I woke up, finding I had the bed to myself again. Honestly, I thought I’d be a lighter sleeper. Maybe I should work on that somehow? I got out of bed, stretched, curled my tail, and spread my wings. I padded over to the mirror and looked myself over. Yep, still a dragoness. Blue scales, smooth horns, thick tail with an arrowhead-shaped spade, large wings, light blue scutes along my underside, double ridge along my back… I was actually finding it hard to remember what I looked like before. I used to be human, nearly… How many months ago was it? It feels like so long, but it’s been less than a year.
Master’s been learning magic, and I’ve been learning more of my own abilities. Flying is pretty wild, I have to say. Things have been pretty nice. Master has been a little stressed, because with the tower came a lot of debt to the Crown, and at some point we’ll be visited by a tax collector. We’ve been assured we’ll be allowed to work out some sort of payment plan, but we haven’t been told exactly what sort of terms that will be.
One thing that’s been worrying me is the slowly-growing belly. Between it and my instincts, we’re pretty sure I’m carrying… a clutch, I guess, of eggs. It’ll be my first ever, if it’s true, and I still haven’t really sorted out how I feel about that yet. But there’s nothing to be gained from thinking about it now.
I found Master working in his study, as he often did. He had recently been getting into the art of enchanting items with magic, imbuing them with spells that could be used for effects. His first project, a lantern with the wick replaced by a crystal enchanted with a light spell, sat on a nearby shelf. It was always neat watching him work, even if I had no idea what he was doing most of the time. I laid my chin on his thigh so he’d know I was awake, and he responded by petting me with a free hand while the other turned pages in the book he was reading.
A knocking on the door interrupted this scene, though, so the two of us headed to the front room so we could answer the guest. Customers were getting more frequent as word spread. Not too many made the trip in person, though. Most sent letters that arrived in town with the merchant Shane’s wagons. A few were delivered by courier directly to us, usually someone wanting a potion made discreetly, or something of a similar nature.
Upon opening the door, however, we were greeted with a stern-looking figure in imposing robes. He smelled strongly of magic, most likely he had various enchantments woven into the cloth. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of me, before looking towards Master expectantly.
“Ah, can I help you? Would you like to come in?” Master decided to be a good host, even if this man didn’t want to be a good guest.
“You are the man known as Tola, are you not? The… local mage?” He said those last words with a dry tone that made it sound like he was reciting something he heard in another language.
“That’s me, yes. Is there something I can help you with?” Master again gestured towards the more comfortable seating, in case the man got tired of standing in the doorway. This time, he seemed to take the offer, stepping inside with a walk that reminded me of a stuffy professor. Posture over everything. I thought he’d snap when he tried to sit, almost.
“So, it’s true you’re claiming to offer services of a magical nature, then?”
“‘Claiming’ nothing, I think my reputation speaks for itself. I may not be as skilled as other mages, but I do what I can. Now, no offense, but you seem like someone with access to better mages than I, so, why are you here?” So it wasn’t just me getting rubbed the wrong way.
“Interesting. I expected you to be much more… boastful. That’s been my experience with mages who eschew the Guild, after all.”
Master let out a long sigh. “Again with this Guild. Look, I don’t know what to tell you, I don’t know anything about the Guild, I’ve never been, I don’t even know where it is, and I only started being asked about it recently. If you want to know more about it, I suggest finding a Guild Mage and asking them.”
“I have no need to ask. I am a Guild Mage. I manage the local branch, we have a campus three days’ ride east of Winselton. I had heard a new upstart had managed to… get rid of Former Guild Member Elimaio, and that he’d been making a name for himself, so naturally I had to investigate.” The man’s gaze tried to bore through Master. I was impressed that he stood his ground instead.
“Look, if you’re upset about that–”
“Not at all. He had become disgraced years ago. I believe he considered his assignment to the area something of a punishment, and decided to use his relative isolation and lack of oversight to… entertain himself in ways that harm our reputation.”
I shivered a little, having been a victim and, I guess one could say, a result of that entertainment. Master would have been, too, if I hadn’t helped him escape, and I would’ve kept being tortured in an attempt to break me into submission if Master hadn’t come back to rescue me.
“I’m… aware. Of some of it, at least.”
“As I’m sure you can understand, our reputation is everything. If people lose their trust in the Mages’ Guild, they begin wondering why we even exist in the first place. Some kingdoms attempt to outlaw the practice of magic outside of harshly-controlled magic users of their own. Our members begin being viewed with mistrust, making it more difficult for us to offer our services. The consequences, well, are endless.”
“Well, I don’t have a Guild to lean on, so I’ve had to build my own reputation myself. Through my own actions. I’ve yet to hear any complaints, even Captain Aesis of the Crown Guard in Winselton seems pleased.”
“Oh, yes, she was surprisingly… less grumpy than usual, when I asked about you. High praise indeed. Your willingness to help is not in doubt, but I still needed to see your ability for myself.”
“My… ability? Because I’m self-taught, you mean?” Master’s voice told me he still didn’t like this man. I doubted he’d need me to act intimidating, but I still let the tip of my tail flick in irritation.
