I still remember being shaken awake by my mother one night. Her dark skin glowed in the moonlight and her freshly shaved head showed she knew what was happening much before I did.

Through sleepy eyes, I watched as a smile grew on her face. Then I heard it, a quiet crack echoed through our silent house.

I flew through our home, into the Dragon Dome. You could see the stars through the panes of glass that made up of the walls.

My parents’ dragon sat curled around the egg. Cracks broke through the blood red egg.

I watched in wonder, only as a girl just shy of 11 would. Whoever was in there would be my partner for the rest of my life.

Minutes past, and finally a baby dragon. A girl, by the way tiny knobs on her head, because only females have horns.

She has bright blue eyes, to match her horns and crest. We figured this much since her mother, Myra is a deep navy.

Much of her scales were white, just like her fathers, Dayton’s crest.

But she had something unusual about her. Speckled here and there were gold scales. I smiled to myself, because it was the same color of my hair, not to mention the fact that I had the same eyes as her too.

My mother’s gentle hand rested on my shoulder. “What are you going to name her, Rhea?”

I had to think long and hard about it.

“Dad, what is the Latin name for Falcon?”

My dad taught at the school in town and knew more languages than I had fingers for.

“You mean of the warrior princess in that Latin novel?” I nodded my head. He smiled. “Aquila.”

I turned and reached to stroke her head. She watched, curiosity in her eyes.

“Hi Aquila,” I whispered.

A scale fell from her chest, gold. My mother scooped it up, pulling a gold woven cord from her jacket pocket.

She handed me the newly made necklace.

“Welcome to the Dragon Riders,” my parents said quietly.

I hugged the dragon baby, already weighing more than me.

“Welcome to the Dragon Riders,” I mumbled into the already comforting scales of my partner of eternity.