As afternoon turned toward evening, Old Jim, the crotchety owner of the Jim’s General Goods, chewed on a stalk of grass as he gazed out over the town square from his rocking chair on the front porch of his shop. He had missed the commotion earlier, when people out and about in the center of town claimed that they spotted dragons for a brief few seconds, there and then gone, right smack dab in the middle of the square. Personally, he thought it was probably some sort of mass hallucination, because… dragons? In the town of Creeping Vine? That was preposterous.

“Hey, Old Jim,” a burly farmer from the outskirts of town said, walking up onto the porch.

“Hey, Sturdy Sav,” the old man replied. “Come to trade your hard-earned coin for some tools?”

“Seeds, actually. Preparing for the summer planting – it’s only six weeks away. So, what’s this I hear about dragons?”

“A bunch of rubbish is what. Can you imagine? Dragons in Creeping Vine?”

“Dragons!” someone in the middle of the square screamed, pointing at the sky. Sav and Jim looked up and their jaws dropped. Spiraling down toward the square were two dragons – or beasts that looked a lot like them. And riding those dragons were a reptile person, a little girl, and…

“Is that the Flamme boy?” Sav said in disbelief. “That hair… it has to be!”

The dragons finished their descent, landing with a pair of thuds in the square. Sure enough, Jim realized, that was the Flamme boy, who left town five years ago to be a traveling scholar. Rai was his name, if he remembered correctly.

Rai dismounted, then helped the little girl dismount from the other dragon before the lizard person followed. Jim noticed that a strange cyan-furred creature stretched out on top of Rai’s head – a creature that looked like a cross between rabbit and fox and was wearing a jeweled tiara. Rai approached with a smile.

“Old Jim! Sturdy Sav! Good to see your both still kicking.”

“Rai Flamme,” Sav said, shaking his head. “You’ve certainly grown up. When you left you were still growing into your own as a man How old are you now?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Riding dragons,” Old Jim said incredulously.

“Technically, they’re not dragons. They’re drakes. Think of them as the lesser cousins of dragons. True dragons are as smart as people. Drakes are beasts, though some of the most intelligent beasts around.”

“Even so,” Sav said. “You’re definitely not just some young scholar chasing dreams of the Tower Era anymore. I heard rumors that you had actually discovered Tower Era ruins. Is that true?”

“It is. And I couldn’t have done it without my partner here.” Rai gestured to the reptile person, who had come to stand beside him. “This is Isa Bloodscale, strongest warrior on the continent. And that’s no exaggeration.”

“Nice to meet you,” Isa said with a grin that made Jim shudder. She looked like a true predator that might just eat him. “So, Rai, who are these two?”

“This is Sturdy Sav, one of the farmers, and this is Old Jim, the owner of the general store.”

“Men who know the value of effort,” Isa said approvingly.

“You don’t look down on farmers?” Sav said curiously. “I know that a lot of knights, soldiers, and mercenaries do.”

“Why would I? To tame the earth itself is no mean feat. I respect anyone who pushes themselves to their limits, who understands the value of effort, dedication, and determination. Not everyone has the same path in life. I’m a warrior, but that doesn’t mean I think warriors are superior to others.”

“Who’s the kid?” Jim asked after a moment.

“My apprentice, Sylvie,” Isa said.

“H-hello,” the girl said with a small wave and a shy smile.

“A… what are you, Isa?” Sav said

“I’m a saurian.”

“A saurian taking a human child as an apprentice?”

“That’s right. What about it?”

“Nothing, I guess. I just thought it was odd.”

“Well, it was good to see you,” Rai said, “but I’d best be getting home. Is my family doing well?”

“Go see for yourself,” Jim said.

“I will. Come on, Isa, Sylvie.” He turned to the drakes and said something in another language, and the beasts followed behind as they left.

“I think I need to lie down,” Jim said after a moment.

“Today is definitely a day of surprises,” Sav agreed.

