Thicker than Dragon's Blood - Chapter 12 - KXDragon27 - All For The Game (2024)

Chapter Text

He screamed his throat raw knowing his voice could still be heard by the others. It was his only chance at escaping this nightmare of a situation. He drew in another deep breath, ready to belt out Kevin’s name but the sound that escaped was a wet groan. A foot had slammed into his gut hard enough to crush the air out of his lungs. Riko thought he was being generous when he allowed the sense of touch to remain, but it was only so that Nathaniel wouldn’t lose his sense of pain.

His four other senses had been removed as punishment.

Nathaniel had been left in the care of Riko earlier that week. It just so happened that the fences lining the fields that surrounded Edgar Allen were in repair that week as well. Nathaniel had been bored that day, a common start to his more mischievous adventures. He had waited until Riko was preoccupied with other matters before he bolted towards the fields. The rush was always worth the punishment, he’d tell himself at that moment.

He slipped past the guards that were on watch while the fence was down and then he began his ten-mile-long run into the central kingdom of the Karasu Empire. Their residence at Edgar Allen was built specifically to meet the needs of Riko, Kevin, Jean, and Neil, but it wasn’t enough to satiate his growing curiosity of the outside world. The private tutors, trainers, cooks, and guards Tetsuji brought in for their benefit would secretly feed tales of adventure to Nathaniel when he slipped them silver.

They would tell him what was happening outside the walls of Edgar Allen. The treasures he could find just miles away in the Kingdom of Evermore, the first land conquered by the Karasu Dynasty. His trainers would tell him stories of their time fighting in enemy lands and the spoils of war they brought back home to their families after their victories.

One thing became clear. Nathaniel was wasting away, trapped in Edgar Allen, when he could be out exploring the world and all it had to offer him. He might have just turned ten, but Nathaniel was ready to leave his mark on the world. He was well past the age where his magic should develop and one of the guards had told him it was because of his lack of real-life experiences. Nathaniel had to find danger; it was the only way to force his power out. A life-or-death situation was his last resort.

He could never accomplish that within the walls of Edgar Allen where he was constantly under the watch of his brothers, Kayleigh, and The Master. He was coddled and cosseted to the point where if a fall-leaf fell on his head, he’d be rushed to the medic.

That was an exaggeration, but his point remained. He needed to become independent and face the real world. He wouldn’t stay a child forever.

When he was close to Evermore’s wall, he hid in the surrounding bushes until a horse wagon passed by. Being careful not to be spotted by the coachman, he slid below the undercarriage and grabbed onto the wagon bed, pulling open the drawstring of the canvas cover to slip in. Thankfully the wagon was only carrying cargo. Nathaniel used his short stature to wedge himself behind a row of wooden barrels.

He felt the horse-drawn wagon come to a stop as they made it to the main entrance of Evermore. He heard the coachman present his papers and explain his cargo—barrels of maturing red wine. Nathaniel held his breath as one of the inspectors jumped onto the wagon bed to look around. He acted as if he was doing his due diligence and twisting the corks to inspect the liquid. Through the sliver of space between the barrels, Nathaniel saw the man bend down and count a bag of coins. A wicked smile appeared on the man’s face as he rested on a barrel and wasted time before jumping out of the wagon and clearing the coachman for entry.

Nathaniel found the situation strange, and he pulled out the cork of one of the barrels in front of him. The smell of crude oil assaulted his nostrils and Nathaniel quickly stuck the cork back in. So much for red wine.

Once safely inside the walls of Evermore, Nathaniel slipped out of the wagon and drank in the sights of a flourishing kingdom. The people flowed like streams, droves in each direction. Too many people to notice a stray among them. There were brick storehouses, timbered inns, merchant stalls, and taverns lined along his path. Nathaniel didn’t know where to start.

He spent the day emptying his pockets, buying trinkets and fresh food, and testing out which establishments allowed him entry. When he was kicked out of a tavern for trying to sneak a sip at one of the unattended drinks by the entrance, he quickly slipped into the building next door. The red hues from the dimmed candles caught his attention as he walked further down the windy hallway. He heard strange feminine sounds the farther he went, muffled behind closed doors. Each one had a number scrawled on and a lock placed outside rather than inside.

Nathaniel wondered about the nature of the establishment and was about to turn back until he noticed one of the doors was cracked open. As always, curiosity got the best of him and Nathaniel quietly made his way over, taking a peek at what was causing such peculiar sounds. His eyes widened as he took in the scene. A big-bellied naked man was on top of a slender woman, violently entering her with his private part as the woman let out groan after groan.

In all his years, Nathaniel had never seen such a thing. It didn’t matter that the man was five times his size, Nathaniel could not let this go on any further. He sprinted towards the bed and with all his strength and the sudden fury he felt, he used his shoulders to throw the man off. There was a sick squelch as their parts separated and Nathaniel rushed to cover the naked woman with a blanket.

In the next moment Nathaniel was on the ground, his head being slammed repeatedly as the man grabbed Nathaniel’s hair in a tight fist.

“That’ll teach you, you f*cken mouse. Did your whor* of a mother not teach you manners!”

Nathaniel thought he was ready for this but as his vision began to black out, he knew he’d gone too far this time.

He woke sometime later to soothing pets. He gave a weak push to the hands in his hair.

“Stop that, I’m not a dog.”

He flinched at his first attempt at opening his eyes. There was a pain spreading through his face, an uncomfortable ache that had him worrying over the extent of damage to his eyes from the sudden beating.

“You ran to my defense like one. Are you of a loyal breed?” A woman laughed.

He looked up to see the slender one from earlier. He felt sick when he saw her face bruised and black, a mirror of his own.

“I’m not even sure how you got in here. I asked around, but none of the woman are claiming you as their child,” the woman said.

“The door was open,” Nathaniel responded. “I—that man was attacking you. I had to do something.”

The woman laughed again, but her smile looked wrong.

“He wasn’t attacking me. Well before you came in, he wasn’t. Do you know what sex is?”

Nathaniel flushed a beet-red. He knew what sex was. A special health tutor came in one day and separated him and his brothers. Nathaniel was taught how his body worked and what would happen during puberty. Sex was briefly mentioned when Nathaniel had asked why a woman and a man had different parts. He had seen the detailed illustrations in the anatomy textbook the tutor provided, and it was the first time he had seen the privates of the opposite sex. After a brief explanation, Nathaniel had heard enough and asked the man to stop describing it.

“I know what sex is,” Nathaniel said. “But that looked like he was hurting you.”

“It doesn’t matter if he hurt me, it’s how I earn a living. Now come on. Let’s go find your mom. I’m done for the week with my face looking like this anyway. I’ve got time to waste.”

The woman got up, already dressed, and brought Nathaniel out.

The sun was setting when they made it outside and Nathaniel made sure to get a good look at the building they exited.

The woman watched him study the building. “It’s called a brothel; you can come visit when you’re older. Right now, it’s best you stay away from these sorts of establishments. They can have different names too. Massage parlors, body rub parlors, ranches, bordellos, whor*house, you hear any of that and you run the other direction.” She shook Nathaniel gently. “You hear me? This is no place for a child.”

Nathaniel looked up at her. “Why do you work here? Why do you choose to do this for a living? You live in the Kingdom of Evermore. You should be free to do whatever you want. You choose to have sex with men for pay?”

“I didn’t choose any of this, kid. None of these women did.”

Nathaniel was confused. “Then why?”

The woman sighed. “Can you tell by my voice? I’m not from here. My village was burned down years ago when I was a child around your age. The men were slaughtered, the elderly left in the burning huts to die, the woman who resisted were…” Her eyes glazed over and she didn’t finish that line of thought. “They separated the boys and the girls. If the boys had developed a useful magic, they would keep them. They would train under the Karasu Army. If the girls had developed magic, they murdered them on the spot.”

Nathaniel was taken aback by her words. None of this matched the stories the others had told him. He knew they were in an active war, but they were on the winning side. He had been told countless times that there was nothing to fear.

“Why did they kill the girls who had magic? Why didn’t they just let them join the army like the boys?” Nathaniel asked.

Nathaniel swore he would never forget the look in the woman’s bruised eyes as she said, “Because women fight back, and they don’t forget or forgive.”

Nathaniel did not have much exposure to girls or women. But he had Kayleigh. A woman so powerful she had won the respect of the emperor himself and landed herself a position alongside royalty. He didn’t doubt this woman’s words.

“My sisters were all killed in front of me. I hadn’t developed any magic and was already past the age where one did, so I was allowed my life. But not my freedom. I lost that the moment the Karasu Army landed on my county’s soil, on the other side of the world. The woman here will all tell you a similar story. The lucky ones were sold to manors or were taught a skill. I was sold to this brothel and that’s all there is to it. There was no choice. That’s the first thing taken away from you when you lose your freedom.”

Nathaniel refused to believe that was all she could do.

“You said women fight back. Why haven’t you? You can’t just accept your situation like that. You can escape. There’s always another way out.”

“Who says I didn’t fight back? Who says I didn’t escape? I did all of that at your age. Four times I was almost successful.” She lifted her hands and Nathaniel recoiled at the sight of only six fingers left between both hands, her thumbs removed as well. She turned around and lifted the hair away from her nape. Nathaniel saw a sigil burned onto her skin.

“By the fifth, they brought in a man equipped with magic. He tied me to this brothel through a curse and burned that sigil as a seal. I’m only allowed a mile out from each direction of this establishment. Any further and the sigil will be set off.”

“What happens then?” Nathaniel asked with morbid curiosity.

The woman leaned closer to him and with a bursting motion of her hands, said: “Boom!”

Nathaniel’s eyes widened. “You’ll blow up?!”

“Well, that’s what the man said would happen. I haven’t tested it out. Guess he scared me real good. I’ve thought about it though. It’s always in the back of my head but for now, I’ve learned to live in my cage.”

Nathaniel made up his mind.

