p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5f7b988228868f45d1ac06b8a9518bce"Today was the first week of summer, last week was Undauntable's 10th birthday, the first birthday he has had without his mom. She mysteriously disappeared a few months ago causing the entire city to go in a frenzy. Search parties were sent out to find her or find what happened to her, but they came back empty. No signs. No clues. Nothing at all. Three months went by when they concluded that she ran away and was killed by a dragon or some other wild animal. Her funeral was held shortly after with no body in the casket. Undauntable was an absolute wreck. The one person he cared about, and the only one that genuinely cared about him, was gone. He remembered crying and his father telling him to quit it since crying will not fix anything./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7796b236b3f994c1f0a7b6dc69934f08"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Father... he's been acting weird lately'. /emUndauntable thought. Every time the topic of Aurora's disappearance was brought up, Undauntable saw a crack in his father's apathetic mask. The look on his face was not of sadness though. Instead, it looked more like... regret. It only showed for a second, so Undauntable was not entirely sure what he saw, but the back of his mind knew that his father knew something about his mother's absence. But when he asked his father, Invincible deflected the question by telling Undauntable to focus on more important things./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dc340c0e389613965f4dc066ec7e2ea0"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Important things? What is more important than finding out what happened to my mom? I refuse to believe she's... she's...'/em Undauntable could not bring himself to even think about it. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Why? They say she ran away but why? Why would she leave me here? Why not take me with her? Why?!'/em These thoughts kept eating Undauntable from the inside, making him angry and sad all at the same time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7349168aca5a3cd94ab10c45ef4d917e"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"*CLANG*/em The sudden sound of metal dropping snapped Undauntable out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Anhinga's piercing blue gaze staring back at him. Undauntable looked down and realized that sound was cause by his sword which had been ripped out of his hand while he was distracted by his style="box-sizing: border-box;" 'Right. Weapons training.' /emUndauntable was not a huge fan of this class since it always results in him getting hurt somehow by the weapons. Also, when he was four, his father had been the one that taught him how to use the different weapons. It was the only time Invincible went out of his way to spend time with his son. But when Undauntable did not learn as fast as Invincible wanted him to, he decided Undauntable was not worth his time and put his general, Anhinga, to teach Undauntable instead./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d6cdd104bc5c5677f5e2239cb9fb3c9f""Prince Undauntable, in order to learn you need to pay attention and not drift off. If I was someone trying to attack you, you would be dead." Anhinga says as Undauntable picks up his sword from the floor./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="20c2d869c773d3c64a3e54e628107a90""Sorry General Anhinga. I was just thinking about ... things." Undauntable said, his solemn thoughts slowly returning. Anhinga's eyes softened./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f7b5c429b1089969626fd529474e261a""*Sigh* I'm going to end class early today because clearly you are not in your right mind right now. I suggest you take this time, before your tutor comes, to clear your head. Tomorrow, I want you to come back focused and with a calm mind. Understood?" Anhinga said, taking Undauntable's sword./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b8961c421549a346dd72cc705027b2e1""Yes sir!" Undauntable replied. He bowed his head and then left./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="74d4546cc9955bc3a646e1a96eb3d70d"Undauntable walked back to his room and sat down next to his cat, Dragon. He slowly started stroking her soft, orange fur as Dragon quietly purred. She has helped him a lot these past few months. It was easy talking to her about the feelings he had about his mom. While Dragon may not know exactly what was going on, he could see in her emerald eyes that she understood that Undauntable was feeling sad. His mother had given Dragon to him when he was six and he felt that by keeping Dragon close, he was keeping a piece of his mom with him. He felt his eyes start to water as the thoughts of his mom came back. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'No! You are not allowed to cry! Father said not to! Besides, didn't Anhinga tell you that you should try to clear your mind and get rid of thoughts that upset you?' /emHis mind said, yelling at him. Undauntable wiped his eyes and pushed all his feelings away. He started thinking about where he could go to alleviate his sadness. Not the city, to many people shooting pitting glances at him and giving him their "condolences". Not the manor, it would not help him at all just staying indoors. Then, an idea came to him. He turned to Dragon./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="faf6702e1f0f1294b18a1be84c22caac""Hey Dragon! You bored? Want to go down to the Borders?" Undauntable asked. Dragon meowed in response. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'The Borders of the City...'/em He thought. It seemed a bit silly that the place he wanted to go to forget about his mom was his favorite place he used to go to with his mom, but, down there, there are people from all over Pyrrhia trying to get into the City, selling all sorts of interesting things for money, and sharing their stories about their perilous journeys and former homes. At the Borders, there were many things to keep his mind occupied, new people are always a good distraction./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="857af41607956320df6b2f73b565a251"First, though, he needed to get Citrine since he was not allowed to leave the manor without his bodyguard. He walked out of his room, Dragon close behind, and headed to the communal area. Citrine was sitting there, looking out the window, with a faraway look in her eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e50e102d303b3f7bd8f85288b5450033""Hey! Citrine! Get up! Dragon and I want to go to the Borders, and we need you to come with us!", Undauntable shouted at her. Citrine did not turn around, she continued looking wistfully out the window, lost in her own thoughts. Undauntable came and tapped her shoulder. She jolted, finally snapping out of whatever world she was in./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="aea9548f6c42d59e5efa3e339f8a67c9""Apologies, Prince Undauntable. I was merely distracted for a moment. What is it that you wanted to tell me?", she said as she got up and dusted herself off. Undauntable looked at her curiously. This was not the first time in the last few months that Citrine got "distracted". His normally very attentive bodyguard sulked and zoned out several times throughout the day. He assumed it had something to do with...em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Her/em... but he did not know why it was affecting Citrine this much. He shook away his thoughts. He decided it was not particularly important right now./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="35b29babe7a4674454af15d3501bd3e3"" I was saying that Dragon and I need you to take us to the outskirts of the City." he told her again. There was a small flicker of emotion that crossed Citrine's face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dba2c58215e8cb497b6ca02f2c60b8c0""The Borders... is there any specific reason why?" she asked, looking him in the eyes. He turned away from her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="305c1365d797be7454bb1952d6a73c13""Dragon and I are just bored, and unfortunately, we cannot go alone, so we have to take you. Okay?". Undauntable was starting to get impatient. He knew what Citrine was trying to do. She was not the only one that had been trying to get Undauntable to talk about what he was feeling, but he did not want to do so./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9b3ab032b5219836b000ccee2b5fa9b1""Okay, I understand, but what of your tutor? Won't she be coming soon?", Citrine asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="074722cb63bf6231fb540ae2e26aea6c""It's fine! We still have time! Let's go!" Undauntable said as he picked up Dragon and started heading for the exit, Citrine was close behind him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="abf51c4cdf79072e0fb783328b386db3"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"*TIME SKIP: The Borders*/span/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6026b253b5bed08d82f84188acea943f"As usual, the line to the city was chaotic. Dragon, Undauntable, and Citrine had finally made it to the end of the stairs where they met with the two guards. They had their usual grumpy faces on. It was not the best job guarding the entrance in the blistering heat with heavy, spiky armor with a bunch of whiny people asking every five seconds about when they could get into the city. The guards used their spears to send the crowd back to make room for Undauntable to get past safely. Once they got out of the front of the steps, the guards lowered their weapons again. Undauntable heard Citrine whisper a "thank you" to the guards as he and Dragon started walking down the line./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2e9b34faa8641781461fa2a6159fa1b8"He looked at all the diverse types of clothing, jewelry, small toys, and, of course, the dragon scales. He found a trader that had a whole assortment of them. As Undauntable looked at each of the scales carefully, the merchant started talking about how they got each scale and its value and something, something, something. Undauntable was not entirely paying attention. Many times, people selling items would try and get you to buy them by making them seem more valuable and rarer than they are. For example, some paint over dragon scales and then say that the scale came from a new dragon tribe, or they had to enter the palaces of the dragons themselves to get them. Some unbelievable stuff like that. He continued to look at each scale, hoping to find the two types he was still missing, but he could not find them. He sighed inwardly. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Still no Night or Rainforest Dragon scales',/em he thought. Undauntable knew they were rare, Night Dragons were barely ever seen in the day or nighttime, but at least they em style="box-sizing: border-box;"had/em sightings. The only reason we have an idea of what the Rainforest Dragons look like is because of old books and paintings from more than 50 years ago. Rarely anyone goes into (or even near) the Rainforest and those who have tried either never come out or come back terrified. It did not help the fact that, recently, screams and roars have been coming from the forest. Still, it did not stop Undauntable from wanting them. He eventually decided to get a few more light blue Ice Dragon scales and aquamarine Sea Dragon scales since he did not have enough of those. Citrine bought them for him and put the scales in a pouch. Undauntable was about to head down to see what the other tents were selling, when someone ever so rudely bumped into him and Dragon. Well, almost, but still./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cc58a7012aeefb384f478d10eff5a0d7""Grrrgarrawrr!" said a voice. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'What the...' /emUndauntable looked at the person who ran into them and was surprised to find it was a girl, not some feral animal. Though, it was not far from the truth. This girl looked, andem style="box-sizing: border-box;" smelled,/em like she had not bathed in years. She was covered in dirt, her curly hair matted, and sticks were poking out of it, and she was wearing a blue dress that was way too small for her. He heard Dragon softly hiss at her and noticed that the girl's filthy hands were getting a little too close to Dragon's clean fur./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="388824ceba85b7277cd016337a19e2ac""Don't touch my cat," he said to her, his eyes narrowing. The girl's previous expression of surprise quickly vanished and was replaced by utter annoyance./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3ae15930b0d027c429468d9e8be307e8""I definitely won't!", she exclaimed. "Why WOULD I? I like my face not clawed off."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d1b7ce120bf640414edeff7579a9d7e1""She doesn't scratch," Undauntable told her. "But I do. If anyone touches her." He continued to glare at her, and she glared right back./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="26e1aff55567fc9764505e593110fead""I'm not going to touch your stupid tiger," the girl said. "But when it grows up and eats you, don't be surprised. You deserve it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3b1fb7a442c522f65f546c22b3512765"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'What reason did she have to be mad for? Last time I checked she was the one who ran into ME! Also, Dragon is not stupid! She would never eat me! ' /emUndauntable thought furiously. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'She's also not a tiger, she not even that big!' /emThis was a lie; Dragon had grown from being barely at his knees to up to his waist in the time span of four years. He just really did not want this girl to be right about anything. He decided to change the topic./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d56909ab1afd4475acd456acd9201c56""Did you growl at us?", he asked her, remembering her previous animistic sound. "When you nearly ran into my cat?" She looked a little confused until she remembered what Undauntable was talking about./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="fb8fd6ec4491fa95328a4751853b5966""I wasn't growling at you," she said. "It was more of a general growl at everything, probably, if I did." She seemed to want to get out of this conversation and kept glancing at the trees behind him. He just realized that they were near the end of the line./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="425ab2637efe1bb6b231d76648fbd1aa""Why are you going to the back of the line? Are you running from your parents?" He thought about this for a style="box-sizing: border-box;" 'Maybe if I turn her in, she will get in trouble. That would slightly make up for how rude she is being right now.'/em "If you are, I should tell."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c03419d7dd4d0cc6c3a96ab5b454bfd1""Don't you dare," she said fiercely. "I know eight different ways to kill you before you take your next breath." He almost laughed at that. Undauntable looked at her up and down skeptically. How was this little peasant girl going to kill him, the Prince of the Indestructible City?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b517be101741055c6d13289a641ec7ca""You do not. You're tiny." He told her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="689844a586c885c29fda5d96e653c029""You're tinier than I am!" She shouted at style="box-sizing: border-box;" 'Shoot, she's right',/em Undauntable thought bitterly. It was a slight difference, only about an inch or two, but, nevertheless, she was correct. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Just deny!'/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3289a77fb5fd6284c52019ca96ff65a2""Nuh-uh. Besides, I have a cat." He responded. Just because he said Dragon will not scratch does not mean she cannot. "And I have guards to protect me," he said. He did not exactly like having guards go wherever he goes, but it is not like he has much choice. "So where are you going?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cdc81eb6ff1d1dc5e84f7dc4214de753""I have decided not to go to the Indestructible City today," she said. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'That doesn't make any sense. Everyone wants to get into the Indestructible City as soon as possible'/em. Undauntable thought. "Not that it's any of your business. Good-bye." She was expecting him to move and let her leave, which was not going to happen. For some reason, she had piqued his interest and he wanted to talk to her more./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="80a7ab6f4b727728644a569216072293""You look silly," Undauntable said. "That dress is too small for you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="abcd773d555299cd95919ae3321909f3""Well, that cat is too big for you, and so is your stupid face," she combated. He grinned at her amusingly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="22938dd64729449f527b38532d060aa6""Oh," he said. "You're funny. Are you one of the new clowns for the manor? Is that why you're dressed like that?" He knew she was not. Even the clowns looked cleaner and nicer than she did. He just found it funny getting on her nerves./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a7a3e777ec68fd0e8d40e3ab3f5425b5""Why are you bothering me?", she demanded. "I don't like people. I don't want to talk to you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d58dd4b37c38679f88f65d08c5995e5d""I don't like people either," he said. Everyone in the City only cared about him because of his title. They either loved him or hated him for it. No one really liked him, that is why he is not friends with anyone. "Only cats. No, wait. Only this cat. Her name is Dragon."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="91c2963eacbfcf27b7409a24af37457a""You are so weird," the girl said. "It is WEIRD to name an animal after a totally different animal!" em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Really? Regular people do it all the time, naming their kids after small animals and birds. Humans are animals, too. Are they not?'/em He pondered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c907a62254e2b7e3df0cbb1a5c051c2e""It is? Dragon doesn't care. I'm Undauntable. What's your name?" he said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0831397c3b971c0eb7fbe2b027838ed2""None of your business," she answered. Then she had a double take about what he said. "Wait, what? You're what?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="69e94348baa0776d8ee086c4d8f67351""Undauntable," he repeated. "That's my name."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5ade95e4d452093bece0fc6bb5bea667""That's even worse than Dragon for a cat," she said. "You made that up. Undauntable? That's like putting a sign on your head that says, 'Go ahead and try to daunt me!' Do your parents hate you?" He hated how close that statement came to the truth. What did em style="box-sizing: border-box;"she /emknow about him? How dare she make assumptions about things she does not know!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="05b5a90b8c7ffbbf63dc3d763cab2597""NO. They think I am PERFECT." he said ferociously. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'At least one of them does... did. STOP! IT! Do not think about that!'/em He shouted at himself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="aef061507bee72d49ab8052b29300c0c""Then they should have called you Perfect," The girl said. "If they were so determined to give you a terrible name."