Chapter 2: The start of the legend

Steve was hopelessly in love with her, even at first sight. Being raised by a single mother, Steve had a high respect for women. Especially for those who could eat you in one bite. He was thankful that Liberty does not eat people, eventhough she had bitten him when she was shedding her hatchling teeth for the now adult fangs that crown her mouth.

Steve ran inside his house and grabbed his father's dragon-riding gear. Dragons were gaining popularity as mounts in warfare thanks to his father and his dragon, Cú Chulainn. They both unfortunately perished in the Great War before he was born. His parents were Irish immigrants, hence the name.

A few days later…

Liberty kept herself hidden from prying eyes at the military base. No one knew that a dragon was in the woods surrounding the base. She gave a small snap of her jaws as a bird flew past. She was bored out of her mind and wondered where her Little one was. Her sensitive ears pricked up the sounds of punches being thrown.

"I can do this all day," was the infamous line from Little one she picked up. Furious, she spread her massive wings, and took off from her hiding place. Letting out a fierce, bellowing roar, she flew over the pines and other trees. Her keen, hawk-like eyes saw Little one being treated like a stray mongrel dog.

She landed with a thud, her deep blue eyes, turned into ice; cold with fury like a mother scorned, but worse. For no one wanted the wrath of a dragon. A dragon's wrath is the last thing anyone wants. For a dragon never forgets those who had angered it.

For the first rule of Dragon riders, is don't come between a rider and his dragon, and vice versa. She reared on her hind legs, letting out a huge thunderous roar, her belly scales glowing orange with her hot fire. Dragon fire is hot enough to melt adamantium down to its liquid form. She wanted to torch them on the spot, but she didn't. They got the message, despite them for having rocks for brains.

Steve tried to stand on his legs, but he fell down. He already felt several black and blue marks blossom from where Hodge and his gang of bullies had hit him. He always got pushed down, beaten down. There were times where he wanted to sic Liberty on them, but then he'll be no better than them, a bully. He would not let his mother down, eventhough she was no longer with him.

Liberty scooped him up with her jaws and gently carried him to the nearest Medbay. He hated being carried by this, but as if Liberty can sense his displeasure, she let out a low huff, puffs of smoke snaking out of her nostrils.

Liberty, I'm fine, he protested, more like whined.

Little one, you're going to the Medbay. I promised Ma that I'll keep you safe, Liberty snapped, but there was concern etched into her voice. Steve did not even try to argue with that logic. They soon reached the Medbay and the doctor on sight was confused on why there was a dragon the size of a two-story house sitting outside of his tent with the smallest recruit in its jaws.

Dr. Millers was a kind-hearted man with a gentle face. He was often recommended by families of his patients because of his gentle demeanor. Now he was in an army camp. The men here, and to quote Agent Carter, "Glorified rugby players with more ego and muscles than common sense and smarts."

However one of the recruits, a skinny guy by the name of Steven Rodgers, was polite and kind and was willing to stick up for the others here. He hoped that Dr. Erskine picked him, not the others, for whatever top secret military program he was a part of. Erskine was right about the Nazis, they did invade their own country and everyone did forget all about it. It was sad really.

"Rodgers what are you doing here, let me guess, trying to fight Hodge?" he asked with an up-turned smile of his lips.

"Yes, sir," he responded, trying to control his breathing and heart-beat. The man continued to examine him, poking his arms and his legs with one of his fingers. Then he gently wrapped one of his arms in a bondage, the white cloth clinging to his twiggy arm. Millers went back, and very gently stroked one of the bruises with a wet rag.

"Thank you, sir," Rodgers whispered then he ran out. Millers let out a low chuckle, the fact that Rodgers fully understood the concept of what he was getting himself into. How can the smallest man in the camp was the bravest of them all was a question that no one could really answer. It took courage to defy what others expected of you to do, to stand up for yourself.

The next day, everyone avoided Rodgers like he had caught the plague. Steve wasn't sure it was because he had a dragon, or because he was a lot tougher than he looked. He went with the later. The sun light broke through the tops of the trees, glinting below on the worn trail. Steve was on Liberty's back, gripping the handles on the saddle, wearing aviator goggles. He pressed himself against her back, gripping the sides with his legs.

The drill sergeant was holding a stopwatch with his one hand, yelling at the recruits. His other hand was behind his back. Where was Rodgers? That skinny runt should not be here, but he was. He should have been someone else's problem, not his. A roar was his answer, and he had to resist the urge to scream and run to the barracks at the sight of a creature the size of a two-story house that charged out of the woods and onto the trail that ran around the base. Rodgers was on its back, grinning.

"Sir, did I make the time, Sir?" he asked, doing a salute once he was off of its back.

"DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK?!" he yelled, drops of saliva hitting on Rodgers' goggles.

"No sir, you did not, sir!" he responded back, clearly shamed. Steve walked back to the barracks, Liberty trailing behind him like a dog. Hodge, one of Steve's most frequent bullies, had decided it was a good idea to tease him right now. Within Liberty's hearing range, he was the dumbest person on base right now, but good soldiers where often dumb; only obeying orders like a well-trained dog.

"Hey! Rodgers! I've heard that you spoke out of turn! Is that true? God, they'll send you back home after that!" he laughed, his gang smiling and snickering at his comment. Steve's eyebrows furrowed together, his scowl deeping.

