Camilla found herself staring at the empty space where Aurora once stood. No. No. NO!

  She rushed forward and tried to feel the air where she had been moments ago to no avail. Despite having worn slightly better clothes she still fell to her knees, fingers clawing at the dirt.

  Camilla spent several minutes frantically searching for any clue of what had happened to her friend. Unable to find anything Camilla collapsed to her knees as her emotions threatened to boil over. She couldn’t truly let her emotions out before a loud crash caused her eyes to snap towards a nearby alleyway.

  She slowly stood up and made her way towards the end of the alley. She turned the corner and noticed 3 cloaked individuals attacking a man in leather armor. He appeared to be on the backfoot as they clashed swords slowly trying to break his defense.

  She slowly creeped closer, noticing 2 dead men on the ground wearing the same outfit as the mysterious attackers. She inspected them closer and realized she had seen these outfits before. So destroying our city was enough!? Now you plan to do the same here?

  “You struggle for nothing! Just give it to us, old man!”

  The trio started a coordinated attack that the older man struggled to defend against. Camilla noticed he was bleeding from several cuts. Feeling that he was about to die, she made a split second decision.

  “HEY YOU!” She dashed forward snatching up a sword from one of the fallen men and swung towards the closest hooded figure. They swung their sword in retaliation meeting her attack head on causing them to lock blades.

  The individual was shocked they weren't able to immediately overpower this stranger.

  “W-who are you?!” A feminine voice asked.

  “None of your concern! How dare you attack someone in this town!” Camilla pressed forward, knocking her opponent back and landed a strike across their shoulder.

  The woman stumbled, placing her hand on her wound reflectively.

  “You bitch! I’l! slaug-”

  Camilla interrupted her by resuming the attack, trading several more blows before her opponent made a vital mistake. The wound was slowly taking a toll on her opponent, causing her to react slower, something that Camilla used to her advantage. She dodged a desperate thrust and grabbed her attacker's wrist. She pulled her forward while driving the sword into her chest, killing the woman instantly.

  She turned her attention towards the other three after freeing her sword. However the old man was now on his knees, a deep wound across his belly. The two men chuckled and turned towards her, shocked to see her alive they circled her carefully.

  This is bad. I doubt I can fight both of them at once. The duo charged forward at the same time, not giving her the time to think. Dammit I can't die here! Why’d I have to go and get involved? She cursed herself for staying true to her family's principles at this moment.

  She blocked the first two strikes from each of them before she felt herself get grabbed by the arm and tossed into the wall. She cried out at the jolt of pain in her back as the men towered over her.

  “Hurry up and kill her while I get the medallion!” the taller man made his way over to the dying old man. The man standing above her readied his blade to end her

  So this is how I die after all...Aurora, I’m sorry. Before the man swung his sword a bright light appeared at the end of the alley. The man turned towards the light and was impaled by an icicle in his heart causing him to drop dead.

  Camilla blinked her eyes trying to peer into the light and teared up slightly.

  “Aurora…” she whispered.

  The elf giggled as she helped her friend to her feet.” Hehe. Miss me?”

  “Y-you! Where have you been?!” She

  Aurora scratched her cheek “well…I’ll tell you later, for now I need to deal with him.” She gestured towards the last survivor.

  “Great another interruption. This was supposed to be easy.” he looked down at the hole in his thigh caused by another icicle. “Well as much as I’d like to stay and play but I have a job to complete ladies.”

  He pulled out an object and threw it at them causing a cloud of smoke to obscure their vision. When the smoke cleared there was no sign of where he had gone.

  “He’s gone.” Aurora scoffed and turned towards Camilla and gasped when she noticed a cut on her arm. “Are you okay?!”

  “I’m fine, can you check on that man over there?” She pointed towards the old male.

  “Will do!” She gave her a hug before heading to check on him. She knelt down and checked him over. Luckily for the moment he was still breathing so she began attempting to slow the bleeding.

  His eyes snapped open and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to his mouth, a soft whisper leaving him. “The…the m-medallion…”

  Aurora was confused by his words, “A medallion? Why would they be after that?”

  “The dragon’s -cough cough- you m-must find i-it” his breathing started to grow erratic and his eyes glazed over. “A-Amy, I failed you.” as the words left his lips he took his last breath.

