Victorian Dragons

She was late. Alice pressed her handkerchief to her face as she thought about passing the two office clerks in front of her. Just as she thought she might, a cab appeared. She decided to stay behind them. It was a day of fog in London. It hung heavy and stinking over the city, making alleys and streets just as treacherous as at night. You could hardly see two feet in front of you. It was a day to avoid going out – but that would simply not do today.
Alice had left the house around eleven, and she had to be back by four, because the Ripley’s would get home a little later. She had permission to go out, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t mind if she wasn’t there when they came back. Alice made a decision.
“Excuse me.” The clerks stopped and looked around.
“Yes, miss?” The way they looked at her made Alice nervous.
“I’m looking for the office of Mr. Simon Watts,” she said. “Could you point me in the right direction?”
The two men exchanged a glance.
This is no time to be out on the streets alone, even here,” one said. “Especially for a girl. We can walk you there.”
Alice would rather not walk with them, but didn’t know how to say that. So she nodded. “I’d be very much obliged.”
The clerks were trying to be nice, and kept a conversation going as they walked together. Alice was so flustered that she mostly just gave very short answers. When they arrived at mr. Watts’ office, she thanked them with a feeling of relieve.
“You’re welcome.” One of them touched his hat. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Alice was speechless for a moment, until she remembered she was wearing mourning clothes and she was going in the office of a solicitor.
“Thank you,” she muttered. She went in.
It was dark inside, darker even than on the street. When Alice’s eyes had adjusted, she could see a man sitting at an office in the corner. A clerk, presumably.
“Excuse me, sir?” The man looked up and sniffed. He had an enormous handkerchief clenched in his left fist.
“Yes?”
“I’m… here for my father’s will.”
The man sniffed again.
“Yes?”
“Erm… William Bird? He died around 3 months ago, I think.”
She hadn’t even known he was back in the country when she heard about his death. And actually, she didn’t really care.
“Bird… Bird…” The man started searching in a thick book.
“I have a letter.” She handed it to the man.
“This is addressed to one Matthew Bird.”
“Yes… he… he died.” That was the reason she was here. Her brother had died three weeks ago, in an accident at the factory in York. She had only received his belongings two weeks later. With it, she found a letter from their father.
‘I leave but a few things. Get them as soon as possible.’
“I have a confirmation of his death. Matthew’s.” Her brother and friend. Now she was truly alone.
The man sneezed. He only held his handkerchief loosely, so it did little good. Alice decided never to touch that book.
“Ah yes,” the man said at last. “William Bird. Just wait here.”
“Will Mr. Watts see me then?” Alice asked.
The man looked at her strangely for a moment.
“I am Mr. Watts!” For a moment, he looked very offended. Then he sneezed.
 
The inheritance wasn’t much, just 10 pounds. It was a nice extra. There was, however, something more. Just when the silence had become uncomfortable and Alice was about to leave again, Mr. Watts added, like an afterthought: “… and there’s the box of course.”
“Of course,” Alice said, more like a question.
Mr. Watts disappeared for some time. She heard him sneeze through the wall. When he came back, he had a large, beautifully decorated box with him.
“He said your brother would have the key.”
Alice nodded. There had been a key in Matthew’s possession. Now she knew what it was for.
“Just sign here, Miss Bird. Then everything is settled.”
After Alice hurried home through the fog, it was almost four o’clock. She put the box in her room and got on with her work.
Only after eleven, when the Ripleys had retired for the night, did she think about the box again. It was still in the same spot where she left it. Maybe it was the connection with her father, but Alice felt there was something slightly ominous about it. What was in it?
The key was in her closet, next to Matthew’s medaillon (with their mother’s picture) and his second-best jacket. He had been buried in his best.
As she turned the key, the box opened automatically. Cloth? No, there was something beneath it. A stone?
The moment Alice realized what it was, she froze.
Her father had left her a dragon egg.

A huge paw with talons on it made the earth underneath his feet tremble at the strength.
The gigantic black dragon emerged from the forest into the meadow in front of him. Just a few feet behind him a young woman appeared, seeming a little... dirty.
“Damn it Gajeel. Did you really had to go and fetch yourself the bloody deer!” the lady exclaimed. A huge grin started to spread on the dragon’s face. “You’re not doing it for me so you left me no choice.” He answered her, as if he didn’t care. Of course he did care but still, that was the way they acted to each other. Both knew that when the time would come they could rely on each other whatever the costs.
“Well thank you, sir.” She said, though there was a mocking sound in her voice when she spoke the word sir. The dragon laughed and shook his powerful head. “Don’t you go on that track, youngster.” He chuckled. The woman made a face and then started to laugh. “Just remember that we have to be back in a couple of hours. London is not far from here BUT... we still need to be back in time. You know how He acts when we’re late.” The woman said.
“Yes, Reagan. Don’t you worry.”