“I suppose the more accurate way to say it would be ‘because you are unverified’. I have heard rumors, some with less basis in fact than others. I admit, I was a bit surprised to find you actually do have a dragon under your control. The beasts tend to fight such magic harshly, and can be stubborn. Would it be all right if I inspected the spell you used on it?”
“There’s no spell.” Master said flatly.
For once, the Guild man registered shock, his collected, in-charge exterior cracked apart. “I’m sorry. What? You… You surely didn’t tell me you… tamed this creature without magic? What, did you toss bits of meat until it followed you?”
“No, I showed HER kindness, and SHE chose to stay with me. She’s as much a partner as she is a pet. I only ‘defeated’ Elimaio because of her, she did almost all the work. He treated her poorly, and I didn’t.” I moved to stand beside Master, tail wagging at his words. I wanted so badly to speak up and put this man in his place, but it really wasn’t worth the trouble it would bring.
“…My apologies. I have… become accustomed to the usual methods of ensuring obedience. My congratulations on your achievement, then.” Hm, that was better.
“Thank you. Now, is there anything else you would like to know?”
“Well, actually, I would like to ask how your studies are coming along, if you don’t mind. What sort of services are within your capability, would you say?”
“Oh, well, mostly minor spells, some utility work… I’d say I’ve gone through most of the first three volumes of what appear to be a set of introductory tomes. I worked a little with transformation magic, since it seems to have been a focus of my… predecessor. Recently, I’ve been practicing enchanting, since the local blacksmith had a customer asking about commissioning an enchanted blade. I was able to infuse it with a light spell, something flashy seemed to be what he was after. I’ve been working on harnessing the fire magic Princess generates to store into a gem so I can make a system that lets me take hot showers.”
With each item in the list, the man’s eyes grew wider, if only at the cavalier way Master listed them off. “You… have made quite impressive progress. For someone without the benefit of Guild assistance, of course. Have you truly made a working enchantment on your own?”
I was excited to show off, so I already darted into the study, fetching the lantern and bringing it back, the top ring held in my teeth. The man raised an eyebrow again as I returned, Master letting out a soft chuckle as he took the lantern. Holding it up, he mentally commanded it to turn on, the crystal inside lighting brightly. After a moment, he willed it off again, and offered it for inspection. “This was my first project, my proof-of-concept I suppose.”
The man passed his fingers over the lantern, then opened the front to repeat the process with the gem itself. “Ah. Did you devise the spell yourself, or…?”
“Oh, no, I referenced a pair of books at Winselton’s library. Since they bought part of Elimaio’s collection, I had the receipts, so I knew they’d have them. They were quite helpful, and I was able to adapt the concepts to replace the magic in the examples with spells of my own choosing.”
“Interesting. Did you know that it takes most students over a year to realize they can do that? Until then, they think they have to make a new enchantment ring from scratch for every single spell they want to use.”
“Really…? But it was the first thing I thought of, before I even read the books. A way to bind a spell into an object. Once I knew a spell, I just needed the binding part.”
“So many approach it the other way around, I suppose. Well, you are certainly more skilled than I had anticipated. I had honestly figured you knew at best how to conjure a flame or sparkling light, and others had made up much more of your exploits. That being said, I couldn’t help but notice a few holes in your background. For instance, you mentioned transformation, but did you mean of living beings, or did you mean transmutation of objects?”
“Oh, only living beings so far. I was successful, but I haven’t had a reason to do it again, so I haven’t studied much further than that.” Master’s attempt had been letting me “experience” a few days in a human body. At the time, he didn’t know I was a human before, so he thought it would be a novel thing. I thought it might be a way back on two legs and having thumbs.
I guess we were both wrong. A human body now just felt like torture, as my mind and soul demanded wings and a tail. Every instinct in my body told me I was a dragon. It wasn’t until I was human again that I had realized just how far I’d changed, I suppose.
Hearing the man from the Guild speak snapped me out of my thoughts. “I would hope it doesn’t surprise you to hear that transmutation is generally learned much earlier. I’d say your path has been jumping all over the place, compared to the way we normally teach.”
“I suppose it has, yes. Still, I’ve got a lot of books to go through yet. Who knows where I’ll be in another six months?”
The man coughed. “Six– I’m sorry, I… neglected to ask. How long have you been practicing magic?”
“Oh, I didn’t even know magic existed before our fight against Elimaio. I thought he was crazy, when he was calling himself a wizard. I didn’t decide to start reading the books until after I’d taken over the tower. That was… Actually, I think it might only have been four months?”
His eyes were wide at that. His cool exterior was completely lost. He was looking at Master as if he’d grown a second head that was spinning and speaking French.
“Is… something wrong?” Master had a good suspicion, I bet. I think he just wanted to rub it in a little. I was all for it.
“You… What… What do you mean, you didn’t know magic existed? How do you… Did you not know the sky was blue? Did you not know what wind was?”
“Well, I came from… a pretty far away place. We just don’t have mages there. At all. We’re taught that magic doesn’t exist.”
“And you just… accept that? What about all the wonders of the world? Or the beasts?”
“Well, we don’t have some of the beasts I’ve seen here. Everything else, we’ve used science to investigate and learn. We’ve developed machines of incredible ability. We’ve learned the principles behind more things than I could ever list.” This guy probably wasn’t ready to hear about computers and skyscrapers and airplanes and such.
