Andrew Jared Bannister

I ducked beneath the sword that would have taken my head off if I had waited another second. A sense of danger filled me. My danger sensing trait alerted me about the sword swinging towards my midsection. I raised my sword to deflect it. The air rang with the sound of metal against metal. I leaned into the locked swords, making my opponent tilt back. His foot slipped in the dirt and I gave the blades a shove, sending him backpedaling into the grassy field. Placing my sword under his chin, I said, "I win."

Matt Bannister, my father, looked at me. "Alright, fine, you win this time, Andrew. Go help your cousin."

I glanced to my right where I saw my fourteen-year-old cousin fighting her white-haired mother. Kayla was struggling to keep her footing. I gripped my sword and hurried over to my cousin. The white-haired woman was taken by surprise at my jumping into the fight. "Need some help?" I asked Kayla.

She blew a loose strand of her braided brown hair away from her face. "It's about time you got here."

Together, we began to overpower the woman in front of us. When the fighting had ended, I collapsed on the ground, exhausted. Kayla settled on the ground next to me. With the sun beating down on my sweating and sore body, I felt like I was in an oven. Dad came over to me. "Andrew, your mother and I have to go somewhere. Please don't do anything stupid." And with that, he left.

"When he said stupid, he meant don't go up to Mount Elijah, didn't he?" I asked Kayla.

She nodded before counting on her fingers. "Or go looking for Vacants, or shadow people, or-"

"Okay, I get it." I said, sitting up and getting hit on the head by her hand. "What was that for?"

"You didn't let me finish." She complained. "That's not very kind for a warrior."

"You're my cousin!" I protested.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're supposed to be chivalrous."

"Now you're getting on my nerves." I stood up and walked away.

"Where are you going?" she called after me. "We're supposed to stay together!"

I ignored her and walked into the nearby forest. How did I end up with her for a partner? Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped and turned around to see Kayla standing there. "Where did you com from?" I asked. I was pretty deep in the forest now.

"Your thoughts aren't hard to follow when you're practically screaming them." She commented.

I scowled as I thought about her ability to read minds. She inherited that trait from her mother, Second Eden's resident Oracle of Fire. "What do you want?" I asked, annoyed.

"Your father wants us to stay together. That's why we've been paired up together ever since I was born."

I hated it when she was right. "I'm sorry. It's just… I need to think." Suddenly, my danger sense began going crazy.

I pushed Kayla to the forest floor as a spear sailed over our heads. I looked behind me and caught the movements of a shadow darting behind the trees. I stood up and pulled Kayla to her feet and we both drew our swords. "What is it?" she asked.

"A Vacant, I think." I answered as my danger sensing alarm blared. I couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the threat. Kayla looked around, eyes wide. "Are you picking up any thoughts?"

She shook her head. "If it is a Vacant, then I won't be able to hear their thoughts. But I am picking up some other sounds. I hear breathing. And it's not us."

I was still impressed at how her dragon traits matched her mother's. I glanced at her bare arms. They glowed a dim ivory. "Anything else?"

She closed her eyes. "I'm starting to get some thoughts. They're… hard to hear, I guess." Her skin started to look pale as she wavered in place.

"Are you okay?" I asked, supporting her.

She shook her head and opened her eyes. Her brown eyes looked like they were far off, though. "Candlestone," she whispered. "I think… the person has a… candlestone."

She lost the grip on her sword and collapsed on the ground. "Kayla!" I exclaimed, standing over her with my sword clutched tightly in my grip.

A Vacant jumped out from behind a bush, a spear in hand. His fish-like mouth and wide eyes made him look exactly as his name suggested: vacant. The creature stabbed at my torso, and I cut the shaft of his spear in half. If his eyes could widen any further, then they did, looking at the broken shaft in his hand. I plunged my sword into the Vacant's chest and he fell down dead.

I glanced at Kayla, who was breathing deeply. Setting my fingers against her skin, I felt for a pulse. Her heartbeat was erratic, probably from the candlestone draining her energy. A new sense of danger flooded me, something far more serious than a Vacant. I glanced around at the greenery. Nothing. I knew it couldn't be one of the shadow people. They hated the sun and would only attack during the evening and night.

Unsure of where the danger was located since it seemed to come from all around me, I lit up my sword's special beam and waved it back and forth. In seconds, a dome of light wrapped around Kayla and I. I crouched down next to her, making sure to keep the sword moving.

"Kayla?" I whispered. She stirred but didn't wake up. Her eyebrows furrowed evidence of either pain or a nightmare; maybe both. The candlestone must have been pretty large for her to pass out. Or maybe she hadn't been subjected to one for long periods of time. Her glow had diminished further, to the point where I could barely see it.

An arrow zipped through the air, crashing into the energy dome that my sword, Excalibur, had created. The sword was a family heirloom belonging to my great-great-great grandfather, King Arthur. My grandfather, Billy Bannister, the son of Jared Bannister who was adopted by King Arthur over a hundred years ago, was the rightful heir to the sword. And so for my fifteenth birthday, Excalibur was a present from my grandparents.

