The jungle never slept, and her lively surroundings kept Fia awake at night. The pink dragonette lay on the porch outside the treehouse. Her healthy muscles twitched restlessly, even her reconstructed shoulder.

"Hey Fia," a sweet voice said aloud as well as echoing in her mind. Diwa approached from behind. She always spoke both verbally and telepathically to Fia in order to help her learn the language—something which Viliant had not thought to do—albeit this language sounded different. Compared to the one that he spoke, Diwa added pops of her tongue and clicks to her fangs. "What are you doing out here?"

Well… Fia turned back to the green dragoness who had taken in the dragonet fugitives. She had told Diwa everything that had happened to them, including the Dragon Slayer's declaration of war against her people, the Carlinoa Clan. We need to leave soon, she said, but Viliant seems so… happy here. The word 'happy' was perhaps too strong to describe the stoic dragonet, but he was more content here than Fia had ever seen him. You're still repairing his wings, like you did mine. With one wing extended, she gestured to where a hole had once been, now a healthy, smooth flap. Maybe he should stay with you longer—longer than I can stay.

Diwa lay down next to Fia and draped a tender wing over her body as she listened carefully. "You should not doubt your friend. He worked himself nearly to death, trying to keep you both alive in the badlands."

Exactly, Fia thought with great remorse. Now that he was freed of the coliseum, he could have a good, long life ahead of him. He had no reason to risk that to save Fia's people.

Diwa tried to stoke the hope in the dragonette's heart. "When the time is right, discuss your concerns with him. It's his decision whether he wants to continue this journey with you. Don't try to make that choice for him."

"Yes," Fia agreed and laid her chin across her claws. She had already picked up a few, simple words in the new language.

"In the meantime, we can prepare for your journey across the sea," Diwa suggested. "I'm not strong enough to take you home myself. I can take you as far as the Malakow capital. From there, we might be able to convince someone else to take up your cause, but we can't count on that. I don't have enough money to pay for the trip, either…." The dragoness trailed off as she rapped a thoughtful talon against the uneven wooden planks. "How about this? We can gather some herbs and sell them in the city to pay for your fare."

You'd help us do that? Fia asked. As she expressed her gratitude, she had come across another simple phrase that she knew. "Thank you!" she chimed. How soon can we start?

"Tomorrow," Diwa said. "But only if you get a good night's sleep."

Fia jumped onto her feet, suddenly feeling an urgency to go back to bed. "Thank you, Diwa! Goodnight!"

Back inside the treehouse, Fia bounded up to her own, small room. Though she had originally wanted to stay as close to Viliant as they had in the same cell at the coliseum, Diwa had convinced Fia to return to her individual room. They were still near enough that she could connect with him telepathically. You still up, Viliant?

Now I am, he mumbled, his thoughts hazy as he stirred awake.

Oops! Fia closed their telepathic link to let him go back to sleep.

Viliant insisted that she rejoin the conversation with many pulses against her mind. Tell me, he barked.

No, it's nothing. I'm sorry. Go back to sleep.

I'm already awake! Viliant snapped, clearly irritated by that fact.

Diwa says we're gonna find herbs tomorrow to get money!

Is that right…? Viliant said with a sliver of apprehension creeping into his mind. I suppose we'll have to get moving again. The mission to save her people did not occupy Fia's mind alone, but Viliant remembered her duty only with great reluctance.

Don't worry about that right now, Fia said gently.

I'm not. I'm sleeping, Viliant said to signal the end of this conversation.

Sorry I kept you up. Goodnight!

Don't let the dragonflies bite, Viliant added with the mental projection of a growl. Their telepathic link closed promptly.

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"Eek!" Fia squealed at the thought of dragonflies zooming in through the window to bite her. Alone, she listened to the muffled song of insects audible through the walls of the treehouse. While her best friend might have promised to never leave her, she wondered how long his commitment to her would last.

Before, Viliant had nowhere to go, but now he had every reason to stay here. The Malakow Jungle far surpassed Fia's offer to make Carlinoa Island his new home, a precarious place that their old captors would soon attack. If he would only say the word, then Diwa would certainly adopt Viliant as her own. Their emerald eyes matched as though they really could be mother and son.

Fia slept fretfully, wishing the best for Viliant, but also praying for his help on her journey. I'll work harder, she vowed, feeling an impassioned blaze within her. Fia needed to become someone Viliant genuinely wanted to ally himself alongside. If he would grace her with his company to Carlinoa, then she would never let him regret choosing such.

