Roy rubbed his eyes in disbelief for a moment and fell out of his hammock.

(Roy) “Lena! Kuro’s home! Wake up!”

I watch Roy crawl over to Lena and start shaking her awake. Lena just stares at me blankly for a moment like Roy earlier.

(Lena) “Mmmm Morning Kuro~ ……”

……...Uh…?

(Lena) “Kuro!”

Lena suddenly jumps up and jumps into my arms and I awkwardly spin her around in the small hut.

(Lena) “Where have you been! We looked all over for you and couldn’t find you! I thought you were eaten by a monster!”

Teary eyed Lena starts shaking me frantically as she speaks until Roy separates us… thank god I was starting to get dizzy from all the shaking.

(Roy) “I’m glad you’re back Kuro… honestly after the last time we saw you a lot has happened recently. After we couldn’t find you after a while we consulted the Adults… We were scolded for keeping a pet Dragon but the Elders used magic to try to find you to no avail. You were assumed dead or captured but I told them that Kuro’s strong… nothing in this forest can defeat you.”

I didn’t know Roy looked up to me that much, his vote of confidence makes me happy.

(Lena) “Roy! You forgot about the part where we got permission to have Kuro live with us!”

Huh? I can live in the city with Roy and Lena? At an Elven city of all things, it’s just screams fantasy! My excitement continues to raise and Lena and Roy lead me to the city gates. Once we reach the gates the Guards stop us for a moment.

(Guard) “Hey Roy, the Captain was looking for you earlier. He said something about your mother was almost finished with dinner and to bring Lena.”

(Roy) “Thanks, I’ll rush home after we bring Kuro back to Lena’s.”

The guard looks at me for a moment and smiles

“Ah, is this the Dragon you two were hiding in the forest! He seems like a good kid... but I can’t let him go home, yet. the Elders want to meet him first.”

Leaving Roy and Lena behind I’m escorted to a large building, vines covered the walls and it gave an almost surreal feel to it. Feeling out of place I slowly walk inside and enter a room with a bunch of important looking people, it feels almost like a job interview. I’m told to sit as I enter and comply, I got asked all kinds of questions such as where was I, what was I doing, and why was I back here.

I told them the entire story, and also how I would understand if they wanted me to live outside the city. Having a Dragon roaming around in your home isn’t something most people would be too keen on honestly. After they were talking amongst themselves one of them stood up and smiled at me

(Elder) “Thank you Dragon for telling us what we wanted to know. I apologize, I hear you are called Kurogane. We hope you will forgive us for being rude but we had used a spell on you earlier so we could see if you were trustworthy or not. The safety of all the Elves living here is one of our most important responsibilities and we take it very seriously.”

Honestly this kind of precautions are welcome in my book, if it keeps Roy and Lena safe I’ll go through any test.

“Please do not worry about it Elders, I take no offense, instead I am glad that such precautions were being made.”

Each of the Elders then welcomes me to their settlement Tielfceyth and received a pouch and ring. The pouch looks like a regular pouch that attaches on your belt a little bigger than a fist but it uses some sort of magic to be able store enough to fill 100 cubic feet room. I’m sure as soon as I heard what the pouch does my eyes were glittering or maybe I was drooling or something, the Elders were laughing it up at my expense.

The ring was also interesting, no it’s not THAT ring, but it does make it harder to perceive me via magic or vision. It also only  in this forest it can make it so I am completely invisible, if only it worked everywhere else. Honestly I’m shocked, to be able to get two things that are so valuable I start expressing my gratitude… Maybe a little too expressively, which made them laugh more.

(Elder) “Young Dragon, these are common items here and we thought you would like them. So we took the liberty of  preparing them for you, think nothing of it. Come you should head back to the children, we are sure there is much to catch up on.”

I quickly run off and toss my things in my new bag of awesome storage and ask my way back to Lena’s home.

It didn’t take me too long to find it thankfully, the city was very open with several firefly looking existences floating about keeping the place well lit. There are no fences or walls inside the city but the roads were paved and easy to follow. It was really easy to figure out when I got close enough to where they lived, Lena and Roy were waiting with their parents in the front.

Roy’s house is next door which makes things convenient for me. Lena’s parents looked like your typical happy family, her mom and dad had their arms around her and welcomed me with open arms. They were dressed rather plainly and the mother had braided hair that reached a little below her shoulders, her father had short hair and was pretty well built.

On Roy’s side his Father stood tall clad in armor with a sword on his belt and a shield on his back, he must be the “Captain” that the guards spoke of before. When our eyes met he just grinned and tapped his sword.

(Roy’s father) “I hear you’ve been teaching my boy on the side, speaks highly of your skills.”

Hearing this I grin back

“I’m not all that much, I’m sure I could learn a few things if we had a round.”

As if we were thinking the same thing we started to laugh simultaneously.

Roy’s mother on the other hand was nowhere near as friendly. She was dressed in a robe, a wizard’s hat and was holding a staff. After me and Roy’s dad spoke she just had this look of disdain directed at me, I guess that’s to be expected. Not only am I an overgrown lizard that is known for destruction, but I’m taking the form of the humans the elves seek to avoid.

