Gadalik sat up on the pillar he and his adoptive mother were on in her lake as he registered everything she had just revealed to him. Guinevere never brought up Glacia’s gemstone before… I never thought anything of it. To know that such a thing is valued more than family and friends is…sad. But I guess some dragons don't value friends or family that much in the first place, like solitary types… like Gretel.

He shook the thought away. “The day you met Gretel, she explicitly stated she’d want to go play anywhere except the mountains,” he reminded Glacia. “And she mentioned there's no bad blood between earth- and wind-type dragons, so what's stopping her from going to the gem mines herself, if that's what her end goal is?”

“Going to the mountains, and being let into earth dragons’ territory, are two very different things,” Glacia said. “Unlike fairy types, most dragons guard their territories, so she wouldn't get very far on her own. The only reason they'd potentially welcome us is because you're one of them–if only half.”

He frowned, still trying to reason himself out of doubting his friend. “It just wouldn’t make sense for her to plan this journey–in the bitter cold of winter that wind types usually migrate to avoid–based on the small chance that they'd let a hybrid in.”

“That’s exactly what I'm saying, but for the opposite reason…! Why would she be willing to go through all of that if she weren't motivated by something like a gem?”

The young green dragon’s instinct was to argue, to defend the wyvern he'd spent so much time bonding with… But he was drawing a blank, and his emotional state wasn't helping him think clearly.

“I can't tell you what to believe, Gadalik. All I can tell you is what to look out for. If you truly want Gretel to come with us, then… I'll let her,” the water dragoness murmured. “All I ask is that you prepare yourself for whatever might happen with her after we get there.”

He felt his eyes water. Glacia has sacrificed so much for me already… Her home at this lake, and her comfort on land… And now she's even going against her own beliefs just because I wanted Gretel with us. And…what if Glacia's right? I've been so sheltered in the forest that I know nothing about other dragons and how much influence a gemstone could have on them… And… it is a little weird that a solitary type would get so close to someone, the way Gretel has with me. Sure, they can have friendships, but to hang out daily like we do doesn't seem fitting. I mean, I've never even seen Guinevere's friend–and I've been around her for almost five months…!

“Whatever you decide, I'll support you,” his mother promised. “We still have until late fall to make any decisions about the trip. You can talk to me anytime, alright? About anything.”

He sniffled, then nodded, giving her a slight smile. “Yeah. I know.”

She blanketed him with her back fin as she had done so often in the past, and he leaned into the embrace, his larger size making him suddenly aware of just how long it had been since they were last alone together. As much as he valued the company of Guinevere and Gretel, the hybrid found himself reminiscing about his life with Glacia before the others had come into the picture. The two stayed that way for maybe an hour as they both calmed down and enjoyed the peace.

The mother-and-son duo eventually made it back to their den, only to find the pale blue fairy type alone.

“Guinevere? Where did Gretel go?” Gadalik asked, fighting back his newfound fear that she had suddenly decided to abandon him after all.

“She left maybe thirty minutes ago, saying she was famished,” the winged dragoness answered, and for once her light yellow eyes narrowed slightly at him with confusion; he noticed her antennae angling up subtly, and realized she could easily detect his uncharacteristic panic.

He took a breath. “Oh, okay. Thanks. Sorry for overreacting; I'm fine.”

Guinevere still seemed skeptical, but to his relief, she didn't press him for details.

“Are you hungry, too?” Glacia asked the other adult. “I could go hunt.”

Her adoptive son felt his head tilt slightly at her openly caring offer. Of course he knew the water dragoness would hunt for all three of them as usual, but her vocal reasoning had always been more about feeding herself and her son; getting extra food for Guinevere was implied to be an afterthought while she was out. Gadalik couldn't help smiling slightly. Maybe what I said at the lake about trusting others impacted her as much as her words about not trusting did me.

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“Oh, so you decided to come back after all?” Gretel’s voice suddenly sounded from outside. “You were gone forever!”

Glacia tensed, but said nothing as the wyvern tossed a few large birds into the den before entering it herself. Gretel didn't seem to pay her any mind, instead dividing the prey between them all and instantly digging in.