-x-

Rai led the others toward the edge of town, where a dirt road wound away from the population center and up a hill, at the top of which stood a large house. It was no manor, but it was two stories tall and about eighty feet long. There was a large vegetable and flower garden off to one side as well as a shed a little further afield. On the other side, there was a fenced in area where several fluffy purple sheep grazed on tall grass.

“Well, this place certainly looks a little different. When did we start keeping sheep? And that shed is new, too.” His brow furrowed thoughtfully. “Did my sister get married? I really should have kept up with my family after I left…”

“Well, you have the chance to reconnect now,” Isa said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Lead the way, partner.”

When they reached the front door, Rai hesitated.

What if they hate me for abandoning them? Rai thought. I did disappear for five years and never got back in touch. Admittedly, two of those years weren’t my fault, but they don’t know that, and anyway the other three years were. I…

“It’s be fine, Rai. Stop worrying and knock on the door already.”

Rai raised his fist.

The door opened. A young woman whose resemblance to Rai was clear, even if her hair was light brown instead of red and purple, stood at the threshold, hand on the door. She stared at Rai in shock.

Rai lowered his hand. “Uh… I’m home?”

“Rai?” the woman said in disbelief, shock written across her face. “Is that really you?”

“…Yes?”

“Don’t sound uncertain, you idiot,” Isa said, lightly punching him in the arm.

The woman, who was clearly Rai’s sister, noticed Isa for the first time. Her eyes went wide.

“M-m-m-”

“She’s not a monster, Terra,” Rai said quickly. “Her race is saurian, but she’s a person, just like you or me. This is Isa, my partner in my endeavors. Isa, this is my sister, Terra.”

Terra swallowed, took a steadying breath, and nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry, Isa, I was just… startled.”

“No harm done. Now, I may not be an expert on family relationships, but isn’t this the part where you’re supposed to have a tearful hug or something?”

Terra hesitated, then smiled. “Idiot brother. What took you so long to come home?”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“I have had a lot of adventures in the last five years. You… don’t hate me for leaving, do you?”

“Idiot.” Terra stepped forward and hugged Rai, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “You’re not Dad. I knew you’d come back eventually.”

Rai hugged her back. “…Thank you. I’m sorry I wasn’t in touch.”

“Honey?” a man’s voice called from within the house. “Who are you talking to? Is someone at the door?”

“Leon! My brother’s here!” she called back. “And he’s brought company!”

“Your brother? Rai’s here?”

Terra and Rai released one another. “Come on in – holy moly!” Terra cried, spotting the drakes. “Are those dragons?!”

“Dragons?”

“Dragons!”

In moments, a sturdy young man with black hair and two toddlers with dark brown hair arrived behind Terra.

Rai and Isa stepped back so that everyone could exit the house.

“Dragons!” the two-year-old boys shouted, running toward the drakes.

“Wait! Don’t go near them!” the man shouted fearfully.

“It’s all right,” Rai said reassuringly. “They’re perfectly tame. The blue one can fight, but both of them are perfectly harmless to children.”

The man looked between the toddlers hugging the drake’s legs and Rai, clearly wanting to go sweep the children out of danger but too afraid for his own safety to move forward.

“Are you certain?” he said desperately.

“One hundred percent. Sylvie, will you go mind the kids?”

“Yes, Mister Rai!”

“So… I’m going to guess that you’re my brother-in-law. Leon, was it? I feel like I remember you being one of Terra’s friends.”

“Y-yes, that’s right.” Leon watched Sylvie supervising the toddlers. “Is that little girl…?”

“She’s quite experienced with the drakes,” Rai said. “That’s Sylvie, Isa’s apprentice.”

“Isa’s apprentice…?” Leon looked to Isa. “You’re Isa?”

“That’s right. I’m a warrior, and Sylvie’s my apprentice.”

“I…”

Rai patted Leon on the shoulder. “It’s okay to be a bit overwhelmed. It’s a lot to take in.”

Terra approached the drakes. “Are they really harmless…?”

