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Wiping his paws on a large cloth napkin that the hotel had provided, Keekzee sat back on his haunches and scanned the crowded dining area. Breakfast had been served at the table he had shared with Viina and the group the previous day, but he now sat where she had been and had an almost unobstructed view of the Italian landscape. The sun had only just risen above the horizon, and its golden light gave the many rolling hills a soft glow on their edges as they caught the rays, casting deep shadows behind them. It wasn't as dramatic as it had been when he had shared the moment with Viina, partially due to the almost completely clear sky that stretched far into the distance. With no clouds to filter the light, the heavens were a welcoming pale blue, which Keekzee made a mental note of, as it would mean he might have to rotate the guests on the top deck of the bus—everyone would want their turn in the sun.

Despite the villa's staff stocking hoards of bacon, eggs, toast, and trimmings on platters that dominated the center of the table, Keekzee found the offerings almost mundane, and mused to himself that everywhere they stayed had pretty much the same breakfast menu. Of course, it all smelled delicious, but he dutifully refrained from gorging on meats and eggs and instead stuck to the healthier berries and melon slices. If he had been back home on the ski slopes, he wouldn't have hesitated to eat a high-calorie, hearty meal, as most of his day was spent flying or trudging through the frigid landscape. Now, he only needed energy to sound engaging, as he spent most of his day simply sitting and talking, and the fruits were a great source of natural sugar—even if their juices ran down his paws and soaked into the thick, shaggy fur that would normally protect his legs from the snow's cold bite.

“Excuse me, do you mind?” Keekzee asked, catching the attention of the brown drake sitting beside him and gesturing toward the pitcher of water someone had left in the middle of the table. Daazuh's head turned to follow Keekzee's outstretched paw and then grunted in acknowledgment before leaning across and passing the tour guide the jug of water.

Holding the almost-empty jug in one paw and scrunching up the napkin into a ball with the other, Keekzee covered the mouth of the pitcher with the cloth and turned the jug upside down to let the water soak into the fabric. Only once the white cloth was half-soaked did he right the bottle and place it back on the table. Now armed with a damp cloth, Keekzee set about cleaning his furred forelegs of any remaining fruit juices. Looking around the rest of the table as he cleaned himself, he did a mental headcount of his group and was glad to see that all of them were present, although some had only just begun eating while he and others had finished. It wasn't as if the bus would leave without everyone being accounted for, but it was his job to wrangle the group to keep them on schedule. Just a few hours here and there could mean missed check-ins at hotels or lost reservations for their activities. It was a delicate act of letting the guests enjoy their time without appearing to rush them, while also keeping them on schedule.

A wry smile tugged at Keekzee's snout as he spotted Rikusan hurriedly eating his breakfast while it was still hot, his head turned slightly to keep an eye on the hatchling, Kaariyo. She seemed uninterested in breakfast and was instead experimenting with mixing juices from the five large drink dispensers that sat at the end of the buffet table. She appeared to be trying to find the perfect blend of flavors, adding small amounts of each juice between sips and tilting her head from side to side as if contemplating what her concoction needed more of. Grateful that Rikusan and Kaariyo would be contained on the lower level of the bus, Keekzee made a mental note to warn Emanuel that the hatchling might be even more energetic than usual. Otherwise, the majority of the group seemed to have recovered well from the previous night's revelry. What had started as a wine tasting had quickly devolved into an alcohol-fueled evening of food, laughter, and dancing. Thankfully, everyone had behaved themselves, and aside from the odd stern look from the hotel staff upon their return, the night had been a success. Even the American couple had been more tolerable than usual, although somehow they had become even louder once everyone was inebriated.

Keekzee's phone let out a gentle chime and vibrated through the stone table, drawing the drake's attention from the group. He looked down at the device where he had placed it. Setting the damp cloth aside, Keekzee turned over his phone, peered at the message, and began tapping a reply. From the corner of his eye, he saw the brown drake beside him smile. Once he had sent his message, Keekzee looked up to see Daazuh smirking at him, a joyful glint in his eye.

“Aww—yeah? Is that a good morning text from that white Sheila?” Daazuh asked, his infectious, cheeky grin mirrored by Keekzee. Unlike Viina, whose frill would perk up or flatten when talking, the drake’s twin membranous sails seemed incapable of independent movement. They lay limply against the scales of his neck, giving him a perpetually calm, relaxed appearance. Combined with his smile and bright, focused eyes, his expression was more welcoming and friendly than he perhaps deserved. With a subtle nudge of his wing, the Australian drake caught the attention of the large aquatic to his left.

“Me and Kooa had a bet that you'd go find her when we got back to town,” he added, leaning back slightly to give Kooa room to join the conversation. The frill-like collar surrounding the aquatic drake's head flared slightly, revealing countless black geometric tattoos, and his jolly grin filled his snout.

Looking between the pair, Keekzee's eyes widened at their eagerness for details, and he cleared his throat. “Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you,” he replied with a chuckle. “It's just a text from a handsome Italian man with a bus.” He cocked his head, glancing between the pair of Australasian drakes. “And what makes you think I’d go looking for Viina?”

“Oh, don't be playing coy, mate. We all saw how you looked at her. Can't blame ya either—she was pretty cute in that stretchy harness number, wasn't she?” Daazuh chuckled and glanced at Kooa, who nodded rapidly with a warm smile. “Did ya at least get her number?” Daazuh asked, returning his gaze to their tour guide. When Keekzee shook his head, the drake's smile softened sympathetically. “Ah, that's a shame. She seemed pretty into ya—”

“What? No, she wasn't,” Keekzee remarked, cocking his head and hesitating. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his ability to read signals from a ‘ness, and he was confident Viina had not been interested in him. During their day together, he had thought the pale dragoness anxious, perhaps uncomfortable, given the way she acted and seemed constantly metaphorically searching for the exit. That was hardly a signal that she wanted to be with him. Yet the fact that she had stayed with him despite her discomfort, and the way the pair of drakes now grinned knowingly at him, gave him pause. Had he missed something obvious? In hindsight, he realized he hadn't given the dragoness the attention she deserved, and he began to wonder if he had overlooked something while apart from her. “Do you really think so?”

His question made the pair's smirks turn into toothy grins, though it was only Daazuh who nodded rapidly, his twin frills flapping against his neck in the process. “Yeah, while you were taking lunch for Emanuel? She was pining for you hard. Total lost-hatchling look and all,” Daazuh added, glancing to his aquatic friend for support.

The tattooed frill that collared Kooa's neck flattened as he tilted his head from side to side in thought. “I wouldn't go that far, brew. She did seem more chill though when you came back, I mean,” Kooa added, making Keekzee purse his lips and instinctively pull his neck back into a proud ‘S’ shape. The furred drake's reaction seemed to amuse the aquatic drake, whose frills lifted slightly. “Too bad we're on the move though, hey? Like, probs not gonna see her again, right?”

“Yeah, but that's the nature of this gig. I'm used to it,” Keekzee mused before forcing a grin. “Besides, I've got you guys to keep me company!” he added, earning a chuckle from the pair. He enjoyed his job, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss some familiarity in the people he worked with. Between his tour lead and trainer leaving, and being assigned a different local driver for each tour, Keekzee found himself feeling quite lonely despite being surrounded by dozens of people. Even back home, he would interact with thousands of visiting tourists, yet he still ended his shift in the company of the hotel owners and other staff who worked the slopes. They had been somewhat like a family to him, and sometimes it was good to vent to someone after a long shift—something he couldn't do now with any of his guests without sounding unprofessional. Initially, he had applied for this job to prove to himself and his ex that he was capable of getting out there and seeing more of the world. However, he realized now that being forever on the road wasn't exactly conducive to finding a partner—or even making friendships that lasted longer than a week or two.

“Ya know…” Daazuh started, lifting his head to look around the table at how busy everyone else was. “There can't be that many hotels in this town, right? Ya could probably sneak off and try to find her. No one would blame ya for trying to get in a cheeky root before we leave,” he added with a lopsided smirk that almost ran up to his horns. “Just sayin’.”

Keekzee glared at the drake without any malice, then shook his head and took a deep breath. “Thanks, Daazuh, but as romantic as you make it sound, that ain't what I'm looking for,” he explained, clenching his jaw as the drake's eyes lit up.

“Oh, but you are looking, ain't ya?” the brown drake teased. When Keekzee didn't reply right away, Daazuh looked him up and down with a playful expression. “Good-looking fella like ya could pull a ‘ness like her any day,” he said cheerfully before pausing and recoiling his neck back in exaggerated surprise. “Don't tell me ya don't know how to do it?” he asked, causing Keekzee to snort in surprise.

Since being dumped by Liiria, who he'd been with since high school, Keekzee had found some success with the occasional tourist visiting the ski resort. Never with couples, of course—he didn’t want to cause drama. However, he discovered that many visitors came with the attitude of trying something new or wanting to forget themselves, and he had enjoyed a few fleeting romps with single ‘nesses. Nothing serious or meaningful, and never lasting more than a day or two before they returned to their real lives.

“No, I'm perfectly capable of ‘pulling’ a ‘ness,’ thank you very much,” Keekzee said, but any bite in his voice seemed to go unnoticed by the brown drake, who nodded in agreement.

“So what is it, hey? Was it her wings?” Daazuh asked, glancing at his aquatic friend before continuing. “Sure, they were a bit fucked up, but not everyone has wings and that's okay. Is it really a deal breaker—”

“No, Daazuh…” Keekzee said tiredly, placing his napkin onto his plate before rising to all fours. He was done with the conversation. While it was his job to be polite and friendly, he wasn’t being paid for this. Seeing the expression on Daazuh’s and Kooa’s faces drop, he knew he risked appearing rude, so he forced a smile.

“Where I come from, it’s actually more common for us to be wingless,” he explained, dipping his head in a polite excuse. “I need to help Emanuel park the bus—excuse me,” he added with finality, picking up a full paper bag he had been keeping beside him. Folding the top over once, he tucked the excess flap under one of the straps of his harness and stepped back from the table.

Walking past Daazuh and Kooa, the black drake navigated through the mix of eating dragons and humans, making his way to the head of the table where Myyrah and her mate were dining. Out of everyone at the table, the American ‘ness was by far the loudest, and he would struggle to be heard if he had to compete with her. Placing a gentle paw on her folded wing, he waited for the brief silence she gave as she looked up at him and addressed the table.

“Everyone, can I have your attention? Our ride will be here very shortly, and Emanuel will be eager to keep to our schedule. If I can make sure that you’ve all checked out and have your bags ready, we should be able to get out of here and onto our next adventure!” Keekzee explained, his enthusiasm just a hint forced. Smiling politely, he dipped his head towards Rikusan and continued, “If we have to come back because of a missing toothbrush or soft toy, well… you might have to lead karaoke as punishment… and I’ll choose the song!” He earned a ripple of laughter from the group.

“Alright, next stop is the thermal springs of Cascate del Mulino. They do have changing facilities if you don’t want to ride the bus in your bathers, but maybe have a change of clothes handy,” Keekzee added, glancing toward the humans scattered among the group. “Otherwise, enjoy. I’ll see you out the front of the villa. Thank you,” he said, bowing politely before turning from the group.

