Tales from the Tavern...

That night, Rosette hardly slept. Her mind was racing about the strange guest in the next room. The sight of his scaly back and his strange words echoed in her mind,

She thought about this the whole night. The way he had worded it, it sounded like he himself wasn’t human. At first she had thought the scales on his back were some kind of disease, a bad rash if you will. But that wouldn’t explain the strange reaction his blood had to peroxide. The more she thought about it, the more she became sure that the boy sleeping in the next room wasn’t human. The question now became, ‘What is he?’

The next morning came very slowly. Rosette had gotten out of bed early to check on him, and was relieved to find him still sleeping, so she cooked a breakfast for the two of them. When she brought the food in to him, she found him sitting up in bed.

“Good morning.” She said with a smile, “Are you hungry?”

“I haven’t eaten in a few days, but I’m alright.” He said.

“A few days?! Here eat up!” she exclaimed setting the plate on his lap. The bacon and eggs seemed to stare back at him from the plate.

“What is this?” he asked.

“Bacon and eggs.” She said, taking a bite of her breakfast. The boy picked up a piece of bacon and smelled to it.

“Why is it crispy like this? He asked, “It looks burnt.”

“It is not burnt!” she said, somewhat offended, “I am a good cook. That is fried to perfection!”

“Fried?” he asked, confused.

“Yea, it’s cooked.”

“I’ve never had meat done like this before.” He said, and then took a cautious bite. “It’s good.”

“You mean to tell me you’ve never had cooked meat before?” she asked.

“No.”

“Then how do you eat meat?” she asked.

“Raw.” He said.

“Isn’t that bad for your health? You could get food poisoning!” she exclaimed. Before she knew it, his plate was empty and he set it on the nightstand.

“Fresh meat is never bad.” He said, “You just have to eat it as soon as you kill it.” Rosette put her bacon back on the plate and set it down, her appetite gone.

“So, can I ask you a question?” she asked.

“I guess so.” He said, preparing himself for it.

“What is your name?” She asked, not the question he was waiting for. He lowered his eyes once more and Rosette giggle when he became embarrassed, “Oh come on! It can’t be that embarrassing!”

“It’s not. It’s just….” He trailed off.

“Then what is it?” she asked, leaning forward.

“No one has ever asked me for my name.” he said.

“What? You do have one though, right?” she asked. The boy nodded.

“It’s just that I had expected you to ask about what I was before you asked me my name.” he said, his words caught her off guard.

“A name isn’t that big of a deal. I just want to call you something besides ‘red haired boy’.” She said.

“You don’t understand.” He said, “For my kind, they must form a bond with the first person that learns of their name.”

“A bond? What kind of bond?” she asked.

“I must protect that person for the rest of their lives.” He said, “Or my life, which ever ends first.”

“Why?”

“It’s because of humans. It’s a form of control. They sent an old man to curse a group of us, and now every descendant must abide by these rules. His name was passed down from generation to generation to remind us of our duty.” He said, his fist clenched at his side.

“What was his name?” she asked.

“He was a human of great power. His name was Merlin.” He said. Rosette gasped.

“He was supposed to be a wizard of the middle ages.” She said, “He supposedly answered to King Arthur, but that stuff is just myth.”

“He’s no myth.” He said, “He is the reason why we have to live like this. Nameless, or bound. We can only be free as long as no one knows who we are.”

“But a name defines who you are! It shouldn’t be like that!” she said. She then realized that he was staring at her with wide eyes.

“I’ve never noticed before.” He said, “But you look just like her.” Rosette blushed.

“Who?”

“There was one, a long time ago, who was kind to me.” He said, “She knew of the curse, and didn’t ask of my name. When she found out what I was, she wasn’t scared either, but the humans around her were, and I had to leave.”

“I’m sorry for asking.” She said, but he didn’t answer. To her, it looked as if he was thinking, trying to decide something very important. Finally he looked at her, and for once smiled.

“I want to tell you my name.” he said, “But first, you must know.” He said.

“You can tell me.” She said, “Most people wouldn’t believe that you’re not human and would probably call you crazy. But I believe you. You can trust me.”

“I’ve already decided,” he said, “I will tell you my secret.” He swung his legs over the bed and stood up shakily. Rosette watched as he pulled off his ragged shirt, to reveal patches of red scales all over his body, with small white horns protruding from his elbows.

“Over the years, we have evolved, and are now able to take on human form.” He said, “But I’m not very good at it yet, I’m still learning.”

“These look like…” she stammered as she examined him.

“Yes. I am a dragon.” He said. He stood still as she ran her fingers across the bare scales, and then placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re a real dragon?” she asked.

“Um, yes.” He said.

“Really? You mean you can change into a real, fire breathing dragon?” she asked, getting excited.

“Yes.”

“Are you a kind of dragon with wings, or do you have fins or something?”

“I have wings. What are you talking about?” he asked, feeling embarrassed.

“Can I see?” she asked. He lowered his eyes.

“I don’t want to scare you.” He said, “Plus, there’s no room in here. I’m too big.”

“Oh well, I can wait.” She said. Still her hand lay on his shoulder.

“Why are you touching me like that?” he asked. She pulled her hand away.

“You’re so cold.” She said, “Are you sick?”

“No. Dragons are cold blooded.” He said.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She said. She noticed the bandages had become bloodstained again, “You should sit down. Let me change those.”

After a fresh set of bandages, she sat behind him as she tied them down.

“My name is…..” he began.

“Hiryuu.” She said, “That’s what I’ll call you.”

“What?” he said, shocked.

“I’ll call you Hiryuu, or maybe Ryu for short. It’s Japanese or something, but I believe it has to do something with dragons. This way you don’t have to tell me your real name, and you don’t have to make the bond.”

“But, are you sure?” he asked. His question was met with a smile.

“I want to be your friend, but I don’t want you to risk yourself for me.” She said, “I don’t get into trouble anyway, but if I did, I wouldn’t expect you to go out of your way for me.”

“I don’t understand.” He muttered, “Things have changed so much from what I remember.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before, humans used to live in simple stone houses, and they were constantly fighting one another. Their swords were always bloody, and there were always wounded.” He said, “Now you live in these strange dwellings and use loud weapons.”

“What are you saying?” she asked. Ryu lowered his head again.

“I was asleep for a long time, I guess. Things were bound to change.”

“Asleep?” she asked, “Wait, a minute…” She went to her room and returned a few minutes later, holding a letter.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“A letter from my father.” She said, “He was on an expedition up north, and he sent me a letter saying that they found something.”

“And?”

