Spears hovered menacingly; their tips poised to strike Stormwing's heart. Pryce positioned himself between the dragon and the villagers, his arms spread wide, serving as a human shield. Sweat beaded on his brow, trickling down his face as his legs trembled. He shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for the inevitable.

"STOP!"

Pryce's eyes opened at the sound of his mother's voice. Relieved, he saw his parents pushing their way through the agitated crowd, with Faye and Kai following closely behind. His sister's eyes were wide with fear, while Kai maneuvered through the crowd, his hands raised to ease people aside.

"What in the Dragon's Sea do you think you're doing?" Ellie said. "Have you all gone mad?"

His father, Tyler, stood beside her, a hand resting on the hilt of his fishing knife.

"He's dangerous, Ellie!" said the elderly mayor, Helen Wright. "We have to put it down before it hurts someone!"

Pryce glanced between his parents and the hostile villagers, reluctant to believe his mother's intervention would be enough to save Stormwing's life.

"It's wounded, not rabid," Tyler said. "Look at it."

"Aye, wounded and liable to lash out," another villager said. "We can't risk it."

Ellie turned her eyes to Pryce. "What's going on? Why are you guarding this dragon?"

Pryce took a deep breath. "It's a young storm dragon. It fell during the storm, and its wing is broken. But I can nurse it back to health. I can train it to protect Crystal Shores."

He gestured to the agitated crowd. "They want to kill it, but it doesn't deserve that. It's just scared. It's not lashing out, not trying to hurt anyone."

The murmurs of dissent grew louder. "We should kill it before it kills us!"

"Please, just look at it." Pryce stepped closer to Stormwing. "Watch."

Slowly, Pryce ran his hand down Stormwing's snout, feeling the dragon's fear vibrate through its scales. "Easy, Stormwing." The dragon tensed for a moment. Then, gradually, it relaxed. A low rumble, almost a purr, emanated from Stormwing.

He looked back at his mom. "See? It trusts me."

Ellie's expression shifted from fear to amazement. She turned to Mayor Wright. "Helen, look at this. It . . . it seems Pryce can actually tame it. He's doing it right now, in front of all of us."

"The boy has a way with dragons," Finnegan said to the mayor.

"A dragon's a dragon! Can't be trusted!" a woman shouted from the back. "You two should know better! You faced Aurathorn yourself!"

The mayor stood before Ellie. "I agree with the woman; the dragon cannot be trusted. My job is to keep Crystal Shores free of threats, and this dragon is a threat."

The argument grew louder with conflicting opinions. Pryce fought the urge to shout back. How could they not see?

Amidst the turmoil, Kai and Faye appeared at his side. Faye's hand slipped into his. With a soft voice, his little sister said, "I believe you."

On his other side, Kai kept his distance from the dragon. His best friend said, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I've never been more sure, Frostborne."

Just when it seemed the shouting would never end, his mother spoke up. "I have a proposition." The crowd fell silent, all eyes turning to her.

"Let Pryce heal and train the dragon on the nearby Islad of Emberfall. The dragon is injured and poses no immediate threat. If it dies, the problem solves itself. If it lives, we gain a protector."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Mayor Wright's face twisted with concern. "And if it turns on us?"

"Then I'll deal with it. I'll kill it myself," Tyler said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"We'll use my boat and a barge to take the dragon to the Island of Emberfall," Tyler said, pointing toward the distant, uninhabited island. "It's a few hours' sail from here and there's an abandoned Oceanrider base there. It's sturdy enough to hold the creature until we know what to do with it." He paused, looking around the crowd once more. "Who here is willing to help with the transport?"

A few hands tentatively went up, and Tyler nodded in appreciation. The villagers worked quickly, reinforcing the nets already around the dragon.

Nearby, they pushed a large hoist, usually reserved for lifting heavy logs, up to Stormwing.

Tyler turned to the crowd. "Alright, everyone, on three. One, two, three!" With a mix of grunts and groans, they hoisted Stormwing off the ground.

"Watch the tail, it could knock someone off their feet," Kai called out, his voice strained with effort as he helped support a wing.

Old Man Finnegan, leaning heavily on his walking stick, said from the side. "Mind the left wheel, it's looking wobbly. Someone get over there and steady it."

Grunting with effort, Pryce adjusted his grip on the netting. "Stormwing's heavier than I thought. Are we sure the cart can take this weight?"

"That cart's seen better days, lad. But if the ropes hold and the wheels don't betray us, it should be able to carry the lizard's weight. Just keep an eye on that left wheel, it's more temperamental than a dragon with a toothache."

As they finally managed to lift Stormwing onto the cart, the wheels creaked, but held steady. Tyler wiped his hands on his pants. "Good job, everyone. Let's move quickly."

With the dragon securely on the cart, the group began their journey towards the docks, where Tyler's boat awaited to take them to Emberfall. Pryce helped push the cart, assisting the struggling horses.

"I can't wait to get him to Emberfall," Pryce said.

Finnegan nodded as he walked toward his cottage. "Aye, lad. The sooner we reach the island, the better."

Pryce kept pushing the cart towards the pier, where a barge waited. It was the best option they had for transporting something so large. They carefully hoisted the dragon onboard and strapped it down securely, folding its wings tightly against its body.

Tyler would tow the barge, which is usually used to haul lumber, behind his fishing vessel, the Blue Horizon.