  Aurora closed his eyes in respect before making her way back to Camilla. “Come on, we need to hurry with our registration and then go find Lord Blackwood.”

  Camilla nodded back, slowly standing up and dusting herself off. She grabbed her friend and pulled her close, placing her head on Aurora’s chest, hiding the tears staining her cheeks.

  Her voice cracked slightly, “I-i thought you had vanished forever…believed I'd never see you again.”

  Aurora’s expression softened as her ears twitched, “Oh come on, as if I’d leave you alone after what happened to us. We promised each other, didn't we?”

  She drew back from the hug and slowly wiped the tears from her friend’s eyes. “Better now?”

  “Mhm.” Camilla’s cheeks flushed a bright crimson as she stared into those sparkly ruby-like eyes. God, why is she so stunning. The longer she looked at the elven beauty before her the more she wanted to embrace her.

  Come on Camilla! Since when were you a coward? She took a deep breath and raised her vision back to Aurora’s gaze, who responded by tilting her head in a confused manner.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” She clasped her hands over Camilla’s, worry etched on her features.

  Rather than answer her directly she gently cupped her face and pulled her close. Aurora let out a small squeal as her ears and cheeks tinted red. She opened her mouth to say something but was silenced as Camilla’s lips met her own in a slow kiss full of long-silent feelings.

  A few moments passed before they slowly separated, both blushing while catching their breath. Aurora slowly stood up and pulled Camilla with her, still holding onto her hands.

  “So did you enjoy our date my dear Camilla?” The smirk on her face grew wide at her friend's embarrassment.

  “T-that wasn't a date!” Camilla averted her gaze, her cheeks burning.

  Aurora leaned down to the side to look at her face while teasing her, “Oh then what was it?”

  “It-it…was…uh.” God why is she like this? She looked side to side, trying to think of a reason to change the topic. “Look, just forget that for now! We need to go make this report!” She turned and pulled Aurora with her as they made haste towards the city hall.

  “Camilla, slow down!” Aurora giggled “We passed the turn three streets ago.” She pulled back, stopping them in their tracks and pointed back down the road towards a pub. They changed course and continued on their way.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Aurora walked into the city hall alone to make her report while Camilla went to register them as adventurers. She approached the lady seated at the front desk who looked up at her.

  “Hello there Miss. How can I help you today?”

  “I have an urgent report for Lord Blackwood. Is he available?” She rested her arms on the edge of the desk as she waited.

  The receptionist looked at a paper for a moment before standing up. “Wait here for a moment please.” she disappeared up a nearby staircase leaving Aurora to take a seat in the lounge.

  She took out one of the magic books Aqua had given her and started to study some more advanced ice magic. While the book would give her the proper casting technique, she knew that it wouldn't mean much without practice.

  Well enough of that for now! Placing the book back in her pouch she stood up and stretched her limbs as she spotted the lady returning with a well dressed man accompanying her. They met halfway and Aurora gave a slight bow towards the man.

  “No need for that young lady. Please follow me.” His direct approach shocked her, but she shook her head and followed after him. She was led up the stairs to the fourth floor and down to a room towards the end of the main hall.

  The man stopped and gestured to the door. “Lord Blackwood is expecting you.”

  “Thank you sir.” She took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

  “So what brought you back here so quickly? I thought you and your companion had plans?” The old man sat back in his chair as she entered.

  “We did, but we stumbled into a problem.” Aurora proceeded to explain what had happened this morning. “I’m not entirely sure what they were after. The man they were fighting mentioned some kind of medallion. Any ideas what they could be after?”

  “Hmm…So it's them again, huh? Continuing to be a parasite as usual.” He sneered.

  “Them? Have you encountered them before?”

  Lord Blackwood looked at her with confusion. “Are you saying you don’t recognize them?”

  She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Should I? They looked like typical thugs to me.”

  “They are with the group responsible for the devastation of your hometown.”

  “WHAT!?” Aurora stood up in a hurry. “Why aren’t we working on finding them!”

  “Now, now, calm down, we are working on it. They cover their tracks pretty well. In the meantime, I have a request to make of you and Camilla.”

  “A request? What would it entail?” Her eyebrows raised as she sat back down, regaining her composure.

  “Nothing difficult, there is just a cave outside a nearby town. I need someone trustworthy to scout out for me.” He placed a small bag on the desk. “This is an advance payment of 10 gold coins if you choose to accept it.”

