DragonDrune

Chapter 2

The group made their way down the steps and into the huge sprawling facility below them. It had to be miles long and just as wide.

Warmth swamped them as they stepped inside, but Thalya could still feel the cold, see the ice and snow in her mind's eye.

"Here is where we store the spacesuits," Rhion said, taking off her helmet once the doors were sealed. The doors were a series of interlocking mechanisms, layer upon layer of thick metal. The other trainers began taking off their suits as well.

Rhion gestured down the long, grey, entrance hallway. "You will find an alcove in the wall," She said, grasping a handle on the wall to the left of her and giving it a yank. A portion of the wall came away and Rhion let it down before her. "The handles should have your name written on them. Take off your spacesuit, and there should be a space for each piece in your alcove. Chayne will meet you at the end of the passage to take you to your dorm afterwards."

The trainees filed out across the walls, searching for a handle with their name on it. Thalya found hers quickly, just a stone handle with a piece of paper on it that said "Thalya Dinskadi."

After putting away her spacesuit, Thalya turned to find Rhion and ask her what she was going to do before training started, but Rhion was nowhere to be seen.

Another trainee tapped her shoulder. "Chayne is here," he whispered.

Thalya nodded and turned, trying to put Rhion out of her mind. She had probably gone to check the spaceship.

Chayne was a tall man with blonde hair that flipped up at the ends, a joking smile and a strong build. He looked like the sort of man who went to the gym every day and Thalya couldn't quite tell whether he wanted to beat them all up or make a joke.

"Hey there!" Chayne said exuberantly, "My name's Chayne, I'm going to be your trainer in becoming a DragonDrune! Now, as you probably know, there are three levels to becoming a DragonDrune, Trainee, DragonMaster, and DragonDrune. Your goal in the next few months is to work your way up to DragonMaster, and after that, DragonDrune. I'll tell you more about that tomorrow when we start your DragonMaster training. Now if you follow me, I'll show you to your dorm where you can rest and get something to eat."

Chayne walked away at a brisk pace down the hall, the rest of the trainees jogging to keep up.

The dorm was a large spacious room lit by lightstrips. Cubicles were built into the walls all the way down the room and there were several benches in the middle for conversation.

"There is a cubicle for each of you." Chayne explained. "You'll find that your things have been brought in, and your cubicle will have your name on it. The bathroom is to the right. All the other trainees live here as well, most of them only having lived here for about a month or so. The DragonDrune leave this space to you to decide the rules. The other trainees have already established many, and you can talk to them to make any changes. If you would like to explore, there is a map by the door, but you are not allowed to go outside. Not just yet. A good place to visit would be the DragonMaster and DragonDrune dorms, making friends among them will help you on your journey. I expect you in the training room by 7:00 tomorrow, the room is just down the hall to the right. Goodnight!" He left the room with a smile.

The trainees stood there for a moment after he left, not sure what to do. Then the conversations started between them and the ice broke. Everyone was all over the place in amazement. They were on Neptune, the coldest planet accessible to mankind. They were going to learn to fight Dragons.

Thalya found her way to her cubicle and unpacked. There was a small dresser, a bed with a blue blanket, and a nightstand with a lamp. The walls were gray like the rest of the facility she had seen. She wished she was brave enough to go out there and laugh and shout with the rest of the trainees. She had always been very anti-social, not having many friends and finding it hard to talk to people. The circumstances just made it worse.

She flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, wrapping her mind around things.

Eventually after listening to the conversation outside of her cubicle door, she gathered that the rest of the trainees had gone to get dinner. She decided she would join them and maybe try and make some friends. Besides, she was starving.

She made her way to the door and stopped in front of it. She turned and looked at the rest of the dorm.

This is my home for now, she thought.

She turned and immediately slammed into someone coming through the door.

Large warm hands grabbed her shoulders, steadied her and kept her from falling backwards on the stone floor.

The boy in front of Thalya was slightly taller than her, but he had easily the most striking appearance she had ever seen. His hair was shaggy and all over the place, but it was blinding white. White as the snow outside. His eyes too were blinding, but not quite white, more blue-gray. He had high cheekbones and a very skinny face and he was...well, handsome.

"Oh!" Thalya gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't..."

She stopped. His eyes never left hers, not a flicker, not looking away even for a second. He let go of her shoulders slowly.

"Are you alright," he said softly, his eyes still on hers. His voice was a deep baritone that reminded her father before he had died.

She gulped and nodded. There was something unsettlingly beautiful about him.

"Good," he said. "What's your name?"

"T-Thalya," she said, "Yours?"

He gave a small snort of laughter, his eyes still not slipping away from her. "Call me what you want."

"What do you mean?" Thalya asked, "What do you want me to call you?"

He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Everyone tends to call me whatever they want. Snow, Arctic, Freak, I've heard them all."

Thalya's heart gave a little skip. The idea of anyone being called a freak made her sad. "Do you have a name you want to be called?"

He shrugged. "Not really. My lovely parents didn't really give me a name."

"That doesn't answer my question," Thalya protested, mentally taking note that he didn't like his parents very much. "What do you want me to call you?"

He stared at me for another second before answering. "No one has ever really asked my preference before."

"Well It's your name," Thalya said.

He nodded, his eyes still not leaving her.

"Some people call me Focus. You could call me that," he offered.

"I...like that," Thalya said. It was crazy how it fit him so well. He focused like no one she has ever seen before.

He held out his hand. She took it and shook.

"Hello, Thalya. My name is Focus."

Focus... do you like the character? Vote if you do! And feedback is amazing!