The last few weeks hadn’t been kind.

Aeris had hoped telling Janine the truth would take away some of her guilt. If anything, it made things worse. Janine followed her everywhere and fussed over her well-being.

If Terran and Maxis knew, they did an excellent job of hiding it although it made little difference. After being lectured by Sasha, Terran became as protective as Janine. Maxis ignored her and that somehow made it worse. He snorted whenever she entered the room and made no attempt to hide his scornful glares. 

It surprised her that she and Janine were allowed to accompany them when they left. She was glad to be able to leave Strendor behind. Moving to Diamus was supposed to give her a fresh start. A new beginning. A chance to leave her past behind. Instead, what she did and didn’t do was all she could think about. 

It was worse when she slept. Most nights, she woke up in a shaking scream begging forgiveness from the ghosts that haunted her. Morning brought no relief as it meant dealing with the pitying stares and whispers they thought she couldn’t hear.

Just like her days in the care of her former master, they never treated her like a living being. She was always something to be pitied, admired, or looked down on. An object of petty desires. She hated it so she locked herself away in her room where she spent the day tormented by her thoughts and ghosts she hoped to escape.

That could be why when Janine got a job at a nearby restaurant, she insisted she and Aeris were a package deal. The owner accepted after taking one look at Aeris.

It didn't make her feel any better regarding her position. She always received special treatment for her celeste scales. 

Those thoughts haunted her more than usual when she awoke on their first day of work. She didn't want to go and be stared at or asked questions about her past which she didn't want to answer.

“Aeris, wake up,” Janine said. The young woman walked around the mattress and pulled open the curtains. “You’re going to be late for work.”

Aeris groaned as she rolled over away from the hateful rays of light interrupting her thoughts. 

Janine pushed her, but she didn’t budge at all. “I ain’t tellin you again, Aeris.” Her grunts cut between her words as she unsuccessfully shoved against her. “You…can’t…be…late…to…your…first…job.”

With a heavy sigh, Aeris stood up. Janine smiled and patted her side. “I know work ain’t fun, but we gotta earn our keep. And I think you can use the distraction. You do nothin but mope all day.”

“Sorry,” Aeris mumbled.

“Hey, hey. Don’t be sorry. You got nothin to be sorry about. Now come on before your breakfast gets cold.”

She nodded and followed the young woman to the kitchen. The house was a far cry from the mansion she grew up in, but it was a roof over her head. Her brief time living on the street proved that even a poor roof was better than none.

She kept her gaze fixed on the back of Janine’s head so she wouldn’t have to look at the holes in the filthy peeling walls glaring at her, or the floor’s angry scuff marks tallying the days she had been kept prisoner.

Three bowls sat on the table. Just looking at them, Aeris knew they were filled with porridge. Again. They had been eating it since they left Strendor.

As if reading her mind, Janine said, “Sorry, it’s not what something a little more meaty. But money’s tight and I wanna make what we have last.”

Aeris said nothing and sat at the table. Janine sat in the chair closest to her. Aeris buried her muzzle in the bowl and ate eagerly. She wasn’t hungry, but she couldn’t talk with her mouth full.

She finished eating when the sound of heavy footsteps and claws signaled Terran and Maxis' arrival. 

“Good morning, ladies,” Terran said.

Maxis sniffed the air and frowned. “Is that all you know how to make, girl?”

“Well maybe you'd like to do you're own shoppin and cookin if you hate mine so much.”

The large drake snorted but his eyes betrayed his regret at the statement. That look went away when his gaze settled on Aeris, however. “I’d rather get my own food.” He stomped out of the room, grumbling under his breath.

Terran sighed and sat down. “I’m sorry about him.”

“No, no, it’s a'ight,” Janine said, waving away the apology. “I’m sick of eating the same thing myself to be fair. I might grab something on my way back from work.”

“Speaking of work,” Terran said through a mouthful of food. He turned to Aeris. “Don’t you start your new job today?”

Aeris stared at her empty bowl and nodded while cursing herself for eating so quickly. “Janine got me a job with her.”

“Yep, it’s her first job and I wanted to be there to support her,” Janine said proudly.

Terran raised a brow. “First job? She’s never worked before?”

