After a scenic flight along the coast of Lokahn and a small break in Frontier Harbour, Victor and Celesta headed over the mountains, the cold wind pestering them the whole way back. The temperature had dropped since they left; the white layer covering the mountain trail between the two cities made that clear enough. After several hours of grumbling over the cold, Westedge’s walls crept up over the mountain tops, a sight which made Celesta speed up, leaving Victor scrambling to keep up. Both dragons landed before the city gates, a bit too close for one guards’ comfort.

“Aaargh!”

Victor reflexively jumped backwards, a gasp sizzling between his teeth. Yep. Still a bad idea to land that close.

“Whoa! Sorry there!”

“Oh please, for the love of the… Divinity, I would appreciate it if you dragons watched where you were going!”

Celesta quickly nodded. “Sorry sir! We were in a bit of a hurry, what with the cold and all!”

The guard shook his head. “That’s what all of ‘em say...”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just wanted to enter the city fast, that’s all.” Celesta bit at her gums, her tail thumping onto the gravel road. Come on, you know how to do this properly. Even I’m not that careless.

“Yes, yes, let me open the gates first, then bugger off.”

The other guard at the gate shook his head. “Don’t be so rude Jack, Divinity almighty… alright, log the entry, please! Lothar’s son’s amongst them!”

A stir ran amok among the guards as the city gate fell open, with several calls for a volunteer audible over the gate and the commerce taking place behind the gate. With little further ado, the two entered the city, whose streets were as busy as ever. Workers were labouring away on the streets, sweeping and shoveling the snowfall away into piles tucked away from buildings. A dragon was keeping track of the labour, giving the piles a spit of flame once they had gotten big enough.

Huh. That’s a neat way of keeping the streets clean. Victor wandered off towards his little house, only to have a lavender hurdle thrown before those plans.

“Hey Victor, how do you feel right now?”

The red dragon shrugged. “Not much different from the last time you asked. Why are you asking me again? It’s barely been three hours.”

Celesta nodded along, her tail tip twitching back and forth. “Well, you’ve been a bit silent on the way back, and that made me a little worried. I mean, you have no other way of turning yourself back. And I know how important that is to you.”

Victor sighed, and raised a claw beside his head much like an ordinary human would raise their hand. “It is what it is. Believe me, I was more than prepared to give it all up back there. I wanted to walk off onto those slopes, and sulk until the elements got the better of me. Maybe I’d get to see my mother and sister again. Maybe I could’ve made amends with Eric. Maybe my next chance would’ve been better. But, you know...”

The dragon walked a pace further, before coming to a halt for two screeching children running around without much of a regard for anyone else around. Their parents followed behind shortly after, just as blind to everything around. Victor snorted. Even I wasn’t that much of a snotnose, damn.

“But yes, after that little talk, I’m willing to try again. Maybe I can make something of myself. For now, as long as I can live without hurting others, I’ll be content. As long as I can make them happy. That’s my aim for now.”

Celesta smiled, her whole tail swaying back and forth over the pavement. “That’s wonderful, Vic! I’m sure you’ll have no trouble putting a smile on everyone’s face. You certainly have put one on mine!”

Victor’s cheeks puffed up. “Oh, err, thank you.”

“Tell me, what do you have in mind?” Celesta asked, bringing her head in closer to Victor’s, “What are you thinking of first when you want to make people happy?”

Victor clicked his tongue. “Well, err, actually, I don’t know yet.” Ugh, it’s like I’m being interrogated. The only thing that’s missing is the knife.

The lavender dragoness laid a claw onto the tip of her snout. “Hmm, why don’t you become a baker’s assistant? I mean, I’d imagine people would be curious to try dragon-baked bread!”

“Well, I don’t know much about baking, so I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Victor said.

Celesta nodded. “Hmm, okay. What about helping out in a clinic?”

Victor raised an eye. “Do I look like a doctor to you?”

The lavender dragoness’ lips twisted up and down. “Err, heh, well, not really, now that you say it. But it’s okay, it’s okay, you’ll find your footing soon enough. There’s plenty else which could catch your eye! And if you truly don’t know, we’re always looking for new hands at the orphanage. Oh, that reminds me, I have to go and report back to them, they’re probably wondering where I’ve been… AAAH! My father! I never said anything to my father about this! Okay, I’ll catch back up with you soon, I have to go now! See you, Victor!”

“Oh, see you around then.”

The red dragon scratched himself behind the horns, watching as Celesta ran off into the crowds, accidentally stumbling into a pedestrian on the way. A faint apology spoken by her voice hid among the other noise the city’s residents were making. Victor breathed in and out, before heading home. Well, that’s that for now.

A few minutes later, he was back home. A few letters had found their way onto the floor. Victor was too tired to read them; he tossed them aside before plummeting onto his bed. He nestled his tail by his side and closed his eyes, as he always had done. But sleep wouldn’t come.