  An advance of 10 gold just to scout out some cave. Sounds like I know what we’re doing next. “I accept the request.” She secured the gold in her bag before standing up. “Do you have a map to the cave?”

  “Of course.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a small parchment. “Here you are. The path to take is marked.”

  Aurora accepted it and placed it alongside the gold. “Then I'd best be on my way to meet Camilla. I’ll register at the guild and grab a quest to cover our tracks before we depart.” She promptly left and made her way to the guild.

  ~~~~~~~~~~

  Camilla walked into the Adventurer’s guild and took in her surroundings. The large open lobby had a long circular reception counter positioned straight in front of the door. To the right was a seating area filled with around 10 long tables with benches on each side. A small kitchen and bar were along the side and back wall bordering the reception desk.

  To the left was a more open common area with a fireplace, some couches, and tables.

  A request board filled with sheets of paper sat to the right of a U-shaped staircase that went up three floors. Adventurers filled the tables in the kitchen area, laughing as they chugged mugs of beer while exchanging tales of their journeys. Other parties crowded around the job board, bantering among themselves before choosing one. Their steps caused the wood floors to creak as they submitted the request to a clerk for approval.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Camilla smiled at the warm atmosphere before she moved towards the clerk behind the desk. “Hello, I'd like to register here today.”

  The clerk glanced up briefly before grabbing a few documents and placing them on the counter next to the quill. “Please fill out these forms, and then we can get you registered.”

  Camilla slowly looked over the required information before filling it out.

  Name: Camilla Dawnblade

  Race: Human

  Occupation: Squire

  Skills: Intermediate earth magic, Advanced swordsmanship, Basic tracking

  Age: 27

  The other forms consisted of regulations and a form for release of liability upon death of the applicant. These seem reasonable. We shouldn’t be stuck as newbies for long either. She turned in the papers and took an empty seat on one of the couches, a long sigh escaping her. Her fight kept replaying in her mind, focusing on the survivor's looks. The only odd thing that kept appearing to her was the dragon claw emblem they all wore. Just who is this group? Always seeming a step ahead at every encounter.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Brandy, the clerk, called her back to the counter. “Here is your guild card and tags. The card proves your identity, and the tags are for your rank. We keep a copy of your card if you ever lose it; however, if you lose the tags, you will have to undergo a reassessment. If you pass, we will issue you another one.”

  She handed over the two items. “Do you know how the ranks work?”

  “I know how one increases their rank, but not all of the ranks that exist.”

  “Alright. Well, new adventurers start as unranked. After you complete your first quest successfully, you will be promoted to Sand rank. Afterwards comes Dirt, Pebble, Rock, Quartz, Ruby, and finally Diamond rank.”

  Camilla raised her brow. “That is a rather unorthodox classification.”

  Brandy could only let out a light chuckle. “Well, the guild master is a rather eccentric man. He claimed he couldn’t stand being the same as everyone else.”

  “I…see. It’s…certainly unique.” She was about to ask a question, but felt a gaze on her. Her eyes snapped up to her left, looking out a high window. Three cloaked figures stood on the roof of the adjacent building, their eyes watching her movements momentarily before they vanished.

  “Sheath your blade, young lady. Chasing ghosts is pointless.” A bulky adventurer in ornate silver armor and wielding a longsword spoke. His words made her realize she had drawn her sword and sliced an edge off the counter. Brandy and the other two clerks were holding each other in fear.

  Camilla took several breaths to calm herself, her murderous feelings fading as well. She turned towards Brandy and bowed. “I apologize that my sudden outburst frightened you.” She rose, turning to the adventurer who stopped her. “Thank you for your intervention. If you hadn't, I would’ve chased them through the entire city.”

  “It was nothing. You showed some potential with the sword. Are you training to become a Knight?”

  “Ah, yes. I just completed my Squire training before coming here,” she crossed her arms in front of her, shifting her weight onto her back leg.

  “Now now, no need for skepticism. I just happen to know the captain of the guard here. I can put in a word for you if you wish to become one.” He turned to walk away. “I shall return in a week. Give me your answer then.”

  She watched him leave while pondering his offer when Aurora entered the guild, running over to Camilla.

  “Are you okay? I felt your aura shift from down the street!” She looked Camilla over like a concerned mother would a baby.

  “Aurora, I'm fine. Really just relax.”

  “Alright. If you say so.” She wrapped her arms around her for a brief hug while whispering. “I’ll go sign myself up. You find us an easy quest we can do nearby.”

  Aurora ran over to the counter and began filling out her own documents. Brandy helped her as well, giving her the same explanation she had given Camilla regarding the rankings.

