The Odd Dragon Out: Reckoning of the Cinder-Born

Ginger and Reiss scowled when the persistent upperclassman followed them quietly to the table.

Her large, violet eyes which showed a bottomless sort of determination behind her pair of massive spectacles, inspired a feeling of doom. If only all this unkillable spirit could be diverted towards something less creepy than stalking First Years.

"Good grief! Leave us alone, will you?!" Reiss exploded... in a hushed voice.

Dorothea wagged her finger before the two and then lightly slammed a harshly bordered sheet of paper onto the table. She then leaned closer to the two boys from the other side of the table.

"Not until you two write down your names and sign up for Marvellous Impediments!" the long-faced Second Year barked... in a quiet voice.

While her smooth, dark hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head, Ginger and Reiss could have sworn they could see it flying in all directions behind her, spewing threats and heavy facts!

What was with these Out Course freaks?!

"We need some more time to think!" Ginger said with a swelling of his nostrils. "We've got time to choose, so don't rush us!"

"Oh, you don't realize how little time you have until it's gone. Trust me, it's better to make your decision now and to make it in favor of this Out Course. It will be especially good for you tw—"

The trio suddenly opened their books and pretended to read. Reiss' slipped and it smashed into his face, but he hoped the disguise held up all the same.

At the other end of the long, brown polished table they were sitting – and from the corner of a huge bookshelf a meter from it – a hunched, old dragon dressed in a red coat, with a leathery belt squeezing cruelly at her lumpy gut, appeared. She narrowed her eyes and scanned the students at the table suspiciously.

As luck would have it, her eyes behind her outrageous pair of glasses which put Dorothea's to shame in terms of size and style, lingered on Ginger who felt his spine churn.

Ever since that first day when lessons began, all the crotchety librarians had memorized his name and face - all because he had frustratedly shouted at the incoherence of some of the books he had to read.

Thankfully, he wasn't the only one the old dragon turned to. Dorothea seemed to have been marked for something foul too.

The old librarian gazed upon her with an especially nasty look and licked her patched lips as though it was the very idea of this miscreant entering the library that drained them of moisture.

Soon, she moved away, dragging the somber, chilling energy she had brought along with her.

Ginger, Reiss, and Dorothea breathed a sigh of relief, as did the other students sitting with them.

The dwarfish dragonling gave Dorothea a furious look before searching for another table for Ginger and himself to flee to.

Unfortunately, he spotted more than several First Years tactfully avoiding Out Course hounds who gave chase, using the tables and shelves as cover all over the library.

Goodness.

This meant nowhere was safe.

Reiss shuddered.

The library on the Fifth Floor had layers, much like mini-floors of its own. On either of its sides, one could see winding, dark metal stairs that led to vast sections of the library on higher ground with different kinds of books. Long desks with benches attached flooded each of these sections, sitting over the same beige-colored floor which, as Ginger had assumed, was bewitched to douse the noise made from footsteps.

The library was a beautiful place really, with several unique depictions of the Five Ancient Dragons on the ceiling – which was very high up – as well as the hanging banners denoting the contents of each set of bookshelves.

Unfortunately, this beauty, which was better appreciated by Reiss than Ginger, had been shattered today when Dorothea had begun to haunt them as soon as they took their seats in the library.

"What do you mean by this is good for us? That's what you were going to say, right?" Ginger asked Dorothea suspiciously, which made Reiss turn and give up on his attempt at finding another table.

"I mean you two must be fed up with all the name-calling and all the attacks you have to endure with every waking moment outside of classes, right? I can relate! Marvelous Impediments will teach you to defend yourself with special barriers that are much more efficient than a simple Custos Zoe. Trust me!" Dorothea said, pretending to shed a tear for the two.

Ginger and Reiss looked at each other.

"No one attacks us," Reiss said viciously... and quietly. "And what do you mean 'I can relate'?"

"Really?" Dorothea said dubiously. "Oh, it will all probably begin once you start practicals in Kardia Studies and Out Courses. Trust me. You'll wish you were dead. It starts with someone calling you a silky horse, then crack! You get a blast of Kardia in your face from a Kartile head! Konstantina must have told me about you two so I could help you!"

Reiss wore an odd look.

Horse?

Now that he looked at her without the mask of rage, Dorothea did kind of have that look to her.

"Wait," Ginger said while blinking furiously. "Konstantina? As in Konstantina Flohr from our class?"

"Yes. She's my sister. She told me you were having a hard time," Dorothea said with pity.

Reiss exploded.

It made a lot more sense now why this Second Year was so persistent and spouting sob stories.

"Good grief. Konstantina that...! She was just making fun of us! She doesn't care about us, she's in Fillys' camp! We're fine! We don't need your pity!" Reiss hissed silently while Dorothea backed away.

"But I'm a—"

"Can you three go somewhere else? You're going to get us all kicked out!" a male student sitting close to the three lowered his head and said with a sharp look in his eyes. He looked to be a Third Year or older, which, when paired with the smoke seeping out of his nostrils, made his words more impactful.

Ginger and Reiss shook and then looked at Dorothea accusingly. Even the Third Year made his final gaze sit on her, which pressured her enough so that she stood up, made it clear with her big violet eyes that she wasn't done, and rushed away.

Ginger and Reiss sighed in relief.

"Thanks!" Ginger said to the young man. "She just wouldn't leave us alone. We'll be quiet now."

Reiss gestured the same intent.

The upperclassman nodded in a superior sort of way and went back to his reading.

...But then he spoke.

"You can thank me by joining the Kartile Course."

***

The following day began with the students of First Blue preparing for their first-ever lesson in Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation.

Ginger and Reiss, who had been excited for it somewhat before, had their enthusiasm dampened by the fact that they had been 'persuaded' into joining Kartile last night.

Ginger was a little less salty about it because he had been interested in the Out Course to begin with, but Reiss was in denial.

He had signed the upperclassman's sheet – which had been hidden in his school bag all along in order to not draw suspicious attention – but he had half a mind to raise a complaint about this to Professor Lyall.

The two sat together in their designated classroom, but as it was foretold and fore-planned, Caron joined them.

Today, she looked like her usual self. She was disturbingly drowsy, as though she hadn't slept a wink, an unfocused look stuck to her eyes. The surprising energy from yesterday was gone.

When she casually broke the ice, asking about their adventure in the library, the dwarfish dragonling looked as though he would stuff her in his bowl and eat her.

The redhead had given up on the subject immediately.

Caron's addition to their little squad was odd at first, even for Ginger. Reiss hadn't warmed up to her much, but his view of her turned favorable when she, much like them, committed to the daily ritual of glaring at the Doukas siblings from the distance.

Today they were chanting something about the perfect trio of losers finally lumped together in unholy matrimony, when Caron adopted a scarcely seen look of annoyance, glaring at Fillys who seemed offended at the redhead daring to stare at her.

To Reiss, the display didn't leave much room for doubting where Caron's 'allegiance' lied. At least for today.

They shared a common enemy and splitting up when Alcaeus and Fillys were making fun of them would be akin to admitting defeat.

This rationale was enough for Reiss.

Soon, a figure entered the classroom, killing the mayhem.

The long-awaited Professor for the new course came.

Their appearance took everyone aback, however, so much so that the whole class froze.

For the first time since school began, there wasn't a dragon standing before them.