“They said they found a dragon.”

“Oh.” He said, “I see.” She could tell that he was getting nervous.

“You’re the dragon they found, aren’t you?” she said in an accusing tone. Ryu quickly nodded.

“The first thing I remember was waking up in a very cold place with lots of people staring at me.” He said, “One of them was pointing a gun at me. I was scared.”

“The letter says that the dragon killed two laborers and took off into the sky.” She said, His eyes went wide.

“What? I didn’t mean to! I was scared and confused!” he cried, tears began rolling down his face.

“The letter also said that if I ever saw the dragon, to call the police and have it contained.” She said, “I figured the cold climate got to him and he was telling wild stories.”

“I didn’t mean to!” he cried, “I don’t want to die!” Rosette sat on the bed next to him.

“Calm down! No one’s going to kill you.” She said, “I’m not going to tell anyone either. As far as they know, they’re looking for a huge red dragon, not some fifteen year old boy.”

“But I’m not fifteen.” He sniffed.

“Well how old are you?” she asked.

“What year is it?”

“Two thousand and six” she said. His eyes went wide.

“Really?” he asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes.”

“I had a birthday once.” He said, “That woman I told you about before wished me happy birthday. She said I was sixteen then, and the year was 600AD.”

“That means you are one thousand, three hundred, and ninety years old!” she exclaimed, “You look good for your age.”

“That’s all?” he said, but judging by her surprised expression, he had to explain, “That may seem a lot by human standards, but remember, I was frozen for a thousand of those years. Besides, dragons are immortal.”

“You can’t die? I thought you said your parents…..” she began but stopped, “I’m sorry.”

“Dragons can be killed,” he said, “but if left alone, and if they maintain their health, they will live forever.”

“Is that why you learn to take human form? To blend in and live longer?” she asked.

“Mostly, yes.” He said, “The other reason is for companionship. Dragons were almost extinct even in my time. I wouldn’t say there are any left now. I take human form so that I can talk to people like you.” He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow, “What would you do if you found me in that alleyway in my dragon form?”

“I don’t know. Probably call the police.” She said.

“And what would they have done?” he asked.

“I guess call animal control. They would take you somewhere to try and heal you.” She said.

“And then?”

“Well, being a dragon, you would probably be experimented on. With the endangered species act, they wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, but still your existence would be known all over the world.”

“If that happens, what do you think they would do with me?”

“Put you in a zoo. In captivity.” She said.

“Right. After they take what’s left of my pride, they would display me for everyone to see. I would never be happy.” He said, “We do this so that we could seem ordinary. So that no one would find us different or interesting.”

“You wanted a friend.” She said.

“I don’t know what I want.” He said, “Being frozen really messed me up. After what happened, being shot, trying to get here, my views have been clouded. I don’t know who to trust anymore. Frankly, I’m confused.”

            Rosette didn’t say anything. She pulled him close and held him as the tears began to flow, and he broke is stone faced demeanor to release his pent up feelings. She felt sorry for him, but still respected him for telling her his story, and his secret. He cried for a few minutes, and then went silent in her arms. She laid him back down, covered him up, and left him to sleep.

            It was a beautiful day outside as she drove to the store. She was browsing the dairy isle of the supermarket, when she heard a commotion behind her. She turned to see a man walking away and an elderly lady knocked on the floor, shaking her fist at the dark man. She rushed over to help her up as she watched the man head towards the front of the store.

            “So inconsiderate!” the woman said, “I was looking at peas, when this bastard knocked me down!”

            “Ma’am, are you alright?” Rosette asked.

            “Oh, I’m fine. But someone should teach that boy some manners!” she said, and then went back to her peas. Rosette picked up her milk and went to the register. When she was checked through, she spotted the same man, standing outside, and staring in through the window at her. She carried her bags in one hand, and her other was in her purse, around the can of Mace she kept for emergencies.

            She made it all the way to her car before he moved. She had to scramble inside and lock the doors before he made it to her car, and the man stopped by her passenger window. She was about to drive away, when the man held a badge in the window, and she rolled it down.

            “O-Officer! You scared me to death!” she cried, trying to catch her breath, “Can I help you?”

            “Sorry, miss. Can I ask you a few questions?” he asked.

            “Alright.”

            “Have you seen this boy?” he asked, displaying a picture to her. Without a doubt, it was Ryu.

            “What has he done?” she asked.

            “Nothing, miss. It’s just that a truck driver up north had reported picking this boy up on the side of the road in the middle of a snowstorm. He was wearing next to nothing, so he was worried for his safety.” He said. “He reported that he was also injured, so anything you know would be a great help.”

            “I don’t know anything about him.” She said, “What makes you think I’ve seen him?”

            “Nothing. I’m just asking random people. There have been reports of him being in the area.” He said, “Thank you for your help, miss. If you see him, give me a call. Here’s my card.”

            “Alright, officer.” She said, taking his card.

            “Oh, you should go home and change.” He said, “There’s blood all over the back of your pants.” He then turned and left.

            Rosette sat in shock. She realized that the blood must have come from the bed when she sat on it, and it was also the reason why he had asked her out of a crowd of people. She then wondered why he was actually looking at her backside in the first place, and vowed to give him a piece of her mind the next time they met. For now, she put her car in gear and drove home.

            Once back in her apartment, Rosette put away the few groceries she had picked up and went to check in on her patient. As the door creaked open, she saw that he was gone.

            Panic filled her heart as she searched for him, but he was nowhere to be found in the small home, but finally she discovered a small spot of blood on the front door. She followed the small drops of blood down the hall and up the stairs, with every step becoming more and more frantic. By the time she had reached the roof, she was breathing hard.

            She found him on the roof, calmly looking over the edge at the strange Toronto landscape, wearing nothing but his jeans and his ragged t-shirt. Rosette calmly approached him when she heard a crowd begin to gather on the street below.

            “Ryu, what are you doing?” she asked. The boy calmly looked over his shoulder.

            “Hey, Rosette.” He drearily said, “I was bored cooped up in that place, so I came up here for some air. I hope you don’t mind.”

            “I don’t mind, but it’s dangerous up here.” She said, “You could fall.” Ryu peered over the edge to the crowd gathering below.

            “It’s not that high.” He said, “I’ve jumped higher than this, not to mention flying.”

            “Ryu, you’re scaring me.” She cried. He turned around so his back was to the ledge.

            “What’s wrong?” he asked, taking a step forward, away from the ledge.

            “It might not seem much to you, but those people down there are thinking that you want to jump.” She said, “They think you might want to kill yourself!”

