Yvette felt as if she was nothing more than a mass of bruises. She could still hear the echo of the thump when his wooden ‘sword’ connected with her body, getting by her defenses with ease. Worse, she hadn’t practiced in so long she wasn’t used to the abuse at all.

Every correction, every order he made echoed in her mind. Keep her guard up. Move in, not away. Strike, don’t hesitate. She wasn’t used to fighting, the idea of trying to move closer to the person trying to stab her felt stupid. She lay on the ground, panting from exertion, her entire body covered in dirt and sweat.

Gervas nudged her with his foot. “Yvette? Get up.”

“Can’t.”

He lightly hit her side with his ‘sword’. She groaned in response. “Get up.”

“Can’t,” she repeated, closing her eyes. Everything felt like it hurt.

He gave a sigh before kneeling down beside her. He put the tip of his ‘sword’ against her stomach. “You know, if this was real you’d be dead, then.”

“If this was a real fight you’d have killed me a dozen times, at least,” she said softly. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. Her heart started to beat a little faster when she caught his gaze, his eyes gentle and soft, a small, relaxed smile on his lips. There was even a little sweat on him this time, as well. “This is why you’re the guardian and I’m the person who turns into bears.”

“Bears? Oh, you can turn into two bears now? This I want to see.”

She gave a snort. “I can turn into any bear. I am mistress of the bears. In fact… you could say it is un-bear-lievable.”

Gervas let out a groan, before hitting her side once more with his training weapon. “You deserved that one.”

“Worth it,” she said with a light, pained groan. “So, how bad was I?”

“You weren’t.”

“Huh?”

“You weren’t bad,” he said once more. “In fact, I was incredibly impressed. You were far faster than when we first started. You were reacting quicker as well. You actually saw my swings this time.”

“I couldn’t avoid them,” she mumbled gently.

“But you did see them when they were coming. You were reacting,” Gervas said before standing up. He held out his hand to her. Slowly, she took it and let him help her to her feet. “There are a lot of people who don’t realize what is happening until it’s too late. You’re getting better at reading my movements and reacting to them.”

Her cheeks burned and she shook her head. “I didn’t land a blow on you, though.” As quick as his attacks were, she had been able to see them this time. Able to try and react. She was even getting a little better at knowing when he would swing as well.

“I didn’t let you,” he said before reaching out and placing a hand on top of her head, ruffling her hair lightly and drawing a deeper tint of red to her cheeks. “You didn’t need it. Considering we haven’t practiced together since we arrived at the vault, I’m impressed. Here I thought all you were doing was practicing your magic.”

“I-I wasn’t practicing any of this!” she said quickly. Though she had, on occasion, watched his training. She couldn’t resist, though. There was something mesmerizing about his movements when he fought. As if he was performing a strange, if deadly, dance. She still felt magic was the superior option, but his movements did seem so fascinating. “I just watched you sometimes. That’s all. It wasn’t like I was copying your movements or anything. I have to do enough studying without involving you.” She then glanced down at her hands. “Though, if I can be completely honest?”

“What?”

“The gloves help. It’s a little less scary striking with the dagger, when I know that I have something over my fingers. I know it won’t actually stop anything from cutting me, but it does help.”

Gervas laughed and shook his head. “Of course. I should have gotten you some before now. That was my fault.”

“It’s okay,” she said gently, staring up at him. “So, I really did okay?” she asked, her tone hopeful. She knew it was silly, but hearing him give her praise made her heart pound even harder than before. All she wanted was to hear him tell her how good a job she did. Just knowing he thought she was doing better filled her with energy.

“I was very proud of you,” he said with another light chuckle. “But you shouldn’t go looking for compliments like that. I’ll think you have enough energy to go another round.” He put a hand to her forehead. “Though, you’re all red now. Maybe I did push you a little too hard.”

The words brought more heat to her face and she could feel the blush going all the way down to her neck. He even said he was proud of her. Her heart pounded so hard she was sure he could feel it. How could he not notice how she felt? Wasn’t it obvious? She mentally screamed, hoping he’d pull his hand off and look away before he realized, while simultaneously hoping he never pulled away from her.

Alas, he did move away, pulling his hand to his side. “Let’s go back and get you something to drink, okay? I think that’s more than enough for now.”

Yvette let out a sigh of relief mixed with disappointment. Why did he have to let her go? “Gervas...”

“Yes?”

“Do, ummm...” she whispered, before shaking her head. “Do you think it’d be okay if I healed some of these? The bruises?”

Gervas let out a soft chuckle before nodding. “Sure. Once we get back, you can use your bracer.”

“I have some of the leaves on me. I could--”

“You should hold onto those for now,” Gervas said quickly. “They are used up whenever you use them. Until we can find you something that you can wear into town, it’s best that you conserve them as much as possible. We do not want to get into a situation where you need them and don’t have them. Do we?”

