A night’s chill shrouded Westedge’s atmosphere, as a blood-red dragon flew towards the city from the dusk’s side. Victor heaved in his breaths, a continuous growl rolling out of his throat. His passenger shivered: alas, what warmth he could provide could not overpower the cold.

“Victor, can you fly a little lower? I’m freezing.”

The red dragon craned his head around. “I know that, but this is as far down as I can go. We won’t clear the walls otherwise.”

William gulped, struggling to hold onto the wooden tube carrying Batharr’s message. “Okay, but could you go a little faster instead? This thing’s starting to cramp up my hands.”

A deep groan rumbled in Victor’s throat. “Believe me, I can’t go faster than this, unless you want my wings to fall off. Just a few more minutes, Will. ”

With a sigh, William slumped over. “Okay...” was all he said, before falling into silence for the rest of the flight.

The dragon descended towards a quiet city street, leaves skirting past like kites. His talons prepared to grab the ground, as the ground reached out to them. Soon after they struck stone, coming to a running stop on an empty main square. He lowered onto his belly to let his passenger off, before setting a foot towards a tavern’s door.

“Here we are. Let’s get something to eat,” Victor said, pointing a talon at the sign suspended above the door. “Giant’s Rest” it read, there under a message promising reception throughout the night.

William nodded. “Sounds alright, Vic. But weren’t we supposed to deliver the message-”

“When dawn strikes, sure. My father wouldn’t mind it taking a little longer, what with the weather and all,” Victor said. “Besides, he’s probably fast asleep still.”

“Fair enough.” William shrugged, as Victor gently nudged him towards the doors with his wing. Thankfully, the establishment’s owners had installed a second door for the sake of Westedge’s scaled residents.. Children appeared in the windows as the dragon approached, forcing the corners of the dragon’s mouth upwards a little.

Upon entering, Victor became a well of attention. The children at the window ran towards him under their parents’ watchful eyes, curious. Victor lowered his head, allowing them to touch him on the snout. They all had beaming smiles on their faces; in the back of the room, a lone Draconist stopped eating, just to sing a prayer.

“Draggy! Draggy!”

“Hello, mister dragon!”

“Hello there.” Victor raised a claw to rub the children on the cheek. Goodness almighty, not everyone at once!

As Victor busied himself with the children, and William stood snickering next to him, the bartender emerged from the kitchen. While heading for the new guests, a realization landed square on the top of his mind. “Oh, you’re the son of Lord Lothar!”

Victor pulled his head up. “That’s me, yes. I was wondering if me and my friend could have breakfast here.”

The bartender bowed. “It would be an honour to serve someone of your blood. And who is this?”

“Uhh,” William bit his lip. “I’m Victor’s friend, yes. Can I stay here too?” he asked with a shaky voice. The children stopped throwing a ruckus, the other patrons went silent, and for a moment it seemed as if the hearth had died. Victor shook his head. I didn’t think introducing yourself could be so difficult. You don’t even have to convince the person you’re a threat, Will.

“Of course!” the bartender said to cast the silence away, “Any friend of Lord Lothar is a friend of mine. Make yourself feel at home, our lovely fireplace will help dispel the cold. What would you like?”

The patrons in the dining area turned back to their own business. Couples, families, people from all classes of life were present. Cast in a beautiful mixture of timber and wood, in addition to a reserved populace, it was a breath of cosy air after enduring the nightmares of Ravens Hill’s eateries.

William nodded. “Yes, uhh, doesn’t matter- something, yes.”

“Beef. He likes beef,” said Victor. “I could use some beef too, thanks.”

“Alright… beef for you both, consider it done,” the brown-bearded man said. “Of course, I’ll make sure your portions will be appropriate.”

Victor nodded. “That’s good. Is it okay if I lie down by the fireplace? I’m cold.”

The bartender raised his hands. “Go with Divinity, my scaled friend. It’s the least I could do for those who liberated Westedge.”

