Cami’s sire gasped and dropped his foreleg to his side rather than striking her when I moved to stand between them. It was just as well; I wasn’t sure how attached humans were to their sires and didn’t know whether or not she would have appreciated me killing the impudent man. I dropped my own foreleg, or as the humans called it, my arm. I’d been prepared to catch his with mine.

He was distracted, though, and not even paying attention to me. Something had caught his attention. A second later, Cami seemed to notice it as she let out a small gasp while staring off into the distance behind me.

When I turned, I saw a man flying through the air. Something about that struck me as annoying. The little creatures multiplied like roaches and spread out all over the world so much so that my kin had been forced to live in a desert to avoid contact. Now they were trying to lay claim to the air?!

The air was the domain of dragons.

It only got worse as he drew closer. My vision was nowhere near as keen as it had been before, and I was still adjusting to the fact that my eyes were so close together. Yet, as he got closer, I realized I’d seen this particular human before. What were the odds? In a world of humans where I could only identify a handful, this happened to be one of them—and not one that I was keen on seeing.

His fine armor, with its strong buzz of enchantments, was not something I would forget. Less than a dozen hours ago, he’d been amongst those who had driven me from the only home I had ever known. My hands clenched at my sides, and I was grateful I no longer had claws, or the pressure I exerted would have pierced this soft flesh.

Hate bubbled up within me; but sadly, it was coupled with fear. It would have been hard to say which I felt more strongly, but I forced myself to exhale and prepared either to lie or to fight. I was in my human form, but I knew one thing from the dragon dream. A dragon’s innate magical ability to shapeshift was much harder to discern than human polymorph spells. Those spells gave the being the shape of something, whereas my ability made me human.

Only an Archmage would have a chance of piercing the veil of my transformation. Even then it would only happen if they intentionally checked to see that I was not in my natural shape. My mind raced as I struggled to come up with a story that both made sense and might be believable, given the little I knew about humans.

When the adventurer came to a stop, his feet never touched the ground, though he did descend so that he only floated a little bit above us. His eyes rested upon me for a moment longer than was comfortable, but I decided that was simply because my attire was so much more striking than Cami and her sire’s.

“Ho, farmer, what has happened here?”

“Gods cursed adventurers, never around when you’re needed. A massive dragon swooped in earlier. He started killing and gobbling up my cows. He practically ate half my herd and ruined me. I tried hiring some knights to deal with the brute, but as you can see, they didn’t fare too well.”

I laughed at the embellishments he made. If he thought I was huge, he should see my mother. Of course, if he ever did see her, that would likely be the last thing he saw.

The armored adventurer also laughed after looking at me. “I’m looking for a dragon, but he was hardly huge, or capable of devouring an entire herd—not since I last saw him this morning.” Then, he turned towards me.

“And who might you be, good sir? Judging from that outlandish shirt and your foppish good looks, I’d assume you are a bard, but I don’t see any pack or instruments. I’ve never known a bard to be without the latter, and it’s hard to travel without the former.”

Cami spoke up before I could. “He’s my friend, Nico. After the dragon killed all the knights and scared away my father and the other farmers, he saved me. He used some type of illusion to trick the dragon into leaving. The last I saw, the monster was flying low and headed in that direction.” She pointed to the northwest as she spoke.

The armored adventurer whistled and seemed to appraise me again. “That is a mighty feat of magic. I apologize, sir mage. I didn’t know. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Sir Galbrecht, paladin of Miseria. Might I know how a mage as young as yourself has already completed university?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Once again, my mind raced. A… paladin? I recognized the word. He was some type of holy knight. In this case, dedicated to the goddess of healing, Miseria. That should mean he was a real goodie-goodie, but something about that didn’t mesh with my recollection of the man who had invaded my home earlier today.

“A goddess of healing has need of swords?” I wondered.

“Ah, not the first time I have heard that question.” He chuckled. “Healing takes many forms, but we are the shield for those who would heal. I have been traveling with a priestess from my order and some other adventurers. But you didn’t answer my question, young mage.”

The casual way that he described his thieving and murderous ways set me off again, causing me to answer before I fully thought it through. “I’m not part of any magic university. What I know of magic, I have taught myself.”

Cami and her sire gasped, while Galbrecht’s hand strayed to the pommel of the blade hanging from his belt. “A wild mage? Or perhaps you were apprenticed to another and are soon to attend the university?”

“Are you deaf? I have no master nor any need to attend a university for mages.”

As I finished speaking, his blade came out while he chanted the words to a prayer. My awareness of magic immediately told me this was no empty petition to a goddess, but rather an example of divine magic.

