Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
Chapter 13
Touched by A Dragon
The Exalted Dragons: Book 2
K.T Stryker
© 2017
© Copyright 2017 by Persia Publishing - All rights reserved.
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Chapter 1
Gabriella Blake stood before the large, arch-shaped gates that marked the beginning of her undergraduate university experience. She was nervous; her stomach a little uneasy as she readied herself for what she hoped would be a tremendous four years to come. She carried her backpack on one shoulder, and began to drag a large suitcase as she walked through the university gates, her brown hair tied up in a messy bun, and her bright green eyes shimmering and wide open in profuse excitement.
She was a straight A student, never missing a class, an assignment, or an appointment. She had ambition, a whirlpool of dreams larger and grander than anyone in her school. For many, she was emblematic of humanity’s ability to work towards success despite one’s harsh circumstances. Gaby, unfortunately, had a tragic past. Her father passed away when she was only twelve years old, after having valiantly fought a gruesome battle with cancer for a whole five years. She watched her father wither away through terminal illness, until his heart stopped beating on one cold December morning in their local hospital. Her mother, although still heartbroken, raised Gaby on her own, making sure that she has a better life, and constantly reminding her of the beauty of the world in the hope of erasing the ugliness she had witnessed as a child. Every weekend, ever since she was 12 years old, Gaby and her mother would go on long walks in the local park, examining the different shapes, colors, and scents of flowers and fruits. They would watch birds soar above their heads, feed the pigeons, squirrels and river ducks, and sometimes even climbing old and robust trees and sitting high enough to see the entire city catch fire at sunset. Gaby grew up believing in the true possibility of success and happiness. She was devoted to making the best of herself. And for her, embarking on the university experience was her first real chance of making her mark in the world.
She walked into the main building, and was ushered by student volunteers towards the reception, where she was instructed to leave her luggage, receive her student identification card and class schedule. Her first class was in half an hour, and she was advised to go attend until they take her luggage up to her assigned hall. She took her backpack, and rushed between the crowds, groups of lost yet excited freshmen students trying to make their way to their destinations. She finally found the room number, and looked into the classroom through the glass window on the door to see if anyone was in there. It was empty. Looking at her clock, she realized that she was fifteen minutes early. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Are you lost?” said a chirpy redhead with wide blue eyes, smiling profusely at Gaby.
“Oh,” said Gaby, confused yet relieved to be able to ask for some help. “This is room 2001, isn’t it?”
“Yup, it is!” said the redhead. “Are you also taking 20th century English Lit?”
“Yes, I am!” replied Gaby. “So I’m in the right room?”
“Yes,” said the redhead, laughing loudly, as if amused by Gaby’s confusion. “You’re definitely in the right room. I’m Haven Turner.” Haven extended her hand and Gaby shook it, smiling.
“I’m Gaby,” she said, “Gaby Blake. Are you a freshman too?”
“No,” said Haven, “I’m actually a sophomore, but I’m taking this as an elective. I’m actually a psychology major. You?”
“No, I’m an English major,” Gaby said, taking out her books and putting them on her desk. “The campus is beautiful. It’s also a little overwhelming how huge it is!”
“I know,” said Haven. “Actually, have you been assigned a peer leader yet?”
“A peer leader?” Gaby asked in confused.
“A peer leader is someone from either sophomore or junior year that basically helps you find your way around the university for the first couple of weeks or so,” explained Haven. “You usually also stay in touch for longer, in case you need to ask about anything, whether it’s classes, activities, sights, or even good places to grab a drink.” Haven’s bright character was inspiring, and Gaby was thrilled to be around someone who was so full of life, reminding her of her mother and the times they spent seeing the beauty in things.
“That sounds great! I could use one,” Gaby said. “I mean, I haven’t been assigned one so far I think.”
“Then I’m your girl!” said Haven, her voice high pitched from the excitement. “I can’t wait to show you around. You’ll love it here. I mean, my first few days were overwhelming too, but the more you get to know the people here, the more you feel safe and at home.”
“I already feel pretty at home,” said Gaby. Then, looking at Haven’s necklace she realized it was a golden shape of Harry Potter’s “the golden snitch” from JK Rowling’s book series. Gaby suddenly jumped off her seat, and cried in excitement, “Oh my god! Are you a Harry Potter fan, too?” Haven shrieked, telling her that she had read the entire series at least twice since high school. The two girls quickly formed a robust bond, talking anxiously about books, movies, and music until the rest of the students took their seats and the professor walked, asking everyone to settle down. Haven then decided that from this moment on they are both “best friends”.
