After the car crash, I woke up somewhere else. The ridiculous part? I’d been picked up by a dragon. And he was keeping me as a pet. The Dragon: "Shake." I lifted my left paw. "The right one." I lifted my right paw. "Sit." "Spin." "Roll over." Me: The hell with this! I'm done playing games! 1 The world I’d woken up in was like my own, only scaled up a hundred times over. To the dragon, I was tiny, no bigger than his palm, like a chipmunk to a human. Right now, he was placing a baked sweet potato—a sweet potato that was taller and wider than I was—into the little nest he’d just made for me out of a cardboard box. The dragon had crimson eyes with vertical, cat-like pupils. His body was covered in deep black scales, and when he opened his mouth even slightly, I could see the glint of razor-sharp fangs. When we first met, he'd dispatched two rats that were trying to drag me into their hole with a single swipe of his claws. He looked ferocious, brimming with a savage energy, but now he was just gazing at me eagerly, his ears adorably drooped. I guessed he wanted me to accept his offering. Alright, fine. Seeing as he saved my life and I was so hungry my stomach was practically glued to my spine, I decided to give the giant sweet potato a try. Other than its absurd size, it looked just like any other sweet potato. Steam was still rising from its orange flesh. I reached out a tentative finger to touch it. Hiss! It was scalding hot! I snatched my hand back with a yelp. The dragon tilted his head, blinking his huge eyes at me as if to ask, You don’t like it? He gently stroked my head with one of his massive fingers. A series of deep, guttural sounds rumbled from his chest. "Grrr-oof... whoosh... whoosh..." Me: "?" Forgive me, but I don't speak Dragon. The dragon fell silent for a moment, then his eyes lit up with sudden understanding. He puckered his big dragon lips and blew a stream of air at the sweet potato. The force of his breath was so strong it knocked me flat on my butt, sending my hair whipping around my face. I was pretty sure my hairline receded a bit. He pinched the back of my collar between his thumb and forefinger and lifted me to my feet. Then, he produced a small spoon, scooped out a piece of the sweet potato, and held it out to me. I took a bite right from the spoon. It was sweet, not much different from the ones back home. "Rrrrrumble..." A strange purring sound came from above me. I looked up to see the dragon’s eyes curved into two happy crescents. He was smiling. In the next second, a cold, robotic voice exploded in my mind. [Ding! Kael's Affection +1.] [Host, please continue your efforts. When the target's Affection reaches its maximum value, a hidden quest will be triggered. Completion of the hidden quest will allow the Host to return to their original world and grant one wish.] I froze for a second before my brain caught up. A system? I had a system? A spark of joy ignited in my chest. There was a way home! But wait... who was Kael? This dragon? As I was pondering this, the dragon scooped up another piece of sweet potato and offered it to me. To test my theory, I obediently ate it, then snuggled up and rubbed my cheek against his rough, scaly claw. His claw twitched slightly. And just as I'd hoped, the voice returned. [Ding! Kael's Affection +2.] Yes! This dragon was my target, and from the looks of it, he was a total sweetheart. This was going to be a piece of cake! For the rest of the night, I put on my best performance as a cute, cuddly pet, showering him with affection. It worked like a charm. By the time I fell asleep in my little box-nest, Kael’s affection level was already at twenty. The next morning, I was woken by the sound of Kael moving around. I was still half-asleep when I felt a finger poke my head. "Awake, little one?" I nodded instinctively. "Mmm-hmm." Then I froze. Who was talking to me? All sleepiness vanished. I shot upright and found myself staring at a lean, handsome face. The early morning sun cast a golden glow on the young man's black hair. He was tall and slender, with a thin scar cutting through the tail of his eyebrow. His crimson eyes were strikingly familiar. Looking up, I saw two small dragon horns peeking out from his hair. The tip of the left one was slightly chipped. Just like the dragon's. My heart skipped a beat. This had to be him. This was the dragon who had saved me. 2 I stared at Kael, and the corner of his mouth twitched into a faint smile. "Hungry?" he asked, his voice a deep, smooth rumble that sent a pleasant shiver down my spine as he packed his textbooks into a bag. "Baby birds chirp and open their beaks wide when they're hungry, waiting for their mother to feed them," he continued, a hint of amusement in his tone. "You look just like that right now." He pulled open a drawer and took out a small, ornate tin box. Inside was a neat row of teddy