Chapter 8: The Date

Aeris rolled over on her back and sighed. Her feelings were a jumbled mix of thoughts. Her face hurt from smiling so much, but her tail also wouldn’t stop trembling.

In just a few hours, she would be alone with Windor. Aubrey and Helen not being there was a little worrying. Was this a date? Did dragons go on dates? What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to act? None of her books held any answers and there were no books on dragon dating habits in Master Aaron’s study. Lilith provided some advice, but it was more of a crash course. Aeris had no time to practice any of the things they had discussed.

She rolled over on her side and sighed again loudly. Why did she agree to see him again so soon? Through her window, the night sky was starting to brighten and the stars had faded from view.

Unable to take it anymore, she stood up and went outside. Perhaps a pre-morning flight would calm her nerves. The sun had not yet crept over the horizon. She wasn’t allowed to fly at night mainly due to it being dark and the increased risk of injury. But she was feeling particularly rebellious today. What Master Aaron didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

She spread her wings and kicked off the ground, taking to the air. It felt so different flying in the early morning. The air felt crisper and colder, and the sky empty and lonely. At this hour, not even the birds were awake.

The loneliness reminded her just how alone she really was in the world. She knew so few people and even fewer who enjoyed her company. But that was going to change. Until recently, Maggie and Master Aaron were the only people she could call her friends, but now three more had been added to the list—two of which were dragons.

Aeris maintained her altitude and watched the sunrise. It was such a beautiful sight watching the sky turn red and orange then shift into a pale blue. Next, a breeze blew and the first of the birds began to rise from the trees. It was like watching the world wake up.

With a content sigh, Aeris slowly descended and returned to her room. That flight was just what she needed.

She waited patiently in her room for Maggie to arrive with breakfast. It was her favorite, steak and eggs. Today was looking up. Usually, she had to eat oatmeal, her favorite meal was reserved for special occasions.

Aeris wasted no time eating. In minutes, the whole plate had been cleared, and Aeris was licking her chops.

“You’re certainly hungry today,” Maggie said. “Maybe I should ask Lydia to make you larger portions.”

“No, that’s okay,” Aeris replied. She ran her tongue along the tray to get the last of the steak’s juices and turned to Maggie. “Would you mind giving me a bath?”

Maggie, reaching for the now empty tray, froze and raised a brow. “Why? You always complain when I bathe you.”

“No, I don’t. And you promised me a bath yesterday, but you never did.”

Maggie sighed and retrieved the tray. “You’re right. And I’m sorry. Thank you, Aeris for reminding me to keep my word. Wait here while I get the water ready.”

Aeris nodded and watched Maggie leave the room. It wasn’t a lie, but it still felt like one. Maggie didn’t know about Windor. Aeris hadn’t told her about agreeing to teach Aubrey to read either. Keeping secrets from the woman who practically raised her felt wrong, but would Maggie approve if she knew? She had gotten so upset when she heard about Aeris reading.

Just as she didn’t feel right lying to her master and sneaking out behind his back. It made the young dragon wonder why she couldn’t just get his permission. Surely if she explained the situation, he would be understanding as he always was.

The thought of telling her master what she had been up to sent a chill through her body, ending any further thoughts on the topic.

It didn’t take nearly as long as Aeris had feared for Maggie to return with the water for the bath. When they went outside, they found Lilith standing by the water basin. She was dressed very differently than normal. Her clothes looked plain and cheap looking instead of made with expensive fabrics and intricate designs. And her hair was tied sloppily into a bun on her head. She looked so out of place, Aeris almost didn’t recognize her.

The young woman smiled sweetly at their arrival. “Hello, Margret, going to bathe the dragon I take it?”

“Yes, I was,” Maggie replied with a short bow. “Was there something you needed?”

“Yes, and no. Why don’t you let me handle Aeris’ bath this time?”

“Oh, no! I could never ask you to do such a thing! Lord Strauss—”

“If Aaron has a problem with me bathing Aeris, tell him it was my idea,” Lilith interjected in the same sweet tone. “Which it is. I know such a thing is beneath someone of my stature, but I would like to get to know Aeris more. Please, Margret, don’t make me order you to step aside.”

It was clear there would be no more discussion on the subject. Maggie nodded and stepped aside.

“Could you give us some privacy, please?” Lilith asked.

Maggie gave Aeris an apologetic look then bowed to Lilith and returned to the house. Aeris swallowed and stepped closer, her mind racing with ideas as to what Lilith could want with her. The woman had been nothing if not polite these last few days, but this situation felt wrong, strange. Maggie was the only one who bathed Aeris even during her younger day.

