Frey had a few days to master Canvas, the pegasus had accepted him as a rider on its own free will, but it wasn't exactly obedient, especially in flight. It would suddenly change direction or descend without being asked, largely Frey's fault, as he used commands meant for horses, which didn't include ascending or descending. Also, Frey had trouble understanding that he couldn't decelerate and descend simultaneously or he risked falling. Fortunately, Canvas was an expert in the art of flying and hadn't let him fall once. Still, he used Runa's floating enchantment and tried to fly over the lake, just in case.

He had thought Eri would insist on joining him in flight, but that girl had pride, saying that since she had wings, she should fly alone. This gave Frey mixed feelings. On the one hand, he wanted to share what made him so happy with his family, but neither Runa nor Eri wanted to ride Canvas. On the other hand, he was worried about their safety, and finally, he himself was proud that Eri wanted to do something for herself without ever giving up. Fortunately, in Unermia, she could jump from a high diving board into the lake over and over again without hiding from her mother. There, it was just another normal amusement for children.

The scouts still hadn't been able to locate the dragon. They had seen it a few times, but always flying and not seeming to follow a pattern, as if it was looking for something or wandering aimlessly. The area they thought was its lair turned out to be a fiasco; there were no caves where it could hide, and it no longer approached there. Frustrating, Frey wondered if they would have to think of another plan or if there was a way to attract a dragon.

He practiced going through the gap under the waterfall's ledge a few times before returning to the city. He flew over the area of the lake where the diving board was, and Eri waved to him from it before throwing herself down, flapping her little wings. She crashed into the water as always. They should build a pool in Artemia or put a diving board in the canals. That would give poor Runa some peace, and himself too. Eri's jumps were getting more and more daring, who knows when she would finally get hurt. And he didn't want that…

Upon landing and dismounting his pegasus, Frey wondered about his feelings. At first, he had made an effort not to get attached to Eri, believing that in the end, they would have to hurt her or leave her with someone else. Remembering that stung his heart, especially because he recognized that he had loved his daughter from the beginning. So much, although differently from how he had loved his wife from the first time he saw her, even though he was a child and had no idea who she was.

He went looking for Runa and found her watching Eri from the shore of the lake, ready to swim to her aid if necessary. She was wearing a tight two-piece suit in the Unermia fashion, designed for the warm climate of the area and for swimming. She looked so beautiful, her bronze skin, so exotic, seemed to glow with its own light, speckled with small drops from her thighs to her forehead. She was sitting on the shore with her legs submerged, splashing her feet from time to time. Frey wasn't wearing full armor, but he felt out of place in his uniform, like a bear among cats. He took off his shoes and rolled up his sleeves before sitting next to his wife.

"Any news, love?" he asked casually.

"Not much, Moonlight is pregnant. I'll use your old horse for a few weeks until she gives birth, I don't want to strain her."

"What good news! I hope Jumper is the father."

"Seriously, Frey, you're bad with names. It's a good thing I named Eri."

"Hey, Jumper is a great name."

"If your horse were lively or jumped like you, but he's a warhorse, made for short races or long marches. If he turns out to be the father, I hope the foal is as agile as Moonlight."

They moved a little closer.

"Look at her, she wastes no time getting out of the water and jumping again. She reminds me of you, goblin-head, always putting yourself at risk."

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"I think she's more like you. Look how she has the other kids respecting the turns on the diving board. She's very strict."

They liked to play that game. After a few minutes of silence, Frey made up his mind.

"Runa, later, when you've put Eri to bed, I'd like to see you near the stables. I'll be busy until then, but I want you to show me Moonlight."

Runa looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Frey, don't even think about it."

"What am I going to think? Relax, I really just want to see your mare."

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Runa hadn't had much to do those days, waiting for news from the scouts. She had attended several protocol events with the local nobles in the afternoons to introduce Eri and build relationships, but in truth, she had spent almost the whole day watching her daughter jump headfirst over and over again. Luckily, she had bought that cool and comfortable outfit in that perennial humidity. She would have liked Frey to join her in doing nothing like those first days in Unermia, but he had to train with the pegasus. It was always like that with Frey; he had to face a dragon, he had to train his troops, he had to decide on a strategy. He was such a capable man that he was always busy. She herself, although she already fought when she met him, had joined the dragon slayers to spend time with him.

And spending time with him was...

Anyway, she had been waiting in front of the stables for a few minutes. Frey could be so predictable; he had no talent for subtlety or surprises. She wasn't going to let his plan come to fruition, but she was there, ready to take control of the situation when he appeared. It was dark, only a faint magical light illuminated the night in that place. He had surely covered the others.

"Love, you're here." Frey came out of the stables, she almost fell over in surprise. "Sorry, I was waiting for you inside and lost track of time."

"You orc brain, you surprised me," she said with a hand on her chest. What was wrong with him? He was being too playful for his usual self. "Come on, Moonlight is around here…"

Together, they observed the mare's behavior. Frey, who knew a thing or two about horses, was curious about each symptom and examined her thoroughly. However, he was much more himself, with his serious face.

"Runa, how about we ride Jumper for a while? Like old times."

"That would be wonderful… Was that what you wanted?"

"Of course, we can take a ride around the city. The coachman is asleep, but I can get it ready."

Runa nodded happily and relieved. She had feared he would insist she ride his pegasus… he had called it Canvas, right? At least that name was appropriate.

Frey returned with the saddled horse and helped her mount first, then climbed up after her. She would ride in front; the saddle allowed her to ride sideways so they could look at each other. She loved those rides, although this time… it was a bit tight…

The horse started the ride at a slow pace; Frey knew how to guide it so it barely jumped. He was a gentleman, when he wanted to be.

Suddenly, they started a gentle trot, but the pace still felt very smooth, too light… soon they were galloping, and there was still no jolting.

That wasn't Jumper.

The sound of the gem falling to the ground was all the confirmation she needed. The pegasus's wings suddenly appeared, and Runa watched in terror as they slowly rose.

"You tricky orc! You brainless goblin, you lied to me!"

"Of course not, love. You see, I thought about what you said this afternoon," the flight gained a little more height and speed, "and you're right, Jumper is a more appropriate name for an animal like this, so I swapped their names."

Runa let out a furious scream as the pegasus carried them dozens of meters upwards, towards the waterfall. She could have changed her position and clung to the animal's neck, but instead, she clung to Frey with all her might while cursing him with all the insults she knew.

At a certain point, they stopped ascending, moving smoothly and evenly parallel to the gigantic waterfalls that protected Unermia. The view was breathtaking, a beautiful and powerful wall of water. The sound helped Runa relax a little. Still clinging to Frey, she opened her eyes to admire the beauty of the waterfall, as well as the distant lights of the city.

Runa began to smile. She was with the person she loved, alone in an impossible place, clinging to each other, and she had fallen into his hands despite everything. Maybe she simply wanted to fall; the fear was small compared to the intimacy that this ride offered them. She had missed those moments so much, when they would escape to be alone in the middle of a forest, far from the military camp.

Frey guided the new Jumper through the gap under the ledge, and soon they were flying over the gigantic lake that fed the waterfall. It was so immense that it seemed infinite. They flew inches above the surface where the moonlight reflected, illuminating their faces, allowing them to exchange tender glances. The kiss they shared seemed as infinite as the lake, as beautiful as the moonlight, as necessary as the air they shared.

When they parted their lips and opened their eyes, they saw it. In the same sky, distant but evident, was an immense black dragon.