I stood uneasily in the bare room, a large circle painted in the center on the smooth floor. It was such a complex thing that it was made up of multiple “rings” of runes, for the energy to flow between them, back and forth, like the mazes I used to solve for fun in my younger years. There were several glowing crystals situated at strategic points, studding the design and casting a strange array of shadows over everything in the room. Most especially, their light made the figure in the center even harder to look at directly. My Master, the mage Tola, with human and dragon features at war with each other, sat in the center with his tail curled around himself. He wore nothing more than a piece of cloth wrapped around his waist, even though by his own admission it was no longer required for modesty. But habit and emotion tend not to listen to logic. And emotions were high for everyone.
“I don’t like this.” I knew I’d said that before, more than once, but it didn’t feel right not to say it once more.
Master frowned, the shortened version of a reptilian muzzle having difficulty showing emotion, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him. “I know. It’s… It’s only going to get worse, the longer we delay, though.”
“But what if it doesn’t work?” My wings spread halfway, reacting to my confrontational stance. “What if it kills you? I… I’m scared!”
Closing his eyes, he let out a grim sigh. “I know. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but… it IS highly unlikely. We’ve improved on the initial design by adding some healing magic into it, though I’m not sure how much it will be able to do. And we’ve added some pathways that should help reduce the risk, aborting the spell if things start getting too bad. But they’re untested, I admit. Still… It’s the best chance we’ve got.”
Dweli knelt down, placing a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay, girl. We’re all worried, but we’re confident it’ll work.” Korrigan nodded, but didn’t add anything.
“Shall we begin?” Master tried to keep the impatience out of his voice, but the tip of his tail still curled up into the air and slapped down against the stone. “Why don’t you two start with just a little energy, and let Princess check the flow of it? Perhaps that will help you feel better about it, girl?”
I swallowed hard. The bit of normalcy helped, even if this was a much more complex spell than I’d ever examined before. Korrigan turned up his nose, but didn’t fight the suggestion. With him and Dweli both in their spots, they knelt down and placed their hands at the spots of the circle set up for it. Closing their eyes in concentration, I felt the trickles of energy that made their ways along the circle, each activating different layers of the spell, with the spots they met being carefully made to keep them from disrupting each other. It was too complex to be left up to a single mind, and Master was too busy being the subject to be able to contribute energy. Besides, his condition meant it would be unwise, both because of the pain it caused, and the fact that it would make him progress further towards a body like mine.
When Master cleared his throat, I realized I had let myself get distracted. Sheepishly, I dipped my head a little, and focused on the circle. It was always hard to try to put it into words, the way flowing magic felt. It was kind of like the pull of a magnetic field, but it was also kind of like a layer of vision when it was this close, but it was also kind of like the high-pitched whine of a running old-style television, but it was also different. I wasn’t seeing it with my eyes, but I was still seeing it. The runework was elegantly done, both Korrigan and Dweli were experts with a lot of practice, and there was almost no “leakage” of energy at all. I had to admit, they knew what they were doing, at least when it came to that part. Everything was flowing from one end to the other, but I couldn’t tell whether it would do what it was supposed to do. Just that there wasn’t a break in the pathways. “It… seems to be okay, to me? I guess? In programming terms, it compiles, at least.”
Neither of the two Terra natives knew what that meant. Master just nodded. I’d explained it previously, so he understood the concept, even if he wasn’t familiar with it. “Well, you heard the lady. If you would be so kind?”
Nodding at each other, Dweli and Korrigan, renewed their focus, channeling more energy into the spell and beginning to cast in earnest. The “buzz in the air” feeling grew to a dizzying intensity, the sheer energy almost oppressive. Even Master was shifting uncomfortably, looking around as he tried to place the source, but he wasn’t familiar enough with the feeling to recognize it. If all this worked, he wouldn’t get the chance, I thought to myself.
Their chanting grew louder, sometimes in unison, sometimes completely different. A litany of syllables, fixing the runes in their mind in order to maximize the energy they could channel. The crystals flared brilliantly, even if the sight wasn’t one of true light and color. In the center, Master had shifted the way he sat, reacting to a growing unease that was bordering on painful. I could hear his breath growing ragged, hissing as his tail lashed, but he kept himself in the center despite it.
I couldn’t help but let my mind wander, at least what little thought I could get to push through the haze of overwhelming sensations. Everything was both painfully slow and too fast to keep track of. As far as I could tell, though, magic was still flowing. From the mages, amplified by the crystals, into Master, and back out again.
And then the screaming started. The partially changed human grabbed at his arms, as if trying to keep himself together. Fingernails scrabbled on white scales, while draconic claws dug bleeding rents into pink skin. Every breath came out in an increasingly loud wail of agony, but neither mage let it change their tempo or break their focus. Doing so would be more dangerous than continuing, all of us knew, but it didn’t make it easier to bear.
