* * * Zeenie * * *

  Zeenie walked beside Orthus, who had been mostly quiet since their landing. William was leading them into a nearby forest, hoping to catch whatever beast the locals were afraid of. Her mind however was occupied entirely by the older dragon next to her. She tried to collect her courage to break the silence, but William spoke first.

  “So, you two are… stuck like that?” he asked, “No dragon form?”

  “Yes.” she confirmed. “I can't switch out of this form.”

  “Orthus?”

  “I am also stuck.” he answered. His human form was large, dark-skinned, with pure black hair and deep, brown eyes. Even now, his mere presence radiated a kind of power, making Zeenie hesitant to get close.

  “Are you… alright?” Zeenie asked, “You slept a lot after we landed.”

  “That city.” Orthus said, “It… reminds me of another place, from long ago.”

  “Oh.” Zeenie sighed, “Did something bad happen to you?”

  “Not bad, just… unpleasant. It brings back memories I haven't had to consider for a long time now.”

  “Well, we aren't there right now.” Zeenie chimed, “We are going to spend a few days away from there, then leave fast after we go back.” She stepped closer to Orthus and grabbed his hand reassuringly. After some hesitation he squeezed hers gently, then let go of her. They were almost in the forest now.

  * * * Ezon * * *

  Ezon felt the tinge of the fungus in his left arm, a slight itch radiating into his chest. The experience was a much milder version of what he’d gone through for his arm to become like that, but he preferred not to dwell on those memories. He marched slightly behind the assassin, silently contemplating what to do. The original crystal was gone, and finding a replacement wouldn’t be easy. Space crystals didn’t grow in every swamp or cave, and even though Kody was obviously a space mage, Ezon doubted he would still feel the pull of such a crystal with his magic diminished. Still, he seemed mostly alright, as if losing access to his magic didn’t affect him at all.

  Ezon noticed he had gotten lost in thought, and looked up at Kody, who for a brief moment, looked like he was enveloped by a thick, black cloud, which quickly dissipated. What the hell was that?

  “I hope you aren’t planning on attacking me and escaping with the crystals.” the assassin said, “I have my weapons back, and your magic is still gone.”

  “I meant what I promised the ranger.” Ezon replied, “I am not going to try and kill you.”

  “Good, because it wouldn’t work.” Kody doubled down. Ezon just now realized how young he was. 22-23? Barely more than a child, and so hardy already. He couldn’t help but feel for the poor guy.

  “How come you aren’t as affected?” Ezon asked, “By the fungus.”

  “I… grew up not really… using my magic.” Kody replied. He seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. Was he forbidden, or just didn’t realize he had it?

  “So you’ve got the assassin training as if you were someone without it.”

  “Not entirely.” Kody explained, “My family’s… situation is a bit complicated.”

  “How so?”

  Kody paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He quickly nodded to himself, took a deep breath, and explained:

  “One of my great-great-something-grandfathers abandoned the assassins, deserted The Hierarchy. He started taking up contracts that they didn’t… agree with.”

  “Ditched the moral code?”

  “Yes.” Kody said, looking back briefly at Ezon. His eyes were filled with a mixture of grief, rage, and shame. “Soon, he got hired by the Emperor himself, and earned himself and his descendants an office. We have been nobles of the Empire ever since.”

  “That explains why they didn’t send someone after you.” Ezon said, “Not you personally, but your family.”

  “It wasn’t that.” Kody explained, slowing down slightly so he was next to Ezon. “The sort of training my family puts all of their kids through, it’s rough. Cruel. If you don’t make the mark, you’re out. I have a surprising amount of uncles and great-uncles, once or twice removed, working among the assassins... just like me.”

  “Any aunts?”

  “Some, but not as many. Even if they don’t cut it, they are often married off into other noble families to 'strengthen the family's position'. It probably would have been the fate of my sister Jane, and probably Judy too.”

  “Wait, Jane and Judy Johnson? Isn’t that a bit too alliterative?”

  “My family isn’t very… imaginative when it comes to names. There are seventeen John Johnsons that I know of. Six or seven Janes, a bunch of Judys, and only a handful that aren’t named in this fashion.”

  “Like you.” Ezon said, poking an elbow playfully at Kody.

