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Problems.

Most people think of them as bad things. And in some way, they are indeed right. Problems are, as their name might suggest, problems. They are an essential component of mortal beings' lives. Whether we want it or not, they will always be there, a part of our existence.

But... is that a bad thing?

What if there weren't any problems? What if everyone would just live happily, without having to worry about anything? Is that what people would want? Would we still be called... people or mortal beings, then?

Millions of questions come forth if we observe a particular part of our lives. And there is no answer to them. And that's just another part that we have to deal with, just like with our problems.

But... what if we put things in a different perspective?

Let us assume that there weren't any problems. People would be constantly happy, simply because they would have no reason to be concerned about. Wouldn't it become... dull? Or boring?

If we were to take away problems, we would also deprive ourselves from the opportunity of experiencing what it feels like to solve them. To overcome them, to be better, and become even greater.

If there weren't problems, there wouldn't be progress. And without progress, our lives would be worthless. We always seek to improve, and there is no improvement without initial problems.

There will always be problems, so we can surpass them, so we can improve, so we can make progress.

That's how life is, and that's how it always will be.

Most people think of problems as bad things, and among those people is a particular leopard, who had his fair share of problems, and it only seems like more will cross his path.

At least he knows how to handle them.

"Because that's how we deal with problems; we solve them." Zachary stated with a wide smile, his eyes scanning the bright stars in the sky, as if the solution was hiding behind one of the sparkling lights.

Basajaun and Snowflake both smiled at the leopard's resolution. "Your eternal optimism is always encouraging, at least," the drake chuckled to himself, the dragoness beside him nodding in agreement, "I don't know if we can solve all of our problems, but I'll be right here with you looking for solutions, Zach."

Zachary gave a nod of his own, turning to look back at Basajaun. "I know I can always count on you, bud," he stated smilingly, patting the dragon's neck tenderly with his paw before he made to stand, "Speaking of solutions," stretching his back and limbs, the feline moved to his books, picking the one he had been reading since he borrowed it from the library, "Magic isn't going to teach itself, not even mentioning my endurance. So we both should probably do some learning and reviewing before heading to bed, huh?" The leopard invited with a smile, walking back to Basajaun with his book open in his paws, his eyes already scanning the wall of text written on the pages.

"Yes, though I probably shouldn't be casting any more spells today, right Snowflake?" the drake responded, looking to the spirit in question.

The familiar nodded. "You've done a lot of spellcasting today," Snowflake stated, patting the dragon's side affectionately, "But you're alright to keep reading and learning."

Smiling, the drake dove his nose back into his tome. "So Zach, what kinds of spells did you learn during your lesson?" Basajaun asked in a conversational tone.

"Well, you've already seen the illusion one," the leopard replied, his snout never leaving the depths of his own book, "There are two other ones. One of them is really cool, actually. It's a basic teleportation spell," flipping a page as he explained, Zachary glanced up from his tome for just a moment, "And the third one is really useful. It's... Er... here, let me show you instead."

Glancing around him for a second, the feline grabbed the first twig his gaze settled on. In a single and fast motion, he broke the delicate object in his paws, and held the broken remains for the two dragons to observe. "It's a very basic spell," Zachary stated, positioning the pieces of the broken twig so they were aligned, before closing his paw and his eyes at the same time.

It took him only a few moments to open his hand once more, the formerly brutally ruined twig once again back in its initial form as if nothing had happened to it. Smiling at the success of his spellcasting, Zachary tossed the twig on the ground and gave a small smile to his friends. "As I've said, it's really useful."

The dragons smiled at the leopard's demonstration. "Well, that is something!" Basajaun affirmed, looking to the newly remade stick, "Mending is something we'll definitely need during the whole fighting a small army ordeal." The drake's tone was sincere, though apparently he suddenly had an amusing thought and started to laugh.

Zachary raised an eyebrow at his friend's sudden amusement, but chuckled along nonetheless. "What's so funny, dragon?" he asked in a tone of absolute mock, a way of talking which could have been easily associated with the leopard's whole being, not just a part of him, "Is the thought of fighting an army of enraged soldiers this entertaining for you? You have a weird sense of humor, bud." Grinning teasingly after his remark, the feline brought his attention back to his spellbook and continued reading a spell in particular.

"No, no, I just imagined you cutting up an enemy's clothes and using that mending spell to stitch his limbs together by mending the cloth in the wrong places!" the dragon laughed again, Snowflake apparently getting an equally amusing image in her head as the drake explained himself.

Zachary snorted and chuckled at the same time, shaking his head at his friend's pitiful joke. "Yeah, that would surely teach him." The feline assured Basajaun with a smile, before a wide grin spread across his muzzle. Raising his paw and clenching it in a fist, the feline turned to the dragons.

"Or," he began, blowing once on his fist and opening it, a puny flame glittering as it floated above his paw, "I could give that particular enemy a haircut as well, while I'm at it. Roasted style!" Zachary chuckled, his evident amusement not affecting his decency to keep the magical fire as far from Snowflake as possible.

The spirit flinched at seeing the flame unexpectedly, but was quick to relax. "Do you think you could relight the fire with that?" Basajaun asked, looking to the cold logs, "It's starting to get a bit chilly out since... well you know." The image of the unnatural creature taking Esmeralda's place sent a shiver down the dragon's spine, and he quickly pushed the memory aside.

Zachary nodded with a smile. "This spell is exactly for that, bud," Reaching over to the dead fire, the leopard held his own flame against the cold, wooden logs. It took a few moments for the burned out wood to embrace the fiery offer, but soon allowed itself to be ignited by the leopard's flame.

"This is the most basic spell for fire casters," the feline explained as he pulled away from the fire, watching it slowly spread and grow with a smile as he killed the flame in his paw, "They use it to light their campfires, and also it is a kind of starting point for more advanced fire spells. You can't control and summon flames without an already going fire, after all."

Basajaun paused, looking at the leopard's flame. "But the original source of your spell was this campfire, wasn't it?" the dragon asked, "How did you cast that if the original fire went out?" Snowflake had the same realization, looking at Zachary with a cocked head.

Zachary chuckled and gave Basajaun a smile. "I did indeed use the campfire to draw my first fire from," he explained, gesturing with his paw at the already going flames next to the three, "But that's something all fire casters have to do before they're able to cast their first spell. Once you have drawn your first flame from a source, you can summon it anytime you want, even if the initial source is unavailable. Or... at least people who are able to do that."

Rubbing the back of his neck and smiling sheepishly, Zachary sighed. "The book said that it takes time for some people to be able to call out their inner fire. Until then, they are forced to always look for a source before casting a spell. Apparently, I don't have to do that... another perk of being a multicaster, I suppose." The leopard said, hopeful that he didn't sound too pretentious with that statement.

The dragons nodded, Basajaun getting a large smile. "You're something like a magical equivalent to what a dragon is physically, you know that?" the drake said in an honest tone, "Ever since I hit apex predator in my habitat, I haven't had anything that I could look up to in order to find ways of improving myself; I was the best. It's rather interesting not being the best in this situation. Now you're the one that others are going to look up to and say, 'That's what I wish I could be'."

"Gods, that sounds so arrogant on so many levels," Zachary stated with a laugh, shaking his head before he patted the dragon's head, "But thanks, Basa. It means a lot, especially coming from you." Giving a reassuring smile, the feline glanced back at pages of his book, looking lost in thought for a few moments as he continued reading.

"Although," he began after a while of silence, still looking at the letters which adorned the pages, "I find it hard to imagine that others would look at me in that way," Zachary gave a restrained smile, "I would hardly call myself an idol of any sorts. I'm just a kid who was lucky enough to befriend a dragon, after all!" The leopard chuckled, winking at Basajaun before he continued with his studying.

Snowflake laughed hard. "You do realize that the children back at home do idolize you for just that, don't you?" the spirit asked rhetorically, nuzzling Zachary as Basajaun translated her words, "I'm quite sure many of them look up to you for your bravery to even try befriending something like a dragon."

Zachary nearly choked on his laughter. "Bravery?!" he reiterated, snorting and continuing to fight off his fit of giggles, "You should have seen me the first time I saw Basa. I was so scared that I almost wet myself!" wiping joyful tears from his eyes, it was rather evident that admitting his cowardice didn't concern the young anthro that much, "My way of introducing myself was kicking him in the leg. I wouldn't call that brave, that's just me being clumsy as always." The memory elicited a warm smile from the feline as he recalled his first encounter with his now best friend.

Basajaun laughed at the memory. "And the way you were trying to catch that hare!" the dragon giggled, grinning over to his friend, "Still gets me laughing just remembering that!"

"Hey," Zachary swatted lightly at the reptile's nose, grinning as well, "I would have caught that hare with my obviously professional hunting technique if you hadn't been in my way!" The feline stated, almost looking convincingly hurt from his friend's words, although the wide smile across his muzzle made it all too impossible to deceive anyone, "I was about to strike down with my trusty branch when I kicked you and toppled over. You basically ruined my first attempt at hunting, dragon!"

Laughing again, Basajaun looked like he was enjoying his trip down memory lane immensely. "I think I more than made up for that with my hunting lessons and making you that bow, don't you think?" the dragon insisted smilingly, "Now you're able to catch just about anything with a pulse!"

"Oh, suuure," Zachary voiced with a titter, "Take all the credit for it. It has nothing to do with my little talent at hunting, nuh-uh. All you, bud." Stroking the dragon's neck softly, the leopard gave his friend a warm smile before turning to Snowflake.

"If it wasn't for Basa's personality, I wouldn't have been able to befriend any dragons. It's not me who's special," the feline patted the green mass next to him and gestured with his head as well, "It's him. If there's an idol people are looking to become, they better have a look at this lizard and follow in his footsteps."

Basajaun blinked in surprise, before a sincere smile crossed his snout. "Thank you, Zach," the drake said in the sincerest manner he knew how, "That means a lot to me." The dragon pulled Zachary into a warm hug, careful not to mess up the leopard's reading material.

"Well, it's true," the leopard stated as he hugged the dragon back, "You don't even know how glad I am that I was banished from Boldrumton," looking up at Basajaun, Zachary smiled widely, "I never would have had the chance to get lost in that forest, attempt to hunt a hare and kick you in the process," he shook his head, "I wouldn't have met you. And that... I can't even imagine what that would be like."

The dragon felt his grip tightening on his friend slightly, though not enough to hurt. "I don't even want to think about the loneliness I'd still have if I hadn't met you," Basajaun whispered softly; the thought was not a pleasant one.

Snowflake started feeling a little left out of the pair's musings. She didn't feel resentful for it however; just a little disappointed that she hadn't had the time to make really fun memories with her new friends. She didn't interrupt though; she knew that the pair was enjoying themselves.

"Then we won't," Zachary said with a laugh, staying in the embrace for long moments before finally pulling away, "We're here for each other, and that's all that matters. There's no reason chewing on 'what if'." Smiling warmly at Basajaun, the leopard noticed Snowflake sitting along some distance away from the pair, and being uncharacteristically silent.

"C'mere, girl," the feline invited with a grin, extending his arms for the ice dragoness, "Elder Eszes and Basa already got their hugs for tonight, did you really think I'd leave you out?"

The spirit smiled enthusiastically and moved to the leopard and dragon, nuzzling her face and neck against both of them. "Thank you," the spirit said simply; there was no need for translation.

The three stayed in their emotional embrace, not a single soul wanting to ruin the pureness of the moment. "Alright," Zachary began after a while, chuckling happily, "That's quite enough hugging for tonight. At this rate, all I will be able to show to my teacher tomorrow is to how to hug properly rather than any spellcasting." The leopard joked, shaking his head and focusing attention once again on his spellbook.

Basajaun laughed out loud. "From how you described him, it sounds like he needs that!" the drake joked, before looking back to his own grimoire. Only a few minutes later, however, Basajaun let loose a long yawn.

"Blast, I was hoping to get a bit farther today," the dragon grumbled as he closed his book. Handing the tome to Snowflake, Basajaun set his head down on his arm, looking to Zachary, "Hopefully I can make more progress tomorrow; I really want to get to those metabolism spells!"

Patting the dragon's head, the feline gave him a warm smile. "Don't worry, bud. You'll be casting those spells like its nothing in no time, I'm sure of it," he reassured his friend, before sighing, "I hope that I'll be able to make more progress tomorrow as well... it's not exactly easy to please this teacher, and I don't know if my endurance is any better than it w--" Zachary was explaining before an unexpected yawn broke his words, and he could only shake his head and titter, "Apparently it isn't!" he said, putting his own book aside and scooting closer to Basajaun, "Mind if I take my place, bud? I think we should all call it a day and just go to sleep."

Nodding, Basajaun rolled over to his side a bit more, though not quite onto his back. It almost seemed like he had fallen asleep partway through the action. Giggling quietly, Snowflake nuzzled the drake once more, before looking over to Zachary and asking, "Would you like a lift?" She offered an arm to hopefully show what she meant.

Zachary nodded, another yawn parting his muzzle. "I'd appreciate a... lift?" the feline blinked for a few moments, cocking his eyebrow at the spirit, "I have no idea where I got that thought from... and honestly, I'm too tired to care anymore." The leopard admitted with a chuckle, deep down suspecting the reason behind his newfound and primitive way of communicating with the ice spirit.

Curling her fingers gingerly around the leopard, Snowflake lifted him and placed him on top of the sleeping drake's belly, positioning herself so that she was snuggled against Basajaun's soft middle as well. "Good night, you two," the spirit said, starting up one of her lullabies.

"G'night." Zachary said, purring quietly which became steadily louder as he enjoyed both the comforting softness beneath his body, as well as the alluring song Snowflake was singing. It didn't take long for the tired feline to fall asleep, his breathing leveling out. His purring never stopped, however.

A long ways past dawn the next day, Basajaun lifted his head up tiredly from the ground. Blinking around, it took a moment for him to realize why he was confused. "Why isn't Esmeralda up?" the dragon asked quietly, looking over to Snowflake as she raised her head up after him.

Snowflake gave a slightly sad smile. "When something like last night happens, it's exhausting for Mistress," the familiar said, looking over to the still-closed tent, "She might not wake up today at all, in fact."

The image once again sent shivers up Basajaun's back, causing him to shake roughly as he forced the unholy creature's face from his mind. "Zach's right," the dragon said aloud, looking to the tent with a determined expression, "There has to be a way to help Esmeralda. I can't accept just letting that thing torment her like that."

Sighing, Snowflake looked to Basajaun. "I hope you're right," the dragoness admitted, nuzzling the drake's slightly rounded cheek gently, "We've been looking for quite a while though; I'm not sure what luck you and Spotted Mage might have with your search, but Mistress and I both appreciate your willingness to help; that itself is enough to help her a little."

Looking to the city, Basajaun sighed. "I'm just sorry that I can't accompany Zachary to the college," he said sadly, before giving Snowflake a reassuring smile, "I'd be more than willing to help look for answers there, if I could even enter the city at all."

Snowflake blinked as she remembered something, before quickly picking up the biomantic grimoire. "Actually, there might be a solution here," the familiar said, though her tone was slightly apprehensive as she flipped through the pages, "But I'm not sure how willing you'd be to try it."

Curious, the dragon took the book and read the pages that Snowflake had indicated. "Anthropomorphization; Getting Your Pets on Their Own Two Feet," the dragon read aloud, cocking his head to the familiar beside him, "I don't have any pets, and the only friends I have besides you are already anthros."

Snowflake tapped the spellbook. "You could cast this on yourself," she said simply, giving a hesitant smile as she looked to the drake's reaction.

"On... myself?" Basajaun repeated, looking between the book and his own body, "Would that even work? I'm a dragon; I have six limbs, not four. This technique might not be able to handle that kind of morphology."

Snowflake nuzzled the drake reassuringly. "You have four people here that know biomancy, counting you and Zach, who've just started on it," the dragoness said, giving Basajaun a smile, "I'm pretty sure we could come up with a modification to this spell that would allow you to enter a city."

As he read through the pages of this section, Basajaun's heart slowly lifted at what he read. "I could... be welcome in cities," the dragon breathed, a genuine smile spreading across his muzzle, before his face fell a moment later as he looked back up to Snowflake, "Or maybe not... an anthropomorphic dragon is still a dragon, after all. I'd probably still cause a panic if I just wandered nonchalantly into a city, even if I did so on two legs instead of four." In his initial excitement over the idea of possibly becoming more welcome among anthros, the dragon's deep voice had regained its usual volume, disturbing the leopard that slept on his form.

Groaning loudly and tossing his body around, Zachary raised his arm and brought it down weakly against the dragon's soft hide. "Why're you talkin' so early in the mornin'...?" The sleepy leopard demanded, his voice nothing more than a quiet whisper as he continued his shameful attack on Basajaun's ample middle.