They still had a few minutes before their scheduled departure, and he would rather they were enjoying themselves than waiting for the bus. Keeping to the schedule was important and while most activities were quite accommodating of delays. Tardy guests had always frustrated Keekzee when he worked at the ski lodge and had to wait around for tardy guests.

Padding his way into the villa, Keekzee made his way to the concierge and thanked them for their hospitality before selecting his small black bag from the piles of suitcases and duffle bags stacked on brass luggage cages. With the volume of guests, he was grateful that the staff accommodated the loading and unloading of luggage, as a crowd of guests hovering around the bus's luggage lockers was a surefire way to slow things down. Swinging his bag between his forelegs, Keekzee took a moment to latch the handles of the bag with the two clasps sewn into the straps that ran across his chest and under his body toward his hips. His thick, fluffy underfur made the bag almost vanish as he secured it close to his body, but it was always a struggle to connect the buckles without pinching tufts of his fur. Sitting back on his haunches, he used one paw to hold back his hair and connected one buckle before repeating the process with the other. Although the bus might arrive soon, he preferred to carry his bag close to his chest instead of holding it under a wing or in his mouth. After all, there was no way to look dignified while holding a bag of brushes and other toiletries in his mouth, and unlike those with membranous wings, his black-feathered wings were more susceptible to becoming disorganized if they held a bag against his sides. With his bag secured, he dropped back down to all fours, stood up, thanked the concierge one last time, and made his way out of the villa.

Compared to the narrow streets that networked their way through the town, the road shared by the villa was thankfully large enough for a bus to park without impeding traffic too badly and was framed by manicured gardens that created a comfortable place to wait. As he looked up the road, he wondered how much of a nightmare it would be if two buses arrived at the same time and began to understand why the hotel had asked about their scheduled departure time. Shaking his head to dismiss the thought, he turned toward the town centre and saw the familiar sight of their bus making its way toward him. Emblazoned across the front of the bus was the tour company's logo, complete with website and social media handles. When the bus indicated it was pulling into the hotel, Keekzee stepped back into the gardens to give the vehicle room. A loud hiss and groan heralded its arrival as it came to a stop, and with a flick of a switch inside the driver’s cab, the whole vehicle sank half a foot before the engine was silenced.

“Emanuel, you made it!” Keekzee said cheerfully as the man opened the passenger doors wide and got up from his seat. No taller than five feet, the man wore a cheap yet presentable black polyester suit, complete with a tweed cap that tried valiantly to contain his wild grey hair. His face was the texture of old, worn leather, broken up by a smile with more gaps than teeth. Despite his age, the old man stepped down from the bus with the athleticism of someone in their twenties.

“Sì, Keekzee, my friend, sì!” Emanuel announced, twisting his upper torso from side to side to stretch. “Every year, they keep moving the buildings closer together. Either that, or the bus is getting fat,” he added with a wry smile that made Keekzee chuckle. His voice was thick with an Italian accent, though from which region Keekzee wasn’t exactly sure.

“Must be the former,” Keekzee joked, sitting down on his haunches. Slipping a digit under his shoulder strap, the drake rolled his shoulder, freeing the paper bag he had tucked beneath it, and extended it toward the driver. “I got you some breakfast,” he added, watching as the man's eyes lit up. “Can't have you eating just food from petrol station hotboxes.”

Taking the bag from Keekzee, the man's smile spread from ear to ear as he peered inside. “Buon uovo, Keekzee, you are buon uovo,” he said warmly before reaching into the bag and collecting a sweet pastry. Taking a bite, he hummed in delight. “I'm gonna ask the company for you to stay in Italia. You are too good to me,” he added, talking with his mouth full. When Keekzee went to downplay the gesture, the man gestured with the pastry in his hand toward the villa. “I’m serious. The others aren't like you. To them, I'm just a driver. Hardly get spoken to—just go here, park there, where are you? Orders, orders, orders.”

Keekzee's smile deepened, and he shuffled his wings at his sides. It felt strange being praised by the man, especially when it wasn’t for an audience or for something that seemed particularly impressive. “Well, I'm glad I can help…” he said cheerfully, but a movement in the corner of his eye tugged at his attention. Glancing toward the back of the bus, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face half-hiding behind the vehicle. As soon as he made eye contact, Viina retracted her head and disappeared from view.

“Um, excuse me,” Keekzee said with a quick bow to Emanuel. By the time the man grunted in acknowledgment, he had already begun padding toward the back of the bus, craning his head to one side to try and glimpse the dragoness again.

His trot had a small skip in each step as he moved down the length of the bus and began to round the corner. “Hey, stranger!” he said happily, unable to hide the elation in his voice at seeing the white dragoness again. However, his smile faltered as he turned the corner and saw her concerned expression. “Whoah, is everything okay?”

Between her frill lying limply down her neck, the red, bloodshot eyes, and the way she avoided his gaze, it was clear she wasn’t as happy to see him as he was to see her. “I'm fine,” the dragoness lied, scratching at her front left leg with her other forepaw. Her response was too brief to be believable, and Keekzee’s eyes narrowed in worry.

Sitting down on his haunches and lowering his head to her level, Keekzee tried to appear more welcoming, softening his voice. “Are you sure?” he asked, feeling as if he had misspoken as she lifted her head and looked back the way she came. She seemed to be wrestling with something in her mind, once again on the edge of leaving. “Sorry, I…” he started, unsure what exactly he was apologizing for, other than clearly having caused her some discomfort. “What brings you here?” he asked quickly, trying to get her to speak and engage with him. Back on the ski slopes, he had come across countless deer and couldn’t help but feel the dragoness was one word away from being spooked. “Did you change your mind?” Keekzee offered, noticing her frill give a small, involuntary lift.

“I um…” Viina started, her eyes briefly flicking toward the parked bus before meeting his gaze again. “Yeah?” she said, her voice shifting pitch as if becoming hoarse, so much so that it sounded like a question. “Is that okay?” she asked before clearing her throat and glancing at the parked bus. “I mean, I have some money I can chip in for fuel–”

“Nonsense!” Keekzee said quickly, perhaps a bit too loudly, as he saw Viina flinch slightly. “I mean, we’re going to the springs and then on to Venice. That’s where you wanted to go, right?” When she dipped her head in a small nod, he grinned wider. “Then keep your money—the company is paying for the fuel. Besides, they were meant to have two of us guides, so I’d say they’ve already budgeted for you to be here,” he explained, though he could tell his attempts at lightening the mood did little to lift her spirits.

“Thanks, Keekzee,” the dragoness said, her lips quivering in an attempt at a smile. Now that he was closer and the scent of the bus’s exhaust had faded, Keekzee noticed she lacked the smell of soaps; instead, he could still detect traces of the sunflowers she had run through the day before. Not that dragons needed to bathe daily like humans, but having spent the day in the city after running through the sunflower fields, he would have expected an athletic dragoness like her to have taken the time to clean herself.

“It’s no trouble at all,” he said softly and glanced down her body—not to ogle her, but to try and determine what was troubling her. She looked as if she hadn’t slept since the night before. However, she now carried a small bag she hadn’t had yesterday, giving credence to the idea that she wasn’t homeless and had at least returned to her hotel or wherever she was staying. “If the guests make you feel uncomfortable, though, give me a nod. A day like today means we’ll have to rotate the guests between the decks anyway, so I can keep Myyrah and Liinal away from you if you want.” His chest warmed as the corner of her lips pulled back into a coy smile. “Although, forewarning, Daazuh and Kooa might make some remarks. They thought there was something going on between us—”

“Oh!” Viina exclaimed, her eyes going wide and frill snapping upright at such speed that the membrane made a sound as it became taut. The dragoness seemed to backpedal, shaking her head in panic. “Gods, no, um—that’s not what I—”

“I know, I told them as much,” Keekzee said, raising a paw to reassure her, although her reaction made his folded wings lift slightly. “But I just wanted to give you a heads-up,” he added, offering a comforting smile, though he could tell his words did little to soothe her. Truthfully, seeing her reaction at the mention of them being together stung him more than he expected, but he tried hard not to let his feelings show. Silently reminding himself that they had only just met, he shuffled his wings back against his sides and curled his tail around his paws defensively.

Unfortunately, the dragoness seemed to see right through him and momentarily snarled to herself before lashing her long, slender tail behind her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that,” she began, her frill flattening against her neck as she flashed him a smile so forced it looked more like a grimace. “It’s just… look, your… sorry.” She took a deep lungful of air, then slowly exhaled, composing herself. “Keekzee, I just kinda came out of a serious relationship, and I ain’t looking for anything… You’re sweet and all, but I don’t want you to get the wrong impression,” she said. He didn’t realize he had lifted his head until she looked up at him briefly before glancing toward the bus. “If that changes your offer, I’d understand.”

“What? No!” Keekzee said quickly, following her gaze toward the bus. “I didn't suggest it because I was trying to… get with you,” he added hurriedly, shaking his head to emphasize his point. “We’re just going the same way and it was a nice thing to do. That was all,” He felt a wave of relief when her eyes flicked back to his. “Besides, I’m kinda in the same situation.” His attempt to reassure her caused her frill to lift, and her head turned to study him skeptically. Clearly, she thought he was lying in an attempt to sympathize, but he shrugged and gave her a small smirk. “My mate since high school broke up with me and found herself a human mate.”

Viina’s eyes searched his, critical yet curious, and Keekzee knew she was trying to tell if he was being honest. Giving her a small nod of defeat, a subtle smirk spread across Viina’s snout before she pursed her lips and raised her eye ridges. “Really? She left you for a human?” she asked almost playfully, and Keekzee was glad that he had no frills to betray his emotions.

“Yeah-yeah-yeah, you don’t need to rub it in,” he said. Embarrassed by the truth, he still felt relief when her smile grew into something genuine. Shrugging, he continued, “He’s an American too, seems like a good guy. So I’m happy for her.”

“Uh-huh,” teased Viina, making the black drake chuckle and roll his eyes before giving her a playful glare. “A human… ouch,” she added, and Keekzee found himself laughing softly.

“Got something against humans?” he asked, leaning back to look down the side of the bus toward the villa. He pretended to check if they were being overheard, then brought his head back toward hers and lowered his voice. “Almost half the group are humans!” He tilted his snout in mock sternness. “Ma’am, are we gonna have a problem?”

His antics made the pale dragoness giggle briefly before she lifted a paw and shook it dismissively. “No, nothing against them. Just… that’s a bit rough, getting dumped for one,” she said sympathetically, eyeing him up and down. “Her loss, though—you’re a good egg,” she added with a friendly smile.

Truthfully, his ex hadn’t exactly dumped him for a human. It had been a long period of disagreements about their future that had driven them apart. She came from money and wanted to explore the world, while he hadn’t had the same financial freedom to join her. Even though she had argued that she could cover their way, he hadn’t been mature enough to agree and felt uncomfortable relying on his mate. At the time, he had believed it was the drake’s job to provide, and couldn’t allow her to take charge, but now he knew how short minded he had been.

