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Vera stood outside the front doors of a small hot-food-shop that was sandwiched between a scale, talon, and horn-polishing parlor and an apothecary - all within a connected row of businesses that stretched the entire block. Attached just behind this row of shops was a two-story row of residential buildings - spaces for the shop owners, employees, and their families to nest in. She'd seen this very place so many times over the years she had made runs with Jezebel, but now standing alone, the proportions that had always seemed so natural to her before suddenly felt_wrong_, like the whole world had slightly shifted to the left and now everything was disjointed and confused.

Her heart sank into the ominous pit in her stomach. _Have I really become so dependent on Jezebel that I can't even handle a few hours alone in the world anymore? Or is it just that I'm afraid that this will soon become permanent? Either way, I didn't expect that it'd make me feel so empty._Shaking her head clear of the sudden, dark thought, and with a heavy heart, she approached the wood-framed, glass-windowed door to the shop and pushed it open, grunting a bit from the extra effort required.

The bell on the inside of the door jingled cheerily as the lone gryphon entered through the threshold of the doorway, letting it swing shut behind herself with a soft_thud_. Built for dragons as this shop was, she almost appeared childish in height in comparison. Several large booths with dragon-style cushioned floor-seats lined the wall to her left, one of which was occupied by a pair of fledglings or perhaps young dragons-in-full - one green-scaled and the other navy blue-scaled - who peered over in her direction with curious glances; another was occupied by an older, thinner, red-scaled dragon, who glared up from some kind of document with a suspicious, angry scowl, a bowl of tea steaming just off to his right paw.

A blue-scaled dragoness sat on her haunches behind the counter, a neutral, if not slightly bored expression on her face, although once she looked up and over in Vera's direction, her expression perked up, a pleasant smile gracing her muzzle. Her eyes were a stark hazel that stood out from the rich blue of her hide, and her dark horns always held a well-polished glean to them. "Vera! I was wondering if you weren't going to show up at all," she remarked pleasantly, before cocking her head slightly, her expression becoming puzzled. "Where's Jez?"

Vera smiled warmly despite herself. "Oh, hey Aelia," she remarked chipperly. She liked the blue dragoness - she had always been kind towards both herself and Jezebel and had even always made a point to take some time to inquire about their travels. She'd always come off to the gryphon as genuinely friendly - a rare enough quality to find in a dragon when it came to someone like herself. "Jez might swing by later herself, but she had some business of her own to attend to - I wasn't invited, so I figured I'd take care of some errands and stop in for a moment." She paused, before gesturing back towards the door. "That isn't an issue, is it? I can find another spot, if..." she trailed off, hesitantly.

Aelia stifled a good-natured giggle to hide the concerned expression spreading across her face at the gryphon's answer. "Oh, no, no, not an issue at all! Mother would probably throw a fit, but she isn't here to grump about it, and it's not like you and Jez come into town very often as is. I take it you'd like your usual?"

The gryphon nodded in a mild sense of relief, padding towards the counter that the friendly, blue-scaled dragon sat behind with a renewed sense of relaxation. "You're the best!" she said with a brightened facial expression. Once she got to the counter, she quietly put her hand into her left pocket. "What do I owe you?"

The dragoness tapped her claws on the counter for a few seconds, running the number in her head. "Two crowns, twenty-five," she stated with a firm nod, confirming her statement to herself as she verbalized it.

"Right, then." With that, the gryphon counted out four crowns, before standing up on her tiptoes to place them onto the counter and slide them a few inches towards the blue dragon. Then, she dropped back down to the soles of her boots, barely able to peek above the top of the hefty wooden counter.

"Thank you kindly," she said, scooping the coins up with her forepaw to drop them off the edge of the counter and into a coin-purse below. Then, she craned her head back towards the kitchen. "Hey, Jakov! I need a Torrnákhvizth! Small." With that, she turned back to Vera. "Go ahead and grab the usual spot. The extra cushion should be over there, in the usual corner... unless Mother got rid of it." she said, gesturing to the singular booth near the window to the right of the door with a forepaw.

Vera nodded, taking a step back from the counter to meet the dragoness's gaze with her own once again. "Thanks again, Aelia. You always take care of me," she said, before quickly circling her way around the counter towards the directed table. As promised, the additional cushion that was rather like a booster seat was stashed in the corner. With a little bit of effort, she managed to roll it out from hiding and set it up atop the dragon-cushion closest to the counter. Satisfied with this turn of events, she finally set down her backpack to lean against the leg of the large table at which she was to sit at, before climbing up onto the cushion with a satisfied little sigh. Soon, she'd have herself a little bowl of tea and a larger bowl of Torrnákhvizth to savor, and then she'd be able to pick up the needed supplies and still have some time before Jezebel was supposed to meet her at the City Hall fountain square.

Perhaps today wouldn't be so bad after all.

The sound of someone clearing their throat snapped Vera back to awareness. She glanced towards the sound, her right ear shifting slightly, only to find the red-scaled dragon glaring flatly at her. "You_do_ realize you aren't supposed to be here, right?" the dragon spoke, his voice gravelly with the ravages of old age and his tone cutting in its simultaneous dismissal and rancor towards the lone gryphon.

Vera cocked her head slightly and smiled thinly, refusing to let the fluttering anxiety bubbling up inside herself be shown, nor the core of cold fury show beyond her eyes. She knew this largely was a game to get a reaction out of her - it_always_ was a game to get a reaction, and she was not interested in playing. "I'm sorry?" she asked, keeping her tone level and friendly, as if he had merely been inquiring about some idle insignificance.

The red dragon sneered derisively. "You heard me. You're not meant to be in spaces meant for dragon-kind, little bird." The couple behind him shuffled their wings uncomfortably, quietly muttering between themselves in worried disapproval as they glanced between the dragon and gryphon.