The paint that made up the circle started to smolder and burn, wispy smoke rising into the air to form a hazy layer, quickly thickening. I tried to say something, only to find myself coughing, but the pair seemed to notice and the energy in the air grew even more unbearable. The screams from the center grew hoarse, the throat gurgling as Master struggled to get air into his lungs as they tried to voice the pain. I curled my paws, letting my claws scrape shallow lines into the stone, having to fight the urge to rush to his rescue. Disrupting the spell at this critical stage would surely be fatal, perhaps to all of us.
Finally, with a dizzying flare of energy, the spell surged through a climax. Smoke billowed from the destroyed circle, making it impossible to see, but we all heard the heavy sound of impacts as the force of… whatever happened had apparently thrown Master from the center. I didn’t wait for the others, rushing in to his aid, using my wings to try to clear the air. “Master!”
The others weren’t far behind, coughing even as the smoke began to thin. But what it revealed made my heart sink. A white-scaled dragon lay in a heap, struggling to get to his feet and groaning. “Nnh. What… happened?” The creature raised his head, only to let it drop back down, opening an eye to look up at us.
Dweli bit her lip. “It… You…” She was at a loss for words, like all of us.
Master tried to stand again, only to shudder at the sensations, his tail lashing as he slumped back down. Raising a foreleg to look at it, his eyes narrowed. “Oh. I guess… I guess I was… far enough along that it ‘cleansed’ the humanity out of me instead. It felt like I was being ripped in half.”
Korrigan nodded, his expression grim. “So it would seem. This is certainly… unexpected. However you wish to proceed, rest assured you have my support.”
“Thanks, Master Korrigan. I wish I could be in better spirits, but it really does mean a lot to me, that–” The words cut off, Master staring past all of us.
Even before we turned, there was the sound of coughing. And as we looked, a human figure stepped out of the smoke, one I would’ve recognized anywhere. It was… Master? “Hey guys, uh, what… What am I looking at, here?”
Master– the human one of the pair, anyway– had fetched the cloth wrap and was holding it around his waist. The human and dragon versions were staring awkwardly at each other, and neither seemed particularly happy about it.
“Somehow, the… expelled draconic essence… managed to form into a full dragon.” Human Tola was frowning with a bit of disdain.
Dragon Tola bristled at that description. “Says the expelled human essence, who managed to form into a full human.”
That only made Human Tola bristle in return. “What are you talking about? I’m CLEARLY the original! Which one of us is human?”
Korrigan cleared his throat loudly. “Mage Tola!”
“Yes?” Both of the two spoke in unison. “Hey!” Still synchronized, their identical responses were irritating both of them. “He obviously means me! Because YOU’RE the copy!” Fed up with each other, they turned to me. “Princess! You tell him I’m the real Tola!”
I let out a soft whimper, not really liking being put on the spot. “I… I don’t know! You both seem like the real thing to me!”
My reaction made both of them flinch, neither liking the idea of causing me distress. They started to talk, their words overlapping, but then the realization made them angry with each other again.
Korrigan pressed his palm against his face and let out a sigh. “Both of you, stop this immediately.” Pulling his hand away, he regarded the pair with a look that spoke volumes, clearly not looking forward to untangling this situation. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you delight in putting me in the most unprecedented situations you can.”
Both Tolas started in unison. “You think I wanted any of this to…” Trailing off, they glared at each other again, before letting out an annoyed sigh.
Before either could try to negotiate a concession in speaking order, Korrigan pointed at the human Tola. “You, come with me. I need to discuss this with each of you, so I can determine a proper course of action.”
“Can I at least get dressed first, sir?” With one hand still holding the cloth around his waist, he could only gesture at it with his other hand for emphasis.
The dragon version of him grumbled. “At least that’s still an option for you.”
Korrigan pointedly ignored the muttered comment. “Very well. Professor Dweli, if you please, could you fetch some of Mage Tola’s clothing?”
Dweli, nodding, stood up to leave. With one hand on the door, she looked back, trying to give a sympathetic expression, but decided to get her task done instead of delaying. It was a quick trip, thankfully, so the awkward silence was short. Once she returned, she and Korrigan turned around to let him get dressed.
“Hey, you turn around too.” Master– It was going to be difficult to keep in mind they were both my Master. Or were they? Things were going to be awkward for a while, I feared. But the human Tola was glaring at the white-scaled dragon.
Dragon Tola thumped his tail against the floor, turning his head away indignantly. “Hmph. It’s not like you’ve got anything I haven’t seen before. Or anything I haven’t HAD before, for that matter.” Though, apparently to avoid further argument, he did turn away, sitting with his back to his other self.