            “How do you know what they’re thinking?” he asked, “Can humans read minds?”

            “No, but that’s what I was thinking at first.” She said, “Please come inside. You’ll catch cold.”

            “I’m not cold. I told you, dragons are cold blooded.” He said.

            “Please, Ryu.” She said, “I’m worried about you! You’re still injured! You should be in bed!” He took a step forward, surprised by her actions.

            “Why do you care so much for me? I’m still a stranger to you?” he stammered, “I don’t understand.”

            “It’s called human compassion, Ryu.” She yelled, “I can’t help it!” she stepped forward and took his hand, “Please, come back inside.”

            “Alright, Rosette, let’s go.”

            Rosette dragged him down the stairs, and still the tears streamed down her face. Ryu was baffled at why she was acting the way she was, but by the time they had reached the apartment, she had dried her eyes and he returned to bed.

            “Ryu, what kind of food do you like?” she asked from the doorway, putting on a fake smile. He could tell that she was still upset.

            “I usually eat small animals.” He said, “Rabbits and birds, mostly.”

            “So you only eat meat?”

            “Mostly, but not always.” He said, “I’ll eat anything you cook.”

            “Alright then.” She squeaked, and headed for the kitchen. He laid back and stared at the ceiling for a while, then turned to look out the bedroom window at the newly falling snow.

            Monday morning rolled around, and Rosette had gotten up early to check on Ryu before getting ready for school. He was still sleeping when she left, so she left him a note, telling him she had gone to school. For the whole trip to school, and for most of the first class, she found herself worrying about him, even though she was only gone for less than an hour.

            “….and that’s why shading is important in your finished drawing.” The professor concluded, “Any questions?”

            The class stood and gathered their books as Rosette broke out of her daydreaming. She scrambled out of her seat as the teacher caught up with her at the door.

            “Rosette, can I have a word?” he asked.

            “Um, Sure.”

            “I’ve noticed that you were a bit out of it today.” He said, “I know the school year has just begun, but are you going to make a habit of this?”

            “No, of course not!” she said, embarrassed, “I just have a lot of things going on.”

            “I realize that most of the girls in my class have boyfriends, Rosette, but they don’t let it interfere with their school work.” He said, “They may still talk about them even when class is going on, but at least they did their sketches.”

            “I’m sorry sir.” She said, “He’s not a boyfriend though, just a friend.”

            “So there is a boy involved!” he said with a smile as he gathered his books, “I just happen to be a male myself, and I know how some relationships can go.”

            “It’s not like that! Really, he’s a friend.” She said.

            “You’re being defensive, Rosette.” He said, “Anyway, I’m just joking. I hope you two remain friends. It’s nice that you are friends with the kid.”

            “What?” she gasped. By the way he was talking, he knew about Ryu.

            “I said I hope you two get along.”

            “How do you know about him?” she asked.

            “I don’t really.” He said.

            “Then how do you know that he’s young?” she demanded. The teacher laughed.

            “Because he’s standing in the doorway.” He said, “Or am I misunderstanding?”

            Rosette spun around, and spotted Ryu standing in the doorway of the classroom, wearing his cloak and his hood over his head. He stepped inside and looked around.

            “What are you doing here?” She yelled, “You should be home in bed!”

            “I woke up and you were gone.” He said, “I went looking for you.”

            “Didn’t you read the note? I told you I was going to school.”

            “I found the piece of parchment, but I can’t read human.” He said. The teacher looked up from his books.

            “Pardon me?” he asked. Rosette laughed nervously.

            “He’s from overseas.” She stammered, then turned to whisper to him, “How did you get here?”

            “I ran.”

            “You what?”

            “I ran.” He repeated, “I didn’t think it was a good idea to fly, so I ran here.” He said.

            “There are people looking for you, Ryu! You should go back home.” She pleaded, but he glanced over her shoulder to the teacher behind the desk.

            “Why are you here?” he asked.

            “I come here to learn.” She said.

            “Then I should come here as well.” He said, “The times have changed and I should learn all I can.”

            “But you’re still injured! You should rest.”

            “I’m fine. It’s not serious.” He said, “Besides, I need to be here.”

            “Why?”

            “I don’t know why. I just do.” He said.

            “There’s nothing I can do to make you go back?” she asked.

            “Sorry.” He said.

            “Rosette, don’t you have another class to get to?” the teacher asked. Rosette jumped, forgetting that he was even there. In a flash she grabbed Ryu’s hand and ran out the door.

            The next class was awkward. Not knowing what else to do, she had dragged him with her to her next class, and they sat together near the back of the class. She had hoped the teacher wouldn’t notice that there was an extra student, but as she checked her roster, she eyed the dark stranger sitting in the back of the class. He pretended not to notice her stare as he kept his eyes fixed on the swirling snowstorm outside.

            “We have an extra student?” she asked, “You’re not on my list boy, and are you sure you’re even old enough to be in university?” The class giggled, but he kept his gaze fixed out the window, and his hood cast a shadow across his face.

            “Um, he’s with me.” Rosette called, “He’s not a student, but I have to watch him for now. Is it alright if he sits in on the class?”

            “I don’t see any problem, but he’s your responsibility, alright?”

            “Thank you.” She said. The class erupted into a chatter of obvious gossip.

            “Alright, welcome to the first class of Mythological Studies.” She announced, “Please open your textbooks to chapter one, Dragons!” Ryu’s head snapped over and he looked at the teacher, but still remained silent.

            “We all know that dragons are mythological creatures, but if they were real, you can be sure they were not the kind of animal you would want to meet.” She said, “We will start our discussion on this by focusing on what we already know. Anyone know of any books or movies involving dragons?” A guy in front put his hand in the air.

            “Dungeons and Dragons.” He said.

            “That’s one.” She said, “What kind of dragon did that movie show?”

            “A regular, fire breathing, monster.” He said.

            “Is this how you view all dragons?” she asked.

            “Sure.”

            “What about the movie, Dragonheart?” she asked.

            “I’ve seen that one!” a girl behind him shouted, “That dragon could talk.”

            “And what did you think about him? Was he a monster?”

            “No, he was kind of nice.” She said, “It was understandable why he was kind of mean, though. Everyone wanted to kill him.”

            “Why was that?”

            “Because everyone thought that dragons were monsters that only wanted to kill and destroy.”

            “And what do you think?” she asked.

            “Dragons aren’t real.” She said, “There’s no point in forming an opinion about them.”

            “Sure there is. What about personal curiosity?”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” The girl asked.

            “What if you met a real dragon someday? How would you react? Will you be scared, or would you talk to it?” she asked.

