The last month had passed with little incident. Master had met with the tax collector, but all the talk of numbers being thrown around and interest rates and payment schedules and everything else blended together into a massive blur for me. The days since then had become a blur of answering what questions I could, as Professor Dweli was enthralled with the idea of getting so much research for her writing. She and Master set up a sort of “obstacle course” on the tower grounds for me to exercise, so she could observe my movements. And so I could train, ostensibly. Compared to a normal dragon, I was pretty lacking when it came to strength and agility and such.

My favorite part of the training quickly became the flying, though. I had figured out how to fly a long time ago, but never really did much with it. But now that I was actually paying attention to the way my wings moved, the way the magic helped, I was improving daily. It was an amazing feeling, spreading the wings out like a pair of arms, having them “catch” “handfuls” of air and “throw” it down in order to push myself through. The magic helped with that, allowing me to move far more air than simple surface area would normally allow, as well as helping me feel more buoyant while I was flying.

Over time, Master spent less time watching these exercise sessions. Perhaps he was coming to trust that I’d be safe instead of hurting myself by overdoing it. Or maybe it was the way Dweli sometimes seemed to forget that she could just talk to me, and would slip into treating me like any other animal she was training. Either way, I was getting to where I could move through the air with the grace of a champion swimmer in a lake.

It was getting close to the time the eggs were going to hatch. By now, the little ones inside their shells were developed enough that it would be safe to move them, and Dweli wanted to have them hatch at the Mage’s Guild, so they could have proper accommodations and care without having to make the trip newly-hatched. On top of that, Master Korrigan was wanting Tola to spend that “month of training and study” sooner rather than later. With that, arrangements were made. The eggs were packed into a custom-made nesting box the local carpenter built for us, and we settled into the back of the wagon to make the trip to Winselton and then the Guild.

Professor Dweli spoke first. “I have to admit, I’m a touch worried about what I’ve gathered. How will I be able to use any of it in my writing?”

“I’m not sure what you mean. Why would it be a problem?” Master looked up from the book he was reviewing.

“Well, Master Korrigan is going to ask how I was able to come about some of this, and I don’t know what to say to him. ‘You’ll never believe this, but I was able to interview a talking dragon, and that’s let me completely rethink how bestial innate magic functions’?”

Master coughed softly and looked away, and I did the same, a light blush under my scales. “Ah, well, about that…”

“Exactly, if I tried to tell him that, I’d sound insane.”

“Not… necessarily?” I wasn’t sure where I was going with it when I spoke up, the words just sort of spilled out. “I mean, he’s… he’s seen a lot, right? Maybe you’d be surprised?”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “You mean he knows about you.”

Curses, I should know better than to underestimate her by now. “I mean, not everything about me. But he knows I can talk, yes.”

The book in her hands snapped shut. An early draft of her work, I think. “You told him but you didn’t tell me? And if I hadn’t figured it out myself, you never would have?”

Master cleared his throat. “Well, we weren’t planning on telling him either, but you remember that whole business with the animal keeper and the scales. I was about to be accused of some pretty vile behavior on my first time ever setting foot on the Guild’s grounds.”

“Oh, so the mystery witness was… Princess? Huh, I don’t think anyone would’ve won that betting pool.”

“Betting pool?”

“Please, it’s a small Guild, and it’s full of mages. Of course we’re going to gossip about everything. Especially when it’s information being withheld from us.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Master rolled his eyes, and I thought about the closest thing Earth had to mages, which were probably scientists and programmers.

Dweli opened her book again, flipping through some pages. “Still, if he knows, that makes my job a bit easier. I might not be able to use all of it, but I can use more than I thought, and I can still keep a hold on the rest of it until I can use it to ‘discover’ and ‘theorize’ what’s left.”

The rest of the ride was less awkward, and it wasn’t long before we made it to Winselton. When we were unloading our things, Dweli seemed to jump at the sight of the driver. Wordlessly, she looked over at us with an embarrassed look.

