick hug.
“ Don’t forget to write. We are your family after all,” she said, blinking away tears. Was she crying? Maybe she did have a heart.
“ I’ll be fine, Jess. I’ve dealt with people being mean to me my whole life. I can deal with prissy rich snobs too,” I told her. She smiled and a fresh wave of sobs overtook her.
The man came in and asked,” Are you ready?” I nodded and picked up Yue.
Tommy hugged me and said,” I want to give you a present.”
He raised his hand and threw a ball of wind at me. My shield flared up protectively around me. The man gasped in shock of the purple shield that was hovering around me protectively.
“ I wanted you to have another Talent to protect you,” said Tommy, looking at me with huge puppy-dog eyes. I ruffled his hair and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
Jess was holding a small cloth package in her hands.
“ Your father would want me to give this to you so that you can remember who you are,” she said, handing the package to me. I stuffed it into my jacket pocket and hugged her again.
“ Ok, it’s time to get the show on the road so let’s go,” said the man, obviously bored. Considering I didn’t know his name, I decided to call him “ Grumpy.” He definitely fit the description.
I walked outside and into the huge car that was waiting there. It was a limo. I had heard Dad talking about some when I was little. The door opened and I pulled my stuff inside.
There was another girl inside.

She had long straight blonde hair and blue eyes. Her nose was tiny and her mouth was open in a smile. She was wearing expensive-looking jeans and a blouse. Her dragon, a purple one, was wrapped around her shoulders. It was also a newborn. I smiled at her and climbed in.
“ Hi, I’m Violet,” she introduced herself.
“ Oh... I’m Lily. Nice to meet you,” I answered.
I sat down and helped Grumpy by pulling in my suitcase and stuff into the limo. I lay Yue’s basket on my lap and stroked her as she slept. Her scales were smooth and even in the light, they gleamed like all the moonlight in the world were in them. In other words, she was beautiful. Violet gaped.
“ Is that an Inferno?” she asked.
“ Yea. This is Yue. I love your dragon,” I said, envious of the rich purple scales.
“ This is Lilac. She can be stubborn,” said Violet, sounding tired. I laughed. Grumpy scowled at me like nothing in the world could be funny about to laugh about. It took a day to get to the capital.
I learned a lot about Violet in that short period of time. She was the youngest child of a duke and since she’d never seen her mother or father that much, she’d been raised by nurses who’d taught her about God and how to be kind and to help people.
She had a Element Talent. She could control the four elements: Air, Water, Earth and Fire. She had completely mastered all four elements. I avoided all topics of MY Talent. I didn’t want to sound like a complete snob. I’d prefer if no one knew actually, I thought as we drove through the gates into the school.
It was full of boys and girls when I walked into the school. I was rolling my suitcase behind me and my backpack was on my shoulders. Yue had wrapped herself around my shoulders. I was surprised to find how she fit there like she’d been meant to be there.
Violet and me first met the headmistress, a strict, snobbish woman who made it clear the first time that she saw me that she did not like my “ barbaric” upbringing. She tutted at my clothes, the state of my hair( I hadn’t been able to wash it in the limo) and things she must have imagined.
When me and Violet went into our dorm, we started unpacking. I started my books in the bookshelf and hung up my clothes. There were uniforms in the wardrobes, exactly my size.
I took a bath in the huge bathroom and relaxed in the hot water. I closed my eyes and slipped under the water, scrubbing the shampoo out of my hair. I sighed before I got out and my feet sunk into the plush carpet as I climbed into bed.
My eyes opened to the opening of curtains. I groaned and wrapped the blankets around me, feeling the warming pans under the sheets. I heard a bell ring and I got out of bed. I remembered the headmistress saying something about a bell to get out of bed, a warning bell for breakfast and the breakfast bell. A bell would also signal every 40 minutes for us to go to our next class.
My schedule was on the desk that I’d been given. It was nothing like the crummy desks that I’d been used to at home. This one had dragons all over it and it was finely carved. Whoever had carved it was a master. Violet groaned when she saw me up.
“ Morning,” she said, yawning. Her hair was a tangled mess like mine always was when I woke up. I walked into the bathroom, took a shower, blow-dried my hair and straightened it. I did this not that often but I always liked the silky, straight feel my hair was when it was straight.
The school uniform wasn’t that bad. It was a plaid skirt with a shirt and a tie. I kept the tie loose and put on some knee-high boots. I put in a plaid headband and added some gray eyeliner around my eyes and mascara. Jess had taught me how to apply makeup a few years ago.
I already missed her. I saw the package she’d given me on my bedside table next to Yue. I opened it and found a note:
Dear Lily,
Your mother asked me to give this to you on your 18th birthday but since we won’t be seeing each other for awhile, I decided to give it to you now. Keep good care of it and Lily, BE CAREFUL! Make friends but decide if they like you because of you or of your Talent. Also, people will try to take control of you because of your Talent. I’ve watched you grow up from a timid little girl into a strong fierce teenager. Your mother ran from that life. But she would want what is best for you. I hope you and I will see each other soon. Write to us. Tell us what’s happening. We all love you.
-Jess