Even though I wasn’t asked, I turned as well, sitting next to the other dragon, trying to give him a comforting presence as best I could. It didn’t seem to help.
“There, done.” Human Tola tugged at his shirt, making it settle into place, glad to be wearing one that didn’t have holes cut in the back for wings.
Korrigan seemed relieved that the end of this awkward moment was in sight. Waving for Human Tola to follow, the two stepped out of the room. That left the rest of us behind, and Dragon Tola was increasingly upset. “Of course he gives that guy priority.”
Dweli winced. “Hey now, I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. He’s just… He has to start somewhere?”
“Yeah, and he starts with HIM. Just like everyone else will. HE gets to be ‘Mage Tola’, HE gets to keep MY life, and what do I get? Huh?” Seeing the looks of unease that met his question, he snorted. “That’s what I thought. I’m going out.”
“Hey, woah, what?” Dweli shot a glance to me, but it wasn’t like I could stop him either. Dragon Tola padded to the door, the heavy wooden slab not quite closed all the way, and used his claws to swing it back open before stepping out into the hall.
I was hot on his tail, while Dweli hesitantly followed. “Wait, Master! You can’t…!” Already, I felt the weight of awkwardness bearing down on me, speaking in public, but Dragon Tola continued down the hall and out into a courtyard. Our presence did not go unnoticed, though the white-scaled dragon didn’t seem to care.
An Initiate had been chatting with a groundskeeper, the iron-badged boy smiling at the woman tending to the plants. Both stopped as a dragon stepped out, noticing the lack of a Control Collar around its neck. The sight of a blue-scaled one following immediately after did little to ease their worry. It only got worse when the white one spoke. “Why are you even following me?”
“Are you kidding? I couldn’t just… ignore you!” Dipping my head, I padded in closer, though I was met with him taking a step away and lashing his tail.
“Why not? You’ve got a human to fawn over, along with everyone else.” His eyes were drawn to the tip of his tail, still flicking about in irritation, and the sight of it only made the irritation worse.
“That’s…! I’m not… Listen to me. I know you’re hurting, I know you’re scared, but I want you to know that I’m here for you, okay? If there’s anyone in the world who can possibly understand what you’re going through, it’s me, right?” Hesitantly, I stepped closer again, and this time he didn’t pull away. He just stood still, letting out a derisive snort.
The Initiate who’d been watching in stunned silence finally spoke up. “Uh, you’re… dragons? Talking dragons?”
He was met with two sets of glaring eyes. Tola spoke up first, his voice dripping with sarcasm and disdain. “Wow, you don’t say. So observant, you’ll make copper in no time, Initiate.”
Dweli had caught up to us at that point, taking in the scene with a grimace. “Could you two please let us have the area?” She probably could have pulled rank and made it an order, but they didn’t force the issue, sheepishly leaving the courtyard and heading inside.
Tola’s mood was still sour. “Glad you could make it, Professor. Here to try to cheer me up as well?”
The professor pursed her lips, crafting her response. “I’m here to help, however I can.”
A low growl rumbled in his chest. “And the chance to study another subject doesn’t motivate you at all?”
“It doesn’t, actually. Not right now. I’m more worried you’ll do something to harm yourself, or possibly even others, and so I want to be a friend.” She approached cautiously, unsure what to expect. I watched him carefully, just in case.
Tola lowered his head, claws curling in the dirt. “A friend to who? I’m not ‘Mage Tola’, I’m… nobody. A talking dragon. A beast. Worse than the worst case we’d anticipated.”
I darted my head in, giving him a lick on the cheek. “Hey now, you’re still Tola. You’re still you. You’re still the person who’s been at my side, through everything we’ve been through, for the last year and more.”
His claws dug deeper into the dirt, tearing up the patch of grass. “Am I? I have claws and a tail. And there’s a ‘Mage Tola’ walking around, with my face, my name, my LIFE. Who does that make ME?” As he spoke, his lips pulled back in a silent snarl, baring his fangs at the dirt. Or, more likely, at his own claws.
Putting a forepaw on his, I dipped my head to put it into his vision, forcing him to look at me. “You are you. You still have all your memories. All your accomplishments. Nothing can take that away from you, not even this. Sure, there’s a second Tola, but that doesn’t make you any less Tola, okay? …We might want to figure out something for a name, though. Just to make it easier on both of you.”
“Hmph. Maybe I’ll take the name James. Not Smith, though. James Eckert, heh.” His tail flicked, his head tossing lightly in amusement. Seeing that both Dweli and I had looks of confusion, he sighed. “Dragon and the George. It’s a book series, the main character… Never mind. It was a silly joke anyway.” Muttering under his breath, he added, “Elsie would’ve gotten it.”
