I woke up next to Lorie, but in an unfamiliar place, it was like the houses but made of thin elastic material, pinned into the ground with massive spear like stakes. Soon after I had woken with the sun shining brightly into my translucent ‘house’ and I felt a voice touch my conscious, and I instinctively look at Lorie, whose body was still pale, without wheezing or even breathing, very silent. Silent to the point that she compensated for all the times someone wanted silence but it was loud. So very silent.

But, that voice that reached out, who were they, and how? I could feel the bond I made with Lorie slip away the second I boiled over, but no one else has been able to get so close to my mind before. It felt… almost aggressive, like they were forcing themselves into my mind, and then a muscular young man came in, with no pointed ears, no long hair, but a shaved head and pale skin, almost as pale as Lorie.

His mind touched mine, almost physically and he again forced his way in, and that felt horrible but, he whispered, ‘dragon, o’ mighty one, we wish to give you guidance in the absence of your great mother, Khaleesi.’

He kneeled. The by-passers who were now there bowed and quickly left at the sight of him.

Lorie never bowed.

‘Lorie was, eh, interesting, O’ great one, she was capable, but only though of her own greed and ambition in many occasions.’

My mind went blank, just blank. No rage, no thoughts. She? The her- Lorie? Greed?

‘Greed’

I stood up and looked down at my scaly legs and paws, which was the first time in forever, because they had always been running, until Lorie.

name.

‘Name?’

What’s yours

‘Cabel, O’ great one.’

I’m not great. I’m Dezenym.

Where am I

Why am I here

I had a mother? Khaleesi?

Lorie was greedy?

I am the great one?

None of these could be true, I hadn’t see it or them with my own eyes, I didn’t FEEL great at all.

Who can explain? Can you? Cabel? Where is my bond, where did she go?

‘She’s gone, O’ great one. Forever, and, you do need to go meet the royal family, so allow me to explain how to reach out and connect with peoples mind to communicate quickly.’

Cabel explained and explained, how you only need to direct your thoughts at someone as you do when exerting willpower, it’s more a feeling than something you do. Easy? Yes. I do it all the time, I’m a natural! Cabel also said I will be learning here, under teachers that ‘revere’ me and combat specialists that will allow me to survive. I’ll learn the language of your people? He- Cabel, said yes!

And so, Cabel stood up, and opened the ‘tent’ he also bowed partially and signaled for me to exit the flaps with a wave of his hand. So, I left. I walked out and everyone looked at me, like the tree men back with the fire men, but everyone was a tree man, everyone, but one? I saw a man in the crowd was leering, his eyes slanted, squinting at me like I was an animal to be butchered, and then, he walked off.

After that we just walked, with no other fire men, only the nice tree men that give me so much comfort. They all acknowledged me like it was natural, and I accepted it as such. I held my head high for the first time, and the packed streets, filled with houses, people and a market, contrasting to the ruins of the small empty village, was, nice.

I got to a massive castle, rivaling the fire men’s village sanctuary, and on the pavilion I saw guards, watching in awe as I approached.

I looked down from the centered pavilion and saw a massive stairway, and at the top of the stair way, was a family of 5, a mom, and dad, a sister and two brothers. All adorned in jewels and silky looking robes. The girl peeled out from behind the father, but the boys stood tall, looking down at me as if I was an old friend. I was not an old friend. I didn’t know those people, did they know me? It wasn’t like I was welcoming them back from a long journey.

I got up the stairs and Caleb told me ‘please, choose one to favor.’

Why? Does favoring one do anything for me?

‘Well, great one, you need a partner, a permanent partner to teach you the world outside of the teachers you’ll have. So please, pick.’

My eyes immediately went off the boys, theres no way I’m picking them.

The parents?

Caleb can I choose the parents?

‘No, I’m sorry for not specifying, they are the king and queen of this kingdom, they cannot leave their post. So pick between the children.’

Ok, the girl I guess

The girl had been judging behind the man the entire time, clutching his legs to peek from behind. As I told Caleb that, the girl looked up at her parents and said something, I am too far away to hear but, the parents immediately starting wagging their fingers at the girl violently, telling her off.

I looked to my side to see Caleb gone, running up the stairs with frightening speed. He reached the royal family very quickly, and kneeled as he did with me. The royal family showed visible shock for a second, and then the boys seemed to get angry. They began running towards me at a much slower pace than calve ran up, but I could tell there was spirit in those steps.

Once they finally got down, Caleb had gotten down first, and he starting yelling, almost pleading like the fire me, but the boys didn’t listen, the boys walked up to me, and grabbed my paw. They tried to drag me but I dug my claws into the ground. I looked up at them and tried to touch their conscious

Why?

The boys showed another round of visible confusion when they heard me, shouting from surprise mentally.

Let go of my paw

The boys looked a little more timid and slowly dropped me paw, and the second it was on the ground, the started crying, and running up stairs.

I trotted up with them, easily keeping pace, and I sat infront of the parents when I got up. I looked at the little girl and tried to talk to her, or envision it.

Who are you.

She didn’t seem visibly surprised.

‘I’m Aegle, apparently Im going to be your partner.”

She was a lot less timid than I had expected? Well, anyways I guess I have a new partner in justice?