The Dragoneer Manual

Chapter 12 - Breakfast

The next morning Teak was waiting for Rory outside of her dormitory. She looked bright and fresh to start the day, whereas Rory looked like she'd been hit by a ton of bricks. Days of sleep debt had finally caught up to her, and she was no longer riding on pure adrenaline. But Teak didn't seem to notice or care.

"Good morning!" Teak said. "Let's get breakfast!"

Rory smiled, suddenly feeling a bit better at the thought of coffee. They walked together to the cafeteria, which Teak apparently had no problems finding. It was a massive room with several long tables, and it was bustling with loud chatter and students. Rory spotted recruits in the teal and grey uniforms, and she also saw several Dragoneers in teal and white uniforms. She spotted Jay and a group of other students wearing this alternate uniform. He looked a lot more put together than the day before, and Rory thought to herself that he cleaned up rather well.

Jay made eye contact with Rory as he was talking to his friends, and his eyes followed her as she walked across the hall to the front, where the chefs stood behind a wide counter. As Rory approached, she was rather taken aback by the fact that the chefs all had yellow eyes. They stood with their hands clutched behind their backs, and wore white aprons. They smiled happily at Rory's approach.

"What can I get you my dear?" an elderly chef asked Rory.

Rory did her best not to stare too much at her piercing yellow irises.

"Um... do you have coffee?"

"Yes, of course! Our coffee is ground from the finest beans, which can only be found growing on the cliffs of Valdra, where the Dusky Dragons live."

"Sounds great," Rory said, smiling.

The male chef poured a large cup of black coffee into a mug, and placed in on the tray.

"What else are you getting?" Teak asked her.

"I don't know... eggs?"

Teak and the chefs erupted into laughter.

"Oh goodness," the elderly chef said. "We hear this often from travelers from the other world. The only edible eggs in the sanctuary are Dragons' eggs, but of course we don't consume those."

"Oh," Rory said, blushing.

"Here," Teak said, "Have a menu."

Rory took the menu, and ordered a dish with pan fried potatoes, vegetables, and some form of bacon. Teak ordered a plate of fresh fruits. They sat down together at an empty side of a table and munched on their breakfast, which tasted extremely delicious.

One sip from the coffee sent an electric jolt through Rory's body. She noted to herself that she should probably take it slow. These were some strong beans.

As they were chatting, Teak looked up and saw the young man with light hair and grey eyes, who had come in late to orientation, wandering about trying to find a seat. She waved him eagerly over.

"Come sit with us!" she said, as he passed by the table.

He looked slightly less disheveled than yesterday, but his hair was still a mess. He seemed grateful to have been invited to sit down.

"Thanks," he said, his mouth turned up slightly on one corner.

He had the strangest mix of foods on his plate, and noticed Rory staring at it.

"Uh, I wasn't sure what to order."

"Did you ask them about eggs?"

"I did, and that just threw me off."