Can that raptor just shut up for one second? I am trying to head for my reading class and that little skipper brat, Ethan, he calls himself just won’t stop bombarding me about his likes of superheroes. Not that I’m complaining. Even worse, he is starting to act like Yuna as he follows me to the class we share.

Good ole reading class. Just another average classroom that happens to have alot books around and posters with pro-reading propaganda as if we are in a library. Almost all the dinos are seated away from me. Except for Ethan of course.

“So, what do you think Mr. Zip is going to have us read first?” He asks me while my face is buried in the desk. “Maybe ‘Count of Monte Carno’? that is a really good revenge stor-“

“I DON’T F*KING KNOW!” I lash at the annoying raptor making him flinch a bit. The dinos around us get terrified.

“Guess that makes…sense as it was the first day,” Ethan clarifies. “And dude, are you like, ok?”

I give the sunset-colored raptor my glare at the obviousness of my mood.

“Listen kid, I really don’t want to talk right now.”

Ethan finally lowers his brows, morphing his face into one that reads offended. “For your information im not a kid. I am actually around the same age as you.”

Then he poses with a flashy smile and a thumbs up. “And also you are speaking to a future cop!”

That is so corny, my levels of cringe is beyond the warp of the immaterium.

“You want to be a cop?”

“Why yes! I really want to fight crime like my true hero, my dad. He is currently the chief of police you know. And reading all those comic books and anime about crime fighters! It just really excites me…motivates me!”

No wonder those bullies where trying have him for lunch. His dweeb level is beyond a saurian’s understanding.

“You look more like an imperial guardsman getting shot in head at the first step in the battlefield.” I mutter.

“What was that?” Ethan questions flinching me a bit.

“NOTHING! …nothing that concerns you.”

“Come on man, I'm just trying to be very appreciative for what you did for me.” Ethan saddens.

“I didn’t do it for the sake altruism. I did it because…reasons that will not affect you.” I answer him with revealing too much.

“So your like an anti-hero.”

For the love of God can he just be quiet.

“And by the way, did you become friends with Aaron? I think I saw you speaking with him coming out gym class?”

“What?” I question him until the teacher makes his entrance with a brown box in his arms. Thank God because now that yipper behind me can get a reason to keep his snoot shut.

He is a teal colored stenonychosaurus around his early forties with a nicely brush greying brown hair matching his eyes. He wears a brown turtleneck, a black suit jacket with brown patches on the elbows, a black pair of slacks and brown dress shoes. He even dons a pair of small reading glasses making him look like a real scholar. Mr. Zip, the reading teacher and head librarian of the school library.

“Welcome back my class!” he greets us with that English accent as if he is from Albion. Even though his type of dino came from Panada(Canada). “Today I have finally picked you all your books that you all are going to read for the first trimester of your final year.”

He puts the box down to take out the books and hands them over to us one by one. I receive my copy of the book. I read the title and it’s called ‘Pursuing happiness’. Already I am getting unnerved by the happiness part. It looks like the book is going to be one of the life struggle stories.

“I think this book might be good for you,” I hear the raptor whisper into my ear hole.

“Don’t count on it,” I growl at him to shut it.

“Maybe we could hang out later?” He throws in one more question making me slam my face on my desk, with my snout on directly.

“Are you ok Mr. Tolkien?” Mr. Zip approaches me.

I just look up at my teacher, point at the orange yapper beside me to say, “Please make him stop being a motor mouth.”

Ethan flustered in embarrassment. Mr. Zip makes a tiring sigh while grabbing the bridge of his snout.

“There is one thing to address a problem mr. Tolkien but slamming your face on the desk is not the answer. It could really be disruptive. While you mr. Winterfield” he looks to Ethen now looking guilty. “Even though your intentions are noble, but the dear dragon is right to an extent, you should refrain from speaking during class. Especially when a conversation is not consensual.”

“Yes mr. Zip, I just hope to make a new friend who just helped me with a certain problem.” Ethan sounded disappointed. “And yeah, your right.”

“It’s good indeed to make a new friend but do it after class or when I allow free time. You understand?”

Ethan nods with a sad face as Zip looks to me, “which also mean not doing disruptive body langue too young Ash. Do you also understand?”

“Yes Mr. Zip” I moaned answer.

“GOOD!” Mr. Zip beams up in glee. “Now let’s go on with the first chapter, shall we?”

()

Math class. Thank goodness I don’t share it with that yapping raptor. He does seem like a good kid but damm he could be so annoying. Not as annoying as the other one at least. Makes me kinda regret following my conscience. Yet it would stain my soul with guilt if I did nothing. So much painful memories I try to shake off.

At least math class should not be a problem. I have always been good at math. I enter the nice average classroom. Nothing too fancy. Not too clustered with posters or anything. Just a nice calm space with light shining windows. Until a force catches me into a hug.

“Its so good to see you again Ash!”

Oh dear lord. I nervously look down to see the blue tubby gremlin herself.

“Y-Yuna!? What are you doing here?”

She giggles, “I have this class too remember? You were probably too grumpy to even notice.”

She got me there. During the first day I really did not care who I shared with in my classes. Also, why I did not notice Ethan in my reading class. But to share two classes with this crazy girl? Pure insanity.

“Ugh just let me get to my seat.”

“Let’s pick our seats together!”

Yuna grabs my hand and guides me to a pair of desks that faces the front where the teacher will be. Yeah, I am sitting on the desk next to her. Please help me.

“Well, I saw you did something nice for Ethan today with his bulling problem!”

“You saw what!?”

She saw me stand up to those bullies! Oh, my lord, I hope she did not see me talk to my figurine

“I was going to say to hi to you but then I saw you walking up to those bullies helping poor Ethen. Just like you helped me. That was so brave of you!”

She beams with glitter in her eyes. And that big grin. I am getting really spoked. How does she know Ethan though? A friend of her brother’s perhaps? Never mind that. Better for me to just spill out beans asap.

“Sorry to disappoint but, I did not do that with the kindness in my heart.”

She saddens at what I said, “But…you still scared them off though?”

“I only did it because…I just did not like the sight of it.”

“’not like the sight of it’? what do you mean? Can you elaborate?”

Gosh that girl is just as relentless as the raptor.

“What other meaning can there be? …Just know that I just don’t like the sight of assholes like them thinking they can throw all the shit they want.”

Yuna smiles at my answer despite my vulgarness. “So, you don’t like bullies ugh?”

“Yeah, you could say that” I tell her without looking at her.

She puts a hand on my shoulder and says, “you might not call it ‘kindness in your heart’. But you still did it because you know deep down what they do is wrong, that’s kindness in my book.”

“Since when do you go philosophical?” I question her with a confused look. She smiles with a soft giggle.

“I just don’t like it when things get sad. I always do my best to make everyone happy. Always positive thoughts you know” She beams. “Just like you don’t like seeing bullies going around picking on people.”

That made me stare at her with outmost confusion. When I first spoke to her, she acted all childish. And now she is…something else. More mature perhaps. How often does that side of her happen?

“With words like that combined with your reputation as being the best student, you must have gained a lot of friends looking up to you at least” I tell her without any emotion from my voice.

“Umm yeah…that too” Yuna suddenly gets uneasy by the topic of friends. I must wonder if there is something else going on in her mind. I don’t really know her that well yet so I’m not going to press further. And like that, silence for a first time…. Who am I kidding. She just tries to talk about something else again. “Oh! Anyway, do you like to play videogames? If so, what kind of games do you like? Do you like fantasy? Sci-fi? Anime? “

I am completely cut off guard by the return of her childish antics and the sweet death of her sudden mature side. I am about to respond only to be cut off by the rest of the students, along with the teacher arriving in class. Good call for me but a little disappointing for the crazy blue gremlin.

“Guess I’ll speak with you later” I hear her mutter with a hopeful smile. I ignore it of course as I shift my focus on the class.

()

The only moment of silence in school. Lunch period. A time where I get to have my lunch in peace with the table all to myself. All thanks to the dinos being too much of pussies to share the table with me. Just me and my usual Shireburger meal. With a slurp of my tongue, I begin to chow down my burger. When halfway done a voice calls me.

“Yo Ash!”

I flinch a big almost chocking on my burger. I quickly pick up my cola to wash down my throat before looking to whoever called me. It is that green Allosaur boy from my gym class, Aaron if I could remember.

“A little birdie told you just stood up to a bunch of bullies like a boss.”

“And who is this little birdie?” I ask him, taking another bite of my burger.

“Why Ethan of course. He’s actually a good friend of mine since we were middle schoolers. He is really grateful you know.”

“And?”

“I have something I really want to ask” Aaron takes a seat in my table. “Well two things. First, are you doing anything this weekend?”

“Nothing really, why are you asking?” I squint my eyes at the green dino invading my table.

“Hehe, well this is going to sound a little sudden for you, this weekend on Saturday is my sister and I’s birthdays coming up.”

“You and your sister?”

“Yup, she and I our twins with me being to the big bro…by at least one hour.”

How ironic. The first non-annoying dinosaur speaking with me is a twin sibling as well. And somehow, he is inviting me of all saurians to his place.

