“My son… m-my son...”

Under the shadow of Raghes’ wings, the parents grieved. Victor and William watched from the side, contemplating what could’ve brought such surrow to life. Neither parent raised their voice enough for others beyond themselves and their guardian to hear. But perhaps that was for the better, as Victor realised moments later. He was all too familiar with the feeling. He glanced to his side, where his companion stood dawdling. The red dragon poked him with the back of a talon, and leaned close enough for his snout to press against the kid’s ear.

“Here’s your chance.”

“But, he’s busy right now… and it wouldn’t be nice to interrupt...”

“I know. But you made a promise, yes? You’ll have to bring it up eventually.”

“Okay.”

William gulped as he stepped forward. “Hey, uhm, what happened?” he asked Raghes, placing a hand on the blue dragon’s shoulder. The dragon frowned, pushing him aside with a tap of his wing.

“Calm down, you. This is not the time to be asking questions. Stay over there, and wait until I have the time, yes?”

“Oh, um, I apologise.” William shrank back as if he had taken a blow to the chest. Victor pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth, watching the two under the wings sulk as they attempted to bring each other comfort. Raghes whispered something, but it didn’t appear to help matters. Victor perked an ear up, and leaned his head closer to listen in.

“If it is any comfort, we will find out in due time who the perpetrators of this atrocity are. It is something we handle with utmost seriousness.”

“But will that bring him back?”

“We can only hope. It’s a matter of what they’ll do with him. Come to think of it, I suppose it isn’t such a huge surprise that these cretins would resort to this. But I could never have imagined they would abandon all reason and hurt an innocent child.”

Victor cocked his head back, almost choking on his own saliva in the process. Wait a minute… abduction… child… Goodness, this isn’t what I think it is, is it?

“But why? Why did they do this? They are of your blood, aren’t they? They are with you!”

“Were. Alas, it would appear they’ve fallen for a siren’s song, and they’ve left us as a result. It is a shame, but rest be assured that no one in the Front had anything to do with these actions. We will do whatever it takes to remedy them, I promise you.”

“I swear… I let my eyes off of that boy for a few seconds. He was just playing on our fields, like he always does … And now he’s gone, gone… How can I forgive myself? How can I ever explain this to my other two children?”

“That is up to you to decide. But whatever you do, stay strong. For your children.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“No worries. May your fortunes grow better, and may Divinity smile upon your souls.” Raghes retracted his wings, and gave a slight nod. “Now then, if you do not mind, I will have to attend to our guests here.”

“Yes sir,” one parent replied, drying their eyes with a weak fist.

“Farewell for now. We will speak again soon. Now then, you two...” Raghes’ head turned towards the red and the pale, a stern look on his snout as he wandered past. “Follow me, please. This is not the place to be talking.”

Neither of the two said much of a word as they followed Raghes into the woods, kicking up little patches of snow with their feet. William in his heavy coat and boots wasn’t particularly happy about it, given the energy he’d need for every step. Victor would have offered to carry him; alas, Raghes put a hurdle in the way of those plans.

The farm now obscured behind a dozen or so trees, Raghes came to a stop. “Right, Victor, where in Divinity’s name have you been?!”

Victor’s eyes bloomed to their fullest. “Wait, me? What about the-”

“Yes, what happened, in a moment. How about answering my question first? You’ve been gone for several days, now you suddenly show up out here. Where have you been?”

The red dragon swallowed his saliva. “Well, err, I was just… helping out with the request, nothing more. I thought you knew that already. You were there when I left, right?”

Raghes shook his head. “Yes, but I imagined it wouldn’t be anything beyond a few hours, not half a week! Lord Lothar’s been stressed beyond belief these past few days! Couldn't sleep well, couldn’t eat well, I was beginning to worry his leadership was going to be affected! We almost sent a dozen dragons to search for you! Lothar was even prepared to delay the push!”

“Look, I couldn’t help it,” Victor grumbled, “It just took some time to get the job done, that’s all. We were looking for a plant, and well, it was a rare plant. What more is there to say?”

“Yes, yes, I understand,” Raghes replied in a hushed tone. “I’m just hoping Lord Lothar will accept that explanation of yours for what it is. I’m not quite sure he’d be happy with you having picked flowers for the last few days, what with the defectors running around and all. You’ve probably overheard what they’ve been up to just now.”

Victor nodded, teeth pressed against one another. “I have. How did you know?”

Raghes grinned. “I know you far too well, Victor. But it’s beside the point. They’re willing to go as far as to kidnap children. Not even the Justitians are so depraved. If they’ve truly fallen to such depths, imagine what could happen should they ever stumble into you!”

The red dragon felt a chill crawl down his spine. “I can imagine, alright. But rest be assured, I was not alone. I doubt they would’ve tried their luck against the two of us.” Well, that’s what I’m hoping would’ve happened, anyway.

The blue tilted his head. “Who, if I may ask?”

“Well, do you know who Celesta is?” Victor said.

“That is Wraldin’s daughter, is she not? The warden?”

“Yes. Now before you ask what she needed me for, I don’t know entirely myself. All I know is that she wanted to talk, what with me not feeling the healthiest and all, and she believed it to be a good idea to go and look for plants for the orphanage all the while.”

“Hmm...” The blue searched his thoughts for a moment, only for a smug grin to materialize on his snout. “Are you certain there is not a little more to this?”

Victor’s eyes widened. “What? No, we’re just friends, that’s all.”

The blue dragon chuckled. “Ohohoh, we will see. But I digress. I believe William asked something of me back at the farm, did he not?” ‘We will see…’ what an utter bastard. No wonder my father doesn’t like him. As if it hadn’t been clear enough I’m not fond of being a dragon.

The blonde kid’s fingers slipped between one another, pressing hard into his abdomen. “Well, err...” left his lips, before they pressed shut as a lake on a winter’s night. Given how dry and brittle they appeared, Victor couldn’t help but cringe as they bent inwards.

“It was about his training,” Victor said in a hushed tone, “You know, the one you’ve put him on.”

“Oh,” Raghes said. “Is this true, Will? What is the matter? And how does he know before I do?”

William nodded, his lips returning to the surface minus a patch of skin which had gone missing. “Yes, I’ve wanted to talk about these plans you have for me.”

“What about them?” asked Raghes. “I spoke that my ears are always open for questions. And I have promised to attend the sessions you are holding with your juniors in a few days. It truly cannot be so terrible, my many years of experience are not easily mistaken.”

“It is horrible, though! I can’t get them to listen to me! They all run off and come up with their own plans. I’m on the sidelines the whole time. I even hear them whispering what a fool you are, let alone what they say about me.”

Raghes shook his head, a stern gaze coming to rest upon his face. “You desperately need to gain some dignity, my friend. You cannot sit and sulk forever. I have promised I will come once my plate has emptied, but that is still some time away. You must grow in the meantime.” With a talon raised, he was prepared and well to lecture to an ever more fearful William, who did little to protest. “Lokahn’s fate depends on you, and you cannot fail it-”

The blue dragon suddenly grunted as his lecture was grabbed by the wrist. “What is wrong with you?”

“Victor? What is the meaning-”

“No, what is wrong with you? He’s saying he can’t do it by himself, and all you’re giving him is empty words. Why don’t you actually help him out, like he’s asking you to?”

Raghes grumbled, claws drumming into the snow. “Victor. I have already said that I’m busy. We’re preparing an offensive here, do you believe that encompasses nothing more than waving your finger around for some time? I cannot conjure up a rabbit out of an empty basket, neither can anyone else for that matter. I will get to William’s training when I have the time.” Excuses, excuses. There always is one for every situation...

William shook his head, then rubbed the bridge of his nose. “But Raghes, I do not know what to do anymore. I’ve tried every option I could think of, none of it works! I’m just a naive freckleface from the east, trying to teach a bunch of stubborn farmers how to not get themselves killed out in the wilderness. I’d have more success teaching a pile of bricks than those bastards. You’d sooner be in the Citadel before I’ll have them in a fighting state!”

Raghes spat out a gust of breath into the wind, looking off beyond William into the destitute woods. Victor stepped back, letting the wind take its course. That’s more like it.