 
“Oh, she…uh…”

“We were making enough that I didn’t need to work,” Aeris said. “Because of the way I look, I don’t like to go out in public.” It wasn’t a lie, but it left a bad taste in her mouth all the same.

“Fair enough.” He clanged the spoon against the sides of the bowl, scooping the last of its contents into his mouth. 

Janine collected the empty dishes to wash them. Aeris continued to stare at the table. She felt Terran’s gaze on her.

Thankfully, he never broke the silence. When Janine returned, she and Aeris left together. 

Diamus felt very different from Strendor and Aeris’s hometown, Rubellum. Besides, the obvious size difference—Diamus was easily the largest of the three—the city seemed brighter, nearly blinding her in its brilliance. The tall buildings huddled around her, flaunting their superiority. The sounds of people talking and traveling grated her ears.

The atmosphere felt different as well. Humans and dragons walked the streets together. She was so used to seeing either species walking alone or the humans leading the dragons. Yet seeing them side-by-side only reminded her of the noble parties; lies and insults hidden behind false smiles.

Janine waved her hand in front of Aeris’s nose. “Hel-lo! Ya home in there?”

Aeris started at the sudden movement. “Huh, what?”

“You ain’t heard a word I said, have you?”

“No,” she said sheepishly.

The young woman chuckled and patted her head. “It’s okay. I get you’re nervous. I was the first time I worked for pa. The first day might be a little rough, but it’ll get easier, I promise. And you’ll have me to turn to.”

Her words were reassuring.

The restaurant was easy to spot. It was sandwiched between two larger buildings like watchtowers scanning for intruders. She felt like she was entering a prison.

A large wooden sign that read “The Dragon’s Den” carved in large, crude letters sat over the doors.

“Well, you ready?” Janine asked.

Aeris nodded and followed her inside.

She had been inside the establishment before, but she still felt uncomfortable. The inside was far more spacious than the outside let on. It had the same lack of decoration and focus on functionality over appearance that Janine’s father’s restaurant had. The tables were spaced to allow dragons freedom to move about without stepping on each other’s tails. A second level was filled with humans and Aeris assumed it was packed much tighter.

Even this early in the morning, the restaurant was packed with human and dragon customers. Some of Aeris’s anxiety returned. 

Janine gently steered her towards the door on the far side of the main dining area. "This way.”

Heads turned in their direction as they moved through the crowd. Aeris stared at the floor to avoid stepping on anyone’s tail or look at the dragons staring at her. She wished she had her cloak. The last one had to be thrown out because it was covered in blood and full of bullet holes and she forgot to put on the replacement.

Being in the back brought little relief. There were only three people, but she was, once again, the center of attention. The scent of cooked meat made her feel nauseous. The three humans each wore aprons with the initials DD sewed on.

The tallest of the three humans, a thin man with a thick beard and fair tan skin, was the owner of the restaurant, Ethan Thomas. The man’s head came dangerously close to the ceiling and he made Janine look like a small child in comparison. The human approached Aeris and Janine, wearing a warm smile. “Janine, Snowflake, you’re a little late.”

“Sorry,” Janine said. “It took longer to get here than I thought.”

“It’s quite all right. Just be sure not to make a habit of it.” He pointed to an older woman with long blonde hair and a narrow face standing by the counter. “We’ll have to make introductions quick. This is Caroline.” He pointed to the other man standing by the stove, stirring a large pot. He had long black hair that flowed to his back and brown eyes. “And that's Martin. Caroline, Martin, this is Janine and Snowflake. They're the new hires I told you about.”

Janine gave a polite wave. Aeris nodded to the humans.

Mr. Thomas rubbed his hands together and motioned for them to come closer. “Okay, Janine, Caroline will get you set up. Snowflake, follow me, please.”

Aeris followed the human to another door on the other side of the kitchen. He opened the closet and pulled out what looked like a harness.

“You’ll need this to carry the dishes,” he said. He kneeled and began putting the harness on her. “You have such beautiful scales. I might’ve asked before, but what species did you say you were again?”

“I didn’t.”

“Oh. Well, what are you—if it’s okay to ask.”