The gryphon breathed out a mirthless laugh. "Ah, that. That's why I made sure it wasn't an issue first and was told it wasn't by Aelia," she remarked, gesturing towards the counter, even though the blue-scaled dragoness had gone back towards the kitchen, out of sight. "Tell me, do you own the shop?" she continued, cocking her head slightly for effect.

The elder dragon narrowed his eyes with a snarl. "Watch your tongue, little bird. You are far too liberal with it for someone of your reputation, station, and rank." He folded his wings smugly, tail-tip lashing back and forth angrily.

Vera resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Such an answer was predictable with such an egotist, after all. "Answer the question,dragon. Do you own this shop? Yes or no."

He let out a low, rich growl. "I need not own this shop to tell you to stick to your own kind,Veluzthithar. Nobody likes a bird who rejects their virtue of docility, now do they?"

Keeping her cold, green eyes trained on the offending dragon, even as she spotted the green dragon behind him rise from their seat at the table, outrage apparent on their face, she refused to give an inch. "Much like nobody likes a dragon whose ego has grown too large for their wings," she stated, her tone's bite revealing the depths of her growing rage.

The red dragon let out a snarl. "Listen here, you little feathery bitch..." he growled, flaring his wings slightly in a threatening manner and taking a step towards the gryphon only to be stopped by the younger, green-scaled dragon.

"What's your problem?" they demanded, glaring at the elder dragon, their voice the deep rumble of a drake. "The shop-keep has made it clear it's not a problem for her to be here, she isn't hurting anyone, and she's a paying customer. Leave her alone."

Vera folded her ears back, grateful for the intervention. She wanted to speak up but knew it wiser not to interfere and upset the drake that clearly wanted to help. So, she swallowed her pride, shuffling her wings and letting out a quiet, shaky sigh as she tried to exile the anxiety from her body.

The red dragon squared his shoulders and lifted his head a little bit. "Really? You dare speak like this to one of your elected councilors? You're going to take the side of a fucking_melnárkhna?_"

The dragon spit out that final word, venom in his voice and furious, indignant fire in his eyes. "Where is your sense of manners,whelp?"

The green dragon remained undaunted. "For your information,sire, this - melnárkhna - you're harassing is a member of the Imperial Cross-Continental Corps. Where is your sense of respect?"

The elder froze for a moment, stunned. Then, his maw curled into a cold sneer once again. "You lie. There is no way that bird is a Ranger."

The green drake shook his head, before gesturing to the bag resting beside the table with the spaded tip of his tail. "Do you see the seal-patch on the center of the top-flap of her bag? That's the seal of the Corps. You aren't allowed to buy, sell, wear, or otherwise use that seal unless you are working on official business with the Imperium. You of all people should be familiar with this,Councilor." The way he spat that final word made Vera stifle a snort of amusement.Two can play that game, she reflected with a mote of impressed respect. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the navy-blue dragon covering the front of their snout with a forepaw, mirroring her reaction.

The red dragon clenched his jaw for a few seconds, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. "Bullshit!" he roared. "She must have stolen it from its original owner. Besides, what two-legs has a family name like Veluzthmíra? That's a dragon Clan-name if I've ever heard one." The drake shuffled his wings in agitation. "In any case, there's no chance this_therúkzi_ -"

Vera cut him off by slamming her hands on the table and standing up, outrage written on her face and violence burning in her eyes. That was the one insult she refused to accept unchallenged - it did not matter that the offender was a dragon; she was no docile plaything or whore to be used on a dragon's whim, and the dragon would surely pay for suggesting otherwise. She saw herself dragging him out the doors by his tail with sheer force of will, shredding his eyes with her talons, then beating in his smug, narcissistic face with a cobblestone pried from the road, and finally cutting out his tongue for good measure with her hunter's knife; and she knew with every fiber of her being, that she could do it, no matter the damage she received in return.

Well, perhaps not the first part - after all, while a berserker's rage made much of the impossible suddenly within reach, he_was_ still a dragon. At least taking it to the street would mean that Aelia wouldn't have to deal with cleaning up chunks of dragon brain matter and fragments of skull-bones, sticky pools of dark, congealing blood, feathers, and shredded bits of flesh off the floor of her shop. All she had to do was to take a single step forward, and instinct and training would take care of the rest; win or lose would cease to matter at that point. All that would matter was the savage thrill of monstrous, reactionary violence.

The green dragon gently placed the spaded tip of his tail atop her right hand as if he sensed her intentions and sought to stop her before she said or did something she would sorely regret when under calmer, more logical circumstances. "Now_that's_ un-fucking-called for, Counselor. I think it wise if you -"

At that moment, Aelia came storming out from the back, the door between the counter area and kitchen slamming against the wall with a rattle. She nearly leapt over the counter; a move that made the green drake skitter out of the way behind Vera as the blue dragoness single-mindedly made her way towards the red-scaled dragon. "Get the fuck out of my store.Now," she hissed at him, tail lashing side to side in a level of fury the gryphon had never seen out of the blue-scaled dragoness before.

The sudden reaction seemed to catch said drake off-guard, instinctively folding his ears back against his head and dropping his snout as he took a step back. "I'm not the one who's not supposed to be -"

"I don't give a flying fuck what you think. You're harassing the other paying customers, and last I checked, City Hall doesn't own this shop - my family does. Now - get the_fuck_ out of my store before I throw your ass through the glass door_. Do I make myself clear_?" she roared. The blue dragoness's wings were flared threateningly, body poised and ready to spring forward and make good on that threat.

Realizing that, despite whatever threats he could make to try to cow her, she was going to remain unmoved, the red drake lost all bravado. Quickly turning for the door, he fumbled with the handle for a moment. Once he swung the door open blindly, he shouldered his way through the threshold onto the street, before scrambling back up the road towards city hall. The document he had been reviewing lay flat on the table, his bowl of tea still steaming.