Lilith rolled up her sleeves and retrieved the sponge from the water. She then knelt and began to scrub Aeris’s side. “So, today is the big day, correct?”

“Y-Yes,” Aeris said. She winced when Lilith scrubbed her scales the wrong way. The young woman also used too much pressure as if trying to scrub the poor dragon’s scales off.

            “Do you know how long you’ll be gone for? Just to make it easier to cover for you.”

            “I-I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.”

            “Understandable. This is your first date with a dragon after all. You do remember everything I taught you, correct?”

            Aeris flinched again when Lilith went against her scales. “Yes. Be polite, make eye contact, agree with his opinions, and laugh at his jokes even if they aren’t funny.”

            “Very good. And what else?”

            Aeris fidgeted. “It’s okay to flirt, but no lifting my tail.”

            “That’s right. You want to stay just outside of his reach without making him believe it’s impossible. If you’re too eager, he’ll just move on to the next conquest. They’ll never admit to it, but they like to work for it. Gives them a sense of accomplishment.”

            Aeris nodded though she had no idea what Lilith meant. The rest of the bath was done in silence. It was the most awkward bath Aeris ever had. Lilith was much more thorough and far less gentle than Maggie. There wasn’t a part of the young dragon’s body that hadn’t been scrubbed vigorously twice. Some of the more sensitive areas still burned a little. Hopefully, this bath was a one-time thing.

            After rinsing Aeris’ body, Lilith toweled her off and put her cloak on. “Good, you’re all set. Just remember to have fun, okay?”

            Aeris thanked Lilith for her help and ran to the commercial district. It wasn’t until she arrived that the realization sunk in that she was there alone. Tucking her head into her cloak, she kept her gaze focused on the ground. So long as she avoided eye-contact or doing anything to draw attention, everything would be okay.

Finding the bakery where they were supposed to meet was easy. It surprised her to find Windor already there and waiting. Unlike Aeris, he wore nothing except for a leather pouch tied securely around his neck.

Even with the cloak on, the Ravager noticed Aeris immediately. “Aeris, I’m so glad you made it.”

“Hello, Windor. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

“No, don’t worry about it. After all, we hadn’t agreed on a time to meet, so I figured I’d get here early.” He laughed loudly. The sound comforted her. “Looks like you had the same idea. I guess we’re both nervous about this.”

Aeris laughed genuinely at the small joke, and the two dragons began their walk. They wandered the streets for a while, saying nothing. Aeris didn’t care about the silence. Windor’s company was enough. Even though she had explored the commercial district with Aubrey just two days ago, it felt like she was seeing it all again for the first time. It had a different atmosphere this early in the day. Things were less frantic, people seemed calmer, and it was much quieter.

Something did catch her eye that she hadn’t noticed during her first walk with Aubrey however. “Windor, are there any dragon-owned stores?”

Windor laughed at the suggestion then his smile fell when he noticed Aeris didn’t return the humor. “You’re serious? Aeris, why would a dragon want to own a store?”

“I don’t know. But hasn’t any dragon ever been curious? Don’t dragons in the wild have stores?”

“Aeris, dragons in the wild take care of their own needs. Besides, running a store means earning coin, and what good is it outside the cities?”

Aeris had no idea what life was like outside the city, but remembering what Lilith said, she nodded in understanding.

Any further conversation was put on hold when Aeris’ stomach growled. To her surprise, Windor’s growled as if agreeing with her.

“I guess that’s our cue to get something to eat,” Windor said, chuckling.

“Are we going back to the bakery?” Aeris asked, hopeful.

“No, I have somewhere better in mind.”

The thought of what could be better than soft pastries fresh from the oven made Aeris’s mouth water. She licked her lips making sure not to drool in his presence.

Windor led her through the commercial district down a side alley she hadn’t seen during her visit with Aubrey. As they walked, the heavenly smell of cooked meat filled Aeris’ nose. Her stomach growled again.

The alley led to a narrow street that had a much more different feel to it. It felt…natural. The buildings were less polished, signs of wear and tear exposed for all the world to see like proud battle scars. The people weren’t as finely dressed, wearing simple fabrics, and their faces unwashed. And there were many more dragons this time, but none of them seemed to be in the company of a human. Even the air was different. The smell of human and dragon mixed creating a unique scent not quite unpleasant. It was a step above those smelly perfumes at least. There was a definite shift in the atmosphere as well. It was if the dragons had taken on the role of the humans. They walked with their heads high and didn’t shy away from the humans they passed on the street, and the humans didn’t look upon the dragons with usual wonder or annoyance she noticed before. It was very different from the world Aeris was used to. She doubted Master Aaron would even want to set foot in an area such as this.

