Luke used an old rag to wipe his tool clean, diligently massaging its length to ensure that nothing grew on it after a punishing day of being inside various holes. While not the largest, it did the job and always felt good in his hand. As he gripped it gently, he tilted it in his hand and, once satisfied with its cleanliness, he tossed the wrench into his toolbox. Inspecting the rest of the tools, he plucked a socket out and gave it another wipe down. Working with wet dirt was always harsh on his tools and giving them a good clean at the end of the day was critical for them to last longer than a year. Folding the rag and storing it on a small shelf inside the toolbox, he spotted the plastic shopping bag with a tin of paw balm he had hidden from his father.

It had been a few days since he had spent the day with Teeba and accidentally ended up with part of her groceries. Yet, after his promise to his mother about chasing tail, he hadn't spent much time online, as he tried to work out how he felt about the dragoness. A flicker of a smile pulled at his lips as he remembered the day they had spent together, the back-and-forth banter they shared over a meal and the memories of their gaming sessions. If she was a woman, he knew he would have asked her out, but now knowing the truth… he slammed the lid closed on the toolbox mounted to his truck's bed and sighed.

“It's Friday…" he muttered and turned around to face the field of cattle he had just been tending to. The large cows now cautiously inspecting the pipes he had fixed. “And if you decide to break them again, I'll have you for dinner," he called to the herd who simply looked back at him with indifferent eyes.

Despite the majority of his work consisting of servicing irrigation pipes, pumps and sprinklers on the countless large farms that were scattered around the town of Crestmead, he was often called to help fix the water troughs or other plumbing for the company-owned farms. With a heave and a shriek of the hinges, he opened the door of his old truck and sat down in the driver's seat to look at the tablet laying on the passenger seat. Seeing a notification from the app he used for his business, he knew that his day was going to be longer than expected.

Picking it up and scrolling through the details of his next job, he sighed in relief. “A nice, easy quote to end the day," he said to himself and looked at the customer details. Not recognizing the name, he figured they deserved a good first impression and began pulling his dirt-covered shirt off. As he did, he caught a glimpse of his tattoo in the wing mirror, just under his armpit, a crude drawing of a bullet with wings marked his flesh. Reaching behind the passenger seat, he fished out a clean polo shirt and slipped it on. It was black, tight, neat and embroidered with his company's logo, he straightened it with a tug before keying the truck's engine on.

Once the engine roared to life, he pulled the column shifter into drive and began the slow drive across the farm towards the main road. As the truck pitched and rocked over ruts in the field, he found himself thinking back to Teeba. The way she laughed had made him smile every time and he had genuinely enjoyed their day together, but he found himself gripping the steering wheel tighter as he imagined what others, or worse, his parents would think. Even if they were just friends, he knew people in town would talk. The people of Crestmead loved their gossip, so the fact that his family were so traditional in their opinions on dragons would mean that Luke, having a dragon friend, would be the talk of the town. Additionally, being a single bachelor, back from working overseas, meant that being seen with a dragoness could lead people to suspect they were more than just friends.

Leaving his customer's farm and merging onto the narrow country road, Luke wound down his window to let in some fresh country air and clear his head. Resting an arm on the door sill of his truck, he gripped the A-pillar, as he realised how petty his problems were, when compared to what he had dealt with before coming back home.

Reaching over to the passenger seat, he picked up his tablet again and rested it against the steering wheel. Glancing between the country road and the screen, he double checked the next customer's address. Frowning slightly as he recognized the street name. Having grown up in the small town, he knew almost all of them by heart and this street was known to most of the older townsfolk.

Turning at an intersection, Luke continued towards his destination. He knew that Windsoar Street, or rather, Windsoar Farm, was owned by an elderly couple who had once grown crops, but, due to failing health, had tried to convert their land into a bed and breakfast. Unfortunately, however, they had lacked the skills and funds to make their dream a reality and, as he had grown up, he had watched their property fall into disrepair.

Glancing back at the tablet, he scrolled up and checked the name. “Miss Mangal…" he said slowly, not recognizing the name. “Must be a developer or something," he muttered. Finally reaching his destination, he took a sip of water from his worn metal flask and drove up the long gravel driveway. Plants that were once in pots lined the driveway, having outgrown the ceramic confines, their now wild leaves threatened to reclaim the drive. Taking it slow, he could hear the plants raking the sides of his truck, as mud was brushed off and even more scratches added to the old, worn paint. Fresh leaves littered the driveway and Luke mused that, perhaps, his wasn't the first truck to forge a path through the tangled mess. Emerging out of the overgrown driveway, the path opened up and circled an old oak tree that cast the old home in shade.

Driving his truck round the oak tree, he pulled up outside the large house. Once a proud plantation-style house, it was now a husk of its former glory. Large swaths of the once-white paint had flaked off to reveal the timber beneath and the exposed wood had not fared well against the elements. Moss and vines were growing anywhere there was moderate shade, which gave the house an almost haunted look.

Putting his truck in park, Luke killed the engine and stepped out with his tablet in hand. Looking up at the old home, he wondered what they needed him for; a quote for a new residential irrigation setup had to be the least of the owner's worries. His work boots crunched on the gravel as he walked towards the front steps of the building and, as he stepped on the rotten wooden treads, he noticed how spongy they felt.