bear-shaped cookies. He picked one out and placed it in my arms. "Can you eat this?" "Yes," I said. But from the look on his face, it was clear he hadn't understood a word. Just then, the system's voice chimed in my head. [Host, Kael cannot understand you yet. Your ability to understand him is a reward for raising his Affection to 20 last night. You now have three options.] A menu materialized in front of me. Please select the sound you wish Kael to hear: A. Squeak Squeak B. Meow Meow C. Chirp Chirp Me: ... I chose 'A'. Then, under Kael’s expectant gaze, I took a big bite out of the cookie's ear and let out a happy squeak to show my approval. To him, it must have sounded like: Squeak, squeak! [System: Keep up the good work, Host! Raising his Affection will unlock more vocalizations!] Me: ... Like I need that. Kael seemed pleased. He smiled, told me to be a good girl and watch the house, and slung his bag over his shoulder, ready to leave. Wait, if he leaves, how am I supposed to raise his affection? And in this giant world, what if another rat—or a cat—shows up? I’d be eaten in a heartbeat! I started jumping up and down, squeaking frantically. "Squeak! Squeak-squeak!" (Don't go! Don't go!) Kael stopped and turned around. "What is it?" I quickly stretched my arms out in a "pick me up" gesture. He let out a soft, resigned sigh. As he walked back to the desk and held out his hand, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms tightly around his thumb. "Squeak-squeak-squeak!" (Take me with you!) "You want to come?" I nodded furiously, gazing up at him with the biggest, most pleading eyes I could manage. He rubbed my head with his thumb. "I swear, I don't know what to do with you." With that, he carefully cupped me in his hand and tucked me into his front shirt pocket. It was warm and snug, right next to his heart. I could feel its strong, steady rhythm against my ear and the solid muscle of his chest beneath the thin fabric. This dragon was definitely in good shape. I couldn't resist snuggling closer, nuzzling against him. "Happy now?" he murmured. In response, I gave his pectoral muscle a little pat. "Silly thing," he said, his voice laced with affection. Me: ... I guess that’s the dragon equivalent of calling a dog a "goofball"? It turned out Kael was heading to school. So, even dragons couldn't escape the clutches of education. As he walked into the classroom, a yellow-haired dragon with red horns waved him over. "Kael! Over here!" The yellow-haired dragon was holding a bag of candy. Kael walked over. "Let me have one of those." "Since when do you eat sweets, man? I thought you hated sugary stuff." "It's for my pet." 3 Kael unwrapped a piece of orange hard candy and lowered it into his pocket for me. I held out my hands to take it, making sure to rub my cheek against his fingertips. They were cool to the touch and smelled faintly of tobacco. He let out a low chuckle. "You sure know how to charm a dragon, little one." And right on cue: [Ding! Kael’s Affection +1.] Wow, this dragon was way too easy to win over! I curled up in his pocket, gnawing on the basketball-sized candy, feeling pretty pleased with myself. That is, until I looked up and met a pair of yellow, vertical-slitted eyes staring right at me. They were uncomfortably close, and filled with a cold, calculating amusement, as if I were some fascinating new toy. I instinctively clutched Kael’s shirt. He must have sensed my fear, because he immediately placed a protective hand over the opening of his pocket. "Hey, what gives? Let me see," came the voice of the yellow-haired dragon. "My pet is shy," Kael replied smoothly. "She doesn't like to be looked at." Kael’s seat was in the back row by the window. The school was built into the side of a cliff, and through the clear glass, I could see the sprawling dragon city below. He was surprisingly attentive in class, a pair of glasses perched on his straight nose making him look quite scholarly. A simple black quill pen was held in his long, elegant fingers, scratching out words I couldn't understand. "What are you looking at?" Kael’s deep voice rumbled above me. He used his thumb to nudge my head to the side. "You're blocking my view." I sat on the desk, smoothing my messy hair and giving him my best pout. "Bored? Looking for trouble?" he whispered. He pulled a tissue from his pocket and gently wiped my mouth. "You've got sticky candy all over your face. Just like the textbook said." Me: ? What did the textbook say? As if reading my mind, Kael tapped his finger on a black-and-white illustration in his book. "Look. That's you." The drawing was a bit abstract, but I could make out a small... humanoid figure. "It says here," Kael continued, "that Sprites are extremely small in stature, possess insufficient brain capacity, and are foolish and easily captured." He paused, then delivered the final blow. "They