#maverick sinclair

Quinn had been so excited by the sudden turn of events, it had almost been impossible to calm her down. It was a struggle to get her to eat breakfast and then settle enough to ride Luna for the rest of the day. But thankfully, Maverick had a lot of control over his little sister, and without him we never would have been able to take off.

But the entire time, at the back of my mind, was what this meant. I wasn't the only good Rider anymore. And this new dragon was male—a potential mate for Luna in the future to save the dragons. The reproduction side of things wasn't my favorite thing to think about—as a Rider, whenever Luna rose to mate, her feelings transferred to me. And that would happen to Maverick too, in the future, along with any other Dragon Rider out there.

Somehow, I could remember that in the past that it was considered a rite of passage for young Riders to have their first time at the same time as their dragon. But I was pretty sure I never did that. I wasn't into that kind of thing. I would rather fall in love and get married first before I even thought of that.

Osiris is still very young, Luna grumbled. It's going to be a very long time before he reaches maturity, and I will rise before that.

I know! I don't even want that to happen! I was just thinking about how we have a little more hope now.

“Zelda! Aren't you going to tell me now?!” Maverick yelled over the roar of the wind.

Oh yeah, whups. “Yeah, but I'll do it telepathically because it's too hard to talk over the wind!”

“Aw, I wanted to hear it too!” Quinn whined.

Okay. So, you're a Dragon Rider now. There's a lot to teach you, so I'll just tell you the basics now. Some of it doesn't apply to you yet. First, as I already mentioned, your soul is now fused with Osiris's. That means several things. You can communicate telepathically. You can sense each others' emotions. You can sustain the same injuries if hurt by a magically tampered weapon. And... if one of you dies... does the other.

None of that sounded like a very good thing, did it?

The good parts of it is that you will become faster, stronger, and have heightened senses, I continued. Plus, you will gain the same powers as Osiris. It's not magic like some people think it is, because no spells are involved. It's a natural part of the bond. Magic is evil, but I don't think we'll have to deal with it since our enemies are aliens.

Since Maverick had just bonded with Osiris, he could not communicate back to me with his mind. It was a shame though, because I really wanted to know what he thought about all of this. Hopefully Osiris would grow quickly.

Another not so fortunate part of the bond is the fact that our bodies are synched with our dragons'. It doesn't affect you as much since you're a guy, but you'll have to deal with some... unpleasant moments because of Osiris. Male dragons go through monthly cycles, y'see. Eventually they hit a spike of testosterone—which makes them absolutely reek, and it's disgusting—and that's the best time for them to mate. But it makes them really aggressive and hostile and just nasty in general. And that will rub off on you. But you won't have to deal with it for a while 'cause Osiris is just a baby!

I found that incredibly ironic since with humans, it was the females that went though cycles. And thanks to Luna, I barely had to deal with that. Female dragons only rise to mate once a year, and if I didn't become pregnant then, I would have my period. But for the rest of the year, I had natural birth control. Though it really was not needed. Anyways, every female Rider had that. The men were the ones who had to put up with the crap.

I wondered how Maverick felt about that.

That's it, really. Other things can wait. Those are the basics of being a Rider, Mav! We'll begin training at the city, okay?

* ~ * ~ *

Just like I said, we got to the city in a day. But as soon as I saw it, I knew we were going to have a problem.

Luna pulled to a stop, flapping her wings to keep us hovering in place. I couldn't help but gasp at the impressive sight. The gray walls were huge, looming above the ground at one thousand feet, dwarfing Luna. But we couldn't see inside, because on top of the walls was another wall—the city was actually encased in a dome. And looking below, at the leviathan gathered at the walls, I could understand why.

I had Luna circle the dome, and we scouted out several gates. The dome was huge, and I could definitely see a civilization living in there. It had plenty of room for Luna, and maybe even a few other dragons. But, I had to wonder... How in the world did they build this thing without the help of dragons? It seemed to be an impossible feat.

“So, how are we going to get in?!” Maverick shouted to me.