The dragoness folded her wings in smug satisfaction. "And good riddance. The fucking_nerve_, calling Vera such a...!" She paused and shook herself out to try to expel her aggressive agitation. "He ought to be damn ashamed of himself." Turning to the now-unoccupied table, she grunted. "Alright, Claira should be getting off her lunchbreak in a minute here - I'll have her handle those," she said to herself, before spinning around to face Vera. "I'll have your food out in a second. Are you okay, Vee-vee?"

The gryphon rested her arms on the table and shuffled her wings back up against her sides, nodding with a flicker of her right ear as her anger began to finally dissipate. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Thank you."

It seemed for a moment that Aelia didn't believe her, but eventually, she nodded and relented. "Alright. Let me know if you need anything, then," she said, before dipping her head and padding back towards the kitchen.

Vera watched her go and started to turn back around to try to exorcize the events and feelings of the past moments from her mind, but had her attention caught by the younger couple. The darker dragon of the two was waving her over with a forepaw. She paused for a second, cocking her head. Were they inviting her over? And if so, to what end? Surely it wasn't hostile, given what had transpired, but she remained cautious.

The midnight-blue scaled dragon repeated the gesture with a small nod, confirming her suspicions. After a second of hesitation, the gryphon got up, shouldered her bag, and made her way to the table with the two dragons, half-pushing and half-lifting the deceptively heavy cushion-seat she had been sitting atop. "Thank you, and sorry for the trouble," the gryphon said once she had arrived, placing the bag down beneath the table once more and settling the cushion next to the darker-scaled dragon so her back was against the wall, and she could see the door from where she sat.

The green drake almost seemed embarrassed to be thanked from his facial expression, but he shook his head, nonetheless. "No trouble at all. It wasn't right, what he did to you. And to think he's supposed to represent us..." the drake shook his head in disgust. "Even if it's obvious you're feeling like a dragon that's been grounded, I think it was unfair for him to make those accusations."

Vera nodded, gratefully. "Even still, it's not often I have to rely on someone other than Jezebel to discourage that kind of behavior... so I appreciate it."

"Oh, so Jezebel is your dragon-partner?" the dark-scaled dragon asked, his voice more of a tenor than the green dragon's. His silver-gray eyes were curious, but empathic.

Vera nodded again. "Yes. I met her seven years ago during the Trial-selection phase of training, and we quickly found we got along quite well, and made a great team. We've been almost inseparable since."

"So, I take it then that you aren't used to - being unaccompanied, then?" the darker dragon asked again.

The gryphon folded her ears a bit self-consciously. "Well, not like this at least. Usually, the couple of times she goes home to see her Clan, I have a quiet little place that I go to where I can relax in my own way and avoid causing drama with her family, and she has her visits. Of course, I miss her during those stretches, but at least I have the solace of... well..." she trailed off with a knowing, quiet smile. "But like this, in the middle of a place like Kehmastral? This would be a first."

Both dragons shared a troubled glance. "Is that a sign of trouble?"

She shrugged. "I don't think so, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. We did run into some - mild friction on the road - but it's been a long run, and... well, it's natural for her to feel a bit restless. I guess it's just disquieting in a way because we have one more run after this one before our contract is up for renewal, and we haven't even discussed yet if we're going to renew it or not. So, in a way, it feels a bit more permanent than it really is - or rather, it feels more like a taste of things to come. As you can imagine, that's not exactly a feeling to be looking forward to."

The pair nodded their heads sympathetically. "I can imagine so, yeah," the green drake said. "In any case, we figured you might appreciate having someone to talk to - and a dissuasion from any... further incidences while you're here, at least."

The avian woman raised her ears slightly in appreciation. "Consider me grateful, then. And well-met, by the way. I'm Vera, as you saw from the patch," she remarked lightly with a small chuckle.

"Well met, Vera," the darker drake rumbled lightly. "I'm Cerroth, and you've met my nest-mate, Eru." The green drake flicked his tail almost-bashfully but nodded pleasantly.

"A pleasure to make both your acquaintances," the gryphon said pleasantly. "Speaking of patches - how did you recognize them and have all that information to just... pull out like that? It was kind of impressive."

Eru shuffled his green wings a bit. "Oh, well, ever since I was a hatchling, the Rangers were an interesting and awe-inspiring concept. So much so that I made sure to learn everything one could about them - what requirements had to be fulfilled to be qualified, nature of the job, seals, and insignia, what different patches meant, identification tokens... all of it." He smiled sheepishly. "I was dead-set on becoming one - that was what I wanted to do, I knew it. But then I went on Journey, and I saw the wider world. I learned a lot about it and myself, and somewhere along the way met Cerroth, we fell in love, and... I don't think I could spend so much time away from home without him, as tempting as the open skies and vast wilderness is. So, I had to find myself a new dream." The two drakes gently nuzzled against the other's jawline for a moment, and Vera felt a flare of pained, almost jealous longing in her heart. She desperately hoped it didn't show on features.

Instead, she smiled warmly to bury the flare of the pain of unwanted nostalgia and currently-ensnared emotions further within herself. "Ah, I understand very well what you mean."

That made the green dragon pause, even as Cerroth cocked his head in curious amusement. "Oh, sounds like you care very much for Jezebel," Eru said finally, which elicited a mild hiss-giggle from the darker drake.

Vera thinly smiled a bit wider in amusement but flicked her left ear self-consciously. "That's certainly a way to put it, yes. We've done so much life together at this point that... Well, it's hard to imagine having to do life without her." The midnight-scaled drake hiss-giggled again, but the gryphon did not mirror the sentiment, instead a sense of quiet grief spreading across her features. "I know it'll happen at some point... After all, she has a Clan to go back to sooner or later and claim as her inheritance, and... well, to put it mildly, it's not like she can take me with her, no matter how close we've grown. It's probably for the best, even if doesn't feel that way. Or, I guess, as you put it, I'll have to see if I can find another dream."