  “Yeah, like me.” Kody stared off into the distance, like he was contemplating something. “Anyway, I think I still feel some pull from the nearest crystal. That way.”

  They walked on a bit, Kody occasionally stopping to pick a new direction, until they were well into the thick of the forest. The humid air and damp smell suggested a swamp nearby. Ezon tried to look for threads of magic in the air, but with the fungus blocking his own magic, he could only catch occasional glimpses. The colorful cavalcade was not there. Neither were the layers of possibilities, the slight blurring around the edges as time itself went out of focus. He was surprised how used he had gotten to seeing things before they happened. The less likely they were to happen, the less solid they looked, but right now, he was stuck in the present, only seeing what was definitely then and there, in front of him.

  “What about you, Ezon?” Kody asked abruptly.

  “What about me?”

  “You’ve heard a bit of my story, I’d like to know a bit of yours.”

  Ezon was flooded by flashbacks. Events from his past he had suppressed, forgotten, or chose to not engage with. He took a moment to compose himself, and picked through the forest of memories.

  “I was stolen as a baby by a cult.” He said.

  “That’s a hard start.” Kody commented.

  “They did… things to me.” He raised his left arm slightly for emphasis.

  “Was that when you got your magic?”

  “I think I had it before, or at least something, but they changed it a lot. They thought I was some kind of omen, or maybe a warning by the gods. I never figured out exactly why.”

  “So, when did you escape?”

  “I was… - it’s hard to tell, I age a lot slower now - ten, fifteen maybe? Could’ve been more, but I was still a child. It was long ago.”

  “You don’t look that much older.” Kody said

  “As I said, I age much slower.” Ezon continued, “I am not sure exactly what I did, but the caves they kept me in started collapsing, and I ran. The rest is a blur, up until the point when Pa found me.”

  “I guess that’s not your actual father.”

  “No.” Ezon paused, “He was from a small village near the cult’s caves, and he took me in, raised me as best as he could. I had a life; a wife that I met not long after Pa found me, eventually a daughter, and for a few years, all was good.”

  “I am sensing a ‘but’ there.” Kody said, “This way.” He pointed deeper into the forest, the undergrowth getting thicker by the inch, until it all suddenly cleared out, and they found themselves at the entrance of a swamp oasis. A small spring with just enough water to permanently wet the earth had eroded away quite a bit of stone, and was now the spot of a damp, dark swamp with about a foot of murk to wade through. “We’re here.”

  Without any warning, Kody marched to a nearby boulder and started laying out his full gear - tools and weapons - on it.

  “What are you doing?” Ezon asked.

  “This is going to take a few hours, and I'm not soiling my stuff combing through that.” Kody replied, pointing to the swamp. “You should also strip.” with that, he unbuttoned the straps of his suit, and pulled most of it off in one, swift motion.

  Kody's back was a horrifying experience to look at. Most of it was covered in cuts, scars, various markings, and burns, healed over many years ago.

  “Uh, no, thanks, I'm good.” Ezon said after a brief pause.

  The assassin's form was impressive even without the clothes. For such a short man, Kody looked surprisingly strong. He had very little bulk, but was noticeably compact instead, his muscles well-defined, and his every move signaling how little of his full strength he was using. Some of the scars were tattooed over, highlighting, rather than covering them.

  Kody turned around, now facing Ezon. His chest also had some scars, but more of them were tattooed than on his back.

  “What.” he said. Ezon realized he'd been staring.

  “Nothing.” He blinked and quickly averted his gaze.

  “Alright, out with it.” Kody said, performatively rolling his eyes, but it was obvious he wanted to answer.

  “How'd you get so many scars?” Ezon asked, a strange mix of emotions swirling inside him.

  “The ones that aren't marked, I got while training. The marked ones I got while working.”

  Ezon didn't know how to reply, so he just nodded, raising his eyebrows slightly.

  “This one,” Kody said, pointing at a marked scar on the side of his midriff, “Is the first work-related scar. My first actual job. I was sent after a serial killer - yes, you can laugh, it's ironic.”

  Ezon faked a small laugh. He was sad for the poor boy, but also, strangely interested.

