"I'd like to stay like this forever," Sid said, echoing my own thoughts and then he added, "It's a pity you won’t stay a dragon all the time..."
I inhaled sharply. I understood where he was coming from, but the thought of giving up my human existence... I wasn’t ready for that. How could I explain it to him without hurting his feelings? His desire was so genuine, but I feared that any attempt to explain my hesitation might come off as a rejection of him. And that was the last thing I wanted.
"Ahm... You know, Sid... Ahm..." I fumbled for the words to explain that, technically, I was human. Or was I?
He sighed, his shoulders lifting in a slight shrug. "I don't mean you should, but... I just want to spend more time with you, you know?"
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Finding the right balance with Sid had always been tricky. I had to keep reminding myself that, despite being a giant dragon, he was really just a very young... person. Seeing him that way made a lot more sense, and it helped me strike the right tone. Just as I was about to promise him I’d spend more time with him, he voiced his own idea.
"That’s why I’ve been thinking... about turning into a human. I want to see more of your life, be with you when you talk with them."
I sighed. Not long ago, I had thought about convincing Lynx to take on a human form, but now, I wasn't as eager to see it happen—especially not with Sid. The truth was, I liked them just the way they were. What if he changed? What if he wasn’t the same straightforward, honest Sid I knew?
He sensed the shift in my mood and quickly tried to reassure me. "Of course, if you don’t want me to, I won’t do it. It was just a thought..."
I took another deep breath. "Sid, the problem with these transformations is that they change what you are. The book says it clearly: 'the beast will live in you,' and in your case, 'the human will live in you.' It will... change you."
He lifted his head to meet my eyes, then rested it back beside me. "Oh, that’s why you’re worried? Would it be bad if I became more human?" he asked, curious.
I shrugged.
“In a way, you're already more human than most humans, Sid. The problem is... I'm not sure how to explain it right, but... humans can be such dishonest assholes. They smile at you and tell you sweet words, but they lie and would harm you just to get what they want. I don’t think you’d ever become like that, but... I like you just as you are, and I’m scared of any change.”
“Whoa, whoa! You’re pretty harsh on your own species,” Lynx chimed in, a playful note in his voice. It was strangely endearing that he still saw me as one of them.
The black mountain to my left, named Sid, moved up and down in a shrug.
“Not all humans are like that. Besides, I promise to stay honest with you." He chuckled. "With our telepathy, I couldn’t even lie to you if I tried—you’d know instantly, just like I’d know if you were lying to me. If that’s your only worry, then I still want to do it.”
On my right side, Lynx let out a chuckle.
"Sid, I’m not letting you have all the fun! If you go through with it, I will too!” he added with a grin, his silvery canines glinting in the sun.
I looked left and right, at the two, feeling disarmed as my heart began to race.
I tried to think rationally. This is what I wanted, isn't it? So, why was this transformation scaring me so much all of a sudden?
After a long pause, I sighed. If they really wanted to do it, why not? I had some experience with transformations by now, and there hadn’t been any disasters with the first ones. Mike’s transformation had gone smoothly. They’d probably be safe. I nodded.
“Alright, it’s something to think about. But don’t rush into it on a whim.”
Sid huffed and shook his head.
“I’ve already thought about it for a while,” he countered. “If I hadn’t been afraid you’d want to chase me away, I would have brought it up sooner. Lynx and I have talked about it for some time, and we’ve been studying your book together.” He took a breath. “Let’s do it!”
“Wait, wait! Now? You want to try it now?” I asked, alarmed.
He raised his head and shook it firmly.
“I don’t want to try it—I want to do it. You should be able to guide me through the spell, right?”
“Uh... Oh... Yes?” I took a sharp breath, feeling the rush of anxiety.
“Look,” I said, trying to calm down, “the idea is to focus on becoming human, but remember—you need to keep your magic power intact. Keep that in mind, you need a way to transform back!”
I was getting more agitated by the second, so I worked to steady my breathing, focusing on the task. My magic reached out and enveloped his, and he allowed it to happen without resistance. He trusted me.
“You’re doing great!” I said, watching as the runes began to form around him, aligning perfectly. A beautiful, intricate fractal of transformation runes blossomed around his massive form. When you have a strong mana sight, magic really is a mesmerizing show.
