Dragon's life in college

ch 26

                                

“Well, how did you do?”

Oceania looked at her report card. “Well, I managed to pass every single class and even got A’s in two of them. What about you, Ryu?”

Ryu looked down at his as well. “I did good as well. And my Evil Overlord teacher wrote a note saying ‘If I were a human, I would live under a mountain to avoid him.’”

Oceania raised an eyebrow. “I guess for Evil Dragon Overlord majors that is a good remark, although for Dragon Overlord majors that is not what you would want to hear.”

“As an aspiring traditional Overlord, I take great pride in such a statement.” Ryu puffed himself up regally.

Oceania pinned him with her icy look. “Well, when you’re busy terrifying humans, just be certain to show them your report card. I’m sure that will send them all cowering in fear.”

Ryu’s attempt to remain regal disintegrated into laughter.

Before making friends with Ryu and later having Oceania join, Nigel would have thought that Ryu was completely incapable of making any sort of happy or friendly expression or emotion. In fact, he had once calculated how far Ryu’s facial muscles would have to move in order to smile. His original calculation had been that although biologically possible, Ryu’s face would never smile. But after becoming friends, he found out that Ryu’s face was indeed capable of smiling. He might not do it very often, but it was still there.

Oceania laughed as well as she playfully swatted Ryu on the back with her wing. “Don’t do that, Ryu. You’ll have all the humans trying to get off the continent in terror.”

“Is there another continent?” Turtle asked, who had been observing the whole thing while trying to untangle himself from the cords he had somehow managed to get wrapped around himself. His major, Art, had had a final assignment instead of a test. Turtle, unwisely, had decided to do some sort of weaving design project.

Well, he had done that, Nigel thought. Only instead of weaving the cords around a frame, Turtle had managed to weave the cords around himself. Although, what else would you expect from Turtle?

“Mathematically speaking there should be,” Nigel said.

Turtle stared at him blankly.

“Well, if you take into account the size of the earth and the relative size of our continent, our continent does not take up enough volume to…”

“Nigel, Nigel…” Turtle interrupted, part of one cord in one claw and the other claw tugging at another cord, “I didn’t ask for the mathematical reason for it.”

“Oh, well, yes, there should be. There’s plenty of room in the earth for there to be another continent and it wouldn’t make sense to just stick one continent on one side and then leave nothing on the other side.”

Turtle nodded. “Thanks.” And promptly fell flat on his face when the cord he was tugging on tripped him.

Oceania sighed and leaned down to pick him up. “Turtle, how do you mange to get yourself into these situations?”

“To be fair, I didn’t get myself into these situations. It wasn’t my fault that the frame I was going to use was broken and I had to improvise.”

Oceania raised her eyes upward and sighed again.

Ryu tapped a claw on the table. “I wonder if anyone has either found it.”

“Found what?” Nigel asked.

“The other continent. If it must exist, and continents are rather large, why hasn’t anyone found it yet?”

“Probably because no one has bothered looking for it,” Nigel guessed. He honestly didn’t know why. It wasn’t a problem that could be easily solved with a math equation. Or at least, he thought it was easy.

“Well, Nigel’s unknown continent isn’t something we’re likely to go try to find soon, unless you’ve got time to go exploring over your winter break Ryu.” Oceania hauled Turtle upright, who promptly fell over again.

“Unfortunately, no. I am going to Nigel’s house for about a week. I am ready to meet his younger siblings.”

“You’re always welcome to join us,” Nigel offered. “My mother would love to meet you. And I know Ember and the rest of my siblings would as well.”

Oceania smiled. “I would if I could, but it’s tradition in my family that we spend the Winter Festival with my aunt. And she wouldn’t be thrilled if I missed. She’s very insistent that everyone gather.”

Nigel nodded in understanding. His mother was the same way with his family. He did find it a little odd that it was Oceania’s aunt that was so insistent, but considering how her aunt seemed to be the only female, it was a little more understandable.

“If you change your mind…” he still offered.

“I’ll let you know. Turtle, you are hereby banned from all things entangling.” Oceania turned back toward Turtle who had somehow managed to tie himself into even more of a knot. “I’m sorry, but I think I’ll be a little distracted for a while.” She grunted a bit as she worked on a knot.

“Do you require assistance?” Ryu asked.

“No, I’ll handle it. After all, I’ve been untangling this one for my entire life. Hold still, Turtle. By the way, Nigel, how did you do?”

Nigel winced slightly. “I did good, but I failed Incineration class.” He honestly wasn’t too surprised. Considering in an entire semester he had only managed to hit the target once, and that once had not only hit the target but also the entire stretch of space behind it up to a boulder which had been in the wrong place, it wasn’t surprising at all that he had failed it. Still, the note his Incineration teacher had written on his report wasn’t very helpful.

Ryu looked at him, and looked over his shoulder to read his report. Nigel momentarily considered hiding it, but then decided against it. When Ryu wanted something, it was fruitless to try to prevent him. And Nigel had quickly learned that Ryu could be a little protective about wanting to know how he had done. This had been after Ryu had picked the lock on his chest and read his Incineration teacher’s report after the mid-semester exam, and then promptly burned it. Nigel was certain that any dragon who invented a fireproof coating which could withstand Ryu’s fire was equal parts a genius and a daredevil.
Nigel watched Ryu intently. He had learned to tell when Ryu was in the mood to set something on fire. And although he didn’t mind Ryu being concerned about his Incineration class grades, especially since Ryu had tried to teach him, he still didn’t want Ryu to feel the need to set every report from Incineration class on fire. Mostly because he had a feeling that he would be getting a lot in the next three and a half years