  Kody continued. “He was killing people in a small, hidden-away town up north, and making it look like werewolf attacks. I tracked him to a cave. Got the drop on him. When I had him on the ground, he stabbed me, hoping I would leave him be, but I slit his throat, and patched the wound up.” As he was speaking, he removed the bottom half of his suit, leaving him in only his underwear. Ezon tried not to stare, but couldn't help himself. Kody's thighs were just as compact as his upper body, with barely a gram of fat to spare. Ezon wondered how much he weighed without all the gear, and for a moment, feared a strong gust of wind could take him away.

  He noticed a bruise on the verge of fading away entirely on Kody's left calf. The faint yellowing seemed to be getting less and less noticeable by the second.

  “Do you also heal that quickly?” Ezon collected himself. He realized he had never had to look at someone healing from a wound. Even his daughter was mostly tended to by his wife.

  “Minor cuts heal over in seconds, stabs in a few hours or sometimes days, broken bones within a week, and I've never gotten sunburnt.” Kody quickly summarized, then walked over to the swamp, and carefully stepped inside. “You coming?"

  “I… think I'll just keep a lookout.” Ezon answered, “Don't want to get jumped with my clothes off.”

  “Alright, you do that, I will search for those crystals… Ouch! I think I found one!” Kody dug into the mud and retrieved a small yellow crystal. “Well, this one could be anything, and I can't test it now.” He tossed the crystal to Ezon, who instinctively tried to drain it, but to no avail. He only got a vague sense of the energy inside.

  “I think this one's air.” he told the assassin

  “That's good!” Kody chimed, “Those are rare in swamps. Maybe we've got a chance at finding a space one.”

  * * * William * * *

  William felt tired already. Earlier, the cell was too dark, but now, the sunshine made everything way too bright. He was squinting all the way until they reached the forest.

  “Will, you alright?” Zeenie asked, “You look... grumpy. And tired.”

  “I am, Zeenie.” he replied, “Having no magic sucks.”

  “You tell me.” she laughed, “I’m stuck being… tiny.”

  “What about Orthus?” he nodded towards the old dragon, “How is he handling it?”

  “He seems alright.” she answered, “Something in that town really upset him. I don’t know what yet. He said it brings back bad memories.”

  Did he visit this town sometime earlier? What did they do to him? William wondered, but then a sunbeam shined into his eyes, and he flinched painfully. When he regained his sight, he saw Zeenie walking alongside Orthus about a hundred feet ahead, chatting. Their footprints were clearly visible on the forest floor in the soft ground.

  He rushed ahead of them, and started trying to find the trail of the beast. He was looking for large, deep footprints, with claws, and possibly foot-pads. The information he was given was vague enough, and he reasoned it could be an escaped great tiger. Grown on a regular diet of meat, close to humans, if abandoned, they could turn on their former masters and start eating them instead.

  “Did you find anything?” Orthus’ voice boomed behind him.

  “Yes, I think.” he answered, and pointed at a large, clawed, padded footprint just a few steps ahead.

  “That looks pretty big.” Zeenie said cautiously

  “I think it’s a great tiger.” William said, explaining his reasoning.

  “I’m not sure about that.” Orthus said, “Great tigers have a very strong smell, and while our magic is diminished, my sense of smell has always been good. I can smell nothing like that right now.”

  “My eyesight also ‘has always been good’, but I didn’t know how much magic was enhancing it. Seeing now as everyone else, I feel like I need glasses.” Will retorted. He wasn't sure how annoyed he sounded. He hoped not too annoyed.

  “Makes sense.” Orthus said, “So, what can we do to capture it?”

  “Once it’s gone feral, there’s no bringing it back.” William explained, “It needs to be killed. Preferably quick. An arrow between the eyes might do the trick.”

  “Wait, you just said your sight is worse now. That looks very risky.” Zeenie interjected.

  “I’m a ranger. Even with normal eyesight I’ve got the best shot at killing it.”

  “Alright.” Orthus said, “What can we do to help you?”

  “Once we get close enough, I need you to distract it. Tire it out. They can walk a lot, but they can’t run for long.”

  Orthus nodded, and returned to Zeenie. William continued tracking the beast. They followed the trail for hours, with no sign of the tiger itself, and eventually they reached a clearing. The two dragons continually chatted away behind him, and it was driving him increasingly irate.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Could you two please stop talking?” he snapped at them. Zeenie’s eyes immediately narrowed as she shot a disapproving look his way.