“Hurry, Gajeel. HURRY!” Reagan shouted at the animal beneath her. His powerful wings moved at his will and she could feel his muscles underneath her body. This was an honour she would never forget. How did it came to pass that she, of all people, would be granted the chance to be working alongside a dragon like Gajeel.
“I KNOW. DON’T RUSH ME!” he roared back at her. He bundled his strength even more and he speed away into the dimming light of day. The moon was already rising and they had to be back before nightfall.
Not to long after they had left the meadow they had run into a group of wild dragons. There had been something of a quarrel between the groups and when that was set it was already quite late.
“If only those bloody pests had not shown up.” Gajeel grumbled. Already in front of them the institute appeared, a guard was standing standby with his dragon. At the sight of them he rose into the air to meet the,. “You’re late again, Reagan. The master won’t be happy.” The guard said, though in such a hushed tone that only the four could hear his words. “I know. I am going to apologize first thing. Perhaps I will get myself a job before I meet him. That will postpone our meeting with about a month or two.” She grinned. There was a soft laugh from the guard and then they passed him by, wishing him a good and safe night.
Once at the paddock Reagan jumped of Gajeel’s back and she thanked him. “You be careful.” The mighty dragon said and then she ran off, into the darkness towards her chamber. If only nobody would see her, she prayed.

“Are you sure?” The man’s voice was at once nervous and excited. It had been a while since an opportunity like this had fallen into his lap. “Where did you say she keeps it?”
The boy in front of him sniffed and spit a large amount of phlegm on the floor.
“Just in ‘r room, sir. Can I ‘ave it now?”
“What floor?”
“Attic of course. If ye don’t pay me, I’ll tell someone else.”
“Yes, yes, fine.” The man took out five pounds. “That’s more than enough.”
The boy touched his hat. “Pleasure doin’ business with ye, sir.”
“Just a moment.” Moving faster than the boy would have thought possible, the man reached out and grabbed the boy’s neck. “If you talk about this to anyone, I’ll make sure it will be the last thing you say at all.” He drew the boy closer and whispered: “And by that I mean I’ll cut your tongue out and chop your fingers off. Understood?” After a short pause, the boy nodded. He had in fact been planning to sell his secret, for the right price. He knew exactly the right bar to go to, and the right guy to talk to. Now he was reconsidering that idea. This man was a lot scarier than he looked.
“Good. You can go then.” Before he released the boy, the man sneezed. The boy could feel it on his skin. But he didn’t say anything. He didn’t dare to.
 
“I’m telling you, it’s true!” The same man as before now presented a very different picture. Instead of intimidating, he looked positively pathetic.
“A dragon’s egg?” The other man was the one doing the frightening now. He looked the part too, with a vicious scar on his left cheek and cold eyes.
“The boy was positive.”
“And how would this boy know, then? Did he ever see one before?”
“But… but it makes sense, Earl,” the first man said. “Think about the box. There must have been something precious in it. And that William, the stories about him…”
“Oh, we will go.” The man called Earl turned his cold gaze to the man in front of him, who quivered. “But if this isn’t worth our time… well, you know the drill.”
The man nodded and bowed slightly as the Earl walked passed him. That’s what he got for all the trouble, a scolding and a threat. Sometimes he wondered why he did what he did anyway. Then he remembered the money.

Alice had not been herself all day. She was almost too late preparing breakfast, and she forgot lighting a fire in the library. Then she accidentally brought the green dress to the madam instead of the blue one as requested. Finally, when she threw a whole can of milk across the kitchen (accidentally of course), she knew something had to change. Whatever was happening, she couldn’t afford losing her job. Even so, it was hard thinking straight when you knew there was a dragon egg in your room upstairs. What was she to do? What should be done in a case like this? Alice didn’t know that much about dragons, but she did know that you weren’t supposed to just keep them as a pet. Weren’t all dragons property of the crown, meant to serve the country? Did she have to go to the police? Would she get in trouble for that?
As she dragged herself upstairs that evening, she cursed her father for putting her in this position. Why did she have to deal with this? She looked at the egg and sighed.
“What am I to do with you?” she said out loud. “You can’t stay here, that’s for sure though. Tomorrow... I think I’ll have to take you to the police.” After a short silence, Alice felt really foolish. It was an egg. A dragon’s egg. She said her evening prayer and then climbed into bed.
“Good night.”
Again to the egg. Alice shook her head and turned her face to the wall. A moment later she was fast asleep. She only woke hours later, when someone put his hand on her mouth and told her she would be dead if she’d make a sound.

