Hump returned to Vamir’s late that evening, exhausted, cold from essence overuse, and just wanting to sleep. He didn’t expect to find Celaine there waiting for him. She and Vamir were seated at the table.

“What happened to you?” Celaine asked. Then her face lit up as Nisha barrelled on through the door and rushed over to her, putting her paws up on Celaine’s legs. “Hi Nisha! How are you? What do you think of Drakalyn so far?”

Nisha crawled over her lap only to jump off the other side and start racing around the room. She knocked over her water bowl and Celaine laughed, turning back to Hump.

“You look half dead,” she said.

“I feel it,” Hump said, slumping into the chair beside her.

“Wisa?” Vamir asked, rising to his feet.

Hump frowned at him. “Wisa?” Vamir held up a kettle and Hump remembered the weird bean tea Ado made for him earlier. “Oh, yeah, sure. Thank you.”

It had been borderline unpleasant, but any hot drink would do him right now.

He watched as Vamir filled a small kettle and placed it on the fire, then took out a handful of beans and started to grind them in a mortar and pestle.

“How did it go then?” Celaine asked.

“It’s hard to say,” Hump said. “We spent the afternoon practicing my Soul Manifestation. Ado wants me to learn to be one with the Winds of Nature, whatever that means. So far, I don’t think I’m any better than when I started, but I’m certainly tired.”

“Ado’s as tough as an ol’ block of wood,” Vamir said. “But he’s good at what he does.”

“I’m going to give it a go anyway,” Hump said. “Whether it works or not, it’s good soul training. He took me to the Temple of Moss.”

“What, just the two of you?” Celaine asked, seemingly surprised. When Hump nodded, she glanced at Vamir. “Is that okay?”

“It’s Ado,” Vamir said. “He’ll be fine.”

“It’s as dangerous as it sounds then, is it?” Hump asked. “Have to admit, I didn’t expect it either.”

“The temple’s built on an essence well,” Vamir explained. “It’s valuable, so monsters won’t leave it alone either.”

“Well, I’m not sure if it’s working or not, but Ado’s got a plan. For now, I’m going along with it.”

“Look at you!” Vamir said beaming. “You’re like an experienced wizard. It’s crazy to think that just a year ago you were a wee little lad that could hardly tell his left foot from his right.”

Hump gave him a quizzical look. “That’s how you remember me, huh?”

“Very good at almost dying too,” Vamir said. “Impressively so.”

“That part hasn’t changed,” Celaine added.

“The key is in the ‘almost’,” Hump said. He looked at Celaine. “So, what are you doing here anyway? I thought you’d be spending time with your family.”

“Ah,” Celaine said, suddenly cringing. “We have dinner plans, and it’s already getting late. Here, I brought you this.” She slid over some folded clothes on the table. “You can’t turn up in your battle gear.”

“Dinner?” Hump pressed a hand to his face—he’d forgotten what Myra had said. “You could have told me sooner.”

“Only just found out myself,” Celaine said.

“Is that so? Funny, I met your sister today and she mentioned it.”

Celaine glared at him and frowned. “Okay, fine. I was meant to tell you this morning and decided I’d try and talk them out of it for the day first. I was unsuccessful.”

Hump laughed, though he was slightly offended. “I’m not that bad!”

“It’s not you I’m worried about,” Celaine said quickly. “What did you and Myra talk about then?”

Hump shrugged haphazardly and gave her a smug smile. “I’ll tell you later. Apparently, I have to get dressed first.”

Vamir laughed, and Celaine turned her glare on him.

“What?” Vamir said. “Admit it, you kind of deserved that.”

Celaine sighed. “Just get ready. It’s going to be a long night.”

Hump unfurled the clothes she’d given him, running his hand over the fabric. It was soft and light, with a colourful pattern of orange, red, and yellow around the neck and running down the chest. The rest of the shirt was a greyish blue. He admired the craftsmanship—the pattern of circles, lines, and feather-like textures appearing almost like fire.

“Is this not expensive?” Hump asked, taken aback by the gift.

“No money here, remember,” Vamir said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Celaine said. “With the haul we brought with us from Sheercliff, it was an inexpensive trade. Things like good steel, candy, and wine are in high demand here. Now go put it on. We need to go.”

Hump popped into his room, Nishari following happily behind him.

“You awake Walt?” Hump asked into the room. He’d left the soul stone next to his bed, but from the dull glow and lack of reply, he guessed Walt had run out of juice.

He removed his battle robes and pulled the shirt over his head. It had short sleeves, and the fabric was loose and felt cool against his skin. She’d given him some white trousers to go with it, made of a coarser material, along with soft soled leather shoes in a rich blue. He was surprised at how well everything fit.