Knocking loudly on the front door, he discovered flakes of paint sticking to his knuckles and brushed his hand against the back of his jeans. When he didn't hear any sounds from inside, he knocked again and peered through the glass window next to the door. The building looked abandoned, thick layers of dust coated every surface inside, and the once-expensive wallpaper was peeling from the walls as the building rotted from the inside.

"Hello? Miss Mangal?" He called out and knocked again, before he turned to look around the front of the property. The gravel drive that circled the giant oak tree had signs of tire tracks, which gave him some hope, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being pranked. Stepping down from the front steps, Luke began wandering around the large building.

What was probably once a lush, soft lawn around the house had become overgrown long ago; the bricks used as perimeters around the paths had lost their futile battle with nature and allowed the grass to spread over the path. Calling out again, Luke tried to make his presence known, while heading towards the back of the house. As he passed two large rainwater tanks, he couldn't help but knock on them to try and determine their fullness. "Well, I guess they don't make them like they used to," he muttered to himself, when, despite their age, he heard the dull thud of a full water tank.

Approaching the rear of the main house, he saw signs of the owner's attempts to make the farmstead more suitable for holiday accommodation. A large, in-ground pool stretched out from beside the house; its water now a thick green color despite the pile of chlorine bottles at its edge. Luke felt like he was intruding on the abandoned property, as he searched for the elusive owner. An unsettling silence hung in the air, no birds chirped and even the wind dared not disturb the serenity with a rustling of leaves. Looking over his shoulder at the large house, he scanned the windows as he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

"Miss Mangal? You called about a quote for irrigation?" He called out loudly and scanned the large property. "I'm only here because you wanted me to be here," he added quietly in frustration and walked further down the overgrown property. Passing a large vegetable garden, he assessed the soil. Despite the weeds that had laid claim to it, the dirt looked very dry. Glancing up to the house, he tried to gauge the distance to the water tanks, so, if he had to leave, he could at least make an informed estimate as nothing else on the property looked like it needed water.

About to give up, Luke spotted a barn at the bottom of the hill. Large enough to house at least a dozen dragons in the rain, the red paint on the exterior walls was flaking and, even at a distance, Luke could see the streaks of rust running from the hinges. "Mrs. Mangal?" Luke called out towards the barn and waited hopefully. Torn between returning to his car and walking down the hill, he checked the time on his tablet. This being the last job of the day, he was eager to get home, but not if it meant angering a new customer.

Double-checking that the date of the job was correct, he sighed and began walking down the hill towards the barn. A large swath of paddock stretched out between the main house and the barn, only broken up by a series of old power poles that suspended a cable between the barn and the house. With his eyes down at the tall grass, he dodged ruts and half stumbled, half walked towards the barn, the tall trees that surrounded the house with shade now replaced with nothing but overgrown meadow.

Luke screamed as something latched onto him from behind and pulled him into the sky with strong paws. "OI, FUCK, STOP IT! PUT ME DOWN!" Luke begged, his hands instinctively grabbing onto the fingers of the purple paws that wrapped his chest and tried to break their grip.

"Okay!" giggled a friendly voice before simply letting go. The dragoness bent her neck to watch him fall two feet and tumble to the ground, the soft grass cushioning his fall even though he wasn't lifted high. With two flaps of her wings, she flared out and landed in the long grass. With a playful grin on her snout, she turned and trotted happily back to Luke.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Luke yelled, as he got to his feet and looked at the dragon, his expression only softening slightly when he recognized who it was. "Teeba!"

"That's me!" She chuckled and walked closer, flattening the long grass under her paws. "Hi!"

"What—what are you doing here?!" He asked as he brushed off his jeans and looked around to try and find his tablet.

With a snort of amusement, Teeba grinned. "Picking up a friend," she said and opened her mouth slightly as she waited for him to laugh.

"Oh hah hah," Luke said sarcastically as he found his tablet, despite what he had initially thought and how he might retell the story later, she had only carried him a dozen yards before letting go. Snatching the device off of the ground he was glad that there wasn't any damage. "I mean, what are you doing here exactly?"

"Looking for you! You haven't been online and I wanted to see if you were okay," Teeba explained and stepped closer to him before sitting down. Even while seated and her neck curved down, Luke still had to look up to hold her gaze.

"I'm fine, I've just been busy. But hey look, folks around here don't really like dragons trespassing on their farms," Luke explained and looked over his shoulder to see if he could see the owner of Windsoar farm.

"Oh, Miss Mangal? She doesn't mind," Teeba said and lifted a paw to inspect her talons. Despite the soft grass, it did little to make up for the years of walking on the harsh concrete in the city, which had left her paw pads dry and crusty.

"You know her?" Luke asked and saw a flicker of a smile pull at her snout. "I'm meant to quote some work for her."

"Know her? Of course, I know her," Teeba said with a broad smile. "She's me!" She added with a happy chuckle and a playful wiggle of her body.

"Wait, you're Miss Mangal?" Luke asked before smiling as he realized the joke. "Right, Mangal, mangirl. Wow. How did I not get that?"

Flaring her wings out wide she lowered her front and head in a dramatic bow, "Welcome! To the land of Teeba." Lifting back up, she saw the look of confusion and explained. "It was either Mangal, or humany mc-humanface and I thought the latter was a snoutful."

"But, why make it up at all?" Luke asked while unlocking the screen on his tablet and looking at the customer details section; the joke seemed so obvious now.

"Well, I remembered you saying your folks don't like us dragons, and I wanted an early appointment," she said sheepishly. "I was going to ask you online, but you never came online after last weekend. I didn't say something wrong, did I?"