"You know nothing about me, Hodge," he spoke, his skinny little body shaking with barely contained anger.

"Oh right, cause your Mommy and Daddy wiped your tears away," Hodge snarled, inching up to Rodgers' defying gaze. Rodgers did not give an inch back, he did not yield to Hodge.

"Are you going to fight me, Rodgers? Cause it's fact by now that you like to fight people that are bigger than you," Hodge sneered, taunting him. Then the Brooklyn man, from the southern end of the city, punched Rodgers. Hard, straight to the stomach. The skinny, weedy punk from Brooklyn folded over by the force of the blow. Then the next thing everyone knew was a deafening roar and a high-pitched scream.

Hodge, the biggest bully in the base, was pinned underneath Liberty's front right paw, the ivory daggers she had for talons, digging into the earth. Her muzzle was centimeters away from his face. Her lips were pulled back into a snarl, her pearly white fangs glinting like swords in the afternoon sun. Her cat-like pupils were narrowed slits, her blue eyes glinting with the self-righteous fury of a dragon. Smoke was curling out of her nostrils and mouth.

A low rumbling growl echoed through her massive chest. Everyone flinched back, except for Steve, who calmly approached Liberty and rubbed her cheek. The dragon released her grip on Hodge, who scrambled away from the dragon and into the officer's quarters.

"Rodgers! If you can't control that thing, it'll have to go!" Colonel Phillips yelled.

"Sir, she was only protecting me! Look, Hodge is still in one piece, terrified out of his mind, but still alive! If you're so worried about her eating one of the men here, I should just pack my bags and go!" Steve yelled every ounce of anger in his body exploding into that triad. The whole entire camp whent deadly silent, that one could hear a pin drop. The recruits' eyes darted to Steve and his dragon, to a very livid Colonel Phillips, to a petrified Gilmore Hodge, to a worried Agent Carter, to a curious Dr. Erskine, and back to the skinniest recruit ever. Liberty growled, her blue eyes still flashing with anger. Her wings flared up, as her tawny belly scales threatened to glow a bright, vibrant orange color.

LIBERTY! NO! Steve yelled through the mental link he had with his dragon. Liberty relaxed once she heard Steve's worried voice through her head. She turned her head around to see Steve's worried face and earnest blue eyes. She purred and pulled Steve to her chest. The whole entire camp breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rodgers, with me," Phillips barked, calling Steve over. The two men walked in an uneasy silence to Phillip's office. Liberty hanging her head low, as if she knew she was the reason behind this triad. Her wings drooped, the tips brushing against the ground, her long, snake-like tail dragging behind her. Peggy walked up to her, and stroked the smooth, golden scales on her massive flank. The dragon pressed her head into Peggy's arms, purring gently.

I didn't mean to do that, I just wanted to protect Little One, Liberty whined. Peggy blinked, she had never heard of a dragon speak to her, at least in her mind.

Of course you didn't, Peggy answered, while still stroking the scales on her muzzle carefully avoiding the large, imposing fangs.

Steve was worried about his fate, but Phillips seemed to understand the rule of Dragon riders. He thought he was dead meat. Liberty was being stroked by Agent Carter, as the dragon slept. It was a soothing sight to him, as it reminded him of his childhood where his mother read stories to him and Liberty as the two slept in bed.

He tried his best to hide his tears as he cried about his mother's memory. He missed her. No one was prepared enough for the loss of a parent or that of a loved one. It was more painful than anything on his list of medical conditions. He was oblivious to the fact that he and Liberty were about to embark on a journey of a life-time.

THREE MONTHS LATER…

Steve was wearing tights. He felt like a movie character. He wasn't an actor, he wasn't meant for this. He wished that this was one big joke that someone had come up, but it wasn't. This was his future and Liberty's so far. Liberty had shown her displeasure early on, by nearly setting the stage on fire. Then he realised that the dragon would do anything for a hot-dog. He had given her Nathain's Hotdogs as house-breaking treats. He should have remembered that.

"Go!" Senator Brant's aid yelled in his ear, shoving him out of the curtain. Liberty gave him a small hearted nudge with her head. Steve walked onto the stage, his blue eyes locking with Liberty's fiery blue eyes that were like the sea, wild and unpredictable. He gave a small smile. Upon seeing the crowd and the expectant gaze in their eyes he nearly paled and forgot his lines, but he had taped them on the back of his shield. He gave the speech that they wanted to hear. The crowd went wild, cheering the dancers and chorus girls on. Clapping and applauding them, cheering.

Outside of the stage, and outside of the theater, Liberty was giving free rides to the children; while their mothers watched with motherly concern in their eyes. Some of the kids laughed, whooped and hollered with joy as Liberty gave a small loop in the air, as she spun showing off her golden scales. The innocence of the children was something to behold and to protect.

It was as if they were oblivious to the fact a war was going on, that some of the kids' fathers won't return home for christmas. He hung his head low, he was once one of those children whose father didn't come home, who wasn't greeted by a smiling wife and an energetic kid running to the door.

His mother never remarried eventhough she tried to marry again, he was a stopper in any developing relationship. Except for Bucky who just didn't care about the fact he was a sickly kid with weak lungs. Buck had always thought that having a dragon as a pet was the best thing ever. A lone tear fell across his cheek.