Raghes paced through the small clearing, leaving a waving trail of grass in his wake. Sadly for him, the waiting showed no signs of stopping. Then again, with the calm of the woods, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Hmm, they were supposed to be here by now, but no sign of them yet. I’ll just lie down for a moment.

Since he’d likely be waiting a little longer, Raghes lowered himself onto the grass, and took pleasure in the feeling of fresh air flowing through his nostrils. Just him, the little insects crawling over the bark, and the animals roaming about in the distance. A toothy grin revealed itself.

And as the crunching of feet reached his ear, and familiar scents blessed his nostrils, the grin widened a little further. At last, they were here.With a grunt, he pushed himself back onto all fours, fluttering his wings and swinging his tail back and forth afterwards.

“Ah, there you all are! I was wondering where you lot had run off to!”

The group of ten sauntered nonchalantly to the edge of the woods, a few hands outstretched as they approached.

“Sorry that it took so long, Raghes. We got lost on the way here,” William said, struggling to catch his breath.

The blue dragon nodded. “No problem, Will. I don’t mind waiting that much. A nice bit of calm before the struggles truly begin, that always is most agreeable, isn’t it? Oh well, everyone’s here now. Let us begin then, shall we?”

“I’m sorry, but I still don’t really get what we’re supposed to be doing,” one of the group said, eyes dawdling off to nearby shrubs. “Why would we roam around in the woods? Wouldn’t the enemy just stick to the roads, like you’d expect them to?”

“Ah, but you would be mistaken,” Raghes retorted. The dragon flicked his wings open and close, before peacefully approaching the trainee with slow strides. “You see, the enemy expects us to use the roads ourselves, or the skies instead. But think. Those boggy roads nestled in the woodlands are perfect for ambushes, aren’t they?”

Raghes walked circles around the group, his tail running through grass and clover patches alike. The trainee couldn’t help but bite his lip; it was a sight akin to a wolf encircling its prey. “Errhm… Yes, I can see that- where you’re coming from, I mean.”

“Good, good.” Raghes turned his whole body towards the trainee. “Now, they’ll have to patrol the roads constantly to prevent infiltration, and they’ll also have to keep their strongpoints supplied and well. If we keep up the pressure on their supply line, we can drive them all the way back across the Stejer. Does the plan sound reasonable to you?”

“Well, yes, it does.” The trainee scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry, I’m still a bit new at this, you see.”

Raghes grunted. “That’s no real issue, my friend. Anyway, there are a few precautions we must take in this. Of course, there will likely be forces trying to catch you off-guard in those woodlands. And that’s not getting into the vast arrays of wildlife out there that could get in our way. Hence why we’re here. We need to practice.”

William’s eyes lit up. “We?”

A throaty chuckle spilled from the blue dragon’s maw. “Did I forget to tell you before? My apologies. Yes, I will be joining you on your escapades. It’s decided that each group will have a dragon accompanying them. Our hearing and sense of smell should be useful for you lot out there, and besides, fighting is our specialty!”

“Aside from sleeping, that is.”

The group roared into laughter. Raghes could barely keep himself standing up straight. “Hohoho, I should have seen that one coming,” Raghes said in between fits. Oh, it wouldn’t be nearly as good if it weren’t true… that sod ought to get a promotion!

Once recovered, the blue dragon breathed in deep. “Anyway, I believe we all understand what our goal is now, yes?”

“Yes, sir!” All trainees saluted. William replied with a simple shrug.

“Couldn’t be any clearer. Now, would you please tell us why exactly you brought us out here, Raghes? It’s getting colder by the day.”

“Is it-” Raghes cut himself off. Many of the gathered trainees shivered, even with their thick clothing and heavy boots on. Small tinges of frost lingered on the shaded grass, living on despite the sun’s attempts to crush them like insects. Alas, Raghes had missed them all entirely. “Why yes, it is a bit cold. My apologies.” Come on now, I wasn’t human that long ago. This is quite embarrassing…

“But yes, what will the exercise be, Raghes.” William bit his reddened cheeks. Raghes took a moment to collect his thoughts.

“Yes, yes. So, we will be doing a practice run through the woods today. Get ourselves acquainted with the surroundings, learning how to path-find, that sort of thing. It shouldn’t be too tricky.” The blue dragon swallowed his saliva. Or so I hope. “Are we all prepared to set out, and give this plan a fair shot?”