"No! No-no-no, nothing wrong. Sorry, I've just been really busy with work," he said, knowing it wasn't a complete lie. Looking up at the dragoness' face, he could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn't believe him. "It's just… my family, you see, they are known to be pretty, ah, stuck in their old ways."

"So?" Teeba asked, while tilting her head in confusion.

Scratching the back of his neck, Luke tried to explain. "It's just, you're a dragon— I mean, a dragoness. And a nice-looking one at that. So, when the townsfolk see us hanging out, rumors will start. I just don't want people to get the wrong idea about us."

Teeba held his gaze before nodding sadly. "I see," she said softly. "So even if we are just friends, you reckon the townsfolk will think we are a thing?" she asked and watched him nod before her eyes widened. "Wait!" she exclaimed loudly, making Luke jump. "You think I'm nice looking?"

"What? No—" Luke retorted, his eyes going wide at her smile.

"But you said it!" Teeba grinned, enjoying how uncomfortable the man was becoming.

"I was being polite—"

"Nah-nah-nah, you said I was a nice-looking dragon. You think I'm preeetty!" she teased while stamping her front paws on the ground playfully, while he blushed bright red. "And here I was thinking you were a country boy who didn't like dragons at all!" she added.

"Oh shut up, that's not what I meant," Luke retorted with a smirk; her joyous attitude quickly became infectious, and he found himself chuckling.

"Nup, you can't take it back! Tell me, have you seen a dragon prettier than me?" She asked and puffed up her chest and curled her neck into an elegant 'S' shape.

Looking her dead in the eyes, he nodded. "Sure have," he said and tried to keep a serious expression as she recoiled back in mock offense.

"Rude!" She exclaimed and placed a paw on her chest as if she had been hurt. "I invited you onto my property, and this is how you treat me?"

Shaking his head, Luke laughed. "Oh, I'm rude? Since when was it okay to pluck your human guests and drop them, eh?" he challenged and put his hands on his hips. "Did you even need a quote? Or was it all just a ploy to see me?"

"Oh, I need a quote!"

"Really?" Luke asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"But seeing you was also part of the plan," Teeba grinned before shuffling her wings against her side. "And being told I'm nice-looking was an unexpected bonus."

"I only meant that you are nicer looking than the ones I'm used to," Luke explained while looking her up and down. Her smooth scales and lithe figure gave her an elegant grace that the dragons he was used to didn't share.

"Well, thank you, Luke. Compliments will always get you far with a dragoness," she said warmly and, as he opened his mouth to protest, she smirked and quickly cut him off. "But, I want to pay you to check my plumbing," she said simply and stood up. "Care to lay some pipe for me?" she added and saw his jaw drop.

"What?"

"Why do you think you are here? I'll pay you; I can do cash too, so your folks won't know," Teeba smiled and walked past him, closer than she normally would. Turning her head, she looked over her shoulder at the stunned human. "Come on, you keen? I've heard you are quite good with your hands," she burst out laughing, before nodding towards the vegetable garden. "Garden is this way; I want some irrigation stuff."

"Oh come on, you know how I feel about that-"

"What did you think I meant?" Teeba laughed while knowing full well how uncomfortable she had made him. "I want to grow some stuff so I don't have to go to the shops. But I don't want to do the whole watering can thing. That is what you do, right?"

Luke quickly walked alongside her and nodded. "Sort of, though I mainly do bigger farm stuff. Like entire crop sort of thing."

"Awesome, so it will be easy!" Teeba giggled and continued walking. "These are the planters I had in mind," she added as they came to the garden. "Is it doable?"

Luke nodded, "Yeah, it's a pretty easy job. It shouldn't take more than an hour or so," he said, while crouching down to pull a few weeds from the garden. "So, this whole place is really yours."

"Yup!" Teeba said with glee. "Alllll mine, from the road to the fence all the way down there," she explained and pointed with a wing towards the simple wire fence in the distance.

"What happened to the old couple that owned it?" Luke asked, while brushing his hands on his pants.

"They are now cruising the world or something. They wanted out but didn't want to sell to some big farming company or to their neighbors," Teeba said with a shrug. "So they sold it to me, on the condition that I don't level the place and develop it."

Luke nodded in understanding. Many of the farming families had sold their properties in recent times to large organizations and it was always a sad day in town when one family sold their farm. "So if you're not going to tear it down, what are your plans for the house?"

Sitting down on the grass, she rocked her head from side to side. "Honestly, I don't know. I kinda wanted out of the city, and this place spoke to me. I really like the oak tree out the front and the style of the house, but it wasn't built with dragons in mind. The corridors are way too narrow, and the headroom is tight, so I've been living in the barn 'cause it's a lot more dragon-friendly."

Luke found it odd that she would have spent what he could only assume was a fortune on a house that she couldn't fit in, but didn't say anything. The old house looked to have been built in a time where dragons were seen as little more than talking farm equipment. With the human masters living inside the warm house, the dragons would have slept under the stars or in the barn when they were sick or if it was raining.

"Do you think I've bitten off more than I can chew?" Teeba asked, her playful teasing tone now gone and replaced with sincerity.

Luke looked around the property before looking back at her with a shrug. "It's a big property that has been neglected for a very long time. I think if you rented a pull-behind mower and maybe got someone in to trim the trees, it would go a long way. As for the house? That I don't know about. It could just need a bit of love, but I think it has needed that since I was a kid. And the barn? I don't—"

"Oh, the barn is sorted," Teeba said quickly. "Trust me, it's perfect for me. I've already had some tradesmen come out and fix that up, but they advised the house should just be knocked down."

