It had been a few months since I had come to this world, and much of it had been spent in the same way. Hunting, learning, practicing fire magic, speaking with Rehm. Not much of note had occurred; the egg laying in the enclosure had not changed, and I had not met anyone else. Well, until today.

“Child, you must come down at once. A dragon does not hide, it is embarrassing.”

Embarrassing? What’s a little more on top of the pile? I hugged my knees, face still burning red. The indent high up on the gnarled oak tree was just large enough for me to squeeze into, and I decided it was also just comfortable enough for me live out my remaining days in.

“Child, I am tired of this. If you do not come down I will burn the entire cursed tree down.”

Ah, she sounds angry now. I suppose 30 minutes of her asking nicely had been enough. Peeking out of the crevice, I eyed Rehm through the leaves. Her head was level with my spot, and she looked annoyed.

Just come out and tell me what has gotten you like this. I will not be mad at you, I swear it.”

Reluctantly, I pulled myself from my burrow and fluttered to the ground. Arms wrapped around myself, eyes cast downward, I collected my thoughts.

I met a human today.

“...WHAT?”

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Jean Martine paused just outside the cantine. Looking down, he quickly inspected his uniform for any wrinkles or dirt. Running his fingers over the stripe that had been stitched in yesterday, he sighed. It had all been too easy since he had come to this world. These past few years he’d spent more or less relaxing, as the area the city of Draughton was home to was nestled deep in the Olivar Kingdom’s territory. As the newly promoted First Lieutenant of the Draughton City Guard, most of his job would still be paperwork and breaking up drunken brawls.

Quick promotions, sleeping around with local women, winning at the dice games members of the City Guard were supposed to avoid. That office lady he’d spoken with after dying had been right about having good luck in his new life, though in spite of that it had all grown a bit stale.

Shaking aside these thoughts, he straightened his back and opened the cantine door, smiling and placing his hand on the shoulder of a guardsman who had stiffened to attention when he walked in. Jean sighed to himself and wished his subordinates would be less formal. Many might be listed as reserves for the Kingdom’s Scouting Corps, but at the moment they weren't military.

Scanning the room, he quickly found the two men he was searching for. Sitting across from each other, the man facing away from Jean was wildly gesturing with his arms and head, long blonde locks shaking about, engrossed in telling a story. As Jean approached them, he met the eyes of the other man at the table.

Second Lieutenant Trakov Sokola’s eyes were unending pits of despair, sunken back into his paler than normal face. His black hair with gray streaks, along with his mournful expression and the wrinkles that accentuated it all gave him the air of someone with one foot in the grave. Unable to hold back a grin, Jean plopped himself down next to the blonde man as Trakov sent him a pleading look.

“Given the Second Lieutenant’s demeanor I expect you have quite the story to tell, Franz?”

Franz turned to Jean, cheeks red from either exercise or midday drinking, at a loss for words for a brief moment.

“Apparently Franz here has found God.” Trakov answered in his place, happy to share his misery with Jean.

“God, you say?” Turning to Franz, Jean gave him a skeptical look. “I know they say that the Divine will forgive all transgressions, but it might be too late for the likes of you.”

With Trakov grinning, Franz violently shook his head, golden hair spinning about.

“You must understand, Jean! Please!” Taking Jean’s hand with both of his, he murmured, “I… I’ve seen an angel.”

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“...WHAT?”

Looking down at the ground, I stayed silent.

“You… where was this? Tell me what happened.”

Face flushed, I tried to explain.

I was relaxing by a pond, the one with the those flat rocks, not really paying attention. When suddenly this man came stumbling in behind me…

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“So there I was, enjoying leisurely activities on my day off-”

“He means he was disappointing some poor farmer girl’s father,” Trakov said cutting Franz off. Giving Trakov a dirty look, Franz continued.

“Ahem, anyways, I was just done spending a lovely afternoon with an acquaintance when, slightly inebriated as I was, I decided to go for a walk in the forest.”

Jean stiffened slightly, his smile sagging at that last point.

“Franz, you know you’re never supposed to go into the forest, everyone knows that. You may have been drunk, but you’re not a fool.”

Turning slightly red, Franz dipped his head.

“I know, I know. Look, it happened, and I’m still alive, aren’t I? This isn’t the important part.” With an invigorated flourish, Franz brushed a stray lock of hair out of his face and resumed his tale.

“Now, there I was, my adventure taking me down an old path through the trees, until I stumbled across an opening in the woods. I had come across a pond, mayhaps an ancient watering spot for travelers and hunters! And there, at the edge of the water, stood the angel!”

Leaning in, Franz eyed Jean for a reaction. When he got nothing, he repeated the last line, adding more emotion. Sighing, Jean indulged his friend.

“An angel? How do you know whatever you saw was an angel?”

“I am glad you asked, my friend. She had wings so graceful and elegant they could only belong to one of God’s chosen! Not only that, but burning red hair, and eyes that shone like the sun!”

“Mmhm. Right. And anything else?”

Taken aback by his lieutenant's lack of reaction, Franz thought about it for a moment. “Well, um. She had things on her arms and legs. They, uh, kind of looked like claws.”

“I see.” Jean squinted at Franz for a moment, before turning to his Second Lieutenant. Trakov, catching Jean’s look, added his own thoughts.

