Sunlight leaked through the wooden slats of the shack Amara slept in. Sleeping on hay was not the most comfortable arrangement but she would take what she could get. Before she went to bed the night before, she buried the books she stole beneath the hay, just in case the Sacred Scales came looking for her. By now, Emery had likely told Joslyn what happened. Amara did have the dragons for protection but she did not want to put them in harm's way for decisions she made on her own. For now, her main focus was finding a way to open the book. Whatever was in it was something the Sacred Scales, especially Emery, did not deserve to know. 

She dug out the books and searched for the lab notes she never finished reading. Amara hoped there would be more information there about her creation and connection with the dragons. 

"XX-4642 has proved to be useful in the creation of The Daughters of Athena. So much so that it is time to incubate XX-4642, so we can study her and use her talents to protect our city of Athena. The talents that XX-4642 possesses are unlike any of the other Daughters as these could not be duplicated in the DNA cloning process. They proved to be too unstable to pass on. A small sample of XX-4642’s DNA will be frozen in storage, but I am curious to see how she flourishes amongst the other Daughters.

Subject XX-4642 will henceforth be known as Amara."

She closed the book, swallowing the bile that seeped up her throat. Amara was only twenty-eight years old, and while on the older side of Daughters–she was not old enough to be the original. None of it made sense to her. There was the simple answer, she was only a clone of the original Daughter, as they all were. But, why name her after it? Her true age could surpass the time she had been conscious in existence. She understood that she could have rested in stasis or as a clump of cells for years–if that was the case, why wake her?

Her body was weary, her mind tired, and her will was nearly gone. She was at the center of a complicated situation she did know how to begin to fix. Amara wanted to help the dragons. After all the damage she had done, she at least owed them that much. But Earth was her home and she owed it to her people to help them too. It was a tight line to walk. However, doing the right thing was what stuck with her the most. 

Amara slid out of her shack, shielding her eyes from the brightness of the sun. A young dragon crossed her path, following its mother to the encampment’s source of water. She had never seen a dragon so small before. It looked so fragile and clumsy, like a baby deer. So many different beautiful scale colors reflected in the sunlight, hues Amara did not even have a name for. Seeing them this way made it clear they were not Earthly beings, knowing they came from a distant planet in the galaxy was the only thing that truly made sense. The air was alive with chatter among the dragons that passed fleetingly through Amara’s mind. The energy that surrounded her was a welcome reminder that this was where she was meant to be. Even though she did not look like them, never for a second did she feel out of place. All the dragons had welcomed her graciously. 

“Good morning.” Zaiyena had managed to sneak up on Amara. As big as she was, one would not think such a thing was possible. 

“Morning. Thank you for letting me stay here.” Amara spoke while looking into the distance. 

“Of course. Though we have much to discuss today. Would you follow me?” Zaiyena gestured into the distance with a wing. 

Amara nodded. She held up a hand as if to say wait, ran back into her shack, and snagged all the books she had stashed in there. She wanted to make sure no one would take them. When she exited, Zaiyena gave her an inquisitive look but continued to move towards the largest structure in the encampment. Amara followed, steering clear of Zaiyena’s massive tail that swung freely as she moved. Dragons moved about, starting their days. Some took off in flight, presumably to gather food for the day. Mothers were teaching their children to fly and breathe fire. The smallest of them could only manage smoke. Amara grinned at how adorable the imagery was. These were innately gentle creatures. She understood now that the ones she fought were merely protecting themselves–like any creature or person would do if they were being hunted. 

The dragons merely moved out of Zaiyena’s way as she walked. It seemed to be a sign of reverence for both her size and status among them. She was second only to Maiyara, but still demanded respect. They reached the large structure, which was only a shack but still far larger than the one Amara had slept in. Zaiyena entered and Maiyara was also present. Amara tried not to feel intimidated. Being towered over by two large dragons would make anyone feel small. 

“It is good to see you again.” Maiyara dipped her head in a bow. 

Amara returned the gesture, though remained silent, she knew she was there to listen. 

Zaiyena stepped aside, allowing Maiyara to take the center of the room. Amara was forced to stand, seeing as dragons did not need chairs. 