The next morning Reagan was planning on slipping away quietly. The woman never really liked to stand up against her superiors, certainly when she knew she had messed up again. So that night she had sneaked towards the jobboard and picked one out, now ready to go she was already dressed and she had a backpack on her back. He would never expect her out of all people to get up before sunrise, she thought with a broad smile on her face.
She could, after some minutes of sneaking around, hear footsteps appearing behind her. “You’re not stupid enough to think that I would not notice you coming or leaving? Are you, girl?” a man’s voice asked her. She fell silent at once, her shoulders trembling the slightest bit. “of course not. But a woman can hope, right?” she answered before she turned around, only to watch a not all to happy looking man standing in front of her. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, his anger didn’t come unnoticed. “I am sorry, sir.” She muttered quietly. A little bit ashamed, well acted ashamed, she looked at the floor, not able to look him in the eye.
The man took another step and ordered her to look at him. “I need to speak to you in my office, Reagan. Don’t worry. It’s not about you being in late but I have a very important task for you and your dragon.” The man said.

An hour later the woman appeared again, looking somewhat confused. She made ready to get her stuff back to her room, then she would go and see Gajeel about the mission. Her face didn’t invite anyone to talk to her and so everyone she passed by only nodded politely at her.
Gajeel was in the front yard. There were about a hundred dragons all around these parts, dragon’s working with people that is. He was looking very happy with himself and she stopped. Why would she be acting like this towards him? He didn’t need to know... well actually he did because she needed him but still. “What is it? I know you’re overthinking something again.” The dragon said, raising his head from the dead cow on the grass. Reagan leaned on the railing and sighed, looking Gajeel in the eye. “You know me to well old friend.” She muttered.
“And you look allot like you’re father on the inside. Spill it, girl. What is the problem?” Gajeel asked.
Reagan closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the quietness around her.
“He asked me to retrieve something for him. I need your help to do this, Gajeel.” She said and the dragon shrugged an answer. He had no idea what she wanted from him and only his gaze was enough to make her continue. “There is a woman, William daughter I believe, she has a dragon egg. William passed away.. so she now possesses it. Well, she has to take care for the dragonet.” She said, stumbling over her words. “We need to get to her. He believes that there is reason for protection. He heard a rumour of somebody wanting to steal the egg.” She said.
At that the dragon raised to his full height and he looked at her with piercing eyes. “We are getting to them. if the rumours are true we have to keep them from harm. If not the same applies. She is new to this all for as far as we know, we’d better give her a hand.” He said.
With that everything was sorted out and they smiled. “we leave within half an hour, we’ll go alone.” Reagan said before they parted. How she loved that dragon.

Alice didn’t know what was going on. For one instant, she didn’t even know where she was. She couldn’t see in the darkness and she was still groggy from sleep. All she knew was that there was someone threatening her, and there were others beside him.
“Damnit, I can’t see,” someone complained. A light appeared.
“Be quiet!”
“Ah… that must be it.” Beside the man holding her, there were three others. One of them was kneeling over the egg. The egg! Her egg! Wait, why did she feel so strongly about it all of a sudden?
“It was true then.” Another man bent over to take a closer look at it. Alice managed to make a tiny sound. The man holding her tightened his grip. Alice realized he didn’t have any weapons. He probably thought he didn’t need them, holding a small girl like her. Well, that would be his downfall then. That man didn’t know she had been raised in a workhouse. How many times had she and her brother fought about that with other children? Of course, she wouldn’t be able to take them all. She just needed enough time to scream. If these guys were just thieves, they wouldn’t risk their lives over this.
Alice slightly moved her arms, so she was in a better position. Now she would bend her back and slam her elbows in his stomach with all her might… or not. Just as she was preparing, a sound came from the egg. It turned awfully quiet as everyone turned to look.
The sound became louder. A crack appeared in the shell. The man behind Alice seemed to forget he was holding her, but she was too stunned to move.
Crack! A hole formed, through which something white was visible. It disappeared again.
“Take it! Take it now!” The man gestured for the others to go to the egg, but they didn’t seem to be that eager.
“No way I’m taking that! You do it!”
“Should we take it at all? We needed the egg, not the actual…”
Crack. More of the egg fell away. The men backed off. And then, with a last crack, the egg broke and the head of a small, red dragon appeared. No one moved. The dragon blinked a couple of times and shook its head, as if it was trying to shake away the sleep. Then it looked around the room.
Alice stared at it, confused. That dragon, it was… it was… adorable! She couldn’t help leaning forward.
“Hello there,” she said softly. Quick as a snake, the dragon focused on her. It tilted its head to one side and then, with a tiny, clear voice, it asked: “Are you my mommy?”