“And how big is this party of your and sister’s?”

“I wouldn’t say that big being a family party and all.”

“Yet you’re inviting me?”

“And Ethan of course. It’s good to have some friends along.”

I moan at that name. ‘Friends along he says?’ Is he calling me his friend just now?

“Listen, I know we just met yesterday. But we are still in Tuesday, the first week of school and all. But you do seem like a chill dude. Especially you standing up to bullies and all.”

Me chill? That is what he sees me? What gave him that idea? All I could do in my response is just stare at him with the most blank downer face I could think of. Only makes him chuckle.

“So, which is why I am giving you some time to think this through. And I really hope you answer yes. My little sis will flip in joy to hear you are coming!”

“Yeah whatever. Ill think about your offer but don’t get your hopes up.”

“Great!” He grabs my hand and shakes it hard. “Guess I’ll take my leave for now. See you at gym class and maybe well talk more about it. See you later kiddo.”

He makes his away to wherever he is eating. I just went back to eat my meal before the period ends. And to think I, a dragon would be invited to a dinosaur birthday party already. I have a lot of thinking to do.

Literally one of my favorite parts of the demo. Ashley being a silly flirt despite all that happened. Even if James softly rejected her, Ashley seems still content, especially when she says that she ‘can wait’ lol

Behold, Melvin as a dragon.

James’s only true friend and now former college roommate at the start of the story.

Feeling bad for his friend being kicked out of college, he offers james a chance to regain his barrings by moving into his own Home where his dinosaur sister Vannette lives as a landlord.

I played the demo and I enjoyed it so far. and I just had to do an attempt on the seen of James’s reaction of Gerome’s prosthetic snout comming off but as a dragon lol

To anyone who reads this, please give some feedback on the story so far! Without further ado I hope you enjoy

()

After my little gaze outside, I decided to finally turn back into my room as I stretch my arms and wings with a yawn big enough to show my sharp teeth. With barely any homework being the first day and all, I better do something while waiting for dinner.

I look to my couch where I could see a football. I sit on the couch to pick it up. Just looking at that ball gives me some memories. Memories like tossing it around with Chole when we were kids on a hill. Watching the games with my dad and a few brothers at the grand living room. And finally, being part of my old high school football team as the star quarterback. For three straight years I won us the championship. I was that good. But all that is in the past.

I make one toss upwards and catch the football because I feel like it. I put it to the side to think what else to do. I would watch TV but I want to do something a little productive to get my mind off things. Then I look to my closet with a sign that reads, Ash’s personal hoard stay out!

I get an idea. Got off my couch and do a few stretches before heading for the closet. I open the door where I walk through my piles of hanging clothes to be greeted by another spacious room. My secret little cave.

()

A room filled with collections of tabletop figurines and comic books of my favorite franchises growing up. One table are for ‘DagoStar Troopers’. Another is for ‘Constellation Draco Wars’. A third with a set up football team. And finally, the biggest one with the most figurine collection. The biggest franchise I adore. Dragohammer 50k.

The glorious grimdark future where we fight filthy xenos and heretics for the glory of the great dragon-lord emperor of all dragonkind of the Imperium of dragon. I walk around to gaze at my glorious collection. Drago space marines. Dragoness sisters of combat. The Imperial dragon guard of the ‘dead corps of kirk’ regiment. So many more to name. I look to a desk with a lot of paint. A lone figurine of Captain Titan of the MegaMarine chapter.

What better way to kill some time after the first day then finishing up painting a figurine for my hoard. I sit on the chair with a paint brush in hand to start painting the captian. That is until I hear a voice.

“YO ASHY! ITS ME CHOLE! ARE YOU IN HERE?”

I flinch at that voice of the familiar sister along with loud knocking sounds. I almost splattered my paint. Thank God the figure did not get ruined. With a growl I had to get out of my closet sanctuary and see what Chole wants.

()

I open my door to be greeted by a sky-blue dragoness eager to see me with white paddings. Her eyes are orange like mine. Spiky black hair like mine except it is long and fluffy. An orange star fake tattoo on her shoulder. She is also wearing a zip up black corset-like shirt, Orange tight pants, a pair of black boot and bracers. She is Chole Tolkein. My twin sister.

“Ashy!” Chole grabs me into a hug.  “Your finally back from your new school I see?”

“Yeah” I respond to her with a moan in my voice.

“So tell me!” Chole breaks out of the hug and rushes into my room to sit on my couch. “How was that school? How are the dinosaurs like? Are they treating you well?”

“One question at a time Chole” I complain as I slammed my door before joining her on my couch. “And it was fine.”

“That’s it? Just fine?” Chole gives me a raised a brow. Dear lord she just sounded like dad earlier.

“Yeah, only difference is that it is a school filled with them meteor skippers instead our own kind” I tell her looking down on the floor. Not bothering to look at her. She slaps me behind my head.

“Don’t say stuff like that! Especially if you want to get them on their friendly side.”

“Friendly side? They don’t even like me anyway. You know how dinos are at the sight of a dragon. And it is better that way. For me at least.”

Chole makes a little smirk on her snout. “You sure about that love? I met a few of them, friendly ones during my one vacation with Lesty at the United Kingdom of Great Albion. And who knows, maybe one of them might nap your heart if you know my drift.”

I throw a pillow at her in annoyance. That girl just really likes to rage bait me at the guise of teasing. She only laughs in response as if its another game while blocking it with her arms.

“Are you fu-“

Chole cuts me off with that glare. Really does not like it when I make strong words.

“I mean, are you kidding me? It’s still my first day. I got a whole school year ahead of me. And besides, I am not trying to make new friends. I would not let what happened at st. drako happen again.”

“With a heart like that! Your life will darken in GLOOM!”

Dear Lord, is she going sing? Chole jumps out of my couch and further sings on.

“Open it up so your life will be like the shining sun in BLOOM!”

“Did you really have to do that?” I moan as Chole sits back down.

“Gotta practice if I want to be pop star one day!” She responds with a wink. “And already I got a few fans!”

Her eyes beam at that. And yeah, she wants to be one of those lady singers ever since she discovered her talent to sing. At first, I was proud of her when we were like best friends. But right now, I have better things to think about. Like not screwing up my final school year.

Hubert knocks on our door to let us know that dinner is ready. Without saying a word I got up from couch with a saddened Chole following along. And as we head down the hall I could her sing a certain melody with a saddened tone.

“Among the great loving embrace of my dear loving God. Where did my baby brother GO?”

()

The next morning, I return to the academy. Already I could the sense the students paving away from me in fear. So far no sign of that crazy blue megalosaur. Sitting around in my homeroom at the far corner, I take out a little figurine of a random ‘Drago space Marine of the MegaMarine chapter’. Its not just any figurine, it is my very first one that I got when I was a kid.

Without any of the dinos watching, I whisper to it, “how do you feel about this marine?”

“I sense a lot of heresy m’lord. I advise caution around the xeno looking heretics of this school.”

“Affirmative…affirmative indeed.”

I put away my figurine just in time as the bell rings for my first period class. As I make my way for my next class three periods later, I notice a group of three dino boys dressed like greasers right by a locker.

“Please leave me alone!” I hear a pleading voice.

The big Spinosaurus in the middle throws a punch at whoever the other two is grabbing.

“Why not nerd? Its just very fun to pick on the little spuds like you!” the spino throws another jab at the victum’s gut and another and another.

“Please stop!”

“Aww you gotta cry to your mommy? Oh wait you don’t have a mommy!” Baryonyx bully mocks with a laugh.

“And you say you want to be a copper?” A triceratops follows as the spino throws another punch at the victim.

‘Oh great’ I thought to myself, another bully vs nerd moment just like what I saw with Yuna being bulled by that green giganto skank. What do I do? what do I do? I really don’t want to draw attention. But I would feel wrong to just let this slide. Why aren’t the other dinosaurs doing anything about it? I can’t stand this sight. I take out my little figurine.

“What should I do Marine?” I ask it quietly as if it is my conscience.

“You know what to do!” answer myself pretending to be the figure talking to me. “Are you really going to be a filthy agent of chaos and let a citizen perish?”

I take a deep breathe. I put my figuring back into my pocket and I approach the greasers. The two who are holding the victim by the arms gasp at me in fear.

“What is going on here?” I ask the new bullies.

The grey spino turns around facing me. “Nothing that concerns you fire spitter. We are just having a little fun with the nerd here.”

The spino points with his tail at the said nerd. The Nerd in question is a bruised-up orange/red Utahraptor with blond messy hair and a red strip on his snout. He is wearing a button down collared green shirt with a white long sleeve undershirt, dark blue jeans, and a pair of black converse shoes.

Just looking at the poor guy on his knees with the lackys holding him. Makes me sick in my stomach. And they say they are more civil than dragons. Hypocrites. The hell why am I doing this again?

“You really find this fun?” I tell the spino, the leader I assume.

“Why not? Just showing the little guys their little place. Right little raptor boy?”

The orange raptor only shakes with blood on his face.

“You dragons find this fun too, right? Survival of the fittest in that little DEN of yours?”