"Ah," Cerroth said, his amusement suddenly dying on his face, struck by the weight of the gryphon's words. "Well, that's bad luck. I'm sorry to hear that."

The gryphon shrugged slightly, trying to do her best to display a quiet bravado, as if what she had just said wasn't the emotional equivalent of having her own wings sawed off in preparation for crucifixion. "The things they don't tell you before you sign up, right?" she said with a mirthless smile. "That being said, I wouldn't trade away my time with Jezebel for anything. There's no price high enough someone could offer that is worth more. I'm sure you both understand what I mean by that."

The dragon couple nodded in unison, sharing another knowing look. It seemed like Eru was about to say something, but a bipedal felid woman, whom Vera assumed to be Claira pushed the two-way door to the kitchen open, carrying a large tray in both paws. The feline was a light gray, almost-cream color as a primary fur color, with black socks for her hand-paws and foot-paws, the latter of which she had in a pair of black platform heels. She wore a dark blue, modest dress, and her black hair was pinned up with a matching hair-comb, keeping the locks out of her yellow-green eyes. She carried the tray, laden with two dragon-sized meals and one gryphon-sized bowl of soup - and matching bowls of tea for each - with confidence and expertise.

If she seemed surprised to see Vera with the pair of dragons, it did not show on her face as she approached the table. A whole roast chicken, ringed with roasted yellow squash, brussels sprouts, and shallots, was set in front of Cerroth. A whole chuck roast, served with potatoes, carrots, onions, and a demi-glaze of red wine sauce was placed in front of Eru, who licked his jowls in anticipation. And finally, the bowl of Torrnákhvizth, steaming and piled high with wavy rice-flour noodles, thin slices of chicken, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and a bunch of spinach greens in a clearish-golden broth, was set down in front of Vera, along with a pair of chopsticks. Finally, each person at the table received their bowl of tea, and with a quick, sharp bow, Claira made her way back towards the kitchen.

And together, wordlessly, they eagerly dug into their food in a quiet cacophony of bites, tears, chews, and quiet slurps. As always, it was delicious - and it always tasted better when in good company. The only thing missing in Vera's point of view was Jezebel, but being in the presence of two friendly acquaintances dulled that ache just enough to be manageable. The broth was as rich as she always remembered it being, and the ingredients came together in a symphony she could best describe as a warm hug. It was exactly what she needed.

Once everything had been eaten, and the plates cleared, Vera stood up, sliding the extra-cushion she had used back across the restaurant and back to its previous position, ignoring the bemused, curious expressions from several of the other patrons. Satisfied that she had ensured nobody would trip over it, she returned to the table in the back corner to collect her bag. "I appreciate everything again," she said, shouldering the bag and straightening up again. "Unfortunately, the open sky beckons, as always, and I need to do a couple more things before I can heed its call. May Ashrukíva bless you with health, happiness, and an abundance of love."

Cerroth and Eru both dipped their heads gratefully. "Thank you for your time, and your service," Eru said with a slight, knowing smile.

Vera bowed her head with a self-conscious ear-flick, and with that, she left the two drakes to their own devices once more, giving Aelia a goodbye wave on the way out.

"Come again soon!" the blue dragoness remarked with a pleasant smile. "And tell Jezebel I said hello!"

"Will do... and will do!" the gryphon called back to her friend behind the counter, before stepping through the food-shop door's threshold and back out onto the street, feeling in much better spirits than going in. She only had to pick up some supplies, and then she'd have about an hour to kill before she was expected to meet up with Jezebel. With that in mind, she turned eastwards, towards the trading post on the eastern edge of town.

Fortunately, due to how small Kehmastral itself was as far as notable population centers went, it was no more than a ten-minute walk to her destination. She saw a couple of dragons passing by on the street - including a dragon and non-dragon pair of the Imperial Guard, who acknowledged Vera's presence with a respectful nod from the dark-gray furred dragon, and a tip of the helmet from the brown-furred wolfish canid on the dragon's back, even as she nodded back. Jogging up the triple-steps of the trading post, with the weathered wooden sign that swung even under the lightest of breezes, announcing they specialized in both dragon and non-dragon supplies, she ducked up under the front eave of the shop and through the large, dragon-compatible door to the interior, seeking to get out of the suddenly uncomfortable sunlight.

Behind the counter was an elderly dragon whose name always eluded the gryphon. He had a faded, once-iridescent hide of black scales that had since become more muted and matte in hue, but his green eyes had not dulled with time as well. His horns remained sharp, as did his facial expressions, which hardened into a frown when he saw Vera entering unaccompanied. "Hold it right there,melnárkhna - can I get your name, your business, and the items you want to purchase? This post doesn't tolerate any thievery, and Kehmastral has a sturdy set of stocks. Y'hear?" he asked gruffly.

Vera resisted the urge to wince at the bruising to her ego that the shopkeeper's assumptions of her were so low, but it could be far worse, she supposed. At least it sounded like he could be reasoned with. "Quite clear, sir. Vera Veluzthmíra, Ranger of the Imperial Cross-Continental Corps," she said, digging into her right-hand pocket, before pulling out a gold coin that was twice the diameter of a crown to show the shopkeeper, tails-side up first. "I'm merely seeking to replenish supplies for the leg to Frontier, and a couple specialty items requested by my dragon-partner, as she must attend to other matters herself, if possible."

Stamped on the tails-side face was the official seal of the Corps- a Common Dragon in the background sitting up on its haunches with its forelegs in the air, with the silhouette of a star held in its forepaws; a pair of wheat strands formed an almost-horseshoe-shaped semi-circle to cradle the seal. The words "Imperial Cross-Continental Corps" were stamped around the top portion of the seal, and the Imperium's slogan was stamped similarly around the bottom of the face, both in Imperial Formal. Flipping the coin over to slide it on the counter towards the shopkeeper to inspect was the heads side, which featured a gryphon's bust rendered at the profile position; Above the head was the name "Vera Veluzthmíra," with the bottom containing the phrase, "Cohort 21-D, Fárstmeinster Prefecture."