***

Fia and Viliant stood with Diwa at the door to her treehouse, ready for an outing that morning. The handles of two woven baskets dangled from the adult dragoness's mouth. One she would carry herself while the other she would give to Viliant once they were on the ground. Fia was too small to carry a basket herself, but she could help fill them both. Diwa set the baskets down momentarily and announced, "Today, we venture into the jungle to gather some useful herbs. Who's ready?"

Excitement bubbled inside Fia, but she restrained her jubilant response by narrowing her eyes. I'm ready, she said seriously. Let's do this.

Viliant gave her a curious glance from the corners of his eyes—probably because he was impressed by her initiative, or so she thought.

"A girl your age should be able to handle the glide down," Diwa said to Fia, adding on for Viliant's benefit, "given the condition of your wings. Do you think you're up to the challenge?"

"Yes!" Fia said and dove headfirst down the hatch of the treehouse. Leaves blustered past her on all sides. With wings folded tight, she only angled them to steer herself through the big gaps in the leaves. Despite her efforts, she smacked against a thick branch and started to slide off. Fia clung onto it for dear life and somehow found herself upside down.

A green blur flashed through the leaves. Diwa opened her wings and perched delicately on another bough. Once more, she had the baskets in her mouth which caused her voice to only sound inside her head. Are you alright, Fia?

She nodded with her chin nearly scraping against the underside of the branch. I can do this.

Good. Try gliding down—a little slower this time, Diwa offered in instruction and encouragement. You can do this! As a quiet aside, the dragoness admitted to Fia alone, I'm more worried about Viliant. Diwa tipped her head back and called, Viliant? Are you able to get down?

I'm coming, he grumbled. When Fia looked up, she saw how the black dragonet desperately clung onto the tree. All four of his limbs wrapped around the trunk. Even the spiked tips of his wings helped in this endeavor, reaching above his head to help stabilize himself. His claws dragged gouges through the bark as he tried to slide down.

Diwa hopped onto the trunk beneath Fia, facing downward in the optimal way which Viliant dared not attempt. "It's easier if you climb a tree like this." She slithered around the tree trunk like a gecko for demonstration.

The bark scratched and peeled away as Viliant leveraged his weight against his claws, too long for this task. I'm good.

Suit yourself. Let me know if you need help. Diwa's attention returned to Fia so that she could supervise her next drop.

The pink dragonette's whole body squirmed as she gathered her courage and prepared to release her hold on the branch. Already, she felt a bit light-headed from her time spent upside down. Fia let go and returned to the air, diving backwards to resume her descent. The successful flip sent a thrill through Fia's heart. The wind streamed across her scales and left her breathless.

"Fia!" a far away gasp called. Diwa's voice in her head was drowned out by her concentration on her stimulating descent.

She whistled out of glee as she dodged branch after branch, breaking through the understory. The forest floor came into sight. Fia hurtled towards the ground, suddenly terrified that she was going too fast. Her wings spread wide to catch the air like fallen leaves to drift through the air, but the previous period of confinement and recovery left her flight muscles underdeveloped for such a task. The flaps of her wings shot above her head. Fia screamed.

Yet, she did not strike the ground as she once had. Every tendon tensed and vein coursed with adrenaline. Fia's body could still recall the sensation of striking the ground in the human's capital—the effect of the Dragon Slayer's gravity magic. When she cracked her eyes open, Fia looked up to Diwa who hovered with her gently in her claws.

Her descent had stopped right before the ground. Fia flicked her tail and brushed her scales against the ferns. Relieved, she could finally close her eyes. Like this, she felt her body lowered to the ground. "You have to be more careful," Diwa scolded, "especially when you can't see how far away the ground is."

"I'll… be more careful," Fia said between gasps, repeating the same words which Diwa had used. She had learned her lesson. From now on, Fia resolved to hop from branch to branch rather than taking her descent all at once.

Some raucous rustles and thunderous thumps sounded overhead. Both Fia and Diwa turned their heads upward where the black dragonet floundered between the branches. Viliant bounced from the higher ones to the lower ones until he hit the ground. "Ugh," he let out in a loud groan.

"And you need to ask for help when you need it, young dragon," Diwa said unsympathetically. "I even offered—!"

I didn't need it, Viliant said as he got up and shook himself off. See? Made it down just fine.

With a big sigh, Diwa let the reckless dragonets be. "This way." She led them through the trees where they would forage for useful herbs.