“Err, okay, thank you.” Victor’s talons clicked nervously against the wooden floor. If only they knew what it took. After everything that has happened… are we truly liberators?

As the bartender got to work on their order, Victor and William turned tail towards the dining area. The children had all either found something new to bother themselves with, or been called back by their parents. William found a free table close to the hearth, while Victor happily lowered himself down before the crackling logs, his tail curled around his side, head tilted to enjoy the warmth to its fullest.

For a while it was enough to forget those fateful days from months earlier, even if just for a while. Alas, it wouldn’t last long. It never did. Victor lowered his head, and stared into the hearth as it flickered in various patterns. Brief spasms of calm, overshadowed by violent holding patterns. His eyes began to hurt a few minutes later.

After some time had passed, the bartender presented both William and Victor with their meals. William had a simple beef steak with gravy-encrusted mashed potatoes, while Victor received a plate of diced steaks. After briefly sniffing the meal, Victor dug in. It was cooked just how he wanted it. After the first few bites, he was grasping entire clawsfull to stuff his face with, not even the slightest regard for basic etiquette. By the time he was done, William wasn’t even halfway done yet. Some of the patrons laughed, others watched on in disgust. It didn’t take long for Victor to feel ashamed.

Why can’t I… just… control myself? I’m not some savage, and yet… Damn it, Victor… he thought, pressing his talons into his chest. Damn you to the abyss, Victor…

The remainder of those early morning hours were uneventful. Victor buried his miserable thoughts under a forced smirk as he met up with William by his own home, which had been specially built just for him. Thankfully, his father had kept the place sober: It was a little timber building like any other, containing a straw nest, a shrine he never used, a pool of fresh water to drink from, and a crate for what little belongings he had. That was all Victor needed, a little place for himself, nothing more.

With a yawn, Victor lowered himself onto the nest. After wishing one another a good night, the red dragon watched William leave for the barracks, before falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

Victor arose from his nest once the sun had risen, eyes and limbs crying out for him to lie back down, until a few quick stretches had cured them. Once outside, the scent of dew-blessed grass flew up his nose. Dawn’s flame-like glow on the horizon gave him a soul warming greeting. Alas, it wasn’t a ‘warm’ welcome, given the knife-like winds flying by. Victor shivered. Urk, the snow season isn’t far away now, is it?

He hurried his way to the city barracks. It was a harsh building,its stone walls a bit of an eyesore between the beautiful timber that composed most other buildings in Westedge. The door was akin to a prison’s: wide, sturdy, and depressing to look at. William was already outside shivering by the door, evidently regretful of stepping outside this early.

“Good morning, Will,” Victor said. William jumped.

“Ah! Uh, good morning, Vic. Didn’t see you there.”

“No problem, do you have the message with you?” said Victor, as he draped a wing around William, an uneasy feeling tickling his nose. Something’s wrong, I can smell it.

Meanwhile, William held up the large tube containing Batharr’s response. “Here it is, not a grain of wood out of place. I’ve kept it hidden under my bed, so that no one would steal it.”

Victor tilted his head. “Stealing? Do the troops steal from each other?”

William audibly gulped. “Well, after the first time my money got stolen, I didn’t want to risk it anymore. It’s a few people in there that are at it all the time, I don’t know why. They gang up on people, and either you give them something good, or you get beaten up.”

Victor’s head rose at once, a growl spilling out of his throat. “And you’re mentioning this now? What have they taken from you?” His eyes narrowed onto the human below.

“Well, ehm...” William bit his lip. A shine appeared in his eye. “Money, mostly. And that shirt you had made for me, they took that-”

Without a second thought, Victor’s left claw shot towards William’s shoulder. Nary time to gasp before Victor began shaking him back and forth. “Those FIENDS!” roared Victor. William shivered. “Listen, you need to get out of there. I can’t let this keep happening to you, I just can’t. You can sleep by my side from now on, no matter who does not like that.”

“Vic-”

“No Will, they can’t humiliate you like this!” yelled Victor, “I won’t allow it!”

