Zalia stared in shock and awe as Boreal companionably butted heads with a dragon in a manner that was much too friendly. How exactly Boreal had made friends with that without Zalia finding out, she wouldn’t ever know. The dragon before her was massive, blue and white scales glittering in the sunlight even as jolts of lightning sparked across their surface.

“So… you’re Rozestrazix then?”

The name felt alien on her tongue, though it flowed easily enough.

“Yes. You are Zalia, Hunter of the North, Druid of the Old Ones, Protector of Nature and Mother of Beasts. Boreal has told me much of you.”

Zalia took a hesitant step over the ridge she had been hiding behind and into the dragon’s nest, looking accusatorily at Boreal. She had really jumped her with one hell of a surprise.

“She has, has she? Interesting. How exactly do you two know each other? She has forgone informing me of your existence until very, very recently.”

Boreal, in full out Boreal form, was ignoring both Zalia and Rozestrazix, choosing to explore the sights and smells of the massive nest around them. Zalia almost didn’t blame her as it was quite impressive, though the dragon towering what looked like thirty metres above her was significantly more so.

“I would ask you forgive her this, as it was I that asked her not to reveal my existence to you or any other that she knew.”

Zalia nodded hesitantly.

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why, exactly, did you ask that of her?”

Rozestrazix settled down, the ground trembling beneath their giant form as they curled their tail in a manner that reminded Zalia of a cat.

“Please do not bite. The reason I brought Boreal to me in the first place was for business irrelevant to other beings upon which time was immaterial.”

Zalia, still shaking from first contact with the massive, Mythic ranked being, attempted to appear calm by forming a chair for her to sit on, matching the dragon’s demeanour. She was also a little off balance by the dragon’s request for her to not bite. That was apparently not a commonly used phrase in its day to day conversation.

“Are either of you going to tell me about that business, now that I know of your existence?”

Rozestrazix’s tail flicked as they considered, the action sending a blast of wind through the nest.

“Perhaps I shall, however it is more important that we discuss the reason I have brought Boreal, and you by extension, here this time around.”

Zalia fought off the urge to summon her armour out of instinct. Boreal had brought her here because there was a chance that the dragon would join their fight against the Monarch.

“Boreal did tell me that there was perhaps one other that would join our fight. Did you call us here to tell us that you plan to?”

“That is correct.”

Zalia tapped at her legs, choosing her words carefully despite the fact that Rozestrazix was completely calm by all measures of the word.

“Excuse my bluntness but… why? It’s not your kingdom, your fight or your people. Why would you help us?”

The dragon huffed out a light breath, the gentle gesture for its giant form more like a force of nature for Zalia.

“It is none of these things for you either, is it? All of those things are irrelevant, however. I am not so unaffected by the actions of the Monarch as you assume.”

Zalia frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Rozestrazix lifted a giant claw, gesturing to the wide landscape laid out before them.

“I am the guardian of this place and by extension, your kingdom. I keep these lands safe from the things that would enter it and destroy every living thing here without remorse. I keep the natural order of life safe, much as you do. The actions of the Monarch brought beings from out of this world into it, many of which attempted to enter these lands. To this day I am still rooting out those monstrosities from beneath the ground. The Monarch of the Astar has gone too far; they have broken the natural order to bring themself power at any cost. Due to the strangeness of their existence, the forces that should have already dealt with them cannot, so those of us with the power to must step up.”

Zalia found herself nodding, the surprisingly logical and thought out reasoning of the dragon more refreshing to her than water from a stream.

“Alright, I have nothing to argue with there. The council will be more likely to enter into this agreement with the Astar knowing that someone of your strength will be there I feel, though learning of your existence might scare them.”

Rozestrazix blinked slowly, shaking their head gently.

“You will not tell them of my existence. The manner in which I shall be joining this fight will not be direct, but much like how the Ascendants of this world act. I shall manifest my power, my strength and my will through you, Zalia. My main reason for being might be to guard these lands but both you and Boreal will be given my might for the coming fight, so that you might succeed. Be warned, Zalia, that this power will not be nearly enough for you to fight the Monarch directly. Instead, it may keep you alive where you might die otherwise.”

More than a little confused, Zalia watched Boreal tumble over the edge of the nest, only to pop back over trailing a drift of snow.

“Why do you not want to be revealed to the people of Endaria? Why bring me here if you only plan to channel your power through us, why not just use Boreal instead?”

Rozestrazix laughed, the sound vibrating the very world around them.

“You ask many questions, yet by virtue of your asking you answer them already. Do you not think you wouldn’t notice if Boreal became incredibly powerful for the fight to come? You would have discovered my existence after the fight either way. As to why I wish to keep myself secret? Have you not seen what your people do to things they fear with your own eyes? Look how they engage the Astar, look how they reacted to the invasion that ravaged the kingdom. These people charge blade first towards the things they fear. No, I will remain hidden from them.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Zalia stared at Boreal as she ran around the nest, pouncing on piles of snow and chasing after the flakes that were thrown into the air as a result.

“So… why put yourself in Boreal’s path? Why reveal yourself to her?”

There was a twinkle in the dragon’s eye as they responded.

