“Hmm… That is not a subject I spend much time on, I fear. A perusal of my library would be necessary, but it would take time. Though I do know of someone who could help, an acquaintance of mine, the lord of Plainshold. His knowledge of the… unsavory arts… is unmatched in this region.”

Damn it! Fine… I guess if finding this person will help, then that’s as good as I can ask for.

“How can I meet him?”

“Oh, well, that shouldn’t be a problem. Plainshold is to the southeast or just about, you should be able to find it without much difficulty. It’s a town somewhat larger than Oakhold, with earthwoven walls. Mage-made walls, that is. You can tell by the veins appearing in them. It really is quite fascinating! Those mage veins will allow a skilled mage to restore the walls without much difficulty, which makes besieging Plainshold rather difficult, since a mage can simply restore the damage done to the wall!”

His ranting aside, I see a potential problem here... I’m pretty sure that this buddy of his managed to get himself eaten by some creature. Instead of letting Wreyn go on and on about magical engineering, I’m just gonna be honest here.

Giving Wreyn a quick rundown of yesterday’s events, including killing that guy Lauren pointed out, Wreyn simply strokes his beard and doesn’t seem fazed at all as he shrugs.

“That would be one reason why I don’t want a Dragon as my enemy. Walls do well to keep all manner of creatures out, but what good did they do to keep you out? From the sounds of it, the walls were not even a consideration. Add to that how unpredictable you can be, and you would be a fearsome foe to have crossed."

I'm not sure about that whole fearsome foe bit, and I'm kinda curious what else he thinks about it. "How come you didn't kill me when we met if I'm so scary?"

"An excellent question with a simple answer! We all have plans for the future, and you have the potential to be a powerful ally in making mine a reality! And it was no lie that I want to know more about your kind, but Dragons tend to be... uncooperative."

Okay, well, that's not ominous at all. I do want to know more about these plans of his, but I don't want to get too sidetracked by distractions. So, being the responsible and reliable person I am, I bring his focus back to the subject of mind-control.

"Of course, I will study my books to find out more about mind magic, but I need to know, Kira, who do you think has had their mind altered?”

I don't like thinking about this subject, but he needs to know, I guess... Lauren is growing on me, and I know that if I’m right, there’s no way she won’t hate me, but I don’t want to be selfish when it comes to someone’s feelings like that. It’s obvious that she should despise me. Unloading all that I know about Lauren and what we’ve been up to on Wreyn causes him to furrow his brow.

“Yes… that is peculiar. If such magic has been used, I suspect my mage sight will be able to see it once I am near enough to inspect her. Though do not discount the possibility that what you describe is simply who she is, some folks are curious like that. Another possibility is that her God has intervened and affected her outlook, though such a thing is rare. From what you describe, she has no doubt been afflicted by the Warrior’s Burden and Remorse of the living…”

He just brought up a bunch of things I don’t know anything about…

“Wreyn, I don’t know about any of that! What am I supposed to do here?! If she’s affected by some mind magic, I want it removed!”

“Calm yourself, Kira. We will deal with this situation of yours as best we can. A simple plan will help keep your mind clear. My suggestion would be that I study the subject, and while I do so, you may go north and hunt. Neithro will be here shortly, and the two of you can go together. He quite likes you, you know, which is not something I could have predicted.”

It’s like ants are crawling under my scales, and I want to just break something to solve this. I don’t like the idea of Lauren being under the effect of some weird magic to make her like me more... I can’t do anything while Wreyn studies up on the magic involved.

“Fine!… I’ll go hunting… Where is Cranky? I wanna get going.”

“Right here. Greetings, Captain. Kira’s Sareff ti Hewasei ewon Vanyan’s Henwasob, E muto Qor fersora bera, tio er wesr pi dubira Kira ufuri E to. [Kira's friend is suffering from Warrior’s Burden, I will go help her, but you need to distract Kira while I do.]

“Ilaninae. [Understood.]”

As I get ready to tell them off for not including me in the conversation, Neithro pulls out a potion and chugs it, after which he’s quick to touch me, and I feel the telltale magic of a Mind Bridge Potion. I can still growl at them for excluding me, though!

“Why was my name mentioned twice, Cranky?”

“Lord Wreyn had some sensitive information to share and mentioned how you’ve decreased crime in our little town. I must say, I enjoy your direct approach to such matters. Having a hideout destroyed by a Dragon is a remarkable deterrent for others of their ilk.”