Yvette stared at him before slowly shaking her head. “No, you’re right,” she said sheepishly. He started to walk back towards Chestnut and Redwood, the pair lazily grazing in the grass of the field. She followed behind him and reached her hand out, only to pull it back at the last second. She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. “Thanks for this. I’ve spent so long in the saddle now, I didn’t think I’d want to ride for years...” she said gently. “But it’s… what’s the word?” she asked once she stopped in front of Chestnut. The horse raised her head to look her in the eye and slowly the mage reached out and stroked her mount’s face.

“Relaxing?” Gervas asked.

“Yes,” Yvette said. “Cleanse,” she cast, moving her left hand over her body while her right gently stroked Chestnut’s face. The sweat and dirt was quickly purged from her body and clothing. “Maybe it’s because I’m not as saddle sore anymore.”

“We didn’t spend much time in the saddle on the way here, either,” Gervas said with his small, gentle smile. “We probably spent almost as much time getting into and out of their saddles as we did riding them. Do you need a hand up?”

“No, I’m fine. Did you enjoy this, Chestnut?” Yvette asked.

Chestnut gave a mirth filled snort.

Yvette giggled, covering her mouth. “I think she enjoyed watching you beat me up. Truly, I have the most bloodthirsty of mounts. Well, don’t worry. I suspect that Gervas will be covering me in bruises for many more months to come.”

“Who knows? In a few months you might even be able to give me a few. You’re a quick study, Yvette,” Gervas said before gripping Redwood’s saddle and climbing up onto her back with grace and ease that Yvette only wished she could one day have.

For the mage, climbing into her saddle was a far more difficult experience. Tired as she was, lifting her body up was near impossible.

“Are you sure you don’t want a hand?” Gervas asked. “You don’t want to--” He stopped when suddenly Chestnut lowered herself to the ground, laying on her stomach.

“Ummm...” Yvette whispered. “What did I do wrong? Chestnut? Are you okay? Gervas, what’s wrong?”

“Yvette, she’s laying down so you can get on her.”

The mage stared, her mouth falling open. Chestnut had never done that before. However, she slowly climbed onto her mount’s back. After a moment the horse rose back to her feet, sending an unsettling rocking feeling through Yvette’s stomach. She took a slow breath and gently reached out, stroking her mane. “Thank you.”

The pair moved to walk besides Gervas and they began the trek back towards the town. “You should be thankful,” he said after a few moments.

“Trust me, with my bruises, I am,” Yvette said with a laugh. “I didn’t know she could do that.”

“Most mageborne horses won’t,” he said firmly. He reached out and gently rubbed Redwood’s mane. “She’s certainly never let me do that. Redwood has, but not Chestnut. I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“Ohhhh? Jealous?” Yvette asked, her tone teasing. “Obviously you were partially right before. She only likes it when girls ride her.”

Gervas shook his head. “She’s still my horse. You’d think she’d have a little more appreciation for that. Here I just thought she was too stubborn to lay down for anyone,” he said with a gentle snort.

“Obviously this just means you’ll have to be my guardian forever,” she said, her eyes widening when she realized what she said.

He gave a sharp laugh. “Oh, I think that would be a little cruel. I don’t get easier to deal with over time.”

Yvette flushed, glancing away and trying to, once again, ignore the pounding of her heart. “I think you’re pretty easy to deal with. Once you stop being a jerk, you’re pretty wonderful to be around. Safe, even.” Her hands tightened on the reins so hard they almost went white.

“I wonder if it’s because we’re leaving,” Gervas said softly.

“Huh? We’re leaving?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Yes. When we head out to find your scale,” he said before giving Redwood a small, gentle pat. “Mageborne horses are smart. They know we’re going. I wonder if this is just Chestnut’s way of saying she’ll miss you. Come back safe.”

Chestnut gave a little whiny.

“I think that’s a yes,” Yvette said. “I’ll miss you, too.” She stared down at the mount and slowly released her grip on the reins, leaning her head forward. “I really will...” she whispered. “More than I thought I ever would.”

One day, they’d go from her life. Gervas, Redwood, Chestnut. All of them would be gone. It made her heart ache all the more. As desperately as she wanted to be herself, to be a full girl, the thought of losing them made her want to cry.

“We’ll be back before you know it,” Gervas said.

Yvette nodded. If her journey succeeded, that would be it. He’d be gone. Would she ever see him again? He had a job to do, after all. There’d be more mages who needed his services. Maybe she could come with him, though. Help him. They’d be a duo and--

She reached up and slapped herself, shaking the thoughts away.

“What’s wrong?” Gervas asked.

