I knew I saw five hellions circling above the boat, but one of them got shot down by Frank's lightning bolt. The other had to have been somewhere because only three were on the deck. My heart raced as I watched Frank and Jonathan try and take aim at the circling beasts.

Jonathan shot out another glowing blue jet of water, but the agile hellion leaped out of the way. Frank followed up with a swift lightning bolt to the same hellion, blasting it off the boat.

I laughed like a victorious hyena. My blood was pumping, and I felt ready to run a mile. It was exhilarating and horrifying to watch.

The latch above flew open, and I spun around. A nasty hellion came crawling down the ladder, glaring at me. It stood still, analyzing me. I could hear my heart hammer away in my throat. My brain was spinning like a top.

I glanced at Snuggles. She was standing on all fours with her tail sticking straight out.

The hellion bared its fangs, its snout like a wolf. It had a blood-curdling growl, and stared at the cat to my left.

It roared and jumped towards the Snuggles, but I leaped in the corner, scooped up the cat, and sprinted towards the bathroom.

The hellion was behind me. I could feel its breath on my neck as I dove into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. The beast screamed and clawed at the door. Its claws dug into the wood, ripping out chunks.

I planted my back to the wall, trembling with the cat in my hand.

Perhaps I could try something.

I held the cat with my left arm and tried to recreate the frustration I felt when the fire came out of my hands back home, but I couldn't get anything going.

The hellion cried out a victorious gurgle as it tore through a massive chunk of wood, and I could see its glowing yellow eye from the other side.

"Jonathan! Frank! Genevieve!" I screamed out. "I need help! I need help!"

The hellion increased its speed, tearing out more holes, making the door look like Swiss cheese. It ripped off a large hole and crawled through, entering the bathroom with me. There was no fire at my hand yet.

I stuck out my palm, pretending to shoot fire, to see if I could get the creature to flinch, but the hellion didn't back down. It took a step closer to me, sizing me up, and analyzing my every move. It bared its vampiric fangs, and drool ran down its sharp teeth as the bald, wrinkly beast took another step closer.

I cocked back my fist, ready to smash the hellion if it took another step, but Snuggles hissed, snapping the hellion's attention.

Clutching the cat tighter with my left arm, I stepped forward and cocked back my fist. I punched the hellion like a shot from a rifle, but the bathroom flashed with a blinding blue light, and the creature shrieked. I was tossed back, crashing into the wall behind me. Even though I had fallen, my arm was still wrapped around the cat.

Snuggles meowed. She was protected and had licked my cheek.

Lifting my head up, Jonathan stood before me with his hand outstretched. "Rollie, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I know this was a disaster, we can turn the ship back around if you'd like, but we took care of all the hellions. You're safe now."

Jonathan helped me back up. Frank was standing behind him.

"You okay there, kiddo?" Frank asked.

I took a moment to respond.

"You see, Jonathan?" Frank said. "This sort of recklessness is what's going to get someone hurt. You've freaked out a newcomer, and now he probably doesn't even want to go to school here."

"Actually, it's quite the opposite," I said, looking at Jonathan and Frank. "I really want to go to Attleton. I need to learn how to stop these things like the two of you. Thank you for saving me in time, Jonathan. I was about to punch the hellion, though." I chuckled.

"It's not a good idea to try to punch a hellion. They are experts at physical combat. You may have gotten your arm bit off if you tried landing a punch," Jonathan said.

"What if it was distracted?" I asked.

"A hellion can split its attention at lightning speeds. Even if distracted, it can detect a physical presence and block any attack. That's why our elemental attacks are so effective. Although I know I speak for Frank when I say this, I feel fatigued," Jonathan said. He leaned up against the bathroom wall.

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"That was too close." Frank shook his head. "Jonathan, next time the admiral issues a warning like that, we are not sailing, understand?"

"Understand. I'm sorry." Jonathan had his head down.

"Jonathan! Frank! Well, what's going on down there?" I heard Genevieve yell from up above.

"I'll be right back." Jonathan ran out of the bathroom and left the cabin.

Frank and I stood there. He was looking at me as if I had been beaten up. "You sure you're okay, kiddo? That must've been a scary moment for you."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to learn what you and Jonathan can do," I said.

Frank smiled. "You can learn. There's no doubt in my mind. If you have the power, you just have to take time to develop it. Attleton will get you there. Speaking of Attleton, we'll see it on the horizon soon; I'll let you know when it appears. The sight never gets old."

I waited in the cabin with Jonathan. We talked for a while. He wanted me to get some rest, but I told him I was wired awake after my encounter with the hellion. The vicious look of that monster shook me to my core.