The blue dragon slouched his shoulders, as did his neck droop. “William, I was hoping you of all people could manage. You are very knowledgeable when it comes to pathfinding, I know that much from watching you hunt. You are a natural, how come you cannot do it? You do not seem very enthusiastic about your passion. Is it a lack of energy, or something else-”

“Lack of energy? Nonsense! How’s about you try and put up with those fools for hours on end! They see it all as a huge joke, as if it’ll all be peaches and apples and they can just march their way to the Justitian border without a hassle! There’s not a chance in the deepest abyss that I can teach them a thing!”

His face stained red, William breathed out. Victor nodded along from the sides, a few teeth on his lower jaw sticking out. Knew he had it in him! Eric’s taught him well. What a shame he struggles to see that.

“Watch your tone. This is not how you should speak to anyone, let alone one of Divinity’s finest.”

“And I shouldn’t have been used and cast aside like garbage, either. You didn’t even pretend to help me. You left me alone even after I asked you to help.”

“William...”

“No, not ‘William’. Enough of that. If you haven’t understood now, then I will not bother anymore. I will get my life back together. Back to Pine Grove. Away from this whole mess. I’m tired of being abused. ”

Raghes groaned, clutching his snout with a single claw. “Will, I truly did not mean to offend you so.” And I always dreamed of being a dragon, too. “I must admit, I’ve been rather stressed these past few weeks. So many preparations and precautions, so few dragons to make them, such little time to get it all done. Erroneously I had bit off more than I could chew. I was hoping I could delegate some of my responsibilities to others, but, those plans have not gone too well, it appears.”

“That doesn’t help me much. I want an apology, if you don’t mind,” William said, arms crossed. “You put me through absolute misery. The least you could do is apologise. Not all wishy washy, a proper apology, please.”

The blue dragon stared back off into the woods, studying the dull void of bark and snow. “Understood. I apologise. I’ll come to your next session-”

“No. Not anymore, please. I’d rather have Victor at my side next time. He’d have my back, at least.” William too, stared off into the woods, opposite the direction Raghes was facing. Victor clicked his tongue. He’s given up on ol’ Raghes, alright. The posture says it all, really. But why pick me? As if I could do a better job! I’m not that intimidating, right?

Raghes let out the growliest sigh he could muster. “Understood. One thing. You will have to ask Lord Lothar first. You know who he is. I doubt he would allow his son on the frontlines so easily.”

William gulped. “Yes. Understood,” he said, shuffling through the snow to the red dragon’s side. “You’ll help me, right?”

Victor gently nodded. “I will.” Until I inevitably flounder, as usual. He should know. It’s not like it’s been centuries since we were in the Civil Defense.

“Thank you, Vic.”

“You’re welcome. I might not be the best, but damn my soul if I ever give up on you.”

“So then, I take it everything will turn out well between you two?” Raghes said, in a shifty, weak voice. “Are you certain you can convince your father, Victor?”

“My father’s always a huge grumpy old bastard. He’ll have to let me go one day, whether he likes it or not.”

“I see.” Raghes stretched his wings. “Since we are on the subject, you should probably pay your father a visit. His fears and insecurities worsen by the day. I would rather not be a witness to what might happen should you not go.”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Victor’s tail thrashed over the ground, kicking a cloud of powdery snow across the area, William’s face very much included. The red dragon’s eyes did a regular dawdle. “Oh.”

“Vic, um...”

Raghes coughed out a chuckle. “Ohohoh, nothing ever changes with you two, I swear. Anyway, I will get back to my duties now. Divinity bless you.

With a wave and a sputter, Raghes flew off. Victor turned to his companion to help brush the snow off of his body. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s alright. You’re honest about these sorts of things,” William said.

Victor nodded. “Well then, what should we go and do now? Do you have anything on the mind, or should we just cut to the chase already?”

William shrugged. “Not really, no. Well, I guess I haven’t had anything to eat in the last few hours, so we can go and take care of that.”

“Looks like we have no other option then.” The red dragon let out a deep sigh. “We’ll have to go and talk to my father about this whole army business. How we got roped into this mess, gods know. First I’m off on a journey to the middle of nowhere, now you’ve been recruited.”

William shook his head. “I wish I could see what Raghes sees. What exactly makes me a perfect candidate to be any sort of leader, or whatever else this captain position entails?”

Victor lowered his head. “How are you feeling about this in general, Will? I mean, the people Raghes wants you to fight were at your side not too long ago, right?”