It hadn’t taken long for him to see the errors of his ways. Even though she had traveled halfway around the world, a small part of him had hoped she might return. That fantasy was dashed the previous Christmas when she came home with her new partner. The man had genuinely been good—a year younger than Keekzee, had started his own business, was kind, and, despite being American, had actively tried to learn her family’s culture and language. Even when Keekzee tried to be cold, the man attempted to befriend him. Seeing his ex so truly happy with him was the final straw, pushing Keekzee to forge his own path.

“Eh, it was probably a long time coming. She’s happy now, and that’s all that matters, right?” he said, though he couldn’t help but feel she didn’t quite believe him when she smiled warmly back at him. “What about you? What happened with you and your ex?” he asked—and immediately knew he had misspoken by the way her expression suddenly turned cold.

In an instant, her smile vanished completely, and her eyes flicked away from him. “I don’t really want to go into it,” she said tensely, and Keekzee saw the bulges of her damaged wing stumps shrink under her harness, as if she were pulling her wings closer to her sides. “It’s still pretty fresh…,” she added, her voice carrying a cold vulnerability that made it very clear the topic was sensitive.

“I—ah—of course,” Keekzee said, dipping his head in a small, apologetic bow. “Not my business, sorry—” The drake’s words were cut short by the clicking of claws on cobblestones, followed by a whoosh of wings and the bus shifting slightly.

“Ha, dibs!” cheered the brown drake from the top deck of the bus, his nasally twang giving his voice an almost comical edge. He seemed in no rush to fold his wings, standing with them unfurled triumphantly as he craned his head over the side and tracked something moving toward the rear. “Gave ya a head start and everything…” Daazuh added, his voice trailing off as he spotted Keekzee and Viina standing behind the bus. With the vehicle’s sloped ramp, the pair were exposed to his gaze and the knowing grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

With a scamper of claws, Kooa came bounding down the pavement beside the bus. Even though his body was twice the size of the aquatic dragons typically found in Europe, the drake was surprisingly nimble on his paws and, despite his bulk, managed to pivot behind the bus to access the ramp. Mid-turn, however, he caught sight of Viina. Instead of leaping onto the bus, he dug his paws into the cobblestones and came to a sudden halt. The frills framing his head fluttered forward momentarily before perking up into a membranous collar. A brief grin flashed across the sea-green drake’s snout before he glanced toward Keekzee and pulled himself into a more composed posture. “You found her, ay-brew?” Kooa asked cheerfully.

Keekzee’s stomach tightened at the aquatic drake’s blunt suggestion. He had hoped the ‘ness had believed him when he’d said he wasn’t interested in Viina as anything but a guest. Adding fuel to his embarrassment, Viina’s frill flicked up to full height, and her amber eyes snapped to his. “Found me?” Viina asked, taking a half-step back and lowering herself to her haunches. Although sitting, her body was far from relaxed, her tail curling around her defensively and her neck arching back slightly in concern. “What?” she added, glancing between the drakes with an unwelcoming expression.

Keekzee couldn't hold her gaze and looked toward Kooa, who shrank back slightly. He knew he had misspoken and revealed something Keekzee didn't want her to know. The black drake swallowed the lump forming in his chest and tried to think of something that wouldn't drive her away. The truth wasn't an option, but he was struggling to think of a believable lie. Opening his mouth before he had a good excuse, he was interrupted by a nasal twang of a voice calling from the top deck.

“Kooa wanted to ask ya out,” it said, with a playful grin, turning everyone's attention upward. Standing on all fours with his wings at ease, the drake chuckled and shook his head. “He thought you were a pretty fine sheila, and wanted to shoot his shot—asked Keekzee if he knew where you were stayin’. I told him he was dreaming, but you know…” He glanced down at his aquatic friend, and Keekzee saw his eyes widen ever so slightly.

Kooa was looking over his shoulder at Daazuh when Keekzee noticed his jaw tighten and frills flatten in embarrassment before he turned back to face Viina. “Well… yeah…” he said awkwardly and incredibly unconvincingly. The pale membranes of his frills seemed to darken as he adjusted his position to one more graceful and cleared his throat. “I—uh, yeah, think ya’re pretty cute.” He paused, trying to hold Viina's gaze. “And—uh… yeah, how ‘bout it?”

Looking toward Viina, Keekzee chuckled sheepishly as the dragoness flicked her gaze to him and smirked. He knew he had been caught out, but thankfully Kooa and Daazuh's attempts at covering for him had at least amused her enough not to repulse her completely. Turning her attention back to the sea-green drake, she smiled warmly but shook her head. “Sorry, Kooa, maybe in another life,” she said, tilting her head to address Daazuh. No words were necessary; a simple shake of her head conveyed mild disbelief.

An awkward silence began to build between them all until Keekzee rose to all fours and shuffled his wings. “Alright, you two…” he said, looking between Daazuh and Kooa. “Are you both checked out? Got all your gear?” he asked firmly. In unison, the pair looked at him and nodded. “Then take your seats and try not to hit on the other guests, alright? We have a long ride to Venice, so pace yourselves,” he added, earning a chuckle from the pair and, surprisingly, from Viina.

Turning his head toward Viina, Keekzee opened his mouth to apologize on behalf of the drake but was interrupted by a voice that made both the dragoness and himself tense. “Oh, what's happening here?” asked Myyrah in a tone that made it quite clear she was more interested in gossip than anything else. Keeping his eyes locked on Viina, Keekzee noticed the dragoness stiffen, her frills flattening at hearing the other American’s voice. He didn't answer Myyrah immediately and instead kept his focus on the pale dragoness, tilting his head to silently ask if she was okay.

Only when she gave him a small nod did he tear his gaze away from her and notice that the rest of the group had begun making their way to the bus, with some of the villa's staff bringing up the rear with luggage trolleys. Leading the pack was Myyrah, her mate in tow, both wearing overly curious expressions. Feeling his control over the situation slipping and wanting to spare Viina from further questions, Keekzee lifted his folded wings just enough to emphasise his position as leader and shook his head. Having spent a few days with the American couple, he knew she was the type to poke her snout into places it didn’t belong, so he kept his answer short. “We have an extra guest joining us,” he said in a way that left no room for additional questions. “Now please, if I can have everyone board in an orderly manner, we’ll be on our way as soon as possible.” He added, glancing past the dragoness toward the group. “Those who rode on top last night, it’s your turn to go under.” He started and smiled to himself, realising that it would mean Myyrah and Liinal would be below deck and away from Viina—if he could convince her to be on the top deck with him. Scanning the group as they began to board, Keekzee pointed with a paw toward Rikusan. “Rikusan, except you and Kaariyo—can I put you two under until after the springs? I think all the juice should have worn off by then,” he added, and the man nodded in agreement. The hatchling was standing inside her stroller, and judging by the way she practically vibrated with pent-up energy, Keekzee didn’t want to have to wrangle her while on the exposed top deck of the bus.

Most of the guests took Keekzee's instruction to heart, entering via the large passenger doors on the side or using the ramp at the back of the bus. However, Myyrah lingered, glancing between Keekzee and Viina with a sceptical look. The ‘ness had made it her mission to complain about the costs of the tour compared to experiences back home, and it dawned on him that she might be upset Viina was getting the same experience for free. Tucking that thought away for later, he watched the group until he was sure everyone knew where they had to go. Satisfied, Keekzee turned to Viina, keeping his wings relaxed and his head dipped respectfully. “So…” he said with amusement in his voice, earning a smirk from the dragoness.

“You were looking for me?” Viina asked, raising an eye ridge at him with a mock-judgemental look. Keekzee opened his mouth to retort before inhaling and exhaling with a defeated chuckle. “I believed that story, hook, line, and sinker—about you and your ex, and the human.”

“Well, that’s all true,” Keekzee said, settling onto his haunches. He pretended to watch the guests board to avoid looking at her directly but eventually shuffled his wings in a shrug. “It was a silly joke they made. They thought I’d go looking for you last night when we got back to town,” he explained, glancing at her to gauge her reaction. Her expression was mixed and hard to read: her lips curled into a polite smile, but her eyes looked almost worried, and her frill remained half-lifted. “But I didn’t…” he added, his words trailing off as his blood began to warm. Thankful that he lacked any frills or scales that could darken, he managed to hide his emotions and tried to appear confident. “It was just a joke between drakes—sorry if it made things awkward.”

His stomach rolled as Viina rose to all fours and looked toward the town instead of the bus. “Did your ex really leave you for a man? Or was that just a story?” she asked, sweeping her tail in preparation to turn away. “Because I’m serious—I’m not looking for anything, and if that’s a problem—”

“No problem,” he said simply, flashing her a smirk. “I just thought that you could do with a guide, also it’s nice to occasionally talk with someone who isn’t a customer.” He nodded toward the bus as the last of the passengers took their seats and the engine roared to life. It took only a few seconds for the vehicle's suspension to lift as compressed air filled the airbags between its axles and frame. The sound of the engine and the thick, acrid smell of burnt diesel filled the air around them. “And yes, she did find a man. But we had broken up long before then,” he added, taking a few steps toward the back of the bus. With one paw on the corner of the ramp, he looked back at her and waited with bated breath as she rocked her head from side to side, as if reconsidering. “Still want a ride? There's room up front.”

The dragoness remained rooted in place, alternating between looking toward the town and the bus full of guests. Finally, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath as if calming herself, and gave Keekzee a small nod. He glimpsed her forepaws trembling slightly as she rose to all fours and walked toward him. Giving her a reassuring smile, he stepped aside, granting her full access to the ramp, and waited as she strode past him. “Thanks,” she said softly as she passed, and Keekzee felt she meant it more than was necessary. For her modesty, he looked back at the town as Viina scaled the ramp, waiting until she had made it to the top deck before climbing up himself. Knocking his talon-tipped paw against the metal in quick succession, he knew Emanuel had understood when the brakes on the bus hissed and the engine changed note.

---

Viina's heart pounded in her chest, feeling as if it wanted to leap out of her throat, as she walked down the narrow aisle between the guests on the bus. The top deck had been fitted with dense foam cushions, secured to the bus’s floor, each one now a padded seat for the dragons to lounge while their respective human partners leaned against their sides or chests. Each seat was a comfortable size for a dragon to lie on, provided they curled up tight, but it meant that room between them was at a premium. Viina now had to awkwardly shuffle past to reach the only empty spot at the front. She wasn't clumsy on her feet, even without her wings. However, as the bus lurched forward, she had to be careful not to smack someone with her tail while fighting for balance. The others watching her didn’t help either—it only drove her anxiety higher, to the point that she could hear her pulse in her ears.

Looking ahead, she saw that the road turned sharply and quickly shuffled as fast as she could to reach her seat. All of the guests leaned as best they could to make way for her, which she should have been grateful for. However, it only reinforced her that they were all watching… likely judging her… wondering about her lack of wings… making assumptions that she was a freeloader… Keekzee’s special guest… because he liked her… getting special treatment from their guide. Their thoughts swirled through Viina's mind as she almost stepped on one of the human’s feet, which had been kicked out into the aisle while they leaned against their dragon. “Sorry,” she muttered, trying to remember the man's name. Was it Han? Hans? Kaahina was his mate, the blue, german dragoness who seemed kind despite her assertive tone. Viina knew she should have been paying closer attention—no doubt they would remember her well. It was hard to forget a crippled dragoness who wasn't meant to be there.