“Nothing. Mind was wandering.” She couldn’t allow herself to be distracted by such ideas. She still had so much work to do. This spell would take all of her focus for now. If she let her mind wander to something as minor as a silly crush, she’d put them both in danger. Besides, she was fairly certain it wasn’t a crush at all. He was just different from so many people she’d met in the past. An amazing friend. Obviously that was why she cared so much for him. He was her closest friend. A little heart racing and occasional light-headedness when he smiled at her didn’t mean anything.

“We’ll be going to a place called Cragtooth Isle. Have you ever heard of it?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Only a footnote, here and there. Nothing major. What can you tell me about it?”

“I’ve never been there and I’ve only heard a few stories about it, but I’ll do my best. It’s an island surrounded on all sides by mountains, rumor has it that a dragon turtle created the island centuries ago, taking humans that it deemed worthy and turning them into a whole city of zmaj. I don’t know if it’s true, but the place is protected by a dragon turtle. However, a long time ago, long before either of us were born, things changed there. While people have gone in, nobody has come back out. Rumor has it that they’ve completely isolated themselves from the outside world after someone did something.”

“Did something? Like what?” Yvette asked.

“Something stupid, I’d imagine,” Gervas muttered. “Some foolhardy mage with more power than sense probably tried to take on the dragon turtle. Or maybe they thought an island filled with zmaj would be useful for some experiments. Either way, since then, any ships that have come near it have been crushed from below. Even the seafolk give it a wide berth. Though I hear they weren’t very keen to go near it to begin with.”

The mage nodded, before frowning. “Wait. Then how are we supposed to go in and out?”

“I’m not sure,” he said with a sigh. “Getting in should be easy. It’ll take a few days, but I’ve got a trader who has agreed to take us near enough we can use one of their dinghys to get the rest of the way there. Another who has agreed to come close enough to pick us up if we can get far enough away in two weeks. From there, well...” he trailed off and shook his head. “We have two weeks to get your scale and get out.”

Yvette stared at him. “We can’t fight a dragon turtle,” she whispered. “Two weeks?”

“We’re not going to. We’ll find another way to, if we have to. I’m not worried.”

“Aren’t there any other dragon turtles?” Yvette felt more guilt flooding into her stomach. Two weeks. She’d have two weeks to not only convince a dragon turtle to give her one of its scales, but also to let them go. She didn’t know how Gervas could believe in her so strongly.

“Probably somewhere. But this is the only one that I’ve heard of still being active. Dragons of any kind aren’t exactly known for being social.”

Yvette nodded. There were only a handful of dragons she could think of that were known to be near civilizations. Even fewer friendlier ones. “Why?” she asked.

“Why what?”

“Why risk it for me?”

“Risk what?”

“Going there. What if we can’t get back? What if we’re trapped there, forever? What about Chestnut and Redwood? We should try to find another way or I could go alo--”

“No,” he said firmly. “You’ll end up dead or worse.”

“But--”

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

“What do you mean ‘figure it out’? This sounds dangerous. If this--”

“I’m your guardian, it’s my job to protect you. I already told you I would. There’s absolutely no way I’ll leave now just because things have gotten harder.”

“But--”

“If I didn’t come, would you still go?”

Yvette flushed. “W-what? I mean, maybe. I don’t know. If--”

“If you’re willing to risk it, why shouldn’t I?” he asked.

The mage growled and urged Chestnut forward, moving to cut him off. She turned to face him. “Because this is for me. This is my body I’m trying to fix. My problem. It’s not yours. I don’t… I don’t want you to die over it. If I--” She was cut off when he reached out and pat her on the head hard enough she almost fell out of her saddle.

“So?” he asked. “I could die tomorrow. Or the day after that. I’m a guardian. Before that, I was a mercenary.”

“Y-yes, but--”

“I’ve seen more people die than you’ve likely ever met. I’ve survived due to wounds being just a little to the left or right from fatal. Seen people besides me fall and gotten away with nothing but a small scrape.”

“That doesn’t mean you should die over my selfish wants,” she said gently.

“I don’t intend to die. I don’t think I will. But I always could. You, on the other hand?” He pulled lightly on the reins, moving around her. “You will. If I let you go off on this little quest of yours all on your own? You’ll die. I don’t know how long it’ll take. A day. A week. But you’ll die. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

Yvette stared ahead, listening softly to the hooves of his horse. Slowly, she nudged Chestnut back around and followed after him. “It won’t be your fault. You don’t--”

“It may not be my fault. But it will feel like it was,” he said before glancing back at her. “Besides. It’s a lot easier to carry a load between two than one.”

Yvette nodded, her mind struggling to get through all of that. “Why?”

