Heilari was the youngest of the children. The birth of dragons does not happen often and so the other two children were decades older He’s the son of Hlyae, a dragon who was starting to reach full maturity. His father died before his birth. Heilari was everyone's favorite.

Sporting a black mane of feathers on his back and wings, his black scales faded to a dark red on his underbelly and head. He was beautiful to me but would look like a demon dragon to anyone else. He had the potential to rival Fluer in scariness.

He was the only one of the three kid dragons who would sit with me whenever I talked with Frie. That time together felt a bit like going to school for the first time. Frie would tell us stories of his past. There were countless stories, much of which I don't remember. The ancient dragon had been alive for so long that he never ran out.

My reactions were always the same: a childlike grin filled with bewilderment. I was just a kid starstruck by this world that was so vast. The unknown was yet to be explored by me. His tales only excited my desire to adventure the world even further.

Life was peaceful.

I mostly did the same things every day. I either played with Heilari and the other two kids or I sat and listened to Frie. The only games I could play were reenactions of Frie’s tales. I always roleplayed Claire with Heilari as Frie or Fluer. The other two would act like the villains. Sometimes it was a simple storyline but my favorites were the more complex ones.

Fluer told us that we left many important details out after finishing one play. Then he asked why I used a stick in place of a sword when playing pretend.

“I don’t have it.”

“Come to think of it, you haven’t been practicing because you don’t have one. Climb on my back, I’ll take you back so you can retrieve it.”

“You can do that?”

The dragon was too big for me to climb. A single scale of his was the size of my entire body. He had to help me by wrapping and lifting me up with his tail. Instantly I felt that if there was any force behind it, all my bones would be crushed. A reminder that he’s a deadly predator.

I sat on Fluer’s back, right behind his wings. I immediately was awed by the view I had. I could see past the plains where they met the mountains. As soon as we were in the air, I could nearly see the entire island. I saw the canyons in the north. In between the mountain range was a massive ravine. To the southwest was where the plains continued and I was able to see the oceanline.

I was dropped down in front of the old little cabin. Nothing had changed since last I was there. My presence never mattered here. It made me wonder if I should even come back here whenever Claire came back. I was just a guest in this house but in the Garden, I was treated like family.

-

“Whoa! That’s a real sword!” Helairi ran up to me once I got grounded. “Do you know how to use it?”

“A little! When I grow up I’ll fight the monsters just like Claire!”

“You’re years away from doing that,” Fluer snarked.

“What?! No way! Claire has been teaching me. She’s super strong so that means I’ll be strong too!”

“Then how about we spar? Show me what you’ve learned.”

“I’ll die!”

Fluer laughed. “See? It’s too soon for you to fight monsters. How about I train you instead? We’ll surprise Claire with how much stronger you become.”

“You’re a dragon. You don’t know how to use a sword.”

“Just trust me, kid.”

The addition of being taught by Fluer was added to my routine every day. Even though he was a dragon, he knew what he was doing. Claire had me train balance, technique, and proper form for combat. Fluer didn’t bother with any of that. A huge part of my training was cardiovascular endurance. He had me run miles every day just to condition me up. I was taught how to sit still and meditate. A clear and calm mind is the greatest armor for me to have. It’s important for awareness and confidence. Being intimidated only leads to death.

Heilari became my sparing partner. Fluer taught him how to attack while he taught me timing and distance. There’s no use in ever going in for an attack if there isn’t an opening or if it won’t land. It’s something I never considered. Before learning that, I attacked at every chance I got. Lastly, I was taught the beginning of the concept of rhythms; how to use patterns to find a flow or to trick and deceive. It was a glimpse of how Claire could dance.

All of these concepts didn’t make it any easier to fight Heilari. He attacked with more force than Claire ever did. At first, all I could do was evade. When I did manage to block his claws, the force would knock me down every time. I couldn’t even imagine how it would feel if Heilari ever put his actual strength behind them.

