Mildred the cow-shifter, now in human form, sat in a field of flowers.

It felt obscene to sit in this land of fresh blooms, their soft petals brushing against her legs, while so many people had died at the palace.

A moment later, a blue dragon appeared in the sky and cast a shadow over her. He was graceful despite his large size and touched down and shifted to his human form just before he hit the grass.

He smiled broadly, a predator’s smile.

Mildred pressed her lips together in indignation. “I don’t know if your cheerful expression means good or bad news.”

The young man laughed and stroked the strands of his blond hair, looking way too pleased with himself. “Ooh, you poor thing. I still can’t find your husband, but I might know where your daughter is.”

Mildred straightened. “What are you playing at? Where is Vera?”

The blue dragon shifter had a cunning look on his face. “She’ll be safe, don’t worry. But I need you to do something for me.”

“What?” Mildred spat out, glaring at the man.

“Well, I need your help in something. If you work with me, I will take you to see your daughter.”

Silence stretched between them. Mildred’s body tensed with something like fear.

“Mildred, don’t look so scared,” Lance said with a drawl. “I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I do care about you and wouldn’t hurt you in any way. My request is easy. I want you to accompany me to find Vera.”

Mildred blinked. “What? You want me to do something I already want to do?” Her body was still taut as a hot wire.

Lance flipped his bleached hair again. “Oh, I hope you don’t regret coming with me. We can leave whenever you’re ready.”

A pause. “Where are we going exactly?” Mildred asked with a chill in her heart.

Lance’s smile remained, though he avoided her eyes. “I can’t reveal the location, but it’s somewhere unpleasant. Heck, I don’t want to go, either. But I would venture there…for your sake.”

“Stop pretending to be nicer than you really are,” Mildred said. “You must have some agenda. What is it?”

Lance peered at her through hooded lids. “Nothing. I just enjoy your company, and especially desire it now that my old life is over.”

“You have your brother,” Mildred pointed out, putting her hands on her strong hips.

“Demiel isn’t the same,” Lance said. “Half the time, we don’t get along.” He grinned. “You and I don’t get along much, admittedly, but I still enjoy your presence more.”

“That’s cryptic,” she said.

Lance shrugged. “So what do you say? Will you join me?”

It smelled distinctly like a trap. But the alternative was to never see her daughter again. “Fine. Take me to her.”

Lance looked triumphant. He stretched his muscles and his body became fluid, warping until he became a big blue dragon again.

Mildred maintained eye contact with him, distrustful. But she pulled herself onto his back, clinging hard to him. The dragon huffed a laugh and pushed off into the sky.

***

At Revi’s mansion, Princess Teefa and Ero the calf-shifter gaped at a great hole with stairs leading down into darkness.

Princess Teefa said in shock, “Ana is supposed to be here. Revi must have made a mistake.”

“Revi’s a liar,” Ero said as he stomped the ground.

But Teefa shook her head. “People aren’t always what they seem. It’s something you’ll learn as you grow older, Ero.”

“He’s clearly not an ally like he seems,” the boy retorted.

Teefa smiled. “You will understand one day.”

The calf-shifter shook his head, muttering something about adults making everything more complicated than they were. He moved to run down those stairs to find Ana.

Yet, Teefa put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. “We have no idea what’s down there. And we won’t be able to see, either. Why don’t we go back out into the light, and see who we can find?”

Ero pressed his lips into a stubborn line. “We can’t leave Ana behind like this.”

“Getting lost and putting ourselves in danger in that dark place, won’t help Ana, either. Much better to be out where we can see our surroundings and then find Ana. Besides, ze is clever and will be okay,” Teefa said with an astonishing amount of confidence.

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After Teefa persuaded him several more times, he finally agreed to go outside first to search. Maybe Ana had actually flown outside rather than run down those stairs.

Princess Teefa morphed back into a purple dragon, and carried Ero, who remained in his human form, on her back. Her scales were iridescent in the afternoon sun.

As she flew south, they saw a few people, dragon shifter or other species, scurrying or flying. But none were people they knew. Ero felt disappointed, but also relieved that they didn’t find any family or friends dead.

At length, they came across a glistening lake, its surface scorched and lit up by the sun.

Ero tapped Teefa’s back. “Can we go there please? To the water?”

“Are you thirsty, honey?” the purple dragon asked with some amusement.

The calf-shifter gave her a pinched look. “I could use some water, but I meant something else.” His fingers tapped lightly on the purple dragon’s scales.

The dragon grunted but swooped down.

Immediately, Ero sensed something odd about the lake. It mirrored the sky above as well as the trees around it, just like any other lake. Yet…

Teefa landed on the shore and let him clamber down. The grass felt innocent enough under his shoes. He trundled towards the gleaming water.

Teefa shifted back into a woman and tied her dark hair back from her face. “Be careful,” she whispered as she walked beside him.

The calf-shifter peered down at the water inches away from his feet. He inhaled sharply. “Do you feel something odd here?” His eyes could detect nothing peculiar. Yet something made his senses tingle.

Teefa gazed with worry at the rippling water, gently pushed by the breeze.

Without warning, a silver fish leapt out.

Both calf-shifter and dragon-shifter gasped, but the fish plopped back into the water, no different from a normal fish.