  Name: Aurora Frostwind

  Race: Half Elf

  Occupation: Ranger

  Skills: Adept marksmanship, Advanced tracking, intermediate stealth

  Age: 38

  Brandy filed her paperwork as Aurora joined her friend in locating a quest. “Ooo~ What about this one!?” She pointed to one offering 10 gold to eliminate 4 demonic boars that had been terrorizing the local farmers just outside the city.

  “Sure.” Camilla grabbed the quest, and they returned to the counter right as Brandy returned, holding Aurora’s card and tags. “We would like to take on this quest.”

  Brandy looked it over for a moment before stamping “accepted” at the top of the page. “You have 5 days to complete the quest before we repost it. If you fail to complete the quest in time, you will need to pay a penalty of 10 silver. Furthermore, you will be barred from accepting another quest for seven days.”

  “Understood, Brandy. Thank you again. Let’s go, Camilla.” Aurora ran out of the building, her partner close behind. “We need to head out of town to the south.”

  “Alright, lead the way then.” They traveled through the city for several minutes until they reached the south gate. The guards waved them through, having noticed the guild tags hanging from their necks.

  “Well that was simple enough. Now the hard part.” Aurora stopped and pulled out the map, quickly discerning the direction they needed to travel. “Alright lets go.” She took off running, Camilla keeping pace with her. They ran for several miles until stopping next to a river.

  “We’re close now. We’ll rest for a moment before we continue on.” Aurora was hardly fatigued, but Camilla felt her lungs burning. It seems I still need to work on my endurance.

  Once Camilla had recovered, the duo made their way across the river, carefully moving from boulder to boulder. They made it across safely, with Aurora checking the map one last time, and headed into the forest. They traveled for another mile before Aurora signaled Camilla to stop and hide.

  Once Aurora made sure the coast was clear, they approached the cave. “Ready?”

  “Let’s go!” The duo moved into the cave, unaware they were being followed.

  The duo moved through the cave without delay, Aurora having summoned a ball of light to float ahead of them. Aurora was drawing a map in a book as they walked, making notes of all the forks they came across. After passing the seventh fork, they saw the first signs of ruins, the tunnel forming more of a carved square.

  “Well, I wasn't expecting something like this. Do we continue?” Aurora made a note about the ruins on her map.

  “We can. Just be on the lookout for traps. There are bound to be some if there really are ruins here.” Camilla swapped from her longsword to a scimitar, something more suited to fighting inside a narrow space.

  They moved swiftly, the tunnel slowly widening as they went, until they reached an open cavern. A sprawling abandoned city stood before them, small buildings made from carved stone sat in a circle around a large raised platform. Three large vertical slabs were positioned in a semicircle.

  “Wow. How ancient is this place?” Camilla asked as she looked at the perfectly symmetrical layout, even the buildings being exactly the same. Aurora jotted down some notes as the duo made their way down the narrow zig-zag path.

  “I couldn’t say. Though it has to be older than even the elves, no?” She paused as they reached the edge of the city, inspecting the ground for any signs of traps. “We’re clear. Though that fact doesn’t make me feel good about the inner section. Stay alert, Camilla.”

  “Alright, let’s go.” They progress through the streets, stopping every so often for Aurora to check for traps, reaching the boundary of the inner circle. As they were about to cross the threshold, a familiar feminine voice stopped them.

  “Hold it! Why are you two intruders here?!”

  They spun on their heels, both drawing their weapons, seeing it was Mel standing there gave them pause. She wore the same witch purple outfit as when they first met, yet this time she held a large wooden staff and pointed towards them, a pink glow of magic gathered at the tip. Two men in midnight black robes stood behind her, holding daggers, wearing the same dragon claw emblem as the group from town.

  Mel glanced back at the men, then pointed at Camilla and Aurora. “Are these the ones who killed Ash’s group?”

  “Yes, ma’am. We followed the dark-haired one to ambush her, but she slipped into the guild before we were able to.”

  “I see. What of the other one?” Mel’s focus never left the girl’s movements lest they try something.

  “She visited the city hall before rushing off to the guild. We decided it was best not to ambush her, she’s dangerous.” His voice quivered slightly.

  “Noted. Now then, it was pleasant, but I need to make you forget about this encounter. Stay still for me wont you?”

  “Wha- MEL WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” Aurora screamed, the overwhelming rage growing in her heart at the betrayal she felt.

  “Quiet, Aurora.” Mel’s tone was stern. “It was you who intruded on the dragon’s sacred land. I am simply defending it.” The magic grew stronger before Mel suddenly swung it around behind her, aiming at the two men with her. Caught off guard, all they could do was voice their complaints.

