Liravalennan saw through shaky vision the blurry forms of two giant beasts. Black furred, sauntering forwards on all fours with two tawny heads and sharp teeth that sputtered fire.

Some kind of hound, it seemed from how they looked, and though she had fought and killed countless kinds, even ones far, far bigger and more dangerous from having being adapted to Torr Valeris, she did not have the strength to fend against these weaklings.

Whatever. She just hoped they would make things quick. Maybe eat and break apart the Omniscale so her father could never get it back again. She bowed down her head, trying to take in a final wheezing breath from the hole in her chest.

She blinked as she saw a pillar of coiled lightning bolts slam into one of the two headed hounds, instantly frying it into a lump of charred flesh before it could even yelp.

The other hound raised its hackles as it looked at its dead companion, but before it could get into any semblance of a defensive stance, it was dead.

A white blur flashed past, slamming into the hound and then crashing it into a tree. The blur settled into the image of a warrior armored in white lined with crimson patterns curled into roses.

A red cape fluttered behind him as he nailed down the hound to the tree with a long, black spear tipped with a blood-colored head that looked like it was made from spiked crystals.

The hound coughed blood from both its heads, its heart crushed, before it grew still. The warrior withdrew his spear and flicked it to the ground, slinging off blood. The crimson spearhead glowed menacingly in the dark of night, filled with a cursed magic.

Liravalennan had fought humanoids before, but very rarely. One time, the higher dragons had brought up a team of them for her to fight. She had beaten them handily, of course, and eaten them, but now, she felt a twinge of regret, knowing that the very same species saved her now.

Strange sounds filled her ear. She had no idea what it was, just that it was sound with purpose to it. Constructed piece by piece in such a way that it had meaning, like it was a language laden with a message of soothing gentleness. Hearing it, she felt calm, and soon, warmth filled her chest.

She looked down and saw with surprise that her wound had healed up, though she did not have the energy to use the glamor spell that made up her gown, leaving much of her upper body bare.

The warrior came up to her and tore off his cloak, wrapping it around Liravalennan.

"Take this," said the warrior, and it was then that it became noticeable that the warrior was a woman. She took off her helm to show her smile as a comforting gesture. Her eyes were a deep, bloody red, and yet, they did not exude anything but concern and care.

"Are you hurt any?" said the woman further.

"Hurt? I think not!" A man stepped forwards dressed in sky blue robes that flowed down to his ankles. In his robes was patterned the visage of a long, dark blue dragon, and seeing it, Liravalennan stifled more tears from flowing out. It looked very much like Thesseleval. "My flute has traveled far and wide, east and west and now south, and never before has it failed to heal hearts and bodies, or in this case, both."

"Look at her," said the spear wielding woman as she rolled her eyes. "The moment you step into sight, she looks almost to cry. Quite a common effect you do seem to have upon girls."

"Hm? I cannot help it," said the man as he took a strange contraption of bamboo and slung it over his shoulder. It looked like a staff, but it was far shorter, and there were holes in it. He swiveled back his head and smiled, letting his long, silky black hair flip. "This jade white skin and sculpted jaw are all I need to draw women to me. Like moths to a lantern."

"I do not understand you," said a humanoid that came up as well. Liravalennan recognized him as a merman with his glossy blue skin, but instead of having yellow eyes, his eyes gleamed a crackling, deep blue. His back was hunched in bad posture and his head a little down in what seemed like permanent penance. "Why chase after women? What is the point? Nothing lasts."

"Who are you?" asked Liravalennan.

"I-," began the robed human, eager to speak first. He put a hand to his chest and bowed deep as he introduced himself. "Am Jung-su. Grand flutemaster of the Pearl Court. Well, former. Now a travelling bard. Oh, right-," He tapped a gold plate on a necklace at his chest. "And gold ranked adventurer."

"Call me Irina," said the warrior as she helped Liravalennan up to stand.

"Of house Drozdov!" said Jung-su. "How could you forget the noble blood that runs through you? By the heavenly court, imagine the surprise when here in the south, there are people that bow down to you at your very sight? You, the most vulgar and uncouth lady I have ever laid eyes upon."

