From deep in the hole, a breathless scream sounded. Heavy thrashing rocked back and forth, and sparks of light appeared deep beneath the floor. Jet made out the silhouette of Leo’s dragon form, but another dragon dueled Leo, the two sparring back and forth.

“Elly, go get Gideon!” Jet snapped.

From behind him came a heavy thump. Jet turned. “Elly?”

A cloaked man had an arm wrapped around Elly’s mouth. In his other hand, a dagger darted toward her throat.

Scowling, Jet tightened his grip on his sword. Blue light flashed, and ice encased the dagger. The dagger slammed into Elly’s throat, but the block of ice blunted it to a mere punch. Elly bucked and coughed, hurt. Startled, the man looked at the dagger in his hands. He threw it away, but in that instant, Jet had already reached him.

The man reflexively released Elly and stumbled back. Jet drew her into his arms and stabbed at the same instant. His sword pierced the cloaked man’s chest. Raising his boot, he kicked the man back, simultaneiously pulling his sword free. A burst of blood spurted from the man’s chest.

Gurgling, the cloaked man fell to his hands and knees. Blood pooled on the floor between his hands. He coughed, gagged, and then his form twisted. Gnarled horns thrust out of his forehead. His skin crawled, revealing scales. As he changed, the hole in his chest closed up.

Before he could change completely, Jet stepped forward. He released Elly and put both hands on his sword, then swung at the man’s neck with all his might. The man’s half-transformed head fell off and rolled over the rug, spooling blood from its severed neck.

“Heal that,” Jet growled, breathless from exertion. He caught his breath and wiped his sword on the man’s cloak, then turned back to the hole.

Elly crouched at the edge, anxiously watching Leo’s fight in the few bursts they could make out. She held her staff over the hole, illuminating as much as she could, but the light only spread so far. She grit her teeth, frustrated. “Is there nothing we can do?”

“Assassins! You’re after Gideon, right? That dragon has nothing to do with him!” Jet shouted into the hole.

The dragon fighting Leo paused. Leo hopped back, slowly circling it, wary eyes glued to the white beast. The new dragon turned ice-blue eyes to Jet and blinked. It tilted its head. “Gideon?”

“You’re here to kill Gideon, right? There’s no need to fight us! He won’t care, even if we die!” Jet called down, frustrated. I don’t want to get dragged into that asshole’s messes. If this turns out to be related to that dumb ice-dragon nonsense he was pulling over the ice cream, I’ll tear him a new one when we get out! We have a mission. We can’t take random pointless diversions all the time! People are dying!

The dragon looked at Jet for another moment, then leaped. Wings so white they verged on pink at the thinnest parts of the membrane caught the air, and the white dragon surged upward. It burst over the edge of the hole, sending Elly staggering back.

In midair, the dragon whirled. Bright light beamed, and a dark-haired woman in a long black dress appeared in the dragon’s place. The dark-haired woman extended a foot and landed delicately on the rug, feet not making a sound. A stern, proper air surrounded her, back ramrod straight, shoulders squared, face severe but in an attractive way. Barely in her mid-twenties, she still had a youthful air to her, a delicate, young beauty. She looked at Jet, slightly narrowing ice-blue eyes. “You know my Gideon?”

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“Er… yes,” Jet said warily, raising his sword. He threw his arm out, pushing Elly behind him. Not that I can do much to a dragon alone, but I at least won’t throw Elly out as fodder!

In the next instant, a blur of blue and yellow burst out of the hole. Leo transformed in midair like the woman had, but unlike the woman, he materialized flailing and flopped to the ground. A few ungainly rolls later, he climbed to his feet and slicked his hair back. He looked at no one, clearly intent on pretending nothing had happened.

The woman tutted. “Oh dear, oh dear. You really can tell the caged ones apart, can’t you? I told them that cult was no good. Protecting the future of the dragon race? What garbage. Is this supposed to be our future?”

Leo frowned at her, insulted.

Jet made eye contact with Leo and subtly gestured toward himself. Leo backed toward Jet, keeping his eyes on the dark-dressed woman.

She isn’t immediately attacking us. Is she not one of the assassins?

The lady watched Leo back away and gave him a small smile. “Oh, of course it isn’t your fault, dear. It’s those cultists’ fault, for raising you so poorly. My, my, when I see a little chick like you… a waste of such good material… Hmm.” The lady cut her eyes at Leo, a mysterious expression on her face and a quirk of a smile.

Jet licked his lips. He flicked his eyes to the woman. “Who are you?”

“Ravenna Rudine. Though you probably know me as Rana, no? My pseudonym.”

“The… the ice-seller,” Jet said, struggling to put the pieces together. What does she have to do with the assassins?

She gave him a little smile. “I thought I’d do my part to keep my lovely Gideon’s business afloat. He’s interested in so little, after all. I want to encourage him when he finally shows interest in something. It’s my duty.”

Even if that something is a vast criminal enterprise? A second later, Jet startled. “You… can’t be… Mrs. Nightfellow?”

Ravenna frowned at him. “No?”

“Then…” Jet frowned at her. No way, then… is she the wife of whoever came before Gideon in the Nightfellows?

No, no, that makes more sense. After all, if she was Gideon’s wife, then…

Wait. Dragons don’t age like humans. She…

Jet looked at Ravenna. “You… this Gideon, you’re his wife?”

Ravenna hid her laugh with a hand. “What a charmer. Not at all. I’m his mother.”

Mother? It can’t be. If we’re talking about the same Gideon, then that would mean Gideon would be…

Gideon would be…

Something clicked in Jet’s head. He froze, then looked up at Ravenna. His jaw worked, but no sound came out.

“Yes?” Ravenna asked, tipping her head.

“You… your son, your Gideon, he’s, er, a lightning mage?” Jet confirmed.

“The best lightning mage,” Ravenna replied firmly.

“Er, I can’t put this kindly… kind of an asshole?”

Ravenna chuckled, nodding.

Jet scowled. “Gideon! That liar!”

“Jet, I’m sure he has his reasons. It must be traumatic for him, given his…personal beliefs,” Elly said, stepping forward.

Jet frowned at her, then shook his head. “Traumatic? He told me his mother died to a dragon!”

Ravenna threw back her head and laughed. “That boy! What a trickster. Isn’t he the cutest? He’s always been so mischievous, a little prankster.”

Jet frowned. “But… I don’t understand. You don’t seem to hate Gideon. So why the assassins?”

Ravenna shook her head. “I’m not behind the assassins. If I had a problem with my boy, I’d settle it myself.” She made a claw with her human hand, and Jet could almost see dragon claws burst out from her fingernails.

Jet frowned. “Then… who…”

“Surely you aren’t that dim. Isn’t this whole trip of yours to kill a certain someone?” Ravenna sighed, shaking her head.

“The… the True Dragon is sending assassins?” Jet said, mouth agape. He frowned, scratching his chin. But… after its first appearance, it’s mostly sat in that corner of the country and done nothing. Let alone send assassins, it’s barely fought the army since its first battle!

“Well… of course. This entire farce is all to drag out my baby,” Ravenna said, nodding.

“Oh, of course,” Jet said, nodding. A second later, he froze. “Wait… er, could you repeat that?”

Ravenna nodded. “The True Dragon, as you call our glorious king, decided to openly attack your pitiful human country to drag Gideon out of hiding. Why else would he attack your pig-flesh human country? You taste horrible.”

Jet staggered back, speechless. This… this whole mess, this whole war, all the men that died… it’s all… to drag out Gideon, of all people? His expression contorted, eyebrows twitching.

At last, he stared up at Ravenna. “Why?”