Luna stopped at the sight of a free gate. There wasn't a single leviathan in view. I was still a little wary, but a leviathan wouldn't be too hard to handle if one showed up. I mean, Luna and I had taken out four together already. As long as Maverick and Quinn didn't get in the way, we would be fine.

“There!” I exclaimed, pointing to the gate. “It looks safe!”

“I'm so excited!” Quinn cried with glee. “Big sis, can we live here?!”

I started. She just... called me... her big sister. I... didn't know how to react to that. Did Quinn really consider me part of her family now?

I looked back at her and smiled. “We'll stay as long as we can! And we'll have lots of fun! I promise!”

A bright, joyful smile beamed across her face. “I'm going to eat until I burst!”

That made all of us laugh—even Maverick.

Luna tucked in her wings, diving towards the ground so we could land. She unfurled her wings once we were close enough to the dirt covered ground, and touched down elegantly, only making us lurch slightly. We had landed a while away from the gate, so we had a ways to walk. But that was good, since we were all stiff from the long flight. I got down first, then helped Quinn, and lastly Maverick slid off with Osiris perched on his shoulder. We all stretched our sore muscles.

I looked up at the sky; the sun was setting beautifully. “It's almost night. Let's go, guys!”

Quinn giggled, scampering ahead a little. “I wonder what it's like inside!”

“I imagine it's very beautiful,” said Maverick, and Osiris squawked in agreement. “With lots of food and clean water.”

“I hope they have a playground!” she exclaimed, snagging her brother's hand. “I haven't played on one in years! Since the one in our town was destroyed...”

I adjusted the sheath's strap over my torso, watching then quietly. Luna stayed behind slightly, giving us room since she was so much larger than us. And once again, I couldn't help but wonder what the Sinclairs had gone through...

“Big sis? Aren't you coming?” Quinn had stopped, and was not looking back at me.

I started once again; I would have to get used to her calling me that.

Smiling, I nodded. “Yeah!”

Luna stayed where she was as I headed over to them, picking up my pace so they wouldn't have to wait too long. But then everything happened so fast, it was like it was in slow motion.

I smelled death, and heard a deep, guttural growl. But before I could even react, something exploded out of the dirt. I heard Quinn scream bloody murder. It all happened so fast—or so slow—because I was still taking a step forward towards my friends. Then I felt something clamp down on my left leg.

“ZELDA!!!” Quinn shrieked.

Pain seared through my leg, and I couldn't hold back the scream of agony building in my throat as I was yanked up off the ground. I could feel blood running down my mutilated leg as it throbbed painfully. I could smell the rancid odor of the leviathan, and could feel its hot breath surrounding my body. I could its wrinkly, dark brown skin—the color of the dirt. I could barely think through the pain, but I knew one thing.

I was going to die.

Something jumped on the monster—Luna—but it easily threw her off its back. Somehow, I could still sense that she landed on her back, and skidded back several feet. This leviathan was different from the others—it was stronger.

“Run!” I managed to choke out. “Get to the gate!”

I heard Maverick snap at his sister, trying to yank her back, to get her moving. But she probably was frozen like a deer in headlights, shocked senseless by what she was seeing. If they didn't get to the gate-

The leviathan snarled, and threw me aside. I flew through the air, my blood flinging everywhere. I hit the ground, gasping in pain as my battered body was jostled, tumbling until I was laying flat on my stomach, paralyzed by the anguish pulsing through my leg. But I could feel Luna getting back up.

We... have to... help them... Luna groaned out; she had been hurt too.

I looked up to see the monstrous leviathan—it was gigantic, the largest I had ever seen, being four times the size of Luna—lunging at my fleeing friends with inhuman speed. I slid my hand up in front of me, and then my other, trying to push myself back up, only to collapse back down into the dirt. I reached back for the sword.

“No!” Quinn screamed, suddenly tripping over herself only a few feet from the gate that had somehow been opened, her hand slipping out of her brother's. “Big bro!”

“QUINN!!!” Maverick screamed, leaping forward to get her back, but it was too late.

