Neebis, a dragon who had never visited the city, had heard rumors of the metropolis's towering buildings and vibrant streets. Nevertheless, nothing had prepared him for the awe-inspiring sight that greeted him as he soared over the horizon.

He marveled at the towering buildings, skyscrapers, and towers that rose to dizzying heights, while the streets below swarmed with activity. As he glided down one of the bustling streets, his reflection caught his eye in a skyscraper, and he noticed the red frill down his neck standing out against his dull white scales. As he descended towards the ground, he observed cars and trucks whizzing by, while people rushed along the sidewalks. Despite the commotion and clamor, Neebis couldn't help but feel a sense of amazement at the sheer scale of the city.

As he touched down, he spotted that dragons were taking off and landing from designated zones. Thus he joined the rest of the pedestrians and noticed that the dragons in the city were all different colors and sizes. Most of them seemed to spend a considerable amount of time grooming their scales, which glistened in the sunlight. Neebis had never seen such colorful dragons before. Growing up in a small countryside village where dragons were utilized for farming and manual labor, most didn't spend time pampering their hide since it would only get dirty the next day. Nevertheless, in the city, dragons appeared to be everywhere, engaged in various industries.

Walking through the city streets, Neebis felt overwhelmed by the constant noise and activity. He was accustomed to the quiet and peaceful life in the countryside, where the only sounds were the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind. However, in the city, the noise was incessant and overpowering. Neebis couldn't believe how bustling and chaotic the city was. He felt as if he were in an entirely different world from the one he knew. But despite his initial shock, he was determined to start a new life for himself.

While strolling through the bustling streets, his gaze fixated on the towering structures, he searched for any indication of job opportunities. Suddenly, his eyes landed on a billboard advertising a corporation named "Drag'n'Drop." The company emblem showcased a yellow dragon soaring from the first D to the last P while gripping a package in its talons, accompanied by the slogan "From Distribution to Porch." The billboard also displayed the recruitment center's address, but unfortunately, no contact number was provided.

Despite hearing stories of dragons working at Drag'n'Drop that were far from pleasant, Neebis couldn't ignore the allure of the job opportunity. With his heart pounding with anticipation, he proceeded to make his way towards the address specified on the billboard.

As he approached the building the sheer size of it was intimidating. It took up multiple city blocks and was many stories high with no windows. Neebis saw that there were several other dragons his side gathered near one of the doors. They were all the same size as him, and most of them had brightly colored scales in shades of green, red, and blue.

As he neared the entrance, self-doubt crept in, and Neebis began to wonder if he was qualified enough to work at Drag'n'Drop. Would his color and demeanor be enough to impress the company's hiring personnel? However, he shook off these negative thoughts and proceeded with confidence, determined to make the best impression possible. Upon reaching the entrance, a human employee greeted him with a friendly smile.

"Hello and welcome to Drag'n'Drop! Are you here for an interview?" the employee asked.

Neebis eagerly nodded in affirmation, his heart racing with anticipation. Along with other dragons, he followed the human employee into the building, experiencing a mix of excitement and nervousness. The interior of Drag'n'Drop was just as impressive as the exterior, adorned with sleek and contemporary furnishings and a lively ambiance.

The human led him through a maze of corridors and elevators, passing by dragons and humans alike who were all busy with their tasks. Neebis tried to take it all in, but it was all happening too fast for him.

Finally, they arrived at a room where a group of dragons were gathered, all looking just as nervous as he felt. The human instructed them to take a seat, and a holographic projection appeared in front of them. "Welcome to Drag'n'Drop, everyone," a voice said from the projection. "We're thrilled to have you on board as part of our family. In the next few minutes, we'll be providing you with a brief overview of our operations, as well as some important safety guidelines. Please pay close attention."

Neebis tried to focus on the hologram as it showed images of packages being picked up and delivered by dragons all over the city. The voice continued to speak, explaining the basics of how the company operated and what was expected of the dragons. But Neebis couldn't help but feel like the orientation was rushed and automated. There was no personal touch, no one-on-one interaction. It was all done through holograms and pre-recorded messages. As the orientation came to an end, the human employee handed him a tablet in a harness to be wrapped around his forearm and a wireless headset that attached to his horns.