“Come on Gajeel, give it your all.” Reagan muttered softly while her eyes flashed over the countryside beneath them. the shadow of the beast was showing on the ground... it caused for an magnificent sight. “Yes, I will. But don’t ruin the town would you?” the dragon answered in return. A grin spreading across his face made Reagan laugh out loud and the woman shook her head. “I will try, but I cannot promise you that everything will stay untouched.” She said.

It took the both of them some time, with some time is meant about approximately 15 minutes, to reach the city. The citizens were already used to regular dragon sightings across the area but never had they seen one so close by. “Get out of my way!” Gajeel roared at the people watching him, as if they were paralized. “Don’t you be all grumpy. You’re almost acting old, Gajeel.” Reagan said, laughing softly but hard enough for him to hear. “We’re on a mission! This isn’t some stupid unimportant task we’re talking about here, Reagan. We’re talking about the life of a yet unborn dragonet. Perhaps the small one has already hatched. We cannot leave this to fate.”
With that the woman stopped talking and pushed herself flat against the dark scales of her dragon. “I know.” she whispered softly.
The dragon took more and more speed as he flew over the city. It’s citizens seeming now more scared than curious. “I can smell the dragonet! It has hatched.” Gajeel then roared after picking up a scent. “is the woman with it? Are there more people near?” Reagan asked swiftly. They had to act quickly. The danger had to by annihilated as fast and unnoticed as possible, that was why she was chosen for this job.
“The woman is near. There are also two other in the room.”
“Good. Just put me off at the window, if you please.” Reagan said.

A tremendous roar stopped all the sound near the house as Gajeel dived down. Reagan was already standing now, a pistol in her hands. The woman never really liked dresses so she always dressed like a man... well partially. She was wearing tight trousers, black as the colour of her hair. Then, because of the heat, she wore nothing more than tight fabric wrapped around a part of her upper body. When they were close to the window she jumped of the back of the dragon and with a massive speed she crashed through the window. As the dust cleared she was already standing, her pistol aimed for the two men. “Don’t you have something more important to do? I would hate to make this floor all dirty with your intestines... though maybe the little dragon might be hungry enough to clean it.” She said with a dark, not that friendly voice. “You know what would happen if you mess with dragons.” She then said, the words were even more a warning with the animal like growl that followed from deep in her throat. Who had ever said she was raised like a normal child?

Alice blinked. The dragon kept staring at her and then jumped out of the box.
“Are you my mommy?” it asked again.
Alice wanted to stand up from the bed. She had almost forgotten about the thieves, until she felt an arm around her waist pulling her back.
“Take it, take it now!”
The men started to move, as the dragon looked at them with a curious expression.
“No, don…” Alice started to say, but it ended in a moan as the man put his hand once again on her mouth.
Before she knew it, the men had put the dragon in a bag.
“He will be pleased with this,” one of them said. The bag didn’t even move, as if the dragon was too stunned or surprised to struggle.
Alice tried desperately to move, to fight. That dragon, that adorable little dragon… well, it might not be hers, but it was certainly not theirs!
But it looked like they were going to get away with it. They were already walking towards the window, when, suddenly, the world ended.
Or so it seemed. There was a gigantic roar and then the window exploded, sending splinters and dust everywhere. When Alice opened her eyes, there was a woman in the room. Or, she presumed it was a woman, though she was dressed like no woman she had ever seen. Moreover, she had a pistol pointed at the men, who looked absolutely terrified.
“Don’t you have something more important to do? I would hate to make this floor all dirty with your intestines... though maybe the little dragon might be hungry enough to clean it. You know what would happen if you mess with dragons.” Then the woman growled.
One of the men dropped the bag and the head of the little dragon came out.
“You are definitely not my mommy,” it said to the man next to her. “Can anyone tell me what is going on here?”
It focused again on Alice, who strained herself to get loose. She stopped when she felt something cold touching her throat.
“Drop that gun, miss,” the man behind her said. “Or this young lady will feed the dragon instead.”

