Jake gazed off into the distance as Gria's story replayed in his mind. Around him, most of the native Kobolds had left. Only the muttering of a few people showed he wasn't completely alone. Gria was sitting closeby talking with Sandra, while Bolyr and his daughter were whispering at another table. All thoughts about having to make babies with local Kobolds had disappeared from his mind as he tried to remember details from his recent dreams.

The last one had been vivid, and he realized the main thing he remembered was the feeling that he needed to protect others. Who or what could the other part of him be trying to protect? Looking at the soft swaying of the trees, it reminded him of the vegetation at the bottom of the ocean. Another question cropped up. Had he saved someone else's awoken dragon body?

"Gria, after you merge with your dragon self, do you gain all memories of that shape?" He asked out the blue, interrupting the Kobold in mid-sentence.

Gria examined him for a moment before responding. "Yes, you will remember some of it. But I don't know the details and all in our tribe who knew perished."

Jake nodded and gazed back at the treeline.

--

Sipping from some water, Mason observed the others. He was getting bored from just sitting around doing nothing. Besides, none of the others seemed to have noticed what he had, and they needed to hear it. Sandra and Gria were still idly chattering, while Bolyr and his daughter were talking in a language he didn't understand. Emma had fallen asleep, draped across his legs, and Jake seemed to still be out of it.

When another ten minutes had passed, he put the cup down, hard, and slowly picked up Emma, cradling her to his chest. She murmured a bit but otherwise did not stir. Seeing that the bang had not shaken Jake out of it, he walked over and kicked his leg.

"Wake up, zombie. Let's go and find a place to sleep."

Blinking a few times, Jake nodded and got up. "You are right. No sense in moping about when we could be sleeping."

Mason grunted before turning to the other table. "Gria, do you have a place for us to rest?"

"Yes. Normally we don't let outsiders stay in our villages, but we will make an exception this time." She made a peculiar snapping nose with her long nails, and from the shadows, a dark-clothed, blue-scaled, Kobold appeared, startling Mason.

"Bring them to one of the recently built, empty rooms. I will bring Sandra and her sleeping friends after we finish speaking."

The black-clothed figure nodded and walked away, waving his hand forward.

Jake looked at Sandra, raising one eyebrow. She returned him a crooked smiled and motioned him to leave, so he guessed she trusted Gria.

"Thank you," Jake said belatedly, before rushing after Mason who had just up and walked away. Catching up, Jake looked at his friend and finally noticed something seemed wrong. He was about to ask what was going on when he realized the shadowy Kobold was still walking in front of them, so he just silently followed the others.

They moved along a few wooden ramparts, climbed two ladders, before arriving at a small building with two windows and a door. It was made of the same dark wood as everything else, and only the hinges seemed crafted of some dull-looking metal.

The wooden panels that covered the floor in front of the building where sturdy, barely giving under their weight. Waist-high wooden railings lined the edge of the platform, preventing people from falling off. Curious, he looked over the edge and saw the ground was far below, a fall would probably kill them.

"You may rest here," the Kobold said in a low voice, before nodding and walking back.

Jake saw there were at least a few more seemingly empty cabins along the rampart that lead into a dead-end area filled with construction materials.

"Let's go inside," Mason sighed tiredly, pushing open the door.

Jake followed him, expecting it to be dark inside, but instead, a soft blue glow came from a plant that spread along the farthest wall. Two low beds, barely higher than the ground and filled with something like hay, stood on one end while a small table with some chairs finished the furnishing of the spartan room.

Mumbling something about déjà vu, Mason placed Emma on one of the beds before turning around. He and Jake exchanged a look, and something passed between them. Jake motioned towards one of the windows, and they both took a peek out of them. Seeing nothing, they headed to the other bed and sat down at opposite ends.

"So, care to tell me what got you worried? Or is about what Gria told us?"

Mason shook his head and hissed. "Are you blind? Tell me, weren't we supposed to meet some elders? Where are they, and what was that charade we just watched?"

Opening his mouth, then closing it again, Jake shook his head, a look of sudden realization flashing across his face.

"Yeah, finally figured it out? Doesn't it seem awfully coincidental, everything that happened? Some internal conflict happens, we get into trouble, and now it appears we got rescued by Gria and everything?" Mason was whispering, barely loud enough for Jake to hear.

They were silent for a while before Jake's eyes narrowed. "Do you think everything she said was a lie?"

Mason shook his head. "No, because if it is, all those Kobolds deserve an academy award for acting. I think only the old man, Gria, and probably Bolyr are in on it."

Shaking his head, Jake tried to get the sleep out of his brain. "But why? It makes no sense..."

"How should I know? We are on another planet, in another universe, changed into Kobolds and away from anyone we know. Nothing makes sense anymore! For all I know, they did it to see how we would react?"