The wagon made regular supply runs, so he had his own gear to unload and carry into town. Master gave him a few coins for our passage. “You folk gonna be on the trip back?”

“No, friend, we’ve got some business in other places. It’ll be a while before we’re ready to return home, a week at least. Possibly two.”

“That’s a shame, you’re my favorite passenger. The others love me telling stories about this little lady.” He knelt down and gave me a pat on the head, and I leaned in gently.

I spoke up, and Dweli went from staring at the driver to staring at Master. “You’re keeping my speech out of those stories, right?”

“Of course, of course. It’s hard enough for them to believe I give rides to a dragon, if I told them you talked, they’d think I’d gotten into the really good ale. And they’d be mad I’m not sharing!” We had a laugh at that, and Dweli finally relaxed a little.

With that, we were on our way. We’d head towards the Scholar’s Retreat so we could join the caravan to the Guild.

Dweli’s voice was a hushed whisper. “So he knew? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Really, do you think we would’ve had such a conversation right behind someone if he didn’t know?”

“I… actually forgot completely about him.”

“I noticed. But nah, we travel with him a lot, and the trips are pretty long and boring to be silent, so we let him in on the secret and made him promise to keep it. And people generally don’t break promises to a mage that knows where they live and where they’ll be every day.”

“Especially a mage with a pet fire-breathing dragon.” I chimed in. But now that we were about to pass through the gates into the city, it was time to go back to being quiet.

We spent the afternoon and evening in Winselton, just relaxing before the trip. Since it wasn’t time for the monthly supply run, we had to charter a wagon to take us there. We could have tried renting horses or walking, but with the crate of eggs, it just didn’t seem like a good plan. That meant spending the night at the Scholar’s Retreat and heading out the next morning.

Dweli settled into the wagon after Master, the two securing the crate of eggs, the inside filled with hay and straw to keep it padded. “It’s times like these I wish I knew teleportation spells. Would make this so much easier.”

I kept quiet, since the driver of this wagon wasn’t as familiar with me, climbing into the back and curling up across Master’s lap.

“Hm, that’s actually something that never occurred to me to look into. Maybe I’ll ask about it during my month there.”

“I think Artificer Botolf was looking into something along those lines, a sort of gateway that could be erected in cities. Most of the theory goes over my head, I’m afraid. I’ll stick with animals.”

The driver chimed in. “What, and not hire wagons and caravans? You mages. Perfectly good ways to get around and it’s never enough for you.” He didn’t sound serious, I thought.

“Oh, no, we’d still need those. Teleportation magic is still strenuous for a single person. For actual supplies or groups, it’d be unbearable. It’s more for… when a single person needs to get somewhere as immediately as possible.” Dweli hastily reassured.

“Glad to hear that. My brother would be heartbroken if he lost his monthly runs out to you guys. I think he always wanted to be a mage himself, but you know how it is, the gold wasn’t there and I don’t know if he had the head for it. Too much of a risk. You should hear him go on about you lot, you’d think the whole Guild sparkles.”

Master raised an eyebrow. “Your brother? I’ve ridden with him in the past, then.”

The driver chuckled. “Yeah, he told me about the mage with the dragon. Every time he tells that story, he adds another bandit I think. You really take an arrow to the throat, or is that made up?”

Master winced at that, even as long as it’s been, it’s still an uncomfortable memory. “It was the chest, actually. Punctured the lung. I’m lucky I had healing potions with me and friends to administer them, or it would’ve probably been my last trip.”

“Hah, guy takes an arrow to the chest and still calls himself lucky. Well, I’m lucky, because I wouldn’t be getting your coin, I suppose.” He noticed the slight glare he got for that, from both Master and Dweli. “Hey, I’m just bein’ honest.”

Master told the story without all the embellishments, while Dweli listened. It was almost a dry, accounting-style list of events as best he could remember and from what he’d been told. He had taken out one of the bandits with magic, before being struck down, and I had taken down three. The other guards dispatched theirs, moving to defend anyone that got injured, so generally one or two apiece. Master had gotten the worst of it, and none of the passengers had come to harm. Thanks to the healing potions, none of the injuries had lasting effects, at least not physically. Master still sported a small scar under his shirt, but not one that bothered him.

