Em'brel was leading a very nervous Sare'en through the caves to her home. The other female was looking around wide-eyed in the relative darkness and holding tight to Em'brel's arm despite being a bit larger than the young noble. "Are... are you certain this is ok? When I first got here, everyone was told not to come in these caves!"

Em'brel remembered her own first walk through these caves and how terrified she'd been at the time. Despite being only a few months ago, it felt like an entirely different life to her now. She chuckled as she patted Sare'en's hand. "I believe you were told not to come into this cave unless you were invited by Jack, S'haar, or myself. As it so happens, you've been invited by all three, so you're fine!"

Sare'en seemed to be half-listening at best as every sense seemed to be focused on the shadows and crevices surrounding them. "But what about the dragon? She's the one who made this hole in the mountain, right? What if she decides she doesn't like me? What's to stop her from just gulping me down?"

Em'brel couldn't stop herself from laughing at that one. It took her a moment to settle herself before she could properly comfort her friend. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry...but once you meet the dragon, you'll realize how ridiculous that fear of yours is."

Stopping for just a moment, Em'brel looked her friend in the eyes as best she could in the gloom of the cave to make sure she was listening. "First of all, Angela, that's the dragon's name, is going to love you! Second, even if she doesn't, she would never harm you unless you threatened someone she considers family. Third...well, you'll have to meet her to understand just how ridiculous the whole idea is, but trust me, you won't be eaten. Not today anyway."

Sare'en nodded and continued walking. "What about this spell she's going to cast on me so I can understand Jack? Will it hurt any?"

Em'brel shook her head. "Not really. You'll have a spot on the back of your head that's a bit tender for a few days, but for the most part, it's painless. The weirdest thing is the dreams you'll have while they do the procedure. It will seem soo...vivid. I don't know how to describe it, but it'll almost feel like the dream is more real than reality when you first wake up."

The other female was thoughtful for a moment as their footsteps echoed around them. When she spoke up again, her voice was quiet, almost like it was floating on the wind. "What...what will I dream about?"

Em'brel shrugged. "I don't know. So far, we've all dreamed about recent impactful things in our lives, something we each had strong emotions about. Maybe you'll dream about the freeze, or maybe it'll be about coming out here, or maybe you'll dream about traveling through this cave..." Em'brel playfully nudged Sare'en as she said the last bit.

When they turned the last bend, and the familiar metal wall came into sight, Sare'en froze in place. It took Em'brel a minute to nudge her back into action. When the door hissed open, Sare'en was so startled she literally jumped back, almost pulling Em'brel to the ground with her.

Em'brel resisted the urge to laugh at her friend's misfortune as she helped her to her feet again. Once the two were ready, they walked inside. Em'brel took a moment to enjoy the warmth of the room before looking over to gauge her friend's reaction.

Sare'en was standing so still, Em'brel might have mistaken her for a statue if it weren't for the slight hint of breathing. Jack and S'haar were in the living room packing a few bags for the upcoming trip, with Angela floating around commenting on things they might have forgotten. Seeing her newest guest arrive, Angela floated right over. "Hi, I'm Angela, the dragon, and Jack's sister. Welcome to our home!"

Em'brel was smiling at her AI friend's bright and cheerful welcome when she heard a thud on the ground beside her. Looking over, she could see Sare'en was lying on the floor, completely unconscious.

Angela looked down at the poor girl with an expression of confusion and mild concern. "Huh...well...that's...a first."

-

Angela watched as S'haar and Em'brel got the poor girl up and onto the couch. In a few minutes, she seemed to wake up but then shrunk in on herself once she realized she was now the center of attention.

The AI was somewhat flustered by the young woman's display. She didn't particularly like being so feared by someone who seemed for all the world to be one of the few genuinely sweet people this planet had to offer. Still, when Em'brel shooed everyone away, even Angela complied. Well, her avatar did, at any rate.

Eventually, Sare'en calmed down enough that she seemed ready for Angela to reintroduce herself. Em'brel handed her a mug of tea as Angela floated forward more gently than before, trying not to overwhelm her newest guest a second time. She stopped a little further away this time, rather than flying up to the girl's face. "Um, hello again! I'm Angela. Welcome to my home! Are you...feeling better now?"

The girl seemed a bit embarrassed but nodded. "Um...yes...thank you. I'm...uh...sorry about...everything. This is all...a bit much."

Angela nodded sagely as she floated a bit closer. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm so used to my regular guests that I forget how strange this all is to all of you. Why the first time S'haar woke up in here, the first thing she did was ask if she'd died this was the afterlife!"