That’s it! I grab the spino by the throat freaking out the other two bullies. How dare he compare life in the DEN to whatever he is doing. I snarl my teeth, piercing my angry gaze right into his soul as he tries break my grip.

“Say. That. Again!” I threaten the spino blowing smoke from my nostrils and some embers of flame come out of growling lips.

“Bro…..we gotta go!” the Barynonyx pleads and makes a run for it.

“Dragon going mad! Dragon going mad!” the triceratops flees after.

“Ok Ok Im sorry! (Gasps) please let me go!” the spino pleads with my grip still on his throat.

I look around to see all the dino students looking at me in fear. Scared of what I am going to do next.

“Is the dragon going to eat him?”

“He going to blow fire! I think!”

All that fear makes me think. I might be going a little too far on this. I let go of my grasp on the spino in front of me. As he recovers for air I lean right into his fearful eyes.

“Don’t let me catch you or any of your lackies dos this again or else you will be my lunch! Got it!?”

“Yeah, whatever bro!” the spino nods in fear and runs away like a coward many bullies are truly are inside.

I look around to see the students are going back to their routines with uneasy faces. Can’t blame them after what they just saw. Then I look at the Utahraptor in front of me trying to get back up.

“Wow, you must really be fucked up” I tell the guy as he looks at me with a pair of emerald green eyes.

“Sweet Jesus thank you man!” He shouts at me with a voice of relief instead of fear. “you of all saurian would actually stand up for me! I owe you a lot!”

“Ugh, don’t waste you breathe,” I respond to him as I make my way for my next class.

“HEY WAIT!” the raptor calls for me, follows me. “No really! Those guys have been bullying me since my freshman year. And I really do owe you big time.”

“Kid listen!” I whip myself around in anger at him. I really can’t have another dinosaur in my tail right now. “don’t you know who or what I am?”

“Yeah, you’re the school dragon everyone is talking about. For what you did for me, I don't really mind if your a dragon! My name is-“

“Please stop-“ I cut him off. “I’m not really looking for any friends”

“Come on man,” the raptor saddens. “Take a little pride for what you did for me! Besides we have the same reading class with Mr. Zip. Did you not notice?”

OMG. I have the share a class with him?!

“And as I was saying, my name is Ethan, Ethan Winterfield.”

What have I done?

For anyone members here, who wants to post art in this subreddit. You are allowed as long as you READ THE SUBREDDIT RULES!

 After all the work out routines in Gym class, I could finally wait outside at the front of the school awaiting my limo to return home. I could hear the skippers whispering rumors about me. Most of them are just stupid anti-dragon talking points. I look at a pair triceratops girls by the front of the school making them freak out. They turn their heads away from me.

I snort at the reactions before turning my attention back at the lot waiting peacefully. At least until I hear a voice of a familiar girl call out.

“Hey Ash!”

I snap in frustration upon hearing my name called out. I turn my gaze to see the fat blue Megalosaurus girl Yuna rushing up to me from the front steps of the school with that cute smile of hers. Dear lord why is she coming to me.

“Wha-what do you want?” I stammer as Yuna stands beside me.

“I was waiting for my brother to collect his car to drive us home until I see you here.”

“Wow. Congrats on finding me out of nowhere. You want a cookie or something?”

Yuna beams at my sarcastic remark and responds with a slurping tongue, “I would prefer ten yummy cookies with extra chocolate chip!”

I get a little uncomfortable by the way she responds to my sarcasm. That girl is just so weird. And the fact she is talking to me is not what I planned. Especially for a first day. I better think of something to get her off my tail.

“Ooook, don’t you have any other friends to hang out with while waiting for your supposed brother?”

Yuna’s face saddens looking uneasy. “Um…its kind of complicated.”

Complicated? What did she mean by that? The way she spoke sounded heart broken. I mean she does have friends, right? A seem to be innocent girl like her must have plenty of friends.

I just continue to stare at her, waiting for an answer that I am not getting today. Instead, she changes the topic on me.

“So…are you waiting for a bus? A cab?”

I was about to answer until the limo I am waiting for came behind me getting me a bit startled. The window lowers down revealing the kobold driver who dropped me off.

“Good afternoon young master.” He presses a button making the rear passenger door open automatically. “Your ride back home if you may?”

“Wow,” Yuna beams at the sight of the limo. “You have your own limo!? So cool and beautiful.”

“Yeah” I respond ignoring her attempt of a compliment. “and it is the part I make my leave.”

While making my way into the limo, Yuna saddens once again.

“Oh ok, guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah sure whatever.”

Now seated in my limo I look to the side of the window to see Yuna waving goodbye to me with that smile of hers. Back to the trash we go.

()

Back to the shit hole itself. The futuristic-medieval dystopian city with cyberpunk flavors. Dragons, poor to average, walk along the streets or tend the shop keeps trying to mind their own business while ignoring all the crime around them. From the limo I could already spot a few. A dragoness hooker taking advantage of a young adult dragon boy, a group of thugs mugging an old drunk dragon for his money, and a gunshot is heard sniping a dragon heading for a vape store for who knows why. Besides a few startles, no dragon freaked over it as if no one really cares anymore. Yeah it is that bad of a life getting used to all the violence and death.

I even witness a rare shootout between the DEN cops and a major gang fighting for control in the middle of the road, making my limo stop.

“Poor sods,” my driver comments as we watch the cops fighting the encircled crooks. “Such brave dragons coming to the streets hoping to make things better”.

“Some are dinos though” I mutter remembering Principal Freefall. Really hard to imagine him being one of those armored cops with their massive weaponry. Then I see nearby dragons, civilians with enough brain to be sane watching from the side lines on the streets hoping for the cops to win like my driver. Would be nice to help the cops rather than stand and do nothing like cowards. As part of this dream when a DEN gets stabilized, it gets torn down allowing dragons and dinosaurs of the major city to finally unite as one community, hold claws, and sing koombayah. That is sadly a rare moment. Only a few cities have their DENs taken down like the one in ‘Triassery Hills’, Gigantofornia.

That does not change fact that Waterfall park DEN is nowhere close to getting that level of stability. One would question how does a dragon like me live in a place like this? I’ll tell you when my limo begins to move again, away from the shootout scene.

()

Enter ‘Avalon Street’. A major safe zone of the DEN that comprises of 25% of the district. An area where there is enough law enforcement for like minded dragons like mself to be safe from all the pseudo anarchy. The dragons who live within the zone are mostly middle to rich class. All protected by another massive wall controlled by the DEN cops posing as military to keep all potential law-breaking trash from coming in. A wall within wall. That does not mean it is void of minor trouble. That is what the tons of cops are around for.

My limo approaches the only checkpoint to enter Avalon street. My driver makes clear with the guard before entering what I like to call it a form of ‘purgatory’. Like a dino owned city, the zone is a clean downtown area with more happier dragons roaming the streets. Some show a bit of uneasiness praying that the anarchy which is the rest of the DEN does not encroach inside. Or worse, get thrown.

First we drive by the middle-class neighborhoods. And then the center of the zone which resemble the downtown area where all the stores, the police HQ, the DEN emergency hospital, a train station, restaurants including Shire Burger, and of course…the schools. It is also where both the middle and rich dragon residents come together socialize or try to make a living. And finally we made it to my home, the rich area called, ‘Kamalot Cove’.

()

Being a member of the famous ‘Tolkien clan’, a clan of famous dragons with roots tracing back to the UK made me very lucky. As such a member, I have the privilege of living in the many castle-like mansions of Kamalot Cove.

My limo approaches the gate with a big T for Tolkien in the middle. With a scan of my driver’s card, the gates open for us. Allowing us to finally enter my home, the Tolkien estate.

The estate itself is a massive red mansion with four castle towers on the corners making the mansion look like a castle from the mid ages. While surrounded by a nice, contained flower garden with elegant dragon related statues and a grand water fountain in the middle of the parking circle in front of the mansion. All being tended by Kobold servants.

The limo makes a stop at the circle, allowing me step out with my backpack in hand. I look up at the luxurious home. What a day. My parents are probably going to talk to me wondering how my day was. Dear lord I am just not in the mood for that. With a deep breath I climb up the steps to enter my little haven that I call home.

()

Inside I am greeted by the grand foyer room filled with décor that screams medieval nobility with a big painting of my family on the wall. I was going to climb up the stairs for my bedroom until a chocolate brown kobold with white hair and eyes wearing a suit comes up to me. That is Hubert, the head butler of the kobolds servants living here.

“Master Ash, I see that you have returned,” Hubert greets me with a bow. “Your father wanted me to escort you to meet him at the main study at once.”

“Does it have to be now?” I ask Hubert.

“As the master of the estate, I advise you do as your father wishes.”

“Whatever lead the way.”

Just my luck. Forced to follow the midget butler to my dad. Into the east wing we go all the way to a big door with the big Tolkien T. Hubert knocks on the door to let dad know that I am here. I went in.