Dweli looked like she caught the way my gaze fell at the telling, but knew better than to try to ask now. Passing the area where it happened was a bit of an uncomfortable feeling as well, even if it was a little difficult to tell exactly where the spot was. Thankfully, this time, the trip went without incident, just three days and two nights of riding and camping. We thanked him and parted ways, heading to the offices to report our arrival while he went to the local taverns to see if he could pick up a fare for the return trip for some extra coin.

After checking in, Dweli led us to one of the buildings on campus, a row of workshops. Empty rooms with stone floors, with tables and shelves, useful for temporary assignment. She and Master set about getting it prepared to be something more like a nursery, with a rug to put over the smooth stone and cushions for me to lay on. I’d likely be spending much of my time here, after all. As much as it galled me to not accompany Master to his “classes”, I had to admit that I’d both be a bit of a distraction and also that I didn’t want to leave my eggs in an unfamiliar place without keeping an eye on them. Professor Dweli was also moving in things of her own, including a bed and books. It seems she was determined to not miss the hatching.

The eggs were carefully unpacked from the crate and set into a “nest” in the center of the room, one I arranged while instincts fussed at me to pull things this way and that. I didn’t really know what I was doing, and Dweli had never gotten a chance to observe a nesting dragoness, so we were both playing things by ear, it seemed. On the second day, Master arranged to have a bed brought in for himself, so I didn’t have to choose whether to spend the night with him or with the eggs. He set it up on the opposite side of the room as Dweli set hers up. I wondered if they’d make a cute couple, but it was hard to tell since Master seemed to not really show any interest in anyone, man or woman.

Things had started to settle into a routine. Master spent most mornings with Professor Elwarn, going over rune forms and meanings. He already knew most of the things being covered in the lectures, but every once in a while, something would come up that had simply escaped his notice, or not been needed for anything he’d done yet, or some other tidbit of information that would come in handy would be discussed. “Did you know that the actual spell effects are caused by the energy accumulating within the Ending Rune being released back into the world, with the spell imprinted onto the energy itself?” he’d excitedly discuss. The afternoons were usually spent with Artificer Botolf, as those communication orbs we’d been shown on our first visit were something Master was interested in. Botolf seemed happy to see someone actually have an interest and see applications for his work, rather than just accept everything at face value and not bother looking into the details.

Either way, since most of my time was spent with Dweli, we talked a bit. It was nice to get to know her as someone other than “The scary professor that pokes and prods everywhere she can stick her fingers”. She talked about her time as an Initiate of the Guild, I did my best to leave out the details when I talked about my time in Earth college. We shared frustrations over bad professors and group projects. Some things are just universal, though.

The fateful day arrived a little over a week into our stay. Similar to how I “felt” magic, I was able to feel the hatchlings stirring inside their eggs. I was so excited I just let out a little chirp instead of words at first. After a moment of tugging at Dweli’s sleeve, I finally took a moment to settle myself down. “The eggs, they’re hatching!”

Dweli had an open notebook and was watching eagerly, while I circled around the small clutch of eggs, tail wagging. Someone had been sent to fetch Master. Each one was about the size of a human’s head, and I was so excited I could barely contain myself. I don’t think Dweli could hear it, but I could hear the faint cracking sound of eggshell being strained before breaking. The first one showed a small hole, a tiny squeaking sound coming from it as the hatchling inside took his first breath, his first sight of the outside world. We both watched in rapt fascination as the little green-scaled paw reached out, digging at the entrance to open it wider. Once his head was fully out, he was able to break apart more of the shell and free himself. His body glistened slightly, but most of the fluid inside had already dried, leaving him with a flaky coating that I tenderly licked him clean of.

The second egg started to hatch almost immediately afterwards, the process pretty similar. The door opened and Master came inside while the second was breaking free. “I got here as soon as I could, is everything okay?” He stopped just a few steps away, watching, but maybe he noticed how lost in the moment I seemed to be as he didn’t talk more.