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ea52690524a9e5a48ba0e4c57a9c6057""It's NOT terrible," Undauntable shouted. He really tried to hide the emotion in his voice. "I AM Undauntable! What's your so-great name, then?" em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'It is probably some silly animal or plant name, like Mouse or Bugleweed'/em. Undauntable thought, still incredibly angry at her previous remarks./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0c7ffcb273731e5ca392f4a3b3af561d""Still, none of your business, I have places to be, good-bye." she said, trying to leave again. Undauntable moved Dragon in her way so she could not escape./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bfa89380c746128d230df33116c4dd6b""Will you tell me your name if I get you a new dress?", he asked her. Why was he still trying to keep her here? She is mean, rude, and had just insulted him and his name. Why not just let her leave? He did not have time to answer his questions when she began to speak again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f4f92fd51f8420330ddc73e27f5a7d09""Definitely not, I don't want a new dress and I don't want anything to do with you." This time she turned behind her to leave and almost ran into Citrine. The girl looked alarmed. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Huh, I forgot she was here, too. Well, she maybe she could help me.'/em Undauntable thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="674f38b93e8af1b6fe843f047eea9f27""That's my bodyguard," he said, smirking inside. "So, you probably shouldn't kill me any of your eight ways."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7f95ee73a6003252bedcd605d6cdf482""You're from the city," she said as if that was not already obvious. "What are you doing down here?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5b9584f0803dcff63e9fd259c10edcbe""I got bored, and so did Dragon," He responded. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'That's only partly true, but I don't need to tell you the whole story. Why did I even answer her question? She has not answered any of mine, yet I gave her an answer right away.'/em he pondered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ff53208344f1124e0aabc2d114ffa118""New people at least have a chance of being interesting." He saw the girl narrow her eyes to him and she started looking around again, no doubt planning another escape./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="03544ddf40cab8dafce6eca3eb3b52ed""Bodyguard," He called. Citrine looked at him. "Find me someone in this line who has a dress to trade in this girl's size."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dc7231c8c39782afcba28078e3f09767""Do NOT do that," she said " I don't want a dress; I want a tunic and pants, and I will get them myself."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f51558afbb8c4affe67f3bff8a0eca5d""With what?", Undauntable asked once again looking at her up and down. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Are you going to try and trade your personality for a nicer one? Or one of the sticks in your hair, I am sure many will pay a high price for that.' /emhe thought sarcastically. "You don't have anything to trade."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5474b344fba121af00f58831f43661ce""I have this," the girl said, pulling out what Undauntable can only describe as the most beautiful scale he had ever seen. With its pale orange color, its small round shape, and the way the sun glittered on it made it seem like the most precious jewel in the world. Even Citrine, who never really understood his fascination with dragon scales was admiring it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="70df35d511bbe84ff99876b818059746""Is that a dragon scale?" Undauntable asked excitedly. "I've never seen one that color before."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="37e348f2f8f090aa08858975532a1777""Like I said, none of your business." The girl pocketed the scale and started heading up the line./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f39f8ccec168eeb8cbf10c888fc19906""Wait," Undauntable called. "I want it. Please let me have it. I'll give you way more than anyone else here for it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c7f4427bbc284982fd888e7c91083ec4""You don't have anything I want," she said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5db3862c9b5525ec219925fd4bf4448c""Here," Undauntable put Dragon on his shoulders and took his money pouch from Citrine. He dumped several silver coins into his hand. "You can have all of these."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2128147207a8d1ea08da5dee82a5e934""What good are little bits of silver to me?" she asked. "I can't eat them or wear them or read them."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cbfae2e598f6d430a2638b88a2a0625f""What?" he said incredulously. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Is she joking? How does she not know what coins are?'/em "How backward is your village? You don't use coins?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7219b4cb2b5302e86f6884504a2de384""I just don't want them," the girl said. She was really starting to annoy him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="55f409ecd81fffcbcf4670d8f82c9464""Yes, you do," he said, impatiently. They continued to argue for a while, until Undauntable had to drag her up and down the line to show her that all the people selling the things she wanted, wanted his coins./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="73f24e2b9496d040230e16d349f5820f""See? You want their stuff, they want my coins, and I want your scale. Do we understand now? Are we getting the picture?", he said after showing her all the things she needed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2db8237160e45664d277648dbb8e5bc2""...Yes", she said reluctantly, finally, FINALLY, giving in. He helped her get new clothes, boots, a wool cloak, a map, two loaves of bread, a canteen for water, and five books. She went into one of the tents to change into her new clothes. When she came out, he noticed that her face and hands were clean, also there were no more sticks in her hair. Perhaps the owner of the tent left her some water she could clean herself with. She looked better now that she had clothes that fit her and were no longer covered in dirt./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9691543cf059d06bfd096e6a6c21c29f""Thanks", she said to him, reaching in her pocket for the scale./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3bda008dd545fac257494e9cca64cd35""Wait, that's it? That is all you want?" Undauntable asked. She looked at him confused./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f0bf88d817ea94bcfa6fbcc4b327e30f""Yeah? Why? Was I supposed to get something else?" asked the girl./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="527e30bc5c938bbb705b522bf6bbef2d""Well, it's just the price of all this does not equal up to the scale's value," he said. "I should get you something else to make up for the rest of the price."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ab30b3ecf13dd7bab308908dae08bdd0""No, it's fine. I do not want anything else-", she began when Undauntable interrupted her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8e237228ca5ed49b64a45cb15be23ec7""I insist!", he said. She sighed. She looked around the tents and then back at him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0cb4bd30f6735c369210c84a0dfedcd9""What about your earring?", she asked, pointing at his left ear. Undauntable took off the silver dragon earring he was wearing and looked at it. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Hmm, I know there was something important about this earring, but what?'/em his mind pondered. He shrugged. It probably did not matter. He deposited the earring in her hand. She put the earring in her pocket and took out the scale./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="71adfef660c736a3079b41df1cb96b65""All right you can have it," she said, giving him the scale. Undauntable marveled at the scale. He breathed on it and rubbed it clean. He held it up to the Sun inspecting it closely./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3cb95528ad81396f3de2fc91453898c3""Where did you find it?" he asked her. "I bet this came from a baby dragon. If we could track it down, I could have a whole chest plate made of these." He imagined how amazing and cool that would look. He saw the girl shudder at that thought before she answered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="fe72c9442029b251f36725ecddac883d""I found it in the swamps. If I find another one . . . I could bring it back to you.", she told him. His eyes lit up at that./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b37e0755ef2fca72d0794591e41112ce""Yes!" he said overjoyed. "Do that! Don't sell it to anyone else!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e3e71f61b5d0fdcae5247e4fc8e98501""All right, I'll come back and look for you in a year. Maybe a little sooner if I finish these books and need something else to read." The girl said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d6a1b7e87c58965c97047f1a51f3bb3c""A year?" Undauntable said in dismay. "That's so long!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e99a597c259264b6e3b18b1982507e22""I think you'll survive," she said as she started packing up her things in her cloak./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7500564db89ce8028042aaef8bc933a4""I know I will, I am the prince of the Indestructible City. But you will almost certainly be dead in a year." he said. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'A year? By herself? Was she asking to get eaten?'/em Undauntable thought. After only three months, everyone in the city believed his mom to be dead and this girl was saying she was going to survive more than triple that?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="08673baaa657487d31dc58b6ad1cc06a""Thaaaaaaaaat's cheerful," said the girl, trying to hide the surprise in her voice. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Oh, I guess she didn't know I was a prince. Maybe now she'll start treating me better.'/em Undauntable was pleased at this thought. "You'll just have to wait and see." The girl started walking away./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="734e0429c076112ff22799d5ee18be10""I don't like waiting," he shouted after her, stamping his foot. "This is extremely aggravating!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0cd0f872cf4c1343c50be9d0998fdc87""Saddest story ever told," she called back. Undauntable watched her follow the river down and down, until she was gone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="1eded863dae36b5f72d247835d30e2b3"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"*TIME SKIP: The Manor*/em/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f5d6004aa49168eb646af2ab8425a0b5"Undauntable, Dragon, and Citrine made it back inside to the manor, only to find the Invincible Lord waiting inside for them. He looked furious, his dark eyes staring daggers into Undauntable./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c39c634f076a9cad7926c5cee90183f3""Where were you?" His voice sent chills down Undauntable's spine. His father's anger scared Undauntable as it never led to anything good./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="86300d0d1ea46d0173df6c02a63091fe"" A-apologizes, Father. I was-", Undauntable started as his father's thundering voice interrupted him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="72ce3a8fe725b62af274c1c6a0a8bb72""Your tutor arrived. She came bursting into my throne room while I was having a particularly important meeting. She told me that she could not find you anywhere and I had to pay her extra for having to waste her time looking for you while you were out doing who knows what!" his father shouted. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Oh no! I completely forgot about that!'/em Undauntable thought panicking. He was about to say something when his father continued./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="532ecd56adeeb72f261950f6d1261fe3""And when I asked General Anhinga about what happened to you, he said he let you leave class early to "clear your mind" because you were not paying attention and kept getting distracted thinking about useless thoughts! I had to punish him for being too soft on you and not forcing you to listen!" yelled Invincible. Then something caught his attention. His wrathful eyes were now glued to Undauntable's left ear./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4b05aa11c48ceaa11372a91074900da1""Where is your earring, Undauntable?", his father asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="eb6c0c10ff62ce1e79249b503972a42b""I-I, um, I sold it today, at the Borders, the person was selling a d-dragon scale and I-" Undauntable started until once again being interrupted by his father./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8efcabca01daf6405610a9138e40665c""You sold- em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You sold/em Lord Perseverance's, the founder of the Indestructible City, earring for a em style="box-sizing: border-box;"dragon scale! /emDo you know how priceless that earring is? Our ancestor made it with the melted silver of his late sister's, Optimism, necklace. It was the first piece of jewelry made in the Indestructible City and you SOLD IT?! For a useless scale?!" His father was beyond livid now./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7192d2c015bac181be033d5a0a661b20""You're grounded for five months, Undauntable. You are not allowed to leave this manor at all, and your classes will be extended. General Anhinga will not be allowed to let you leave class early and he has been told to train you atem style="box-sizing: border-box;" my/em level. If I see you do not make any progress, I will lengthen your punishment. To assure you do not sneak out, Citrine will be posted by your room day and night. Be lucky this is all I am giving you, for disgracing this family. Do you understand?" Invincible said, his face still burning with rage./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4ea193241324d60381f2dc41fc77a5a9""Yes, Father," Undauntable said quietly. He was looking down at his feet with shame./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7e61a8d04354a5af6ccfd1d7369870a6""SPEAK UP AND LOOK AT ME, DISGRACE!" Invincible roared, forcefully grabbing his son's head and forcing him to look him in the eye./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b008287a3cbebdc6ade3b98295a6a6e9""Yes, Father!" Undauntable said looking into his father's hateful gaze. His father let go of his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d551023e617edbf41a606c6d89cdf373""Go to your room. I don't want to look at you for the rest of the day." Invincible said, walking away and muttering curses under his breath./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cc794aec9b1e089be99e271531aecb23"Undauntable's eyes watered, but he did not dare cry. He headed up to his room with Cirtrine and Dragon following him. He opened his door and collapsed on his bed. He took out the scale in his pocket. The small thing had gotten him in a lot of trouble today, and yet, for some reason, he did not regret going down to the Borders. He thought of the girl and the events that happened to get this scale and it surprisingly made him feel better. Though there was one thing that was not adding up. The girl said she found this scale in the swamps, but the scale did not look like a Swamp Dragon's. He got up and looked at his scale collection. He took a red Mountain Dragon scale and compared it to the one the girl gave to him. They were different colors and sizes, but their shape was the same. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'So, the scale came from a baby Mountain Dragon, but what was it doing in the swamps? I thought all the dragon tribes hated each other. Could the baby dragon be dead? That could be a possibility, but then why did the girl say she would find another scale if she already saw the body of the dragon? Does that mean she has more than one, maybe even a whole bag full?', /emhe wondered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f9e79618c27c2375911433ec002ca981""Prince Undauntable, are you okay?" Citrine asked as she came back into the room with her stuff. He noticed she had changed out of her spiked armor when she set down her things and lay on the couch in his room. When his father told Citrine to watch Undauntable day and night, he meant ALL day and ALL night. That meant for the next five months, Citrine could not go back to her quarters to sleep, and she would have to make do on the couch./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="017c05cf0e614ef4eb0a85c95225f6ba""Yeah, I'm just thinking about everything that happened today." he responded. He went to go sit back on his bed next to Dragon, still holding the scale./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a90bf9769f26d9a8fd84a3e2c31f6ca1""Oh, yes, about the strange little girl and what happened with you and your...father", Citrine said. There was a weird tone in her voice when she mentioned his father. A tone that almost sounded like anger and hatred. Undauntable wondered if he should ask her about it but decided against it. Instead, he asked her about the girl./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="aab8c0a8a0a236ed6880bdec6863b796""What did you think of ... the girl?" he asked Citrine. It suddenly dawned on Undauntable that the girl had not told him what her name was, even after everything he helped her with. That infuriated him a bit, but he decided he would ask her next time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="792e40af6f05d243a3cf04ceda26f644""Well, she definitely had a very, hmm, how do I put this, a very out-spoken personality. She also appears to be hiding something and does not trust strangers with even her name. I must admit that I am worried about her. That girl was no older than you and she is out there all by herself," Citrine said. "She could have family, but the way she acted and the things she bought, tell me she probably doesn't, or she does, but she ran away. I don't know her story, but what I do know is that there is a little girl wandering alone in a world run by blood-thirsty monsters."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d97ceba80ae929e71e5d11e1ba91a80d""Wow, you seemed to have thought about this for a while," Undauntable said to her. She chuckled softly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b996eb5a17ccda5e4c38a72250b54748""It is kind of my job to try to find out as much as I can from the people you associate yourself with to be sure they don't pose any threat to you. I did get defensive when she mentioned killing you in eight different ways, but I believe they were simply empty threats." Citrine responded. Undauntable smiled. It was sometimes nice to talk to Citrine about certain things. Yet, there was something that she said about the girl that bothered him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2fc8d24fb7653796939fa634571226c0""Citrine? Do you think the girl will survive 'till next year? You don't think she'll die out there, right?" Undauntable asked. Cirtine looked him in the eyes. He could see the concern and worry in her hazel eyes. She was analyzing his expression to see if there was another reason he was asking. She sighed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b1634cd0d308c84026ce9e461b2b3291""I... I do not want to lie and get your hopes up, Undauntable. I do think that the girl is very smart for her age, and I do believe she also thinks she can survive on her own, but... I don't know, she is still a child, and those dragons are ruthless. I guess the only thing we can do is take that girl's advice, "You'll just have to wait and see." Citrine said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c7ac9b7cb15a65053de21e4aa22596eb""Yeah, I guess," Undauntable replied. He wanted to ask Citrine her opinion on more topics, but he was starting to get tired. Today was a very emotionally exhausting day and right now all his mind wanted to do was rest. He closed his eyes, cuddled into Dragon's soft fur, and drifted off into a deep slumber; the scale still in his hand./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7796b236b3f994c1f0a7b6dc69934f08"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Father... he's been acting weird lately'. /emUndauntable thought. Every time the topic of Aurora's disappearance was brought up, Undauntable saw a crack in his father's apathetic mask. The look on his face was not of sadness though. Instead, it looked more like... regret. It only showed for a second, so Undauntable was not entirely sure what he saw, but the back of his mind knew that his father knew something about his mother's absence. But when he asked his father, Invincible deflected the question by telling Undauntable to focus on more important things./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dc340c0e389613965f4dc066ec7e2ea0"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Important things? What is more important than finding out what happened to my mom? I refuse to believe she's... she's...'