“That… I don’t know of any land like that. It must be quite far away indeed.”
“Yeah. But I have my home here now. And I have Princess.” Master patted my side and I wagged my tail.
“I must say, I hadn’t expected this, but… I’d say the Mages’ Guild would have a lot to offer someone of your talents. We would be thrilled if you would agree to visit our campus. In fact, if you were to choose to join, I’d say I’ve seen more than enough to satisfy our usual entrance exams, but of course the decision is up to you.”
“Well, I admit I have definitely been curious. I think I would like to arrange a trip there, perhaps in a week? I would have to make arrangements here before I could leave for something like that. Honestly, I’m surprised. I expected you to try to browbeat or strongarm me into joining.”
“I will admit, had you been what I expected coming in, I would have either done just that or demanded you cease entirely. Today has been a more pleasant surprise than I could have asked for.” The man stood and offered a hand. “I just realized, in all the surprises, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Magister Yenturan.”
Master shook his hand. “My name is Tola, as you know. I don’t know what titles mean what, but everyone calls me Mage, so I hope that isn’t an issue.”
“I don’t think it will be. Normally, I would prefer someone not of the Guild use something like ‘Practitioner’ or ‘Magic User’, but from what I’ve seen, the title is fitting.”
“Glad to hear you say so. Well, either I’ll see you in about a week, or I’ll send a message if I cannot make it.”
With that, the meeting was over, and Magister Yenturan left with a smile. Seems like things were getting interesting again, just when I thought they’d settle down into a routine.
The following week was busy. We did our best to prepare, but we had little idea what to expect. Master prepared extra potions, mostly healing, and left them with Shane to sell in case anyone needed them. On the morning of our trip, he gathered his spellbooks, a couple of blank books, and one from the library to read on the way. We were planning just to visit for now, but we might have a chance to study something interesting, and Master wanted to be able to take notes.
I was wearing my harness again, a set of leather straps and buckles designed by Arlond the blacksmith. Each side had a pouch that held books, and there were a couple smaller pockets that could hold other supplies. These bags clipped to rings that were on the harness, keeping them in place, allowing me to carry things easily. As we’ve done a couple times now, we caught a ride to Winselton on one of Shane’s wagons moving supplies from place to place. To go further, though, we’d have to arrange our own transportation. The wagon was uneventful, the driver still scared of angering the local mage and thus keeping quiet.
Asking around in the larger city, we found a larger caravan going east. We were lucky, in two days there would be a group heading to the Guild, comprised mostly of eager prospective students. We met at our now favorite inn, The Scholar’s Retreat. Since it was in the area of town with libraries and bookstores and such, it was where people going to and from the Guild tended to congregate.
“What would be the price of passage?” Master asked the man who was in charge of the caravan. “And what sort of accommodations would that include?”
The man looked him over, and then at me. “You’re a little older than most of the students going. I normally would charge twenty coins a head, but I’m not sure what to make of your pet there.”
“Princess? She’s very well-behaved, I assure you. Nothing special is needed for her, but I admit forty sovereigns is a little more than I was hoping to pay.”
“Can’t let you ride for free, I have to pay the guard detail somehow after all.” He crossed his arms. He wasn’t completely closed off, perhaps he was looking to haggle.
“Hm, guard detail, you say? What if Princess and I offered our services in that regard?”
“You? A guard? …Ah, you’re not a student, are you? I should’ve known from the dragon. Beggin’ your pardon, I didn’t recognize you as one of the Guild.”
“I’m not…” Master sighed softly. “I’m not with the Guild itself, at least not yet. But I am a practitioner. I’ve been in combat before, and I have Princess.”
“True enough, that you do. Hm. Well…” He seemed to think about this, evaluating scenarios in his head. I wondered if he was delaying just to make Master anxious. “…Tell you what. I’ve already got guards hired, and already got them paid for by the others, so if you’re willing to help out if needed, then I can let you ride.” So much for not riding for free.
“Sounds like a good deal to me.” Master reached out a hand, and the caravan leader shook on it.
It was the evening before the trip, and Master and I had done all the shopping we could think of. So we were sitting in the dining room at The Scholar’s Retreat, which was beginning to get busy. Most of the other guests were also leaving tomorrow on the same caravan, but we planned to stick mostly to ourselves. Master ordered two dinners, and when they were brought to the table, the innkeeper once again set both on the table.
Master began to pick mine up to bring it down for me, but I put a paw on his leg. Smirking, he left it in place, and I turned a chair sideways, climbing up onto it and sitting at the table, tail draped over the edge of the chair as I perched on it. I was just about to start eating when I heard a shout behind me, the innkeeper rushing over.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Get that beast off my furniture!”
“But sir, every single time we’ve eaten here, you’ve placed her meal on the table. We assumed you meant for her to eat at the table like I do. Why else would you refuse to set it on the floor for her?” Master gave his best “innocent and shocked” voice. I had to fight hard to not laugh, but the tip of my tail flipped from side to side.
“I don’t… I didn’t… I…!” He stammered, trying to find a way to insult without insulting.
