The golden eyes that met mine were enough to make anyone freeze in their tracks.
I was trying to remind myself that this was part of the job, but it was hard to focus when a massive, glowing dragon stared straight into my soul, her mind probing mine in ways that made my skin itch.
"What are you staring at?" Her voice, sharp as a razor, sliced through my thoughts. A little voice in the back of my head screamed at me to stand tall and act professional.
But then I remembered that I was standing in front of the Sweet Tooth's mother, and let's face it, I wasn't exactly swimming in the sea of confidence right now.
"H-hello… I'm Carl… the new caretaker," I stammered, already regretting the squeak in my voice.
The dragon's golden eyes narrowed, as if weighing me with her gaze. "Hmm. I know you. You're that retard."
I blinked. Wait, what? "What?"
The mental transmission was sharp, but that was all she had to say for now.
My face flushed as I realized who this was— that dragon. The one who flew alongside my buggy ride this morning, looking completely unbothered as I clung to the seat like my life depended on it.
Sweet Tooth's mom, no less. And from the looks of it, she wasn't exactly fond of me.
My heart rate skyrocketed as she began to change form before my eyes. The air shimmered, and with a sudden flash, her body morphed into a tall, statuesque woman with flowing black hair and regal attire.
She moved like she was used to being the center of attention, which, judging by her aura, she probably was. The transformation wasn't just magical—it was a statement. Every inch of her screamed power, and I felt my knees lock in place.
I involuntarily took a step back as she slowly walked toward me, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. "How was Sweet Tooth?" Her voice was casual, but I could feel the weight of her words. "You didn't mistreat my baby, did you?"
My brain scrambled for a response. Mistreated Sweet Tooth? Sweet Tooth, the dragon who almost kicked me out of the den with that large tail of his? The one who gave me a rotten, stinky wind?
If anyone is to be mistreated, it would be me.
No, I didn't mistreat him, but I wasn't about to say that out loud.
"No, ma'am," I said, forcing a smile, though I'm pretty sure it looked like the face of a man who had just been caught in a lie. "Sweet Tooth is doing great. I've cared for him like I would my own baby."
I stopped midway through my sentence, feeling a cold sweat form as I watched her expression harden. She didn't buy it.
"Your baby?" Her voice rose just a little.
The irritation was clear now, her sharp gaze making my stomach flip. "Sweet Tooth is not yours. He's my dragonling. Don't you try to poach my baby. I'll report you to the head caretaker."
Poach her baby?! I was about to speak but realized I was probably digging myself into a deeper hole. The words caught in my throat, and I could feel the blood draining from my face.
"Poach him?!" I wanted to shout. "Are you kidding me? Your kid's the size of a bulldozer!"
But I didn't say any of that too, of course. I wasn't trying to start a dragon war on my first day.
"No, ma'am, it's just a figurative speech. Please, don't report me. It's my first day," I pleaded, stumbling over my words.
She snorted, clearly unimpressed. "You're lucky, you know. Not many would have survived the wrath of Sweet Tooth. He's a handful, to put it lightly."
I raised an eyebrow, remembering the awful gas that wafted my nose from my 'welcome session' earlier. Understatement of the century.
"We had to keep our dragonlings here for safety," she continued, her tone softening but still laced with an edge.
"There are so many predators out there. Poachers, bandits... trying to steal our offspring for their battle beasts or for their own selfish reasons. I'm not about to let that happen to my child."
She flicked her wrist, and suddenly, a shimmering dragon scale materialized in midair, twinkling like a diamond under the sun.
Without a word, she tossed it to me, and I fumbled with it, nearly tripping over my own feet.
My heart raced as I held the scale in my hand. It was even more stunning up close. The iridescent glow made it look like something out of a treasure chest, the colors shifting as if it held the very essence of the dragon itself.
It wasn't just beautiful. It was valuable.
This had to be some sort of key, a token. But was it a gift? Or something else? The way my mind raced with possibilities almost made me forget about the dragon mom glaring at me from the corner of my eye.
"Use this to contact me if anything happens to Sweet Tooth. And don't even think about running off with him. I'm keeping an eye on you, Carl. I still don't find your appearance... trusting," she said, her gaze lingering longer than necessary on the last word.
I bit back a groan. Of course. Why did she have to be so intimidating? "Yes, ma'am. I'll report if anything happens," I said, trying to mask the slight tremor in my voice.
I wasn't sure what was more uncomfortable, her scrutinizing stare or the growing pressure of her expectations.
Then, as if her warning wasn't enough, she transformed back into her dragon form, her massive wings flapping powerfully as she soared into the air.
The gust from her wings knocked me off balance, sending me stumbling backward, and I barely managed to catch myself before crashing into a stack of fruit scraps.
I let out a small gasp, feeling the sting of bruises on my already sore body. I scrambled to stand, looking up at her, but by the time I straightened myself, she was already a distant silhouette in the sky.
I sighed. "Well... that went well," I muttered under my breath. "Note to self: never call a baby dragon 'your baby.'"
But then the full weight of the situation hit me. I stared at the scale in my hand, still wondering what kind of communication device this was. The surface sparkled like liquid gold, but I had no idea how to use it.
"W-wait!" I called out, my voice lost in the wind as I waved it uselessly toward the sky. "How do you use this thing?!"
No answer. Of course.
The mother dragon was already gone, leaving me standing in the middle of the yard, feeling utterly ridiculous.
"Great. Just great," I muttered to myself, stuffing the scale into my pocket. I would have to ask Eldrin later, preferably after I had a chance to nurse my wounded pride.
But for now, there was another baby dragon, waiting for me.
With a deep sigh, I squared my shoulders and turned toward the dragonling's pen.
"Alright, baby dragon number two," I said under my breath. "Let's see what you've got for me next."