Each one was stretching their limbs for the first time, making the walls break from the inside, so they could spill out into the world. A blue male, a blue female, a green female, and a red female. That last one was a little surprising, but Dweli said that it wasn’t too unexpected. “Sometimes a color from somewhere in the bloodline just pops up unexpectedly, nobody knows why.” I debated trying to tell her what I remembered of high school genetics and recessive genes, but decided against it. I simply wouldn’t know enough to answer more than a handful of questions.

All five of them hatched and seemed to be healthy, and I was happily grooming them and curling up around them, purring deeply. I had worried that seeing green ones would remind me of their sire, and that I’d have trouble with that, but I really didn’t feel anything like apprehension or sadness. I was simply happy. After they were settling in, Master gently petted my head, and I raised it to push into his touch. “Aren’t they adorable…? I have no idea what to name them.”

“I’m sure we’ll think of something. How are you feeling?” Master knelt down next to me, and I purred as I leaned in against him.

“I’m just… I dunno? They’re here, they’re healthy… I’ve got you, I’ve got them, I can’t think of anything else I’d want right now. I know I’ve got to give them up soon, but that’s later. Right now they’re hungry. Where’s something we can feed them?”

Master blinked at that. “Oh, ah… Don’t they– No, I guess they wouldn’t be nursing, would they? What would be good for them?”

Dweli cleared her throat. “Raw meat? You’re the dragon, so tell me if I’m wrong.”

“Raw meat is good, yes. Little bites. They’ve got teeth, they can tear bigger ones, but just in case…”

Master pulled his hand back. “Maybe I should wait to pet them until they’ve gotten food, I don’t want them thinking my hand is lunch.”

Dweli stepped outside briefly, I guess there was someone there to send for food so she didn’t have to go herself. I was simply watching the little ones climb over themselves and me, their little needle-like claws trying to find purchase on my scales for climbing but not able to penetrate, so they were just catching on the edges. Their tiny wings flapped but they were just learning their bodies rather than trying to actually fly. I was only partially paying attention to anything else in the room, as the red one had taken to trying to chase my wagging tailtip. I giggled and brought it in closer before pulling it away.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

It seemed like only a few minutes before someone knocked on the door, delivering a large bowl of tiny meat cubes, each about the size of a thumbnail. Dweli and Master took turns feeding the little ones, which all were squeaking and jumping up at the scent of food, awkwardly trying to climb over each other to get to the food. I dipped my head in to get a piece to feed one as well, I didn’t want to be left out of caring for my own hatchlings, after all.

Pretty soon, their bellies were filled and I got to enjoy a few bits of meat too. They were dozing contentedly and I was curled tightly around them, nearly ready to join them in napping. It was like a whole load of tension I didn’t notice I was carrying had been lifted, seeing them hatch and take their first steps.

Master rested his hand on my shoulder. “Are you feeling all right?”

“Yeah, I’m good. It’s just so… wild. They’re… living creatures. I’m a mother. Now that they’re hatched, it feels like… I know they’ll be all right? I’m a lot less worried than I thought I’d be. Maybe it’s just the emotions of the moment, I don’t know. But I’m here, they’re here, you’re here…”

“That’s about what you said earlier, yeah.”

“Sorry, I don’t know what else to say, I guess.”

He stroked along my back gently. “It’s all right, you don’t need to say anything for my benefit. You look even happier than when you laid them.”

“Well, yeah. Laying them was just… one step, even if a big step, to getting them safely… here. Hatched. Alive.” I hadn’t taken my eyes off the little pile of scaly shapes.

“Well, I’d say you did a wonderful job.”

“It was a team effort. You helped, you took care of me, fed me, everything… Dweli watched them while we went on that mining outpost mission.” I looked up at Master and nosed into his side. “What do you think? I know you’re not the father, but…”

“Yes, I did notice they don’t look like me.” Master smirked a little at the dry comment. “They’re very cute. I’m sure they’ll be healthy and happy here.”