He made a mental note to stock up on whatever dyes they used here on his return to Alveron—heartstones were one thing, but he was certain nobles would pay a fortune for such vibrant colours.

Returning to the main room he held his arms out at either side. “How does it look?”

Celaine looked him up and down then nodded. “You look good. Come on, let’s get this over with.”

Hump followed after her with a beaming grin, stepping out into the cool evening air, urging Nisha to follow at his heels. He called back to Vamir, saying his goodbyes, then they headed toward the marketplace. Celaine walked briskly in front of him, her mind seemingly elsewhere.

“So, just to warn you again, my family might be a bit much,” she said. “Don’t take what they say personally. They’re nice people, just… a little nosy.”

“I can cope with nosy.”

Celaine gave him a look and grimaced, shaking her head. “Nosy’s the wrong word. They’re going to probe you with questions. My mum especially. Then there’s my aunt and uncle will be there—my mum’s older brother—and he’s a little overprotective. My grandma on my father’s side.” She let out a long sigh. “I’m really sorry about this.”

Hump laughed, genuinely amused. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you so flustered about something. I’m sure it will be fine.”

“I’m not flustered. This is just going to be awful—I know it. Whatever you do, don’t bring up the gods of the Pantheon.”

“Noted.”

“And if it gets too much, kick me under the table or something and I’ll find a way to get you out.”

Hump started to laugh again. “Surely it won’t be that bad. What’s the big deal, anyway?”

“My mum’s suspicious,” Celaine said.

“Let’s just make it official then and save us some trouble.”

She didn’t even play along with so much as a glare. “Nice try, but you give them a finger and they’ll take the whole arm. Don’t even joke about it. Stick to my dad if you can, I think you’ll get along with him. He’s a potter. He’ll be very interested in your enchanting.”

“It’ll be fine, Celaine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll just smile and nod along.”

“You’ve not met them.”

“Your sister seemed nice,” Hump said.

She glanced at him, a curious look in her eyes. “What did the two of you talk about anyway?”

“Nothing very interesting. It was only briefly. She stopped by to see Stonefang—Ado’s dragon—just before we went to the temple. I got the impression she visits regularly.”

He repeated what he remembered of the conversation as they passed a group of kids climbing a large tree, just outside the marketplace. They were like monkeys at it; an effect Hump could only put down to being dragon blooded. Nisha stared at them excitedly, and a few turned her way and pointed and talked amongst each other. If he and Celaine didn’t have plans, Hump would have let her play with them too, but instead he picked her up. They were entering the marketplace now, and even in the evening there was a crowd. Hump tried to ignore the looks as they walked.

“It’s good that she’s getting out more,” Celaine said, smiling slightly. “Before I left, even getting her out of bed was a struggle. She’s seemed a little more herself since I’ve returned.”

“You must be pleased.”

She nodded. “Did she like Nisha?”

Hump grinned. “Do you even need to ask? She did say one thing that I didn’t know what to make of—that Nisha looks like stars in the night sky. Do you think she meant something by it?”

“Probably not. Nisha’s just pretty, and the gold tips on her scales really do look like stars.”

“Hmm.” Hump was unconvinced but decided not to press the matter.

As they walked through the market, a churning roar erupted from the right, and Hump turned to face the Temple of the Everflame. Everyone around him stopped and looked, gazing up at the great pyramid as the fire at its peak erupted into a raging inferno. A few seconds later, the thunderous boom of dragon roars erupted from within.

“What’s going on?” Hump asked nervously. He sensed Nisha’s fear in his arms and clutched her tighter.

“This is how Owalyn alerts the Dragon Keepers to a threat,” Celaine said tensely.

“Should we be concerned?”

“No. A bell will sound if we’re called to arms. Something likely came close to our borders.”

The first keeper flew from the landing platform of the pyramid, five more following behind them and flying south. Their dark silhouettes blotted out the stars as they flew overhead. They were heading south, toward the Charred Heights and Alveron. Hump gazed into the distance, searching the darkening sky for what had alerted them, but only seeing clouds.

“Probably the lich if it’s in that direction,” Hump said. “How close does something need to be for Owalyn to sense it?”

“The roots of the Great Tree run far,” Celaine said. “Everything from here to Fire Pass is within her reach.”

Hump paused at that. In a voice quiet enough that those around them wouldn’t hear, he asked, “Why does she not just kill the lich herself then?”

“She cannot leave her territory around Drakalyn,” Celaine said. “It is part of her pact with the Pantheon.”

“So she’s basically a prisoner.”

“She’s not a prisoner,” Celaine snapped.

