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If there was ever one thing that made wrangling a group of strangers into doing something orderly, it was food. Having arrived at their hotel and gotten everybody checked in, Keekzee was glad that no one had complained or been difficult while navigating the narrow paths beside the canals that the locals called fondamenta. Like so many areas of Italy, the city had been initially built with dragons in mind. However, as the city became consumed by the sea, the lagoon became more of a home for aquatic dragons and humans rather than their winged cousins. As such, the paths that had been made were only just large enough for one or two dragons to walk side by side but failed to accommodate large groups like theirs.

Taking the lead and walking ahead of the group, Keekzee was grateful that Viina trailed behind where an assistant would be, and he hoped that she would be able to help corral the guests if they became distracted by the ancient buildings. Thankfully, the streets were quiet enough upon their arrival to allow them to traverse the maze of streets and fondamenta to reach their hotel without losing anyone along the way. Now, the group was checked in, fed, and beginning to unwind after a long day. Due to the size of their group and their planned activities, the hotel's ballroom had been reserved for their party, and the guests had spread out while the staff worked to connect the karaoke machine to the room’s audiovisual system. A pair of human waitstaff mingled through the groups carrying trays of drinks served in narrow, stemmed glasses in one hand and silver buckets of plump plastic pouches in the other.

The tour company always made sure to book the group into the nicer hotels that catered to mixed couples, and this one was no exception. Hotel Sette Fiamme was a proud structure with a rich history that dated back to before the streets became waterways. Initially built as a palace-like home for one of the noble houses, every inch of the incredible structure boasted small details that screamed old wealth. Standing in the ballroom, Keekzee's talons rested on polished walnut with cherry wood inlays that repeated themselves every paw’s width to create a mosaic that spanned the entire hall. The walls, reaching up well over their heads, housed mirrors that ran from floor to ceiling and gave the illusion that the hall was bigger than it was. Not that it needed to be any larger as a dragon could easily spread their wings to full extension without risking touching their tips on the walls. Toward the northeastern corner of the room, a small elevated platform rose two steps tall. Once used for a band, it was now in the process of becoming the stage for the evening’s karaoke. On the opposite corner, large open archways led out to a private garden-like terrace that offered unparalleled views of Saint Mark’s Piazza and the large church beyond.

Out of the corner of his eye, Keekzee spotted Viina standing all by herself, looking somewhat uncomfortable and out of place as she stared up at the ceiling. Dangling from a gold-corded rope around her neck, a plastic pouch containing the dregs of her drink hung limply against her pale chest scales. After glancing toward the hotel staff and seeing that they seemed to have the karaoke machine under control, Keekzee began to pad his way toward the nearest waiter to collect a fresh drink for the dragoness.

“Keekzee!” came a nasal voice that made the drake’s wings instinctively tuck tighter against his sides. Turning his head toward the source of the voice, he saw that Myyrah and her husband had managed to corner three other couples, and it looked as if they were showing off their new harnesses. “Keekzee, Prada with an H at the end is how you say it in Italian, isn’t it?” Myyrah asked with an ignorantly smug smile.

Looping the rope of the drink he had collected for Viina through the shoulder strap of his harness, Keekzee diverted toward the cluster of dragons and humans, a professional smile on his snout. “Prada with a H, you say?” Keekzee mused, and was presented with Myyrah lifting a wing to reveal a prominent logo down the length of her new harness. He was no expert in fashion brands, but he was convinced that they had at least gotten the typography right, even if it was written in gold, probably plastic, letters that looked glued or pinned onto the leather. Glancing toward the rest of the group, all of them glanced at him with restrained, knowing smiles. It was abundantly clear that everyone, bar Myyrah and her mate, knew that the harness was a fake. “I guess in some dialects of Italian it does sound like it has a H at the end. Perhaps this is a limited local edition,” Keekzee offered, looking at the rest of the group with a tight-lipped smile that they all understood. “But I apologise, I am not an expert on them—”

“See, a limited edition!” Myyrah announced happily and refolded her wings. “Oh, Taarniah and Laarnic are going to be so jealous! Aren’t they, hon?” the dragoness gloated to her mate, who grunted in acknowledgement while taking a sip from his drink pouch.

Nodding to excuse himself, Keekzee backed away as the dragoness went on to explain how their friends were always trying to one-up them. Keeping his talons lifted and walking on the heels of his paws, Keekzee kept his retreat as silent as possible before turning around and making a beeline toward Viina, who was watching him with a knowing look in her eyes.

“With a H, huh?” Viina mused in a quiet voice once Keekzee had come to her side and sat down, his tail sweeping around his paws. “I didn’t think they’d change their logo just for that,” she added, sitting down as well.

“I guess she could probably just pull off the H and make it look more genuine, but I didn’t want to break the illusion. She thinks she got a good deal, and truth be told, it does look like a decent harness,” Keekzee replied, turning his head to make sure his voice didn’t carry. “I saw you were running out,” he added as he used a paw to untangle the corded rope from the drink pouch he had selected for her.

“Oh, aren’t you a gentle drake,” Viina replied before shuffling closer toward him. Pausing briefly to finish the last of her drink with a squeeze, Viina swallowed quickly and then curled her neck so her snout faced toward him.

Spreading the fresh drink’s rope with his paws, Keekzee’s blood warmed as he kept still and let Viina slip her head through the loop he had made. It was a strictly friendly gesture but still brought her snout close to his chest until she angled her head upward and he let the cord slip from his digits. “You like them?” Keekzee asked as the dragoness flipped the pouch over against her chest, then lifted it while curling her neck down to take a sip from the rubber straw-like spout molded into the drink bladder. Due to the structure of a dragon’s jaw, it was far easier to more or less squeeze the drink bladder to squirt the liquid into her maw rather than traditionally suck on the small tube.

“Oh yeah,” Viina said after swallowing and wiping her snout with the back of her forepaws. “Dazzuh hooked me up with my first, and they go down pretty easily,” she added, using a paw to separate the freshly emptied drinks pouch from another she had already consumed. “Are you not drinking?” she asked, taking another sip.

“I’m still working,” Keekzee grinned before turning his head to survey the rest of the group to make sure they weren't getting up to mischief. Almost all of the tour group had broken up into two smaller parties, those unable to escape Myyrah’s dictation, and those lingering on the outskirts watching the spectacle. The only others were Daazuh and Kooa, the Australian drake seemed to be offering advice to the staff setting up the karaoke, while Kooa stood beside him, spotting that the twin-frilled drake already had three empty drink skins around his neck like medals in a very budget Olympics, Keekzee knew that tonight's singing was going to be memorable, but whether for better or worse was yet to be decided. Across the hall, Keekzee spotted Rikusan and Kaariyo near one of the many floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Both of them seemed to be entertaining one another by briefly pulling out of the reflection and jumping back in to surprise each other, each time pulling a face to make the other giggle in merriment.