I watched them breathing for a few moments, thinking about what I wanted to say, and how I wanted to say it. “Dweli… What’s going to happen to them? The Guild buys them, and what? Students buy them? They spend their lives as research subjects? Getting trained?”

The Professor sighed softly, seeming to have been waiting for me to ask. “I’ll make sure they’re treated well. I wouldn’t dream of letting anything happen to them. They’ll get regular examinations to make sure they’re healthy. Most of the time, dragons… are sold to students, yes. Usually, a student purchasing one is doing so around when they’re graduating. Dragons are tricky to control, so they’ll be evaluated on their ability. We don’t do any research that involves hurting them, though if one… does die, I might… try to learn what I can, about their body.”

Master patted my shoulder. “That’s just an autopsy, there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

I turned my head away a little. “Technically, when it’s an animal, it’s a necropsy. Autopsies are for humans.”

“Huh, really? I didn’t know that.”

Dweli coughed lightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, ‘autopsy’, ‘necropsy’… As in necromancy?”

Master spoke up for me. “Only in that they both come from the word ‘necro’, meaning ‘death’. Honestly, I’m a little surprised there’s not more of a focus on Latin in a Mage’s Guild.”

At that, the Professor chuckled. “Ah, the Scholar’s Tongue. I know it’s… something of a basis for a lot of the words we use today, but that’s all I know of it. That’s more of a library thing than a mage thing. Runes are their own language, after all.”

“I suppose that’s fair. Anyway, that should be fine, shouldn’t it, Princess?”

I stared again at a spot on the floor. “You’ll forgive me, but I’ve… experienced the Guild’s ‘accomodations’ for dragons before.”

This time, Dweli winced. “Oh, yes… Well, if it helps, that keeper has… been dealt with. Last I saw of him, he was nursing a stump at the wrist as he fled. Southeast, probably. There’s some cities in that direction, he might be able to find someone willing to regrow the hand there. Not anyone that follows the law, though, not with the symbol branded on his stump.”

Master looked as green as the two siblings nestled against my thigh. “That’s… a hell of a penalty, isn’t it? Though, I guess when magic to regrow parts exists, anything short of death is a bit less extreme. Still, damn…”

I didn’t comment, not right away. “Hopefully he learns his lesson, then.”

Dweli tilted her head. “Of course it exists. I would’ve liked to have done more, but he escaped after the branding. Most temples will honor it, he’ll have to convince a court that he’s learned his lesson, pay his fines, and then they’ll allow it to be regrown. But most likely, I fear he’s going to find someone more willing to help criminals. I fear in sparing his life, we have caused a greater problem.”

I finally looked up at Dweli. “What’s happened has happened. If there are problems, we’ll deal with them when they arise. If he comes back and threatens my hatchlings… I’ll deal with him. Thoroughly.”

Master looked even more upset by the conversation. “They’ll be safe, put it out of your mind. Though… I know I’m not in a position to make demands, so, I’ll make it a request. Don’t allow Roffil to get one. Whether he can control it or not, he’d mistreat it. He demanded I sell him Princess so he could flaunt her like a fancy… Like a status symbol. He couldn’t even be bothered to acknowledge she’s female or that she had a name. Or an owner.”

“That’s… I’ve been pushing for it to be part of the evaluation, but I’ll push harder. But I’ll definitely keep an eye on Roffil. He’s been the subject of a few rumors after the incident, but being the Duke’s son, it’s hard to… really do much of anything about him.” She looked like she was upset with herself, or maybe just the situation. Probably the latter.

“I know you’ll do what you can, but others… You understand why I had to ask. Princess is putting a lot of trust in both of us, and I’d be betraying that trust if I didn’t say anything.”

“No, I understand that. It’s… It’s a large Guild, with a lot of people making decisions above me. But I’ll fight. I consider all the animals my babies, even if they’re not.”

I nodded. “That’s probably the most reassuring thing I could hear. Thank you, Professor. It means a lot to me.”