Luke looked down the hill at the old barn and cocked an eyebrow. "Really? It kinda looks…" He caught himself before he said something insulting. "I mean, if you are happy with it, then awesome."

"Don't you worry about my old barn, farm boy," Teeba said with a knowing smirk. "It's nicer on the inside."

"I'll take your word on it," Luke smiled. "But irrigation, easy. I can run a pipe from the rainwater tanks and get that sorted over the weekend if you want me to."

"Really? That would be great!" She exclaimed happily. "Could I maybe get you to help with a few other things?"

"What did you have in mind?"

Luke's mother noticed he had a slight spring in his step as he came down the stairs the next morning and began putting his work boots on. So often her son would sleep in until at least eight in the morning and it was odd to see him in work clothes on a saturday. “Working on the weekend?" She asked from the kitchen, while drying a plate with a kitchen towel. “That's not like you. I didn't see a call out for today."

“Oh no, um- remember that quote job yesterday for Mrs. Mangal? I said I would get it knocked out today, and she has a few other things she wants help with, so I offered to spend the day there," Luke explained, while focusing on his boot laces.

“You need to tell me these things, Luke. I can't do your books if you are doing work and not telling me," she said sternly.

Shrugging, Luke pulled on the tongue of his work boots to make it easier to get on before slipping a foot inside. “It's a cash job. So it doesn't need to be in the books," he said simply and continued lacing his shoe.

She could tell there was something he wasn't telling her just by his short answers and probed further. “Nice woman? She sounded polite on the phone," his mother inquired and noticed his cheeks become flushed.

Luke shrugged, “She is new to the area and is nice, yeah," he said shortly. “So, I'm going to help her try and get some of the garden under control. It's like the day of the triffids out there," he said while pulling the laces tight and tucking them behind the tongue. “Hey, do you know if the Bronsons still have that old pull-behind mower?"

“Pull behind? I don't think they have used that since their dragons left," she replied and looked at him skeptically. “Why? Found someone to pull it?"

Luke swallowed as he pulled his other boot on, realizing his mistake. A pull-behind mower was designed for a dragon to pull across a field or lawn with a petrol engine to spin the blades and cut the grass. “Oh, Mrs. Mangal has an old tractor, but the slasher is no good. I figured if the Bronsons weren't using their mower I could try and make it work."

“Mmmhmmmm," his mother mused while watching him from across the kitchen. “Well, I'm not sure. They bought a new slasher for their tractor, so maybe," she said and tried to read his reaction. As the man stood up and nodded farewell, she quickly added, “I'll have a roast for dinner so don't be late."

“I'll try not to be," he said and closed the door behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief having escaped her, but he knew he had already said too much. It was only a matter of time before the town found out who the new owner of Windsoar Farms was, but he promised himself he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Jumping into his truck, he turned on the engine and put on his broad-brimmed hat before he began driving down their property to the main road. Once halfway down the drive, he pulled out his phone and dialled the Bronsons' landline, a number he could recite from memory from when he grew up.

Teeba glided on the early morning thermals as she soared over her property. The thought that no one, other than her closest friends, knew where she lived made her feel safe and free. After the sale of the company she had helped create and the incident that happened afterward, she was glad to be isolated from the world in her own little slice of paradise. Looking down, she knew the plants needed to be dealt with, and she half-heartedly promised herself that she would try to stomach the scent of chlorine long enough to get the bottles emptied in the green pool, but despite its flaws, it was now home. The flash of light, from the sun's reflection off of her solar panels, made her squint, the array pointed towards the south to capture as much sun as possible and would eventually charge her off-grid batteries once they came back in stock. While she would call it being cautious, her paranoia stirred as she thought back to meeting Luke. Bringing someone new into her life was always going to be a risk she would need to take and she would be lying if she said she didn't feel alone out here in the countryside.

Adjusting her wings, she shifted from one thermal and glided in a lazy circle around her property. She felt safe knowing that only dragons flying over could see the place she slept,  since it was surrounded on all sides by farms and sheltered from view from the road by the rise her house stood upon. The morning sun warmed her wings, as she banked back around to catch the warm air rising off of her paddock and closed her eyes. Having spent her entire life growing up in the city, the silence of the country was almost alien. Out here the world felt somehow more real, with no advertisements competing for her attention on the sides of skyscrapers or horns and sirens from the cars below. She smiled and found herself breathing slower, relaxing her limbs, she let her legs dangle below her as she rode the air currents.

The double honk of a truck's horn broke her peace and she snapped her eyes open. Tilting her head downwards, she watched as the familiar sight of Luke's truck bounced its way up her driveway while towing a trailer behind it. The trees that lined either side of the path seemed to swallow his truck and trailer, until he emerged at the top of the hill and parked next to the oak tree. Instinctively checking to make sure no other cars were coming towards her property, she clipped her wings and spiralled down towards her friend.

Luke stepped out of his truck and flinched, as he heard the sound of wings beating the air. Holding the door tighter than he would like to admit, he watched Teeba flare her wings and land with a trot under the large oak tree. Only when there was no more threat of being plucked from the ground, did he close his truck's door and smiled at her. “Morning!"

“Howdy!" She replied in a bad attempt at a southern accent. “Whatcha got there, partner?" She added and nodded towards the trailer.

