There’s the mountains! Felix called out, uselessly pointing in their direction. It was late evening, the sun threatening to disappear beyond the horizon. But they had made it to the area.

I know! You don’t need to tell me… Zira snapped, she was growing irritated at his constant questioning and incessant worry.

He lowered his finger, feeling a little ashamed. Sorry… But, I can’t help it. We have to find it tonight–

And we will! I just need you to calm down. Zira turned her head and gave him a stern look.

Taking a deep breath, he gave her a nod. You’re right, we will find it.

Thank you. With that said, she faced back ahead of them.

With the conversation over, he looked to his right. Kyrith was easily keeping up, but the haggard look that Eri had told him they weren’t going fast enough. She isn’t going to last much longer…

You aren’t faring any better than her, Zira retorted. Apparently, she was still listening to his thoughts.

I’m feeling much better, thank you very much, he said curtly. Most of the swelling has gone down.

He felt her roll her eyes. Don’t forget, I took a good chunk of that pain on myself. If I hadn’t, you’d still be in agony. Or worse, you’d have forced Eri to use up the rest of her mana.

Her words took the wind out of his sails.

She continued, We will find the entrance and then we will find a place to land. The two of you need more than an hour or two of rest.

Aside from her short temper, Felix noticed a serious worry hiding just underneath. Okay.

Anyway, she said after a brief pause, help me scout? I’m doing my best to track the densest concentration of mana, but it's taking most of my focus. This isn’t easy…

Right, yeah… I’ll help, and I think Kyrith and Eri are doing the same– Well, maybe Eri. Kyrith looks way too excited.

Zira didn’t respond but he didn’t take it to heart. She won’t admit it herself, but she’s tired too. He made sure to keep that thought away from their bond.

It had been a long and eventful day. Their flight through the storm alone had sapped much of their needed energy. Their rest had pushed them further behind, yet it looked like they could still accomplish their goal for today.

But the sinking feeling that they could have been here far sooner wouldn't leave his mind. In a bid to not fall back into his spiral of anxiety, Felix focused on the ground below them. It did not wipe the worry away but it at least distracted him enough–

A strange dark spot caught his eye. The shadows cast by the sinking sun made it difficult to tell, but this looked different.

Wait, Zira! Turn back, I think I saw something!

You did? How far back? she asked, already banking to the left.

I’m not exactly sure, but we just passed it! He was starting to get excited.

Meanwhile, with no signal warning him, poor Kyrith was surprised by their sudden turn and fought to catch up.

Damn it, we forgot to warn them… Felix waited for the other pair to get near before signaling them that they were close. Eri threw him a dirty look but gave him an acknowledgment.

I’m going to hear about this later, he realized, doing his best to look sorry. Meanwhile, Zira spotted the strange dark spot and began to gently circle it. This time, they did warn Eri and Kyrith.

Beneath them, was the endless forest. But like a stab wound, the trees quickly fell away and revealed a cavernous hole. Rocks and boulders pocketed what open ground there was. Landing there didn’t look like a good idea.

But is it the right cave? Felix thought, peering down. He did his best to recall the shared memory of when Zira first flew out of the sanctuary.

He felt Zira suck in a lungful of air and was no doubt tasting it. It is… she said, unsure at first. It is, she said more confidently before suddenly letting out a roar. Felix, we’ve found it!

Wincing from her war cry, Felix didn’t get a chance to respond as Kyrith let out his own roar.

And after a moment of exhilaration, another feeling began to overtake him. Like a weight being lifted from his shoulders, the tension he’d been holding onto dropped.

He felt relieved… He felt relaxed… He felt tired.

He hadn’t believed Zira about his condition until this very moment. His eyes were becoming heavy, his head began to bob. The rhythmic beat of Zira’s wings was comforting…

Hey, uh, Zira… I think we should find a place to land soon. I… I don’t think I’m going to last much longer.

Zira responded, but already he was having trouble concentrating. All he could tell was a concern of some sort…

I’m going to take a nap, he said before letting out a yawn. Wake me…once we… He trailed off as his eyes closed.

The last thing he remembered was the cool touch of her scales upon his face, the beating of her strong wings, and the pulse of her mighty heart.

Felix fell asleep.

***

Hello Felix, we meet again, a familiar and yet unknown voice said.

W-who… He cracked his eyes open, finding his vision blurry.

A soft giggle could be heard. Relax, you are tired. And your journey is not yet over.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Doing as he was told, he closed his eyes again. But the vague familiarity of the voice ate at him. Who are you?

Mirezabeth, don’t you remember?

Mire..za..beth– His eyes shot open as he tried to sit up. However, a hand appeared on his shoulder and held him down.

I said, relax. I meant it. The playfulness was gone, replaced by that of a mother chastising her child.

Then why am I here? he asked, giving up his struggle. The world around him was a void.

Mirezabeth’s childlike tone returned. Because, I have a warning.

A…warning?

Yes, a warning. There is another plot underway, separate from the vision I showed you. But, I cannot say for sure what it is, because he is involved.

Felix scanned the void, looking for any sign of the dragon goddess. Who is ‘he?’

Her voice took on a scornful tone. The so-called Lord. It would appear he has become aware of my awakening. He is interfering, stopping me from seeing the future.

Without warning, the visage of a young girl appeared before him. Her features were hidden by a pure white light that blinded him.