Looking back toward Viina, the drake shrugged his wings. “Once I know they won't break anything, I might have one or two,” he mused, which earned him a smile from the pale dragoness. “What are they exactly? I didn't really look,” he asked, lowering his head closer to the dragoness's chest when she held out a paw to present the full drink. Filled with an amber-colored liquid, Keekzee tried to make out the text on the label, which included a silvery picture of a Roman god’s bust. Which one was hard to tell exactly, but being closer to the empty drinks satchels, Keekzee could smell hints of tropical juices mixed with the heavy aroma of strong liqueur.

“It's sambuca, but a fruity kind of one. Doesn't taste like regrets,” Viina mused before using both paws to lift the drink further forward and curling her neck down to take another deep sip. Given a dragon's size, they were more than capable of drinking any human under the table. However, seeing the two empty pouches and the dragoness starting on her third, Keekzee knew that she was quickly on her way to becoming intoxicated. A part of him felt as if he should say something, however, he reminded himself that they were not teenagers drinking after graduation, and the dragoness seemed responsible enough.

Conscious that the dragoness had mentioned she had yet to find a place to stay, he went to ask if she wanted to book a room here but was cut off by a shrill wail of speaker feedback. Jumping to his feet and whipping his head around toward the source, he watched as Daazuh quickly jumped away from the speaker, the long-corded microphone gripped tightly in one paw. Thankfully, the horrendous sound died as quickly as it started, but that didn't stop the rest of the group from groaning and shaking their heads in annoyance.

“Sorry!” Daazuh's voice came through the speaker, followed by a small dying squeak of further feedback before the hotel staff and Kooa adjusted the dials on the back of the speaker, and the sound stopped again.

“Need to help them?” Viina asked, but was answered as classical rock began to play from the speaker. With a final adjustment, the volume of the music increased, and the Australian drake tentatively moved closer to the speaker until he could stand on the stage and view the lyrics displayed on a small screen atop the speaker.

“I think they've got it,” Keekzee mused and sat back on his haunches as Daazuh began pressing the buttons on top of the karaoke machine to find the first song of the evening. Nodding in thanks to the hotel staff who looked in his direction, Keekzee felt briefly ashamed that he had let them do all the work, but the thought vanished when he looked toward Viina and saw her head ever so slightly bobbing to the beat of the music.

“You know, I think Daazuh would let you do a duet with him,” Keekzee teased as the music picked up and the drake on stage quickly downed the rest of his drink with a long squeeze of his drink pouch. He made a mental note that the drake had now finished his fourth and that he might need to keep an eye on him later.

“Ha! No,” Viina retorted and gave him a side-eyed glare, followed by a smirk that made him laugh. “Besides, I think Kooa is lining up to do a duet,” she added with a knowing nod toward the large aquatic.

True to her word, the sea-green drake was standing front-row to Daazuh like a loyal groupie as the twin-frilled drake warmed up with a classic. However, Kooa wasn't alone for long as the rest of the group began to congregate toward the stage to wait their turn to participate or simply listen in and bob their heads to the beat. Halfway through the first verse of the song, the lights dimmed until only the glass chandelier remained as the single source of light, and the room became more akin to a nightclub, albeit nowhere near as deafening and without the bright lasers.

Out of the corner of his eye, Keekzee saw Viina looking up at the ceiling again and followed her gaze to admire the complex chandelier. Dropping down from the ceiling in a spiral made of long, diamond-shaped white glass shards the size of her paw, the body then branched out into seven distinct arms of gold that resembled a tree’s limbs but curled around one another to form a spiral dominating the ceiling. Across the large gold branches, countless glass flowers had been integrated into its design. Every wing had its own colour theme, but all started with white-coloured glass toward the centre, or trunk, of the chandelier and then gradually transitioned to brilliant hues of their own colour. The design was not only stunning but also incredibly intricate, and Keekzee mused that it would be a costly exercise to replace any one of the flowers, as not only would a glassblower need to match the design but also the unique colour of the flower they had to remake. Notably, while the branches occasionally broke out into sconces for candles, at some point in the fixture’s life they had been replaced with electric lights that imitated the flicker of a candle’s glow.

“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Keekzee remarked, leaning closer toward Viina to be heard over the dragons singing. Conscious that the music might be too loud, he glanced across the room and was relieved to see Rikusan and Kaariyo near the stage, seemingly enjoying the evening's entertainment. The man stood at the edge of the low stage, while Kaariyo had taken to dancing on the stage itself. If it could be called dancing, her flailing back and forth seemed more akin to coordinated bouncing than any dance he knew.

“It’s impressive… I wonder how they got the colours like that,” Viina mused, still staring at the light fixture. “I mean, each flower is a unique colour. It would have taken forever to do,” she added before lowering her head to focus on Keekzee. “It seems a bit unnecessary, but quite pretty.”

“Well, we are checking out a glassblowing workshop. You can find out if you come along,” Keekzee said with a friendly smile and nudged her with a folded wing. “And before you say you can't afford it, it's free!” he explained, meeting some skepticism. Shrugging his wings, he looked back up at the incredible chandelier. “They have a gift shop where you can purchase the things they make, so I guess that’s where they get their cut.”

The dragoness didn’t reply right away but finally hummed in acknowledgement. “I’ll see,” she added in a noncommittal voice. “Do you know anything about this hotel?” Viina asked, taking a sip of her drink before flicking her eyes up at the chandelier and swallowing. “Dazzuh said it was called the Seven Flames or something, and I’m seeing seven different branches. It can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

Patting the front pouch of his harness, Keekzee was about to pull out the booklet and check before a coy thought came to mind. Placing his paw back onto the polished timber floor, he looked down at her with a smirk. “I might, but what do you think it means?”

“I think I’m not the tour guide,” Viina retorted with a chuckle and took another sip. “You don’t know, do you?” she added, making Keekzee’s smile widen.

“I might, I might not. I could tell you something now, but how would you know I wasn’t lying to you?” Keekzee mused with a playfulness in his voice that made the dragoness’s frill perk up slightly. “Let’s play a game. You tell me what you think this place used to be,” he added and grinned wider when Viina’s eye ridges lifted and she looked at him skeptically. “I’ll give you a hint, things that can be changed easily but haven't been, are usually left alone because they are important to a people’s culture or history,” Keekzee continued thoughtfully before nodding toward the wall of floor-to-ceiling mirrors. “How many of them are there?”

“Seven,” Viina replied before turning her head to survey the rest of the room. Following her gaze, Keekzee could almost imagine her mind piecing together the various details. The ballroom ceiling was supported by stone arches and was clearly made as seven separate sections joined together. Likewise, each of the arches was littered with carvings, the closest ones displaying fish and birds, while the others further away were carved differently. “Seven Flames…” Viina muttered under her breath before looking back at Keekzee with an unsatisfied look. “I don’t know, they liked the number seven? Maybe this was a gambling hall or something?”

“Maybe…” Keekzee mused before looking upwards at the chandelier. “Why do you think all those glass flowers all start as white in the middle and then change to colours?”

“They ran out of white?” Viina joked, making Keekzee snort through his nose.