A crowd of nodding heads responded. Raghes turned tail towards the forest, peering over his shoulder with one foot forwards. “Good. Now then, keep yourselves at a fair distance. Surprise is the key, let the enemy think it’s just me they’ll be fighting.”

The trek began. The trainees spread out a little from one another, a tactic William had thought of earlier. Still, none strayed too far from the others, lest peril finds its path to their lives. Raghes’ ears and nostrils were perched for any change in the air. So far, nothing beyond the aroma of the winter woods, the soft musk of critters darting away, and the whispers of William’s voice. His limbs were at the ready: Whatever foe would attempt a strike wouldn’t last long. Raghes couldn’t help but enjoy it. His instincts flared, treating this as if it were any ordinary hunt.

If only there were no war. I could spend the entire afternoon out hunting, all by myself… Ugh, I should not get too caught up in that thought. It’s far too addicting… too good to be true. Yes, that is what it is.

Step by step, civilisation shrunk away on the horizon behind, and the frontier of the Origin Mountains emerged in its place. Every corner was a potential danger, and every boulder an enigma. A threat could arise at any moment, and those who trusted him could set sail from this world in the blink of an eye. He slowed his pace down, eyes continuously observing every blade of grass.

But deep inside, there was plenty to enjoy as well. The tranquility of nature was something to behold. Here, no rules existed beyond those of a man’s instinct. Or a dragon’s instinct, rather. As an apex predator, Raghes had little to fear. Rather, it was the rabbits, squirrels and bushcrawlers who had everything to fear. The little critters ran with the wind as the blue dragon approached. Not that it mattered, for Raghes could easily catch up with them if he wanted. But he had other things on the mind.

Everyone was soldiering on as normal, watching their every step. Already they appeared a bit more confident for Raghes’ liking, given the lack of nervous shivering or widened eyes, a sight the dragon appreciated.

Thank Divinity, everything is going well. If they all keep this up, all the pieces will surely fall into the right place. Lord Lothar must be pleased, let alone all the people we’ll be liber- Wait a minute… what is that scent?

* * *

William’s eyes were glued to the grass. He’d lost count of the amount of times he’d stumbled his way over a bump or a pit, narrowly avoiding a mouthful of dirt. Between the ground, the cold, and the muddy odour, he had seen more than enough of nature for the day. Alas, he’d likely be staying here a while, following a blue beast around through identical stretches of woodland. Someone had to do it, after all. He sighed.

I sure as the abyss hope the ground out east isn’t like this… you can barely take ten steps without tripping. It’s like the slums in Raven’s Hill… urk. Wish I was in front of the hearth right now. A decent meal, too… yeah, that’ll do when I get back, eventually… ugh, what in the abyss is Vic up to? Right when I need him more than ever, he’s gone… Can’t get any of those rowdy guys to put their faith in me, or even win over the guards for once.

Out of nowhere, Raghes stopped dead in his tracks. Head tilted, he sniffed loudly. The men behind were slow in their response, unsure of what the blue dragon was up to. One could make a guessing game out of what scent distracted a dragon, given the frequency with which it happened, but gods alone knew.

“Hey, uh, Raghes, Is there something-”

The horned head flicked over a shoulder. Within a second, the dragon threw his jaws open in an ear piercing roar, as the beast flung its body back the way they came from. William had little time to react before it transpired, the tail of the dragon hitting him in the legs as it blew past.

“Ack!”

With a yelp, the blond-haired man tumbled towards the ground. But this was no time for little annoyances. For as William turned his frown towards the direction the dragon had thrown himself into, he saw it.

“AAAAH! HELP!”

The poor sod nearby could count his lucky stars come nightfall. Only a meter away from him, a bear had prepared to tear him to shreds. The brown beast had taken a headbutt to the side, rolling over the grass until coming to a stop by the roots of an ancient-looking tree, growling all the way. Raghes came in not far behind, sliding on his belly until he managed to grind to a halt with his claws. The trainees all frantically scrambled for their weapons; the cold air turned red hot.

“Quick, quick!! Fire, damn you, fire!” yelled William, fumbling around with the small quiver on his belt.

