Satisfied with their meals, Kinsoriel and Benjamin went to sleep shortly after. Dreams were part of Wex’s domain, being a way to filter the knowledge of the under mind. His devotees held them in high regard, even those with less zeal like Kinsoriel. Questions that plagued him during the day could often be solved after a dream filled night. Why didn’t this spell work as well as it should? What form should he make his home? Those sorts of things. Perhaps he would be given an answer to any of his many new problems. Even if it were to come in the form of a nightmare, he would take it.

He dreamt of nothing. The void between when he closed his eyes and opened them ate up his night. He awoke no wiser than he was when he went to sleep. Well, it was never a reliable way of getting answers regardless. He sat up a bit and stared at Benjamin’s still body. He snickered. He didn’t need his dreams to fix his problems. He already had all he needed in this loon.

He cleared his throat loudly. “Ahem.” The human didn’t stir. Kinsoriel scowled, repeating himself louder. “AHEM.” Benjamin twitched, but nothing more. Inhaling deeply, he shouted. “WAKE UP!” That was more than enough. Benjamin leapt up in shock with a yelp and a panic stricken look.

“Shake off your torpor, I need you aware and coherent.” Kinsoriel pulled himself up into a sitting position, waiting for the deathbound. Despite a sluggish start, Benjamin sat up promptly.

“A-alright then,” Benjamin stammered, “how c-can I help you?”

“I want to know more about this curse. You will tell me.” He watched the man’s face closely, making sure he was telling the truth. Benjamin looked like he was recalling what was asked of him, but he was left aghast. Kinsoriel peered closer, trying to detect what was amiss.

“I… It’s… gone.” Benjamin said in a way implying a revelation. Everything was still much bigger than they should be, so that was clearly false.

“No it isn’t,” Kinsoriel said with an annoyed growl, “don’t toy with me. I know my real height.” Benjamin… almost seemed to cower?

“That’s not what I mean, I… I don’t know how it works anymore.” He looked up at the dragon with a deep look of distress. “It was taken from me.” Kinsoriel could feel his left eye twitching as he heard this. “But! But just wait one second!” Benjamin said, his hands up defensively, “I still know who will!”

His tone, posture, smell, and facial expressions all made him out to be very nervous. Unfortunately, they didn’t show him to be lying. That meant that this was the truth, as far as he could tell at least. Kinsoriel was frustrated to be given yet another delay. He had wrongs that needed to be righted, and the sooner the better.

“Ugh, why couldn’t you just be like every other deathbound. How could you forget something like that overnight!? Is there a hole in your head?” He tried to ease his bitterness by rubbing over the base of his horns. It didn’t help.

Benjamin meekly corrected him. “I didn’t forget, it was taken.” He looked over at the firepit. “He took it.” Though he had immense hatred for the majority of mortals, Kinsoriel couldn’t help but feel sorry for the mad man. If he was an instrument of the gods, they ought to have hammered out the kinks before they used him. He might have put him out of his misery if the circumstances were different.

“I don’t need any of your excuses!” He roared, causing Benjamin to flinch. “Just bring me to the one who can actually help me then!”

“O-of course!” Benjamin stood up, bowing himself a little. “Follow me!”

Interesting. Just yesterday, he barely showed any fear towards the dragon. What he saw now was closer to what he was used to when interacting with deathbounds. No, there was actually a large difference here. Deathbounds only ever act like this when they realize just how weak they are, when their lives are threatened. The little author wasn’t in immediate danger from the dragon, he had managed to get him to promise as much. Could he have figured out the loophole in his wording? It wasn’t impossible, but not likely.

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Moreover, he wasn’t trying to bargain for his life or begging for mercy. Instead of that, he was displaying an eagerness to please. He still had no idea what happened yesterday to make such a large change, but Kinsoriel wasn’t complaining. A more servile deathbound would get on his nerves far less often after all.

Kinsoriel silently agreed, giving the go ahead with a gesture. They traveled all of ten steps before his guide came to an abrupt stop. “What now?!” The dragon whined.

“Umm… I don’t know where we are right now.” Benjamin admitted, putting a hand to his face. Before Kinsoriel could devolve further into his aggravation, the little author put a finger up. “I’ve got it!” He turned back to the dragon. “Where’s the closest human city?”

Kinsoriel couldn’t help but groan as he recalled. That particular den of pests was more than a few days out, but that wasn’t the problem. The city, Ferroes as it was called, was a hotbed of those hero types that loved marching off to fight him. While he wouldn’t mind culling some more of those vile creatures, especially the ones he most recently encountered, it wasn’t a wise idea.

There were few areas where mortals had an advantage over dragons, but one of them should never be forgotten; numbers. Even the greatest of all dragons would fall if put against a sufficient number of deathbounds, a fact he knew all too well. Combined with his cursed condition, it would be a very real risk. Was the little author trying to lead him into a trap?

“And why would we bother going there?”

Kinsoriel watched closely as Benjamin answered. “If I could get a map, I could bring you to a person who can help.” Once again, he seemed to be telling the truth. Considering who it was coming from though, it could just as easily be what he thinks is the truth. His worries weren't curbed, but he couldn’t afford not to go along with it either. A precarious position to find himself in.

With an exasperated sigh, he relented. “If it can’t be helped, I suppose we can take a short detour. You can go in by yourself though, I won’t be anywhere near there like this.”

Benjamin gave a curious look. “You’re not coming?”

Kinsoriel rolled his eyes. “I said nothing of the sort. I’ll be far enough away so they don’t notice me. Now…” Kinsoriel opened his hand and put it in front of the little author. “Let’s get this over with.”

Benjamin stared at his hand with a stupid expression. “What?” He asked, now looking back up at the dragon.

“Hurry up already!” The dragon exclaimed as he pointed to his hand, “I don’t have time to dawdle by walking.”

“Oh! Sure, alright.” Benjamin slowly clambered into his palm, his claws grasping the squishy man securely.

The thought of simply crushing him crossed his mind, but he obviously didn’t try it again. That spell, or rule, or whatever it is, was probably still there. He needed him for the moment, and he was still bound by his word, so this wasn’t a lost opportunity either.

With a flex of his wings, he started flapping furiously. He left the ground moments later, flying off towards his destination. The feeling of pushing through the wind always managed to cheer him up, even now.

His fear of being seen with this deathbound paled when compared to the thought of walking with him for nearly a full week. If anybody wanted to call him a Canon Breaker, he’d refer them to the wretch in his land first. As far as he was concerned, any action he took to punish the real blasphemer was more than justified. That’s how he would say it should it come up; he still hoped that it wouldn’t in the first place.

Trees whistled by as he flew, the smell of pine making for an extra pleasant flight. He had to make sure to not fly too close the ground though, lest his temporary servant pop out of his hands.

In little under an hour, they arrived where he would wait. He landed with a soft thud, Benjamin less so. The little author just laid on the ground for a moment, trembling.

“Is-s-s-s it-t-t-t-t over?” He chattered

Why was he… Oh. Right. A deathbound’s lack of scales made them vulnerable to anything and everything. Even a little wind could make them wilt.

“Not yet,” Kinsoriel said while lifting him back onto his feet, “Ferroes lies about two miles ahead over there. Go.” He pointed a claw towards the city.

Though dazed, the little author snapped out of it enough to nod and get moving. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

No questions, no talking back. Now this was an attitude he could get used to. If he continued like this, the dragon could see himself taking the man as a pet when all of this was said and done. Right now though, he had to play the waiting game, and he was prepared. “Pocket.” He said as he opened up his little storage space with a finger. He reached in and pulled out one of his few surviving books, content to pass the time reading.