The Rift

Chapter Three

The Dragon Unit man pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and looked at it. It was probably a list of the names of the new members.

"Dang" said Leo. "Paper, what is this, 2005?"

"Dylan Smith" called the man. An older boy, probably one of the eighteen year olds, stood up and strode to the center of the amphitheater, looking hesitantly up at the Animals looming in front of him. All of a sudden the falcon flapped its wings and squawked shrilly. Dylan looked at the Dragon Unit man. He nodded toward the falcon. Dylan grinned and jogged over to the Falcon Unit soldier and falcon. He must have wanted to get into the Falcon Unit. "Alex Morton" Called the man. This time the man from the Ground Unit stepped forward. A few more names were called. One boy Dominic recognised from school was called into the Wolf Unit. A older girl was called into the Wyvern Unit. Leo looked plenty jealous. A boy named James from one of Dominic's classes at school got put in the Wolf Unit. And one girl that looked about Dominic's age was put in the Ground Unit. "Eryn Jackson" called the man. Eryn stood up hesitantly.

"Good luck" said Dominic

Leo grinned at her "If you get into the Dragon Unit, I'll... I would be so mad."

Eryn nervously but confidently strode out into the middle of the amphitheater. For a moment nothing happened. Then the falcon flapped its wings soaring off the Falcon Unit soldier's shoulder. Eryn looked at it stunned, as it soared over her head and back around to the shoulder of the soldier again. Eryn walked over to stand by Dylan and the Falcon Unit soldier. Dominic could see in her eyes that she was disappointed.

After Eryn a few more names were called. Two people in the Wolf Unit and three in the Ground Unit. Then Leo was called. He glanced at Dominic nervously and then hurried to the middle of the floor. There was no sound. no one moved. No animals did anything. Than all of a sudden there was a tremendous roar. The dragon flapped its wings sending a breeze at the stands. Leo's eyes seemed to get as big as dinner plates. Then he whooped and leaped into the air. He ran so fast toward the dragon and Dragon Unit soldier, it almost seemed that he flew. Dominic smiled. He was happy for Leo. Also that meant Dominic was not getting into the Dragon Unit. He had been starting to think with his luck that would be where he would end up. He felt a little bad for Eryn. He didn't think the Falcon Unit would be that bad, but he also knew it was not what she had been hoping for. He hoped that she would actually like despite her initial feelings toward it. A few more names were called and Dominic wondered if his name had not made it on the list. there were only a few new recruits left in the stands. A few minutes later he was the last person waiting.

"Dominic Carter" Called the man. Dominic stood up and walked to the middle of the amphitheater. Leo and Erin smiled at him from their spots. Now that Leo had gotten the spot Dominic had feared getting most, he was less nervous. The only spot he wanted to avoid was the Ground Unit. Dominic looked around at the animals. None of them moved. Then all of a sudden the dragon roared. Dominic tensed, something was wrong. The audience became perfectly silent. Dominic took a step away from the dragon. The sound of his footstep echoed around the silent amphitheater. Dominic looked up at the dragon. Its bright eyes were staring right at him. Then the dragon reared up from its crouch and beat its wings. He saw Leo dive out of the way to avoid the claws of the dragon. He saw the wings of the dragon flap through the air making a loud whooshing sound. Dominic backed away watching the claws of the dragon slice through the air as it lowered itself slowly back to its crouch. "There must be a mistake" said Dominic to the dragon and the man in the Dragon Unit. "I can't, and Leo, he's already chosen" His voice shook with fear and confusion. The dragon stared straight into his eyes. "I have chosen" said a voice. It echoed in Dominic's head rather than around the amphitheater. It sounded powerful and calm and ferocious all at the same time. He knew it must be the dragon. There was so much power and control in the words. Dominic looked around the amphitheater and saw that everyone else must have heard because they were all wide eyed and staring at him and the dragon. "You belong with us" said the dragon. Dominic turned his eyes away from the dragon and inspected the audience again. They seemed to have not heard the dragon this time. His whole body shook as he comprehended what had happened. He had been chosen. Two recruits to the Dragon Unit. His mom was gone. His mom was killed in the Dragon Unit. He would have to do all she did. He stumbled as all these thoughts hit him at once, the emotional weight of it crushing him. Pressure built up behind his eyes as he held back the tears struggling to burst from him. He stared down at the gray cement under his feet as he started toward Leo, still shaking. He was in the Dragon Unit.

