My large form lumbered quietly behind Ryone as she tried various tactics to dissuade me. After a few failed attempts to shake me, she sighed deeply and slowed her pace until she walked beside me, resignation written all over her face.

"If you're going to come with me, you might as well know a bit more about what we're walking into," she finally said, her voice low and serious.

As we made our way through the undergrowth, the dense forest gradually giving way to less dense, more managed pathways, Ryone began to open up about her past. "I was being moved from Kyrekeep to Ulv with others... we were not free travelers," she confessed, her words heavy with unspoken stories.

She paused, her gaze distant as if reliving memories she'd rather forget. "I ran away from home originally... and, well, it wasn't long before I found myself caught up with the wrong people," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. Suddenly, she clamped up, shaking her head as if to dispel the creeping memories. "I shouldn't say more…"

It was clear that Ryone was battling inner demons, chased by shadows that weren't just the slavers. Her brief disclosure painted a picture of a life marked by much more than the innocence of youth.

As the path beneath our feet became more worn, signs of human activity more frequent, I sensed Ryone's tension increase. She was walking back into the mouth of danger, driven by necessity.

"We need to be careful as we get closer to Kyrekeep," she instructed, her eyes scanning our surroundings with practiced caution. "If they see you, it won’t just be curiosity we’ll be dealing with, I’m sure the survivors that you chased off have reported back your sighting."

I nodded in understanding. My presence could endanger her further, yet leaving her side was not an option I was willing to consider.

As I was lost in thought she continued, “When I ran away, I had something important with me, something that could get me a new life into Gearford…” She paused, her eyes brimming with determination, “I need to get it back at all costs. I don’t have much to offer you in return, but if you help me I will bring you with me to Gearford. It’s a very nice city, I’ve never been there myself, but I’ve heard tales of its beauty and riches from some traveling merchants…”

For a moment, I saw Ryone’s eyes glinting with childish wonder and anticipation, almost like this should have been her look all along, yet her challenges and hardships had forced her to look older and wiser than her years.

“... I heard that the people living there are happy… That the city protects its citizens, that races like mine are not frowned upon, and that slavery is banned.” She finished her explanation with her gloominess returning to her eyes.

Feeling a tug at my heartstrings, I nudged her shoulder lightly, trying to offer some semblance of comfort. The action was awkward, given my size and the unfamiliarity of such gestures for a dragon, but it seemed to pull a small, grateful smile from Ryone.

"I heard that there are many wise craftsmen and scholars there, they should be able to teach you how to communicate… There are even rumors that a dragon is part of the city council, a real dragon! Maybe when I get there I can catch a glimpse… dragons are cool…" She trailed off, daydreaming amidst the canopy of her imagination.

I couldn’t hide my surprise and excitement, finally I would be able to find another member of my species, and maybe get some answers to some of the existential questions that had followed me since my birth into this world.

I looked back at the girl fantasizing in front of me.

Just wait till you realize you are standing right next to a mighty dragon!

I let out a scoff and nudged her again, bringing her back to the conversation.

“Oh right, yeah, sorry… Anyways, my deal for you is this: help me get my belongings back and I will take you with me to Gearford. The city is huge and there are people that camp outside for months before they can get an entry permit, but I have something that will get us right in! So how does that sound?”

After her tangent about this new city, I had to admit that my interest was more than piqued. Gearford sounded like a much better city than wherever we were headed now, and the mention of wealth and riches didn’t escape my ears either, after all I was still a greedy dragon.

I turned back towards Ryone and visually nodded my head.

Her smile widened, mingled with a look of surprise as if she hadn't expected such an uncomplicated offer of support.

“It’s a deal then!” She let out cheerfully, before continuing on our trail towards the edge of the forest.

We continued our journey towards Kyrekeep, moving silently through the underbrush that appeared more sparse as we neared our destination. The sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across our path. Suddenly, Ryone stopped abruptly and pointed to a cluster of lights in the distance. "That’s Kyrekeep," she whispered.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

As we edged closer, the silhouette of the city gradually emerged from the fading light of the evening. The city, surrounded by what appeared to be a worn-down palisade, stood resolute against the backdrop of the darkening sky.

At the heart of Kyrekeep rose the keep itself, a towering castle-like structure that dominated the surrounding landscape. Its commanding presence was accentuated by the last rays of sunlight, creating a stark contrast against the surrounding wilderness.

The outer palisade looked more like a fence, its timber long past its prime and many holes and broken down segments were visible all around. While most of the buildings were located within the limits of the feeble barrier, I could spot many more located outside, suggesting that the population was beginning to outgrow its original confines.