“Red hair, red eyes, wings, and claws. Sounds like a devil rather than an angel.”

Grinning again, Jean added, “Or something you hallucinated in your drunken stupor.”

Horrified, Franz shook his head again. “I wasn't that drunk, please. And Trakov, do not defile my angel with that horrid mouth of yours.”

Jean pinched the bridge of his nose. God, this was a new low for Franz. He had always spent his time chasing girls, but at least they’d been real, and human. Whatever he had seen, it didn't sound human, and if his story held true that only spelled trouble and paperwork for the City Guard.

“So, what’s your point?”

Franz, gathering himself and sitting up straight, announced, “I am going back into the forest to find my angel. You two cannot stop me.”

Trakov, chuckling, responded, “Actually, as your superiors and as officers of the Guard, we can.”

Ignoring him, Franz turned to Jean, giving him pleading and hopeful look that Jean knew all the young ladies in Draughton pined for. For all of Franz’s airheadedness and sleeping around, he was still a catch: a member of the City Watch, and a hopeless romantic with good looks to boot.

Hmm, Jean thought. If this creature Franz encountered is real, then it might be necessary to investigate. And even if it isn’t, Franz would whine about it for weeks. He wasn't sure either he or Trakov could take that.

Unlike Franz, however, Jean and Trakov both knew the real reason people were not allowed to enter the forest; every officer of the Watch had been sworn to secrecy via runes on their bodies, though the dragon living in the area had been quiet and peaceful since before Jean came to this world.

Also, Jean couldn’t help but wonder. He had met a good deal of Travelers, people like him brought from other worlds. Whether they had arrived in Draughton or had simply passed through, he had heard a few stories. While Jean had initially chosen a more peaceful, relaxed life, many Travelers took advantage of their good fortune to become adventurers or dungeon excavators.

One thing many of them had mentioned to Jean were the opportunities they had seen. They had all come across circumstances or chances like this. Fateful encounters, new dungeons stumbled upon, a call for help promising lavish rewards. He knew it likely had something to do with the good luck all Travelers had, and he might’ve just stumbled into an opportunity himself. He pondered the paperwork he still had to finish for a moment, and the made his decision.

Jean glanced at Trakov. He saw the color drain from Trakov’s face as he realized.

“Jean, you can’t seriously be considering this. The forest is too dangerous, and-”

“We might need to investigate this creature Franz saw, and I doubt anything short of locking him up will stop him from going back. If we go with him, we can at least keep him from doing anything too stupid.”

Now Trakov’s face turned dark and he rubbed his wizened face. Glancing at the ecstatic Franz, he asked what Jean planned.

“Tomorrow, we’ll go to the spot Franz went to, and look around. I still suspect it was just his drunken imagination, so once we find nothing we’ll come straight back. Alright?”

Grumbling, Trakov voiced his reluctant agreement as Franz hugged Jean’s arm, thanking him over and over.

“Don’t get your hopes up. And not a word about this to anyone, understood?”

The two other guardsmen nodded their agreement, and Jean stood from the bench.

“Meet me at the northern caravan gate, just after the midday bell.”

With that, Jean walked away and out of the cantine, already regretting his decision a little bit. He did, however, feel something he hadn't known in quite some time. For whatever reason, he was looking forward to the next day.

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“Damned humans, they KNOW not to come into my forest, I should burn down some of their huts to help them remember.”

Fire lapped around Rehm’s bare teeth as she ranted about humans, but I didn’t really see the point.

Mother, please. That isn’t what I’m getting at…

I looked down at my body. Apart from the added features and changed color of my hair and eyes, I mostly still looked the same as when I was a human. When the human had seen me in the forest, it was a bit of a shock to my system. I was, afterall, completely naked. Before now I hadn’t really noticed, as I didn't feel the cold much, and living as a dragon and with a dragon probably had skewed my perception.

All of a sudden I was acutely aware of the human part of me. Whereas a dragon probably doesn't wear clothes, humans did. And yet here I was, traipsing through the forest, bare naked for the world to see. The blush on my face reddened even more as I recalled the look on the man’s face as he had seen me.

“Child, you… there is no reason to be ashamed of yourself. A mere human is insignificant compared to you. And you speak of being naked. What need do you have to cover up? If one lays eyes upon a dragon, they should kneel and give thanks.”

All the anger had left her voice as she addressed me, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling of shame that sat within me.

It’s… It’s not that simple. You can see me, Mother. What I look like. I may be part-dragon, but I am also part-human. No matter what you or I think, that much is true.

“You were born but a few months ago, and yet you already think of such heavy topics. Maybe I am failing as a mother, fufu… You need not ponder this, child. More will be discussed as you grow older. In fact, the next gathering is happening in naught but a few months, and I plan to have words with the Elder about your appearance.”

I took in her reassurances. Whoever this Elder was, Rehm seemed to trust him.

Alright. Uh, thanks. One other thing; please don’t burn down anything or murder any humans because of this?

With a slightly amused eye, Rehm looked me up and down.

“Of course, child, if that is what you wish.”

I sensed the conversation had come to an end, and I let out a small sigh of relief. A few doubts still lingered about in the back of my mind, but my curiosity won out as I couldn't help but wonder what this gathering would have in store.

For now I would sleep; I’d had enough excitement for one day. Hopefully tomorrow would be a bit more peaceful.