Chapter 9

I stood there, mesmerized. In front of me stood a baby dragon. It had purple scales that shimmered in the light. The purple faded into dark purple which faded into black. It's neck and stomach were a pretty lilac color. And it's eyes were a clear, sparkling blue. It was majestic.

I was tearing up, gazing at this purple majesty. "Oh my word, thank you so much Trish!"

She grinned. "We don't have a name yet, though we know she's female. She's 10 years old, and at 25 she'll be fully aged."

I took a step forward, reaching my hand out. She sniffed it, pushing her head against my fingers. I took the hint and scratched behind her ears. The effect was instant. Her eyes closed, and a low rumbling came from her stomach as she rolled over on her back. I gave her a belly rub and then stood back.

"Where are we going to keep her?" I asked Trish, worried.

"Well, we have indoor stables, but we decided they would be too small for her, especially when she's full grown. We've thought about keeping her out here, and you can come visit her whenever you want to."

My eyes grew blurry once again as I gave Trish a big hug, and then Alex. "Thank you guys!"

Everyone who had come with me walked back inside, where the party was still going on. Trish headed for a microphone that was on a table. She picked it up and said, "Hey everyone! Just wanted to say, thank you for coming. The party is over, but be sure to grab a goodie bag on your way out!"

The people started trickling out of the dorms, and I headed back to my bunk bed. By the time everyone was gone, I had fallen fast asleep, weary from the day's activities.

"Lia! Lia, wake up!" I heard someone whisper-shout. I groaned softly, blinking my sleep away. I sat up, dizzy and confused.

'What? Who's here?" My voice cracked. I heard something go click! And a light flickered on. I saw Alex holding a flashlight underneath me, next to the bottom bunk.

"Alex! What are you doing here?" I whispered.

He looked nervous. "Can I come up?" I nodded, and he climbed up the ladder, putting the flashlight down.

He sat next to me and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night, but I wanted to say this with no one else around, and tomorrow you have another test. I just wanted to say, I really like you. You know that already but-" He took another deep breath. "Lia, will you be my girlfriend?"

My mouth opened in an "O" shape, and then I hugged him. Hard. "Of course you silly! This is an amazing birthday gift!" Then I gave in to my instincts, and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He blushed, and then lay down, staring at the ceiling. "Wow." He whispered.

I giggled. "I think I broke you-"

He gave a laugh and then sat back up. "You can go back to sleep now. Oh, and here's something for when you wake up, to remind you it wasn't a dream." He handed me a red velvet box that had been inside his pocket. Inside was a beautiful golden chain necklace, with a gold dragon design. In it's paws was an emerald.

I gasped, picking it up gently. "It's beautiful, thank you!" I set it back down in the box and put it down on the side of my pillow.

Alex grinned, the feature lighting up his face. "I'll let you sleep." I mimicked snoring, and then laughed. "G'night Alex."

"Good night Lia." He replied.

I awoke to someone nudging my shoulder. "Wake up, Lia!" I heard someone say.

The voice seemed familiar but I couldn't quite place it yet. I opened my eyes, and they found a pair of blue ones. My gaze trailed up to the sandy colored hair. "Ben?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, me. We need to talk."

This seemed strangely familiar to who had happened a few hours ago, but I sat up. "Alright, shoot."

"I- wanted to apologize for being so distant. You were nervous and new to this place, and I probably made it worse for you. I just can't trust people easily. I hope you understand that. I ran away from my abusive parents at a young age, and they sent a boy after me. The boy pretended to be my friend, and I really trusted him. But then he betrayed me and tried to bring me back to my parents. I-" He stopped for a moment and closed his eyes, as if reliving the moment.

"I fought him. I had a small knife in my pocket, and in the chaos I stabbed him. I never meant to, I just wanted to get away. He died from the blood loss and I felt gutted. I didn't know how to patch the wound up, I was only 11."

I was open-mouthed. What a horrible backstory! I climbed down the ladder and stood right in front of him, hands on my hips. He looked nervous, as though he was scared of what I would say. And then I reached out and gave him a hug.

I heard a soft gasp. I stepped back and gave him a sad glance. "I'm sorry Ben. That sounds terrible. Of course I understand why you were so distant. I feel honored that you reached out to me. Are we friends now?" I held out my hand.

For a moment, he looked pained. But the expression went away so quickly I decided I had imagined it. Instead, a large grin spread across his face. It made him look quite handsome. "Friends." He agreed, and shook my hand.

Then a sly smile appeared on his face. "I've come to get you for another trial."

I groaned. "I just woke up though-"

The smile grew even bigger. "Oh, I'm sure this will wake you up." I took a step forward, unsure. I had only just become Ben's friend, and this humorous side of him was new. I wasn't sure what he was hinting at. "Alright, let's go?" It came out more like a question than a statement, and Ben chuckled.

"Wait!" I blurted out. "I need to get something before we go."

I climbed back up the ladder and grabbed the velvet box Alex had given me earlier. When I climbed back down, Ben gave me a curious glance. "What's that?"

I gave a noncommittal shrug. "Something Alex gave me for my birthday. Shall we go?" Alex hadn't told me he wanted our dating to be public, so I tried to steer away from the necklace. "Also, I never thanked you for your gift. I want to try it out as soon as possible!"

A quick look of hurt passed over Ben's face, but again, it was gone so quickly I told myself I had imagined it. It almost convinced me.

He shrugged. "I didn't really know what to get you. I'm glad you liked it though."

"Alright let's go to the new test. Will you tell me what I'm learning? I hate surprises." I stated.

Another smile. "Nope." I groaned. "Oh my god, c'mon, please?"

He just grabbed me by the arm and propelled me to the door. He led the way to the gym, which I was unfamiliar with, as the building's layout was always changing. To protect all it's secrets and whatnot. Once we were there he walked in and shut the door, then let go of my arm.

The gym was the same as always, a large room with grid-like black and blue walls. I've learnt that those things can turn into holograms and simulate things. Ben pressed a button by the door, and the grids started changing into a clear blue sky. The ground also changed into a sandy ring. Medieval-looking houses surrounded the ring.

Just when I thought it was done, a rack of swords, shield and armour appeared in the center of the ring. I groaned, once again. I was becoming a thing for me. "Sword fighting? Oh no..."