"Your tablet will give you visual instructions on what to collect, and your headset will give you verbal instructions," she explained. "Please always follow the instructions given to you by the tablet and headset as this will ensure safe operations and timely deliveries"

Neebis felt a little overwhelmed by all the new technology, but he tried to keep his focus. He put on the headset, and a voice immediately spoke in his ear. "Hello, Neebis. This is your first assignment. We need you to report to the roof. There's a package waiting for you there. Can you confirm?"

Neebis tapped the accept button on the tablet and heard a positive tone through his head set.

"Great. Just follow the instructions on your tablet, and you'll be on your way. Good luck!"

With that, Neebis made his way out of the room and towards the elevators. He was excited to start his first delivery, but he also couldn't shake the feeling that everything was happening too fast. Neebis stepped into the elevator and found there was only room for one dragon, feeling a sense of unease wash over him. He was used to wide open spaces, and being crammed into a small metal box was not something he was accustomed to. As the elevator began to ascend, he could feel his heart beating faster. He had never been so high up in a building before. He looked up at the numbers on the wall, watching as they climbed higher and higher.

The ride seemed to take forever, and Neebis began to fidget with the tablet in his harness. He wanted to make sure he was prepared for his first delivery. Finally, the doors opened, and Neebis stepped out onto the rooftop. He looked around, He could see hundreds of hatches on the roof, they would open and a package would be pushed through from below, a colored light would flash next to the package and shortly afterwards a dragon would collect the package and launch into the sky.

But Neebis's moment of awe was short-lived. The other dragons were already gathered on the rooftop, and as soon as they saw him, they burst into laughter.

"Look at him, he took the elevator like a human!" one dragon jeered.

Neebis felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He had no idea that the other dragons would fly up to the roof. He had never flown in a city before, and the idea of navigating through the crowded airspace made him nervous. But he didn't want to show any weakness in front of the others. He squared his shoulders and walked over to the package that was waiting for him.

The tablet in his harness lit up, indicating a flashing colored light and he saw a package with the same colored light also flashing, the tablet once he tapped accept on the tablet it then started giving him instructions on where to deliver the package. He glanced up at the others, trying to ignore their snickers.

He muttered under his breath as he headed over to his package and grabbed it in his paws, before taking off into the sky. He could feel the wind rushing past his wings as he soared over the rooftops, with a sense of purpose he flew towards his destination, he couldn't help but wonder if he was really cut out for this job. The city was overwhelming, and he was not expecting to have an "interview" which resulted in him getting a job straight away, He told himself not to look a gift dragon in the mouth and thought he should be glad he now had a job.

Neebis soared through the city, dodging skyscrapers and navigating through the bustling airspace. The tablet in his harness gave him directions, but the earpiece in his horns was giving him conflicting instructions.

"Turn left at the next building," the tablet instructed.

A negative bong noise came through the earpiece "Recalculating, Turn Left in two miles" the earpiece scolded.

Neebis felt frustrated and confused. He tried to follow both sets of instructions, but it only led to more confusion. He was flying in circles, trying to figure out where he was supposed to go. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking. He knew that he had a deadline to meet, and the incentives for making timely deliveries were too good to pass up.

Finally, he spotted the building he was supposed to deliver to. He swooped down, landing gracefully on the rooftop. He handed over the package, feeling a sense of relief that he had finally made it. But when he checked the time on the tablet, he realized that he was running behind schedule. He had taken too long to navigate through the city, and now he was in danger of missing the delivery deadline.

The earpiece crackled to life, "Neebis, you're behind schedule. Remember, repeat offenders will be terminated."

Neebis felt a knot form in his stomach. He didn't want to lose his job, especially when he had just started. He took a deep breath and focused on the task at hand, determined to make the rest of his deliveries on time. As he took off into the sky once again, he was starting to feel frustrated by the city. The crowds, the noise, the conflicting instructions - it was all so different from the quiet countryside he was used to.

