As they followed Captain Morgan into the castle, Jack looked around. There were murals of dragons and dragon riders everywhere. Some were absolutely massive beasts that could carry dozens of people, while others barely looked big enough for the riders on their backs.
“Colin, why are they riding those little dragons? They barely look big enough to hold a single person, let alone one with armor and weapons.”
Colin shook his head. “Don’t judge a dragon by its size. Those smaller dragons are fast and agile, and much stronger than they look. Sure, bigger dragons can carry more, but when it comes to fighting, agility matters. Most of the smaller dragons are used for combat. Captain Morgan’s dragon isn’t much bigger than the one in that mural, yet it is renowned as one of the fiercest to ever be trained at the Academy.”
“Huh,” Jack said. It seemed that he still had a lot to learn about dragons.
They followed Captain Morgan down a large spiral staircase.
“This is my favorite part of the tour,” Colin said. “The birthing cave is really eerie and spooky, but so cool.”
As Colin had said, they entered a massive cave. The path was about twenty feet above the main floor of the cave and went all the way around it. There were three main entrances to the cave.
“This is the observation level,” Captain Morgan said to the group. “Obviously, for safety reasons, this is as close to the eggs we can allow you to get. But as you can see, there is a good number of eggs right now. The mother dragons are both corva dragons. Corva dragons are excellent battle dragons, they are tough, smart and agile. Most of the smaller dragons you see are corva dragons. Each mother dragon lays between ten to thirty eggs. This year between our two mothers there are forty-eight eggs. These mother dragons won’t breed again for another ten years.”
As Captain Morgan continued talking about the breeding habits and rituals of corva dragons, Jack walked to the edge of the observation ledge and looked down. The two mothers were cuddled together but the eggs were spread all over the floor of the cave. There were also dozens of tiny dragons on the ground and flying in the cave.
Jack turned to Colin. “What are those little dragons?”
Colin shook his head. “They aren’t dragons. They’re minidras. They are like a distant cousin to dragons. They’re tiny, wild and dumb. They hang around the big dragons and eat insects, bugs and things like that. They normally are really wild and they can’t be trained. However, they are very protective of pregnant dragons and they are always here when a birthing happens.”
“They’re cute,” Cara said.
“They’re annoying,” Colin said. “Don’t ever go for a picnic near the dragon castle. The minidras will steal your lunch.”
Jack laughed. They looked harmless enough. Suddenly, there was a loud bang at the far edge of the cave. Jack turned his head to look for the source of the commotion but felt a hard shove in the back. He tumbled over the protective railing and fell to the bottom of the cave.
Landing hard on his back, Jack groaned in pain. Then as he realized where he was, he slowly lifted his head. He nervously looked around, thankful he hadn’t landed on one of the dragon eggs, but his presence on the floor of the cave had certainly been noticed. The minidras were swarming around him and behind them, Jack could see the mother dragons staring at him.
Above him, Jack could hear Colin yelling. “Captain Morgan, Jack’s in the pen.”
A few seconds later Captain Morgan arrived above Jack. “Are you hurt?”
Jack shook his head.
“Stay where you are, and don’t move,” Captain Morgan said.
One of the mother dragons was now up and moving closer to Jack.
Jack tried to stay still. He didn’t want to agitate the minidras, who didn’t look cute this close up. They looked dangerous. Not nearly as dangerous as the mother dragons, but still a threat.
The minidras were now flying closer and closer, several of them were squawking loudly. It was obvious Jack’s presence in the pen was agitating them.
One of the minidras flew right up and landed on Jack’s lap. It was black with red markings under its scales and around its wings. The minidras cocked its head sideways as if it wasn’t sure what to make of Jack.
Jack froze in fear. The minidras was only the size of a cat, or a crow, but it had inch-long talons that looked razor sharp.
“It’s OK. I’m not here to hurt anyone. I don’t want the eggs,” Jack said in as soothing a voice as he possibly could. “You’re a beautiful creature.”
The swarm of minidras started circling and diving towards him in a threatening manner, but then the one on his lap squawked loudly. The swarming minidras backed away, with some flying towards and landing on the eggs nearest Jack. Others flew higher in the air, as if waiting for permission to dive bomb him.
The mother dragon was now halfway across the pen. It gave one loud questioning squawk. The black minidras on his lap squawked again. This seemed to pacify the mother dragon as she slowly backed away, returning to her position along the far wall.
A woman in a white robe walked into the pen and approached Jack. She frowned at him. “You have a death wish?”
Jack shook his head. “No, ma’am. I was pushed into the pen.”
The woman looked up at the crowd of students above. Everyone was watching to see what would happen next. “I see,” she said in a low voice. “It wouldn’t be the first time a student tried to remove a competitor by angering a dragon. Although I’ve never seen it done on the first day.”
“I seem to have a talent for making enemies,” Jack said.
“And friends,” the woman said as she pointed to the minidras on his lap.
The minidras looked at the woman and then flew off towards one of the openings into the cave.