Gaby’s first lecture took her breath away. The way her professor spoke elegantly of the wonders of literature hit her right at the heart. She thought the debates were exciting, stimulating and engaging. As always, she made her presence very clear from day one, and her professor note her excellence more than once throughout the session. After class ended, and as Gaby and Haven walked out together, their professor quickly cried, “Well done, Miss Blake. I sense a great deal of excellence from you this semester.”
“Thank you, sir,” she replied, smiling politely as Haven gave her subtle thumbs up.
“You’re such an engaging student in class by the way,” said Haven as they went down the stairs, on their way through the quad and towards the reception for Gaby to pick up her keys for her room. “I can’t wait to introduce you to the rest of the group.”
They reached the student orientation’s office, and Haven quickly noted that she would be Gaby’s peer leader for the semester. She also asked for Gaby to stay i
n their shared house, where Haven and her group of good friends are staying. Gaby was ecstatic, feeling that she was quite lucky to have made such a good friend on her very first day. Gaby followed Haven to the house, which was located almost in the middle of the town, and had great access to all facilities. It was also one of the most beautiful houses she saw among the rest. It looked warm and friendly, and truly did remind her of home.
Haven and Gaby walk in, and Haven calls on everyone to introduce them to Gaby. “Everyone! Come meet our new roommate!” she cried. Gaby was introduced to her three other roommates, Gavin, Trevor, and Amanda. Amanda and Gavin and Trevor were freshmen, while Amanda was a sophomore like Haven. They introduced themselves, their majors and their years, and quickly bonded with Gaby, who was naturally an easy person to get along with, and as such very good at making friends quite easily.
“So,” said Amanda, helping Gaby with her things, “how are you liking it here?”
“Like I told Haven, it’s all so amazing,” Gaby said. “Everyone is so friendly here!”
“Tell them about English class!” Haven cried from the kitchen.
“Oh, come on,” Gaby said, seeming a little shy. “It was nothing. I just really enjoy English Literature, that’s all.”
“What happened in English class?” asked Trevor, taking a bite from an apple and settling on the couch.
“Fine, I’ll tell them,” Haven said, giving Gaby a smirk. “She was absolutely fantastic. The professor was insanely impressed. It was amazing, it’s like she knew everything there is to know about 20th century English literature!”
“Are you a literature fan?” asked Gavin with a wide smile.
“Oh, here we go again,” said Trevor, rolling his eyes teasingly.
“Then you two would get along quite well,” said Amanda. “Gavin doesn’t stop talking about books. No matter where we are, or what we’re doing, he has to quote someone from one of his favorite books. It’s never ending.”
“I do the same!” said Gaby, laughing loudly. “What’s your favorite book?”
“I know it’s silly,” he said, “but I’m still a huge The Catcher in the Rye fan.”
“It’s not silly,” said Gaby, “It’s a wonderful book. It also says a lot about your character.”
“Are you calling me a juvenile rebel?” asked Gavin, teasingly.
“What? No!” Gaby defended herself, also jokingly. “It’s a wonderful piece of literature, and it changed a lot of things when it first came out.”
They continued to form different bonds. They were all very fond of Gaby, each finding something in common with her. They laughed and joked as they got to know each other, and decided to go out for a drink very soon, noting that the first week is made more for parties than for work.
As they all mingled, Gaby’s eye caught a strange sight outside the window. In the midst of their chatter, she fixed her eyes on a dark figure down in the street. Squinting better vision, she realized that it was an old man. He was dressed in ragged clothes, so tattered they almost looked like a dead man’s shroud wrapped around his body. He moved slowly, as if limping with pain, dragging a large plastic bag behind him, clearly containing his entire belongings in it. His beard was long, grey and scuffed, containing so many knots and clearly so much dirt that it would need to be shaved off and not cleaned. He wore a torn pair of brown flip flops that were too small to fit his large feet, almost black from the coats of dirt all over them. He was bent over a large garbage can, tossing and turning the trash inside it, looking for food which he would pick out and place in his pocket. He would pick out a piece of half-eat fruit, or bar of candy or piece of chicken, sniff it like a street dog, and then take it with him if it seemed edible, or throw it back if not. Gaby stood at the window, motionless, almost frozen, staring at the old man.