“The question you should ask is why I put Boreal in your path.”

Zalia stared, unsure.

“What do you mean? How could you have done that? Were you the one to kill Boreal’s real mother?”

The dragon shook their head.

“No, I simply helped Boreal live long enough that you would find her.”

Rozestrazix stood, shaking the ground with the force of their steps.

“I am not long for the mortal realm, Zalia. I shall ascend, soon, and leave these lands without protection.”

They turned, staring at the playful Boreal who turned in turn to face the dragon.

“Who better to take my place than one who knows deeper than any other the reality of this cold land? One born from it, one who knows the savagery of its nature. I found that you, too, lived in the manner of these lands and hoped that you would be a good guide for Boreal so that one day, she might take my place as the guardian. She is only one of many I have my eye on, yet is the most promising by far.”

Rozestrazix took to the sky with beats of their wings so loud that even the rumbling voice of the dragon barely sounded above it.

“Leave now, you will find my strength flowing in your veins when you need it most.”

With that final word, Rozestrazix dove down towards the lands beneath, wings beating as a storm formed above and around them.

Feeling like she had been put through an aeroplane turbine, Zalia turned to look at Boreal, her fur having received a similar treatment to Zalia’s hair.

“You, have been keeping a damned Mythic dragon from me!?”

Boreal walked up to her, then brushed against her leg as she walked past.

“You’re not the only one who can make big strong friends.”

As Boreal hopped over the ridge back toward their path downwards, Zalia stood stock still, staring into the far distance.

She felt like someone had tased her.

Ember was not going to believe her when she got home. If she could even tell Ember about the dragon.

“Wait, Boreal.”

Zalia chased after her, catching up in short order.

“We can tell Ember and Aylie about this, right?”

Boreal stopped for a second, staring upwards, before replying.

“Yes, but no one else.”

Zalia narrowed her eyes at Boreal.

“Do you have some kind of way to communicate with Rozestrazix?”

Boreal avoided eye contact.

“You do!”

She knew that Boreal was cheeky, she always had been. This, though, was on a whole different level.

Feeling Ember’s curiosity through their bond at the wild and chaotic emotions Zalia had accidentally broadcast down it, she called up the entrance to her vault.

“Come on Boreal, we better get back. The quick way.”

They stepped out of the snow and into the calm, nourishing aura of her vault. With the relaxation she had built up over their long flight across Endaria dashed in one short conversation, the calm was very welcome indeed.

She was able to open up the portal that led back to Nature’s Reclaim, making the journey that had taken them days in a few short steps.

Ember was waiting for them both on the front lawn by one of the Ancient of Life’s giant trunks.

“So? Who is this mysterious ally that Boreal is bringing?”

Zalia held up a hand for patience.

“You are not going to believe this. Let’s get Aylie and sit down for a chat, Boreal has a lot to explain.”

Ember raised an eyebrow.

“How bad could it be?”

Half an hour later, they were sat in the comfortable, warm living room as Boreal finished up her explanations.

Aylie stared dubiously at her, while Ember was watching Zalia with wide eyes, obviously believing the tall tales more having felt Zalia’s emotions.

It took Aylie looking to Zalia for a confirming nod before her dubious disbelief turned to shocked disbelief.

“You’re friends with a dragon?” Aylie asked.

Boreal dipped her head.

Zalia nodded.

“Yep, Boreal has been friends with a damn Mythic ranked dragon for who knows how long. Apparently they told her not to reveal its existence which only barely gives her an excuse.”

Ember pointed to the crown floating above Boreal’s head, one of her heirloom items.

“You got that crown from a dragon!?”

Boreal had the audacity to look smug.

Zalia shook her head, still in disbelief at what she had just experienced.

“I mean, they were huge! I could barely believe my eyes. Apparently, they’re going to lend Boreal and I their power for the fight so we can measure up to the Monarch.”

Ember looked between them.

“Well, that’s actually a relief. I mean, I knew you would insist on joining that fight either way so some extra distance between you and death is a good thing.”

Zalia frowned.

“What? I wasn’t going to fight the Monarch. Neither was Boreal.”

Ember gave her a flat look.

“You say that now but come time to kill that damned monster and you would be on your feet and out the door, ready to slay evil at a moment’s notice. You can’t help it!”

Zalia shook her head but didn’t argue. There was plenty of evidence that Ember could use to prove her point and not much that Zalia could use to defend herself. In fact, Zalia even lost that argument to herself in her own head.

“Right. Has there been any word from the Council?”

Ember nodded.

“Yeah, it looks like we’re doing this thing. They met Het’jel and were apparently convinced because Nateysta delivered the news yesterday. Give the rebellion a little bit of time to set up the baiting attack on a relatively distant town and this thing is a go.”

Zalia took a deep breath, centering herself. Now that it was on, she couldn’t lie to herself that she definitely would have gone anyway. It looked like everything had come to this, a final fight against the Monarch. If they won, Endaria might finally have the time it needed to recover. If they lost, not only would Zalia and Boreal be dead but so too would Hildebrandt and most likely the majority of the Astar rebellion. There wouldn’t be much in the Endarian kingdom or otherwise that would or could stand up to the Monarch then.

Better that they won, then.