The shopkeeper inspected the coin with a practiced, critical eye on both sides, before setting the coin back down onto the counter and sliding it back into the gryphon's reach. "Ah, thank you for your service, Madame Veluzthmíra," the elder dragon said, his voice still somewhat gruff, but more pleasant in tone. "If you have a list of items that you could write down for me, I shall have my assistant fetch these items for you - the standard items, at least. I can handle these specialty items for you myself if I am able to accommodate the request. Would that be an agreeable arrangement?"

Vera slid the identification token off the countertop to place safely back into her right-hand pocket. Even though it was hardly the first time she had received this kind of whiplash in perceived reputation when showing this identification token, it always took her off-guard and instilled a sense of cautious disquiet within her. It was a silent reminder that her status as a Ranger was what marked her as an upstanding citizen in the eyes of dragon-kind, and not her own personal merits. She did her best to not show that it bothered her, although how successful that was, she didn't know. "Ah, yes. If you have something I could write that list with... ah! Here it is. Very thoughtful of you, thank you," she said, picking up the pen from the inkwell in which it rested and writing down the list of things she needed onto a small slip of paper provided, before returning the pen to its well and sliding the paper slip forward. "Thank you very much... That should be all the standard items I need."

"Thank you very much, Madame. I shall get my assistant to review and collect your items." With that, he turned his head back and gruffly barked out, "Theroku!" towards the back room.

Another bipedal reptilian, this one with yellow-orange scales and grey eyes, came rushing from the back. "At your service, sire," the scalie said, quickly bowing to his superior.

The dragon handed the smaller reptilian man the note the gryphon had filled out. "Please see what you can do about gathering these items for our feathered friend here - and make it of utmost priority. Whatever you are doing can wait."

The scalie man quickly bowed again, before rushing off to collect the items on Vera's behalf.

"Now, for the non-standard items, what would you be looking for?" the dragon inquired, shuffling his wings as he settled back onto his haunches.

Vera brought her attention back to the dragon behind the shop counter. "Ah, yes, sir. My dragon-partner would like me to purchase a full stationery set - with ink and pen if possible. She hopes to save a few extra crowns compared to buying it in Frontier - you know how it is, Big City Upcharges and all that."

The black dragon smiled in mild amusement. "Yes, indeed I do. Big City Upcharge indeed, hah. That's a good way to put that." He swished his tail-tip in thought. "I will have to check to see if we have any in stock - it's not too often someone needs to get a set, but we should still have one or two... If you don't mind the wait."

Vera assented with a nod of her head and gesture of the hand atop the countertop. "By all means, sir. Thank you, sir."

The dragon chuckled in amusement. "Not a problem at all, Madame. Always a pleasure to assist a Ranger - whatever makes the runs a little easier, eh?" he said with a knowing smile. With that, he rose back up onto all fours and, turning like a cat on itself to maneuver the admittedly tight space for his size, he padded back through the open door to the room in the back, a slight limp in his left hind leg noticeable to the gryphon.

She waited patiently for a moment, before the orange-scaled bipedal returned to the counter, arms full of the items Vera had requested. He placed them onto the countertop with a light grunt, before dipping his head. "This should be everything, Madame," he stated chipperly.

With a pleasant nod, the gryphon carefully inspected the goods: a stack of wrapped and sealed hardtack, two stacks of similarly wrapped and sealed dried meat-sticks, a new waterskin, and a fresh bar of handmade soap. Everything was there. "Perfect, thank you," she said to the shorter man across the counter from her.

The dragon padded back through the open door of the backroom, a small basket with the stationery set clenched between his teeth. Setting the basket onto the table, he used a forepaw to gently proffer it towards the gryphon. "This is the last one we had... would this be satisfactory for your needs?" he asked expectantly.

Vera took a look over the items presented to her, before flicking her left ear and nodding in approval. "Those will work perfectly wonderfully. Thank you again for your accommodation, sir." She then paused. "What do I owe you?"

The shopkeeper-dragon ran the figures in his head for a moment. "Should be no more than... say, an even 10 crowns. That should cover just fine."

Vera reached into her left pocket quietly, pulling out her small stash of gold, silver, and copper coins. Counting them up, she pulled out exactly ten golden crowns, before placing them on the counter and sliding towards the dragon. "That should do it, if I'm not mistaken." She shuffled her wings slightly, feeling the smallest bit of impatience.

The black dragon counted the coins, before nodding pleasantly. "That'll do. Pleasure doing business, Madame. Safe travels to you and your dragon-partner."

"Thank you, sir," the gryphoness said, before taking the items from the counter and quickly, but efficiently, packing them into her backpack. Shouldering the now-heftier bag over her shoulder, she gave a final nod to the pair behind the counter, before she exited out of the shop again, eager to be done with her required business. Looking westward, and then southbound, she considered her options. On the one hand, waiting a whole hour for Jezebel to show up at City Hall was an incredibly unappealing idea, especially considering the ruckus caused by the Councilor's uproar in Aelia's food-shop. On the other hand, while heading into the southside would offer some anonymity as it was clearly the part of town built for and lived in by other non-dragons, she wasn't convinced she'd get much of a warm welcome. After all, it_was_ Kehmastral - friendly was not something that mining towns like it were known for.

At least I know I can get a drink in the Southside without too much issue, she said to herself, solidifying the decision in her mind.Right. Let's not dawdle, then.