"All of you can now go home to pack and say goodbye to your families." Said the Dragon Unit man. "Make sure you are back here by 8:00 tonight and we will head to San Francisco for training. We should be there by between 9:30 and 10:00 tonight. Thank you all for joining the Legion."

Dominic could not even understand what had happened. Leo had gotten into the Dragon Unit, and then he had been called. As far as he knew there was only one new dragon in the unit.

" You'll be fine," said Leo. "It won't be as bad as you think. You don't have to worry so much." Dominic did not say anything. He looked at the ground miserably, barely able to hold back a stream of tears.

"I can't just cry like a baby just because I ended up in a unit I didn't want," Dominic said to himself. "Eryn did not get what she wanted either, but she is not moping about like this". Dominic looked up.

"I'm fine" he said. "I'll get over it." He was determined to go on how he had been doing for the past few months. Pretending like nothing was wrong even when he felt something was very wrong. Eryn looked at him as if she knew what he was thinking.

"Don't concentrate on the parts of it that make you sad," she said. " Think about the fact that you have the opportunity to do what few others get to do. You can avenge your mother's death.

"Couldn't I do that in any unit?"

" Think about it this way," Eryn replied. "You are doing what your mom would have wanted you to. Dominic thought she was probably right, but it did not change the fact that he always remembered his mom the most around dragons.

"Alright, see you all later. My parents are waving at me to come. Gotta go."

"See ya." said Eryn. "I should go too." They both walked off.

Dominic looked around and saw the Dragon Unit man standing alone by his dragon. He walked over to them.

"What do you need?" the man asked.

"I, I just was wondering if your dragon made the right choice.

"Andromeda? She never chooses wrong. She is smarter than either of us will ever be."

"Well, I thought there was only one new dragon?"

"Where did you hear that? The information about things like that is classified."

"My mom she... She was Angeline Carter."

"Angeline?"

"Yes, I'm Dominic Carter"

"I know that, I called your name. I just didn't make the connection between the two of you. Well I'm sorry about her. She was one of our bravest and best soldiers. A few days after she died another dragon was born. I guess she did not tell you another dragon was pregnant.

"No, she didn't," said Dominic confused.

"We weren't sure if he would live. Dragon birth is dangerous and rare. We were surprised when both new dragons survived. As you probably know, dragons grow up very fast, and both of them are almost full sized and ready to be part of the unit.

"Why me," Dominic asked frustratedly.

"Your scared and sad about getting into the Dragon Unit" the man guessed.

"Ya I guess"

"Don't be it is what she would have wanted. Oh by the way my name is Darik."

Dominic walked away feeling horrible. Everyone was saying that being in the Dragon Unit would be what his mom would have wanted. They may have been right but it didn't mean he had to like it. He tried to forget about the bad parts of getting into the Dragon Unit and focus on the good parts. If it weren't for his mom's death the Dragon Unit would have been his first choice. The dragons were strong, smart and they could communicate with humans. Dominic started home thinking about the reasons he liked the Dragon Unit, trying to convince himself it wasn't so bad.

He arrived at home and opened the door. His dad was on the couch reading a book. he had taken up the habit of reading ever since Angelene's death. He was reading some ancient hard copy book. Not even digital.

"Hi dad," Dominic said glumly.

"Dominic? I thought you left," said his dad. Not the thing most parents would say. Not "How was it?" or "What unit?" or even "Welcome home."

All Dominic got was "I thought you left."

"No dad, that was just the choosing." His dad did not talk any more. He was staring out the window with a sad lonely expression on his face.