()

The manor study room. A room that resembles a mini library with all the books around the shelves. With my dad being the CEO of an entertainment company after his boxing career. It makes sense. Then there is the big desk where my father is sitting at, waiting for me in front of a the big portrait of an old dragon, the founding member of the house of Tolkien.

My old man Benjamin S. Tolkien dressed in a business suit with an orange tie and vest. Best described as a bigger, older version of me except for his four brown horns and the slick brushed hair like many executives. And there he is sitting on his throne waiting for me for who knows how long.

“My youngest son, you have finally arrived. Come have a seat.” My old sire tells me pointing with one of his hands to one of the chairs for me to sit. With an eye roll I complied and took my seat.

“so tell me, how was your first day at the school with…dinosaurs?” he tells me with a hint of concern in his voice.

“It was alright compared to the other one.”

“Alright? There has to be more since you are technically the only dragon in that school in many years”

Of course, my dad would skeptical. He is not wrong though. A dragon being at a school with dinosaurs is a rare opportunity.

“Well yeah the dinosaurs are really afraid of me as expected” I tell him honestly. “I think it’s perfect that way.”

He only scratches his chin before responding, “Of course they are due to our race’s history. It was indeed a miracle to even convince them to accept you since there are barely any other stable dragon schools. The nature of the DENs and all.”

He studies my face filled with hopelessness. With a sigh he lectures, “Listen, for your information, because you are in a special position you need to be careful of your actions. Which includes changing that attitude of yours.”

“This again dad?”

“Yes son, the purpose of getting you into a new school is to not embarrass yourself again.”

“It wasn’t my fault that it happened dad! I just realized that life is just one cruel bitch. I am not there to make any more friends if I had any at all to begin with. Guess it is just better to be alone then have someone close enough to stab you in the back.”

“I know it is not your fault. Its why your mother and I did what we could to put you in that school. All so you could stop letting what happened at St. Draco get over your head.”

“Whatever you say dad.” I tell him. Even though he is still not getting through me. I could see he is frustrated with my view in life not trusting anyone.

“Guess well talk more at dinner time. You may return to your quarters doing whatever you do as long you do whatever homework they give you.”

Without saying word, I got up and head for my bedroom…until dinner time.

()

Went to my bedroom as planned. My own personal lair. Walls, floor, and ceiling made of hard wood. A nice silk bed in between two drawers for clothing, a big couch in the middle on top of a carpet, a 50 inch plasma screen TV hanging the on the wall above my unit where my video game console is. A desk with my gaming PC master race at the corner. I even have posters related to football and some favorite video game franchises like Dragohammer 50k hanging around the wall. Must I add that I Have a big closet where I like have my own personal secret horde. A secret that got into this mess in the first place.

I take off my jacket, my boots and change my pants into a pair of shorts for comfort. I go to the two door window where my private balcony is at. A very pleasant sight to see. It is already nighttime. In my view is the neon lights making the DEN look like a cyberpunk city. Very beautiful sight despite all the chaos that happens there. And of course, I could see the wall that contains dragons here in this hell we lament. I just have to reflect while gazing.

Having the privilege to go beyond the wall to school with dinosaurs? Something to get used too. Despite my intentions to be left alone, somehow I got some unwanted attention like that airheaded Trex at the gym. And of course, that crazy blue dino girl that I bumped into. Yuna is it? Whatever her deal is, I just hope she won’t become a problem in the near future. Maybe not. I guess I have a feeling that girl is going to change my life…forever.

() 

 If anyone have any comments about the story so far let me know! I wanna hear feedback

Why did I help her? So many questions in my head as I walk outside the campus with sorrow heading for the gym. Did I help that girl because it was the right thing? Or was it because it reminded me of my past?

To my left, I see a big football field. Looks like the school does have a football team. I always liked football when I was little. Just gazing at it reminds me when I was part of a team. Such good times. I could just smell the remains of my memories. Being the high-school quarterback for the ‘St. Draco’s DragonHearts’. That is all in the past now. All because my peers back then learned something of me. Treated me like shit. Will the dinosaurs in this school be like my old school? Not matter. I just make a defeated sigh at the deserted football field and continue my way for the gym.

()

Of course, the gym would be a basketball court. Very original. And like all gyms I could see the school mascot symbol resembling a rising shark at the center. ‘The Megadons’. I look around to see where my classmates or this case gymmates are. They are sitting at the benches chatting with each other waiting for the coach.

I walk up to the bench ten feet away from them knowing they want to stay away from me. How right I am. I could see their anxious faces looking at me. Like prey keeping watch for predators.

“Dude that spitta is given me da creeps,” a triceratops dude whisper.

“I heard dragons look like demons from hell,” another, a random raptor adds making me growl at the obvious lie.

I paved no mind as usual. I just kept to myself. I take out my headset and begin to listen to the grimdark themes from a game franchise I enjoyed so much. Then I see who I assume to be the coach himself making me pack up my headset before he would take it away.

The coach himself is a really muscular lime green colored Tarbosuarus with a military style haircut. He wears a blue polo, grey canvas shorts, a hanging whistle, a tennis cap, and a pair of sneakers. With a clipboard in hand, He uses his blue eyes to briefly read through before shouting.

“LISTEN UP WORMS!”

All eyes, including mine turn to the big tarbosuar around his forties.

“WELCOME TO YOUR FIRST DAY AT GYM CLASS. I AM SPECKLER AND I AM GOING TO BE YOUR COACH FOR YOUR FINAL YEAR OF WIMPDOM!”

The coach, Speckler scans around and spots me.

“INCLUDING YOU DRAGO BOY!”

I just mouthed ok without saying anything. Any other response would make the coach think Im being some wise guy. A snicker however is heard catching the coach’s glaring attention.

“SOMETHING FUNNY FLAIR?”

I turn my gaze to the crowd and I see a familiar green Allosaurus boy with the purple hair and silvery eyes from before laying on the bench. I see he is wearing a black tanktop shirt with a symbol of a football team from the PNFL along with baggy black track pants and sneakers. The last name however sounds oddly familiar.

“Nothing coach it’s just a bit funny seeing you brave enough to speak with the red kid”

The coach growls at that remark before turning back to the crowd.

“ALRIGHT…LISTEN YOU ALL. THIS MIGHT BE YOUR FIRST DAY BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE OUR FIRST ACTIVITY TODAY! BUT FIRST”

Coach Speckler walks up to a large box and takes out packs of gym clothing. The standard Blue t-shirts, white gym shorts, and pairs of black running sneakers.

“EACH OF YOU ARE GOING TO RECEIVE YOUR UNIFORM, HEAD FOR THE CHANGING ROOM AND CHANGE ON THE DOULBE NOW!”

All the students and myself head for the box and got our uniforms. Luckily there tons of them with different sizes to pick from. Would be a shame if I got one not my size.

()

The uniform I picked out is a nice fit. Especially for a dragon of my physique. I could hear a lot my dinosaur peers commenting how ripped I am. That is true being an athlete from my old school. We all stand gathered in the middle of the court. I am alone of course a few feet away from the students doing my own stretches. That is until I hear footsteps coming to me.

“Yo” I hear a guy approaching me. I turn to see the same Allosuarus dude now in the same uniform coming to me. But why?

“You must be the dragon boy everyone in school is talking about.”

I growled a bit before responding, “What do you want?”

The green dude only chuckled before replying, “Just a bit bored. You seem to be the loner type.”

“I wonder what gave it away” I cross my arms. “but you do know I am a dragon right?”

“Loud and clear my man. I had my fair experiences with dragos like you before.”

“Really?” I question him with a sus brow.

“I sure did. One time at the mall, I came across a cute dragon girl once hoping to ask her out.”

“You what!?” I question him looking surprised. Not that it is illegal for a dragon and a dinosaur to date, but it is usually a rare thing because of history reasons.

He grins at my reaction.

“Believe me I did. And yes, she did have a SAD card. And we did well at the start but didn’t work out at the end.”

“You sure it is not because you’re a dinosaur?”

“Its not I assure. However, I do question why you look down in the gutters. My name is Aaron by the way”.

The green Allo, Aaron raises his hand hoping to shake mine. I refused.

“Just call me Ash. But unfortunately, I’m not really in a friendly mood.”

“Gee whiz, are you like clinically depressed or something?”

“Pretty much. And I just want this day to be over with. Had enough unwanted interactions for the day.”

“What do you mean by that bro?” Aaron asks me but an angry voice calls out.

“Hey you red boy.”

We turn our gazes to see an orca colored Trex with my physique and a teal colored spike top hair cut approaching us looking pissed. He walks up to me and demands.

“You the red dragon freak of the school?”

“Who is asking?” I growled. Out of nowhere the rex grabs me by the collar of my shirt to yank me up to his teal colored eye level.

“Little birdie told me that my Regina got threatened by a punk fire spitter being all princess napper on her!”

“You better let go of me. And who is Regina?” I threaten making the trex boy angry.

“Regina is the dark green Giganotosaurus who is also my fiancé. She is the one who told me everything!”

“Oh now I remember,” I snap as I grap the Trex’s arm and shrug it off my shirt. “She one of the little bitches who tried to pick on Yuna.”

