“What did you say to Visk?” Cassia asked as she strapped a bag to my body.

  Under great protest, I’d eventually consented to help carry Sir Kenneth, Visk, and my Cassia’s belongings. It offended my pride to be used like a common packmule. Cassia had spent the better part of two hours of the morning convincing me to let the goblins attach a crude but durable harness made from deer hide to my torso.

  “I told them they were doing a good job,” I told her truthfully as she finished tightening the last strap. My tail flicked against the ground irritably. Visk had been avoiding me ever since. Whatever their issue was, they needed to move past it. We only had a few minutes left before we were supposed to leave.

  Sir Kenneth stood awkwardly off to one side. He’d be leaving most of his armor behind except for a doublet, arming cap, and a tabard bearing his coat of arms. I’d refused to carry the extra weight of his heavily dented brigandine and other ‘war kit’. Between his and Sir Raban’s armor, you might be able to assemble one fully functional set. The fight with Third had thrashed them both thoroughly.

  “Did you? Well I suppose they must’ve earned it then,” Cassia commented casually as she walked around to my front. She patted my torso and looked over to Sir Kenneth. “Are you ready to fly? It’s a shame you have to hang below, but we’ve already asked a lot of Sanguine.”

  The plan, in summary, was to have me fly the group over the top of the Cloudshear Mountains. Once we were in the ‘Inner Continent’, those who would be heading into the city of Osteriath would hitch a ride on a passing wagon. Either that, or they’d walk the remaining distance. I would remain concealed while waiting for them to discover Magnus’s location. When they were ready for me to come pick them up, Cassia would send me a signal through our connection.

  Sir Kenneth picked at the rough harness that the goblins had made for me to carry him in. It would serve to distribute his weight across his body while he dangled from my claws. There was too much of a risk of me stabbing someone with my claws on accident during an extended trip. They’d only grown sharper since I’d absorbed Third’s Vitae.

  Visk finally showed themselves. They were also wearing a harness. Like Sir Kenneth, they were evidently uncomfortable. Their normally graceful movements were stiff. Cassia raised an eyebrow and walked over to check the straps.

  “Did you have a hard time putting that on Visk? Let me help,” my Cassia told the elf. Her deft fingers tugged at several of the harness’s straps. “Hmm. These are definitely too bloody tight. Let me see here.” She made several adjustments before stepping back. When she was done Visk seemed to stand more easily, but they pouted slightly. I could see it in the delicate downturn of their ears.

  “I was fine, but thanks,” the elf muttered just loud enough to be heard.

  Edith approached as we finished getting prepared. She had a serious expression on her face. “Now I know ye three aren’t planning to get into any trouble,” she said, looking between those on two legs. “But when ye invariably do, I want ye to have these.” She pulled out a small pouch from her apron pocket and offered it to Cassia.

  The young woman took it carefully and opened up the flap to see what was inside. A set of three thin vials were nestled between lambs wool. They gave off a faint shimmer in the later morning sun. “Are these potions, like you gave to me?” Cassia asked with lights shining in her eyes. Her enthusiasm dampened somewhat when Edith shook her head.

  “No, not like that. These are what I’ve been able to scrounge together with Croaker’s help,” Edith explained. “They’ll give ye a sizable boost of energy when ye need it most and heal a fair share of minor wounds. It’ll leave a scar though, so be mindful of what ailments ye use these for. Don’t rely on these for every fight. They’re a last resort. Drinking too much will cause lasting harm.”

  “Thank you Madame Edith,” Sir Kenneth spoke. “I am honored that you care so much for our wellbeing.” Edith fixed him with a hooded stare, but then sighed and shook her head. Cassia closed the pouch and moved in to hug the older woman. The pair embraced for several moments before they stepped away from each other.

  “No time like the present!’ Cassia declared. “Let’s be off.” She tied the pouch to her waist belt and climbed up onto my back. She’d gotten her way there as well. There was padding for her to sit on, just behind my wing joints. I carefully adjusted my weight to let her sit comfortably before I reared back on my haunches. My front feet grabbed onto a hook in the back of Visk and Sir Kenneth’s harnesses and lifted them off of the ground.

