Laz fed another gnarled wickthorn branch to his fireplace, careful to not prick himself on the thorny tendrils. The flames devoured it, igniting the pungent oils inside to burn stronger than he was comfortable with. Still, this was the only way to get a fire hot enough for what he needed.

That ought to do it, Laz convinced himself. He stood up from his stool and almost tripped over the dragon as he turned away from the heat. She was busy with her favorite new activity: flopping around on the floor with no sense of purpose. At least that was how Laz saw it. He had assumed she would get more graceful as she grew, but the past week all of her movements had gotten clumsier.

“Do you want your species to go extinct again?” Laz barked in annoyance as he regained his balance. The dragon paid him no mind and continued to wriggle across the uneven floorboards, her dazzling white body impossible to ignore.

She could at least pretend to be an intelligent creature. I seriously doubt it ever took any effort to slay a beast as dumb as this.

He took a deep breath, intent on finishing his task. After slipping on a pair of heat-proof gloves at his desk and a wipe from his sweat rag, he settled back in by his fireplace, which was functioning more like a mini-forge for the time being. Calder had tried to insist it wasn’t possible to get a high enough temperature to melt any of the metals he had, even with the wickthorn branches, but Laz was determined to give it his best shot.

Previous attempts to feed the dragon any copper or silver rods or ingots he could get at the market were unsuccessful, as she only seemed able to consume metals she could swallow completely. His new plan was to melt down some silver and copper into bite-sized beads for her to eat.

And now he was sitting in front of the hottest fire he had ever witnessed, on the verge of passing out, holding a silver rod over the flames. Calder made him promise to at least have water ready to douse any spread, and keep the fire as far back in the fireplace as he could, to which Laz obliged in order to get him to stop talking.

During his wait the dragon tumbled to Laz’s side and watched the embers dance with him. He did find it hard to deny the amazement of having an extinct creature in his care. Though it would take more than bonding time to admit she was cute the way Calder did.

Eventually, after what he felt was an hour, the rod grew a pink hue and Laz knew it was time to act. With one hand firmly holding the rod, he used the other to grab the pair of forging cutters he bought. His hands shook, and the force needed to cut the barely heated metal took almost all he could muster, but one by one he dropped uneven beads of silver into the water bucket below.

The dragon watched in awe, or more likely hunger, as each one plopped into the water and sizzled out. She managed to raise her head up to look into the bucket, but Laz shooed her away. Don’t want her getting burned. Although I’m not even sure if a dragon can be burned.

Once he had reached the end of the rod, he tossed the last bit into the water and yanked off his glove. It was his greatest displeasure that a wizard’s duties involved countless ways to heat things up. If only I had been orphaned in Pamantia, they at least have a nice sea breeze to work with.

The flames continued to rage on, reminding Laz he needed to put out the supercharged fire he created. Using the cutters, he poked them around and spread out the coals and flung some of the fallen ash onto them.

With the fire dwindling, Laz reasoned the beads were cooled down and fished them from the bottom of the water. “Alright, buddy, I have your meal ready.” He was grateful the dragon was still nearby and didn’t need to be chased down.

The smoky smell of the charred branches assaulted Laz’s senses, even making his eyes water the slightest bit. He pushed through, holding his palm out with two of the crude beads. There was too much pride at stake.

And Calder said it would never work. I hope he gets here in time to see her happily snacking away as the solution to her food problem has been found!

With far too little cautiousness, the dragon lifted her head and nabbed one of the metal pieces from his hand. One gulp later, it was gone.

“Hah!” Laz said, leaping to his feet. “I was right! It’s the perfect solution!”

The dragon chirped with him, then, to Laz’s utter shock, sent her tongue out two feet upwards, snatching the other silver bit from his hand. Again, she gulped it down immediately.

