The Choccy Chronicles

Chapter 5 - Another Accident

Shadows covered the vastness of the building that was only the lobby. From the ground floor, up to the very top, each layer glowed with dim rays of dark yellow. The circular hole in the ceiling baffled Marlowe, for the unwariness of bad weather and despite it having a nice architectural touch to liven up the building; the concept of having an open space for a reception felt... so out of place.

Looking up to the darkened blue sky, Marlowe gazed through wide gap in the ceiling. He could hear mumbling and the continous pacing of tens or even hundreds of anthros, humans and possibly the stomping of dragons too. A suddden shadow followed by the sounds of wing beats filled the air space, as dragons descended down from the roof entrance. To his surpirse, there were humans and anthros, riding on the back of one or two dragons.

The dragons were larger than any average sized human or anthro, majestically descending with slow wing movements. But small enough to allow an entire flock of them to glide downwards to the tiled floor without colliding into the overlooking balconies and each other. As Marlowe watched them touch down, a little thud, shook the ground as they landed, he saw that there were differentiating color patterns in the ground; almost like a designated landing pad for the dragons, all evenly spaced out in a circle formation.
Security protogens kept the area clear for a precise and safe landing, even though there was still enough room to move about and not get in the way. Each of the 'landing pads' encompassed a giant hut that sat directly in the middle of the lobby. While their companions hopped off their backs, Marlowe's utter surprise and amazement as some of the dragons shape-shifted into either a human or anthro, in a moment's notice without any fancy transformation.

Kresiek cleared his throat to get Marlowe's attention from the air arrivals. Stepping up to him to explain about the newcomers.
"The small dragons that shape-shifted are Modern Dragons, shapeshifting's a useful skill they can learn that improves their quality of life anywhere else but Ator. But here in Wolf Tek Industries, we don't have a mandatory 'no dragon size' rule, so they can stay as dragons if they want to. This group is probably here to study more about the Greater Dragons. But first they'll need to clock in to monitor any suspiciously long activities over there."
While Kresiek was telling Marlowe this, Marlowe's attention divided between listening to him and watching the group gather in two seperate lines at the reception desk. It was more like a giant hut, built and molded out of porcelain that wound around the centre into two circular desks. A large but thin divider seperated big from small, with few dragon receptionists operating the bigger right half of the gazebo whilst a multitude of anthros and a few humans commandeered the smaller left side. The two lines turn in a passport of some type. The dragons having an old, tattered scroll instead of the anthro's and human's holdable handbook. Kresiek explained that it was a requirement for everyone to get a timestamp as some recordable evidence, to monitor when they spend their day inside the Wolf Tek Industries building, even if it were just strolling around the place as a tourist or sightseer.

Treble was already at the desk, talking with one human he knew, along with the rest of the group waiting in a line as well. Once again leaving Marlowe alone with his thoughts.
"You really need to start focusing on what's important here."
     A sudden unknown yet familiar voice started monologuing to Marlowe. Unheard by anyone around except him. As if it was speaking directly into his right ear.
"Marlowe Marlowe Marlowe. We've got a task at hand, remember? OH wait! that's the task, to remember, WHO WE ARE! Gosh why am I so small, it beats being stuck in your head all day at least."
Marlowe turns his head to the right, following the sound of the imaginary voice. Sitting there on top of his shoulder, was a chibi looking Ewolram, shrugging while commenting about his size. Ewolram looked exactly how he did in their dream meetings; a completely goopey, blackish copy of Marlowe that imitated perfectly his physical appearance and features, apart from the colour as Ewolram looked as dark as tar, and the fact he was about as small as a plushie and could probably fit into Marlowe's paw.
"How are you doing that, why are you doing that and since when could you do that?" unsuringly asked Marlowe to the tiny companion Ewolram, standing on Marlowe's right shoulder like a parrot. Even if Ewolram answered all of these questions, he felt like he already knew the answer to each one.
Ewolram shrugs, the slimey mass dripping off his body as his miniature shoulders quivered up and down, somehow not making a mess on the lobby floor or Marlowe's fur. Instead, the excess goop returned back to Marlowe, attracted by some unknown force that makes it stay connected to Marlowe, swiftly fusing into his body.
"As far as I can tell, I could've done this a while back rather than waiting for you to go sleep, but I preferred in there because it was nicer. Was." he taps the side of Marlowe's head as he says it, he continues, "You already know why I'm doing this, to remind both of us to start learning about ourselves rather than others, maybe not Avi though, she seems real nice up close doesn't she? Speaking of Avi, she's waving at  you."