“I am only trying to comply with your wishes, sir. You don’t want your meal set on the floor, then I won’t set it on the floor. Your wife has no problem allowing her to eat at the table with me.” Master laid it on thick. It was great.
“…Rrgh. Just… Don’t be makin’ a mess or damaging the furniture, you hear?”
“Absolutely. Wouldn’t dream of it.”
With that, the innkeeper stormed off, probably more afraid of his wife than us. She was always so thrilled to see me, always gave me extra tidbits and lots of attention. She was also good friends with Maifen, the owner of the inn back in Hammerfell, who has a bit of a crush on Master. If she learned her husband chased off her favorite customer, as well as a friend of a friend, he’d probably never hear the end of it.
“Well, dig in, girl.” Master started on his own meal, and I started nibbling at the strips of roasted meat on my plate.
“Hey, it’s you!” I heard a voice that I knew I had heard before but couldn’t place. “The Mage with the dragon!” The tone was happy enough that I didn’t feel the need to be on guard, but I did turn to look along with Master. We saw the hopeful student who had asked for advice on the Guild’s entrance exam last time we were in town.
“Ah, yes, I remember you. Decided to take your chances?”
The kid pulled up a chair and sat down, smiling. “Yeah, I just gotta go for it, you know? If I don’t try, I’ll never know if I could’ve done it. It’ll always haunt me.”
If his forwardness bothered Master, he didn’t show it. Instead, he simply nodded. “A commendable attitude, I think.”
“Yeah. Hey, I heard you’re coming along on the trip? Are you, like, going to be one of the teachers or something?”
Master raised an eyebrow. “No, no, I’m just visiting to learn more about the Guild. Maybe I’ll try to join, maybe I won’t, I don’t know yet. I’ve heard the name a lot, but precious little beyond that, after all. So I have to see it for myself before I make any sort of decision.”
“Oh, wow, if you applied as a student… I don’t know if they have, like, limited openings or something? I don’t want to have to compete with you. I heard you’re already a professional nearby. Hammerswing or something?”
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“Hammerfell. It’s about half a day’s ride to the south. I… wound up with a tower there, and have been practicing. I don’t know if I’d say professional, but I’ve been helpful enough to earn some income with it.” Master can try to downplay it if he wants, I’m still proud of him.
“Wow, you must have some pretty high connections, huh? To get your own tower?”
“It was… luck. Really.”
“Some luck! How did you pull it off?”
Master had had enough of the questioning, putting his fork down and staring the kid in the eyes. “It belonged to a wizard that tried to murder me, and in the fight, I freed Princess enough for her to rip his torso into a bloody mash of flesh. Then I claimed the tower by Right of Conquest to stop them from butchering the girl that saved my life. And I have no idea how long I have before they foreclose on the tower, throw me in jail for life or execute me, and butcher her anyway. So yeah, some luck.” Harsh. And I knew Master was worried about the debt, but I didn’t know exactly what shape those worries took…
The kid was cowed, the words sinking in as he cast his eyes down, unable to hold the gaze. “Oh, I’m… I’m sorry, I didn’t… know. That sounds pretty rough.” When Master went back to eating, I caught the kid sneaking a glance at me, and at the paw I had on the table. And the claws that tipped each of my digits. No doubt imagining them stained red with blood. If he wasn’t, I certainly was. It’s a good thing I already finished eating, I don’t think I would’ve been able to continue after remembering what I did, even if it was necessary.
Master continued to eat in silence, finishing his plate and setting his fork down. The awkward silence was broken by a rather boisterous voice and the sound of the fourth chair being pulled out. “Mage Tola! Fancy meeting you again!” Lance, the mercenary that had gone with us when we investigated Brotherhood of Shadows activity last time we were in town, sat himself in the chair with a clanking of his metal-plated leather armor.
“Ah, Lance, it’s good to see you are well. How is the arm?” Lance had taken a blade to the arm in the short fight we had encountered, but it didn’t seem like it was bothering him.
“Oh, that? It was nothing, it’s already healed like it was never there.” He laughed at the concern, as if such worries were for weaker men.
“I’m glad to hear that. What have you been up to?” Master was friendly enough, but this was mostly polite conversation. After all, we barely knew Lance, he didn’t stick around after the mission.
“Oh, not much. Making a spot of coin with some guard duty. I hear you’re joining us on this trip? And that you’re willing to help if things go sour?”
The kid’s eyes widened, looking from Lance to Master. Clearly, he was hoping something would happen and he’d get to see us in action.
“Yes, on both counts. I have some business with the Guild. Mostly, I want to check it out, find out more about it. Rumors are one thing, seeing it with your own eyes is another.”
“Hah! That’s the truth!” If he hadn’t been sitting across the table, Lance probably would’ve tried to clap Master on the shoulder. Instead, he settled for slapping his palm on the table. I nearly jumped at sound, and I realized why I had felt a little weird by the situation: I wasn’t used to sitting at a table. It was almost enough for me to forget to be quiet.
“Yes, well, it’s an early morning, it might be best if Princess and I got some rest.” Master stood up, trying to politely excuse himself from any further conversation.
The kid must have felt the need to chime in. “Might as well, it’ll be our last night in a bed for a few days.”