“You’re heavily outmatched, child. In a real fight when running is not an option, how do you overcome the challenge?” Fluer explained once. “You take space and stay calm. The path forward will then become clear.”

I tried to understand what he meant. Heilari was twice my size and too fast for me to ever be a match. I was always too impatient with my attacks even if I tried to take my time. It was my frustration of never landing a hit that held me back. Fluer constantly reminded me to breathe, he was teaching me patience. I had to evade and learn my opponent's attack pattern. Only then I would find my opening.

Easier said than done.

A month passed and I felt that I made no progress at first. I was wrong. I was faster and was able to pay attention to the small details. I could tell what Heilari was about to do based on what muscle moved on his body. It made dodging even easier.

Fluer, like Claire, never praised me for my improvements. Maybe that’s why I thought I wasn’t getting anywhere.

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Training was hard, but it was at least fun. It was much more enjoyable than Claire’s lessons. Days passed when I didn’t think of her at all. After all, I found a new home, however brief it was. I thought these joyful days would never end.

Then the day Claire came back came.

Heilari just started to learn how to fly and incorporated it into our sparing sessions. He flew very high but a few meters was enough to blitz down and launch me across the field.

“Claire! Are you okay!?”

I blocked his legs with my sword but felt it wasn’t any help.. My entire body went numb. Before the pain could set in, Snow ran to me and licked my whole body. Her saliva’s toxin was always strong enough to numb any would I would get.

“Heilari, I know you’re eager, but don’t use flight. Rae is not ready for that.”

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay…” I winced, trying to sit up. “But I don’t think I can spar anymore…”

“I’m sorry, Rae…”

Fluer picked me up and carried me over to the cabin. “Rest for a couple of days. Can you stand?”

“I think so.”

Fluer suddenly turned his head to the forest, towards Frie.

“What is it?”

“It seems our guardian is done with her business with the outside world. I wonder what she will do once she finds you here.”

“She’s coming back…”

“Rest. I’ll be back shortly. I’ll try my best to explain things to her.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Claire coming back. At first, I didn’t want her back. I was scared she was going to yell at me for disobeying her. I thought I would be kicked off the island entirely.

But I still missed her.

Then sunset came.

The sunset was always different inside The Garden. The sky doesn’t become the regular hues of oranges and yellows. Instead deep purples and blues take their place. It shades the plains in a cool undertone that fades smoothly into nightfall. I always watched them on a hill at the farthest point I was allowed to go.

It was difficult to walk but using my sword as a third leg helped. Snow followed closely behind.

When we arrived, I heard a growl then a roar. Snow sprinted up the hill without hesitation. Down on the other side, there’s a field of tall grass and overgrown bushes. Much of the vegetation here was one source of food for the dragons. Snow leaped in before I could stop her.

A second later, a small dragon was thrown out; Heilari. Snow is tossed out shortly after.

“Why are you attacking me!” Heilari cries out.

“Heilari!? What’s going on!?”

“Rae? Run away! It’s-”

Before he finishes, a panther jumps out of the tall grass. Sporting a brownish coat with black spots, the panther was twice the size of the young dragon.

Snow hissed at the large cat so furiously that it hurt my ears. The panther glanced at Snow and Heilari before putting its full attention on me. I felt what it wanted instantly. It wanted to kill me.

“Snow you run too! I’ll hold him off!”.

The panther smacks Heilaro away like he was just a bug. Snow lunges but is smacked away just the same.

I could feel my knees wanting to cave in. I could feel every bit of sweat that was building and falling. My skin was becoming cold and my muscles tense up. I couldn’t even think.

My body flinched when the panther jumped towards me faster than I could see. I was only saved by Heilari who slammed his against the cat.

“It’s a Nekodae! It wants to kill you two! Run Rae! Get my mom!”

“I-I can’t!”

