Moving! Jared set out toward the other explorer's. Let me know when I get within two miles. I don't want to be any closer than that especially when we are walking across these wide open areas.

It looks like you were right. They are by-passing the city and heading south.

Jared kept a steady pace for hours, following the group. He heard Scarlet flapping as she came in for a landing next to him, raising another cloud of dust.

I need to rest for a while. They are in a wide stretch of open ground. It will not be hard for me to pick up the trail.

"So, flying? Judging by the emotions I'm getting from you, it must be awesome."

It... I... It is hard to put into words.

"How long do you think it will be before you can carry me? Or... can you even carry me? I guess I assumed you would be able to after you got stronger."

I could likely carry you now, but I could not fly long or far with the added weight. Perhaps after we assign the nanites I have available.

"Oh right! Dang, I'm sorry Scarlet. I got so caught up in all the activity I totally forgot about it. You're probably exhausted after everything we've been through. Do you need to rest? Should we forget about these people and go our own way?"

I will be fine until they stop for the night. I also know how I want to divide up my nanites.

"What're you thinking?"

I think it is important that I fortify my defenses and increase the only ranged attack I have available. If I can increase the strength of my fire breathing, we will not have to fear many creatures on open ground as I fly above and rain fire down.

"Heck yea! That was awesome in the tunnel! I definitely want to see you do it again and I it would be awesome to see from the air. Okay, what else do you want to enhance?"

I also need to increase my size and defensive abilities.

"Why don't I assign them right now? It won't start the transformation until you sleep anyway, right?"

Correct, here is how I would like to divide them. Scarlet projected a mental image to Jared of her status screen.

Physical AugmentationMuscle Mass - 20%Body ManipulationRegeneration - 10%Remodeling - 10%Physical Defense/AttackSkin Hardening - 5%Scale Hardening - 10%Bone Hardening - 10%Fire Breathing - 20%Brain EnhancementSenses - 10%

"What is the Remodeling attribute for?"

Because I am increasing my muscle mass significantly, I also need to ensure that my skeletal frame can support the addition. Between remodeling and bone hardening, they will support the added muscle.

"How do you choose what to remodel?"

It is something you will learn after you increase your Mind. It requires a deep understanding of the nanites to manipulate individual changes instead of the categories I created for you. While I can't choose where to assign them, I can direct my own after you have made the selections.

"Maybe I should assign all the nanites I get from now on into Mind. It seems like there are a lot of things I'm missing out on because I'm not smart enough," Jared said wryly.

Your physical body is strong now, but you could use more defense. I believe it wise to increase your mental prowess next. We will then share more than just mundane words and vague emotions. After you increase your Telepathy and Intellect sufficiently, we can share thought spaces and communicate instantaneously.

"That will definitely be handy..." Jared thought about the situation he put them in with Iliana. If they'd been able to share the same thought space, he'd have known Iliana's motives were nefarious right away.

"Any more nanites I get will go into Mind and defense then. Back to this remodeling and the various physical changes, you know exactly what kinds of changes will incur once you change?"

Yes. My scales will grow harder and stronger; my bones, claws, teeth, and tail will harden; I will breathe fire more often, it will be hotter, and it will project farther; and I will grow significantly in size. However, if we elect nanites for muscle mass now, then I should try to find something to eat beforehand.

Eat? The concept startled him. How long has it been since I had a proper meal? A month? Two?

I need to eat before I add so much muscle at such a fast pace. The nanites can sustain much for nourishment, but they cannot break down the nuclear waste fast enough for rapid size increases.

"What about my changes? I didn't eat before."

You may have increased muscle mass, but it did not alter your physical dimensions significantly. The changes I will undergo will be much greater and I will increase in size equal to the percentage of nanites assigned.

"Twenty percent increase in size?" It was hard to estimate what that would look like until after it happened. "Okay, I am making your adjustments now. In the meantime, if you're rested, find something to eat. Please don't go too far in case you get into trouble."

I will call out after I've found something and let you know where I am.

Scarlet launched herself into the air, and with much more grace than the first attempt, rose into the sky. Jared admired Scarlet's form as she flew. The sun reflected off her body making her look like a giant phoenix clothed in fire.

I can't wait to fly! He wanted to feel the rush of the wind and experience the earth rushing by beneath. He imagined the freedom to rise above this barren world, the shackles of his existence falling to the ground...

Jared! Scarlet yelled in a panic.

What? Are you okay? Where are you? He searched the heavens frantically trying to find her and spotted her towards the other explorers.

The explorers... they are in trouble. There is a pack of... Um, I don't know what they are, but there is a lot of them. They are hopping strangely and have enormous, floppy ears.

"Ahaha!" Jared doubled over laughing and wiped a tear from his eye.

Scarlet, those are just rabbits, they should be able to handle them if we took out an entire horde of rats by ourselves. Maybe you can swoop in and grab some of those to eat. It helps them out and gets you what you need.

Jared waited for a response, but after a full minute with no reply he grew concerned. Scarlet? What's going on?

In answer to his question, he felt irritation through their bond. Puzzled, Jared asked, What did I do? They are just rabbits! Again, no answer. Come on Scarlet, I didn't mean to tease. It... well, it sounded silly...