I gave his cheek another lick. “I’ve read it, I just didn’t remember the name. We don’t have to come up with anything now. Maybe we’ll make the other guy be James Smith and you can keep Tola.”
Sighing, Dragon Tola shook his head. “No, that’d hardly be fair to him. For all my complaining, he’s just as much a victim in this as I am, isn’t he? …Well, maybe not quite as much.”
Giving his shoulder a gentle nudge of affection, I figured I’d try to shake him loose from his thoughts. “There’s good parts about being a dragon, though. Why don’t we go flying? You’ll love it!”
He gave me a confused look, before twisting his neck to look back at his wings as they rustled subconsciously. After a moment’s consideration, he shook his head. “I don’t know how.”
“Well, then I guess I get to teach you! It’s easy!” I stood up excitedly, my tail swaying.
Dweli cleared her throat. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask. How DO you fly, Princess?”
I had almost forgotten the professor was there. The question actually stopped me for a moment, making me think about how to explain it. Especially from the perspective of a human who’d never done it. Thinking back, I tried to remember my first time. “Oh, um. Hm. Oh! It’s exactly like it is in dreams!” I pushed my chest out a little, proud of myself for remembering how, my first time in the air, I was amazed at how well it matched.
The other two, however, did not seem to understand. Tola flicked his tail a little, tilting his head. “In dreams? Can you… give me a little more to work with than that?”
“You need more? It’s just… It’s like how when you dream about flying? You spread your wings, and you bring them down, and it’s kinda like… you know?” I was at a loss for how to explain it any other way.
“Princess…” Tola’s voice had that slight strain to it that I’d heard plenty of times before. “I’ve only been a dragon for about an hour. I haven’t had time to dream about flying with wings.”
“No, I know that! I mean… You still had dreams before, right? As a human?” Seeing the blank look, I continued. “Don’t give me that. ‘Mankind has always dreamt of flight’, I know I’m not alone in that. It’s why the Wright Brothers did their whole thing?”
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Tola shook his head, sighing. “That’s not… what that means. Not like that.”
Dweli interjected, “Who are the Wright Brothers, and what did they do?”
I looked back at her, but it was too late to not answer. “They invented the airplane, back on Earth. Flying machines, though they’re pretty much all fixed wing craft, with engines to push them forward instead of wings that flap like ours. But that’s what they were able to get to work.”
Tola sighed again. “Yeah, because they didn’t dream of flapping wings, they just ‘dreamt of flight’ in a general sense. As in, they wanted to make a machine that could fly, it doesn’t mean they literally had dreams of flying.”
“What…? No, I… You… You’ve HAD to have had dreams where you’ve been able to fly, right?” This didn’t make any sense!
Thinking for a moment, Tola finally replied. “Once or twice, I guess? But I’ve always just… floated, there’s never been wings involved. I just take longer and longer steps until I’m not touching the ground at all, and that’s it.”
I looked to Dweli for support, but she still seemed to be stricken by the talk of airplanes. It was all she could do to shake her head. “N-no, I’ve never… dreamed about wings either? …These machines really can fly?”
This was going nowhere fast. Turning my attention back to Tola, I shook my head. “Okay, um, well… It’s like… uh, swimming? I guess that’s the second-best way to describe it. Your wings are kind of the same structure as arms, after all, so use them to swim. Spread them out, push yourself off the air like you would push yourself through water. Your magic should grab the air and let you push.”
He gave me an unsure expression, but took a breath and tossed his nose upward slightly, the same way a human would roll his eyes. Hunching his shoulders, he spread his wings wide, which prompted Dweli and me to back up and give him space. “I still say it sounds… Well, too simple. But here goes, I guess?” …I had to try really hard to not think about how big his wings were, and the way my heart raced at the thought of sharing the sky with him.
But he snapped his wings down, and even though he forgot to jump, it still launched him several feet in the air, a shrieking hiss cutting through the air before he landed in an undignified heap, unharmed but thoroughly surprised. I was instantly darting forward, licking at his face with a delighted purr. “You did it! I mean, you didn’t really FLY fly, but you launched, kinda! You used the magic, at least?”
Dweli was struggling to contain her mirth, but thankfully Tola was too preoccupied to notice. “Ack, okay, okay! Calm down girl! I… I still have a lot to learn, but… Maybe I will try flying soon. All right? Just gotta… figure it out a little better, first. Definitely gonna have to ask you more questions next time, maybe watch how you do it. Learn from an expert.”
“We should probably head back, so Master Korrigan can find you when it’s your turn to talk to him.” Despite her words, Dweli had that sparkle in her eye that she got any time she had something new to write about. Which probably meant we were going to be answering a lot of her questions as well as Korrigan’s.