“I just told you--”

“I mean, why are you like this? Why? You always tease me about my self preservation instinct. But yours is even worse. You’re risking yourself for--”

“It’s my choice to make. I can help anyone I want, whenever I want.”

“Most people won’t...” she mumbled.

“I know. I’ve seen it.”

“Especially mages, right?”

“Especially mages,” Gervas said coldly. “But I’m not a mage.”

“I am.”

“You’re also nobility,” he added.

Her cheeks burned. “W-well, I mean, technically. Though I don’t think my family will admit to it. Especially once all of this is over.”

Gervas gave an exasperated sigh.”I want to help you, Yvette. I know it’s not going to be easy. I know it’ll be a struggle nearly every step of the way. But I can see you. I can help you. So I want to. I don’t want you to have to face this alone. I wouldn’t want anyone to have to face this alone.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not fair,” he said. “Nothing in this world ever is. But this is something I can fix and help with. So I want to.”

“Would you help me if I had been someone else?”

“Huh?”

“If I hadn’t been a mage. If you hadn’t been hired to help me, would you have still helped me?” she asked gently.

Gervas was silent for a long moment before shaking his head. “I doubt it.”

“Then--”

“If I had known you, though? If we had met before. Been friends? Then yes. At least, I hope so.”

“So we are friends?”

“I’d hope so. We’ve both almost died enough times together that I’d hope we’re no longer strangers.”

“Ohhhhh,” Yvette said with a smirk forming on her lips. “So that’s how your friendship works? Just need to save each other’s lives a few times, huh?” she asked before reaching out and giving him a firm nudge before gently giggling.

“Only the very best are granted such a title,” he said, keeping his face stern and focused. “But indeed. Saving my life from deranged mages and helping me fight trolls is definitely one way to become my friend.”

“It didn’t work with Vala.”

“Dopplegangers don’t count.”

“Oh? But mages do?”

“Some mages. Sometimes.”

“Oh, so I’m a special mage, even? Aren’t I a lucky girl?”

“You’re definitely a something girl.”

“Just so long as I’m a girl, I’m happy to just be a something.”

Gervas gave a snort and shook his head. He gently gave Redwood a few more gentle strokes of her mane. “You’re definitely something. Obnoxious, reckless, foolhardy, borderline suicidal--”

“Says the guy who’s following me into the maw of a dragon turtle.”

“I can hardly trust you to do it on your own. Besides, you’re a mage.”

“So?”

“’Oh look, a dragon turtle! I should be trying to avoid notice, instead I’m going to run up to it and try and see the inside of its mouth! Oh, wow, what big teeth it has!’” Gervas said in a mocking, high pitched voice.

Her cheeks burned. “I-I do NOT talk like that.”

“Right, sorry.” He cleared his throat and started again. “’But first, I’m going to turn into a fish so I’m extra tasty!’ How’s that?”

“I would not-- wait, do dragon turtles have teeth?”

“I don’t know. I’d think so? Dragons have teeth.”

“But turtles don’t, they have beaks.” Her mind raced as she imagined the strange creature they’d encounter. If they managed to meet with it, she hoped she did get a chance to see into its mouth and-- Her thoughts were cut off and red flooded her cheeks.

Gervas just smiled at her, a cocky grin on his face. “Well?”

“S-shut up. I wouldn’t make myself tastier first,” she grumbled.

“You know what they say. Mage’s rush in where ever they can best get themselves killed.”

“No one says that.”

“Everyone who knows a mage says it. Just not to their faces.”

She gave him the most annoyed look she could muster, though all it did was bring another laugh from him. “Stop it! I’ll turn you into a toad.”

Gervas only laughed harder. “You already told me you can’t do that. Remember?”

“I probably can eventually!” she said firmly. “It probably won’t be that hard. Besides, you’re half there already.”

That made him stop, his eyes narrowing. “Wait. What is that supposed to mean?”

Yvette blinked and tried to come up with an answer to go with her insult and drew a blank. She was silent for a long moment, her mind racing.

“Well?” he asked.

Grasping for anything, she answered with the only idea she could. “You’re cold, clammy and always jumping around.”

Gervas stared at her for a few moments before he burst into laughter once again. “That has got to be the worst insult I’ve ever heard, Yvette. Did you just come up with that?”

She nodded sheepishly. “Yeah. It wasn’t very good. Sorry.”

“Very well, oh frog mage. Let’s get something to eat. Maybe I’ll add insults to the list of things I have to train you in. We’ve got a few days to properly beat them into you.”

Yvette let out a groan, all too painfully reminded of the bruises across her body. She was not looking forward to the next few days of his training. She just hoped she survived until they set sail. Even if the dragon turtle did eat them, it wouldn’t be any worse than the pain Gervas subjected her to with his practice.