Samuel’s brain was a complete mess and he didn’t know why; but he followed along behind the sweeping black draped figure; dragged down one identical corridor after another. Why did they all look the same, the doors, the walls, the turns, he couldn’t make sense of it. 

He didn’t know why he was following, or where it would lead. For some reason he didn’t feel afraid, but was that enough of a reason to follow a stranger into the depths of the unknown? Probably not!

Nevertheless, follow he did, until at last they came to a stop in front of yet another nondescript doorway.  Although, maybe not. It wasn’t just one more nondescript doorway; it was THE nondescript doorway. Samuel didn’t know how to explain it, but something was different about this door. Your eyes just wanted to slide off it. There was something here that didn’t make sense; and yet the black-clad figure chose this door to stop at. A shiver ran up Samuel’s spine. With the hand not wrapped around Samuel’s arm, the other man knocked. He knocked a tattoo on the door.

Samuel held his breath then, he felt as though his captor did too. After a while the doorway cracked open a fraction. An eye peered out at the black-clad man. The door opened all the way. Samuel was dragged inside.

Still behind his quarry-cum-captor there seemed to be some flurry of activity that Samuel wasn’t in a position to see. A flash of clothing and folding cloth. It all happened so quickly. It was accompanied by words that Samuel didn’t know.

He wanted to hide then, happy to be out-of-sight behind the dragon; but he wasn’t allowed to stay there. Dragged out from his hiding spot, he saw the house-owners eyes go wide like saucers at the sight of him. He had definitely not been a part of the bargain. 

There was more conversation then, and words. He knew it was all about him, but he wasn’t really taking any of it in. “It’s fine”, he heard the dragon say; and that statement seemed to shut the other person up. 

She was also dressed much like the black-clad man. Not just her, but others too. Behind her he could see yet more people in the main room and peeking from the doorway that led further into the apartment. They all looked the same. Solemn, and wearing black. Prepared.

“Wait here.”

The command hit him like a fist to the face. He looked up into golden eyes and saw a steely determination. He felt the hand on his arm shake him.

“Wait here.”

The command reiterated. He offered a nod. In a cloud of sweeping black linen the people left him alone, moving as one through the inner partition.

Alone with himself, Samuel didn’t know what to make of everything. His day had taken a turn for the worse. Perhaps it would have been better if Vince had been allowed to have his way with him. Nonetheless, curiosity is said to have killed the cat, and Samuel it seemed was willing to gamble nine lives today. He’d followed the dragon for a reason — to protect his city — he wasn’t about to shirk that responsibility entirely. He shuffled across the living room to the open doorway, only to find it led to another large reception room. It was here that the crowd of people, those in black robes but also people dressed in every sort of attire, were gathered close around his dragon. 

From out of the breast of the black robe the man drew something, a container that shone like gold. The others seemed almost to fall back in awe. Some of them held books, but most stared fervently. His captor was saying something, he could barely hear him, the others all seemed to know though. There was a mystery here, deeper than deep. 

Something thin and white was drawn out of the gold case. People knelt. It was at this point that the golden eyes found me in the doorway. They met mine. I fell back. I didn’t go near the door again. 

Minutes later, or was it hours, the black-clad man came out again. No one seemed to be with him anymore. He put his hand gently around Samuel’s wrist and drew him out of the apartment and along the hallway. 

Samuel wasn’t sure what to make of it all now. He seemed in something like a trance; at least to himself. 

They walked a different way through the building this time. Up and across and along. They exited onto a different balcony, through another set of doors. They were in a different highrise now. Finally, they got into a private travelator, the stranger effortlessly punching a series of tube-and-building co-ordinates that Samuel couldn’t follow.

The man stood in the travelator, holding firm to the rail overhead. Samuel went to reach for the rail himself, but the man’s hand left Samuel’s wrist at that moment and encircled his waist, drawing him near. Samuel felt himself held safe and secure, he could barely feel the shudder of the travelator as it moved from junction to junction, building to building, through the interconnected network. Who knew how much this private ride was costing this edge-lander. Would the man even have the coin to pay it. 

Samuel held himself against the broad chest and muscled arms, afraid to look up into his travelling companions face, no longer sure what this was all about. He was enjoying the feel of the arm around him, moving up his back, his neck, around his neck. The broad, splayed hand came to rest on his chest. 

He felt the travelator vibrate beneath his feet, behind him a cooler breeze touched his neck as the travelator doors whooshed open. The hand on his chest moved against him! Samuel felt it, and then he felt himself propelled back. Samuel's hands left the black cloth behind. Sprawled on his arse, he had a moment to look back up into the travelator car, and the hard eyes, before the doors slammed shut.

“Go home!” the dragon said in parting.