It took him probably another five seconds to grow bored of hitting the squishy substance, and the feline fell right back asleep, his arm landing on the dragon's side limply and not moving anymore. No more complaints left Zachary's lips as he fell right back to dreamland. Multicaster or not, he was still the opposite of a "morning person".

Looking down to the leopard, Basajaun heaved a sigh when he knew that Esmeralda wasn't going to be the one getting the feline up for his lesson. Seeing the sun starting to rise higher, the drake gently shook Zachary's side. "Hey, it's getting pretty late," the dragon stated perhaps a bit more urgently than necessary, "Don't you have your lessons to get to?"

"Lessons!?" The feline's head shot up from Basajaun's body in a fraction of a second, his hazy eyes scanning the surroundings around him and noting the time of the day with a loud gasp and a more than terrified expression. "Lessons!" Zachary stated somewhat redundantly, attempting to slide off carefully from the dragon's belly, but only achieving a more than ungraceful landing on the ground. Face first, as always.

Groaning in pain and hissing, the feline slowly retracted his head from the grass, wiggling his jaw with his paw for a moment and pouting. "Ouch..." Zachary voiced quietly, his tone reminiscent of a leopard cub who just managed to get a boo-boo thanks to his own clumsiness.

Glaring at the ground which had assaulted him and his delicate jawbones, the feline let loose an expansive yawn, his tongue accompanying the gesture by its own usual curling. With his ears lowered to his head and his tail around him, Zachary rubbed his eyes with his paws, apparently only now able to even attempt waking up.

"Lessons!" both dragons repeated loudly and almost simultaneously, taking an arm each and getting the leopard to his feet.

Shrugging his friends' paws from his body and growling quietly, Zachary stretched his back and limbs at the same time. "I know, I know. I'm going... don't worry," he assured the two dragons, giving each a ridiculously goofy smile. Apparently his facial muscles weren't quite awake yet.

Straightening his vest and shorts and yawning once more, the feline slowly began sauntering his way out of the clearing. "See you two," another yawn, "Later..." Waving a paw as he strolled away, Zachary's body soon disappeared among the wide, brown trees.

"Have a nice day at school, my baby boy!" Basajaun called after the leopard in a singsong voice, getting a laugh from Snowflake.

"Overgrown lizard!" Zachary's voice called back from a distance, a loud chuckle soon following which echoed through the forest, disturbing a few pesky avians in the area and urging them to start singing their own songs.

An incomprehensible groaning and hissing came from the same direction the leopard left. Although his words remained mystery, it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was most likely telling nature and its every occupants to shut their mouths.

Laughing lightly, Basajaun stretched out, spreading his wings wide. "I'm going to go get my flying exercise in; would you like to join me?" the drake offered, smiling to Snowflake.

The spirit shook her head. "I'd come with, but I need to be here in case Mistress needs anything," the familiar explained, looking over to the tent, "She isn't going to be in the best health when she wakes up."

"Oh, I see," the dragon said in a bit of a disappointed tone, before smiling up to Snowflake, "Alright, I'll be back in around two hours. See you later, Snowflake!" With a mutual wave, Basajaun headed off to the spot he had found where he could fly low enough not to be seen from the city.

"Zachary, a moment please!" Xergon's voice called out from behind the leopard in question, who stopped in his tracks towards the spiral staircase to glance back at the lynx with a cocked eyebrow as he watched him approach.

"I just wanted to... Er... apologize for yesterday's lesson with Talib. There's been a slight missun--"

"S'alright," Zachary cut off the master, waving a paw and raising it to his mouth as another yawn parted his muzzle, "He was right about my endurance. And he was honest about it, at least."

Xergon blinked for a few moments. "But... Talib..." shaking his head and putting a paw on his forehead, the lynx sighed, "Just go, have fun with the lesson. You were almost late, by the way. Did something happen yesterday?" the lynx inquired, glancing behind the leopard and giving him a quizzical expression, "Where has the old dearie gone to?"

Zachary flinched. "I... well..." he stammered, shaking his head a little to get rid of the image of the evil being he had seen just the day before, "She wasn't feeling well. She's old, y'know... she needs a lot of sleep."

Looking at the leopard for a second with an unreadable expression, Xergon smiled and nodded. "Okay, then. Good luck for today, Zachary." he said with a friendly tone, eliciting a nod from the leopard.

The lynx watched Zachary walk away with a concerned look on his face, his mind swirling with thoughts as the young anthro disappeared from his sight. Sighing, Xergon turned around and went on his own way, somewhat disturbed by Zachary's willingness to lie.

"Er... Master Talib, I'm here for my lesson." The feline said, knocking on the large, wooden door a few times and stepping a few steps back when he heard movement coming from behind the entrance.

The door opened swiftly to reveal a mildly displeased serpent. "I'd prefer you arrive for our lessons earlier than this," the snake stated in his own form of greeting, "And I expect you to do so in the future. Come in and get yourself seated; I had a chair brought up for you." Talib gestured for the leopard to enter.

"Alright, I won't be late in the future," Zachary stated as he entered through the door, "But I'd prefer some sort of proper greeting in return, then." The leopard said, his expression dead serious. He really wasn't joking.

"Let's start with something simple; Good morning, Master Talib." He greeted with a small smile, bowing his head slightly to the snake as he situated himself in the middle of the room, completely ignoring the chair behind him for now.

The snake crossed his arms in front of his torso, glaring at the feline from across the table for several minutes. "Fine; Good morning, barely passable pupil," the serpent said, setting his hands on the table's surface, "Did you work on your endurance as I instructed?"

Holding back the urge to snap at the serpent, Zachary breathed deeply and nodded. "Yes. Yes I have." The leopard replied with a resolute expression, walking to the chair and sitting down. For a few moments, he didn't say anything, looking quite hesitant to say what was on the edge of his lips.

"Thanks for the chair." He finally blurted out, not looking at Talib and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

The serpent waved a hand dismissively. "Your lesson today is going to involve casting spells from complementary schools simultaneously," Talib said, indicating the pair of books on the table, "This is the most difficult form of multicasting, utilizing two forms of energy that are polar opposites of each other at the same time. It will show me just how much you've been able to develop your abilities. It is also the best way for a multicaster to improve himself."

Nodding his head slowly, Zachary glanced at the two tomes on the table. "Fire and ice?" he whispered quietly, his gaze lingering on the books for a second in hesitation before he looked up at Talib, "I've tried... uh... one fire spell before. The most basic one; Kindling," he explained, tapping the ice book with a paw, "But I haven't even tried any ice spells before... do I have to draw ice from a source in this case as well, just like with fire?"

The snake gestured at the table, a small crystal formation growing from its surface. "You may draw from my own ice," Talib said, before his expression softened; not by much, but just enough to be noticeable, "Xergon tells me that you've been practicing magic for only a few days. I was wrong in my assumption that you knew all of the basics. But, you also failed to correct me in my assumption, so I feel no need for an apology for my actions."

Zachary gave the snake a thoughtful look as he opened the tome about ice magic, reading through the introduction quickly and memorizing the process of drawing from an ice source. "I didn't really know what you meant by 'basics', to be honest," he explained, his eyes still scanning the pages, "As Xergon has said, I've only been practicing magic for a few days. I don't know much about it." Lifting his gaze from the book to glance at Talib, the feline eventually withdrew his eyes from the snake, hoping that he made his point across.

Nodding, Talib watched the leopard reading the books quietly. He followed Zachary's gaze to keep track of his progress, the snake's gaze uncomfortably intense as he observed his student. But just barely detectable under the glower was a minute trace of eagerness to see just what his pupil could do.

Paying no heed to the pair of eyes which lingered on him, Zachary's gaze never left the wall of text contained inside the tome until he was completely certain that he had an idea of ice magic and its nuisances.

Setting the book aside, the leopard took a deep breath. "Alright... let's see," he murmured under his breath, exhaling and slowly reaching for the crystal of ice on the wooden table.

As the cold substance touched his sensitive pawpads, Zachary furrowed his brows a little. He much rather preferred warmth over coldness. But there was no time for complaining at the moment, and he knew that perfectly well.

Inhaling deeply and closing his eyes, he remained unmoved, his hand slowly creeping around the ice shard and enveloping it in the process. Once his furry fingers had closed around the crystal, Zachary exhaled loudly.

For a few moments, nothing happened, the leopard staying completely still with his eyes closed and his paw on the chilly object on the table. Zachary could feel his fingers and paws starting to get colder than he would have liked, but he held on, determined to succeed and not to disappoint both himself and Talib.

Suddenly, the leopard began smiling. "Got it," he announced curtly, his flat tone indicating just how relaxed and concentrated he was at this very moment. Pulling his paw away from the icy shard, the feline observed his hand, relieved to find that he hadn't gotten frostbite on any of his fingers.

"So," Zachary began, clenching his paw in a fist tightly, his gaze completely fixated on his closed hand. Closing his eyes for just a single second, the feline opened his paw and his eyes at the same time.

Almost instantly, a pure white mist began to swirl around his right paw, cascading through the air around his limb and reacting to each subtle move he made with its own, completely in sync with Zachary's motions.

"This is what ice magic feels like, huh?" Smiling widely, the leopard rotated his hand around in front of him, observing the icy fog which whirled around it and practically enveloped his paw. Outside of his fur appearing like it was frozen, Zachary felt no unpleasantness in the slightest, despite what his paw might have told a random observer.

Talib gave a slight nod. "Acquaint yourself with that spell for a few minutes," the snake said, seeming to appraise the frost on the leopard's hand, "And then try to use a basic fire spell while this one is active."

After a moment, the serpent sighed. "Xergon insisted that I give more feedback to you," Talib continued as he looked into Zachary's eyes, "So here it is; you successfully and correctly cast a beginner level ice spell without making a mistake on your first try. I hope this statement of the obvious has been enjoyable to you."

Zachary frowned. "Thank you, Master Talib," he said simply, flexing his fingers and watching with a small smile as the white mist swirled around it effortlessly, "Your feedback is greatly appreciated." The leopard stated with a small snicker, waving his paw around in front of him and observing the fog which was left in its wake.

It took the feline a few minutes to end his fascination of the ice spell, his somewhat childish smile constantly adorning his muzzle throughout the whole time. Once completely certain that he had grasped the basics of the ice spell in his paw, Zachary began preparing himself for the hard part; casting the fire spell at the same time.

Extending his right arm and holding it still, with the white mist never stopping its perpetual whorling, the leopard closed his eyes. Although he had tried multicasting just the day before, Zachary had a suspicion that it wouldn't be the same this time around. He had to cast two completely contrary forms of magic, after all.

After minutes of intense concentration and near meditation, the feline slowly began to close his left paw, clenching it in a fist. With his eyes still closed, he raised his hand in front of his mouth and blew on it gently.

Almost instantly, the white mist around his right paw began to slow in its neverending swirling, almost completely vanishing in the process. Taking another deep breath and clenching his eyes upon perceiving this, Zachary once again concentrated on the ice spell, calling it back in a blink of an eye in its full glory.

Sighing in relief, the leopard cursed himself in his mind for almost ruining the multicasting. This was nothing like he had done before, not even close to the multicasting he thought would prepare him for today's ordeal. Shaking himself a little and calming his bubbling thoughts, Zachary attempted the spells once again.

Unfortunately, the results were the same. As soon as he began to cast Kindling in his left paw, the icy mist would slowly begin to die out at the same time. The revelation was more than a massive dent in Zachary's self-confidence, and he almost let himself slip into worry and shock.

The solution to his problem came as a thought crossed his mind, and the young anthro decided to attempt it, feeling quite hopeless at this point to consider the idea too much. In a sudden motion, he killed the ice spell in his right paw, the white mist disappearing into nothing in a few seconds.

With his eyes still closed, Zachary clenched both of his paws in fists, holding them out at the same time in front of him, and remaining completely unmoved for long moments. He inhaled deeply for the last time, knowing that if this didn't work, he would have no other choice but to accept his failure.

Exhaling and opening his eyes at the exact same time, the feline suddenly extended his fingers. Immediately, a red and white light appeared above his open palms, icy cold mist swirling in the right, and scorching crimson flames dancing in the left. They both appeared to shine in their fullest, their opposition complementing each other perfectly.

"Yes!" Zachary exclaimed joyfully, not able to contain his evident amusement. He marveled at both of his creations in turns, his gaze lingering on each for long moments as he slowly began moving them around in front of him. The two arch enemies collided on several occasions, but never died out, quite the contrary; they appeared to be growing stronger and brighter with each second passing.

The snake observed, the slightest of smiles appearing on his face for an instant. "Good," Talib said simply, watching the spells interact, "Now dismiss those before you exhaust yourself. We have more to cover."

The serpent gestured, the ice and fire tomes closing and leaving the table, before settling down by the door. "When you leave this lesson today, I want you to do that exact combination of spells as often as you can," Talib instructed as a large grimoire landed on the table, "It will build your endurance for both magic and multicasting quickly." Although subtle, there was a hint of satisfaction in the snake's tone as he telekinetically flipped through to the desired section of the new tome.

Nodding, Zachary killed the spells in his paws swiftly, both disappearing as if they weren't even there in the first place. Glancing up at Talib after his hands were free of any magic, the feline gave a hesitant expression for a second, before sighing and giving in to the temptation.

"Master Talib?" he began, not continuing until the serpent's attention was on him, "Were you... Er... able to multicast on your first try?" Watching the snake with a curious look on his face, Zachary hoped his question wasn't inappropriate in any way.

Talib tensed at the question, the pages of the tome halting in midair. After a moment, the snake looked up to his pupil with an unreadable expression and replied, "I'm not here to discuss my past, boy. I'm here to instruct you, so keep your questions on topic, hm?" There was a bit of indignation to Talib's tone as he spoke.

Zachary cocked an eyebrow at the snake, before he shrugged and sighed. "Alright," he began curtly, glancing down at the ground and swinging his legs back and forth, "I apologize for trying to start a conversation." The leopard said in an utterly flat and unfathomable tone, not looking up at Talib as he waited patiently for him to pick out his next spell.

"If you want to converse, then pick a subject we're actually supposed to be discussing," the serpent replied, turning the book to face his student, "I'm not fond of wasting time on idle chatter when I've been instructed to teach you. If you wind up elevating yourself in my eyes through our lessons, then you may begin selecting irrelevant topics near the end of a lesson."

The leopard didn't look up, simply nodding quietly. He only brought up his gaze from the mildly intriguing floor once realizing that Talib was actually holding out a tome for him. Taking the heavy looking book in his paws, Zachary raised an eyebrow at the title.

"The Basics of Magic and Spell Casting?" he read the title aloud with a quizzical tone, glancing up at the snake after a moment, "No more spells for today?"

Nodding in reply, Talib tapped the book. "You haven't had time for an in depth instruction on magic and its history," the snake stated, "You're going to get that now. If this bores you, get over it; knowing our history is an important part of being a mage, as well as obtaining a more complete understanding of magic itself. Remember; knowledge is a mage's greatest weapon and with it, he can change the world around him."

The serpent closed his eyes. "Herein lies what all users of magic must acquaint themselves' with," Talib recited the book's first lines from memory, "Thoroughness of understanding of magic itself, the energies in our bodies and the world around us, and the history of the use and development of these techniques."

Giving a sigh of mild disappointment, the leopard opened the book, raising his eyebrows in surprise when the familiar first lines from the introduction were exactly the same as Talib's words.

"You can't really give me anything involving magic that would bore me," Zachary stated as he began reading through the first page, "This subject probably fascinates me more than anything in my life." Glancing up at the snake and giving him a small smile, the leopard was more than happy to dive deeper in the topic of magic, regardless of its particular content.

"That's good, because you're going to spend the next few hours on this book," the snake responded, his eyes still closed, "You're going to memorize as much relevant material as you can; it will allow you to more effectively and creatively utilize spells in the field, and give you a general idea of how to combine different forms of magic to their fullest."

Zachary nodded enthusiastically, and did just that, practically tearing through the pages of the book as fast as his eyes could scan the letters. In less than a minute, the leopard's complete attention was fixated on the words written in the tome, disregarding practically everything around him.

The first few pages introduced the subject of magic in general, mentioning it as an endless and almost inscrutable energy which resided in the bodies of every living being, let it be sentient or not, the difference between the two being that the latter simply couldn't call its powers forth. For magic, one needed to be aware of oneself, have self-consciousness above everything else.