Tilting her head to the side with her finger resting on her chin Angela continued her thought. "Come to think of it, Em'brel and Ger'ron said the same thing... Does this place resemble the afterlife as it's described in your stories?"

Sare'en blinked a few times then shook her head. "Well, no, nothing like that... It's just... I thought Lord Jack was so incredibly strange the first time I saw him, but you and this place are both so bizarre I don't even have words to express it." Realizing what she'd just said, Sare'en's eyes grew wide as she covered her mouth with both hands and meeped out a muffled apology.

Angela laughed and smiled. "That's quite alright, I promise you, all is forgiven. Even among our own people Jack and I are considered a bit strange. We take no offense at your honesty."

The AI held her position a bit further away than usual, giving the girl time to calm down. "Now then, in here, you're probably more safe than anywhere else in the land, so take your time and calm down. We won't proceed unless and until you're ok with it. For now, I'm going to go help my brother pack for his journey. You just let me know when you're ready to talk some more."

As Angela started to float away, a small and timid voice reached out to her. "Is...is Jack really your brother?"

Anglea turned around with a smile. "Well, yes and no. We're not biologically related to each other. In fact, an argument could be made that you are more closely related to him than I. However, Jack's father was also the man who gave me life. I've been by Jack's side since the day he was born, and in many ways, we've grown up together. So yes, he is my brother, in every way that matters to either of us."

The girl was silent as she took all this in. Angela floated quietly nearby while Em'brel smiled encouragingly at her friend, who was slowly coming to grasp the new reality around her. Just then, the girl froze up, then began to laugh.

Everyone looked worried, but turning to Em'brel, Sare'en started trying to talk through the laughter. "I see what you mean! This is so... I would never... She's so... Oh gods... I see what you mean..." Realizing Sare'en was talking about their conversation from the cave and that this was all a form of stress relief, Em'brel joined in the laughter, waving away the other's concern until both girls could get themselves back under control.

Jack, S'haar, and Anglea looked back and forth between each other confusedly until the laughter died down a moment later.

Eventually, Sare'en found her voice again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but this is all just so much. You, this place, everything is just so utterly unlike anything I could have imagined in my wildest dreams... It's too much for me to grasp! Please forgive my rudeness. I think I'm ok now..."

Angela's expression of concern returned to a warm smile again. "Like I said before, there's nothing to forgive. Take your time, ask me anything you'd like. I'll answer whatever I can."

Sare'en looked at the AI a moment before speaking again. "Um... Everyone says you're the dragon... but you don't seem very much like a dragon to me. What...um..."

She seemed to lose courage and couldn't finish her question, so Angela finished it for her. "What am I?"

The girl hesitated a moment before nodding.

Angela smiled and nodded. "Well, that is a little hard to answer since it takes knowledge of a great many things you don't understand yet. However, I suppose the simplest answer is that what you see in front of you isn't actually me. It's just an illusion I create to make it easier for you to speak with me."

Sare'en looked confused. "Do...do you not have a body then?"

The AI tilted her head. "I do have a body, sort of. In many ways, this whole house is my body. Though I'm not limited to just that. When Jack, S'haar, or Em'brel leave the house, those odd headpieces you see them wear are a small part of my body, and I can see, hear, and even speak through them. If I need to, I can even shed this body and move into a different one, though it has to be designed with my needs in mind."

At this, Sare'en blinked a few more times confusedly before shaking her head. "I don't think I'll ever understand what you just said. Is it alright if I just think of this," the girl waved at Angela's avatar, "as you?"

Angela nodded. "Of course, that's half the reason I have this form. It can be difficult to fully grasp what I am, especially for someone with no understanding of quantum computing."

Sare'en looked confused for a moment before shaking her head emphatically. "I've forgotten why I came here!"

Standing up and turning to Jack and S'haar, Sare'en bowed. "I'm here to accept the position as Lady S'haar's servant and to receive the spell of words so that I may understand Lord Jack!"

She seemed to lose a little courage as she looked to the side. "If you'll still have me, that is..."

Jack looked at S'haar and said something unintelligible, to which Lady S'haar replied. "I've no objection either." Turning to Sare'en, she spoke to the girl directly. "Though we'd prefer you not to call us Lady or Lord unless we're meeting with someone with a similar title. Here, we're just S'haar and Jack."

Sare'en bowed her head again. "Of course, Lady S'haar...er... S'haar, as you wish!"

Angela floated over. "Now, before we give you the "spell of words," as you so succinctly put it, we need to go over all the risks and benefits so that you can give us your informed consent. Please have a seat. This will take a few minutes."

