"Your hair!", Aletta exclaimed in horror as Cale came down the stairs, followed by William.

"That bad?"

"Did you cut it yourself?"

"Yeah?", Cale confessed with confusion, running his hands through his hair before Aletta came up to him and stopped in front of him with wide eyes.

"You cut it oblique, didn't you notice?"

"It'll grow back."

"No, no, no. I'm not letting you go out like that. No one can take you seriously like that. Wait here, I'll get my scissors and cut it straight for you", the little woman directed and hurried past them both up the stairs, causing Cale to follow her in wonder and then smile. Turning his attention back to the kitchen, he could see Ben serving fresh food, looking at him.

"For you", the big swordsman declared, setting the plate down on the covered part of the table. Cale could feel his heart beating faster as he saw his friend's loving gesture.

"Thanks, nice of you."

Cale took a seat at the table where Philippa was also seated, about to eat small nuts. Ben took a seat next to her, only William remained standing at the kitchen counter, watching Cale from a safe distance. He was obviously thinking about what Cale had told him earlier. With relish, Cale took a large gulp of the juice to his left before beginning to polish off the rice meal before his eyes. The others were silent, which is why Cale looked up at Philippa and Ben in confusion after the third spoonful.

"Did something happen?", he inquired. Only now did Cale realize that Grischa was no longer there. He had still been in the apartment when Cale had started bathing, but he had completely ignored the fact that he had left.

"Cale...", Ben raised his voice cautiously, which caused the mage to pause in his movement. Behind him, Aletta was just coming back down the stairs, but no one turned to her. "...you can take a break once in a while, you know."

Confused, Cale looked at Ben and lowered his fork.

"I know? What made you think of that all of a sudden?", the High-Magician replied in wonder, shifting to Philippa, who had a surprisingly depressed look on her face. Aletta came to a halt next to him and placed her delicate hand on his shoulder, causing the mage to look up at her.

"They're worried about you, Cale. You've been on the limit for weeks and we can see that", the healer explained calmly as Cale turned away from her and looked back at Ben.

"Oh, I see. You don't have to worry, I'm fine. It's normal for us High-Magicians to work a lot. I know when it gets to be too much for me."

"It's not just about work", Philippa spoke up. "I don't know what you're worrying about so much, but it's easy to see the strain on you. If it gets to be too much or you need someone to talk to... we're here for you."

Surprised at the archer's words, he looked at her speechlessly for a few moments before putting on a smile and continuing to eat. He took two bites of the delicious meal before responding to the statement.

"I know I can count on you guys, but thanks anyway", Cale calmly replied, shoving another mountain into his mouth as he turned his attention to the food in front of him. Aletta, meanwhile, took a seat next to him and placed her scissors on the table while neither of them said a word. The three Anuxers remained wordlessly seated at the table, while William leaned against the wall, watching Cale eat lunch just like his friends.

"Cale", Ben finally raised his voice after a while, but Cale didn't look up. He lowered his fork to the table and held his hand in front of his face as he fought tears.

"I'm sorry", the mage replied convulsively, closing his eyes just before a tear ran down his cheek. He wasn't sad, no. He was happy. Knowing that the four of them were so worried about him pleased Cale, though he wanted to avoid them doing so. "Quite a lot has happened in the last few weeks."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"You don't have to apologize for it", Aletta explained with a gentle smile on her face, before Cale wiped the tear from his face and turned to his food. "You're allowed to feel like a normal person once in a while, too. No one is mad at you for that. And if there's anything we can do for you, just let us know."

"That's what friends are for", William interjected from the sidelines.

"It's quite enough for me to know that you won't be hurt. If you want to do something for me, please be careful when you leave the apartment. No matter where you go."

"We will", Aletta confirmed the statement.

<"I'm here, human child!">, Fengari called out in a cheerful voice between them, which is why Cale unexpectedly flinched. The dragon had arrived at the Magistrat and was suppressing her mana as promised, which is why he couldn't sense her. <"Are you crying?">

<"Shut up">, he just threw back, annoyed and looked down at the food. There was still half of his meal left, but he had lost his appetite.

