It snowed all day in Wildwood Shire. The last class of the day and the mage History teacher droned another monotoned lecture. Half the class was falling asleep and the other half was looking at their timepieces. Kate Lyons sand in the second row by the window. A winter scene was to her left. She drifted and the snow turned to lush green. She was soaring on the back of a golden dragon. The dragon was high above the town's rooftops. He soared to the 500-acre lake and was skimming the lake. Spaying water…<br/><br/>Kate heard the rap rap rap and shot up. She sat straight up at her desk.<br/>"Um... oh, sorry sir."<br/>The Dwarf Master Mage banged his teaching stick on her desk. "Daydreaming about dragons again. Mage Kathryne Lyons you fall asleep again and your father will be hearing from me personally. You may be top of the class but there is no excuse for falling asleep in MY CLASS."<br/>"So sorry. What was the question?"<br/><br/>A messenger arrived breathless at the door.<br/>"Enter."<br/>"I have a message and a letter for Lady Mage Katheryn Lyons."<br/>Kate turned in her seat and raised her hand. "I am she."<br/>The twelve-year-old approached her. "The warehouse foreman says there is a package for you. I th-think you better come quick. It may be dying."<br/>"Dying! Hand me the letter."<br/><br/>The letter was sealed in red wax with a head of a dragon on a pike.<br/>My Dear Kate,<br/>I will be brief. I write this in haste. I have a gift for you. If he is still alive. You will find the beast in warehouse 64 in a cage. You will find it in the animal pens. Happy Winterfest I hope this creature if you can call it that, pleases you.<br/><br/>Your Aunt Malora<br/><br/>Kate looked up at her teacher. "Permission to leave. This is from my Aunt Malora."<br/>The man placed his hand over his mouth and motioned for the door. "Of course. Right away. Good heavens, Child. Go."<br/>Kate bolted and ran to the infirmary. She filled her bag of holding with bandages, antiseptics, healing potions, and a needle and syringe case with a vile of poppy essence. She ran to her locker and waved a hand over the lock. She put away her books and grabbed her cloak.<br/><br/>She passed the robe room and retrieved the biggest robe and cloak she could find. She dodged her fellow students and ran out the main entrance to her father's coach. She was breathless as she spoke to Peel, her father's driver. "Peel, we must hurry. Malora gave me one of her pets."<br/>The driver hopped from his perch and opened the carriage door for her.<br/><br/>Kate climbed in and began organizing a quilt, cloak, and robe into a bundle. She handed Peel the note.<br/><br/>He scurried to his seat and grabbed the rains. In moment he had the team at full gallop to the wharf.<br/><br/>When he stopped at the warehouse, Kate jumped out of the carriage and hurried into the warehouse. She asked the guard directions to the animal pens.<br/><br/>Over a large metal cage were the letters in red, "Dangerous Beast"<br/><br/>"You are no dangerous beast! You are a man." She entered the pen and waved her hand over the lock. She sat at the entrance. "Are you alive? You are shackled? Why? You are in no condition to fight." The mage student removed a flask from her bag of holding.<br/><br/>She placed her hands on his form. "Easy. It is just my mana warming your body. Gah, What they do to you? You are beaten to a pulp. I got food and a warm bed. You just need to get you cleaned up. I have a mage robe, blanket, and cloak for you."