“I’ll give you a hint, this used to be a family home to nobles. Sort of like a palace, but not royalty,” Keekzee offered and nudged her with a wing. “Don’t worry, it's just a game, no wrong answers,” he added before tapping his tail on the ground in a playful gesture. “Now, tour guide Viina. Tell me the story of this hotel.”

The dragoness rolled her eyes with a smile before lifting her drinks pouch with a paw. “I didn't think tour guides could drink on the job. You’ll have to tell me,” she countered, but Keekzee simply shook his head and nodded for her to try anyway.

“Fine…” Viina added after a long pause and returned to looking around the room for details. “Seven flames… noble’s house… different areas… was it a gathering location or something? Like a throne room or something?”

“Was it?” Keekzee retorted with a playful grin that made the dragoness’ glare deepen. “It’s your story, after all. You can make it whatever you want it to be, as long as it's believable,” he added and earned a small smirk from the dragoness.

Pausing to take a deep sip of her drink, Viina's eyes scanned the room one last time before nodding as she swallowed. “It wasn't always a ballroom,” she started before clearing her throat and trying to sound more confident. “Given the height of the ceilings and the properly sized doors, this room was clearly made for dragons, and I'm guessing the floor wasn't always wooden, maybe a false floor to protect the original.”

“Good call. So, tell me a story, what made this so notable that it was never torn down over the years?” Keekzee asked, shuffling his wings to make himself more comfortable as he looked up at the ceiling as if he were a tourist captivated by the majesty of the room.

“Well… once upon a time…” Viina started, and when Keekzee glanced across, he could see the look of embarrassment in her eyes and the way her frill lay flat against her neck. This was clearly pushing her comfort zone, but perhaps the alcohol was helping her relax into his silly made-up game. He watched as the dragoness glanced again at the mirrors and then looked back at Keekzee with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “There was a noble family, a proper pompous and wealthy kind. They built this place to do all of their deals and negotiations, sparing no expense in the process to show off their gold,” Viina continued, sounding more confident with every sentence. “The formal negotiations would happen down where the concierge is. This room was reserved for the dragons that the nobles rode in on.”

“It’s pretty lavish for a stable,” Keekzee mused and gave her a nod of encouragement. “Makes sense considering their wealth. If their stables are this good, then they had money to flaunt.”

This remark spurred the dragoness on, and she nodded enthusiastically while bringing her drink to her lips and taking another deep drag. Keekzee wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but the dragoness seemed to wobble slightly as she leaned back on her haunches and gripped the drinks pouch with both forepaws. Given that she didn't have the wings she once did to help balance her, he dismissed the thought as quickly as it came.

“Well, I think a stable might be the PG version,” Viina added with a growing smirk and nodded toward the floor-to-ceiling mirrors. “The real floor under these, I bet, is stone, and probably scorched with burn marks from dragon fire. This was the place that the noble dragons went to unwind after their weary travels. The different areas in this ballroom are for different… tastes,” Viina added, and her pale snout darkened slightly before she began to giggle.

Keekzee couldn’t help but join in, albeit with a deeper-throated chuckle at the idea. “And that stage, huh? That would be where they put the cuck chair?” he added, nodding toward where the karaoke was happening. Daazuh had passed the microphone to the midnight-blue German dragoness Kaahina and her mate, who were now singing a very out-of-key version of a song from an old children’s musical. Viina’s laughter made him smile from horn to horn and relax his wings down by his sides.

“So? How did I do?”

Keekzee was tempted to reach for his booklet and check to see if they were indeed standing in a pleasure parlour of old. Instead, he simply pursed his lips and tilted his head from side to side. “Probably an eight out of ten…” he replied finally and jolted as the dragoness swept her tail across the floor to thwack it against his. “Hey, an eight is pretty good! Well above average!” he added with a laugh.

“Yeah, twice as good as a four,” Viina retorted with an open-mouthed smile. “I’m way out of your league,” she added with a chuckle before her expression shifted suddenly and she straightened up, pulling her tail back around her paws.

Her sudden change in demeanor wasn’t missed by Keekzee, and for the briefest moment, he had seen a side of her that she hadn’t meant to show. A heavy awkwardness settled between them, and Keekzee couldn’t help but feel as if he had done something wrong. “Well, tomorrow I’ll be telling the group the history of the room, so I’ll find out tonight when I do my homework,” Keekzee added and received only a stiff nod of acknowledgment. “Although I like your version, it’s probably not too far from the truth. This room does have some pretty dragon-friendly features, like that terrace for landing and taking off from…” His words drifted off as he realized he was talking about flying to a dragoness who was now grounded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“It’s fine,” Viina remarked and waved a paw to dismiss his concern. “Growing up, I was in the suburbs, and we would just launch and land wherever we wanted. Going to the city, I was really surprised at how small the balconies were on the high-rises,” she mused before shrugging her wing stumps under her elastic harness. “I guess it’s good to see that even back then, they were thinking about us.”

“Venice in the Renaissance was pretty progressive for dragons, or at least the ones in wealthy houses. There was a pretty big divide between rich and poor, of course,” he explained, feeling as if he sounded too professional compared to their prior merry conversation. “You should join us tomorrow, no pressure, but the glassblowing is meant to be pretty impressive. There’s apparently a furnace that has been continuously lit since the fourteen hundreds.”

“That’s impressive…” Viina mused before inhaling and slowly shaking her head. “I feel like I should just buy a ticket and officially join the tour,” she added with a semi-sad smile. “But I really couldn’t afford it. I only get half a disability payment from the VA, and it’s not really enough to splurge on something like this.”

“Half disability?” Keekzee asked instinctively before he could stop himself.

“Well, a dragon without wings can still find a job and work,” Viina replied, looking across the room. “So they only give me enough for food and the cheapest, last-minute rooms at hotels. But it’s not enough to spend much time in the touristy spots.”

Nodding in understanding, Keekzee was well aware of the horrendous markups on even the most basic food wherever they went. He felt like he might be able to convince her to join in on the free glassblowing workshop but understood her desire to be frugal and her reluctance to join the tour. Knowing that she was on a tight budget while he was being paid to visit some of the most lavish and luxurious places in Italy made Keekzee feel a strange sense of shame. Deep down, he felt as if he should be providing for the dragoness but resisted going down the thought path of giving her a handout. He could tell that she valued her independence, and he didn’t want to make her feel as if she had to rely on him, yet he still wanted to help.

Looking across the room toward Daazuh, who had taken his place back on the microphone, a thought began to form between the black drake’s horns. He turned his head quickly to address Viina. “You’ve been to Rome, right?” he asked, seeing confusion fill her eyes.

“Yeah, that’s where I got off the train at. I didn’t really spend much time there, though,” Viina said, tilting her head when Keekzee’s eyes widened slightly.

“Want to see it again?” he asked, lifting his folded wings slightly when she frowned. “We’re heading there after Venice! Ignore the whole tour cost thing. Would you like to see it again?”

The dragoness took a few moments before she shrugged her wings. “I guess. I feel like I kind of rushed it. But I’m serious, Keekzee, I don’t have money for this level of tour.” She held up a paw to silence Keekzee as he tried to interrupt, and when he waited, she finally continued. “And it wouldn’t be right if I just tagged along.”

