“Done.” Sighed Thug, as he throwed the last bolt to the side. Holding in a dizziness that threatened him to fall, he let his back collide against a tree. As he closed his eyes to fight it, he heard the nauseous sounds of flowing flesh and scales as Hare healed her brother. ‘How in the three Nethers did he manage to fly this far?’

“I…I speak to you my gratitude.” Jacob managed to get out as he reeled, the pain subsiding. His tail patted the harmed zones, as if double checking the healthiness he felt. “I had forgotten the trickiness of your metal weapons. They are akin to the claws of the shattering ones.” His gaze turned to his old home, sadness casting a shadow in him, making him look smaller. “Too have I forgotten your ruthlessness…Can you tell me something, Thug, son of…Thug, partner of my Sister?”

“If I can answer it.” Thug reopened his eyes.

“Why did they come?”

“Do we need a reason?” Thug shrugged. “For most of them, money. For some, revenge against your kin. And, to even out with you, I do not think your kin need a reason either.”

“That is true.” He lowered his head. “Back in the old times it was easier, or so was I told. Before the sickness of greed befell your race.”

“Greed? You are the ones stockpiling treasure.” Thug eyed Hare, not that keen on continuing that conversation. ‘Is she angry?’ The way she refused to look at him supported that hypothesis.

Jacob growled, before smelling no misgivings in Thug’s answer, as if he was saying a fact he believed. Fatigue washed onto his voice, alien to his age. “Our memories are old, Thug. You coveted gold and silver for its shine. Our species require it. It isn’t like you use like we do, to foster mana. You use it like a toy.”

“Well, I need it to live. You?”

“To be born.” He breathed out, thankful for the departure of the bitter pain from the stab wounds. “Our eggs are almost indestructible. Still, invulnerability comes with a cost. We need magic to come out of the egg before starving inside our cages. Precious metals call for mana that we can use, they ‘concentrate’ it. I cannot explain it in mortal words.”

Thug moved a bit, putting some energy into his lazy position of before. “What?”

“Our kin is too brittle at its beginning. The hunter can become prey. We start as one.” Losing the small drive his voice had, he returned to the topic of before. “Mine lair had none of those riches you spoke of. Most of it was but curiosities, barely worth the effort. Why then, was I prey to their misgivings?”

Thug looked to the side, mulling over the new information, “Being a dragon is enough. After all, you are a monster.”

“A monster, huh…” Jacob whispered, falling silent as he rested on the ground.

Realising his blunder, and not knowing what to say, Thug left the tree. “Gonna make a fire. And,“ He turned his back to him, “humans are very egocentric. Almost everything different gets called as such. Doesn’t mean it is really one.” Regretting the action of trying to comfort Jacob, as his words sounded empty, he started to work on the fire.

As if to remind him of her anger, Hare watched him work.

Gathering some nearby lone sticks, and cursing them under his breath for their humid state, typical of winter, he started to make a small pile. Once the smallish bonfire was constructed, he grabbed the heating stone of the bath and put it inside. Bringing out another tool, this time a stylised metal rod with runes, as big as his pinky finger, he whispered the activation word and a small flame sprung from one of its ends. Placing it near the heating stone, he searched for some provisions. ‘Thanked be Eclair for reminding me of smoking the rabbit. Almost went to waste.’.

“Out with it, Hare.” He calmly said as he started to heat the cold meat, needing the hot food.

“Hmmp!” Noticing the small scent of irritation in his voice, Hare buckled down in her stance, knowing she was right. Turning around, she walked towards Jacob and, reverting into her form, she coiled in a ball.

“What a classy way to start a conversation, great going.” He muttered. Old habits die hard, after all. However, acting as if they were fellow mercenaries was going to, and was already biting at him. And they did need to talk. ‘Now, what…where are we going now?’. Opening his map, he started to survey decent cities to hold up. ‘Iris too eastern…Icegate has too much Inquisition presente…Normal villages will always have a preacher, not good either…Backtracking is a bad idea…Only the northern duchy is open?...Wait, we?’ Shaking his head, an angry smell reached his nose. Getting up in a hurry, “Karax’s damned beard!!”, he tried to salvage the too cooked meal.

‘They will need more spices.’

……….