"Fuck nobility. And fuck you," said Irina with a smile. She put a hand to Liravalennan's shoulder and they met eyes. "Can you stand, my dear? Do you feel well?"

"I…good," said Liravalennan. As a high dragon, she could understand the intents of many lesser races, but speaking it was another matter. She had learned the Common tongue, but she was quite rusty.

"I am Tritos," said the merman as he continued to stare at the ground. He was the tallest and largest of the group by a good margin, but unlike regular mermen, he was slim in build and instead of wearing their traditional scaled armor, he instead dressed himself in a large black cloak surrounded with rune inscribed chains.

Lightning crackled from his body, and Liravalennan jumped backwards, Valerikynthimos's lightning still fresh on her mind.

"She hates me too," said Tritos. "I am not surprised. I am a reject among my own people and all else."

"We are all rejects, Tritos," said Irina. "If my family could will it, they'd have my head on a pike and the Heartseeker back among them."

Jung-su was about to speak, but Irina pointed at him in warning. "Don't you dare speak of your woes. Tritos is exiled because he cannot control the storm god within him. You are exiled from your land for seducing a prince's wife. If you kept your pecker in your robes, you would be living just fine."

"I have no argument to make there." Jung-su shrugged and turned his attention to Liravalennan. "Then, my beautiful, fair lady with hair that burns like fire and eyes that radiate with all the colors of the rainbow, I would be honored to learn your name."

"Liravalennan."

"Ah," said Jung-su. He paused awkwardly before he said, "May I shorten it to Lira?"

"Yes." Liravalennan tossed the name around in her head. Lira. She liked it. It was what could be considered her given name with the "val" indicating her heritage and the "ennan" meaning shining star. The name "Lira" was free from both her father and the destiny he had forced upon her.

"Do you have a place to return to, Lira? A home?" asked Irina. "Family?"

"No," said Lira emphatically with a solid shake of her head. "None. No family. No home. And don't want to go back even if I could."

"It is not good to be alone in this world," said Tritos. "I know, because I have been alone for so very long."

"Who says she has to be alone?" said Jung-su.

Irina turned to Jung-su. "You cannot be serious. We are an adventuring team. We will face great dangers at every twist and turn. You cannot bring this girl with us."

"Girl? She is no mere girl," said Jung-su. "I know, for my flute has reached her. She is a fighter. She is a warrior. Her heart is strong, and her will even stronger. And look at her horns – she will never find safe purchase in any human stronghold.

No, she will be better with us. Oh yes, and healed, I should say she could beat any of us quite easily. No reason not to try and recruit her."

"That…," said Lira as she pointed at the strange half-staff at Jung-su's hand. "Is a flute? What is it? Why does it make that sound?"

"Ah, another fan of my masterful skill, I see!" Jung-su stretched out his hand, showing Lira the flute. "But tell me, Lira, you do not know of music?"

"Music?" Lira cocked her head. She knew much about the outside world, she had thought. She knew how to fight almost every creature and monster as part of her training. But she had never heard of this music. A combat ability, perhaps?

"Oh, my dear, my dear, how I pity you so. Music is how the heart itself speaks. With music, you may hear how the very soul speaks. It has no barriers of language, reaching into all across borders and scales and skins and horns," said Jung-su.

"I like it," said Lira. "New to me. You said you were adventurer? What is that?"

"We are all adventurers," said Jung-su as he motioned to his partners. "All of us are a team, equal in importance, equal in the respect and consideration we hold each other with."

"We slay monsters," said Irina.

"No, no," said Jung-su as he waved his flute in a negatory motion. "We do put to rest monsters here and there, yes, but that is not what an adventurer does. Adventurers explore. We are seekers that go to lands far and wide, dark and bright, for after all, what is the point in living upon this great big world only to die in a single plot of tiny land, never exploring past it?"

"Adventurer…," said Lira, letting the taste of the word settle on her tongue.

"So, what say you, Lira?" said Jung-su with a wide and bright smile. "Do you like the sound of that? The song of adventure?"

Lira met his smile with one of her own. "I do."