'To conjure and control the powers of magic, one must have resolution and determination,' one of the lines read, making Zachary feel like he was being praised for being such an individual, 'Without them, one shall never see their fullest potential, no matter how talented or skilled they are.' The feline snorted quietly; he considered himself to be rather enthusiastic when it came to magic, therefore he didn't have to worry too much about such matters.

Once the introduction was finished, the book began to depict the history of magic. It told of ancient civilizations and its people, the first ones to realize and understand the energy contained inside them. Unfortunately, there were no mentions of particular individuals and legends. Apparently it was all just an assumption, a theory of how things had started with magic, created and written by the wisest and most knowledgeable mages around the world. The revelation was surprising, but didn't stop Zachary from continuing to delve deeper in the history, his enthusiasm seemingly unaffected by the news.

Once the segment of the first ones to conjure the magic of elements, and their realization that every form of magic had an energy source came, the feline was feeling more intrigued than ever. Every possible form of source was mentioned throughout the pages, each getting more and more difficult to draw energy from. As expected, the sources of elements were the easiest to find and gather, given that they were an essential and important part of our world. Surprise came later when Zachary began to near the end of the sources.

'Necromancy.' Zachary read the word in his mind with hesitation, his eyes widening in both surprise and mild shock as he read through the segment. His stomach twisted and turned around, and the feline had to pause in his reading for a moment to recollect himself.

'Energy source: any living being's corpse, Essential requirement: killed by the hands of the Necromancer." The horrible sentence echoed inside the leopard's brain endlessly, his thoughts suddenly shifting to familiarly unpleasant subjects. Shaking his head a little to wipe every last one of them out of his brain, Zachary read the next line.

'The use of this form of magic on intelligent beings is eternally forbidden, for it crosses the boundaries of both the peoples' rights and every civilized race's laws. Any use of Necromancy in this manner is punishable by death.' Heaving a relieved sigh upon reading these words, the feline marched on with his studying. Or at least, he would have, if it hadn't been for his sore eyes.

Blinking and rubbing his eyes with his paws, Zachary hadn't even noticed how much time he spent reading through the book. Glancing up at Talib with red eyes, the feline gave the snake a small smile. "How long have I been reading?" he asked, looking past the serpent to the window behind him.

"About four hours," the snake answered, glancing over to his red-tinted window as well, "You made acceptable progress today. I think it's time to wrap up this lesson with a review. I do hope you were paying attention to what you were reading."

Looking back to the leopard Talib asked, "True or false; we know for certain that magic had its origins in ancient cultures?"

"False," Zachary replied almost immediately, still rubbing his eyes with his paws, "The history of magic is based on assumptions. Nobody knows for sure how it all began or who discovered it in the first place."

The snake nodded. "Which schools of magic are in opposition of one another?" Talib continued his review, moving on to each question as the feline answered. After twenty minutes, the serpent finished his review, giving a satisfied nod. "You've answered all questions correctly," Talib stated with a minor smile, "We're done for today. Remember your assignment for tonight, Zachary; it will build your endurance faster than standard spellcasting."

Nodding, Zachary gave the book back to Talib. "Train with opposite schools of magic, got it," he said with a small smile of his own, standing up and rubbing his legs which had become numb throughout his lesson, "Thank you for the lesson, Master Talib," bidding his head and moving to the door, the feline glanced back with a teasing grin and added before leaving, "I hope I didn't disappoint you like yesterday." With that very fitting goodbye, the leopard closed the door behind him.

Almost instantly, a familiar voice rang from the other side, which was followed by a minor amount of indistinct chatter and finally an audible "See you tomorrow!" The door which had been just closed some seconds ago opened, revealing the person who had been conserving with Zachary.

"And, how did it go?" Xergon inquired, leaning slightly against the doorframe and giving Talib a thoughtful look.

The snake smiled to the headmaster. "We had a history lesson," Talib responded simply, "Hard to be disappointed with his progress that way. But, I'm glad for his enthusiasm; his real lessons will begin when he's built up the endurance for them."

The lynx nodded and smiled for a moment, before giving a sorrowful expression to Talib. "I didn't come up only to ask how your lesson was with Zachary," he explained, shaking his head and sighing, "They want to see you. Seems like there's a minor problem they can't deal with themselves... they asked for your assistance," there was a pause, "I'm sorry, Talib."

The snake's face fell. "Just when I was starting to get into a good mood," Talib hissed under his breath as he shook his head, "I suppose they'll be wanting another gang of bandits or unruly mob handled. Something even duller than that, no doubt."

Heaving an exaggerated sigh, the serpent gazed out the window for a moment. "Fine. I'll go see them," Talib relented, looking over to Xergon, "If I'm not back by tomorrow, the leopard's lesson plan is in my top shelf. Make sure someone gives that boy his instruction, won't you?"

"Of course," Xergon replied, nodding his head to the snake. Putting a paw on the door and turning around, the lynx gave Talib a small smile as he glanced over his shoulder, "I assume you see just as much potential in that boy as I do, if he was able to almost get you in a good mood. I haven't heard those two words from you in a really long time, my friend."

"And then the government goes and spoils it," the snake replied in a bitter tone, shaking his head once more. "Still, I'd best not keep them waiting," Talib said, a mischievous smile on his face, "Let's see how our fair rulers react to a snake appearing in their midst." With a subtle gesture, the serpent suddenly disappeared, leaving the lynx behind.

Shaking his head and chuckling, Xergon closed the door behind him, the room remaining completely silent and empty with no occupants inside.

'What do you mean it's closed?' Zachary thought to himself as he stood in front of the entrance of the library, not believing what was written on a sign which hang on the large wooden door. For several long moments, the leopard simply couldn't figure out the reason behind this revelation, before he buried his paws in his head upon realizing what the problem was.

'No library on the weekends... blast it.' Heaving a disappointed sigh, which was only partly for the fact that he couldn't borrow any more books and more for not being able to meet a particular ocelot, the feline turned around and began sauntering his way out of the college, his stooped posture all but stating the obviousness of his saddening and unfair situation.

Nearing the lobby, Zachary nearly left the establishment before a voice from behind him stopped him from doing so. "Zach, hey!"

Recognizing the owner of the alluring voice immediately, the leopard turned back with a wide smile on his face. "Hey there, Lya," he greeted, watching the ocelot approach with a heavy stack of books in her paws, "What do you have there?"

"The books I promised you yesterday, dummy," Lya replied with a chuckle, extending her arms and offering the tomes to Zachary with a somewhat sheepish smile, "I forgot that you couldn't enter the library on weekends, so I went ahead and picked these up for you after you left yesterday."

Blinking a few times at the ocelot's explanation and her novel expression, the leopard took the books with the usual goofy grin on his face. "Wow... Er... that's... uhm... really nice of you," and there came the stammering again, "I-I don't even know what to say... I ju--"

"A simple thank you would suffice, I guess," Lya suggested the obvious, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at Zachary, her small smile never leaving her muzzle.

Chuckling nervously and clearing his throat, the feline attempted to not stutter this time. "Well, thanks, Lya," Zachary said, mentally praising himself for reaching the simple goal he had set for himself, "I'll be sure to read all of them very thoroughly and carefully, since you... Er... picked them out for me... I mean, I'll..." Very smooth, indeed.

Lya couldn't help but laugh joyfully at the leopard's words, her amusement eliciting a smile from Zachary himself, despite the fact that she was laughing at him, and not with him. "Gods, Zach, stop making me laugh in public," Lya cautioned while still giggling, wiping joyful tears from her eyes, "I have an image to keep, you know."

The leopard's face fell. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't me--"

"Stop for goodness' sake!" the ocelot pleaded, once again trying to fight off the forces of laughter, and failing to do so, "You're the most oblivious and innocent person I've ever met, seriously. Haven't they had schools or other kids where you grew up?"

Zachary's breath caught in his throat. For long moments, he was unable to respond, simply swallowing and looking at Lya with an unreadable expression. The ocelot stopped her giggling as soon as she noticed the leopard's look on his face.

"Zach? Are you feeling alright?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the anthro in front of her.

The leopard simply nodded vehemently, not able to find his words as thousands of emotions swirled around inside his heart. They weren't exactly pleasant.

Lya's face fell in an instant. "Oh, crap. Have I said something bad? I... I didn't mean to, Zach. I'm really sorry if I did, seriously." The ocelot apologized with a sincerely worried tone and expression.

Zachary swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's... alright. You didn't say anything bad... don't worry." He assured the female, forcing a small smile on his muzzle with great effort.

The ocelot scanned the leopard's face for long moments. "Yes, yes I have..." she said with a sigh, shaking her head, "Why do I always do this when I meet ne--" stopping herself in the last moment, Lya cleared her throat nervously and blinked the sentence away, "Let's just forget what I said in the last few minutes and move on, alright? Act like it never happened."

Zachary nodded, a grin spreading across his muzzle. "Hey, Lya! How are you doing?"

The ocelot cocked an eyebrow and shook her head at the leopard. "What are yo-- Ooooh..." Lya put a paw on her forehead and smiled, "You're horrible, you know that?"

The leopard's face fell for the second time. "Am I really horr--"

"Alright, I'm done with you," Lya announced with another loud laugh, throwing up her arms in defeat as she continued chuckling, "Stop taking things literally, silly. I'm just joking." The ocelot said, smiling for some moments before she looked like she got lost in thought as she pursed her lips. She was hesitant to continue, but eventually did so.

"Say, are you free tomorrow?" she inquired, waiting to proceed until Zachary nodded, "Good, because there's going to be a little get together with the others... and since you're now kinda a student as well, I thought I'd invite you. It's nothing big, just the usual on Sundays. Want to come?"

Zachary hesitated for a moment, not sure whether to be terrified or thrilled by the invitation. Eventually his head decided for him, as it nodded on its own accord.

Lya gave a warm smile. "Awesome! It starts in the evening, in the back garden. I'll probably catch you after your lesson and lead you there. Somehow I can't trust you with navigating your way there on your own..." the ocelot chuckled, waving a paw as she turned around, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Zachary watched in complete silence as the ocelot walked away, completely dumbfounded. "B-Bye?" He managed to mumble out, although it was obvious that it was too late for goodbyes as Lya was nowhere near close to him anymore.

It took the young anthro a few moments to realize what just happened, and a wide grin slowly began to creep across his muzzle, threatening to split his head in half with its width. With the same, almost terrifying, expression plastered on his face, Zachary exited the college, thrilled for both the extra books and the opportunity he was presented with.

Basajaun was deep into his biomancy tome, a broad grin on his face as he read. He was nearing the end of the first half of the grimoire, and with only a few spells dealing with external anatomy left to master, the drake estimated he was only a few more hours away from beginning the segments on internal anatomy. The thought had plastered a smile on his face for such a long time that his cheeks were actually starting to burn from holding the expression for so long.

The dragon's spiritual companion was in a less bright mood however, as she lay next to her still-sleeping mistress' tent. The familiar could feel Esmeralda's dreaming thoughts, and was relieved that they were free of nightmares, but still worried that the owl had yet to awaken. But Snowflake kept her vigilant post by her mistress' side, ever ready to offer assistance the moment it was needed.

The drake's laughing suddenly caught Snowflake's attention, and she looked over to ascertain the cause. "What's so funny?" the familiar inquired curiously, cocking her head at her companion.

Still snickering, Basajaun tapped the tome he read. "Let me give this a try and see if the image is as amusing as it is in my head," the dragon replied, concentrating and intoning an arcane word.

Suddenly, the drake's scales began to shift and change shape, until Basajaun was covered in a coat of fluffy, striped green fur, which had the look and texture of the finest of silks. The fur was shorter on his head, lengthening as one looked down the drake's neck, until it was around four to five inches long on the dragon's torso. The coat shortened again as it traveled down the dragon's tail, ending in a lion-esque tip of darker green.

The change was so unexpected that Snowflake actually burst out laughing alongside her draconic friend, who suddenly looked much more cuddly than predatory as he fell into a giggling fit of his own at the feel of his scales' replacement. In their raucous laughter, the pair didn't notice the approach of their feline friend.

"My bed!" Zachary gasped loudly as he spotted Basajaun's fluffy appearance from a distance, his voice reaching the ears of the two dragons despite their laughter, "Basa... that's..." the feline could only stammer and blink in disbelief as he approached his friend, his tomes falling to the ground as he gestured at the whole body of the dragon with both of his paws, "That's... PERFECT!"

Bounding and jumping on Basajaun, the feline cuddled himself tightly and affectionately against the even softer substance which coated the reptile's already squishy form. After his nuzzle attack, Zachary simply let himself sink in both the dense fur and the flab beneath it, letting out a sigh of utter comfort and purring louder than ever.

Having to take a moment to catch his breath, Basajaun put a paw over the leopard's torso, giving him an affectionate stroke. "Hey, welcome back," the dragon greeted, feeling around the fur on his body with his free hand and wings, Snowflake bounding over eagerly to explore the soft-looking fur as well, "I take it you appreciate this particular transformation?" The question was directed to both of his companions, and the spirit nodded wordlessly in response as she buried her face into the drake's silky coat and soft stomach.

"I love it!" Zachary's muffled response came from somewhere the depths of the dragon's fluff and pudge, "You were soft and cuddly before, but now... I can't even find the right words." The feline attempted to explain, simply letting his purring and careful stroking do the job instead of simple words. Evidently, he rather liked the change.

The drake laughed at the ticklish feeling of his friends appreciating the fur, as well as the texture of the fur itself against his skin. "I've got good news for you then!" Basajaun said, "This is one of those spells that requires its counterpart to undo, which means that this fuzziness lasts as long as the caster needs it to. It's supposed to be for reptiles that plan on being in cold climates for prolonged periods, but I think it has other uses, wouldn't you agree?" Snowflake released a chime of absolute pleasure in reply. She was currently in an extremely happy place and only vaguely aware of the world around her as her face and paws slowly kneaded at the drake's fur and fat alike.

Looking over to Zachary, Basajaun smiled. "So, does this help make up for my diet a little?" the dragon asked teasingly.

Zachary smiled teasingly. "Nothing can replace this kind of softness," pinching the dragon's flab beneath the fluff, the feline wobbled the flesh gently for emphasis, "But this spells does indeed make up for your diet, don't worry. You've become infinitely better to lie on, so it's an obvious win in my book!" Chuckling lightly, the feline headed right back into his own euphoria, enjoying the silky and pudgy comfort that Basajaun provided immensely.

Basajaun snuggled the leopard against himself for a moment, before gently lifting Zachary's head to face him. "I have more good news, as well," the drake said, reaching over to the biomancy tome and handing it to the feline, "Check how many pages are left until the metabolism spells from this one."

The leopard quickly flipped through the pages eagerly, a joyous grin spreading across his muzzle once he saw what Basajaun meant, "Just eleven pages left... that's it? From the whole book?" Zachary shook his head in disbelief, "I knew you had a good memory and that you were fast learner, but that's just insane progress, bud," he admitted, handing the book back to the dragon and almost instantly embracing him afterwards, "Not gonna lie, you're kind of awesome, Basa."

The dragon gave a proud smile, before shaking his head as if clearing it. "Thank you," Basajaun said with as much humility as he could manage, "I had a good motivator, though. And this is the only thing I've been able to do besides hunting and flying practice since we got here."

Realizing that he might sound like he was complaining, Basajaun shook his head again. "What I mean is; learning this biomancy has been a great way for me to pass the hours that you are in the city," the drake clarified, "So that's what I've been doing almost nonstop since I first found out that I could use this kind of magic."

Reaching down, the reptile nuzzled his friends. "And I hope you're not too jealous of my progress," Basajaun continued with a sincere tone, "It's just because I only have the one kind of magic that I can do. You have to learn a lot of different kinds of magic, so I think we're actually about even, progress-wise."

"Why would I be jealous of your progress?" Zachary asked with a laugh, shaking his head and rolling his eyes, "I'm happy for you, Basa, truly," the leopard stated, his sincere expression evidently showing that he meant what he said, "I'm perfectly aware that you're a much better learner than I'll ever be, but I don't mind that; I'll just learn at my own pace." Extracting his body from the dragon's soft comfort, the feline backed away some steps and closed his eyes.

"As long as I'm able to do this," Zachary paused, inhaling and clenching both of his paws in fists for a few moments, before he opened them once again, the familiar red flames and swirling white mist summoning in each of his paws, "I don't care how slow my learning is." Smashing his paws together in a single and quick motion, the leopard watched in awe as both spells collided, creating a blue and white flame which danced between his fingers, grabbing at the leftover oxygen hungrily before it died down completely.

"Wow," the feline voiced, glancing at his paws in turns and smiling widely, "Talib was right, mixing these spells is just amazing!"