Thump!

"Whoa! What... AHHH!" A large blob of fur collided with Jared's face knocking him to the ground. He also heard a loud thud as Scarlet landed a few yards away. Batting the ball of fur away, Jared jumped to his feet and backed away.

The ball of fur launched itself fifteen feet into the air to land on his head again. "Get off!"

Jared dove to the side and pulled his phase pistol. He shot at the creature, but it reacted too fast and once again jumped at him. Fine, have it your way... Jared cocked his arm back and as the creature's momentum carried it toward him, he punched... right through the creature!

"Ugh..." His arm plunged through its body, out the other side as the rest of its bloody corpse continued its path directly into his face. Hot blood and fur shot into his mouth causing him to retch. He flung the creature off his arm and use his clean arm to wipe bits of rabbit from his eyes while spitting out a mouthful of vile tasting blood and bits of fur.

While he furiously wiped his face and spit any remnants from his mouth, Scarlet stamped her foot and made the dang huffing noise again.

"What the heck Scarlet?"

You laughed and said rabbits wouldn't be a problem... Mirth filled the bond and Scarlet felt pleased with herself.

"That was disgusting." A new round of huffing ensued and Jared glared at Scarlet while blood dripped from his hair and brow.

"If that was a payback from teasing you, I think it was a little overkill." Jared chastised her, but turned his head and quirked the corner of his mouth. It might have been disgusting, but in hindsight, it was hilarious and he was never in any kind of danger.

Jared busied himself with cleaning the blood off and then examined the eviscerated rabbit. You are an ugly little bugger... The rabbit was about two feet by two feet and resembled a rabbit only from the fur and ears. Its face looked more like a pug, squashed and sporting oversized incisors. Its legs were long and well muscled, which explained its fifteen foot leap at him. Other than its teeth, it had no other attack ability.

"I bet these things only survive because of their agility. They are... squishy...," Jared said as he examined the hole he'd punched clean through it. "I don't think those explorers will need help to take these things out."

I wouldn't be so sure. There were at least fifty of them and they were gaining ground.

"Show me." Jared moved over to Scarlet and placed his hand on her side. Jared's vision swam, and he looked on as the horde of rabbits bounced and surged at the five explorers. They looked like a wave of popcorn about to wash over the people. Jared nearly laughed at the absurdity of the scene, but held himself check.

"Please go check on them." Jared walked in their direction in case he needed to intervene.

It looks like you were right. They killed over half of them, the rest appear to be retreating.

Are they all okay?

It looks like there are superficial wounds, but otherwise they are in one piece.

"Too bad...," Jared muttered. Would serve them right for how they treated he and Scarlet.

You should pursue the rabbits retreating and eat what you need. This will probably be one of the easiest meals you can find.

Scarlet flew off toward the retreating rabbits. Several minutes passed when Jared heard a roar in the distance. Scarlet? Is everything okay?

Yes, I used my fire to kill them and cook the rabbits.

Why would you cook them first? Can't you eat the whole?

Why would I want to eat all that fur?

"Oh, um..." Jared imagined she'd just grab them up in her mouth and chomp them down wholesale.

Shaking his head, Jared thought back to just a few weeks ago. If someone told him he'd be sitting next to a rabbit... a rabbit he punched a hole through, while his dragon companion roasted them for a midday snack he'd have questioned their sanity. Yet, here he was in that exact predicament. I wouldn't change any of it... The run-in with the other explorer's had been precarious, but it helped him learn a hard lesson not to trust naively.

Most people in this world were hard by nature and often only looked out for themselves. His parents had been in the minority and they genuinely cared for others more than themselves. They lived that belief in every aspect of their lives. He realized he couldn't follow in their steps. Either he grew the stones needed to carry out his vow, or he abandons the mission and find some isolated hole to crawl into forever. Definitely not an option...

No, Jared needed to man up and act like any other explorer he met, hardened and unafraid to make tough decisions. The main difference between him and others he met was he left to escape the pain of losing his parents, not out of some desire to test his mettle in the harsh wastelands. There was quite a gap between his motivations and other's he'd met. Well... there used to be at least.

Scarlet tracked and followed the group of explorers until she observed them come upon a burned out building left mostly intact. Based on Scarlet's description it looked like they'd stayed there before.

They are moving through the building now. It looks like they are making sure nothing is in there.

Can you look around for some place we will rest nearby that has at least some protection?

There is some kind of metal box thing with windows on one road, a half destroyed building, and a crater with some ruins on one side.

Jared thought about all the positions. The metal box, probably a bus, would be the safest position for him, but Scarlet needed to undergo transformations, so they needed some place that was semi-open.

Between the building and the crater which one is more defensible?

The building. It has three walls mostly intact.

Let's do that. You need to sleep and make your transformation and that seems like a good place to rest. Maybe soon you can project a psionic barrier like your mother soon. Then we won't need to worry about any creatures coming to attack us.

I do not know when I will develop the ability. Even then, some creatures that have high mental resistance may still break through.

That sucks... I guess it makes sense though. Your mother was thousands of years old.

