As the day passed, the storm lightened up. Pools of water covered the plateau outside the cave, and steam began to rise as the Sun regained dominance in the sky. Trickles of rainwater ran down the sides of the mountain, cascading into the ocean below. The wildlife of the forest stirred, and the chatter of birds filled the air.

Enzo was quite ready to make some progress on their living situation. All that rain gone to waste, if we’d had some jugs we could be set for the next few days at least.

“There’s a few things I want to grab to make this cave more livable,” Enzo told Talwen. “First and foremost, something to hold water. If we’re co-parenting this egg, I need to be able to eat and drink while you’re gone. Some pans and basic tools would be really useful as well.”

“I agree,” she replied without lifting her head. “This cave is barren, my mate and I only came here once. We never planned to actually use it. Sleeping on this rock is uncomfortable and damages my scales.”

Talwen gripped one such scale on her chest and pulled it off with a low grunt.

“They occasionally fall off, and I’ve heard tales of humans using them as armor or trinkets,” she explained. “It should be worth a good bit of money. Enough to get the basic things we require at least.”

Enzo accepted the scale and looked it over. Despite the slight scuffing, the scale still shone a brilliant garnet red, matching the egg.

“What do you know of the village nearby?” he asked as he walked back to the entrance of the cave.

“Just that it wasn’t here a few years ago when I last stayed in this area,” Talwen responded.

Probably not a lot to learn there, then, Enzo thought as he gazed out to the village off to the east. Still, I’m sure they can tell me more about the surrounding area at least, and I can’t rely on selling dragon scales for money. I need to find some sort of job, maybe set me up with a contact in the port.

“S’pose I’ll take the first egg watch if you want to sleep,” said Enzo. “I’ll head down to the village tomorrow, and see what I can find.”

He sat back down near the egg and practiced maintaining the flames. Surprisingly, the fire lept and danced at his slightest whim. Guess I really have gotten better at this already. Talwen rested her head next to him, and the two rested throughout the night without incident.

===========================================

Enzo awoke as the Sun’s light first penetrated through the entrance of the cave. He’d woken Talwen and traded roles with her in the middle of the night, and had been able to sleep fairly soundly. He stood and stretched, his stiff joints thankful to be off the hard stone floor of the cave.

Have to grab some berries on the way into town, too, he thought. Enzo grabbed the scale and slipped it into his shoe before nodding to Talwen and heading out of the cave.

Puddles still filled the landscape of the plateau, and most of the trails he’d followed on the way to the cave had been washed away by the storm. Enzo made a mental note of the direction of the village in comparison to the sun in the sky, and headed off into the woods.

Travel wasn’t too hard. It seemed that even in the mountainous bit of the forest, few ground level bushes found enough room and light to grow. Enzo took note of how the small streams he’d noticed days before were now double in size, with crisp, clear water gushing down to the ocean. He stopped and drank when the opportunity arose, and gathered several handfuls of berries for breakfast. Once he was full, he continued his journey.

By midday, he’d finally arrived. Enzo stepped out of the treeline, and found himself in a hilly meadow. With hindsight, he probably could have made the trip a bit quicker, but investigating the surrounding area and gathering up breakfast had taken some time.

The village wasn’t anything special, just a wooden wall, with a gate on the far side. Smoke rose from several of the taller buildings visible above the wall. Enzo jogged the remainder of the distance, excited to finally see other people.

As he approached, a guard atop the wall called out to him. The man was a bit taller than Enzo, and seemed like he spent most of his time training. Strong arms held firm to a spear, and he moved with practiced grace off the wall to meet Enzo in front of the gate.

“Hallo Freund. Was führt Sie zu Starstone?” the guard asked.

Enzo was perplexed, his confusion clear on his face. I have no idea what language that is. What did I do with Talwen? Think I just made contact with her. Gods, that hurt and I was unconscious after… please don’t let that happen again. He reached out to the guard, but the man tensed up and stepped back. Enzo held his hands in the air and tried to communicate.

“I’m just coming to trade, I’ve been up hunting in the mountains,” Enzo tried to say, but his voice came out as a low, rumbling growl. The guard’s eyes went wide and he took another step back. His grip on his spear tightened.

“Warum bist du hier, Dämon?” The guard barked. “Sprechen Sie die menschliche Sprache!”

Enzo couldn’t figure out what to do. If I say anything else, he’s just going to hear more growling! I have to find a way to touch him, or someone else, but no one’s around. All I can do is show him the scale, and hope he reaches to take it. I can make contact then.

Enzo slowly bent down and reached into his shoe, retrieving the scale. It shone in the sunlight, and caught the guard’s attention. Cautiously, he reached out and in that moment, Enzo brushed hands with the guard. The searing light filled his mind again, but this time Enzo was able to maintain consciousness. He held one hand on his head and felt the language connect in his mind. The guard was asking him something.

“...find this?” he said. “Where are you from? Your clothes are worn and dirty, you don’t seem to speak any language. You start growling at me, then pull a dragon scale from your shoe. Answer me, demon!”