As her roommates went on with their conversations, she remained at the window, eyes strongly fixed on the man, observing his unfortunate state. Suddenly, and completely to her surprise, he lifted his head up at the building. His eyes wandered around the windows, but could not see anything through the glass, or so she thought. As Gaby stared amusingly at him, he suddenly looked directly at her. She gasped, covering her mouth as she quickly hid behind the curtain and resting her back on the wall next to the window. She was both frightened and intrigued.
She lurked behind the window pane, camouflaged into the curtain, as she directed an eye towards the old man down the street and hoping was gone. To her surprise, she realized that he was still there, standing by the garbage can, looking up at the building as if it was a sky of stars. A few minutes passed. He then looked down at his feet, and walked down the street in his slow, dragging movements.
“Gaby?” Haven suddenly said, finding her frozen by the window. “Are you okay?”
“Oh!” Gaby said, smiling. “Oh, yeah! I’m fine.”
“What were you looking at?” she asked, looking out the window in curiosity.
“Nothing,” Gaby said, “just checking out the town. I spotted a bookstore by the bust station!”
“Yeah, you that’s one of the best ones in town,” Haven said. “Gavin knows everyone there. You should go check it out some time. You’ll love it, I’m sure!”
Gaby took another quick look out the window, and the man was gone. She silently wondered who he was, and why he was looking directly at her. In time, however, she forgot about the whole thing, and joined her friends in the kitchen for dinner.
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Chapter 2
Gaby woke up the next morning after a long and deep sleep, tired from the move of the night before. She got up and realized that everyone had left for breakfast. She found a note in the kitchen saying, Thought we’d leave you sleeping. We’re at the cafeteria for breakfast, join if you’re up. Love, Haven. Gaby got dressed and made her way to the cafeteria. She picked up a tray, got some eggs and coffee, then sat next to Haven and the rest of the group.
“I slept way too much,” said Gaby, still yawning with exhaustion. “You guys could have waked me, it’s alright.”
“Well, you seemed pretty tired,” said Amanda. “We all know what the first night is like. I slept till noon when I first moved.” Gaby laughed.
“Well,” Gaby said, “I’m glad I made it to breakfast.”
“So,” Haven said, “what’s your schedule for the day?”
“Well,” Gaby said, taking out a piece of paper from her bag, containing her printed weekly schedule, “I have three classes today, and a workshop. I should be done by about five in the afternoon.”
“Not too bad,” said Trevor. “I have five back to back classes today! Why don’t our professors understand that they need to take it easy for the first week?”
“Is attendance obligatory for the first week?” Gaby asked. “I mean, I heard that people don’t show up because of their orientation sessions.”
“It’s still obligatory,” said Trevor. Amanda gave him a smack on the shoulder, teasingly telling him to stop whining.
“Hey, guys,” Gaby suddenly said, “I wanted to ask you something actually. Does anyone know if there’s any work I can do on or off campus? Like a part-time job or something that I can get for extra cash, you know?”
“Sure, of course there is,” said Haven. “There are lots of jobs for students here, even town, probably because most of the population here are students. You can go to the Career’s Office, which is right next to the main building. You can hand in your resume there, and they find part-time jobs for you that suit your particular skills as well as your weekly schedule. They’re very helpful. I actually got my job at the psychology
clinic from there during my first year.”
“Yeah, they are very helpful,” confirmed Amanda. “Actually, Gavin didn’t you say something about an opening at the university library yesterday?”
“Yeah, I did!” said Gavin, swallowing his food. “I’m always there, and a couple of days ago they put up a flyer asking for a cataloging assistant. They also prefer students over there, mainly because we’re young and always live close by.”
“That sounds perfect for you Gabs!” said Haven. “Given that you’re also an English major, you would be perfect for the job! I can come with you if you want, so you won’t get lost at least.”
“That would be great, actually!” Gaby replied, giving Haven a wide smile. “Thank you so much, guys. I really need this. Is there anything I should do to prepare?”
“Not that I know of,” said Gavin. “Just bring along a copy of your resume. You should be fine.”
They resumed their breakfast, and then all got up, dispersing through the campus to make it to their classes, meetings, or errands. In the afternoon, when Gaby was finished with her classes for the day, she gave Haven a call to see where she was, and when she was free to come with her to apply to the position at the library.
“Hello?” said Haven.
“Hey, girl,” said Gaby. “It’s Gaby.”
“Hey!” replied Haven. “Are you finished with your classes?”
“Yup!” said Gaby. “And you?”
Touched by A Dragon: Page 1