For some reason, I feel like he’s trying to distract me, but I’m not sure enough to push the matter, or what else I’m supposed to do. But I do want to just do something, and hunting is an excellent option. I hope Wreyn finds something in those books of his. I like that Lauren is warming up to me, but if it’s just because something is influencing her, then I don’t want it. Nobody should have their minds altered against their will.

“Where should we go, Cranky?”

He’s quick to don a smile and a vicious gleam in his eyes. "We will be going north, of course. You ended up getting called away on our way there, though I can’t say I blame you. I would have done the same in your situation. As Tuiran is yours, so is Oakhold my priority, after all. But I must admit that I find myself curious about how well you’ll handle an unknown bestial foe.”

At the very least, I can say that I’ve handled every beast I’ve fought, but I’ve also struggled a lot. This reminds me that I really need to do something about these wounds I’ve gotten throughout the last few days. This is gonna suck, and I don’t like it... Lauren may have healed me, but the scars are still there, I hope that the scales will regrow to be the way they used to.

Taking hold of my magic, I force it into the affected areas and searing pain hits me like a boulder to the face, but I think it’s working. I do find a distracting thought as my magic works its… magic… One thing that is very clear is that I have no problem sustaining wounds in battle, but outside of fighting, I’m a delicate little dragon!

As I react to this expected assault of my own doing, Wreyn seems to have been caught off guard.

“By the Gods, Kira! What is happening to you?!” Yeah, he seems a little worried. Maybe I should have let him know before tormenting myself…

“It’s okay… I’m just healing some damage to my scales. It’s a neat trick Lily taught me, but it's very uncomfortable…”

“Hooh… Yes, I could imagine it being uncomfortable… What you did was not healing, it was forced regrowth. I have never witnessed that before, truly a remarkable sight to behold! You must teach me as much as you can about yourself!”

“That’s enough, Wreyn. We all have things to do.”

We do have things to do, and I really want Wreyn to find something to help Lauren. It must be scary for her to have her feelings suppressed like that. I know I don’t want anyone forcing me to feel certain ways, if anyone tried, I’d rip them apart before they could.

Giving Neithro a nudge, I lower myself to the ground so he can hop on, but that doesn’t seem to be what he wants to do.

“I’ll fetch my mace before we leave. I thought it was unnecessary last time, and that was a mistake.”

“Get weapons attached to you, like my claws. They’re great!” Getting up, I give him a little demonstration, letting a little magic flow into my claws, I scratch lines in one of the larger stones. He just waves me off and walks away, I’m gonna follow him. Last time we were here, he just fetched his weapon from a guardhouse, maybe this time, it’s at his place!

Leaving Wreyn to his studies, Neithro and I saunter through the streets, and folks have very mixed reactions. Most are scared, but a few seem excited to see us.

“Cranky… Can I call you Cranky, or would you prefer Neithro? Either way, why are people so scared? And why do some seem to be happy?”

If I had to guess, it seems my questions gave him something to think about because he stopped moving and now he’s facing me. And then he turns to face the people around us.

“People of Oakhold! You don't have to fear Kira! She is the Guardian Dragon of Tuiran and she is here to help secure our neighbors to the north and defeat the beasts that threaten them! No doubt you have heard about what happened yesterday, but you should know that Monrai’s gang threatened one of her people! So what should we call someone who invites a Dragon's wrath?”

The crowd seems to murmur and I have no idea what they’re saying, but I like where Neithro’s little speech is going.

“I’m hearing some say moron, idiot, and dead. And you are all correct! Only a hell-cursed fool would do something as moronic as pissing off a Dragon! If you know someone who aligns with the unsavory elements of our great town, encourage them to turn themselves in and they shall be punished for their misdeeds, but the wisdom of their action will be considered and their punishment will be lenient! You have my word as Captain of the Guard!”

Most of them seem quite relieved as he stops talking. I guess it worked, and as far as I can tell, the people seem to accept all that stuff he said, which I’m gonna say is a good thing. I don’t want to stand around here all day, though, so prepare to be nudged, Neithro!

“Enough of these distractions, Cranky, let’s get moving. I want to bite something.”

“Yes, that should be done elsewhere.”

About time we start moving again. If he stops to give another speech, I’m just gonna knock him over and stop that nonsense. We’ve got things to do so we can return and find out what Wreyn has learned.