“The purple one would never attack, even when under attack. Her name’s Paxta. The blue one is a protector, so he would never harm a child. His name’s Skycloud,” Rai said, using Skycloud’s actual name, rather than a modern tongue translation. “It means Skycloud.”

Paxta put her head down to the ground and one of the toddlers hugged her face. Skycloud curled his tail around toward his front, waving the tip in front of the other toddler playfully. He allowed the boy to grab the end of it with a giggle.

“So, are these my little nephews?” Rai said.

“Yes, these are my sons,” Terra said. “They’re twins, Ray and Leo. Ray, Leo, say hello to your Uncle Rai.”

The toddlers released the drakes and turned around. “Hi Uncle!” they chorused.

“What’s an uncle?” one of them said.

“Mommy’s brother,” Terra said. “He’s your family, just like Grandma, Great-Grandma, Great-Grandpa, Mommy, and Daddy.”

“Uncle!” the other one said. “You a hero?”

“Why do you think I’m a hero?” Rai asked with a grin.

“You gots dragons!”

Isa, Rai, and Leon joined the others by the drakes. Rai crouched down. “Can you keep a secret?” he whispered loudly.

“Secrets!” the boys chorused excitedly.

“I am a hero. Do you know what a mage is?”

The boys shook their heads.

“A mage is a person who can do magic. I’m a mage, but not just any mage. I’m an archmage, which means I’m a hero mage!”

“Hero mage! Hero mage!” the boys cheered.

Rai stood up.

“Archmage?” Terra asked.

“I’m a sixth circle mage. I don’t know how much you remember about magic ranks, but basically, it means I’m considered to be on the same level as a legendary hero would be. And considering I’m also a sixth tier combat artist…”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Leon said. “You’re sixth circle and sixth tier? Doesn’t that make you one of the strongest people on the continent?”

“Correct. Isa is also sixth circle and sixth tier, by the way, but while I focus on magic, she focuses on physical fighting. Rest assured that while we’re here, nothing and no one can harm anyone here.”

“I… if you didn’t have the drakes, I would call you a liar. But… you’re serious, aren’t you?”

“Completely. Isa and I are two of the strongest people on the continent. We… have some enemies, but we can handle them easily if they decide to attack.”

“Enemies?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“You can’t expect me to not worry about it when you say you have enemies!”

Rai sighed. “There’s a secret organization at war with the Magic Tower that has tried to kill us a few times. They failed when we were weaker; they stand no chance against us now.”

“A secret organization?” Leon said uncertainly, unsure whether Rai was serious.

“Yeah. They’re an international organization that, like me and the Tower, are seeking out ruins from the Tower Era. Think the kind of secret evil organization from adventure novels.”

“…I don’t read novels.”

“Really? You’re missing out. Anyway, they’re not a threat to us now that we’re this strong. Even if they were to send Champions after us, we’d handle them easily.”

Rai turned to Isa. “Isa, I’m going inside to see my mother and grandparents, since they apparently can’t hear the commotion out here. Will you stay with the others?”

“Go.”

“Thanks.”

Rai entered the house, Braveheart still riding on his head.

“Don’t worry, Mom will.”

Rai made his way to the stairs and up to the second floor. He walked down to the room that used to be his father’s study, but had long since been repurposed into his mother’s library. Inside, a woman in her mid-forties with light brown hair in a single braid sat in a cushioned chair, reading a book in ithe light of a magic lamp and the early evening sun streaming through the windows. Rai quietly entered the room, coming to stand half a dozen feet away. A small smile appeared on his face as he looked affectionately at his mother, who was thoroughly engrossed in her book.

“Yi-meep!”

His mother looked up, startled out of her reading trance. Her eyes widened in shock.

“Rai?!”

“I’m home, Mom.”

She snapped the book shut and set it on the stand beside her chair, immediately getting to her feet and wrapping her son in an embrace.

“Oh, Rai! Elliot send me a letter saying you were dead!”

“About two years ago?” Rai said, hugging his mother back.

“Yes. I’m so happy to see you again! I thought I’d lost you forever.”