  “I’m not going to march silently behind you, Will.” she said, coldly.

  “Your chatter is driving it away!” he replied, “I’ve been the one tracking it, and it’s moving faster now.”

  “Alright, both of you, calm down.” Orthus stepped between them, his palms open, gently signaling them to stand down. “I know you’re both tired, without your magic you feel weaker. I-”

  “Fine!” William interrupted, “I’ll just keep tracking it, and you two, please, keep it down a little.”

  Orthus nodded, and put his hand on Zeenie’s shoulder gently. The young dragon looked ready to jump the ranger. William turned around without further addressing them, and looked down at the ground…

  The footprints continued on for a few steps, but then, they disappeared. William held up a fist to signal the others to stop. He could practically hear Zeenie rolling her eyes at him.

  “What?” she asked.

  “The trail is gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Gone. It just… ends.” he turned to them, “Could it be up in one of the trees?”

  They all looked around, and William drew his bow, just to be sure.

  The forest was quiet, and only the trees rustled in the wind. The trio walked cautiously ahead, looking around, expecting an attack. William turned frantically, left and right, checking every tree for a hiding tiger individually. There was nothing. The trail had simply ended. The soil wasn’t different or disturbed, no damage was visible on anything in the vicinity. The beast seemed to have just disappeared.

  William looked around, checking between trees, behind bushes, around boulders, but he found nothing. He was about to put his bow away when he suddenly felt a pair of clawed feet grab him by the shoulders, dragging him forward. He hit the ground hard, and had barely enough time to flinch before the dirt got into his eyes. The beast had slammed him into the ground with great force. Turning his head to look up at his attacker, he saw a long, feathered neck, and a beak about to bite down on him.

  * * * Orthus * * *

  Orthus saw a great shadow pass over them, then heard the beast land with a heavy thump. Turning around, he saw a large gryphon pinning William to the ground. The ranger was out, and the beast was about to chomp down on him.

  Orthus instinctively ran at the gryphon, slamming into it with his shoulder, knocking it off-balance for a second. It flapped its wings and swung its tail to regain balance, slapping Zeenie across the face with it. The young dragon was knocked to the ground, but quickly got back up and sprinted to William, not really paying attention to the beast.

  “Get him away!” Orthus shouted, then waved his arms up in the air, trying to grab the gryphon's attention. As it turned towards him, he looked into its eyes. It snapped its beak towards him threateningly. He noticed a couple of white-brown striped barbs sticking out of its neck, just under the beak. He knew what to do.

  Unable to transform, he had to use his present shape and weight. The gryphon snapped at him again. He dodged and grabbed it by the neck. He then grabbed as many of the barbs as he could, and yanked on them. He managed to pull half of them out, to which the creature reacted by shrieking in pain, and swatting him aside with one of its front legs. As he landed, he felt a sting in his hand; the barbs had scraped the skin off his palm and he was bleeding.

  He stood up fast, and just as the beast snapped at him again, he brought his fist down directly onto its forehead. It staggered and fell over, but got back up quickly. It took another, measured look at him, then glanced over to Zeenie, who had dragged William into the forest, and was just now hauling him up against the trunk of a tree. The beast took a few steps, backing away from Orthus, then it turned around and leapt into the air, tiny droplets of blood trailing behind it.

  “Zeenie!” Orthus ran over to them, “Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine.” she answered, “But it got Will pretty bad.”

  The ranger was waking up. His clothes were torn at the shoulders, his bow lay broken where he was attacked, and he too, was bleeding.

  “Wha…” he groaned.

  “Just sit there, Will, it’ll be alright.” Zeenie grabbed his hand, and held it tight. She looked worriedly at Orthus. He nodded slowly, and grabbed her hand too.

  “It will be alright.” he repeated.

  * * * Ezon * * *

  After a few hours of digging in the mud, a veritable pile of crystals lay in front of Ezon. As suspected, they had found a lot of fire crystals, some water-aligned ones, a few with air, and a single one with lightning in it. He watched as Kody waded in the swamp, searching for more, and especially, for a space crystal. They both knew the chance was very slim, but it was still worth looking for.