As she angled south down the nearest street, the buildings suddenly gained proportions only fit for non-dragons - the doors and windows seemed almost dollhouse-like in comparison to the northern section of town she had been made accustomed to. The buildings were far simpler, as if they were merely constructed as needed instead of having been designed with any sort of consideration or care for catching the eye like the northside had been. She was struck by how full of activity the streets seemed in comparison to the Northside. While she couldn't consider the streets crowded, per se, it sure felt that way after a late morning of wide, almost-empty streets. She could only imagine what a day where the mines were not running would look like, if such a thing ever occurred. Considering she had always been with Jezebel whenever coming through these past years, she hadn't been down to this part since... Well, since before she had even met Jezebel. She tried not to think of it too much and just kept her head down and her gait with purpose, making it clear she was minding her own business and wished the same courtesy to be returned.

There was a slight hitch in her step when she saw a familiar, well-oiled wooden building façade a few doors down to the right, and the flash of gold on the door handles and the step-railings leading to that out-of-place grandiose front entrance. The red-glass lanterns lining the doorway, unlit as they were, confirmed her suspicions. She kept her head down, but practiced a sense of vigilance, eyes scanning the moderately-busy streets for any signs of the very people she did not want to meet.

She only had about a second of warning when a tall, well-dressed, black-furred wolfish man seemed to appear from out of the general crowd to subtly block Vera's path and force her to stop, if only to try to go around him and the gold-tipped cane he held in his right hand. "Hello there!" he stated with an almost theatric sense of friendliness, although the gryphon knew that behind those cold, glacier-blue eyes was a conniving, calculating mind that only sought two things - the completion of his inevitable sales-pitch, and the profits he'd gain from it. "A bit far from home, aren't you?"

Vera glared at the wolf, not even trying to hide her displeasure at coming across him. "Merely passing through - I have somewhere to be, I'm afraid," she said coldly.

"Come now!" the wolf said with a laugh that seemed to be just too hard-pressed from the diaphragm to be genuine, although perhaps the uninitiated and unvigilant would be none-the-wiser and caught off-guard by the gesture. "No need to be snappy at me. I am merely a humble businessman who wishes to present to you a brighter alternative to your current... situation. And besides, it does not do you well to be so hostile - after all, Veluzthithars are famous for their soft-spoken manners and docile demeanors well-suited for places far - greater - than the mere locale of here."

Vera was unimpressed by the theatrics. "I know exactly what you are, Mister. I know what you are about, and I'm not buying the poison you wish to sell to me under the pretense of being an ailment to whatever problem you_think_ I have. You're a member of the Guild," she stated flatly, spitting the last word with derision.

The wolf's artificially pleasant smile slipped slightly, taking on a slightly more aggressive, predatory appearance, before he slipped the mask of approachable friendliness back on once again. "Yes, the one and only Guild of Consorts. I take it you'd heard well about it - and from your reactions, perhaps you have heard some... tall tales about what it is we sell, yes? I can most certainly assure you that whatever it is you've heard is at best exaggeration and at worse fabrication."

Vera rolled her eyes. "Oh, you mean the stories about who exactly would purchase the contract of a Veluzthithar like myself? I know exactly what the intent of a dragon with the wealth to buy a Veluzthithar's contract and the desire to do so is. And I am sorry, but no amount of gold or pampering, or fancy jewelry and clothes is going to convince me to sign my autonomy away to become some plaything for a dragon's whims... and conveniently line your pockets while I'm at it. You do not_know_ me, Mister Guildsman. Do not pretend like you do."

The canid's smile died, and his eyes no longer showed the façade of polite, theatrical friendliness. "You would be wise to temper your tongue,bird. I am offering you the business venture of a lifetime - a chance to escape your inevitable fate of total subjugation with no way to buy your way out of the bondage of peasantry. I am not robbing you of your autonomy, I am_granting_ you it, regardless of how it may appear, or how others think of it. Yes, sacrifices of some comfort may be necessary - but that is a small price to pay for the chance to liberate yourself - to rise on wings unborrowed and truly_fly_."

The gryphon sneered at him. "Borrowed wings or not, I am flying higher than you could ever promise... and with more autonomy over my destiny than your gilded lies could ever promise. I have already forged myself a future, and I do not need your help in the matter, thank you very much." She didn't hide her open disgust for the Guildsman in front of her - he had somehow found a way to strike at some of her most secret, vulnerable insecurities and was actively trying to weaponize them against her. And she hated him all the more for it. With that, she sidestepped the truly predatory, wolfish man, and started to quickly walk away from him.

"Ranger!" he barked, making her freeze in her tracks, and drawing a few unwanted stares. "Don't think I've never seen one of your ilk before, nor that I've not seen the cracks forming in your self-built future. Where is your dragon? Those wings you've borrowed may have to be returned sooner than you think... and where will you be after that? You need my help far more than you could ever know."

Vera did her best to not let the shock and fluttering panic within show on her face or her body.He's dealt with Rangers before! He knows the signs too well to not know the beginnings of the fracturing of the partnership. How the fuck does he know? And how many people has that worked on before?_She refused to be cowed by this most brazen attack against her insecurities, forging her rage into a single-minded weapon of focus. Slowly turning back to face the wolfish man, she straightened herself up in defiance. "If I ever find that I do need your - help - you will be the first to know, and not a moment sooner._Good day." She spat on the road between them, turned on her heels, and continued on her not-so-merry way, heat practically radiating off the seething avian as she escaped the clutches of the Guild of Consorts despite the wolfish salesperson's best efforts.

She was still moderately agitated when she finally made it to a tavern down the road, a faded wooden sign advertising its name creaking in the early-afternoon breeze. "The Lucky Lady... Great," she muttered to herself as she ducked under the eave and, nodding to the bouncer on the front who let her by without complaint, pushed through the turnstile doors and into the dark, smoke-filled room.