With a frown, he said, “It is the law of the land and decree of the Emperor that all mages must study at the university in Caminah, before being allowed to practice in realm of the empire. As a champion of law and a servant of Miseria, I cannot allow you to roam the land unguided.”

I slowly breathed in deeply. It was a way for me to calm myself. It also enabled me to use my breath weapon. With a snort, I remembered that I didn’t possess a breath weapon in this form. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how likely it was that the paladin could kill me in this form. I would have to switch back to my natural form if I expected a reasonable chance of success at defeating him.

The aura of power around him was not insignificant, but he was only one man. Five adventurers, particularly with how they cooperated and fought as a team, had been too much for me. But now that he was alone...

Glancing all around, I caught sight of another human figure flying toward us. He, or she, was at the very edge of my currently limited sight. I had to assume it was one of his companions.

“Surely, if my magic is strong enough to trick a dragon, I have little need of a magical university.” I wasn’t entirely sure what this magical university was, but I knew I didn’t want to be forced to go anywhere. The entire point of this transformation had been to be able to travel freely amongst the humans.

“Quite the opposite. You are young, so I will assume ignorance on your part. The Emperor’s decree was made precisely because of untrained magic users like you. Talented but uneducated mages are as dangerous as dragons, in some ways.”

I snorted at that, but he took it as a general disagreement, rather than my great contempt for human mages.

“Today is your lucky day. My party and I are headed to Urgoi.” He seemed to pause as though waiting for some response from me. I didn’t know who or what this Urgoi was, although the name sounded vaguely familiar.

“If you come freely,” he continued, “I will speak to the proctors at the university and get you admitted. The fact that you drove off a dragon at your age will make you quite the phenom.”

“Can I go too?” Cami squealed. “I want to be a mage.”

Her sire snapped, “Shut up, girl, before I hafta beat some sense into your head.”

I growled under my breath, but before I could intervene, Galbrecht’s sword was pointed at the man’s throat.

“That is no way to speak to a woman, even if she is little more than a girl.”

Even if the paladin was floating a few feet away, the farmer clearly felt threatened and cringed back before showing some spine. “She’s my daughter. I’ll speak to her however I like. You church folk are the only ones worse than adventurers, always poking your nose where it don’t belong.”

Galbrecht’s eyes snapped to Cami’s father. “The authority granted by my goddess gives me license to ensure the well-being of all those in the realm. If this is your daughter, then you have even less reason to speak thus.”

He fixed the farmer with a cold glare. “The child has done nothing wrong, and she is of an age to attend the university. I choose to believe that your threat to strike her, and keep her from being tested, was spoken from a fatherly concern that your daughter would be gone for years to study if she shows any aptitude for magic.”

I still didn’t know his name, but then again, one rarely asks the name of vermin.

The paladin turned toward Cami. “Are you invoking your right to be tested for magical aptitude?”

She nodded vigorously. “Yes, Sir. I have dreamed of it.”

I was still shocked by how the human head could move on their stubby necks.

“Well, two new students for the academy would almost make up for the limited success we have had in our quest. I will call the rest of my party here and our mage, Simon, can test you. If you have a decent ability, then I swear upon Miseria’s holy name, that you shall get your chance to attend the university.”

Cami was practically jumping up and down at this point. “Oh, thank you, thank you!”

Galbrecht’s expression grew grim. “But should you not have the aptitude, then you must obey your father. This is the place of all children. Fear not, you are what… fifteen or sixteen?”

“Fourteen, Sir Albrecht.”

“I must be getting old.” The paladin shook his head. “You youngsters seem to look older every year. Well, either way, if you lack the talent, then you will have your own husband and family within the next two or three years. That, too, is a meaningful life. We can each only do that which the goddess created us for.”

Those words echoed in my ears as I pondered what they might mean for me. Dragons didn’t revere any of the human gods. How could you when most of them had sprung into existence long after your race ruled the world? We paid respect to those who were above us in might or experience including the divine dragons embodied as the king of order and the queen of chaos, but that was not the same as reverence.

I could try to make my escape, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized this might not be the worst of outcomes. If these adventurers should take me with them, I would get to learn a great deal about humans. It gave me a twisted sense of pleasure to think that the murderous little monkeys who drove me from my home would be responsible for providing me with a new one—temporary as it might be.

That, and perhaps there was some merit in learning about human magic. It flew in the face of everything I’d experienced in the dragon dream, but I just felt it was the right thing to do. Besides, it couldn’t be all that hard if these jumped-up monkeys could learn it.

The differences in style of magic didn’t seem that significant to me. I even felt an odd connection to the little human girl, Cami. She might very well turn into my first hoard attendant—if she continued to mind her manners.

All of those problems could be dealt with in the future. I had the time… and with time, all things were possible. I was a dragon, after all.