With the serious things dealt with, we were free to fawn over the little bundles, as they started to wake up again and demand to play and eat once again.

The next two weeks were pretty much constantly devoted to the hatchlings, at least from my point of view. Master still had his studies. Dweli was filling page after page with notes as she watched their behavior. So far, she seemed happy with what she was seeing.

“How long do you think it’ll be until we know if they’re… smart?” I couldn’t help but ask as I watched one charge at the other, before stopping short and scooting backwards, the other letting out a chirp and taking a swipe with a paw.

Dweli’s face darkened a bit. “That… I don’t actually know. I mean, they are the first ever dragons born to a former human. We have no idea how any of that will manifest, or if it will. They could be pure, or they could be tainted–I mean, marked… No, that’s not much better. I don’t mean it like that, I just mean there could be some effects and we don’t know. After all, according to every exam we know how to give you, there’s nothing different about you, physically. Magically. You’re as dragon as any other dragon I’ve ever seen.”

“But if they do show signs…? Then what?”

Out came one of the longest sighs I’ve ever heard. “…I have no idea. I want to keep them for observation for as long as I can. If they show signs, I can say officially that we decided not to purchase them. Or that Tola decided not to sell them. You and Tola can do your best to keep them safe, and I’ll do what I can to help. If I clear them for purchase, and they show signs later… Maybe I can have them officially listed as destroyed, before being moved to somewhere more safe for them. I don’t know if the world is ready for intelligent, talking dragons.”

“Yeah. I can understand that… I’ve spent most of the last year pretending I can’t talk, after all. If people found out I was once human, people might start getting scared of me. Or dragons. Or mages. It’d be a lot of problems for a lot of people.”

“I did wonder why you tried so hard to hide it. You’re really putting so many people ahead of your own desires?”

The question made me think for a moment. What even were my own desires? Was there a better option than being a pet? …Not that I could see, not when it came to being with Master. But how could I explain that to someone who was still human? Then again, if someone else did go through this, would they feel the same way? Maybe. “Eh, it’s habit, really. I’ve always been the kind to put others first. Besides, I… I love Master. I like being his pet.”

“You two are pretty well attached. There’s been rumors about him, though. The way he came out of nowhere, the way he took to magic… Some say he’s a disgraced mage from another branch of the Guild who changed his name, but we haven’t been able to find any records of anyone like him.”

I chuckled a little at that. “No, no, nothing like that. He’s just… far from his… Well, from the land he originally came from. He’s always been a smart one, as far as I can tell, and he doesn’t have the same… preconceptions about magic? Or maybe it’s just natural talent, who knows how any of it works?”

“And what land is that? Because the other day, I heard he was asking for books about England at the Guild Library… He’s not one of those that claims to be from there, is he? Or descended from them?”

“No, he’s not from England. He’s never said anything to me about having any relatives from there, either.” Technically true, though I suppose I never asked which European nations his ancestry is from.

“He’s full of mystery. Possibly more than you, and that’s saying something, Princess.”

With the hatchlings growing a bit larger, I found myself feeling less of a need to constantly hover over them, which meant I was aching to get proper exercise in. It wouldn’t be the obstacle course we had set up back home, but it would do me good to get out of the storeroom more often. Master was having more time as well, now that Elwarn seemed done with this round of lectures. Like the universities of Earth, it seemed that the professors often taught in a similar structure as semesters. Except not all of them were the same length, and this one was only a month long. Either way, it meant more time that I got to see him, which was always welcome.

We were out in one of the training ground fields, with me flying in lazy circles, while Master would toss a thin wooden disc reminiscent of a frisbee. I would swoop down to catch it out of the air, which was both good practice and great fun. Most of the time, the disc even survived! Sometimes they split apart when I put too much force on them. Master didn’t seem to mind if that happened, so I guess they must not be very expensive. I was definitely drawing a crowd, though, with a few Initiates and even some Mages watching. I couldn’t hear most of the conversation, I only caught bits when I came down to return a disc.

