Chapter Two

"I'm going, mom!" Lilly yelled as she ran out the door, clutching her binder. "I'll be back before dinner, hopefully."

"Good luck!" her mother called, exhausted. She was currently washing Kolby, and Jordan was singing some strange song he was writing on the spot.

Lilly looked back at her shack of a home. It was built with logs, and the roof was pretty much falling apart. But it was home, and she couldn't imagine life without it.

She jogged out onto the road. It wound away from her home, over hills and hills of grass and flowers. Lilly smiled, and ran toward the center of the city.



Lilly trudged through the chrome doors to the Main Office, panting. Her hair was falling out of its ponytail, and her red dress was damp with sweat.

"Are you Lilly?" the secretary asked, eyeing her less-than-perfect appearance.

"That's me," Lilly replied, gasping for breath. "Sorry, I had to run the whole way. I have no other means of transportation."

"That'll change soon," the woman sighed. "Go to your left, last door on the right. Knock three times. He'll know it's you." While the secretary returned to typing on her computer, Lilly tiptoed down the hall.

She reached the last door on the right. It was silver chrome like the rest of them, but there was an ornate placque on the surface. It read:

Office of Head Governor Legatus

Someone had taped a note beneath it:

Enter at your own risk, Lilly :)

Lilly smiled, and knocked three times.

"Hello?" Lilly heard a click, and the door swung open. "Ah, Lilly, come on in."

Lilly walked slowly into the room. Her eyes widened, and she looked around in wonder. The High Governor's office was also his home! There was a beautiful bed in one corner, and a sink in another. On the other side of the room, a large desk sat, surrounded by boxes upon boxes of papers and files. There was a door by the sink that probably led to a restroom of some sort.

"Well, have a seat, my young friend," the Governor said, gesturing to a pair of puffy red armchairs. "We have quite a bit to discuss."

Lilly sank into the chair, and laid the black leather binder in her lap. The Head Governor sat down in the chair opposite her, and smiled.

"Welcome to my humble abode. We are here to discuss your future, am I correct?"

"Yes," Lilly said quickly. "Can you please explain the bowing thing?"

The Governor laughed. "All in good time. Right now, I have a bit of a story to tell you. Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She was 11, and her father had died last year. But her mother was about to have a baby. She was lying on the bed, and the girl was ready to help her.

"The mother went into labor, and everything was going smoothly. Suddenly, something went wrong. The girl didn't know what had happened, but the mother was in pain, and the girl didn't know what to do. So, she told her mother everything would be fine, and she rushed out the door in her bare feet, headed for the Care Center.

"The Care Center was miles from her home, but this knowledge didn't stop the girl. Even though she knew she probably couldn't make it in time, her family couldn't afford a phone, and her mother needed help. The girl ran through the dark night until her legs were numb and her feet were red and swollen, but she still ran.

"Finally, the girl reached the Care Center. She was so exhausted she could barely speak, but she managed to gasp out her address. Right after that, she passed out. Care Center medics rushed to her house, and do you know what? Her mother was still alive, but just. The baby was okay, too. The girl arrived in the nick of time. Had she been any later, both her mother and her little brother would have died.

"The doctors figured out what was wrong, and helped finish the delivery. The mother named the little boy Kolby. Have you heard that story before, Lilly?"

"A billion times!" Lilly cried. "You said mom told you lots of stories about me. Was that one of them?"

"Yes," the Governor said, nodding. "It's true, is it not?"

"You bet," Lilly said. She slipped off her shoe, and pointed to a big white mark on the sole of her foot. "I got this scar from that run on the gravel. The stuff has toughened up my feet."

"I see," Legatus said, smiling. "I think that was a very heroic thing to do. It was brave, too. Do you think so?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Lilly said, feeling a bit awkward at the shower of compliments. "I just did what I had to do."

"You also saved your brother Jordan from a poisonous snake, right?" the Governor asked.

"Yeah," Lilly said. "And Kolby would have fallen into a lake once if I hadn't been there."

"It sounds like you have done some very brave things in your life," Legatus commented, standing up and walking over to his desk. He opened one of the many drawers, and pulled out a leather binder much like Lilly's. His, however, was gold and silver. He walked back over to his seat, sat down, and opened the binder.

"Let me see," the old man muttered to himself as he leafed through the pages. "Ah, here we go. Lilly, I have something for you to read. Here you go, you can keep this in your notebook. And here's your key. It's on a necklace; that should help you hang on to it."

Lilly carefully unlocked the binder, and placed the paper in the silver rings. She then began to read the text.

The Walled City in which our community lives is a relatively safe place, and everyone's goal is the same - to live a life of peace and plenty. However, there are some things that cannot be changed in life, and one of these is that nature will have an effect on the lives and well-being of people.

Animals are included in the category of nature, and there are many animals that are relatively harmless to the population here. Of course, there are several animals that pose a threat to the people. Most of these animals are kept out of the city by the wall surrounding it, but not all of them.