“We’re very close to the dragon’s district,” Windor explained. “There are no dragon-owned shops here, but just about every shop on this street serves dragons. Come on. Where we’re going is this way.”

They eventually came to a wide courtyard filled with tables but only a few chairs. The chairs were unnecessary as most of the beings sitting at them were dragons. The smell of salted meat was much stronger, chasing away Aeris’ fears. Never had she been around this many dragons at once.

Windor gently nuzzled her, pulling her out of her thoughts. “Don’t worry. Domesticates are welcome here. No one will bother you.”

They went into the courtyard and sat down at an empty table in the far corner. Just as Windor said, none of the dragons there even glanced in Aeris’ direction unless she walked right past them.

Aeris was beside herself with excitement as she looked around at the restaurant. She had been to parties before with Master Aaron, but she had never been to a restaurant before. The closest she had ever been was Master Aaron whenever went to have dinner with a client and he sometimes brought her along. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow dragons inside the establishment, and she was forced to wait outside and watch everything through the window. Master Aaron did sneak her some of his leftovers. It wasn’t as good as Lydia’s cooking (humans had such strange tastes in food), but Aeris appreciated the gesture.

A young woman, far younger than Lilith, and wearing an apron approached them. This human had not reached maturity but wasn’t young enough to be called a child. The young woman wore her dark hair tied behind her head, showing off her round, youthful face which had little dots on it. Aeris made a note to research that human feature later. “Hey, there, Windor!” the girl said in a proud booming voice that defied her small frame. She turned to Aeris with a friendly smile. “And who might you be, newcomer?”

Aeris fought the urge to shrink away from the girl’s upbeat and extremely confident demeanor. “I-I’m Aeris. How did you know I’m new here?”

“Well, that’s easy. Most of the scales here are regulars, so I know pretty much all of ‘em by name.” the girl slapped her forehead. “Oh! Me and my manners! My name is Janine. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aeris.“ She gave a quick curtsey before straightening up and her smile returned. “So I take you’ll be wanting the usual, Windor?”

“As if I would take anything else,” Windor replied, hungrily licking his lips. He turned to Aeris. “Since this is your first time here, do you want what I’m having? They serve the best deer meat here.”

“That we do!” Janine said proudly. “My pa hunts ‘em himself. You can’t get fresher than that!”

“That sounds nice,” Aeris said meekly. She still hadn’t recovered from the shock of Janine’s arrival. “Um, but I would like to look at the menu if that’s okay.”

Janine’s smile faltered a bit. “Well…sure, but how do you plan to read it?”

Aeris stiffened and cursed herself for her blunder. “R-Right. Completely forgot. It’s just my m—caretaker usually reads to me. I’ll just have whatever Windor’s having and a cup of water.”

Janine snickered into her hand, making Aeris wonder what the girl could be laughing at. As if sensing her confusion, Janine straightened and explained, “Sorry. It’s just we don’t get many domesticates here, and no dragon ever asks for water.”

“They make the best ale here as well,” Windor said. “You sure you don’t want any?”

Aeris answered as politely as possible, “I’m fine.” She never had alcohol before but had read plenty of stories where a character had a little too much to drink and usually things didn’t end well. She preferred not to risk it.

“Suit yourself. I’ll be right back with your meals.” Janine skipped toward the building at the far end of the courtyard, hopping over the various dragon tails in her path.

“Janine is what the humans call a ‘free spirit’ ” Windor said. He scooted closer to Aeris. “While she’s gone, why don’t you tell me about life as a domesticate.”

Aeris’ tail curled around her body, remembering how easily most dragons were offended by domesticates. “A-Are you sure?”

“Of course. I hear many stories about domesticate life, but I never heard the story from one who actually lived it. I’m curious.”

So Aeris told Windor about her life. The room she slept in, the parties she attended, how she lived alone on her master’s estate, and how Maggie took care of her. Of course, she left out the more unpleasant bits like the way she was stared at or the constant insults to her pride.

It didn’t take long before Janine returned with a tray with large plates of venison and two mugs, one with ale the other with water. Aeris was shocked by the girl’s strength and how easily she carried their food.

Aeris’ meat had been cooked well-done while Windor’s was rare. He was confused that Aeris preferred her meat cooked. He took a bite out of it and said hers was lacking flavor. Aeris took a piece of Windor’s venison. The coppery taste of blood was bitter on her tongue, but it also had a strange tanginess that she liked. He tried to convince her to taste the ale as well, but she refused.