He nodded, signaling that the spell was in place. The magic swirled around him, and in the blink of an eye, where Sid’s enormous body had stood, there was now a relatively slender young boy, about seventeen years old, with black hair.
Just like that—it was done.
He burst into laughter.
“How do you feel?” I asked, curious.
“So small and weak!” he exclaimed.
I glanced over his new form again:
"How’s your mana sight? Can you still feel your magic?" I asked, suddenly worried.
"Yeah, feels fine, but the skin is so sensitive!" he answered, completely unbothered.
Seriously? No horns and he’s fine? This is so unfair! Why do I have to deal with horns? I sighed inwardly. Maybe I should study how he pulled that off...
“My turn! My turn!” Lynx said impatiently, practically bouncing in place.
They didn't give me a moment to relax, we went through the process again, with Sid watching closely. His transformation had used only a sliver of my mana since the main work had been his own. Lynx’s, though, took more effort. His mana resisted me at first, more unruly than Sid’s, but after some back-and-forth, we managed it.
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Before me stood a towering, muscular young man with dirty blond hair, looking about twenty-two. The moment he stood up, he almost toppled over, and I had to catch him before he fell.
“Take it easy!” I laughed.
A surprised yelp escaped him.
“Wow, you’re right, the skin is so sensitive!” he said to Sid, wide-eyed in astonishment.
Sensitive skin? That sparked an idea.
“Come, I want to show you something!” I said, with a mischievous grin, heading toward the lake’s shore. They followed, cautiously placing their newly transformed, bare feet on the unfamiliar ground.
“What is it?” Lynx asked, a little wary.
“Just come! See how smooth the sand is?” I said as I walked across the beach, entering the water. It lapped gently at my ankles when Lynx stopped short.
“It’s so cold!” he exclaimed.
“Come closer,” I urged. “You’ll see it here!”
Without warning, I started spraying them with water. They yelped in surprise, trying to run away, but I chased them down. Their shrieks and laughter echoed across the shore as we splashed each other, devolving into a full-on water fight.
The beach stretched out, seemingly endless, the air warm under the twin suns overhead. For the first time in ages it felt like I was finally having a holiday!
*
“We're chasing a ghost! See that orange spot over there? That's her! And just like that—gone again. Oh, sorry, we have no clue where she’s disappeared to! We should head back to the castle, have a good meal, and wait until our host decides to show up!” Sir Gamesh grumbled, echoing his grumbling belly.
Four paladins and four orcs followed behind, each group sizing the other up with a mix of distrust and curiosity. Prince Kotusawendu chuckled.
“And do what? Watch the xsoha counting beans?” he quipped, his mood lighter than before.
He hadn’t expected to feel this way. At first, he’d been furious—his father, the King of Kings, had practically banished him on this trip, using him as little more than a glorified chaperone and guard for some elf princess he had no interest in.
To be away for weeks from his beloved Lady Fara! It had felt unbearable at first. However, the King had given him a pair of tiaras that allowed telepathic connection and control. Though Kotusawendu had left reluctantly—unable to defy his father’s command—traveling had become more bearable as he explored new places and met new people. And with the use of the diadem, Lady Fara could not only speak to him, but even hold his hand.
That was something impossible before. But now, through the tiara, Fara could remotely control Dame Anda, who had been assigned to wear the other half of the paired diadem.
Kotusawendu was fairly certain this wasn't what his father had intended when gifting them the tiaras, but it had brought an unexpected closeness to their relationship. They were interacting more intimately and with the same vivacity as in the days before the accident. Sure, Dame Anda didn’t have Fara’s face, but he was slowly getting used to seeing her as a stand-in, and strangely, it wasn’t a bad feeling at all.
Kotusawendu’s pleasant thoughts were cut short by Lady Elanea’s sudden exclamation.
"Oh! Look at those peasants by the lake, chasing that girl!"
"Chasing? No, I think they're just having fun," another paladin chimed in.
"Are they playing games, or... wait a moment... that hair..." Lady Elanea squinted toward the scene, her expression uncertain.
Sir Gamesh turned to their orc escort. "Miss, miss!"
“Teanebrun,” the female orc corrected, her gaze already fixed with interest on the unfolding events by the lake.
“Miss Teanebrun, isn't that your lady over there?” he asked, gesturing toward the distant figure.