True to Keekzee's word, there was a vacant seat at the front of the bus. As she got closer, Viina noticed that it was different from the others. All the seats the guests were sitting on were an ugly mustard yellow, while the one at the front was burgundy red with the words “staff only” stitched into the covering. Remembering what Keekzee had said about them being understaffed reassured Viina that she wasn't taking Keekzee's only seat.

Her chest tightened as she noticed that both Daazuh and Kooa were sitting in the row behind the empty one, their heads turned to watch her. Unlike the other couples who sat together, the two drakes had their own cushions. The look in their eyes spoke volumes, and Viina knew they'd likely want to talk to her during the journey. The thought drove her anxiety to new heights, and her wing-arms lifted instinctively against her elastic harness, while her frill flattened in frustration—she couldn't fly away, and with the bus moving at speed, she had no way to escape. With no room to turn around, she had no choice but to move forward and face them head-on.

Finally, as she squeezed past the Australian and Aquatic drakes, she hurried to take her seat, pushing aside, as best she could, the thought of leaping over the side of the bus. Curling her tail around herself, Viina ignored the padded sides and instead sat with her back to the aisle, facing the front right corner to signal that she wasn’t interested in talking. She kept her bag strapped to her chest, just in case she needed to leave. Thankfully, before either drake could speak, a click and gentle hiss came from the speakers mounted on the front low wall of the bus.

“Alrighty, drakes, nesses, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for boarding so quickly, and I hope you had a pleasant stay,” came a voice from the speakers. Its crackly yet deep timbre made Viina’s breath hitch, and her frill flicked to full height. It was Keekzee’s voice, of course, but distorted in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. Whipping her head over her shoulder, she saw the black-furred drake sitting at the top of the rear ramp, one forepaw adjusting a painfully familiar style of microphone. Even as his long black fur absorbed the straps, Viina recognized that he was using a throat mic, which distorted his voice. Designed for clear communication while allowing a dragon’s limbs to remain free, the throat mic sacrificed fidelity for convenience. In conjunction with the microphone, Viina spotted a nylon band around the drake's horn, holding a matching bone-induction speaker against it. Immediately, she knew it wasn’t positioned correctly. Having been berated by her drill instructor on the proper way to wear the device, Viina knew it should be mounted closer to the root of Keekzee's horn—but she was too far away to correct him.

For a brief moment, the drake's yellow eyes met hers, and his smile grew before he continued addressing the guests. “We have about a forty-five-minute ride to get to the springs, which I have no doubt Emanuel will do in less…” he continued, and a small murmur of chuckles washed across the guests. Many looked out as the bus emerged from the narrow streets of the town and began its winding descent through the rolling hills.

Viina watched the dark drake as he continued talking about the history of the land they were passing, but quickly turned forward when she caught Daazuh looking at her with a knowing smile. “Aye, he's a good-looking bastard, ain't he?” Daazuh chuckled, causing Viina's frill to flatten. Despite flashing the drake a glare to make it clear she didn't approve, her expression seemed only to amuse him. Rolling his shoulders before adjusting his posture to lean against the padded low wall of the bus, the drake looked completely at ease as the wind rippled his twin frills. “Just saying, drake was pining for ya over breakfast–”

“No, he wasn't, Daaz,” chimed in Kooa from behind Viina, the sea-green aquatic shaking his head in disbelief. “Daaz has been playing cupid all trip. Tried setting me up with a hostess on the flight over here.”

“Aye, she was totally checking you out, dude,” Daazuh retorted before shuffling his wings. “Just looking out for ya, could have joined the mile-high club and everything,” the Australian added, but when Kooa rolled his eyes, the drake flashed him a wry smile. “You can't go traveling without seeing what the locals have to offer–”

“She wasn't a local though, was she? She was from Sydney!” Kooa snapped back with a laugh that made Daazuh chuckle and shrug his wings in exaggeration. Viina caught herself smirking when the sea-green drake smiled at her and rolled his shoulder to gestured at his friend. “Don't let him get under ya scales; he has his clacker in a twist ‘cos missus couldn't get time off,” he added with a kind sincerity in his voice. To Viina's surprise, the Australian drake didn't deny it and grunted in acknowledgment as he turned to look back out over the landscape. “But I ain't complaining. She is a bit of a prawn if you ask me–”

“Oi,” retorted Daazuh as he whipped his head around. “She ain't a prawn! Ya slippery gypsy,” the brown drake added, glaring at Kooa until the aquatic’s frills flattened against his neck.

Only once Daazuh had looked away did Kooa turn back to Viina and mouth, ‘she is a prawn.’ Before she could ask what that meant, the aquatic leaned back against his side of the bus and continued. “Anyway, the joys of being self-employed! Any day is a holiday if you can afford it.”

Viina nodded in understanding, but now had a few questions of her own bubbling in her mind. Compounded by the drake saying he was self-employed, Viina knew it would be rude to turn away from Kooa and felt compelled to respond. “What is it you do for work?” she asked. He seemed friendly, despite the aggressive tattoos that networked over every inch of his many frills. Sitting closer to the aquatic than she had when they’d shared a meal, she could see that many of the scales on his forelegs and paws were chipped in a way that made it clear he worked with them to earn a living.

“Child care,” Daazuh said flatly with a smirk while staring off into the distance. The Australian’s answer made Kooa's frills flare out to reveal more of his fearsome ink, and as he opened his mouth slightly in a laugh, Viina saw that the aquatic sported a few silver fangs halfway along his lower jaw.

“Pfft! Some days, eh!” Kooa retorted, flattening his frills and looking up at Viina. “Sparky by trade, and yes—” he started, then held up a paw. “I've heard all the jokes,” he said, shaking his head as Daazuh’s body vibrated with stifled laughter. It took a lot of concentration for Viina to keep her frill neutral, her mind flitting to jokes about him being an aquatic and working with electricity. Thankfully, Kooa seemed to understand and shook his head as he chuckled. “It’s easy work, but I've got a few apprentices under me that make some days feel like I’m in child care,” he explained, his smile growing as he nodded toward Daazuh. “‘Though, even the first years do a better job than ol’ butter-paws over here,” he teased, earning a snort of laughter from the brown drake. “This prick cost me a set of strippers and managed to drop my good impact into the client’s swimming pool.”

“Aye, that ain't fair!” Daazuh retorted, pausing when Viina and Kooa looked at him expectantly. Viina's smile widened as the drake’s eyes flicked between her and Kooa, clearly searching for an explanation. In her peripheral vision, she noticed most of the other guests were now looking at Daazuh as well. “They were fiddly…” he mumbled, turning to look out into the countryside again.

Kooa gave Viina a lopsided smile and puffed out his chest ever so slightly. Judging by their dynamics, Viina concluded that this was a rare moment—Daazuh had been left speechless—and she congratulated the aquatic drake with a small dip of her head. Before she could turn back to look ahead, Kooa nodded toward her. “What about you? Whatcha do for work?”

Viina's heart quickened as she searched for a way to dodge the question. When asked by customs officials, she had almost always lied. It was easier to tell them she was a food blogger, an assistant, or something else that could explain her nonsensical route through Europe. After all, no tourist would catch a train from England to Germany and then travel back to Ireland when it would have been cheaper to take a ferry from England. She was confident she could lie to customs officials, who would likely ask only a few follow-up questions before stamping her passport and sending her on her way. Now, faced with a long bus ride and a curious drake, she wracked her mind for an excuse that would invite the least scrutiny. “Nothing,” she said flatly, relieved when the drake shifted awkwardly. “I got let go and decided I wanted to travel,” Viina added stiffly. She would, of course, never give such a vagrant excuse to a customs official, but she smiled to herself, telling almost the whole truth while protecting herself from further questions. Kooa nodded in understanding, and Viina dipped her head briefly to politely end the conversation before turning her gaze forward.

Kooa seemed to get the hint and left her to her thoughts. Ahead of Viina, the front wall of the bus was composed of thin sheet metal that rose to her elbows, then transitioned to a slightly angled sheet of Perspex that continued up to her head height to protect the guests from the wind. When the sun caught the window at the wrong angle, the spiderweb of minor scratches and rock chips marred the surface, glowing yellow before the bus turned and the wall became clear again.

Looking through the Perspex wind deflector, Viina took in the view of the rolling hills. If it weren't for the chatting of the guests behind her and the vibrations of the road and engine tracking through her paws, she could almost pretend she was flying. The road itself seemed incapable of holding a straight line as it weaved between the contours of the hills and valleys. With the wind in her frill, Viina tilted her head ever so slightly as they turned into a corner and felt the anxiety in her chest begin to ease. Having traveled so much in the heavily air-conditioned and confined spaces of a train or plane, the scents of the countryside calmed her mind, and she began to close her eyes. Between the activities of the previous day, the lack of sleep, and the gentle rocking of the bus, Viina's body began to feel heavy. She tried to push out the sounds of the guests and the engine. The idea of sleeping in front of a bus full of strangers kept her awake, but she kept her eyes closed and imagined she was flying. Without seeing where she was going, she could have been at any altitude, and she smiled as she focused on the sensations. The gentle tug of forces against her body as they rounded a corner reminded her of sweeping around a ridgeline. The resinous scents of cypress trees and conifers kept her grounded in the Italian landscape and overrode any thoughts of the dry desert.

Time lost all meaning to Viina as she flew through her imagination. With wings outstretched, she tore through the sky with a giddy smile on her snout. Low enough that she could smell the trees, yet in a perpetual dive that allowed her to maintain speed without flapping her wings. Speeding up, Viina flattened her frill and leaned forward before banking steadily to one side and zipping between two hills. With no need to slow, she maintained her breakneck speed before leaning back the other way to circle around on herself. It was an intoxicating sensation, one that kept her entranced until a familiar voice crackled through her radio.

“To our east, up on that hill. You can see what remains, or what was once a ‘castellum,’ their word for a watchtower. It was used as a lookout and beacon by the Roman army. They'd build giant fires on the stone towers and light them as a sort of alarm network for when the Celts would fly in to raid them.”

Whipping her head to look down her left wing, Viina's eyes widened as she saw the familiar silver-and-blue drake at her wingtip. His brilliant blue eyes caught the sun's light as he smiled lovingly back at her. Nodding his head, he directed her attention ahead toward where a crumbling ruin now stood on one of the taller hills.

“They’d soak hay and straw in oil and tar and light it at the first sign of trouble. When others saw the blaze, they'd dispatch their cavalry to help,” Riimack added matter-of-factly.

Given their speed, the wind stole away his voice, and instead, his deep tones resonated through her mind via the bone-induction speaker she wore strapped to her left horn.

“How…” Viina started, tearing her attention away from the stone structure to look back at her mate. She saw his expression waver slightly as a flash of pain flickered in his eyes before he forced a playful grin.

“This isn't real, is it?” she asked, but instantly regretted it. If it wasn't, she didn't want to know.

“As real as the sun rising in the east,” Riimack replied warmly, brushing his wingtip against hers. “They really used it to warn of raiders and also as relay points for messengers. A flier assigned to a legion would only have to carry a message from their unit to the nearest Castellum; then a flier stationed there would take the message to the next one and pass it on.”