“Oh, you wouldn't be tagging along,” Keekzee said cryptically and chuckled. “What if you helped me? I need an assistant after all,” He explained with a proud smile and felt his heart skip a beat when she didn't immediately reject the idea.

“Keekzee… I spent, like, a day there. I'm not exactly tour-guide worthy—”

“That's a day more than I have,” Keekzee countered before patting the front pouch of his harness. “Besides, the book’s got everything you need. I can teach you how to read it and prepare for each day, it’s really not that hard,” He added in a low voice and felt his excitement grow as his idea began to develop further. “All you have to do is read the briefing the night before, learn the maps, and make sure there isn't anything like the weather or a festival that would change things. Then, as an assistant, it's mostly a case of watching over the group and making sure they don't get into any trouble with the locals.”

“Overwatch…” Viina mumbled under her breath as she broke his gaze and looked across the room, her eye ridges furrowing into a concentrated expression. She seemed to contemplate the idea for a minute before shaking her head. “I'm sorry, Keekzee, I’m not really comfortable doing public speaking—”

“As an assistant, you won't have to,” Keekzee quickly countered. “That's my job. You might just get the odd question about where the hotel is or when we’re meant to be at a certain rendezvous spot,” he added and watched as the dragoness’ jaw muscles clenched and unclenched before she inhaled again and slowly exhaled.

After taking a long, deep sip from her now almost-empty drinks pouch, the dragoness flicked her eyes to him while her snout still pointed toward the karaoke. “Can you even offer me a job? Isn't that a recruitment thing?”

Keekzee’s chest swelled as he felt like he was possibly winning her over. “Sure I can!” he lied, knowing he had sounded too enthusiastic to be believable. “I mean... sort of… well… no… but! The company trusts me with a bit of money for discretionary spending,” he said before swallowing and composing himself. “What I mean is, sometimes in order to make the tour go well, a bit of money needs to be paid to locals to get access to things, or to get a guest out of trouble.”

“Bribe money?”

“Supporting the local customs…” Keekzee corrected and chuckled nervously. “Like, sure, you aren't a local, but you have been to Rome before,” he added, knowing he was stretching his logic. “But they don't need to know that. For all they know, you could be a local I recruited to help make the tour go well.”

“I'm pretty sure that’s fraud or something,” Viina remarked with a hint of disappointment in her voice. “I don't want you to get in trouble or anything, and don't say you won't. It's not a risk I want to take.”

Keekzee felt as if he deflated slightly as he exhaled. He thought she was being too proud but could also see her reasoning. If the head office knew the truth, it would look poorly on him, especially being his first time as the tour’s lead. “What if…” he mused, tapping his talons on the polished wooden floor. “What if… I just told them the truth?”

“The truth… that you found some poor ‘ness and she wanted to join?” Viina replied with a sourness that made him flinch.

“No… after I almost lost a hatchling, I recognized a need for an assistant who could act as security for the group, someone to keep the group safe! Maybe someone with an ex-military background,” he added with a widening smile. “And who would complain about a big, strong ex-marine helping out?”

His suggestion made the dragoness look away from him again, but judging by the way her frill lifted and sagged in small jolts, Keekzee guessed that she was thinking it over and at least considering it. “It’s just a thought. If you want to join us and earn a little cash on the side, I’d be happy to help!” he added and recoiled slightly when she whipped her head back toward him.

“That is kind of you, but I don’t get why you’re being so helpful. You only met me yesterday. I could be a serial killer for all you know,” Viina retorted, but Keekzee held his ground and didn’t shrink away from her powerful gaze.

“I enjoy your company, and I think you’ll enjoy the tour,” he explained simply and shrugged his wings. “I figured it would be a nice thing to do, and this just solves a few problems.” He leaned in when she turned her head away again. “Security doesn’t have to talk to the guests either. Nor would it be fitting for our tough security guard to join in on karaoke.”

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Viina’s lips as she flicked her eyes toward him, and when she didn’t shut down the idea, Keekzee felt as if he had managed to win her over. The thought of spending more time with the dragoness made him giddy, and he tried not to come across too strong. Pulling his head back, he lifted a forepaw to pretend to inspect his talons and shrugged his wings again. “Just an idea, you don’t have to commit right now.”

The dragoness didn’t outright reject the idea, which filled Keekzee with hope, and when he looked back toward her, he noticed her head tilting slightly from side to side as if she were thinking it over. “You know, maybe that might not be…” The dragoness’s words drifted into silence, and Keekzee saw a tightening go through her body, starting in her jaws and running down until she looked frozen, staring toward the stage where Daazuh and Kooa were starting their next song.

A low, warbling swell of synth faded in, which Keekzee recognized instantly. Then came the sharp, echoed strike of a bass guitar that sent a reverberation through the ballroom. The rhythm kicked in slow, steady, and unmistakable. In the corner of his eye, he saw Viina flinch and her nostrils flare. Her expression looked almost pained, as if each note were a claw hooking behind her ribs and pulling. “Are you okay—” he started, but was cut off when she suddenly rose to all fours and walked past him.

Confused, Keekzee tracked the dragoness as she made a beeline for the garden terrace. His focus pulled away from her when he heard the two drakes begin to sing. What they lacked in talent, the pair made up for in passion as they wailed into the microphone at the start of a classic rock song.

“Tommy used to work on the docks, union's been on strike

He's down on his luck, it's tough, so tough

Gina works the diner all day, working for her man

She brings home her pay, for love, mmm, for love”

There was a brief pause as the music built before both drakes inhaled and really gave it their all, in chorus with other members of the group to create a symphony of slightly out of key voices.

“Whoooaah, we're haaaalf waaaay there,

Whoooaah ooh, livin' on a praaayer,

Go under my wing, we'll make it I swear,

Whooooaaah…”

Keekzee tore his eyes away from the stage as Kooa tucked himself under the Australian drake's wing and continued to sing, albeit with his frills fully flushed and a joyous smile on his snout.

“Keekzee! Come on, ya big fella!” Daazuh added in the lull after the chorus, and while he knew the words to the classic song, Keekzee was now concerned about Viina.

Shaking his head, Keekzee rose to all fours and ignored the pouts and groans of disappointment from the tour group. Ignoring them, he passed a waiter and collected additional drink bags, although this time he selected one water for the dragoness and an alcoholic one just in case, before padding out of the hall and onto the rooftop terrace.

==Page break==

Outside, the cool evening air ruffled his feathers, and while the music was much quieter, the bass could still be heard. Scanning the gardens, he didn't immediately see Viina among the trimmed plants, stone lounging areas, and iron-wrought benches. Approximately half the size of the ballroom, the garden might once have served as a landing area but had now been laid out to give the guests some privacy while they ate and drank. Coiled around the small potted trees, countless amber lights had been strung to create a warm, intimate glow over the outdoor space without inhibiting a guest from taking to the sky if they wanted. Landing would, of course, be difficult with the cluttered space, but that was likely by design to discourage any trespassers from entering the hotel.