  “Hey, Ezon!” the assassin called out for him, “Could you bring some water? I don't think we're gonna find it here, and I'm getting all sorts of wrinkly.”

  Ezon nodded, and was about to head out when something occurred to him.

  “Hmm, I wonder…” he said, and took out two water crystals from the pile. Kody looked puzzled, but waited patiently.

  Ezon tried to use the crystals, but his magic still wouldn't budge. He then took one, and scraped it against the other one. Both crystals lit up with a pale blue light as the elementals inside woke momentarily, and the ground started shaking gently. Within the minute, the spring supplying the swamp burst with clean water, a cool geyser spewing from its source.

  “Hmm, that was smart.” Kody smiled, and Ezon couldn't help but smile back. As the urge faded, he found himself looking into Kody's eyes, still. A brief moment of silence filled the air between them. Then, as if waking from a daydream, Ezon shook his head, and went to retrieve Kody's clothes while the assassin showered.

  With his back towards Kody and the swamp, Ezon only heard his partner's noise of surprise. He turned around, and he saw a still almost fully nude Kody holding a tiny, pale blue crystal pulsing with power.

  “We found one!” Kody grinned, holding the crystal high. Ezon grinned back at him, but found his eyes wandering. He felt himself blush, so he turned back around, and grabbed the assassin's gear from the boulder.

  “Here.” he handed the clothes over.

  “Thanks” Kody replied, handing the crystal in turn to him. It was tiny, but he could feel the power within. “The geyser brought it up. It literally hit me in the head.” he chuckled.

  “Will it be enough to activate the key?” Ezon asked.

  “Plenty enough.” Kody replied, “Space crystals are… denser, more powerful. That tiny bit holds about as much power as half the pile combined… speaking of, if you still want to drain some of it, I suggest the lightning one, it's almost as dense and I don't have another use for it.”

  “Thanks, I'll do that.” Ezon said. He waited and watched as Kody got dressed again, then handed the crystal back. “Do you have a bag, or something for those?” he asked, pointing at the pile.

  “Here.” Kody unfolded a sack made from a very thin, fine fabric, and handed it to Ezon. “Fungal silk. Strong, and doesn't take up much space.”

  “Great texture.” Ezon said, carefully rubbing it between his fingers.

  They chatted away as they washed and packed all the crystals, the geyser subsiding just after they were done.

  * * * Zeenie * * *

  Zeenie retrieved a bundle of bandages from William’s bag, and started patching up the ranger’s wounds. Upon closer inspection, they weren’t as severe as she’d feared, and even without magic, they looked like they’d heal in a few weeks. She bandaged his shoulders, using up three rolls to fully cover up all wounds, and carefully helped the ranger get to his feet.

  “Does it hurt a lot?” she asked.

  “I’ll live.” he said, wincing, “You two go ahead, catch that thing!”

  “And you?”

  “I’ll… rest a bit, then head after you.” she couldn’t tell what he was planning, but she left him to it. She turned to Orthus, and nodded for him to start moving.

  As they left the clearing, he gently nudged her in the shoulder.

  “What’s with him?”

  “I don’t know. He asked us to go on. He… Orthus, you’re bleeding!” she grabbed his hand and inspected it.

  “It was the gryphon.” He said. He brought into view one of the barbs and showed it to her. She took it carefully. White and brown in stripes, lined with miniature tooth-like bits, all pointing away from the tip.

  “Porcupine?” she asked

  “I think so.” he answered, “No wonder it’s attacking people. It cannot catch anything else like that.”

  “We might not have to kill it after all.” she said.

  “It’s probably sick.” Orthus objected, “and by now it’s gotten a taste for humans.”

  “I’d like to try and save it.” she insisted.

  The two of them walked on for a few minutes. The sun was high up, birds were chirping, and the trees rustled in the catching wind. It reminded Zeenie of a lot of her days at the rangers' camp, looking out over the sprawling wilderness from the top of the tree-tent. Home, supposedly. She felt uneasy at the thought of calling the camp her home. It certainly was Will's home, but not hers.

  “You alright?” Orthus asked, “You were looking a bit upset there.”

  “I'm fine.” She said. He didn't reply. The uneasy silence was building. Eventually she couldn't resist.