Riimack explained, and Viina smiled as the drake sounded so passionate. Like a fledgling who had discovered an unknown fascination in a school assignment, his eyes flicked between hers and the ruined watchtower below.

“Thankfully they wrote down the messages; otherwise, that would have been the most high-stakes game of telephone!” he added, making Viina smile. “Many credit the Romans’ ability to maneuver their troops on the roads they made, and while that's true, their network for delivering messages quickly was also instrumental.”

Viina nodded in agreement before her eyes narrowed, and she looked across at the drake. “Since when did you know so much about the Romans?” she asked, noticing his expression waver again. The drake had confided in her that his schooling had been interrupted, and even before his incarceration, he hadn’t been the best at school. During their training, his spelling had been a point of ire for their instructors. Viina had thought he was compensating by always writing in blocky capital letters, but she later learned that he had never been taught cursive. The idea of Riimack knowing so much about the intricacies of Roman military power sounded foreign to her, yet the drake simply looked back with a troubled expression. Without a word, Viina began to piece together what was happening and swallowed past the lump in her throat. Looking down at the landscape below, she realized she was still flying at an impossible speed that didn’t match the wind she felt in her frills. Likewise, the knowledge that she didn’t have to flap to maintain her speed tore at her consciousness. “This is just a dream. You’re not here, are you?”

Riimack didn’t answer. Instead, he beat his wings quickly to build speed. With a rock of his wings and an undulation of his body, the silver drake swept up and over her. His large navy-blue wings shaded her from the warm sun as he matched her pose, flying just a few feet above her. Viina tried to maintain her position as he adjusted his wings ever so slightly and lowered himself toward her back. Stretching out his limbs, his hind paws ghosted over her hips before his forepaws found her shoulders. Lowering himself further, the drake’s front paws circled around her sides as his hind legs hooked around hers, and suddenly Viina was engulfed in a warm hug.

“I’m as here as I can be,” Riimack began, his head next to hers and close enough that she could hear his voice. “I said we would come here together, didn’t I?” he added, just loud enough for her to hear.

Undistorted by the throat microphone and horn speaker, his voice choked Viina of any reply. Instead, she angled her wings to press herself up into his embrace. Feeling his warmth against her scales and the comforting pressure of his large body encompassing her slender figure made her feel safe. Below them, the tall conifer trees raced by, but she paid them no attention as she nuzzled her cheek against his.

“I need you–” Viina replied, her emotions boiling to the point that her voice became more of a whine. She knew he understood, as his paws renewed their grip, but this time he moved his forepaws further back, to the point that his legs interfered with her wings.

Briefly parting his head from hers, Riimack leaned forward and angled his head to gently kiss the side of her snout. When she turned to meet him, he pulled back an inch and looked at her with sorrow-filled eyes. “I need you too–” he repeated, his voice tight. After clearing his throat and shaking his head once, he pressed the bridge of his snout against her cheek.

“I need you to… to forgive yourself, Viina,” he added, squeezing her tighter in a warm, reassuring hug. His forepaws worked further down her body until they guided her wings closed. Her weight didn’t seem to bother the drake, nor did it cause them to descend; he held her safely tucked against his body. “It wasn’t your fault. It was theirs—they did this to us. Not you, not me, not command, just them–”

“But it was my fault! I shouldn't have—” Viina started, but paused as Riimack pulled his head away from her and looked at her with what almost seemed like pity in his eyes. It was rare that they had ever disagreed, but now Viina could see that he fundamentally thought differently as he gently shook his head. His jaw tightened and his lips pressed into a thin line, yet he said nothing. Viina's emotions simmered; every part of her wanted to argue, to explain what she could have done differently, to insist it was her fault he was gone. Yet as she opened her mouth, no words came. Seeing him, feeling him, being held by him—any chance of arguing vanished. The rare and surreal opportunity to be with her mate again silenced her before she could ruin the moment.

Renewing his grip and holding her tight, the silver drake brought his head closer to hers and nuzzled just behind her jawline. “That doesn't matter now. We did the best we could. You did the best you could,” he murmured into her ear. “What happened, happened. It doesn't have to dictate what you do now,” he added warmly, pressing his scaled snout against her neck. Keeping gentle pressure, he moved back down her neck, dotting small kisses along the way.

She wanted to say it wasn't fair—childish as it sounded—but her rebuttal died in her throat as he continued to trace his lips across her neck. Instead, a low croon escaped her mouth. The secure embrace, combined with the wind in her frills, was heavenly. Like submerging into a hot bath after flying through the night in cold rain, Riimack's embrace soothed her soul and calmed her mind. Thoughts of the desert, the crash, and the conflict all melted away as he kissed and nibbled at her scales. Arching her neck into his kisses, she looked down at the ground far below and savored the moment. The patchwork network of greens and oranges scrolled beneath them as she trusted Riimack's wings and relaxed into his powerful legs. Behind her, his tail shifted until its tip found hers, winding around it and adding to the security of his hug.

“I miss you, Viina,” Riimack whispered, pressing his jaw between her two horns and using the underside of his chin to gently rub her flattened frill. Angling his head to one side, he used his tongue to draw her frill into his mouth and gave it a gentle nibble. The sensation sent a shiver through Viina's whole body, and while her first instinct was to correct him, she couldn't bring herself to tell him to stop.

“I miss this, Riimack. I miss you,” she whined, feeling their speed slow unexpectedly. Looking down, she could see no reason for their reduction in speed, and a coil of dread began to form in her chest. “Riimack?” she asked, dipping her head to extract her frill from his mouth, then tilting her neck to look up at him. Her anxiety spiked, expecting to see his final moments again, but instead, he looked down at her with a peaceful expression.

“You’re okay, Vee, you're okay,” he said warmly. “You're here.”

He added, and with a sudden lurch, she fell forward out of his grip. Mercifully, she didn't fall far—perhaps a foot or two—and with a dull thud, she crashed into something unforgiving.

The impact of something firm against her head startled Viina, causing her whole body to recoil violently. Opening her eyes, the dazzling morning sun stung until her pupils narrowed to slits, and she tried to make sense of what had happened. The first thing she noticed was how close she was to a row of trees, but as she instinctively tried to spread her wings, Viina quickly realized that they weren’t coming any closer.

“You okay, Vee?” came a drake's voice from behind her. His words echoed Riimack's, yet his voice was far higher-pitched and less masculine compared to her mate's deep voice. The elastic harness fought against her wing stumps until she pulled them closer to her sides and looked around to see the source of the voice. To Viina's horror, many of the passengers were looking at her with amusement, with the exception of Keekzee at the back of the bus, who had craned his neck to see what had happened, and Kooa, who was on all fours next to her. “You good? That sounded like it hurt,” the aquatic added.

Nodding, Viina glanced ahead and saw that the Perspex windscreen was thankfully undamaged, realizing that she must have fallen against it when the bus stopped. “I'm good, just lost my balance. That’s all,” she said and turned her head to look at the rest of the passengers. Keekzee still looked concerned, but the lingering eyes of the rest of the group made her frill flatten against her neck.

“Alrighty, everybody, the springs await!” Keekzee said in a cheerful voice that didn't match his expression. “Leave your bags on the bus if you want. Likewise, phones, harnesses, wallets—all good to leave here if you don't want them wet. Emanuel will keep a close eye on everything. So, if I can get everyone to assemble in front of the bus, we shall get to relaxing!” Keekzee added, setting off a commotion. The rumbling of the engine ceased as the driver killed it, but the sounds of passengers getting up and preparing filled the air.

Through a gap in the group, Viina caught Keekzee still looking at her with concern. When he saw that she was watching, he mouthed something she interpreted as asking if she was okay. Nodding, Viina turned back toward the front of the bus and began to unbuckle her bag from her harness. Letting it fall to the cushion she sat on, she pushed it against the front wall of the bus so it was out of the way. Pulling open the main compartment, Viina stripped her phone from her foreleg and tucked it into her bag. It may have had a waterproof rating when new, but she wasn’t in a position to replace it if it broke, and figured it would be safer left on the bus.

Some of the guests were exiting the bus as she paused, paw on the zipper of her harness. Smelling the air confirmed her suspicions: the thermal springs carried the faint sulfurous scent of geothermal vents that made the water warm. She knew the elastic material of her harness would survive being wet, but its contents wouldn’t; and while its designers claimed it was hydrophobic, she wasn’t convinced it wouldn’t trap odors. Looking over the side of the bus, she noticed that all the dragons had removed their harnesses. Like all dragons, clothes weren’t socially required, but the idea of exposing her broken wing stumps to a group of strangers gave her the same anxious feeling she imagined a human would feel when exposing themselves in front of strangers. Swallowing, Viina sat back on her haunches and began to unzip the middle of her harness to extract the photograph of Riimack. She placed it on top of her phone, as far away from her moisturizers as possible, and then padded down the other pockets of her harness to make sure they were empty. Apart from a few train ticket stubs and an old twenty-franc note she had found in France, her pockets were otherwise empty. Depositing everything into her bag, she made sure it was secured and pressed it into the corner of the bus as far as it would go. Not that anyone could trip over it, but she could still hear her drill sergeant’s barking voice reminding her of the importance of a tidy area.

All the guests had disembarked by the time she finished, and the clicking of claws against the top deck floor tugged at Viina's attention. In the Perspex window’s reflection, she spotted Keekzee approaching, his inky black fur and feathered wings creating a void in the mirrored image. “Everything okay? That was a bit of a thump,” Keekzee asked, genuine concern in his voice. He still wore his throat microphone and company-branded harness. “I’ll tell Emanuel to take it easy next time. Sometimes I wonder if he’s trying to qualify for Monaco or something,” he added with an inviting smile.

“No-no, it’s fine. I must have drifted off or something,” Viina said dismissively, pulling the zipper of her harness closed before getting to her feet. “Won’t happen again,” she added stiffly. Although as she spoke, she wondered if she would ever dream like she had dreamed. The details were becoming fuzzy, like trying to catch fog with her paws—the more she tried to grasp them, the more they eluded her. One thing she was becoming sure of, though, was that she had been flying with Riimack, and it wasn’t a repeat of their crash.

“You can leave your harness here if you don’t want to get it wet,” Keekzee started, causing Viina's frill to lift defensively. “I’m only keeping mine because I ain’t going into the water,” he explained when her eyes flicked to his. “Fur isn’t the most waterproof hide, if you know what I mean.”

“I… I might take it off once I get there. Is that okay?” Viina asked, and the drake tilted his head in confusion for a heartbeat before his eyes widened and he nodded quickly.

“Of course, yes… sorry. I can look after it if you want—” He trailed off, becoming flustered. “I mean, you don’t have to. I just wouldn’t trust the lockers around here,” he added quickly, making Viina smile. She wasn’t ignorant to the fact that some males enjoyed the idea of possessing a garment that so closely wrapped around a dragoness—whether it was the scent or the knowledge of what it touched, she could only guess.

However, judging by Keekzee's reaction, she was pretty confident he wasn’t like one of them and gave him a polite nod. “Thanks, Keekzee, I appreciate that,” she said and leaned to look past the black drake. He seemed to understand he was blocking the aisle and quickly backpedaled before turning around. Giving him a few steps of a head start, Viina waited and watched him walk before following suit.