It was mostly variations of the same “How do you have her so controlled?” question everyone wanted to ask. The answer was mostly the same each time, “She’s special, she doesn’t need harsh control magic, she trusts me and I trust her.”

Sometimes they’d want to try throwing a disc and seeing me fetch it, and I’d usually get some head pats for doing so, which was nice. I suppose it was inevitable, but finally someone asked about getting one like me for themselves. “I can’t believe you have such a tame dragon! Are you planning to breed her? I’d love one as sweet as her!”

“Oh, ah, well… I mean, there’s… a chance? I don’t know if her offspring will have the same temperament, after all. But if I do, I believe the Guild will be the ones to do the raising and training. But if they are going to be for sale, you better treat yours as well as I treat Princess, or you might find it turns on you.”

The kid’s eyes were wide at that thought, and I’m pretty sure he glanced down at my claws. “Really? But don’t they basically have to obey?”

“Perhaps if you’re using control magic, but how can you expect a pet to trust you if you can’t show it trust too?”

“I guess, but… I mean, it’s a dragon. I don’t wanna get eaten right after I graduate.”

“Then maybe owning a dragon isn’t the safest decision.”

As nice and enjoyable as our time at the Guild was, maybe I should’ve known disaster was going to strike. Master had let me outside to do my business, and I had grown too used to the ever-present feeling of magic around. By the time I realized that whatever spell was being worked was a lot closer than usual, I felt my entire body stiffen before all my strength drained away. I was paralyzed! I couldn’t do more than breathe and quietly whimper!

I heard the footsteps before the person making them came into view, but without being able to lift my head, I had to wait for him to kneel down before I could recognize him. Roffil! I let out a wheeze that would’ve been a growl if I’d been able, but he just smirked in an even more insufferable way than usual. Another spell, and I felt my body lifted up as a glowing disc brought me off the floor. He didn’t bring me far, apparently he’d started using one of the workshops at the other end of the building. How long had he been waiting, watching, planning his move? I knew the spell wouldn’t last forever, but if he had one of those Control Collars…

The inside of this warehouse was set up in a similar way as the one the hatchlings were in. Though he’d pulled the tables out from the wall for some reason, with a rug adorning the center of the room. He brought me into the back where a cage had been prepared, using the disc to deposit me inside. I could feel magic running through the bars, and I suspected I wouldn’t be able to break free so easily. Perhaps he’d heard about Elimaio’s death, and wasn’t planning to make the same mistakes.

“The dragon that doesn’t need magic to control her, huh? Even if you are a girl, you’re still incredible enough that you should be mine. But before I can make it official, there’s the matter of… that usurper. But I’ve been doing a lot of research of my own, and I… I! I have learned… his SECRET!” At that, he laughed maniacally, before setting down some other preparations. A magic defense, I assumed, as crystals set on the tables began to glow. Between the cage and the paralysis, I couldn’t tell exactly what was going on, but I did whimper… I had to trust that Master would be better than this horrible brat.

Already I was hearing shouting from outside. It didn’t take long before a witness pointed Master and Dweli in our direction, I presumed. A heavy impact hit the door. “Whoever you are, you better open this door this instant, or I’m gonna rip your head clean off your shoulders when I get in there!”

Helplessly, I watched as Roffil flipped pages in a book, seeming nervous but not scared. The crystal embedded in the front cover of the tome gave me a feeling of dread I couldn’t put a name to, though.

Having not gotten an answer, Master’s lack of patience had led to him using force, and the door exploded inward with magical force. It kicked up a cloud of dust and dirt as he and Professor Dweli charged in. “Roffil? I should’ve known, who else could be so… stupid as to try to kidnap Princess in broad daylight!”

Dweli scowled as well. “You better have a damn good explanation for your actions, even someone like you can be expelled, or worse…”

Roffil had one hand placed on the tome, the other raised in a gesture he probably thought was supposed to be pacifying. “Oh, but I do! You see, I’ve learned the truth behind the monster next to you, Professor. Our ‘Mage Tola’ is actually something far worse than he appears!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Master took a step forward, looking ready to snap the twerp’s body in half.