can be used as... an Emergency Food Supply." Me: ?! This garbage textbook is ruining my life! 4 The best sleep I've ever had has always been in a classroom. That hadn't changed, even in a new world. The dragon teacher's droning voice was like a lullaby, and the gloomy, rainy weather outside was perfect for a nap. Sitting cross-legged on the desk, I soon began to nod off. Just as I was about to topple over, I let out a little squeak of alarm. A large hand shot out and caught me. I snuggled into Kael's warm palm, found a comfortable position, and hugged his thumb as a pillow, drifting off to sleep. I felt his thumb gently stroke my cheek. I protested with a sleepy squeak. (Stop that!) Through the haze of sleep, I heard him chuckle. "Hah. Quite the handful, aren't you?" I slept right through until the final bell. They didn't have classes in the afternoon. The yellow-haired dragon—I learned his name was Jax—leaned over as soon as class was dismissed. "Hey, Kael," he said in a low, secretive voice, "you going to Old Duke's place tonight?" Kael didn't stop packing his books. "Not tonight," he said dismissively. He flexed and rotated his left hand. "Hiss..." "What's wrong?" Jax asked. "My hand's asleep," Kael said nonchalantly. "My emergency food supply was napping on it." Jax: ? Me: ! After school, Kael didn’t head straight home. He stopped by the library and checked out a book titled: How to Raise Your Sprite to be Plump and Healthy. Plump and healthy... So I'd be more flavorful when he decided to eat me? I hung limply from his pocket, my will to live draining away as he scanned the pages with lightning speed. In the dead silence of the library, a series of loud gurgles and rumbles echoed through the room. Growl... gurgle... Mortified, I shrank deeper into his pocket, pressing my hands against my traitorous stomach, my face burning with shame. Several dragons looked up from their studies. Kael shot them a glare so ferocious it made them all duck their heads back down. Then, he reached up and gave the small, trembling lump in his front pocket a light smack. Right on my butt. 5 Beneath a sky thick with storm clouds, Kael unfurled his vast, night-black wings and dove off the cliff. I squeezed my eyes shut inside his pocket, my hands clutching his shirt for dear life. He flew with incredible speed, soaring past jagged rock formations and toward the heart of the city below. It was a hundred times more thrilling than any rollercoaster. By the time he landed and gently lifted me out of his pocket, I was completely disoriented, hanging limply from his fingers like a wet noodle. He pinched my cheeks between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. "That's all it takes to knock you out?" he teased. "The book was right. You're incredibly fragile. Difficult to care for." I managed to lift my head and give him a weak glare. "Fall in water, you die. Get bumped too hard, you die. Too cold, you die. Too hot, you die. Starve, you die. Eat too much, you die..." He ruffled my hair. "Useless, aren't you?" I bit his finger. This dragon was so annoying! He was going to ruffle all my hair out! "Oh, feisty, are we?" he chuckled. "Keep biting and you won't get any treats." For the sake of food, I reluctantly let go. When he started to put me back in his pocket, I squeaked in protest. The space was too cramped. I pointed up at his head. He glanced at me, one eyebrow raised. "You want to sit up there?" I nodded eagerly. "Give you an inch and you take a mile." I widened my eyes, giving him the most pathetic look I could muster. Kael: "..." "Fine. You win." He lifted me onto the top of his head. "Hold on to my horns," he warned. "If you fall, it's not my problem." His black hair was soft and fluffy, and the two small horns poking through were cool to the touch. It was a shame one of them was broken. The jagged edge felt rough under my fingers, and for some reason, it made my chest feel tight. Kael took me to a bakery in the city center. I could smell the sweet scent of baking bread from a block away. I tugged on his hair and pointed at a tray of freshly baked egg tarts. "Squeak-squeak!" (Those! Those!) "Squeak!" (And those!) He flicked my forehead with his finger. "I know, I know. What's the rush?" After he paid, he tore off a small piece from a still-steaming loaf of bread and offered it to me. I was starving and reached for it, but just as my fingers were about to touch it, he pulled his hand back. I'd lunged with too much force and nearly tumbled off his head. He caught me with his other hand just in time. "Squeak!" I grumbled. (Why are you teasing me?!) But then Kael brought the piece of bread to his lips and blew on it gently. "It's hot," he said softly. "Let me cool it for you." I froze. Why was it that this dragon, black as charcoal, suddenly seemed to be glowing?
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