The Human Tola stood in Korrigan’s office, with the headmaster sighing heavily. “How many times are you going to put me in a situation that’s never happened before, Mage Tola?”
Frowning, he shrugged. “If it was up to me, I’d be living a quiet, peaceful life out in Hammerfell, and you’d barely even know my name.”
Korrigan regarded him, looking through the fingers of the hand covering his face, examining the man with a narrowed eye. The silence hung in the air. “I suppose that’s true. Trouble certainly does seem to find its way to you more than either of us would like, doesn’t it? Still, great challenges mean great opportunities, and never has that been more true than with you. This whole Earth business, that Mirror Magus you brought to us, the breakthroughs you’ve helped Artificer Botolf come up with… Not to mention how you and that Roffil lad have been redefining so much of the fundamentals of magic itself, with your research into this Chaos Void.”
Nodding slowly, Human Tola pursed his lips, drawing them to a thin line. “I still worry about how difficult things will be, as Earth discovers magic. Apparently, it’s becoming something of an open secret. Between the battle against the ogres, the Storm and the StormShield, and other events, knowledge of the existence of magic is becoming common. The majority still deny it, ostriches burying their heads in the sand, but the number of believers is only going to grow.”
Letting out another heavy sigh, Korrigan waved his hand through the air. “We can only predict so much, on that matter. Some things, we are forced to be the ones reacting. For now, however, there’s the matter of your… I honestly do not even know what word to use for this. This Dragon Tola.”
“Ah, yes. Him. Well, he’s…” Human Tola frowned, head lowering as he concentrated on his thoughts. “On one hand, he’s a copy of me. He knows everything I know, but he’s still a separate person. I suppose you could test him for Guild membership? If that’s what he even wants, actually. He can stay with me just like Princess does, while we figure out what he wants to do. I don’t mind covering any costs incurred, it’s only fair since he didn’t get a copy of my… our money. One could argue he’s as entitled to it as I am, and so I’d rather not have it come to an argument.”
Pulling a fresh sheet of paper out of a stack and setting it before him, Korrigan readied a quill. “If that’s what he wants? You two are of the same mind, are you not? Could you not say what he would want?”
Tola shook his head. “I know what he’s said, but… I admit I didn’t put that much thought into what I would do, should the process leave me a full dragon. My determination was, ‘I’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.’ What skeletons of ideas I had didn’t account for, well, me. They were all based on the assumption there’d only be one Tola afterwards. I can make some guesses, of course, but I couldn’t possibly put as much thought into this as he’s now forced to.”
“Pragmatic of you. You’re taking this better than I think I would, had I been in your situation.” Korrigan chuckled to himself as he began to write on the paper.
Tola gave a soft chuckle. “I suppose I’ve gotten used to having to be the one reacting.”
I sat in the workroom where the Cleansing happened, my head on Master’s thigh. The human one, that is. We were waiting for his dragon half to come back from his conversation with Master Korrigan, which left us with little to do but discuss potential futures.
“Do you think he’ll go for Guild membership? He might be upset that he doesn’t get to keep the one he had before. Might even resent having to be tested again.” I leaned into Master’s hand as he scritched behind my horn.
He was silent for a moment. “It can’t be helped. Membership depends on the ability to use magic. As a dragon, well… That’s no longer a guarantee. To the best of our knowledge, a dragon soul can’t use human-based magic. Then again, maybe he’ll prove us wrong on that. For what it’s worth, I’m going through testing as well, considering there’s still the risk that having part of my soul ripped out harmed my abilities.”
That made me sit up, tilting my head. “Do… you think it did? How do you feel?”
“Honestly? I feel fine. Surprisingly fine. At least physically. And, ah, energetically? Emotionally, however, is a whole other story. …I want to help him.”
I didn’t have to ask who he meant. “Yeah, me too. Same as I want to help you.”
Before we could say anything else, Master Korrigan entered the room, with the white-scaled Dragon Tola accompanying him. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Of course not, sir.” My tail swayed as I saw the dragon version of my owner again.
Dragon Tola came over, sitting a short distance away, keeping me in between him and his other half. He wasn’t looking in our direction, either, and I didn’t like the pensive expression he had. But he didn’t say anything, letting Korrigan continue. “Princess, I’d like to get your input on the matter. You were present during the spell, after all, and I’m told your senses are attuned to magic in ways humans’ are not. Do you… have any insight on which Tola is the original?”
The question was almost confusing, but I saw the way Dragon Tola braced himself, hunching his back and pulling his wings even tighter in, with his tail curled around himself. Human Tola seemed mostly unconcerned, though he frowned in some worry he was trying not to show. It was a question on both their minds, but it weighed much harder on the one on all fours.
