I had finished vaguely recounting something I had read in an Elias Canetti book when Rilu told me of his conflict, that his power was falling apart at the seams. Olivia always saw unraveling as a good thing, but here it seemed to be a bit more tangible than a transition beyond an emotional or social prison, so I had little advice to give. I didn't understand all of it, but I could gather that his power had gained a protective aspect, which was at odds with the way in which Rilu's class showed he needed to represent his people.

Despite how bad I was at telling stories, with all my awkwardness and constant water breaks, I was still getting through to him.

At first, I thought he was just weak, or that Visualization was helping streamline my process of expression (which, mind you, it very well still could have been), but that was only before I heard a legend about dragons Rilu told me in return.

I could then understand why he was reluctant for me to tell stories at first, why he thought that fiction was worthless and intrinsically less interesting than reality. After all, the real world(s?) existed in dimensions and dynamics only Laplace's Demon could hope to unravel. I also understood why he disagreed with my point that being able to extrapolate that complexity to express oneself could be just as complex and insightful if you looked deeper.

Because, holy fuck, it was the most soulless story I had ever heard, and he told it as a classic. It could have been no longer than three or four paragraphs, and I think saying the line 'dragons make good planet shield, other races look on in awe and reverence' is more engaging than what it was. Rilu did tell me that the story was entirely fake as a way for the emergent dragon society to explain why the other species they communicated with had few members capable of entry, which is what really made me get his perspective on fiction.

I think my pity was too obvious, since he seemed quite angry, especially when I took it as a chance to essentially brag about how important the hypothetical and fiction was to the collective consciousness of humanity.

We both reached the conclusion that either literature there hadn't been tried again for likely thousands of years, or, civilization-wise, the dragons grew up very quickly. I don't think I need to explain that he was reluctant and unhappy to make the former concession. But I verified that Dragons had been around for a very long time, maybe just a bit shorter than humans, at least at the Dragons' current level of evolution. It seemed to be known, but Rilu had no knowledge of what exactly evolution was, explaining it with a 'because magic'.

And, at this point, I was actually inclined to believe him. Because there was no way that they were advanced enough to know of evolution in its non-magical state, what with how long that took, after the following conversation:

-

"What are... 'cells'?" Rilu asked, to my surprise. The clothes he wore seemed... Not modern, but a bit nicer than what I'd expect from before at least the 1700s. Then again, he was nobility.

"Hm. I failed biology, so I may be lying to you, but they're called 'the building blocks of life'. They're basically semi-autonomous organisms too small to be visible that make up your body. They are what you are, so it's hard to call them organisms, honestly..."

I was quickly interrupted.

"I thought your world didn't have magic? What can this 'study of life' do? Is it something like using life energy?" he interjected, to my surprise. This seemed like such standard information, explaining it to someone I saw as my age was surreal.

"Oh, uh, this isn't supernatural in nature. You can't do anything with it. Well, at least not as far as we got, we were looking for ways to engineer immortality or something."

"I thought you said you weren't religious?"

"I'm... Not? I think it would be pretty stuck up to join a cult that worships ourselves."

"Look, I'm not interested in your beliefs. I will respect them, for I get that the First Flame's church is not easy to digest immediately, but..."

I didn't bother with it past that point and began to tune him out until he was done. With Rilu, he would either go on an interesting and educational diatribe or a repetitive cycle of the allegedly signature Draconic pride. I liked to believe I had become quite good at identifying and subsequently tuning out the latter.

Still, even if it did sound like a religious pitch to someone without Enlightenment-era-tier background on the sciences, perhaps another people, perhaps seen as a cult, were responsible... With magic existing, engineers seeming like or even becoming tech-worshippers didn't seem too farfetched. I wrote that down in my mental notes for later.

-

I certainly liked the idea of becoming this species' Charles Darwin. However, not only did magic add another dynamic to research before I could fully present the theory of evolution, but dragons did not seem to be the sort to like being told they were wrong. Even moreso than the average human.

Yes, having thoughts like that still did make me feel racist.

Regardless, his mention of the church of the First Flame reminded me of a certain story from Earth. Perhaps it could help him.

-

"There's this one story I want to tell you, but I don't quite remember how it goes," I spoke suddenly, trying to recover the momentum that allowed for our conversations the day prior.

It was the next day, and I was still riding on Rilu's back. The better I felt, the less bearable the heat became. Our protective dome of flames continued to whirl monotonously around us. Even if we were technically moving, it didn't feel like it. I felt suspended in liminal space. Considering the ash outside of the fiery stained-glasslike protective barrier looked remarkably similar to an endless void, I don't think that anyone could blame me.

"Tell it how you'd tell it, I know you weren't sure about a lot of the others. I think I had the most fun when you just went with it," Rilu replied after a moment, still pausing at the word 'fun' despite what I assumed to be a consideration before he spoke...

"Those I still remembered, though perhaps not well. This one I haven't read, I just have some recollection of it from references to it in other stories."

"Do you wish to take some time to think?"

"Eh, I'll just jump in. Don't make fun of me for any awkward silences."

I couldn't see his face, but I just knew Rilu made a faux-mischievous grin at that. "No promises," he chortled.