The most dangerous animal within range of the city is the Morsani. It is somewhat large, but very agile, and the most common coloration is pure black. Grey, red, and white colorations are more rarely seen. It is quite skilled at climbing, as well as running. They can burrow, too, but not very deep. It is almost cat-like in appearance, but it has a long, tapering tail ending in a small spike.

This creature wouldn't be so dangerous if it weren't for its venemous bite. Its bite will kill any living thing in less than a minute, and its claws and tail spike can also be used to cause serious damage. It often bites anything that moves, so it is deadly to the action-packed lifestyle of the city. They live below the ground in shallow burrows, so it is hard to find them, and they are extremely prolific breeders, so it is virtually impossible to get rid of them.

Morsani, if they are not watched, will sneak up to the city walls and climb into the city. They will then burrow throughout the farmlands, eating crops and livestock and destroying valuable soil as they dig. Often, they manage to burrow under a house, and live there. They may then come to the surface and start stealing food and nesting supplies from the house. If the owner of the house tries to shoo the Morsani away from their property, the Morsani will, of course, bite.

Morsani usually enter the city in large quantities, so acres of farmland are destroyed, along with thousands and thousands of crops. Houses can become infested with the deadly creatures, forcing the people out of their home.

"Ugh!" Lilly cried. "They sound disgusting!"

"Yes," Legatus said. "Most people learn about the Morsani in their higher education. For instance, the Care Center trainees learn how to treat wounds from a Morsani, and people in architecture must make their buildings Morsani-resistant. However, this is your higher education, so read on."

Lilly turned the page over, and saw more writing on the back.

For centuries, it has been the Guardians' duty to protect the city from dangers. Their main duty is to patrol the perimiter and protect against the Morsani invasions. They must eliminate any Morsani that get within range of the city walls. If any Morsani manage to enter the city, it is the Guardian's Job to destroy it.

The Job of a Guardian is a very dangerous one, because the Morsani will, of course, try to bite the Guardian. There is no known substance that resists the Morsani venom, so there are no special suits that the Guardians can wear. So the Guardian's only defense is not being on the same surface as the Morsani.

Because of the risks and dangers the Guardians face in order to protect the city from harm, they are greatly revered. Thus, it is tradidional to stand and bow in the presence of a Guardian and his or her partner.

"I've got to fight those things?" Lilly asked, shocked. "How am I supposed to do that? And what's this partner thing?"

"All in good time, Lilly," the Governor said calmly. "First, I have a little something to show you. I have a Morsani. Don't be afraid, it is what you'd call rouge; it was captured and taught to be gentle. It was de-fanged just in case, however. Ah, here you are."

An sleek grey animal entered the room through an open window, and climbed onto the Head Governor's lap. He scratched it behind its ears, and it purred.



"A Morsani," he said to Lilly as she stared at the elegant creature. "Believe me, she's friendly. You can pet her, if you want to."

"Uh...nah," Lilly said weakly. "I think I'll see enough of them, if I'm to be a Guardian."

The Governor laughed. "Off you go." The Morsani slipped off of Legatus's lap, and left through the window. "That's true. Now, I have a little more for you to see before we go to your home."

Again, the Governor walked over to his desk. This time, however, he pulled out a large, cream-colored oval. He walked back to Lilly, and placed the massive egg in her lap.



"There," Legatus said firmly. "Your partner."

"Uh..." Lilly said, trailing off. She put her hands on the side of the egg. She could feel life inside the hard, rough shell. "Um, what exactly will it be?"

"I'll show you," the Governor said. He pulled a picture out of his binder, and handed it to Lilly. It was a large, deep blue Dragon with small but powerful-looking limbs, a long neck, a slim, tapering tail, and two massive wings. Its eyes were a brilliant turquoise, and its wing membranes and belly scales were soft lavender.

"You mean," Lilly said softly, "the Guardian's partner is...a Dragon?"

"Yes," the Governor replied, nodding. "You will have the responsibility of raising and training your Dragon. When your partner has become an adult, like the one in the picture, you will begin your duties as a Guardian. Do you understand?"

"No," Lilly said quite firmly. "I am hopelessly confused as to how in the world I am going to raise a Dragon baby."

"We gave you this responsibiliby," Legatus said, "because we knew you were well-suited for every aspect. You are very caring, and, if I am not mistaken, you claim that you enjoy taking care of your younger siblings. This is similar."

Lilly ran her fingers down the surface of the egg. Her eyes glimmered. "I think I just might like this. But how will I know what to feed it? And where will we live? My house is far too small -"

"First of all," the Governor said, "I will provide you with a guide to care for your Dragon. Second of all, we have a home for your and your Dragon. Come with me."

Without waiting for a reply, the Governor stood and beckoned to Lilly. She rose with trembling legs, and followed him out of the office, cradling the egg in her arms.




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