Luke smiled at her attempt and tipped his hat. “Well, ma'am, this here is the answer to all your lawn care needs." He said with an overly southern drawl, before chuckling. “It's a pull-behind mower." He said and walked towards the back of the trailer while gesturing for her to come closer.

Teeba cocked her head in confusion while approaching the truck and trailer. Ratchet-strapped to the flat trailer rested a piece of farming equipment she had never seen before; the large metal platform had a wheel in each corner and a gasoline engine mounted in the middle. Once painted red, the contraption had clearly earned its keep and was now heavily rusted and worn. “A pull-behind mower." She repeated as Luke unlatched the rear of the trailer and connected small ramps so the machine could be pulled off.

“Yup!" Luke said cheerfully. “The Bronsons didn't need it anymore and said if you wanted it, it's yours." Moving around to the passenger side of his truck, he opened the door and retrieved a collection of thick leather straps.

Looking between the machine and Luke, Teeba raised an eyeridge. “Let me guess, pull-behind mower means I pull it behind me. That's kinda degrading."

Luke paused and looked at the straps in his hands. “Is it? I think it's how dragons mow their lawns. But if you don't want to, that's okay. It's your property after all, I just figured this would mean you didn't need to get someone with a slasher in," he explained, noticing the unamused look on her face. “Sorry, forget it. I can take it back. I didn't think it through."

Teeba tilted her head as she considered the alternatives; the idea of having strangers all over her property suddenly made pulling the mower more appealing. “Mmmgh, it's okay," she said finally. “How does it work?"

Grateful that he hadn't offended his friend too much, he stepped up onto the trailer and the mower. Luke latched two hooks on the bundle of straps onto the mower deck and jumped down to pull the straps taut. “Well, the first thing is that these go around your hips," he said and untangled the broad lengths of leather. “Once we get it on the grass, I'll show you how to turn it on." He added and held up the thick iron buckle.

With a small huff, the dragoness turned around and stepped backward towards Luke while mantling her wings so he could attach it to her. Turning her head, she looked under her wing at him and saw his cheeks were redder than usual, a smirk pulled at her snout, as she realized he was uncomfortable being so close to her rump. “It's okay Luke, the biting end is up here," she said and smiled to reveal her white teeth.

Chuckling nervously, Luke stepped closer to her side and tossed one length of strap over her hips. He became focused on the sky while reaching under her belly to pull it back around her waist. Once he had it in hand, he quickly looped it through the buckle and pulled it tight. He noticed he had to put the prong of the buckle through the tightest hole. As he tucked the excess strap under itself, he found his hand lingering on her flank. Her scales were smooth like silk and he quickly pulled his hand away as he realized he was stroking her.

“Alright, let me just unstrap it, and then you can pull it off," Luke explained, as his cheeks burned. Before she could see his expression, he quickly turned his back to her and walked around the trailer. His deft hands quickly released each strap with a series of clicks until it came free. “Alright, all yours."

Teeba took a few steps forward until the straps connecting her to the mower became tight. Digging her paws into the gravel for traction, she began pulling the mower off of the trailer and down the ramps. She strained against the straps as she pulled the mower through the gravel driveway and onto the long grass beside the house. The thick grass quickly became tangled on the blades under the metal deck. “Come on, you piece of…" she growled under her breath as she pulled it further before stopping and panting. With her tail resting on top of the mower deck, she looked behind her and saw Luke jump off the trailer with a jerry can of fuel.

“Let me get it running, that should make it easier. But maybe don't rest your tail on the deck, it's a bit of a hazard to tail tips and that engine is gonna get hot." he explained and stepped onto the broad metal deck of the mower. He explained to Teeba the process of filling the mower and priming the engine before pulling the starter cord.

She watched as he pulled it multiple times without success. The high compression of the engine and the very long draw of the cable made it difficult for the human to get the crankshaft spinning fast enough for it to start. “Want me to have a go?" she asked as he pulled unsuccessfully again and again.

Luke tried once more before panting. “It wants to go, I can hear it," he explained. “It's just a bit old," he added as the cord was snatched out of his hand by a backfire.

Teeba smirked and took a step back, pushing him out of the way with her rump before standing on the deck with her hind legs. Curling her neck around, she carefully grabbed the cord's thick handle with her jaws and pulled with her neck and body on the long rope. She could feel the tension in the engine as it cycled through its phases, and as the momentum built, she found it easier to pull. With a final flick of her neck, she let go of the cord as the engine roared to life. As the handle snapped back into place, Teeba grinned happily at Luke at her accomplishment.

“I got it close!" Luke laughed, having to raise his voice over the sound of the engine.

Teeba couldn't hear him, but gave him a polite nod. “So, I just pull it?" she asked and nodded again when Luke gave her a thumbs up. Stepping forwards, she found that, with the blades of the mower spinning, the long grass offered little resistance and she was quickly walking with ease while the mower made short work of the grass.

Luke watched as Teeba marched off with the mower being pulled along behind her, the grey and purple dragoness occasionally turning her head to look back at the progress she was making. Turning back to his truck, he walked with the empty jerry can in hand and tossed it into the truck bed, then began pulling out rolls of hose and various fittings to begin making an irrigation system for her.

Teeba quickly developed a new appreciation for dragons like her friend, who grew up pulling ploughs. Although the mower's wheels helped it move over the ground, her hips and thighs felt like they were on fire, as she began making the final pass up the hill of her property. Grateful that there was no catcher on her mower to empty, she smiled at the neat rows the mower had formed with the cut grass. Dragging it up the hill towards Luke's truck, she flapped her wings to help cool down her body; the combination of air moving around her and over the thin membranes quickly made her feel more comfortable.