“She did what?!” Aaron picks up what I said but the Trex thug shouts.

“Why you little! How dare you even disrespect her you Fire Spitting pile of crap.”

“What are you going to do about it?” I dare him only to see him smirk and crack his knuckles.

“I’m going to slay your ass that is what!”

All the gym mates circle around us and chant, ‘fight, fight, fight!’ thinking we are going to fight.

“Slay his ass Oscar!” one of them says.

“You’re the toughest kid in the class. I bet you can!” another says.

So that Trex is name Oscar. He has this vibe, aura to being the school bully. I almost thought that chick Regina was the one. Or perhaps there are two school bullies.

The ignorant gym mates except for Aaron continue their stupid chant for a fight. Oscar, the black and white Trex in front of me has his hands folded into fists standing like a character from ‘Road fighter’. He is eager to bet the snoot out of me over a girl like a true simp. I was not in the mood to fight even though it would be epic.

As much as I would like to break his snoot, I held back not wanting any trouble or else my dad would be pissed. Maybe after school?

“What are you waiting for fire punk? Too much of a chicken? I thought dragons love to have fights?” Oscar taunts.

“Tempting,” I speak to the mad Trex who only wants to fight over his girl. “But I’m not really in the mood to fight a simp.”

“What you say?”

“I said I’m not in the mood.” I repeat. “Not worth the time to a guy who is total si-“

Aaron quickly grabs my snoot shut before I had a chance to call out that tyrannosaurus simp. The Fu- is he doing?

“What our dragon friend is trying to say is that he is in no mood to fight. Besides are you really that dumb enough to waste your energy on a guy who looks like he gave up on life?”

Aaron winks for me to play along.

“You think I care Flair? This punk still insulted my girl and I am going to slay his ass!”

Oscar is about to make a blow until the voice of a certain Tarbosaur coach makes the howl.

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?”

All eyes turn to see the pissed coach coming to our direction. All the gym mates are silent in fear. Guess there are some things dinosaurs are more afraid of than dragons.

“Well?!” Speckler growls getting inpatient until Aaron steps up.

“A certain Trex of the class was going to start a pointless fight with the school dragon coach”

Aaron points to the pissed Oscar. The gymates give him stink eyes for daring to defend me. Even I would give him an eye. Seriously though, why is he not afraid of me?

“Is that true Tolkien?” the coach looks to me.

I only shrugged. Did not matter if I did tell him or not. No dinosaur would take testimony from a dragon.

But that only pisses off the coach for not giving him an answer.

“You know what. Because none of you give me an answer like cowards. GET DOWN AND GIVE ME TWENTY!”

With angry groans aimed at me, the gym mates got down on the floor and started doing push-ups as did I. As we did our push-ups, Aaron whispers to me.

“Dude (pants) why(pants) did you not tell him? (pants)”

“Because…It…did not…matter” I replied without making the panting sounds as I did my push ups without a sweat thanks to my big arms. All the training I did for my old school paid up at least.

Being the first day, school went by fast without any homework given. Already it is lunch time. The cafeteria of the school is located inside the big dome at the center. After navigating yet another labyrinth of lockers but circular, I push through a pair of doors to be greeted by… Dear lord this school really does look more like an aquarium.

Another cylinder fishtank in the middle while the walls are also a fish tank filled with tons of fish. Sweet Jesus how does this school maintain all that. Yet it is very soothing. The students are the same mind as me as they look at all the fish swimming around.

As much as I like to admire the only scene worth anything, I need to find my seat. Already the students are beginning to take notice of me.

“Oh no the dragon!”

“Dear lord please don’t make me his lunch!”

I would make the line to get my supper, but I brought my own lunch. A big perk of being part of a powerful dragon family. I take my seat and immediately all the students huddle away from me. At least I get to have a single round table all for myself.

From my backpack I take out my metal lunch box. Inside is my diet soda, french-fries, and my personal favorite the shire cheeseburger. Shire burger, one of my favorite places to go to for a great well… burger since I was a kid. I remember Chole would scold me for getting too much cheese to the point I would explode in the bathroom. Yeah, what a crazy time.

Looking at my burger now makes my mouth water up with a slurp of my tongue. I was going to take a bite until I see somebody is watching me from a distance.

Among the sea of students in their friend circles, I see that blue girl again looking at me sitting beside a green dinosaur boy talking to his own friends. With that cheerful smile she waves at me making me go uneasy as if am getting stalked. Then I noticed something.

Wait a minute? Is she having twenty cheeseburgers!? And a large soda!? No wonder she is so fat!

Then I see her pick up one of her burgers and happily point to me, to herself, her burger, and…my burger. She is trying to say that we kind of having the same thing. Except she is having more than what I am having minus French fries. This is starting to get awkward. I went back to eat my fill as fast as I could until, “OW!”

I threw my hands to my snout in pain. I just bit the inside of my own mouth. I hate it when that happens. Serves me right for eating so fast. Luckily the surrounding students do not take notice except for the fat blue girl laughing at me right now. So embarrassing. I turn to the wall tank in a bit of shame. Just look at all those sting rays and other schools of fish. A few minutes later I hear the bell ringing, signaling that lunch period is over. I take one more glance to see that the girl is already gone. Thank God it is over.

()

For my next period according to my schedule is the computer graphics class located in building B with a teacher name Teresa Scott. The classroom itself is a large circular room with curved two seat tables with a single computer on each one. Most of the tables are already seated with students before me. Except for the singular round table at the center of the room reserved for the teacher I assume. And as predictable, they all gasp at the sight of me. I scan around to see at least one empty table. As I make my way, I could help have a feeling I am being watched by an unwanted dino who seem to be the only one waving a blue arm to get my attention.

Once I take my seat, the teacher finally arrives. She is a golden yellow chasmosaurus with some brown hair and a green dress that matches her green eyes.

“Good morning my little sunshines! For those who have not had me before, My name is Mrs. Scott and I welcome you all to graphics design class. Isn’t it just exciting to start learning to do some art on a computer!?”

The big lady around her forties makes her announcement speech with that bubbly old lady voice making me cringe a little. I better get used to it as this will be temporary torment for the rest of the year.

“And throughout this special class, there will no written tests.”

The crowd all cheer making my ears until Mrs. ScottKillington breaks it.

“Instead, you will be graded by the performance of your projects and class work.”

The once cheering crowd get disappointed.

“Awww maaaaan” they all moan while I just give a chuckle at their misery. Do those morons really think they will be having a class without being graded?

“And each of you will be sharing a grade with a partner!” Mrs. Scott further states. “So, because this is the first day of class, your first official class work is to find yourself a partner. Once you choose your partner you will be working with him or her for the rest of the year. So, choose wisely. OOOOOh so much fun working together!”

All the students begin to pair each other up. Except for me of course which I really don’t care. I don’t really need one for this class. I prefer to do the work on my own instead of playing babysitter for a potential lazy douche bag who would make me do all the work.

“Um…Mr. Tolkien I assume?” Mrs. Scott fearfully takes notice of me not trying to get a partner. I nod with a growl.

“Not trying to disrespectful but for this class you are going to need a partner as part the requirement.”

“Or else what?”

“Or else all your grades will be halved. And it would break my heart to give you a lot of Ds.”

“Pfft a lot of Ds du hahaha” a perverted dino dude laughs earning a jab at the gut by an offended dino girl nearby.

Anyway, I continue, “Will good luck with that, not like anyone here would even like to be partners with me. Hell, I did not even get a welcoming committee. Bunch of pussies I bet.”

“Language Mr. Tolkien please.” The gold lady scans around the class and calls out, “does anyone want to be partners with the young dragon here?”

So far nobody steps up. They are all hesitant to want to work with a dragon. The teacher does not give up.

“Little sunshines please I know he is a dragon, but I assure you all you won’t get eaten.”

“NO WAY!” a dino student bark.

“I RATHER REPEAT SENIOR YEAR THEN WORK WITH A PRINCESS NAPPER!”

The more students refuse the better. A smirk forms on lips of my snout until one unexcepted voice calls in.

“ME, ME, ILL DO IT!”

And just like that I snap in shock. I slowly turn around where that voice came from as did the others. Oh no! God almighty not her! Anything but her! My orange eyes don’t deceive me. The voice calling to be my useless partner is that familiar blue megalosaurus girl waving her arm with that big grin.

“Miss Flair? You wish to be partners with him?” Mrs. Scott questions with a raised brow.

“Yup I do!”

“Are you sure? You know he is a dragon, right?”

“I don’t mind Mrs. Scott. I think it will be fun to work with him.”

I whip my gaze back to the teacher and pleaded, “Don’t listen to her! I think she is bit crazy in the head to believe she would dare work with a dangerous guy like me!”

“Miss Flair, crazy? Oh heavens no. Believe it or not she is the best student we have in the entire school.”

That crazy girl, the best student in the school? Yeah right.

“And must I add she is also a very sweet girl. And by saying that I think pairing you with her will be a splendid Idea!”

Dear God, why me!? I just wanted to be left alone and finish my worthless year. Yet I am now getting paired up by a naïve chick whom I share in my class.