            “And what if I come across a vampire instead? Or a unicorn?” she responded. The class laughed. Still Ryu remained silent.

            “We won’t cover vampires or unicorns until later in the term. I’m asking about dragons now.” She said seriously. The girl went silent.

            “I don’t know. I’d probably be scared.” She said.

            “That’s because the stereotype of them being monsters is more popular than anything else.” She said.

            “Professor, this isn’t about racism. We’re talking about an animal here and a fictitious one at that.” Another guy said.

            “Yes, but your view of this animal is what we are going to study. Not just your view, but society’s view in general.” She said. The class went silent and her gaze drifted up to the stranger in the corner.

            “Young man, what do you think of dragons?” she asked. The class turned to look at the strange boy in the dark cloak. A nervous glance from Rosette didn’t faze him.

            “What do you think about humans?” he responded.

            “What do you mean?”

            “You are analyzing the creature known as a dragon and trying to figure out what qualities make it what it is.” He said, “Why not ask those same questions about humans instead?”

            “We already know what we are like.” She said, “On the other hand, we have no idea what a dragon is like.”

            “Are you sure?” he said. His lips curled into a sneer exposing fangs that only Rosette could see clearly in the dim lights. “What if a dragon met a human one day? Would it be scared, or will it try and talk to the human?” The class went silent.

            “I see your point.” The teacher said, “So you think that a dragon would have the same views of humans as we have of them?”

            “Sure, why not?” he said.

            “Interesting.” She muttered, “Here’s another question. Why do you think the monster stereotype of a dragon is most popular?”

            “I’ve already answered your question.” He said, “Because they probably think the same way of humans.”

            “Elaborate.” She said.

            “It’s a cycle of hate.” He said, “It had to start from somewhere, like most misunderstandings often do, but dragons kill humans because humans slay dragons, and human slay dragons because dragons kill humans.”

            “Like a war that started from a simple argument.” She said, “I have a colleague who was trying to prove that dragons were real. She would be interested in your views.”

            “I’m sure she would be interested in more than just my opinion.” He muttered. Rosette gave him another glare, and he noticed that everyone in the class was staring at him.

            “Professor, your friend is trying to prove that dragons are real?” a student asked. The teacher snickered.

            “Apparently. She lead an expedition far north a little while ago.” She said, “I haven’t heard from her yet though.”

            “Why would she go up north to look for a dragon?” the student asked.

            “She read somewhere that there was a rare breed of fire dragon that was supposedly spotted in a northern settlement in ancient times. The dragon went north, and she thought she had found where it had stopped.”

            “Did she find anything?”

            “I don’t know, I haven’t heard from her.” She said, “It was probably some big bird or something. You know how stories like this can get changed over time.”

“What do you believe, professor?” a guy in front asked, “Do you believe they exist?” The class leaned forward in anticipation. The teacher actually hesitated.
            “I don’t think they exist as they are portrayed in fairy tales and myths.” She said, “There is the Komodo dragon, and various reptiles that resemble them, but then again, we are always discovering new things on this planet. Someday Big Foot may even be discovered, so why not dragons?”

“So is that a yes?” he asked.

“No. It’s a maybe.” She said, then turned to Ryu, “What about you, boy?”

“Why are you asking me?” he asked.

“I’m interested in your response.”

“I’m not in this class. I’m just here to observe.”

“You gave your opinion before, and being in this class is beside the point. I asked you as a person, not as a student.” She said, “Do you believe dragons are real?” Rosette was a nervous wreck.

“Yes.” He simply said. The class began to chatter and a few giggled.

“And what is your reasoning behind your opinion?” she asked. Rosette buried her face in her hands, not wanting to see what was going to happen next. Ryu simply looked out the window again at the driving snow. He pulled the end of his cloak over an exposed scale on his wrist. Instead of answering, he sunk lower in his seat, and pulled his hood down over his face.

“Ryu, are you alright?” Rosette whispered. The class was still staring up at them, waiting for an answer.

“I’m fine.” He said. “I don’t want to answer.”

“Is your friend alright, Miss Pegasus?” The teacher asked.

“He’s not feeling well.” She said, “He was just injured recently, and he’s still recovering.”

“Rosette! What are you doing?” He whispered, but she ignored him.

“Oh my, is it serious?” she asked.

“No, he’s almost better.” She said.

“Would you like to be excused so you can get him some fresh air?” she asked. Rosette nodded and pulled him out the door.

It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the brighter light, but she could see even in the shadow of his hood, that he was upset. She took a seat on the bench next to the coffee stand in the lobby and he flopped down next to her.

“Maybe you should go back home.” She said, “I’m worried that you will start bleeding again.”

“I’m fine.” He said, “I heal fast.”

“But if you lose anymore blood, there won’t be any to replace it.” She said.

“I’m fine.” He repeated, “I don’t want to go home. I want to stay here with you.”

“Look, I didn’t know they were going to talk about dragons, Ryu. We’ve just started school.”

“It’s alright, I’m not offended anyway. Their views of dragons are understandable.” He said, “If not true.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Dragons did kill humans in the past, and humans did kill dragons.” He said, “A lot of dragons preferred to eat humans more than other animals.”

“But why?”

“Everyone has a favorite food, Rosette.” He said. She looked away from him.

“Have you ever……eaten a human?” she quietly asked. Ryu put his head against the wall in thought.

“I didn’t want to.” He said, “But I had to one day.” Rosette gasped.

“Why?” she stammered.

“I was starving. My family had flown to a new area that we hadn’t been before, and winter came making everything edible go away.” He said, “We came across a town and the humans there sent out a patrol to kill us. My parents had been killed about a year before and weren’t there to protect us. My two sisters had disappeared in the battle. I got chased into a cave and cornered by one of them.”

“What happened then?” she asked.

“He was going to kill me, and I was too weak from hunger to fight.” He said, “He slipped on the ice and hit his head on a rock, and he stopped moving.”

“Then you ate him?” she gasped.

“I think so.”

“What do you mean, you think so?”

“I remember eating something, and he was the only thing there.” He said, “But after that, I remember it getting very cold, and I fell asleep.”

“Then what?”

“I guess I got frozen. I woke up with lots of people staring at me and I flew away.” He said, “You know the rest.”

“That’s awful.” She said.

“I remember the taste.” He said, “I didn’t like it.” Rosette shivered.

“So you had two sisters?” she asked, “What were they like?”

“One was an Ice Dragon, and the other was a Thunder Dragon.” He said, “Both were older than me and treated me like a little kid all the time.”

“They were just over protective.” She said.