He leads the way down a narrow street and I can’t follow… Dang it! Fine… “Cranky, I can’t fit in there. I want to see your place and how you live!”

“Wait there, I will be back in a moment.”

I don’t like this, I keep getting in trouble when I’m without escort in this stupid town... If anyone tries anything sneaky, I won’t hold back this time. I'm restless, and I need to do something. Hurry up, Cranky!

"Cranky! Hurry up! I want to kill stuff! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

All of a sudden, with no provocation at all, a window opens, and Cranky leans out, looking quite cranky.

"I am hurrying! Be quiet!"

Geez, why is he so cranky, I'm the one who has to wait for an eternity... The position of the sun may disagree, but half an eternity later, he finally arrives and we continue our trek through the streets of Oakhold. And would you look at that, I didn't even get attacked this time.

I wouldn't have minded if our journey through Oakhold had taken us by some food, but no such luck. I need to focus anyway, so it might be for the best.

"Hey Cranky, do you want Raya to apologize? And why did you leave instead of just telling her not to do it?"

"I don't need an apology. I left because I was furious. I've got an image of who I'm supposed to be, and I've been maintaining that image for years. But ever since meeting you, I've been given a silly nickname, I've fallen from a mount, and a much weaker being has managed to strike me."

Oh, that does sound frustrating. "If you don't want me to call you Cranky, I can stop."

"No, it is not a problem. It is a good reminder of why I should be less stiff in my conduct. My skills, achievements, and titles don't mean a thing to someone unfamiliar with my history. I should work to be more approachable. Do remember the title though, it's Captain Cranky."

That sounds like personal growth! Good on you, Captain Cranky! With that settled, I need to think of a new subject to occupy myself with, but I'm not sure what... As luck would have it, I don't have to think of anything because the gates are up ahead! I can finally get out of this town!

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Leaning down, Captain Cranky is quick to mount up and we're off toward the north! I'll finally get to bite something! I hope we get further north than that village this time, I'd rather hunt a fun beast than boring bandits.

We're at the bandit village, and the buildings are still burnt, so I'm not sure anyone has been here since Captain Cranky and I left it. I can't imagine people want to move in when those who used to live there were killed.

"Captain Cranky, will this village be left abandoned, or will someone move in?"

"It is unlikely anyone will settle here this late in the year, but vagrants with nowhere else to go might take up residence. And if they survive the winter, they might rebuild. That is most likely the way your goblin friends found their home."

That sounds nice, so the village might find new life. Wait, if they survive the winter? That sounds pretty bad! Maybe I should visit and check on them over the winter. It's possible that I can help anyone who moves in. That's for later, though, I want to focus on what we're here for.

"What are we looking for, Captain Cranky?"

"A villager from the north arrived in Oakhold two days ago, he had information on the beast and, as far as he knows, it has made its home in the hills up ahead. Keep your nose out for any scents of blood or that of a large predator."

Sounds simple enough, but I'm gonna take us closer to the ground. The whole thing ends up taking quite a while, and I'm on the verge of getting too bored when I hit a wall of smell. Something is scent-marking this area because I smell both old and new urine. I hope this is the beast, because these scent marks are potent and they make me want to challenge whatever lives here.

"Captain Cranky, we're in someone's territory. Get ready."

Feeling him readying his mace, I take us to the ground. Having learned how much of the smell my wings displace, I know that we'll need to stalk this target. As soon as we land, he dismounts and he's definitely ready for a fight.

Scenting our surroundings, it becomes clear that this beast has circled recently. I'm not sure why, but I want to head northwest from here. I don't wait for Cranky to comment before I head off.

"Can you tell where it is, Kira?"

"No, but it's not far."

Following the territory border, I track whatever it is. A weaker scent hides beneath the urine, the smell of the beast itself, and now I have something specific to track. I guess tracking urine is also specific, but now I have the scent of the animal itself!

For something hiding in an open area, it surprises me how hard it is to see any markings left by this animal. It's clear where I've been, though. The soft ground gives way to my claws far too easily.

The smell is getting more intense, so we're getting closer. I'm also picking up a hint of decay, suggesting we're closing in on a feeding area. Following the trail, we crest a small hill and patches of dirt become easy to spot. It buries the remains of whatever it eats. That's clever.