A man dressed in black emerged from behind a tree, a bow in his hand and a sword at his side. A glittering gem hung from a string attached to his belt. Well, there's the candlestone. I thought.

The man eyed the barrier, watching the waving sword. He took the candlestone from the string and set it on the ground in front of the dome. The barrier flashed and the light was absorbed into the stone.

I stopped waving the sword and stood up, facing the man. I didn't recognize him from either of the two villages in Second Eden. I glanced at the candlestone lying only two feet away from Kayla. When the man stepped forward, I pointed my sword at him, making the man stop.

The sound of flapping wings caused the man to look up and then take off running deeper into the forest. A woman with gray-streaked brown hair and brown colored dragon wings landed in front of me but wavered when she landed. "How-how is Kayla?" she asked, glancing at my cousin who was still unconscious.

I picked up the candlestone and shoved into my pocket. "Thank you." The woman said.

I nodded in response and knelt next to Kayla who was beginning to stir, the color coming back to her cheeks. She opened her eyes and blinked several times before sitting up with a groan. "Are you alright?" I asked.

She nodded. "Just a headache and an ache all over my body."

I helped her stand up and steadied her as she wobbled in place. "Let's get back to Founder's Village. Maybe Ashley can help us."

"If only I had healing abilities." Kayla said, picking up her sword. "Then I wouldn't be weakened by candlestones."

"Really?" I asked. "I have a cousin that glows in the dark and she wants to have the gift of healing?" I shook my head, smiling. "Kayla, God gave you an amazing gift. A gift that only your mother and first dragoness, Shachar, had. Don't wish to be somebody else."

She smiled at me. "Thanks, Andrew. But still, I hate candlestones."

My grin widened and we began walking back towards the village with the dragon woman following us. When we reached the village, my father was waiting for us with his arms crossed. "Uh, oh," I murmured.

We approached my dad and mom, both looking angry. "You went into the forest where the Vacants and the shadow people lurk, you put Kayla in danger, you didn't call for help, I had to send my mother to find you," taking a deep breath he finished, "Other than that, good job."

I looked at him, eyes wide. "Did you just say…?"

He nodded. "Good job. When Kayla was down, you defended her. That makes me think that you're ready for an important job."

"What job?" I asked.

"I'll tell you after you see Ashley and she makes sure that both of you are okay."

I nodded and led the way towards the hut that served as Founder Village's infirmary. When we got inside, I immediately spotted Ashley Foley sitting at a table with a stack of papers in front of her and a pen in her hand. I cleared my throat and she looked up at me. "Your father told me you'd be coming." There were gray streaks in her brown hair and one of the gray colored strands of hair fell into her face. She pushed it away and gestured for Kayla and me to sit down on the cots in the room.

When I sat down on one of the makeshift beds pressed against the wall I recalled the story my mother had told me about one of her experiences in this hospital when she was younger. She had been stabbed in the ribs by a Vacant's spear and had lain, bleeding on a cot. If it weren't for my great-great grandfather, Dr. Matthew Connor, she would have died.

I shook the memory aside as I watched Ashley push a needle into my skin. The thick red liquid of my blood ran through the plastic pipe and filled the tube at the end. When it was filled, she removed the needle and proceeded to check my eyes with a flashlight. "Do you still have the candlestone?" she asked.

"Yes," I answered, reaching into my pocket and removing the glittering rock. Kayla gasped and stiffened on the cot beside me when I brought the candlestone out. Ashley took it quickly and put it in her own pocket.

After checking Kayla, she declared that we were good to go. Kayla and I left the infirmary and made our way towards my family's home. When we walked in, I could tell that something was up. Two glowing people, a boy and a girl sat on chairs with a wooden box sitting on the boy's lap. My mom and dad stood near them, looking anxious. My grandparents, Billy and Bonnie Bannister were also there along with mine and Kayla's dragons that we ride, Kaida and Griffin who were looking through the window of my home. Kayla's parents, Lauren and Eagle, were present as well.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Lauren gestured to the boy and girl sitting on the chairs. The boy stood and placed the box in the girl's lap. "My name is Joran, son of Methuselah. And this is my sister, Selah."

"Hello," I said.

"Your parents told us that you are being assigned to a very important mission." Joran continued. Selah stood up and opened the box. From my vantage point, it looked empty. Joran took the box and Selah reached inside to remove whatever the box contained. When her hands left the box, they were cupped, as if holding something.

She walked forward and stopped in front of Kayla. "Cup your hands like mine." She requested. Kayla did as she was instructed and Selah placed the imaginary item in my cousin's hands. Selah stepped away and I stared at Kayla's cupped hands.

"What is she holding?" I asked. "Or pretending to hold?"

"Kayla, you may hand your cousin what his eyes do not see." Joran said.