“Maybe, but they were always the same, even after our parents’ death. None of our family would eat a human. I feel like I’ve betrayed them.”

“It was an emergency! It’s not your fault.” She said.

“But it’s done, Rosette. I can’t deny that I’ve done it.” He muttered, “Can you keep this to yourself, please?”

“Sure. I won’t say anything.” She said. She opened her mouth to say something comforting, but stopped as a young girl walked by that caught her attention. Ryu watched as well as she walked by.

The girl seemed to be a freshman, because she looked like she was totally lost. Her long hair reached her waist, and was almost a silver color. She wore a simple blue skirt and blue shirt to match, and hung a book bag over her shoulder. She stopped in front of the two sitting on the bench and looked around reading everything that was on the walls.

“Excuse me, but do you know where room 106 is?” she asked. Rosette pointed down the hall.

“Third door on the left.” She said. The girl smiled, but remained where she was as she began staring at Ryu while he stared back from under his dark hood. “Is there something else?”

“Have we met before?” she asked him. Still his icy stare pierced the air.

“Not that I recall.” He said.

“What is your name?” she asked. Ryu’s eyes went wide.

“His name is Ryu.” Rosette said.

“Did he tell you that, or did you just start calling him that?” She snapped. Rosette gasped as the girl clasped her hands over her mouth as if she said something wrong. “I’m sorry. Thanks a lot!” she turned on her heel and sped off down the hall. Ryu was still left in shock.

“What’s wrong?” Rosette asked. He lowered his eyes to the floor.

The day after the first class was a nervous wreck for Rosette. Because of the incident she told him to wait in the lobby during her classes, and she scrambled out of every class to see if he was still there. Half the time he fell asleep on the chair with his hood pulled over his head, and the rest of the time he sat silently while he watched the people who walked by. Each time her class let out, Rosette would come straight out in a sort of panic to see if he was alright. Still, because of her instructions, he didn’t move from his spot.

            Finally the day was over and the two were standing in front of huge glass doors, staring at the swirling snow outside. Rosette didn’t want to step out into the storm, and Ryu was just waiting for her to move. She finally reached for the handle, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

            “Hello there!” the silver haired girl chirped. Her smile was contagious.

            “Hey.” Rosette grunted.

            “Are you two going home?” she asked.

            “Yes, if I can find my car.” She said, gesturing to the storm outside.

            “Are you two living together?” she asked. Rosette was getting annoyed at this nosy girl, but wasn’t in the mood to argue with her.

            “Yes.” She sighed, Ryu remained silent.

            “Are you two dating?” she gasped, Rosette turned red.

            “What makes you think that? We could be brother and sister for all you know!” she yelled, turning a few heads.

            “You two aren’t related.” She said, “You look nothing alike.”

            “Why so curious?” Rosette asked with a sneer, “Is that your way of asking if he’s available?”

            “No, I’m just curious. That’s all.” She said.

            “What’s your name anyway?” Rosette asked. The girl’s face turned red.

            “I, um….I have to go!” she stammered and pushed past them out into the driving snow, leaving the two of them stunned.

            “She’s an odd one.” Rose muttered.

            “And, she’s not wearing a jacket.” Ryu added.

            The trip home was rough. Not only did they have to take a detour because of the storm, but they ended up on the highway because she had missed a turn she was supposed to take. To make matters worse, the radio had said that the roads were closed due to the storm, and the snow began to pile up on the road.

            Once she had realized that she was lost, she turned the car around on the highway, crossed the meridian, and began heading back in the opposite direction to try and find the correct exit. Bad turned to worse when the car slid on black ice, and slammed into a snow bank.

            Rosette woke up a few minutes later and found herself hugging the steering wheel. She turned to find Ryu passed out in the seat next to her.

            “Ryu! Wake up!” she shouted as she shook him. He finally came to and moaned.

            “What happened?” he moaned.

            “We hit a snow bank.” She said.

            “What’s that?”

            “It’s a big pile of snow.” She said as she pulled on the door handle. Both doors were pinned, and the snow apparently covered most of the car. Rosette turned the car off so that they wouldn’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning from a clogged exhaust pipe.

            “What do we do now?” He asked.

            “I guess we wait.” She said, “There must me someone who will look for us.”

            “Rosette, are you alright?” he coughed. She noticed that his wounds were open again so she pulled a small first aid kit from under the seat.

            “I’m fine, but you’re bleeding again.” She said.

            “You are too.” He said. Rosette felt her forehead and her hand came away red.

            “It’s just a scratch.” She said, wiping it clean, “You’re much worse.” She said.

            “It’s awfully cold, Rosette. Are you going to be okay?” he asked. She did feel cold, even through her heavy parka, but now that he had mentioned it, she admitted to herself that she felt frozen. With Ryu patched up, she sat back in her seat and shivered.
            “Doesn’t this thing have a heater?” he asked.

            “It does, but the engine needs to be running for it to work.” She said, “If it gets bad, we might have to huddle together for warmth. Is that alright?” her face became flushed.

            “I don’t mind.” He said, “But it wouldn’t do you any good. I’m cold blooded, remember?”

            “Oh yea. Sorry.” She said.

            “My blood may be cold, but I am a fire dragon.” He said, “Maybe we can think of something.”

            “You are not setting fire to my car!” she said.

            “I wasn’t going to!” he said.

            “Then what are you thinking of?” she asked.

            “I can do more than breathe fire you know!”

            “Like what?” she snapped, shivering in her jacket. Ryu reached up and tapped the glass of the passenger window, hoping the snow would fall off and they could at least escape.

            “I don’t want to give you the wrong idea.” He said. “Don’t get me wrong, I like you and everything, but other than burning something, the only way to warm you up is to, um…” he trailed off.

            “What is it?” she asked, turning red. Ryu didn’t want to say it.

            “It doesn’t matter. We can use it as a last resort. If it comes to it, I can tell you then.” He said.

            “I want to know now.” She said, “It’s not, well you know…” Ryu stared at her.

            “No. It’s not that.” He said, “It’s just a kiss.”

            “Oh, I see.” She muttered, staring at the steering wheel in front of her. The minutes seemed to crawl by as the two sat in silence. The storm outside seemed to get worse.

            “We could get out of here, you know.” Ryu said, “We could escape, but your car would get broken.”

            “I paid a lot for this thing!” she said, “You’re not going to break it!”

            “It’s been two hours, Rosette. How much longer can you stay in here?” he asked.

            “I’m f-fine.” She stuttered as she shivered, “How about you?”

            “The bleeding’s stopped.” He said. Again another period of silence.