“I can help get you out,” he said, determined. “I’m not from here. I’m from Edgar Allen. Do you know where that is? I know the sons of the emperor. I was raised alongside Riko Moriyama. And Kengo’s brother, Tetsuji Moriyama, is one of my guardians. I can make them remove the sigil. I can bring you to Edgar Allen. Afterwards, Kayleigh can help you relocate anywhere in the world, or you can stay with us! Oh! Kayleigh is my mother—well not technically, but she’s my other guardian. She has a son named Kevin and he’s my brother.” Nathaniel stopped rambling when he realized the noise coming from the woman was not from tears of relief but from tears of laughter.

“Why are you laughing? I’m being serious!” He was indignant at being the object of her misplaced amusem*nt.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Forgive me. It’s been so long since I had a good laugh.” She sighed contently and rubbed her face, forgetting the bruises left on her. “I can’t even feel the beating I took. You’ve taken the pain away. Thank you.”

“So, you’ll let me help you?”

“Your imagination is so vivid. I pray you never lose it.”

“It’s not fantasy,” Nathaniel insisted, “I’m telling the truth.”

“Of course, of course. A little boy with the strongest connections known to the Karasu Empire, how could I not believe him?”

Nathaniel knew he was being made fun of and frowned.

The woman quieted down and took his hand. He hadn’t noticed before that she could hold him in a grip with only three fingers left, but his hands were small enough for her to manage.

“How about we grab a sweet treat together before we find your mom. There’s a stall up the path that’s within my bounds, but just barely.” She winked. “I go there every time I feel dangerous, like I want to test my limits. Like I want to—”

“Like you want to feel alive,” Nathaniel finished for her.

She held a sad smile. “Are you also trapped in a cage, little puppy? Did you escape here to feel alive?”

They continued their conversation as they walked to the stall.

“I’m not trapped, not exactly, but I’m not really allowed to go out by myself.”

“Well, that’s understandable. You’re too young. Wait a while longer.”

“I can’t wait while my life passes me by. I want to experience the outside world.”

“The outside world is dangerous. Has been since the war of dragons began almost a century ago.”

“Then do we live our lives huddled in fear or do we die free?”

The woman didn’t dismiss his words. Instead, she pondered.

“I’ve thought about it. I can agree with you there. This life that I’m living, the life that so many of us held captive live through day by day. You wouldn’t call it living by any standards. We’re only surviving to the next day and the only thing keeping us going is hope. Hope that one day things will change. Hope that one day, we’ll be free.”

She kicked a pebble to Nathaniel and Nathaniel kept it in front of them, kicking it hard and soft, lost in the thoughts she fed into his head.

“So, if given the chance to live one last day free, truly free from the chains that were put on me as a child, chains that I’ve outgrown, that dig so deeply into my skin, that suffocate me in my darkest moments…If I was given that choice or the choice to live out the rest of my years in that brothel—I would happily take that one day of freedom. I can taste it in my mouth. It’s sweet.”

Nathaniel looked at her, truly looked at her. He would see to it that she lived the rest of her life free.

They arrived at the sweet stall and Nathaniel was underwhelmed with the options. He was spoiled rotten by the private confectioners at Edgar Allen. He settled for a slice of fruit tart and the woman chose a set of candied strawberries, speared through with a thin wooden stick. When the woman went to pay, Nathaniel placed his heavy bag of coins in her hands. The woman gasped when she opened the pouch to see a pile of silver and gold.

“Where did you steal this?” she whispered to Nathaniel, a touch of panic in her voice.

“I didn’t steal anything. That’s my allowance. You can have the rest of it. You said I cost you a week’s worth of work. That should cover your time off.”

“Don’t joke like that.”

“I’m not joking,” Nathaniel said as he pulled out a silver coin and paid for the sweets. He allowed the stall merchant to keep the copper change and walked away with the woman to the town center nearby. He made sure the coin pouch was safely stashed away beneath her gown.

They enjoyed their treats around a water fountain feature as they watched a crowd gather.

“It’s almost night, you should really get going,” she told Nathaniel. “Do you really live in Edgar Allen? That’s a long trip back for a young boy. Should we send a pigeon? Have someone come get you?”

“It’s no trouble,” he assured her, “I know my way back.” He brought up the growing crowd. “Does it usually get busy around this time?”

“I heard there’s supposed to be a show of support. A celebration for a recent victory out west. The soldiers are returning home,” she said, tone slathered in scorn. Nathaniel understood how the support of Karasu soldiers would bring revulsion to someone who was once a spoil of war.

Despite her feelings, Nathaniel was still a curious boy. He wanted to see how the uniformed men marched together. He wanted to see what kind of injuries they brought back with them.

“I want to stay to watch. Afterwards, I’ll head back,” he said.

Nathaniel finished his fruit tart and wiped his sticky hands on his tunic. He then stepped up onto the brick lining of the fountain so he could be at eye-level with the woman.

“I’ll come back for you,” he promised. “Once I explain your situation to the others, we’ll come to the brothel and bring you with us. You can work at Edgar Allen until you have enough money saved and then you can do whatever you want. Nothing will stop you. You can fight again. You’ll be free again.” He wiped bits of candied strawberry from her cheek with his finger and stuck it in his mouth. “It’ll taste sweet.”

A gentle smile made its way to her face.

“You don’t even know my name.”

It occurred to Nathaniel that they hadn’t introduced themselves this entire time.

“My name is Nathaniel Day, what’s yours?”

She opened her mouth, but her name was drowned out by the noise of the crowd as more than a dozen horse-drawn wagons arrived and blocked out the streets’ exits, leaving only one path open for the guests of honor. The festivities began as music performers came out to draw more attention to the spectacle. The sound of horns announced their arrival from the entrance of the Kingdom walls. Hundreds of soldiers marched down the path, those in front riding massive horses bred for war. The crowd cheered them on as they celebrated their victory, proudly waving the black and red flags of the Karasu Empire.

The woman suddenly turned her head away from the spectacle and tried to do the same to Nathaniel. Nathaniel resisted, wanting to see what had startled her. His eyes were drawn to the people being dragged by the last line of horses. They were women and children, filthy and beaten, chained by their arms and legs, and tied to the backends of the horses’ saddles.

If Nathaniel had any doubt left of the woman’s story, it was wiped clear in that moment. Some of the children continued to wail, begging those in their path for mercy and salvation. Nathaniel looked away when they were flogged by the soldiers behind them. Whips and rods brutal on their soft skin.

Could he stop this wrongful treatment in any way? Was he helpless to just watch? Could he slip what he saw today into a conversation the next time Ichirou requested his presence? Could he find a way to make this hellish treatment end?

As the soldiers circled around the town center, men began to unload hundreds of barrels from the wagons. The same ones that Nathaniel had seen earlier. Something felt wrong.

“At the very least they brought wine to make this more bearable for the rest of us.”

“I don’t think that’s wine,” Neil said nervously.

Nathaniel grew weary when he noticed two carriages blocking the last path out.

“We have to go,” he said, urgently, as he saw a group of men towards the front light fires.

“Don’t be so frightened,” the woman said. “They’re going to light some fireworks right now. Have you ever seen them?”

“Those barrels are full of crude oil. I think this is a set up. They’re about to blow this whole place up. We must leave, now!”

“What?”

Nathaniel stopped explaining and instead pulled her away from the crowd.

“Wait Nathaniel, I can’t go that way. I’m already at the edge of the boundary.”

Nathaniel panicked. “We can’t head the other way; they’re blocking the exits.”

The deafening sound of an earth-shaking explosion forced them to the ground. If Nathaniel hadn’t lost his hearing with the first explosion, then the second, third, and fourth would have finished the job. He saw people on fire running in each direction. A stampede erupted and the woman held him tightly as they were pushed into the deadly waves of a terrified crowd.

Nathaniel, at his lower vantage point, saw a way out. There was a clearing that led up a hill overlooking the town center and he immediately pulled the woman towards that direction. He felt the tremors as another explosion rocked the grounds and Nathaniel began to run. He wasn’t dying here. He wouldn’t let this be their last moment alive. They would taste freedom. He had promised her.

He felt tension as the woman forced them to stop. She was shouting at him, but he couldn’t hear a word, only a shrill ringing in his ears. They would be caught in the next blast if they didn’t reach the clearing. He grabbed the woman’s hand again and with all the strength of a frightened boy, he pulled her. Only with the help of a group of people who had also seen the path out, was Nathaniel able to push their way through.

They would survive this. She could tend to the animals at Edgar Allen or work as a housemaid, always around the corner when Nathaniel needed her. He’d behave and listen if she was around. He would promise The Master that he’d complete all his chores and studies without complaint if he’d allow her to stay until she had enough saved. It would all work out.

He turned back to see her as they finally made it to safety.

She blew up.

Nathaniel was blasted away with the force of the sudden explosion. Chunks of meat and blood rained on him. A piece of her head landed next to him.

Nathaniel sat with blood in his eyes and dread in his veins. The barrels were below the hill, still going off, but not close enough to hit them anymore. Why had she…

Nathaniel lost feeling in his body. Realization hit him like a war horse darting through the battlefield.

The sigil burned into her skin.

Nathaniel had forced her to go beyond the sigil’s boundary. Nathaniel had caused her violent death.

One bruised eye remained on the hollow side of her head. It started at him, no hope left in its lifeless stare.

He came back in phases. The morning sun was out, and the attack had ended with hundreds of casualties. He couldn’t feel his body. He laid motionless staring at the blinding sky until he slipped under the veil of unconsciousness.

Hours later he felt himself being lifted and relief made its way in, knowing he’d finally be tended to. Reality set when felt himself being carelessly thrown into a deep hole. Nathaniel opened his eyes in shock, his body still paralyzed from the explosion felt so close, but the impact of landing in the hole punched the air out of him. He looked around and every hair on his body raised. He tried to get his voice to work, he tried to scream for help. To let whoever was above him know that he was still alive.

He had been thrown into a mass grave.

As time passed more bodies joined him and his fear grew when another child’s corpse landed on his chest. Nathaniel sobbed and finally a noise escaped him.

“I’m not dead,” he cried out in a hoarse voice, but even among the dead he was still too silent. “I’m still alive. Somebody help me.”