Can’t sleep, fantastic. That was the lone positive about being a dragon, falling asleep after a few seconds. Ugh.

Instead of enjoying a good rest, he forced himself to view the letters. Most were from his father, with one from Raghes which probably had gotten lost. All the letters inquired where he’d been the past few days, the tone in each getting all the more desperate. Raghes’ letter came only a day ago, on behalf of his father. Victor shook his head. Great. Now I have to come up with a good excuse so he doesn’t find out. Doubt I’ll ever be allowed outside the walls for the next year.

He tossed the letters aside, lowering his head back onto the nest. William hadn’t sent one, strangely enough. Victor never had the chance to tell him about his little expedition before he was gone. Perhaps William had lost faith in the dragon as a result.

Or not, as a familiar smell told moments later.

“Hello? Hello? Is there anyone home?” The door vibrated as someone knocked. It sounded as if they were punching the door.

“Moment, I’m coming!”

With a heave and a grumble, the red dragon raised himself off the straws, stretching his limbs before anything else: His body and his mind weren’t in agreement whether to try and catch more sleep. The bonks stopped, only to flare back up moments later.

“I said I’m coming! Stop it already!” Victor said, as he reached for the door handle. Then he opened the door. William was behind it.

“There you- AH!”

Before he had the chance to so much as say hello, Victor found William hanging off of his neck. He staggered back onto the nest, trying to push the kid back off. “Alright, enough already! Will, this is actually starting to hurt a little, back off!”

The blond head backed away to reveal a frostbitten face, eyes wide as flowers in full bloom. “Where have you been? I’ve been worrying myself sick looking for you!”

The dragon gulped. “I was on an errand with someone. It, err, was a little difficult, that’s why it took so long. Sorry for that, I would’ve told you if I had the time, but it was important.”

William chewed on his cheek, his face flaring with the force of a stormwind. “I know there’s more to it than that, Vic! There’s no other way!”

Victor almost choked on his own saliva. “H-how do you know?” The hands on his neck shifted down, the fingers gently stroking the scales along the way.

“I’ve been asking all over. People saw you walking around with that dragoness. What have you been up to with her?”

Victor felt the blood flow through his veins. “Look. You know full well that I’m not very fond of my dragonhood. Well, Celesta had been keeping an eye on me for a while. I ended up admitting it to her, and she said she knew of a cure. Being as desperate as I was, I followed her. It wound up being a dead end. There was no cure. And now, we’re here.”

William groaned a little, his teeth scratching his lip. “Oh, I see…, that explains a lot. Um, can I ask you how you feel? Because, you said there wasn’t a cure after all, and, umm… I don’t think you-”

“...would’ve reacted very well to it? You’re right about that. But I’d rather not talk about it, please.” Victor stared off towards a wall. William bit his tongue. So, how's the past few days been for you?" Victor said, as he closed the front door. "They haven't been too bad, have they?"

William shook his head, his face coloring red as berries. “No. They have been horrible.”

Victor’s eye twitched up. “What? Why?”

The crossbowman held his arms before his gut, and released a weak sigh. “Raghes has been trying to shove me into this leadership role for this attack.. He said I would be perfect for it, but I swear, I am not! Every training has been a disaster! No one believes in me, no one even listens to what I have to say, it’s horrible...”

“Easy now, Will,” Victor said. “Have you tried asking for help? Raghes doesn’t seem like the type of person who’d hang you out to dry.”

“To be honest,” William replied, “I was hoping to have you help me. I do not know what to do. All Raghes has told me is to try my best until he has time to help me out. I’ve been trying my best the entire time!”

The red dragon shook his head, a groan spilling from his throat. “Will, do I look like someone who knows how to lead? All I’m good at is sleeping and sulking to myself. What do you think I can bring to the table, exactly?”

“Look, I don’t know what else to do,” William said, “ The next training is going to be the death of me, I swear. I can’t show my face there anymore. I can’t do it.”

Victor grumbled, then nodded. “Alright, alright. Here’s an idea. The next time we see Raghes, we ask him about this, yes? We’ll get him to do something good, the lazy bastard. What else can he possibly be busy with?”

“But, he promised he’d help me soon.”

“Does that make up for everything before that?”

“Well, no...”

“There you have it.” Victor walked over to the pile of letters crumpled up on the floor, shaking his head as he stood towering over them. “Reminds me, I still have to come up with something to tell him… ugh.”

“Tell who?”

Victor peered over his shoulder, shaking his head. “My father. I doubt he had anticipated me being gone for a few days, so he’ll ask. And if he finds out… urk, I’d be lucky if I ever get to leave the city again. So yes, that’s my dilemma, given he might show up any minute now.”

“Well Vic, what are you planning to say, exactly?” asked William.