Ryone, her gaze fixed on the city, seemed to harbor a mix of emotions. There was a determined set to her shoulders, a readiness to confront whatever awaited us within those walls.

“The city that surrounds the keep is large but I have a pretty good idea of where we can find what we are looking for. If we are lucky we won’t have to go much further in.”

She turned back to look at the city, her gaze lingering for a few moments before she continued.

"We’ll wait here until nightfall. It’s safer to enter under the cover of darkness."

That does sound smart, although there is no way I’ll be able to hide even if it's dark outside, I’m too bulky to just go unnoticed!

She seemingly understood my predicament and continued, “I know you may not look like it, but you’ll have to pose as my mount.”

I visually recoiled at the thought of being ridden into town like some sort of glorified horse.

I am a mighty dragon and I won’t stand for this humiliation.

Seeing my apparent indignation, Ryone quickly added with a chuckle, "Don't worry, I won't actually be riding on your back!” She tried to calm me down, but I heard her softly whispering to herself, “although that would be very cool…" She probably thought I hadn’t heard her ridiculous remark, but I picked it up nonetheless.

Humph, you wish, little girl.

She paused for a moment, her eyes lighting up with what seemed like a sudden inspiration. "But, we might need to make it look like that's the plan. Maybe you could... craft some sort of harnesses to put on yourself? You know, just to aid the disguise…"

My expression must have been a sight, a dragon, perplexed and somewhat amused by the absurdity of the situation. Crafting a harness for myself? The idea was so outlandish, so comically incongruous with my nature, that I couldn't help but feel even more disrespected.

Just as I was about to let out another very visually disappointed scoff, I collected myself, attempting to analyze the situation.

Ok Juniper, leave your indignation for a moment… how the hell will they buy our farce if you don’t look the part at least a tiny bit…

I thought about it for a moment, before relenting. It was painful to admit, but Ryone did have a point. I still scoffed though, just not as loudly, as I made my way into the woods behind us.

“Wait! Where are you going? I’m sorry okay? We can find another way…”

I heard the plea coming from behind me but I ignored it. With a mental shrug, I began to summon vines from the surrounding flora, weaving them together as best as I could. The result was a makeshift harness, complete with faux reins and an exaggeratedly large, yet utterly decorative, saddle that no one in their right mind would find practical.

As I adorned myself with the contraption, Ryone burst into laughter, her earlier tension dissolving into amusement at the sight. "Oh, by Runa, that's even better than I imagined!" she managed to say between fits of giggles.

I looked at her with the most deadpan face I could muster, yet somehow I found some warmth in seeing her laughter for the first time.

Fine then, laugh all you want little girl, I shall have my revenge when you least expect it.

By the time we finished preparing ourselves, the sun had completely set, so we set off towards the city. Ryone walked slightly ahead of me, the lead of my harness firmly in her hands, casting occasional glances at me as if to reassure herself that this was, indeed, happening.

We approached from one of the less trafficked roads, yet as we neared the city's perimeter, I started to get all sorts of weird and surprised glances from every passerby. I noticed that every single person we passed by was of the same race as the slavers I fought against in the forest.

The system message had called them mokmire… they looked a lot like orcs or goblins from the fantasy tales of my home world… yet they looked less savage than how they were depicted in my memories. In fact, if it wasn’t for their elongated ears and their distinctly green skin, I could have probably mistaken them for humans from Earth, each one going about their business as we passed by.

I let out a sigh of relief as we weren’t approached once as we neared the first buildings outside the palisade wall. I couldn’t however shake this feeling of being constantly observed with less than honorable intentions.

As we ventured further into Kyrekeep, navigating through the dimly lit streets and alleyways, I couldn't help but become increasingly aware of how much Ryone and I stood out among the locals. The inhabitants of this city, the Mokmire, went about their evening routines, barely sparing us a second glance, but those who did looked on with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

It struck me then, the realization that amidst the increasingly large number of mokmire, I hadn't seen a single citizen of the same race as Ryone. Her deep purple skin and bright, luminescent eyes appeared to be as much of a rarity here as me. The two of us, a girl of an unknown race and a disguised dragon, indeed stuck out like sore thumbs.

In that moment, I hoped, with a quiet intensity, that our business in Kyrekeep would be concluded as swiftly and smoothly as possible. The unfamiliar streets and wary looks of the city's inhabitants weighed heavily on my mind, yet I steeled my nerves.

Too late to back out now, Juniper.

Under the cloak of night, with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation, I prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead.