Dragon Tamer part 4

TOCK TOCK TOCK

Derrick's head snapped at the sound, realizing he had fallen asleep when he noticed that the girl lay next to him, also curled up and with her back against his scales; though she remained completely still, probably not yet awake.

The door slid open, and someone slowly stepped inside, carefully casting small orbs of light so he'd be able to see inside.

"Tch." it was a young man, dressed with a leather armor and a nervous face.

In the most calm manner possible, the twenty something year old man walked towards the dragon, one step at a time, and making sure no sudden moves were made.

"Miss Deminnson?" he almost whispered the words. "Wake up!" he didn't raise his voice, he kept it hushed, closely watching Derrick as he just stared for the time being; he cursed under his tone, and then slowly came closer, more so than before, and keeping a very close eye on the dragon.

Derrick noticed the young man began to cast some kind of spell, and he immediately jumped to his paws, placing himself between the both of them as he snarled with a bone chilling grin, fangs fully bared and body completely tense; he didn't like the man, and neither did he like the idea of the girl being harmed, it set of something inside him.

"What the!?" the human jumped back, though more surprise than fear in his face; his eyes narrowed after a second, and then he turned his attention to Derrick. "The sign says the multi-language spell was already casted on to you, so I really hope you understand what I'm saying." it was a statement, and he didn't moved or did anything while doing that. "I don't want to hurt the girl, let me get her."

Derrick didn't budge, he remained where he was, less tense than before, but still snarling at the man.

There was a long pause, and neither moved as much as an inch, but the sound of the girl waking up made the both of them snap out of it as they turned their heads to look at her for just a second.

"Miss  Deminnson..." the young man muttered. "Do not make any abrupt moves and come my way, please."

"Dragon?" she asked, ignoring the man and staring at Derrick instead.

<Do as he says.> Derrick instructed her, relaxing a bit. <But don't speak; I think I know what's going on.>

"I was sent to look for you." the young man spoke slowly, always with an eye on Derrick.

<Don't answer.> Derrick continued watching as she walked towards him. <Ask him about what will happen now.>

"What happen now?" the girl asked while coming to a halt right next to the dragon; Derrick felt like he'd face-palm himself if he had been human.

"This is not the time." the young man began to look nervous again. "I've gotta take you to mister Reed, he's been looking for you."

<Tell him you don't want to.> Derrick's mind snapped, an idea had formed and was already growing. <That if he wants to talk, that he come here.>

"Not leave." the girl pouted as she clung to the dragon. "If talk, he come."

"For the love of...!" he seemed angry, still nervous, but angry. "Ok, ok, the dragon doesn't seem to want to eat you..." his eyes shifted from the dragon to the girl, and the back again. "I'll call mister Reed, just please... don't move!"

He began to slowly walk backwards, not giving his back to them, yet keeping the door in sight at all times. And once he reached it, mumbled something before sealing it shut, seemingly too rushed and too scared to taunt the thought of leaving it open.

<He'll be back with an old human.> Derrick hurried to instruct as the girl clung somewhat stronger than before, most likely caused by the blindness she now had in the dark. <When he comes here, I'd like you to say exactly what I tell you, ok?>

"Ok." she mumbled the words, hugging the dragon's leg in a way that Derrick felt a sense of complete and utter weakness had taken over her; like she had been stripped of everything she owned in one go.

It was hard to believe, that the now small and weak girl was the same dragon that had almost killed him; Derrick almost felt pity for her, almost; but it was something else that was making him protect her at the time.

*If either of you die, you both die* the words bounced within his head over and over; were he to allow the girl to be kicked out of the guild, she'd not know how to act human, she most likely wouldn't even know what portals were and how they worked; which, in turn could lead to her death by the hands of some wandering beast in the middle of the forest.

And he didn't want that.

Within minutes, the doors were opened again, and mister Reed walked inside alone, glaring at the dragon and then at the girl for a second, more mad than amused as he seemed threatening rather than feeble and fearful like the one before him.

"So you befriended a dragon." he stared at the girl. "Miss Deminnson, you seem to have found a way to ensure your entrance as a trainee."

"What will happen now?" the white haired girl asked in Derrick's stead, repeating word by word what he had whispered into her head.

"Trouble." mister Reed pointed at Derrick. "The dragon seems quite fond of you, so, considering all attempts of domestication have failed so far, I'm obliged by the rules to put him under your care; even if you're just a newbie."

"So?" the girl insisted, not yet letting go of Derrick.

"So you'll run the risk of having a Silver-Fang with you at all times." mister Reed spoke bitterly and with a frown. "Which can translate into a death-sentence if you as much as sneeze and surprise him." he groaned for a second as he remained where he was, glaring at the both of them. "Because of this, management has decided it best if I'm assigned as your mentor until you gain your badge."

"Does this mean I'm in?" she eyed the dragon with doubt as she spoke, but chose to abide for the time being. "Is mister Reed my tutor?"

"Name's Thomas." he snapped as he took out something from his pocket, it looked like some sort of string; he threw it at the girl's feet. "Now you come with me, but tie that around the dragon's front paw, else he'll have to stay here and wait."

<Do it.> Derrick instructed, and the girl nodded.

It took her several attempts, as her hands didn't seem to work the way she wanted them to work, but she eventually managed to tie it in place, and now the both of them were walking to the outside of the dome; Thomas a dozen feet away from the girl, standing so she'd be between him and the dragon.

Derrick found it somewhat hard to walk on all fours, but at least the speed they were keeping was enough for it not to be noticeable.

"Well, miss Deminnson, it seems my first impression of you was a wrong one." Thomas commented as they headed to somewhere Derrick hadn't gone, the old man was the guide. "Not many try to befriend a dragon just to prove their worth." he didn't smile, rather he frowned more. "However, due to the irresponsible behavior you've shown, you'll be placed under probation."

"What does this mean?" this time, she had asked the question on her own; Derrick felt a bit impressed at how fast she actually learned that.

"It means that either you or the dragon make one mistake and you'll get kicked out." Thomas almost growled the words out. "And I don't plan on being lenient either."

"I understand." the girl's gaze frowned for a second as she turned to see Derrick, seemingly wanting to say something though choosing to hold back for the time being.

"Well, here it is." they halted at the old man's words; they were standing in front of what looked like the beginning of the woods. "You'll be living in the cottage that's up ahead from now on." he continued. "I'll come for you tomorrow morning; tell Margaret I said hi."

He turned around and left, not even looking over his shoulder to make sure the dragon did anything.

"We need to talk." the girl's eyes narrowed; she seemed serious now, that, mixed along with her fluent speech caught Derrick off guard.

<What about?> he tried to regain control over his situation, though it seemed a bit too late now.

"Us." she replied as she began walking in the direction Thomas had pointed out. "You didn't tell me what happened; and the last I remember, I was about to kill a human."

<How can you start speaking so well?> Derrick changed the subject.

"I learn fast." was all she reduced herself to answer. "Now, tell my why I'm a human and you're not dead."

he explained. <I found myself in this body, and saw my former body laying on the ground.> he continued. <The woman made some weird magic and changed my body to... well, you.> pausing for a second, he noticed her glare on him, impossible blue eyes felt more threatening than not. <Said that both of us die if either gets killed.> he continued. <And that, within a year, everything will return to what it was.>

"She must be very powerful." she wasn't commenting or asking for an opinion, just stating it; then let out a sigh. "I cannot undo something of this power, and I doubt you have a chance at all." just another statement. "Meaning our only chance is to wait it out."

<But you can't get caught, you must convince them you're human.> Derrick rushed to add.

"I will not play along, human." she declared this with a cold voice. "I have no need to pretend to be human, and neither do I plan to."

<If anyone finds out... the law doesn't permit this kind of magic; we'd get killed.> Derrick remembered that much from the few public executions he had witnessed. <You don't have a choice in this; I won't help you in escaping, and you don't know how our world works.>

"I know more than enough as to keep myself from getting near it." the girl snapped, rage in her expression. "I will not help you in whatever quest you're dreaming about, and I surely do not need your help to get out." she added, teeth bared and eyes glittering with murder. "I'll run day and night if need be, and the day I return to my body, I'll hunt you down and eat your flesh as it had been meant to be in the first place."

<What about the darkness?> Derrick grinned, realizing her attitude while inside the dome had been completely different. <For what I can tell, you've never been in total darkness, have you?> he continued, noticing the flinch on her face. <In darkness, you'd be blind as a rock; you can't smell or hear things as well as before, can you?> another flinch, he was hitting the nail right in the head. <Well, like it or not, until you return to your body, you'll shave at the very least 365 times where you'll be vulnerable and unable to run away; most likely not even move.>

"Fine, I'll keep up this fakeness until I change back." she replied. "However, when I do change back, you will die."

<It's Derrick, by the way.> he interrupted, though saw her confused face. <If we're going to spend a whole year together, might as well use our names; mine is Derrick.>

"I won't tell you my real name." she replied. "But you can call me Rie."