---

Walking down the path toward the springs, Viina lingered at the back of the group. Keekzee, of course, took the lead, and when the path branched, he guided the group down a fork that looked less traveled. Passing a sign, Viina scanned the list of words until she found English and realized that Keekzee was leading them toward a private section, rather than the path designated for members of the public. Feeling the absent pressure of where her phone should have been strapped to her foreleg, Viina grew nervous—she had no way to pay for entry. Like so many places she had discovered while traveling, most of Europe required some sort of small fee. Even the public toilets in the cities weren’t free, which had been a frustrating discovery. Her only solace was that none of the other guests seemed to be carrying wallets or phones, though she wondered if they had already booked ahead. Part of her wanted to ask Keekzee, but with him so far ahead, she had no way to speak to him without drawing attention. Looking backward, she briefly considered retreating to the bus, but that, too, would attract notice—Keekzee would surely notice her absence.

The path was only wide enough for two dragons to pass, so the group moved in single file. Many of the humans walked just ahead of their respective partners, with the exception of Rikusan, who carried the rather wiggly Kaariyo against his chest. Walking just ahead of Viina padded Kooa, the large aquatic dragon, who seemed to have an extra bounce in his step. She tried not to chuckle at the thought that his cheerful walk was exclusively because the aquatic drake was heading to a body of water, but she couldn't help but smirk. As they edged aside to let another group pass, Kooa looked back, and Viina caught his eyes briefly flick to her harness.

“You not swimming?” he asked.

“No, I will,” Viina replied, forcing a polite smile. Judging by the drake’s subtle narrowing of his eyes, she must have shown some discomfort. “Figured I’d give it a wash in the process,” she lied, but Kooa just shook his head.

“Aw-nah, don’t do that!” Kooa said, slowing slightly so he could speak more easily. “The water may be pretty sterile, but it’s gonna make it stink. Trust me—I grew up near plenty of them. It’d stink like Satan’s tailhole if you did!”

Seeing an opportunity to change the subject, Viina quickly nodded in agreement. “Out of curiosity… what is it like to breathe underwater?” she asked, relieved when the drake’s eyes lit up. “Does it, like… smell? Do you smell the water that goes through your gills? Wait—you do have gills, don’t you?” she added, earning a throaty laugh from the aquatic.

Given the varied nature of dragon anatomy, an aquatic drake having gills was like a scaled dragon having wings. It was incredibly common, especially among western dragon couples, but not a linked trait. Depending on the parents, offspring could inherit different aspects, sometimes resulting in a hatchling with no wings, or gills, or even fur instead of scales. Given that Kooa was larger than the average aquatic, it was very possible he shared DNA from another type of dragon, or perhaps aquatic dragons were simply larger where he came from.

“Chur, I got them,” Kooa said cheerfully, turning his head and expanding his frilled collar to display a series of three slits behind his jawline. Against his sea-green scales, the openings were a pale pink and flexed on their own to reveal a series of complex, hair-like structures within. Viina didn’t find the appearance particularly appealing, and thankfully, the drake closed his frills again. “But nah, not smell. Not really—more like taste. Water goes through our mouth, aye, then out the gills. So we kinda taste everything, and, well, yeah… Satan's tailhole,” he explained with a chuckle.

“And you’re going to go swimming anyway?” Viina asked skeptically and was surprised when the drake nodded cheerfully.

“We have other ways to breathe while swimming, ya know that, right?” Kooa asked, laughing when Viina smiled in realization. Of course, the drake could surface and breathe like a non-aquatic. “Means we get to smell the air, which still smells like…?” He tilted his head toward Viina with an open-mouthed smile.

“Satan’s tailhole?”

“Satan’s tailhole, yup! But the water is full of minerals and stuff—really good for the scales and helps lift stubborn shed,” Kooa explained cheerfully, nodding toward the front of the group. “Although don’t expect Keekzee to jump in, I think, aye. That fur of his would be a bitch to get the stank out,” he added, and Viina couldn’t help but nod in understanding. Padding along behind the group, Viina’s nostrils stung as the scent of the thermal pools began to intensify. It wasn’t overwhelming but completely dominated all other scents in the air. Likewise, the air felt more humid the closer they got to the springs, and Viina couldn’t help but wonder if Keekzee’s fur would trap the scents anyway, with just the moisture in the air.

Looking ahead, she saw that Daazuh wasn’t next in line but a few couples ahead. “Hey Kooa, can I ask you a question?” Viina started, lowering her voice when the drake turned his head and nodded. “Back on the bus, you said your friend’s mate was a prawn,” she began, causing the drake’s smile to grow wider. “What does that mean? I heard it once before, but no one told me what it meant.”

Kooa looked ahead briefly and periscoped his neck as high as he could to make sure they were out of earshot of the Australian drake. “His mate, Lily—complete nutcase, aye,” Kooa started, his voice shifting oddly serious. “Every three days, she would crack the shits over something. It’s so regular that you could set your watch by it. I don’t know why he bothers with the chick, to be honest,” Kooa said with a slightly defeated tone. His eyes flicked to hers, and his smile returned briefly. “A prawn—only good for its body, fucked head,” he explained, causing Viina to recoil briefly. Her reaction didn’t seem to bother the drake, though, as he tilted his head from side to side. “Although, if I’m being honest, it’s usually describing their looks. Which kinda also applies to this gal. She has really square teeth and a massive overbite.”

Viina snorted in amusement at the image in her head and lifted her gaze to the Australian drake. All things considered, he wasn’t a bad-looking drake—athletic and in good shape—but it surprised her that he would keep the company of a human, especially when he seemed to talk only about dragons pairing up. “What about you, Kooa? You got a girl back home?”

The question made the aquatic drake stumble slightly before he looked back at her with an amused expression. “A girl? Nah. I ain’t about that—give me a big, strong drake any day,” Kooa said, chuckling when Viina’s eyes went wide and her neck recoiled sharply in surprise. “Oh, don’t get your clacka in a twist—some of us are just wired differently,” he added, shaking his head in mock disbelief.

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean… I just thought…” Viina started, feeling her snout burn in embarrassment. To her relief, the drake simply flicked his tail as he walked and shook his head while snickering. He clearly hadn’t taken offense at her mistake, but she still felt bad. “Okay, a drake then? Got a drake back home?” Viina asked, quickening her pace to close the gap. Kooa simply shook his head and laughed, but as they continued walking, she noticed the aquatic’s eyes lingering on a member of the group.

Remembering that Keekzee had said the tour company specialized in mixed-couple tours, and now knowing that Daazuh had a human mate, Viina quickly pieced together a narrative explaining why the two drakes were touring the countryside. “So, did he ask you to come? Or doesn’t he know yet?” Viina asked, grinning as it was the aquatic’s turn to look embarrassed.

All the fierceness in his appearance melted away when his frills flattened, and he looked back at her with a guilty expression. His pace slowed as he glanced over his shoulder before turning away. “I think he knows, but I’m here ’cause the ticket wasn’t refundable. They had a bigger-than-normal fight the night before they had to fly out. Apparently, she didn’t like the idea of him flying her to the airport and wanted to take a cab. Something about getting there four hours early… I don’t know,” Kooa said, looking back at her. “Women, am I right?” He added, though there was no sincerity in his voice.

His remark—and knowing that he wasn’t into ‘nesses or women—made Viina chuckle, giving the drake permission to continue. “So Daaz hit me up, asking if I wanted to come to Italy with him. Can’t really say no to that, aye? I’d only just got my passport done for a Bali trip, so I was all good to go,” Kooa explained, looking ahead.

Arriving at the springs, Viina’s jaw dropped at the sight before her. She wasn’t sure exactly what she had expected—perhaps a single large pond that was mildly warm. Instead, the springs formed a staggered, layered arrangement. Like circular steps to a pyramid, each pool was slightly higher than the one below, sometimes overlapping or dividing them. Each pool was separated by walls of salt and mineral deposits from who knows how long ago; many of the walls were no wider than a paw’s width, and only a few were just wide enough for a dragon to walk on. Scattered around the pools, wooden ramp-like structures had been erected, which Viina guessed could be used as resting areas for those not wanting to get wet or to allow easy access for dragons to exit the water.

Despite the pungent sulfurous smell, the water was an impossible light-blue color, with frothing white bubbles rising from thermal vents far below the surface. Judging by the intensity of the bubbles in the higher pools, Viina guessed they were the warmest and wondered just how hot they might be. Coming to a halt, the group gazed at the spectacle in awe while Keekzee spoke with a human wearing a professional-looking polo shirt. After a few minutes, the black drake exchanged some paperwork for a collection of bright pink rubber bands and nodded in thanks to the man.

---

“Alright, everybody, I’ve got some bands for you all to wear. Please try not to lose them, and ignore anyone who tries to buy them off you,” Keekzee announced, raising his head to address the group. “You will see that some of the pools have a small red flag at the edges—that’s the private pools we have access to. There isn’t anything stopping you from going into the green pools, but those are the ones free to the public.” The black drake added, slipping one of the rubber bands around the base of his horn before offering a band to the first in his group.

“Wear them around your horn, wrist, tail—just not your neck,” Keekzee explained, earning a small chuckle from the group. The bands were a good size to slip around a human’s wrist but were also stretchy enough to fit around a dragon’s horn or foreleg, should they not have horns. Kaariyo’s legs, however, were much thinner, and her father folded her band over itself to double-wrap it around her wrist. The bright pink clashed horribly with the hatchling’s crimson scales, but the child didn’t seem to mind as her father picked her up again. Instead, she seemed content to tug at the rubbery material to see how stretchy it really was.

“Now, there are some changing tents over there,” Keekzee announced, darting his head toward the west. “However, please don’t use the lockers. Instead, give me your clothes and anything you don’t want to take with you, and I’ll keep it safe,” he continued to hand out the rubber bands. His booklet had mentioned that the lockers here were known to be pilfered by some of the less scrupulous locals, and out of the corner of his eye he spotted a vendor selling an assortment of watches, sunglasses, and other valuables.

“Also, please don’t go running around the water’s edges. The path may look worn down, but there could still be some sharp bits from the mineral deposits. And please don’t dive headfirst into the water; some pools are shallow and others aren’t. Either way, the nearest hospital is twenty minutes away, and you will make Emanuel pretty upset if we have to deviate from the plan to pick you up,” Keekzee continued before smiling at the group. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel somewhat self-conscious talking to the group of adults as if they were children. However, the guidebook he had been given for the tour specified it was mandatory, and one of the previous owners had even taken the time to underline and circle the passage.

“And finally, please check the temperature before you go in. It gets much warmer the deeper you go, so if it’s too hot at the surface, it’s gonna get worse if you step in,” he added, passing a band to Daazuh. The drake scoffed briefly at the color but took it regardless and kept moving.

Finally, almost all of Keekzee's tour group had filed past him, and all of the humans who were going to swim had handed over their various bags of dry clothes. Many were already venturing into the springs, testing the water before entering, as he had instructed. After Kooa had taken his band and secured it around his wrist, the only one remaining from their group was Viina, who stepped towards him with a hesitation in her step and her frill flicked back.

“Hey, um… I thought it was just a public spring, not a private one, and I left my phone on the bus. Can I pay you back?” the dragoness asked, nodding over her shoulder in the direction they had come.