The ice spirit let loose a squeak when Zachary summoned his fire, flinching away from the leopard until the spell was gone. "Please give me a warning when you're going to use fire magic!" the spirit insisted, giving Basajaun an expectant look until he translated for her, "That really scared me having that so close!"

"Oh, whoops, sorry Snowflake," Zachary apologized with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck, "Didn't mean to scare you... got a little overexcited there." He admitted with a chuckle, making his way to the ice spirit and putting a paw on her neck. "I'll be more careful in the future, alright?" Stroking the dragoness' scales tenderly, the leopard didn't even notice that as soon as his fur contacted with the spirit's icy body, the familiar white mist began to radiate from his paw once again.

Snowflake nodded. "I'd appreciate that," the familiar said, her words seeming a lot clearer to the feline as they touched, though Basajaun translated for the dragoness anyways.

Taking the book once again, Basajaun looked over to his companions. "Would you two mind if I got back to this?" the drake asked, tapping the grimoire, "I'm so close to my goal now, but I don't want you two to feel like I'm deliberately ignoring you."

"Nah, bud. You go ahead and fin-- Ooh... crap." Zachary stopped mid-sentence, only now noting the white mist around his right paw which appeared on its own accord, "Not again..." Growling in frustration, the feline quickly pulled his paw away from the ice spirit's body, closing his eyes and holding his arm close to his chest.

'Just stay... calm. You're not casting a spell, it's going to disappear in a second, don't worry. Just. Stay. Calm." Chanting these words in his mind for long moments, the feline could feel the chilly fog slowly dissipate from his paw, leaving nothing in its wake as the last swirl of icy mist disappeared.

Opening his eyes and sighing in relief, the leopard shook his head a little. "Still can't control it fully, I suppose..." He mused, the thought somehow bothering him more than he cared to admit. Multicaster or not, he was just a reckless fool with a whole lot of power in his hands if he wasn't able to tame the energies inside him.

Seeing the leopard's magical accident, as well as noticing something during their contact, Snowflake put a cool paw on Zachary's shoulder reassuringly. Closing her eyes, the spirit concentrated for a moment.

'Can... hear... me?' a foreign thought entered the feline's mind.

Zachary jumped up in surprise, for a few moments quite convinced that the voice in his mind was a painful indicator of his craziness. Noticing the spirit's paw on his shoulder, however, the feline was able to put two and two together.

"Y-Yeah... I could, but just barely." The leopard answered the question aloud, very hopeful that it was actually Snowflake who attempted to communicate with him, otherwise his earlier assumption would make a lot more sense.

Snowflake nodded, before trying again. 'Can you... hear... now?' the spirit asked in the leopard's mind, concentrating a bit harder in an attempt to get her message across. It actually seemed like the familiar was starting to strain herself in her efforts.

The foreign thought's words were followed by a familiar bright light, which began to spread and slowly grow inside Zachary's brain. 'Yes.' The leopard answered, this time directly speaking practically to the light which resided in his mind.

'Can y--' In a sudden and unexpected motion, the radiance which shone brightly began to retreat until it fully left Zachary's subconscious. Opening his eyes, which he didn't even notice closing, the feline shook his head a little, glancing up at Snowflake with a small smile. "Almost... we were a lot closer than yesterday."

Snowflake nodded, maintaining her contact. "But can you understand me when I'm speaking aloud while we're in contact?" the spirit asked, nodding to her paw on the leopard's shoulder.

"Yes, of co--" Zachary blinked, not continuing for some moments, "Wait a second... did I just..." stammering on his words from being utterly perplexed, the feline looked up at Snowflake's paw on his shoulder in disbelief, "Can you... say something again?"

The spirit smiled enthusiastically. "How about this?" she asked in a thrilled tone, "Can you understand this?"

The leopard's eyes widened in surprise, before a wide grin spread across his muzzle. "Yes! Yes, I can!" He stated joyfully, almost jumping out of his fur in his excitement.

Chiming with joy, the spirit pressed herself against Zachary in a hug. "Finally! We don't need a translator anymore!" she exclaimed, before adding with a sheepish grin, "At least, not while we're touching. But we have the ability to talk now. And I can share what I know about magic, and cooking, and animals, and winter, and nature!"

Zachary chuckled at the spirit's enthusiasm as he was embraced. It very much reminded him of himself. "I'm just as relieved from this revelation as you are, Snowflake," the leopard admitted, slowly pulling away from the hug but making sure that the two were still in contact, "It's a rather big coincidence that right after I learn my first ice spell, I'm suddenly able to understand you as long as we're in contact... I guess that was the closed gate which blocked us from doing so earlier when that soul bond began to develop." He mused with a broad grin on his face, seemingly quite satisfied with the results of today's lessons with Talib.

Snowflake nodded happily as she nuzzled the leopard's face. "I can teach you too now, if you wanted," the spirit offered, "I'm always happy to share what I know, especially since you can use what I can teach you. Oh, it'd be so fun!"

"You guys don't mind?" the drake said from his position near the fire, looking up from the book, "It's kind of hard to read over your enthusiasm." Basajaun's tone held a bit of teasing to it, but it was an honest request.

Snowflake looked over to the dragon with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I'll be quieter," the familiar assured the drake, getting a nod in reply. Looking over to Zachary, Snowflake gave him a smile and continued quietly, "But really, I can give you advice on magic that isn't in the textbooks that most people have, as well as in depth instruction on ice magic."

"I would love that, Snowflake," the leopard replied, an enthusiastic smile plastered on his muzzle, "I'm pretty sure you can show me some pretty cool things that aren't even mentioned in those spellbooks. I might even surprise my teacher with a trick that even he doesn't know about!" Zachary chuckled quietly, his gaze shifting to Basajaun and hoping that his eagerness didn't disturb the learning dragon.

As he brought his eyes back to Snowflake, the leopard's gaze halted on Esmeralda's tent. "How is she?" he inquired with a sincerely concerned tone, the events of yesterday still burning fresh in his mind, "Is she going to be alright?"

The familiar gave a nod. "She's still asleep," Snowflake reported, following the leopard's gaze, "She sometimes sleeps through a whole day after an event like last night. It's best to let her do so; that thing can't reach her while she's asleep."

Zachary couldn't help but growl quietly as soon as the evil entity was mentioned; there were a few things he truly despised, and this was one of them. "Soon that thing won't be able to reach her even when she's awake," the leopard stated with an utterly resolute tone, "I can't see her suffer like this... I just... can't."

The leopard tore his eyes away from the tent and looked up at Snowflake, his expression sincere. "She's my friend. And I sure as hell won't let a wicked spirit torment any of my friends," he sighed loudly, "We need to figure something out to help her... I don't know how... but we have to."

The spirit gave her friend an appreciative smile. "I hope we do," she said quietly, before shaking her head slowly, "It's better not to give it the satisfaction of acknowledging it, though. Unless you're in the middle of trying to find a solution, of course. But otherwise, try not to think about it; that agitates it, and that can make things worse."

The leopard forced himself to nod. "Alright... if you say so," he said, glancing for a last time at the Elder's tent for a moment before he tore his eyes away, "So... is your offer for teaching me still up?" Zachary asked with an inviting smile, quite sure he already knew the answer to his question.

Snowflake nodded eagerly, apparently already forcing the being from her thoughts, before looking over to Basajaun as he read. "We should find a spot where our lessons on magic aren't going to interfere with Forest Mage's," the spirit suggested, giving the feline a smile.

Zachary gave a mischievous grin and cleared his throat as he turned towards Basajaun. "We're going to leave for a while!" the feline practically shouted, laughing loudly when the dragon's grip on his book loosened from flinching. Snickering and holding his sides from laughing, the leopard winked at his friend playfully.

"Sorry... the temptation was too big," he stated with a grin, moving to the reptile and patting his head before taking a few of his own books in his paws, "We'll be back later, bud."

Reaching over and nuzzling his friend, Basajaun nodded. "Have fun with your lesson!" the drake said cheerfully, before redirecting his attention to his book once more.

Prancing over to the edge of the clearing, Snowflake beckoned eagerly. "Come on, let's go find a good spot!" she invited, only vaguely realizing that the leopard might not understand her while he wasn't in physical contact with the familiar.

Although that being exactly the case, Zachary had no problem figuring out what the familiar wanted to say, her evident eagerness telling more than any words could. With a nod and a chuckle, the leopard quickly followed after the ice dragon, his books bouncing up and down in his paws as he joined in the spirit's joyful gamboling.

Taking a few minutes to find a good spot, Snowflake came to a stop under a large oak tree. "Here, this is--" the spirit stopped when she realized she wasn't touching Zachary. Thinking for a moment, the familiar snapped her claws as an idea occurred to her.

Taking a deep breath, the dragoness held up her forepaws and blew gently into them, a thin mist travelling into her palms. After swirling around for a bit, the fog coalesced into a pale blue chain necklace ending in a small snowflake-like crystal. Turning to Zachary, the spirit offered the amulet to him with one hand, while the other reached over to touch his shoulder. "Just a bit of me to keep with you," the spirit stated, jingling the necklace a bit.

Zachary's eyes widened as he stared at the icy jewelry in Snowflake's claws, his mouth agape. "Wow..." the feline marveled at the sight, taking the necklace carefully and examining it in his paws, "I was never given a jewel before... I've hardly seen any to begin with."

Raising the trinket gingerly and placing it around his neck, the leopard smiled widely at the spirit. "Thank you, Snowflake. It looks beautiful." Zachary stated, holding the pendant in his paw close to his chest.

The spirit withdrew her arm with a smile. "Can you still understand me?" she checked, making sure the necklace's purpose was functioning correctly.

At first surprised, Zachary nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, crystal clear," he reported joyfully, letting the amulet fall to his chest, "Now that we don't have to be in contact to communicate," the leopard began with a grin, taking a few steps back from the familiar, "We can start the lesson. I'm ready!"

The spirit nodded once again, before turning to the oak tree and smiling. "You and Forest Mage already have a healthy respect for nature and wildlife," Snowflake said, placing a hand on the tree's trunk, "That will give you a headstart with what I have in mind."

Taking a breath, the familiar closed her eyes as she seemed to become lost in thought. "The oldest among us tend to have unexpected knowledge," Snowflake said, taking her hand from the oak, "Learning to speak with them will grant you an understanding of this world unlike what you can get from a book."

The dragoness smiled widely, looking over to Zachary with an enthusiastic expression. "There's a kind of magic I haven't been able to teach to mortals so far," the spirit stated, pointing to the leopard, "But I have high hopes for you. You just might be able to do what no other mortal I've ever met can; learn the art of nature magic. I'm going to try teaching you such a spell now; Tree-Speech."

"Tree-speech?" a more than surprised leopard reiterated, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he stared at Snowflake, "And you think I could be the first mortal to learn the art of nature magic?" Zachary asked in disbelief, pointing a finger at himself. The spirit's offer was very inviting, challenging even, yet the young anthro couldn't help but feel somewhat discouraged by the revelation that no other mortal being had been able to learn this school of magic.

"You could indeed," Snowflake affirmed, patting the leopard's head and turning to face the tree, "If you can learn to speak to the baser beings of nature, you might be able to eventually commune with nature itself. As a spirit, I'm a part of nature, and I know that this can be done, but I've never heard of anyone actually being able to do it before, at least not any mortals."

Closing her eyes, Snowflake thought for a moment. "I can feel this tree's spirit," the familiar stated, "It's old; older than I am. Almost as old as your center-city itself. The tree has watched this spot for long years, and knows much. If you can learn to speak with it, you could learn a great deal."

Zachary raised his eyebrows and walked to the large oak tree, placing a paw on it and closing his eyes. A few moments passed in silence, the leopard remaining unmoving and silent. He appeared to be concentrating, almost reaching meditation state as his breathing leveled out completely.

"I can't feel or hear a single thing," the feline reported with a chuckle, pulling his paw away and giving a sheepish smile to Snowflake, "But that doesn't mean I'm not interested in learning this. Hell, if I'm able to, I will have something to rub in my teacher's face!"

Snowflake laughed at the thought. "When our empathic link matures, I'll be better able to explain how nature magic functions," the spirit said, "There are things that your language doesn't have the words for, and even if I said them, they would fail to translate with how developed our bond currently is, like--" the familiar said one of her chiming words, but it only wound up becoming a garbled mess in the leopard's mind, instead of becoming a recognizable word.

Zachary nodded in acknowledgement, before raising an eyebrow at Snowflake. "How did you want to teach me... Er... Tree-speech if you couldn't properly explain it at the moment?" the leopard asked, cocking his head slightly.

The dragoness paused, before giving an embarrassed smile as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I guess I got ahead of myself," the spirit admitted with a laugh, before shaking her head, "But I think your respect for nature is definitely strong enough for you to be able to use this magic, once I can teach you how."

Snowflake took a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. "Even if I can't quite teach you nature magic," the spirit began, "I still have plenty to share about regular magic, especially if it involves ice or cold. That's what I know the most about."

"Alright, let's not waste any time then!" Zachary insisted enthusiastically, looking at the ice dragon with an almost childishly excited expression plastered on his face, "Let it be ice or cold magic, or anything else for that matter, I want to learn it. If there's something in this world that interests me, then it has to be magic," the leopard admitted with a wide smile, "Ever since I discovered that I was 'talented' in it, I knew that it would help me become what I always wanted to; useful."

With mutual enthusiasm, the pair dove into their first magic lesson together. Unlike Talib, Snowflake was a patient teacher that gave an almost excessive amount of positive reinforcement with each little success that Zachary had. With their bond, the spirit was able to easily tell which spells were best suited and easiest for the leopard to cast, and quickly taught those first.

The familiar seemed to know quite a bit of magic, not just that which focused on ice and cold. Snowflake explained that she and Esmeralda had been studying magic for decades, and even though they couldn't use all of the knowledge they gathered, the spirit was just as happy passing on this information as she was teaching anything else.

The familiar didn't have the feline cast that many spells. Instead, Snowflake spent a great deal of time discussing magic from a spiritual point of view. It was different than what textbooks described magic as, but none of what the spirit said went against what the grimoires the leopard read had said. It was merely a new perspective that seemed to grant more understanding of the subject matter. Caught up in their conversation and lessons, the pair swiftly lost track of time, and it was only when the sunlight started to fade that they realized how late it was getting.

"Wow, time passes quickly when you're enjoying yourself, doesn't it?" Snowflake asked as she looked up to the darkening sky, before looking back to her friend-turned-student, "Let's get back to camp and check on Forest Mage."

Zachary looked up for a moment as well, his gaze lingering on the setting sun's orange rays as they crept across the sky. "Yeah," he agreed, turning to Snowflake with a smile, "That's probably a good idea," moving to the ice dragon and stroking her neck tenderly, the feline gave the spirit an appreciative expression, "Thanks for the lesson, it was really useful."

The pair was suddenly disturbed by a loud growl, its source rather obvious as the feline immediately put a paw on his demanding midsection. "We should probably get some dinner before we get back to camp, though. I'm pretty hungry, and I'm quite sure Basa wouldn't mind some either." Zachary proposed with a grin, turning around and beckoning for the ice spirit to follow.

As she made to follow, Snowflake made a happy chiming noise. "Do you think Forest Friend is close enough to his new spells that we can catch him a lot of food, like before?" the spirit asked with a jubilant expression.

Zachary didn't respond right away, looking lost in thought for some moments as the pair made their way through the trees. "Well... I'm not sure, to be honest," the feline admitted, glancing over his shoulder at Snowflake, "Let's just get a normal amount for now. We can always come back later to hunt for more."

Her face falling a little, the familiar nodded anyways. "Alright, we'll get a smaller amount," Snowflake relented, looking out into the forest, "What kind of food do you feel like today? More hare?"

Zachary chuckled. "I'm fine with anything, really. Although I haven't had much luck finding anything else than hare in this forest, so we might not have as many options as we think." The feline half hoped that his statement would prove to be false as he turned around and started sniffing at the air in search of their dinner. As delicious as hare was, one could get bored of eating the same thing quite easily.

As it turned out, Zachary needn't have worried, as the two hunters returned to the camp with not only three hares in their paws, but with a deer as well. Although Snowflake had done most of the hunting, given that a particular feline hunter had forgotten to bring his bow with him, said individual felt no shame in his puny contribution to their dinner. It was a noticeable change in the leopard's mentality, who had practically sunk into depression the last time he failed to catch anything more than a few twigs on the plains.

With a wide smile on his face and happy bouncing in his steps, Zachary carried the three hares in his paw, letting the much larger and stronger ice dragon deal with the heavy deer's body. The reason behind this decision wasn't because the young anthro was lazy; he simply couldn't hoist the large animal's body alone.