The orc laughed heartily. "Oh yes, that's her," she confirmed, though her eyes flickered with curiosity. But who are those men? she thought, though she kept that question to herself.
“Is she in danger?” Lady Elanea asked, concerned, as two of the ruffians appeared to get closer to the girl.
Teanebrun smirked, shaking her head. “In danger of what? Too much laughter?” she quipped, clearly amused by the scene.
*
With a surprising burst of speed, Sid lunged at me, and I let out a yelp at the cold shock of his touch. Laughing, I quickly shifted into shadow form, slipping away from his grasp before reappearing to splash him with more freezing water. He retaliated by sending a deluge back at me, a tidal wave that left me drenched and laughing as I ran for cover, trying to hide behind Lynx.
But Lynx had stopped in his tracks, his attention drawn elsewhere. He was staring toward the strand.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, turning to see what had caught his eye. A procession of riders—about a dozen or so—was making its way toward us. A curious mix of orcs and humans.
"Oh... what could this be?" I muttered, more to myself than to anyone else.
*
“Your Highness, perhaps we should avoid interrupting whatever... that is,” Sir Gamesh muttered, his tone unusually cautious. “It might upset them…”
Prince Kotusawendu glanced at him in surprise, slowing his horse to match the others. “What’s this? Since when are you so considerate, Sir Gamesh?”
Lady Elanea, who had been eyeing the group near the water, raised an eyebrow.
“Your Highness, I think he is just being cautious. Those men have a magic level that rivals Sir Nebesko’s, and with these orcs behind us, I suspect we’re hardly in a favorable position.”
They halted as the group by the lake turned, and Lady Lores waved enthusiastically in their direction.
“Look at that! She’s recognized us!” the prince said with a grin, returning her wave with equal cheer.
Sir Gamesh, however, remained unconvinced. “This could be a trap. That... individual is a mage-warrior, likely on par with our High-Paladin Nebesko, and the other... a mage-rogue of almost equal power. I’ve never encountered such classes before. I can’t fully gauge their abilities, and both easily surpass my own magic. Prudence dictates we withdraw immediately. Whatever they were doing before... it could be part of some heathen ritual, and—”
Lady Quersaw, unable to contain herself, burst into laughter. “Oh, Sir Gamesh! From what her servants say, the only danger the baroness poses is to herself—indulging in more pleasures than one can count! No one's been killed, maimed, or even beaten under her orders, though there are plenty of scandalous tales about her private affairs. If you ask me, the worst you’re risking here is getting doused with cold water!”
*
For dragons and lynxes, nakedness is natural. But some lingering influence from my human upbringing reminded me it might not be the best idea to present ourselves bare in human society. I quickly cast a shroud of illusions over us as we approached the shore. The prince and several companions came forward, while the mixed escort of orcs and paladins respectfully kept their distance.
What could have brought them to my barony unannounced? I attempted a reverence, only to realize, to my dismay, that my illusions had vanished.
“Sir Gamesh, perhaps you should lower your aura,” the prince remarked, then greeted me with a warm smile. “Lady Lores! May your heart be blessed!”
A fresh set of illusions enveloped me, this time in the form of a lynx's fur. I glanced at Lynx in surprise, then smiled before turning back to the prince.
“Your Highness, the pleasure is mine!... May your heart be blessed,” I added quickly, remembering the local greeting.
“You’re in the presence of Sir Gamesh," the prince said, "and this is Lady Elanea and Lady Quersaw.”
I nodded toward the companions.
“Lady Lores,” the three said almost in unison, and Sir Gamesh added, “Apologies for my aura dismissing your illusions, my lady. It's an effect I cannot turn off.”
I shrugged. So Lynx could project illusions on a level that even Sir Gamesh couldn't dismiss? Impressive.
“Would you introduce us to your companions?” the prince asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Oh, of course! Where are my manners?” I said quickly. “This is Sid. Sid is... my son, and this is Lynx—Lyn Xi! Lyn of Xi, his best friend and a dear friend of mine.”
Lynx gave me an amused glare, his white teeth gleaming in the sunshine.
I couldn't introduce Sid as an 'adopted son'—there was no concept of formal adoption here, only taking on proteges. To call him that would have hurt him, and there was no way I’d risk wounding him again. So, I swallowed the lump in my throat and smiled warmly.