  Both made noises of discomfort at being held like toys, but it was too late to protest. I beat my wings and started to lift us off the ground. Just before we took off, I darted my head down to Edith. She blinked as my amber eyes came close. My forked tongue darted out and lightly licked her cheek. She didn’t have any time to react before I took off and flapped away into the sky. Edith held a hand up to her cheek with pursed lips as I soared away above her.

  She gave a huff, then turned back to her work. There would be a lot to do before those hooligans returned.

  As the Redstone Hills dropped away beneath me, I had time to reflect on all that had happened recently. My life in the Cursed Forest had been a fight against starvation, but it had been peaceful. When I was forced to leave it to seek a healer for Cassia, I could never have imagined how much more complicated my life would become. I didn’t regret meeting most of the people I’d encountered since, but at times I did miss the quiet solitude of the winter forest.

  Events had become significantly more dangerous and chaotic since I’d arrived in the Redstone Hills. Many people had died, both those who I deemed to deserve it and those who had not. While I didn’t regret slaying the bandits or goblins who had attacked my companions, I had been confronted by the reality of what happened when a dragon’s aggression went unchecked for too long.

  The battle with Third and its aftermath had shaken me and my companions to our core. Our mutual trust had been stretched to the breaking point. Even after confronting the worst of our disagreements, the pain would linger for a long time. Edith and I’s relationship had suffered the worst, despite Cassia’s issues being more out in the open. Edith simply accepted it as more pain to be born rather than attempt to truly reconcile.

  I believed my Cassia when she said Edith had forgiven me, but my gut told me that for any real trust to regrow between us, I needed to honor my promise and rescue Magnus.

  Personally, I was still unsure of how I felt about the child himself. We’d had virtually no interaction, even while traveling together. There was a connection between us, but it was indistinct in my mind. Edith claimed that the magic I’d performed changed the boy into something akin to my ‘son’. I had few positive associations with my own ‘parent’, so I didn’t have the slightest idea of how to treat him.

  Edith had declared the boy to be Hers when she finally snapped at me. It was one of the only times I’d seen her break out of her world-weary and matronly persona. I’d never considered that she might regret leaving Magnus behind with T’laanga, in spite of the solid reasoning for doing so.

  T’laanga’s murder and Magnus’s kidnapping had broken something inside of her that I couldn’t repair. While I had not been the main hand in causing her suffering, I did play a significant role. She’d only left Magnus with T’laanga because of the danger involved in accompanying me. T’laanga had willingly given me his lifesblood so that I could catch the one who had stolen Magnus.

  I had not been fast enough.

  Cassia seemed to feel me mulling things over in my head. She leaned forward and rubbed the scales along my neck comfortingly. We weren’t able to speak while in the air, but I could feel the reassurance she wanted to communicate across our connection. Things were still tenuous between us, but I knew she was trying her best to accept me for what I was and not who she’d imagined me to be.

  We had already left the goblin village and the gorge far behind us. Strong winds flowed across the Cloudshear mountains from Summershore. They had carried me towards the upper sky during my battle with Third, but now I needed to stay relatively close to the ground. My passengers would not fare well in the thin air of the upper sky.

  Our progress was still far swifter than it would have been travelling along the ground. I could see where the rolling Redstone Hills met the Mountains proper. The terrain was a twisting labyrinth of canyons and wood studded cliffs that would make using a wagon impossible. Even hiking on foot would have been a thankless task and would have required weeks to make any significant progress.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  There was a distinct dip in the land that angled toward the Coil River. From a distance I could see its raging rapids and twisting course. Edith had told me that this was the primary route most common folk took to the Inner Continent. The journey was considered far too dangerous during Spring when the mountain snows melted and drained into the river. Ferries would only travel the route during the summer or fall unless there was an especially dire need.

  Here and there I could pick out what looked like debris caught upon the rocks. Clearly someone in recent history had tried to challenge the river and lost. There was no time to investigate, however. We could not afford any further distractions. I already felt bad about falling asleep for a week after Magnus’s kidnapping. It had been largely involuntary while my body both healed and absorbed the immense amount of Vitae Third had let loose when he died.

  Sixth had been quiet since we spoke in my Dream. She was shocked that I’d given her any of her stolen Vitae back. It seemed to go against all conventional wisdom for any dragon to sacrifice personal power for another person’s sake. My gut agreed with this assessment, but I suspected that the situation was more complicated than simply ‘What’s mine is Mine and what’s yours is also Mine’.

