Wait! Fia whined. Instead of jumping with his signal like Viliant had told her, she leaned onto his side and cupped the underside of his foreleg. His claw protruded into the air, reaching for the little lizards, but Fia had stopped him in time. Don't fight them. Just use your shadow form! They stopped attacking when you did that.

Fia felt the irascible mood of Viliant through their telepathic connection, but he did not bother to scold her. The dragons did not have time to mess around, so he snapped, Fine. Now go!

The dragoness clambered onto the rock which she could use as a jump pad, but lingered to watch Viliant. The geckos encircled and closed on him, but the dragon still refused to take Fia's advice. Do it, she chided.

Get out of here! he roared in her mind. The hostility made her tail droop between her legs and her wings collapse over her body shamefully. Fia was more shocked by Viliant's rage than the icy flames of the geckos.

He waited till the last possible moment to duck into the shadows. The geckos had already lunged for him when their target disappeared. This caused a dozen lizards to sail through Viliant's shadow form and collide with each other. The sticky pads of their feet entangled and their flames amassed into a larger inferno. After their fragile bodies hit the ground, not all of them got back up.

Viliant, stop! Fia cried. W-Why would you do that? she was stammering because she knew it was not her place to interject. If Viliant had things his way, she would be far away from here. But Fia did not see why she always had to listen to him, yet he would never take her advice—not even after her hypothesis had been proven correct.

When the surviving geckos scrambled to their feet and shook themselves off, they looked up to Viliant with awe filling their wide eyes. The darkened flames went out, and the daylight around them was restored. Once more, the lizards sat peacefully around their dragon king which looked like a bigger version of them.

Viliant turned his attention to Fia who had stayed perching on the rock. Why are you still here? he replied, raging at her. Why can't you do the simplest thing to protect yourself?

Because look! The Lil Vilies aren't attacking anymore—

Shut up! The only little thing around here is you, Lil Fia, the stupid kid that's been driving me insane. Even without the lizards' fire to procure shadows for him, the darkness which consumed Viliant flared alongside his temper. His livid, green eyes bore through the murk straight at Fia.

Eep! As she yelped from the aggression directed towards her, she jumped from the rock and darted the other way.

Oh, now you want to run away? In pursuit, Viliant leaped over the pacified geckos so that he could berate her all the better. When I see you later, you're in big trouble! he growled. Just you wait.

I should wait? Though Fia was quite certain that he wanted her out of his sight this instant, she paused and turned back to him.

No, you idiot. Go! While they were arguing, Viliant's shadow spell flickered and dwindled until he stood in plain sight.

Behind you! she gasped instead.

The lizards had lost their illusionment with their icon. They crept behind him in a semicircle, reigniting their blackfire one by one. The light was devoured around each lick of flame where darkness plumed in place of smoke.

Not even shock registered in Viliant's eyes for a moment. He coolly gathered the new shadows behind him and cloaked himself in his element. The little lizards leaped helplessly through him once more, and though they could have kept rushing for Fia, they stopped short. Yet again, they became entranced by the dragon who appeared to have stolen their blackfire.

See? Fia said. As long as you keep that up, they won't attack us anymore.

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His chin turned either way as he observed the placated lizards. So what? They're still hostile the moment I drop the spell.

I was thinking maybe we could have them show us where the water is….

And how do you suppose we do that? As Viliant fumed, he stomped in a broad circle. All the lizards followed him like a brood of ducklings after its mother. I'd have to be the one to lead them.

Fia's eyes trained on her claws fiddling with each other. Her head hung low, too ashamed to look up at Viliant. I don't know, but it doesn't matter. Look at all the friends you just made—

Every lizard behind him stopped short when Viliant halted where he stood. Friends! That's your problem! he said, exasperated. You try to befriend everything that breathes, but it has done nothing but get us into trouble. First, the healer at the coliseum. Then, the bear cub and human child. Now, these lizards. When the lizards started their fire to rechallenge him, Viliant submerged himself in the shadows without so much as blinking at them. The geckos stopped, but the dragon kept going. It's a miracle you didn't try playing with everything you fought in the arena! Didn't we just talk about this? Don't you care about saving your people at all?

Still unable to look at him, Fia blinked so that her watery vision turned fuzzy with steam. Her jaw gritted tight enough for her fangs to poke into her gums. The taste of blood dappled her tongue. Viliant did not usually talk this much which indicated how Fia had pushed him past a breaking point. The hardest part about listening to him rave was the heavy feeling in her heart, growing with every example that he gave. Deep down, she knew that he was right. Even before they had ever met, Fia had been playing with Arenis when she was captured by the humans in the first place.

However, the dragoness refused to admit to his criticisms in the heat of the moment. Instead, she wanted to make him feel as bad as he made her feel. Maybe it's a good thing I'm like this, she said with a soft growl. Otherwise, I never would've made friends with you.

In his own words, Viliant had said that her one qualification for a friend was anything that breathes. His nostrils flared as he gave a furious snort, and his eyes narrowed. Yeah? Well, I don't need our friendship. You're the one who needs me to survive. As he turned to walk away, Viliant switched into his shadow form to cease the gecko's fire. They skipped after him, oblivious to the rift that they had reopened between the dragons.

Fia’s heart was racing, pounding in her chest like it might explode. Her thoughts spun round her head fast enough to make her dizzy. Oh no. Oh no, she thought to herself. I really did it this time. I never should’ve made Viliant mad….

The dragoness pestered him with her telepathic thoughts. I’m sorry! she called after him. I’m really sorry. Please don’t go.

The older black dragon did not turn back as he jeered in her mind. Yeah, you’re gonna be sorry. You won’t last another day without me.

Fire was coursing through Fia’s veins as she panicked. You won’t last the night! she screeched. Their flames won’t keep you warm like mine. To prove herself, she loped behind the blackfire lizards and planted three feet on the ground. Her chest swelled as she drew in a big breath. Please don’t go, Viliant. You’re my friend. I need you, and you’re the only friend I need! she declared. Her lower jaw dropped open to release the bursting, roaring fire. The warmth could be felt against her scaly snout and cheeks. Each additional plume made the heat grow more intense, and the light tinged her pink scales into a glowing orange.

When Viliant turned to see this, his eyes widened in shock. At the center of his green irises, a flash of red lit up within the slitted pupil. The dragon backpedaled while his useless wings flapped frantically to avoid the oncoming wall of fire.

The blackfire lizards did not have the same, quick reaction as him. Their bodies were consumed in the path of Fia's flames. The slender forms of the lizards danced like shadows within the fire. On two legs with their heads tipped back, they sang high-pitched yelps of pain. Their own blackfire rekindled in an effort to protect themselves. The two fires clashed with one another, creating streaks of black and red throughout the inferno, until the true fire of the dragoness won out.

A tug within her body's ley lines, like a lurch of the heart, marked the depletion of her magical reserves. Her flames sputtered to nothing. When she closed her mouth, Fia observed the smoldering corpses of every single lizard with a mixture of black and red flames. Though the hosts had died, the blackfire still warred with the red until all had been extinguished.

Viliant stood behind the carnage where his rigid body had locked in place. After a few blinks fell over his eyes, his tail skewed into a devious grin. Apology accepted, he said.

Her body felt faint. Though she trembled, Fia forced her wings to open in an uplifting way and curled her tail to return his smile.