Between thuds of bass, Keekzee heard a small sniffle and whipped his head around to see Viina at the furthest end of the garden, lying at the edge of the balcony. Clenching his jaw in concern, Keekzee wasn't sure if he should approach or if she needed to be alone. However, the idea of her being intoxicated, upset, and at the edge of a rooftop garden with no wings made his paws move. Deliberately dragging a talon with every step, he knew she heard his approach by the way her frill twitched. She didn't turn to look at him, and he kept his distance while half-lifting his wings in case he had to use them. Now that he was closer, he could see that she lay with the wrists of her forepaws at the very edge, letting her paws dangle off.

“Viina…” he started, then paused when she finally looked back, and he could see the glossiness in her eyes. “Whoa, what's wrong?” he asked, taking a step closer and lowering his head so he could be nearer to her. Her reply was a shake of her head and a series of blinks as she tried to clear her eyes. Clearly, being caught crying was almost as upsetting as whatever was causing her discomfort, and as she looked away from him, he took a series of small steps closer before lowering himself onto his belly. Keeping his paws under him so he could leap if he had to, Keekzee tried to appear as small as he could to put her at ease. “Hey, that whole security thing, don’t stress about it. It was just a silly idea I had. But I get it if that’s not what you want to do… I didn’t mean to upset you—”

“It’s not that, it’s just…” Viina interrupted before sniffing deeply and exhaling through her mouth. “It’s stupid, sorry.”

“What’s wrong?” Keekzee asked in a friendly yet sincere voice, keeping his distance. When she didn’t reply, he turned his head to look out over the edge and tried not to appear as if he was demanding an answer. “What can make the mighty Viina upset?” he added and was rewarded with a small scoff.

After another sniffle and a deep exhale, the dragoness lifted her head back to coil her neck into a tight S-shape and gently shook her head from side to side. “It’s nothing, ignore me. Please enjoy your evening,” she deflected, but Keekzee refused to move.

Keekzee turned his head partially to look at her, then lifted himself up only to take a few more steps toward her and lay back down alongside her. “My job is to make sure everyone is having a good time,” he said simply before rocking his head from side to side. “And it sounds like they don’t need me,” he added before unhooking the two drink pouches from his harness and placing them down between their paws.

The dragoness didn’t make a move to either take the drinks, or to leave, but instead continued to look out over the evening skyline. Ahead of them lay the Grand Canal, weaving its way through Venice, and across the water stood the famous Saint Mark’s Basilica. Currently lit from below with floodlights, every edge and intricate detail of its design became sharp, contrasting lines of shadow and light that highlighted its majesty. The sounds of the city at night were unlike any other city, the soft lapping of gentle waves and the creak of ropes and dull thuds of boats shifting in their moorings blended with the sounds of passersby on the street below. It was hard to say exactly how many stories up they were, as many of the surrounding buildings had their own unique definition of what a floor consisted of, but Keekzee guessed they were about fifteen meters above the pavement.

Movement beside him made his eyes flick towards Viina, and he watched as she took the alcoholic drink from the two and moved it between her forepaws. “It was his song,” Viina murmured as she caught him watching and spoke as if it were almost an exchange for the drink.

The way she said it made it clear that she was talking about her ex, and he quickly tried to recall all the snippets she had told him about her past. He remembered she had broken up from a long-term or meaningful relationship and was clearly still hurt by it. Guessing by the fact that she was a marine, Keekzee hedged his bets and assumed the drake must have cheated on her while she was deployed. “You deserve better,” Keekzee said, and was caught off guard when she looked at him with a powerful yet confused expression. “I mean… I'm guessing it was a bad break-up, right?”

“He got shot,” Viina said flatly, her frill flattening against her neck as her lip trembled.

“Fuck…” Keekzee swore and felt his stomach tighten in embarrassment and shame. “I– I’m so sorry. I just thought– well, I guess I didn’t think–” he stammered before clearing his throat and pulling his head back. “I’ll make sure that song isn’t played again. I didn’t know it would–”

“It’s okay. It’s a good song,” Viina muttered so softly he wasn’t sure he’d heard her at first. With her tail laying straight back behind her, her paws over the edge, and her head looking forward, she didn’t look tense but was clearly not at peace and appeared rather defeated.

The silence that followed was deafening, and Keekzee wasn’t sure if he should talk or leave her to her drink. If he left, he worried it would look as if he were running away, but he still felt horribly underqualified to help Viina, or even know if she wanted help. “Do you… want to talk about it?” he offered hesitantly, met with renewed silence as the dragoness continued to stare straight ahead as if he weren’t there. Minutes crawled by as they lay there in silence, broken only by the dragoness occasionally dipping her head to take another sip of her drink, gripped between her paws over the edge of the building.

“He was sweet,” Viina finally said in a low, hoarse whisper, like every syllable was taxing. Still, she didn’t look toward Keekzee and continued to stare ahead, though now her eyes looked unfocused, as if she were remembering her past lover. “Riimack… that was his name… my Riimack,” she added with a pained smile, followed by a sharp inhale of breath.

“That’s a nice name,” Keekzee added in encouragement. Still unsure exactly how to react to Viina, he wanted to help in any way he could. “How did you meet?” he offered, fidgeting with his paws.

“Training… he was fresh out of basic. I was coming back from my first tour,” Viina explained with a firmness in her voice, as if she were reciting something she had rehearsed. It was a coldness Keekzee recognized as a way to hide her emotions, and he nodded in encouragement. “It is a nice name… he was a nice drake,” she added with a softness that sounded layered with regret and pain.

“Oh yeah? How so?”

Swallowing deeply, the dragoness flinched as if it pained her but pushed through to clear her throat. “As big as he was… as strong as he was, he was the most gentle soul you would ever meet,” Viina started before sweeping her tail around behind her so that it coiled to the side opposite Keekzee. It was a clearly defensive gesture, but one that seemed unintentional and instinctual. “He didn't belong there. Most of the drakes there sort of fit into a few different groups. Some are overly tough, others are there because school failed them, others have family pressures, some for college... All of them act a certain way… but not Riimack. He was different.”

“A gentle giant?” Keekzee asked, earning a nod, but he quickly realised that he had asked a very closed question that didn't encourage her to keep talking, something he guessed she needed to do to help heal. “Bigger than me?”

The dragoness glanced towards him before shaking her head. “No, close to your height but not as thick—sorry, I didn't mean to say that you're—” she halted her words when Keekzee shook his head with a reassuring smile. “He was muscular, that’s probably the best way to say it. Compared to the others in the class, he was well-built. Fierce when he had to be, but would prefer to share his snacks than to bare his fangs,” Viina continued with a sad smile as she looked ahead once more.

“He sounds like a good drake,” Keekzee cooed in a soft, gentle voice that was devoid of jealousy. He wanted her to feel safe and was conscious that being a drake could come with its own complications and implications.

“The best,” Viina replied, giving him a sad smile. “But now he is gone, and I am here,” she added before exhaling slowly in a defeated sigh. “We wanted to come here together, once we got out.” Viina explained briefly before lowering her head and squeezing her paws around the drink bag to take a deep swig of her drink.