The two beasts were back onto their feet before any human could have. Raghes kicked up a wave of dust with a few flaps of his wings, hissing and spitting. The bear roared, kicking up dirt as it pushed its paws into the ground. The dragon attempted to lunge, but the furred monster received scrapes. Alas, the dragon was not so lucky come the bear’s attack: He was sent backwards, clutching the joint of his left leg and chest with the free claw.

It was then that death began to rain down. Tree and ground weren’t spared from the onslaught. Several arrows pierced brown legs, sending the bear limping as it tried to maul whatever was nearby. Furious, it shook the bolts off as if they were little twigs, and set its eyes upon a short trainee, who backed up against a tree as the teeth and claws closed in. William’s hand shook. More counted on this one shot than any other. Either the bolt would stop the beast, or a bloodbath would unfold. But he didn’t fire. No time was left. William closed his eyes.

A click, and the bolt flew as a kite through the air. Over grass, past bark, pushing aside the air, avoiding the humans nearby. It went past the bleeding neck. No dice. William gasped in utter horror. William fumbled around with a second bolt, but what did it matter? It was futile. He couldn’t save that kid.

“ROOOOAR!”

The second bolt fell onto the grass. William staggered backwards, veins flaring red hot. When the sight came into his eyes once more, a horror was unfolding. A horror he hadn’t expected. Monstrous sounds echoed through the trees; the dragon was tearing the bear apart, stopping only to spread his jaws wide. Once a squirm had been silenced, and the horns came back up, the entire snout was painted red.

Dead silence conquered the atmosphere. No one dared to move or speak as the bear’s heart vanished behind the rows of teeth. For all the tales of dragonkind’s valor had been cover for what truly lurked in the belly of the woods. Sharp eyes staring ravenously ahead, the red coat covering everything from tongue to scale to talon, the form of Divinity’s warriors had been given flesh. It wasn’t until a minute had passed that the dragon made its next move.

“Is everyone alright...?”

Raghes’ words were akin to a whistle echoing through a slumbering dorm. Everyone woke from their horror-induced slumber to see a lost gaze. The monsters were gone: one had been buried, the other was rotting away in the mud. Slowly, William lowered his weapon. This was the go ahead for the others to do the same. The trainee who was in peril backed away from the tree, seeking the comfort of his peers.

Alas, William’s knees began to buckle as he came near the dragon. Upon taking his next breath, Raghes immediately lowered his head as deep as he could.

“Will… I’m terribly, terribly sorry...urgh!”

The blue dragon winced, desperately trying to dam in the streams springing forth from the tears in his hide. “Raghes! Are you okay?!” said William, grabbing onto the claw covering up the wounds with both hands.

“Yes… I’ll be fine. I need a little help getting back home though, but-” another groan spilled out of the dragon’s throat. “I just want to know if everyone else is alright or not. After my little outburst back there… I didn’t mean to scare anyone, honestly.”

“Enough of that, we need to get you out of here.” William shook his head. You know, I don’t think apologies are the biggest priority when you’re bleeding out. “Right, is anyone else injured here?”

“No sir. Not from the looks of it, that is.”

William let out a sigh. Well, that’s a relief, at least. “Okay, this is going to be tough. Does anyone have a cloth, or some clothing they can do without for the way back? This bleeding looks pretty bad,” he said, eyeing what little of the wounds wasn’t buried under Raghes’ claw. These weren’t light scrapes that could just be brushed off. The blue dragon didn’t like hearing it at all however, and began to protest.

“It’s really not that bad, honestly. Trust me, I’ll make it through,” the dragon whined. “You should worry about yourselves, for all you know another one might-”

William laid a hand on Raghes’ nose. “No, I’m not going to give up on you like that. It’s bad, Raghes.” He craned his head back towards the others, now gathered by a red-stained tree. “Does anyone have a cloth? Please.”

“Ah, to the abyss with it. I’ll do it.” One of the trainees took off his coat, leaving his upper body exposed to the elements. “Alright, now where’s that wound?”

“Right here.” William pressed his fingers against Raghes’ claw, who reluctantly complied. Thankfully, the coat fit the whole wound, a relief William desperately needed. Thank the gods, a little light in the dark. Now how in the world am I ever going to get Raghes back to Westedge like this?I can barely get the trainees to follow me, let alone carry this big lug back! The crossbowman bit his lip. “Is it, ehm, is it not too cold?”