The hole they dug for this mass grave was wide enough to fit hundreds of bodies. The stench alone had bile coming up to his mouth. He wanted to go home. He wanted to sleep snuggled against Kayleigh’s warm body for as long as she’d let him. He would never leave the safety of Edgar Allen again. He would behave. He would be good. He would do and be whatever was expected of him if only he’d survive this.

The vultures arrived soon enough. There were still bodies being thrown in around him, but the feast had begun for the scavengers. When the sky darkened and the crows descended on them, Nathaniel had lost hope.

Amongst the crows was a particularly large raven that circled the mass grave. Nathaniel locked eyes with it. A moment later, it was gone.

When he came to, there were uniformed men jumping into the grave in each direction, all racing towards him. They worked fast to remove him from the pile of bodies but by that time Nathaniel felt as if he belonged there with the dead. He only had the strength to open his eyes but when he caught sight of Ichirou Moriyama standing above the mass grave, his body managed a shudder.

He was handed to Ichirou, despite his filth and stench. Even if Nathaniel could speak, what would he say?

“I have never known fear until this day,” Ichirou said. “There were precautions placed in case this kind of situation became a reality, but I never wanted them tested.”

Ichirou caressed his face and Nathaniel flinched when their foreheads touched. “Everything is tethered to your existence. I cannot have something like this happen again.”

Ichirou held Nathaniel that entire night as they made their way to Evermore Castle. He was seen by the emperor’s own medics, who were quick to heal him with their magic. Ichirou insisted he stay by his bedside as he rested and who would tell him otherwise?

Eventually his whereabouts and status were revealed to the others. Kayleigh and The Master had rushed into the room, only stopping to bow their heads at Ichirou.

“Heaven’s sake, Nathaniel,” Kayleigh cried out. “Of all days, of all places to run off to! Why did it have to happen to you?”

Nathaniel knew he was healed enough to talk now but he remained silent. He was in so much trouble he’d never hear the end of it. Instead, he pretended to sleep despite knowing that The Master could still hear his turbulent thoughts.

Kayleigh turned to Ichirou.

“Did he die in the attack?”

Ichirou sighed. “I can’t be certain. He was thrown into the mass grave but when my raven spotted him, his eyes were moving. It’s possible he self-resurrected.”

Kayleigh pulled back her hair and stared at Nathaniel.

“It’s not the way I wanted to test it out, but he’s here with us now. I can only be thankful for your foresight in planning ahead.”

Nathaniel did not understand this conversation. He was doing a poor job of pretending to be asleep, so he used his elbows to lift himself up.

“I’m not dead,” he let out. “I’m still alive.”

Kayleigh smiled. “I know. I know. You must have been so frightened.” She brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. “You mean the world to me. Do you know how terrified I was, how terrified we all were when Riko said you ran off? And when reports came in that there was a terrorist attack in Evermore while you were out missing…do you know my blood ran cold?”

The Master kneeled at Ichirou’s feet and presented him with a folder.

“The latest report on the attack, your highness.”

Ichirou took the folder from Tetsuji and smacked him across the face.

Nathaniel shut his eyes tightly and looked away.

“Did I not entrust him to your care?”

Tetsuji recovered. “Yes, your highness.”

“I do not want a report on the attack. I want a report on how a ten-year old boy managed to escape Edgar Allen under your watch and land himself in the most dangerous situation that’s occurred in Evermore’s history.”

He snapped his finger and Kayleigh fell to her knees.

“Everything rides on his existence. This failure will not be forgiven. Have the other boy ready when he returns. I don’t want this event to stay with Nathaniel.”

“Yes, your highness,” they said in union.

Nathaniel kept his eyes closed and his lips quivered when Ichirou approached his bed.

“You will begin to spend the weekends with me. If you are so hungry for adventure, then I will provide you with that experience under the safety of my watch. Rest now.”

Nathaniel found it hard to rest knowing he was the cause of his guardians’ scolding but eventually the tiredness overcame him, and he slept.

When he returned to Edgar Allen with The Master and Kayleigh, only Jean was there to greet him. Jean’s eyes looked distant but there was relief written on his face at Nathaniel’s arrival. Nathaniel was physically healed but he’d never felt so mentally unwell as he did at that moment. The still frame images of the woman being blown to pieces scorched his mind. Nathaniel did not return the same.

The Master spoke to Jean and Jean pulled Nathaniel away to their shared room.

Nathaniel was exhausted; he made a straight line to his bed, but Jean held him back.

“You wretched little runaway. How many times must you cause trouble?” Jean bit out in a hushed voice.

“Leave me alone.” Nathaniel just had the worst day of his life. He was not about to let himself be lectured so early after the ordeal.

Jean twisted his arm back, enough to sting. Nathaniel cried out.

“You listen here,” Jean warned. “If you keep forcing me to do this to you, you’ll be left with no memories in your head. Stop causing trouble. Stay put. Everything you will ever need is here.”

“Let me go!”

Jean pushed him to the ground and swiped his thumb across Nathaniel’s forehead.

Nathaniel jumped off the counter as soon as he got what he wanted. He took his time looking through the basket of fruit until he found a mandarin.

He walked through the halls of Edgar Allen, peeling the mandarin and carelessly tossing the peels to the ground. He stopped when he saw Riko at the end of the hall.

He hadn’t seen his older brother in almost a week and now he knew why. It wasn’t the first time The Master had beaten Riko black and blue, but it was certainly the worst. A healer had not been called to tend to his injuries, a sign that The Master wanted Riko to suffer.

The Master and Kayleigh had been called to a meeting earlier that day regarding a recent terrorist attack that had occurred in the Kingdom of Evermore. There were concerns of similar trends occurring in other regions of the Karasu Empire, and Nathaniel had thought the whole situation too confusing when Kayleigh had mentioned it to him before she left.

“What did you do to make The Master so mad this time?” Nathaniel asked as he approached his brother to get a better look at his injuries.

Riko stayed deadly silent, his eyes turned to slits in anger.

“Must have been pretty bad,” Nathaniel said as he popped another slice of mandarin in his mouth. “And you say I’m the troublemaker.” Riko remained silent so Nathaniel offered him the last piece of the citrus fruit.

Riko smacked it from his hand and Nathaniel watched it fall to the ground.

Riko approached him calmly. He reached out to hug him and Nathaniel tensed but allowed him the contact.

“You need to understand that your actions have consequences. If my uncle and Kayleigh refuse to teach you, then the responsibility falls on me.”

Nathaniel tilted his head in confusion. Then—

There was no sight, no sound existed, his sense of smell and taste, harder to note, but gone as well. His sense of direction vanished as panic overloaded his mind. Riko had activated his powers. Riko had used his powers on him.

He called out to his brothers, not being able to hear himself, but the motions came to him naturally. At the same time, he tried to escape but tripped over himself just as quickly. He didn’t know why Riko was doing this, at most, he’d tease him by taking away his sense of smell or taste, but it never went this far. He felt along a wall and managed to stand back up on shaky legs.

He screamed his throat raw knowing his voice could still be heard by the others. It was his only chance at escaping this nightmare of a situation. He drew in another deep breath, ready to belt out Kevin’s name but the sound that escaped was a wet groan. A foot had slammed into his gut hard enough to crush the air out of his lungs. Riko thought he was being generous when he allowed the sense of touch to remain, but it was only so that Nathaniel wouldn’t lose his sense of pain.

His four other senses had been removed as punishment.

Punishment for what?! Nathaniel had done nothing wrong.

He didn’t remember falling, but suddenly he was on his hands and knees, scrabbling ineffectually at the floor as he tried to breathe. He was frightened to the core. Riko had never hurt him like this before.

This attack was premediated. He had waited until The Master and Kayleigh were away from Edgar Allen. In no world would they have allowed Riko to get away with this violent beating.

Neil felt the brutal kick to his ribs and cried out. He’d puke if he could only manage that first gasp, but his body refused to cooperate. When the next kick came, Nathaniel lunged for where he thought Riko’s legs would be. He held them tightly and although he himself could not hear the pleas that escaped his mouth, Nathaniel begged Riko’s forgiveness for whatever he had done to cause so much anger in his brother. He promised him he’d behave from now on. That he’d learned his lesson.

When Riko began to choke the life out of him, Nathaniel really thought he would die at the hands of his brother. Instead Riko relaxed his hold at the last second between life and death and smacked the side of Nathaniel’s head, returning the sense of sound to one ear.

Nathaniel could hear himself sobbing, but above him were the voices of Kevin and Jean.

“—you need to stop now. The Master will read the medic's minds, there will be no hiding this from him.” Kevin’s panicked voice rang louder and overlapped Jean’s.

“Riko, The Master had me wipe the event from his memory right after he came back, he remembers none of it.”

Riko slammed a fist across his face. “That does not absolve his actions! He made me look like a fool to my uncle and Ichirou! Why must I always be punished for his stupidity? Why did Ichirou go through so much trouble to save him?!” His hands returned to Nathaniel's neck. “I hate you more than anything,” he spat.

Neil was still blind and deaf in one ear, but he heard Riko slap Jean’s hand away.

Eventually the torment ended.

“Have the medics fix him up before my uncle arrives. Erase all our memories afterwards. My uncle will be none the wiser.”

He felt Riko smack his ear again and he plunged into the abyss once more.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with complete darkness. His ears could not pick up a single sound in the deafening silence. Only when his heart began to race did the pounding of his blood bring noise and relief to him. He let out a whimper.

Neil pawed at his face and felt his smooth horns down to his wet nose. He wasn’t at Edgar Allen. He wasn’t even human anymore.

The nightmare that plagued his sleep felt too real and held too many details to be something his mind could conjure up. It was more akin to a long-lost memory resurfaced after years forgotten. He needed time to process the images replaying in his mind, but the eerie darkness was too reminiscent of Riko’s punishment.

In this new form, he had night vision, but it was useless. There was no natural source of light to amplify inside the satchel. No sun, moon, or stars. But there was another way to bring light.