“Are you sure?” Hump asked. “How would you describe it?”

Celaine glared at him. “We’re not having this discussion here. Even being dragon bonded won’t protect you from everything. I’ll ask my uncle about the alert. He’s a Guard of the Flame so may know more.”

It was a short walk from the marketplace. They veered down a small, empty path, where Celaine eventually came to a stop in front of one of the houses. There was a large workshop space around the back where a square brick furnace burned even now.

“Right.” Celaine sighed. “This is it. Remember, just kick me if it gets too much. And sorry in advance.”

Celaine pushed the door open and led him inside, guiding him to take his shoes off at the door and add them to a row of other shoes. Unlike Vamir’s house, this one had an entry hallway leading to multiple rooms and seemed significantly larger.

Cheerful voices came from a room on the left, followed by a hushed voice saying, “They’re here, shush.”

Hump heard a chair grate and the door opened as Celaine reached for the handle. A woman stood there with the same red hair as Celaine and her sister. The smell of meats and spices wafted into the hallway from inside, smelling delicious. It wasn’t something Hump recognised.

“Hi Mum,” Celaine said. “Hump, this is my mother, Seira.”

“What are you doing hovering there in the hallway,” the woman said. “Come on in. Come on in. Welcome, Wizard Humphrey! You must have a seat. We’ve all been just dying to meet you. And this must be Nishari.” She smiled at the little dragon. “Feel free to let her roam. We’ve dragon proofed everything and the kids will love her.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Hump said. “Celaine’s told me all about you. It’s good to finally put a face to the name.”

“I wish I could say the same. She’s been all caged up whenever we ask about you.”

“I already told him he’s a mystery,” Myra called from inside.

“That you did, dear,” Seira said. “We’ve prepared a meal for you.”

She stepped back, smiling, leaving Hump space to enter. He glanced at Celaine who gave him a wry smile, but to Hump she didn’t seem so bad.

“I’m honoured,” Hump said. “It smells amazing.”

“I’m glad,” Seira said.

Inside the room, she introduced the rest of Celaine’s family sitting around the table. Myra, her sister, who Hump already knew. Her father Gareth. Alir and Nisani were her uncle and aunt, and then her grandmother, Kesara, was a small, ancient looking woman at the head of the table. Two kids stood nervously behind Nisani, both younger than ten. They watched Nisha excitedly, clearly wanting to play, but the sudden crowd had spooked her. She pressed up against Hump’s leg.

A fire burned in the hearth, though the food wasn’t being prepared here. The smell must have been coming from a kitchen elsewhere.

“He really is short,” a man said. Not Celaine’s father, so that had to be the uncle.

“Shut up, Alir,” a woman said. “Don’t be rude.”

“Is that how Celaine described me?” Hump laughed.

“It may have come up briefly,” Celaine said, her voice almost… pouty?

“But not very high, apparently,” the uncle whispered with a cheeky grin.

“You look like you’ve settled in already,” Nisani said cheerfully. “The shaki really suits you.”

“Is that what these are called?” Hump asked. “Celaine picked them up for me, but she didn’t mention the name.”

“Did she now?” Seira said suggestively, raising an eyebrow toward Celaine. “Now isn’t that just so kind of her. I was wondering where you vanished to this afternoon. Really, Celaine, it’s been one day, and you’re already bored of us.”

“How could I possibly be bored with all this excitement?” Celaine said. “Oh, Uncle Alir, the Everflame erupted on our way here. The keepers flew south. Do you know anything about that?”

“The lich has been sending her black crows to survey our lands,” the man said. “Nothing to worry about, I suspect. She wouldn’t dare set foot in Drakalyn herself.”

“Enough about that,” Seira said. “Hump, you must sit.”

From the tone in her voice, it wasn’t a request. Hump took a seat, Nisha approaching the two kids, while Celaine sat down beside him.

Seira poured him a glass of something vibrantly green and handed it to him. “Try this. Nimbec juice. It’s a little like… hmm, what would he have heard of?”

“It’s sort of like lemons, but much sweeter,” Celaine offered.

“Thank you,” Hump said, taking a sip. “That’s delicious.”

Seira smiled. “Perfect.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Humphrey,” Nanna Kesara said in a frail voice. “I’m glad Cece’s finally found a nice young man like yourself.” She leant forward conspiratorially, and stage whispered. “A lot cleaner than the last boy she brought home.”

“Nanna, for the last time, Heffa and I were four.”

“That’s no excuse for tracking mud on my floor,” she replied with a grin aimed at Hump. “At least she’s wearing clothes this time.”

Celaine’s face dropped into her hand, and Hump just grinned.