William gave a slow, timid nod. It then dawned on Victor just how abrasive he had been, given how William shivered even worse than earlier. The nauseating feeling from earlier returned, now boiling in his throat. “...I’m sorry, Will. I don’t want to see you suffer, that’s all.”

All William responded with was a tired groan. Victor hung his head in shame. Perhaps his antics had finally caught up with him. William must’ve reached his limits after months of whining and reckless behaviour from a creature such as Victor. No healthy individual would ever want to befriend a walking disaster like him, would they? The dragon shut his eyes; they had started to hurt.

“Umm, Vic? Should we go deliver that message now?” William said, gently patting Victor on the nose.

Victor nodded, as he opened his eyes again. “Yes. We should.”

* * *

A thunderous roar echoed through the city, almost knocking the two off their feet as they set foot into the shrine. What few leaves were left on the trees now began their descent, the raucous sound being the straw that broke the camel’s back. Victor and William looked each other in their eyes, neither quite certain what had transpired.

After an awkward silence, Victor spoke a few soft words. “I think that’s my father, Will...”

Following Victor’s lead, William responded. “It must be. I don’t think I’ve ever heard any other dragon be that angry.”

A second roar cut in between them, once again sending ears and skin trembling. The sounds were akin to something from one’s worst nightmare; alas, for Westedge’s residents, it wasn’t a dream they would be waking up from anytime soon.

Victor lowered his stance, and straightened his tail. “I do not like the looks of this, Will.”

William licked his lips. “Me neither, Victor. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to go any further right now, to be honest with you.”

“Understandable, but… oh, he might just kill us both if we delay this any longer. “We don’t have much of a choice here, do we?” The dragon looked at William, concerned. With a sigh, the man turned back towards the grove.

“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

The two made their way over to the main clearing, taking every step as slow and cautious as possible. Lothar was there, heaving and growling and spitting onto the ground, not even attempting to look the blue dragon standing beside him in the eye. Broken twigs littered the paths leading to the clearing. Given how much effort went into keeping the shrine tidy, they had but one story to tell.

“For Divinity’s sake… I put my full trust into her, offered my help to her in her darkest hours, gave her life, a reason to keep her chin up. I gave that wicked witch a purpose, Raghes. And this is how she returns the favour? Stabbing me in the back?!” Lothar’s tail thrashed through gravel and grass, eyes focused like lasers upon an unwilling second hand. “It is a sham, a fraud, there has never been a greater betrayal! Do you hear me, Raghes? NEVER!”

Raghes grumbled in frustration. “Well, I’ve told you about this before, right? How many times did I warn you of what Merahn was up to, or of her worsening attitude, or her continuously growing all the more radicalized and bloodthirsty, only for it to get brushed aside? I told you this would happen one day!” He shouted, planting a foreleg square into the gravel path.

Lothar sighed, and lowered himself onto the ground. “It is not you I’m angry with. It is myself. I so desperately longed to see your predictions proven wrong, Raghes. That the side of Merahn I’ve known for years would win out in the end, and yet...” the golden dragon shook his head. “I should have listened to you much sooner.”

Raghes nodded. “At least you’ve finally seen the light. Do the others know anything about this yet?”

A low rumble emerged from Lothar’s throat. “I doubt it. We should schedule a meeting as soon as possible. All Commanders, both man and dragon.”

William poked Victor on the joint of his foreleg. “Do you know what they are talking about?”

The red dragon shook his head. “I don’t. Something military related, probably.”

“The coast does look clear though. Do you think we can deliver the message now?”

“It should be. Hopefully it’ll be okay if we’re interrupting something huge.” Although, this looks to be even worse than that.

With a deep breath, Victor treaded lightly towards the main clearing, guarding William with his wing. As the two approached, the blue dragon turned his head around.

“Lothar, your son is here.”

“Is that so?” said Lothar, unwilling to budge so much as an inch.

“Look for yourself. He’s brought that friend of his, too.”