Watching the pouch rapidly lose its volume, Keekzee shifted restlessly but waited for her to finish before leaning to one side and collecting the water-filled pouch. “How about you give this a go? I don't want you to get a hangover,” he mused and was surprised when the dragoness didn’t protest and swapped drinks with him.

“You're kind,” Viina said simply before taking a polite sip of water. “Mmmhmm, this is good water,” she added before she had swallowed, causing rivulets of water to fall from the corners of her mouth. It was clear that she was quite intoxicated, and after giving her drink a quick sniff, he blinked in surprise at its potency. It didn't smell cheap, but it still stung his nostrils, and he could almost taste the fruity pineapple flavour in his mouth from just the smell.

Tucking the half-full drinks pouch against the crook of his foreleg so it wasn’t at risk of falling over the edge, he looked back towards Viina, who was thankfully taking another sip of water. “What do you think he would have thought about the trip?” Keekzee asked, hoping to learn a bit more about the dragoness and help her through the battle she was so clearly fighting in her mind.

Massaging the water pouch between her paws, Viina looked out across the city and gave a small nod. “He would have loved this, all of this. He would have loved to learn about this place, the culture, the history, the food… mostly the food. He had a bit of a sweet tooth,” she added before smirking and looking back over her shoulder. The song had changed, but it was one that Keekzee recognized as an alternative rock song, which was currently being screamed more than sung by the group. “Right now, he would be on stage giving Daazuh a run for his money. He didn’t mind embarrassing himself like that,” she added before briefly scrunching her eyes closed and flicking her head in a quick shake, as if ridding herself of the idea. “But no… it's just like this song goes… so much for my happy ending,” she added almost in time with the song being played, before snorting at her own attempt at lightening the mood.

Worry cleared at the drake's chest as he processed what she had said and glanced toward the edge of the building. “Don't say that. This isn't your ending,” Keekzee said with a sharpness in his voice that he hadn't expected. Turning his head to hold her gaze, he looked into her eyes with concern. “You are here, and there is so much here to see and do,” he added, and was met by the dragoness rolling her eyes and briefly smiling.

“It was just a joke,” Viina scoffed and looked over the edge. “I'm here, and he isn't. I have no intention of breaking my promise,” she mused, causing Keekzee to cock his head to one side. Swallowing, the dragoness was in no rush to explain but continued to look over the edge with curiosity. “We were going to see it all when we got out. Every country in Europe, one by one, in alphabetical order,” she continued before glancing back toward him with a knowing look. “Yeah… not the most efficient way to do things. It was a silly idea… but it was his idea.”

“So you are doing everything in order?”

“I know it sounds silly, trust me. It's weird to catch a train through a country that I know I'm going to have to visit again later. But it's what we planned,” Viina replied and shuffled her wing stumps under her harness.

“Well, I think it's beautiful,” Keekzee remarked with a genuine smile. “It sounds like you two were very close.”

“We were. I only had a few months left on my contract, and I was going to renew just long enough so I could finish at the same time as him,” Viina added before taking a deep breath. “Then it would have been here, maybe settle down somewhere and have an egg or two. Make a life for ourselves.”

“You were in the same… area? Like in the Marines? Do they call it an area? I'm sorry, I don't know how it works for your country.”

“Same company, same unit, same flight, and same missions. We were forward observers, scouting ahead at high altitudes, watching flanks, calling in strikes, and relaying intel… high and out of harm's way. It was meant to be a safe gig, or as safe as it could be,” Viina explained and hiccuped slightly before smacking her lips as if she tasted something sour. “I was meant to rotate him out, but he stayed up with me. Then… things went bad,” she added and spread her wing stumps as far as she could under the elastic harness to convey her story.

“You were both hit?” Keekzee asked, and felt his stomach plummet when she nodded. Suddenly, the experiences and hardships he had faced during his mandatory service felt like those of a hatchling playing in a sandpit compared to what the dragoness had endured. Seeing action was already something so far beyond his imagination; he couldn’t fathom how horrible it must have been to lose her mate and her wings on the same day.

“I got hit first, took a round through my wing. He caught me and was carrying me out when…” Her voice choked, and she tightened her lips before jerking her head in frustration at her failed attempt to finish her sentence. Clearing her throat, she soldiered on, though this time her voice wavered with restrained emotion. “The cable holding us together took my other wing, and then the crash did the rest. Five broken ribs, punctured lung, both stifle joints torn, fractured hip. Seven vertebrae in my tail were shattered, they had to fuse what was left of Cd twelve through fourteen and put a rod in it for three months while it healed.” She rattled off while counting on her digits, then hesitated with a frown. “Oh! And a torn ligament in this leg,” she added, flexing a paw and giving Keekzee a small shrug when he looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. “You want to know what’s strange, though? The doctor said most people’s brains kind of shut down with that sort of trauma. They end up waking up all disoriented and without much knowledge of their crashes,” Viina continued before flashing him a pained smile. “But not me. I remember almost everything. The shot in my wing, the fall… Riimack catching me… I even remember feeling him pass… even the crash… everything,” she continued, then dipped her head down to drink more of her water, only to stop with her mouth an inch away from the spout. Looking around, she spotted her drink tucked against Keekzee’s bicep and leaned to one side so she could take it from him with a forepaw.

Her reaching for the drink shook Keekzee out of his stupor, and he swallowed, going to help her a fraction of a second too late. “Viina… I… that’s horrible,” he stammered as she squeezed the alcoholic drink pouch and finished it off in one long swig. “I don’t know what to say–”

“It’s okay, not many people do,” Viina replied and leaned to one side to nudge his shoulder with hers. “But I’m here. I’m okay… I’ve got my paws and I can still walk, so I can’t complain,” she lied, looking down over the edge of the building. The dragoness’s eyes scanned the pavement below, and Keekzee noticed her frill perk up slightly like it did when she was nervous. “Heights feel different now. That wasn’t something I expected.”

Following her gaze, Keekzee looked down over the edge and tried to experience what she was, but felt nothing. “I imagine it would feel scary, right?” he guessed, shuffling his wings. Despite the drop, he didn’t feel an ounce of fear, as was natural for a winged dragon. After all, a distance below them was simply space for them to use to gain speed, right themselves, or correct their flight. It was only when flying low and fast or close to obstacles that things became more dangerous and required focus, but he could imagine that the sensation could be quite scary for a dragon without wings.

“I wouldn't say scary,” Viina mused, leaning further forward until her elbows rested on the edge. “It's strange. A part of me feels at ease, but at the same time, my heart rate picks up. I know that I will never fly again, but I think my body doesn't really get that,” she added before flicking her gaze to Keekzee. “I feel like I could step off into a glide, even though I know I can't,” she continued, holding her head over the edge before finally shuffling back until her wrists were on the corner of the roof. “This harness helps, though. It keeps my wings pinned… what's left of them, that is. It's a constant reminder… a reminder that I'm broken and I can't be fixed.”