“Right. That’s another thing that doesn’t sit well with me. I know who we will be facing. People like me. And you. Well, minus the scales and all,” William said, tapping the dragon on the snout. Minus the scales… way to rub it in. “But they’re not much different. Why should we go after them? Because of the banner they’re hoisting? Some members of my family are in that army, what will become of them? Do they want me to go after them as well?”

The red dragon sighed. “I guess they do. They seem hellbent on it, anyway.”

“I can’t do that.” William backed himself against a tree, sliding down from the rough bark down to the frozen grounds below. A trail of wood snippets smeared themselves onto his back, staining the uniform he wore with their residue. “I should’ve told Raghes about this.”

“I’m not certain if he wants to talk to us anymore. Not after you’ve shown him, hah. But it doesn’t matter. It’s not like he’ll be breathing down our necks every step from here on, right? Who says we have to do everything the way he wants us to?”

“Not me.”

“Exactly. Me neither. I’d be damned if I ever left someone in the snow. That’s cruel.” Victor breathed in deep through his nostrils. “You know, in that invasion of the caverns… or temple, rather, the one you and I were caught up in, I tried my hardest to not hurt anyone. All I did was knock a few people out for a while. About three or so, and I saw them all alive and well a few hours later. Why don’t we all do that again?”

“Well, I’d have no issue with that. But, how are we going to tell the others that? They’re all locals, we are Easterners. Besides, they'd kiss a clump of dirt if a Draconist so much as walked on it. Every bit of gruel they get, they gobble it up!” William ranted.

“Err...” Victor fell silent to think. Alas, times of war were bound to make an impact on every man’s soul, none hit as hard as those on the brunt of its wrath. Soldiers on opposing ends cared little for those they faced on the battlefields. They could’ve been brothers or old friends, but that was not how war was conducted. For they were now mortal enemies, and their choices were death or glory.

“We’ll find a way, right?”

“I hope so.”

Victor shook his head. A bitter cold was gnawing at his body. It was a part of winter, after all. “Well then, anything else you want to talk about?”

William tipped his head upwards. “We can talk about it later. Not in the cold, that is.”

The red dragon helped William onto his back, and headed back to the farm to take wing; attempting to fly out of a forest’s roof was a bridge he wasn’t willing to cross quite yet. The flames on the bonfire had weakened, a few guards keeping it company. A meeting of the eyes led to a soft bow, before they took flight.

From the farthest reaches to the city walls, somber was how Victor would describe it. Lone farmsteads and dusky villages, thin and lacking in life spare the trails of thin smoke sprawling from chimneys. Despite the recent waves of settlers streaming into the valleys of the Origin Mountains, they nevertheless felt deserted. Most of the local peasantry likely had a sizable buildup of foodstuffs and other resources: it was the law of the land to have one during the winter, after all. What the newcomers had, he didn’t know. Westedge could only support so many.

“C-cold...” William whimpered from the dragon’s back. Victor resorted to letting a few tufts of flame loose from his jaws, all for the sake of his companion, despite it not being the healthiest of activities.

“Is that better?”

“Somewhat.”

“We’ll be in Westedge shortly. Do you want to talk now, before anyone else can hear?”

“That’s okay,” said William. The wind thankfully wasn’t so bad; it was possible to hear one another just fine. But as a precaution, Victor flew close to the treetops.

“So, what is it with this Celesta, exactly? Why is she talking to you all of a sudden?”

“I don’t know, she said she wanted to help me out a little. It could just be a heart of gold, she assists at an orphanage, after all.” Urgh, gods help me should he ever find out …

* * *

“...What?!”

“Father, you cannot forbid me from-”

“Celesta, have you lost your mind?! Lothar’s going to eat me alive if he finds out!”

“But father, I care about him!”

The pale dragon wasn’t having any of it. “No, you cannot see him again. Even if it is nothing more than ‘just wanting to help’. I’ve told you many times just how horrifying his father’s wrath can be. If he catches you around him without his permission...” a gulp of saliva vanished down his throat.

“Father...”

“I know, my sweet little girl, but we-”

Celesta stormed off, clutching her face with her tail statically following behind her. Wraldin attempted to call out to her, to no avail.