“Oh what the–”

She wasn’t done, and next launched her tongue at Laz’s wrist, specifically his bracelet. It was a dark purple appendage, with a rough, gritty texture as he felt it brush against his arm. The way it had unfolded outward reminded him exactly of the frogs that now thrived in Evermine’s swamps – although the line of where the town began and swamp ended blurred more each day.

Thankfully, he was able to pull her tongue away from his bracelet with relative ease. As she withdrew it back into her mouth, he double checked to make sure the sapphire was still in its place.

I really can’t lose this, sentiment aside. Without a focus I’ll have no way to pay for this damn thing’s pricey meals.

“No, you eat the metal. Got it?” Laz pulled more silver bits from the bucket and scattered them on the floor. “Eat these. I’ll find a way to get you gems eventually but this is all you’ve got for now.”

She squirmed her way over to the spilled beads, but no longer looked intrigued. After one or two pokes with her nose she returned her focus to Laz’s wrist. In response, Laz lifted his arm up into the air. Still she looked up at it with hunger in her dark eyes. After seeing how far of a reach her tongue had, he didn’t want to take any chances and covered the gem with his free hand. Undeterred, the dragon tried to slither up his leg toward her goal, causing him to balance on one leg and hop away while pleading with her to stop under his breath.

I must look ridiculous right now.

“Laz?” The front door swung open, and with it came Calder’s voice.

The precariously positioned wizard stumbled. Of course he would walk in at a moment like this! He caught himself with his lifted leg, but found himself wobbling backwards when he felt a sturdy hand support his lower back.

“Woah, be careful.” Calder gently nudged Laz back to a proper stance before letting go. “You teaching her how to dance or something?” He chuckled to himself as he closed the door.

“As if,” Laz muttered. He put distance between himself and the knight while he caught his breath. The stupid smoke in the air is messing with my head. His timing is the worst!

His next intention was to ask how Calder had snuck up the walkway in his clunky metal boots, but when Laz finally looked at him, he was in plain clothes. Slightly nicer than what he saw him in at the barracks on the morning he barged in, Calder was sporting a white wool shirt with little tufts poking out here and there instead of his ugly steel uniform. Below that he had boring brown pants with what Laz assumed was an ale stain and leather shoes with a small hole in his right foot. The outfit bothered Laz in both its simplicity and sloppiness.

Makes sense he takes awful care of his clothes. The man has no appreciation for detail. At least his hair isn’t slicked back. He was fascinated by the way his soft burgundy hair fell over his forehead when it wasn’t coated in grease. A curtain of fire burning at his rosy face. If he cared what Calder looked like, he might have considered suggesting he keep wearing it that way even when in uniform.

“Wait, why are you dressed that way?” Laz asked.

Calder shrugged. “I figure I don’t need the protection when it’s just you around.”

The dragon – who had been making her way to Calder’s feet as soon as he walked in – coiled her way up his leg like it was second nature, eventually resting along his shoulders.

“Hey there, Irida,” Calder said. “You’re getting a bit heavier, aren’t ya?”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Laz ignored the name he had heard. He had tried to explain that if they named the beast then it would just strengthen their attachment to her, making it difficult to get rid of her if she began wreaking havoc on the environment like the stories told of.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Laz said. Part of him wanted to get in his face and make a scene, but he still needed to cool down. “You don’t need protection from me? Am I not a threat?”

Calder laughed as he petted the dragon that was nibbling at one of the wool tufts on his shirt. “Well no, not really. I mean we both trust each other, isn’t that the whole point of all this?” He pointed to the beast that was ruining his shirt even further. “It’s a compliment, I swear. I feel safe around you, is all.”

What does he mean by that?! Laz held his tongue as he found it harder to breathe. He didn’t want to cough and show weakness. Just because he’s some trained swordsman, and I’m a bit smaller than him, shouldn’t mean he can assume I couldn’t win a fight! I’ve used a knife a time or two, and I’ll get a strong combat spell working any day now!