/em Undauntable could not bring himself to even think about it. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Why? They say she ran away but why? Why would she leave me here? Why not take me with her? Why?!'/em These thoughts kept eating Undauntable from the inside, making him angry and sad all at the same time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7349168aca5a3cd94ab10c45ef4d917e"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"*CLANG*/em The sudden sound of metal dropping snapped Undauntable out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Anhinga's piercing blue gaze staring back at him. Undauntable looked down and realized that sound was cause by his sword which had been ripped out of his hand while he was distracted by his style="box-sizing: border-box;" 'Right. Weapons training.' /emUndauntable was not a huge fan of this class since it always results in him getting hurt somehow by the weapons. Also, when he was four, his father had been the one that taught him how to use the different weapons. It was the only time Invincible went out of his way to spend time with his son. But when Undauntable did not learn as fast as Invincible wanted him to, he decided Undauntable was not worth his time and put his general, Anhinga, to teach Undauntable instead./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d6cdd104bc5c5677f5e2239cb9fb3c9f""Prince Undauntable, in order to learn you need to pay attention and not drift off. If I was someone trying to attack you, you would be dead." Anhinga says as Undauntable picks up his sword from the floor./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="20c2d869c773d3c64a3e54e628107a90""Sorry General Anhinga. I was just thinking about ... things." Undauntable said, his solemn thoughts slowly returning. Anhinga's eyes softened./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f7b5c429b1089969626fd529474e261a""*Sigh* I'm going to end class early today because clearly you are not in your right mind right now. I suggest you take this time, before your tutor comes, to clear your head. Tomorrow, I want you to come back focused and with a calm mind. Understood?" Anhinga said, taking Undauntable's sword./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b8961c421549a346dd72cc705027b2e1""Yes sir!" Undauntable replied. He bowed his head and then left./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="74d4546cc9955bc3a646e1a96eb3d70d"Undauntable walked back to his room and sat down next to his cat, Dragon. He slowly started stroking her soft, orange fur as Dragon quietly purred. She has helped him a lot these past few months. It was easy talking to her about the feelings he had about his mom. While Dragon may not know exactly what was going on, he could see in her emerald eyes that she understood that Undauntable was feeling sad. His mother had given Dragon to him when he was six and he felt that by keeping Dragon close, he was keeping a piece of his mom with him. He felt his eyes start to water as the thoughts of his mom came back. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'No! You are not allowed to cry! Father said not to! Besides, didn't Anhinga tell you that you should try to clear your mind and get rid of thoughts that upset you?' /emHis mind said, yelling at him. Undauntable wiped his eyes and pushed all his feelings away. He started thinking about where he could go to alleviate his sadness. Not the city, to many people shooting pitting glances at him and giving him their "condolences". Not the manor, it would not help him at all just staying indoors. Then, an idea came to him. He turned to Dragon./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="faf6702e1f0f1294b18a1be84c22caac""Hey Dragon! You bored? Want to go down to the Borders?" Undauntable asked. Dragon meowed in response. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'The Borders of the City...'/em He thought. It seemed a bit silly that the place he wanted to go to forget about his mom was his favorite place he used to go to with his mom, but, down there, there are people from all over Pyrrhia trying to get into the City, selling all sorts of interesting things for money, and sharing their stories about their perilous journeys and former homes. At the Borders, there were many things to keep his mind occupied, new people are always a good distraction./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="857af41607956320df6b2f73b565a251"First, though, he needed to get Citrine since he was not allowed to leave the manor without his bodyguard. He walked out of his room, Dragon close behind, and headed to the communal area. Citrine was sitting there, looking out the window, with a faraway look in her eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e50e102d303b3f7bd8f85288b5450033""Hey! Citrine! Get up! Dragon and I want to go to the Borders, and we need you to come with us!", Undauntable shouted at her. Citrine did not turn around, she continued looking wistfully out the window, lost in her own thoughts. Undauntable came and tapped her shoulder. She jolted, finally snapping out of whatever world she was in./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="aea9548f6c42d59e5efa3e339f8a67c9""Apologies, Prince Undauntable. I was merely distracted for a moment. What is it that you wanted to tell me?", she said as she got up and dusted herself off. Undauntable looked at her curiously. This was not the first time in the last few months that Citrine got "distracted". His normally very attentive bodyguard sulked and zoned out several times throughout the day. He assumed it had something to do with...em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Her/em... but he did not know why it was affecting Citrine this much. He shook away his thoughts. He decided it was not particularly important right now./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="35b29babe7a4674454af15d3501bd3e3"" I was saying that Dragon and I need you to take us to the outskirts of the City." he told her again. There was a small flicker of emotion that crossed Citrine's face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dba2c58215e8cb497b6ca02f2c60b8c0""The Borders... is there any specific reason why?" she asked, looking him in the eyes. He turned away from her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="305c1365d797be7454bb1952d6a73c13""Dragon and I are just bored, and unfortunately, we cannot go alone, so we have to take you. Okay?". Undauntable was starting to get impatient. He knew what Citrine was trying to do. She was not the only one that had been trying to get Undauntable to talk about what he was feeling, but he did not want to do so./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9b3ab032b5219836b000ccee2b5fa9b1""Okay, I understand, but what of your tutor? Won't she be coming soon?", Citrine asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="074722cb63bf6231fb540ae2e26aea6c""It's fine! We still have time! Let's go!" Undauntable said as he picked up Dragon and started heading for the exit, Citrine was close behind him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="abf51c4cdf79072e0fb783328b386db3"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"*TIME SKIP: The Borders*/span/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="6026b253b5bed08d82f84188acea943f"As usual, the line to the city was chaotic. Dragon, Undauntable, and Citrine had finally made it to the end of the stairs where they met with the two guards. They had their usual grumpy faces on. It was not the best job guarding the entrance in the blistering heat with heavy, spiky armor with a bunch of whiny people asking every five seconds about when they could get into the city. The guards used their spears to send the crowd back to make room for Undauntable to get past safely. Once they got out of the front of the steps, the guards lowered their weapons again. Undauntable heard Citrine whisper a "thank you" to the guards as he and Dragon started walking down the line./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2e9b34faa8641781461fa2a6159fa1b8"He looked at all the diverse types of clothing, jewelry, small toys, and, of course, the dragon scales. He found a trader that had a whole assortment of them. As Undauntable looked at each of the scales carefully, the merchant started talking about how they got each scale and its value and something, something, something. Undauntable was not entirely paying attention. Many times, people selling items would try and get you to buy them by making them seem more valuable and rarer than they are. For example, some paint over dragon scales and then say that the scale came from a new dragon tribe, or they had to enter the palaces of the dragons themselves to get them. Some unbelievable stuff like that. He continued to look at each scale, hoping to find the two types he was still missing, but he could not find them. He sighed inwardly. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Still no Night or Rainforest Dragon scales',/em he thought. Undauntable knew they were rare, Night Dragons were barely ever seen in the day or nighttime, but at least they em style="box-sizing: border-box;"had/em sightings. The only reason we have an idea of what the Rainforest Dragons look like is because of old books and paintings from more than 50 years ago. Rarely anyone goes into (or even near) the Rainforest and those who have tried either never come out or come back terrified. It did not help the fact that, recently, screams and roars have been coming from the forest. Still, it did not stop Undauntable from wanting them. He eventually decided to get a few more light blue Ice Dragon scales and aquamarine Sea Dragon scales since he did not have enough of those. Citrine bought them for him and put the scales in a pouch. Undauntable was about to head down to see what the other tents were selling, when someone ever so rudely bumped into him and Dragon. Well, almost, but still./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cc58a7012aeefb384f478d10eff5a0d7""Grrrgarrawrr!" said a voice. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'What the...' /emUndauntable looked at the person who ran into them and was surprised to find it was a girl, not some feral animal. Though, it was not far from the truth. This girl looked, andem style="box-sizing: border-box;" smelled,/em like she had not bathed in years. She was covered in dirt, her curly hair matted, and sticks were poking out of it, and she was wearing a blue dress that was way too small for her. He heard Dragon softly hiss at her and noticed that the girl's filthy hands were getting a little too close to Dragon's clean fur./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="388824ceba85b7277cd016337a19e2ac""Don't touch my cat," he said to her, his eyes narrowing. The girl's previous expression of surprise quickly vanished and was replaced by utter annoyance./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3ae15930b0d027c429468d9e8be307e8""I definitely won't!", she exclaimed. "Why WOULD I? I like my face not clawed off."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d1b7ce120bf640414edeff7579a9d7e1""She doesn't scratch," Undauntable told her. "But I do. If anyone touches her." He continued to glare at her, and she glared right back./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="26e1aff55567fc9764505e593110fead""I'm not going to touch your stupid tiger," the girl said. "But when it grows up and eats you, don't be surprised. You deserve it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3b1fb7a442c522f65f546c22b3512765"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'What reason did she have to be mad for? Last time I checked she was the one who ran into ME! Also, Dragon is not stupid! She would never eat me! ' /emUndauntable thought furiously. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'She's also not a tiger, she not even that big!' /emThis was a lie; Dragon had grown from being barely at his knees to up to his waist in the time span of four years. He just really did not want this girl to be right about anything. He decided to change the topic./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d56909ab1afd4475acd456acd9201c56""Did you growl at us?", he asked her, remembering her previous animistic sound. "When you nearly ran into my cat?" She looked a little confused until she remembered what Undauntable was talking about./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="fb8fd6ec4491fa95328a4751853b5966""I wasn't growling at you," she said. "It was more of a general growl at everything, probably, if I did." She seemed to want to get out of this conversation and kept glancing at the trees behind him. He just realized that they were near the end of the line./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="425ab2637efe1bb6b231d76648fbd1aa""Why are you going to the back of the line? Are you running from your parents?" He thought about this for a style="box-sizing: border-box;" 'Maybe if I turn her in, she will get in trouble. That would slightly make up for how rude she is being right now.'/em "If you are, I should tell."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c03419d7dd4d0cc6c3a96ab5b454bfd1""Don't you dare," she said fiercely. "I know eight different ways to kill you before you take your next breath." He almost laughed at that. Undauntable looked at her up and down skeptically. How was this little peasant girl going to kill him, the Prince of the Indestructible City?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b517be101741055c6d13289a641ec7ca""You do not. You're tiny." He told her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="689844a586c885c29fda5d96e653c029""You're tinier than I am!" She shouted at style="box-sizing: border-box;" 'Shoot, she's right',/em Undauntable thought bitterly. It was a slight difference, only about an inch or two, but, nevertheless, she was correct. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Just deny!'/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3289a77fb5fd6284c52019ca96ff65a2""Nuh-uh. Besides, I have a cat." He responded. Just because he said Dragon will not scratch does not mean she cannot. "And I have guards to protect me," he said. He did not exactly like having guards go wherever he goes, but it is not like he has much choice. "So where are you going?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cdc81eb6ff1d1dc5e84f7dc4214de753""I have decided not to go to the Indestructible City today," she said. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'That doesn't make any sense. Everyone wants to get into the Indestructible City as soon as possible'/em. Undauntable thought. "Not that it's any of your business. Good-bye." She was expecting him to move and let her leave, which was not going to happen. For some reason, she had piqued his interest and he wanted to talk to her more./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="80a7ab6f4b727728644a569216072293""You look silly," Undauntable said. "That dress is too small for you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="abcd773d555299cd95919ae3321909f3""Well, that cat is too big for you, and so is your stupid face," she combated. He grinned at her amusingly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="22938dd64729449f527b38532d060aa6""Oh," he said. "You're funny. Are you one of the new clowns for the manor? Is that why you're dressed like that?" He knew she was not. Even the clowns looked cleaner and nicer than she did. He just found it funny getting on her nerves./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a7a3e777ec68fd0e8d40e3ab3f5425b5""Why are you bothering me?", she demanded. "I don't like people. I don't want to talk to you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d58dd4b37c38679f88f65d08c5995e5d""I don't like people either," he said. Everyone in the City only cared about him because of his title. They either loved him or hated him for it. No one really liked him, that is why he is not friends with anyone. "Only cats. No, wait. Only this cat. Her name is Dragon."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="91c2963eacbfcf27b7409a24af37457a""You are so weird," the girl said. "It is WEIRD to name an animal after a totally different animal!" em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Really? Regular people do it all the time, naming their kids after small animals and birds. Humans are animals, too. Are they not?'/em He pondered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c907a62254e2b7e3df0cbb1a5c051c2e""It is? Dragon doesn't care. I'm Undauntable. What's your name?" he said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0831397c3b971c0eb7fbe2b027838ed2""None of your business," she answered. Then she had a double take about what he said. "Wait, what? You're what?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="69e94348baa0776d8ee086c4d8f67351""Undauntable," he repeated. "That's my name."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5ade95e4d452093bece0fc6bb5bea667""That's even worse than Dragon for a cat," she said. "You made that up. Undauntable? That's like putting a sign on your head that says, 'Go ahead and try to daunt me!' Do your parents hate you?" He hated how close that statement came to the truth. What did em style="box-sizing: border-box;"she /emknow about him? How dare she make assumptions about things she does not know!/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="05b5a90b8c7ffbbf63dc3d763cab2597""NO. They think I am PERFECT." he said ferociously. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'At least one of them does... did. STOP! IT! Do not think about that!'/em He shouted at himself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="aef061507bee72d49ab8052b29300c0c""Then they should have called you Perfect," The girl said. "If they were so determined to give you a terrible name."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ea52690524a9e5a48ba0e4c57a9c6057""It's NOT terrible," Undauntable shouted. He really tried to hide the emotion in his voice. "I AM Undauntable! What's your so-great name, then?" em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'It is probably some silly animal or plant name, like Mouse or Bugleweed'/em. Undauntable thought, still incredibly angry at her previous remarks./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0c7ffcb273731e5ca392f4a3b3af561d""Still, none of your business, I have places to be, good-bye." she said, trying to leave again. Undauntable moved Dragon in her way so she could not escape./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="bfa89380c746128d230df33116c4dd6b""Will you tell me your name if I get you a new dress?", he asked her. Why was he still trying to keep her here? She is mean, rude, and had just insulted him and his name. Why not just let her leave? He did not have time to answer his questions when she began to speak again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f4f92fd51f8420330ddc73e27f5a7d09""Definitely not, I don't want a new dress and I don't want anything to do with you." This time she turned behind her to leave and almost ran into Citrine. The girl looked alarmed. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Huh, I forgot she was here, too. Well, she maybe she could help me.'/em Undauntable thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="674f38b93e8af1b6fe843f047eea9f27""That's my bodyguard," he said, smirking inside. "So, you probably shouldn't kill me any of your eight ways."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7f95ee73a6003252bedcd605d6cdf482""You're from the city," she said as if that was not already obvious. "What are you doing down here?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5b9584f0803dcff63e9fd259c10edcbe""I got bored, and so did Dragon," He responded. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'That's only partly true, but I don't need to tell you the whole story. Why did I even answer her question? She has not answered any of mine, yet I gave her an answer right away.'/em he pondered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ff53208344f1124e0aabc2d114ffa118""New people at least have a chance of being interesting." He saw the girl narrow her eyes to him and she started looking around again, no doubt planning another escape./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="03544ddf40cab8dafce6eca3eb3b52ed""Bodyguard," He called. Citrine looked at him. "Find me someone in this line who has a dress to trade in this girl's size."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="dc7231c8c39782afcba28078e3f09767""Do NOT do that," she said " I don't want a dress; I want a tunic and pants, and I will get them myself."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f51558afbb8c4affe67f3bff8a0eca5d""With what?", Undauntable asked once again looking at her up and down. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Are you going to try and trade your personality for a nicer one? Or one of the sticks in your hair, I am sure many will pay a high price for that.' /emhe thought sarcastically. "You don't have anything to trade."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5474b344fba121af00f58831f43661ce""I have this," the girl said, pulling out what Undauntable can only describe as the most beautiful scale he had ever seen. With its pale orange color, its small round shape, and the way the sun glittered on it made it seem like the most precious jewel in the world. Even Citrine, who never really understood his fascination with dragon scales was admiring it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="70df35d511bbe84ff99876b818059746""Is that a dragon scale?" Undauntable asked excitedly. "I've never seen one that color before."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="37e348f2f8f090aa08858975532a1777""Like I said, none of your business." The girl pocketed the scale and started heading up the line./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f39f8ccec168eeb8cbf10c888fc19906""Wait," Undauntable called. "I want it. Please let me have it. I'll give you way more than anyone else here for it."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c7f4427bbc284982fd888e7c91083ec4""You don't have anything I want," she said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="5db3862c9b5525ec219925fd4bf4448c""Here," Undauntable put Dragon on his shoulders and took his money pouch from Citrine. He dumped several silver coins into his hand. "You can have all of these."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2128147207a8d1ea08da5dee82a5e934""What good are little bits of silver to me?" she asked. "I can't eat them or wear them or read them."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cbfae2e598f6d430a2638b88a2a0625f""What?" he said incredulously. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Is she joking? How does she not know what coins are?'/em "How backward is your village? You don't use coins?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7219b4cb2b5302e86f6884504a2de384""I just don't want them," the girl said. She was really starting to annoy him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="55f409ecd81fffcbcf4670d8f82c9464""Yes, you do," he said, impatiently. They continued to argue for a while, until Undauntable had to drag her up and down the line to show her that all the people selling the things she wanted, wanted his coins./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="73f24e2b9496d040230e16d349f5820f""See? You want their stuff, they want my coins, and I want your scale. Do we understand now? Are we getting the picture?", he said after showing her all the things she needed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2db8237160e45664d277648dbb8e5bc2""...Yes", she said reluctantly, finally, FINALLY, giving in. He helped her get new clothes, boots, a wool cloak, a map, two loaves of bread, a canteen for water, and five books. She went into one of the tents to change into her new clothes. When she came out, he noticed that her face and hands were clean, also there were no more sticks in her hair. Perhaps the owner of the tent left her some water she could clean herself with. She looked better now that she had clothes that fit her and were no longer covered in dirt./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="9691543cf059d06bfd096e6a6c21c29f""Thanks", she said to him, reaching in her pocket for the scale./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3bda008dd545fac257494e9cca64cd35""Wait, that's it? That is all you want?" Undauntable asked. She looked at him confused./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f0bf88d817ea94bcfa6fbcc4b327e30f""Yeah? Why? Was I supposed to get something else?" asked the girl./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="527e30bc5c938bbb705b522bf6bbef2d""Well, it's just the price of all this does not equal up to the scale's value," he said. "I should get you something else to make up for the rest of the price."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="ab30b3ecf13dd7bab308908dae08bdd0""No, it's fine. I do not want anything else-", she began when Undauntable interrupted her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8e237228ca5ed49b64a45cb15be23ec7""I insist!", he said. She sighed. She looked around the tents and then back at him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0cb4bd30f6735c369210c84a0dfedcd9""What about your earring?", she asked, pointing at his left ear. Undauntable took off the silver dragon earring he was wearing and looked at it. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Hmm, I know there was something important about this earring, but what?'/em his mind pondered. He shrugged. It probably did not matter. He deposited the earring in her hand. She put the earring in her pocket and took out the scale./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="71adfef660c736a3079b41df1cb96b65""All right you can have it," she said, giving him the scale. Undauntable marveled at the scale. He breathed on it and rubbed it clean. He held it up to the Sun inspecting it closely./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="3cb95528ad81396f3de2fc91453898c3""Where did you find it?" he asked her. "I bet this came from a baby dragon. If we could track it down, I could have a whole chest plate made of these." He imagined how amazing and cool that would look. He saw the girl shudder at that thought before she answered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="fe72c9442029b251f36725ecddac883d""I found it in the swamps. If I find another one . . . I could bring it back to you.", she told him. His eyes lit up at that./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b37e0755ef2fca72d0794591e41112ce""Yes!" he said overjoyed. "Do that! Don't sell it to anyone else!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e3e71f61b5d0fdcae5247e4fc8e98501""All right, I'll come back and look for you in a year. Maybe a little sooner if I finish these books and need something else to read." The girl said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d6a1b7e87c58965c97047f1a51f3bb3c""A year?" Undauntable said in dismay. "That's so long!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="e99a597c259264b6e3b18b1982507e22""I think you'll survive," she said as she started packing up her things in her cloak./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7500564db89ce8028042aaef8bc933a4""I know I will, I am the prince of the Indestructible City. But you will almost certainly be dead in a year." he said. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'A year? By herself? Was she asking to get eaten?'/em Undauntable thought. After only three months, everyone in the city believed his mom to be dead and this girl was saying she was going to survive more than triple that?/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="08673baaa657487d31dc58b6ad1cc06a""Thaaaaaaaaat's cheerful," said the girl, trying to hide the surprise in her voice. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Oh, I guess she didn't know I was a prince. Maybe now she'll start treating me better.'/em Undauntable was pleased at this thought. "You'll just have to wait and see." The girl started walking away./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="734e0429c076112ff22799d5ee18be10""I don't like waiting," he shouted after her, stamping his foot. "This is extremely aggravating!