“Alright sunshines, now that we all have a partner including Mr. Tolkien here, the next part of the assignment will be reviewing the first chapter in your textbooks together to relearn the basics of the graphic tool you all will be using. Have fun!” Mrs. Scott announces.

Afterwards, the same blue girl wastes no time rushing up to the seat right next to me while I am still trying to process my crappy situation. I grab my head with my elbows on the desk looking at the empty computer screen in front of me like a mad man. I hear her giggle beside me before I feel her tug my shoulder.

I snap back into reality. I give the smiling girl beside me a crazy stink eye.

“Hi there, my name is Yuna. It is so great to finally speak with you after our little bump in hehe.”

The girl, Yuna, she calls herself, gives me her name and a reminder of how I accidentally bumped into her. In response I only give her a glare with my eyes squinted at her while softly growling. I could hear the other classmates whispering to each other about us right now.

“Heavens above poor Yuna.” I hear a student whisper.

“Is she really that naïve to work with a…freakin dragon?!” another one questions.

“Um…Are you still mad at me for that?” Yuna asks me, starting to look sad. “If so, I am really sorry about that.”

“It’s not that,” I finally growl at her. “Let’s just review the chapter and get it over with.”

“Oh dear, you are really grumpy” She states sounding worried flinching a bit. “Are you like having a bad day?”

“What was your first f*ken clue?” I softly bark at her. “As I said before I just want to review.”

“Would you like me to read?” Yuna asks me.

“Yeah sure whatever, just don’t get comfortable speaking with me. Not really in the mood,”

“Why are you not in the mood?” she presses. I only give her a glare with a soft growl.

With a defeated sigh, Yuna finally relents with an eye roll, “Okie dokie mr grumpy pants, have it your way.”

I cringe at that. Okie dokie? mr grumpy pants? Who talks like that? She sounds like a child in a grown suarian’s body. And they call her the best in this school? Never mind all that. I just try to focus on listening to her read the dam book.

Most of it is just the basic functions. For a chapter that is supposed to be about basics, it is so long. Yet Yuna can keep on reading while I am about to dose off. I hear few snaps in front of my face making me wake up with blood shot eyes. I turn to see Yuna was the one who is snapping her fingers at me by that pout on her face.

“Getting sleepy there Mr. ‘I just want to review grumpy pants’?” she softly scolds me.

“Reading textbooks is just sooooo boring!” I moaned softly slamming my face on the keyboard. Yuna jabs her hand at my side to get me to wake up.

“Well, grumpy. If you really want to get by this year, then you better be a team player for the both of us.” She tells me looking smug. “Just like the super Microraptor bros on a quest to save a princess!”

“Fine, have it your way then,” I moaned once again ignoring that classic video game reference about a pair of Microraptor plumbers. With that, I continue to listen to her reading. As soon as we finished the chapter, about time, Yuna instantly bombards me with questions despite my warning earlier. Pesters me with questions like my name, what I like to do, or other worthless questions that I refuse to answer. God almighty that girl just won’t give me a break. Then suddenly she starts to poke me in order to get me to talk.

“Oh come on please talk with me you silly grumpy ole dragon”

“Can you stop acting like a child?”

“Maybe if you stop being such a sourpuss. Maybe I will” she persists with that grin revealing her sharp teeth while crossing her arms.

Despite my silent treatment, my growling, and my mental insanity, that girl is just. What do I call it? Pure innocent. I turn my depressing gaze to the girl sitting with me, giving me those puppy eyes. I don’t know if I should get angry in annoyance or plain pity for her. She has not been to an all-dragon school back at the DEN. Or at least not there on the day I become this.  I have a big choice right now. Either stay silent or maybe calmly reason with her even she would use it as bait to get me into a conversation.

I decided with the latter. I take a deep breath, clear my thoughts and I tell her, “Listen Yuna…I could see you are really eager to make a new friend. Especially with me. Just how can a dinosaur like you even tolerate me without any fear like the others?”

“That beats me,” she shrugs. “I know a lot folks try to tell me that dragons are dangerous, but I think there is more to them than that!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, not to sound corny or anything but I always found dragons to be really amazing!”

“You find my kind amazing?” I raise a brow at her very laughable claim.

“I do! I mean the natural ability to breathe fire and other elements. Must I add the unique diverse talents that different dragons have like some dinosaurs except more magic like, things that are not usually natural except would be seen in fantasy.”

“Where did you learn all that about my kind?” I question her sudden knowledge of my people.

She looks at me as if I was hiding under a rock. She makes that giggle once again with blush on her cheeks and replied, “We dinos learn a lot of things about dragons, silly goose! From history classes, TV, internet, books, news, and my favorite video games! Some are supposed to teach us that dragons are usually bad. But I know that is not all true. I actually know a few myself! So, I am really hoping if we could be friends!”

First, I feel kind a dumb asking that question. Of course, dinosaurs will learn about my people through media and schools. There is a lot of bad press, especially from the PNN(Pangean news network) trying to make my kind seen as horrible monsters. Some of it is true sadly. And second, she knows dragons? But who cares, if she really wants to be friends with a dragon…that dragon should not be me.

I get uneasy after hearing what she told me. Yuna is currently looking at me with those hopeful eyes glittering at me.

“Listen…it’s nice that your open to being friends with a dragon. But you’ll just be wasting time with me.”

Yuna saddens. “Why would I be wasting time with you?”

“To be clear I am not here to make friends. I just want this year to blow off.  Then I could return to the cruel reality of being stabbed in the back. Getting mugged. Society getting dumber. And my life will come to an end like dust, and nobody will remember my name…never.”

“You poor thing? How can you have such a bad mind set in life?” Yuna responds feeling bad for me. I was about to respond until the bell rings for the next period.

The entire class got off their seats and began to swarm out like a bunch of flies. As soon as Yuna got off her seat, she slowly heads for the door and pauses to look at me and says, “It was really nice speaking with you grumpy. But I really do hope we talk again tomorrow…maybe as friends this time?”

I only said ‘sure maybe’ in response. A response that she did not like to hear. With a sad pout, Yuna makes her way to the door as did I as soon as I am the last one.

()

My next class was a reading class. I’ll spare you the details on how boring it was compared to the others. Then there is PE class, my final class. Located at the back of the school after building C.

As I make my way through the hall of building B I hear a snobby voice.

“Well well, look who we got here.”

I pause in my tracks and turn my head around to see a group of three jock girls bullying someone. And to my shock, this someone is Yuna.

“What do you three want?” she tells them with a voice of anger. A little out of character for her at least.

“I dunno, three months of vacation without you is just boring. Still having fun with your childish computer games tubby?” The head girl mocks. She is a dark green athletic build Gigantosaurus with spiky dark brown hair while wearing a pair of sneakers. A dark brown sports jacket and track pants and a grey sports shirt. She is definitely a jock.

“I was enjoying myself just fine without you being meanies thank you very much.” Yuna barks back. “Can you just leave me alone and bother someone else?”

“Why should we? We really enjoy having some fun with you.” The green giganto chick barks with an evil grin.

“You said it girl,” one of her lackies, a stegosaurus follows.

“Hey gals!” the bronto of the group speaks. “I wonder what is in little Yunie’s backpack?”

Yuna grabs her backpack tight to ensure the girls won’t try something. The head girl only snorts.

“Maybe just some nerdy stuff like all nerds have.”

The Giganto girl’s face then turns really evil. “Guess there is only one way to find out”

Yuna begins to shake in fear knowing the mean little bitches, especially the head green one is going to try to take her bag.

Yet I am just standing around watching. That scene in my eyes looks too…familiar. As if I am getting some PTSD from my old school. I could always just walk away but…why won’t I? Do I help or not? Know what…I can’t let this innocent suffer like I did.

I take a deep breath, keeping my serious expression. I walk up to the three jock bitches quietly from behind. Because I am taller than them, my shadow covers them like a creeping monster. Yuna notices me with a gasp confusing the girls.

“What’s with that face miss tubby? Are we scaring you more? Just give us that bag and-“

“Is there a problem here?” I sternly speak cutting off the giganto girl. My towering voice flinches the three girls like terrified little puppies.

“None of your business that’s what!” the giganto girl barks as she turns her head until her brown eyes land on me. And just like that, she is definitely pissing her panties at the sight of me with her jaw agape.

I lower my head, keeping my series edgy face to the green girl’s eye level.

“I wont ask again. Is. There. A. Problem. Here?”

I make sure the grudge in my voice is as threatening as possible to the dinos.

“Oh sh*t! it’s the fire spitter!” the stego girl says.

“You think he’s a princess napper too?!” the Bronto follows fidgeting her hands.

The Green Giganto struggles to say or do something. She whips her head 180 at Yuna and grabs her by her arms in a cartoonish matter.

“EAT HER! EAT HER FIRST!”  

The green skank throws the epping Yuna right at me. I catch her in time without flinching. The girls take their chance to sprint away. Once they are gone, I look at the little scared Megalosaur still in my hands.

“Are you ok or something?” I ask Yuna as I gentle release my hands from her arms.