            “We should keep talking.” She said, “It will give us something to do and keep us awake.”

            “What do you want to talk about?” he asked.

            “Where were you born?” she asked.

            “Overseas. I was born in a place you now call Germany.” He said, “My family were nomadic dragons and we moved around a lot. We ended up over here.”

            “What were your parents like?” she asked.

            “Mother was an Ice Dragon like one of my sisters and my father was an Earth Dragon. They were overprotective of the three of us and taught us all kinds of things.” He said, “What about you?”

            “What?” she asked.

            “What are your parents like?”

            “They live in a small town up north. My father is still on that expedition that had found you. My mother is, well….” She went quiet.

            “Your mother?” he asked.

            “She’s been in bed for almost a year now. The doctors think its cancer, but it’s not exactly like any cancer they’ve ever seen. It could be a new, evolved form of it, but they’re not sure.” She said.

            “She’s sick?” he asked.

            “Very.”

            “I’m sorry.” He said.

            “There’s nothing you can do about it.” She said, “It’s just God’s will.”

            “Who?” he asked.

            “God.” She said, “You’ve never heard of God?”

            “No, should I have?”

            “Do you know anything about religion?” she asked.

            “No.” He replied, “I know that some humans used to do some strange things a long time ago. Some of them called it religion, but I can’t understand any of it.”

            “Most people believe there is a God that created everything and is all powerful.” She said, “This being sees all and knows all and is capable of anything.”

            “So this God has the ability to call people to their deaths?” he asked.

            “It’s not like that. The belief is that God lives in heaven and he calls us to join him in paradise.” She said.

            “So when you die, you go to heaven and become happy?” he asked.

            “That’s the idea. Life after death, Heaven is supposed to be a utopia, but some people say it doesn’t exist and that it’s just people’s fabrication to lessen the fear of death.” She said. The car went silent as Ryu listened, but after her words, it looked like he was thinking hard.

            “Rosette?”

            “Yes?”

            “Do you think that dragons go to heaven?” he asked. His question was met with an awkward silence.

            “I’m sure that everything can go to heaven, Ryu.” She said, her voice was weak as she spoke, and he noticed that she had stopped shivering.

            “Rosette, are you cold?” he asked.

            “Yes.” She said as he eyes drooped. Ryu sat up and felt her forehead.

            “Rosette, we have to get out of here! This is bad. I’ve seen this before. You’ll die if you don’t get warm.” He said.

            “I’m alright, just let me sleep for a minute.” She whispered as she closed her eyes.

            “No! Stay awake!” he yelled, “You’ll die if you sleep!”

            “The car’s stuck. There’s no way we can get out.” She said, “Besides, even if we do, it’s a long way to walk back.”

            “So you’re just going to give up?” he yelled.

            “I don’t want to.” She whispered, “But there’s nothing I can do.” Ryu pulled her forward until they were eye to eye.

            “There’s something I can do.” He said, and kissed her.

            Rosette felt the warmth flow through her body as soon as their lips pressed together, and her eyes snapped open. When he backed away, she felt as if it was a hot summer’s day and she even wanted to take her coat off. Her face was still flushed and she flopped back in her seat speechless.

            “Rosette, how are you feeling?” he asked.

            “Wha…..Oh I’m fine now.” She said in a daze.

            “We still need to get out of here.” He said, “You’ll get cold again.”

            “We can’t.” she said.

            “I can.” He said, “I’ll try not to break anything.”

            “What are you going to do?” she asked as he looked around.

            “I have an idea.” He said, can you get these windows down?”

            “I’ll have to turn the car on again.” She said.

            “Do it.” He said. She turned the key and the car finally groaned to start under the massive pile of snow. The smell of exhaust filled the car. She lowered the passenger window and turned the car off once again. The snow seemed like it would hold at first, but the wall of snow let go and flooded into the passenger’s seat, all over Ryu’s lap.

            “What are you going to do?” she asked, “Can you dig our way out?”

            “Not what I was going to do, but a good idea.” He said, “I just think my way is faster.”

            Ryu turned so that he was facing the open window and took a few deep breathes. His eyes snapped open, he took a deep breath, and blew out a stream of fire that blasted a hole in the snow bank through the window, leaving the car unscathed. Once he was finished, the snow on one side of the car had melted away, and the door swung open with ease.

            “We still can’t walk all the way back there in this!” she yelled over the raging wind. Ryu took her hand and began walking through the blizzard. She was still amazed that he wasn’t cold, even wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a thin ragged cloak. Before long she found herself stumbling in the deep snow and she tripped and fell, taking Ryu down with her.

            “Rosette, are you alright?” he yelled.

            “I’m so tired.” She said, “This is hard. Isn’t there anyone one the roads?”

            “No Rosette. There’s no one here.” He said, and then it hit him.

            “What do we do?”

            “There’s no one here…” he repeated, helping her up. She stood on her own and he backed away.

            “What are you going to do?” she asked. As soon as she finished, there was a bright flash of flame, and his body disappeared in the blaze. Rosette screamed as the fire burned, and the last thing she saw before she passed out, was a pair of red, scaly wings, and a long, horn tipped tail.

            The next thing she knew, she was staring at the ceiling of her own room, covered in almost every blanket she had in the house. The sound of the television could be heard down the hall.  It took some effort to push the blankets off, and then she donned her slippers before heading to the living room.

            She found him sitting on the couch, still wearing his cloak with his hood over his face, and the remote in one hand. He mindlessly scanned the channels, but never did decide on anything.

            “What happened?” she asked from behind him. He didn’t move as he responded.

            “You fell, so I took you home.” He said.

            “How did we get home?” she asked. Flashes of a pair of red wings and a tail flew by in her mind, “What did you do?”

            “I had to, Rosette. You would have died out there.” He said.

            “You turned back into your dragon form, didn’t you?”

            “Yes.”

            “Someone could have seen you!” she yelled.

            “It was the middle of nowhere and it was a snowstorm.” He retorted, “There’s no way someone saw me!”

            “Then how did we to the apartment?”

            “I landed on the roof” he said.

            “So nobody saw you?”

            “No.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yes.”

            “Well then, thanks.” She said.

            “What?”

            “You saved my life! I’m grateful.” She said, “But you didn’t have to. I don’t know your real name so there’s no bond.”

            “I didn’t do it because of the bond.” He said, “I did it to save a friend.”

            “So you consider me a friend now?” she asked with a smile.

            “I guess so.” He shrugged.

            “So that kiss was just between friends as well?” she asked. She could tell that he was blushing under his hood.