I took a deep breath, holding it for a moment. I’d been dreading this question, and had been thinking on how to answer it since the moment Dragon Tola stormed off earlier. “With all due respect, sir, that’s… not the right question. ‘Original’? They’re both ‘the original Tola’. Would you cut a starfish in half, let them regrow, and ask which one is ‘the original’? That’s literally what happened: Tola, whose body and soul was a mix of both human and dragon, was pulled in half. Each half was able to regrow the rest of itself, aided by the healing magic in the circle. Neither is ‘more original’ than the other, and phrasing it like that is… is seeking to diminish one in favor of the other. It wouldn’t be fair to either to even think in such terms. As far as I’m concerned, the universe should consider itself lucky that it gets to have two Tolas in it now.”
Korrigan nodded as I spoke. Once I finished, he weighed my words. “Well said. …I’m curious what a ‘starfish’ is, but I believe I understand the idea regardless.” He glanced over at Dragon Tola, who seemed to… relax? It was odd to see body language on another dragon, and realize how well I was able to understand it. He had not expected the answer, clearly, and didn’t seem like he had decided what he felt about it. Korrigan turned his gaze to Dragon Tola. “Well, then. Does that help you reach a decision?”
Glancing over and seeing all of us staring at him, he winced, letting out a heavy sigh. “I… No. I think… I think I am not ready to… apply for membership into the Guild.” I hadn’t even noticed that I was on my feet, but he spread a wing out in my direction, a gesture similar to raising a hand to tell me to wait. “I don’t… know who I am, right now. I need to find that out. I can’t do that if I’m following HIS path. I need to find myself, before I can… know what I even want.”
It hurt to stand still, but his wing was still held out, telling me to hold back. Human Tola shifted in his seat as he spoke. “For what it’s worth, you’re welcome to walk your path alongside us. For as long as you like. Whether you stay, or branch off on your own. …We… we just want to help.”
Dragon Tola nodded, the wing pulling back to his body as he turned to face us. “I think I’d like that. I’d want to help me if I was you, which I kinda am, so I know you’re being honest with that.”
The moment he took a step towards us, I practically tackled him, pressing in close. Shoulder to shoulder, with my neck draped over his upper back, and my tail wagging behind me. It shocked him, and he wasn’t sure how to respond, but soon returned the gesture. I extended my right wing to drape it over him in a hug, and he did the same with his. I lifted my head just enough to nod Human Tola over. “C’mon, give him a hug too.”
Human Tola came over, kneeling down, and I reached my wing out to pull him in close, shifting to Dragon Tola’s other side so we could sandwich him in between us. The three of us sat together like that for several minutes. When we finally broke apart, Dragon Tola was staring at the ground once again. “So… what comes next?”
Purring, I gave him a gentle lick on the cheek. “Well, we could probably use your help with this whole Horgust business, right? A mage, a dragon, and a mage dragon could go a long way, I bet.”
He gave a barking laugh at that. “True… I don’t know if I’m a ‘mage dragon’ yet, but I’m sure I can find some way to help.”
The next day, we stepped through the mirror again, returning to Earth. We were greeted by a small group, with Janice, Ro, and Mandy present. They seemed happy to see Human Tola and me, but confused when Dragon Tola followed after. Ro blurted out, “Like, you got a second dragon? And wasn’t your tail white like, uhh… Is it a boy or a girl dragon?”
Dragon Tola scowled at the reception. “I’m male, thank you very much. And I’m not a pet, I’m Tola. …It’s complicated.”
That left Human Tola to do the explaining. “By the time we were able to figure out a way to purge the draconic essence in me, it had spread enough that, well, there was… Ahem. I was… We were… Huh, this is harder than I thought it’d be.” I was glad he didn’t need to be prompted to be careful in his words. “So, we used to be one Tola, and we were about half and half, and the process split us, and now each half is a Tola.” He tried to use his hands to add to the explanation, bringing the palms together and splitting them apart, and then using one hand to gesture at himself with the other gesturing to Dragon Tola.
I sheepishly added, “We’re still trying to figure out the whole name issue. For now, they’re both Tola. I tried suggesting Knight, since he was my ‘knight in shining armor’ when he first rescued his ‘princess’, but…”
Dragon Tola huffed, tail lashing as he glared at me. “But ‘Knight’ sounds too much like the kind of name a beast gets. Like Rex, or King.”
“…But that, yeah.” I dipped my head a bit, the contrast making it more awkward that I wasn’t trying to go by a more “human” name. He also had objected to me pointing out that his scales were “shining armor”, since it reminded him that he’d be wearing them for the rest of his life.