Sitting there, lost in thought, Jake finally couldn't resist sleep anymore. Yawning, he pointed at Mason, a twinkling in his eyes. "Take the first watch, ok? You can't sleep anyway. Wake me in a few hours when you are tired."

Sputtering, Mason almost choked. "When I am tired, he says. Yeah sure, you go have your beauty sleep, princess." Shaking his head, he grinned, but still vacated the bed.

Jake laughed before stretching out, glad when he felt the coarse straw didn't bother his new scales. Closing his eyes, the last thing he heard was Mason move to the window before falling into a deep sleep.

--

Waking up in a bed with soft chatter on the background, Jake almost thought he had dreamt the last few days. Then some hay scratched one of his scales, and he realized the words where spoken in a foreign language.

Sitting up, he saw it was still dark outside, and the chatter that woke him came from Mason and Sandra.

"Impeccable timing there, buddy. How about you join us." Mason motioned to the ground next to him. They had pushed the table away and were sitting in the middle of the room.

Willson and Brady were standing at the two windows looking outside. Moving over, Jake yawned, and in a flash, a part of a dream he had moments before filled his mind.

--

The cave was dark and wet. Outside of the cave, it was black as night, and the wind howled loudly, blowing wafts of snow inside. Behind him, his brother and sisters were huddled together for a semblance of warmth.

He stared at the scales scattered around the entrance and hissed when he noticed the dried blood sticking to a few. His small siblings keened, and his youngest sister rubbed her head against him. Closing his eyes, he gently hummed, causing the others to become silent again.

He felt a familiar presence in his mind, calming him, and he nudged against it slightly. Not yet.

--

In a rush, Jake felt his mind pushed back inside his own body, disoriented by the sudden change.

"Jake, wake up! What's wrong?"

Seeing Mason's face hovering inches in front of his, Jake closed his eyes when he felt a headache well up.

"I just had another dragon dream." He whispered.

An intake of breath came from Mason, while Sandra hissed. "We don't have time for this. We need to find a way to get out of here."

Jake felt the last remnants of the dream flush from his mind. "Why? What is going on?"

Sandra sat down on the edge of the bed. "Mason shared his doubts with you? Well, after talking with Gria, I've come to a similar conclusion. Something is wrong here. They said we would meet the elders, so where are they?"

Willson made a shushing sound from the window. "Movements on the rampart."

Sandra jumped to her feet, followed by the others, and they spread out through the room. Mason and Sandra blocked the door while Jake stood in front of Emma's bed.

"It's one of the natives, the one who came back with Jake, and he seems to be injured."

"Tergin? Let him in!" Jake said, causing the rest to look at him, Sandra shaking her head in denial.

Jake felt himself grow angry, part of the dream still affecting him, and he stepped forward. "He saved my life twice. If he is injured, I want to know why."

Mason nodded, but Sandra's mouth narrowed, her eyes turning to slits. She opened her mouth, then closed it, sighed, and nodded. Stepping back, she motioned Mason to open the door.

"He is here," Willson whispered, just when a soft knock came from the door.

Placing his hand on the handle, Mason took a deep breath before opening it.

Outside, Tergin huddled against the side of the door, barely able to stay on his clawed feet. Blood streamed from the corner of his mouth, dripping on the floor. A rip along the front of his armor showed a long gash from which blood oozed out. Seeing the door open, he made to step inside but tripped and fell forward. Mason caught him in reflex.

"Put him on the bed and close the door!" Jake ordered.

A second later, they were standing around the bed, looking at the raggedly breathing Kobold.

"Tergin, what happened?" Jake asked, hesitantly examining the Kobolds wound.

The Kobold's eyes fluttered open, and a morbid thought crossed Jake's mind. Was he seriously going to die? This guy had rotten luck to be injured so severely twice within a few days.

Tergin blinked before his eyes focused. "Jake. Vestr attacked us after Sandra left. He is planning to take control of the tribe, and he wants to use all of you to breed new Awoken."

Sandra moved forward and motioned the others to be quiet. "Where are the Elders? And what about Gria?"

Tergin blinked, and his mouth twitched, then he shook his head. "I don't know. Vestr said they went into secluded meditation shortly after we left, and nobody has seen or spoken to them since. They were supposed to show up on the fest. Bolyr went looking for Gria."

From outside a scream tore through the silence, startling everyone in the room. Moments later, angry shouting followed.

"They are coming. Jake, you have to flee. This place isn't safe for you!" Tergin coughed, spurting blood across his chest. His breathing became even more ragged, and his eyes fell shut.

"More movement on the rampart, Sarge! At least three hostiles are approaching the door. They are armed with spears and don't look friendly."

"Great. Now what?" Mason hissed.