Neebis landed on the rooftop of the distribution warehouse and panted for a moment, catching his breath. He saw a water fountain on the roof with a sign that read "Employee refreshment fountain" He headed over to it and started to drink, He only got one sip in before he received a negative bong noise through his headset, checking his tablet he noticed that he was running even further behind his target.

He fumbled with the tablet in his harness, trying to figure out how to accept his next consignment. He couldn't remember which button to press, and the screen was too small for his large claws. As he struggled with the device, he noticed the other dragons flying taking new deliveries from the hatches with ease. They seemed to know exactly what they were doing and accepted the next delivery while on approach to the roof , never slowing down or stopping they would just use their claws to latch onto the next delivery and keep going. It was a much more efficient way of doing things than what he was attempting.

He glanced down at the tablet in his harness and noticed that he had accidentally pressed the wrong button, accepting a delivery that was on the other side of the city. He cursed under his breath, he headed over to the hatch that was flashing his color, reluctantly he grabbed it and took to the skies once more.

Neebis flew across the city, carrying the package in his talons. He was tired and hungry, but he pushed himself to keep going. He was determined to deliver the package on time, no matter what. When he finally arrived at the delivery address, he was met with an unexpected sight. The elderly human who answered the door was clearly unhappy to see him. Neebis could feel the tension in the air as the man glared at him with contempt.

"Your kind isn't welcome here, Scale face" the man growled "I don't want your filthy feet touching my package!" the man exclaimed. "Why didn't they tell me it was going to be delivered by a dragon?"

"Um, Drag'n'Drop uses dragons to deliver ally their packages, sir" Neebis tried to explain

"They should say that more clearly"

"Its literally in the name" Neebis said, his frustration coming through his voice.

"Listen here you white shit, I fought your kind in the revolution and I will not have you talking back to me like that." He continued to rant and rave, his face turning red with anger.

Neebis was getting frustrated and annoyed with the man's behavior. He had been working hard all day, flying across the city to make deliveries, and now he was being treated like an unwanted pest.

In the end, Neebis couldn't take it anymore. He left the package with the angry man and flew back up into the sky, feeling dejected and disheartened. He had always known that some humans didn't like dragons, but in the country he had always received some level of respect due to the work that dragons did on the farms, he had never experienced it so personally before.

Neebis continued to make deliveries throughout the day, even as the sun began to set. His wings ached and his eyes were tired from staring at the tablet and listening to the headset for so long. He had flown long days when at the farm, but the added weight of the packages and navigating the streets had taken a toll on him.

When he finally completed his last delivery, he returned to the distribution warehouse to clock out. He fumbled with the tablet for a moment, trying to work out how to log his hours, and that's when he noticed the electronic sign above him.

It was a scoreboard, showing the names and delivery times of all the dragons who had worked that day. Neebis scanned the list and saw his name at the bottom, spelled wrong as "Neepiss". A few of the other dragons nearby noticed as well and began to laugh and make fun of him.

"Look at Knee Piss down there at the bottom!" one of them said, snickering.

Neebis felt a pang of embarrassment and frustration. He took a deep breath and reminded himself that he couldn't let their teasing get to him. He was here to work, not to win popularity contests. He clocked out and headed off the rooftop, gliding down to the street. As he walked, he realized that he hadn't made any arrangements for a place to stay tonight. He had been so focused on getting the job and completing his deliveries that he had completely forgotten about finding a place to sleep.

Feeling a bit lost, Neebis spotted a nearby street market and decided to wander over. The market was bustling with people, both humans and dragons, and the smell of delicious food filled the air. Neebis scanned the stalls, looking for something to eat. He was too tired to fly, so he walked on all fours, weaving his way through the crowds. He was surprised to see that some of the stalls were run by dragons, just like him. He saw one selling roasted fish and another selling freshly picked fruit.