We continue onward and go into the feeding area, I want to find out what this thing eats. If it isn't what we're looking for, I might leave it alone.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to know if we're hunting the right animal."

Raking my claws across the soft soil, bones jut up left and right. This beast is a proficient hunter, and it makes me want to hunt it regardless of whether it's the right one or not. Cranky bends down and starts inspecting the bones with a scowl on his face.

"There are dwarven, lizard, beast, and human bones here. This is far worse than we expected. We need to stay alert, Kira."

"Cranky, barrier your body now!" He's quick to respond, and I chomp down on him. The barriers hold, and I rush into the air. We don't get far as something latches onto my tail. It pulls me off-balance, and as we hit the ground, Cranky is ejected from my maw. Turning around, I see the problem, a very large fox has my tail in its mouth!

The dang thing has six legs and is almost my size! How did that thing sneak up on me?! We'd be so screwed if I hadn't smelled it at the last moment. I don't have time to think about all that, I need to get my tail out of its mouth.

It yanks on my tail as I try to turn around, forcing me to stay pointed away from it. Dang it! Using my fantastic neck, I turn my head and look directly at Foxy and unleash a flame, but it isn't having it. Foxy bites down, trying to sever my bladed tail tip from the rest of me. It really freakin' hurts!

With flames roaring toward it, the dang thing manages to let go before getting burned! After giving me a painful chomp, it just dodged my jet and I don't even smell burned fur. Cranky joins me, and luckily he looks fine. Now that it isn't holding onto me anymore, I turn around and face it.

"Kira, watch out for its teeth! That beast can bite through reinforced plating!"

"Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious, I hadn't noticed because of all the bleeding I'm doing!"

"It will try to keep some distance from you now, so we're safe until it thinks of something."

Well, that's good to know, some leeway is nice as we come up with a plan. At the very least, I'm gonna stop the bleeding. Foxy is just staring us down, and it makes me want to attack first, but I'm pretty sure that's a bad idea with something like that. As far as damage goes, it has taken the lead, and I don't like that.

Okay, plan, plan... This thing is fast, stealthy, and has a powerful bite, so how do we beat it?

"What do we do here, Cranky? I don't know how to get close to that thing, it's much faster than me."

"It's fast, but it doesn't have your strength. That's why it hasn't attacked us yet, it isn't sure it can overpower you. We need to retaliate when it attacks us."

"How is something like this even real?! That thing is so big!"

"Do I need to point out that you are a Dragon?"

"Okay, you shut it until you come up with a plan, Cranky. I don't want to have to rename you Snarky."

And now he's smiling at me. Focus! We have to deal with Foxy! The fox is still staring at us, so I throw some flames towards it, but it doesn't even move. Okay, that's a bad sign. I hope it hasn't figured out my range already.

"Can you fly away? If we get it to hunt me, I can protect myself with my barriers, and you can use the opportunity to strike."

That sounds like a really bad plan, and I don't want to risk his life like that. What if I'm late, or it circumvents his barrier? If he gets caught in those jaws, he'll die. Question is, do I trust him or do we think of something else?

Fine, I trust him... Turning around, I prepare to take off. I don't want to fly over that thing, it can no doubt jump high as well.

"Kira! It's coming!"

Shit! The beast closed the distance in no time at all and leapt at my wing. I think it tried to ground me, but it met Cranky's barrier, preventing it from raking my wing. Swinging my tail to strike back, it dodges me with ease. I don't like Foxy, the bastard is too quick.

There's a special kind of frustration bubbling in me as I'm prevented from flying because it hasn't succeeded in ruining my wing. It's back to keeping distance from us, and I just don't like that one bit.

"Any ideas, Kira? I don't believe it will allow you to fly."

"Get on me. If it tries to bite me from behind, hit it. I'm confident I can kill it if it tries a direct attack."

He does as I say, as I lean down. At least like this, I won't accidentally leave him vulnerable by having to move away. The fox doesn't seem to react to what we're doing, seeming content to watch. What happens if I move closer, I wonder.

Doing just that, the fox runs away at an angle, so I give chase. If I keep it in front of me, it can't attack without putting itself at huge risk. I thought I was a fast runner, but now I'm feeling like all of this might have been a case of me being a big fish in a small pond. I can't think about that right now, that'll just worry me.

We continue chasing the fox, and it continues to keep its distance. Stupid, clever fox.

