Chapter 2
Mud was a nice town, rather like a small village in India with dirt houses, and animals dotted around all about the place.
Jessica and Tobias had led them to an inn and waved them off. The Doctor and Clara pushed open the doors to the inn and a friendly old lady behind a counter greeted them. A cat sat on a cushion next to her.
"Verity," said The Doctor, reading from the lady's nametag.
"How can I help you?" asked Verity, smiling.
"We're looking for somewhere to stay for the night," explained The Doctor.
"Well, you can just follow me up to a spare room-" Verity talked quite quickly and got out of her seat to lead The Doctor and Clara up a flight of stairs, "I think you'll like it here!" she continued Verity as she started to make her way up the staircase. She was quite a short woman and, not only did she talk quickly, but she walked quickly too. The Doctor and Clara had to run up the stairs to keep up with her. "We never have customers and I'm so delighted that you can have the room free of charge!" she said, enthusiastically.
"That's good because we have no money," said Clara, under her breath as they entered a small room at the top of the building. The room had a small window in the roof, two mattresses on the floor, a tree stump dining table with a clock on it, a miniature stove and a door leading to an en-suite bathroom.
"Thank you," said Clara quietly.
"Well, I suppose I'll just leave you to it! See you later!" Grinned Verity, slamming the door behind her as she left the room. Clara cringed and The Doctor sat down on one of the mattresses.
"I suppose we'll need some sleep now, to get over the shock," Clara sighed.
"What type of shock?" The Doctor asked.
"The 'crash-landing in a weird place infested with dragons and meeting an elderly lady called Verity who talks too fast' type of shock," Clara yawned as she lay down the other mattress.
"I suppose," said The Doctor, "But I'm going to think of a way to help these villagers."
So he took his jacket off and Clara used it as a blanket as the Time Lord paced around the room…
Sighed Clara.
"What type of shock?" The Doctor asked.
"The 'crash-landing in a weird place infested with dragons and meeting a lady called Verity who talks too fast' type of shock." Clara yawned as she lay down the other mattress.
"I suppose," said The Doctor, "But I'm going to think of a way to help these villagers." He said, determined.
The Doctor took his jacket off and Clara used it as a blanket as The Doctor paced around the room…
4 hours later, Clara looked at the clock and groaned,
"DOCTOR!" she yelled, irritably.
"What?" The Doctor asked, innocently.
"Stop, just, stop!"
"What?"
"You're pacing."
"I'm thinking."
"Well…think quieter. It's 2.30 in the morning and I haven't had a wink of sleep since two nights ago!" Clara sighed as she stood up, beginning to drag the mattress into the en-suite bathroom and lock the door; she laid the mattress on the floor and tried to get to sleep. It had been cold in the bedroom but it was even colder in the bathroom. She could just about hear something over The Doctor's footsteps, it was a roaring noise. It grew louder. Clara looked out of the tiny window in the bathroom and saw flames: the village was on fire! She pulled The Doctor's jacket back on and opened the window, she looked down: a dragon's footprints marked where it had walked. Clara looked up and saw a silver and yellow dragon flying over the town. The dragon turned her way and a flame burst out of it's mouth, Clara ducked, the flame heated the side of the inn, she heard crumbling, the floor cracked and Clara turned towards the door…and accidentally ran into it, she hastily unlocked the door and burst into the bedroom just as the floor gave way underneath her. The Doctor turned to her,
"What?" he asked, innocently, just as Clara burst into the room.
"The…floor…just…collapsed." Gasped Clara "The…village…is… on…fire." And she leaned against the wall to regain her balance. The Doctor opened the bathroom door.
"Phew!" He exclaimed, "I see what you mean." And he mopped his brow with his sleeve.
"What do we do?" asked Clara.
"I suggest we help the town."
"How?"
"By driving the dragon away."
"How?"
"You'll see."
"I hate it when you say that."
"Why?"
"Because I never do," Clara sighed as she followed The Doctor down the staircase. They ran out the front door and into the town, hurrying straight to Tobias and Jessica's house.
They were exhausted by the time they got there.
Jessica and Tobias were standing outside the house and Davie the Burmese was next to them. They ran towards The Doctor and Clara.
"How did this happen?" asked The Doctor, shouting above the noise of burning and screaming.
"We don't know," stuttered Jessica, "We just woke up and it was in flames!"
"One of the dragons must have managed to fly through the hallucination field!" suggested Tobias, "But that would be the first time in fifty years!"
"Who cares how it happened, just let's do something about it!" shouted Clara as the dragon set fire to the next house along from Tobias and Jessica's.
"Is there a armoury around here anywhere?" asked The Doctor.
"Yes it's over there," Jessica answered, pointing to a rather small building about five metres away from where they were standing. The Doctor ran towards it and Clara sprinted after him.
They entered the armoury and The Doctor looked around for a shield… or maybe a dagger. He found a shield and thrust it towards Clara, she caught it neatly. The Doctor armed himself with a sword and crept back outside, Clara followed closely.
A blaze of fire darted out of the dragon's mouth and Clara ducked for cover behind the shield as it set fire to a nearby tree.
The Doctor whistled to get the dragon's attention, it worked: the dragon turned towards him and glared. The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and held it up.
The dragon looked at it and puffed out a cloud of smoke. The Doctor leaned over to Clara and, not taking his eyes off the menacing dragon, whispered:
"You might want to cover your ears."
Clara did accordingly and The Doctor pressed a button on his sonic screwdriver…it let out the most ear-piercing whistle and the whole village groaned in pain.
"That's so LOUD!" shouted Clara; she could ever hear it with her ears covered. The dragon screeched and flew off, in terror, over the village gates. The Doctor released the button and put the sonic screwdriver back in his waistcoat pocket. Clara got out from behind the shield and stood up.
"That's that sorted then," she said as the village applauded.
The Doctor smiled at her,
"I don't think we'll be hearing much more of dragons in the town any time soon!" he grinned.
Clara caught sight of Verity, walking towards them and waving.
"I think we should be getting you back to your apartment!" she suggested.
"Or what's left of it," sighed Clara as she and The Doctor followed Verity back to the inn.
As The Doctor locked the bathroom door with his sonic screwdriver, to make sure no one falls out, Clara gazed out of the small window in the roof.
"I've got a strange feeling that that dragon is going to come back." She sighed.
"Just get some sleep before morning."
"It's already morning."
"Is it? What time is it?"
"Half past five." yawned Clara.
"Well, ever the more reason to get some rest then."
Clara settled down, though the room was even colder than before, and gradually fell dead to the world.