Hare stalked Thug as he fell asleep. Rising up, she extended her wings and jumped to the sky. Who would be so foolish as to enter battle without their partner? Did he doubt her strength? Her abilities? She had proven her worth, that she knew. And despite all of their time, even if small, together, he had discarded her in his moment of plight. Her heart still ached as she remembered his bloodied figure coming out of the earth’s stomach.

‘If another test is needed, I will crush it! I will make him recognize me as worthy of the name he bestowed upon me!’

Remembering the enemies that had managed to inflict an injury on him, she turned her gaze downwards, scanning the surroundings in search of the yellowskins. ‘There they are!’ Her silent fly started a descending arc and, passing by the sleeping group of five hobgoblins, she passed by the only awake one, who was standing guard. What did not pass above the creature was her tail, which embedded itself into their chest and, after making its sting, left it following her inertia.

The recently made corpse falling to the ground, Hare flew upwards, circling above the party of yellowskins. The light of the diminishing moon was enough to spot her white frame and pandemonium started as the creatures woke up in a hurry, dancing around as they unsheathed their weapons. Noticing a lack of ranged weapons, Hare lowered her altitude, just enough to be out of reach of them. Her tail, on the other hand, struck again, finding this time an eye.

At her third fly by, the smarter of the four left grabbed a stone, throwing it in the same breath. Hare defended herself with a breath, which caused her to lower her altitude a bit. Not realising this as she lacked the experience in combat, she continued making her passes. It ultimately did not matter as the fourth fallen comrade caused a panic and a rout, which played to the flying monster strengths. Turning into a human, she dropped into the last of her kills.

“He carved out the ears, didn’t he?” Hare spoke to no one in particular. Unsheathing her dagger, she kneeled near the head before her tongue tasted another hobgoblin. Her eyes darted, locating the last survivor thanks to their indifference for the darkness. Her dagger throw was perfect, catching the crawling yellow skin between the eyes. “A different kind of hunt…”

‘Exciting, may…’ Hare quickly shook her head, refusing to fall to her mother’s teachers. Regret slowly sliding in after her anger had been discharged onto the hobgoblins, she resumed her task. ‘For food…We hunt for food.’ Was worthiness considered food or self defence? Had she broken, again, the vow she had made to her dying father?

The smell of blood as she cut the ears warmed her blood again. Her vision focused, preparing for the hunt her body ached for. Eat, grow, gain mastery. Dominate. Squash the bugs that dare threaten you.

‘“We were made to rule over the land from the skies, Five. For we are dragons, the scourge of the mortal races! And you dare to disobey me?! For, for a non dragon life?!”

“...but I do not…want to hu…” Her throat had closed itself. Only her sobs managed to come out, a habit he had teached her.

Izdral growled. In a second she lunged forward, crushing Hare onto the ground with a foot.

“No more of your weakness, Five.” The poison in her voice made Hare pale. As if she were a stranger. A humiliation. A disgrace. “I gave you your test. Slowly. Or shall I name you ‘Nameless’?”

“...”

The drop of her tear onto her hand made her jump. Hunger and bloodlust barrened by the ghosts of the past. She stopped squeezing the dagger, letting the heavily damaged handle take a greatly needed respire. She had failed both of them, cowardice making her unable to choose between the two. Cleaning her tears, she nodded and returned to her task at hand. Never again. She would fight against her nature if it would endanger her brother. Her partner. ‘I will grow into a trustworthy dragon!’

……….

Thug awoke to a surprising morning. First, it felt like it had been the best sleep of his life. He had woken rested for once. The other surprise, one that awoke something fool inside him, was in front of the smothered bonfire. Twenty one hobgoblin ears.

“Jacob.” He called in a monotone. He couldn’t have done it, that he knew. Too fearful of violence.

“Yes!!” Jacob, who had been having trouble completely waking up, tore deep holes in the ground as he hurried to rise. The spectre of her mother in his mind, he lowered his head and stillness came to his tail. He dared not look, fearing that mother would be standing there.

“Where is Hare?” The manliness in those words shattered the illusion.

A simple question, as if Thug had been asking out of curiosity. Nevertheless, Jacob smelled better, he had come to be able to tell the subtleties after much trial and error. The blackness he oozed was enough to dry his tongue. His body was screaming at him to answer. It felt like being stalked by a yellow one. He controlled his fear, not trusting the current Thug.

“I…I would advise you to calm down before...”

“And I would advise you to answer the damn question.”

As Thug looked up, Hare descended from the skies. Noticing the strange atmosphere, she morphed into her human appearance as she touched the soil.

The small patches of dried blood, visible in her tail, pushed Thug past his limit. “Goo…”

“Lizard brained moron!” Bellowed Thug, causing Hare to flinch and shrink. “Who would have expected you to do something so foolish!! I thought you had something going in your air filled skull!”

Jacob raised his head and tried to intercept to defend her sister.

“I…”

“Nobody called you here.” As Jacob receded to his previous position, Thug returned his glare. “Not only at midnight, with nothing to gain. But alone, not even telling anybody! What did you want to do? Act the fool!?”

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“Bu…” Tried to speak up Hare, memories she wanted hidden starting to resurface.

“But nothing!! What if anything had happened?! What would you have told your…” The word mom got stuck in his throat. ‘What mom? The one that’s not Irania?...What in the Nethers am I doing playing house right now? She has killed people before. She has killed in front of me. She knows how to handle herself. For Karax’s will, she bested me.’ Arriving at a bleak conclusion, he lost all fire as if he had been drenched in water. He had been too eager to play the ‘caring father’ part. He had grown too delusional.

As if to nail the point home Hare hushed, showing her teeth as her tail made the ground tremble as it hit the ground, creating a hole of equal measurements. “I am not a weak calf, waiting for a hunter!!”

“...Right. My bad. Apologies.” Thug nodded, being too quick on turning his back. ‘And I am the adult here. Great exit, me.’. His sudden mood change cooled down the growing tears of Hare, if only from shock. Jacob eyed the man and huffed. He did not like one bit the scent he was catching onto. Not giving them pause, Thug added, “Then, let’s march to the north. There’s a small town, well, more of a village, at a week’s pace. Can you change, Jacob?”

“If that is what is required of myself.” Without a sound, the figure of a frail looking youngling, no more than sixteen, was morphed from his legendary dragon form. Short hair and noble clothing made from magic, he looked at Thug with the same eyes as his sister.

“No horns?” Asked Thug as he arched an eyebrow as he circled again. He didn’t comment on the tail, small enough to not trail on the ground as he walked.

“I have a lot of practice.” Said with a smidge of pride.

Nodding, “I can see that.” Thug started to walk.

“Ah.” Whispered Hare, not knowing what to say. She had wanted to be praised, not torn down, her achievements to be forgotten so quickly. Her tail lowering, she turned her eyes downward.

…

“I have seen you use only short blades, Thug. Is that your preferred weapon?” Asked JAcob, trying to break the icy silence that had lorded over the three for the last hour.

“Been through a lot. Longswords, bastards, shorts, axes… Stayed with the cheaper and easier to maintain ones. The monsters I hunt require little effort from weaponry after all. I did have to stop going after creatures like the jumping spiders to be able to sell my warhammer. Was worth a pretty coin.” Explayed Thug, thankful for the chance to dispel the current atmosphere.

“War…warhammer?” Softly started Jacob, not daring to speak louder. “For, for spiders?”

“They are uncommon in high latitudes or cold climates, yeah. Jumping spiders are wh… a pain in the ass.” Thug shuddered. “Never taking another subterranean quest again, no Gods. The webs were also a pain to get off my clothes.”

“What is that tree over there?!” Jacob pointed at a normal conifer, a pine.

“That is a big tree.” Thug accepted the change of topic. That didn’t modify the fact that he was no botanic and knew nothing about that tree in particular. One of the trees imported from the northern duchy, they were highly coveted for their extreme durability. This specimen in particular, towering over forty metres was relatively healthy, even if with a fungus infection. “Good wood. Used mainly in the Imperial Navy.”

“And what does the Imperial Navy do?”

“What does it do?” ‘Pillage.’. It was one of the sad truths of the Empire. With the chaos over the succession of the Empress, the royal provinces had no way to collect taxes as the duchies ran with complete independence. Or, in their words, preserving their internal security. Needing, and taking, drastic measures, the Imperial Navy had turned to pillaging the southern Duchy, as it had been a southerner who had killed the first princess. The orc tribes of the south and the Theocracy to the east had also fared poorly against the biggest navy of the continent. “Well, it grants the Empire maritime supremacy, helping to defend the trade.”