I cupped my hands as Kayla slid the object into my hands. At first, all I could do was feel the object in my hands. It was smooth like glass. Slowly, the invisible object turned darker, becoming cloudy. I could soon see the outline of an egg. It was larger than a regular egg and heavier.

"Is this…?" I started.

Joran nodded. "Yes. This is the purity ovulum which you and your cousin have been charged with keeping. This order came from Elohim himself. What his reasons are for you two having the ovulum, I do not know. What I do know, is that you must keep this ovulum out of enemy hands."

I transferred the fragile object back to Kayla's hands and watched as it disappeared, becoming invisible yet again. "Kaida and Griffin will also help you. Never leave the ovulum unguarded. One of you must remain with it at all times." With that, Joran and Selah disappeared.

"I'm confused." I said. "Why are Kayla and I guarding this ovulum?"

Mom shook her head. "Only the Father of Lights knows and we must trust him."

Kayla stared into the invisible egg. "What I don't understand is why the ovulum became clouded when Andrew held it and turned invisible when in my hands."

"The purity ovulum reflects how pure a person's heart is." Bonnie explained.

Kayla nodded. "That makes sense."

"Perhaps a ride though the skies would help clear your thoughts." Griffin suggested in his deep dragon voice.

I nodded. "Sounds good. Come on, Kayla. We'll find a pouch for the ovulum so it'll be easier when carrying it."

She followed me out of the hut, carefully walking with the egg still in her hands. As I searched the storage hut across from my home for something to carry the invisible egg in, I could hear Kayla humming. When I rejoined her with a bag, she had her eyes closed and was humming a soft tune, though the melody was sad.

"What are you singing?" I asked, spreading the bag open.

"You can't hear it?" she asked, opening her eyes and sliding the egg in.

I shook my head. "Hear what?"

"The song of the ovulum." She responded, sliding her arms through the straps of the bag. "The song that the purity ovulum emanates."

I shook my head again. I knew that Kayla was a listener like Lauren and my mother. Literally, my mother's name is Listener because of her gifted hearing. Not many people had this ability and those blessed with it were rare. Bonnie had told me that gifted listeners had the ability to hear the songs that the ovula produced. Kayla was one of those listeners.

Griffin landed next to me, his wings beating as he slowed. He lowered his neck, creating a staircase from his red scales for me to easily climb up and sit at the base of his neck. Kaida landed near Griffin, her tawny colored scales marking her as a female. After I had settled on Griffin and was clutching the spine in front of me, I watched Kayla mount Kaida and grip the protruding spine in front of her before the two dragons lifted off the ground.

Flying a dragon is by far one of the coolest things ever. The only thing cooler than that would be to fly with your own pair of wings but only two people had that trait: Bonnie and Gabriel, Ashley's older brother. I watched as Kaida's and Griffin's wings beat in sync. If I understood correctly, these two dragons were going through the covenant veil, a promise of sorts when dragons mate. If they couldn't pass through the veil, then they could not mate. The way Makaidos, king of the dragons, explained it to me was that the veil showed the true intentions of the heart. I knew that Billy and Bonnie had gone through a covenant veil when they were getting married since they were both anthrozils; fully human and fully dragon. Confusing to you? Me, too.

Kayla continued to hum the song she had sung earlier, the song of the purity ovulum. And then a thought raced through my mind so fast, I was sure that my brain would start choking.

Author's Note

This story takes place several years after Bryan Davis' book Omega Dragon the last book in the four-book series Children of the Bard. Andrew Jared Bannister is the son of Matt Reginald Bannister and Listener. His cousin, Kayla Faith Bannister, is the daughter of Lauren Acacia Bannister and Eagle. For those of who have read all the books, then you know the reason why our heroes are living in Second Eden.

Kayla has the gifts of her mother: mind reading, glowing, and super hearing. For those who are confused about the glowing, it's due to the scales under her skin. Yep. Scales. The glowing scales started with the first dragoness, Shachar. Then a prophecy when Lauren was sixteen said that God would raise up another Shachar. One who would be able to hear the song of the ovulum in her scales.

Andrew is seventeen, just so you know. His dragon traits are danger sensing, healing, and fire breathing. For those of you who don't know, I like to give my characters specific names based on the meaning. Andrew means "brave". The Jared part was in honor of his great grandfather.

Kayla means "keeper of the keys; pure". And Faith, as we all know (I'm hoping that we all know what this one means), is "faith". So together, her name means "pure faith".

Actually, now that I think about it, my middle name is Faith. I swear, I didn't mean to do add into the story. I wasn't even thinking of my name while writing this. I was just looking for a name meaning "faith" and Faith seemed to work.

Thank you for reading and please review! If you guys have any character creations, Private Message me these characters. They can be an anthrozil, a slayer, a dragon, or a human. Maybe even a plant hybrid like Sapphira Adi. Or would that still be considered a human since that's what they grow into? (Shrug.) Until next time.