Monster Wrangler

Orlok had woken her early, but her own agitation had helped.

They'd be facing down Desmond and Lucy. That wasn't ideal. Neither from a "can we win this?" perspective, nor a "do I even want to beat that earnest kid and his cute zephid?" one.

That was one thing.

Another? She wasn't sure what to do with what she strongly suspected Mara was feeling, because, well...

Mara's a sweetheart and I wish I could reciprocate but I'm not really into girls.

Thirdly, she had a date with Felix somewhere on the nebulous horizon.

He's a nice guy and I am into boys, which is a potential Problem.

And she still had to introduce Mara to MIlo.

And her debts needed paying down, and even if Orlok could beat Lucy, it didn't follow that she had the tournament in the bag.

So Calico sat on the edge of the dock, her feet dangling over the edge while Orlok fluttered around.

When did my life get so complicated?

Footsteps could be heard moving down the dock. They weren't loud. The girl they belonged to was relatively small as was the gympix beside her.

"I wonder if we can see that importle again."

An Importle? Here?!

Calico sat up a bit sharper, looking around- but all she saw was a kid with a gympix.

Orlok didn't seem to care.

But Calico started scanning the surface of the water.

Ari approached the end of the dock, starring out over the water.

"It probably only comes out at night." she sighed. "Or, over by the beach."

There was an odd movement in the water near the end of the dock. The water seemed to be moving and...steaming?

Suddenly there was a huge wave as a giant steaming Dragon rose out of the water, holding a now smoking fish in its mouth. The large Dragon loomed over the girl, a small huff of breath escaping from its nostrils as it moved to the dock edge.

Whatever she might have said to Ari got sidetracked by the flaming... er, steaming lizard emerging from the sea.

AUGH!

Calico scuttled back from the edge of the dock as Orlok flew up to interpose himself.

The gympix disappeared behind Ari, then a womburn suddenly emerged from the opposite side.

Ari just stared at the dragon and waved.

"Hello."

The steaming Dragon began to climb up onto the dock, pulling itself up its claws digging into the wood until all six feet of its length stood on the dock. After that it shook itself very hard to get as much water off as possible, not paying attention to any of the monsters or humans near it before then bursting into flames once again. The remaining water steaming off it.

Only at this point did it turn its attention back to the smaller creatures in front of it. A small growl escaped and it started to move towards them.

Orlok chittered and his antennae started to... crackle.

Calico was crab-walking backward, and the saturnadus stayed interposed.

The womburn also retreated behind Ari, who took a step back herself. Suddenly, another dragon of similar size was standing behind the girl.

The Dragon paused as another of its kind appeared. It tilted its head, before letting out a small growl and lowering its head to examine the creature.

The crabwalking Calico would find the Dragons...owner? Sister? Standing at the end of the pier looking extremely confused.

Ari looked back. "Llyan, what are you doing? I told you not to copy others. It's confusing."

She walked past the new dragon, which turned to follow her back up the pier.

Calico glanced at Fiadh.

"Uh. Hi?"

The girl just frowned.

"What doing?"

Riki growled as the other Dragon turned away and had moved forward, except it finally noticed the extremely small Saturnadus and was now eying it up.

"Well, I was sitting on the edge of the dock before getting... displaced."

Orlok didn't flinch. Being a bug, it didn't come naturally to him anyhow. He simply stayed interposed.

Llyan finally dropped the dragon form. She scampered up Ari's back and reappeared on her shoulder as a cindrow, as she approached the others.

"Riki went further than thought. Saw man with monster going into water to hunt, copied monster" Fiadh turned to Riki, then frowned.

"Bug trying to attack Riki?"

"Orlok's trying to protect me. Riki gave us a bit of a shock."

"Riki's pretty cool." Ari said. "So is Orlok."

The girl looked around, then back at the crabwalker girl.

"Your circle?"

She glanced at the other human, not understanding the 'cool' reference as anything other than heat.

"Riki just warming. Water cool down Riki, need time to fully flame again."