  “Will's been pursuing his career ever since he became a Ranger. And I've just been…”

  “Tagging along?”

  “Yes.” she stared off into the distance, collecting her thoughts. “But even back at the camp, it was his family, his childhood, not mine.”

  “Zeenie.” Orthus said in a calm, fatherly way, “You are a dragon. You've only barely begun your life, and there is a lot of it ahead. I have a soft spot for humans, I'll admit that much. They're short-lived, and want to fill their lives with interesting things just as much as we do.”

  “What are you trying to say, Orthus?” Zeenie asked, slightly annoyed.

  “Let him.” he stated. “Let him pursue his dreams, his career, the interesting bits. You've got plenty of time to spend on everything else. Try to spend as much of it as you can with these wonderful beings.”

  “You really do have a soft spot for them.” she smiled.

  “Yes, I do.” he answered. “I've been alive for a long time now. In that time I've seen them build empires, invent all sorts of amazing things, and explore huge areas of the world."

  “...What about dragons?” she asked, hesitantly

  “Most of our kind skip these things.” he explained, “They take long sleeps in some cave or under a mountain, and dig themselves a living grave where they don't need to see the world pass by.”

  “Sounds lonely.”

  “Most of us are.”

  “Us?”

  “I'm old. I'd spent about seven hundred years sleeping before Kody woke me.”

  “How old?”

  “I can't remember precisely.” he said, “I can only guess from what historical events I've been alive for.”

  “So?”

  “I saw the Old Erigian Empire rise and fall.”

  “That's… more than three thousand years.”

  “Yeah, that was a long time ago.”

  “Orthus?"

  “Hmm?"

  “How were you born?” she asked, unsure herself of what exactly she was asking.

  “I was born in the middle of a war.” He said, “I have vague memories from my mother, passed on to me. She flew over a scorched battlefield, and was shot down with a ballista. She burned everything around her, including herself to ashes trying to defend the egg.” he paused.

  “And then?”

  “A young human found me. Nissa. She was around six or seven. She brought me home, and I hatched in her arms.”

  “I hatched in William's hands.” Zeenie said. “I don't have any residual memories, just an endless sense of cold, and... pressure.”

  “Huh, you might have been older than me if you hatched right-away then.” he commented.

  “Why?”

  “Dragons pass on a lot of things to their children; magic, memories, habits. A bit of the soul of all our ancestors lives on in us. If you don't have inherited memories, that means you likely don't have as long of a bloodline as I do. There simply wasn't that much in there to remember.”

  “Or maybe, my ancestors were the kind of dragon to sleep under rocks.” She suggested

  “Could be.” he admitted. “Though my version certainly sounds more hopeful.”

  “That it does.” she agreed. “Thanks, Orthus.”

  They continued on in silence for a while. The wind had died down, and the birds stopped chirping. Still, there was a distinct noise of rustling coming from the woods around them.

  * * * William * * *

  William watched as the two dragons walked into the forest. Once they passed out of view, he dug deep in his bag. Zeenie had messed it up searching for his bandages and it was now in disarray. He searched for a bit, then retrieved a small, wooden contraption shaped like the crescent moon with a handle sticking out of it in the middle. At either end, small magic crystals were embedded into the wood. Nature crystals; very rare and very expensive. His mentor, Halt had given it to him as a child, and he'd kept it a secret ever since, even from Zeenie.

  He placed the crescent over his shoulder, and twisted the end of the handle. He immediately started feeling a heat passing through him, as energy flew between the crystals.

  He could've sworn everything got a bit brighter around him. Was the treatment curing his infection too? Was he regaining his magic?

  He wanted to try if he could shoot his bow again, but that was when he saw it, shattered, lying on the ground a few feet away.

  He tried to move his injured arm, and found the pain was gone. He dialed the healing tool back down, and held his arm out in front of him. It felt mostly healed. He had an idea.

  He got up and grabbed the bits of his bow, piecing it back together carefully, not to miss any splinters. Once it looked like a bow again, he placed the healing tool over the broken area. He twisted the handle again, and saw the crystals come to life. Still, nothing happened. He dialed the tool further up, until he felt the handle reach its end position. The air was getting hot around the tool, and the wood of the bow had sprouted leaves. Thin roots were growing from it in the damaged area, catching onto eachother.