Luke was crouched down at the rainwater tank with a wrench on the final fitting, when he heard Teeba and her mower approaching. Looking over his shoulder, he watched as she pulled it closer to the gravel driveway and began unstrapping the broad leather straps around her waist. Standing up, he walked closer and asked if she was done, exaggerating his mouth movements to make himself understood over the noise, and stepped onto the mower deck when she nodded. He reached for the ignition switch to kill the engine and the mower spluttered to silence. “How was that?" He asked and smiled when she just panted. “It will be easier next time, the longer the grass gets, the harder it is," he explained and began rolling up the straps. “But, you did a good job!" He added and looked back down the hill. With the exception of a few lines that went astray as she had become distracted, the once unmanageable grass was now at a comfortable length.

“Thanks. I think it came out okay," she said between pants and swallowed. “How did you go?" She asked and kept her sore hind legs planted while taking a few steps forwards and stretching.

Luke averted his gaze as the dragoness stretched her lithe form and nodded. “Ah-um, yeah! It's all done. Care to test it out?" He replied and gestured towards the water tanks.

With a slight spring in her step, Teeba followed him towards the new taps he had installed and the network of hoses that were all neatly managed. She listened carefully as he explained how he had plumbed each one. Because each plant may need varying levels of water, he had connected each planter bed separately so that she could adjust the flow as needed. Additionally, each tap had a large handle that her paws could manipulate with ease.

"Okay, I don't think I can mess that up. But, um… silly question. What happens if it doesn't rain?" She asked, while sitting on her haunches next to the man. Since moving in, she had been conscious of her water usage and was relieved when it rained the previous weekend, but the worry of running out had plagued her dreams on more than one night.

Luke waved a hand dismissively, "if that happens, which is rare, you can get a water truck in. I'll send you the number, it's fairly cheap for tanks this size," he said and saw her visibly relax. "But honestly, these tanks have been sufficient for a family and their dragons. You're alone, so you should be okay."

Nodding, Teeba smiled in understanding. "Cool, hey um… speaking of water, did you want a drink?" She asked and gave a brief gesture with her wing towards her barn. "I've got some beer," she added when she saw him look back towards his truck.

Luke rocked his head in contemplation, while unprofessional to drink on the job, he thought to himself, that today wasn't exactly a normal workday. "I probably shouldn't. I'm on the job after all."

"Nonsense, I'm paying you," Teeba said with a grin. "I'll pay you to have a drink."

Luke raised an eyebrow at the dragoness, but smiled, "Oh really? You think you can pay me to do anything?"

Teeba chuckled and swished her tail back and forth before lowering her head down to his height. "Luke, everyone has a price, to do just about anything," she said in a low voice, before she lifted her head and roared laughing as he blushed. "Come on, I'll pay you one drink to drink one drink," she said with a giggle.

Luke shook his head at her logic and sighed, "Sure, why not," he said and put his wrench into his tool belt.

"Awesome, I have some lunch for us as well," Teeba said while rising to her feet. As they began walking down the freshly mowed grass, she felt a sense of accomplishment at her hard work. Every step came easy, and she didn't have to fold the grass with her paws or use her wings and wondered why she hadn't investigated getting her grass cut sooner.

As they came to the old red barn at the bottom of her property, Luke felt slightly uneasy at the thought of what Teeba would have prepared for lunch. The hinges on the old barn door protested as the dragoness gripped the handle with her jaws and pulled it open to reveal the interior. Teeba's words of having had tradespeople in, echoed in his mind as his eyes went wide and jaw opened. While the exterior of the barn looked neglected and old, the interior was nothing short of impressive. What was once nothing more than a concrete slab floor had been tiled with smooth slate grey tiles and polished timber flooring; the walls had been insulated and clad with a stacked stone veneer or plaster and warm amber lights hung from the ceiling to cast the barn in a cozy, modern atmosphere.

"This..." Luke started but failed to find the words as he stepped inside, he heard the rasping sound of her wiping her paws on a mat outside and quickly becoming aware that he should take his boots off. "This is not what I was expecting," he added as he knelt down to unzip the side of his work boots and slip out of them.

"What? Thought I was just sleeping on a bale of hay or something?" Teeba grinned and walked past him towards a liquor wall. "It's not The Spires in Liberty Scales, but it's home," she said proudly and began finding a glass small enough for him.

Luke turned around and admired her home; the entire barn was an open layout, excluding what he assumed was her bathroom which was walled off. Even her low bed was on display next to a large television, which would be perfect for watching shows before sleep. "It's incredible. I remember you saying you had tradespeople in, but I just assumed it was some framing or something. Not... all this," he said with a wave of his hand. "It looks like a swanky bar or club."

Teeba snorted in amusement and lifted her head out of a cupboard with a broad grin. "Because it is!" She said proudly. Seeing the confusion on his face, she continued. "So, my friend owns this bar and wanted to modernize it, as it was getting pretty tired. Things get cheaper the more you buy, so I paid for the renovation while also getting this place done up," she said and frowned back down at the cupboard. "But, I seem to have forgotten glasses... is out of the bottle okay?"