Neil sniffed out the wooden materials he had found the other day and separated some to start a fire. The buildup of heat formed in his chest before he let it escape through his mouth. Some time had passed since he was forced into this form, but he still struggled with his overwhelming instincts, the movements of this unfamiliar body, and the loss of his human limbs. The one thing he adapted to quickly was his innate draconic energy.

His magical powers developed rapidly as the Beast Marks no longer held them captive. It didn’t matter how many times he’d experimented with his power since then, the feeling of creating fire from his body was as novel as it was addicting.

The fire called to him as it danced to life, warming his body, and calming his mind after the intense nightmare. He felt it now. The connection between a dragon and fire, especially one of his own creation. The fire provided some warm light to the area he was in, but it was no match for the pitch-black darkness that swallowed the indeterminable space. Whoever or whatever created this satchel dealt in magic too advanced for their time.

He lost himself in the fire as he replayed the pieces he could remember from his dream. He had no recollection of any of those specific events happening, but it was sick to think his mind could come up with something so gruesome.

In the end, he chalked it up to another side-effect of his transformation. He would have to find a way to deal with the hyper-realistic nightmares as this was not the first one he’d had since returning to his original form.

His mind was messed up beyond repair. There was very little he understood about himself anymore. Especially when the instincts urged him to act against reason.

Neil forced himself to stop thinking and finally got started with his day. He had work to do.

Despite the darkness and eerie silence, Neil had claimed the satchel’s inside as his own. He took to exploring its endless treasures hidden for miles in each direction. The first days he set out to explore, Neil was sure he’d get lost and have to wait until Aaron pulled him out to restart his search. However, he quickly found out that he could choose an area as a central spot and always return there with a single thought.

He relied on his nose to find most things in the dark—the light from his fire slowly ebbing away as he traveled further. He needed to collect everything he could find and put it all in one spot that he could easily guard. It was important that he completed this task each time he woke from his slumber. His body rarely gave him warning before he’d fall back asleep and the more he managed to get done, the better he would rest, and the less intense his nightmares would be.

Neil had already gathered some of the larger objects, thankful that their size was restricted by the width of the satchel’s opening. At his current size, anything bigger than him would be hard to move. Neil worked to find some smaller items that he could pile on top of the larger objects. He was creating a mountain of all the hidden treasures that had been lost in the satchel. It was obvious that Aaron was far from the first owner of the magical bag—there were items here that if Neil bothered, he could date back hundreds of years. For now, all he wanted to do was gather them all in his central spot. They were his now. His to protect.

Hoarding was a natural behavior in dragons, although his mother had explained that for ancients, the instinct would eventually start to fade. By that point, the dragon would have collected a lifetime’s worth of treasure but remained unsatisfied, so the wise grew out of it.

But Neil was in a hatchling’s body, and all of this was new to him. The dopamine released in satisfying bursts when he acted on his instincts, and it clouded his mind. There were moments when his rational side would resurface, and he’d drown in a wave of panic that would overcome him—knowing that none of this nonsense mattered and that he needed to figure out how to return to his human body before he was caught in his dragon form.

His panic would continue until the familiar tightness of the collar around his neck would take precedence in his mind and he’d remember his defeat. He’d already been captured by the human who carried him around, chained him, and forced him into this form. He’d lost the battle before it had even begun and now, he was captive in a body that craved freedom.

This new body and in extension, the mind that came with it, did not take kindly to depressive episodes. He’d shake his head and physically rid himself of the negative thoughts to jump back into the joy of collecting all that was scattered around the vast space.

It was easy to lose track of time when the sun neither rose nor set in the satchel and Aaron rarely let him out. He’d fall into deep slumbers when the need overcame him, but he hadn’t gone into brumation. It wasn’t cold enough in the satchel and his body needed to feel the temperature change to naturally enter his first brumation period.

Neil was torn between wanting to sleep for what remained of the winter months and wanting to stay awake and alert to prevent the humans from doing anything more to him. He thought of Andrew and their deal. Could he trust Andrew when he’d already been hurt the first night Andrew spoke of protection? Neil’s fangs bit into the plush cushion he was dragging to his pile. He moved his head violently back and forth and watched the cushion explode into a cloud of goose feathers when the fabric eventually tore apart.

He was angry. He wanted to hurt them back. Kevin, Aaron, and that stupid bird that watched him be ruined and did nothing! Neil wanted to roar to let out his rage, but he knew he’d only manage a bark. His thoughts were interrupted as Neil began to sneeze, the smaller feathers invading his nostrils. He felt ridiculous. Would he ever get the chance to grow into a formidable dragon that sparked fear and respect in others by his mere existence or would he die a small, pathetic hatchling?

He’d make sure that neither happened. If he was going to die, he would do it as a human. Now he just had to figure out how he was going to survive in this form until then.

Neil let out a whimper, shook his head, and set fire to the feathers before he continued his search for things. He caught a whiff of decaying organic fiber material, likely from an old scroll. He moved closer to the smell until—

He squawked when he felt a now-familiar pull and quickly shut his eyes closed. He was being pulled out of the satchel. He expected the frigid breeze of winter air to hit him like it usually did when Aaron cared to bring him out. When he continued to feel warm, he expected to be blinded by the sudden exposure to the sun. However, when he opened his eyes, he saw a roof. They were inside someone’s home, sheltered from the elements. Neil looked up to see the twins, Nicky, Dan, Kevin, Wymack and a stranger all looking at him.

“Excuse my language but Holy sh*t,” he heard the stranger say.

Neil’s intuition let him know the stranger wasn’t a threat, so he ignored him and used the opportunity of being outside the satchel to search for food. He sniffed around Aaron who had placed him on his lap but as expected the twin wasn’t prepared. Neil huffed at the lack of food and calculated the jump to Andrew’s lap. Andrew raised an eyebrow but pulled out some dried meat from behind him. Neil was about to take a bite when Aaron yanked the meat from Andrew’s hand.

“Neil, come over here.”

Neil couldn’t overcome the mental barrier that prevented him from physically harming Aaron, but he could refuse to listen to him. Instead, Neil took to licking the crumbs and sheen of oil off Andrew’s fingers. Andrew scoffed and flicked Neil’s forehead but pulled out another piece of dried meat. Neil quickly swiped this piece and almost choked as he tried to swallow it whole.

“Slowly,” Andrew chided. He turned a slight glare on Aaron, “Stop that. It’s annoying to see you act that way.”

“He’s not yours,” Aaron sneered. “Who are you to tell me what to do with my dragon?”

Neil growled. He wasn’t anyone’s possession. His body ached with the need to spit fire out at Aaron’s face and watch him burn, but that was as far as it could go. He was limited to murderous thoughts as his body froze, anticipating the movements that would be prevented by what remained of their tamer-tamed bond.

Aaron forcibly pulled Neil off Andrew’s lap and onto his. Neil shook with anger.

He heard Nicky laugh nervously.

“Neil, hey buddy, thank goodness we were able to catch you while you were awake. I want you to meet someone.” Nicky grabbed the shoulders of the stranger and put him directly in Neil’s line of sight. “This is Erik, he’s my—he’s a good friend of mine. He just swore a vow of secrecy and has officially joined the Foxes as the newest member!”

Neil tilted his head in confusion at the sudden news. He studied the stranger hoping it would help him understand why the humans would allow someone else to not only join them but to reveal Neil’s form to him.

The man had a strong, muscular build, and his power was palpable. His deep blue eyes were outlined by faint wrinkles. He shared the same shade of hair as the twins, but unlike the brothers, Erik had a full beard that extended below his chin, aging him well. He was as tall as Matt and by all accounts, should have intimidated Neil, but none of his instincts sounded off. There wasn’t anything unsettling about the stranger besides the mild shock that came from the sudden news.

Neil used the excuse of curiosity to get farther away from Aaron and closer to Erik. It seemed the man was still shocked at Neil’s existence as he stood with wide eyes and a slightly gaped mouth. Neil approached his feet and took in the man’s scent. His nose wrinkled in slight disgust at the unexpected smell.

“You smell like a dog.”

“Neil! That’s rude,” Kevin scolded.

“Wait, what did he say?” Nicky asked, looking back and forth at Neil and Kevin.

Erik chuckled above him.

“Hi, Neil,” Erik said with a distinct accent that made it clear he was a foreigner. His mind jumped back into the now fading nightmare. A foreign woman with a heavy accent. Are you also trapped in a cage, little puppy? A body exploding into pieces.

Neil came back to his body as Erik introduced himself.

“My name is Erik Klose, and you are now the biggest secret I’ve ever had to keep.” Erik shot Nicky a quick look, his smile fading for a moment. “Although I tend to believe everything Nicholas tells me…I have to admit this was hard to believe until I saw you with my own eyes.”

Erik slowly dropped to his knees and made to reach for Neil but stopped before he could touch him. He was asking permission. Neil thought that was kind of him. He was shocked to notice he craved more kindness. He bopped his snout against his hand as a sign of acceptance. Erik nodded and slowly drew his thumb down Neil’s chest until it stopped above his heart. His scales were still soft and underdeveloped, so Neil pulled back a bit at the strange feeling.

Erik nodded and pulled his hand back.

“Apologies, it is a custom where I am from. To read the heart from our first touch. You may read my heart as well.”

Neil tilted his head. He hadn’t heard of that custom before but Neil spent most of his childhood slacking off from Tetsuji’s lessons so there was a lot he missed. Neil thought it rude if he didn’t return the gesture and strangely enough, he didn’t want to appear rude in front of the man. There was something different about Erik.

Neil cautiously walked up to Erik who remained on his knees. Even in his lowered position, his upper body was still too tall for Neil to reach. Thankfully, he took the hint and bent forward. Neil stood on his back legs like a clumsy child and aimed his snout at Erik’s chest, hoping to land somewhere near his heart.

At the first contact between his wet nose and the beating organ, a signal was sent, and Neil understood immediately why Erik had done this. He was different from the others, but he was the same as Neil in all the ways that mattered.

The sudden excitement at the revelation caused him to lose his balance and he fell backwards onto his wings. When he righted himself, he made circles around Erik and let out noises he would usually find embarrassing.