As the sun began retreating behind the horizon with haste, the forest around the two started adapting to the changes. The sounds of the occupants of the area quieted themselves, the song of the usual band of crickets replacing the chittering of birds. The colors darkened as the blackness of the evening approached, the formerly vibrant and dominant light green departing and shifting to a shadier hue of emerald, lending a more calm and relaxed sensation as the feline continued his observation.

Zachary's face was dominated by a wide smile across his muzzle as he walked beside Snowflake, his gaze scanning the spectacle of nature which surrounded them. The ice dragon couldn't have described the young anthro's personality better earlier when she mentioned his fascination of the environment. With his awe and interest in magic at first place, his obsession with nature followed as a close second, as evidenced by his behavior and reactions at the moment.

"I really don't want to live in a city," the leopard stated suddenly out of nowhere, breaking the silence which fell on the walking pair, "I could never imagine leaving this all behind. I don't even know how people are able to abandon this to live behind those walls. But I suppose I'm a little biased, given my past experiences on the... matter." Zachary chuckled lightheartedly, tearing his eyes away from a particularly beautiful flower to glance at Snowflake. The smile on his face was a sight the ice spirit had come to expect from the young anthro, although one that she hadn't seen too much during their travels.

Returning the expression, Snowflake nuzzled the feline's face. "I think the wilds suits you," she agreed, looking out in the direction of the city, "I'm a bit of a strange spirit though; I like being where there are lots of people. The smiles of others are always great to see, and even better if I helped to create those smiles. If I'm being honest, I'm a little jealous of you and Mistress being able to go into the city."

Zachary smiled warmly as he was cuddled by the spirit, returning the kind gesture in the forms of a few strokes on Snowflake's neck. "We always crave for something else than the one we're given." The feline said, a glimpse of sorrow glittering in his eyes as the owner of the quote, a turtle, crossed his mind.

For a few moments, the leopard remained silent, one of his fingers pursing his lips as he appeared to be lost in thought. "Why don't you just change forms?" Zachary asked after realizing that the spirit could actually perform such a thing, raising an eyebrow at said individual, "You can become anything you want, right? Just choose a form that doesn't arouse much suspicion... like the mouse from the first time I met you. You could surely get in the city that way."

"But then Forest Mage would be alone out here," Snowflake said, shaking her head, "He can't change his form to something less conspicuous yet. It wouldn't be fair to him to just leave him out here."

Zachary nodded, grimacing a little. "Yeah, there's that. Poor lizard... I realized just now how he must feel every day we stay in Centrum," sighing, the leopard shook his head, "He wants noth--" Stopping as he realized something from Snowflake's earlier words, the feline slowly turned his head towards the spirit, both of his eyebrows raised in surprise and confusion.

"What do you mean he can't change his form yet?" Zachary inquired, looking both intrigued and taken aback at the same time.

Snowflake laughed once she realized that the leopard was out of the loop. "Sorry, he and I forgot to tell you; we found a spell that's meant to temporarily turn animals into anthros," the spirit informed Zachary, smiling at him warmly, "We could try to modify that spell to turn Forest Mage into an anthro, so he could be more welcomed in cities."

Zachary's eyes widened in surprise at the ice dragon's explanation, his mouth agape as he stared at the spirit in disbelief. "That... that's good to know," he concluded curtly, blinking for a few moments before a warm smile spread across his muzzle, "I can only imagine how happy Basa was when you two found that spell. He really wants to be accepted by others... and I really hope that one day he won't need any spell to succeed in that." The leopard said, a newfound happiness and enthusiasm evidently showing in his steps as he both quickened and improved them by practically prancing around.

With the faster pace, the pair of hunters arrived back at the camp in no time, the last rays of the departing sun still adorning the blue sky with their orange gloom, providing the remaining light before the blackness could take its usual place finally. "We're ba--" Zachary stopped himself by blocking his mouth with a paw, his eyes looking at the hill of pudgy and fluffy green form that slept next to the fire.

Gesturing for Snowflake to stay quiet as well, the feline silently approached the sleeping forest dragon, smiling warmly and holding down a chuckle at the position his best friend decided to fall asleep in. With Basajaun's head resting against the biomancy book he was reading, it was safe to assume that the eager lizard student simply exhausted himself with his learning. Apparently, the reptile was more than determined to succeed in his mission to master this school of magic, just as much as a particular leopard.

Kneeling down and setting down the hares on the ground at the same time, Zachary extracted the tome from under his friend's head, making sure not to jostle the dragon's head. Smiling as he stood up after successfully depriving Basajaun of his book-pillow, Zachary glanced at the pages of the object in question, his smile only growing wider when he realized how much progress the reptile had made.

"Good thing we didn't bring too much food for him," Zachary stated with a whisper as he moved back to Snowflake, closing the book in the process, "But that shouldn't be the problem tomorrow. He's really close to learning the metabolism spell, we can probably go back to our usual portion of food by tomorrow." The leopard announced with a wide grin, winking at the ice dragon.

Snowflake smiled as she situated herself next to Basajaun, gently stroking the drake's new fur. "He's been trying so hard," she said in a fond tone, her voice equally soft, "It's good to see that his effort has some visible results. And I think we're all going to be happy to have his usual portion size back!" Scooting herself against the dragon, Snowflake started to sing softly as she petted her luxuriously soft friend, a sincere smile playing across her face when the drake started purring loudly with a goofy grin.

"You can bet," Zachary agreed with a laugh, shaking his head a little at Basajaun's behavior while he was asleep. With his new fur and purring, the "dragon" looked more like an overgrown house pet at the moment, which amused the leopard immensely.

Glancing around himself for a moment and pointing at the hares on the ground, Zachary gave Snowflake a pleading expression. "Would you mind... making dinner tonight? You're a much better cook than I'll ever be, and I still need to do some spellcasting." The feline reasoned with a sheepish smile, fluttering his eyes at the familiar.

The spirit nodded, taking a few more minutes to enjoy Basajaun's softness before standing. "Would you like some of the deer to go with your hare?" she asked quietly, taking the small animals from the leopard and moving over to the group's ingredient supply, selecting some key spices.

Zachary nodded with a smile, moving to Snowflake and stroking her neck appreciatively. "Just add whatever you feel like, I'm pretty convinced that you could cook a delicious dinner out of grass and stones if you really wanted to,," the feline stated with a quiet chuckle, patting the dragoness' side before making his way to his books.

Sighing as he sat down with his book next to the dead fire, the feline opened the tome with one of his paw, while he held out the other casually over the cold logs. "Fire." He cautioned Snowflake, clenching his paw in a fist and casting Kindling in a second. After getting the fire going next to him, the leopard killed the spell in his paw, flipping through the pages to find where he stopped his last learning session yesterday.

"Thank you for the warning," the spirit said with an appreciative smile, taking the deer and skinning it using her claws. As she prepared dinner, Snowflake thought about what she could make for Basajaun tomorrow to celebrate his progress. She wanted to make a feast that would include all of the flavors the drake enjoyed, and the spirit knew for a fact that he enjoyed sweets the most.

Smiling, Snowflake turned to Zachary. "Do you think you could pick up some ingredients in town tomorrow?" she asked politely, not stopping in her cooking, "I mean, if Mistress isn't up for going into town. I'm going to need more sugar for Forest Friend's meal tomorrow."

The leopard was about to nod enthusiastically with a wide smile, before he remembered his program for the next day. "I... uh... I'm not sure," he began, glancing up from his book just for a moment, "I kinda have... things to do tomorrow, right after my lesson... I don't know how long that lasts, but I'm pretty sure the market will be closed by the time I'm done," Zachary explained with an apologetic expression, "I'll try... but I can't promise anything."

Snowflake cocked her head curiously, stirring the ingredients she had gathered in a pot over the fire. "Did you meet some new friends?" she asked, smiling at the thought.

"You could say that," Zachary replied somewhat curtly, feeling a mild blush approaching as his thoughts shifted to a particular ocelot, "I met one friend... and I'm probably going to meet more tomorrow. That's why I'm going to be busy after my lesson." He explained, his gaze never leaving the pages of his book.

"Good for you!" the familiar replied in a happy tone, "I hope you have fun."

As dinner finished cooking, Snowflake waited quietly for the single serving size to finish. Taking a ladle, the spirit served the stew in a bowl and brought it over to Zachary with a happy expression. "Here you go, deer and hare stew!" she announced with a quiet, but enthusiastic tone as she presented the food to the feline.

Zachary took his dinner with a warm smile. "Thanks, Snowflake," he said, patting the familiar's claws. After putting his book down on the ground, the leopard took his first sip, almost instantly moaning as the delightful flavors caressed his sensitive taste buds. He didn't speak for a moment, taking a few more sips from his stew and shaking his head at the spirit.

"Your cooking is unbelievable. This is probably the best stew I've ever had." The feline stated with sincere tone, showing just how much he liked his dinner by digging in with gusto. He finished with his food in less than five minutes, surprising even himself at the rate he was able to eat.

Giggling as she nodded, Snowflake repositioned herself beside Basajaun to enjoy his plushiness again. "I've had a lot of practice," she stated softly, her returned petting starting up the drake's purring again, "Even if I don't eat myself, I learned what tastes good to mortals and that it was a good way to bring smiles to people. Just like that."

The familiar pointed to Zachary's expression before continuing, "I always like seeing people smile, if you haven't noticed. It's one of my biggest joys, right next to soft things." Snowflake's fingers sank into the drake's fur to feel the flab beneath, bringing out a smile of her own.

Zachary chuckled quietly, setting his bowl aside and wiping the remnants of his dinner from his muzzle. "You and me are quite similar, then," he said, smiling warmly at Snowflake as he picked up his book once again, "I like making people smile, and I'm rather fond of soft things as well, if it wasn't obvious enough." Giving a wink to the familiar, the leopard's gaze shifted to the pages of his tome. He must have found something interesting, as his ears perked up and he narrowed his eyes a little while reading.

Seeing the leopard's expression, Snowflake looked to his book. "Is that from your teacher?" she asked curiously, regarding the grimoire the leopard held with an inquisitive expression as she continued stroking the fur of the dragon beside her.

Zachary shook his head. "No, it's from Lya," he replied curtly, too intrigued in what he was reading to realize that Snowflake didn't know the ocelot. Although his thoughts only lingered for a fraction of a second on the librarian, the mild blush was quick to return to his muzzle as the leopard continued reading through a particularly inviting spell's instructions.

Seeing the feline's blush, the familiar smiled as she realized who Lya probably was to Zachary. Not wanting to embarrass him with comments, Snowflake instead focused her attention on Basajaun, eventually laying her head down against the dragon's torso, deciding it was a good time to leave Zachary to his studies. Nuzzling her snout into the drake's sheer softness, the spirit let out a soft chime of utter contentment as she fell into hibernation.

The familiar's departure to unconsciousness went by completely unnoticed by the leopard, who focused all his attention on the words written in the spellbook. It took him long minutes to properly understand and memorize the instructions of the spell, but eventually was convinced that he knew all the little details.

Closing his book and standing up, Zachary caught a glimpse of the two sleeping dragons next to him, regarding the cuddling pair for just a moment with a small smile on his face. When his observation of the two was declared as completed in his mind, the leopard turned around and walked a few paces away from his companions.

Once he was at a safe distance, he relaxed his body completely, stretching all his limbs and sighing loudly when his warming up was done. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, Zachary casted Kindling in his right paw with ease, the familiar orange flames lighting the area around him as he stood in the darkness. Smiling a little at his success, he wasted no time to take his next step as written in the instructions.

With his eyes still closed tight, the leopard held out his other paw, inhaling once more and hoping for the best. As it turned out, he needn't have worried, as the swirling white mist around his left paw began its circular motion. Zachary grinned widely, almost breaking his concentration by the revelation that he had no problems casting the two spells at once like before. It seemed like Snowflake's lessons proved to be more useful than he would have thought, as clearly evidenced by his improvement over his earlier struggling.

The leopard opened his eyes hesitantly, sighing in relief when the two spells didn't even flicker by the action. For a few moments, Zachary examined the fire and ice in his paws, testing the way they felt when he moved his arms around. He occasionally let the two polar opposites collide with each other, grinning widely when a sparkle of blue and white fire was created by the motion.

Now that he knew he had full control of the two elements in his paws, the leopard closed his eyes once again and inhaled, focusing all his attention on the spell he was going to cast. Although he had unintentionally almost casted it before, Zachary now knew the instructions, and was quite sure he was able to do what he was about to.

In a single and sudden motion, the young anthro slapped his paws together. Fire and ice collided against each other, their opposition creating an astonishing sight as they fought against one another to death. Red and orange flames enveloped the white and blue mist slowly, resulting in a quiet hiss from Zachary as he struggled with the two elements in his paws. Colliding the two spells was one thing, rather easy for that matter, keeping them alive together was a whole other thing.

The leopard clenched his eyes tightly, doing the same with his paws until they created a small orb of yellow fur. Azure flames burst out from between his furry fingers, grabbing at the air hungrily and growing with each second passing. Zachary tightened his grip on his paws, forcing the powerful spell back to its place.

The feline panted quite heavily for moments as he finally opened his eyes. Even through his closed paws, he could see the otherworldly blue light shining brightly. The sight almost caused Zachary's head to split as he grinned widely, nearly losing control of his spell in the process.

Calming himself by leveling out his breathing, the young anthro slowly and somewhat hesitantly opened his paws. "Yes!" Zachary almost shouted enthusiastically, catching himself just at the last moment and not screaming on top of his lungs. He glanced behind himself for just a second, sighing in relief when he noticed that he hadn't disturbed the two sleeping dragons.

He turned his attention back to the azure flames in his paws, regarding the fire with wide eyes. 'First successful spell fusion.' Zachary concluded in his mind with a grin across his muzzle. Pulling one of his paws away and watching the blue spell as its flames flickered in the darkness, the leopard nodded to himself, closing his eyes once again.

'Okay, last step. You can do it, Zach. You can do it.' Chanting these words as a means of encouraging himself, Zachary shook his head a little when a hint of dizziness disturbed him in his concentration. Disregarding the unpleasing feeling thanks to his endless determination, the leopard opened his eyes, a familiar fire of passion burning in his eyes.

He brought his head close to his open palm, blowing strongly on the azure flames. For a few seconds, the fire only registered the light breeze with a minor flicker, before Zachary increased the intensity of his blowing. The fire practically roared up, immediately growing immensely in his paw to a much bigger proportion.

Exhaling loudly and catching his breath, Zachary focused on the flame in his paw with all his leftover strength and might. He thrust his paw in front of him in the air forcefully, gasping at the results. The azure flames shot out from his hand in a line, practically exploding out in front of him.

The leopard watched the hungry, blue fire as it danced across the sky in front of him as he kept casting the spell. He let out a satisfied laugh, directing the row of flames upwards in the air and basking the entire area around him in the azure light. The sight was more than amazing to behold, the wisps of the fire breaking loose from the main flames and cascading through the air effortlessly.

Zachary was able to keep the fire going for long moments, barely registering his increasing dizziness as he marveled at his creation. Even though unaware of it, the leopard had casted one of the main spells of multicasters, their primary choice of offensive magic; the Azure Scorch.

When his vision began to get blurry, the leopard called the flame back to his paw, shaking his head a little as he collapsed on one of his knees. The blue fire flickered in his right hand weakly, Zachary breathing quite heavily as he remained unmoving for long moments. Eventually, he allowed himself to sit down, sighing loudly as he glanced at the still going spell in his paw. The sight brought a wide smile on the leopard's muzzle, despite how tired he had gotten from casting such a complex spell.

"Well, that was impressive," a familiar voice said a short distance from the leopard, "And I say that without any sarcasm, Zach."

Hearing another sentient being's voice caught the leopard so off guard that he immediately lost all his leftover concentration, the azure flames in his paw slowly dissipating into the air until they were completely vanished.

Groaning a little as he fell on his back, the feline tilted his head backwards on the grass, looking at Esmeralda from an upside-down point of view. "I'm glad you liked it," Zachary said with a teasing tone, smiling weakly at the owl, "It wasn't exactly easy to cast, I have to admit. If I want to be honest, I was little surprised myself that I was able to do it."

Moving to sit next to Zachary, the Elder rubbed her eyes wearily. "How long have I been out?" she asked, yawning expansively, "Judging from the lighting, it either hasn't been very long at all or quite some time."

"The latter," the leopard reported with a quiet chuckle, sitting up with great effort and shaking his head once again as he fought against his giddiness. Rubbing his eyes as well and cocking his head a little, Zachary looked at the Elder with the most sincere expression his facial muscles were able to perform.