  Within a minute or two, the bow was once again in one piece. He turned the tool down and bagged it. He then grabbed his bow, and felt a moment of discomfort as his fingers brushed against the leaves. It took a few minutes for him to carefully snap them off, but eventually he held his bow in hand, string at the ready, and an arrow nocked and aimed at a nearby tree.

  He definitely felt better than before the gryphon had attacked him. The forest looked more vibrant, brighter, and more welcoming.

  He aimed at the tree, and took his shot. The bow was just as strong as before, and his shoulder didn't hurt either. He watched as the arrow flew towards the tree, only to take a sharp turn right before it hit, and fall to the ground a few feet away.

  “Hmm, noted.” he told himself, and retrieved the arrow. He packed up properly, and headed after the dragons. He noticed a thin trail of blood droplets, and two sets of footprints following them at a walking pace.

  He picked up his own pace to catch up with them faster, and soon enough, there they were, only a few hundred feet ahead. He knew not to call out to them, instead he willed his way to Zeenie through their psychic connection. Zeenie stopped and turned around. She waved at him, and a sense of welcoming came over him.

  He closed the distance, and nodded at Orthus, who returned the gesture.

  “Will!” Zeenie called out to him delightedly.

  “Hey there,” he said, “Any signs of the gryphon?”

  “Only the blood” Orthus said, pointing down.

  “It's gotten barbed by a porcupine.” Zeenie said, “We might be able to save it.”

  “It's eating people.” William said, “It needs to be put down.”

  Zeenie's expression changed from delight to anger. She turned around and stormed off.

  “Did I say something wrong?"

  “I told her the exact same thing.” Orthus answered.

  “Oh.”

  * * * Orthus * * *

  “So, how are you feeling?” Orthus asked William. The ranger looked healthy, vibrant, even. Either the gryphon had the antidote to the infection, or he had used some healing device. His bow was there again, over his shoulder, looking fresh and strong.

  “I'm okay, thanks.” William answered. He looked flustered at the question. Healing device it was. “Have you found anything interesting?”

  “No.” Orthus answered. “There's only the blood trail and the occasional broken branches.”

  “Do you think it can be saved?"

  “I don't think so. It's gotten a taste for humans now, and even if it's healed, hunting humans is easier.” The ranger looked unsettled at the idea.

  They walked on in silence for a bit. Zeenie was not to be seen just yet.

  “Orthus?” William asked.

  “Hmm?”

  “Have you ever… hunted humans?”

  Orthus chuckled. “No, I haven't. I'm quite fond of your species, actually.”

  William looked puzzled. “Why?”

  “It's a long story, but the short of it is, I hatched in the hands of a human, and my first experience was a pleasant one.”

  “Do all dragons have such strong first impressions?"

  “Most of us. I had actually just explained this to Zeenie; we carry genetic memories, passed onto us by our parents. Not all of it is vivid or useful, but it means we need strong impressions to leave a mark amongst all our inherited memories.”

  “And what does Zeenie think of… us?

  “She's still very young for a dragon. She doesn't remember anything residual yet, so all her experiences are relatively strong. She loves you a lot, but she's also annoyed.”

  “Annoyed? At what?”

  “As she said, she's been living your life so far, instead of hers.”

  William looked at the ground in front of him, staring blankly into the middle distance.

  “Can I make it up to her?” he asked.

  “I think so, yes.”

  “How?”

  “You know her better than I do, but I'd let her have more agency in what the two of you do. She's driven, strong-willed, and eager for adventure. She just needs to be the one making the choices sometimes.”

  William looked ready to retort, but at the last second, he changed his mind.

  “Alright, I'll try.” he said.

  “Thank you.”

  William suddenly perked up and grabbed his bow.

  “Zeenie's found it.”

  * * * Zeenie * * *

  Zeenie was angry. She stomped as she ran away from the other two. She stayed on the path, but went ahead by a lot. She almost missed the trail of blood turning off of the path and into the forest. She turned too and headed after it.

  Without magic, without her true form, she was just a vern; small, weak, but quick and agile. Her sense of smell was also better than human, and she could feel the metallic smell of blood in the air, mixed in with the scent of rot. The further she got from the path, the stronger it got.