The woman offered Jack her hand. He took it and she helped him to his feet. “You’re a very lucky young man. It seems that one took a liking to you. If it hadn’t, the others would’ve considered you a threat to the eggs. They would’ve attacked you. And if you’d been unlucky enough to survive that, the mother dragon would’ve torn you apart in the most gruesome way possible.”
Jack took a deep breath. His heart was pounding and his hand was shaking. “That doesn’t sound fun.”
“Dying never is,” the woman said. “Follow me, and avoid eye contact with the mother dragons. Keep your eyes on the ground, and whatever you do, don’t touch an egg.”
Jack nodded. He walked slowly and carefully. He followed her into a second cave where there was a door. She led him to the door and opened it. “At the top of the stairs, turn left. One of the guards will escort you out of the castle. I’m afraid your tour of the facility is over.”
Jack took the stairs and at the top stood two guards and Captain Morgan.
“You OK?” Captain Morgan asked.
Jack nodded.
“How in the seven hells did you end up in the pen?”
“I heard that bang and turned to look. When I did, I was pushed into the pen.”
“Did you see who pushed you?”
“No, sir.”
“I will speak to the students, but I suspect we won’t get an answer. The explosion was obviously a diversion used to get everyone looking the other way, myself included. It was also intended to rile up the mother dragons. I’m actually surprised that you are unharmed.”
“I got lucky, sir. One of the minidras protected me.”
“Strange behavior for a minidras, but they are strange creatures. As I’m sure Dragon Keeper Clifton told you, you are to be escorted out of the castle. Your continued presence here will only agitate the dragons. You got lucky once, I don’t think we can afford to try your luck any further.”
“I understand sir, and I think I’ve seen enough dragons close up for one day.” The look the mother dragon had given him as she stalked across the cave would haunt his dreams without a doubt.
14
When the guard walked him out of the castle, Jack said nothing. There real
ly was nothing to say. At the gates the guard turned to Jack. “If someone really did push you, you’d better figure out who it was. There are lots of dangerous places at Darkthorn Academy, and if someone wants you dead, they won’t have to try too hard. Best to stay on your toes.”
Walking back towards his room, Jack pondered the guard’s words. He certainly had been shoved into the pen and the timing of the bang meant no one had seen it. The chances of that being a coincidence seemed highly unlikely. But who would do that? The only person who he’d had words with at the Academy was Isaac. Would he try to kill over something so petty as words? The worst part was that Jack had seen Isaac; he hadn’t been standing anywhere near him. There was no way that Isaac had been the one to push him. Either Isaac had one of his cronies do it, or Jack had another enemy that he didn’t even know about. Both were unsettling propositions.
Jack was halfway across the valley when he felt a swoosh of air as something flew past him. He looked up to see the black minidras from the pen. It landed on the ground in front of him “Hello, little guy. What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be in the pen watching out for the eggs?”
The minidras moved closer until it was right at Jack’s feet.
Jack leaned over and scratched the creature between the eyes. The minidras closed its eyes and started to make a sound that sounded a lot like purring. “You like that, little buddy?”
The minidras just kept purring.
Jack smiled. “I guess a good head scratch is the least I can do. I’m pretty sure you saved my life back there. Your friends weren’t too happy, and I saw the way that momma dragon was looking at me.”
The minidras flapped its wings for a second and opened its eyes. The creature certainly seemed to understand what he was saying, perhaps Colin was a little harsh in his assessment of the breed’s intelligence.
“I’m going to head to my room now. You should head back to the dragon castle. Thanks again, little buddy.”
Jack stood up and watched as the minidras flew off. He then continued his slow saunter back to his room. Having been in many fights over the years, Jack wasn’t unfamiliar with danger, but to have a fellow student try to kill him was disconcerting. Perhaps he’d underestimated the level of competition between students. When Colin got back to the room, they’d have to have a long conversation.
“What are you doing back here? Shouldn’t you be on the dragon tour?” Garreth said.
“I was on the tour but I had a bit of an incident.”
“That doesn’t sound good. What happened?”
“I was pushed into the dragon egg pen.”
“Oh. That is not good,” Garreth said as he cringed. “Tell me you didn’t hit any eggs.”
“No, I didn’t hit any eggs. I don’t think I’d be standing here if I did.”
“True. Mother dragons are pretty protective. If you’d hit an egg, I don’t think you’d be able to walk.”
“Or breathe…”
“Exactly. I’m actually surprised you are walking and talking without pain. I would’ve expected some broken bones at the minimum.”
“One of the minidras took a liking to me. It held off the others, including the mother dragon.”
“Really? That is strange behavior for a minidras. You are one lucky bastard.”
“Why don’t I feel that way?” Jack said. He’d almost been murdered by way of dragon. That wasn’t the kind of luck he wanted.
“Mister Vance. A moment, please,” Professor Cyr said as she approached the boys.
Garreth gave Jack a worried look. “I better be off.”
Jack sighed. This likely wasn’t going to be good.
“Yes, Miss Cyr?”
“Follow me.”
Jack nodded and followed as Miss Cyr led him into the main campus tower. They walked up a flight of stairs and then went into a large open room with several desks and people working. She walked through that room to a door that said Headmaster.