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything? I could bring you a blanket if you want, or cook some stew... or..." the feline let out an expansive yawn of his own, his tongue curling out as he did so, "So... as I was saying," Zachary continued with a weak smile, his eyelids slowly falling and raising, "Can I help you somehow?"

The owl smiled and put a hand on the leopard's shoulder. "I'm fine, thank you," she replied, sighing after a moment, "Still a bit weary, but I'll be okay, so don't you worry about me, alright? I've already worried you enough."

Esmeralda gave the leopard an inquisitive look. "I'm not familiar with the spell you just used," she stated, her impressed smile showing she was quite interested, "What was that?"

"Uh..." the leopard voiced, glancing around himself and sighing disappointedly when he found his tome just out of his reach, "Just... a second." Extending his paw and groaning quietly, the tome slowly began to lift off from the ground and levitate towards Zachary, its edges touching the grass under it occasionally as it wobbled weakly.

"So..." a more than tired feline continued once his tome was in his paws, flipping through the pages and finding the spell he had just casted after a few moments, "Here... it's called Azure Scorch or whatever." He stated, handing the book to the Elder and tapping a finger on the spell's description and instructions.

Taking a pair of bifocals from her shirt, Esmeralda snapped her fingers, creating a softly glowing snowflake that hovered over the tome. Reading through the spell's description and instructions, she gave another impressed smile as she nodded.

"This is quite advanced stuff," the Elder stated, patting the leopard's side as she closed the book, "You're making remarkable progress, I have to admit. And this grimoire... it seems like it's meant specifically for mages like you, correct?"

Zachary nodded, smiling at the Elder's compliment. "It was specifically written for multicasters. I got it from L-- the librarian," the feline corrected himself in the last moment, clearing his throat a little before continuing, "I can thank both my teacher and Snowflake for my progress. I wouldn't have guessed that her explanations would help me that much in spellcasting, but it made me understand magic in general better. I don't think I would have been able to cast... Azure Scorch if it wasn't for her private lesson today." The leopard explained, glancing back at the ice spirit with a warm smile and jostling his new necklace in the process. Looking at his pendant and lifting it for the Elder, Zachary jiggled it in his paws gently.

"I also got this from her. Believe it or not, I can actually understand her crystal clearly when I'm wearing it!" he stated with a grin, "She said that our empathic... soul... bond or whatever is already in development. I could actually hear fragments of her thoughts today, though only barely."

The Elder gave a smiling nod. "I could hear that," she replied, "You actually got through enough that it bled over into my dreams a bit. Nice to see you two getting along so well."

The owl regarded the amulet for a moment. "You take good care of that," she continued, tapping the crystal, "This is actually a part of Snowflake, in case that wasn't clear enough from what she told you. If this gets damaged, it's going to hurt her, too. So be careful with it."

Zachary glanced at his necklace with a newfound determination to keep it safe as he hugged it close to his chest. "I'll try my very best, Elder Eszes," he said with a sincere tone, nodding his head to the owl before another yawn parted his jaws. The leopard shook his head and groaned, his ears lowering to his head. As much as he was trying to resist it, his increasing tiredness was slowly starting to overpower his other senses. He knew he couldn't stay awake any longer.

Turning to Esmeralda, Zachary scratched himself behind his ear, his eye on that side narrowing slightly. "I think... it's time for me to call it a day," he stated, letting out a satisfied sigh when his ear was pleased with the massage it got, "Oh, before I forget; Snowflake wanted me to buy some sugar from the market... but I'm... Er... kinda busy tomorrow after my lesson, so I thought you could do it for me instead," the leopard proposed, fluttering his eyes at the owl and cocking his head, "Is that a problem?"

Smiling, the Elder shook her head. "That's fine, Zach," she stated, standing carefully. It seemed like she was relying on her cane more than usual. "I'll get some more rest as well. It looks like I chose a poor time to wake up; everyone's too tired to deal with me at the moment!"

Laughing quietly, the owl moved back to her tent. "You have a good night," she said, "I'll try to get up and get to the city tomorrow."

Zachary nodded with a small smile. "Thanks, and good night," he said, moaning as he stood up and took his book with him. Shuffling his way to the two sleeping dragons and yawning on several occasions on the way, the leopard put down his tome next to the other ones, almost remaining in his hunched over position as he nearly fell asleep during the motion.

Straightening himself with great effort, he practically wobbled the rest of the way towards Basajaun, letting his tired body fall against the dragon's soft side. His attempts to crest the belly-hill were proven to be fruitless, as Zachary slid down each time he tried to do so. Mumbling quietly and sighing, the feline simply positioned himself next to the dragon, shuffling his body as close as he could against his fluffy and pudgy friend's side. It didn't take more than a minute for the leopard to fall asleep, a smile spreading across his muzzle even while being unconscious.

As the sun crept over the trees and shined into the clearing, Basajaun cursed the light under his breath. Lifting his head, the drake looked around to find his companions resting against him once again. Smiling at the scene for a moment, Basajaun looked over to where his biomancy grimoire was.

At the motion, Snowflake raised her own head with a smile. "Good morning," she greeted quietly, her tail snaking over to acquire the tome that the dragon was looking at, "Here, I take it you want to get an early start on this?"

Nodding appreciatively, Basajaun took the tome in one hand, while the other reached down to gently stroke Zachary's fur. "Just a few more pages," he stated with a yawn, shaking his head and looking to the book as he flipped to where he left off, "And I'll be able to start gaining weight again. And you and Zach will be able to enjoy our feeding sessions. I don't want to keep any of us waiting."

Giving a nod, Snowflake stood and looked over to the Elder's tent. "Mistress woke up last night while I was sleeping," she reported, patting Basajaun's side before moving to the tent, "I need to be available to her the moment she needs anything."

"Yeah, that's good," the drake replied, already focusing intently on his tome while he read the instructions for the first of the metabolism spells. The magic that dealt with internal anatomy was more complicated than that which dealt with external anatomy, and Basajaun didn't want to miss any key points because of conversation.

Settling down by the owl's shelter, Snowflake watched Basajaun eagerly as he read. 'You can do it,' she urged in her mind, smiling at the dragon's determination, 'Just a bit more and you'll be casting those spells in no time.'

"I don't want to be rude, but can you please let me concentrate?" the drake said, "It's a little hard to read when you're cheering me on like that."

Blinking in surprise, Snowflake grinned widely when she realized what had just happened. 'Sure, sorry,' she thought, smiling again when the dragon nodded in reply. After a moment, the spirit felt the bond falter, but she wasn't disappointed; that was a definite spark of a deeper connection beginning to form.

After a long time of slow and deliberate reading, Basajaun set his tome aside. "Alright, here goes nothing," he muttered, concentrating hard for several minutes to be sure he wouldn't make any mistakes in his first casting attempt. Finally, when he was sure he was ready, the dragon intoned, "Corrobo!"

The effects of the spell were slow, but readily visible. As Snowflake watched, the drake's body slowly seemed to retreat into itself, a slightly sad expression on the spirit's face as the dragon's soft fat began to transform into dense, hard muscle across his whole body. Within ten minutes, all of Basajaun's adipose had been absorbed into his musculature, leaving a tightly toned, but still fluffy form.

"Huh, I guess it worked," the drake mused, looking down at himself with a similar expression to Snowflake's. He was definitely more muscular, though because of how dense his muscles were, the dragon didn't look overly musclebound.

Basajaun stared at himself for a moment with a disappointed look, before his expression brightened somewhat as he continued, "But this means I'm definitely capable of learning the more advanced stuff just as well as the beginning material." The spirit nodded, smiling at the dragon's reassuring words.

The chatter of the two dragons wormed its way into Zachary's sensitive ears, eliciting a loud grumble from said individual as he was woken by the sounds. "You... guys..." he began, turning his body this way and that, "Really need... to stop talkin'... in the mornings..." The leopard demanded with a weak tone, giving a gentle strike on Basajaun's side as he usually would. At first, everything seemed fine, right up until the moment the fluff ended, and the feline's paw met something really hard.

Yipping in surprise and pulling his hand away, Zachary slowly opened his eyes, glancing at the hard substance that should have never met his paw in the first place. For long moments, the leopard's mind simply couldn't register what it was seeing, his expression completely unchanged as he stared at the dragon's toned and muscled form.

Blinking and shaking his head a little, the young anthro focused on his vision until it cleared out somewhat. The sight which he found himself facing left Zachary simply breathless and out of words. As the others could have probably guessed, it wasn't because he was enjoying what he was looking at.

"W-What... is... I..." the leopard stuttered, glancing up at Basajaun with an utterly confused expression before he brought his gaze back to the dragon's side. Poking it with a finger and pulling it back in an instant when it was met with the same rock solid substance under the reptile's fur, Zachary couldn't help himself. He looked up at Basajaun with the perfect representation of a kitten, his eyes staring widely into the dragon's soul as he whimpered quietly. He gave his friend a mix of disappointed, sorrowful, confused and crestfallen expression, pouting as well for full effect. As much as it appeared like it was the case, he wasn't acting.

Basajaun turned and gave his friend a guilty look. "Hey, the spell worked," he stated the obvious, the feline's expression filling his heart with guilt, "Hey, Zach, don't worry; this was just the introductory spell. I just need to learn the other spell and I'll be back to my good old softness."

Giving the leopard a nod, Basajaun made to stand up on his feet; the action threw him a short distance into the air. "What th-" he started to exclaim, his face landing hard against the ground and breaking his fall.

'We meet again, dirt,' the drake thought sourly, raising his head and shaking it lightly. More carefully, Basajaun raised himself up to his feet, shocked to feel like he wasn't carrying any weight on his limbs at all. "Oh... oh no..." the dragon gasped, looking up at this friends and shouting, "Whatever you do, do not get close to me!" Snowflake tilted her head inquisitively, before she realized what the dragon meant and nodded.

Zachary made to stand as well, rubbing his eyes and yawning expansively. "Ugh... what do you mean?" he asked groggily, stretching his limbs and unintentionally touching one of his paws against the dragon's hard side. The contact was able to elicit a flinch from the leopard, who struggled to accept what he was seeing whenever he looked at Basajaun.

"Why shouldn't I get close to you?" the leopard inquired, giving his friend a confused expression as another yawn parted his muzzle. It was obvious that the leopard hadn't woken up fully just yet, his bleary gaze a clear evidence of this. He stood just as close to Basajaun as he was when the two were sleeping next to each other. The dragon had no trouble with that, and in Zachary's mind at the moment, he simply couldn't understand why the reptile would request such an unusual thing.

Basajaun did his best not to move a muscle while the leopard was within reach. "Zach, please, step back," he insisted with a pleading voice, "I have no idea just what I'm capable of at the moment, and I don't want to hurt anyone while figuring it out. So please, get out of my reach before something unfortunate happens." The dragon's tone was deathly serious.

The feline shrugged, walking a few steps away from his friend. "Alright," he said simply with a flat tone, the events of the morning not helping his mood at the moment. First Basajaun loses all his softness that the two worked so hard to reach, and now he commands to be left alone. Although deep down knowing that he had no reason to feel even remotely sad, Zachary couldn't help but do just that, his inability to get his brain working properly in the mornings contributing a big deal to it.

With another yawn, the leopard sat down on the grass quite some distance away from Basajaun, staring numbly at the ground with an unreadable expression as his eyelids slowly fell up and down. He appeared to be almost close to being half-asleep at the moment. He clearly hadn't gotten enough rest during the night.

Relaxing once Zachary got a safe distance away, Basajaun carefully took a step away from his companions. It felt like there was nothing resisting the action, not even his own weight, which was greatly concerning to the dragon. In an attempt to pick up his pace, the drake once again overcompensated, feeling himself begin to stumble forward.

The involuntary reactions he underwent made things worse and the dragon was sent half-stumbling and half-thrown against the tree line. With a loud crack, the trees at the edge of the clearing bent and snapped like twigs, but Basajaun managed to catch himself on one of the trees, his claws digging deep into the bark.

"Okay, let's not do that again," the drake mumbled, before he noticed that he was starting to literally squeeze the sap out of the tree he was braced against.

Turning back to the clearing with slow and deliberate motions, Basajaun indicated the fallen trees while looking to Zachary. "This is why I said stay away!" he affirmed vehemently, "I was just trying to walk."

Regarding the dragon with an eye while the other remained closed, Zachary gave a thumb's up to Basajaun as he glanced behind the destroyed trees. "Good job," he said with a small smile, clearly not aware of his surroundings or what was actually happening around him at the moment, "You sure showed those trees who's the boss... I guess..." yawning again and turning away from his friend, the leopard shook his head a little, rubbing his eyes once again in an attempt to get both his body and mind going.

The drake gave an exasperated growl, not wanting to yell at Zachary as he tried to wake up. Taking a deep breath, Basajaun sat carefully on his haunches. "Snowflake, can you bring me the book please?" he asked, turning to the spirit, "I need to learn that counterspell before I hurt someone." Nodding in response, the familiar moved to and picked up the tome, bringing it to Basajaun and holding it open for the dragon as he read.

Slapping his face a couple of times with both of his paws, Zachary shook his head once again more vehemently, testing his vision by blinking rapidly and trying to focus. "You would never hurt anyone, Basa," the feline's voice called out from some distance away, his mind seemingly still not registering the distress his friend was in, "I know you wouldn't, bud." He insisted, glancing back over his shoulder to look at the dragon with a small smile, before letting loose another long yawn.

"Ugh... I need to find a spell for waking up or something..." The leopard thought aloud, groaning a little as he made to stand and began moving his body around. The motions seemed to work, as Zachary slowly began feeling the positive effects it had both on his mind and body. He was slowly waking up, finally.

Basajaun didn't respond, focusing on learning the counterpart spell. "You asked for it," Snowflake said as she held the book for the dragon, closing her eyes and focusing on Zachary's necklace for a moment, before intoning, "Awaken." The necklace flashed in response, the same spell that Esmeralda had used to awaken the leopard sending a systematic stimulus into the feline's nervous system.

Almost immediately, Zachary's eyes widened, his body practically exploding with energy as he stood on his legs. "What just happened!?" he asked, glancing around himself frantically and somewhat fearfully as the effects of the spell spread through his entire system. It wasn't exactly something one could call a pleasant experience, to put it mildly.

The leopard's body suddenly jerked and tensed from all the pent up energy, and the poor anthro simply fell over the grass like a log, landing in the grass with a thud and not deadening the impact whatsoever. If it wasn't for the fact Snowflake casted the spell on Zachary, one could have safely assumed that Basajaun's venom somehow made its way into his body.

Only able to blink in confusion as he stared up at the sky above him, the leopard remained silent for long moments, his body working through the spell slowly and its effects. "Don't... ever do that again..." he demanded with a flat tone, his eyes still searching the sky as he waited for his muscles to untie themselves and finally relax.

Snowflake laughed. "You're the one who asked for a spell to wake you up," she reminded the leopard, "That's the only one I know of. But I guess it is a bit potent, so sorry about that."

"Turn the page, please," Basajaun requested quietly, afraid of tearing the paper. He seemed to be attempting to tune out everything except the words he read. Snowflake nodded as she turned to the next page, following the drake's eyes as he read.

Sighing in relief once he was able to control his body again, Zachary quickly stood up from the ground, practically jumping to his feet with ease. "Just... don't use that spell on me again. I'll look for another one, I think. I didn't like this one that much," the feline said with a quiet tone, rubbing his back where he got most of the damage from falling over like a stick.

Turning to Basajaun and noticing the drake's somewhat concerned expression, the feline raised an eyebrow and began walking towards his friend. "What are you reading there, bud?" he inquired with a smile, his memory while being half-asleep seemingly not as good as usual. He was getting awfully close to the dragon, his innocent determination to comfort his distressed friend overpowering both his common sense and the nearly forgotten request the dragon had said just some minutes ago.

"Stay back, Hunter!" Snowflake insisted, moving her wing between the leopard and the drake as he read quickly and determinedly, "Forest is having trouble controlling his strength, and it isn't safe to get too close."

Zachary raised an eyebrow and waved a paw. "Basa never had trouble with that before," the feline assured Snowflake with a smile, "He's a gentle giant!" Attempting to move past the ice dragon's wing after his statement, the feline found himself pushed away a little by the spirit's limb as she held it against him stubbornly.

"Okay, then," the leopard said after a few failed tries to get to his friend, simply shrugging and turning away, "I'll just leave you two to it, I guess. I'm off to my lesson." Zachary announced with a hint of disappointment to his tone, walking away from the two dragons with somewhat quickened steps, thanks to the extra energy he got from Snowflake's spell, as well as the fear of arriving late to the college.