“Anyway,” Dragon Tola changed the subject, “how are things going here? Horgust been causing any more problems?”
Janice shook her head, seeming to recover quickly. “Not directly. But with everything that’s happened, we’re getting a hell of a lot of heat about magic being so public.”
“Well, I’ll try to be as discreet as I can be,” Dragon Tola quipped sardonically. We hadn’t even discussed something like my illusion collar. I hadn’t even thought about it at all.
Human Tola tried to get things back on track. “Is Hermes still around? Perhaps we should try to discuss our next steps, figure out how we can even… do anything with Horgust. Last time, he barely even seemed to notice we existed, we were no threat at all.”
The look of displeasure on Janice’s face hinted at quite a story. “Ugh, him. Yyyeah, he’s… not exactly the low-profile sort. It’s about all we can do to keep him from deciding to go out and entertain himself. When I asked him how he planned to do that, all he’d say was, ‘I do not know, I will simply see what I find.’ Not reassuring.”
I couldn’t help but snicker at the impression of the deity’s stiff, formal speech. “Yeah, considering some of the wild stuff in Greek mythology, I wouldn’t want one of their gods running around my town unsupervised either.”
Janice blanched at that. “Oh, damn, that’s… Yeah, I hadn’t even thought of that. Well, at least he’s not Zeus? I wouldn’t have an HR department big enough for that nightmare!” She gave a weak laugh at her own joke, possibly worried saying things like that out loud was inviting disaster.
It was Mandy who sheepishly raised a hand before speaking up. “Um, so, I think I heard him say he was curious about Cheryl? Something about hanging around you guys so much caused some of that Fate to rub off on her, maybe? He might be at the vet clinic.”
I exchanged a look with Human Tola. “Huh. Maybe we should visit? It would be nice to see Cheryl again…”
We did not anticipate the reaction of a human flanked by two dragons would elicit. Within the clinic, the panicked front desk worker screamed and pointed, grabbing the nearest table and trying to form a blockade. “Not again! Monster attack! Everyone, hurry!” Another was joining in, carrying a chair, as the shouts of alarm started to spread.
When Cheryl rushed to the front and saw what caused it, she raised her arms and shouted. “It’s fine! They’re friends! Friends!”
“But… those are DRAGONS!” The staff was uneasy after the ogres, but Cheryl had gained a reputation for being the expert on Weird Stuff lately, so her word was enough to make them pause for a moment. They still eyed the approaching trio warily, though.
The vet tech started pulling furniture away from the door. “It’s fine, I know them. The guy in front? That’s Tola. He’s the mage that got the StormShield working, him and Princess.”
By then, we’d reached the door and opened it, the electronic chime’s welcome contrasting with the heavy wariness. Human Tola was still in the lead, having been the one to open the door, since he still had hands. “Hey, Cheryl… What’s… going on here?” The disarray was obvious even to someone not familiar with the clinic.
Through clenched teeth, she grumbled. “It would’ve been nice if you had called ahead, let me know you were coming?” Realizing her rudeness, she shook her head and took a breath. “Sorry, I’ve just been dealing with Hermes all day, asking questions about everything. I’ve had my hands full keeping him out of sight of the clients.”
“I suppose that’s why you didn’t reply to my text, then. We actually were hoping to speak with him, as well as see you.” Human Tola gave a slight smile.
Dragon Tola sat down in a regal pose, and finally decided to speak up. “It’s good to see you again too, even if it’s so strange to see you from down here.”
“Uh–? I’m… sorry? Have we met?” Cheryl directed her look of puzzlement at both Tolas, and included me as well.
Clearing his throat, Human Tola nodded. “Sorry. Cheryl, this is… um, Tola. He’s… We… Um, so, you know that whole business with me having a tail? It, ah, kept going, and trying to remove that caused me– us, to, well, split. So now there’s two of us. Human and Dragon.”
“I assure you, it is as awkward as that explanation.” Dragon Tola huffed, but didn’t look away.
One of the other employees leaned forward, inspecting me closely. “Man, this is so weird. It LOOKS like a reptile, but its body structure is… unusual. Not to mention the wings. Do they actually work? Can they fly?”
The questions had been addressed to Human Tola, much to Dragon Tola’s annoyance. “You could ask us directly. But yes, dragons can fly, with the assistance of magic. Just like we can breathe fire, if you annoy us too severely.”
Cheryl grimaced at that. “So you’re… all the way dragon, like Princess is? You can actually do all that stuff?”
“Yes.” The word was dripping with barely-restrained frustration. “I do hope that eventually I can get to have conversations that don’t revolve around my change in species, however.”