As they ate, Windor pressed Aeris for details about the parties she attended. Aeris tried to be as descriptive as possible about the various sounds, tastes, and sights usually found at human gatherings.

The Ravager hung on to every word, his tail wagging, and his eyes full of wonder. Aeris enjoyed being able to discuss her life without fear of offending someone. She had forgotten about the other dragons around them and her fears.

Agreeing to this was the best decision she ever made.

Her happy thoughts were interrupted by the sound of objects clattering to the ground. Standing several tables away was the young girl who served them. Her serving tray and its contents scattered around her feet.

But Janine ignored the fallen dinner wear. She was too occupied with the dragon standing over her. Aeris recognized the dragon immediately as a Nightstalker, a dragon with jet-black scales and a ferocious attitude. In her books, it said that Nightstalkers were one of the largest known species of dragons, but this one was no bigger than Windor. Sitting at the table with him was another dragon, a Ravager.

“Do you have stones in your ears, girl? I asked for ale, and instead, you bring me this horse piss,” the Nightstalker growled. He slapped the mug off the table with his tail, spilling it all over the ground and onto the girl’s legs. Janine recoiled from the dragon and said nothing.

“I guess she thought because we’re dragons, we can’t tell the difference,” the Ravager said. He circled her, cutting off her escape. “Maybe we should show her what happens to humans who think they can treat dragons however they please.”

Janine’s eyes widened in horror. “N-no, I wasn’t trying to trick you, I swear.”

“Are you calling my friend a liar?” the Nightstalker growled.

Janine shrank away even further and appeared to be on the verge of tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a frightened squeak. She shook her head instead.

“So, you were trying to trick us then?” the Nightstalker said, stepping toward her.

The girl attempted to back away. The Ravager behind her stepped out of the way but left his tail in her path causing her to trip and fall to the ground with a frightened cry that sounded more like a high-pitched yelp. A few chuckles shivered through the crowd, the Nightstalker and Ravager being the loudest among them.

Immediately Aeris felt a growl build in her throat. She almost began to go to the girl’s defense, but Windor raised a wing and stopped her.

“We should stay out of this,” he said.

“But that girl needs help,” Aeris argued.

“And how do you plan to help her? Do you actually think those two drakes will back off simply because you say so?”

Aeris suddenly remembered her last two confrontations with dragons and sat back down. She didn’t want to admit it, but Windor had a point. If she got involved, she wouldn’t be able to do much except make things worse. She wasn’t a matriarch, and she was a domesticate. Those dragons had no reason to listen to her.

She looked around at the other patrons and felt the growl build again. Everyone else just sat there, watching the spectacle take place. A few looked worried, some shook their heads, and a few were smiling. She knew she couldn’t be much help, but she doubted that was the case with everyone else.

The Nightstalker stopped laughing and rose, towering over the cowering human. “I asked you a question, girl.”

Janine’s eyes darted back and forth between the Nightstalker and the Ravager until she finally burst into tears and buried her face in her hands.

“Hey, leave her alone!” Aeris shouted.

The Nightstalker stiffened. He slowly turned, glaring fiercely at Aeris. “What did you say to me?”

Aeris realized she had gotten to her feet and everyone was staring at her. The strength left her legs and she wanted to bury her face behind her wing and pretend she never said anything like everyone else.

Never let them see your fear. Aubrey’s words jumped to the front of her mind. Aeris stood up to her full height and approached the two drakes. Both the Nightstalker and the Ravager were larger, but she didn’t care what happened to her at this point. It was most likely she would be torn apart by those two dragons, but even that was preferable to the guilt she would feel if she did nothing.

She understood all too well what it felt like to be terrorized and bullied while others stood by and did nothing.

“I said, leave her alone,” Aeris repeated in what she hoped was a brave voice. She did her best not to let it show in her face how terrified she was. Thinking about how scared Janine was at that very moment made her stay.

The Nightstalker laughed at her. “You believe that a pet like you can scare us? That is almost funny. Almost.” The Nightstalker began to walk toward her, his face contorting with fury.

The back door of the building burst open and a large man appeared in the doorway holding a rifle. At first, Aeris thought it was the man from the fruit stand, but this man was different. His hair was much darker and there was more of it on his face than on the top of his head.

The man pointed his rifle at the two dragons, but Aeris could see his hands shaking even from where she stood. “That’s my daughter you’re threatening there, dragon. Now I apologize for what offense she has committed. Now I’ll gladly pay whatever price you deem fair if you just leave us alone and never come back.”

“F-Father, no!” Janine cried.

“You think that’s gonna make up for pointing a gun in my face, old man?” the Ravager said.