The men were scared as shits and her lips curled up in a smile. Pathetic, she thought. The one with the bag, in which Reagan assumed the small baby dragon was in, looked like he was going to piss his pants because she was aiming her gun at him. He dropped the bag and with a little ‘thump’ the dragonet landed on the ground.
For a moment it just stood there and she looked at it. It was quite small. She had seen allot of baby dragons but every single one was different. This one was just simply very cute. Could Gajeel have been so small when he was a dragonet? She wondered.
“You are definitely not my mommy,” it said to the man next to the woman who was still caught by the other man in the room. Both men had covered up their faces. Reagan snorted, not a very ladylike thing to do, sorry shits. “Can anyone tell me what is going on here?” the small dragon inclined. The woman tried to get loose but it apparently didn’t work.
“Drop that gun, miss,” the man behind her said. “Or this young lady will feed the dragon instead.”
Immediately Reagan turned to see the man having drawn a knife and holding it, right there, in front of the woman’s throat. She couldn’t be older than me, we must be about the same age, Reagan thought. But then she shrugged. “by all means kill the woman. I don’t know her and I don’t even really care. In the end it’s all about the dragon and neither me nor my dragon is going to let you Filth get away with this.” She said.
“GAJEEL!” she shouted then and in a split second the gigantic black scaled dragon lifted the roof from the house. “you called?” he said, grinning wide.
Reagan fixed her eyes again at the man holding the knife, the other man was already dead on the floor. A bullet had penetrated his brain. “Now it’s your choice. Die by my hand or my dragons. You decide.” She said, barely containing her joy. No matter what he chose he’d probably die all the same. Gajeel was already looking at the dragonet on the floor. “You’re quite small aren’t you?” he said and then he roared again, almost causing for bleeding ears. The man standing behind the woman was definitely not used to it and put his hand in front of his ears. At that Reagan fired and the man was knocked down, dropped dead.
“Okay Gajeel! Get ready to leave my dear!” she shouted to the dragon. With that she turned to the woman again. “sorry about this.” She muttered and then she hit her, hard enough to knock her out cold. She looked to the dragonet while she lifted to woman over her shoulder. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s for her own good...” Reagan started. Then Gajeel shouted again and she climbed up the dragons leg, carrying both the unconscious woman and her protesting dragonet. “Come on let’s go, it’s going to be a hard fifteen minutes.” She said to Gajeel and the dragon spurted off immediately.

Reagan had dropped the woman off at the institute. The master was not that pleased at her state, that being unconscious. Reagan however thought that it was hilarious, as did Gajeel who was just laughing all the time. He had carried the smallish dragon and he had taken a liking towards the tiny dragon.
“Now what will he do? He can’t just keep the woman here. She has no clue whatsoever about any of this. You saw what she was like in that room! Completely and utterly helpless! I mean if I hadn’t come in to save her sorry ass she would be screwed.” Reagan said to Gajeel. The both of them were sitting in the meadow in front of the estate house and Gajeel had just eaten... again. “Don’t you be like that. you’re not raised normal.” The dragon said, before he started to laugh again. There was a thunder in Reagan’s eyes but she could see the humour in it all and she chuckled. “But I think that he might let her stay. The dragonet seems to be already attached to her so now they cannot be separated.” Gajeel started. Reagan sighed, made a gesture with her arms and rolled her eyes. “yes yes I know. the whole thing makes my brain hurt.” She said. She put her feet underneath her and stood straight. “I am going to search for someone real quick, see you tonight?” she asked Gajeel, who only answered with a quick nod.

Now a little lonely she wondered through the hallway in the house. It was much to big and fancy for her taste but she was not the one who had to live in this place. She had a room in the old barn, which was completely for her. It was like her own private house, she thought with a smile at the memory of how she got to get it. She had not noticed however that Quartermaine was now in front of her and she bumped up against him, hitting the ground as a result. “watch out you..” she started, but when she looked up she stopped abruptly, “Hay there, master... long time no see.” She said. “You look great. Have you been using something for your skin?” she asked, trying to get away as fast as possible. “Stop it, Reagan. I have another task for you. You’re going to make sure the new girl get’s a good education about how to handle all of these changes in her life. I’d chose somebody else but you’re the only one who has a very big mouth around here. Perhaps you’ll be around more often.” He said. With that it was done and he was going to tell the new girl about what was going to happen. “You can’t be serious!” Reagan shouted after him, but he just ignored that and beckoned her to come with him.
Some moments later they got near the room. First Quartermaine got in and a few minutes later she was called into the room. With a grumpy look on her face she entered the room. “This is Reagan. She’s going to show you around and she’s going to learn you all about the dragons. Gajeel, her dragonfriend who you’ve already met, is going to help your dragonet. You’re training starts tomorrow. Now have fun and Reagan... don’t be late for dinner.” The man said before he left the room. A little unsure about what to do Reagan just stood there, looking at the stranger in front of her. Great, why did she have to be the new babysitter?! She thought frustrated. “Hi... So... sorry for the knocking you out thing. It was just the easiest thing to do at the moment.” She shrugged,.