The panther got up and tossed my friend aside. It lunges at me again. My knees caving in saves me this time. For a second, I lose consciousness. When I came too, my arms had moved on their own, and used my sword to block the next attack. The force was so strong that I lost any feeling in my arms.

.

Frie asked Fluer to watch over us for this exact reason. Now Fluer had left to pick up Claire, leaving us defenseless. None of the other dragons were near to help either. I was about to die.

This was a moment where Claire should show up to save the day like a hero. That’s how stories go. But this wasn’t a book. No one was coming to save us.

Then I understood Claire when she said I was treating my lessons like a game. The real world is scary and dangerous. Real fights aren’t fair.

I rolled out of the way from a bite and barely managed to stand. My mind was racing with thoughts of dying and panic. I couldn’t run. My legs didn’t have the strength and even if I did, the panther was too fast.

When faced with impossible odds, how do you survive?

How do you overcome the challenge in front of you?

You take space and stay calm.

Fluer’s words echoed inside me.

My thoughts cleared and my breathing became steady.

The panther’s paw twitched. It sprints forward, seemingly disappearing, but my body is already on the move and the cat misses once again. I’m hit hard from behind with the tail and it knocks me down. I didn’t panic and rolled over. The panther was already in the air, ready to pin me down and rip my throat open with his blood-covered fangs.

Then I saw it, I saw my opening. I gripped my sword as tightly as I could and thrust it forward. I pierce through the panther’s mouth and out the back of the neck, dropping dead on top of me. The weight of the panther now crushing me.

“By the Goddess’ Gift, you killed a Nekodae…” Heilari's voice shook. “Are you okay?”

Snow ran to the dead panther’s side and helped me push it off. She sat with her head down, weeping at the panther’s corpse.

“I think so…” I exhaled now able to feel how hard my heart wanted to escape. “You’re bleeding…”

“It’s okay. It’s just my tail.”

“Snow?”

The kitten limped down in front of my lap, tears coming out of her eyes. She too was bleeding from cuts on her body. Thankfully, her wounds didn’t look deep. I picked her up and brushed her back.

I sat on top of that hill until the stars filled the sky while Heilari left to get his mom.

By a miracle, I managed to survive. The fight was short but too terrifying. The Nekodae panther was so much faster than anything I ever experienced before. If an animal could move this fast, how was I supposed to hold my own against monsters? Even if I grew into an adult, there is a limit to what the body can do. Even I knew back then that I could never become that fast no matter how hard I tried.

But Claire moved even faster.

I questioned if she was even human.

The logs of trees she’s able to lift, the height at which she jumped, and the speed at which she ran were more similar to a monster. How could I ever come close to that?

I thought all of this and more.

Fingers scratched the top of my head, expelling me out of my trance.

“That Nekodae. It’s the kitten’s father.”

My soul nearly left me. Claire was standing behind me, staring at the dead panther.

“You should be dead. They’re that deadly. Good job, Rae.”

“You’re back!”

Claire kneeled in front of me. “I am.”

“I-um-uh…”

Her hands gently brushed against Snow’s coat. “Have you been well?”

Before I could answer, Fluer landed a couple of meters away. “How foolish am I?!” He roared, shaking the air through me “I should have expected this to happen and have Hlyae guard you. I’m sorry, child. I-”

“Enough. Everyone’s alive.”

“But-”

“Take them back. I’ll have a talk with the dumb cats.”

“Very well.”

Claire looked at me, to my eyes. With the back of her hand, she gently wiped away the tears that I never noticed were falling from me. “I’m glad you’re safe. I’m proud of you, Rae.”

It’s been so long since I’ve seen her. Nothing about her changed. Nothing was different about her and yet, that night, it felt like she was shining. She glowed a warmth that was telling me it was okay to cry out all my pain. In the midst of my wailing, Claire stroked my back, letting me cry as hard as I could. Then once I was able, I saw why she shined.

Claire was smiling.