“I don’t know.” Aeris knew she an Ardelle Celestial, a rare species of dragon thought have been driven to extinction centuries ago. After learning they once tried to enslave the humans, she made a point of not telling anyone what she was. Not even Janine knew.

“Well, that’s a shame. With all the dragons that visit this place, maybe one of them can tell you.”

She had no intention of asking anyone, and she hoped he wouldn't. The last time she went searching for her origins, someone she cared for nearly died and she learned was the name of her species. Not her parents' fate, how the Strauss family wound up with her egg nor why they made a point of hiding it from her.

He made some final adjustments on the harness then grabbed a nearby serving tray and affixed it to her back. The tray had raised edges that Aeris assumed were to assist in keeping things on it.

“That should do it,” Mr. Thomas said. “Today, you’ll just be cleaning up. Clear all the empty tables and put the dishes in the basin over there. Any leftover food goes in that bin by the back door. And stay only on the ground floor. Janine will take of care the dishes where the humans sit.”

Aeris nodded and got to work. Collecting dishes was far more boring than she expected. Her mind drifted back to her days living in her master’s estate. Being fed, bathed, and polished like some walking trophy. When it wasn’t her time in the estate haunting her thoughts, it was the parties she attended. The servants in charge of refreshments never spoke to her even when she greeted them with a smile. When they served her, they held the tray at arm’s length and left quickly.

The only reprieve came when she occasionally ran into Janine who asked if she were all right. Every time she replied with a nod and a false smile. The other woman, Caroline, didn’t speak much except to the customers. Mr. Thomas was too busy greeting customers and checking on people eating their meals to bother her anymore except for the fitful wave. The man in the kitchen, Martin, seemed focused on cooking and ignored her completely.

Aeris was spared engaging the customers in conversation. When she walked by occupied tables, she felt their stares and heard their whispers. She couldn't hear the humans on the upper level, but she felt them watching as well. It made a strange chill slither down her spine every time.

“What is she?”

“I’ve never seen a wyrm with scales like hers before.”

“Think it’s some kind of disease?”

“So beautiful. I wish my scales were as light as hers.”

It was nothing she hadn’t heard before, but it still made her tuck her head further dive deeper into her memories. 

When they weren’t focused on her, it was each other. She hadn’t noticed it at first, but there was a tension in the air. When the humans entered the restaurant, they either avoided looking at the dragons or shot venomous glares their way. The dragons responded in kind.

When the sky turned a deep shade of orange, she began counting the minutes for when her shift would finally end and she and Janine could go home.

She was dropping off a load of dishes in the wash bin when a crash came from the main dining hall. “Janine!” she shouted before rushing out of the kitchen.

A group of dragons and humans had gathered by the front door. Aeris ignored the group and scanned the hall for the young woman but she was nowhere to be seen. 

She did find Mr. Thomas standing nearby so she approached him. “What’s going on? Where’s Janine?”

“I, I don’t know. But please, stay away from the crowd.”

Aeris hurried towards the group. If Janine wasn’t anywhere else, she had to be there. Please be safe. She squeezed through the dragons, ignoring their growls and protests, until she stood at the front of the crowd.

A human woman and a dragon were sandwiched between the crowd and the door. The dragon Aeris recognized as a ramscale, named for their helix-shaped horns. This dragon was no different with the signature curved horns the size of melons on the side of his head. His reddish-gold scales shimmered under the light as if sparking to compliment his aggressive stance.

Behind the Ramscale was a human woman. She had long brown hair and fair tan skin. Her expensive clothing gave away her high status. Unlike her scaled bodyguard, she stood with authority. 

“Why are you protecting her?” a drake in the crowd asked. “You know what she’s trying to do to us.”

“She’s not trying to do anything,” the Ramscale shot back. “All she wants is peace, just like you.”

“Yeah, for us to peacefully obey!” a dragoness shouted.

“Because you beasts need to kept in line!” a human cried.

“You humans need to learn your place!”

“Our place is keeping a tight hold on your leash!”

Caroline pushed her way through the crowd. “That’s enough! This is a restaurant, not the council hall. The District Lord is a customer here just like you, and she’ll get the same treatment.”

Aeris tilted her head. District Lord was a title given to dragons, not humans.

“Thank you, but I can manage on my own,” the other woman said.

“You sure, m’lady?” Caroline asked.

“Typical humans always standing up for each other!” a dragon shouted.

“Whoa, whoa. That’s enough,” Janine said. She appeared in the middle of the ring, standing between the ramscale and the crowd. Aeris’ breath caught in her chest. “Now, I don’t really know what’s going here, but you heard the woman. This ain’t the place for politics. Either you’re here to eat or you’re not.”

A cry of outrage surged from the crowd, particularly from the dragons who complained yet another human didn’t care about their troubles.

One of the dragons, a female ramscale, stepped forward. Aeris found herself moving forward as well. She had never fought another dragon before, but she felt no fear as she approached this larger dragon. She didn’t feel anything. Only a single thought to protect Janine pushed her forward.

The dragon made it halfway before looking over her shoulder and noticing Aeris. “What do you want?” the dragoness asked.

“That’s enough,” Aeris said calmly.

The dragoness growled as her tail slapped the ground. “You taking the human’s side?”

“I’m taking my friend’s side. I don’t know what’s going on here and I don’t care, but if you want the humans’ respect and to be taken seriously, maybe you should start acting as if you have some manners.” 

The dragoness glared at her, but Aeris kept her stance. “That woman you’re protecting—"

Aeris stepped forward until they were almost snout-to-snout. She had to look up to stare down the dragoness but all she felt was a growing rage. “I don’t care. She’s a guest here and so are you. So unless you’re just as savage as the humans claim you to be, you’ll go sit down and behave.”

The dragoness broke eye-contact and backed into the crowd, her head bowed in submission. The other dragons shifted their weight and avoided looking at Aeris.

 She turned to the humans. “That goes for you, too.”

No one challenged her. She took that as their acceptance.

“All right, folks, show’s over,” Caroline said. “Go back to your meals.”

The crowd dissipated quickly. Aeris exhaled and realized she tensed during the conversation and her claws left gouges in the floor. She hoped Mr. Thomas wouldn’t notice and take it out of her pay.

Once everyone had returned to their tables, Janine turned to Aeris. “Wow, that was somethin else, Snowflake.  I’ve never seen you take charge like that before.”

“I’m not sure why I did. I just couldn’t stand by and watch them threaten you.”

Janine chuckled and gave her playful jab. “Yeah, just like the last time I got myself into some trouble with a few wyrms. I’m startin to think I oughta hire you to be my bodyguard.”

“All right, it’s time to get back to work,” Caroline said. “Thanks for the help, Snowflake.” She shot a nettled glare at Mr. Thomas. “Our ‘boss’ certainly wasn’t going to lift a finger.”

Aeris wasn’t sure if the human could hear her, but he disappeared into the kitchen shortly after Caroline’s comment.

“Hey, where’d they go?” Janine asked.

Aeris spun around and saw the human and dragon who were under attack were gone.

“I don’t blame her for leaving,” Caroline said. “Things are calmer if she isn’t here.”

“Why is everyone so mad at her?” Aeris asked.

“That’s a long story, and we need to get back to work.”

For the remainder of Aeris’ shift, she wondered about that woman and why her presence bothered everyone so. She didn’t dare bring it up to the customers and risk starting another argument. The confidence she felt before had all but drained. However, the dragons avoided looking at her entirely and fell silent whenever she was near.

The sun had gone down when Janine caught up to her and patted her shoulder. “Hey, you. Ethan says our shift is over.”

Aeris headed back into the kitchen and dropped the last of the dishes into the wash bin. Martin shot her an annoyed look before sighing and continuing to clean the dinnerware. She gave him an apologetic look before rejoining Janine so the young woman could remove the harness.

“So how was your first day of work?” Janine asked.

“It was fine.” She looked around the kitchen to make sure Martin wasn’t listening. The man seemed more focused on his task. “How was yours?”

“It was great! Almost like being back at the restaurant with pa.” She removed the harness and tossed it into the closet. “Almost. The folk here are much nicer. Not countin that little incident.”

Janine went into a long explanation of how much enjoyed her day until Caroline and Mr. Thomas entered the kitchen. 