Her solemn tone clawed at Keekzee's heart, and his wing moved instinctively as it lifted and spread out over her. “Hey, hey, hey, you aren't broken!” Keekzee countered and pulled her close with his wing. Her pale white-scaled body felt cool against his sides, and he held her close. “Sure, you might not have your wings, but that doesn't make you any less of a dragon!” he added, curling his neck to look at her. She didn't pull away but instead turned her head to look back at his black-feathered wing that now held her.

After a pause, the dragoness slowly turned her head back to look at him with an expression he couldn't quite read. Fearing the worst, he lifted his wing and leaned away from her to fold it back against his side. However, while he held his wing up, Viina's bottom lip trembled for a heartbeat, and she leaned into him. It wasn't an intimate gesture, or at least Keekzee didn't read it as one; rather, it was that of a dragoness who clearly needed to feel the contact of another. “You think so?”

“Of course. Many dragons don't have wings,” Keekzee replied without hesitation and gently lowered his wing so that it rested over her shoulders. “What you've gone through… I couldn't—I couldn't imagine going through that. The fact that you are still here means that you are incredibly strong,” Keekzee added and felt her body relax against him further. “And what you are doing for him, that's truly beautiful,” he added, curling his neck to look down into her eyes.

“Thank you, Keekzee,” Viina murmured softly before inhaling deeply and letting out a sigh. “I don't know what I'm doing half the time, but visiting the places we said we would… it helps,” she added, adjusting her hind legs so they sprawled out away from Keekzee and more of her back rested against his side. “But… I don't know…”

“What?” Keekzee asked softly, watching as she averted her gaze and fidgeted with her forepaws.

“I'm here, and I'm going to these places, but I feel like I'm missing things. Those springs—I didn't know something like that existed out here, and I feel like I'm not doing a good enough job. We were going to see all of it, explore everything, and now I feel like I've missed so much,” Viina complained before clenching her forepaws and grinding her talons against the edge of the rooftop. “I went to that museum in London; I thought I saw everything, and I know I missed Leesiana's horn—”

“Viina,” Keekzee started softly and shook his head when her eyes flicked up toward him. “It’s impossible to see and do everything,” he added before looking out over the city. “Take Venice. People grow up here and go their entire lives without knowing the origins of their city or exploring every alleyway or canal, let alone see the entirety of Europe.” He felt her slump further against him and knew that his attempts at reassuring her were not having the effect he wanted. Shifting a forepaw until it overlapped hers, he brought her attention back to him and held her gaze. “I’m not saying you shouldn't try, but what I mean is that there is so much to see and do. There are countless activities and things to see in just this city, so much that you would miss out on what other places have to offer. So maybe skip the boring ones and focus on the interesting ones.”

“The boring ones…” Viina muttered in a voice so quiet Keekzee wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. The dragoness’ frill fluttered slightly as she shook her head once before lowering it again and finishing her drink pouch. Even once she was done and the pouch had been sucked dry, she used her digits to toy with the veins of remaining liquid. “Were you serious?” she asked without looking up and continued to toy with her empty drink. “About tagging along as security?”

Keeping his wing over the dragoness, Keekzee looked out over the city to appear more aloof and prayed that she hadn't felt his heart skip a beat. “Yeah,” Keekzee said before swallowing. “I mean, if you wanted to, it's an option. You would get to see the more exciting bits of Italy,” he explained before turning back to look down at her. “And listen to me tell more stories. Although as security, you're not allowed to laugh when I do the voices,” he added in an attempt to lift the mood.

Leaning more to her side, the dragoness stretched her forelegs out across the ground beside her and smiled up at him with a look of exhausted amusement. “I liked your story today,” she mused while curling her neck around herself and resting her cheek on the ground. Keekzee still felt a bit unsure of himself for having his wing over the drunk dragoness, but she didn't seem to mind and even gave the feathered limb a small sniff. “And the voices were great,” she added while turning her attention to his extended wing.

“Thanks,” Keekzee murmured while watching the dragoness eye the leading edge of his large wing. Her scales no longer felt cold against his fur, but she thankfully made no effort to end their friendly embrace. Now knowing a part of her story, he felt almost honoured that she would allow herself to relax against him and let him help comfort her. It was an unusual feeling, not driven by wanting anything more than for her to feel safe. Instead, it felt as if he were lying beside a wild creature, one that could flee at any moment but instead chose to stay beside him.

“Can… can I touch?” Viina asked, making Keekzee cock his head in confusion. Looking down at her, her eyes remained focused on his feathered wing before eventually glancing back up at him. “I’ve never really seen feathered wings up close.”

“Of course. You're already touching them anyway,” Keekzee chuckled and shifted his wing across her so that it lay closer to her forepaws. “Just don't pluck any,” he joked and playfully glared when she pouted dramatically.

“But what if I wanted a souvenir?”

“How about you stick to towels,” Keekzee teased, making her laugh as she brought a forepaw up to stroke the feathers on the leading edge of his wing wrist. The contact of her paw pads dragging across the small feathers that covered the curved shape felt familiar, and Keekzee's smile wavered as he remembered Liiria doing something similar. Thankfully, she brushed her paws in the direction of the feathers and not against them before ruffling them from side to side to see how they reset. “What do you think?”

Viina didn't reply straight away as she continued to stroke her digits through his fine feathers. “Growing up, our neighbour had chickens… I mean… sorry, I—” she started before Keekzee chuckled and hummed in acknowledgment. “These are nicer though. Cleaner, that's for sure,” she quickly corrected herself while using two digits to part the feathers and inspect the soft, downy fuzz that helped insulate his wing arm. “Even if it kinda smells like Satan's tailhole–”

“Oh come on, I haven't had a chance to shower!” Keekzee laughed and tilted his head skywards in mock exasperation. “First thing in the morning, I promise,” he added and caught a glimpse of something in her expression. It had been so fleeting that, in the dimly lit garden, he wasn't sure he had seen it. “They have drying vacs here, but if I showered tonight, I would still be going to bed damp. Drying vacs are way better than towels, but it's never perfect, and I can't sleep unless I'm completely dry,” he explained, but judging by the way she continued to study his wing, he guessed that wasn't the reason for her subtle change in mood.

“That makes sense,” Viina mused after a small silence, but Keekzee could tell by her tone that she hadn't been completely listening. It was possible she knew she had missed what he was saying, as she took in a deep, luxurious breath and slowly exhaled before changing the subject. “Your fur is really warm–” she began but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the pavers.

In unison, the pair turned to see a waiter coming towards them with polished silver buckets of drinks and a look of uncertainty in his eyes. “Mi scusi, ma uno dei suoi ospiti, quello che sta cantando, ha bevuto parecchio. Volete che smettiamo di servirgli alcolici?” the waiter asked once he had come to a polite distance from Keekzee and Viina. It took Keekzee a moment to process the waiter’s words, as he spoke with a heavy northern accent.

“Sta dando fastidio a qualcuno?” Keekzee asked and glanced towards Viina, who looked between him and the waiter with concern in her eyes.

“No, nessun problema… ma ha bevuto più del doppio rispetto agli altri,” the waiter replied while rapidly shaking his head, and Keekzee breathed a sigh of relief.