The gold dragon sniffed the air, then peered beyond Raghes with the corner of his eye. It wasn’t until he caught a glimpse of red that his eyes lit up; the proud head raised at once, as did the rest of Lothar’s body. It was as if the golden dragon had been influxed with new life.

“Son! You have returned!” Lothar’s tired expression had morphed into a bright smile. “Please, do tell me, are you carrying news from Commander Batharr?”

Victor bit his lip slightly, before nodding. “Well, yes, but, William has the letter, actually. We don’t know what’s in it, except that the garrison’s surrendered and all. Hopefully it will be good news, though.” Urk, I hope it won’t anger him any further. That one poor bastard was bad enough.

“Hmm, interesting. Most interesting,” grumbled Lothar, as he took the tube into his claws, and proceeded to open it. A rolled up parchment was inside. Raghes gently pulled it out in Lothar’s stead, and handed it over to his leader. Lothar then proceeded to grumble the message’s contents out loud as he read it.

“The fortress fell… hmm, evacuation, few prisoners, many civilians fled… A few ships are left over… supplies will be needed… hmm… the coast appears to be safe. Most interesting. I assumed the Justitians would have tried to burn the ships. Perhaps they can be of some use to us. Although, Batharr ought to have told more of those missing civilians.”

“My lord, what does all of this mean, exactly?” asked Raghes. “I wanted to know his casualty numbers more than anything. You know, for that eastwards push we’re planning.”

Lothar lifted a claw into the air. “Patience, Raghes. I am certain he will explain once he has returned from Frontier Harbour. In the meantime, we ought to set up local rule to aid the population there.”

All the while the two older dragons argued, Victor and William had stuck to the sidelines. Both were out of their depths, of course. Neither had any tactics nor strategic analysis to offer. Yet, they lingered. After the outburst from earlier, Victor needed to know.

“Father… I have a question actually, and-”

“Yes son? I am always open to questions from you, no need to ask me for permission.” Lothar stroked his son on the neck with the back of his talons. The tip of the golden dragon’s tail pitched up, as he lay in wait for a response. Victor gulped.

“Well, I was wondering, what happened just now? With the roar, I mean.” Victor said, audibly swallowing his saliva another time. Please let this turn out well, please let this turn out well...

Lothar inhaled a deep breath, correcting his posture as gentle and slow as a creature of his size could. “Well, my son, allow me to teach you an important life lesson. You must always be vigilant, no matter what. For threats and turnabouts can occur where you least expect them. That is all I will opine on the matter, yes?”

Victor nodded his head as slow as he could, teeth gripping onto his gums all the while. Urk, that didn’t tell me much of anything. I never should’ve asked, father probably doesn’t like me for having asked. I wish I could stop doing this to myself...

The shivers didn’t escape Lothar’s notice however, neither did Victor’s sudden change in scent. “Hmm, that reminds me, son. A precious friend of mine came asking for you not too long ago. He asked if you could come to the orphanage building here in Westedge. They would not specify why exactly, but I am certain they would appreciate your presence there.”

“But-”

“Please son, do not keep them waiting,” Lothar said. “You know it is rather rude to simply ignore such a request.”

“Fine... ” With a sigh and an annoyed expression on his snout, Victor dragged himself away from the clearing. Great, now I’ve got whoever this is to put up with. Who on Terris wants to see a failure such as me, of all people?

* * *

Back in the clearing, Raghes cleared his throat. “Now then William, spare a moment if you please.”

The blond-haired human froze. “W-what for?!” he said. Raghes rolled his eyes. He could practically hear William’s bones rattle under his skin.

“Oh, I’ve just got something to discuss with you, nothing more. It’s nothing worth being nervous over, that is certain. In private of course. Come with me.”

Raghes stretched his wings out to their fullest, and proceeded to nudge William out of the grove with them. On his way out, the blue dragon shot a final glance towards Lothar, who simply replied with a slight nod, before turning away to begin praying.