Erik laughed at Neil’s antics before gently picking Neil up to face him. He brought a finger up to his lips and whispered a silent, “Shh” sound.

There was only one person who could understand Neil if he accidentally let out Erik’s secret. Neil looked at Kevin and then back at Erik. He nodded in understanding and kept any further sounds to himself. However, once released, he returned to running around Erik, occasionally extending his wings out to better use his body as an outlet for the surge of energy he felt. Erik would be joining them—things would change for the better.

Dan was the first to speak as the other foxes minus Nicky, were left silent in confusion.

“What just happened? When I read your power, this—whatever this is—didn’t appear. How did you make him like you so fast? Look at him! I’ve never seen Neil this happy.”

Nicky laughed. “I told you Neil would love Erik! He’s a natural. That’s how he’s been able to be such a successful magical creature rights advocate. Heavens that’s a mouthful.” Nicky smiled as he patted Erik on the back. “They trust him—his genuineness and sincerity come off like waves to them.”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Wymack said.

Neil stopped running in circles and looked back at Dan. How was Erik able to hide his otherness from Dan’s perceptive magic? Did she really not know?

Neil wanted to ask Erik, but he couldn’t speak any language besides Draconic in his current state. His fangs made speaking awkward, and he couldn’t form the words that his mind supplied. He knew he’d eventually grow better at it but was frustrated he couldn’t do it right now. At the very least he could still understand the humans and even the stupid eagle just fine. Erik could even speak to him in any language he knew, and Neil would understand. That didn’t help his current predicament.

Kevin would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Wait, Neil thought, His mind-link.

Neil realized he hadn’t tried to use this power since he’d turned. Now that the Beast Marks had been removed, he should have access to his mind-link without any barriers. That meant that if he concentrated, he could—

The sudden change in scenery had him stumbling from vertigo and Neil took a moment to reorient himself.

He heard Erik’s shocked yelp as the taller man regained his footing. Neil looked up at him and given Erik’s surprised face, Neil knew this was his own doing.

“Neil, is that you?” Erik asked with a hint of uncertainty.

Neil looked down. He flexed each finger, taking in the smooth skin of his hands and relishing the details. He was dressed in a thin layer but quickly lifted the fabric to touch his stomach. His skin was unmarked and unblemished, no scars, nothing to draw attention to himself. His feet were bare, and he dropped to the ground to rub them together.

He was no longer trapped in the small body of his dragon form. With shuddering relief, Neil realized that he was back in his human body.

“This is a neat power, Neil,” Erik said after exploring the limited area. “When Nicky and the others were briefing me over you, they failed to mention any powers outside the obvious.”

Neil had unexpectedly brought Erik to this place through the extended powers of his mind-link. He looked around the blurred edges of the space they were in, a thick haze surrounding them. He waved his hands around but the fine suspended particles that made up the haze remained in place.

Erik studied him. “I take it this is your first time completely activating your power. Nicky mentioned your magic was suppressed by the Beast Marks.” He tried to move further away from the clearing they were in but was stopped by the haze, as if a solid wall stood behind it. “Can you tell me what you know of this power? I might be able to help us get back.”

“I don’t think we went anywhere,” Neil said. He hid a smile behind his hands at the sound of his voice. It felt good to be heard and understood. “I connected our minds through my mind-link. I don’t know all its powers or limitations yet. Dan couldn’t get a good read on me while the Beast Marks were on and I’m not sure if she’s tried to since I returned to my original form,” Neil explained.

“Interesting,” Erik said as he rubbed his beard. “So, it’s possible we’ve left our physical bodies behind while our minds created these temporary forms.” Erik examined his own body. It was hard to note any differences but as Neil looked closer, he noticed more hair on Erik, if that was even possible. “We might have subconsciously chosen our form, the one of our minds most closely identify with,” Erik continued. “I’m surprised I’m not in—"

“I have so much I want to ask,” Neil cut him off. “I don’t know how long I can maintain this link.” Maybe if Aaron had allowed him more than a quick bite to eat, he’d have had more strength.

Erik chuckled good naturedly. “Ok, ok, ask away and I’ll do my best to answer.”

“If Dan read your powers, does she know?”

“No. The only one besides you that knows is Nicky. I didn’t allow Dan to get a full reading for obvious reasons, but it helps that I possess concealment magic.”

“Concealment magic?” Neil asked.

“I can distort the sensory experience of others, essentially allowing me to manipulate their reality. It has many applications,” Erik paused as he saw the discomfort in Neil’s face. “You’re right to be wary but I made an oath to use my power for the good of magical creatures and all those who need protection. If I’m being honest, I’m glad this power chose me. In the hands of others…”

Neil understood. That kind of power was disastrous in the wrong hands.

“Wait, can you help me—” Neil felt around his neck, but the collar was gone. In this space his mind created, he was finally free. He rubbed the bare skin on his neck and lost himself in the feeling. “Can you help me break free?”

Now that Neil had studied him better, he realized the wrinkles on Erik’s face were caused by the way he smiled with his eyes. Neil had wiped that smile away with his request.

“Your situation is…something I’ve unfortunately encountered before in my line of work.” Erik’s strong sentiment spread through the link and Neil tightened his fists as he tried to contain his disappointment. “Tamers are hard to reason with. They don’t see anything wrong with their actions. They don’t see—”

“They don’t see us as equals,” Neil finished.

Erik frowned. “Yes. They view us as creatures to be controlled and used for their benefit. The bond between tamer and tamed is never truly consensual nor equally beneficial for both sides. Neil, your situation is even more difficult. You’re a dragon. You’re one of out of two. The last of your species. Aaron is not going to let you go.”

“He has to,” Neil bit out. “He said once we reached Uclerene, he would release me from the bond.”

“Neil, that might have been the case while the Beast Marks concealed your identity. Now that they know what you are—Neil, I don’t think they’ll ever willingly let you go. Not the Foxes, and certainly not Aaron.”

Neil stayed silent. Erik didn’t have to guess how Neil felt, their minds were linked, and Neil was spilling his emotions into Erik like a dam left to burst.

He felt Erik wipe a stray tear away from his face. Neil slapped his hand away.

“Sorry,” Erik said, “I was being too blunt and inconsiderate of how this would sound to you. I don’t want to promise you something I’m not certain I can accomplish, but I don’t want you to lose hope either.” He stretched his arms out and waited to see if Neil would allow him to take his hands. Neil looked away but let Erik hold one hand.

“It wouldn’t be fair,” Erik said, “if I took away your hope when you’ve rejuvenated mine. I will do all I can, everything in my power, to make your situation more bearable. And if the day arrives that I can help you obtain freedom, then I will risk my life to do so. I don’t think you understand how much hope your existence brings to everyone on this side of the fight.”

Neil had learned from Andrew that promises meant nothing until one’s actions matched their words. Only time would tell if Erik would really make his imprisonment with the Foxes more bearable, but he could admit he felt better knowing Erik would soon become an affable companion. That reminded him.

“Kevin will understand us if we try to communicate in our native tongue. Is there another human language you know? Kevin can communicate and understand animal and creature speech, but he’s limited in his knowledge of human languages.”

Erik responded in Germanic tongue, “I do, but Nicky and Aaron speak it as well. I taught them a couple years back when they lived with me for a time.” Erik looked sheepish as he admitted that information.

“I’ll be able to understand you and it should be fine to speak as long as Nicky and Aaron aren’t around. Although I won’t be able to respond since I’m still learning to speak other languages in my dragon form. Which by the way, what kind of magical crea—”

The vertigo returned and when Neil opened his eyes, he was back on Aaron’s lap. He hadn’t realized how clearheaded he’d felt while in that subliminal space until his dragon instincts flooded him abruptly as he returned to his physical body. Just like that first night, his mind grew overwhelmed with the drastic switch between human and dragon. Neil reluctantly stuffed his head between Aaron’s legs to apply pressure and fight off the incoming headache.

“Erik! Thank Heavens you’re okay. What happened? You and Neil just suddenly went still and then you both collapsed,” Nicky explained as he cradled Erik’s head.

“My apologies,” Erik said as he rubbed his eyes, “It was not my intention to worry you, Nicholas. It seems Neil accidentally set off his mind-link.”

That got the others’ attention.

“I’ve experienced his mind-link before,” Aaron said, “but it’s never caused me to suddenly faint.”

Dan got up and approached Neil. “What you experienced before was his power under the restriction of the Beast Marks. Now that they’re gone,” she paused. “Neil, will you allow me to read your powers in this new form?”

Neil didn’t think he had much else to hide now that his secret was out, and it would only be beneficial to him to know his strengths and weaknesses. He popped his head out and nodded.

Dan was able to perceive power with just her sight, but as she had mentioned before, she was able to read more with physical contact. She touched his forehead, just below his horns and began.

Neil grew nervous as Dan’s hand remained; her face scrunched in concentration.

“This is insane,” she said after a moment. She backed up and clapped her hands together. “It makes sense why Dragons were looked to as Gods. I understand now.”

“What did you read?” Kevin asked. “What else can he do with his mind-link?”

“I think his mind-link is the least of our worries. This little body is packed full of power and magic. I almost fried my brain trying to perceive it all.” Dan rubbed at her temples and began to list out what she’d read. “There’s the obvious: his Dragon Breath, his Draconic Element Manipulation, the increased effect of his Dragon Blood, his Omnilingualism, his Draconic Specialization hasn’t even developed yet, and that’s just the surface of his Draconic Powers.”

She paused and looked around until her eyes met Wymack. “But before I even try to explain it all, there was something else I found. Wymack, can I talk to you alone?” Dan asked in a serious tone.

Neil didn’t like being kept in the dark, especially when it concerned his own powers. He was already upset that he’d returned to his dragon form so quickly after having a taste of the freedom that came from his human body. This was just setting him off further. He growled at Dan.

“It’s fine, Neil. It’s nothing bad, I just need to discuss it with Wymack before I tell everyone else in the room. It’s for your safety.”

“I want to know,” Aaron said as he stood up and held Neil to his chest.

“If this concerns my dragon—”

Neil growled louder.