“Dad’s a bastard, but he thought he was telling you the truth. I… disappeared for two years, and most of my associates assumed I was dead. You didn’t tell Terra?”

“No, I… I couldn’t.”

“It worked out for the best. She just would have suffered needlessly. Anyway, I’m alive, and stronger than ever.”

His mother hugged him tighter.

“Meep!”

Reluctantly, she let go of him and took a step back, looking up at Braveheart.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“This is Braveheart, my familiar. She’s a magical beast known as a carbuncle. Her kind are extremely rare. She’s a juvenile, but she chose to travel with me. She’s been with me for about two years now. She’s very intelligent – probably smarter than Grandpa.”

“Yi-meep.”

Braveheart jumped down into Rai’s hands.

“Would you like to pet her?”

“Can I?”

“Yi-meep!”

“She says of course.”

As his mother stroked the carbuncle, Rai said. “Braveheart, this is my mother, Elena Esune.”

“You’re so soft, Braveheart!”

“Braveheart says thanks.”

“So, does she live up to her name?”

“Absolutely. She’s as brave as they come, and she’s also quite loving. She’s not my only companion, though. The rest are outside with Terra, Leon, and my nephews.”

“You have more companions?”

Elena walked to the window.

“Are those dragons?!”

“Drakes, actually. They’re the lesser cousins of dragons. Very intelligent draconic beasts.”

“Is it safe for the boys to be playing with them…?”

“Completely. Both Paxta and Skycloud are perfectly tame. Well, Skycloud can fight, but he’s a protector by nature – imagine a large dog that would tear apart an intruder but be as gentle as can be with a child… except that he’s significantly smarter than a dog. Paxta’s a pacifist. She won’t even hunt for food if you feed her regularly, and even if you don’t, she’ll prefer to have Skycloud hunt for her.”

“Are they mates?”

“They are. They weren’t originally, but there was a monthlong period where we had to leave them to their own devices, and they ended up that way. We had to give up the eggs at the time, but if they end up producing more eggs, I think we’ll keep them.”

“And that reptilian biped…”

“That’s Isa, my partner on my adventures. She’s a saurian, though she was hatched as a kobold and evolved. She’s one of the strongest warriors on the continent – possibly the strongest. She’s a mage and a combat artist, like me, but while I focus more on magic, she focuses more on physical combat.”

“So she’s your friend?”

“That’s right. A very good friend who’s been with me through thick and thin for the last three years.”

“Well then, we’ll have to treat her like family,” Elena stated. “Who is the child?”

“Isa’s apprentice. She was a street urchin that we saved from being killed. Isa decided to train her as a fighter. She’s not especially talented, but starting so early should still allow her to reach great heights. Isa’s careful not to overwork her, especially as she’s so young. Her name’s Sylvie – no surname.”

“It’s almost time for supper. Would you like to help me prepare?”

“I’d love to, but I want to see Grandma and Grandpa.”

“They’re napping right now. We can surprise them at supper.”

Rai grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

They moved down to the kitchen. Rai and Braveheart both helped, the carbuncle using Telekinesis to pass things to the others and manipulate dishes. Once the meal was fully prepared, Rai went back outside and took out the magical feed trough from his pouch, which produced a sort of faux meat for the drakes. Everyone but the drakes went inside and sat down at the large table.

An elderly man and woman came into the room.

“Rai…? Is that really you?”

“A monster?!”

“Not a monster, a saurian. And yes, it’s really me. We have a lot of stories to tell…”

The house was filled with laughter as the family ate supper together. When they finished, they retired to the living room, where Rai regaled the others with select tales from the five years since he had last been home, using illusions to illustrate the stories. This lasted well into the night, long after the toddlers had been put to bed.

“We don’t have an extra bedroom,” Elena apologized. “Your old bedroom is the boys’ room now. But we have extra sheets and pillows; you can all sleep here in the living room.”

“Thank you. We’ll do that.”

A few minutes later, Rai closed his eyes in utter contentment and drifted off to sleep.