Jonathan apologized profusely. He seemed so sincere that I felt a little bad about it all. It really shook him up too.

Staring out the window, Frank walked up and knocked on the glass. "Hey, Rollie! You might want to come out here and check out the sight. Don't worry, there are no hellions out."

I ran up the ladder and joined Frank out on the dock. Genevieve was still steering the wind sails with her hand movements.

Genevieve waved at me." Jonathan told me everything that happened. Are you okay, Rollie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you, though."

"Thank you so much for protecting Snuggles, that means a lot, and I know she really appreciates it."

I nodded and approached the bow of the ship, standing next to Frank. He pointed at the center of the horizon, and I could see a tall clock tower glowing yellow like the moon in the center. The dark shapes and pointed edges stretched on from the left side to the right side of the island. Some of the structures glowed with yellow lights that could be seen from the sea. A tall and white lighthouse shone out a beacon of amber light in a consistent circle at the bottom of the island.

"That's the Attleton campus?" I said, my mind blown by its size.

"Yes, sir. There's not much there other than the campus. Some fields and houses between the campus and the docks."

"Wow, it looks so cool," I said. I wondered what all of the different buildings contained. "Do you know where I'll be going first?"

"I think Jonathan will probably take you to the clock tower first. I think he will have you meet with the principal, Wendell Pine."

The boat reached the dock. Frank and Genevieve put that anchor in the water, and we approached the rowhouses sitting on the docks. Frank waved goodbye and went to his place, and we walked with Genevieve to her spot. She held Snuggles in her arms the entire time.

As we arrived at their door, Jonathan whispered to me. "I need a moment to talk to Genevieve alone. I'll be quick if you don't mind waiting here for just a second."

"I don't mind," I said.

Jonathan and Genevieve spoke in a quiet conversation a few feet away while I waited by the door. I wasn't sure where else to look, so I stared at them as they talked. Neither of them noticed me, but they seemed to be having a serious chat about something, with no smiles but no frowns. I glanced at the slender lighthouse at the end of the docks, but I kept wondering what they were talking about. The chat ended with a smile from Genevieve.

Genevieve returned to her door and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Rollie. I really hope you enjoy your time at Attleton. It's a wonderful place, and I think you will enjoy it. I hope to see you again soon. Goodbye, Jonathan."

Jonathan waved at her, and she glanced at him before closing the door.

"We are fortunate she sailed us out here so late in the night with the hellions flying about," Jonathan said as I followed him. We walked through the station, separating the docks from the rest of the island. The station was empty and dimly lit. It had the same appearance as the other Amerzia Travel Building. At the other end, someone was working at a desk, writing something on a paper scroll.

"Hello! Good evening, Jonathan. You went out sailing? Didn't you hear the warning from the admiral?" he said as we walked by.

"Hello to you too. Yes, I'm aware of the admiral warning. We made it here on time, though, had a few hiccups, but everything went well for the most part."

"Glad you made it." The attendant nodded.

I thought we would go outside, but Jonathan guided me to the stairs off to the right side. We went up the staircase to the fourth floor. The structure appeared similar, if not identical, to the Amerzia Travel Building. We went to the top floor, and Jonathan put a key to the door on the left. I gazed down at the hall of rooms.

"Is this place like a hotel too?" I asked.

"Yes. But I don't think anyone is here at the moment on this floor. Most people stay on the second and third floors. The only time we fill these up is on special weekends that happen at Attleton. Whenever there are Dragonstryke matches, parents and siblings come to see their family play in a match and stay at this hotel. We're going to the roof, though." Jonathan smiled as he opened the door and led me into a vestibule with a ladder.

We climbed up the top, and Jonathan turned the wheel of a latch and opened the door onto a rooftop. Lanterns glowed in each corner, and we stepped out onto the smooth stone roof and walked up to a large black object sitting on the ground.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's a dragon bike." Jonathan touched the side of the slender-looking vehicle. We stood there momentarily as the bike came to life and floated a foot off the ground. Dark blue light ran from the end of the face through the rest of the body. The bike had dragon scales that glowed out of the reptilian head. The back extended to fit two people. Jonathan jumped on first and patted the seat cushion behind him. "Hop on," he said.

I took a moment, staring at the hovering bike. It was like looking at a miniature black dragon with sapphire lines running along the scales. I took a seat behind Jonathan, and he pressed a button. Two wings came out from the side, shaped like an aerodynamic triangle.

"Hold on tight," Jonathan said. I wrapped my arms around his abdomen, and the bike hovered further off the ground. We flew ahead towards the giant clock tower lit up at the center of Attleton.