The desert sand shifted underneath my boots. I don’t know how far I got, but the further the better. My throat cried out for a sip of water, but I had none. I had to make it to the plains and then the mountains, where I would disappear from trace. Nothing bad can happen if I just live by myself. Nothing bad can happen to those I love. Flashes of blades clashing down on my parents flew through my mind. I clenched my fists together.

The ground beneath me changed from soft to hard. A savannah laid before me, and it was beautiful. The acacia trees were stunning with the shade they casted over the fields of grass. Zebras ate away at the measly morsels nearby. Their black and white stripes hid them from predators, but there were no predators to be seen anyways.

A low growl came from behind me. I turned on my heels as quickly as I could, drawing my sword out.

“The dragon,” I mouthed. Its copper scales glowed in the sun. Its curious green eyes tracked my movements. It sat on its hind legs. The nostrils of the beast flared. It lowered its head and nudged me. Fear took control of me, paralysing me. I was afraid of him, afraid of what he meant. He embodied the symbol I couldn’t.

I turned my back to him and walked forward. His steps matched mine. A walk turned into a jog turned into a run. Every movement he matched. I turned and twisted around the sparse trees. He ascended into the air, scaring the zebras off. The sound of his wing beats reminded me of the large drums in the city. The way he sliced through the air and danced in it. He was beautiful, and that captured my soul.

I stopped in my tracks, and he landed in front of me. My hand trembled as I reached out to him. His nose was cold to the touch. I could feel his breath every time he inhaled and exhaled. A warm feeling filled me, different than the times I spent with Silrae. This was true warmth. This dragon saw me and heard me. He responded to my call.

“What’s your name?” I signed, not sure if he would understand. It wouldn’t make sense if he did understand, but it would be amazing if he did.

“Izulaeth,” the dragon said through a hoarse voice. “Name Izulaeth.”

A smile painted on my face, a warm comfort flowing through me. “Nice to meet you Izulaeth.” The words flowed off my hand. “You should go to Kharisa.”

Izulaeth jumped around me. His movement reminded me of the ocean and the way its waves moved up and down. Everytime I see him, my mind only thinks about how beautiful he is.

“I can’t stay here,” I signed. I had much to do, like getting further away from the desert. Far far away, where nothing there can hurt me ever again. I look down at the flora and fauna around me. If I was born a human or an elf, would I have suffered this way? Would I still be standing here today?

The dragon nudged me gently. I wrapped my arms around his neck. His scales were sharp yet smooth, cold yet warming. I could feel him breathe in and out. They were strong breaths. I wondered what he thought of the action. If what Erisa said was correct, this dragon was mine. I didn’t want a dragon though. It just meant a pet I could hurt with my uncontrollable fire and my aimless wandering. What happens if this dragon comes into a town filled with humans? What if he gets hurt because they can’t accept differences? I could never forgive myself.

I release him from the embrace. Tears rolled over my cheek. While I appreciated him allowing me to hug him, our relationship couldn’t stay this way. I walked away from him, like I did with everything else that went wrong. Whimpering came from behind me. I pressed forward, ignoring the beast. It was for the best. I made the right decision. I had to have made the right decision.

I could feel him follow me, but there was nothing I could do about it, right?

The morning sun turned into the painful afternoon sun. I sat beneath an acacia tree and enjoyed what little shade it had to offer. Izulaeth rested beside me. His massive body offered more shade, which helped cool me off faster. I desired some fresh cold water though. I think the worst part of running away from everything is how ill prepared I was for the desert and savannah. If my map is right, there is a village coming up soon. I should be able to get water from there, if they’re friendly to tieflings that is. If not, I’ll survive.

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My eyes felt heavy. Perhaps, I could take a nap. I’ve been running all night and day. No one would catch up to me now if I decided to take a nap, or at least I hoped. Would Wren and Zershoon even want to look at me after what I did to Silrae? A yawn escaped my lips. I leaned against the dragon.

“Wake me up in half an hour,” I signed to the beast. I chuckled softly. Talking to a dragon that didn’t understand me. Maybe I was really going insane with the dehydration. Slumber greeted me with open arms.