“If this concerns Neil,” Aaron corrected himself, “then I need to know.”

Wymack sighed.

He looked at Aaron and simply said, “No,” before he left the house with Dan behind him.

Neil would have put up more of a fight, but he felt a sudden wave of exhaustion. The activation of his mind-link had drained him considerably. He couldn’t hold back the yawn that escaped him.

“This was a lot for you, wasn’t it?” Aaron asked. He pulled out the satchel and presented the opening to Neil. “You can rest now. I’ll pull you out when it’s dinnertime. I’m not sure if you’ve been finding the treats I’ve thrown in there?”

Neil had not found any treats or food in the endless space he explored each day. He wondered if the food would stay edible until he eventually found it or if it would spoil before he had a chance to eat it. Since time seemed to pass in the satchel, Neil figured the latter was more likely.

Aaron shook the satchel’s opening again and tried to push Neil back in. Neil resisted. He didn’t want to go back. He was afraid of suffering through another nightmare only to wake up in the darkness.

He had more questions he wanted to ask Erik. He wanted to be present when they cooked dinner. He wanted to hear voices besides the one in his head. He wanted to stay here with everyone else.

Despite everything that had been done to him, he felt safer out here than in the solitude of his distorted mind.

“He wants to stay here,” Andrew and Erik both spoke at the same time.

Eventually Aaron relented and let Neil sleep outside the satchel on the condition that Neil remain on his lap. Neil thought Aaron a creep for wanting him so close but what else was new.

Neil woke up a couple hours later to the smell of roasting meat. Despite his grogginess, he rushed off the cushion he was on and tripped over his own paws in search of the meat.

“Woah there, buddy. Should you have been left unattended? Where’s Aaron?”

Neil ignored Matt and followed his nose to the open kitchen in Erik’s home. Matt followed closely behind. It was only thanks to Matt’s psychic reflexes that he was able to react fast enough to stop Neil from jumping on the perfectly cooked beef tenderloin that had just been placed on the counter to cool.

Erik and Aaron came into the kitchen holding baskets of fresh vegetables and bread. Aaron sighed at the scene that awaited him. Matt had wrapped a thick kitchen cloth tightly around his arm in anticipation of Neil’s bite. Neil, as expected, had bitten Matt after being denied the entire piece of beef. His body dangled from Matt’s arm, refusing to let go until his demands were met.

“I was gone for five minutes, Neil. You’re going back into the satchel once you’re done eating. You’re too much trouble outside it,” Aaron said.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, Aaron.” Erik said as he placed the vegetables down and began to cut them.

Now that the drowsiness had cleared up, Neil could smell a pot of soup boiling. His mouth watered and he finally let go. Matt caught him and placed him gently on the ground.

Erik continued to speak as Neil explored the kitchen from the ground, occasionally looking up at the dishes being prepared. He felt his tail move back and forth at the possibility that Erik was also great at cooking, another benefit of bringing him along. Everything smelled delicious.

“I think it’s best if Neil stays outside from now on. Sir Wymack mentioned he has not gone through a proper brumation, is that right?” Erik asked.

“It’s just Wymack, formalities aren’t needed here. And no, he hasn’t but it’s not safe to keep him out in the open,” Aaron said.

“Well, I would ensure that no one would be able to see Neil besides us. Once his body registers that it’s Winter, he’ll naturally enter a state of brumation, and he won’t be any trouble at all to carry as he sleeps. It’s only about a month and a half until Spring, so it won’t be a full brumation, but it will be enough to conserve his energy and let his body rest after the sudden change.”

Erik moved onto cutting the tenderloin as he waited for Aaron to respond. Neil stood on his hind legs and pawed at Erik’s shin, hoping to get a slice before everyone else.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try.” Aaron crouched down to meet Neil’s eyes as Neil savored the beef Erik had ‘accidentally’ dropped. “Would you like that? Do you want to try to sleep continuously through Winter? We’d probably make it to Troy by then.”

Neil was surprised Aaron cared to ask what he thought. Before he even had time to think through the proposal, he heard Kevin speak Draconic as he entered the room.

“You’re useless to me asleep. The days between now and our arrival at Troy are peak training time. You’re going to behave and let me train my powers on you for two hours each night. If you choose not to train with Aaron that’s your decision, but this is non-negotiable.”

The taste of the meat soured as he listened to Kevin.

“You’re a real piece of sh*t, you know that?” Neil returned in Draconic. “You were always uptight growing up, but you weren’t an asshole like this before.”

“You mean before your mom incinerated my mom?”

“f*ck you! You know I had nothing to do with that. Kayleigh was also my mom—"

“No, she wasn’t! I’m her only son! You were nothing but an experiment to her.”

Neil had heard enough. He couldn’t hurt Aaron, but there was nothing stopping him from burning that stupid mouth off Kevin’s face.

He was starting to understand just how annoying Matt’s power was when he once again reacted in time to stop Neil’s next move.

“No fires, please.” Matt said as he used his hands to keep Neil’s mouth closed. Neil could feel Matt’s power was still active. He’d have to find a way around Matt if he was going to remain outside the satchel. He would be damned if he let him ruin the first bit of freedom Neil was allowed.

He would wait until Matt was gone and then there would be no one to stop him. If he had to wait, then he’d wait patiently to make his next move. He would steep the fire in his throat until it reached a life-threatening temperature and then he would release it all on Kevin as he slept.

Matt sighed when he realized Neil wasn’t going to let this feud go. He was dead set on unleashing his draconic breath on Kevin at least once.

Matt signaled at Aaron. Whatever silent message they exchanged, it was enough to have Aaron groaning in audible regret. Neil’s eyes were locked on Kevin, so he didn’t see when Aaron approached him from behind.

When cold metal covered his snout, Neil’s blood ran cold. How could they even think this was okay!? They had muzzled him.

Neil could barely even let out a threatening growl with how tightly the muzzle held his mouth shut.

“Woah, I think this is a bit too much,” Erik spoke up.

“I would usually agree with you,” Matt explained, “but you have to understand what I see through my power. This is the only way to protect us both. He’ll burn this place down otherwise just for a shot at hurting Kevin with his fire. Once I can safely sense that he’ll behave, I’ll ask Aaron to remove the muzzle.”

But the meat! Was all his stupid dragon brain could focus on.

Neil was infuriated. Even more so when he heard Kevin’s sinister laughter.

“Not so tough now, are you? You caught me by surprise last time, but I’m not letting my guard down around you anymore. You, more than anyone else, know what I can do to you. What my power can do to creatures like you. Yet you still choose to act recklessly. Don’t blame me when I’m forced to take control of you to make you behave. It’ll be great practice for me either way so go ahead, test my patience.”

Neil was going to pop a vein at this rate. He’d kill him before he let Kevin take control again.

“Enough.”

All heads turned to see Andrew walk into the kitchen.

“I might not be able to understand all that hissing and clicking noise, but I know when you’re antagonizing him, Kevin. Knock it off,” Andrew said.

Kevin scoffed. “Are you not hearing what Matt’s saying? Neil wants to set me on fire and I’m somehow the one that needs to ‘knock it off’? He needs to learn how to behave if he’s going to travel outside with us. A muzzle will be useful and necessary for training Neil. It’ll keep him from engaging in dangerous behavior with that mouth of his, so why are you complaining?”

They could take Neil’s bite and fire away, but there were still other ways of making Kevin scream. Neil forced his mind blank, the same way he did countless times as a child trying to go unnoticed by Tetsuji’s mind-reading abilities.

It worked long enough to lower Matt’s guard and Neil used that opportunity to pull out of his hold. He released his claws the second he landed and raced to Kevin ready to attack. The blind asshole wouldn’t see it coming.

He felt himself being lifted off the ground before he was even halfway to his mark. Neil was about to seriously hurt Matt but when he saw black armbands, he reluctantly retracted his claws.

Andrew carried Neil away to another room and set him down on a bed.

Neil looked at him and pawed at the muzzle.

“You want me to take it off?” Andrew asked.

Neil nodded.

“I will but you cannot hurt Kevin; do you understand me? The same way I made a promise to protect you, I did the same with him long before you showed up.”

Neil could feel the spikes running down his spine rise in anger. His upper body lowered while his lower body rose and he spread his wings out, instinctively trying to look bigger.

He tackled Andrew to the ground and straddled his hips.

“Who are you to tell me I can’t hurt Kevin? What about the way he hurt me! Were you there to stop him? Were you there to protect me?” Neil didn’t try to hold back his tears. Since he transitioned back to a dragon, his emotions had run rampant, doing their best to catch up with eighteen years of being suppressed.

“Ever since that night, I’ve had nightmares. I relive it every time I close my eyes in that dark, stupid satchel. The cold chains were cruel enough, but Aaron went further and found a way to paralyze me that night. I couldn’t fight back; I couldn’t move as they—” His breath hitched as the memory forced its way into his mind. “Kevin’s never treated me this bad before. I’m still his little brother so why does he treat me like this?”

Andrew’s fingers weren’t soft, the pad of his thumb was rough as it wiped his tears away, but Neil felt the motion tender.

The feeling of skin touching skin shocked him into alertness. He looked around the haze and realized he had activated his mind-link again. He was human once more in this space he created but the emotions of a wounded dragon remained.

Andrew didn’t ask about the change of scenery or how the little dragon jumping at him menacingly had turned human so suddenly. Instead, his eyes studied Neil’s and his hand reached up to comb through Neil’s hair.

Neil stayed silent, craving an explanation that would make him hate this man less. He couldn’t look away from Andrew’s hazel eyes and the way they swallowed him whole. The way they looked through his soul to try to understand the jumbled emotions Neil was sharing through their connection. When Andrew moved to caress his scalp, a shiver ran down his spine. He was waiting for Neil to continue—he was giving Neil a chance to let it all out.

So, Neil did.

“I called out for you that night,” Neil began as he lowered his weight onto Andrew’s warm body. “I tried to reach you with my mind-link so you could stop those two idiots from damning us all. But you didn’t come. Why didn’t you come?”