“Oh? Hoping to stop me before I say it? Since you won’t admit to it, I guess it falls to me… You are… a demon! From the Chaos World, the one behind the Chaos Storms that have been plaguing the land!”

What.

Master and Dweli looked like they had the same thought.

Dweli looked at Tola, confused. “The storms…? Did you actually find something out about them, Roffil? But what makes you think Tola has anything to do with them?”

Sensing a chance to brag, Roffil jumped on it. “Oh yes, I’ve been studying them for a while, but it wasn’t until recently that I had my breakthrough… You see, they aren’t just incredibly destructive, there’s actually an entire world on the other side of them! A world of chaos, a world of destruction, a world of demons like Tola! Admit it, your kind is sending them to wreak havoc on us! And this? This entire business with our Guild? You’re trying to infiltrate us, find our weaknesses, destroy us from within!”

“I don’t know what sort of garbage you packed your head full of, kid, but I’m done listening. I’m going to beat the stuffing out of you, and I’m taking Princess back.” Tola began to step forward again. I did my best to try to cry out a warning, but I couldn’t get more than a whimper out, the paralysis spell was only just starting to wear off.

It wasn’t enough.

The crystals flared to life as Master stepped between them. Roffil looked ecstatic as Dweli flinched in shock. The magic was intense, swirling, powerful, one of the strongest spells I’d ever felt, but also the least… clear? Roffil raised his book in one hand, the gem on the front was glowing as well.

“Ah hah! I was right! The banishment spell… It’s working!” Of all the things that didn’t sound good, I really didn’t like that.

Master struggled, but the energies had lifted him into the air. The rug burned away under him, being ripped apart by the raw energy, revealing an intricate rune circle painted onto the smooth stone floor. The bastard had laid one hell of a trap, and Master had fallen right into it. He did his best to fight it, but he couldn’t gather energy with the maelstrom around him, and his struggles just made him twist in the air.

“Banishment? What the hell? Roffil! Tola! What’s going on?” Dweli called out, but she knew better than to try to clash against a spell she knew nothing about.

“I’m not a demon, damn it! Listen to me!” Tola forced out through gritted teeth. I struggled to my feet but couldn’t quite make it, sagging before making another attempt. I had to do something, anything, but I couldn’t…

Instead, I could only watch helplessly as the sight of Master being pulled across dimensions ran its course before my eyes. One of the crystals on the tables burst apart, sending fragments everywhere. The paint burned to a crisp, leaving dried flakes of ash behind in some areas, inert paint in others. The chaotic energy died down and the room settled once more.

But Master was gone. I could only let out a keening wail.

“That’s the proof of it! The spell sends beings from the other world back where they came from! You saw it yourself, Professor! Once I show this research to Master Korrigan, he’ll have no choice but to award me for my efforts in defeating the demon!” With the book in hand, he ran for the door, past Dweli.

But she grabbed his arm first. “What I just witnessed, Initiate, was you attacking a Guild Mage, and from all appearances, murdering him. My friend. Who was personally invited by Master Korrigan to join the Guild. So you may want to think twice about how you’re going to ‘present your evidence’, child.” With that, she shoved him out of the way and ran to my cage, while Roffil ran out the door.

By now, I was having an easier time standing, the shock of everything leaving me numb as I stared blankly in the direction where Master last was. Dweli examined the door of the cage. “Princess, are you all right? What happened? What’s going on here?”

“He… He’s… gone…? He’s gone…” It took all the focus I could muster to get those words out, and they felt so… hollow. I felt hollow.

“Hang on. I’ll get you out of this. Looks like it was enchanted, to block your fire, as well as to stop you from opening it, but from the outside… it’s not even locked. What a pompous brat.” She swung the door open and I stumbled out, rushing to the spot where the trap circle was on wobbly, half-paralyzed legs.

“He caught me with… some kind of paralysis spell? I couldn’t move, he brought me in here… He didn’t say much to me, but… What… What do I do? Master’s gone…!”

What would I do…?