“Oh, I don’t know. Best thing I can think of right now is ‘I got lost on the way’. But let’s be for real here, there’s no chance in the abyss he will ever believe a word of that. I know where Westedge is, I know where Frontier Harbour is, I know where the temple is. And he knows I know.” Victor shook his head. Might as well prepare myself for a life in these walls.

William put a hand before his mouth. “Hmm, couldn’t you say that you stuck around in the area for a little while longer? Just to unwind a little, I mean. Gods know you could use some peace in your life, Vic.”

Victor sighed. “I suppose. I don’t have many options here.”

“Well, there you go. I don’t really understand why you’re so worried, to be honest. I mean, every chick has to leave the nest one day, right?” William said.

His wings twitching half open, Victor scratched at an itch on his chest, gazing unamused into William’s eyes. “I’ve told you about the day I was almost killed, right? The day after I was kicked out of the Civil Defense?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t I also tell you what my father did towards my would-be murderer?”

“Oh...”

“That’s why.”

The conversation was cut off by the sounds of a crowd gathering outside. Victor tilted his head up. Nothing out of the ordinary in the smell, but the peace outside had become fragile. People, mostly men, were yelling and running all over the place, the pavement reverberating under their feet.

“What is going on? Will, do you know?”

William shrugged. “I’m afraid not.”

Victor licked at his chops. “Shall we go and take a look, then? Because this doesn’t sound like someone haggled too much.”

After a swift nod from William, Victor reached for the door handle. The door pulled back to reveal a scene of total pandemonium; soldiers were pushing and shoving their way through the square before Victor’s house, holding back a ragtag band of peasantry yelling every vulgarity under the yellow sun at them. Cries of whoresons and bastards and traitors echoed through the outside air: The city’s residents had vacated the square.

As they observed for a little while, neither could make much sense of what was happening. Taxes this, bastards that; most of it was little more than angry gibberish. A blue shape flew off in the corner of Victor’s eye as he craned his head towards his companion.

“Have you got any idea what they’re talking about?”

“No. Evidently they’re not very happy about it, though. Unhappy enough to come all the way to Westedge for it.”

The red dragon’s tongue clicked. “Odd. I haven’t seen anything like this before. What are they protesting for? Why now of all times?”

“‘Cause of the taxes, ya red bastard!”

Victor almost bit down on his own tongue. “e-Excuse me?! What was that for?!”

“Ya know damn well what’s for! Ya lot raised the taxes on us for no damn reason, as if we’re not poor enough as is! Ya don want to be called bastard, stop acting like the one stinkin’ up my tavern!”

The red joined in on the chorus of angry yelling. “Who do you think you’re talking to? How’s about a little respect instead of yelling your head off? All I did was ask you a question-”

Victor cut himself off as he felt something grab onto his foreleg. “Vic, don’t, please...” William muttered. The red dragon groaned, shaking his head, but not saying anything.

“Should’ve thought of respect more when you gave us all more taxes to worry about!” the man yelled back. It was then that a guard caught wind of the little exchange.

A guardsman forced his way in. “Gentlemen, please, you are only making the situation more difficult. Move along, please.”

“Yes sir,” William said. “Vic, let’s go someplace else.”

“Ha! Don see you acting all nice to anyone else who gets near here, you sons of bitches, what makes them so different?!”

The guard threw himself back at the crowd, singling out the rowdy man with the tip of his blade. “Silence, you unwashed scumbag! Unless you want a taste of my shield!”

Victor pulled his head back in disgust, looking off into the direction of the city gates. “Yes, that sounds like a good plan to me. Might as well go for a hike, I guess.” As he put his first foot forwards, his eyes were drawn to an all too familiar sight. Plumes. “Wait, does anyone else see that?”

No one in the mob replied, neither did the guards holding them back. William did see it, however, pointing at the darkened horizon ahead. “Is that… fire? I thought it was winter, how is there a fire-”

Two forelegs suddenly wrapped themselves around William’s chest, forcing a panicked yell out of the bowman. His feet involuntarily left the ground moments later, kicking and thrashing all around as they passed over the city’s walls. “Vic?! VIC!!”

“No time, we need to go!!” Victor’s voice yelled from above. William’s feet almost scraped the tips of trees as they flew over the frost-enchanted woodlands south of the city, heading straight towards the source of the smoke. In a panic, he pulled his legs up, and grabbed onto the forelegs pinning him against the dragon’s chest.

“Vic, put me down! This is starting to hurt!”

“We have no time, Will! Lives are at stake here, someone might die if we get hold back for even a second, just hold on a minute!”

The plumes approached quickly. As they came close, the source was revealed. A pile of logs on a farmfield. By a large barn, a familiar blue dragon was tending to a couple cowering underneath his wings. Victor landed nearby. The blue took notice, and raised a talon to his lips.

“Careful.”