"Kira, take flight to close the distance."

It stopped for just a moment... Instead of continuing the chase, we stop and the fox mimics us, it's frustrating how well it reacts... If I can get a hold of it, then I can kill it, but it won't let me! Let me eat you, Foxy!

Instead of just standing around, I start chasing it again. I need to try flying toward it, even though I doubt it will work. That thing turns far better than I do, which is another problem. If it dodges me, it can turn around and attack me anyway because of how agile it is.

Regardless of all that, I take flight and charge at it from the air, but just as I expected, it turns out of my path and avoids me without much effort.

"Any ideas, Cranky? I'm not coming up with anything. It's a very bad match-up for me."

"How well can you fly straight up? I should be able to block attacks from below."

I don't like the sound of that 'should,' but I don't have any better ideas. Spreading my wings again, I prepare to take off and the damn fox shimmers! It shimmers, and I can't see it anymore! What kind of nonsense is that?!

Okay, screw all that being clever stuff, it's time to be a dragon! Unleashing my flames, I pump magic into them and scorch the ground around us, making sure to turn around to get that burning ring of fire effect. If Foxy wants to get near, it'll have to pass through the fire as my flames consume the landscape!

"Kira, I can't breathe!"

I continue my jet of flame, but as I do, I dig a small pit under us. It should be enough to keep him safe from the smoke.

"I've made a hole, get in and protect yourself from the smoke!"

I can't see anything for the smoke, but I'm gonna guess that neither can that fox. And if I had to guess, based on a very basic understanding of biology, I'm gonna say that the fox does not have a third eyelid for flying and keeping smoke out of its eyes. What it does have is a nasty dry cough.

As I stop my flames, the smoke starts to clear, but I want to help Cranky out a bit, so I beat my wings a few times to speed up the process. The smoke clears, but a few areas keep smoldering and smoking, it shouldn't prove problematic for us. Some distance away, I see the fox trying to hide, but judging by the burnt patches of skin, it got too close to my fire.

Before I celebrate prematurely, I'm gonna check on Cranky. Nudging him, he seems conscious, but I suspect he'll want a break after this whole situation. Perhaps Lauren will be up for throwing some healing magic his way.

"Are you okay, Cranky?"

"I will be fine. This has been a stark reminder of why Wreyn wants your help and the risks to Oakhold if we end up crossing you."

"Pfft, I wouldn't hurt Oakhold or anyone in your town."

"You've killed three adventurers, three criminals, and ruined five buildings. So far."

"You shouldn't dwell on the past like that. Besides, we've got a fox to find!"

As far as I can tell, he doesn't mind my destructive tendencies so much because he's smiling at me as I lower my head for him to hop on. He's quick to do so, and I start toward the fox. It's still very fast for something wounded, which surprises me. I would have thought that smoke inhalation and burn wounds would slow it down more, but the fox just keeps going.

It is afraid now, so I doubt it will turn around and attack, so I take flight and close the distance in a very short time. It tries to pivot, but it trips and falls to the ground. Finally, I can get a taste of this thing! I've been looking forward to that ever since it showed up.

Standing by the beast, it looks like it barely has enough strength to stay awake. And it's shrinking. Why is it shrinking?! That means less food for me!

"Why are you shrinking?! Cranky, make it stop!"

"What do you expect me to do? I don't know how this beast works!"

Before I realize it, the dang thing is tinier than Cranky, and it even changes shape into some sort of tiny person. Dang it! And I miss my opportunity for a large meal! I guess I'll have to settle for a tiny snack. Tiny snacks are still enjoyable, so I'll be fine.

"Please, spare. Apologize I attack. Must defend home."

I knew it! I knew this thing understood us! That's why it reacted to Cranky telling me to fly! Now it really deserves to be eaten!

"Kira, I believe it might be a spirit."

"Are spirits edible?"

"Not to my knowledge, but that is not what I was trying to point out. Dwarves and lizards are both spirit-centric peoples. It's doubtful that a spirit would kill and bury them."

This is starting to sound an awful lot like me missing out on more food...

"Well, then what killed them, Cranky? Because as far as I know, something is hunting people."

"Spirit, what killed those in your care?"

"Dead beast. I send next. Gone."

I have no idea what that means, but the 'gone' part sounds like a third missed food opportunity... I didn't even get to bite the large fox...

