Brin dipped her toes in the running stream, watching the shimmering fish swim beneath the surface. Like fleeting souls, they darted in and out of the reeds, flickering in the light. Everything was perfect, and balance ruled it all. She hummed a tune to herself, reciting in her mind the code of the society. 

Balance is the key to our world

A scale tipped is death

The Familiar Society is here to help

and to guide the people through life

Follow the rules and happy you will be

living under the law of the Society

Brin knew the code by heart, and she knew the rules as well. The rules ensured that everything was fair and that nobody got hurt. And it was her job to educate the children within the bounds of the code so that they could grow up into adults that wouldn't be taken away. The small community of Penbrook needed the majority of its children to grow up into their parents' place. The Familiar society regulated who could produce offspring to just a few children above the number set for a stable population so that the population could account for a few glitches and deviants. 

If a person was a glitch, they were sterilized and shipped off to a glitch community where they could live out their lives with other glitches. The Familiar Society's definition of a glitch was someone mentally or physically unfit to work and serve in the community. 

If a person was a deviant, they were simply silenced. A deviant was known as someone who spoke against the Society or harmed others in the community. It was a terrible thing to be silenced, and even Brin didn't quite know what exactly happened when a person was silenced. 

It was her job to make sure the town's children did not grow into glitches or deviants. She had been chosen for the job because of her compliance and compassion, both traits that the Society saw as assets to their cause. 

Brin removed her toes from the stream and tossed her strawberry hazelnut hair. She dusted off her bright blue skirt and began walking back towards the village. Instantly, she sensed something was different, off even. She saw the watchtower in the distance, and it was empty. The dragon should have been at his perch this time of day. As she placed her bare feet upon the cobblestone path, she heard the unmistakable hissing of the faceless red drones. 

Her heart sank into her stomach, and she whispered under her breath, "Taegon."

She saw the end of the golden dragon's tail disappearing into the vehicle from the Society, and she knew in an instant he was gone. And that was the first time she saw her, the woman in the white coat. She had stringy, ice blond hair and a face that looked like it was made of plastic. The woman was pale and looked as if a white corpse had been brought back to life. The woman's cold black eyes scanned the town until they landed on Brin, piercing her soul. 

Brin froze, hoping and praying that this phantom of a woman was not here to take her away to be silenced or thrown among the glitches. People from the Familiar society almost never left their chrome tower in the land far away. 

"Brin Arbel?" The woman asked in an icy, chilling voice. 

Brin's knees knocked together and she shuddered at the cold and calculated tone of the woman's voice. 

"Y...yes?" Brin stuttered, dread washing over her in waves. 

The woman nodded towards two of the faceless red drones. The drones turned, synchronized, and they retrieved a small parcel from inside the vehicle. The drones handed the thing to the woman, and she gazed once more at Brin. 

"You have been chosen to teach this one." The woman said, walking up to Brin and trying to place the thing in the girl's quaking hands.

"Teach it well so that it doesn't meet the fate of the one before it." the woman said.

Brin cautiously took the parcel and examined it, jumping in surprise as she felt something warm and moving under the white cloth. She carefully pulled the blanket back, and saw the tiny dragon nestled within. It was not much bigger than a kitten, with pale soft peach colored skin through which she could see its every vein and some organs. Its tiny heart was beating so fast it looked like it was vibrating within its chest. Its eyes were shut tight, and it opened its mouth in a tiny yawn. 

"It's...It's beautiful!" Brin gasped in awe of the tiny creature cradled in her arms. 

"Raising the next sentinel is no small task. If it glitches or deviates it will collapse on the spot. Do not get too attached." The woman said. 

"Why have you chosen me for this honor?" Brin asked in a whisper. 

"You haven't yet produced in your pupils a glitch or a deviant. We are hoping you will have similar results with this sentinel." The woman said. 

Brin nodded, bringing the tiny thing closer to her chest so that it could feel her heart beat. 

"I will personally check in to make sure it is getting the proper education of its role. It will inevitably collapse one day, but we hope it collapses in its old age so that you do not have to see it go. Teachers bond too closely with their pupils, and it is wise to be detached. However, your methods with your pupils seems effective. Affection is allowed towards the sentinel if it isn't proven to cause deviation." The woman said. 

"But why was I chosen? I'm not yet eighteen." Brin asked. 

"Your methods are effective, and this case was an emergency."

"What about its food and supplies?" Brin said

"Already at your house. Drones will stop in and deliver whenever necessary."

"And what should I call you, if I will be seeing you again?" Brin asked

"Call me X." The woman replied. 

Brin nodded, and X turned and left without another word, the drones following close behind. The tiny dragon mewed pensively in her arms, and Brin gently stroked its fragile skin. 

"I think we will call you Minnow." Brin whispered to the tiny thing curled against her chest. The dragon curled even tighter, folding its paws and tail around itself, the tiny bony fins in its back prickling Brin's skin.