Allegra has been watching the sunrise for 57 years, 3 months and 14 days. Fifty seven years ago was her last encounter with her clansmen. Allegra was in a snowy trench, bloody and weak, when she felt the sun on her skin, draining the life force out of her like a leech. It was then that she discovered how vibrant the sunrise could be, how it could feel like hope and despair all at the same time for a vampire like her. Since then, she made it a point to wake up early to watch the sunrise, to rekindle the day inside her.

This morning was no different. Aside from the arrival of some new students, the world was at peace. She reached into the fridge for her breakfast - a small glass jug filled to the brim with a thick, dark red liquid. It felt like slime down her throat but tasted better to her than any other gourmet meal. Allegra grimaced and put the jug back in the fridge. She reached for her thick velveteen cloak; it was a family heirloom and enchanted to protect her from the sun. [i]I can't believe it's still intact...[/i] she thought, remembering back to all the times she had to fumble to escape for her freedom. Allegra grabbed her backpack, slung her sword over her shoulder and stepped out, closing the door behind her.

The arpeggio of her footsteps echoed along the stone walls as she left the tower. She was itching to find something to do. [i]I could go back to the library and finish that anthology on Shakespeare's relationship with the supernatural...[/i] she mused, but before she could finish the thought, she already knew she didn't want to spend this beautiful day cooped up in the library. Allegra kept up her studies for her personal interest, but she hated being indoors, in the dark. Even if she was told she belonged in the dark, it was suffocating. It reminded her of living with her family. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a howl from outside. [i]Oh?[/i] she thought, curiosity peaking, and in an instant, she was outside, watching the shapeshifter change. The only dragons she had ever met were dead or trying to kill her. She wanted to get a good view of this. In another instant, she was balanced in a tree several meters away, documenting the moments as the fog thickened and dissipated. 

What stood before her, or rather, from a distance, was a large dragon. He was extraordinary. She felt as though the light reflecting off his scales alone were enough to knock the wind out of her. [i]Wow...[/i]