Keekzee shook his head and extended a paw to reveal two remaining pink rubber bands. “Don't worry about it. Between Kaariyo’s mother not coming and my lead guide quitting, we have a few spares,” he explained, giving her a warm smile. She hesitated, looking at him with some skepticism, but a small smile formed on her snout when he jangled the bands between his digits. Once she had taken one of the bands, he tucked the spare under the strap of his harness and leaned closer, lowering his voice.

“Besides, they get upset if you resell those bands. So if anyone from the springs asks, just say you’re with me,” he added, waiting for her to finish securing her band around her horn.

“Thanks, Keekzee,” Viina replied with a genuine sincerity that made his chest warm. “Do you mind if I give you my harness once we get to the water?” she added. Keekzee quickly nodded in understanding. He had seen the scarred stumps of her wings when he first met her, but it was clear their appearance was a concern to the dragoness.

“Of course. Which one would you like to go into? I'm meant to give a little story from that middle pool over there. It's meant to be the most mediocre one… not mediocre as in bad, but in terms of the average temperature. Not too hot, not too cold,” Keekzee said, glancing toward her as she scanned the various pools. Some guests had already taken up spots, including the one he had referred to. In addition to its temperature, it was also one of the largest pools and included a large wooden pier, ideal for standing and presenting from.

“Maybe the one above it? I'm guessing it's warmer?” Viina asked, gesturing with a paw toward the pool that stood a few feet higher than the ones the group was exploring.

Nodding, Keekzee bowed his head and extended a paw, gesturing for her to lead the way. Given that the paths between the pools were only just wide enough to walk down, he chose to follow her. As they began navigating the path toward the spring, Keekzee couldn't help but feel slightly awkward walking behind the toned dragoness. The uneven path, combined with water regularly spilling over the edges and making the limestone slippery, forced the drake to concentrate on each footfall.

The awkwardness came from following in Viina's footsteps and watching how she moved to navigate the slick trail. Despite not having wings, the dragoness was far from clumsy. Instead, she used her tail more than usual to counterbalance her body with each step. Her athletic hips rocked from side to side in a way that made Keekzee's pulse quicken, and he tried not to focus on anything else.

“Back on the bus, did you sleep for the whole ride over there?” Keekzee asked, pausing for her to leap up to a higher ledge of the springs. The rocks were far more slippery here, and he waited until she was clear before springing up to the next ledge. The pool where he was to present his story to the group was at this level, and beneath his paws, Keekzee felt just how warm the water was from where it overflowed over the edge. It felt as hot as a warm bath and would indeed be a comfortable temperature for everyone, but the dragoness continued toward the higher springs.

“Ah… I'm not sure, sorry,” Viina replied in a slightly distracted voice as she weaved along the uneven, narrow wall of the spring. “Why's that? Did I miss something?” she asked, wobbling precariously for a moment before swinging her tail to one side to regain her balance.

Keekzee didn't rush her and waited for her to resume walking before shaking his head. “Not really. I talked a bit about the way the Romans used guard towers to warn of raiders,” he explained, but had to immediately halt when she came to a sudden stop. Looking ahead to see what was wrong, he noticed that her whole body had gone stiff, and her crimson frill had flicked up to full height. “It's okay if you didn't—it was just a bit of trivia–”

“Castellums… right?” Viina asked, briefly looking over her shoulder. “That's what they called them, right?” she added, a look of mild concern on her face. When he nodded, her frill slowly lowered, and she shook her head before returning to walking. “Yeah, I was awake for that…” she said, though her words drifted off as if thinking about something else.

“Oh, good,” Keekzee replied, mantling his wings to keep his balance. Glad that she had been awake for that part of his presentation, he moved to catch up with the dragoness as the path widened and she trotted toward the wooden platform.

Built only large enough for two dragons to sit side by side, or for one to lounge across, the wooden pier was nestled at the water's edge and positioned against the almost two-metre wall of the next tier of pools. At first glance, the platform looked like heavily varnished mahogany, but as Keekzee approached, he quickly realised that the timber was completely saturated—either by the frothing water or perhaps just from the heavy steam that hung in the air. The platform was slick and glossy with water. Wishing he had brought a towel, he remained standing as Viina sat back on her haunches and reached to unzip her harness.

The dragoness paused to look past Keekzee briefly before moving ever so slightly around him so that his body blocked the view from the other members of their party. Turning his head to see what she had been looking at, Keekzee spotted a few members of the group watching from the various pools. It seemed that the pair of them had drawn a bit of attention. Locking eyes with them in turn, Keekzee gave a stern expression, and they all quickly turned around and returned to their swimming. “I can talk to them if you want–”

“It’s fine,” Viina said shortly, and Keekzee heard the telltale sound of her zipper being pulled down. “I’d say I'm used to it… but it's still stupid. I go my whole life not wearing anything but a standard harness. But now… now, everyone wants to see how ugly my wings are,” she added, beginning to shuffle out of her elastic harness.

“They aren't ugly,” Keekzee said politely, but received a scoff from behind him. “I’m serious, they aren't that bad. Besides, where I come from, wingless dragons are considered more beautiful,” he added, though he sensed she was never going to agree with him. He could hear the sounds of her stripping off the harness, and his snout warmed as he refrained from looking back at her, keeping his focus anywhere but Viina. A part of him was curious to know what had happened to her, but given her tone, he didn't feel now was the time to ask. “I’ll talk to them; it's still kinda rude,” Keekzee added quietly and heard her hum in thankful acknowledgement.

“Thank you for looking after this,” Viina said, and Keekzee looked back toward her when he felt something brush against his foreleg. Taking her elastic harness from her, he folded it over itself with one paw and tucked it under his shoulder strap. He forced his eyes not to linger on her exposed wing stumps and instead looked her in the eyes. His tactic wasn't lost on the dragoness, who gave him a coy smile as she turned to face the wall of the next pool. From sitting on her haunches, she lifted her rump only a foot off the ground to position herself for a jump, then leapt up to the edge with ease.

Landing on the rim of the pool with her forepaws between her hind paws, she paused briefly on the edge before stepping into the water with a splash. “Fffuuck, that's hot,” Viina swore, causing Keekzee to quickly lift his forepaws onto the ledge so he could look in more easily. “I'm okay… it's fine… fuck… talk about Satan's tailhole…” Viina hissed, paddling around in a circle.

“Are you sure?” Keekzee asked, and was met with a stiff nod. Ignoring his attempts to keep dry, Keekzee dipped a paw into the water and was surprised at how hot it was. Considering it was right next to the lukewarm pool he stood beside, the temperature was almost scalding, and he had to pull his paw out after only a few seconds. “I guess that's why they say to test the water–”

“Yeah-yeah-yeah, I know… I should have listened…” Viina hissed.

“Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that!” Keekzee flustered quickly. “In my booklet, the warning was circled and underlined by the previous guide. I guess we know why now,” he hastily added, looking in concern at the dragoness. She wasn't making any attempts to exit the pool and instead had slowed her paddling to an idle pawing through the water while floating on the surface. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“It's fine,” Viina hissed, smiling at him. However, with her eyes narrowed to tight slits, the attempt looked more like a pained grimace. Despite Hollywood's claims that dragons were tolerant of fire just because some could breathe it, that was nonsense. Just as a lion had sharp teeth and fangs but wasn’t immune to being stabbed, a fire-breathing dragon wasn’t immune to its own volatile breath and was just as susceptible to heat as anything else.

Watching her cautiously, Keekzee noticed that the dragoness’ crimson frills appeared more vibrant than he remembered, blood rushing through the thin membranes in an effort to cool her. “Please don’t give yourself heat stroke again. Probably not a good idea to do two days in a row,” he mused, holding her gaze until her lips tightened into a genuine smile and her pupils widened, softening her expression. “’Cause if you pass out and need mouth-to-mouth, I’m gonna get Daazuh to do it,” he added, folding his wings against his sides as she snorted in amusement. “Or maybe Myyrah—it might keep her quiet for a few seconds.”

Viina’s laugh was music to Keekzee’s ears, and he found himself grinning from horn to horn. “If it comes to that? DNR, please,” Viina retorted, shaking her head as she snickered. “I don’t think I could tolerate either of them if they developed a saviour complex,” she added, stopping her paddling to drift back toward Keekzee. Tucking her paws against her underside, Viina stretched out her long tail behind her, sweeping it from side to side for balance as she curved her neck into an elegant ‘S’ shape. “It’s not too bad now. You were right—it is hotter the deeper you go. Stirring it up by swimming probably didn’t help either,” she added, drifting toward the edge of the pool a few feet from him.

Trying hard not to focus on how the rivulets of water effortlessly rolled down her pale scales, or how the steam from the spring caressed the contours of her athletic neck, Keekzee forced his attention to her brilliant amber eyes. “Worth the ride over here?” he asked and was rewarded with an honest nod. “That’s good. I felt a bit bad having you right next to Daazuh and Kooa—they can be a bit much sometimes,” he added, watching as she stretched on the surface of the water.

The muscles under Viina’s ivory-white scales shifted and rolled as she extended her forepaws forward and her hind legs along the sides of her tail. Along her neck and back, long, corded muscles tensed and shifted in an elegantly deadly way. She wasn’t built like a dragon that relied on brute strength to earn a living, nor like the hulking dragons devoted to the gym. Instead, her body was more akin to a lioness or another predatory big cat: toned, lithe, and lethal. Her effortless strength made it clear she was a capable dragoness even without her wings. Combined with her glossy white scales—which would hide her in the snow and make her a formidable hunter if she braved the cold—a primal feeling simmered in the back of Keekzee’s mind. He knew her scales wouldn’t offer the same insulation as his thick fur, but he couldn’t help imagining curling up beside her by a stoked fire, holding her close to keep her warm.

“They aren’t that bad,” Viina replied as she finished her stretch, shaking to release the tension in her muscles. “Well, Kooa is alright,” she clarified with a smile, tilting her head when she noticed Keekzee staring at the base of her neck where it joined her body. “Everything okay?” she asked, swiping at the spot with a paw where he had been looking.

Her question shook Keekzee from his stupor, and he hurriedly nodded before turning his head to look away. “Um, yeah, I guess Kooa ain't that bad,” he said quickly, focusing on the large aquatic who was elegantly swimming fast circles around Daazuh, who looked like he was trying to catch the elusive drake. “At least they engage with me and the others. My first tour had a family that didn't seem to want to be there. They'd just sit and listen in silence; I don't think they said more than two full sentences the whole trip,” Keekzee explained, then looked back and saw that Viina was watching him with genuine interest. “Their silence kinda brought down the mood for the whole group. I was just the assistant, and the lead tried everything to get them to open up. But nothing! Completely killed the mood when we tried to get karaoke going.”

“Do you do karaoke often?” Viina asked, shuddering dramatically when Keekzee nodded. “Pass,” she added flatly before chuckling.

“Oh, it's good fun. Sure, it's silly, but everyone’s being silly,” Keekzee explained, grinning as she shook her head to express her displeasure. “Hell, we’re probably going to get it going again after dinner. A bit of alcohol helps, and then everyone gets involved. Even Kaariyo joins in, although most of the songs are in English, so she kinda just babbles nonsense in tune with everyone else. But it's cute to see. Daazuh is good with the pop songs—like, really good.” Despite his best efforts, the dragoness didn’t seem keen on the idea and looked at him skeptically.