  “Lady Saintess! DON-” Their words were cut short as the wave hit them, rendering them unconscious as they fell down. Aurora stood there in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

  “Ahh. That felt great!” Mel stretched out her limbs before storing her staff away. She made her way towards the apprehensive pair, holding her arms up. “No need for such hostility, I never meant you any harm after all.”

  Should we trust her? We could try to fight her, but it’s not for sure we could win. Dammit. I don’t know what to do. Camilla glanced towards Aurora, ready to follow her lead, but what shocked her was that she was shaking Mel’s hand.

  “A-Aurora!? What are you doing? Get back!” Camilla jumped in between them, pointing her sword at Mel’s neck.

  “Camilla, stop! It’s over! Lower your weapon now.” Camilla looked over her shoulder, seeing Aurora glaring at her, disappointment on her face. Camilla’s mouth slowly frowned as she moved back, sheathing her blade and going to lean against the nearby wall of a building.

  Aurora saw before turning back to Mel. “So why are you here? Getting rid of us can’t be their only goal, right?”

  “You’d be correct. They actually want the mural on those monuments in the middle.” Mel gestured with her thumb over her shoulder.

  “Who are ‘they'? I haven’t heard their name. What about their ultimate goal? How big is this group?”

  “Calm down, Aurora. One question at a time. First, their ultimate goal has to do with something locked away in an icy prison on the northern continent.”

  “Wait, if it’s all the way up there, then why are they down here causing chaos? That doesn’t seem helpful.”

  “They still need the “Key” since without it they can't open the prison.” Mel shook her head. “We were sent to investigate this place after catching wind of an unexplored cave in this area.”

  “Okay, but how many people are a part of this group?” Aurora couldn’t shake the nagging feeling she was missing crucial pieces to complete the puzzle.

  “Around two thousand where I was stationed. I would guess around ten thousand more between all the groups spread across the entire continent.” Aurora’s jaw dropped.

  “How did such a massive group form without anyone knowing?”

  “That brings me to your first question regarding their name. They call themselves “The Ignis Draconis Resurgence Sect,” but it's just a cult.” She spat on the ground. “Anyway, we don’t have much time to spare. Let us get to the murals swiftly.”

  “Alright. Come on, Camilla!” The trio took off running and made it all the way to the bottom of the pedestal without hitting any traps.

  “Alright, Aurora. You’re up.”

  “On it.” She made haste as she checked the path up for traps, but not finding any. “It’s clear!” She ran towards the monuments, circling around the other side and stopping as the artwork shocked her. She had seen the dragons depicted on two of the murals before, they were exactly the same as the statues from her hometown. A black and silver dragon locked in battle and three pitch black dragons locked in a cage. In the mural, the cage was shown to be made from ice, a stark difference from the statue.

  The third mural depicted three individuals who were protecting a fourth while casting a giant spell, three dark heads looming over them, covered in a thick smoke that obscured them. An inscription was carved into the base of the mural, written in the ancient language that one Aurora didn’t completely understand.

  The others finally caught up at this point, having the same reaction she did.

  “What the hell?” Mel was shocked at how grand it was up close. “I don’t understand how this could help th-” Her head turned, and she saw the mural with the four figures, her eyes drawn to a small silver sheet drawn right above the one casting magic.

  “Hey! You two! Isn’t that the Key?” Aurora didn’t look up still focused on the inscription

  When the c— breaks the He– will uni– the Saint and Warr—. What does that mean? I can’t understand it. She pulled out her book and began drawing the inscription to study back in town. Once finished she stood up, nodding at Camilla.

  “Mel.”

  “Hmm? Yes?”

  “We’re going to leave now. I would stay here for a bit if i were you to avoid suspicion.”

  “Alright. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

  “Of course. Camilla let’s go.” Aurora stopped and looked around. “Camilla?”

  She turned around back to the murals, seeing Camilla standing next to the one of the dragons fighting. “Aurora to Camilla?”

  Camilla ignored her as if in a trance and reached out her arm, touching the silver dragon. When she did so the caver shook as if a creature’s roar was causing it, making Aurora and Mel cover their ears.

  The dragon in the mural began to move and shrink before moving at Camilla’s arm, traveling outside and merging with Camilla. A tattoo of a silver dragon appeared on her left shoulder and disappeared down her back.

  As soon as it settled into place, Camilla snapped out of her trance, being shaken by Aurora. “What the hell was that Camilla? Are you trying to frighten me to death?!”

  “What? But I only touched the mur-” her words cut off when she noticed the missing dragon. “Huh? Where’d it go?” She looked towards Aurora who pointed at her shoulder.

  “Oh my parents are so going to kill me.”

  “Oh come on. We need to go. We can deal with that later.” She dragged Camilla to her feet, the pair heading on their way. Aurora waved a final goodbye before they left.