“È australiano, sa reggere bene l’alcol. Se dovesse diventare molesto, faccia pure quello che ritiene necessario, ma per ora può continuare a bere,” Keekzee replied and nodded towards the polished buckets of drinks. “Possiamo avere un paio di quelli anche noi?” he added, and immediately the waiter bowed and walked around his extended wing to approach Viina. Despite being so close to the edge of the building, the man showed no signs of being afraid of the drop, and as he offered the buckets of drinks to them both, Keekzee caught the scent of another dragon on the man’s hair.

Viina didn't hesitate to select two plump orange drink bags, and when she caught Keekzee watching, she almost reluctantly selected a clear water bag as well. Craning his neck over her, Keekzee gently picked a darker brown drink from the bucket and placed it down between his paws. “Grazie,” he added, nodding in thanks to the man who lifted his buckets and bowed in return.

“What was that about?” Viina asked once the man was out of earshot, holding her drink pouch in both paws as she drank from the spout.

Chuckling, Keekzee shook his head. “Oh, it was nothing. They’re concerned that Dazzuh is drinking them dry,” he mused and lowered his head to his drink. With a gentle pinch of his teeth, he separated the cap from the spout of his drink and folded it to one side. Its design was not too dissimilar to a valve on a pool inflatable, although thankfully much larger and easier to manipulate with his teeth. Drinking out of the plastic pouches was never as nice as from a proper glass, as the initial sip almost always tasted like the rubbery plastic of the pouch. However, with a room full of intoxicated dragons, the pouches were by far a better option in terms of avoiding breakages.

“Do... do you need to do anything?” Viina asked, with a vulnerability in her voice that made it very clear she didn’t want him to go.

Shaking his head before he swallowed, Keekzee tilted his head in the direction of the ballroom behind them. “No, they’re singing... or whatever you call that,” he said simply before turning back and flashing her a smile. “If they’re making noise, it means everything’s okay. It’s when they go quiet that you need to worry,” he added, earning a small laugh from the dragoness.

“Just like hatchlings... try not to lose them though—”

“Oh my god, you are never going to let me forget that, are you?” Keekzee retorted with a friendly laugh, and when she shook her head, he began to retract his wing.

“Nooo—” Viina protested and used a paw to hold the leading edge of his primary wing finger. “You’re warm!” she added, and he relaxed his wing so she could guide it back over her. Once she was comfortable again, she took another deep drink from her pouch and smacked her lips. “I don’t know why ‘what’s her face’ dumped you. You’re a really good egg,” she added, her words slightly slurring.

“Liiria?” Keekzee asked and was rewarded by the dragoness nodding while drinking more. He didn’t really know how to react to such a statement. Having her lying against his side with his wing draped over her, he felt as if she might be implying more than she was saying. The thought that perhaps she needed more than just a friend simmered in the back of his mind and made the muscles in his groin twitch. However, he tried to push the thought aside as he reminded himself just how much she had drunk and simply nodded. “Thanks, I appreciate that,” he added warmly and lowered his head to drink more of his own drink.

“I mean it though, you’re really smart and funny,” Viina added before grunting as she stifled a belch. “And your fur is really soft and warm.” She shuffled her whole body against his so that she was more comfortable. “I think I was wrong calling you a four. You’re a five at least.”

---

Sitting only a few yards behind the lounging pair, two dragons sat in an almost mirrored pose. Both rested on their haunches, tails swept around their paws, watching Viina and Keekzee with mixed expressions. Turning briefly to her friend, the orange dragoness with paws of inky black studied the drake's face before nodding toward the pair. “Are you okay?” she asked softly, even though her voice couldn’t be heard by anyone else.

“Yeah, I’m…” Riimack went to lie but stopped himself and closed his jaw while adjusting his forepaws. “No,” he admitted in a hoarse whisper. Extending a wing, Taalli pulled the larger drake into her side and lifted slightly as she curled her tail around him. She could feel the tremor that wracked his body but didn’t say a word as the pair continued to watch Viina smile at something Keekzee said. “I’m just worried for her. She’s opening up, and he seems like a good drake, but I’m worried it’s just the alcohol,” Riimack explained when Taalli adjusted her wing’s grip to hold him tighter.

“It will be okay, Riimy,” Taalli cooed while studying the pair. The drake wasn’t holding Viina like an overprotective boyfriend or some sleazy drake in a club. He was lying squarely on his belly and using his wing more as a blanket than a way to control the dragoness. She understood Riimack’s feelings at seeing the almost intimate display, it was one she had seen before with her own ex. “He seems like a gentle drake. Who knows, maybe opening herself up to him will make her more open going forward,” she added but could tell her friend wasn’t convinced.

“I don’t like alcohol,” Riimack muttered under his breath as he fidgeted with his claws against the pavers that lined the roof garden floor. Taalli hummed in acknowledgment and looked back at Viina and Keekzee with renewed understanding. Riimack had seen what could happen when alcohol was abused. She doubted he believed Viina would ever become as dependent on it as his father had been, but it was clear the drake didn’t feel comfortable with what he was seeing. “I just don’t want her to do anything she’ll hate herself for in the morning—”

“Oh, you have nothing to worry about, Riimack,” Taalli replied, pulling the larger dragon against her side to try to reassure him. “She’s safe with him; look at his posture, he’s not going to try anything. He’s just being friendly, and she needs a hug. Friends can hug, that’s allowed, right?” she added and adjusted her wing to emphasize her point.

“Yeah…” Riimack said softly before inhaling deeply and finally nodding. “Yeah,” he added with slightly more conviction.

“Don’t get me wrong, she’s probably going to feel a little weird about it in the morning, assuming she remembers most of it,” Taalli added with a smirk, hoping to lift her friend’s mood. Seeing that it had little effect, she nudged her shoulder against his. “It’s going to be okay, Riimack. You wanted her to be happy, right?” she asked, and when the drake looked down at his paws, she flicked her eyes toward the pair. “Yes, the alcohol is probably helping, but she seems to actually be enjoying herself. And… well, you know… one day there might come a time when she does find someone who makes her happy,” Taalli added while trying to be delicate. “You want that, right?”

“Of course I do,” Riimack replied unconvincingly and far too quickly. His reaction made Taalli turn her head to look at him directly, and she studied his eyes for what he really meant. Without having to say another word, the drake caved under her gaze and fidgeted with his claws. “I know I should, it's the right thing to do, but… it's hard.”

“I would be concerned if you said it was easy,” Taalli mused softly and gave him a friendly squeeze with her wing. “I know you loved her, and I know she loved you. From the very first day, back in that mess hall. I could tell by the way she looked at you. Even if you hadn't seen it yet,” she added with a smirk. “She was good for you, but she will be good for someone else too. More importantly, though, someone special will come along, and they will be good for her,” she continued, waiting until the drake gave a small nod of understanding. “Now, do I think that special someone is that big black fur drake over there? I don't know, maybe. Time will tell. But between you and me, she could do a lot worse,” she added before looking back towards Viina and Keekzee. “She won't ever forget about you, though, Riimy. You are as much a part of her story as anything else.”