“Then that’s foolish of you.” Laz peeked out the window, a habit he had taken on since the dragon appeared. “What if I got a bribe to turn on you? Maybe a bandit or one of your co-workers wants you out of the way. With how lax you are, I could easily kill you. Then one of the town’s strongest knights is gone, just like that.”

“Do you mean it?” Calder asked with a grin. “You think I’m one of the strongest knights in Evermine?”

“You always listen to the wrong part of what I say!” Laz huffed and laid his hands on his forehead, hoping the heat would die down.

Across the room, Calder continued to beam his smile at the flustered wizard. “Sorry. I have considered that, but it doesn’t really matter to me.”

Laz sighed, knowing he would regret asking. He’s just going to turn it into a way to flirt some more. He always does. Still, he had to know. “And why’s that?”

“Because I’ve always thought that being killed by someone beautiful would be the best way to meet my end.”

“Oh would you please just shut it.” The residual heat from the fire continued to pester Laz. He had no clue how Calder managed to wear a thick wool shirt without drowning in sweat. “You’re making such an ass of yourself, it’s ridiculous.”

Laz did appreciate that someone noticed the work he put into his appearance, he just didn’t understand why it had to be him of all people.

Calder put a hand over the side of the dragon’s head, where ears would be if the creature seemingly had any. “Please, not in front of Irida. She shouldn’t have to see us fight like this.”

The smirk he had when he spoke infuriated Laz.

“Stop calling her that! And stop insinuating that she’s our daughter, I’m sick of it.”

Calder moved to speak again, but hesitated. “Alright, I’m sorry I bother you so much. I liked seeing your cute little face get all frustrated. It brightened my day. But you’re right, it’s gone on long enough.”

I must have angered a forgotten deity. That’s the only explanation for why I have to deal with this.

“Hey, what are these?” Calder already acted like nothing had happened. He bent down, balancing carefully with the dragon who was now murmuring to herself and leaving his shirt alone. The silver beads were still strewn all over the floor where Laz had dumped them out.

Not wanting to miss a chance to get back at Calder, Laz smirked. “That’s the silver rod you said was a waste of money because it was too long for Ira– for the dragon to eat. I told you the wickthorn branches would be enough.”

Calder picked up one of the metallic lumps and held it in front of the dragon. “She doesn’t seem that interested in it.”

“Well, she already ate two earlier.” Laz spoke with a slight stammering. “And speaking of, dragons apparently have long, sticky tongues.”

“Really? Huh.” Calder dropped the bead to the floor where it stayed in place due to the lopsided shape. “She really is heavier than before. And her limbs are growing in finally, which means she actually is a dragon. To tell you the truth, I was still unconvinced.”

Laz paused his train of thought. “Limbs? What are you talking about?”

“Here, come look.” Calder lifted the creature off of his shoulders, which she had no objection to. She just chirped and purred her otherworldly sounds as Calder dangled her in front of himself.

What he said was true. She was not only a few inches longer, but had tiny nubs coming out of her sides where legs should be. Laz took a step closer to be sure but there was no denying it. White glimmering knobs were twisting around, almost disturbing but too fascinating to look away.

That explains why she’s done such an awful job at moving lately. Now I feel like a bully for mocking her…

“She’ll probably have to eat more than two… whatever these are,” Calder kicked the silver bits, “if she’s going to be growing whole new body parts. Are you sure she’s full?”

Laz didn’t want to tell the truth. It meant his plan wasn’t as successful as he had hoped. It also meant their timeline to find a new focus was shrinking and that they would have to take more risks. But, it was the reality they had to face, good or bad.

Instead of answering, he turned his wrist out so that the dragon could get a clear view of the gem, and clicked his tongue.

Immediately, her eyes pressed down into her head and her mouth popped open. Just as before, an indigo tongue flew out and stuck to Laz’s sapphire with a wet slap. He had to brace himself to not show any disgust.

