The Dragons Mark

Chapter 6: New Friends

                                           Teal finished her food quickly then started organizing things as she thought. Xerus was so different between his dragon and human forms. His eyes in dragon form were gentle and playful like an obnoxious puppy. But in his human form there was a hunger to them that frightened her. His human eyes read danger; they screamed of the violence he was capable of and when he smiled because he was being a smart ass it made her fear worse. She sat the crates of magazines down near her office area and headed to the kitchen. She was frustrated and decided she wanted to bake something. She got out everything she needed and got to work as her thoughts continued.

                                        Xerus was quieter in human form, but then the dragon doesn't speak he's just more visually communicative then the human form that just stands there watching you. It was easy for her to read him while he was in dragon form but not his human form. Teal shook her head trying to shake it all off and took a deep breath. Look for the things similar she thought, maybe that will help me to understand him better. Both forms he's quiet and watches but his dragon is more expressive. He chooses dark clothes to match the dark attitude of his dragon form. His dragon form assumes that she is an idiot and needs to be coddled and his human form treats her like such. But then maybe it's not that he thinks she's stupid, maybe he just likes to coddle her.

                                         She finished baking and sat down at her desk and pulled a book out of one of the boxes the staff brought in this morning. They learned she loves books and since old books are easy to find and free mostly they have been spoiling her with them. She looked at the book in her hand how to tame an asshole. She laughed "Subtle hint from the staff." She thought about Xerus in all his stubbornness and danger; could he really not be such an asshole, after a while of pondering this she found herself so frustrated that she started talking it out to no one in particular. "Okay, look at the evidence that proves he's not an asshole. My people caved, Xerus's didn't... they hid, that means they have an internal strength and stubbornness by nature. It also could mean that they are conniving or maybe they are just plotting; maybe they are being careful. It makes sense to figure out the enemy then take them down." She thought back to the students she was forced to go to school with here and how she had gotten through the plotting stage but never got a chance to take them down a few pegs. "But they have been captive for so long, they were caught before my people caved, but..." she sighed and slammed the book back into the box.

                                         A feminine voice spoke that she didn't recognize "But what?"

                                        Teal whipped around to see a petite redhead with brilliant silvery white eyes and tribal marks across her right forearm in a diagonal pattern from her elbow to her wrist. It looked like it represented the elements, earth, air, fire, water, plant, animal & spirit. "Who are you?" She took a calming breath realizing this woman was beautiful and her graceful movements were turning Teal on.

                                       "My name is Nyala." She smiled nervously. "You said your people caved, Xerus's didn't, they hid" she nodded and then added "But.." she smiled "so I wanted to know what you meant."

                                        "Well, I was one of just a few dozen people who actually fought the invasion in our town." My family all caved, they abandoned everything we worked hard for, our freedoms and..." she sighed "I'm the only one in my family that tried to fight it and that apparently embarrassed them enough to disown me."