  ~~~~~~~~~

  Camilla and Aurora returned to the guild after taking a detour to finish their quest, worn out from their long day out. Brandy was still there, wiping down the desk as she prepared to head home for the day. “Oh! Aurora, you two back already?”

  “Yes, we are.” She pulled out 4 pairs of tusks she had removed from the boars.

  “Oh, nicely done! I'll quickly go fill out the paperwork and get your payment. Wait here a moment.” She scooped up the tusks and went into the backroom. Aurora turned to look at Camilla’s tattoo and noticed a small change. The once all-silver tattoo was now tinged blue, the same sapphire blue her eyes possessed.

  “Camilla, once we return to our room, we need to talk.” Aurora stood with her arms crossed, not liking how the situation felt so out of her control.

  “Agreed. I have plenty of my own questions after all.” Camilla moved to a couch and sat down, closing her eyes. “Ahhh, this hits the spot.” Aurora’s lips formed a thin line as she walked over, sliding in next to Camilla and resting her head on her shoulder.

  “Are…we doing the right thing? Being here, I mean?” Her sudden question made Camilla look up towards the ceiling. Should we be here, or out there looking for survivors? I feel conflicted. She looked down at Aurora’s peaceful expression, then down lower, watching her chest rise and fall.

  She blinked, feeling a strong desire towards her friend growing inside her, as if driven by instincts not under her control. What is going on? The feeling spiked, almost making her jump, Aurora right there in the lobby, before it vanished suddenly.

  Aurora, who had felt her shifting, glanced up at her, catching the stunning view of Camilla’s pupils flickering between round and normal, to slanted and animalistic. She quickly stood up and grabbed Camilla’s left arm, lifting the sleeve, and staring at the tattoo again. Now, instead of just the edges having changed, the entire tail was blue as well.

  What the hell is happening to my Camilla?! What the hell did this dragon do to her?! “Camilla? Are you okay? Do you feel sick or anything?” She placed her hand against her cheek, but got no response as she seemed to be in a trance.

  Inside Camilla’s mind, a meeting was taking place between the owner and her new inhabitant. A towering silver and sapphire dragon sat before her as she looked around frantically. “What the- where am I!? What did you do to me!?”

  “Calm yourself, child. Nothing happened to you, we are simply in your mindscape.” The dragon observed its surroundings. A single waterfall with a small lake beneath it formed the core of the area. A small forest surrounded the area, making it seem like a forbidden oasis, before the rest of the space faded to a light blue background.

  “A rather simple but strong one at that. You have a robust spirit as well. Excellent.”

  “What are you blabbering about? Why are we even here? How are you here?”

  “To guide your transition…and to request your help.”

  “Why should I help some random extinct creature who entered my body without permission?”

  “A fair point. How about an exchange of names then? Would that ease your tensions?”

  “Haa… Do I even have a choice?”

  “Not since you became my apostle. Congratulations. Not many beings can catch the gaze of this mighty TART.” Its voice bellowed through the space, echoing in the distance.

