Smaug's tail flicked indignantly, but he looked oddly pleased nonetheless. "Be grateful. It's a tremendous honor."
I rolled my eyes at the dragon's display of arrogance, but couldn't help the faint smile tugging at my lips. It was comforting to know that despite how chaotic my life had become, some things would never change Smaug's attitude, for example. The dragon continued preening beside me, clearly reveling in the attention he drew from my classmates, most of whom eyed him warily from a respectful distance. A few braver souls cast fascinated glances, but quickly averted their gaze whenever Smaug noticed.
Riven sighed deeply beside me, already resigned to another day of chaotic antics. "Did we really need to bring Smaug along? You know he's only going to cause trouble."
"That's precisely why I brought him," I replied lightly, patting the dragon's head fondly. "Besides, he makes everything more interesting."