The leviathan reached her, skidding to a halt on its clawed club feet. It snatched her up in its meaty paws, and her screaming was deafening. It opened its gaping, fanged jaws, saliva dripping down on the girl. I managed to get the sword out of its sheath, shoving the blade into the ground in front of me.

Just... a little... longer...!

Quinn was sobbing. “Big bro...! Big sis...!”

I jerked up my good leg, heaving myself up with the help of the sword. Luna took to the air, slamming back into the leviathan, but it didn't budge an inch. The dragon's fangs glanced off its tough hide, rendering her powerless against it. She tried using her fire against it, but it was just as useless. The leviathan jutted back with its elbow, hitting Luna right in the chest, knocking her off once again like she was just a pesky fly.

With one last scream, Quinn was snapped up by the leviathan, blood spraying everywhere.

“NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” I screamed, finally managing to fully stand up.

Maverick just stood there in shock, his eyes wide with horror. The leviathan grunted, licking the blood off its fangs, gums, and thin lips. Something was dangling from one of its teeth. The monster lumbered forward, ready to make my last remaining friend its meal now too

“NO!” I cried again, finally realizing tears were streaming down my face. “LUNA!”

She dissolved into the air, materializing above me to carefully pick me up in her claws. Pulling me up off the ground, she flew up above the monster, who only glanced up at us briefly with its beady red eyes. Luna didn't need me to tell her what to do; she already knew. She released me, and I dropped down on the base of the leviathan's neck. I cried out in pain as my injured leg was jostled, but then I steeled myself, raised the sword, and sunk the blade into the monster's neck. I did it just in time—it had been about to clamp down on Maverick. The leviathan didn't make a sound; it just shuddered, green blood oozing out of the hole in its neck before collapsing, dead.

I realized I was panting, and my whole body felt like it was on fire. I leaned up against the sword, sweat and blood dribbling down the sides of my face. I had been crying silently before, but now my body was wracked with sobs. I felt so weak and powerless; I hadn't been able to protect all my friends...

Q-Quinn... She was dead.

Because of me. Because I hadn't been able to protect her. I had failed. I had broken my promise. I could feel Luna's anguish, but I was sure that Maverick had to hate me now.

I heard footsteps rushing out towards us—soldiers from the city maybe? I couldn't make my body budge now, so I couldn't look. With all the adrenaline gone, my body hurt even more than before. I felt like I was dying, too.

Anastasie Chevalier (Anastasia Zanders) - Prefers "Anya", the main protagonist of DA, appearing in the first book at 14. The third Western Marked Rider, representing patience, who in turn has to conquer wrath. She is the only one of the Western section of the Marked Riders to actually be from Tarambalaur. She grew up in Draketown, New York, however, as an only child, with loving adoptive parents. Anya, over all, is a nice girl. She is mainly French in origin, and has long brown hair and blue-green eyes. She's very optimistic and a bit of a dreamer. She likes to see the good in everything, and has trouble accepting that not everyone is good. She loves helping others, and hates seeing anyone in trouble. She has a strong sense of justice. It's shocking that such a sweet girl suffers from wrath, but she is actually very in control of her temper. It takes a lot to make her angry, but there are certain things that guarantee her to snap: bullies, racism, sexism, any kind of abuse, insulting her friends/family, injustice, and other similar things. When she does get angry, she usually gets very loud and violent. She is bonded with a magenta leukos Western dragon named Aurora. Aurora is very sarcastic, stubborn, and snarky, and has a easier triggered temper. She is very protective of her Rider, and is very proud. She hates being proved wrong, and strives to be the very best of her kind. Though she may seem hostile, Aurora is capable of compassion, though it is very rare to see.