The trainee scoffed. “A little cold’s nothing. Can handle a little cold fine enough. Makes you stronger. The name’s Jim, by the way, bluescales. You can thank me later.”

William gave a quick shrug. “Right, everyone form a perimeter around Raghes. Keep your eyes open for anything out there, there very well might be something else nearby. Does anyone know the way back?”

“No need to worry about that,” Raghes responded. “I know this forest like I know my own heart. Just, allow me to get my bearings… ARGH!”

The dragon roared out on the first step. William reflexively gasped. “Raghes? What’s going on?!”

The dragon heaved for breath. Alas, it was then that things spiralled out of William’s control. “Damnit, you fool, we’re gonna need more than a cloth to get this big bastard back home,” Jim grumbled through gritted teeth. “Hey, can some of you lazy whoresons get over here? Take your damned coats off!”

Without the slightest hint of lollygagging, the others running their way to action, all trying to get their foot in the door. “No, not all at once you idiots, how’s about you help this bastard walk? He’s strugglin’ with that too! Also, keep the damn perimeter secured!”

“But shouldn’t we also get someone to look for help?” William timidly asked. Jim groaned in response.

“Yes, that too… eventually. Like anyone would find us all the way out here. Let’s get back to the farms first, before he bleeds out. Quickly! We haven’t got all day!”

William didn’t accept it. “No, right now. He needs help as soon as possible, you can’t just deny him that!”

Jim groaned. “Fine, fine! You go run for help, but don’t complain when you’re staring down another bear without help!” Without hesitating any longer, William disappeared between the trees, Raghes vaguely gesturing in the same direction..

At a glacial pace, Raghes forced himself forwards, careful to not bump into any of the trainees. Right from the outset, things weren’t going well. The dragon gasped for breath whenever one of his frontal legs touched the ground, hacking and cursing with every step. The situation wasn’t much better for the men helping him out. On every other step someone’s foot ended up slipping lower than they had expected. And Raghes wasn’t the lightest of creatures, either. But that wasn’t even the worst of it. Rather, the green expanse encircling them like the walls of a city was. A faint stripe of light existed far in the distance, akin to a mirage. A mirage whose existence fell further into doubt with every step.

* * *

“Urgh... ”

One hour went by. Squirrels darted up their trees, rabbits shrank into their hovels, spiders froze on their web, as the blue dragon’s snout poked out of the treeline. No one said a word. They were all exhausted, and given the distance left to cover, the question of whether Raghes would make it back alive became all the easier to answer. The dragon’s breaths had become harsher, as had his movements become clumsier. The clock ticked on.

“Where is William...” Raghes whispered.

“As if I would know. Chances are he got lost,” Jim returned.

“But, he promised…?”

“Yes, he promised. Doesn’t mean he’d actually make it. Probably got chewed up or something. Told you so.”

The dragon’s limbs began to shake. “I’m tired… let me rest for just a moment...” Please, William, come back already...

Knowing what was about to happen, the men got out of the dragon’s way, allowing him to gently lower himself onto the dirt. His snout expressed exhaustion in its purest form. Some distance removed, two men whispered in each other's ear.

“Do you think he’ll make it?”

“I doubt it.”

Alas, the blue dragon’s ears caught wind of this exchange. He’d been denying it fiercely, but there was no place left to hide. Even with all the jackets, it was getting worse. It was an ever growing plume of smoke emanating from the mouth of a volcano. A harbinger of what was to come. Tears crept out of his blue eyes.

No… not yet… Lokahn is not free yet...

Meanwhile, Jim went back to shouting orders. “‘Ey, you there, Westedge is a stone’s throw removed from here, and we might still have a chance he won’t be dropping cold for a while. Get moving! And keep watching the damn area, for Divinity’s sake!” But his rantings weren’t going to help keep Raghes conscious, or fill the pouring gashes. Alas, everyone present had done what they could. Life could turn sour in a flash, and that was how things turned out sometimes.

Raghes tilted his head to the sky. They were clear and azure, an oddity for this time of the year. If there was anything to be thankful for at this hour, then the lack of grey would be it. The sun was blocked off by a lonely cloud searching for friends, and a few birds were crowing as they fled from a black shape travelling in the area. But as Raghes observed for a while longer, something became all too clear.

The shape was heading straight towards him.