A huge and ancient dragon loses her clutch of eggs. She decides to adopt an office building full of employees as her children. But to keep them safe, she doesn’t want to let any of them leave.
“Mighty Opiess, Destroyer of Kingdoms, pl-”
“Mom.”
“Uhh…..right. Mom. Um, so I have to get back home. I’ve got three kids who need dinner and I really think I should..go….back………why are you crying?”
“Grandbabies!!”
Suddenly, every school holiday is Bring Your Spawn To Work Day.
She’s working on getting a school in the building.
Right, this is everyone’s fault.
Grandmother
The Vermillion Life & Casualty building housed other businesses than the insurance company that built it, but they still held the majority of the floors. The economic divisions did not matter to the ancient one; she had adopted all in the building. A tense week of negotiations after her arrival meant everyone could go home after their shifts, but they still needed to check in with her on a regular basis. IT had set up a speakerphone in her aerie for emergencies, and it chirped for her attention in the early afternoon.
“Yes, dear?” she rumbled.
“I’m sorry Ma, I have to leave early,” Karen’s usually clear voice was thin with stress.
“What is it?” Opiess asked in alarm, “Are you sick?”
“No, ma’am. I just got a call from the school about Rachel getting into a fight.”
“Come up. I will take you there.”
“Maaaa… “
“No. If one of our clan is threatened, we will answer the threat. If one of our clan has become a threat, we will correct them.” The dragon’s firm tone brooked no argument. “Come up.”
Karen had to admit that arriving in the school parking lot on a dragon did give her a slight edge to her presence when she came into the office. “What is the problem?”
The vice principal in charge of discipline shook her head, “Rachel punched another student, and will have to be suspended for three days.”
“He wouldn’t leave me alone!” the girl said, glaring at the middle-aged administrator. “He keeps poking me and pulling my hair-ties out!”
Karen turned to the school official, barely containing her anger, “This other kid get suspended for bullying her?”
“That is none of your concern,” she started, and was interrupted by a deep growl outside the office window.
“Injury to my clan is my concern,” Opiess rumbled. “I am told I am not allowed to eat those who abuse my children and their children. I am told we can, however, sue for damages.”
“Damages? He was only flirting,” the vice principal sputtered.
“THAT IS NOT FLIRTING!” Karen’s temper broke. “That is ABUSE, and you are teaching that kid that tormenting someone is okay!” She held her hand out for Rachel, “You will be hearing from our lawyer.”
When she and the child were outside, Rachel ran to hug the dragon.
“Thanks, grandma!”
Published
The-Lounge 