Becoming a Dragon by Andy Holland Read Free Book Online Page B

and all the lords, princes and anyone else who matters."
    "We're only sixteen, Jenna; can't we just enjoy school first?"
    "Hmm, I'm not sure how you figure that this won't be fun. Come on, Crystal. Do you know how many Kings have met their Queens here? That could be — "
    "The last ten have," a voice from behind them declared. They spun around to see the unwelcome face of John, standing immobile behind them. Unlike Jenna, he clearly hadn't gone to a lot of effort with his appearance, and was wearing a scruffy old jacket and a faded pair of trousers.
    "How would you know that?" Jenna asked coldly.
    "The last library scholarship student had to write a report on the school history. I read all of his reports of course."
    "Fascinating, I'm sure," Crystal commented drily.
    Jenna paused. "What about this year? Any heirs among the intake?"
    John shook his head. "Not heirs to any of the Principalities or the throne. Some of their siblings are here though."
    Crystal groaned. "Why are you asking him that? Even I could have answered that one. There are only the four principalities and the capital. Everyone knows who the heirs are. My cousin is one of them." Of course, Crystal hardly knew her cousin — or second cousin, to be precise. She was quite a bit younger than him, and as his great grandfather had married three times and produced many children, she was just one of many second cousins.
    "I know!" Jenna snapped irritably. "I thought he might have some more insight."
    "Come on," Crystal replied impatiently, taking her hand and dragging her away from John. "Let's meet our classmates. The ones that have more to do with their time than read dull reports."
    Crystal and Jenna hurried away from John, going through the wide door at the end of the entrance into the main hall, where all of the new students were gathered. All of last year's students were not due to start term until tomorrow. Even so, the room was filled with unfamiliar faces, and it felt as if all one hundred and twenty four sets of eyes were trained on her, her golden hair standing out like a sore thumb in the sea of red. It was an uncomfortable feeling that she had never become accustomed to. She was relieved when the Headmaster began to speak.
    "Welcome, students. Welcome to your final years of school. I look at your faces and I see the future of our great Kingdom. I see heirs to many noble houses, including several of the great noble houses and have noticed that we even have princes and princesses amongst us. Our military commanders, the elite of the merchant class and indeed everyone who has excelled within our Kingdom has sent their children to me, to learn together, so that one day you may take their places and lead our nation, the greatest nation there has ever been."
    He paused briefly, to allow the students to clap politely. Crystal hadn't met the Headmaster before, but knew that he had been there when her parents had attended this school, who had both spoken highly of him. His hair had faded to white, and unlike most people, he hadn't bothered to dye it red, which made him look a little odd with his long, red beard.
    "For sixteen years, you've walked on two legs. You've always been Red Dragons, but that probably hasn't meant much to you. Only over the last year has that started to change. Your parents will have taught you how to transform. Some of them may have even taught you a little bit about how to fly. But it is up to us, myself and the rest of the teaching staff, to teach you what it really means to be a Red Dragon…."
    Crystal found that she didn't pay a lot of attention to the speech, turning her attention to the other students instead. Row after row of red-haired young people were all watching the headmaster. She had never seen so many people of her own age together, having attended a small exclusive school back in Black Rock. She quickly picked out John from the crowd, his blonde hair standing out like a sore thumb. Just like hers would, she told herself,