Luke nodded and continued to admire the craftsmanship of the barn's new interior. His mind wondered exactly how much she had spent on purchasing Windsoar Farm, renovating the barn, and also her friend's bar. While he knew there were wealthy dragons, they were almost unheard of in Crestmead. He was about to ask how exactly she paid for everything when he heard her walking awkwardly on three legs towards him, his beer clutched in her other paw. "Oh, thanks," he said and quickly came closer to her to take it off her paw. While not his favorite brand of beer, he mused that the best beer is always free beer.

Opening it, he cautiously watched the head of foam rise up the glass bottle neck before settling, and then he took a sip while she walked over towards a large fridge. "Well, I think this has easily got to be the nicest barn in Crestmead," he said and saw her smile proudly. "And the biggest TV," he added with a nod towards the massive flat screen on the wall next to her bed.

"Thanks, maybe once I've got the rest of the property in shape, we can do a movie night or something," she replied while moving things around in the fridge. "Just not anything from the Wick franchise. I had a wild dream after watching the first one."

Luke was surprised she would have watched such a movie but nodded in acknowledgment. "Well, it will be a while before the whole place is in order. Do you know what you want to tackle next?"

"I really want to get that pool clean for summer, but the chlorine really stinks. Once I open a bottle, I feel dizzy," she explained, with her head in the fridge.

"Yeah, it looks like it needs a lot of it. I'll put it in if you want," he offered before taking another sip and spotting her computer, a large curved display and a headset big enough to wrap around her head. He smirked as he looked at the headset and saw the transparent panels for RGB lights and the comical plastic ears at the edge of the band. Alongside the sizable keyboard and mouse was a controller she must use for gaming, the length of a DJ's turntable, but instead of rotating records, it had two large balls with an array of buttons around their edges that she could press with her talons.

"Oh, would you?! That would be awesome, thank you!" Teeba said, looking over her shoulder to see the man eyeing her controller. "Dare you to play a game with it. Mister mechanical keyboard master race," she teased, knowing full well that she would struggle just as much to game with his keyboard.

"Alright, how hard can it be? With aim assist I've just gotta get in the general direction, right?" Luke retorted, not wanting to retreat from a challenge. Spotting the power button on her computer, he turned it on and smiled as the collection of RGB fans inside her clear case glowed purple and whirred to life.

"Sure, Luke, and with a mouse, you just have to click on heads," Teeba giggled as she pulled out a collection of sandwiches she had made the previous night. Carrying the large plate of food across the barn, she was grateful when Luke came to her and took them off her. Trotting over to her computer, she laid down on the thickly padded cushion and patted the edge of it for him to join her. "Come on, I'll show you how it works first," she said warmly.

Sitting down, Luke placed the plate beside them and watched as she placed her forelegs on either side of him and rested her paws on the two balls of the controller. He looked up and saw her long neck above him and strangely found himself wanting to lean back against her chest. As her monitor lit up with a login screen, he was amazed at how quickly her talons danced on the keys around the two balls and was shocked at how long her password was. Finally typing out the long string of characters, the screen changed to her desktop, and he was surprised to see her wallpaper was that of a sunset over the city of Liberty Scales, complete with the four spires that rose above the skyline like black fingers against the orange sky. "Nice picture," he said, while she navigated to the Riderfall 2 icon on her desktop.

"My friend Ben took it, same guy who owns the bar. He took it on his first flight," Teeba said with a hint of nostalgia.

Luke's eyes widened, knowing that dragons would rarely let a human ride them due to being a symbol of servitude to their human rider. "You let him ride you?" Luke asked, looking up at her face as she snorted in amusement.

"Oh, um… no," she said cryptically, while becoming focused on the screen. "It was his first flight with his mate Geevin," she clarified and saw the logo for Riderfall 2 fill the screen.

"Oh," Luke said, realizing that her friend was not only a tail-chaser but also played for the other team. "That's um... cool," he mused, while trying to work out the logistics of their activities. Taking a sip of his beer, he watched the screen as Teeba selected single player and then the first level, which was used to test a player's skill and recommend a difficulty for the campaign.

"Got a thing about dudes bonking drakes?" Teeba asked with a playful smirk, knowing that the subject would make the man uncomfortable.

Luke tried to remain nonchalant, as he shrugged, "Whatever floats their boat, just don't expect me to help paddle."

"Paddle?!" Teeba exclaimed with a smile that went from horn to horn. "You kinky thing. I'll tell Ben and Geevin that next time I see them," she added and pressed a key to start the level.

"That's not what I—"

"Oh shh, I'm just pulling your tail, country boy," she giggled and slid the controller closer to him. "Alright, want me to show you how it's done?" she asked and tilted her head to look down at the man between her forelegs.

"Sure," he said simply and leaned forwards to see her claws rest on the buttons around each of the balls.

"Okay, so this one does your movement, like WASD but with more control," she said with a hint of mockery. "And this one does your aim. These do your abilities, your guns, and grenades," she explained and tapped each button with a talon.

Luke nodded as he tried to remember each button's function and alternated between watching the screen and her paws roll the balls quickly under each paw. A smirk pulled at his lips as he felt her shift slightly from side to side as her digital character ran along the walls of the map and competed against the clock.

"See? Easy," she said with a cocky smile as her character slid across the finish line and her score appeared on the screen. While not her best run, it was nowhere near the bottom of the scoreboard.

"Easy," Luke repeated and chuckled as she brought the large controller up and onto his lap. "Oh, my turn?"

"Yup, let's see if you have what it takes, Rider," she giggled, repeating a line of dialogue from the video game.