The three of us went our ways, with Master and I retiring to our room. It was a little early, but Master wanted to get some reading, and with some privacy I’d be able to talk again.
Maybe the talk of fighting was weighing on Master, because I saw him going over the parts in his spellbook where he had created more combat-oriented spells, like the ice lances I had seen him use before. “What do you think? Are we in over our heads?”
“I dunno. We’ve done okay in the past. Captain Aesis and Lance would’ve been in a lot more trouble if we hadn’t been there.”
“And we would’ve been in a lot of trouble if they hadn’t been there.”
“Well, if they hadn’t, we wouldn’t have been there either. Things go as they go, we just do what we can in the moment.” I yawned, curled up on the bed next to him, not wanting to get in the way of his studying.
“Hm. …Spoken like a dragon, I suppose.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I huffed softly.
“Living in the moment, not being concerned for the future. Just seems sort of… animal in thinking. Nothing wrong with that.” He reached down to pet my head.
I pulled away, though. Huffing louder, I turned to face the other way. “It’s not like I’m not concerned for the future. I was the same way when I was a human. I can’t control the future, all I can do is try to take the best step I can in the moment and hope for the best. You aren’t the only one stressed about what happens with the Crown and our debt and all. There just… isn’t… a lot I can do about it… You’re the one with the magic and the thumbs and the ability to talk to people without freaking them out and all.”
“…You’re right, I’m sorry, Princess. Sometimes I forget you were ever human, instead of an animal that gained the ability to speak. And it’s not fair to you to think I’m the only one worried about things.”
“It’s just… frustrating. But getting frustrated doesn’t help, so I try not to let it get to me. Or let it show, when it does. I wish I could do more, but I don’t even make a good assistant.”
“You do fine, girl. You help a lot, it’s good to be able to bounce ideas off of you.”
“You could do the same with a rubber duck. I don’t understand most of the magic talk, you just talk out loud until you hear the mistake in your own voice.” I could hear my voice start to waver, threatening to break.
“You can sense magic, you can fight a lot better than me, you tracked that thief when nobody and nothing else could have done so. And you keep me company. You’re a friend. You saved my life, several times. A rubber duck can’t do that.”
I stayed silent. If I tried to speak up, I’d probably start crying. As it was, I had to fight not to sniffle. I couldn’t even bring myself to look at Master.
I felt him move on the bed, and I figured he was getting into a position where he could reach me even before I felt his hand rubbing the side of my head, near the base of my horn. “Look. You’re… I don’t know what it’s like, to have lost what you’ve lost. But you’re far from helpless, far from useless. If I didn’t have you around, I have no idea how my life would be. Even if you had saved me from Elimaio before disappearing, without you I never would’ve claimed the tower. I would’ve had a small bounty, I would have had food and lodging for maybe a month, but I would have had no idea where to go, what to do, how to live. A month later and I’d have been penniless and lost somewhere. Assuming I wasn’t dead by then. Yeah, the debt is scary, but it’s like you’ve said several times. We’re a team, we’re in this together. We’ll get through it.”
I flinched at the touch, sniffling. Nope, I was losing it, I couldn’t keep it together. It was going to be an ugly cry. Or at least as much of one as this body could. Less cry, more ugly.
“You have it right. Take the best step we can in the moment, and hope for the best. See? I would’ve gotten lost in worry instead of being able to focus on what’s in front of me, if not for you. A rubber duck can’t do that, either.”
I buried my head into his chest, sniffling more and whimpering. “It’s… it’s scary. I mean, you don’t know what it’s like, half the people we meet look at me like I’m going to crap on the floor or sneeze and burn down the entire building. Others look at me and tally up a price list of every part of my body or imagine what they can make out of my hide. Apparently my hide is made out of some sort of magic cocaine. And now I’m feeling the weight of eggs with every step, I feel like I’m about to be waddling around because of… of… I mean, they’re eggs! Inside me! And then they’re gonna hatch into what? Dragons? Dragons with human minds? Dragons with human parts? Humans with dragon parts? What’s inside them? What’s going on? I don’t know!”
Master kept stroking along my neck, holding me close, pulling the blanket around us to block out the rest of the world. “Shh… It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens, happens. We’ll face it together, okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t… realize what it was like for you. I get upset when they treat you like a dumb animal, but at the same time, I can’t just correct them. But as much as it stings me, I didn’t even think about how bad it must be for you.”
“It’s… I mean… It is what it is. It hurts, but… at least you don’t think of me like that. I thought. But then you said that, and it just… felt like you ripped my heart out, you know?” I curled up tighter against him. With my head pressed against his chest, I could hear his heartbeat like I was using a stethoscope. It was reassuring, and with the blanket, it helped make it feel like the rest of the world didn’t exist for a moment.
“I didn’t mean to. I know you’re not like that. We’re partners. We help each other.”
“Yeah. You’re right. …Am I a good partner?”
“You’re the best, I couldn’t ask for a better one.”
“Thanks.” I still sniffled a little, but being here in Master’s arms, it helped. As long as I had Master, I could face a scary world full of humans looking down at me and judging.
The morning came, and I woke up first. I licked Master’s cheek softly, yawning hugely.