“Why do you wish to be something different than you are?” A familiar voice called to me. A woman shrouded in black translucent silk approached me. Through the fabric I could see golden antlers. Her hair was braided and had gold decorations throughout.

“Who are you?” I signed. The way she was scratched at the back of my head. I recognised her, but from where?

“I am Rukaiya, Asara.” She unveiled her face. Immediate recognition filled me. She was the Goddess of Death.

“Am I dead?” I didn’t feel dead. I thought I was just sleeping beside Izulaeth.

Rukaiya laughed. “Oh darling, you’re not dead. I just wanted to talk to you. There is something I wanted you to do. I want you to save the village. I’ll move you there, but you must be quick. They’ll listen to you. They remember your parents well.”

I blinked. “What do you know about my parents? Which parents?”

“Both of them. Your human parents protected tieflings. They delivered resources to this village through the Sky Guardian. Your biological parents lived in this place. You going to the human parents was no accident. The Sky Guardian delivered you to them because she knew you would be safe there.”

I reached for my horn. “Safe? How is nearly dying safe?”

“She did not know that the humans of that village would react that way towards you. She knew they disliked tieflings, but did not know their hate would attempt to kill an innocent child.”

“Where can I meet this Sky Guardian, so I can talk to her myself?”

“The mountains beyond the village. Now wake up so you can save the village of your parents.”

I jolted awake. Smoke and fire filled my senses. Izulaeth was growling at something or someone. It took me a few minutes to come to. Screams of terror filled my ears. I grabbed my sword and swung it out. I had to protect these people from whoever was attacking. It wasn’t right for their peaceful lives to be disrupted.

The fire around Izulaeth and I called to me. I brought it towards me, wielding it with my sword. Rage filled me and it needed a way out. It was strange though. I was surrounded by fire and screams, but there were no enemies. Why? What am I saving this village from?

The sound of thundering hoofbeats came towards me. I readied my sword. Humans rode atop armoured horses. They all drew out their swords in sync with each other as they surrounded the dragon and I.

I turned my back towards the dragon. I knew Izulaeth would protect me as I would him. When the first enemy approached, I froze. Fear controlled me. I could only watch as Izulaeth jumped in front of me. Flames blew out of his mouth, lighting the enemy ablaze. His green eyes looked back at me.

“Fight,” he hissed.

I pinched myself. Fixing the blade in my hand, I readied myself for the next person to come down on me. My arms screamed in pain as metal came clashing down on my blade. They were at an advantage on that horse of their’s.

“Izulaeth, help,” I managed to say. My voice trembled. Fear threatened to take control of me again.

Izulaeth swooped down from the sky and picked the rider off of the horse. Flames bursted from his mouth again as he aimed at the other enemies. They fell one after the other. The putrid smell of burnt flesh penetrated my sense of smell.

“Thank you,” I gestured. I fell to my knees. Ash, blood, and bodies surrounded me once again. I didn’t feel like a hero. I felt like a monster.

Clapping echoed around me. Tieflings and humans alike stepped forth. They were all marred by fresh wounds. Children hid behind their parents. And I knew deep down that many of them lost someone important to them. I sniffled as I stood up.

“Who are you?” I signed to them. Humans and tieflings living together. Not even Kharisa had this much unity.

A human stepped forth. She had silver hair and bright blue eyes. “We are what your family fought to protect.”

A tiefling walked to her side. “We are also a guide.” He had light blue skin and a shark like tale. The glasses he wore were circular. His smile was bright. “My name is Khaemon. If there’s anything you need, I’m more than happy to help.” He was the only one that had less wounds than the others. It either meant he was a skilled fighter or a coward.

“I’m looking for the Sky Guardian. Do you know where I can find her?” I gestured.

“We do, but that journey is treacherous. Are you sure you want to go after such a battle? You should take some time to recover and rest,” the human said.

“I don’t have time to rest. I need to get there now,” I signed. Anger bubbled up in me.

“Then we’ll leave once I have everything I need.” Khaemon stepped up. “I’ll take you to her.”