Today is the day. She grabbed the scepter from the top shelf of the closet where it lay hidden from the prying eyes of her well-meaning parents. Her robe was already stuffed into the bottom of her backpack below the schoolbooks she carried each day. The books were a joke. For that matter, school was a joke. She had more knowledge of the world in her little crooked hammertoe than all of the professors combined. Still, it was a worthwhile diversion to attend high school while she waited for this day to arrive.

Today the prophesy would be fulfilled. With Heimlich, her dragon, by her side, she would rule North America. Other great leaders would take their places as rulers of each of the seven continents on Earth. No longer would people be ruled by leaders seeking political gain and power. Instead, the power was divided between the dragons with a human as their envoy to the people of Earth. They had witnessed war and destruction for too long and no longer would they need to wait for the Earth to come together. Today the long awaited time of a world at peace would begin.

Heimlich was in constant contact with the other dragons and their chosen envoys. All would take their place at the same moment. There was sure to be chaos at first, but the dragons had a clear message.

Hear and heed our message or you will be destroyed.

It was up to Sylvan to communicate this to the people in North America. She knew most would be doubtful and Heimlich had prepared her for the moment by explaining what must be done to dissenters. She was nervous about her role, but was confident that she was up to the task.

As she left the house, she tucked a letter under the coffee cup on the bookcase by the front door. Her father tossed his change in there every night and the family used it as a convenient paperweight for notes. Her mother would find it shortly and call her father. She just hoped that they would heed the message and stay home. She wasn't sure what would happen, but Heimlich would protect her from what was to come. She wanted her parents safely out of the way.