As Neebis strolls through the street market, searching for something to sate his hunger, his attention is drawn towards a food cart. There, he spots a dragoness with mesmerizing iridescent blue scales tending to the stall. Her name tag identifies her as Reevian. As he approaches her, he can't help but notice her striking features. Despite being smaller than most dragons, Reevian boasts a slender build and a fluffy fur collar around her neck. Her scales shine with a stunning, almost iridescent blue hue, and her eyes have a captivating, deep green color. Her horns frame a set of long, pointed ears that poke out. Despite her fierce appearance, her warm smile puts Neebis at ease.

Upon placing his order of roasted meats and grilled vegetables, Neebis catches Reevian's attention. He appears to be distressed, and Reevian inquires, "Is everything alright?" with a concerned expression.

Neebis hesitates for a moment before replying, "It's been a long day. I just started working at Drag'n'Drop, and it's been overwhelming."

Reevian nods sympathetically. "I know how that feels. When I first came to the city, I was lost and confused too. But you'll get the hang of it."

Feeling a little embarrassed that he had just vented to a stranger, Neebis changes the subject. "So, what about you? How did you end up here?"

Reevian's eyes light up at the question. "Oh, I've been running this food cart for a few years now. It's my way of making a living and connecting with others. I love meeting new dragons and humans and hearing their stories."

Neebis is intrigued. "Do you get many dragon customers?"

Reevian nods. "Yes, quite a few, actually. But I also have a lot of human customers who are curious about dragon culture and want to try our food."

Reevian dished up his meal into a bowl that was large enough for a dragon to carry. He pulls out his coin pouch and empties what he has on to the counter, his heart stopped as he realized it was not enough but Reevian just smiled, she pulled out a few coins from the register and added them to the pile them back to him "And here is your change." she said pushing them back.

"But, I....." He stuttered as he couldn't think what to say. "Thank-you" he finally said.

"Come back sometime and fix me up" She said happily.

Neebis walked on three legs while he took his food over to a nearby table, he took a bite of his food and savors the flavors. He feels the warmth flow through him and feels a lot better. While he ate he kept looking around at the hustle and bustle of the market place and couldn't help but be fascinated. Once he had finished his meal he returned the bowl back to Reevian.

"Thank-you again Reevian." He said with as much revenance as he could. She nodded and he turned to leave before turning back. "Hey, you wouldn't know of a place that I could stay for the night? I only arrived today and forgot to find accommodation."

Reevian nods sympathetically and says, "I know a few places you could check out, but they might be a bit out of your price range. Have you considered the shelter?"

Neebis looks skeptical. "I'm sorry, I'm still quite new to the city."

Reevian smiles. "I understand, There is a shelter run by the city just around the corner. If they have space they should be able to take you. I think I have a flyer for them if you want."

Neebis nods gratefully. "That would be great. Thank you."

Reevian hands him a piece of paper with the name of the group and an address. Neebis thanks her again and finishes his meal. As he walks away, he can't help but feel grateful for the unexpected kindness of a stranger. He followed her directions and eventually ended up in a dim lane covered in graffiti, rubbish littered the street and there was broken glass in the gutter. Taking care where he walked he found the establishment the flyer mentioned.

Neebis walks into the establishment and takes a quick look around. The place is dimly lit, and the air is thick with cigarette smoke. The floors are sticky, and there are stains on the walls that he doesn't want to identify. He takes a deep breath and walks up to the woman who is sitting at a desk, looking at him through her thick glasses.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he says, trying to sound as polite as possible. "I'm looking for a place to stay, and I was told that you might be able to help me."

The woman looks up at him and sniffs. "What do you want?" she asks in a gruff voice.

"I need a place to stay," Neebis says. "I just started arrived in the city and I don't have a place to live yet."

The woman eyes him up and down, taking in his scales and horns. "You're not from around here huh?" she says. "Do you have a job?"

Neebis nods. "Yes, I work for Drag'n'Drop. I just started today."

"Are you high?" She says peering over her glasses at him.

"Um, no. this is how tall I am" he said not really knowing what she was asking.

The woman nods and takes out a piece of paper. "Fill this out," she says, sliding the paper across the desk. Neebis takes the paper and looks at it. It's a standard rental agreement, and he quickly fills it out. He hands it back to the woman along with the money.