            “I was trying to save your life.” He said, “Don’t read too much into it.”

            “Fine.” She said as she stared at the TV, “Why are you wearing that in here? Are you hiding something? Did you get hurt again?”

            “No.” he said.

            “Then why is your hood up?” she asked as she reached up and pulled it off. At that moment, she got her answer. His face was still covered in red scales and two white horns protruded from his red hair. His eyes were still yellow and most of his teeth were razor sharp.

            “What’s wrong?” she gasped.

            “It takes me a while to turn back, okay?” he snapped, “I’m not used to this kind of thing. I need practice!”

            “Fine, it’s alright.” She said in a soft voice, “But you don’t need to hide it from me.”

            “You’re not scared?”

            “Of course not!” she said, “It think it’s great!”

            “Why?”

            “I’ve always loved dragons!” she said, “And to have a real one as a best friend is a dream come true!”

            “I see.” He said.

            “I didn’t get a good look at you in your dragon form, so I would like to see it again someday.” She said, heading towards the bathroom for a shower.

            The next day, classes were cancelled because of the still ongoing storm, so Rosette was forced to stay inside to wait out the storm. Ryu was introduced to video games, and she spent the morning drawing in her sketchbook. By lunch time, she had a rather large drawing done of a dragon flying high over a city. Ryu was too involved in the games to notice what she was doing, until the divine smell of steak filled his nostrils.

            Once they were finished and the dishes done, Rosette took a seat on the couch next to him to watch a movie, when to her surprise, there was a knock on the door.

            Opening the door a crack she peeked outside to see a familiar blond haired girl standing before her, holding a snow-covered book bag and an awkward smile on her face.

            “Hi, remember me?” she asked, “I sit in front of you in art class.”

            “Um, yes. What can I do for you?”

            “I was late yesterday morning, so I missed class. Could I copy your notes?” she asked. Rosette glanced behind her to see Ryu pull his hood over his head and give a nod.

            “Sure, come in!” she said.

            Once inside, the girl took a seat at the table and began her work of copying notes. She didn’t even notice Ryu sitting in the living room, or that he was staring at her.

            “You came all the way over her in a snowstorm?” Rosette asked.

            “I only live across the street.” She said.

            “And how do you know that I live here?” she asked.

            “I see you pull up here everyday in your car.” She said, “Your room number is on your parking space.”

            “I see.” She said, “And you are?”

            “I sit in front of you.” She repeated.

            “I know that, but do you have a name?” she asked. The girl didn’t even look away from the page.

            “Of course I do.” She said.

            “And what is it?” she asked. Finally she glanced up from her notes.            “Who’s that?” she asked, gesturing into the living room at the hooded figure staring back at her.

            “His name is Ryu.” She said, “Why?”

            “Just wondering.” She said, “Did he say his name was Ryu?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Never mind.” She said.

            “So what’s your name?” she asked. The girl became nervous.

            “Why would you want to know my name?” she asked.

            “Well maybe we could be friends.” She said, “I don’t have any here besides him.” Rosette said, gesturing towards Ryu.

            “You can call me Sparcy.” She said, turning back to her notes.

            “Sparcy? That’s an interesting name.” Rosette said, “Is that your real name?”

            “What makes you think it’s not?”

            “Because you told me to call you that. You didn’t say it was really your name.” she said, “It’s the way you worded it.”

            “My real name is foreign.” She said, “You wouldn’t be able to pronounce it.”

            “I see. So where are you from?” she asked as Sparcy wrote.

            “I was born in Germany.” She said. Ryu’s hood lifted a bit as he looked at her blonde hair.

            “So when did you come over here?” Rosette asked.

            “A long time ago.” She said, finishing up. Before she realized it, Sparcy was flipping through her sketchbook, her eyes glazed.

            “Normally, you would ask for permission before you look through people’s things.” Rosette said, somewhat annoyed.

            “I thought this was another notebook.” She said blankly, “I see you like dragons.”

            “Yes.” She said.

            “Interesting.” She muttered. Her eyes snapped up from the sketchbook and she began staring at Ryu from across the room.

            “Do you like dragons?” Rosette asked. Sparcy gave a smile and a huff.

            “You could say that.” She said, “Listen, if you want to be friends, this is my address and phone number.” She slid a piece of paper across the table, “Call me sometime. Let’s do something.”

            “Oh Alright.” Rosette said, taking the paper.

            “I should be going. My sister is making dinner tonight.” She said.

            “You live with your sister?” she asked.

            “Yes, it’s just the two of us though.” She said, “A really small family.”

            “I see. I’ll be sure to give you a call later, okay?”

            “Sure. See you later.” She said and left the small apartment, leaving them in silence.

            “She seemed nice.” Rosette muttered, “And you didn’t say a word. What’s wrong?” Ryu looked at the floor.

           

“She wasn’t wearing a jacket either.” He said.

By morning, the snow had let up, leaving the city covered in a thick blanket of snow that cut a deep hole in the city’s snow clearing budget. With Rosette’s car still wedged in a snow bank on the highway, she had to take the bus in the morning. Even with her argument against him coming, Ryu sat next to her, covered in his thin cloak.

A few kids sitting across from them began staring at him for the whole trip. From time to time they would whisper, giggle and point at him as he sat next to her, seemingly asleep. It was when a young boy mustered his courage to cross the bus and sit next to him, that he finally moved.

“Hey, mister!” he said, tugging on his cloak, “Aren’t you cold wearing that?”

“No.” he quietly said.

“But it’s full of holes! You should at least get a new one!” he said.

“Don’t you have a favorite jacket?” he hissed from under his hood.

“Yes.” The boy squeaked.

“Well this is my favorite.” He said, “Its fine just the way it is.”

“Is it because the hood is really big and it can hide your face?” he asked. Rosette nervously smiled. Ryu turned to her.

“Are all human children this inquisitive?” he asked.

“Most of them are.” She muttered.

            “This one is starting to annoy me.” He muttered. Rosette smiled again.

            “My friend isn’t feeling well, kid.” She said, “You think you could leave him alone for a while?”

            “Oh, I’m sorry.” He said, hopping down from the seat. The kid returned to his friend and Ryu sank in his seat. Rosette looked worried.

           

            With the same routine as before, Ryu waited in the lobby for Rosette as she went to class. They met up for lunch and headed for the cafeteria together, where they found the only two familiar faces, sitting at the same table. To their surprise, the blonde haired girl waved them over and they realized she was sitting with the young, silver haired girl from before. Both were smiling as they sat down and Ryu remained silent.