Looking up from his book, Basajaun called after Zachary. "Don't worry, I'll fix this by the time you get back!" he called out. He didn't want to make the leopard feel like he was being brushed off, but the dragon was simply too afraid of his own strength at the moment to let the little anthro get too close.

The feline didn't respond, only waving a paw in acknowledgement as he slowly made his way towards the exit of the clearing, entering his usual path which he always took when going to Centrum. His body disappeared from the sight of both dragons in some moments, the black spotted and yellow figure replaced by the green bushes and leaves which covered his path.

The next several minutes passed by quietly as Snowflake helped Basajaun read. The drake felt relieved as he finally finished reading the metabolism spell's counterpart, concentrating on the casting as soon as he did. "Pinguesco," Basajaun intoned, feeling the magic begin to work as his muscular physique softened once more into the fatness that he had come to love. This time, however, the dragon directed the spell consciously, avoiding drawing away any mass from his flight muscles. The result was a small loss from his fully expanded waistline, but as he cut off the spell, Basajaun was satisfied that he would now be able to fly without any issues.

As soon as the spell was finished, Snowflake set aside the book, before suddenly embracing the drake. "Please don't get rid of all your fat at once again," the familiar begged as she hugged Basajaun, "I don't think any of us liked that."

Chuckling softly, the reptile nodded and returned Snowflake's embrace. "Don't worry, I'm going to practice with these two spells a bit more," he assured the spirit, "That way I'll be able to better control them, and we can avoid having a rock-hard bed for you and Zach, hm?"

"How sweet of you," Esmeralda's voice stated from the group's bags, drawing attention to herself.

"Mistress, you're awake!" Snowflake greeted happily, withdrawing from Basajaun to bound over to the owl and eagerly asking, "Do you need anything?"

Shaking her head, Esmeralda took a pouch of coins from the bags, along with a moderately sized sack. "I'm fine, Snowflake," the Elder affirmed, giving the dragoness an affectionate pat on the head, "I'm just going to go into town to get some more supplies, and then I'm coming back."

Giving a nod, Snowflake nuzzled her mistress' hand for a moment. "You be careful," the spirit insisted, giving a worried expression to the owl.

"Yes, Mother," Esmeralda retorted with a cheeky smile, before turning on her heel. "You two enjoy those new spells," she called back as she moved into the undergrowth, swiftly disappearing in the woodlands.

Sighing, Snowflake moved back to Basajaun, the drake having picked up his tome once more to double check through the directions and descriptions of both of the metabolism spells. Settling herself beside the dragon, the familiar leaned gently into Basajaun's side, smiling at the return of his softness as he began to practice his new spells with great dedication.

Thanks to Snowflake's awakening spell, as well as his fear of being late from his lesson, Zachary was able to make his way to Centrum in record time. He only barely registered the bull at the gates, giving him a wave of his hand and getting one in return as the gates opened for him. A familiar scene played out with Rupert at the college lobby, and before he knew it, the young anthro was standing in front of Talib's office.

Knocking on the door a few times, the leopard glanced behind him for just a moment to look at the window, letting out a sigh of relief when he was sure he wasn't late from his lesson this time around. Turning back and waiting patiently for a few seconds, Zachary swayed his body back and forth, expecting to open the door at any moment.

He stood there for more than a minute, his expression long becoming quite unpleasant and frustrated. "Master Talib?" the feline called out with a louder voice, banging on the door a couple of times, "I'm here for my lesson."

No answer came, not even the sound of any movement. Looking around in confusion, Zachary furrowed his brows as he sat down next to the door, pulling his legs a little closer to his body and sighing. "Not my best morning..." he murmured under his breath, staring numbly at the ground in front of him.

A few minutes passed before the leopard could finally hear the sound of footsteps from the stairs. He raised his head, cocking it slightly as he glanced at the stairs with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Ah, there you are, Zachary," Xergon said, breathing quite heavily. It took a moment for the lynx to catch his breath, Zachary looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Where's Master Talib?" he asked, gesturing with his head towards the serpent's door, "I thought we had a lesson today."

The lynx nodded, making his way to the sitting feline. "You are correct, you two would have had a lesson today," he assured Zachary, offering a paw and smiling when the leopard took it and stood, "Talib had some matters to attend to, I'm afraid. He told me to give you this," Xergon explained, handing a parchment of paper to the young anthro, "He's sorry for not being able to make it back. This paper here contains your lesson for today, so make sure you read and follow the instructions very carefully, alright?"

Zachary gave the lynx as a suspicious look as he nodded his head and took the parchment. "What 'matters' are we talking here?"

Xergon smiled widely, shrugging. "You'll have to ask him," he replied with a somewhat teasing tone, one that Zachary had yet to hear, "And I can only wish you luck with that, I think we both know how much Talib likes to engage in small talk." The lynx chuckled a little, patting the leopard's shoulder and beckoning his head to follow.

Rolling his eyes and sighing, the feline began walking behind the lynx as the two descended the spiral staircase. Zachary's face bore a disappointed expression while he followed Xergon, not exactly happy with the news that was brought to him. "I hope I don't have to remind you Master that I'm only staying here for a few more days," the leopard remarked with a flat tone, Xergon turning back to face him when the two arrived downstairs, "Every day counts for me... and this is clearly a day that has just gone to waste."

The lynx didn't respond for a moment, sighing and shaking his head. "I know, Zachary," he stated, "Talib didn't leave because he wanted to skip your lesson, I assure you. He... he might not say it, but he really does value you as his student. Trust me, I know when I see it."

"As good as that sounds, Master Xergon," Zachary began, looking at the lynx with a serious expression, "It doesn't teach me magic, I'm afraid. And that's what I need at the moment... more than anything." There was something familiar in the leopard's eyes as Xergon stared into his gaze, and the Master could only nod his head in response.

"I understand," he said simply, his smile disappearing, "But I have to ask, Zachary; Why are you in such a hurry to learn magic? If it's really as important to you as you stated, I don't see why you would leave in a few days to attend to something else instead of mastering it. No matter how much I look at it, it doesn't seem logical now, does it?" Xergon gave Zachary an unreadable expression, almost daunting in nature as he waited patiently for the young anthro's reply.

The leopard didn't respond for several painful and awkward moments, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to collect his words. "I... it's..." he shook his head, calming himself and returning the Master's facial expressions, "I do not think that's your co--"

"Yes it is, boy," Xergon cut off Zachary, his gaze never leaving the young anthro's eyes, "Despite your brief attendance to our establishment, you are still a student of my college," the lynx stated, sounding nothing like he was just a moment ago, "Therefore everything that concerns you, concerns me as well, especially if it's in any way connected to your education here."

Blinking a couple of times at the Master's sudden change in behavior, Zachary cleared his throat to recollect himself from his bemusement. "It's private matter, Master Xergon," the leopard stated with a calm tone, not looking away from the lynx's gaze, "I don't think I should feel obliged to share it with you, headmaster or not. And besides, I think I might have exaggerated a little just now. I apologize, and you needn't worry or feel concerned about my matters."

Xergon's expression remained completely unchanged. Taking a step closer to the leopard and eliciting a somewhat fearful look from Zachary, the lynx gave the leopard a more than serious look. "This is the second time you lied to me since your arrival, Zachary," he stated, "That raises two possibilities; you're either a young deceiver, or the problems that concern you are very, very serious, therefore you're forced to lie."

Pulling back from the leopard and smiling a little, the lynx continued. "We both know that the first one is foolish assumption. I can tell that you're not a liar, in fact, you hate lying," Zachary blinked for a few moments, wondering just how Xergon knew that about him, "So it's the latter, which worries me more than the first possibility, to be honest," the lynx sighed, shaking his head a little, "Although the reason behind your eagerness to leave Centrum is unknown to me, I can safely assume that it's very serious," Xergon gave Zachary a concerned look, "And dangerous, am I correct?"

The leopard shook his head immediately. "No, it's not, Master... it's ju--"

Xergon held up a paw, silencing Zachary. "There's no point lying to me. I can see it from a mile away," the lynx stated, putting a paw on the leopard's shoulder, "I know you don't trust me, Zachary, and I'm not asking you to. You have no reason to do so," the master smiled warmly, squeezing Zachary's shoulder just a little, "But I want you to know that I'm here, if you ever need help or advice. You're my student, and as a headmaster of this college, it is my duty to ensure that our students are looked after properly. Even if I weren't in this position, I would still offer my help to you, Zachary."

The leopard remained silent for a long while, simply staring in Xergon's eyes and searching his face. "Why?" he asked simply, shaking his head a little in both confusion and surprise.

Xergon chuckled as he pulled away. "Because you remind me of myself, boy," he admitted with a smile, his expression shifting to a serious one as he continued, "And because I'm entirely sure that the problems you're having to deal with are something that nobody of your age should be faced against. I can see it, Zachary, no matter how much you're smiling or joyful you appear," the lynx put a finger on the feline's chest, "Deep down, you're tense, afraid, uncertain because of these problems," pulling back, the feline smiled once again, "But you're just as determined and resolute to solve them, no matter the cost. I commend you for that, yet I can't help but feel concerned."

Zachary shook his head once again, not able to comprehend what the master had just said to him. Everything he said was true. Every last word.

Taking a few moments to collect his thoughts and find his voice, the leopard sighed in defeat. "Yes, you're completely right," Zachary relented, looking up at lynx with a somewhat relieved expression, "Thank you for your offer... I truly appreciate it, but..." Zachary paused for a moment, putting a paw on his forehead, "I... need to talk to my friends about this, I can't tell you anything without their agreement."

Xergon nodded and smiled, before cocking his head slightly to the right. "Friends?" he reiterated, emphasizing the fact that Zachary used the word in plural, "I thought only the old lady was accompanying you?"

The leopard nearly choked on his breath as it caught in his throat, coughing loudly as he realized how inconsiderate he was. "I... uh... I said that by accident, do--"

"I can recall telling you not to even attempt lying, boy," Xergon stated with a chuckle, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone that you have more friends. That would surely send the whole city into chaos if that valuable information was leaked out somehow."

Zachary chuckled nervously and simply nodded, screaming internally of how close the master's joke was to reality. If word got out that he was traveling with two dragons, the news would indeed send Centrum into both chaos and panic.

"So," Xergon began after he finished with his little laughter, smiling a little to Zachary, "I suppose you want to discuss things with your 'friends' now. Just as a reminder, no matter what your decision will be, my offer for help will still be up." The lynx stated, bidding his head and turning around before glancing over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Don't forget your lesson! Talib will most likely kill both of us if you don't do your homework!" Laughing a little, Xergon quickly disappeared from Zachary's sight, leaving a more than confused and perplexed leopard standing in the middle of the long hallway.

Not being able to move a single muscle in his body as he stared in the direction the master departed, the feline only registered the sound of a dozen footsteps behind him when it was too late. Turning back to inspect the source of the sound, Zachary gave a quiet gasp as he found himself staring at a large group of anthros approaching towards him. Not knowing that to expect, the feline simply closed his eyes, bracing his body for whatever was in store for him.

The footsteps drew closer, the chatter of the anthros joining in soon as well. With his eyes still closed and his body unmoving, Zachary remained silent as he stood in the middle of the hallway for long moments. It took him more than a minute to open his eyes once again somewhat fearfully, and glance around him. There was no one around him.

Blinking in confusion by the absence of anthros that he expected to find, Zachary let out a sigh of relief, shaking his head a little and turning to walk away. Or at least, he would have, if a body of someone hadn't been in his way.

"Ah! Zach, watch where you're going," Lya demanded as she rubbed her head, clutching a stack of books close to her chest, "What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were having a lesson with Master Talib?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the leopard.

Zachary had to recover from both the impact he just suffered, as well as from the fact that he was talking to the librarian again. Clearing his throat and smiling a little, the leopard shrugged. "I thought I was too... but it seems like he's busy with something else," he explained, glancing behind the librarian in the direction the group of anthros most likely went, "Who were all those people just now?" the feline inquired, cocking his head a little curiously.

Lya raised her eyebrows before she began laughing joyfully. "Believe it or not, you aren't the only student here in the college. Those were other students going to their lessons," she explained, shaking her head and smiling at Zachary, "You really are the most oblivious person I've ever met."

The leopard almost took the ocelot's words seriously, remembering only a second later her words just the day before and relaxing. "Thanks, I guess," Zachary said with smile, pointing at Lya's books, "Are you going to a lesson too?"

The ocelot's eyes widened a little, and she gave the leopard a terrified expression. "Crap, my lesson! I'm going to be late!" Lya stated, turning around quickly and taking a few frantic steps before glancing back at Zachary, "Don't forget about tonight! I've told everyone I know that you were coming, and they really want to meet you. So if you don't come, I might have to go back to my earlier offer of mauling your face!"

Chuckling a little, Lya quickly disappeared behind a corner, once again leaving Zachary both confused and perplexed just like Xergon had earlier. Giving a chain of motions and gestures that could only be described as "What just happened?", the feline simply settled on leaving his confusion for later.

Zachary sighed, raising the parchment in his paw to begin reading through his teacher's instructions as he started walking towards the exit of the college. Although his eyes were scanning the letters on the paper, the young anthro's mind barely registered the words he was reading, his thoughts focused on entirely different matters at the moment.

With slow and deliberate steps, the leopard made his way out of the college and crossed the rest of the way to the gates with a constant thoughtful expression on his face. They had a decision to make, and a serious one at that. He didn't know what his companions would think, but secretly he hoped Xergon's offer would be at least considered. The four really needed help, in more ways than one.

When the leopard got back, he found Basajaun back to his earlier flabbiness, though the drake seemed to be concentrating on something. As the feline watched, he could see his draconic companion's body slowly shifting in subtle ways, making slight changes to the distribution of his adipose and musculature.

The drake was so focused on his task that he didn't notice the leopard's return until Snowflake greeted, "Hey, welcome back! I hope I can help you with that homework and make up for your teacher's absence."

Zachary's smile from seeing his friend back in his tubby form slowly disappeared from his face as he turned his head towards the spirit with a raised eyebrow. "That's... that's just weird," the leopard stated, blinking for a few moments in surprise, "You can just read my mind like that?"

Snowflake laughed in response. "No, silly!" she replied, still giggling as she pointed to the necklace that Zachary wore, "I heard it while you were there. I can see and hear through that, if I'm paying attention."

"Ooooh... yeah, that makes sense," Zachary agreed with a nervous chuckle, feeling immensely relieved by the revelation that his mind would not be infiltrated. His expression became somewhat serious as he realized something, and he looked back at Snowflake with narrowed eyes.

"Does that mean that you heard what Xergon said to me, and his offer?" The leopard asked, his gaze searching the familiar's face.

The spirit nodded. "I think we should all be out here and paying attention to the offer when you announce it, though," she stated, looking out to the city as Basajaun gave the pair a curious expression.

"That's the headmaster, right?" the dragon checked, "He offered you something again?"

"Yes..." Zachary replied, walking next to Basajaun and sitting down, "I'll tell everyone once Elder Eszes is back... it concerns everyone, not just me." Leaning against the dragon's soft side and sighing, the feline slowly began purring at the familiar and pleasant feeling, a warm smile crossing his muzzle as well.

His wing wrapping gently around his friend, Basajaun pulled the leopard slightly into his side. "I hope you don't mind," the drake started, "I changed some of my padding into muscle to make flying easier. I'll make up for it as fast as I can, okay?"

Zachary could only nod with a wide smile plastered on his face, his purring getting louder as he snuggled himself close to Basajaun's chubby form. "I have a few ideas for that," the leopard stated with a soft tone, patting the dragon's soft flesh and winking, "It's been way too long since our last special dinner."

"So do I," Snowflake added, moving to settle herself on the other side of Basajaun and putting her wing over the drake's torso, "Mistress says she's on her way back, by the way. It'll be a few minutes until she arrives, but she's bringing food and ingredients."

Zachary grinned widely at the news, glancing at Basajaun with a playful expression. "There, that couldn't have come at a better time!" the feline said with a chuckle, stroking the dragon's side tenderly with a paw, "What do you say, bud, do you feel like feasting tonight like we used to?"

The dragon nodded eagerly, looking over to Snowflake. "How much is she bringing?" Basajaun inquired, bearing an enthusiastic smile.

"It's a pretty big amount," the spirit reported, before patting Basajaun's belly with a soft smile, "But not quite enough; I think the three of us should go hunting for more later. Right now, you two still have your studying and homework to do."

The drake blinked for a moment, before looking down to the biomancy tome with a mildly crestfallen expression. "Alright, Miss Mature and Responsible," Basajaun whined jokingly, "We'll do more studying first. And then we get to go hunting and gathering to get enough for a good celebratory 'End of Diet' banquet!" Giving his companions another enthusiastic grin, Basajaun picked up his grimoire and opened it to the next section, diving into the advanced magics within.