  “Ok then, Tart, how did you even enter me? Nothing happened with my other two companions when they touched the mural.” Camilla was suspicious of his unknown goals.

  “That’s rather simple. They don't possess dragon’s blood.” Tart stated this as if it cleared everything up, but only left Camilla with more questions.

  I have dragon blood? She stood there speechless, time ticking by slowly, until she felt her body tingle in several spots. The tingle in between her shoulder blades and above her tail bone grew itchy. What the-.

  “T-tart? What’s happening to me?” Her voice quivered from the fear of the unknown changes happening to her.

  “It’s your blood awakening in response to me being here. Normally, it would stay dormant with how diluted the bloodline is.” The dragon began to glow brightly for a few seconds, its form shrinking and changing. When the light finally faded, in place of the dragon stood a woman who dwarfed even Camilla. She must be at least eight feet tall! Tart had long silver and blue hair, piercing emerald eyes, and a matching white and blue tunic. Her arms remained covered in silver and blue scales, while two pairs of curved horns came out from her head.

  She walked across the sand, her bare feet sinking deeply with each step. She stopped in front of Camilla and sat beside her. “Give me your wrist.”

  Camilla glared back at her, pulling her arm back to her chest. “What are you planning to do to me now?”

  Tart scoffed at her pointless actions, “Isn’t it obvious? I'm going to give you my blood to help speed up your awakening.” She grabbed Camilla’s wrist easily, even as she struggled against her. Tart went to activate a spell when she was interrupted by a loud noise.

  BANG

  Several cracks began to form through the mindscape, making Tart click her teeth in annoyance. “Tch, I should’ve moved faster.” She let go of Camilla, giving her one last look before vanishing back into the tattoo without a word.

  Camilla jolted forward, finally back outside, and nearly collided with Aurora, who wore the widest grin possible. “Missed me that much, huh? I know I’m sexy and all, but please try to control yourself in public. My dear~.”

  Camilla was about to say something when Tart’s voice echoed through her mind. Don't tell her about me yet. “Still joking around, huh?”

  “Hmm? What do you mean? I wasn’t joking, silly.” Aurora leaned forward, their faces drawing close to each other, her gaze turned dark as her eyes narrowed. “I see no need to joke about my true feelings for you.”

  She let out a long sigh, her eyes flickering downward. “Why do you have to keep tempting me, Camilla?”

  “I-I’m not tempting-!” Camilla’s face was flushed at this moment as Aurora interrupted her.

  “Is that so? How are you going to prove that?” Her alluring tone snapped Camilla’s last bit of restraint asBrandy returned, putting an end to the teasing but not her desire. She let out a disappointed huff as Aurora ran over to collect their reward, a small 6 silver coins.

  “Camilla, let's head back to the tavern now!” She waved her over, the two leaving the guild and walking down the empty streets. As they walked, Aurora placed her hands behind her head and began whistling a tune.

  They continued walking in silence past several crossroads before Camilla stopped moving. “Aurora.”

  “Yes? What is it?” Aurora spun on her heel to face her.

  “You were right. I was tempting you. I acted oblivious, acted not interested. Pretended like I didn't care. For that, I’m sorry.” She fidgeted with her hands as she spoke.

  “Camilla, you don’t need to-”

  “No, I do.” She slowly walked up to Aurora, kneeling before her, both their cheeks turning red. “I want you, Aurora. As my partner, my life, and my purpose. What do you say?”

  Aurora felt like crying, here in front of her was exactly what she wanted all these years, however a devious thought entered her mind. “I’ll agree on one condition.”

  “A condition?” Camilla was taken aback at this sudden switch up.

  “Yes. Do you accept?” She repeated.

  Why won’t she tell me what it is? What game is she playing at? She gave up on trying to understand before uttering a single word. “Yes”

  Aurora grinned widely. “Then you just have to do one simple thing. Court me.”

  Camilla felt her mind short-circuit for a moment. “Court you?”

  “Yes, court me. Quite simple, no?” She stretched out her limbs as she turned back towards their destination. “Come along, dear. I wish to get some sleep tonight.” Aurora started to walk away when she was turned around by Camilla. “What are-” Her words were cut short by another sudden kiss, one she melted into. They stood there kissing for almost a full minute before breaking it off, gasping for air.

  “That’s for teasing me at the guild.” Camilla then ran off towards the inn, Aurora hot on her heels.