Neil felt the tears start up again, but he forced his voice steady. “I’ve never felt more worthless than I did that night. I begged them to stop over and over again but it was like I didn’t have a voice. How I feel, what I think, and what I say…the moment I became a creature in their eyes instead of a human, it didn’t matter to them anymore. I’m meant to be seen not heard. I’m meant to listen and behave. I’m meant to serve and be controlled. I can’t express my emotions. I can’t speak in that stupid form. Only Kevin can understand me and that’s so much worse. I hate him so much for what he did and how those two brushed it off like it was just another day. And it was! For them. They got what they wanted. What was I left with after they took it all from me?”

Neil turned his head and hid in the crook of Andrew’s neck as he shuddered through the memory.

“They forced me into that stupid form, they took my choice from me when they already had my freedom. And I’m supposed to just take it on the chin and move on? You don’t understand how that feels, Andrew. When I’m in my dragon form, I’m not all there. I spend hours just doing things for no other reason than because it feels good to do so. I can’t control my actions when my head is so full of instincts I’ve never had to deal with before. So much is new to me and it’s all so scary and no one understands. I’ve never done this before, and I don’t feel like myself. I wasn’t ready for this. And the worst part is, I can’t even hurt those who did this to me?”

Neil felt Andrew’s hands tighten around him.

“You said you’d protect me. You told me to stay, that whatever it took, you’d make it so. All I asked of you was to let me stay as a human until the end. Why’d you let them hurt me like this?” Neil wasn’t sure if he said those last words out loud, let alone if Andrew had heard him with how quiet he’d gotten towards the end. He was tired. He couldn’t even be bothered to feel embarrassed after spilling his emotions on Andrew, there was nothing left in him.

Andrew continued to hold him, and Neil made himself comfortable, lowering his head onto Andrew’s chest and using him as a pillow. Whether Andrew was contemplating Neil’s words, or he truly had nothing to say, Neil knew that he wouldn’t be satisfied either way by Andrew’s eventual response. He settled for finding comfort in the steady rise and fall of Andrew’s chest and the rhythmic beating of his heart.

жжж

The overwhelming anguish he felt as a byproduct of Neil’s mind-link eased as Neil was lulled to sleep, his body melting over Andrew as his tense muscles relaxed. Despite momentarily returning to his human form, Neil was still concerningly light. Between his frequent slumbers and his growing metabolism, Neil needed to be fed more in preparation of his brief brumation.

Andrew’s fingertips danced along his back and stilled at the coarse auburn hair that curled around Neil’s face. He brushed his fingers through the strands marveling at the new color, much more interesting than the plain black hair he had before. He settled on massaging Neil’s scalp when he heard a soft groan slip past Neil’s plump lips. He stopped.

He wasn’t sure how long Neil could hold this connection while he slept. Maintaining his power while unconscious was already a feat but eventually, he’d exhaust his energy reserves and the two would be forced back into their physical bodies.

Andrew would be forced to act on what he learned today. What he had already known but had shoved back into the deepest corner of his mind.

He glanced up at what would have been the sky, but the haze washed out anything that wasn’t them. Just a moment ago, the memory of the night Neil had his Beast Marks removed played above them from Neil’s perspective. Andrew had held Neil close to his body to make sure he didn’t turn back and glimpse at what he had described to be one of the worst nights of his life.

He had yet to hear the full extent of Neil’s powers from Dan, but Andrew could guess that his mind-link worked beyond simply sharing thoughts and emotions. Neil was able to transport their minds to a shared space away from everyone and everything else. There was no hiding here—even one’s memories were made available for the other to see.

This was dangerous territory for Andrew. He had forced his mind to shut down. Neil’s own words, emotions, and memories brought his own graphic childhood to the surface.

Andrew couldn’t run away from this. He needed time to take it all in—the situation, the betrayal in Neil’s voice, the failure on his part.

“Were you there to stop him? Were you there to protect me?”

Neil’s accusations had been more than a slap to the face. They were an open acknowledgement that he had already failed to keep his side of the deal the very same night he made it. The deals he made with those he chose to protect were all that he had, all that he could give, so why was it that he could never keep his side of the agreement?

He thought back to Aaron’s stunned face as he choked him against a wall, Kevin’s painful cries as Neil ripped into his neck, Neil’s shuddered expression as he called out to Andrew through his mind-link with no success. He thought back to the children, their lifeless, torn bodies surrounding him. He thought back to Cass.

He’d hurt everyone he’d sworn to protect.

You’re safer with us than anywhere else, he’d told Neil.

Was that a lie too? How could he protect all three of them when two were bent on using the third? How could he punish those he was meant to protect, even if they had it coming? If Andrew couldn’t be a man of his word, then what was left of him?

At the very least, he’d fulfill what he could. He’d keep Neil alive until Nathan was killed, and he’d force the Draco-nihil clan or whatever remained of them to preform the ritual on Neil. He’d keep Kevin safe from Riko and remain a solid stone tethered to Kevin, preventing him from running back to his abuser. Out of the three, the deal he made with Aaron would be the hardest to uphold now that Neil was involved.

The whole reason they’d join the Foxes was so that Andrew could give Aaron a reason to leave that rotten woman and her family behind. He’d thought it would be enough to chase the rumors of the Draco-nihil clan and Aaron’s insistence that he could bring them back to their glory. Throwing Neil into the mix had played out in Aaron’s favor, an impossible dream realized through the most auspicious conditions.

If he took Neil away from his brother who had finally gotten exactly what he’d wanted, what would that do to their relationship? When he brought Neil back with him to camp, was it not for the sole benefit of giving his brother something to focus on. Something to distract him after losing his purpose as a dragon tamer?

What had changed between now and then for Andrew to suddenly want Neil removed from Aaron’s hold? Why hadn’t he remained impartial when it came to Neil? Why did he care so much about a skittish creature like Neil—

Andrew grabbed the skin of his left wrist and twisted it. He had to stop referring to Neil as a creature, he knew how much it bothered him. Was he any better than those two if he shared their views on Neil’s identity? Neil wasn’t a human. That was a fact. He was a magical creature, a dragon, one of the last of his kind. Was Andrew really in the wrong for referring to him as such?

But if Neil had always identified as a human, shouldn’t Andrew respect that?

How much of a difference would it be if he started treating Neil as a human being instead of a magical creature? It wasn’t like he’d treated him all that differently from other newcomers. Andrew’s initial distrust and maltreatment of Neil was not due to his status as a creature. Andrew would have done the same to any human who posed a threat to those under his protection.

Kevin and Neil had lived as brothers back at Edgar Allen and from what Neil mentioned, their relationship was a lot better than it is now. Did all those years of brotherly affection really get tossed aside because Kevin found out Neil was a creature? Or did the death of his mother at the hands of Neil’s mother play a larger role in Kevin’s antagonistic behavior towards Neil?

From the silent tears that escaped Neil, he knew this change in Kevin hurt him deeply. Andrew sighed. Like sun-reflecting river water, Neil’s teary blue eyes had him winded. Had he always looked that way? Andrew snuck a peek at the sleeping figure on his chest. His eyes were closed which was a mercy on its own, but his reddish-brown eyelashes framed the delicate skin of his eyelids. He studied him more closely.

If it wasn’t for Andrew’s eidetic memory, he would have brushed the differences off as a slight change in Neil’s appearance. A change in hair and eye color to match his natural form. But under Andrew’s close inspection, it was more than that. He didn’t understand the magic Kayleigh had used when creating Neil’s human form, but this went beyond that. This was Neil. A mix of his dragon features subconsciously added to a human form of Neil’s creation. This was how Neil saw himself in his mind.

His sun-kissed skin was baby soft, and the bone structure of his face was slightly more pronounced than before. He was still lanky compared to Andrew but there was lean muscle on his frame. Due to his dragon nature, his body now ran warm with the fire that flowed through his veins.

The haze created by the mind-link produced a certain dreamlike effect around them. It was in this fuzzy state of mind, surrounded by cloud-white haze, that this perfect man laid on him. The view in front of him proceeded directly from the mind of a dreamer so delusional to think he deserved this after all he had done. Neil was beautiful in this form.

The disgust Andrew always reserved for himself returned. He gently cradled Neil’s back and moved him so that he was lying by Andrew’s side rather than on him. That line of thinking would never be right.

As much as Neil wanted to present himself as a human, as much as Neil wanted to believe he was a human, the truth remained unchanged: he wasn’t. Neil was a dragon, a magical creature on the brink of extinction, and he had to be treated as such. Andrew couldn’t look at him as anything more. Andrew was to protect him until Nathan was defeated and then grant Neil’s wish to undergo a permanent transformation. Until then, Neil would remain a dragon in his eyes.

Andrew would deny Neil this and in turn deny himself.

It was for the best. It was the right thing to do.

Andrew’s fists tightened.

He awoke to the sound of a door slamming open and he stood just as quickly, drawing his sword with one hand while the other held a sleeping dragon.

Erik, Wymack, and Aaron backed away from the entrance but relaxed as they confirmed Andrew and Neil’s whereabouts.

“Were you knocked out?” Aaron asked. “Did Neil use his mind-link on you?”

“How long has it been since I left the kitchen?" Andrew asked.

“About 30 minutes,” Erik responded. “Dinner is ready. We were calling out for you both and this was the only room that was locked.” He studied Andrew’s tense form. “Are you okay?”

Andrew looked down at a muzzled Neil and sheathed his sword. They were asking the wrong one. Regardless he nodded and walked out.

Aaron stopped him at the door and made to grab Neil. With the recent memory of that night and the feelings of complete disregard and worthlessness still fresh in Andrew’s mind, he slammed Aaron into the wall. He didn’t know if his actions were a result of his own complicated feelings towards his brother or if they were remnants of the emotions Neil had shared through the link.

Aaron looked back at him, eyes wide in disbelief. Not a word was shared between them as Andrew removed the muzzle from Neil’s snout and blasted it with a surge of psionic energy. He dusted the ashes off on Aaron and walked outside to where Erik and the others had prepared an outdoor feast under the moonlight.

