Everglade: The Underaged

Chapter One

Luke Renoldi ran through the streets of Everglade, dodging around the people who were walking to the central square. Today was the day of the Partnering, a yearly event that everybody in town went to. Nine eggs were being brought into the city today. 3 from the Dragons, 3 from the Griffins, and 3 from the Hippocampi. All boys 15 and older were going to be partnered with the eggs. Luke was too young. He was only 12. When he was old enough, he hoped to get an egg. He spotted his friend, Korman.

"Hey, Korman!" He called out. Korman spotted him and waved him over.

"Luke! I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it." Korman said.

"The Partnering doesn't start for an hour." Luke said, rolling his eyes. "People are still gathering." Korman was just a few months older than Luke. In two years, it would be their turn to see if they would get eggs. Once a boy turned 18, he couldn't try for an egg anymore. Only nine boys per year got an egg. A lot of 15 year olds never got an egg.

"When I'm old enough, I hope to get a Dragon egg! What about you, Luke?" Korman asked.

"I don't know. I just hope to get an egg." Luke replied. He hadn't really thought about it.

"What power do you want to get?"

"I don't know. Anything is fine by me." Luke hadn't thought about that either. He was going to wait until he was older before he did. He didn't want to get his own hopes up too much.

"Me too." Korman smiled one of his famous grins, a lopsided smile, due to an accident when he was a baby. His jaw went crooked when he smiled. Luke smiled back at him. The trumpets that signaled the start of the Partnering sounded, their cheerful sound ringing through the air even after they were done being blown. Korman grabbed Luke's arm and began to shake it roughly.

"It's starting!" he screamed in Luke's ear. Luke winced at the pain it caused. The 15 year olds were led onto the stage first, followed by the 16 and 17 years olds. They all looked anxious. Then the eggs were brought onto the stage. They were set in a line in front of the teens. Then, it happened. The usual flash of light that happened when the eggs chose their partners. During that flash, Luke felt a strange tug at his heart, like there was a rope around it. Then, the next thing he knew, there was a Griffin egg at his feet. He looked around the square. People were noticing.