The woman opposite her made a curtsy and Reagan looked a little awkward at her. What the hell was that woman doing? She thought to herself. Reagan cleared her throat and looked around the room, not really knowing what to do or what was appropriate.
“How do you do?” the stranger asked her, which was not the thing she had expected to hear from her mouth. She had expected something like; you stupid bitch! You hit me! You’ll pay! Instead the woman introduced herself as Alice Bird...
`Yeah... Likewise I guess.” Reagan answered a little bit uncomfortable with the whole curtsy and asking how she was thing. So she simply ignored the question about how she was doing. She was just about to say something when the dragonet stopped her.
“I know you!” Nellie yelled. “You kidnapped me!”.
Reagan raised her eyebrow and looked at the little thing. It was just out of her egg and she was already acting like she could rule the world one day. Gajeel has to tear someone’s future apart again, she thought, a smirk emerged on her face.
“Nelly!” the woman shouted back at the dragonet and that was another thing that amazed Reagan. Why was the woman reacting like the dragonet was precious to her? It was almost like a mother would react to an inappropriate action of her child.
“It’s true, right? I didn’t want to go. And she kidnapped you, too.”
“No, she didn’t. She was saving us.”
“Well, I don’t like her.”

And so that discussion took place. Thought Reagan had no idea about what to think she merely stood there and looked at the both of them. when that was over she simply said, “Don’t be obnoxious like that. I saved your sorry ass, as did Gajeel.”
Reagan had not said that to the woman, just to correct the dragonet. “Gajeel!” she shouted, calling her dragon. Immediately the window opened from the outside, yes that was a thing there, and an eye appeared. “Yes?” a low and dark voice answered. “Could you please take care of that tiny one over there? She’s giving me a headache.” Reagan said. And with that Gajeel took hold of the dragonet and carried it outside, already telling the small one what to do and what not to do.
“SO...” Reagan said. “He’s not going to do anything to her... he’s just going to correct her a little where she’s wrong. Don’t worry, your dragonet will be fine!” Reagan said, making a gesture with her hand to make her notion a little more lightly. Then she remembered that Alice had asked her something about being a dragonrider. Reagan already wanted to kill herself at the thought of needing to try and explain something like that to someone unknowing to the art. “Come with me and I’ll show you one aspect of it right away. You have to change clothes and you have to stop doing that curtsy thing. Nobody makes a curtsy here.” Reagan said, laughing softly to herself at the thought of herself making a curtsy.

Reagan lead the girl to a changing room. Actually it was next to Reagan’s own room so she looked at the woman, took some clothes that would cover her up and took her to her own room. Reagan’s room was, contraire to herself, quite colourful. There were red’s and dark purples around the areas were expensive looking vases were standing and there were allot of cushions she had taken from far away. Her bed was massive and Reagan was quite fond of it. “You can change behind the screen over there. These clothes are nothing you’re used to but you have to get used to them. in this world you cannot survive without adjusting a little.” Reagan said to her as she lay on her bed and closed her eyes. This was going to be one hell of an afternoon.

The girl took her time with it all. Could she be even slower than she already was? Reagan asked herself, getting a little irritated as the time passed.
“Reagan? Do you think Nellie is doing all right?” Alice asked her.
Reagan let out a snort and opened her eyes, so she could stare at her sealing. “O please. It’s not like Gajeel is going to murder her or anything. She just needs to know some basic stuff about what is going to happen and about what her task is in all this. Nothing to worry about.” Reagan started.
“Besides are you going to be any longer behind that screen or am I going to have to drag you from behind it?”

A little while later Alice appeared. But she had not changed clothes. Anger started to build up in Reagan’s body as she sat straight, trying to keep her anger under control.
“I can’t wear these.” She said, holding the clothes in front of her like they were the filthiest things she had ever seen. “And I won’t. Ever. I’m sorry.”
Reagan looked at her for a moment, it was almost like those dark eyes of hers were spitting fire and she rose from her bed. “O yes you are.” She said in a dark, low voice. “You are going to wear those clothes. Either you put them on when you’re conscious or I’ll put them on while you’re unconscious is your choice but wear them you will.” She said.
“I give you about five minutes to change. When I’m back and you’ve not changed clothes I will knock you out and glue them to your body if that’s what you want. Quartermaine put me in charge for some reason are you are going to do what I say, I don’t care if you want it or not. You’re a dragonrider now so you’re going to have to bloody well act like one!” she said, the end of her speech was more like a shout. With that she walked out the door, really giving Alice about five minutes to change clothes. Reagan had to fetch something for herself too.

