Silencio! The "voice" of the feathered serpent was a whistling hiss. The words entered my mind directly—the dragon’s mouth never even opened. To emphasize its command, it squeezed with the talons that gripped me—just enough to force me to exhale sharply. The squeeze lasted a second or two—long enough for me to get panicky about ever being able to breathe again. Then the grip relaxed enough for me to gasp in a lungful of air.