Thug shook his head. When he was younger, he had merely laughed at the crisis, using it to validate his bastardness. ‘“If the Imperial soldiers can act like brutes, so do I. After all, I am going to be one of those, won’t I?”’ But the issue hadn’t been resolved. The regency still stood and the problem had exploded. Mumblers from sailors revealed a completely out of control navy that had resorted to full piracy, leaving no ship, Imperial or not, alone. ‘For how long will the crown be able to control the spread of information?’.

“Huh.” Jacob, running out of topics, returned to his field. “About that dagger of yours, what metal is it made of?”

“I would love to say steel but it’s iron. Cheaper.” A change in the air made him start his explorer mode, turning alert and answering in a concise manner. ‘A few hours of forest and we should return to some plains. A river too, if we aren’t too far east.’.

“Iron.” Jacob’s eyes started to scan the dagger. “I do not like the way it has been tempered. The balance looks a bit off too. Are you not that versed in the making of blades? The fuller is ‘unequal’, lacks sameness. You need more time to learn what you lack.”

“Gonna stop you there. I am not a metalworker, bender or work on any of those fancy jobs. It was bought at a lower cost.” ‘Taken from a corpse.’ “And it does the job just fine. And thanks to Dice for that because it is my last one.”

“I could make you one if you so desired.”

“How do you make human weapons?” Interjected Hare, irritation from being left out of the conversation winning over her earlier misgivings.

What followed was a two hour long discourse from a very excited dragon. Thug preferred the fuss. It was hard to be angry at the marvelled expressions of Hare or the excitable and over enthusiastic attitude of Jacob. ‘Nevertheless, it is strange. We have not moved that much and we have faced no prosecution. Did they gave up on the two dragons?...No, they wouldn’t. I will have to be on the lookout.’

But an uneventful day only growed his unease.

…

Another campment was made and a silent dinner was had. Jacob did not have the energy to try and soothe the atmosphere. Hare was too fearful and angry to confront Thug and the last one just wanted to have a moment to think. He ended up winning, as Jacob and Hare went to sleep first, the last one being way too tired to carry herself, having to be carted in Jacob’s arms.

‘Time to go, huh.’ With Drael, the Snowbringer, here, he was not needed. If anything, he was slowing down the march. He didn’t want to stay either. ‘Pfff. That is a lie. I fear this longing. I want to stay too much. I am rotten. Jacob is a good kid, he would be a better influence than I could ever be.’.

Thug fell slowly to the ground, extending his arms and legs. The stars were uncannily bright, an unusually clean winter sky. “Should have grown out of fairytales long ago. As if a new and loving family could fall from the sky and into my life. Heh, it is even more foolish when I am the one longing for it.” Poisoned words carrying a bitter undertone. He breathed in the cold air. “Time to leave.”

Taking his time, he rose up and started to scavenge inside his bag.Leaving only one day of food, he threw the rest out. Leaving out the clothes of Hare and some of the books he had stored, he tied the bag back to his waist. ‘Too poor to add some coin.’. Not wanting to look anymore at his pitiful parting gift, he debated on leaving or not the bag. The hobgoblins should grant him a month of pay.

“Sorry. I am not that good.” The words left his mouth, lamenting not being able to give a goodbye. He wouldn’t be able to leave otherwise.

“Not that good with what?” A tired and groggy voice answered him, as if the Gods were not finished with toying with his destiny. Thug froze like an elk in front of an elemental. Abandoning children was not one of his abilities and he lacked the experience to make a decision in the small time that Hare needed to wake up enough as to realise what he was intending to do. “Are you going to hunt? You were angry about me going alone and here you are!!”

“Well, someone gotta check the surroundings.” Thug did his best casual smirk.

Hare frowned, smelling the lie, before backing a step. “Are…are you leaving?!” Cried Hare, a tear already falling. “You can’t!!”

“Hey. Calm down first, got it?” Tried to soothe Thug as he advanced a step. It was the move that sealed his last chance to retreat as Hare, sensing his tenderness, rushed to hug him. She stabbed him with the horns, not that he cared, as she tried to stab him with his head.