“Ack! Wet!” Master flailed a little with his hands, squirming as he woke up with a start. “Oh, Princess. Nnh, surprised me, I guess.” It was his turn to yawn, looking at the window and the light filling the room. “Who needs an alarm clock, huh? All right, all right, I’m up.”
I hopped down off the bed, tail wagging a little. “It’s kind of exciting, though, isn’t it? A big caravan thing. I bet they’ve got fancy seats and carriages and stuff. And we’re going to a place with all sorts of magic stuff. A real life magic guild!”
“Exciting. Mostly I’m worried it’s going to be all bureaucracy and paperwork and pompous windbags. ‘Our reputation is everything’ and all.” I giggled at the impression of our visitor last week.
“Yeah, but, like, I bet they have all sorts of libraries and shops and stuff. They could answer so many questions!”
“I’m sure libraries and shops and answers are for Guild members only.” Master stretched, getting himself dressed again.
“You never know. Besides, you could always join. Mister Stick-Up-His-Butt said you could even skip the entrance exam.”
“Yes, but– Mmh, no, I guess I should try to stay optimistic. It’s just hard to not worry that this is all going to be a waste of time. Sorry.” He leaned down to pet me, before helping me get into my harness.
“Yeah, you never know what we’ll find.” I wagged my tail as he tightened the last straps in place, and we headed downstairs to meet the rest of the group.
We had some time to get breakfast, which meant the wife of the innkeeper duo got a chance to fawn over me again. It was a little embarrassing, but it was better than being chased outside, I guess.
After eating, we killed time until the caravan manager stood up and started bellowing at the group. “Everyone heading to the Mages’ Guild, it’s time to start heading to the wagons! Follow me to the East Gate, everyone stay with the crowd! No refunds if you get left behind, and it’ll be another month before the next trip! Or you can walk!”
There was murmuring, and most of the crowd was younger adults. It was reminding me of a group of college freshmen mixed with a renaissance faire. Master and I followed along, noticing a few other figures in armor like Lance, probably other guards. We weren’t being paid, but we weren’t being charged either. One of them pointed in our direction and said something to a friend, but I couldn’t make it out. Most likely, Lance had told them about us, or the caravan manager had.
The East Gate was a lot like the South Gate we normally went through. Impressive the first few times, but we’d been to Winselton enough times that it didn’t really stand out to us anymore. I still looked around, the already-tall walls seemed even bigger to me, since I padded around with my chin around waist-height for most people. There was a collection of carriages and wagons, as this trip doubled as a supply line for the Guild, it seemed. Along with a group of passengers, one of the “guards” was put with them per carriage. I hoped we wouldn’t end up with the kid from last night, and I was glad to see him go into one and be followed by an armored figure I didn’t recognize. After that, Lance climbed on board the last passenger carriage, which just left us to take a position in one of the supply wagons. We settled into a spot, using some of the boxes as furniture with a blanket for padding.
For the most part, it was blessed silence, just the stepping of hooves from the animals pulling the vehicles and the bumping of the road. I spent a lot of time with my head on Master’s lap, watching him go over the book he brought and write an occasional note into a book. I was just glad to not be surrounded by the scents of a group of people, and to have the freedom to doze quietly during the trip.
We stopped for a mid-day meal, as well as to make camp for the night. The carriages didn’t have enough room to have everyone sleep in them, so most were on the ground in bedrolls provided by the carriage. Maybe ones who paid extra slept inside where it was covered, I don’t know. The boxes weren’t comfortable enough to sleep on, so we joined the rest of the guards outside. Conversation was pretty minimal, and I got the feeling that most of them were mercenaries who didn’t know each other well. They swapped a few stories, and Lance told the tale of how he single-handedly thwarted a dangerous group of Brotherhood of Shadows members from taking root in the city. Well, with a slight amount of help but mostly cheering on, he admitted, seeing both Master and me staring at him. Master declined to tell a story, stating that life as a secluded mage didn’t lend itself well to exploits. I think he just didn’t want to brag.
The second day was much like the first, with a chill wind beating at the cloth covering the wagon we were in, whipping the edges about. It wasn’t until about an hour after the mid-day meal that there was a commotion outside, causing the group to be brought to a halt. We peeked out curiously.
“And I said, this road belongs to US now! And we demand a toll, from such a large group tearing things up!” A figure stood in front of a decently-sized group of rough-looking meat-heads, all dressed in bits of armor rather than any sort of uniform.
“Had you stopped to consider why this road was ‘unclaimed’, you might have realized the Mages’ Guild won’t take kindly to brigands. I say again, you really should rethink this claim of yours.” The caravan manager eyed the group, staring down their leader.
“The Mages’ Guild is a bunch of paper-spined pansies with their heads in the clouds. I’m sure they’ll understand the need for ‘protection’ and be willing to pay the price. And I’m sure a bunch of rich kids with no training will have quite a bit of ‘protection money’ to spare, if they don’t want their career cut short before it even starts.” The rather rude man brought out his sword to punctuate his use of the phrase “cut short”, which I’m sure he thought was clever wordplay.
Master sighed, patting my head. “Guess we’ll have to earn our ride after all. I thought he was too eager to accept another guard.”