Nico Valdez -The second Western Marked Rider, appearing in the first book of DA at 14. He is the representative of diligence, having to defeat sloth. Nico is from Beverly Hills, California, being the son of a multimillionaire monopolizing CEO of a technology developing company. He grew up as an only child, often left alone with his nanny, the butler, and maids, seeing as both his parents were very busy. His father would bring home old tech for him to tinker with, and he soon found a talent of creating and developing technology. But he kept his creations to himself, not wanting to be forced to join the company that had taken his father away from him. Eventually, his parents became convinced he wasn't good at anything, and they became very frustrated with his lack of interest in his future, especially since he was the heir of the company. This eventually engraved into his brain that he really wasn't good at anything, and he quit trying. Nico began to mask his pain with a happy smile and goofy attitude. He became a joker, trying to lighten the mood to make things easier for himself. He is Hispanic, his family being from Brazil, and has wild curly black hair, bronze skin, and bright blue eyes. Nico appears to be a happy-go-lucky kid, and can act stupid sometimes, but he truly is intelligent. He hates seeing people down, and does his best to cheer them up. He is spontaneous with his intelligence, and often startles people with his insight. He, however, has very low self esteem, and it's very easy to bully him. He wants everyone to be happy, and will sacrifice his own feelings to make fulfill others wishes. He, due to being very sheltered, doesn't quite know how to socialize, and can be a bit blunt and rude at times, though he doesn't mean it. He has a tendency to get a bit awkward at times, being immature, but not in a bad way. He is bonded with a gold leukos Western dragon named Zeus. Zeus is very laid backed and chill. He sometimes even seems to be lazy at times. He also doesn't seem to be interested in females, which is odd for male dragons. Zeus hates working, but he can get down with it when necessary. Children are drawn to him due to his calm nature.

Maverick Sinclair - The first Western Marked Rider, appearing in the first book of the series at 14. Sometimes is called "Mav". He represents humility, having to wrestle with pride. He is from New York City, New York. Mav is the eldest of five siblings, and when he was ten, his father left his mother for unknown reasons, though they were never married. His mother became stressed, having to raise five children on her own. So, Maverick did his best to help his mother, and in the process became very protective of his family and very responsible. However, when his landlord threatened to kick them out due to lack of paid rent, he became desperate to save his family from being thrown out on the streets, especially his sisters. So, at 12 years old, he came into contact with some members of the gang his father had been involved. They offered to pay him the big bucks if he did some jobs for them. So Maverick became a member of a gang that was secretly a faction of the cult of Dragon Slayers. However, when his dragon hatched from him, he became the enemy and hand no choice but to flee NYC. He is mixed, being half Black, half Caucasian, with English and German roots. He has wavy dark brown hair, light brown skin, and hazel eyes. Maverick, due to his rough upbringing, is very calm and collected, and a bit serious and cynical. He is cautious, and a bit aloof when he first meets someone. But once you become his friend, you have his undying loyalty. He refuses to abandon anyone that matters to him, not wanting to be like his father. He is very bitter at times, but he tries his best to look at the good things in life. He is very proud of himself for taking care of his family, among his other accomplishments. He is boned with a blue leukos Western dragon named Osiris. Osiris is a lot like his partner, though he is much, much quieter. He rarely speaks, and when he does, it is very important. He is very serious, and doesn't like to be bothered. He is aggressive, as male Western dragons typically are, and doesn't like it when his friends are threatened. He is extremely loyal to those he views as his friends and allies. He never backs down from a fight, and has no problem asserting his dominance.

Oshiro Rei - The second Eastern Marked Rider, appearing in the second book of DA at 15. She represents charity, having to deal with greed. Rei grew up on Doragon Island, which is where the Eastern dragons reside with their Riders, at the monastery. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father was from somewhere in Japan. Rei grew up raised by the monks, like all young Riders, and developed a knack for gambling. She is Japanese, and has long black hair she often puts up in a bun, and warm brown eyes. Rei is very passionate and hotblooded, and loves a good thrill. She is very clever, and notices things others usually don't. She is has a natural skill at gambling, and struggles to resist the urges to get others money through it. She cares a lot about her friends, and often feels like she owes others when they help her. She has a tendency to be very affectionate towards her friends. She is bonded with a white leukos Eastern dragon named Amaterasu. Amaterasu is very serene, but has a tendency to be playful. She loves to have fun and explore, and dislikes fighting to a certain degree. She is very mischievous, and a bit of a tease to male dragons. She is just as hotblooded as her partner, though, when it comes to fighting, and she will never give up.