"So I don't get to eat the spirit?"

"No, Kira. Spirits are protective guardians. Should you kill this one, this area will be vulnerable to dark magic. Might I suggest that I buy you a few meals in place of what this spirit would offer?"

"I'm not that easy to bribe..."

"You know what the turning point for my opinion of you was? Your willingness to listen and think. I judged you barely above a mindless beast, but you've shown me to be wrong several times. Your ferocity is impressive, but you remain within the reach of reason."

It's pretty obvious that someone filled him in on my weakness to flattery...

"Okay, fine... I won't eat the spirit... But you have to tell Raya that she bested you in combat or there's no deal!"

"It is possible my assessment of your reason was incorrect..." He may say so, but that smile and chuckle make it clear that he's making fun of me.

"Cranky, how did the spirit do what it did?"

"Spirit arts are not one of my specialties, so I can't tell you how it performed such magic. But I can tell you that the beast it mimicked is very real. They can be found to the east of here."

Well, that's promising, but it doesn't help me now. What am I supposed to do with the future having fun fights and edibles when the present has neither?

"Kira, we should leave the spirit to rebuild its strength. Night is approaching, and I'm sure Wreyn will be in Tuiran by now."

Why would he be in Tuiran, he's supposed to be studying... Yeah, I need to find out what's going on with that. Spreading my wings, I give them a beat and a moment later, we're airborne. For a moment, I thought I forgot Cranky, but he has been on me since he got out of the little hole.

"How is your breathing, Cranky?"

"I will recover, though I do hope not to be caught in an inferno such as that ever again."

Yeah, I can see that. It can't have been comfortable for him to be in the middle of all that fire and smoke. On the topic of fire, I need to make sure I have magic left because I'm pretty sure I used a bunch on all those flames.

Reaching for my magic, I find that I'm... doing okay. I shouldn't go into another fight, but I'm not about to fall out of the sky. Or heal my tail, but that can wait anyway. Think of...

"Cranky, do you know why that spirit risked itself by going through my flames?"

"You were destroying its home. I would imagine it wanted to stop you as soon as possible."

I guess that makes sense, but that's also very reckless behavior, it could have died! Reckless spirits aside, I'm looking forward to getting home and finding out why Wreyn went to Tuiran without me. Knowing how my magic is doing, I'm confident I can speed up our flight some more, so that's what I do. Why did we have to be so far north?! I want to go home!

By the time we reach Tuiran, it's quite late in the evening, and the empty square reminds me that I have missed food stall day! My hardships just keep on piling on... And I'm gonna make that someone else's problem!

"Lauren, you get three guesses to figure out who's back!"

judging by the distant exclamation I heard, I'm decently confident that she could hear my mind message. Which means she's still in town!

“Cora tiai nuia? [What was that?]”

Oh, I guess the potion wore off, I should find Joras so he can help us talk again. Letting Cranky down, I decide to just wait here. I'm sure people will come now that I've alerted Lauren to my presence. While waiting, I head into my den, and someone has been here, I can smell it.

The leather pack on that unfamiliar table is also helpful evidence. So it's pretty clear to me that I completely forgot about picking it up after I commissioned it. I wonder if it still fits, I have grown since then. Nudging it, I see all sorts of straps and buckles.

I'll have to figure out how to work it later. I'm sure the leathersmith person made it dragon-accessible, but I'd like a quick demonstration. Naturally, I make sure to check on my small pile of money, and as far as I can tell, it's all there. I love you, small pile of money.

"Kira! Get your scaly ass up here!"

Well, Lauren sure is fast. I don't feel like I spent that much time down here, but it was enough for her.

"Kira!"

"I'm coming up, Lauren!"

Judging by the very furrowed brow, glaring eyes, and her being all around pissed, I'd guess she isn't in a good mood.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! You sent a mage to examine me because I was honest with you?"

"In my defense, I didn't expect him to come here. He was supposed to research mind-control. I thought you might have been mind-controlled to like me more since you have a lot of reasons to not like me."

"I know why you did it! Wreyn explained it to me. Not hating you does not mean I’m affected by mind magic, it means I can see that we were wrong to do what we did. So don't send any more mages my way, got it?"

"Geez. I was trying to look out for you. The scariest thing I've experienced was someone using mind magic on me. So I may have jumped to conclusions..."

"Thank you for trying, you silly beast..."