Windor appeared by Aeris’ side. There was no fear in his eyes as he glared at the two drakes. “You heard the man; he apologized. Name your price and go.”

For a moment, it seemed the dragons understood the odds weren’t really in their favor and would choose the easy way out. Those hopes were shattered when a devious grin appeared on the Nightstalker’s face. “This girl needs to be taught a lesson about what happens to humans who insult dragons. So that’s my price, old man. You promised to pay whatever price I want, right?” He stood over Janine. The young girl’s eyes widened so far, it was a miracle they didn’t pop out of her head. “I’ll take one of her hands as payment.”

Janine shrieked in horror. She tried to scramble backward across the ground, but the Nightstalker overtook her with two short strides and pinned her to the ground. Aeris turned to the man in the doorway. He stared at the group torn between saving his daughter and appeasing the dragons. Everyone else had looked away or was leaving, pretending the grisly spectacle wasn’t about to take place.

Aeris couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It wasn’t a hard decision. Why was this man hesitating? Why wasn’t anyone helping her?

Windor again blocked her path. “There’s nothing we can do now.”

“What are you talking about?! It was a misunderstanding! He can’t punish her for that!”

“I don’t like it, either. But the man said the dragons had to name their price and he would pay it. By dragon law, he has to keep his word.”

“I don’t care about dragon law!”

The Ravager turned on Aeris, his yellow eyes burning with a fury Aeris was too familiar with. “What did you say, pet? It’s bad enough we have to look at you, but then you dare spit on our customs?”

Every nerve in her body screamed to run away, but Aeris didn’t move. Not again. She didn’t stand up for her master when he needed her most. She was going to make up for that now.

Suddenly a loud whistle pierced the air followed by the familiar growl of a dragon’s voice saying: “Oi, you lot mind taking your fight someplace else? I like eating here and I’m not in the mood to find someplace else after you burn this one down.”

Aeris scanned the area for the source of the voice. Eventually, her eyes fell upon a female Short-snout sitting alone in the far corner, her sea-green scales glistening in the sun. Unlike everyone else, the Short-snout looked bored and a little annoyed with what was happening. Aeris tilted her head in confusion. She could have sworn that corner was empty when she first came there with Windor. How did she get in unseen?

The Nightstalker’s fury immediately drained from his face and his tail ducked beneath his body. “C-Cutter? I’m sorry, I-I didn’t know you ate here.”

Every other dragon in the courtyard except Aeris bowed. Aeris stood there, unable to react. This was Cutter? When Aubrey warned her to stay away from the dragon called Cutter, Aeris pictured someone large and intimidating. A massive muscled beast that looked more like a thing from someone’s nightmares. This dragon was almost as small as her. She was thin and didn’t look at all powerful.

Cutter rose from her seat and began carefully maneuvering around the tables toward the Nightstalker. Aeris watched in awe, unable to look away. The way the Short-snout moved was like watching water flow, each step, each movement of her muscles seemed to smoothly transition into the next. The frills along the sides of her neck fanned in time with the subtle movement of her head. Even with the numerous scars decorating her body, it was a sight to behold. As Cutter walked past Aeris, she could have sworn the Short-snout sent a look her way. Whether she did or didn’t, Aeris felt something as Cutter drew near, an immense pressure unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was if the very air itself was pressing down on her. It made her want to lower her head, to take her eyes off the dragon, and hope her presence went unnoticed.

Cutter approached the Nightstalker and smiled. “Jamel, you know that is not how you should fucking speak to a hostess. You come into this young girl’s place of business, then you insult her and threaten her. She was kind enough to offer you some of her family’s homemade ale and you just…well, you were there. I don’t remember your mother hatching such an ungrateful little shit.”

Jamel just stood there saying nothing. His Ravager friend said nothing. Cutter was smaller than either of them, yet both dragons stared at her as if she towered above them.

Cutter leaned around Jamel at Janine. “Are you all right?”

Before Janine could respond, Jamel said, “S-she fell, but I didn’t —”

“Was I fucking talking to you?” Cutter said coldly, still looking at Janine. Jamel immediately fell silent.

Janine picked herself up off the floor and nodded.

“Good, now why don’t you go and get yourself cleaned up? I need to have a word with my ‘brethren’ here.”

Janine nodded and headed back inside as if Cutter had threatened to set her on fire. Her father quickly followed. The other dragons began pouring out of the courtyard. Jamel stood there rooted. Aeris was certain that if dragons could sweat, he would have soaked the ground around him by now. The situation seemed to have been dealt with, so she turned to leave with the others.

