Chapter Three


It was huge. The dome before her was probably bigger than the Rotunda, if that was possible. The top of the dome was clear, with several hologram projectors set up around it. There was a set of double-doors big enough for a person to go in and out of, and a much larger pair beside those. Lilly felt tiny just looking at her new home.

"Do I have to come here to see my Dragon?" she asked in awe, gazing up at the dome's top. It had to be thousands of feet off the ground.

"You must be with your Dragon at all times, Lilly," Legatus explained, "so you will live here."

Lilly very nearly fainted.

"Come inside with me," the Governor said, begining to walk towards the metallic double-doors leading into her home.

Lilly and the Governor walked through the doors, and into a red hallway. There were beautiful pictures of Dragons and Guardians covering the walls, and the ceiling was made of beautiful ctystals and diamonds set in wood.

As they walked, the air seemed to smell cool and crisp. Lilly loved the brisk feel of winter. She took a deep breath, and grinned. The egg seemed to tremble with excitement as well as the Governor opened a silver chrome door at the end of the hallway.

The first thing Lilly saw was the mountain. It stretched up to the top of the dome, almost brushing the night sky the hologram projectors had created. She could see beautiful ponds and lakes near the bottom, glistening with their own light. Surrounding the mountain ponds was a vast, thick forest. It reminded Lilly of the Taiga, a big forest far away that she had studied in school last year.

She also felt a soft, cool breeze, and her hair waved as she stepped into the forest. A small hologram-bird flitted past her. She touched a tree, to make sure that all the beauty was really there. It was.

"The Dragon I showed you was called a Glenn Dragon," Legatus explained, following Lilly as she walked through the beautiful forest toward the mountain. "There are many different types of Dragon, and the one that we hope for you to receive is a Cerulean Blue, Air type Dragon. We had to apply to have a Dragon for you, and KoL from the Isle of Mirrors came to inspect this dome. She said she'd set something up for us, and returned several days later with this egg. Whether or not the egg will be a stillborn, we do not know. We hope, however, that a healthy Dragon will hatch and help you in your duty as a Guardian."

"Wow," Lilly said, admiring the many ponds scattered throughout the forest. "But how did you know what kind of environment to make?"

"Ah, a valid question," said the Head Governor. "You see, each type and color of Dragon has its own unique personality. Cerulean Blue Dragons love crystals and caves, and you will find many of those once we get to the mountain you see before you. They also love nighttime, hence the hologram projectors. They turn the dome into a place of eternal twilight. Lovely, eh?"

Lilly nodded strongly, and the Governor continued his explanation.

"The Cerulean Blues love mystical places, like the numerous mountain lakes you noticed.

"There are three Types of Dragon: Air, Water and Fire. Since Air Dragons are the strongest fliers, and they can fly for long periods of time, they are wonderful for assisting the Guardians on their patrol. They enjoy, among many other things, mountain tops. Perfect, eh?"

Lilly nodded again. "So, you said I have to live here too. Where will I stay?"

"Not to worry," Legatus laughed. "You have a little cabin near the top of the mountain. I'm sure you will like it there."

Indeed, when the pair reached the foot of the mountain, a small dirt path could be seen, leading up toward the top of the huge grey mountain. Lilly immediately began to run up the path, with the Governor jogging along close behind, as fast as his elderly legs could carry him.

Finally, after passing many dark caves and juts of crystal like the Governor had described, Lilly reached the cabin. It was white, with grey shutters and a forest green door. Contrary to the Head Governor's comment, the cabin did not seem 'little' to Lilly at all.

"Well, go on in," the Governor said, nodding at the green door. Lilly pushed a little big, and the door swung open on smoothly oiled hinges. She was facing a cozy-looking living room, complete with a nice white couch, a black table in the middle of the grey-carpeted room, and matching silver cabinets. A silver entertainment center was on one side of the room. Lilly opened its doors, finding a TV and DVD/VCR.

"As if I'm going to have enough time to watch TV," Lilly said. Still, she was extatic. She and her family had never owned matching furniture, let alone a TV.

Across from the outside door, there was an arch leading into a hallway. Lilly could walk straight through the arch into another one, leading to the kitchen. It had the same grey carpeting as the living room, and the hallway, for that matter. A white and black table sat in the middle, surrounded by four silver and black chairs. The kitchen was to the left, in the same room. It was equipped with a dishwasher, an oven, a microwave, and numerous plates and pieces of silverware. Lilly opened the refrigerator, and found breads, fruits, vegetables, and several kinds of meats. For the Dragon, she thought eagerly.