The mercenaries had apparently thought the same thing, as they came out of the carts and came together behind the manager. We followed suit, we didn’t want anyone claiming we weren’t willing to uphold our word, after all.
The manager looked back to see us standing close, hands already on sword hilts. “As you can see, we’ve already got plenty of ‘protection’. Last chance to back down and head somewhere else, boys.”
“There’s only six of you. Seven if you fight too, old man.” The other bandits were drawing their swords, or reading whatever weapons they had. This was about to get ugly.
“Hey, boss, isn’t that a dragon?” One of the less-bold bandits called out.
“Shut up! It’ll go down the same as anything else if you put a sword in it!”
That was about all the time they had to discuss strategy, as Lance and the others charged forward. Six mercenaries, and one mage and one dragon. Against eight bandits.
Lance’s sword clashed against the bandit leader’s, sending it wide and opening him up to a punch from Lance’s free hand, which made him stagger backwards.
A low grunt from another mercenary signaled that he’d been hit with a heavy club, but he was able to bring his shield up to deflect the second hit.
Other metal clanged and clashed, I simply couldn’t keep track of the chaos in full detail.
Lances of ice shot from behind me into the crowd of bandits, the ones that were trying to circle around past the defenders. One shrieked and went down as two lodged in his chest and stomach, the other held a bleeding gash in his arm. “They’ve got a mage, boss! You said they wouldn’t have a mage!”
“Take him out, idiots!” The bandit leader tried to swing at Lance again, but his sword caught the blade, and the leader got a kick in the gut for his trouble.
I heard Master start chanting another spell, but then a wet sound of impact cut it short as the wind was driven from him, an arrow piercing past his ribs and hitting a lung. He collapsed to the ground as I watched, coughing with blood on his lips, the horror of the sight making time seem to stop completely. He wasn’t completely out, but he was on his knees and struggling to even stay there. I looked back at the bandits and saw one with a bow raised, having just fired an arrow. I let out a piercing roar, claws digging into the dirt as I rushed forward.
I felt a sword glance off my scales, with my movement and the angle it couldn’t get through the hardened plates before being deflected. I’d go after him next, but my eyes were locked on the bowman. I was dimly aware of the sounds of combat continuing, but it was like they were far away. I had broken through their “front line”, as much as they had one, and collided with the bowman that let out a scream before he went down. Claws first, wings spread as I jumped through the air, blocking out everything from his sight other than Angry Dragon.
I remember clawing and biting, and I remember his body hitting the ground, and I remember a shriek coming from next to me. That bandit had started to turn to face me, terror in his eyes but a sword in his hands. I guess he remembered what his leader said, but that advice was missing a key part of dealing with a dragon: To get a sword in it, you have to get close to it first. And that wasn’t going to happen if it decided to breathe fire at you.
The charred body crumpled to the floor, others having backed away from the heat. The scream and the smell must have been demoralizing, at least one broke ranks and tried to flee. I wasn’t going to let any of them get away. The rest were made short work of, between their distraction and the mercenaries’ swords.
My wings flapped in the air as I chased the runner, landing on his back claws-first. I was still enraged at these men who Hurt my Master. I raked my claws, tearing off armor, tearing through his back, and I didn’t stop until well after the screams did. …I don’t like remembering it.
With the fight over, I was able to take a moment to clear my head and look around. Master wasn’t the only one injured, two others were being set up and tended to, while others who made it through were fetching medical supplies. Master was sitting up against the side of one cart, and I could tell he was still breathing, but only barely and it was labored.
I sped back as fast as I could, Lance watching over them with everyone else gone. I tried to crane my head back to reach one of the pouches on my flank, where Master had stowed a few healing potions, but I couldn’t reach it well enough to get it open. It was securely shut so it wouldn’t come open by accident, and that worked against me now. Lance must have heard my whimper, as he knelt down and tried to pat my shoulder.
I looked at him, then back at Master, and knew what I had to do.
“It’s gonna be okay, dragon. Good dragon, just–”
“Shut the hell up, Lance.” Okay, maybe I could’ve been nicer to the person I needed help from. I was kind of panicking.
“Wh… What? Did you just–”
“Talk, yes. Look, this pouch here, I need you to open it, now.” I did my best to indicate it with my nose.
“Uh, okay, but–” He was untying the clasp, a leather strip that wrapped around a metal piece that was like a button.
“I’ll answer questions later!” I hissed. “These are healing potions, get one to Master, and the others can have ones too.”
He got the pouch open, pulling out the small vials. They weren’t too potent, but they’d at least stabilize the wounded. Master was definitely hurt the worst, so Lance took one and knelt in front of him.
“If he can’t drink it, pour some on the wound, and have him drink the rest if you can.”
“Yeah, okay. Sorry, it’s just… You can talk?” At least he was following directions while stating the obvious. I’d have had to bite him if he wasn’t.
“Don’t tell anyone, it’s… a long story. I’ll tell you more in private, just help my Master. Please!” Hey, at least I finally remembered, well, some shred of manners, right?