Wrapped around the letter was a necklace. A necklace I remembered all too well. Mom’s necklace. I picked it up. It was a pearl necklace with a medallion in the center. I’d asked her what it said but she’d laughed and said when you’re older.
I could now read the words, those tiny words: Princess, Defender, Daughter. But what did it mean? I fastened the necklace around my neck and hid it underneath my shirt. I didn’t want share it right now. I coaxed Yue awake and then the bell rang. Yue wrapped herself around my shoulders and I gulped, ready for the day.

I walked down with Violet, trembling with nervousness. She looked energetic and strong while I kept fiddling with my hair. The breakfast hall was full of kids, dressed similarly to us. Some kids stopped to stare at us. We sat down at a table after asking the girls there if we could sit there.
“ Hi, I’m Jesi. That’s Margaret, Veronica, Hanna, Flower, and Jaclyn,” said the girl sitting next to me. She had long brown hair in a braid. Margaret had black hair, olive skin and almond eyes. Hanna was blonde, petite with blue eyes. Flower had light strawberry-blonde hair and brown eyes. Jaclyn had curly brown hair and a athlete’s figure.
“ I’m Lily,” I said, smiling.
“ Hi, I’m Violet,” said Violet.
Jesi smiled and we sat down. I ate quickly, trying to concentrate on not barfing as everyone stared at me and Violet. I was staring at Jesi, listening to her talk when my concentration slipped and fell on a girl behind Jesi at another table.
She was glaring at me with complete hatred. Her hair was blonde and her eyes were green. Like mine, I suddenly thought. Mom’s necklace suddenly grew hot under my shirt.
“ Jesi, who’s that girl? With the blonde hair and green eyes,” I asked. Jesi didn’t even have to turn around.
“ That’s Princess Sophia, the granddaughter of King Joesph, third-in-line of the throne,” Jesi said, tapping her bowl with her spoon.
“ Who’s the first?” I asked.
“ Princess Margaret,” said Hanna, looking at me and smiling.
Margaret. A pretty common name. My mother’s name had been Margaret.
“ Second is Princess Jessica, Sophia’s mom,” said Hanna.
“ What happened to Margaret?” I asked. I remembered that she was missing.
“ She ran away. She sent a letter, telling her father that she was dying but her daughter would take her place. They would know her by the necklace that only the heir wore,” said Jesi.
Unconsciously, I tapped the necklace under my shirt. A bell rang.
“ What do you have?” asked Jesi.
“ Um... Battle,” I said, checking my schedule.
“ Great. All of us have that. Come on. We’ll take you,” said Hanna. The Battle teacher had a hard face.... and a sharp tongue.
“ Is this the new girl? Too skinny and short,” she said.
“ Thanks sooo much,” I said in her face.
“ With that attitude, you’ll survive the rest of the year. Alright, cupcakes! Let’s see what the newbie can do. Cupcake, Sophia! Let’s go!” She pointed at me and Sophia and blew her whistle. I winced from the shrill, high-pitched sound.
Stepping into the court, I decided my options: show everyone I was a Shield or use Air and Fire to dodge and attack. I chose Option Two. Thank you, Tommy! I silently prayed. All I had to do in the next 5 seconds was learn HOW to use Air and Fire.

Water started filling up in the court. Sophia did some weird things and ice started creeping up my body. Uh oh! Water Talents were pretty rare but not as rare as Air. I thought fire. I imagined fire blasting off my body and making the ice shatter. There was a loud shattering noise as the ice shattered. I imagined a bubble lifting me off the ground. My feet left the ground and I stayed suspended in air.

Sophia’s eyes bulged and she yelled in fury. Water started circling around her and bringing her up. She was standing in her own mini hurricane. Water came towards me and my bubble disappeared and I jumped, feeling the air support me. So that’s how he did it all the time.

I sent a huge bolt of fire towards the base of her hurricane and she plummeted towards the ground. I caught her with a puff of wind and landed her safely on the ground.

My feet touched the ground and ice started creeping up too quick. My Shield flared up around me and the ice absorbed into it, making it stronger. I had the Talent of Water now. I pushed the water around her so that she fell backwards and froze her hands and feet.
“ Newbie, wins. Congrats, kid,” said the teacher. Everyone was too busy to hear that because they were staring at me.

