The voice was a low rumble throughout Enzo’s mind. It was softer than he expected, but still commanded attention. It’s mouth hadn’t moved much, emitting a rolling growl, but he was sure the dragon had just spoken to him.

This dragon just talked to me. It - she, if my guess is right - she can speak directly into my mind! He thought. Enzo took a moment to compose himself before responding to the dragon.

“What do you mean, I smell strange?” Enzo asked hesitantly. “I have been sweating in the woods all day, but that can’t be what you mean.”

“Even more unusual… you can understand me as well,” the dragon contemplated. “I’ve heard of connections like this before but never seen one for myself. You smell of smoke, of fire, of destruction. You smell of us.”

Enzo paused before responding. I smell of them? He wondered.

The dragon’s tone shifted. The initial curiosity evaporated, and the underlying threat returned to the surface of the dragon’s demeanor.

“How did you find this place? What other humans know you are here?” she demanded.

“I don’t know how I found it. I woke up in the forest this morning without any knowledge of how I got here or where I came from,” Enzo quickly explained. “You have to believe me. I was just looking for somewhere to sleep without freezing in the wind or risking a predator finding me. Clearly, this was not a good spot.”

“No other humans know of you?” the dragon asked, still on edge.

“To my knowledge, I’ve never met another person here,” Enzo replied. That’s such a strange thought. How did I get here? Why don’t I have any memories of other people?

The dragon glared at Enzo for a long moment. Neither moved, and Enzo felt the beast judge him. After what felt like an eternity, the dragon relaxed and moved from the front of the cave. It leapt into the air and disappeared for a moment, before reappearing at the back of the cave near the fire.

“Come back to the fire. Let us speak about the world and your place in it,” the dragon called.

Enzo nearly bolted out of the cave. His fight or flight instinct was screaming to get as far away as he possibly could. It took the force of his will to just stand still and think.

This is a chance to learn something. As terrifying as it is, I don’t have anywhere else to go. I don’t know where I am or why I am here, he thought. What’s the worst thing that could happen? She’s already decided not to eat me, and she could probably just catch me if I ran anyway. Screw it.

Enzo turned and walked over to the fire at the back of the cave. He glanced around in the firelight and saw that the cave curled around behind where the dragon sat at the fire. He could hear the crash of waves on a cliff in the distance and a large, secondary entrance revealed the ocean far below. Enzo took his place near the fire, opposite the dragon.

“I am Talwen, of the western cliffs,” said the dragon. “This cave is the southernmost in my territory. Who are you?”

“My name is Enzo,” Enzo replied. “Thank you for allowing me in your home.”

“Enzo. You tell me you know no other humans, and no others know of you and I believe you. I do not know how you came to this place, but it was not to hunt me,” said Talwen. “Let us test something. It may answer some questions we both have.”

Hunt her? I can’t imagine what would hunt a dragon besides other dragons, particularly one this far removed from people, he thought.

“This fire does not burn fuel. No wood, no coal, no element in Chenrel could burn hot enough for my needs, I must create and sustain it myself,” explained Talwen. “Like all of my brethren, this is child’s play. We are born with an innate Fire Affinity, and are able to manipulate the mana of the world with our will to create and sustain such a fire. This is what we must test in you.”

Enzo looked into the fire. As Talwen said, no wood was burning. The fire was kept in place by a ring of black stones, and in the center sat an elongated ruby stone the size of his head. The ruby shone in the fire, light twinkling off the imperfections in the stone. Enzo looked back to the dragon.

“How do we do this test?” He asked.

“All fire manipulation begins with breath. Calm yourself, and focus on deep, consistent breaths,” said Talwen.

Enzo stared back into the fire. He let the thoughts and questions circling his mind fall away, and focused on his breaths. Each became steadily more consistent, and soon he found a rhythm.

“Next, open your mind to the fire. Watch the flames and the way the light flickers. Smell the smoke, as it drifts around you. Feel the warmth, as it washes over you,” said Talwen. “Take those feelings, and focus them in the palm of your hand.”

Enzo did as Talwen instructed. He watched the flames until the flickering light was all he could see. He breathed deep and felt the smoke become a part of him. He embraced the warmth, and felt it meld within his chest.

Enzo closed his eyes and opened his palms. He willed the warmth in his chest to move to his palms and manifest. He felt the warmth tingle as it spread through the veins of his arms and out into the skin of his palm. Surprisingly, there was no pain. He didn’t smell burning flesh or charred hair. He was at peace with this world of flickering lights, drifting smoke and enveloping warmth. Enzo opened his eyes, and found a small, flickering flame dancing in his palm.