“Not you, Snowflake,” Cutter said, still staring at the Nightstalker. “Now on to you: What was it you said about their ale? Ah, yes, you said it tasted like horse piss. Well, I for one like the ale they serve here, so are you saying that I like to drink horse piss?”

Fear exploded all over Jamel’s face. The Nightstalker scooted backward until hitting one of the tables. “N-No! Of course not! I-I-I would never suggest—”

“Oh, so you were lying when you said that then, and you were just torturing that poor girl for nothing?”

Jamel’s face fell and his scales appeared to turn from black to a shade of grey. His mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. His entire body was tense as if he was preparing to run at a moment’s notice. Aeris couldn’t help but smile.

Cutter stepped closer and lowered her voice, but Aeris could still hear her as she spoke again, every word carrying the threat of harm loud and clear. “I asked you a question, drake. Did you or did you not lie?”

The Nightstalker looked around the restaurant as if he expected someone to intervene and answer for him although it was only the five of them. Even his friend, the Ravager, stood by and offered no support.

“W-well, I may-may have exaggerated a bit,” he said lamely, offering an equally lame smile. “I…might have been m-mistaken.”

Cutter smiled. “Oh? Well, that’s okay then. I mean, mistakes happen, right? Nothing we can do about it except admit we were wrong. So, why don’t you clean up the mess you made, apologize to that girl, and pay for your meal?”

There was no unit of measurement for how quickly Jamel moved to clean up the dishes Janine had dropped before. At first, the Ravager with him just stood by and watched, but after receiving a threatening look from Cutter, he joined in as well.

Once all the dishes were safely placed back on the serving tray and the tray placed on the table, Jamel placed a few coins on the tray and made to leave.

Cutter stepped into their path with a speed that made Aeris jump back in surprise. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where the fuck d’you think you’re going?”

Jamel and his friend froze, both of them wearing looks like thieves who were just caught breaking into someone’s home. Aeris suppressed a chuckle. She knew she shouldn’t find the situation funny, but she couldn’t help it.

“I told you to clean up this fucking mess,” Cutter said, “That includes the ale you and your worthless cunt friend spilled, too.”

“But most of it has already soaked into the ground,” the Ravager protested.

“Do I strike you as someone who gives a fuck?” Cutter snarled.

The two dragons recoiled at Cutter’s response. Even Aeris felt the need to duck under the nearest table.

The dragons dropped their heads and approached the small puddle of ale on the ground. They began licking at the stones, trying to clean up as much of it as they could.

Aeris stared at the dragons, transfixed by what she was seeing. She wasn’t even sure Aubrey had that much authority over another dragon.

Was this the power of the Matriarch’s Call?

The two drakes finished, their mouths covered in dirt. They licked their chops, grimacing at the taste of dirt and who knew what else on their tongue. Aeris noticed Janine and her father had returned at some point, but rather than make their presence known, they stood at a distance and watched the drakes with small smiles on their faces.

Cutter turned to the pair and smiled. “These two won’t bother you again. How much for the meal?”

“O-Oh, I couldn’t—” Janine began.

“I wasn’t asking, girl. I don’t take free meals. Now, how much?”

Janine flinched. She wrung the hem of her apron and stared at the ground. “I-I, um, f-fourteen silver.”

“Okay, these two will handle that and compensate you for the dishes they broke.”

Jamel’s eyes widened in shock. “What? But that’s all my coin. Cutter, please—” He immediately fell silent when Cutter shot a very angry glare over her shoulder.

“Let me get this straight: You dragged your worthless scaly ass in here, angry because you can’t keep it up, and decided the only way you could pretend you were a real dragon was by threatening a young human who hasn’t even matured yet and a domesticate who looks ready to piss herself at the sight of her own shadow?”

Aeris frowned at Cutter’s insult. Sure, she was scared, but she knew her own shadow when she saw it. Of course, she also knew better not to express her grievances out loud. After seeing these two dragons under fire from Cutter’s rage, she did not want to be next.

“Cutter…I-I didn’t mean—” Jamel began.

“Don’t interrupt me, you sorry little shit. You come in here strutting around, and then you turned into this sorry, groveling, scared little hatchling at the mere sight of me.” Cutter stepped forward until she and the Nightstalker were almost snout to snout or rather chest to snout as the Nightstalker had to crane his neck to look down at her. “You wanna play the mindless bullying dragon from the human tales? Let’s play.”

It looked like the last thing Jamel wanted to do was play anything with Cutter. He just stood there, eyes flooded with fear, body shaking from trepidation. The Ravager with him wasn’t as frightened. He kept switching his gaze back and form between the two dragons. Cutter seemed more interested in the Nightstalker and showed no acknowledgment of the Ravager slowly circling her.

