The dragon paced in the air above the catwalk, drooling, grinning and watching her closely. It was clearly plotting.
Teal crept slowly towards one the emergency exits near her. "Good Dragon, stay there..." she tried to sooth the beast but the anger from earlier had her more interested in punching this thing.
"I'm not tasty at all" she pressed against the railing on her left and scooched slowly forward as the Dragon seemed to smile at her "I haven't had the best diet lately, I'm skin & bones..." she noted what the look in its eye said; "is it really trying to eat me... or is there something else going on?"
Her thoughts immediately popped back to her classmates and she wondered if this was a prank somehow. She followed it as it paced in the air "what exactly are you doing?" in response the dragon lunged at her, she rolled to the right to evade his attack and rolled right off the catwalk.
Down she plunged as the dragon spiraled around her. Fear swirled into her as as she fell. "Is this how it ends?" At the last possible moment the dragon snatched her out of the air with its large claws and bolted back up to the top of the building. Where it dropped her on the highest catwalk with a loud thud.
"Fuck," she winced at the pain of the impact then glared at it as it smirked, it's eyes flaring wildly.
"Should I say thank you," she screamed at the Dragon "or should I just flip you off?" She was out of breath and annoyed. The fear had left and all that remained as the pent up anger "You do know you're an asshole right?" She stood up and glared at it as the beast circled her proud of itself.
"You're proud to be an asshole, really?" The dragon huffed as if laughing. Teal reached beside her and pulled one of the rails free and spun it like a baton. "Okay bastard, game on!" She hissed angrily at it.
The dragon dove at her with its teeth exposed, it dodged and spun expecting her to attack. Teal swung the rail in a single controlled move and hit her target squarely on the shoulder right above its left wing. She spun around following the surprised beast as it tried to recover.
Teal laughed as the dragon lurched to the side and snarled. It's wing finally went limp and it focused its gaze on her as it landed hard on the rails of the catwalk right in front of her. It's eyes now read surprise for a brief second.
She could see the calm as it seeped into its eyes at it stared her down. "You're enjoying this?" She glared back as the realization hit her "fine then I won't play!" She sat down with the rail in her lap and folded her arms faking her best pout, her eyes still seething with anger. "But if you come near me I will smack you again!" She warned him but inside her thoughts begged him to try.
The dragon winced and lowered its head. Teal noticed that its left wing hung limp, "pinched a nerve, did I" she smirked. Teal looked around her and realized that this catwalk was no longer attached to any of the other catwalks. There was nowhere for her to escape to, she was stuck.
"So, here's the deal," she stared it right in the face "you put me down somewhere that I can get out of here if I can get past you and I hand over this" she twirled the bar just to taunt it "without hitting you again..." do we have a deal?" The dragon slapped at the bar but missed and received a wack to the hand for its efforts.
"Naughty, naughty..." she toyed with it as her pride swelled "you have to put me down there before I hand it over." She smacked it again just to prove her point this time making contact with its forehead.
The dragon snarled and swung at the bar again, this time it made contact and sent the bar flying. Before Teal could react the dragon scooped her up in its massive jaws and took off in lopsided flight spiraling down to the base of the tower.
With its tail it burst through a pair of reinforced doors and barreled down a large hallway to the last room. As soon at it crossed the threshold it tossed her into a large nest then slammed the door and Barricaded it with its body.
"What the hell!" She sat up and scowled at it. "What was that for?" She snapped one of the branches in the nest free and threw it at the beast. "Where the hell am I?" She scowled at it and threw another branch.
The dragon ducked effortlessly from the branches, clearly enjoying itself. Loud thumping came from the other side of the door and Teal heard a voice "that's enough, you've had your fun," the voice panted "now let me in, right this instant" The dragon whipped around and snarled at the door thumping it with its large fist.
"Damnit, Xerus..." they rammed the door again "let us in!"
"Xerus..." Teal asked the dragon "is that your name?" The dragon turned to face her making sure it held the door shut with its tail and backside. "This is just a game to you?" She snapped at the beast as it rolled its eyes.
"Xerus, why did you bring me here?" She threw another branch at it. "What exactly is your intention towards me?" She readied another branch to throw. "Am I dinner... or was this just a game?" She glared wishing she could snarl like it could. "Did someone put you up to this?"
"Heavens no," the voice on the other side of the door spoke. "Xerus is the feistiest of the dragons here, he listens to no one." He explained "Most likely he is keeping you because he enjoyed your bout in the flight ring." He chuckled "Xerus does so love a good brawl..." the dragon sneered at her and inched closer.
Now that he was within range she swung the branch at him and smacked him right on the nose "there is more where that came from if you think I am going to be treated that way!"
He reared up and rubbed his nose then slapped the branch out of her hand and sneered at her, his head mere inches from her. "Bad Xerus," she flicked its nose " you be nice."
It sat up and wiggled its nose surprised. "Can we come in now?" The voice begged "Xerus, please."
Xerus turned around, flung the doors open and exhaled fire into the hallway where Teal could hear screams and shouts of panic now coming from. Once satisfied Xerus sat up nodded his head defiantly and slammed the door.
"I think a simple no would have worked" Teal folded her arms and rolled her eyes as he whipped around to face her.
Xerus reached his large paw into the nest and pushed her over then growled.
"You don't own me asshole." She stood up and tried to get to the edge of the nest only to be pushed over again and growled at.
"So, you think I am your new toy," she sat down and pouted "is that it?"
He leaned towards her and snarled letting fire ooze out of his mouth like molasses. Teal was pissed she stood up and slapped him as hard as she could "I will not be treated that way!" She waved her finger at the confused dragon "do you understand me!" She glared at him threateningly.
Xerus backed up and sat down rubbing his face as someone emerged through the door blackened a bit around the edges. "Well, now..." Teal recognized the voice as the one who had been talking earlier and looked over to see a slightly plump, well built aging man with short ruffled white hair and a long white beard brushing himself off. "This is the first time that anyone has been able to get this one under any semblance of control." He nodded at her gracefully "hello my dear I am simply called doc. I handle all the dragons in the complex here."
"I'm Teal..." she shook herself off but was hesitant to move "have you contacted my handler, I don't want him thinking I planned this or anything." She rolled her eyes "the creep is always looking for ways to blame me for things."
"Handler," he looked puzzled for a second then got it "oh, splendid you're a refugee..." he smiled "oh that makes this so much easier" he turned to leave "be right back, the government is always willing to sell your kind, their opinion being that you're disposable and all." He sighed happily "this will be settled in no time and then Xerus you will have your new toy." He left closing the door behind him and bolting it.
Teal just sank into the nest "disposable?" She whimpered angrily.
Xerus wined as if he knew how she felt and tossed her the branches that she had thrown at him with a smile.
"No thank you, I don't think beating you up will make me feel better." She buried her head in her hands and sobbed the exhaustion of the days events were finally catching up to her.
Xerus crept slowly over to the nest and curled up around her playing with her hair with his tail.
"Great, now I am owned by..." she sobbed "Shit, does this mean I am a pet to a dragon?"
Xerus chuckled.