With Neil still held carefully in one arm, he prepared Neil’s plate first and stacked the best cuts of meat. He’d set it aside until Neil woke but at the very least the dragon wouldn’t complain about getting leftovers. The other foxes watched in silence as he served himself next and began to eat with only one hand, his other arm a makeshift bed for Neil.

Erik and Wymack arrived at the table, only acknowledging the incident between the brothers by giving Andrew a questioning glance. He felt Aaron’s glare as his twin made his way to his seat, not bothering to serve himself a plate.

The other foxes could note an air of awkwardness from the new arrivals but quickly launched into chatter over the good food.

“This is delicious!” Matt said after finishing a leg of lamb. “The combination of herbs and spices really bring out the flavor. I was getting used to bland meat. Most we ever do is salt it.”

“No, seriously, where did you learn to cook like this?” Dan asked.

Erik laughed heartily. “Would you believe me if I said I used to like my meat unseasoned?”

Nicky coughed. “More like raw.”

Andrew caught Erik’s subtle and soft kick to Nicky’s leg under the table.

“It wasn’t until I met Nicholas that I began to cook. He told me stories of his mother’s recipes and how he missed the flavors and well, one thing led to another, and I discovered I had a talent for it.”

“It’s his great sense of smell,” Nicky added. “He knows what herbs are fresh, which spices work great together, and when the meat is perfectly cooked.”

“Well, it’s all very delightful,” Abby said. “The bread and vegetable pairings were a nice touch as well. Thank you for preparing this meal. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble. I know you still need to pack and arrange for house-care while you’re away.”

“It’s no trouble,” Erik assured her. “And the house will be well taken care of. The villagers around here operate as one big family. We take care of each other so it will be no problem to arrange it in the morning. For now, let’s enjoy this meal together under the moon.”

Nicky stared up at the moon concerningly but relaxed when Erik smiled reassuringly at him.

Andrew had moved onto the stew when he felt Neil stir. He looked down to see the same striking blue eyes that had been dewed with tears just earlier in a space shared only by their minds. Those eyes quickly made their way to the plate of meat set aside. Neil stumbled as his sleep addled brain worked to process the table littered with savory food in front of him. Andrew did not let him on the table, so Neil settled for balancing his hind legs on Andrew’s lap as he stood to reach the meat on his plate. He braced himself on the table’s edge with his paws and started on his stack of choice meat cuts.

The others stopped talking as Neil worked to pull the meat off the bones only to then crush the bones with his powerful jaw. Andrew worried about the sharp pieces of bone getting lodged in Neil’s throat, so he began to remove the bones as soon as they appeared. Neil allowed him as long as the meat kept coming. Andrew snuck some steamed vegetables onto the plate for added nutrition, but Neil simply pushed them off the table with his snout as he came across them.

“Don’t waste food,” Andrew rebuked as Neil continued to eat, this time finding interest in the bowl of lamb stew Erik placed in front of him.

Neil had his face stuffed in the bowl when a fist slammed down on the table causing the dishes to rock. Neil jumped in shock as the broth entered his nose and he retreated from the table to sneeze on Andrew’s lap.

Aaron stood up abruptly, the anger seeping out of him.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” Aaron bit out between clenched teeth as he directed a nasty look on Andrew. “Now that you found out he’s a dragon, you want him for yourself. I can already see you scheming.” He waved around the table. “You’d be happy to sacrifice everyone here to defeat Nathan as long as you manage to have Neil under your control. All for a chance at ascending to Heaven, all to get a taste of divinity. f*ck you if you think I’m just going to sit back and let you take away my dragon.”

“Absolutely not.” Wymack walked up to Aaron and pushed him back into his chair. “I’m cutting this off at the roots. The moment we fight with each other is the moment we lose the battle all together. Forget about defeating Nathan or the Moriyamas, we’ll end up doing them a favor if we start planting these malicious thoughts into each other’s head.”

“Then tell Andrew to give my dragon back to me,” Aaron snarled.

Neil recovered enough to snarl right back at him.

“Let’s not forget what you did to him for your bond to become so damaged,” Andrew said. “Reap what you sow or burn the whole field down.”

“That’s rich coming from you, Andrew. Let’s not forget how you slit his throat not even five minutes into your first meeting, you unhinged psycho. You want to talk to me about what I’ve done? You’re no f*cken better than I am,” Aaron shouted. “Neil, get over here. Now!”

“I’ve seen enough.”

Andrew was taken aback when he failed to sense Erik’s presence behind him until Neil was lifted from his lap.

Just as fast as Neil was picked up, Erik put him down on the ground. Erik began to walk away, stopping momentarily to let the others know that there were two additional bedrooms available inside before he continued to make his way into his home. Neil was left to either follow Erik inside or stay with the foxes and their mess of a conversation.

Neil quickly made his way inside.

Andrew sighed.

Nicky stood up, intent to follow Erik, but Kevin stopped him.

“I understand that Erik’s background had him working with magical creatures, but you need to talk to him,” Kevin lectured. “Neil isn’t a regular creature and shouldn’t be treated as such. We need strict boundaries where he’s involved, for our safety and his own. Tell Erik to do what we’ve asked of him and no more. I don’t want Neil to get any ideas.”

“Maybe Erik’s not the problem, Kevin.” Nicky looked down uncomfortably. “He’s upset at the way we’re treating Neil. All of us. I told him about our time with Neil since Andrew first brought him back from the cave. About everything we’ve done so far.”

“The little sh*t is fine,” Seth said. “He gets fed and has shelter. What more does he need?”

“Seth is right,” Kevin said. “All of Neil’s needs are being met. Now it’s time to uphold his end. While you all have it in your heads that Neil is some defenseless creature in need of constant care and protection, you’re missing the big picture. Dragons can harness an immeasurable amount of magic and raw power, unmatched to any other thing on this planet. We can either be fools and choose not to take advantage of his potential or we can train proactively and use him to prepare for our battle against the Moriyamas.”

Kevin’s rant brought him back to Neil’s frustrated cries and questions—questions Andrew wasn’t sure if Neil was asking him or asking himself.

I’m still his little brother so why does he treat me like this?

“The nations who triumphed in the past century have been the ones smart enough to harness the power of the dragons. It’s time we did the same. Stop thinking of him as anything more than a way to end this war. He’ll be free to do what he wants after we secure our victory,” Kevin concluded.

It was Nicky, surprisingly, who took the words out of Andrew’s mouth.

“You said he was your little brother growing up,” Nicky said. “How can you think of him as nothing more than a tool for us to use?”

“Because I’ve seen what the Moriyamas are capable of firsthand, Nicky. I’ve seen what Nathan can do—villages, kingdoms, nations, here one day, burned down by the next. His destructive magic is on a level you cannot understand until you see just how many of his own kind he massacred. The dragons would have stood a chance at survival if not for Nathan’s role in this war. That’s what we’re dealing with. Nathaniel will come to understand our actions after Nathan is defeated.”

The Foxes remained silent and Andrew’s nails bit into his skin with the restraint it took to not blow the table into pieces.

“Our personal feelings over the matter are worthless when the bodies of your comrades, friends, and family surround you on the battlefield.” Kevin reached out to grab Nicky. “Leave it all behind if you want a chance at defeating the Moriyamas. There will be time to heal afterwards.”

“If we survive,” Nicky said and removed Kevin’s hands before he walked away.

“While I get where you’re coming from, Kevin, we can’t just force Neil to do as we say,” Wymack said.

“Why not?” Kevin challenged.

“Because he’ll kill you,” Andrew said.

“What?”

“If you’re saying he’s a well of power, then what makes you think he won’t turn that power against us after what you two did. After all we’ve done to him. You’d be stupid to blame him if he did.”

Aaron stood up. “That’s why it’s so important for me to regain his trust and strengthen our bond. I’ll be able to make sure that doesn’t happen. Kevin will be our last line of defense if Neil ever turns against us. I’m able to control his power with the bond and Kevin can control his mind and take over. But that requires practice.”

“You two forced him in that bathhouse and took away his choice. He is not forgiving you for that, get that through your head,” Andrew said.

“Maybe as a human who was capable of reasoning, he wouldn’t. But that’s not the case anymore. He’s a dragon hatchling right now, his mind operates differently,” Aaron explained. “There are ways to train a dragon to complete obedience. There are spells and proven processes that we can use on him. Memory removal, if necessary, to start on a blank slate—”

Matt reacted in time to push Aaron out of the way from the blast that Andrew directed his way.

“Are you f*cken crazy?” Aaron screamed as he dusted himself off after landing under Matt. “You aimed that right at me!”

“Don’t ever suggest memory manipulation again. Don’t pull anymore of your sh*t on Neil, do you understand?” Andrew caught Wymack’s disapproving look and decided he was done for the day. If no one else was rushing to take up Erik’s offer to house them inside for the night, he’d happily take one of the available bedrooms and leave the rest to pitch their tents outside.

“You don’t scare me anymore, Andrew.” He heard Aaron say as he walked away. “You have no control over me and what I choose to do with what is rightfully mine. I’m the reason Neil is with us. I’m the reason we stand a chance against the Moriyamas. How dare you lecture me on how I choose to go about training my dragon.”

Andrew continued his way in, intent on ignoring Aaron, when Nicky burst out the back door and crashed into him.

The impact caused him to stumble, but he quickly recovered as he took in what Nicky was blabbering to the others.

“I promise you, on my life, I promise you he’ll come back. He just needs some time—I told you it bothered him, the way you talked about Neil, the way you treat him, he couldn’t stay still and not do anything. But he’ll be back! There’s no need to panic, don’t get mad—”

“Nicky, slow down,” Wymack said as he approached Nicky. “Start from the beginning. What happened?”

Aaron flew past them into Erik’s house.

“Okay, okay, I will. But you have to promise me you won’t do anything to Erik. You have to understand his perspective!” Nicky begged.

The other Foxes stood up and gathered around Nicky as Andrew felt something was very wrong.

“Nicky, what did Erik do?” Dan asked, voice teetering on barely restrained panic.

Before Nicky could explain, Aaron slammed the back door open.

“Neil’s gone. Erik’s taken him.”