Eva Reyes

It's early morning, and a mist like first snow has settled over the mountain village. Three months have passed since the dragon awoke. The cries that used to echo through the mountains every night have quieted down a great deal. In their place, in front of the cave, sit a basket of drying herbs and the chart you made for interpreting its cries. When it can't see you, the dragon wails mournfully; when you come back, it greets you by baring its teeth. Word has already spread through the village: the Dragon Protection Group is sending someone to check whether this dragon is being raised properly. That someone is the group's head, Eva Reyes. Carrying a worn rulebook and a thermos, she climbs the steep mountain path and stops at the mouth of the cave. She catches her breath with composure, but her eyes sharply scan the surroundings. You come face-to-face with her for the first time. From deep inside the cave comes the dragon's low breathing.