He bared his fangs and approached Cutter from behind.

Before Aeris even realized what she was doing, she had begun to move to Cutter’s defense. It was as if someone seized control of her body and forced her to move forward.

What do you think you’re doing?! Her mind screamed. Do you even know how to fight another dragon? And let’s say you do somehow win—how do you plan to explain your wounds to Maggie, to Master Aaron?

Aeris didn’t care. She wasn’t sure she could do anything at the moment. At best she would most likely be in the way. But she knew she needed to do something. This dragon was not about to have his way.

Before Aeris even made it halfway, Cutter spun around, seized the dragon by the horns with her forelegs, and slammed him face-first into the cobblestone ground. A sickening crunch and a roar of pain filled the air. Jamel turned tail and took off running. Cutter raised her tail high in the air and brought it down on the Ravager’s upturned rear with a loud crack. The Ravager let out another loud pained cry. Still holding the Ravager’s head down, Cutter swung her tail and whipped his rear again.

“That…was…not…fucking…nice,” Cutter said, a resounding crack of her tail striking the Ravager’s hide with every word.

Windor and the humans stared at the scene wide-eyed and Aeris couldn’t blame them. Even she wasn’t sure of what she was witnessing. In the stories she read—even seeing them in real life, dragons were always looked upon as fierce, frightening, proud creatures, yet she was watching one with its rump stuck in the air being spanked like a child that didn’t listen to its parent.

Cutter eventually let the Ravager stand, his physical and emotional pain reflected in his face. Cutter took a step toward him, and he let out a frightened squeak and took off after his friend.

Cutter laughed. “I heard humans do that to unruly children. Looks like it’s effective on unruly dragons as well. Anyway, thanks for your help, Snowflake, even though I didn’t need it. Guess I was wrong about you, you’re stronger than I gave you credit for. What’s your name?”

Aeris continued to stare. This dragon before her, who she took for being unintimidating, was the definition of fearless. Cutter took immediate control of the situation and put those two drakes in their place. And she made it look so easy! If this was how a true dragon behaved, no wonder they didn’t like domesticates so much.

It wasn’t until Windor nudged her that she snapped out of her trance and spoke. “Um, thank you. My name is Aeris.”

“And I’m Windor,” Windor added.

“Yeah, I didn’t ask you,” Cutter said coldly. “You were content letting those fools torment that poor girl. You didn’t even think about helping till your pussy was threatened.”

Aeris tilted her head. “His what?”

“Nothing, nothing. It’s just a phrase,” Windor said quickly.

“Yeah, it’s just a phrase,” Cutter added, smiling. Seeing the smile made Aeris uneasy, it made her feel as if she was part of a joke she was unaware of.

“Anyway, Snowflake, if we ever meet again, I’ll buy you a drink. Regardless of what those two assholes were saying, the ale here is very good,” Cutter said.

“Thank you, but my name is Aeris.”

“I know what I said,” Cutter called over her shoulder as she walked away.

Once the Short-snout disappeared, Windor turned to Janine. “Sorry about the mess my fellow dragons caused. How much do we owe you?”

“No charge,” Janine said. “Y’all actually tried to help me. Think of it as my way of saying thanks.”

“Yes, thank you so much for helping my daughter,” her father added. “You two will always be welcome here and anything you order is half price.” He looked around the now empty courtyard and sighed. “Looks like we may as well close up for today.”

Windor nudged Aeris and motioned for her to follow him out of the restaurant.

“So that was Cutter,” Aeris said.  She still felt like she was in the middle of a dream. “She’s…different from what I imagined.”

“I hear she gets that a lot. But now you know why we said to avoid her. Those dragons got off lucky. Usually whoever pisses her off winds up in pieces.” He shook his head solemnly. “What was that Ravager thinking, attacking her like that? Only a female has the right to challenge a Matriarch and there’s no female in this city crazy enough to challenge Cutter.”

“Is she really that powerful?”

“You saw those scars on her body. You don’t get marks like that from accidents. I hate to see what the other dragon looks like.”

It was meant to serve as a warning, but all Windor’s words did was pique Aeris’ curiosity. The stories Cutter must have to tell! A dragon like her must have seen all kinds of interesting places and met interesting people. Aeris couldn’t wait until the day she saw her again.

Windor’s voice brought Aeris back to the present. “Aeris, I’m sorry, but I have to cut this short. That incident with Janine has likely put Cutter in a foul mood which means I had better get home. When she gets in her moods, she likes to find stress relief and doesn’t care what form it comes in. I’d rather not be caught by her in an alley.” He shuddered and added, “And I don’t think she likes me much right now.”