  During the battle with Third, I had completely run out of magic. He was about to overpower me. I received a massive resupply without warning from outside sources. I was fairly certain the source had been Cassia, Edith, and possibly Magnus. While I’d not had a chance to speak with either woman about it, Sir Kenneth had mentioned that Magnus had performed unknown magic and gone unconscious before he was kidnapped.

  The items I’d given to Cassia and Edith were something called a ‘focus’ by Edith, which was able to transmit and contain some amount of my magic. When Cassia had been wounded, her blood had smelled strongly of my own Vitae. I’d been able to transfer T’laanga’s remaining magic to Edith as well. Based on the evidence at hand, those who were connected to me could send me their stored magic when I ran low.

  If that was the case, it might be possible to connect with other people and use that connection to stockpile magic for times of dire need. Something about the idea made me hesitate to bring it up to Cassia. The connection between us felt deeply personal, rather than simply convenient. While Edith was currently distant to me, I had felt flickers of a similar sensation from her in the past.

  On a more basic level, the idea of using other people as ‘resources’ bothered me. It tasted too much like how my siblings acted when I metaphorically rolled it around my mouth. Third had eaten dozens, if not hundreds, of animals and people in his rush to grow ever stronger. Some of his Intent lingered in my mind from the Vitae I’d absorbed. Partial flashes of memory that described an overwhelming rage and hunger lurked in the dark recesses of my dreams.

  I spent so much time contemplating that my Cassia had to tap me on the neck to shake me out of it. When I looked around, I could see the sun setting towards the horizon. A quick glance from my vantage point indicated that we’d travelled far enough for one day. I spotted a place that had level ground, shelter, and access to water via a small mountain stream. My wings dipped and I descended toward it.

  The campfire crackled as Cassia fed a log into it. She hummed softly to herself as she waited for the fire to reach an appropriate heat to boil water. Some dry rations were sitting on a flat stone nearby, waiting to be turned into a stew.

  They hadn’t brought a tent. While I was far stronger than I had once been, weighing me down with too many supplies would burn energy that we might need later. Watching Third plow his massive body through the air had been an education in what not to do. If he’d practised more skill in managing his magic, he likely would have been able to outlast and overpower me.

  Practicing with my magic was frustrating, despite knowing that it would be ultimately worth the effort. Edith was unable to provide much guidance. She’d only had a modicum of magic before meeting me. Perhaps T’laanga could have taught me more, but the reticent man had been more focused on ensuring I wasn’t a bloodthirsty killer than teaching me anything the one time we’d spoken at length.

  Visk had recently told me they possessed some magic, but it seemed to be highly focused on using specific skills. It might be worth consulting them when an opportunity presented itself.

  The elf in question was lingering in the shadows. They and Sir Kenneth had been quite sore after their extended flight in the harnesses. Cassia had promised them both that she’d make some adjustments in the morning before we left. If they were both too sore to walk when we arrived at our destination it would prove troublesome for all involved.

  Every time I glanced at Visk they would look away, trying to act like they hadn’t been watching me out of the corner of their eyes.

  “So… what’s you and the other guy’s deal?” Cassia asked Sir Kenneth as she carefully positioned the small stewpot over the open flame, hanging it on a small iron fork she’d brought with her. “Is he your bodyguard or your friend? He seemed more worried about you than getting stabbed through the gut.”

  Sir Kenneth blinked owlishly at my Cassia. He’d been staring off into space, lost in his own thoughts.

  “I… uhm, I suppose he was my bodyguard,” Sir Kenneth answered. “He was a sergeant-at-arms in the employ of my… Lord. He was knighted to… uhm… help give him authority to… hunt witches…” The man trailed off as he felt my eyes glaring at him. He gulped and tugged at the neckline of his doublet. “B-but we are equal in rank now. Due to his greater experience, he was technically in charge. We have… known each other for a long time.”

  Cassia gave a low hum as she started using a knife to scrape ingredients into the stewpot. “You seemed a little more worried about him than just a comrade.”