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="0cd0f872cf4c1343c50be9d0998fdc87""Saddest story ever told," she called back. Undauntable watched her follow the river down and down, until she was gone./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="1eded863dae36b5f72d247835d30e2b3"span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"*TIME SKIP: The Manor*/em/span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f5d6004aa49168eb646af2ab8425a0b5"Undauntable, Dragon, and Citrine made it back inside to the manor, only to find the Invincible Lord waiting inside for them. He looked furious, his dark eyes staring daggers into Undauntable./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c39c634f076a9cad7926c5cee90183f3""Where were you?" His voice sent chills down Undauntable's spine. His father's anger scared Undauntable as it never led to anything good./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="86300d0d1ea46d0173df6c02a63091fe"" A-apologizes, Father. I was-", Undauntable started as his father's thundering voice interrupted him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="72ce3a8fe725b62af274c1c6a0a8bb72""Your tutor arrived. She came bursting into my throne room while I was having a particularly important meeting. She told me that she could not find you anywhere and I had to pay her extra for having to waste her time looking for you while you were out doing who knows what!" his father shouted. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'Oh no! I completely forgot about that!'/em Undauntable thought panicking. He was about to say something when his father continued./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="532ecd56adeeb72f261950f6d1261fe3""And when I asked General Anhinga about what happened to you, he said he let you leave class early to "clear your mind" because you were not paying attention and kept getting distracted thinking about useless thoughts! I had to punish him for being too soft on you and not forcing you to listen!" yelled Invincible. Then something caught his attention. His wrathful eyes were now glued to Undauntable's left ear./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4b05aa11c48ceaa11372a91074900da1""Where is your earring, Undauntable?", his father asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="eb6c0c10ff62ce1e79249b503972a42b""I-I, um, I sold it today, at the Borders, the person was selling a d-dragon scale and I-" Undauntable started until once again being interrupted by his father./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="8efcabca01daf6405610a9138e40665c""You sold- em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You sold/em Lord Perseverance's, the founder of the Indestructible City, earring for a em style="box-sizing: border-box;"dragon scale! /emDo you know how priceless that earring is? Our ancestor made it with the melted silver of his late sister's, Optimism, necklace. It was the first piece of jewelry made in the Indestructible City and you SOLD IT?! For a useless scale?!" His father was beyond livid now./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7192d2c015bac181be033d5a0a661b20""You're grounded for five months, Undauntable. You are not allowed to leave this manor at all, and your classes will be extended. General Anhinga will not be allowed to let you leave class early and he has been told to train you atem style="box-sizing: border-box;" my/em level. If I see you do not make any progress, I will lengthen your punishment. To assure you do not sneak out, Citrine will be posted by your room day and night. Be lucky this is all I am giving you, for disgracing this family. Do you understand?" Invincible said, his face still burning with rage./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="4ea193241324d60381f2dc41fc77a5a9""Yes, Father," Undauntable said quietly. He was looking down at his feet with shame./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="7e61a8d04354a5af6ccfd1d7369870a6""SPEAK UP AND LOOK AT ME, DISGRACE!" Invincible roared, forcefully grabbing his son's head and forcing him to look him in the eye./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b008287a3cbebdc6ade3b98295a6a6e9""Yes, Father!" Undauntable said looking into his father's hateful gaze. His father let go of his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d551023e617edbf41a606c6d89cdf373""Go to your room. I don't want to look at you for the rest of the day." Invincible said, walking away and muttering curses under his breath./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="cc794aec9b1e089be99e271531aecb23"Undauntable's eyes watered, but he did not dare cry. He headed up to his room with Cirtrine and Dragon following him. He opened his door and collapsed on his bed. He took out the scale in his pocket. The small thing had gotten him in a lot of trouble today, and yet, for some reason, he did not regret going down to the Borders. He thought of the girl and the events that happened to get this scale and it surprisingly made him feel better. Though there was one thing that was not adding up. The girl said she found this scale in the swamps, but the scale did not look like a Swamp Dragon's. He got up and looked at his scale collection. He took a red Mountain Dragon scale and compared it to the one the girl gave to him. They were different colors and sizes, but their shape was the same. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'So, the scale came from a baby Mountain Dragon, but what was it doing in the swamps? I thought all the dragon tribes hated each other. Could the baby dragon be dead? That could be a possibility, but then why did the girl say she would find another scale if she already saw the body of the dragon? Does that mean she has more than one, maybe even a whole bag full?', /emhe wondered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="f9e79618c27c2375911433ec002ca981""Prince Undauntable, are you okay?" Citrine asked as she came back into the room with her stuff. He noticed she had changed out of her spiked armor when she set down her things and lay on the couch in his room. When his father told Citrine to watch Undauntable day and night, he meant ALL day and ALL night. That meant for the next five months, Citrine could not go back to her quarters to sleep, and she would have to make do on the couch./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="017c05cf0e614ef4eb0a85c95225f6ba""Yeah, I'm just thinking about everything that happened today." he responded. He went to go sit back on his bed next to Dragon, still holding the scale./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="a90bf9769f26d9a8fd84a3e2c31f6ca1""Oh, yes, about the strange little girl and what happened with you and your...father", Citrine said. There was a weird tone in her voice when she mentioned his father. A tone that almost sounded like anger and hatred. Undauntable wondered if he should ask her about it but decided against it. Instead, he asked her about the girl./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="aab8c0a8a0a236ed6880bdec6863b796""What did you think of ... the girl?" he asked Citrine. It suddenly dawned on Undauntable that the girl had not told him what her name was, even after everything he helped her with. That infuriated him a bit, but he decided he would ask her next time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="792e40af6f05d243a3cf04ceda26f644""Well, she definitely had a very, hmm, how do I put this, a very out-spoken personality. She also appears to be hiding something and does not trust strangers with even her name. I must admit that I am worried about her. That girl was no older than you and she is out there all by herself," Citrine said. "She could have family, but the way she acted and the things she bought, tell me she probably doesn't, or she does, but she ran away. I don't know her story, but what I do know is that there is a little girl wandering alone in a world run by blood-thirsty monsters."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="d97ceba80ae929e71e5d11e1ba91a80d""Wow, you seemed to have thought about this for a while," Undauntable said to her. She chuckled softly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b996eb5a17ccda5e4c38a72250b54748""It is kind of my job to try to find out as much as I can from the people you associate yourself with to be sure they don't pose any threat to you. I did get defensive when she mentioned killing you in eight different ways, but I believe they were simply empty threats." Citrine responded. Undauntable smiled. It was sometimes nice to talk to Citrine about certain things. Yet, there was something that she said about the girl that bothered him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="2fc8d24fb7653796939fa634571226c0""Citrine? Do you think the girl will survive 'till next year? You don't think she'll die out there, right?" Undauntable asked. Cirtine looked him in the eyes. He could see the concern and worry in her hazel eyes. She was analyzing his expression to see if there was another reason he was asking. She sighed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="b1634cd0d308c84026ce9e461b2b3291""I... I do not want to lie and get your hopes up, Undauntable. I do think that the girl is very smart for her age, and I do believe she also thinks she can survive on her own, but... I don't know, she is still a child, and those dragons are ruthless. I guess the only thing we can do is take that girl's advice, "You'll just have to wait and see." Citrine said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px;" data-p-id="c7ac9b7cb15a65053de21e4aa22596eb""Yeah, I guess," Undauntable replied. He wanted to ask Citrine her opinion on more topics, but he was starting to get tired. Today was a very emotionally exhausting day and right now all his mind wanted to do was rest. He closed his eyes, cuddled into Dragon's soft fur, and drifted off into a deep slumber; the scale still in his hand./p
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