She had surrendered. When Alice saw Reagans face after she had said she couldn’t wear the dragonrider’s clothing, she knew this was a fight she couldn’t win. So she had struggled with the pants (how did you get those on without falling over?) and eventually appeared in an outfit that would have brought tears of shame to her mother’s eyes.
Now she was walking next to Reagan, on her way to the dining hall. She felt sick. How many people would be there? How could she ever appear before them in these clothes?
Alice was painfully conscious of her legs and their obvious shapes through the fabric. Also, was it her or did she walk in a weird way? She’d never put much attention to the way she put one leg in front of the other, but there was definitely something wrong with it. Maybe though, all of the dragonriders would be like Reagan. That terrified her even more. No normal, decent people, all fierce and cold and scary. She needed some time to prepare.
“Is it okay if I quickly freshen up before dinner? It won’t take long.”
Alice closed the door of her room behind her with a sigh of relief. There was a well-prepared washstand with a towel, a bowl and a carafe filled with water. Alice filled the bowl with only a thin layer, as she wouldn’t use it for anything but her face. She had just dipped the towel in when she heard a soft “psst” behind her. With a sense of dread she turned around.
From under the bed Nellie’s head appeared.
“I escaped,” she whispered loudly. “Well, sort of.”
Alice was already on her knees, next to the bed.
“Nellie, what are you doing here?” she whispered back, panicky.
Reagan could come to get her any minute now. And what about her dragon? Gajeel, was his name?
“I came to get you. We escape together.” Nellie looked very serious. “Alice, do you know… I’m a dragon.”
Next to her nervousness about her appearance, concern for Nellie and fear for Reagan, confusion now appeared.
“Yes… I know.”
“And you are a human. We are different species. That means… well, it means that you can’t be my mother.”
“Oh, really?” Alice said, too preoccupied to answer properly.
“My mother is a dragon,” Nellie said. “And she is the best dragon. She can fly and she is superstrong and superwise and she…”
“Nellie…” Alice said suddenly, thinking back to the conversation she’d overheard earlier. “How do you know that?”
“What?” Nellie said, in the middle of her sentence. “That she likes fish?”
“No, about your mother. How do you know you have one?”
Nellie blinked.
“I just know. I was waiting to meet her since forever. I’ve always known about her. She’s red too, you know. A very nice, dark red, like the sunset over the mountains.”
“Where did you get those words?”
“I don’t know.” Nellie didn’t seem to find it that interesting. “I thought we were escaping.”
“I can’t… I…” Alice thought about Reagan again. “Oh god, Nellie, you can’t be here. What happened? Where’s Gajeel?”
Nellie looked rebellious.
“I don’t know. I don’t care. He’s the reason I want to escape. He and his rider. They’re mean.”
“Nellie, just go back to him.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.” Alice lost her patience.
“Yes! Now! I don’t care what you think of them and I don’t care that you don’t want to go. We’re both new to this. But if we don’t do this, if we don’t want to learn, we will never be able to find you mother. Understand?”
Nellie looked at her with big, abashed eyes.
“But…”
“Understand?” Alice asked again, looking Nellie straight in the eye.
Nellie dropped her gaze.
“Yes.”
“Yes, Alice.”
“Yes, Alice.”
“Good.”

“Is it okay if I quickly freshen up before dinner? It won’t take long.” Alice asked Reagan while they were going to the dining hall.
“Suite yourself. As long as you get back in about ten minutes.” She answered bluntly and then she continued walking. As she passed a window she saw a huge black shape lingering in front of it, waiting. A smirk got on her face, she already knew who it was.
“The little bugger escaped your mighty grasp, didn’t she?” Reagan asked her dragon and she leaned over the windowsill.
“She did. She’s a cunning little creature, I give her that at least.” Gajeel replied with his low voice. a somewhat rumbling sound came from the dragon and Reagan knew that it was laughter. “The little dragonet had spirit, Reagan. So, how is your project going?” Gajeel asked her.
At that Reagan sighed and sat down in the windowsill. “Don’t ask.” She grunted and she rubbed her temples. “The woman is giving me a headache, Gajeel. She’s downright horrible. How can Quartermaine expect of ME that I can teach her how to be something she’s not born to be?” she asked the dragon as she buried her face in her hands. “I just can’t stand is. Nothing but complaining and moaning and not wanted to adapt. Well, she better get used to this because I am started to get frustrated...” she answered him. “Already?” the dragon replied, laughing softly. “Shut it you.” She growled back.

After some time of talking Reagan took off again, walking towards the dining hall where all the other Dragonriders would be. again a grin spread on her face as she ducked away to avoid being hit by something. “Watch yourself, Reagan! Someday you’ll get hurt.” She heard a man say and she turned to where the voice came from. “Shut up, Garren!” she shouted back, laughing for the first time that day, simply because she actually WAS happy. “Come and sit down you, little sis!” he shouted back at her and with that she grabbed some dinner and sat next to Garren, why rubbed her head with his fist. “Look at you all grumpy.” He joked.
For now, at least, Reagan planned not to worry about that woman. She could ruin her whole day but she would not also get the luxury of ruining her dinnertime. Besides, she would probably get a heart attack if she saw the people who were in this room, Reagan thought while she ate. In the mean time Gajeel would probably find the little dragonet to get it to come with him.