“Please…I will be good. I will always obey! I won’t do anything again without asking! Don’t leave me alone…I’m sorry…”

He did not care for the growing tear stain in his clothes as he roughly hugged her, raising her a bit in the air. He tried to shield his heart with his next words. It was hurting more than he had expected. “Well, you have your brother with you now. Wouldn’t it be nice to fly somewhere far away and enjoy new views?” His words sounded empty to him, seeing as he was hugging her like there would be no tomorrow. ‘A month was enough for me to be ready to ditch everything for this kid.’

“I do not care about land!! Brother is brother and you are you!” She continued her ruthless offensive. “We can just stay reading books together!!”

“Curses.” He softly retorted. “Lass, you are smart enough to realise I am slowing you down. Do not make this any harder.”

“You do not have to protect us! We…I will! I will grow quickly! I will master magic!! So, please, stay with me until I manage it!! Do not disappear…”

He simply strengthened his hug. ‘My last chance to do something nice and I mess it up…Well, being a bastard didn’t stop me from marrying Irania…I will grow into fitting the job. It’s the only way to make up to it.’ “So be it. I won’t go anywhere. You can stop.”

After a few minutes of Thug awkwardly consoling a dragon pup, they disentangled. Ruffling a bit her hair, Thug forced a smirk. “Heavens, lass, take it easy on me next time.”

“I’m sorry…”

Thug patted her shoulder a few times, “No stones off my road.” Wanting something to give back, he remembered, “You still have that dagger?”

“Ye…yeah?”

“Tomorrow we can start some lessons. If anything it will give you experience.” The smirk was now real. “You need that to protect someone like me.”

“Ye…yes!!” Hare nodded, energy coming back to her as her tail started to dart around.

Thug tone grew cold still. “Now. To bed.”

…….

The following days were heavens apart. An easy going atmosphere of newfound comradery. An elder brother that had tried to stop the training sessions of Hare only to be beaten on all competitions they did. A beaming dragon pup that was turning as cunning as an old mercenary. And an old drunkard that had sworn off the drink and who would never forgive himself for what he had almost done.

“So, to summarise, you are cold blooded animals? Even reds?” His eyes catched, on the horizon, their new living place, the town of Icestop.

“Yes! Third loves the ‘biology’, the study of living things. He would impart his knowledge onto us with extreme glee. I do have a regret that only new lessons would fix.”

“He also said that, while our skin is very tough, our bones are easy to break!”

“And, if you remember to tally in our ‘air sacs’, our bigger and more numerous lungs, we are less dense than what looks would refer you to.”

“Hum.” Thug grabbed his identification from the bag. He had learned more this week than in the last three years. Jacob had turned to be an escolar through and through. He was naive enough to avoid walking on dense patches of herbs. On the other hand, he had come to fear a bit for Hare’s future. He had grown too much on her. Grabbing a cigar together with the bag, he tried to hide his smile with it. Maybe it had gone both ways.

Nearing the guard placement, he marvelled at how well his knee was working. As if nothing had happened. Having taken a breather and a slower rhythm had done wonders too.

“Identification?” Spoke the first one, with a tone as amiable as he could manage. Being a half orc, he understood painfully well the rampaging xenophobia on the rest of the Empire. A simple look revealed that for them, reptilian kin, it would have been worse.

“Here.”

…

Feeling as if two bumpkins were following him, Thug nodded at the two. “Explore for a bit. I will wait at the main plaza. Gotta cash in the hobs…and they are gone.” Thug could only sigh in fake distress, a smile already creeping in. The way they both run revealed their blood link.

Taking in the sights, he searched for a noble building or a mercenary employment office. A tidy but chaotic town, no more than a thousand habitants, it was one of recent construction. Meaning a better and healthier outlook as the sewage system was improved. Stone roads and houses with steep roofs to deal with snow, he found it somewhat cosy.

A sight even more familiar was a woman dressed in a half broken uniform, more rags than anything else, that was rushing towards him, going as far as to push people aside. A scar in her cheek, short, even if somewhat larger, blonde hair and ice blue eyes. A warrior he knew well. The slight unevenness in her gait confused Thug a bit. ‘Still hasn’t healed up?’

Ires getting nearer, he stood his ground, not sensing any bloodlust and a bit overtaken by her strange clothing choice. Soon enough, Ires reached him, grabbing him by the shoulders and smacking against a nearby wall. ‘Ah, the hate’s still there.’ Eyes intoxicated with madness and overflowing anger.

“I need your help.” She growled.

……….