  Eventually, she saw a clearing, the gryphon lying in the middle, a small puddle of blood pooling under its head. The beast looked strangely calm. It probably hadn't spotted her yet.

  She snuck closer and closer, hiding behind trees and taking it slowly. As she reached the clearing, the gryphon's head perked up and sniffed the air. As it inhaled, a painful squeaking sound left its nostrils. It wasn't dangerous. It was dying.

  Realizing just how far gone the poor beast was, Zeenie abandoned her stealthy approach, and slowly walked around the clearing, so the gryphon could see her. As it spotted her, it tried to get up, to snap at her, but all of its strength was gone. It lay helplessly in its own blood, waiting for death to take it.

  Zeenie held out her arm towards it, and approached carefully. She touched its beak, and ran her fingers up its forehead, down its neck, and along its back. It relaxed, sensing she meant no harm.

  “It's alright, it's alright.” she whispered to it as she circled around it. It had a veritable collection of scars; missing feathers, toes, arrows broken long ago stuck in its side, the flesh having healed around them, several broken bones that healed together in the wrong way, and upon closer inspection, it was totally blind to the right side. Its right eye was white and hollow.

  “It'll be all alright.” she said, trying to reassure herself more than the beast. She knelt, then sat by its neck, hugging it with one arm, caressing it slowly.

  The gryphon raised its head slowly, the pain visible in its twitching muscles, and looked with its still working eye directly into hers. It was scared, in pain, and seemed to be asking her.

  She took out her dagger, and showed it to the beast. It looked at the weapon, then back at her. Then, like a cat, it slowly closed and opened its eye, nodding slightly in the process.

  “You… want me to kill you?” she asked softly. The beast didn't answer. It moved its head painfully towards the dagger, and nudged it with its beak.

  Zeenie felt sad for the poor thing. Injured, beaten down, bleeding out, and all it asked her for was release from the pain. Tearfully, she took the dagger in her other hand, the one around the gryphon's neck, and placed it against the gap in its vertebrae. She caressed its beak one last time, and pushed the blade into the beast. It shuddered, its limbs stiffened for a moment, then the entire thing went limp, and its good eye closed for the last time.

  Zeenie started crying. She couldn't help it, the tears were just coming. Not only could she not save it, she was the one that had to kill it. She couldn't even look at it or the dagger. She balled up next to the dead beast and wept.

  After some time, she couldn't tell how much, she heard hurried footsteps coming her way. It was William, closely followed by Orthus. The ranger looked at her in worry, but his expression quickly changed to surprise, pride, then concern. Orthus stood a few feet behind him, staring at the beast stoically.

  “You… killed it?” William asked. Zeenie couldn't speak, so she only nodded. She wiped the tears out of her eye, and stood up. Without even knowing what she was doing, she stumbled over to him, and hugged him tight. She barely reached his waist in her current form, and as she hugged him she looked at Orthus, who looked back at her with an understanding frown.

  He did not come to hug her. Instead, he walked around the two of them, and knelt at the beast's side. Zeenie didn't see what he did, but the squelching sound made it clear. He pulled the barbs from its jaw, and retrieved her dagger from its neck.

  “Here.” he walked up to them, and handed the blade to William. The ranger took it and sheathed it into the side of his bag.

  Zeenie let go of him, wiped the tears out of her eyes, and studied him closely.

  “You're healed. How?”

  William looked red with embarrassment. Zeenie narrowed her eyes, and tilted her head in an accusatory manner. The ranger opened his bag and slowly pulled out a crescent-shaped wooden device with a handle in the middle. Two strong crystals filled with nature magic were embedded at either end. Zeenie wondered where William could have gotten such a device, but didn't know how to phrase her surprise.

  “That thing's probably worth more than The House.” Orthus said.

  “My old mentor, Halt, gave it to me.” William explained. “It was a parting gift right before we set out with Zeenie.”

  “I got nothing fancy like that.” Zeenie said. A fresh bout of anger was welling up inside her, and mixed with the sadness of the preceding events. Had she had the device, she would have healed the gryphon. If it wasn't for William's secrecy, the beast might still be alive.

  She said nothing. She marched back to the path and headed back to the city.