<"It's okay, I didn't see anything">, Fengari replied mockingly. Cale sighed, which caused Aletta to let go of him. When he looked up, he could see that his friends were looking sympathetically, which is why he smiled.

"Thank you", he repeated and stood up. None of the four replied anything as Cale reached for the glass, drank the fruit juice quickly, and carried all the dishes to the kitchen counter at once. Even William, whom Cale passed, had the same, depressed look on his face. "I'm going to be gone for a while... I have to take care of some, important things that can't wait."

"Okay", Ben replied quietly.

"You're welcome to cut my hair later, if the offer still stands, Aletta", Cale added, turning to the healer. She just nodded while Cale pulled on his coat, darkened his eyes and tied his black mane. For a moment, all his friends looked at him before he walked towards the kitchen door, the others following him with his eyes.

Without another word, Cale disappeared from the room, leaving the others with an uncomfortable mood, but he now had to worry about the dragon on the roof of the Magistrat.

With long strides, Cale hurried down the hallway and headed up the stairs that led toward the Magistrat's observation tower. He could sense various sources of mana along the way, but largely ignored them. However, when he noticed the Eldest, he unintentionally stopped for a moment and looked down at one of the small windows. He spotted the Eldest walking down the hallways with Aaron as they talked. However, when Aaron looked in Cale's direction a moment later, he abruptly hid behind the wall and withdrew his mana. It wasn't as if he was forbidden to enter, but Cale didn't want Aaron to know what he was doing. He slipped under the window and crept briskly up the stairs before opening the narrow door in front of him and being met by an unexpectedly strong wind.

Holding his hand in front of his face in surprise, he glanced around as he exited into the open-top of the tower, examining as he let his gaze glide over the blue roof of the Magistrat.

"Fengari?", he called out hesitantly, and a moment later a small figure loomed over him. The small, blue dragon camouflaged itself almost perfectly with the Magistrat's roof color, but that she could be above him was something Cale had not expected. Like a cat, she lay in wait for her prey.

"You're late", she announced, slightly offended, and fluttered her little wing toward Cale, who held out his arm. Wordlessly, Fengari took a seat on his arm and gingerly clawed her claws into his skin. It didn't hurt, but it was still clearly palpable.

"How exactly did Palaios manage to shrink your figure like that?", Cale inquired curiously. Seeing a four meter tall dragon make itself comfortable on his shoulder, Cale found fascinating. She had literally shrunk.

"It's his ability", Fengari explained, who was now only about the size of Cale's head. "He can change his size at will, and since he can pass the ability to others, I am now able to do so as well."

"I see", Cale merely brought forth. "Is it possible for Palaios' ability to disappear?"

"Impossible!", Fengari exclaimed indignantly. "For that to happen, Palaios would have to die... whereby? If you block his mana with your Igrikum, then I would also regain my true size."

"Which I will not do."

"Logical", Fengari interjected with amusement.

"I forgot the sweater", Cale abruptly stated the next moment. Due to the impromptu conversation with William, he had left the small sweater in the dressing room and currently he was just carrying around some uniforms in his zero magic that he couldn't use.

"Sweater?", Fengari repeated, tilting her head to the side, making her look unexpectedly cute.

"Yes. It's very obvious that you're a dragon, even though you're so smaller."

"Then change my appearance", the little dragon on his arm demanded, spreading its wings so that Cale's head dodged to the side.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Didn't you tell us that you can change your appearance? You have the abilities of a shapeshifter, if I remember correctly", Fengari interjected. "Regardless of how this gift found its way to you... haven't seen a shapeshifter in probably four hundred years."

"So they're really that rare?", Cale inquired puzzled.

"Extremely. Whereas I also only think of humans as shapeshifters who possess the pure form of that ability", Fengari explained, moving her wings up and down a few times. "So, what are you waiting for?"

"What?"

"Use your abilities."

"I can't... even if I'm a shapeshifter, I can only change my own appearance", Cale admitted, taking a few steps closer to the door to avoid being caught by the winds the whole time.

"And why shouldn't you be able to do that to others as well?", Fengari retorted challengingly.