It smiled, its teeth oddly blocky and dull-like human molars-before it opened its mouth. To Fern’s shock, it started speaking in a deep feminine voice. “Well, look what fell in my den. How’d you get in here?”

It didn’t sound angry. It was the kind of tone someone said to a small critter that wandered into the house and you were planning on letting it out. But instead of shooing her immediately, the creature looked at Fern expectantly.

Fern stumbled to put together a sentence, “I-I, um-I…I, ahh, fell. From up there?” She pointed up.

The creature stretched it’s neck upwards, looking. “So you did. You must’ve come from the city. How did you end up there?”

Fern wasn’t sure whether she should be frightened or not. The creature wasn’t acting like it meant her harm. In fact, it was being friendly. And she wasn’t sure whether it looked like it could hurt her or not.

If Fern had to describe it, she’d say it looked like a horse, a lizard, and a hairless cat meshed into a vaguely dragon-like creature. It was quite big, but Fern wouldn’t say enormous-about the size of her house. It had a cat like body with a long, swan-like neck that lead to its long horse-like head. Its front arms were overly long, ending with massive paws while its back legs weren’t too different from a kitty. Although its eyes faced outwards like a horse, they were big and almond shaped, piercing blue and angled like a cat’s. On top of its head were big bat ears and it had a long whip-like tail. Its scales were soft and pale, pulled tightly over the muscle so that it didn’t cause heaps of wrinkles and gave it a smooth look.

It’s size and those claws on its front legs made it look formidable, but everything else about it seemed non-threatening.

Fern decided to answer it honestly, “I was at the castle and fell into a hole that brought me to it.”

“Well! You’re lucky you didn’t fall too far from the exit. You’re so little you probably would’ve been wandering around down there for the rest of your life.” It turned its head back down to look at her and hummed, “Interesting.”

It didn’t continue, just kept looking at her. Fern reached for something to say. “You’re probably right. It’s really big down there.”

“Yes, I just said that.”

“Right…so, um…who are you? Do you have a name? Also, what are you?”

The creature puffed up, “I’m part of an old race. We were here long before the Kleraians. The Kleraians used to call us netyendas, but you creatures seem to call us dragons. And my name is Venlura.”

“A...dragon.” Fern wouldn’t go so far as to call Venlura a dragon the way she pictured them, but she guessed it faster and more fitting than ‘cat-bat-horse-thing’. “What are Kleraians?”

“The old people that lived here.” It-or rather she, Fern supposed-swept her long tail to gesture towards the city. “They built the city and castle.”

Fern supposed they were the satyr creatures she’d seen statues of. “What happened to them?”

Venlura tapped her paw on the ground and chuffed, “Packed their things and all the other animals into boxes and flew away.”

“Why?”

“Lots of reasons. Some wanted to see what was out there in the stars, some just wanted off this rock. Either way, they left.”

“Oh…what about you? Are you all alone?”

“Netyendas didn’t fit in their boxes, so we stayed behind.” She leaned down and, to Fern’s surprise, started munching on a pile of loose moon rocks, “Suites us just fine. More rocks for us.”

“You…eat rocks?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t…that bad? You live on a giant rock…won’t you run out someday?”

“What’s a planet but a giant rock? And I suppose we might someday. But I’m okay with that.”

“Ah…I see….” Fern shifted around nervously on the beast’s back. “Well…I should head back now, if you don’t mind.”

“What’s the rush?”

“Well, there’s someone waiting for me at the castle. I’m really late, so she’s probably worried.”

Venlura’s face crumpled a bit in what Fern assumed was a frown, “Ah, Claralell. I should’ve guessed.”

“You know her?”

“Yes. We met when she came here long ago.” Venlura looked off into the distance, like she was lost in thought for a moment. “…She won’t be waiting for you.”

Fern’s eyes widened in surprise, “…What? Why not?!”

“She’s what’s called ‘flighty’. I’m sure the second you didn’t show up on time she went off to do something else.”

“I mean…we’re friends. Why wouldn’t she wait?”

“She’s not a good friend. Trust me, I’d know. And so would most of the others.”

Fern balked, “What do you mean others?!”

“Her other ‘friends’. She’s brought lots of people here over the years, more than I can count. Some of the come just once, and others stay their whole lives.”

Before Fern could interject, the dragon brought her face in close, nose almost in front of Fern’s face. “Tell me. Do you have people back on Earth waiting for you?”

“Yeah, my dad.”

“And you love your dad? He takes good care of you?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Then leave now.”

“What, why?”

“Claralell doesn’t like telling people that if you stay on this side of the portal for too long, you can’t go back. Ever.”

Fern went pale, “C-can’t go back?!”

Venlura pulled away, looking off and frowning, “Well, not ever, technically. What happens is that if you stay here too long, your lungs won’t be able to breath Earth’s atmosphere anymore. It’d be like drowning on air. The only way to fix that is to eat the kind of food that the Kleraians left behind. But that seems to have the nasty effect on humans of stopping the aging process. Either way it’s an awful fate.”

“Why wouldn’t Claralell tell me about this?!”

“She doesn’t like letting go of new friends. I’ll tell you, I can’t even begin to could the number of times I’ve overheard the fall out when one of the ‘friends’ finds out. Unfortunately, they usually find out too late.”

“That’s…awful. And they’re just stuck here?”

“Indeed. So far none of them have eaten the food. I’m not sure if they don’t want to live forever or if there isn’t any food left. They all just stay here, accepting Earth food from someone they’ve grown to hate and die.”

Fern gulped, doubt starting to creep in. Was she really letting this dragon tell her that Claralell was a bad person? On one hand, Fern should stick up for Claralell. They were supposed to be friends, and friends don’t let people badmouth their friends. If she had ever heard anyone accuse Kim of something this awful, she’d fight them on it. On the other hand…what if Venlura was telling the truth? Is she just giving her a friendly warning about someone who might ruin her life?

Fern didn’t want to think badly of Claralell, but she was also being faced with some pretty dire consequences here. She had to know the truth.

Venlura saw her troubled expression, “If you don’t believe me, I can prove it. If you came in through the Gate, then you’ve walked the road to the courtyard, yes? Do you remember a crossroads, where three become one?”

Fern nodded.

“Go down the road in the middle. Follow it until you find a hill with a stone tree. It’s beyond the hill.”

Fern gasped and grabbed onto Venlura as the beast stretched, nearly throwing the redhead off her back. Venlura yawned, “Best to send you on your way then.”

Fern whimpered nervously as Venlura’s head loomed over her, dipped down, and took the back of her PJ’s in her mouth. Fern tucked her legs in and grabbed at her collar to keep it from choking her as she was swung off the creature’s back and onto the solid ground at the top of the pit. She scrambled up to her feet after being dropped, straightening out her top.

Venlura raised one of her massive paws and pointed with a claw. Fern’s eyes followed and she was relieved to see that she wasn’t too terribly far from the palace. She wouldn’t get lost at least. She felt a nudge at her back and looked back to see Venlura.

“Go now. And remember; beyond the hill down the middle road. And I don’t know how much time you have, but I’d say before sunrise on Earth.”

“Alright…thank you.”

Venlura smiled, “You’re welcome. Run along now.”

Fern turned around and started bounding towards the palace, sparing a look back to see the dragons head disappearing back into the pit. For as strange as that encounter was, she was just glad that this dragon ate rocks instead of meat.