"Here you go," he says.

The woman takes the money and grunts. "Room 4," she says, tossing a key at him. "It's on the second floor. No smoking, no drugs, and no loud noise after 10 pm. Got it?"

Neebis nods and takes the key. "Thank you," he says, turning to leave.

"Hey," the woman calls after him. "Watch yourself around here. Lots of untrustworthy folks in these parts."

Neebis nods and quickly leaves, feeling relieved to have a place to stay but also uneasy about the hostile environment.

Neebis enters his room and takes a good look around. It's nothing like what he's used to. The walls are dirty, the bed is stained and lumpy, and the air is thick with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. He feels disappointed and homesick.

Neebis couldn't believe that he would be spending the night in such a dingy place. The room was small, with just enough space for a bed and a small cupboard. The bed was covered in a stained, lumpy mattress that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages. The floor was dusty, with bits of trash littered around. The smell of alcohol, smoke, and filth hung heavily in the air, making him feel nauseous.

Neebis looked around the room, feeling a sense of disappointment and frustration. He had left his home in the countryside with dreams of a better life in the city. He had hoped to find a good job and a decent place to stay, but things hadn't turned out as he had expected.

He sat down on the bed, feeling the lumps beneath him. He looked at the door, which had no lock, and wondered if he would be safe here. He could hear other dragons arguing in the establishment, but he was too tired to care. He decided to make the best of the situation and get some rest.

He lay down on the bed, feeling the grime and dirt on the sheets. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sounds around him. The voices outside continued to argue, and the smell of alcohol and smoke became stronger.

Despite his exhaustion, Neebis had a restless sleep. He dreamed of flying back to the countryside, of being free from the constraints of the city. But his dream turned into a nightmare, and he found himself being chased by humans who hated dragons.

He woke up in a cold sweat, feeling relieved that it was just a dream. He looked around the room, feeling disoriented. He checked the time on his tablet and saw that it was early in the morning. He decided to get up and find some breakfast.

He found the communal shower on the ground floor, but as he entered he was appalled with what he saw. All manors of bodily fluids were strewn across the cracked tiled floor. In the corner were two dragons engaged in carnal activities. He quickly turned around he decided to skip a shower and leave them to eachother. As he walked out onto the street he got his bearing and decided to head back to the markets to get some breakfast.

The vendors were only just starting to open as he arrived at the marketplace. He saw Reevian struggling with the awning of her stall and he quickly padded over to help out.

"Thanks, Oh its you!" she exclaimed. "Oh god what is that smell?"

"Oh, sorry. That's probably me"

"You smell worse than yesterday, Neebis."

He looks down at his scales self-consciously, "The room was really dirty, and I didn't have any other options."

Reevian looks into his eyes and can tell that makes a judgement call on, she nods towards the apartment above her stall, "I have a shower at my place if you want to freshen up."

Neebis hesitates, unsure if it's appropriate to accept such an offer from someone he just met, but the thought of being clean again is too tempting to resist. "Thank you, that would be really nice," he says.

"Go on up, Shower is on your right. Don't use all my shampoo!"

Neebis is surprised to find that it's a cozy little apartment with a balcony overlooking the city. He feels awkward being inside another dragon's house without them and quickly finds bathroom. Not wanting to take long he quickly steps into the shower and turns on the taps. As the warm water washes over him, he feels the stress of the previous day start to melt away. He quickly washed himself with her soap, its fruity fragrance a refreshing change to the bed he slept in. When he's finished, he dried himself off with a towel and tries to return it to the hanger as neatly as possible.

He pads down the stairs and returns back to the market place. "Oh that's better" Reevian exclaims.

"Thank-you Reevian. You have been so kind. I really don't know how I can re-pay you."

"Oh don't worry about it. Your clearly new here and you already have a job, This is just a bump in the road. I'm just glad I could help." Reevian smiled, She could see the gratitude in his eyes. "Go on, you don't want to be late."

He nods his thanks and leaves, noticing there isn't many people around he launches to the sky from the pavement and makes his way to work.

Too be continued