“She wants to eat more than just metal, it seems.” Laz’s annoyed tone was gone, replaced with the low dull sound of failure. With one good shake, he got the tongue off of the gem and stepped back to avoid the same incident happening again. “We’re going to need more gems soon to keep her happy. Honestly, it’s no wonder these things went extinct. I’m amazed anyone even knew what gems were while these things were alive.”

While the dragon withdrew her tongue, a clumsy endeavor for the young creature, Calder sat down on the fireplace stool and placed her in his lap. “Relax, it might not be that bad!” He stroked the underside of the beast’s chin as she closed her eyes and sank into him. “Gems are probably like candy to dragons, and kids love eating them. I’m sure she’ll be fine with metal for a while.”

Laz was impressed by the quick change in Calder’s demeanor. When he actually started to get stressed, instead of joking around, he reassured him. Maybe he’s right. Gems might be like sweets for them. I mean why not? It’s already unlike any other creature I’ve ever heard of.

“Any luck getting a new focus?” Calder was slouched over, all of his focus on the dragon he was petting.

“No, unfortunately. I have no clue where all the merchants have been.” Laz pulled his desk chair to the fireplace and sat across from Calder. “It’s like all summer they wouldn’t stop pestering me about buying oats or skins, and now they've completely vanished.”

Calder hummed a low, disappointed note. “And you really never bought a backup any time they stopped in?”

It was a fair question, to the point Laz held back his urge to make fun of him. “They don’t usually have gems on them. That’d be begging to get killed and looted on the road.” He thought he saw Calder flinch for a moment as he mentioned that, but continued on. “But they do know people in the bigger towns who have gems for sale, and can arrange for a guarded delivery. The whole thing is so pricey and convoluted, I never bothered.”

“Damn, so even if one does come to town, it could be another few weeks past that before you could even use it.”

Laz nodded. His hopes for being able to feed the dragon long enough were waning, but he decided that if Calder wouldn’t act distraught, he wouldn’t either. Can’t have a knight being the levelheaded one.

“Well then I suppose someone better learn to like the taste of silver,” Calder said. He picked one of the beads off the floor and held it in front of the dragon, the same way Laz had earlier. And just like before, she nudged it with her nose before looking in another direction. “Hey, you’re a growing girl!” His chin scratches led her back to facing the bead.

“If you want your legs to grow in nice and strong, you’ll have to eat, okay?” He placed the silver up to his own lips and pretended to eat it, before moving it back to the dragon. “It tastes great. Laz did a great job cooking it up for you, don’t you want to show him your appreciation?”

Laz watched in amusement. It was a side of Calder he had never seen until then. Usually all he saw was his annoying side, and then his professional, knightly side that one time in the barracks. But he could get used to seeing him act like a parent more often.

“Try throwing it,” Laz said. “If she has a frog-like tongue, maybe she wants to catch it out of the air like a bug.”

“Great idea,” Calder said.

The smile he gave Laz felt different to him. Like the small moments of sincerity he had seen flickering in him. It was the Calder that he trusted with his life to keep his secrets, even if he didn’t want to in the first place.

“Alright, catch!” Calder tossed the silver bead into the air.

The dragon’s eyes got excited, her dark, flat, rectangular pupils expanding as they followed her target. For the fourth time that day, Laz got to see the gross tongue explode from her jaws. It hit the silver, barely but enough, and pulled it into her mouth where she swallowed it down.

“Good call on that one.”

Laz just looked puzzled. “I can’t see how that would ever be necessary in nature. I mean it’s metal, it doesn’t move on its own.”

“Another dragon mystery for the books,” Calder said. He leaned down and scooped the remaining silver bits into his hands.

There really is so much we don’t know about her or her kind. Master, if you were here you could help us figure some of this out! What have you been doing?

Laz’s worries melted little by little as he watched Calder feed Irida the rest of the beads. She missed the next one he threw, leaving her with a confused look while the two men laughed together.