“I couldn't think of anything worse than humiliating myself in front of strangers.”

“Humiliating yourself in front of friends?” Keekzee asked, earning a snort of amusement and a reluctant nod. “The way I see it, these people will be gone in a few days, and they’ll never see me again. So it doesn't matter if I make a fool of myself, as long as they have a good time and give me a good review,” Keekzee explained, catching a glimpse of something in the dragoness's expression that he couldn't quite place. “It’s a pretty good gig—getting paid to see the sights and travel. Just sometimes, you need to make your own fun,” he added before dropping back down from the ledge of the pool to sit on his haunches. Now that he was on the wooden platform below, his head was only a few feet above the water level of Viina's spring, and he had to look up slightly to meet her gaze as she bobbed in the water.

“How do you do that?” Viina asked, adjusting her neck so her head sat lower to the water’s surface. “What does Keekzee do for fun?”

Shrugging his wings against his sides, Keekzee smirked as he looked back at the group and scanned to make sure no one was misbehaving. “For now, I'm just trying to get used to leading the group and making sure no one gets lost. But my previous lead had a pretty funny scheme,” Keekzee started, glancing toward Viina to see that she was listening. “Every tour, he'd reinvent himself and what he had done before becoming a tour guide. One time, he said he had been an advisor to the French embassy and claimed to have the prime minister's personal number. On the next tour, he claimed he had been a wildlife photographer who spent a decade in the jungles of Tibet with a pride of tigers. That one almost came unstuck when someone knew that tigers were solitary, but he was good at changing the subject,” Keekzee added with a grin. “Another lead I had would always offer to take people's photos, only to then take selfies with their phones instead. No surprise when I ended up being the one people went to for photos by the end of the tour.”

Viina’s expression seemed somewhat distant as she listened, before her eyes narrowed and she refocused on him. “I don't think I could do it—having to talk to a new group of strangers every few weeks. I'm guessing they'd ask the same questions,” she said, a flicker of sadness in her voice.

Keekzee guessed she meant her wings and, not wanting the mood to fester, deflected the statement. “Yeah, there are a lot of the same questions. Where do you come from? What made you want to be a tour guide? Do you ever go on vacation? Are you handling the heat with that black fur? That sort of thing. But I kinda like the idea of making up the answers and maybe seeing how far-fetched I can make it before people catch on,” he said cheerfully, glancing back at her to catch her expression sharpen.

“Hold on, is this actually your first time as lead? Or is that a lie?” Viina asked, slowly lashing her tail through the water to bring herself closer to Keekzee. Her amber eyes studied him critically, making Keekzee’s wings tighten against his sides.

With a coy smile and a playful wink, Keekzee tried to lie. However, the dragoness clearly didn’t believe him, and eventually he chuckled a deep, throaty laugh. “Oh no, I'm still new, but that would be a good one, wouldn't it? People would probably be pretty kind in their reviews too if I told them I was new every time,” he mused and laughed when Viina shook her head in mock disapproval. “Although some people might not be thrilled to know they spent all this money only for a rookie to be their lead. I know Myyrah wasn't thrilled when I told them I was their only guide, but thankfully she was pretty ignorant of the land, and I could show I knew a thing or two,” he added, earning another amused smirk from the dragoness.

“Well, I think you're doing a good job,” Viina said, sweeping her frill back as she bobbed her head. “I get that you like history books, but it's one thing to read something and a whole other thing to talk about it to a bunch of randoms.” Her words made Keekzee’s chest swell with pride and his toothy smile broaden. “I’d be hard-pressed being social for the whole day, let alone dealing with people like Myyrah. I think I'd find a way to accidentally leave her behind—”

“Viina!” Keekzee laughed, shaking his head in disbelief before scanning the other pools to make sure the American couple were out of earshot. Thankfully, the pair were at the far end of the private section, but Keekzee couldn’t help but notice the sour expression on the dragoness’. “Looks like something isn’t to her liking,” he mused, hearing the water slosh as Viina turned her head to see where he was looking.

“Probably ‘cos they don't offer a gallon of pop and a hotdog to have while in the pool,” Viina mused, making Keekzee break out in laughter. “Or maybe because the springs at Yellowstone were so much bigger and hotter,” she added, trying to imitate a Bostonian accent, renewing Keekzee's amusement.

Glancing back at her, Viina had a look of genuine enjoyment in her eyes. “See, if you left her behind, you couldn't make fun of her,” Keekzee mused, shaking his head as Viina tilted hers, as if contemplating whether it would really be so bad. “I'm pretty sure the company would have a few things to say to you if they got a complaint from a stranded guest… even if the rest of the group gave you five stars.”

“Yeah, probably not worth it,” Viina conceded, using a paw to hook onto the edge of the pool to keep herself in place. “I’d be a pretty shitty guide anyway. I don't really know anything about here,” she explained, a hint of sadness in her voice. “I wasn't really one for books when I was little. Well, not history books anyway,” she added, scratching a talon against the wall of the spring. Despite its age, the minerals chipped easily, and after a few picks, she stopped before doing more damage.

“Well, it helps, but I wouldn't say it's exactly a prerequisite for the job. This guide book does a lot of the heavy lifting. So you don't really have to know that much about the land.” Keekzee started, leaning back on his haunches to extract the guidebook he had been keeping in the front pocket of his harness. “The company kinda wants its guides to stick to the script rather than go off what they think they know. But if someone asks something that isn't in the book, we have free rein to try our best,” he continued, opening the book to the page about the springs. Unlike the brochures or tour books sold to prospective tourists, the book was light on pictures and filled with blocks of facts about the attraction. “So realistically, I give the next chapter a quick read before bed or over breakfast, then I'm good for the day. The hardest part is really trying to read the maps. Not all the streets have names, and sometimes alleyways count as streets and sometimes they don't. So counting them is kinda hard too,” Keekzee said, noticing that Viina’s eyes weren’t focusing on him; she seemed lost in thought. After a brief silence, he shrugged his wings and looked back over the rest of the pools. “So yeah, it's not that hard of a gig if you do the homework the night before and know which way is north,” he added with a chuckle. Glancing briefly back at Viina, he wasn’t sure if he had said something wrong or if she had simply lost interest, as she didn’t acknowledge what he had said. “But hey, getting paid to go on tour in foreign countries with a bunch of strangers and check things out ain't that bad of a job, is it? Just gotta show them where to go, where not to go, and deal with the odd Myyrah now and again.”

The sound of water splashing tore Keekzee's attention away from the rest of the springs. He turned to see Viina shiver her whole body while submerged in the hot spring. For a brief moment, he caught a flicker of concern or deep thought in her eyes as if he had said something wrong. However before he could ask, she blinked and gave him a forced smile. “And not lose a hatchling,” Viina added, making Keekzee scoff in amusement.

“One time!” he cried in exaggerated ire, shaking his head. Looking down toward the cooler springs, he watched as the small hatchling scrambled up the wall of the spring, only to leap into the water with a deliberately ungraceful splash—all while her father watched on, occasionally splashing water toward her when she surfaced.

“What made you want to become a tour guide?” asked Viina, shaking her head as if to dismiss herself. “I just realized that was one of the questions, wasn't it? One of those questions everyone asks you?” she explained, making Keekzee grin.

It was nice to know she had been listening, and he bobbed his head in acknowledgment before scanning the pools. “It's okay, I don't really mind,” he started, fidgeting with his toes and glancing back at her. He remembered the lie he had told the rest of the group—something simple about loving the sense of adventure and showing the wonders of Europe to others. However, being exclusively in the dragoness' company, the fact that she wasn’t a guest, and that they were out of earshot of the others made Keekzee feel he could be more honest with her. Breathing in deeply, the smell of the springs stung his nostrils, but he ignored it and slowly exhaled.

“It's kinda silly, really. I told you my ex wanted to go exploring the world, right? Well, I think I wanted to prove to her I could do it. Or maybe just to myself… I don't know,” he admitted, flicking his eyes to hers to gauge her reaction. She didn’t interrupt him, nor did she look judgmental; instead, she offered a sympathetic smile.

“I don't regret it, though. And don't tell her I said this, but I think she was right,” he added, earning a small chuckle from the dragoness. “The mountains are nice and all, and the people I worked with are awesome. But the world is much bigger than just that mountain.”

“Well, I think you're doing well. Lost hatchlings aside,” Viina remarked, making him chuckle and shake his head in dismay.

Glancing down at his forearm, Keekzee checked the time on his phone and noticed how much time had passed since they arrived. “You're never going to let me forget that, are you?” he asked, chuckling when the dragoness simply grinned a wide, toothy smile, her crimson frill perking up cheekily.

“Well, in that case, I better keep this tour moving then. The sooner we get to Venice, the sooner I won't have to be reminded,” he added, surprised when the dragoness’ smile faltered for a moment.

“Not that I'm trying to get rid of you,” he quickly backpedaled, but the damage had been done. “I mean…”

“It's okay, I know what you meant,” Viina replied, her warm tone letting him down gently. “I appreciate the ride, but I’d feel bad if I stayed longer. Those others paid good money for your time,” she added, nodding toward the other pools. “And I’m not really in a position to buy a spot on the tour, so thank you for everything.”

Nodding in understanding, Keekzee still felt as if he had misspoken and avoided her gaze. Inhaling sharply, he bobbed his head once more and rose to all fours.

“Speaking of the group… I should probably round them up for story time, after that we will start making a move to leave. I’ll be back,” he explained, dipping his head to bid a brief farewell.

“Hey-ahh, Is it okay if I stay where I am? Or do you need everyone in that pool?” Viina asked with an uneasiness in her voice that made it clear that she didn't want to relocate.

“No, you can stay!” Keekzee replied enthusiastically, his folded wings lifting slightly in his eagerness. However, realisation dawned on him as he looked at the dragoness and remembered what she had told him of her past. He had a guess that her injuries were as a result of her time serving, and as he replayed the story he was about to tell in his head, he realised that she might take issue with it. “Oh-umm, how are you with war stories?” he asked and was met with a confused tilt of her head. “This story I'm meant to tell, it's kinda got some action bits in it. Is that going to be an issue?” he added and swallowed when she smiled tensely. “It’s kid friendly, so it's not graphic or anything. But I can probably change it if–”

“No, I'm okay,” Viina replied soothingly and nodded when he continued to look at her to make sure she was sure. “I’m a strong ‘ness. I can handle it,” she added as her crimson frill flattened against her neck and she shuffled her whole body in the water to relax further.

“Thanks, it's a good story!” Keekzee replied as if he still needed to convince her. “It’s got a strong warrior ‘ness that I think you will like, some evil humans doing evil human things, and a climactic ending! I think I'm going to try to do the voices, so please. No giggling from the peanut gallery,” he continued and paused only when she laughed. “I mean it, don't make me kick you off the tour!” Keekzee joked with a broad smile, glad that she was comfortable enough to laugh around him.

“Alright, let me round up the others. Then I shall tell the story of The Dragoness of Mars!”