"So, uh, in this story, there's like a really big mountain. I'm not sure how big, exactly, I never really knew much about the setting, but this mountain belongs to the gods. Again, not exactly sure what the gods are, but they're something like higher beings,"

"You're doing it again," Rilu interjected, which frustrated me. I promised myself I would parrot him the next time he rambled on, but deep down I knew I wasn't the sort of person who really would.

"Right, right. Anyway, there were also Titans, which were the creators of the planet, the gods, and humans. I think they were like super-gods, but they also lost in the war against them..."

"Leaf."

I felt a bit warm at being called Leaf, which I admonished myself for, before continuing.

"Shh, this is at least important. This story happens before that war. The Titan who created humanity in these myths was known as Prometheus, which means something like 'foresight'. Actually, depending on what you're looking at, it may have been one of his sons. But Prometheus is always seen giving gifts to humanity. Some say these actions are out of love, some say it's out of pity, and some say it's out of defiance. This story is emblematic of all three."

First, I'll need to explain the significance of fire. I'm not sure what it is to Dragons, of which most can actually control it, but for humanity, it was what allowed us to advance. It's what kept us warm, cooked us food, and what allowed us to explore the sky."

This time, Rilu had something to say. "It's similar with us, though many species grew using native planetary resources or their own abilities. Our fire is the latter, although many species use it as we do without magic."

"Right. So, in the version I know, there could be another, Prometheus saw humanity struggling and living like animals. That is our origin, but for one or many of the reasons I mentioned earlier, he decided to give us the greatest gift he could to change our fate. He raided the forge of this mountain, and stole Fire, and gave it as his final gift to humanity. One of the powers of the gods in our hands. I like to think that we eventually surpassed them, just as the gods did the titans."

"I think that this fire stolen from the gods represents the spirit of... Not simply humanity, but sapient beings in general. Which is a strange distinction to make. I don't really know how, but it let us grow and change."

He nodded, without any questions. Thank fuck, he could understand hypotheticals and devices. Or maybe he genuinely thought of fire as its own sort of existence. Either way, he hopefully had picked up on what the story was about.

"I suppose that this defiant gift is something we protect, embody, and use as an impetus to move forward."

"Uh.. Yeah, that," I blurted back without thinking. Apparently, he understood it better than I did. Hopefully, that meant that the story struck a chord with his struggles and values.

There was silence, but a small lick of a ghastly violet flame, a color I hadn't seen before, flickered out of the barrier. I don't think Rilu saw it, but after watching its motion and seeking its heat, I felt a bit more awake. I wondered if I had helped, but I knew I couldn't give him the answer. Supernatural powers were supernatural powers, but if they worked off of or were anything like emotions, everyone had their own answer. And, even if such a thing could be done, I knew I didn't tell the story well enough to.

So we kept going, past rock and salt, in our own little pocket of reality, a hearth that staved away the venomous darkness.

-

I think it's worth mentioning that even if I adjusted a bit, the heat and pressure never became anything even close to bearable. It only felt like a relief when compared to what I knew was waiting just outside. Where these hellish conditions meant sanctuary. Strangely, that concept didn't seem too foreign.

With that said, I began to walk the day after. It was difficult, but I could begin to see the outside billow and whirl, rather than appearing as a stagnant and inky blackness. I knew we were getting close, and Rilu hadn't spoken. He seemed strained and focused, and I wanted to lighten that load. Although, given how little effort it appeared to take to carry me with how gentle his grip was, I doubted it was much more than symbolic. Sometimes, smoke would seep in and rise to the top now, but I had learned to trust in Rilu at his best.

Strangely, my head felt clearer. I assumed the added vividness and sense of the canteen was my Skill developing, but my limbs felt more energized as well. Sure, I had been getting more exercise than I had ever had before in my life, but I was missing the recovery process. Something was wrong, perhaps the Catalyst had some sort of super-water in it. But I didn't think cool water energizing me when it touched my lips was particularly inexplicable in this situation.

The only thing Rilu had said all day was that we probably had a day left. Both before we could make it out, and before he could no longer maintain the barrier. He had said he could maintain it almost indefinitely before, so either something had changed or he had been acting tough. I'd believe both. He probably wouldn't admit to either.

-

The smoke had receded back to an ashen mist, occasionally pulsing back to consume us once more. But it seemed further and further away each time. Now, I could taste it in my mouth again. Enough smoke had entered our barrier. But it was only at the level of the bushfires we sometimes had back home- not a problem, so long as I didn't cough too much. It still wasn't livable, sure, but I knew we would make it there soon as the rock under my feet was replaced with gravel.

The embered gravel turned to scorched grass. Rilu was beside me, his eyes closed tight in absolute concentration. But I could have sworn that I saw his mouth twitch upward slightly as his feet touched the dried and razed plant life.

-

Hours later, I looked behind me. A funneling tower of darkness tinged with red haze glared back. I could see clearly, only the edges grasping out toward Rilu and I.

A level of joy and relief I hadn't felt before and never thought I would feel again built up beneath the surface before it culminated and was released in a triumphant cheer.

Rilu just dropped the barrier and toppled over, making me feel bad about celebrating. It was a grim reminder that I had caused this.

But that didn't matter now.

We had made it.