Chapter 3: Meeting

Cole found himself standing in the office of Sensei Wu a little after a year since the last time they'd met. His clan had split, leaving him without a home or friends nearby. He'd pondered the thought of joining the Sanctuary, and generally liked the idea of it. Plus, he was curious as to what had happened with the wingless and tailless dragon he'd met that night. His ears pricked up as the old man entered the room, a small tray with tea in his arms. "Cole! It's good to see you!" he beamed, Cole smiling back. "I've finally found myself shoved into your arms, Sensei. Whatever shall I do?" Cole chuckled dramatically. "Always a child of the arts. Welcome, Cole. Shall we speak first or shall I show you your room?" Wu asked, putting the tray down on the coffee table. "I'd like to talk, first. It's been some time since we actually had a lengthy chat." Cole replied, shifting in his seat. Wu settled himself down in a chair across from Cole, gently taking a cup of tea. "Things have been going well here. I've been receiving requests from dragons all over the world as of late, just to come and join the Sanctuary. I fear that soon, we may run out of rooms here and may need to build another dorm." Wu began. "Dragons all over the world, huh? That must be nice, knowing that what you're doing is beneficial." Cole smiled. Wu nodded. "Of course, there are dragons that wish to keep to themselves. Like that one you brought to me the last time we met." Wu continued. "What was that species, by the way? I don't think I've ever picked up that scent before." Cole asked. "That's only natural. He is the last Ice dragon." Wu said. Cole made a shocked expression. "The last Ice dragon? You mean, he's the last of his species?" Cole asked, Wu nodding. "It's tragic what happened to him, really. He was abducted from an abandoned village far up in the north, where humans don't generally travel. They managed to kidnap him while he was resting, and bound him with fire chains." Wu said. "Fire chains?" Cole asked, confused. "Fire chains are a product of a Fire dragon's blacksmithery. They can be effective as a weapon or as a simple item to bind objects together, without setting them on fire." Wu explained. Cole nodded in understanding. "So, they bound him with fire chains, which means that he was weakened due to the exposure to the element." Cole hypothesized. "Correct. They bound him and traveled to a black market, much farther south, where he was held captive. Somewhere along the line, a wealthy merchant came along and requested his wings and tail. Therefore, his captors, knowing nothing about Ice dragon biology, cut them off. He was left like that ever since." Wu finished. "Do dragons bully him, not just humans?" Cole asked. Wu nodded. "Yes. They often find some way to determine that he is somehow a lesser being due to his disabilities. I find their behavior discouraging and unpleasant, of which I often speak up about." Wu said. "Do any other dragons protect him?" Cole asked. Wu considered that question for a moment. "There are a few. They act like family rather than protective. Though, Kai does tend to get rather aggressive about it." Wu answered. "Will you point this Kai out to me tomorrow morning?" Cole asked, Wu smiling broadly with a nod. "Of course, Cole. Anyhow, we should get you to your room, yes?" he asked, standing up. The Earth dragon carefully followed him, lumbering up several flights of stairs before getting to a rather large room on the fourth floor. "Here we are. Your number is 400. I will see you in the morning, Cole." Wu said, taking his leave while allowing the dragon to examine his room. Cole carefully lumbered his way inside, looking around. The room had a lovely window that overlooked the gardens below, along with a large bed to fit his size. The place was quite large otherwise, compared to anything he'd expected. Settling himself down on the bed, he set about to putting his things around the room in a more decorative manner before lying down for a few hours until dinner. When the time came, he found himself lumbering out into the hall. Dozens of other dragons were already out ahead of him, flowing around him with the fluidity of water itself. He smiled. It was good to see so many species in one place. He followed them down several flights of stairs before crossing a small path and walking into a very large building. Dozens of tables lined the inside, along with huge bowls of food and such, for each occupant to pass around in turn. Wu sat with a table of elder dragons, speaking quietly while the dragons that joined the room were loud and obnoxious, especially the younglings. Cole managed to snag a considerable portion for himself and set about finding a place large enough for him to sit in the room. The building wasn't crowded, nor was it super spacious. Several younglings got overzealous and stepped on a few tails, but no fights were started. Cole wandered the room, finally spotting an entirely empty table in the corner of the building. Settling himself down, he looked up to see the dragon he'd rescued over a year before on the far end of the table. The dragon looked as if he was wearing the same clothing, but clean, and had a large gash across his cheek. The wound was still bleeding actually, and it oozed blue fluid. The Ice dragon didn't seem very bothered by it, though. He winced every now and then, but otherwise ignored the wound altogether. Feeling guilty, Cole picked up his tray and lumbered over, sitting across from the dragon. He instantly heard the room behind him quiet down several notches, not bothering to look behind himself. "So, how are you? I haven't seen you for a while." he asked. The Ice dragon looked up at him, glowing cyan eyes scanning him for any sign of a threat. A second later, he dropped a piece of fruit he was holding on the table. "It-it was you. You-you…." he stuttered, watching as Cole picked up the fruit and handed it back to him. "A year and a half ago? I'm surprised you still remember. Those teenagers were disgusting to me. I wanted to apologize to you sometime, but I wasn't sure if you'd still be here." Cole continued. The Ice dragon gently took the fruit and smiled softly. "I do not mind. Being different tends to bring you grief and I understand it well. I should be thanking you, friend." the Ice dragon said. "I'm Cole. And you?" the Earth dragon asked, offering a hand. "Zane." the Ice dragon replied, gently shaking it. They ate in soft conversation, Zane sharing few details about himself while Cole mostly led the conversation. After dinner was finished, the two disposed of their dishes and said goodnight to each other. Cole lumbered up to his room, hunkering down for the night. He looked out the window, spying a small white figure heading for the forest. Brushing it off as moonlight dust, he settled in for sleep and drifted off, his mind wandering over the Ice dragon's meeting with him.