It was complete chaos in the dining hall. everyone was shouting at everyone. Some eyes were nearly pocked out by flying objects and everyone was in one conversation of a sort. There was just a few who were not that hungry but didn’t dislike the company and so sat in a corner, playing cards. Reagan liked playing cards but for now she was ready to mingle a bit and just talk about not especially liking or disliking the girl she had to, in her own words, ‘babysit’.

“So I told her that no way in hell she would get away without changing clothes and now she is doing whatever it is she’s doing.” Reagan said, taking a huge bite from the beef on her plate. It was delicious.
“Don’t be like that Reagan. You’ve been like this your whole life, you don’t know anything else. That girl is thrown into a totally different existence because her father left her a dragonegg.” Another woman said, taking a sip of wine. “Yes please.” Reagan muttered when that woman also offered her some wine. “I just don’t now Mary. I can’t stand all that ... girlishness.” Reagan said, making some vague gesture with her hand. The woman started to laugh and some others joined her. “Just give her some slack, Reagan.” Tobias, the man next to her, said with a wide grin on his face. He took a big gulp of beer and looked at Reagan. “Don’t look like that either, makes me think twice about liking you when you look like you want me killed.” He mentioned.
“Shut it you...” Reagan started, when just at the right moment the girl came into the hall.

She looked very uncomfortable in those clothes but she just had to get used to them. but then something stood out of that picture. Why was the small dragonet with her? Reagan wondered, knowing already from Gajeel that the little prick had gotten away from him.
“I’m sorry…” Alice started. “Nellie… I want to apologize for the trouble Nellie caused you.” Alice said.
For a moment there was a stern expression on Reagan’s face and then she gestured at a seat on the other side of the table. “It’s alright. Just get her back to Gajeel because she can’t stay here. He won’t harm her in any way, he likes her at least that much.” Reagan said, trying to sound reassuring. Garren already rose and pushed Alice gently to her seat. “Here you go, take some food. I’ll bring the little dragonet back for you if you like.” He said to her. Reagan rolled her eyes at that, player.

Alice looked round the table. The people were loud and didn’t look ‘respectable’, but at least they were clearly at ease. The women acted no different from the men, and they seemed all in a rather good mood (that is, until one of them, she didn’t know the name, was hit by something and started shouting at the perpetrator). It reminded her a bit of Matthew’s friends in their free time, or on some of the occasions in the workhouse that they were just playing and all seemed like normal children. Someone said something to her.
“Excuse me?” she said, turning to the young man.
“Excuse me?” he repeated, amused. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard those words here.”
“Maybe there’s not so much need to say them,” Alice said, though she doubted that was true.
The man laughed.
“Quite the contrary. You’ll discover that soon enough. So, how do you find our humble home?”
Alice was trying to find a diplomatic way to say it.
“You can be honest you know.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to fit in,” she said.
“A good, evasive answer.” The man looked at her as if he was waiting for the real answer. Alice quickly turned her attention to the bowl with stew in front of her. Someone had put it there, she didn’t exactly know who, but she was grateful. Not just because she was hungry, but also because it was a good distraction.
“It’s not much, is it?” the man said. “They rarely give us meat. Our dragons take all. I’m the main perpetrator, I must admit. Horatio is a very big dragon and he only gets bigger. That guy…” The man shook his head. Then he looked at Alice again.
“Just don’t spoil your dragon too much, that’s all I’m saying. If they’re used to it, you can’t change it ever again.” He smiled in a way that told Alice that he was actually very fond of his dragon and would probably spoil it more if he could.
“So how is Reagan treating you?”
Again Alice hesitated.
“She’s… nice.”
The man burst out laughing.
“Nice? Reagan nice? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone say that about Reagan. Nice… so, I take it you don’t like her all that much.”
“What?” Alice was horrified. “No, no. She’s… she’s teaching me very well. I mean, there hasn’t been much teaching, but she’s been…” She wanted to say nice again. “… she’s been great.”
“Oh, I bet.” The man snorted. “Reagan’s great at everything. Including being a jerk sometimes. Maybe you should teach her what ‘being polite’ means.”
Again his smile told her that he was fond of Reagan, even if he said things like that.
“Don’t worry about Reagan, she’s not a bad one,” the man said, as he was getting ready to leave. “I’m sure we will meet again, Alice Bird. And by the way, you don’t have to feel uncomfortable.” He leaned towards her and said: “I think you look great in those clothes.” He winked at her.
Alice felt her face grow warm as the man walked away.
She decided it was safer to concentrate on the stew.