  The young knight huffed and pulled out his sword. Technically, it was Raban’s sword. Sir Kenneth’s had snapped in half when it embedded itself in Third’s scales. The young knight had brought it with him, both to defend himself and as a status symbol. Apparently an unarmed knight was considered a ‘laughing stock’ and a disgrace. Sir Kenneth pulled out a whetstone and started to sharpen the blade.

  “M-maybe I do think of him as a friend. What of it? Knights are allowed to have friends,” he muttered out loud.

  “How old even are you, Kenneth?” Cassia asked casually. “Half the time you talk like a knight out of a storybook. The rest, you stumble around like it’s your first time meeting a pretty girl at the market.” Coming from Cassia of all people, that was highly ironic. I gave a deep chuff of amusement, which earned me a light glare and a mental admonishment.

  “I’m nineteen summers, I’ll have you know!” Sir Kenneth declared proudly. “I was knighted last year and have served honorably since then. There’s been no time to b-bother with m-maidens…” He’d gathered his courage to make that declaration, but withered under both Cassia’s and Visk’s blank stares.

  “Pffft-” Cassia started before giving into a fit of giggles. She had to place her cooking knife down so that she didn’t accidentally hurt herself. Soon she was clutching at her side with one hand and pointing at Sir Kenneth with the other.

  “He-he-he-he’s nineteen!” she chortled, tears of mirth brimming in his eyes. “No won-wonder you ta-hahaha-alk like a twat!” She didn’t get anything further out due to her laughter. Sir Kenneth went red in the face, but he didn’t smell angry to my nose, just embarrassed. I felt Cassia was being a bit unfair to the man, so I interjected.

  “Cassia is eighteen,” I rumbled. “She forgot to keep counting, but Edith said she is eighteen summers old.” Compared to my less than a year of life, that length of time seemed unimaginable to me. At least according to Edith, that was still fairly young for a human, while still considered physically an adult.

  Cassia stared at me, her mouth agape. An expression of horror growing on her face. “Eighteen?” she whispered. “No. No no that’s not right! Surely I didn’t miscount…” She started doing maths on her fingers.

  Sir Kenneth looked at her for a long moment before he pointed right back at her. “Look at you, you ninny! Acting all high and mighty when you’re younger than I am! Bahahaha!” The man broke down laughing, his voice echoing across the night. It only got louder when Cassia became angry, but could only voice sputtering sounds in response.

  Visk looked at them both, their ears angled to the floor. “Dear gods, I’m travelling with a group of babes,” they whispered to themself.

  By the time the fire had died down, Sir Kenneth was asleep in his bedroll. Cassia had considered resting under my wing, but ultimately elected to go to sleep gazing at the stars. My head was laid across her lap, which was a welcome change from our recent extended separation.

  Visk on the other hand was still hovering at the edge of our camp. They’d eaten the food Cassia provided, but hadn’t said much to anyone present. I’d been patient for a while and expected them to eventually settle down, but that patience was running thin.

  “Visk,” I whispered softly. “What are you doing?”

  “Oh!” Visk hissed, managing to remain quiet enough not to wake anyone. “I’m… standing watch boss, for enemies.” I narrowed my amber orbs at Visk. While that sounded like a plausible excuse, their ears betrayed them.

  “Visk, if anyone dares get near us, I’m going to turn them into a cinder on the mountainside,” I responded softly. “Now get over here and go to sleep.”

  The elf, surprisingly, obeyed. They reluctantly sidled over to where they’d set down their pack and picked it up. I could see their eyes glancing around for a good spot. My wing unfolded carefully off of my back and presented itself as a tent for them to rest against my flank.

  “B-boss!” Visk protested, their voice a hurried whimper. “I can’t sleep there! Not after…”

  “After what, Visk?” I rumbled irritably, which made Cassia squirm in her sleep. My amber eyes flicked over to her to make sure I’d not woke her up before they latched back onto Visk. The elf squirmed under the intensity of my gaze.

  Finally, Visk shuffled over and crouched to settle beneath my wing. They sat down rather than go to sleep. A careful squeeze of my joints had the smooth membrane of my wing press in against them insistently in a kind of pseudo-hug. Underneath, Visk made some particularly prey-adjacent noises. Eventually they settled into a more comfortable position and laid down.

  As I settled down into an attentive half-sleep, I felt Visk’s arms wrap around me. Soon enough, they were sleeping soundly.