Vur sneezed.

“Are you cold?” Stella asked, peering at Vur’s face from his head. She had to cling onto his hair to prevent the wind from blowing her off.

“No,” Vur said and wiped at his nose with the back of his finger. “It feels like someone blamed me for something I didn’t do. It was probably Snuffles.”

“Oh,” Stella said. “How much longer until we get to the party?”

Vur shrugged. “About an hour, maybe more, maybe less.”

***

“Emile, are you alright?” Tafel asked, poking the stiff phoenix as she ran for her life. “I need some mental support here.” Her horns glowed silver, and a white light enveloped the duo, teleporting them forward by a few meters, just enough to avoid a rampaging dragon’s tail strike.

“Stop running!” the massive silver dragon shouted as its body whirled around to face the direction Tafel was running in. The dragon’s chest expanded as it sucked in a deep breath.

The hairs on the back of Tafel’s neck stiffened as goosebumps ran down her body. Her horns glowed silver again, and she disappeared before reappearing off to the side. A beam of light passed by her, causing her skin to blister from the heat. The light destroyed everything in its path, leaving behind a line of scorched earth with bits of lava. Tafel gulped and ran while channeling her next teleportation spell, silently cursing the dragon in her head.

“Those who attack my children shall die!”

“Your daughter attacked me first, you stupid lizard!” Tafel shouted back. She gritted her teeth as she ran through the fields towards a nearby forest.

“You tell her, big sis!” Emile said, sitting up in Tafel’s grasp. He yawned and smacked his beak a few times. “That no good dragon matriarch is a bully! Wait until Mom finds out about his.” He sniffed and stuck his beak into the air while puffing up his chest. “Ah, I’ll go call her while you distract the big lizard.”

“She’s the dragon matriarch!?” Tafel teleported ahead again and avoided another beam of light. “She’s trying to woo Vur too!?”

“Yup,” Emile said as he crawled out of Tafel’s grasp. He flew into the air, wobbled a bit, then crashed straight into the ground. “Ugh, I feel sick.”

“Mom! Stop!” Lulu shouted as she flew towards Kondra. “We were fighting over a mate.”

“Fighting over a mate or not, anyone who attacks my children is a no good person,” Kondra said, barreling past Lulu. “If she were a pure-hearted person, she’d be cleansed by my holy light instead of purged. The only reason she’s running is because she knows she’s not a good person!”

“You crazy reptile!” Tafel shouted. “Even the trees were destroyed by your laser beams!”

“Trees don’t have hearts; they can’t be pure-hearted,” Kondra said as she flew into the air. “Stand still!”

That damned dragon logic again, Tafel thought, a whimper escaping from her throat. She weaved through the trees and dove to the right, just in time to avoid a massive boulder hurtling towards her. “If, if you kill me, Nova will never let you off!”

“Nova!?” Kondra shouted. A shockwave resounded out of her, accompanying her roar. The trees around Tafel groaned and buckled before flying out of the ground, taking the earth around their roots with them. Tafel screamed as she was thrown forward along with the trees, tumbling into a heap of branches and leaves. Before she could orient herself, a gaping maw spewed a hot and damp breath on her, causing her to freeze. Kondra pinned Tafel to the ground with a single claw, piercing through her shoulder. The dragon’s eyes narrowed into slits. “What’s your relationship with Nova?”

Tafel gasped and shuddered as blood poured out of her arm and onto the ground. She bit her lower lip and glared at Kondra, her horns glowing silver. As she was about to teleport away, Kondra opened her mouth and roared in Tafel’s face, causing bright lights and stars to dance in the demon’s vision. Tafel’s chest rose up and down in violent spasms as she gasped for breath.

“Mom! Stop! Really!” Lulu said and tackled Kondra. She pushed her mother’s claw out of Tafel’s body and rested her snout against the bloody wound. White light enveloped the gash, causing the flesh, sinew, and bones to wriggle and reconnect. “Hey. Are you alright?”

Tafel squinted at Lulu, her vision hazy. “Your mom’s a lot scarier than you.” She sat up and clutched her shoulder, sweat dripping from her pale face. Her breaths were slow and her movements stiff. “Remember you said you gave up. Dragon’s honor.”

“Yeah, I did,” Lulu said and sighed. “How about we share Vur? You can have him for six days of the week. I’m okay with just one, really.”

“No.”

“My…, my own daughter attacked me?” Kondra muttered to herself while lying on her side. She hadn’t moved since Lulu had tackled her. Her wide eyes narrowed into slits as she clenched her claws and slammed her tail against the ground. “It must be that girl’s fault! Anything related to Nova is evil!” She climbed onto her feet and sucked in her breath, glaring at Tafel.

“Kondra!” a crisp voice said, piercing through the din. “Do you think my family is that easy to bully?”

“Minerva!” Kondra said, raising her head. A sea of flames swallowed the sky as the phoenix matriarch descended from above the clouds. “Stay out of this.”

“After you attacked my child? How can I?” the phoenix matriarch asked as she landed in front of Tafel. She nudged Lulu aside with her talon. Despite the fact she was a quarter Lulu’s size, Minerva easily pushed Lulu away. She turned her head and blinked at Tafel. “Are you alright?”

Tafel exhaled as the tension left her body. Her eyes watered as she hugged the phoenix. “I’m so glad you’re here. I really thought I was going to die.” She wiped her tears with the backs of her hands and sniffled. She pointed at Kondra. “This crazy lizard attacked me because she wanted to steal my husband!”

Minerva drew her head back and blinked before turning to face the dragon matriarch. “I thought you were happily married,” she said, tilting her head to the side. “Was I wrong? I never thought a holy dragon would commit adultery.”

“Adultery!?” Kondra asked. She glared at Tafel. “What are you accusing me of? Liars need to be taught”—a glowing white light appeared in her mouth—“lessons!”

Minerva snorted and blocked the beam of white light flying out of Kondra with a wall of flames. “I don’t want to fight you, Kondra.” Her eyes narrowed as the flames in the sky flared and roared like a river. “Why don’t we—”

Another beam of light slammed into Minerva’s wall of flames.

Minerva sighed. “Stay back, Tafel.”