“ What are you?” asked the other girls when I sat down, drinking from a water bottle.
I wiped the water off my face and said,” I’m human... obviously.”
“ No what Talent?” asked Hanna.
“ She’s a Shield,” announced Margaret, holding up the phone. My eyes widened and everyone gasped.
“ Shields are extinct,” said Jesi.
“ Really, watch,” said Margaret as she aimed a laser that came out of her phone at me. My shield snapped up and absorbed the Talent.
“ Thanks, now I have Fire, Air, Water and Technology?” I guessed.
Margaret nodded. Violet’s eyes widened.
“ So many?” asked Violet.
“ If I’d been collecting my whole life, I would have more but my Talent isn’t easily... found. Everyone thought I was Talentless for years. I found out on my Choosing from a Talent-Knower,” I explained.
“ So your Talent just pops up when you’re attacked,” asked Jesi.
“ I can’t control it yet. It comes up when I’m attacked by Talents and then I get that Talent,” I explained.
“ That’s pretty cool actually. So you’re here on a scholarship or something,” asked Jesi.
“ Yup. I’m from a tiny village where my dad’s the chief. It’s nothing like this place. I have no idea how you guys are so used to all this luxury,” I said.
Next class was Mathematics. I knew already how to do some simple math. What I soon learned is that I was quite a bit behind.
Manners came next and I got a lot of criticism. I was too clumsy, too countryside. I would never be able to learn the same manners as everyone else because I lacked the common sense ones.
By the end of the period, I was so pissed off that I broke my teacup by squeezing too hard the china. The teacher, Madam Jones, shook her head and raised her hand. The splinters lifted up and the teacup healed itself. My eyes widened.

Madam Jones rushed away and my Manners partner, Sophia, talked to me for the first time that day:” Don’t worry. She’s really strict and exaggerates a lot.”

“ Uh... Thanks for the advice. I’m Lily. I’m sorry if we got off on the wrong foot earlier in Battle class,” I answered, bewildered.
She extended her hand and I shook it as she said,” I’m Princess Sophia. Just call me Sophia. I think you noticed me staring at you earlier at breakfast.”
“ Yea. But I’m the new girl, right? I guess it’s normal for new people here,” I answered.
“ Yeah. It’s just... Also, I felt like I knew you from somewhere. You look so familiar... like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” she said.
I shook my head. “ I think I’d remember if I ever met a princess or even seen one.”
“ Why are you wearing a necklace under your uniform?” she whispered.
“ Oh... it was my mother’s and it’s really important to me and I don’t want it to get stolen so I wear it under my shirt so that no one can see it,” I answered.
“ Lily... It’s a pretty name. What’s your mom’s name?” asked Sophia.
“ My mom’s name was Margaret,” I answered.
Her face changed. “ Was??”
“ My mom died when I was little...” I answered.
“ Oh... I’m so sorry,” she answered. I shrugged as the bell rang. Next class was English, History and then Gym. We changed into gym uniforms and did fifteen minutes of stretching before doing gymnastics to expand our flexibility and agility. After an hour of gymnastics, I had free time. I went to my room and started on homework.
After struggling through Math, English and History, I did Manners. I used the book to find all my answers and was pleased when I was able to find all the, hopefully, correct answers.
Then I went exploring while Yue took a nap. The campus was HUGE. There was a huge library, a fitness gym, a spa, even a tiny mall. I managed to find my way back to my room where I got ready for dinner.
At dinner, I got even more stares because the rumors had spread about my Talent. I tried to ignore them and listened to Hanna talking about the latest news. It was confusing as I tried to remember who was who and who had which reparation.
I spent some time in the spa, relaxing in the tubs until going back to my room and writing a letter to home:
Dear Jess, Tommy, and Dad,
The Academy is pretty cool. They have a spa and even their own mall! Makes up for the fact we can’t leave the grounds without permission. My favorite class is definitely Gym and English. I’ve always been good at writing and the Gym teacher is really nice unlike all the other teachers who find it somehow offensive that I’m here on a scholarship. I miss you guys so much but I’m making friends quickly. Princess Sophia is also here at school and she seems really nice. I hope you guys are fine and please write back soon.
Love, Lily

I folded up the letter and put it in the envelope and wrote the address down. I turned on the hot water in the huge bathtub and filled it with bubbles. Goodbye, stress. Hello, peace of mind!
I stepped into the bathtub after stripping and closed my eyes and relaxed. Tomorrow is the weekend and a SPA day. I’ve never been to the spa so I’m looking forward to it!
After twenty minutes of soaking and then washing my hair, I went out and fell into bed. Yue flew over and cuddled in my arms.
“ Night, Yue.”
Good night, Lily!