“Even if I were a carnivore, I wouldn’t eat that fish,” Ero said, wrinkling his nose.

Teefa nodded somberly. “Would you dare touch the water?

The water below lapped at their feet. Ero glared at it. “It — I hear something like a heartbeat.”

“A heartbeat?” Teefa sounded mystified.

Little Ero nodded. “It’s like the lake itself is a beast, wanting to swallow whole anyone who dares challenge it.” Without thinking, he leaned forward. Teefa grabbed his arm.

She hissed, “Don’t touch it, if it’s as dangerous as you say.”

Ero was shockingly calm and collected. He didn’t resist Princess Teefa’s clutch, but he didn’t straighten backup, either. “The lake might be dangerous to most people, but it doesn’t mean it’ll be dangerous to me.”

“How do you know that?” Teefa’s voice was soft but demanding.

Ero’s foot dug deeper into the wet soil above the lake. “You could call it a calf’s intuition,” he mused.

In the next instant, he dipped a shoe into the water.

Teefa gasped and shouted as little Ero wriggled out of her grasp.

He sprung into the lake with a splash, shifting into a calf mid-air.

Something in him knew that this was what he had to do, even if it felt like madness. The lake water was colder than he thought, even though the sun hadn’t yet set.

But cold as it was, it also felt comforting. Slowly, he let himself sink down into the depths of the lake.

To his astonishment, he could breathe normally, and there was no pain when he opened his eyes. He witnessed the curious schools of fish drifting by.

Down towards the sandy bottom of the lake, he could see a cave encircled by some weeds. It didn’t look glamorous, but Ero swam towards the entrance.

***

Anastasia brought Revi to an area of the mountains where Princess Leyla and the other dragons couldn’t hear their conversation.

Ze spun around and eyed the gold dragon. He looked curious and sheepish at the same time.

Ana broke the ice, “We’ve got to do something about the dragon ruler situation, if there is to be a sovereign at all.”

The gold dragon’s wings shivered. “I don’t know, Ana.” Never had Ana seen zir friend look so uncertain.

“Frankly speaking,” Ana continued, “I doubt that my mothers want to rule.”

Revi blinked. “How do you know?” He sounded completely bewildered.

Anastasia held his gaze. “To be honest, I hadn’t thought about this point until some moments ago. I was so consumed by the mayhem of these past few days, from my grandma revealing her illness to pronouncing me her heir.

“I was so focused on finding my mothers and Freya a cure. After you found them a cure, so much else happened that I had not a second to think. But flying with my mother just now made me realize, and remember.

“My mothers never enjoyed governing or dictating, even as princesses. They did it because they had no choice. They would rather just be themselves and be free. Even here in this gathering, none of the other dragons paid Leyla special attention, even though she is one of the princesses. And she doesn’t even care.”

Revi gaped at zir. “But the other dragons are so preoccupied with their loss. Of course they wouldn’t have time to care, not even about your mother. And Princess Leyla has never been the arrogant type. Who’s to say that it wasn’t just a coincidence? Maybe when they recover enough, Leyla will find her wife and take up the throne.”

The red dragon watched his face carefully. “Is that what you truly want, Revi? For my two mothers to take the throne?”

Revi had a stubborn look on his face. “Yes. Unlike Freya, Teefa and Leyla are kinder, and would create peace and harmony for all creatures.”

Anastasia took a deep breath, felt the cool air radiate through zir body before ze uttered zir next words. “What if we have no ruler at all? Look at us here. We fend for ourselves, find our own food, or help others support themselves. No rulers needed.”

Revi shot zir a dubious look. “I’m not sure about that. Without any laws at all, we’ll descend back to might means right, survival of the fittest. So all weaker, smaller creatures will perish, and that’s not fair.”

Ana snorted. “It’s funny how you argue against might means right, when you literally unleashed an earthquake to prove a point.”

The gold dragon frowned, his face stern and obstinate. “Those are two different things. We can’t just rely on the forces of nature. Nature is too cruel and will wipe out the vulnerable. No. We need a benevolent ruler who can protect the weak and frail.” He paused. “If your mothers are truly unwilling or unable, then I would rather have you be our sovereign, Anastasia.”

The stunned red dragon was about to interrupt, but Revi carried on. “Listen, since no one can find Freya, and you are her named heir, the throne passes to you by default. Plus, you don’t have to be alone. Leyla and possibly Teefa will be with you. I will be with you.”

Anastasia gave him a hard glare. “But you said I was too young, which I am.”

The two young dragons would have continued bickering if not for an alarming sound.

A crash of rocks, and a hiss of steam.

Leyla cried out from the sky, “Everyone, run! Fly away, the volcano has awoken!”

Aghast, Ana stared as smoke and fire exploded from the central mountain peak, and lava dribbled down the mountain sides.

The dragons lifted off, dodging the debris, clouds of ash, and fireballs.

Being dragons, the fire wouldn’t kill them, but it could still injure them.

Ana cursed. “Was this your doing again?” ze demanded of the gold dragon.

But the gold dragon looked bemused, dodging a fiery rock as he flew. “No. We never planned this.”

Ana realized what he meant. “Let’s fly far, far away, and fast!”