Felix, listen to me. The enemy is much closer than you realize, tread carefully.

Shielding his eyes from her light, he gave her an honest answer.

I will.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once again, Zira watched with mounting anxiety as Eri carefully checked over Felix. Once again, she was quietly cursing him for pushing himself too far.

Once again, her dream of losing him came to her.

But I cannot truly blame him for this, I share the burden as well… With a quiet, rumbling growl and a disdain for her actions, Zira spoke the question she was holding back.

“How is he?”

Eri, deep in concentration, took a few seconds to respond. “I think… I think he will be okay. From what I can tell, it was just exhaustion.”

The elf let out a sigh, and came to sit above Felix. She casually brushed his hair away as she stared down at him, a tense smile upon her lips.

They had landed as fast as they could, but finding a suitable spot had been challenging. The area immediately surrounding the sanctuary was covered in thick layers of tree and brush. There was no other choice but to fly further away…

As the night set in, it was only Eri and Zira awake. Kyrith had collapsed not long after landing despite his own exuberance. Currently, the ember-colored dragon was snoring quite loudly.

Zira found herself coming closer only to sit as well. She watched as the elven woman continued to express concern for Felix as she worked on straightening his clothes.

A question came to Zira’s mind, one she hadn’t thought to ask until now. “Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?” Eri didn’t bother to look up at her.

“Why do you love him?”

A long silence followed as Eri dropped her hands to her side. “I…don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

The elven woman took a deep breath. “It is hard to put it into words… Here, let me ask you then. Why do you love Felix?”

Zira felt almost taken aback, as if the answer should be obvious. “Because, we are partners. We know each other’s deepest secrets,” she answered matter of factly. “You should know that.”

Eri nodded her head. “You trust him and he trusts you. Your love is built on a trust, so profound, that Felix and I could never have something like that. But, you see, my love for him started from distrust.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean exactly that. When Felix and I first met, I hated him. I hated the very thought that a human could be invited here, could be invited to the Endless Forest.”

Zira gave her a curious expression. “I have seen how you originally acted towards him from his memories. But, even he doesn’t know why you changed.”

“He never asked, nor did I want him to. At least then, anyway. Now, though, I don’t mind telling you, or him.”

“So then, why?”

Eri finally looked up to her. “I simply thought about it. Aluin informed me that Felix and Fea were lovers at one point. And– Felix doesn’t know this either –her and I were friends. I couldn’t understand why she would fall for a vile human.”

“You…thought about it? How so? How did that change your mind?” Zira lowered her head to get a better look at the elven woman.

“Fea would never fall for someone so evil. She was many things, but an idiot was not one. If she fell for him, then it meant there was something good in his heart…”

There was a pause as the elf began to truly smile. “I decided to watch him, and almost instantly realized she was right. The day you hatched, he was injured and still all he could think about was you.”

She shook her head. “You hadn’t even hatched and he was already fretting about you! That’s what sent me down the path of love. Someone like that could never be evil or vile.”

Zira lifted her head and considered Eri’s story. She’s right, hers and my love come from different places. But, in the end, we still love him… Even if that love is different too.

Another thought crossed her mind, an inkling really. It was almost instinctual. “Eri? You said you and Felix could never have a relationship like me and him, is that right?”

The elven women raised an eyebrow. “Something to that effect. Why?”

“Did you know that we dragons can form multiple bonds?”

“I’m aware–” Eri’s eyes widened. “Wait, Zira… What are you saying?”

“What if I formed a bond with you, or perhaps even Kyrith? Surely, with my existing bond with Felix, the two of you could have that kind of relationship.”

Eri froze, her jaw locked open.

“I can’t say what would happen, but I know it’s possible–”

“No!”

The elf’s shout surprised her. “What do you mean, no? Don’t you wish to–”

“No! Zira, you should not offer something like that for mine and Felix’s sake! You should only offer that for your sake!”

Zira cocked her head in confusion. “And what if it is for my sake? What if I wanted a bond with Kyrith? What if I wanted a bond with you?”

Eri looked uncomfortable. “I mean… There is nothing wrong with that, I suppose. But! You shouldn’t rush a decision like that. Bonds may be broken in time. However, it's not a pleasant experience. What if you end up hating me or Kyrith?”

“Have I come to hate you or Kyrith yet?” she asked seriously.

“Well… You weren’t fond of me and Felix being together. You also complained, a lot actually, about Kyrith.”

For a brief moment, Zira felt as small as an ant. “That was before I understood!”

Eri gave her an amused look but did not press the issue. “In any case, I think you should talk with Felix about it at least. Ultimately, it is your decision but the two of you should talk it out.”

“But what about you? Would you accept the bond?”

“I…don’t know. I think I would, but it could be dangerous. We don’t know what will happen. You dragons are capable of having multiple bonds, but can a human or elf handle that? Would I go insane?”

Zira gave the elf a slow nod. “A concern indeed… Then, perhaps I should first form a bond with Kyrith–”

“Wait!”

“–After I speak with Felix, of course. But, somehow, I doubt he would say no.”

“Zira! Wait! Why are you suddenly so interested in this?” Eri asked, doing her best to get the dragon’s attention.

“Because I came to a conclusion.”

The elven woman looked at her perplexed. “And…what conclusion is that?”

“That the two of you should have that kind relationship.” She lowered herself down and brought her snout right into Eri’s face.

“That is what I want.”