We stepped out of the cab Benita, Hannah, and I heels clicking against the pavement as we rushed toward the school gate. We were late.
The sky stretched above us in a brilliant shade of blue, serene and cloudless. The air was warm and still, the kind that hummed with promise. The weather forecast had boldly claimed 100% sunshine. No rain. Not a drop.
The world seemed to agree. Streets bustled with life vendors shouting, engines humming, students chatting, feet rushing. Everyone moved with purpose. Until
*The sky growled.*
Not just a rumble, but a deep, guttural roar that silenced the world. Clouds, as if summoned by wrath itself, swept in like a furious army. Thunder cracked. Lightning danced.
*And the sky fell dark.*
"But... it wasn't supposed to rain!" I breathed, looking up in disbelief.
"Run! We're almost at school!" Hannah cried.
And we ran. Alongside a crowd now scrambling for cover, we raced toward the gates. We were close seconds away when a deafening blast shook the ground.
*BOOM.*
Hannah squeezed her eyes shut. Benita clutched her ears, trembling.
My hands dropped limply to my sides. I stood frozen, breath caught.
Then someone shouted, "It's a dragon".
Whispers turned to gasps. "No way." "This can't be real."
The once racing crowd halted as one now a circle of stunned spectators.
I turned sharply. "We need to move. Now!"
But Benita didn't budge.
"Oh no," I groaned. "Tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."
Benita's eyes gleamed, full of that reckless spark. Of course she was. Curiosity ran through her veins like wildfire. She was our unofficial scientist in residence, always observing, always chasing mystery.
"I have to see it. With my own eyes," she whispered.
"Seeing is believing," Hannah agreed, surprising me.
"You both know Dr. Belema's rule: 'Don't enter after me, don't disturb my class,'" I warned. "He'll lock us out."
"One missed class won't kill us," Benita pleaded.
"Just a peek," Hannah added.
I sighed. The kind of sigh that said I'd already lost the argument.
"Fine. But one minute. No more."
We turned on our heels and reversed course, drawn by the roar of something ancient. Something impossible.
*We were going to see the dragon.*
*The dragon was massive an ancient beast cloaked in shimmering silver scales that flickered like moonlight on water.* Even in his weakened state, he radiated power and mystery. His body was marred with deep wounds, one bleeding visibly across his massive head. His great eyes were shut, his breathing labored, as though each breath was a battle against death itself.
He needed help.
But instead, all he received were cold, curious stares.
People whispered, snapped pictures, and then… moved on. One by one, they trickled away, satisfied by the spectacle, their wonder fading into indifference.
"Alright, this is it. Let's go," Hannah said. She and Benita turned to leave.
But I couldn't.
My feet refused to move.
Something deep inside me stirred a strange, powerful emotion I recognized instantly. *Pity. Compassion. A stubborn flame of defiance against doing nothing.*
"Oh no… It shouldn't be what I'm thinking," Benita muttered.
"You girls go ahead. I'll catch up," I said softly.
"You'll be late for Dr. Belema's class!" Hannah protested.
"You're not seriously thinking of helping that dragon, are you?" Benita asked, eyes wide.
"I can't just leave him to die," I said.
"That's foolishness, kid," a voice from the crowd scoffed.
"He might kill you after you save him," another chimed in.
But I was done listening.
*"I got this,"* I whispered to myself.
Dragging the dragon was no small feat. His body was heavy, each scale cool beneath my hands. After some struggle, I found a quiet path an overgrown farmyard forgotten by the world. The place smelled of earth and life.
There, I laid him gently on the ground.
I rushed to the leafy section, guided by something beyond logic instinct. I plucked a broad, dark leaf I knew was the right one and returned quickly. From my bag, I pulled out my water bottle and began to wash the blood from his wound.
His eyelids fluttered open.
*Those eyes ancient, luminous, haunting. They locked on me.*
Was he dazed? Or… captivated? I offered a small, amused smile. Maybe I was beautiful. But this wasn't the time.
When I held up the leaf, he groaned low and guttural. He recognized it. He knew it would sting. That amused me even more. Dragons fear leaves too?
I added a few drops of water, then squeezed the liquid into the wound.
This time, no groan.
Nothing.
Only silence. Stillness.
Strange. Why groan the first time if he could handle it now?
I looked at him again and for the first time, wondered just who, or *what*, this dragon really was.
*I stood back, satisfied. The dragon's wound was clean, glistening slightly under the sun.* My job was done.
I turned to leave.
But then I paused. My gaze fell back on him. That deep gash if left open, it would only bleed again. My heart clenched. I sighed and reached into my bag.
*My favorite green scarf.*
It was a gift, special… cherished. But I had no choice. I couldn't just walk away knowing he might suffer more.
Carefully, I wrapped the scarf around his head, tightening it just enough to hold. It clashed oddly against his silver scales yet somehow, it suited him.
*"There. All good now,"* I whispered.
I turned again, but a soft, unexpected touch brushed my arm. I froze.
His claw.
Butterflies erupted in my stomach. No. What? Why? I was seriously fluttering from a dragon's touch? That was ridiculous… forbidden… not even remotely logical.
*He was a dragon. I was a girl.*
I forced the thought aside, shaking it off until I turned to him again… and he opened his mouth wide.
*Terror punched through me.*
This was it. After saving him, he'd eat me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the end. Seconds passed. Then a minute. Still breathing.
Carefully, I peeked through one eye. He was still there. Still staring. Still… mouth open.
*Okay, strange.*
Then I noticed it.
*A ring.*
A glowing, blue ring shimmered on his tongue. It sparkled like starlight beautiful, hypnotic… powerful.
*He wanted me to take it.*
*Oh no. No, no, no.*
Did he seriously expect me to stick my hand into the mouth of a dragon with razor sharp teeth and a tongue bigger than my face?
What if he sneezed?
Or worse… bite?
He groaned softly, urging me.
*This was insane.*
But still… I reached in, my heart pounding like thunder. Every second felt like a year.
*When my hand finally came back out intact I gasped.*
The ring was stunning. It glowed with quiet power, almost humming in my palm.
*I could be rich. Filthy rich.*
"Thank you, Mr. Dragon," I said, half-giddy, patting his head gently. "Do have a lovely day."
I blew him a kiss don't ask why and hurried off, hoping no one had seen me.
The last thing I needed was another punishment. After the swimming incident, I was banned from the internet for a month and from parties for three.
No way was I surviving another round of lockdown.
* * *
ZOAH POV
Moments after she left, I shifted scales melting into skin, wings folding away.
Back into human form.
I watched the path she took, smiling faintly.
*She was kind. Brave. Beautiful.*
But more than that... that leaf she used it wasn't just any leaf. Even she didn't realize what she'd plucked.
Herb A. Rare. Magical. One of the few ingredients powerful enough to cure Violets, the affliction eating through my kind.
Coincidence?
I didn't think so.
With reverence, I returned to the garden, found the matching plant, and plucked another leaf.
*Today wasn't such a bad day after all.*