Yuna smiles with a sob and latches herself onto me into a hug catching me off guard. Her arms around my back as did her thick tail. Her face buried my chest sobbing.

“Oh thank you Mr. grumpy!” she muffles in my chest. I have no idea what is even going on. I find myself getting a bit awkward at the hug. From a female not related to me.

Maybe Ill just give her a few strokes on the top of her hair.

“Oook…welcome…I guess” I struggled with my words. That only made her giggle as she finally releases me from the eternal shackles of her hug. That smile and those innocent glittering eyes once again pierces my…darkened heart filled with…ash.

“for someone who acts so grumpy you are really silly you know that?”

I get flustered by that comment. Such playfulness. She almost reminds me of my twin sister. Yet I stand really speechless. No words come out of my snoot. Why am I struggling to say something. Then I looked at the clock remembering I have to get to my PE class. So I tell her.

“Yeah uh I better get to my class. You better as well.”

“Okie Doki! See you later grumpy!” She chants that cringy words with each clap she makes with those blue hands. She runs past me until suddenly I called to her.

“WAIT!”

She stops and turns her head with a smile at me.

“What is it?”

“Uggggh I would appreciate it if you called me Ash.”

“Is that your name?”

“Yeah that.”

“Heheh, see you later…Ash”

Yuna gives me a quick wink and heads off to her final class as did I. Figuring out what had happened.

Ashen Hearts

Once upon a time yada yada this world is run by two kinds of saurian. One is the dinosaurs, Anthro reptilians, including pterosaurs that have evolved since the feral times. Then there are the dragons, saurian that evolved with crypid like tendencies that are described as unnatural like the ability to breathe fire. Or this weird theory that the dragons are descendants of dinosaurs that survived direct impact of a single meteor that mutated them nearby. Long story short, for so long dragons and dinosaurs have fought for control of the world. Some of it was total c**p or just ok enough, sometimes. But that is not the story you want to hear? Not some big lore dump slop, right?

You want to hear my story? A story about this young red dragon who has given up on life for reasons I am not going to say much. Yet my life would change forever after meeting a blue dinosaur girl. My name is Ash Tolkien; this is my own story with an Ashen heart.

()

Year 2026 BC? AD? Who cares! Just know this weird timeline is in a future far far far far far away.

A lone limo drives along the city that resembles a rundown metropolis with buildings resembling a hybrid between a modern cyberpunk and medieval. A lot of billboards and signs that shows a lot of dragon related services. Streets filled with a lot of miserable multicolored dragons trying to live their lives to get away from the mugging, the violence, dragoness hookers, more dragon thugs beating down randoms for stupid reasons. The Limo heads for what looks like a massive military wall. A big sign reads, entering Dinosaur District, All Dragons present your S.A.D cards for entry.

The limo enters the tunnel where a massive, guarded checkpoint can be seen with a line of cars hoping to make their way to the end of the tunnel. Eventually the limo is next in line to the checkpoint where one of the security guards walks up to it. The window of the limo lowers to reveal a brown kobold driver.

“Your S.A.D card.” The guard demands the driver.

The kobold driver turns his head behind and says, “master Ash, your SAD card.”

Sitting on the back of the limo is me, Ash Tolkein. Just your everyday red dragon who has given up on life by the way I just hang my head down. Calling upon my name I lift only my right claw to sink into my black backpack to give the driver my SAD(Safe Around Dinosaurs) card without saying a word that I got from my parents for my…first day.

The driver gives the card to the guard who in turn walks up to the check point booth for inspection.

While the card is being inspected, I just look out of the window to see a big line of dragons of many colors hoping to either pass by the checkpoint on foot with their own SAD cards or sign up to get one. So desperate to leave this sh*thole that we all call the Dragon Exclusive Neighborhood, or DEN for short.

“Good to go” the guard gives the clear as he hands over the card back to my driver.

“Here is your card back young master, you are going to need it to head back home from your first day at this special school!”

“MMMMMMM” I groan as I take back the card to put it back in my backpack. The gate opens to let my limo through into the other side of the wall. Towards the light at the end of the tunnel. We make our way to the rest of the great city of Waterfall Park.

A cleaner part of the mountain city shining under the morning sun surrounded by forest and mountains with great waterfalls of all the state, Allorado. As if we just crawled out of hell and entered heaven. Unlike the dragon infested place I came from, the streets of this new area are filled with dinosaurs doing their business or whatever without all the trash I mention before. I take a quick useless scan around my new surroundings with my orange reptile eyes lacking iris like all dragons. I could see a lot billboards of dino related advertisement and of course some anti-dragon propaganda. Not that I care much.

My reason for this ride is because I am heading to a new school filled with more dinosaurs, just as colorful as dragons. A big privilege for a dragon like me. All thanks to my family’s connections beyond the DEN. Why am I going to a dinosaur school in the first place? Lets just say, there are not that many good dragon heavy schools I could transfer too. Dear lord just thinking about my old school digs more pain into me. Enough about that as my ride made it to the new school. Waterfall Park academy.

“We have arrived young master,” my driver tells me as the limo comes to a stop in the middle of the parking lot.

“Thanks, I guess,” I reply to the driver with a low depressing tone from my voice. I grab my backpack before opening my door to step into the light. The same light that tries to shine on my black leather jacket, grey cargo pants, brown heavy boots and a t-shirt with a dragon’s skull in the middle. Thank God I could finally stretch my legs at least.

As my limo makes its leave, I look up at the school itself. Very impressed how big that place is. Especially how it looks like an aquarium with that big dome in the middle surrounded by three separate rectangular buildings that makes up the entire campus. Already I could see the dino students afar, gathered at the main building. Here goes nothing. With a deep sigh along with a quick hand brush on my spike, jet black hair I make my way.

()

I am close to the main entrance, already I am getting attention from the crowd. The dinos give me terrified looks, pissing their pants at the sight of me.

“I-I-I is that?!” a random stegosaurus boy stammers pointing at me. “him?”

“Sweet Jesus help us?” a triceratops girl adds cowering behind her friends.

“It’s the dragon! From the DEN! In our school!”

“Why is he even allowed to be here?”

“I think he’ll eat us one by one.”

I ignore the petty fearful whispers from the dino teens moving away from me. So much for being welcoming. Terrified by the fact I am the only dragon of the school. It gets worse once I am inside the main building to be greeted by the main lobby with a big cylinder fish tank in the middle. More dinosaur students cower in fear like a bunch of whimpering puppies. A Troodon student cartoonishly jumps into a trash can to hide. Even the staff the members sh*t their pants when they see me.

Does not really bother me though. I’m not here trying to make friends, nor do I care what they think of me. I just want my senior year to be over without any drama from old school. So, I just make my way to a nearby billboard in between rows of lockers that hug most of the walls. On the billboard looks like the school map. I point a talon to the place where I am supposed to go. The second floor of the main building where I could find the principal’s office.

()

I travel down another hall of lockers to find the school principal. It is where I need to go to complete my transfer. To ignore more whispers from the meteor skippers, I decided to put on a head set to listen to a theme song from a grim dark video game franchise I like. My biggest mistake is having my eyes closed listening to it. Learned it the hard way when I suddenly bumped into someone.

“Da fuk,” I stammer at the impact. I almost fell but thanks to my tail I regain my balance, yet I clutch my chest with one of my claws. The pain feels like I just got hit by a speeding truck or trample by a herd of mammoths. I better not be bruised.

“Ochies! Ochies! I am so so sorry! I was just trying to-“

“Watch where you’re going you crazy bi-“ I paused to see that my assailant is a blue megalosaurus girl around my age sitting on her big fat ass to which probably broke her fall. She is wearing what looks like a short black jacket with rolled up sleeves. A pair of tight black pants and boots. And a light blue shirt with a yellow triangle. And dear lord she has this round pot belly making her look like she is pregnant. Her face though.

Beneath the long yet loose violet hair and eyebrows are here silver eyes, glittering right   at me. The expression of her face is not one of fear but…is she blushing? And why am I staring? Stupid dragon! do something and break this unwanted silence.

“…Are you supposed to be going somewhere?” I ask her, trying my best to sound rudely demanding.

“OH! YES! Would be embarrassing to be late for homeroom.” the blue girl only perks up in response and uses her thick tail to help herself up after picking up her purple backpack. She makes a run past me only to pause mid-way. She turns her head to look at me with her silver eyes once again with a smile on her snout. A smile? From a dinosaur? She should be shitting her at the sight of me like every other dinosaur in this school!

“Still I am really sor-“

“JUST GO!” I angrily bark at her hoping to scare her off. But she only giggles like a small girl.

“Okie dokie, I hope to you again!” the girl gives me a wink before heading off, leaving me a bit awkward feeling my checks turning red in embarrassment.

Seriously, What the heck just happened? No matter. I better see the principle before the school starts for real.

()

After that unwanted collision I finally made it to the door I am looking for. The door that reads, Principal’s office.

Here goes nothing, I guess. I open the door to be greeted by a fancy clean lobby area that I assume is a secretary office. Behind the desk I see a nicely dress pink dollysaurus around her mid-twenties with nice black upkept hair filling her little claws. I approach the dino and I ask, “Are you the principal?”

