Dragoniers

Uniform

The next morning I headed to breakfast and this time Mira was the one who cooked. She made hash browns and sausage along with eggs and french toast. I decided to make a breakfast sandwich out of it and it was delicious. Once I was done eating I stood and gently set my plate down by the sink and after Lana thanked me I headed to find Mitch.

He was already on the bridge and I wondered what he had to give me that kept him from going to breakfast. I tapped on the door gently as I entered, since it was already open. When he saw it was me he pulled out a box and set it on the table at the center of the room. What was in it?

"Since you'll be on the ship for a while and since you want to train as a Dragonier, I figured you might need these. It's also because it has safety gear to help keep you from falling overboard. I'm sure I got the size right," he said and pushed the box towards me. I stepped over to it and pulled the flaps open. What was inside was a uniform, the same one they all wear.

I closed my eyes fighting the many emotions flowing through my mind. I was happy, nervous, excited, scared, and surprised. He laughed softly and smiled at me.

"Well, Kid, you gonna stare at it all day or are you going to go put it on?" He asked and I felt my face heat up. He's right, I'd better go put it on. "After lunch I'll teach you how to use the safety features and maybe the others will give you some flying lessons," He added. I nodded in understanding, then took the uniform and headed somewhere to change.

Once I was changed I smiled at myself in the mirror. This was getting kind of exciting. For now I went to help out just as I did yesterday. I first went to help Lana. She smiled when she saw me. She said something about wondering when Mitch would actually find me a uniform. After helping Lana clean up I headed to sweep and mop the deck. I already did the halls yesterday so I figured I'd do the deck. It wasn't easy with the wind, but I managed. Once done with that I went to clean the bathrooms. I kept myself busy until Lunch time and headed to get food.

"Wow, I'm actually amazed how well that uniform suits you," Mira teased playfully and a few others made comments too, but I ignored it. At least until Jordan spoke.

"Just cause you have a uniform now doesn't mean you are one of us. So don't get cocky. That said, if we're going through all this trouble to train you, you better become a good Dragonier someday," he said actually sounding somewhat decent. It actually kind of weirded me out. Maybe I did hit him too hard yesterday.

"I won't apologize for hitting you. However, I do have to thank you for pushing me like that. You made me realize something important. I will become a Dragonier someday, that is my true dream," I said and wasn't scared about saying it out loud anymore.

"You've got a lot to learn then," He said, "But none of us will go easy on yah." I nodded firmly to him, I understand perfectly. We don't have the time to take things slow. Everyone sat down to eat and once I was done I went to find Mitch, who again didn't show up at the dining hall. He was still in the Bridge and looked completely engrossed in a book. I knocked gently before stepping into the room again.

"Ah, it's already time then? Okay, I know you already have seen the flight modification but there are a couple others. First, if you twist the button on your belt it will launch a hook with a rope. It's not a very long rope though so it's only useful if you use it right away.

Second, your boots have a magnetic bottom so you'll be able to stick to the side of the ship or to land better after gliding. It obviously isn't super strong cause then it would be hard to move around on any metal flooring - like down in the engine room. It's why we have wooden floors instead of the ship being completely metal.

Thirdly, There is a mask in the pocket of your shirt. That's for if we encounter a dragon that has fire or gas breath attacks. It also provides a little relief from the smell when we butcher a dragon.

Fourth, The uniform itself is made of a thick fireproof material. It'll help protect you from flames as well as claw attacks. However this also has a few weaknesses. Your head since it isn't covered, we tried making them with hoods and stuff, but it just makes it harder to see and move around and gets pretty warm. It'll protect from a few claw attacks, but will tear if you get hit by too many or more than one in the same place. It's fire proof, but won't last long in direct fire attack. A dragon's flame attack can burn over a thousand degrees and again won't protect your head area.

We do have fireproof helmets and stuff if we have to rescue someone from a burning building, but again they restrict our eyesight and won't last in a direct flame attack.

And lastly, In the pack attached to your belt there are gloves with grips on them - to help you handle rope - as well as a flare and some emergency medical tools in case you do fall overboard and don't make it back onboard. Don't ever remove it from your uniform unless you are washing it. Sleep with it beside you in case of an extreme emergency where the ship is in danger of falling out of the sky.

We've never had it happen, but there are stories where ships have run out of fuel or were brought down by a dragon or even ran into a storm that damage the ship so bad it broke down. We are in the sky, so be prepared for anything to happen" he said getting straight to the point. He didn't waste any time explaining everything to me.

I always just thought their uniforms were a way to show they were Dragoniers, I never realized how vital they really were. I nodded firmly in understanding. This was all very good to know and he really should have gone through all this from day one. If it had been me instead of him going overboard that first day I probably would have plummeted out of the sky, since I had no gear. That also explains how he managed to hang onto the side of the ship before I passed down that rope.