-

The giant dragon set down her cup of tea in a surprisingly dainty manner. Her voice was surprisingly welcoming. "Oh, do come in! I don't get nearly enough visitors these days, what with being a giant and apparently terrifying dragon and all."

Sare'en looked around in confusion. The cave was surprisingly welcoming. It was well lit and warmed by a large hearth in the corner. The dragon was sitting on a sizeable billowy pillow and indicated Sare'en should sit in a chair on the other side of a rather large and ornate table. The chair was so high that Sare'en had to climb a ladder to reach her seat, but the dragon continued excitedly once she'd settled in. "So, tell me, what brings you to visit me here in my cave? It must have been quite the trek to get all the way here. I'm sure it must be something important. Oh, but where are my manners? Let me get you some tea while you speak!"

The dragon began rummaging around in her cupboards as Sare'en blinked in confusion. Why had she come here to visit the dragon? "Ummm... I think I came here to receive the spell of words?"

The dragon finally seemed to find what she was looking for and bustled back to the table. She then lowered a teacup that looked positively minuscule in her hands, but once resting before Sare'en, it was so large, it took two hands to grasp. The dragon carefully poured some tea as she responded. "Oh, that's lovely! Yes, we can do that right away! But first, tell me, are you sure you want this?"

Sare'en opened her mouth to answer, but the dragon held up one talon to forestall her. "Now, before you answer, you should know this will change your life in ways you can't even imagine, in both great and terrible ways. Your answer here does matter, so take a moment and decide for yourself."

Sare'en closed her mouth and tilted her head while holding the enormous cup of tea. Was this what she really wanted? Since she'd left home, everything had already been so frightening and overwhelming. She was glad to be able to work with Lady S'haar to repay some of what she owed, but the warrior woman was much more frightening to work with than Lady Ta'miel had been. Jack seemed nice, but it was like there was something he was always hiding from everyone around him. Like he was bearing the weight of some terrible burden that only a few seemed to notice. Even Em'brel, as delightful as she was, seemed to be hiding from torments of her own. Would Sare'en find herself similarly burdened or troubled if she accepted?

Thinking of Em'brel, Sare'en couldn't help but remember all the strength and support the younger female had so readily given her since she'd arrived, and Jack always seemed to know when Sare'en was overwhelmed and needed a bit of time and space. Then there was Lady S'haar. Running the outpost seemed more of a burden than a delight to her. Sare'en had never known a noble who didn't enjoy wielding power, but she got the distinct impression that S'haar would rather just be another worker than the one in charge. She took on the job because she believed in what they were trying to accomplish here.

But what were they trying to accomplish here? It was something important, Sare'en was certain of that, but she didn't quite understand it. The only thing she really understood was how much Em'brel, Jack, and Lady S'haar seemed to believe in it, and apparently many others at the outpost, including her family's matriarch.

Even if Sare'en didn't know what the cause was, she knew the people behind it. She knew they were good people who had shown her nothing but concern, friendship, and support. More than anything else in this world, she believed in them.

Setting down her tea, she nodded emphatically to the dragon. "Yes, I want to receive the spell of words! I don't know what the future holds, and honestly, it frightens me, but this is something I want to do. It's something I have to do. So please, cast your magics, and help me help my friends!"

The dragon nodded. "Well spoken, young one! It's alright to be afraid. You'd be a fool not to be, but choosing to act when afraid is what separates heroes from everyone else."

Sare'en shook her head. "I'm not interested in being a hero or anything like that. All I want is to help those who helped me and be there for my friends."

The dragon chuckled. "Hmm, many of the best stories start out just like that. I look forward to seeing your story unfold, but for now, it's time for you to wake up."

Sare'en blinked. "I'm sorry...what?"

The dragon smiled. The smile was kind of intimidating, even if it was also meant to be friendly. "The procedure is complete. Your implant was successfully installed. Now, go ahead and open your eyes!"

Sare'en was confused but closed her eyes then opened them. The dragon was still standing before her, but now she was in her tiny blue form. "Everything seems to be in working order. Can you understand me?"

Angela's voice seemed odd. Sare'en seemed to be hearing two voices. One was similar in nature to Jack's strange manner of speech. The other made perfect sense to her. Shaking her head, Sare'en responded. "Yes...kind of? I understand it, but it sounds a little strange."

Angela nodded. "That's normal at first. The longer you have it, the more it'll sync with your thoughts until eventually you no longer hear the gibberish."

Sare'en looked around in confusion, prompting Em'brel to speak up from her corner of the room. "Is something wrong?"

Looking at her friend in confusion, Sare'en answered. "Um, yes. Where'd the table go, and what happened to the tea I was drinking just a moment ago?"