At the door, Miss Cyr turned to Jack. “I expect you to be completely honest with Headmaster Anderle. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They entered the headmaster’s office. It was large and dominated by a massive oak desk. Behind the desk stood a man with his back to them. He was staring out the large window that overlooked the courtyard between the three main buildings.
The man turned and looked at Jack. He was fairly nondescript in that he was of average height and build and his hair was mostly brown with streaks of grey and silver throughout. What Jack noticed the most about Headmaster Anderle was his eyes. They sparkled with intelligence, and made Jack feel like the headmaster was looking deep into his soul.
“You must be young Master Vance. I’m told you’ve had quite the day.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Captain Morgan and Dragon Keeper Clifton have informed me of the incident at the dragon castle. None of the other students were able to confirm your story about being pushed into the pen. However, none were able to deny it either, and given the suspicious timing of a magical explosion that took all eyes away from your position I’m inclined to believe your story. Do you have anything to say for yourself, young Master Vance?”
“Only that I telling the truth, and that I’m sorry for any inconvenience my mishap had for the dragons and the staff.”
“It isn’t unheard of for students to be a little too exuberant in their competitive spirit, Darkthorn Academy is about rising to the top, but we do not condone murder or harming other students, nor is retaliation an acceptable excuse for such behaviors. Is that understood, Master Vance?”
Jack nodded nervously.
A loud thump at the window made everyone in the room turn to the window. There squished up against the glass was the black minidras. It was peering into the room watching Jack.
The headmaster sighed. “Let me guess, this is the minidras that you touched while in the pen.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Minidras can be a bit of a nuisance, but they are also a vital part of the dragon ecosystem here at Darkthorn and are to be given the same respect and honor as their larger dragon relatives. Normally, that means giving them a wide birth and not interacting with them. However, minidras can become attached to students, especially if they’ve made physical contact. It is obvious that this minidras has formed an attachment to you.”
“I didn’t mean to touch it. It jumped on my lap.”
“It was probably deciding whether to eat you or befriend you. I’m sure it made the wisest choice,” Headmaster Anderle said. “But now that it has made its choice, you will honor it.”
“Sir?” Jack said, confused by the situation.
“It is rare for first-year students to be permitted a familiar, normally they would have to prove a strong magical connection to the beast of choice before being permitted to keep a familiar here, but in your case the connection is fairly easy to see,” Headmaster Anderle said as he examined the minidras through the window.
“I don’t know what that means,” Jack said.
“Professor Cyr will explain your duties and responsibilities to you. I suggest you take them very seriously. The neglect of a familiar is grounds for expulsion. Good day, Master Vance.”
“Good day, sir,” Jack said before following Professor Cyr out of the headmaster’s office.
She kept walking down a hallway until she reached a door with her name on it. She opened it and invited Jack in. She went and sat down at a significantly smaller desk than the headmaster had in his office.
“You’ve managed to bumble your way into a bit of good fortune.”
“Good fortune? I was almost killed by a flock of minidras, not to mention the mother dragon.”
Professor Cyr waved her hand in the air, brushing off Jack’s protest. “I’m sure the minidras wouldn’t do worse than rough you up a little, you might’ve lost an eye, maybe a limb or two, but our healers probably could’ve kept you alive.”
“That’s reassuring.”
; “It wasn’t meant to be, just an honest evaluation on the damage one could expect from angering a flock of protective minidras. But that doesn’t change the good fortune you’ve gotten from the incident. A minidras, as annoying as they can be, are magical creatures, and to bond with one and have it as your familiar is very rare.”
“But I don’t know how to look after a minidras, I’ve never had a pet before—let alone a magical familiar.”
“You’ll learn fast, I’m sure,” Professor Cyr said. “Aside from the incident at the dragon pens, how’re you finding school so far?”
“Interesting,” Jack said. “I’ve met some friends, I might’ve made a couple enemies, and I have no idea how I did on my testing, but I’m trying hard.”
“Yes, about your testing. I have seen your results. Not good. Not terrible for someone who’s never gone to school, but you will certainly have your work cut out for you.”
Jack sighed. That was about what he’d expected to hear.
“On the bright side, you most certainly have good magical potential.”
“I do?”
“Yes, I’m sure Professor Campbell will go over that with you, she’s very thorough about letting students with magical potential know what could be if they apply themselves. And now that you have minidras for a familiar you’ll be able to have even more magical potential. But like most students with potential, it means nothing unless you work to apply that potential.”
“Understood,” Jack said.
“Now, normally all of the first-year students are informed of their courses at the same time, but since you’re not on the dragon tour you’ll be missing that presentation. I’ve written down your classes. I suggest you take this evening to learn a little about the classes so that you aren’t completely clueless on your first day. Your roommate Colin will be able to provide some answers, but I don’t recommend relying too heavily on him. He did only do half a year last year so it won’t be long before he no longer is able to provide easy answers.”
Menacing Misfits: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (Darkthorn Academy Book 1) Page 11
