“No,” I said.
“Erm,” the kobold said. “When I say you won’t fit, I mean it literally. The seats are generous, but they’re not suited for a polar bear.”
“I will fit,” I insisted. I was used to being cramped into small places. How different could this be?
“Hey, buddy, you’re holding up the line,” an annoyed voice called.
Various omegas in human form stood behind me, queuing up to board the plane. Instinctively, I counted around thirty of them. It was part of my battle training to effectively gauge an enemy, including their numbers. They looked weak. None of them were a match for me.
Ignoring the outburst, I faced the kobold blocking my path.
“Let me in,” I said. “I will fit.”
The kobold scratched her head, examining me closer. “Wait. Where are your bags? You don’t have any carry-on luggage?”
“No.”
“Checked bags?”
“No.”
Now she seemed intensely confused. “Not even a personal item?”
“No,” I growled. “I brought nothing.”
As she blinked in confusion, I grew concerned about drawing too much attention to myself. The other omegas all lugged around their personal belongings. I didn’t evenownpersonal belongings.
The kobold finally sighed. “Well, I guess that balances out. Come in and find a seat, sir.”
I entered the strange vehicle and did just that. Apparently, a plane was a weird metal tube with stiff horizontal wings. It was cramped, and soon to be crowded, so I lumbered to the back and nestled into a spacious nook.
The air was stuffy. I rubbed my paw over my nose. It was a weakness I wouldn’t admit, but all the novel scents overwhelmed me. I was used to snow, cold air, and the omega musk of the barracks. The new smells assaulted my nostrils—perfume, salty snacks, shampoos, and foreign scents of shifter animals I hadn’t known existed.
I pushed my feelings aside. They were irrelevant to the mission.
Step one was complete. I’d boarded the plane. Soon, I’d be taken straight into the dragons’ lair, and I’d move into the next phase: picking my target dragon.
Boarding the plane was simple.Getting off the plane was not.
I stewed in my impatience as every single omega grabbed their slew of items. How much crap did they own?
My capacity to wait was over. Growling, I got to all fours and stormed down the aisle, shoving aside anyone who happened to be in it. The storm of scents flooded my nose again—soap, airplane sandwiches, even the familiar note of wolf—but the plane made it impossible to get my bearings. I had to get out of there.
I broke free of the exit door and leapt off the top of the stairs, landing on the ground with a heavy thud.
Then I immediately regretted it.
Tiny shards of burning glass pricked my feet. I roared in shock as heat scorched my paws. I stood up on my hind legs, kicking them back and forth. What was this horrible substance? Why was iteverywhere?
A hearty chuckle laughed at my misery. “Hello, my friend! Is this your first time on sand?”
I snapped my gaze onto the man who’d spoken to me—then I regretted that, too. His clothing was an excruciating shade of yellow that felt like an ice pick to my eyes. I threw my paw across my face, shielding my eyes before I permanently damaged my vision.
“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad,” the man said, chiding but strangely friendly. What was his problem?
As I adjusted to the uncomfortable sand and the dazzling brightness of the stranger’s awful shirt, I recognized another major problem.
It was fucking hot.