Lance nodded, and with the arrow removed and the wound closing, he brought the rest of the bottle to Master’s lips, pouring it down his throat now that he was no longer coughing up blood. I watched as the pain clearly eased, and he was able to rest better. I didn’t even watch Lance take potions to the other two men, I stayed with Master and put a paw on his leg, whimpering softly.
After a few breaths, Master opened his eyes weakly, still panting heavily, but at least he wasn’t coughing up blood anymore. “Thank you, Princess. No… rubber duck… could’ve…” His hand was weak as he put it on my shoulders, leaving behind a mess of blood, but he slumped back and passed out. It was a restful thing, though, his breathing strong and clear, so I just stayed with him, my head on his chest to keep an ear on his heart.
We had stayed where we were the rest of the afternoon, making camp here. The wounded mercenaries had recovered pretty well by then, and the bodies had been disposed of, placed in shallow graves after being stripped of valuables, an ear taken from each for the purposes of proof and bounties, I suppose.
Lance had told the others the potions used were brought by Master, that they had been part of my gear, but thankfully he didn’t tell them exactly how he knew which pouch they were in. The others assumed it was because Lance and Master already knew each other, I think. Master was finally awake again, sitting up and slowly eating a bowl of stew.
I was still sitting at his side, unable to relax my guard even though the threat was gone. Maybe the adrenaline was still flowing, I’m not sure, but I was carefully watching everyone that approached. The two wounded men had come over and given him their thanks, which Master confusingly accepted. Lance came by and shooed them off, demanding they let the poor man rest after his injury.
The armored man sat next to us, leaning against the cart and watching the bustle of the campsite. “So, what a day, huh? You seem to be feeling better.”
“Yeah, they said they had you to thank for that? Though they’re thanking me too. I’m… not sure what happened, exactly? I remember the fight starting, then pain, then I was focused on just trying to get enough air. And then the pain stopped, and then I woke up.”
“You took a nasty arrow to the chest. We won the fight, but we almost lost you. Princess was carrying some healing potions, she said you’d made them beforehand.”
“Yeah, I was going to bring them to–’She said’?” Master looked at Lance, then at me.
“Uh, yeah, I… had to tell Lance about them. So he knows I can talk now. I couldn’t reach them myself, and I don’t know if I could’ve used it. I needed his help.” I looked down at the ground, my tail curled a little between my legs.
Master raised an eyebrow and looked to Lance.
“Oh, sure, I have my questions, but I figured you two would talk when you feel better.”
“That’s… kind of you to consider, Lance. But yes, Princess is a lot smarter than other dragons. It was a surprise to me as well.” He reached down to pet along my neck, and I purred softly. “She always amazes me. Not just with her mind, but with her heart as well.”
“Mrrrer, Master…!” I blushed, pulling a wing up to try to hide my face, but pulling it over his arm so he didn’t have to stop petting.
“Hah, I suppose! No wonder you don’t need magic to keep her tame, then? Or is magic the reason she can talk? I remember in our earlier adventure, someone tried cutting off her collar. Did that…?”
“There’s no magic in my collar, Lance. I obey because I Trust my Master, he’d never give me a command unless he had to. And he Trusts me to do what’s needed. I want to help out however I can, because he’s a kind man who deserves all I can do and more.”
“There’s no ‘and more’, Princess. I’m happy just to have you with me as a friend, you don’t have to do anything more.” I mewed a little again at the talk, blushing once more.
“Spoken like a true pair of partners. I had someone like that, once… It didn’t work out, she thought I was holding her back out of jealousy, but really I just wanted to protect her. But because I was scared of her getting hurt, I didn’t see how skilled she’d grown, so I still treated her like a greenhorn. We’ve talked since then, but the wound is still too fresh for her to let me apologize yet.” Lance took a drink from a mug he had brought with him. I could smell the alcohol from here, and it smelled as unappealing as it had when I was still human. If Master could smell it, he didn’t show a reaction.
“Well, I hope that we don’t break apart. I don’t know what I’d do without Princess. Even if I had a steady life, it wouldn’t be the same.”
“Without Master, if I had to be wild or a stray or something… I don’t know I could do it. And I can’t imagine anyone else I could be close to like this.” I rested my head on his chest again. The wound had closed completely, though there might be a small scar there. The shirt was definitely a mess, with a big hole in the chest even if we got the blood cleaned out of it.
“Well, I wish the two of you the best of luck. And don’t worry, I have no reason to tell anyone your secret. Besides, who’d believe me if I told them I met a talking dragon? They’d think I was drinking the really hard stuff!” Lance laughed loudly, about to pat Master’s shoulder, but stopped. “Oh, almost… Don’t wanna hurt you when you’re healing.”
“Again, thank you for your consideration, Lance.” Master smiled at the mercenary. “I know I’ve been asleep for a few hours, but I still feel like I’ve gone days without sleep, so I think I’m going to get some rest if that’s all right.”
“Sure, sure, no problem. I’m going to head back to the others, there’s still stories to tell.”
I curled up with Master as he settled in to sleep. I wasn’t going to let anything harm him, I’d burn any mosquito out of the sky if I had to. The last day of the trip would probably be uneventful, but I’d make sure Master got all the rest he needed. After all, as soon as we arrived at the Mages’ Guild, there was no way to anticipate what would happen.