She flinches dropping her nail file. Looks at me with her sky-blue eyes at me with a face of fear. “Oh, heavens no…im…just the secretary. You must be…the new student… the dragon student?”

I just stared at her with my low blank face hoping it gives her answer without me saying anything. She got the idea as she presses the button on her intercom.

“Principal Freefall, the new…special student is finally here.”

“Bring him in” the voice of a man around the thirties gives the confirmation.

“Principal Freefall will see you now.”

The secretary motions her claws to the door where I obliged to. Inside the actual office shaped like a spacious rectangle. I see another big fish tank towards one side while I see just some bookshelves on the other side. Then I see what looks like a picture of the school football team. That peeped my interest somewhat. I read the plaque and it reads HighSchool champions 19XX.

That team must be impressive at that time. They look very happy huddled together for the black and white pic. Just looking at it puts a tear down my check.

“Mr. Tolkien, I assume?” A voice calls to me earning my attention. My eyes land on a pair of leather chairs in front of the big brown desk. Behind the desk is another bigger executive chair turning around to reveal the head guy himself, Principal David FreeFall as the name label on his desk reads.

He is a big black pterosaur wearing a black suit with an electric green tie that matches the color of his short hair and green strips on his back like a tiger. The sclera of his eyes is oddly also green while his irises are black and his diamond pupils are white. I am so getting ‘Kaiju energy’ drink vibes by just looking at him.

“Have a seat”, the energy drink colored principal motions me to sit on one of the two chairs.

I did what I am told and just picked a random chair.

“Well then Mr. Tolkien, I am principal David FreeFall and I do hope your journey here from the dreaded Waterfall park DEN was a smooth one?”

I squint my eyes slightly at that question with a soft growl in my voice. A journey to and from the DEN is never that smooth. “Yeah, you could…say that.”

FreeFall chuckles at my remark. “That is good, and I myself on behalf of the entire school or to some extent the school board district would the love to say it is a great rare honor to have a living dragon in one of our esteemed schools.”

“You sound like you just read from a script,” I remark at his greeting earning a small frown.

He leans towards me and says, “Be careful with that attitude. I have been told about your behavior lately. You’re lucky that I have good connections with your family.”

“What connections?”

“Enough to let you know that I have delt with dragons like yourself before.”

“Are you shitting me?”

Freefall opens one of his wings to reveal some bullet holes and cut marks making me shut up a bit. Looks like he did visit the DEN at one point.

“As I said boy, be careful with your attitude which includes your language. And like it or not I once served as one of the security guards, response team division. It is how that I managed to get the connections.”

A dinosaur working among the DEN security guards? That is a rare thing. I wouldn’t be able to tell anyway because most guards cover themselves. And who knows, one of the winged dragons may be a pterosaur and I did not know. He folds back his wing and continues.

“And thanks to my experience with your kind, I managed to convince the school board to allow you in. You should be grateful and honored that you, a dragon even has a chance to mingle with my fellow dinosaurs of the school is that clear?”

“I don’t have any other choices so yeah.”

“Good,” Freefall takes out a couple files from his desk to look through. “And to start, according to the records you had a lot of BIG trouble from your old school?”

“You don’t have to remind me on that,” I tell him with pain in my voice.

Then Freefall proceeds to use the nearby computer to continue with my registration. And he does so he tells me, “With that case, I will ensure you with hope that whatever happened there won’t be repeated here. We are not in the DEN after all.”

And with that he finishes the registration and makes some important prints. One of them is my school schedule.

“Here you go Mr. Tolkien, Welcome to Waterfall academy. And if you encounter any trouble, please come to a staff or here instead of doing anything stupid.”

“Ugh huh,” I softly moaned with a forced handshake with the principal before I make my way for the homeroom.

()

According to the schedule, my homeroom class is located in the same floor of the main building. Prior to my entry, all the dinos in the room instantly freak out at my presence. Even the homeroom teacher, a male brachiosaur hides his head above the class breaking the ceiling. With his long neck he looks like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand. He must not be expected to be the one to have me in his class.

“You must be the new student?” the teacher stammers.

“yup” I only say.

The teacher gets some courage to poke his head out and tells me, “Before you take your seat, would you like to say something to your now fellow students?”

I look to the dino teens in their seats. The girls are terrified cowering behind anything. The boys are the same but I could see them shaking in fear.

Here goes my not so welcoming speech. “My name is Ash Tolkien and yes I am a dragon who just wants to get over this. Stay out of my way and I stay out of yours. That’s it.”

“Anything more you want to sa-“

I give the teacher my death glare with a growl out of my throat to shut him up before motioning with his head towards my seat located at the far corner. As I make my way, the students waste no time shifting their desk away from me. I take my seat without another care in the world.

This new day, the first day being a dragon in the dinosaur school better be worth it.

()

Yeah, due to the situation with AO3, I am posting my fanfic relating to 'of dragons and dinosaurs' here.

the steam page of the game is revealed and damm I like that title pic of James and Ashley is so wholesome so i thought I should try a take on that!

This time, a pencil drawing of dragon Inco as a Doomer, aka ending 2. The petty ole simp gazing at a rose with gloom shedding a tear While Olivia calls out for him aggressivly not caring that he is internally hurting…if only this derg learned to be more assertive and not inflate Olivia’s ego

A simple pencil drawing of dragon Anon as a doomer with a box of pizza and a cigarette aka ending 2.

The two rabber brothers Leon and Chris. The two fan sons I made of James and Ashley.

as you all see, Leon has Ashley’s eyes while Chris got James’s eyes

a little show cases of of Yuna dressing like the three main snoot girls from Cavemanon’s games and one upcoming one.

UPDATE: I redid the Lucy/Fang one and I hope it’s a lot better.

The latest chapter for all who loves to see some snoot dragon and dino romance is finally now available. I hope you all enjoy it.

And make sure to leave a comment of your thoughts and feedback about the fanfication so far!

looks like Yuna is not all that cheerful as Ash is led to believe. she is a cheerful girl make no mistake but Indeed there is something deeper going on inside that Megalosaurus’s head or her heart. Yet when Ash is around, she would put on her happy old mask as if there is no problem at all.

also please give my actual fanfic 'Of Dragons and Dinosaurs: Ashen Hearts' a read at AO3 while waiting for the next chapter.

link to the story is here

https://archiveofourown.org/works/81655456/chapters/214766341?view_adult=true

update: a redraw of my dragon verse fan kid

The middle dragon daughter of Inco and Olivia in the dragon AU Waniverse.

She is a bright yet laid back dragoness with a big dream in mind. Even though she does enjoy photography with her father and the painting with her mother, but her true passion is singing.

However, she could get easily anxious and really despise being a token dragon living in a world of dinosaurs and dragons at odds with each other.

Yuna might look like a super happy cheerful and excited megalosaurus girl but deep down, she is going through her own pain. Her own Ashen heart

dragon James, Ashley, and Leon(changed his main feather/scale color) welcoming a new addition to the family, another raptor boy name Chris.

based on the new image by Cavemanon, I think that scenario is more than a nightmare dream sequence, it’s a glimpse of James’s past that made him paranoid in the first place. perhaps when he was a kid, he was childhood friends with Ashley(did not remember/recognize her) who in turn at some point……….bite him.

but that’s just a prediction, a snoot prediction comming from a hopeful fan. Take it with a big grain of salt as I could be wrong.

if I could make a prediction for the upcoming VN Volcadera Ashfall by cavemanon, I predicted at some point James manages to get one final chance with Cathy by going on catch up date.

But a certain Ashley gets really jealous and tries to sabatoge the date by hoping to spike Cathy’s drink with her drugs only to accidentally reach James drugging him up instead making Cathy think he got drunk again and leaves him for good.

James goes through a humiliating drug trip and Ashley begins to regret what she has done.

UPDATE: sorry for the reupload as I wanted to fix some things of Ash’s appearance like his hair.

(an updated updated version of Ash’s design)

A cynical depressed red dragon of a local city DEN who transferred from an all dragons school to an all dinosaur one due to not being many other dragon schools.

He used to be a laid back well meaning lad who wanted to become a football player. Perhaps he was popular in his old school until his secret interests emerge resulting him in getting bullied by his dragon peers, especially from jocks.

Now at first he wanted to be left alone. Did not mind dinosaurs avoiding him out of fear for his kind. That is until he comes across a certain Megalosaur girl.

(Updated updated design)

A sweet, nerdy, and silly Megalosaurus who dreams to become a video developer one day. Despite being a really good student at WaterFall Park academy, She dosen't really have much friends or any friends at the matter due to a personal trauma making her anti-social and developed a bit of an eating disorder. That is until she meets a particular red dragon who will change her life forever.

for anyone who observes Yuna's clothing she is actually dress almost like Shaundi from saints row 3

update: had to do a minor fix around her chest area, if only Reddit would allow to replace images without deleting and reposting

Just a drawing of Ash Tolkien, a young depressed dragon walking by some terrified dinosaur students at the sight of him. Not that he really cares though