They fastened the dragon with additional ropes and chains once it was onboard the barge, ensuring complete immobilization.

Just as they were preparing to depart, the clatter of hooves and wheels announced Old Man Finnegan's arrival. The elder pulled up in his weathered cart, his equally ancient horse snorting and stamping its feet. "Hold up there, young Harper-Green!"

Pryce watched as Finnegan directed the loading of his horse and cart onto Tyler's boat. "Thought you might need some help with that overgrown lizard," he said, nodding towards Stormwing. "I've got some ideas about what dragons might fancy for dinner. Figured we could use the cart to haul in some game. Can't have your new friend going hungry, now can we?"

Pryce hurried over to Finnegan. "Glad to have you with us."

Finnegan clapped him on the shoulder. "Of course, lad. Someone's got to keep you out of trouble. Besides, I haven't seen a dragon up close in a long time. Just never thought I'd be feeding one instead of fighting it."

"What do dragons eat?" someone from the crowd called out.

"Fish, mostly," Finnegan replied. "Big ones, like the Moonshark from the lake."

From the barge, Pryce helped his father finish securing the last of the ropes tethering it to the Blue Horizon.

"Cast off!" Tyler called out, his voice carrying over the lapping waves.

As the Blue Horizon began to pull away from the dock, Pryce's eyes found his mother and sister standing at the edge. Pryce raised his hand, waving at them.

"We'll be back soon!" he called out. "Don't worry!"

Kai stood beside him on the barge, his white-blonde hair whipping in the wind.

Pryce leaned against the railing of the barge.

"So," Kai said, "a dragon trainer, huh? That's quite the career change from fishing."

Pryce couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I guess it is. But you've got to admit, it's a bit more exciting than hauling in empty nets day after day."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Exciting is one word for it. Dangerous is another. Just don't forget about the rest of us little people when you're off riding dragons and saving the world."

"As if I could ever forget about you, Frostborne. Someone's got to keep me grounded."

Pryce turned his attention to Stormwing, who lay bound and stressed on the barge. The dragon's chest heaved with labored breaths. "Hey, it's okay."

The dragon strained against its bonds, causing the barge to rock. Price gently stroked Stormwing's snout. "Whoa, easy there."

The dragon's breathing slowed a bit at Pryce's touch, but its muscles remained taut beneath the ropes. He continued to stroke Stormwing's snout, speaking in soothing tones as the barge was pulled further from shore.

The sail across Lake Dragontide to the Island of Emberfall was fraught with worry. Pryce couldn't tear his eyes away from Stormwing, who lay curled up on the hard planks of the barge. The dragon's occasional whimpers of pain were agonizing.

The island itself, when they finally reached its shores, felt as ill as his dragon. Wild and overgrown, it pressed in on the small beach. The remnants of buildings, barely visible beneath a tangle of vines and creepers, offered little comfort.

"I don't know how I'm going to live in such a place and train a dragon," Pryce said. "I've spent my whole life in Crystal Shores. This is my first encounter with a dragon, and now I'm supposed to heal it and train it here?"

"It does look pretty rough," Kai said.

The Blue Horizon glided toward the old dock of the abandoned Oceanrider outpost. The dock, weathered and covered in moss, jutted out into the water like a skeletal hand reaching for them.

Pryce stood at the edge of the barge. He glanced back at Stormwing, who lay bound and anxious, its blue eyes scanning the surroundings nervously.

"Get ready to cut the lines!" Finnegan's voice boomed from the stern of the ship. "Pryce, Kai, be prepared!"

Kai moved to Pryce's side. "I don't know how this is going to work."

"Me either."

As Tyler brought the ship closer to shore, a sudden jolt rocked the barge. Pryce saw a jagged rock scrape against the side of the barge, sending a shudder through the vessel. He tightened his grip on the railing.

"Hold on!" Tyler shouted from the ship.

The sudden impact startled Stormwing, who began thrashing violently against his restraints. Pryce could feel the dragon's powerful muscles straining, the ropes creaking under the pressure. The barge lurched dangerously, tipping to one side as the dragon's agitation threatened to capsize it.

"Stormwing, calm down!" Pryce pleaded. He reached out, trying to soothe the dragon with his touch.

But Stormwing's panic only intensified. The dragon's good wing flared out, catching the wind and adding to the barge's instability. With a mighty heave, the dragon broke free from some of his bindings. The sound of snapping ropes filled the air.

"No, Stormwing!" Pryce watched the dragon teeter on the edge of the barge. The vessel swayed perilously, and in a desperate attempt to regain control, Stormwing's tail lashed out, sending crates and equipment tumbling into the water with loud splashes.

"Hold on!" Pryce held out his hand as if he could will the dragon to calm down. But the panic in Stormwing was unmistakable, and he knew the dragon's instincts were taking over.

Then, with a final, frantic thrash of his wings, Stormwing tumbled off the side of the barge, disappearing into the deep, churning water below. Pryce watched the ripples spread across the lake's surface.

"Stormwing!" He leaned over the railing, his eyes scanning the dark waters for any sign of his dragon.

Pryce grabbed a length of rope and tied it securely around his waist, fastening the other end to the barge's railing. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to dive into the waters. With one last look at Kai, who was pulling on his arm, he dove into the turbulent lake.