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At that moment I can see Lena’s family waving me towards them and force me into a group hug. I didn’t really hate it but I wasn’t expecting it, Lena’s parents must be very understanding. We stood outside and talked for a bit and learned a few things about them. Lena’s parents were very thankful to me for helping her study, it seems her grades were actually very low?

I thought she was a bookworm and smart but I guess she was always studying to catch up with her classes. Roy on the other hand I thought took after his Father, but he took after his mother more. His mother was one of the Sages in the city and a very powerful mage, and extremely talented with magic. Apparently Roy was one of those once a generation kind of genius, he was top of his class and memorized spells after reading them once. My impressions of them had crumbled instantly.

After the introductions I was told that I would be living in the shed next to Lena’s home and it was cleared out already for my use. There aren’t really any walls inside the city so I am pretty much between both houses at this moment next to Lena’s family garden, and Roy’s training area. The hut’s about the same size as my previous one I’ll have to move everything tomorrow to fill it up.

I set a few of my things down and get called to eat dinner with Lena’s family, then Roy’s family after that. The food at both families was great and I ate until I was full. I was under the impression that… Elves only ate fruits, berries and veggies… But there was meat on the table. Did those two just feed me what they didn’t want to eat!?

Though I moved into the hut outside of Lena's house I really just ended up leaving my personal stuff in there and mainly stayed in the house kind of a House Dragon you could say, I would have to wake her up in the morning and help around the house in the morning while they were at school studying.

As soon as they come home Roy would instantly ask for another sparring match, he's grown quite well and has learned to combine his attacks smoothly. He's obsessed with getting me to use my other sword though. Although I tell him I’ve had to use kicks lately he’s still fired up.

His mother has slowly warmed up to me as time passed and his father let's say we've had a few bouts and I can't see the blood relation with Roy, his fighting style is much more fierce yet somehow still elegant. I think I could only win if I caught him on surprise. Either that or if I had all my tools…

I've spent much more time in my human form lately since it's much easier to move around and I can do much more with hands then claws, and you know it's kind of hard to not knock things over when your tail seems to have a mind of its own.

Lena as usual comes running into the house and latches on to me and tells me about her school day and how she’s starving so her mother starts to prepare dinner. Roy shortly after bursts into the door.

(Roy) “Kuro! I’ll beat you today! So let’s have a duel!”

Haha I can get used to this, every day is fulfilling so far I really missed these two. Lena starts pouting at Roy and his previous tension drops.

(Lena) “You can only borrow him until dinner time Roy… any longer and I’ll get mad you know.”

Roy awkwardly nods… Ah, we know who’ll wear the pants in this relationship. Grabbing a new pair of wooden swords I follow Roy into his homes part of the yard. We face off as usual and Roy starts off with his signature shield bash which I avoid by moving to the left and am greeted with with a stab aimed at my shoulder which I deflect away with my sword. 

He doesn’t learn does...he? Before I could kick him I can see the ground at his feet contort and raise into a spike towards me! I quickly  spin my body around and meet it with my right hand’s sword and get some distance.

“When did you learn to do that Roy! That was good, you almost got me there.”

Roy just laughs for a moment and explains.

(Roy) “I thought I could get you with a surprise attack, but of course you would dodge even that! I had always thought of magic and swordsmanship being exclusive. Until it dawned at me today that I could use both to my advantage so why restrict myself?”

This kid will go far, I guess the concept of a Magic Swordsman isn’t in this world yet. Roy will make waves with this I’m sure of it! After exchanging a few more blows I end up winning and Roy starts mumbling to himself afterwards… he’s been doing that a lot more lately.

The days here were peaceful but after the year is over I'll go back and see Lila and check on her and the Duke both places have been my home since I came here or reincarnated here that day. Lena today is being spoiled as usual and demanded me to turn back to my dragon form, which I can now talk in.

I sound quite different though I think I sound pissed off all the time, a very angry lizard. As soon as I finish shifting back Lena just plops on down and uses me as a seat again, I had to ask this time though

"Why do you always lay on me like that, I can't imagine myself to be that pleasant of a seat or a pillow of sort."

Lena giggles and tells me

"Oh but you are, silly! It's like laying on a waterskin."

So I'm a waterbed now, I keep on finding out what people see me as, first a pet dog, then a watchdog and now I've reverted to a water pillow, my worth keeps fluctuating. To be honest now that I'm looking at Lena she hasn't really grown at all since I've seen her last, neither has Roy ever since the time I left them 2 years ago. Maybe Elvan growth spurts are later?

After a year passed in peace I said my farewell to my Elvan families, Lena and her family were teary but sent me off nonetheless. While Roy’s family was… the same, just with less crying and sobbing.  I made sure to double check and make sure I had all my things before leaving. When you travel it’s always good to make sure you have everything!

Before leaving I gave both Lena and Roy a hug and told both of them in secret of course, that they needed to tell each other how they felt. Before someone else jumps in and takes the other away. It was funny watching their reactions; I had always known Roy was in love with Lena. Lena on the other hand had told me about the boy she likes before and it didn’t fit my image of Roy at that time, now I’m positive the boy she spoke of was Roy.

Well it’s been fun, I’ll definitely have to come back home and visit again soon. I wonder how much things have changed in the year I’ve been gone.