Jared followed Scarlet's instructions to the building and found it exactly as described. The one wall that no longer existed was large enough. If Scarlet somehow grew too big to fit through, they could just destroy one of the other walls to get her out. Once Jared reached the walls of the building, Scarlet landed next to him with a soft thump and swirling cloud of debris.

"All right, it's your turn to get rest Scarlet. I'll sit out here and keep watch. The sooner you sleep the faster the changes can occur. I want us to be ready to go before daybreak so we don't lose the other party."

Scarlet found a mostly clear section of floor and settled in to sleep. Jared wondered if she had the ability to just flip a switch to fall asleep like she'd done to him back in the tunnels. She was out nearly instantly and he sat with his back to the opening, keeping watch.

He sat for several hours when he heard rubble moving. He jumped to his feet and whipped out his phase pistol. Looking around for some other threat, he saw nothing. He heard it again and looked behind him.

"Whoa...," Jared whispered and quietly approached Scarlet. She'd already grown in size and the shifting rubble occurred because of her form pushing the surrounding rocks. He watched, mesmerized. Right before his eyes, she not only increased in size, but the scales on her body morphed. As he watched her scales thickened and grew to overlap each other creating an impenetrable barrier. The scarlet sheen darkened slightly as they grew. The skin on her wings darkened, but developed a patter reminiscent of an inferno. It was subtle, but if he stared at them while they changed it looked like a slow burning fire.

"Wow..." Jared stood dumbstruck by this awesome creature before him. A creature bound to him for the rest of his or her life. He felt small and insignificant as he continued to watch. He'd lost track of time watching and thinking about her he jerked when he felt something touch his foot. Looking down, he realized it was Scarlet's body that had grown larger still.

Standing next to her sleeping form, she was as tall as his shoulder at six feet. Standing on all fours, she would tower over him! He took a step back and continued to gaze at her form. It was then he noticed the row of spikes developing along her back, just like her mother's.

The primary difference was the spikes did not extend all the way up her next to the crown of her head. Instead, they stopped just behind where her wings began. At that same spot Jared observed bone hardening into a slight depression that sloped up and backward.

"It's a seat!" Jared almost shouted, arresting his voice only at the last moment to avoid waking her up. The back of the seat was just high enough it would protect him from the spikes down her spine. Jared grew excited and felt flutters in his stomach as he thought about soaring through the sky on her back.

Another noise startled Jared and his joy dissipated. That noise came from outside the building. He still held his phase pistol in hand as he left the room and ran directly into... a rabbit. Dang...

It stared at him, unmoving. Should I shoot my weapon? It might wake Scarlet up... Jared sheathed the weapon and decided he would give his new physical abilities a go. He squared off with the rabbit and slowly approached. After he was in striking range, the fur ball leapt back and hopped away. Jared followed its progress and... Oh crap!

It jumped right back to a group of rabbits. This must be the ones that'd gotten away from the other explorers. Jared weighed his options. Should I use my pistol and risk waking Scarlet up before she finishes? Or, should I go Bruce Lee on these living stuffed animals? He recalled a vid clip he'd seen about this insane martial artist that jumped around like a maniac desecrating any opponent that came against him.

Well, technically, I should be stronger than that guy, perhaps even faster... What the heck, I'll never get stronger if I don't practice... Jared rushed them.

As if controlled by a hive mind, they all faced him at the same time and leapt. "Two can play that game!" Jared jumped to meet them! He grabbed on with one hand and launched a fist into another face with a sickening crunch and squeal. Man these things are ugly. If he only saw them from behind they'd look kinda cute, but their faces literally resembled a pug that had its face pressed flat. How do these things even eat? Heck, what do the eat?

They wanted to get to Jared so no doubt they ate anything they could overpower, but he didn't plan on letting them satisfy that craving. He landed hard right in the middle of about twenty of the fur-balls. He almost felt bad for the massacre he was about to unleash. It didn't even hurt to punch the things because they had so much fur. Maybe if he were to punch one in its teeth it would hurt, but anywhere else was just fur and it felt like punching a pillow.

He twisted, dove, backhanded, kicked and pulverized anything that got in his way. It was too easy. And I thought I'd need to use my pistol. Jared made short work of the rabbits. He whooped and fist pumped, "Yea- Ooof." Jared went flying into the air and landed ten feet away. His increased agility allowed him to brace for impact, "What was that?" The impact felt like a rushing bull!

On instinct Jared rolled to the right and a pair of feet the size of his torso touched down like a whisper. Jared's eyes widened in shock and he sprang away, running twenty yards in the opposite direction. He spun around, ready to face off against whatever hit him, but when he turned around, he saw nothing. "What is this thing!" Glancing up, he saw a giant cloud of fur about to land on top of him. He jumped back one more time, and it landed right in front of him.

He got his first good look at a rabbit that stood as tall as he and just as big around. Not again... what the heck is up with all these things having a ridiculously oversized leader? This isn't a game! It's real life!

This thing was much faster, stronger, and could leap twice as high. There's no way I can outrun this thing... I wonder if this is why they'd all been waiting when I charged?