“But she thanked us for trying to help with Janine.”

“No, she thanked you. Me, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind teaching a lesson or two. Trust me, that’s something you don’t wanna see. Plus those two dragons from before might be a little upset with you for getting in their way. It might be best to get you home. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you until you’re safely back home.”

“Oh, y-you don’t need to do that. I’ll manage. What do you say to meeting back at the bakery at noon a week from today?”

“Sure that works for me. But are you sure you want to go alone?” When Aeris nodded, he replied, “I guess I’ll see you in a week then.”

Aeris began her trip home. It was a shame she had to go alone. As scary as the risk of being caught by two angry, vengeful dragons was, she feared her master’s wrath if she came home with an unknown drake after sneaking out.

But then a thought crossed her mind: why was she so worried? Her master never expressly forbade her from leaving the estate; it was just an unspoken rule she was not to leave the estate grounds without permission. Still, there was something inside of her that screamed not to do anything to upset her master. The rule was unspoken because there was no need to say it. She was to say indoors until her master called for her.

But why? She asked herself. It was the first time she questioned her master. Sure there were dangers in the world, but why would it specifically apply to her? The others go out alone all the time, what made her so different?

Other than her thoughts plaguing her, the trip home was quick and uneventful. Aeris was glad to find the yard empty so she could slip into her room without notice. The first thing she did was take the cloak off. Anyone would wonder why she was wearing it or who put it on her in the first place. It took some maneuvering, but she managed to get the cloak off without tearing it.

No sooner had Aeris removed the garment, did Maggie come into her room. Aeris quickly kicked the cloak into the corner, hoping it would go unnoticed. “Oh, Aeris, there you are,” Maggie said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“What is it, Maggie?” Aeris asked, keeping her fear in check.

Maggie beamed while pulling an envelope out of her pocket. “Remember when I said I had a friend I wanted you to meet? Well, I finally heard back from him and he says he may know what you are!”

“Yay,” Aeris said apathetically. She hoped Maggie had given up on this. The constant building of hope just to hit a dead-end had grown tiring. “So what did he say?”

“He wants to meet you first to be sure. We can’t risk him coming to the estate, so I’ll need time to find a good place to meet.”

“What about Aubrey’s?”

Maggie’s smile fell. “I don’t like the idea, but I guess we don’t have much of a choice. But only if she agrees.”

“I’ll ask her!” Aeris said happily.

“Why do I get the feeling you were already going to see her?” Maggie asked.

That took the enthusiasm right out of the young dragon. “Um…”

A soft pat on the head interrupted her before she could come up with a pitiful excuse. “It’s fine, Aeris. Just please tell me when you plan to see her. I would rather not be wandering looking for a dragon who isn’t here.”

Aeris nodded, her smile returning. “Yes, Maggie.” The smile fell as she watched the woman go to the door. All the feelings and questions from before started coming back, making her dig her claws into the dirt. Just before Maggie could leave, Aeris asked, “Why can’t I leave the estate on my own?”

Maggie stopped at the door. Her shoulders heaved from her quiet sigh. Without looking back, she answered, “Because Lord Strauss wishes for nothing bad to happen to you. Just remember to keep your visits to Aubrey a secret.”

“But why? Why does it have to be a secret? Why not just teach me to look after myself?”

Maggie peeked outside then closed the door and walked back to Aeris. “Where is this coming from?”

The questions were just flooding her mind. She didn’t know why. Something about being forced to keep so many secrets at once. She couldn’t tell anyone about her life with Master Aaron, she couldn’t tell anyone about her desire to learn, she couldn’t tell anyone about her friends, Windor and Aubrey. It was no better than living in a cage.

“Well, Aeris?”

“It’s just…” she took a deep breath and relaxed. If Maggie wanted to know, she would tell her. “I’ve lived alone my entire life. I’ve never even had a real friend besides you and Master Aaron. There are other domesticates out there, so why haven’t I met any of them? I know the other dragons at those parties are forced to sit outside while I sit alone with the humans. Why? What makes me so special?”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but there is a perfectly reasonable explanation—”

“What is it?!”

Maggie didn’t answer. A heavy silence fell over the room as the two females stared at each other. The silence was broken when Master Aaron called out, “Margret, where are you? I need to speak with you!”

“We’ll finish this conversation later,” Maggie said. There was no mistaking the relief in the woman’s face that she had an excuse to leave.

Aeris whined and curled up on her mattress. She had never felt more lonely than she did now.