Going back to the hallway, she found a bathroom on the left-hand side. It was pretty much white and grey, with silver hooks for towels. Lilly's face lit up when she saw the bathtub had hot and cold water.

Across the hall was a large study. It looked a bit like the Head Governor's office, with a silver desk surrounded by black file cabinets. There was a big white cushion in one corner. It looked large enough to hold a sleepy Dragon after a long patrol.

At the very end of the hall, Lilly found her room. Unlike the rest of the house, it was colorful. Everything was a shade of blue or purple. Lilly's bed was a muted, bluish-lavender, with a canopy of the same color. The carpet was soft and smooth. There was a blue computer over in one corner, and a big purple cushion in another, much like the one in the study.

Lilly flopped down on her bed, and closed her eyes, absorbing every new thing that had just happened to her. This new room was so much better than just one white pallet between your brothers'. Yet, she already missed the little log cabin she called her home.

The Governor seemed to sense her sadness. "You need to be alone, so you can concentrate on your training. But you can always go back and visit."

Lilly nodded.

"I'm not helping," the Head Governor sighed. "Well, the best way to cure sadness is to take action. Here, we can start looking through the guide to owning a Glenn Dragon, I suppose. Let me see..."

The Governor opened his binder, and pulled out a thick packet of paper. He handed it to Lilly, and she placed it in the rings of her notebook. 'Caring for your Dragon' was the title. It was quite daunting.

"Your assignment," Legatus explained, "is to read this by next week. You'll ultimately have a test over it. Also, explore the dome to your heart's content, and familiarize yourself with it. I'll visit you when seven days have elapsed. The egg is not due to hatch anytime soon, so don't worry about it. Good luck, Lilly."

"Bye, sir," Lilly called morosely as the Head Governor swept out of the room.

Lilly laid on her bed and stared at the egg for awhile. She was excited about caring for a Dragon, and she was also quite eager to protect the city. She was proud of herself for having all the qualities the Council had been looking for. Yet, she was terrified at the prospect of being all alone until the egg hatched. She felt tears sting her eyes, but she wiped them away. She wrapped her young arms around the egg, and closed her eyes until morning.



Lilly awoke to the sound of pounding on her door. She slipped out of bed, and trudged over. She flung it open, and gasped with delight.

"What are you doing here?" she shreiked as Maya and Ivan walked into the house. "How did you -"

"We managed to squeeze the location out of the Head Governor," Ivan said proudly. "It was Maya's idea," he added casually, winking.

"I always have been the daring one here," Maya said loftily, puffing out her chest. Ivan fake-punched her on the head, and Lilly giggled with joy.

"So what's this whole guardian business about?" Ivan asked curiously. "You had that big, long talk with the Governor, you must know by now!"

"Yeah," Lilly sighed. "I have to protect the city from these evil little creatures called Morsani that kill people."

"Lovely, Lil," Ivan said sarcastically. "Now, seriously, what? Listen, I know all about the Morsies, and I've seen them before." Ivan worked for the Department for Architectural Design and Planning, helping Bethane's Department, Styling and Creation, create the buildings. He had to know all about making the buildings safe. "They wouldn't sic you on those things alone."

"That's just it," Lilly cried. "I have a Dragon as a partner to help me! See, I have the egg in my room. I'll get it." Lilly ran to get her precious egg.

Seconds later, she rushed back with the ovoid in her arms. Ivan whispered, "You've got to be kidding me," and Maya just sat there, staring in awe.

Lilly let both of them hold it for a little while, and asked them if they could feel the life. They both nodded.

"This is wild," muttered Ivan, turning the egg over and over. "Just wild. When they gave you that big leather binder, I knew something was up...oh."

Maya laughed. "You were there?" she giggled. "Well, why didn't you tell us?"

"Dunno," Ivan said, shrugging and blushing a little bit. "Girls, so weird...."

"Shut up," Lilly snickered, kicking Ivan's foot. Changing the subject, she said eagerly, "You want me to show you around the house or what? You'll need to know it as well as I do, 'cause I'll do everything within my power to make sure you're here a lot...."




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