"Alright..." Luke replied and placed a palm on each of the balls, quickly realizing that her larger paws were able to reach the buttons with ease while his hands struggled to reach over the ball's curve. After adjusting the placement of the controller, so it was tilted upwards more, he moved his hands to the furthest side of the balls so he could reach the buttons and tried to familiarize himself with the analogue inputs.

Moving his character around, he found the controls incredibly clunky at first and was surprised that he was able to play so well with them, but before long he had his character running along the walls and rooftops of the level and firing guns down at holographic enemies. As his kobold character slid across the line, he quickly reloaded the map and started again. “That was just a warm-up," he said and began the challenge again, this time his movements were smoother and more fluid as he tried to beat her score.

“Take all the warm-ups you want, you won't beat me," she teased and plucked a sandwich up with two claws and ate while he played.

Run after run of the level, Luke found his time steadily decreasing and was beginning to come closer and closer to hers. He wasn't sure if it was her warmth just behind him or his concentration, but he found himself starting to sweat. Running his hand through his moist hair, he undid the top button of his shirt and leaned further forward. Determined to beat her score, he reloaded the map at the first sign of failure and began to lean with each jump his character did, much to the amusement of the dragoness behind him. “Ooo, you are getting close," Teeba teased as he slid across the line, his time now within a second of hers. “Let's make it interesting. If you can beat my score, I'll pay you double for today's work. If I beat you, you have to trim the trees down the drive."

Luke cocked his head as he contemplated the offer. Looking at the scores and reflecting on his performance, he knew he could shave some time off on parts of the level and nodded. “Alright, you're on."

While the level loaded again, he took a sip of his beer and leaned further forward to focus on the screen. Meanwhile, Teeba smiled behind him, sharing a video game in person with a friend was an activity that she had not done since she was a fledgling. While gaming online was nice, sharing these moments with a friend was an experience she would cherish. Even if he had reservations about being friends with a dragon, she believed he was still kind at heart, and it was nice to let her guard down around him.

“Okay-okay-okay, next one. You're mine," Luke said while raising a finger in defense of his score.

Looking at the score, she smiled at how close he was getting to hers. Only a few tenths of a second separated his best attempt and her first of the day. “Ooo, so close," she grinned and moved her forelegs closer to his sides to help balance the large controller. Watching him launch into the fray again, she found herself leaning with him as he maneuvered his character through the level. Enemies vanished in a hail of gunfire as, the kobold character ran and jumped from wall to wall, defying gravity and using her momentum to swing around corners. As the finish line came into view, Teeba knew it was going to be close. He timed his jumps carefully and tossed a grenade ahead of him, timing its fuse perfectly to let the explosion carry the flailing kobold across the finish line.

As the score came up on the screen, Luke lifted both fists up into the air. “Woo! Get some!" He cheered.

“Well done!" Teeba grinned, “Mind if I have one more go? For pride's sake," she asked.

Confident in his score, Luke placed the controller ahead of him and on the ground so she could rest her paws on the balls more comfortably. “Go for it."

"Don't worry, I'll only need one go," she said confidently and leaned forward.

Luke chuckled as she tilted her head from side to side, hearing her spine click. Not being used to sitting on the cushions, he arched his back to stretch it and flinched when he leaned against her front. "Sorry-"

"Shh now, Teeba is working," the dragoness replied as the level started. Her purple paws rolled the balls back and forth with precision and speed, and her kobold character launched through the map. With a clatter of talons against keys, she timed each jump perfectly, firing at distant enemies to force them to throw grenades to her only to ride the concussive wave for an added burst of speed.

Picking up a sandwich, Luke's jaw was agape as she became one with the controller, the dragoness showing a level of finesse and dexterity that he didn't think possible from such a large creature and he knew he had lost as she came to the final straight with plenty of time to spare.

With a whip and spin of the two balls, she let go of them as the final explosive blast of her grenades sent her kobold character tumbling across the finish line, beating his score by over five seconds. "There we go! That's how it's done!" she exclaimed and thumped her tail down on the cushion to emphasize her point.

"That was… how?!" Luke asked in disbelief as he confirmed her time versus his.

"Ah, you know, I just have the little advantage of being better," she teased and patted the controller with both paws.

"Uh-huh," Luke retorted playfully. "And being modest helps too."

"Well yeah! I'm the most modest person I know," she quipped back. "So, I'll make you a deal, I'll pay you double, if you also help me with the trees."

"You don't need to pay me double, you beat me fair and square. Consider the trees done," he said and bit into his sandwich while picking up his beer.

Having had a nosy look around the main house to try and deliver the hamper she had prepared, Luke's mom Trish had concerns about where the mysterious Miss Mangal and her son were. Seeing the lines of freshly cut grass and the pull-behind mower parked without a tractor to be seen, her chest began to tighten. "Maybe they are using the tractor elsewhere," she told herself to try and settle the uneasy feeling in her stomach. After scanning the property one last time, she walked back to the homestead and placed the hamper at the front door.

Only when she was opening the door to her SUV, did she look down the hill one last time and saw something that made her heart stop. Emerging from the old barn at the bottom of the property, was her son, sweat on his brow and hair a mess, with a button undone on his work shirt. The dragoness smiling happily behind him made her quickly get in the car and drive off as fast as she could. Thoughts of her son being one of them made her lip quiver and her eyes become glossy and as her SUV drove quickly down the overgrown driveway, she contemplated how to tell Luke's father.