"Nix," Ethan's voice startled me back to full awareness of my surroundings, "Stop scaring the man."
The beast responded immediately. Drawing its head back to Ethan without so much as touching me.
"Sir," Jonas, the young man that ran the landing pad, called from where he was standing a good distance away, "We need to clear the blast shields so the ship can leave."
"Yes," I nodded absentmindedly.
Waving for the kids to follow me as I cleared my way off the landing pad.
"Come on Nix," I faintly heard Ethan speak as he urged the beast off the landing pad to clear the blast shields.
No. That thing could hardly be called a beast. That thing looked like a dragon. A literal fairytale dragon from the fantasy stories that floated around when I was a kid.
"If you don't mind me asking," I looked over my shoulder at Ethan, "How did you manage to tame such a creature?"
"I found him as a hatchling," Ethan mumbled.
"He seems really intelligent for a beast," I voiced my thoughts.
Ethan didn't respond to that. Choosing not to answer that thought with any sort of answer. That basically confirmed my thoughts on the dragon's intelligence.
"He really does resemble a dragon," I stopped when we were clear of the blast shields, "Closest thing we've found on or off planet were Wyverns, but the general consensus agreed that they weren't true dragons."
"I'm kind of surprised you could tell what he was at a glance," Savannah cut into the conversation, "Most people don't have time to read fantasy books anymore. They're more of a luxury item for the rich nowadays."
"Let's just say I was well off once," I nodded in agreement, "I built this shelter with a partner of mine when I learned of the guild program."
"Not so well off anymore then?" Savannah phrased it like a question.
"Sounded like there was money to be made out there in the stars," I chuckled, "Didn't end up being as glamorous as we thought it would be." I gestured toward the dragon, "We should get him settled before registering you all as members of our guild. We won't have to list your abilities since mages are still illegal outside of the military. If you do well here then my people will take to you pretty quickly."
"So you run a pretty tight knit group?" Savannah followed me when I started walking.
"Out here you'll die if you can't trust the guy watching your back," I glanced over my shoulder to the dragon.
He was watching me intently. That made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end again, and my heart start picking up the pace.
"Don't worry about him," Jax chuckled at my nervousness, "He's a big softy unless you piss him off."
Savannah shoved Jax hard, "Ethan told me you nearly pissed yourself first time you came face to face with Nix."
She stumbled slightly at Ethan's name when she was speaking. Almost as if she wanted to say another name. I wanted to ask her about it, but if she intentionally changed the name to hide it she wouldn't answer my question even if I asked. That made me wonder what or more specifically who they were hiding. Savannah was quite the open personality, but she had an edge of deception to her.
Ethan was quiet, and seemed somewhat fearful of his surroundings even though he radiated his own air of power. Jax seemed to be the rebellious one. Ethan, and Savannah seemed to get along well, but the Jax kid seemed like he'd been forced into an uncomfortable compromise. He was reluctant to get along with the other two, but he still did. Any time he seemed to think about pulling something the dragon would give him a sharp glance.
It was the only time the dragon took its eyes off of me so I could distinctly feel the difference of when he was looking at me verses when he wasn't. I was glad it didn't take us long to reach the warehouse. Everyone on the street looked at me with either fear or amazement. I knew they were more focused on the dragon behind me, but that didn't stop them from looking. I opened the warehouse door so that the dragon could go in.
He just stood there waiting for something as he looked around the settlement curiously. His eyes resting on each person that stared at him for a few seconds before moving onto the next. He didn't growl or bare his teeth in any way which I took as a good sign.
"I cleared out this warehouse for your dragon," I pointed toward the open door, "He should be able to stay in here for now while he's resting."
Ethan patted the dragon on the side of the face, then gestured toward the open warehouse. The dragon responded by walking into the building. Eyeing me one more time as he passed me. Registration was routine compared to everything else I'd had to do today. Savannah was the main talker of the three, but she differed to Ethan's word anytime he did speak.
There were multiple things about these kids that struck me as odd. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was that was making me feel this way beside the obvious power the dragon they'd come riding in with had. I still found it hard to believe that they were controlling him. I didn't bother them anymore after I'd gotten them registered as F rank adventurers. Vernon caught me outside my office.
"What do you think of them?" Vernon knew full well that I'd have an opinion of them by now.
"They're interesting," I leaned back into the wall by the door, "I registered them as F rankers."
"Interesting huh?" Vernon sounded as if he was thinking of something, "Are you sure you shouldn't have just put them down as D rankers?"