Ignoring the stares from the men standing around a snooker table, and the bustle of conversation from the carious card-sharks, fish, dealers, and onlookers at the baccarat and poker tables, she made her way straight up to the bar. A cervine woman, a head taller than Vera and colored a dark coffee in fur hue with white spots, manned the counter, wiping the oiled wooden slab with a cloth. They nodded to one another and, settling her pack between herself and the bar, she sat up atop one of the many empty barstools and folded her hands together, tracing her thumb-talon over her brow, her mind still fresh on what the Guildsman had said.

Is it so obvious to everyone else that I've damaged Jezebel's and my partnership?_she asked herself quietly, the earlier accusations within her own mind having settled down into a quiet, calm self-reflection._Am I just deluding myself to think that I can make amends?_She shook her head to clear that thought._No. The Guildsman was just trying to get under my feathers. I need to trust that Jezebel is still understanding and will be willing to talk this through. I just wish I wasn't such a complicated mess. She deserves better than that - and if not from me, then from someone else.

The barkeep leaned on the bar-top with her elbows across from Vera. "Sorry for the wait. What can I get for ye?"

Vera blinked for a second, thrown out of her headspace and back into reality. "Oh! Uh, sorry. What was that?"

The cervine smiled thinly. "Long day? I was just asking what you'd like to drink."

"Oh... uh, yeah. Sorry. A little lost in the head." Vera chuckled unconvincingly. "If you have it, I'll take a pint-a mead - whatever is on tap in that regard."

The taller woman nodded brusquely, before pulling out a horn-mug and placing it down atop the table. "We have a pomegranate cherry-blossom from Costa Regia, I think that would do you right."

Vera nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, I think it will do me right, I reckon." She paused for a moment. "What do I owe for the privilege?"

The barkeep chuckled. "Ah, must be from elsewheres, I take it. Two farthings, dearie. Same as any other dose o' poison here."

Vera nodded, reaching into her left pocket, and pulling out her last crown. She plopped it onto the bar-top and slid it to the deer-woman, who deftly caught it with a quiet "Thank ye kindly." With that, the barkeep straightened herself up, scooped up the mug, and headed for the casks behind the copious liquor display shelf, leaving Vera to her own devices once again.

She sighed quietly to herself. I need to stop crucifying myself over this. We will mend this if it is possible. I cannot afford to not try. Otherwise, every day will be like today has been - a downward spiral into grief, rage, regret, and violence - nothing more or less than monstrous existence. I cannot - will not - allow myself to go down that path again, even out of necessity to survive, or else it shall surely kill me. Those who live by monstrosity shall surely die by it, after all. And Ashrukíva does not look kindly upon monsters, even those born out of necessity.

She glanced around, and noticed a couple of caprine men, still dirty from their rotation in the mines, catching sight of her as they walked up towards the bar. Their expressions, while hard to gauge, put a pit in the gryphon's stomach._Alright, just one drink, and then I need to go and wait for Jezebel outside of City Hall. I can already tell if I wait too long here, something bad is going to happen._Reaching down into the side of her bag, she pulled out her folding knife, hiding the closed-up blade in the palm of her right hand to reassure herself that if anything went badly, she would have more than merely talons and a beak to defend herself with. With that, she turned back to browse the liquor-shelf with her eyes.

"Well, well!" said one of the miners as they sidled up to her left side, sitting at the next two barstools over. "Ain't this a hell of a sight. Little far from home, aren't you, little bird?" the one closest to her remarked, his tone almost sounding like a taunt than anything. His buddy chuckled darkly, and it was then that Vera knew she was right about her gut feeling.

Digging her talon-nails into the palm of her right hand, squeezing around the folding knife, she flicked her ear. "Just a little bit," she said, not taking her eyes off the liquor cabinet and watching them through peripheral vision. "I take it you boys just got off a long shift, you're itching for a drink, you see an unfamiliar woman at the bar, and assume you'd shoot your shot and that you'd score, one way or another." She turned to look at them out the corner of her eye. "Did I get that right?"

The two goatish men shared a glance, before turning back to face the gryphon. "Why, you're not a dragonfucker, are you?" the one further away from her asked, the closer one snorting in amusement.

"No," Vera said, pointedly. "But that doesn't mean I'm a you-fucker either."

Unable to stop himself, the caprine next to her let out a small guffaw as the other one scowled at that. "Ho ho! Someone's got a sharp tongue on herself! Well-spoken, confident. Fárstmeinster Prefecture, if your accent doesn't lie. Definitely a tourist. What brings you to Kehmastral?"

Vera shrugged. "Business, of course. I'm just having a drink and then it's time for me to bounce. A lot of ground to cover in not a lot of time," she said with a thin smile.

The man next to Vera scowled slightly. "Oh, so you are a dragonfucker. In that case... Where's your dragon-overlord? Because there's no way in hell you flew all the way to Kehmastral all by your lonesome."

Vera rolled her eyes resisting the urge to snap back at the caprine next to her. "First off, she's not my dragon-overlord - we share the work equally, so we're partners. Second, she has her own affairs to attend to - and I'm not always invited to those."

"Shocker," the male said bitingly as the barkeeper came over and slid the horn-mug of mead over to Vera. She nodded thankfully, before taking a sip and cautiously setting the mug down with a small sigh. She waited for the two caprines to put in their orders to the barkeeper and for her to walk out of earshot before picking up the conversation. "You say that as if I'm surprised that she'd have plans that don't involve me. She's a big dragon, she doesn't need little old me to accompany her everywhere she does to keep her ego in check."

"Bah," the caprine furthest from her said, shaking his head. "No matter how equal your dragon-overlord may pretend to treat you, they're your overlord. After all, 'The lowest of dragons still soars on wings stronger than the highest of melnárkhen,' right? Honestly, it'd almost be better if they didn't even have the pretense, so you'd understand who the enemy is... and that you're fraternizing with 'em, dragonfucker."