“Oh, eesh, yeah. I can see how that can get… much. Sorry.” Cheryl knelt down to be able to be closer to eye level for him. “Well, if there’s ever anything I can do, let me know, okay?”
He softened a bit at the empathy. “Thank you Cheryl.”
Any hope of a nice talk got shattered as a familiar voice called out from the hallway. “Hello, Mister Tola! And… Mister Tola? This is most strange! How ever did you manage this?” If Hermes had any better reaction available than “mild surprise”, he wasn’t showing it.
“Hello to you too, Hermes. Been spending all your time slumming it here on Earth? Won’t your subjects or whatever miss you, back in your Realm?” Human Tola was in somewhat high spirits, it seemed.
“How would they miss me, when I have not left?” There was that questioning tilt I’d seen Hermes do a few times.
“But… you’re here now? Didn’t you leave to come here?”
Hermes switched to his joyful emote. “Ah! I see the confusion now! No, Mister Tola, I am present both within my Realm and here. I created this body and extended part of myself into it, but this is not the totality of my being. Why, if it were to be destroyed, it would be disastrous!”
I couldn’t help but ask, “Wait, disastrous?”
“Yes, Miss Princess. Having an Avatar destroyed means I lose the energy I put into creating it. That is why it was an annoyance to have your police murder me the first time. But this is an important enough situation that I am willing to overlook it. Were I to put all of my self into this Avatar, and have it be destroyed, there would be nothing left. My Realm would collapse, and all the souls within would be in peril. What sort of Deity would I be if I allowed that to pass?”
The gathered vet clinic employees were caught by surprise by the talk, one coughing violently as he choked on his saliva. “Woah, wait, WHAT?”
Human Tola ignored him for now, though. “So you just… exist both here and there at the same time? That’s not confusing or anything for you?”
“Not at all. You are able to hear two voices at once, are you not? It is a similar idea. Perhaps with practice, it is something you would find easier.”
“I’ll keep it in mind in case I’m ever a god.” Human Tola rolled his eyes. “Speaking of gods, though, I wanted to ask you about Horgust. Last time we fought him was… Well, it’s not giving me much confidence in my supposed Fate of defeating him.”
Hermes clapped his hands together and smiled, showing Excitement. “Yes! I am pleased to see you have sorted out whatever it was that had your soul clouded! I almost did not recognize the two of you upon your return. Your Connection is shining brightly now, so much more than before!”
Dragon Tola let out a low growl. “Geez, I forgot how much of a headache it can be to talk to you sometimes. Okay, let’s start with… What do you mean my Connection?”
The pieces were aligning in my thoughts. Wagging my tail, I excitedly spoke up. “I get it! Master’s soul, because of the dragon influence… Master, that’s why you couldn’t do anything! Horgust couldn’t recognize you! Remember how Hermes saw through my illusion, because he sees souls? I bet Horgust is the same way, but your soul didn’t look like you during the fight!”
The two Tolas both looked at me, with different versions of the same incredulous stare. “What is that supposed to even mean?” They flinched at speaking in unison, but avoided arguing about it this time.
I was still riding the high of epiphany. “Think about it! Within a Realm, a deity is everything, yeah? That’s how we can beat him! That’s why we’re the ones who can! The key to beating a god is for them to believe they CAN be beaten! And we beat Horgust once, so he’ll be scared of us, now that he can recognize us!” I was spinning in place as I laid everything down, too excited to just stand still. Once I was done, I looked up at Hermes for confirmation. “Well?”
The golden-skinned being made a show of thinking. “You are correct in many ways. Yes, it would make sense. I have been speaking with Miss Cheryl about your previous altercation with our rogue. Her presence there has left a faint imprint, but it lacks the strength yours had. I believe Horgust perceived you as the primary victor in your fight, and your allies as much less an influence.”
Dragon Tola snorted heavily. “Great. So, really, it’s all on HIS shoulders. Horgust isn’t exactly going to recognize me, is he?”
“He… might?” I wanted to cheer him up, but it was hard to. “Wait, yeah, he might! Hermes immediately recognized you as Tola, didn’t he? If Horgust thought he might be strong enough now to take on one of you, I bet he’ll lose confidence if he sees two of you!”
The two looked at each other, and then at Hermes. Dragon Tola spoke up first. “Could it… actually work? You’re the expert in this whole thing.”
Hermes put on a show of thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “It is certainly a possibility. If his confidence is shaken, it might just give us an opening. Miss Princess, you have remarkable insight.”
I purred softly at the praise, my tail swaying happily.
“Will someone PLEASE explain just what the HELL is going on!?” The collection of vet clinic people had gathered to watch our exchange, and had apparently run out of patience with the lack of explanations.
Human Tola grimaced. “Ah, right. I’ll do the best I can…”