COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 9: The Phantom of the Rock (Part 3/3)

          All the students made a spotlight ring around Káel and his new companion when he came into class with it. His silver-uniformed peers weren't as uncomfortable as the purple-uniformed students, who were taken by surprise when he walked in with the bandaged-up ball of cuffed fluff and claws circling his feet.

          Talli was the only student other than Káel that didn't fear the dragon. She had taken Mr. Mudelin's advice in assuming dragons were good until proven otherwise to heart, and was giving him a scratch behind the ears. Thankfully, the dragon accepted her attention instead of trying to eat her hand, since it was more distracted with taking pleasure in the widespread fear it had hit the class with.

          Through the rustle of cautious glares and whispering students, a purple-striped student itching for answers raised his voice above the crowd. "That your Guardian?"

          Káel stared at the boy lazily leaning against the wall and quickly shook his head.

          "He picked it up in the forest while he was being chased by a unicorn," one of the silver students boasted.

          The boy skimmed the crowd of silent students to try and pinpoint the voice, giving up just as fast as he'd lifted his gaze and throwing his next question out for anyone to grab. "What? A real unicorn?"

          "Not just any unicorn," a voice piped up, pulling Káel's attention to the groomed boy standing near the center of the circle surrounding him. His name was Xavier, and he was one of the nosiest classmates Káel had tried to shut up regarding his incident with the Queen. "I heard he outran a Queen."

          Most of the purples did a woah of awe at Káel's feat, while his silver-uniformed classmates grinned with satisfaction at their display of power.

          This was bad. 

          Káel could already feel the whole class's expectation of him steadily rising. He'd been noticed, and in a manner so over justified .

          He was used to escaping large forest creatures, since his uncle would always take him camping, and for some reason, there'd always be an unnecessarily grouchy forest creature twice his size that felt the need to run him up a tree. Most of the time it would be a moose, which was simple enough since they couldn't climb trees, but when a bear would come along to play predator tag, zigzag running and bushwhacking was his only chance. The Queen had actually been one of the easiest to dodge around, he would've been able to escape it through the thick trees if they hadn't been intent on killing him as well. It wasn't a feat at all.

          A sharp whisper met his ears. "Its got a cuff."

          Káel glanced at a thick cluster of students to place the voice, his heart dropping as everyone that caught the statement whispered their agreement, "savage" and "nomad" lacing the air like a malicious curse laid upon his previously attention-less existence.

          "Class has now started, you can gawk at the dragon on your own time," Mr. Mudelin boomed, his cold voice sharper than an executioner's axe to the disapproving conversations of Káel's peers. He slammed the doors, the usual glare greeting Káel and a handful of other students. "I do hope you all brought your guardians today."

          Mr. Mudelin got them all to pair up again, and Káel had to grab Talli, since all the other students were still paranoid that the fun sized dragon sitting at his feet was going to find some way to eat them.