“Hey, you two,” Caroline said. “I just had to give this one”—she jerked a thumb at Mr. Thomas—“a thorough talking to about why he needs to show some spine.”

Mr. Thomas chuckled but his eyes showed he was hurt by the comment. “I apologize for not jumping in. I don’t handle conflict well.”

“Well, you need to learn. Or hire security. Who knows what would’ve happened if Snowflake hadn’t stepped in.” 

“I know, but who can I hire? The dragons won't listen to a human and the humans don't want a dragon watching them." He turned back to Aeris. "But thank you very much for your help, Snowflake.”

“It’s fine,” Aeris said.

Janine stepped forward. “Speakin of that incident, what was that all about?”

“Oh, right. You two are new here. The last district lord was killed,” Caroline said. “No one knows who did it, but the dragons are upset. Worse, the council appointed a human as the new district lord.”

“That’s just askin for trouble,” Janine said. “Why not let the dragons choose their own district lord? Ain't that how it usually works?”

Mr. Thomas was the one to answer. “They wanted to get ahead of any sort of power vacuum. The current district lord usually chooses who will succeed her in the case of things like this, but no one was chosen this time.”

Caroline snorted as she tossed a tray in the wash bin. “So to keep the dragons from killing each other, they gave them a reason to kill humans instead.” She returned to washing the rest of the dishes. “And it doesn’t help the dragons think the humans did this so they could take over.”

“So how do they choose a new district lord?” Aeris asked.

“Just have to wait for one to step forward,” Mr. Thomas replied. He dumped the leftover food into the compost bin. “It will likely take a while since a district lord has to be recognized by most of the dragons in the district.”

“Which means there’s a fat chance of that happening,” Caroline said. She called over her shoulder, “What do you think about all this, Martin?”

Aeris turned to the human who had been silent the entire time. He continued to keep his back to them, elbow deep in soapy water. “Not our concern.”

“It will be if the dragons decide to burn this place down,” Caroline said. She joined him at the sink and started thoroughly scrubbing a large pot. “Honestly, am I the only responsible one here?”

“Maybe,” Mr. Thomas said, chuckling. He dumped the last of the food into the compost bin and wiped his hands on his apron. “You are the main reason this place is still standing. Janine, Snowflake, you two can go home. We’ll finish cleaning up here.”

“It’s getting dark,” Caroline said. “I don’t like those two wandering the streets alone at night.”

“If someone’s brave enough to pick a fight with a dragon, another human being there won’t change matters,” Mr. Thomas said with a small smile.

“I don’t know. I just met Caroline and I think she can be scarier than any wyrm,” Janine said.

A round of laughter went through the room except for Aeris who silently vowed to rip apart anyone who dared to threaten Janine.

Once the laughter died down, they said their goodbyes and went outside. Terran greeted them with a wide grin. Maxis stood brooding behind him, his gaze fixed on something in the distance.

“Hey, ladies,” Terran said but his gaze was on Aeris. 

“Why am I not surprised to see you here?” Janine asked. “Ya that worried about us?”

Maxis snorted. “He wouldn’t shut up about you. It’s been getting on my damn nerves.”

“You were worried too,” Terran said, nudging the large drake. “Why else would you come along?”

The nightstalker shot him a nettled look. “You know exactly why I came along.”

Terran chuckled nervously and cleared his throat. “So, how was your first day at work, Snowflake?”

“It was fine. I didn’t do much.”

“Don’t be like that,” Janine said. “You were great. It was your first time and you ain’t break a single dish. My first day, I spent more time cleanin up my messes than servin folks. Not to mention you stopped that crowd by yourself.”

“What crowd?” Terran asked.

While they walked home, Janine explained the events that took place in the restaurant. Aeris stayed in the back and half-listened while planning how they would leave Diamus before things took a turn for the worst. 

Eventually, she noticed Maxis staring at her.

“Is something wrong?” Aeris asked.

“Something’s different about you.”

“I, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was true, but she still felt like it was a lie. She felt it herself; something had changed. She assumed it had to do with the loss of her eggs, but now she wasn’t so sure.

Maxis studied her for a moment. “Right.”