He hadn't realized how hungry he was until the scent reached his muzzle. Even still, Guinevere's reaction to the light blue water dragoness distracted him. The former seemed somewhat concerned, even pausing mid-bite to get a read on the latter, whose red eyes were staring at Gretel. Gadalik couldn't help imagining the start of another fight, so he prepared to intervene, only for his mother's words to completely blindside him:

“I'm sorry,” Glacia broke the silence. When her family turned to face her with disbelief, she glanced between them, as if scared that she'd said something wrong. “What? I shouldn't have snapped at you guys like that... Not even Gretel.”

The juvenile wind dragon lifted her head, swiping her tongue over her lips to lick off the food. “You were talking to me?”

“Y-Yeah! You're the one I was fighting with, after all.”

She seemed truly surprised. “Don’t worry; I'm used to it,” Gretel assured her as a matter of fact.

Glacia huffed somewhat indignantly. “I don't fight with you that often! Until now I've been good about leaving you and Gadalik alone as long as it was near enough for Guinevere to keep tabs on his safety.”

“What? Oh–I wasn't talking about you. In fact, you're nicer than most dragons who see me in their territories… Not that I purposely trespass.”

“This is technically Guinevere's territory,” Gadalik said. “Glacia and I do live here, but it's not really up to us to decide who's trespassing.”

“I only mind trespassers if I sense they are a threat to me or the forest and its inhabitants,” the fairy dragoness explained. “Innocents aren't worth confronting. As far as I can tell, the three of you aren't a threat, so you are welcome to come and go as you please.”

“What would you do if one of us were a threat?” he asked out of sheer curiosity.

“I would monitor you to see how long you intend to stay. If you leave, I would have no need to confront you. If it's clear you intend to stay and disrupt the life here, I would be forced to take action.”

“Action…?”

“Hypnotism is no joke,” Gretel warned, stressing the seriousness of the ability. “It really makes you delusional. Like, you'll question all of the events of your whole life if a fairy type wants you to. The way they can fake memories or make you think what they're showing you is happening in real time…” She shuddered.

“Sounds like you're speaking from experience…”

“Yeah. Just recently I visited the flower fields by the mountains, and boy, was I not welcome by a fairy type who saw me there. He wasn't lying in wait like Guinevere, either. He was out in broad daylight, like he had no fear of predators. And after his display of power on me, I can see why.”

Him? The hybrid turned to Guinevere. “Is that the friend you mentioned?”

Her insect-like wings flashed yellow before lingering on red. “No. I do not associate with hostile dragons. I know nobody from the fields, either.”

“Oh…”

“My friend lives in the desert, but he's… a traveler, in a sense. I only see him when he visits the forest to check on me, usually a few times a year when it's warm enough out.”

Gadalik once again felt a sense of deja vu, but couldn't recall when he'd heard of someone like that, nor the context. “Do you think I could meet him sometime?”

“For your own safety, I would advise against showing yourself around him.”

“But… I thought your friends weren't hostile?”

“He isn't, but he has enemies who are. If they ever catch word of where you–as a hybrid–live, your safety will be jeopardized here.”

Enemies? Just who is this friend of hers?

“That’s something I planned on telling him before our trip to the mountains,” Glacia joined in. “Normally I would be against lying, but there are some things strangers don't need to know about us. As far as the earth dragons know, we're just travelers, too, okay?”

Gadalik hated being deceitful, but nodded his understanding.

“I wouldn't have to lie about that,” Gretel said. “I really am a traveler. But I do like this land a lot; it’s bigger than most of the islands around it. More to explore, y'know?”

Glacia opened her mouth as if to say there was still a chance Gretel wouldn't be joining them there, but she held her peace, staying true to it being Gadalik's decision whether his friend goes in the end.

The young green dragon averted his striped blue eyes. He trusted Gretel, but he also felt frightened by the thought of her betraying that trust later on, given his mother's views on her. I still have time to decide, he reminded himself, dropping the subject to begin eating.