Vera let out an exasperated sound from her beak. Yeah, yeah, real original thinking, dumbass. Truly, I have heard nothing like it before. What a truly stunning take, dickwad."What else would you have me do? Slave away in a field for an actual overlord whose_land_ owns me until I drop dead from overwork and exhaustion? Join the imperial guard and perpetuate the power of our godforsaken_monarch_ with unholy violence - usually directed at people just like you and me? Sign my soul and body away to the Guild of Consorts and become some actual plaything for a dragon's whims like you're acting like I already am? No, thank you."

The conversation had attracted a canid man and woman further down the bar, who like the further-away caprine nodded their head sympathetically as Vera spoke. The man next to her remained unconvinced. "Better a life of honest subjugation than a life of false, borrowed status."

Vera looked at him askance. "Are you fucking serious? You really think that a life of_subjugation_ - no, slavery - is the preferred alternative? Where's your sense of self-worth? Without us, all of dragon society collapses. Without our more dexterous hands, who is going to write and deliver crucial communications that keep the continent from falling apart under its own size? Who's going to construct the buildings, roads, and the very fabric of our current existence? Without our sense of industriousness, who's going to mine the precious metals, gems, and raw materials that the Imperium was built on? Without our animal husbandry, who is going to have enough meat to feed an entire population of dragons without turning the entire continent into a wasteland?"

The gryphon shrugged, shuffling her wings slightly and flicking her tail in agitation. The room around her had gone silent, and as she glanced around, she saw that many of the tavern's occupants had turned their attentions onto her and what she had to say; many were sympathetic and even nodding in agreement, but a few had their arms crossed, a hostile expression on their face. Others still looked merely entertained but otherwise hardly interested. Turning back to the caprine, she resumed speaking. "Is continuing to merely_subsist_ in our so-called 'unity' founded on subjugation really the preferred option when we should be pushing for unity through cooperation instead? Forgive me if I disagree fundamentally with that worldview. And until things materially improve in that regard, forgive me if I want to find the most personal autonomy for myself."

The caprine snorted. "That's rich, coming from the dragonfucker. What do you know about the hardships of us_mere mortals_ while you go off traipsing the countryside with a dragon you can pretend respects you so you can inflate your own sense of ego, hmmm? What do you know about the struggle to_subsist_ when you reap the rewards of serving the pet project of our worm-infested_Empress?_ You can pretend all you want that you've found some kind of escape or respite, but you are just as expendable as the rest of us - the moment you are no longer useful, your dragon will discard you like the feathery garbage you are." He shook his head angrily. "No, you're not merely seeking autonomy for yourself. You're an egotistical, delusional, self-righteous, feathery bitch. In fact, you're no better than a dragon - you're a traitor to your own people,therúkzi."

There was a sudden uproar of outrage from the other people who had gathered around to listen in on the conversation, but Vera didn't hear any of them. In a single, fluid motion, she pushed out of her seat, knocking over the barstool, grabbed the miner by his rough-sewn, thick coverall-straps, shoved him against the bar with a strength that was belied in her form, and flicked open the blade of her knife, hovering the blade close enough to his eye so he could see it. "Call me 'therúkzi' one more time, and I swear to whatever gods you believe in that I_will_ cut your fucking tongue out so that you don't get a chance to say it a third time.Do you fucking understand me, you goatheaded piece of shit?" She was dangerously close to losing all control, and from the suddenly terrified expression the caprine she was threatening wore, and the appalled, uncomfortable looks from everyone around them, everyone could see it.

An arm suddenly wrapped around the gryphon's throat, pulling her off the man who had insulted her, the knife clattering to the floor. Acting on instinct, she kicked the blade towards her bag even as she stumbled back and lost her balance - she could not let whoever it was that had her in a headlock, let alone the one she had been holding at knifepoint to get their hands on the blade. She half-choked, half-squawked and thrashed, trying to escape this grip at all costs, no matter the injury she may receive.

"At ease, Ranger!" the voice of the person restraining her said, trying to talk her down from the edge of unadulterated fight-or-flight response. It was the bouncer who had let her in several short minutes ago. The dark-furred canid's arm loosened on her throat, but he continued to keep her restrained, muscles straining at the effort. "Please don't make me pin you down and call for the Imperial Guards."

That had the desired effect on the gryphon. She stopped thrashing and forced herself to relax, panting heavily from the sheer adrenaline coursing through her bloodstream as she backed away from the ledge below which existed only pure, rage-induced violence. Gently shaking those restraining arms off herself, she shakily picked up the barstool to put it back into place. "Yeah, sorry... I just reacted, and..."

The bouncer shrugged his shoulders. "I saw the whole thing - no need to explain to me. But I'm going to need you to get moving along - it might no longer be safe for you here on the Southside, to say nothing about here. And to be blunt, I'd rather_not_ have to scrape up the remains of whatever poor sap decides they can take you on in a scrap."

Vera hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. I'm sorry again for the trouble." She reached down to shoulder her bag once again, using her other hand to fold her knife and stuff it back into the side-pocket of her pack. With that, she stood up again and, finishing the rest of her mug of mead in a single draught - which made her wince slightly as it burned down her throat - she slid the horn-mug slightly forward away from the customer-facing edge of the bar and leaving three farthings on the countertop next to it.

The bouncer shrugged, glancing over as the caprine whose buddy had been just threatened helped his compatriot to his feet and both quickly made haste for the exit. "To be honest, I'd have done the same thing in your shoes. Just make sure you can handle the situation before you act next time, yeh? I'd hate to see the day you decide to scrap with something that even you can't handle. Now go on, get out of here, and don't stop walking until you've gone back to the Northside, you hear? I'll settle things over with the barkeep."

Vera nodded, seeming suddenly tired, and feeling almost as if she were suddenly a decade older as her stress levels slowly returned to normal. "Alright. Yeah. Thanks again," she said quietly. Unable to look anyone in the eyes from the small crowd gathered around, she adjusted the pack over her shoulders to let it settle more comfortably against her back, and with a sense of shame, she made for the blinding, sunlit exit.