            “That was some storm, eh?” Sparcy said in a huff, “Almost didn’t make it across the road!”

            “Yea, my car is still stuck on the highway.” Rosette said, taking a bite of her sandwich, “The tow truck said it would be tomorrow before they get it out.”

            “You got stuck in that blizzard?” Sparcy asked in surprise, “How did you get out of it?” Rosette became nervous.

            “Someone picked me up.” She said. Not a lie, but not the whole truth either.

            “I heard some people saw some weird stuff in the snow.” The silver haired girl said, “Some people said they saw something flying in the blizzard, but I think there’s no way a pilot would be crazy enough to do that.”

            “I didn’t catch your name.” Rosette said, “We’ve met before but you ran off before telling me your name.”

            “Oh, sorry about that!” she said scratching the back of her head, “I have a habit of doing that. You can call me Crystal. I’m her sister.” She gestured towards Sparcy sitting next to her with a big smile on her face.

            “Well that’s out of the way.” Rosette huffed. Still Ryu remained silent as he kept staring at the two strange girls.

            “So Ryu, you don’t go to school here, do you?” Crystal asked.

            “No.”

            “How old are you anyway?” she asked. Ryu looked to Rosette.

            “What was the number again?” he asked. Rosette almost choked on her drink.

            “Sixteen.” She said.

            “It was more than that.” He said.

            “No it wasn’t.” she said with a serious face. Ryu shrugged and let it go.

            “So are you two…you know. Together?” Crystal asked. Rosette turned red.

            “Yes.” Ryu said.

            “No.” Rosette answered.

            “Well what is it? Yes or no?”

            “We’re not like that. We’re just friends.” Rosette said.

            “But we’re together right now.” Ryu said, confused.

            “That’s not what she meant.” Rosette said, and then leaned down to whisper in his ear.

            “Oh, I see.”

            “You two are interesting.” Sparcy giggled.

            “So Sparcy was telling me that you like dragons.” Crystal said.

            “Yes.” She said in a quiet voice. The two sisters shot each other a devious glance.

            “Have you ever seen one?” she asked. Rosette dropped her sandwich and her eyes went wide.

            “W-What?” she stammered.

            “Have you ever seen a real dragon?” Crystal repeated. Rosette began nervously glancing over to Ryu who remained silent.

            “I don’t know.” She said. Ryu’s head slowly turned to look at her.

            “What’s that supposed to mean?”

            “I haven’t seen a dragon like the ones in books, but I still think there’s a possibility they exist.” She said, “You probable think I’m weird now.” The two girls laughed.

            “We don’t think you’re weird! We both love dragons too.” Sparcy said, “It would be cool if they were real though, don’t you think?”

            “Ha ha, yea.” She laughed, nervously.

            “What about you, Ryu?” she asked. “Do you believe in dragons?”

            “Yes.” He said, “Why are you asking me?” Crystal leaned forward.

            “Well, it just so happens that I was looking out the window during the snow storm, and I’m not sure, but I thought I saw a dragon land on the roof of your apartment building.” She said. Rosette gasped.

            “What does that have to do with me?” Ryu asked, Crystal smiled.

            “There was a flash of light and the next thing I saw was your cloak flapping in the wind.”

            “Interesting.” He said. The two girls leaned in so that no one else could hear.

            “We’re keeping our eyes on you two.” Sparcy said.

            “Especially you, Ryu. If that is your real name.” Crystal said. Both girls had devious expressions on their faces.

            “What are you implying?” he asked.

            “We’ve been looking for a long time, but we have to be sure before we say anything.” Sparcy said.

            “What do you mean?” Rosette gasped. Sparcy’s eyes narrowed as she stared back at her, and Rosette was the only one at the table to jump when a bolt of lightning lit up the cafeteria windows. There was a scream, and the roar of thunder echoed through the halls after the flash. Without realizing it, she had grabbed a hold of Ryu in fright. The skies then broke open and the rain pelted down on the newly falling snow.

            “What the hell?” Rosette gasped as she stared outside. Another bolt of lightning hit a skyscraper down town and yet another boom of thunder rocked the University. Someone had opened a door to look outside, and a blast of humid warm air floated into the cafeteria.

            “Weird weather we’re getting, eh sis?” Sparcy said with a smile.

            “Very weird.” She said, calmly taking a bite of her lunch. Ryu stared suspiciously at them both.

            “So Ryu, what’s with the hood?” Sparcy asked, “You’re not ashamed of an ugly face, are you?”

            “I bet he hides it because he’s too handsome!” Crystal swooned. Again the attention turned to Ryu.

            “I wear it because I don’t want to scare anyone.” He muttered.

            “That bad, eh? I bet you could get a cream for that.” Sparcy said with a giggle.

            “Show us! We won’t laugh!” Crystal said with a smile.

            “Fine.” He said and reached for his hood. Rosette grabbed his hand in mid air.

            “No! Not here!” she said.

            “It’s fine.” He said, pulling away. The hood dropped, and the girls gasped.

            Ryu was the same as before, with his blazing red hair and his headphones behind his head. No scales, and no horns.

            “It’s not bad at all!” Crystal said, “Kind of cute actually.” Ryu stared down into his lunch.

            “You don’t seem like a very cheerful kid.” Sparcy said, “If there’s anyone bothering you, you just tell us and we’ll take care of it!” Ryu looked up and stared into her blue eyes. Now that he thought about it, the both of them had blue eyes.

            “Just like them…” he muttered.

            “What?”

            “You two remind me of my sisters.” He muttered, “You’re just like them.”

            “Really? They must be nice.” Crystal chirped. Her smile faded when she saw the hurt expression on his face. Thunder boomed again in the distance, but didn’t make him flinch. “Did I say something wrong?”

            “He lost his family a long time ago.” Rosette said.

            “How sad.” Crystal gasped. The hood went up once again.

            “What happened?” Sparcy asked. Rosette looked to Ryu, who just nodded.

            “His parents were killed and his two sisters disappeared in a fight.” She said, and then paused, trying to think about how to word the next part, “He woke up later and everything was gone.” She finished and looked up to find the two girls staring at each other very seriously.

            “You don’t think….”Sparcy whispered.

            “It’s too soon to tell.” Crystal said.

            “What’s going on?” Rosette asked. The two girls put on fake smiles.

            “Oh nothing.” They said together.

            “Well I’m sorry, but I have to get to my next class.” She said standing up.

            “Do you mind if Ryu stays with us while you go?” Crystal asked, “We’re off for the afternoon.”

            “Don’t ask me! He can do what he wants!” she huffed and strode down the hallway alone.