“So you know our predicament. Well, predicament does not feel like the right word but it will do for now. The Sacred Scales are under the impression that their little operation was in our best interest. We all know that it was not. Now we must find a way to clean up the mess they have left in their wake.”  Maiyara paused. “Joslyn is under the impression that they succeeded in wiping out the entirety of Athena; we know this is not true. In addition to our own intel, we know they would not be as careless as to base everything that they are in one central location.”

Amara suspected the same but let the Sacred Scales believe whatever they wanted to. “So what does this mean for me?”

“You have to be a point of communication for us. As you remember, we cannot communicate with humans the same way that you do. Whoever is left of Athena will want change. The Sacred Scales at least got one thing right by taking out those who held the most power and had the most greed. We base our hopes on the few that are left. Our hope is that we can somehow come to an agreement about our existence here, at least until we find a solution for our home planet.”  Maiyara turned an eye to Zaiyena and then back to Amara. 

“Okay. So you are asking me to go back to the people that created me to kill you and ask them to not kill you anymore?” Amara’s statement reeked of sarcasm.

Zaiyena let out a rumble that sounded like a chuckle. Maiyara gave her a stern look, Zaiyena stopped and looked at the ground. 

“Yes.” Was all Maiyara said. 

Silence filled the room. Zaiyena avoided eye contact with Maiyara and stared directly at Amara. This was a dangerous thing to ask of Amara. It was really a dangerous thing to ask of anyone. If she went back to Athena and swore allegiance to the dragons instead of the government, they might kill her on the spot. 

“Yes? That’s all you have to say?” Amara crossed her arms.

“We and the government have a common enemy. I am positive that they would be willing to overlook your current status if we agree to deal with said enemy.” Maiyara huffed. 

“Common enemy, meaning the Sacred Scales, right?”

“Exactly. While they do us no physical harm, they are a threat to the existence of our species. In turn, they are a threat to the way the government wishes to operate. The government would want to prevent another unnecessary uprising and we wish to exist in peace. The way I see it, it’s a win-win.” Zaiyena chimed in this time. 

Amara could not argue with the logic. The Sacred Scales were ultimately a nuisance to everyone. Earth and dragons would not be able to exist in harmony with them around. They had killed with reckless abandon, not even knowing the full truth. If Amara agreed to this, then the dragons may agree to answer some questions for her. Questions about the book she had hidden away in her bag. Could they sense it was there? Even if they could, she was not going to bring it up now. She had no leverage and even though the dragons needed her in a way, they could just as easily get what they wanted by other means.

“Okay. I’ll do it.” Certainty came to her as she spoke the words. 

“Good. I am grateful for your help Amara; we are all grateful. Rest for today, we will all need it. There is a fort on Navy Pier. The Sacred Scales thought it abandoned but that was what Athena wanted them to think. We head there tomorrow. I trust you will not change your mind.” Maiyara turned away from Amara, signaling the end of their conversation. 

Amara exited the shack, still holding the bag of books close to her side. She was about to walk into the belly of the beast and back into the reach of those who once owned her- who still technically owned her. They had part of her DNA hidden somewhere, which meant they had the capability to recreate her if necessary. Though their labs had been destroyed, they would not take long to rebuild if they already had a fort in place. Would they risk recreating her if it meant they could destroy dragons once and for all? Zaiyana and Maiyara believed their need to be rid of the Sacred Scales would override any ill will they had towards the dragons. It was possible, though she felt the chances were slim. She hurried back to her shack for some time to think alone. She felt the eyes of the other dragons on her but ignored them to the best of her ability. 

Her goal had been to destroy the Sacred Scales. She wanted nothing more than to see them fall. However, this was not the way Amara envisioned it. Even though she never had a solid plan, teaming up with dragons and possible Athena was the furthest idea from her mind. 

Her world had already changed so much. Why not change it more and change it for the better? So many had died, so many were afraid, and so many had fallen victim to the government’s greed. If Amara could help be a solution to all of that, she would do whatever was in her power. She only hoped she would survive long enough. The Sacred Scales had told her they had destroyed nearly all, if not all, of the government’s munitions stores. It did not mean they had nothing left. Sure, they might not be able to shoot down a dragon. However, Amara was not a dragon–at least not fully. This would not be the first time she was going to risk her life for a mission, and she had a sneaking suspicion it would not be the last.