The Girl Who Found Hope [2]

Year 3 - 5

"Welcome, Mr Reid." The man at the desk greeted, "Are you ready?" William nodded. The man stood and led the pair to a woman. She smiled to them.

"Welcome. My name is Emily, and I'll be your guide for today. I believe that you have paid for a tour of the land and then a meeting with a dragon of your choice, is that correct?" The woman said.

"That's correct." William replied, Cassiopeia looked to him in shock. She was going to see him meet a dragon, awesome.

The pair were taken on a tour of the place, as promised. Seeing all the dragons, and being told about them. Their strengths, weaknesses, how well trained they were. Cassiopeia looked in happiness at each of the dragons, feeling a safety near the dangerous creatures. Once the tour was finished, Emily then turned to the pair.

"Right, now it is time for you to meet a dragon." Emily said. William looked to Cassiopeia.

"Me?" She asked. Emily and William nodded.

"This is your gift, I know how much you love dragons." William said. Cassiopeia's eyes lit up with happiness.

"Which dragon would you like?" Emily asked. Cassiopeia looked over all the dragons and her eyes set on one. 

"dragonul limbii sarpe" Cassiopeia said, Emily's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "I was hoping you wouldn't go for such a dangerous dragon."

"Which dragon is that?" William asked.

"The Romanian serpent-tongued dragon." Cassiopeia told him, pointing to the purple dragon across the yard. [A/N: Picture up top :)]

"There are many risks with this, we will have to call in the tamers just in case. Well, there isn't really a just in case, it's a seriously dangerous dragon. And that one over there is a mother and is very protective." Emily rambled. "Why don't you choose another one?"

"Because I want to see that one, I've read all about them." Cassiopeia replied.

"Fine." Emily said, she then used her wand to summon the tamers needed. One came over and looked at Cassiopeia in shock.

"Aren't you a little young to be meeting that dragon?" The man asked. She shook her head. "I'm not going to be able to change your mind, am I?" Cassiopeia and William both shook their heads. "Follow me." As they were walking the man, who introduced himself as John, told Cassiopeia the correct way to handle the dragon and the correct way to approach her. He then turned to William and assured him that the tamers would step in if anything happened. Once they reached the area, Cassiopeia handed her bag to William, and then followed John to the fence.

"She only likes being with one person close to her, but I will be waiting right here with the others if anything happens. If you need to be pulled out of there, I want you to shout 'Silver'. Okay?" John said, Cassiopeia nodded.

Once Cassiopeia stepped into the plain, the dragon's head snapped up towards her. But she remained calm, and she stepped forwards, keeping eye contact with the dragon. Cassiopeia stopped a short distance away from the dragon, and the dragon moved so that she was facing Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia smiled at the dragon, and then held her hands up. She then kneeled on the floor, looking to the floor.

"You know the ancient ways, child." The dragon spoke in Parseltongue. Cassiopeia could see the tamers getting ready to intervene.

"Yes." Cassiopeia replied in Parseltongue, shocking the dragon. The dragon stepped towards Cassiopeia, but she stayed in her position- out of respect.

"You speak it?" The dragon asked. Cassiopeia nodded. The dragon walked closer to the child on the floor.

"I wish to ask, your glorious self, whether I have the right to approach you. I know the way of your elders were to smell those who wished to speak to you, seeing if they had the correct aroma to speak." Cassiopeia replied.

"That is true. Allow me to test the theory." The dragon replied. The dragons head then reached Cassiopeia, the beautiful purple head then smelt around the small girl, sniffing either side of her. The dragon then pulled away, and bowed its head to Cassiopeia. "You may stand and speak to me. Your aroma tells me this." Cassiopeia stood and looked to the creature in front of her.

"You are so beautiful. May I ask if you have children?" Cassiopeia asked. The dragon moved backwards.

"Come." The dragon said. Cassiopeia followed the dragon, seeing the tamers whisper amongst themselves on whether to rescue her or not. Cassiopeia followed the dragon into her cage, where there were three new born dragons sleeping.

"They're glorious. And their beauty is amazing." Cassiopeia told the dragon. "Oh, how rude of me. My name is Cassiopeia."

"My name is Ethelinda. These are my children: Veles, Melusine and Leviathan." The dragon replied, gesturing to her children. Cassiopeia smiled at the sight.

"Dragons are seriously misunderstood creatures. They take one look at you and think that just because you have a protective scaled layer and breath fire, that you are automatically dangerous." Cassiopeia said sadly. "I wish people would get to know dragons before they shunned them away."

"Which is what you are doing right now. You are getting to know me, you knew the ancient ways that you had to approach me. And that must have taken some interest in dragons for you to research their ways." Ethelinda replied. Cassiopeia nodded.

"If I hadn't of kneeled on the floor before you, what would you have done?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Honestly, I would have roared at you. I would have had no way of knowing if you were coming to be in peace or danger. For all I know you were going to steal my children, and I would have protected them from you, even if it killed me." Ethelinda replied, wrapping her tail around the small dragons.

"I understand, I would attack anyone who came to hurt my family." Cassiopeia admitted. Ethelinda looked to the girl and gave her a nod. Ethelinda then looked past Cassiopeia.

"I think it may be time for you to leave, my friend." Ethelinda told her. Cassiopeia turned to see the tamers gesturing that she returns. Cassiopeia nodded to the tamers and then looked back to Ethelinda.

"It was nice meeting you, Ethelinda." Cassiopeia told her.

"And I you, Cassiopeia." Ethelinda replied. "I hope I can see you again someday."

"I hope so too, Ethelinda." Cassiopeia replied. Ethelinda then moved her head so that she was directly in front of Cassiopeia.

"I was going to hug you, but I think the tamers might think I am going to crush you." Ethelinda said. Cassiopeia then raised her hand, and laid it upon Ethelinda's scaly cheek. Cassiopeia stroked her hand against it and then brought her head close to Ethelinda's cheek. Cassiopeia laid a kiss upon the dragon's cheek. "I'm going to miss you."

"And I you. Goodbye, Ethelinda." Cassiopeia replied, pulling apart.

"Goodbye, Cassiopeia." Ethelinda replied. Cassiopeia then bowed in respect, and Ethelinda bowed her head. Cassiopeia then turned her back on the dragon, and walked back to the fence. When she got there, she was smiling widely. William came up to Cassiopeia, and she pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you, sir." She said.

"You're welcome." He replied, hugging her.

"Thank you." She said to the tamers. They nodded, still in shock that the young girl managed to speak and meet a fierce dragon.

"Let's go." William said to her, and she nodded. Together the pair made their way back to Kathryn's house. 

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Thanks for reading

-Zoe