At first smiling along with the two dragons, Zachary's face quickly fell when he remembered something important. "I... uh... I don't think I'll join you in the hunting and gathering," the leopard stated sheepishly, glancing up at Basajaun with a shy smile, "I have a program for this evening... and I promised I would go. I'm afraid I'll only back for the feeding, if you two are willing to wait for me, that is... I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want that, though."

The drake nodded, before cocking his head. "Sure, we can get things ready for when you get back," he said, before asking curiously, "What sort of program is it? I thought your teacher was gone?"

"It's not a program with my teacher..." the leopard replied, smiling a little, "I was, well, invited to some sort of gathering for students or whatever by a... uh... friend." Clearing his throat and fighting off his blushing for now, Zachary gave Basajaun a pat on his head and remained silent, looking lost in thought for a moment as he stared at particularly nothing in front of him.

Cocking his head, Basajaun shrugged slightly. "Well, I hope you have fun with your new friends," the drake stated. He hadn't meant there to be, but there was just a tinge of envy in the dragon's voice.

Catching his friend's tone, Zachary looked up at the reptile with a small smile. "New friends or not, you'll always be my best friend, Basa," the leopard stated with the most sincere tone he could perform, stroking the dragon's neck tenderly, "Nothing will ever change that. And believe me, I would bring you with me in a heartbeat if I could, really," sighing, he gave Basajaun an apologetic expression as he continued stroking the dragon's neck, "I'm sorry, bud... I'll make up for it somehow for you once I'm back, I promise."

Taking a deep breath, Basajaun nodded. "I just miss being welcomed," he explained, reaching out and hugging the leopard against him, "I'm sorry, don't let me rain on your fun. Snowflake and I will get dinner ready by the time you get back, okay? And then we can have our own fun." The spirit in question chimed in affirmation, nuzzling the drake in her own attempt to comfort him.

Chuckling a little at the unexpected hug, Zachary nodded with a smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he stated, looking in the dragon's eyes with a concerned expression, "I know it's hard for you, Basa... I really do. I know you better than anyone, and I'm perfectly aware that hiding like this in the woods must feel horrible after Plainstead, but this is only temporary," the leopard stated, patting his friend's side, "Just try to hold out for a little more time, and we'll be back in our home before you know it."

Nodding quietly, Basajaun focused again on his book. It was one of his only distractions from how lonely he was beginning to feel. "What kind of assignment did your teacher give you?" he asked, wanting to keep the conversation going as another means of diversion.

Zachary's muzzle broke into a wide grin. Glancing at Snowflake and giving her a look that was clearly a warning, the leopard stood up from the dragon's side and walked a few paces away from the two dragons, the same ecstatic grin adorning his face as he turned back to his audience.

"Well, he wants me to keep practicing this," the feline snapped his fingers, a very small flame appearing in his right paw, which he casted purposely in a smaller form in order to avoid startling Snowflake, "And this," stretching his fingers and clenching his left paw in a fist for a few seconds, swirling white mist began cascading around his hand as he opened it once again.

Looking up at Basajaun with the same joyful grin, the young anthro waved his paws around a little in the air, controlling both the icy fog's path as well as his fire's intensity and warmth, sometimes even letting the two collide and creating blue wisps of flames that floated in the air for a few moments before disappearing.

Snowflake watched the spells interacting for a moment, before pointing at Zachary's necklace. "If it's not too much to ask," she started with a sheepish smile, though it was clear that the spirit was uncomfortable, "Could you take that off while you're using fire magic? It... really makes me nervous."

"Oh, sure... sorry," Zachary said, reaching for the necklace with the paw that had the ice spell on it and bringing it to Snowflake, "I'm not done just yet... my teacher wanted me to attempt casting a spell he thought would be new for me," the feline explained as he placed the pendant safely on the spirit's claws, "Lucky for me, I already did it yesterday... and then some more."

Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, the leopard slowly brought his paws against each other, the same spectacular spell playing out in front of the two dragons' eyes like the day before. Fire met ice, the two arch enemies colliding in a battle to best the other, until Zachary was able to form them together, just like he had done earlier.

Opening his eyes and showing the azure flames in his paws, the leopard gave both dragons a satisfied grin, waving his arm around and watching as the blue fire followed in its wake.

Snowflake watched the flames, her gaze transfixed on the spell, while Basajaun looked up from his book to admire it as well. "Very nice!" the drake affirmed, nodding to emphasize his comment.

"Eh, seen it before," Esmeralda said in a mock unimpressed tone as she entered the clearing, smiling widely as she carried a hefty looking sack of food on her back. Immediately standing, Snowflake moved to relieve the weight from her mistress' shoulders.

"This is a lot for you to be carrying around in your condition," the familiar scolded, giving the owl a half-hearted glare while placing the sack with the rest of the bags.

The owl waved her hand dismissively, though she bore a slightly tired expression. "I'm fine, Snowflake," the Elder insisted, moving to sit next to the fire and giving the group a reassuring smile, "I'm not as fragile as I look, you know."

Zachary narrowed his eyes as he looked at the owl, swirling the azure flames in his paw at the same time. "Yeah, don't worry Snowflake, Elder Eszy is a tough old lady," the leopard said with a teasing tone of his own, giving Esmeralda a wink as he grinned at her playfully.

Esmeralda tensed, causing her familiar to flinch visibly. "Elder what now?" the owl demanded, looking over to the leopard with an exaggeratedly indignant expression, "Is that any way to address a lady of my esteem, Dragonfeeder?"

The leopard blinked for a second, raising a finger at the owl threateningly before he began snickering. "Oh, I apologize, my Mistress," giving a low bow, Zachary added somewhat quietly, but loud enough for Esmeralda to hear, "I should have addressed you by your proper title, Lady Curmudgeon."

Esmeralda attempted to keep her undignified expression, but her poise was broken by a small snort that lead into a full laugh. "You little brat!" she chuckled, her tone one of mirthful affection, "You win this round, Zach." The owl's laugh brought a smile to the face of all present, for many reasons.

Zachary played around with his spell, only regarding the owl with an evidently forced pretentious expression. "I'll always win at teasing, Esmeralda," he stated with a snicker, blowing on the azure flames in his paw gently and forcing it to begin growing, "I'm quite sure nobody can beat me in that," he affirmed with a chuckle, watching as the blue fire slowly expanded in his paw.

The owl gave a smiling nod. "I'll have to give that another go once I'm doing better," she stated resolutely, "Consider your challenge accepted, but put on hold, Zach."

Leaning back slightly, Esmeralda looked up at the sky for a moment. "You had an announcement to make, didn't you?" the Elder reminded Zachary after a moment, giving him an expectant look, "We're all here and we're all... Fatty! Pay attention!"

Jumping slightly at the owl's outburst, Basajaun closed his book and looked to Zachary with a mildly abashed expression. "We're all paying attention," Esmeralda finished her thought with a quiet snicker, before regarding the leopard attentively.

"Oh, right..." Zachary said somewhat quietly, killing the spell in his paw for now. He turned to the three companions around the fireplace, fiddling with his hands as he looked at them with a hesitant expression on his face.

"I talked to Master Xergon today," the feline began after a while of silence, sighing a little, "He... well... he offered his help for me. Apparently he noticed that I had problems... I don't know how he did it, but he did," Zachary explained, shaking his head, "I didn't say anything specific to him, don't worry. I don't trust him... but he sounded sincere, and I don't know what kind of help he would be to us, to any of our problems, but I thought..." The feline turned to Esmeralda, his gaze one of concern. He didn't continue for a few seconds, simply looking at the Elder with a worried expression.

"With all our problems at the moment, even the most recent one, I think we should consider this offer very carefully. I'm not saying that we should jump on this opportunity right away, but at least contemplate it. Xergon might be able to help us in some ways." Finishing with his explanation, Zachary brought his gaze back to all of his friends, watching their reaction to his announcement.

The group shared a moment of mutually silent thought. "You're specifically thinking my problem, aren't you Zach?" Esmeralda asked after a minute, "You think he'll be able to find a way to remove my... affliction?"

The owl crossed her arms and closed her eyes, thinking for several minutes. "Snowflake wasn't exaggerating about how difficult exorcisms are," the Elder continued, looking up to Zachary again, "It'll put a big strain on anyone involved. I'm not sure I can ask someone who's barely an acquaintance to put his well-being at risk for me."

The leopard furrowed his brows as he glanced at the owl. "Don't think I haven't thought of that, Elder Eszes... this is not an easy decision for any of us," he stated, sighing and relaxing a little, "I don't know why Xergon would feel obliged to help with our... problems, but he already offered it, and he knows that it's a very serious matter, he said it himself," putting a paw on his forehead, Zachary turned away for a moment, "I know I said I would help you, Esmeralda... but I really don't know how I would do it, to be honest. Perhaps... perhaps Xergon knows how to help you. We should at least give it a chance..."

Snowflake suddenly moved to place herself next to Esmeralda. "If Mistress is going to try an exorcism again, then I'm going to be there with her!" the familiar declared in an adamant tone, wrapping a wing around the owl protectively.

Chuckling lightly, the Elder placed a hand on the spirit's wing. "I appreciate that, Snowflake," she replied in a grateful tone, "Though you'll have to take a less conspicuous form if we're going to do that." The dragoness nodded without hesitation.

The thought of Snowflake changing forms was somehow disappointing to Basajaun, but he pushed that reaction aside. The help that Xergon was offering didn't seem to extend to the dragon, so he didn't comment, though he did wonder for a moment if the headmaster would even be willing to help Basajaun if he knew what the drake was.

Zachary glanced back at the Elder with an expectant look, his expression more serious than usual. "Does this mean that you'd be willing to accept Xergon's offer?" he asked quietly, crossing his arms under his chest, "To be clear, Esmeralda, I'm not forcing you to do this..." the leopard clarified, tearing his gaze from the owl for just a fraction of a second before bringing it back, "It's your decision, not mine, and it's not an easy one. For all we know, Xergon could very well react to the revelation of your condition in an unexpected way... it's just as much of possibility as him agreeing to help us."

The feline looked down at the ground, his eyes lingering on the green grass beneath his feet, as if they would have the right answer. "Although I... I somehow doubt Xergon would do that," Zachary admitted as he brought his gaze back to his companions, "He sounded sincere... I'm not saying I trust him, but he's probably the best chance we have if we want to deal with this evil spirit," sighing loudly, he shook his head "Sadly, we don't really have many choices."

The old owl didn't respond for several minutes, seeming deep in thought. "This isn't a spur of the moment kind of decision," Esmeralda stated after a while, "But I will discuss the matter with Xergon myself, to see if he knows of a way to exorcise evil spirits. When all of my options are made clear, then I will make my final decision."

Zachary nodded with a quiet sigh, feeling a wave of relief wash through him. Looking at the Elder, the feline gave her a small smile. "Alright, Esmeralda, I understand completely," he spoke in a sympathetic tone, bringing his gaze back to the two dragons after a while, "That's all I wanted to say... I hope I didn't make a mistake by admitting to Xergon that I was having problems, and that he might be able to truly help us out somehow." The leopard said with a hopeful voice, mentally debating whether or not he made the right decision.

He looked a little lost in thought as he stood some distance away from the other three, his eyes staring numbly at the ground as he pursed his lips. There was no way of telling where this would go, and one could only expect the outcome. And yet, even with all the uncertainties, Zachary knew they practically had no other choice. His willingness to help Esmeralda was of huge importance, therefore forcing the young anthro to jump on every opportunity to do so. Even if it was accompanied with a great deal of risk.

Esmeralda nodded at the leopard's words. "The headmaster seems an honest enough sort," she assured the feline, "I wouldn't worry too much about a request for an exorcism. But if it does worry you, we don't have to mention who it is that needs the exorcism, just that someone we know has been possessed for a long time and wonders if there's any way that Xergon knows of to unseat a spirit from a mortal's soul."

At first the leopard's face brightened at the suggestion, but that was quick to change as the realization that even attempting such a thing with the lynx would be impossible. "We can't do that, I'm afraid," Zachary began, sighing and shaking his head, "You can't lie to Xergon... he'll notice, trust me. We either tell him the whole truth, or he'll pull it out of us himself. There are no other possibilities."

"Alright, we tell him the whole truth, then," the owl replied, giving the leopard a smile, "Why don't we get that done tomorrow after we're both done with our lessons? For now, I'm still recovering from my latest 'episode', so there's no point in going back and asking him today."

As the pair discussed the matter of the evil spirit, Snowflake was busying herself with putting away the food and ingredients that Esmeralda had purchased. "This is a lot more than you'd usually get just to restock our food supply, Mistress," the familiar mused aloud as she worked.

The Elder smiled at the opportunity to change the subject. "That's because I didn't buy those to refill our supply," Esmeralda responded, pointing at her three companions, "I bought them for you three to enjoy together."

Zachary cocked an eyebrow, a small smile creeping across his muzzle as he tilted his head a little. "Well, that's awfully sweet of you, Esmeralda," he said with a suspicious tone. That was indeed very unusual from the Elder. The leopard always thought she wanted to remain distant from the subject of their special dinners with Basajaun. He didn't let his mind guessing the reason behind the owl's unexpected charity, however, simply accepting it instead. It only made the two dragons and the feline happier, after all.

"Thank you," he spoke with an appreciative tone, bidding his head to the Elder before turning to his ponderous friend. Zachary gave the dragon a grin, a gesture everyone has come to know as the indicator of possible teasing or silly remarks. "Looks like your end-of-diet feast will be even bigger than we anticipated," and there it was, surprising completely nobody, "I hope you're up for the challenge, bud. It's been a while."

Esmeralda gave a shallow nod. "Consider it my way of apologizing for last night's scare," she explained, pointing at the food, "You three can enjoy as much of what's there as you'd like."

Giving both anthros a nod, Basajaun smiled widely and patted his stomach. "I can't wait!" he said in an almost childishly excited tone, "Thank you, Elder Eszes!"

Snowflake suddenly grabbed Zach's attention with a wave, before offering the necklace to him. "Don't you have that get together to go to?" she asked once the necklace was in contact with the feline.

Zachary blinked. "Uh..." With utter uncertainty to his voice as he spoke, he looked up in the sky, nearly fainting at the image he was presented with. Judging the time by the position of the sun might have been a laborious task to perform. If one tried to guess the exact time, that is. The leopard didn't need that at the moment, however. He simply knew he had to hurry.

Bringing his gaze back to Snowflake and taking the necklace swiftly, Zachary turned to the other two of his companions. "I gotta go!" He announced with a somewhat terrified expression on his face, a part of him which would most likely be mauled by a particular ocelot if he didn't get going right away. He set the pendant around his neck carefully, turning around and moving towards his usual path.

"I'll be back later!" The feline's voice was distant, his body almost fully disappearing behind the cover of the trees and bushes as he practically bounded in the forest. It must have been a very serious get together.

Chuckling quietly at the leopard's haste, Snowflake returned to the food supply, taking several things out at once. "Forest, could you go out hunting?" she requested, looking over to Basajaun with a smile, "I'll stay here and start cooking."

Giving a grin, the drake nodded. "Sure thing, I'll see what all I can find," he replied happily, standing and making to move off into the woods.

"Just be sure you don't overhunt the area!" Esmeralda called out after the dragon, "We don't need to draw too much attention to ourselves."

"I'll be careful!" Basajaun's voice came from beyond the trees as he moved off in search of animal and vegetable prey.

Turning to the Elder as she prepared to begin cooking, Snowflake gave the owl a warm smile. "This was a really nice thing for you to do," the familiar said, organizing the group's spices, "Especially since you didn't exactly approve of this when we first set out from home."

Esmeralda waved a talon dismissively. "I was just worried that it would affect Fatty's ability to protect himself," she replied, leaning back until she was looking up at the sky from the grass, her arms under her head, "That's not a problem anymore, given the field of magic it turned out that he's gifted in." The owl laughed a little before she continued, "It's like the cosmos is saying 'let them have their fun, Esmeralda'. And who am I to argue with the universe?" Giggling along, Snowflake simply nodded as she returned to her cooking.

Panting. The only thing Zachary's mind seemed to register as he sprinted on the worn out dirt road in front of him. As much as he liked living out in the forest, it sure was a nuisance having Centrum this distance away from their temporary home. And although he didn't have to run each time he visited the bustling capital of the province, the leopard would have been fine with setting down camp just a little bit closer.

Given his feline heritage, one could expect from the leopard to be able to cope with some jogging. Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly built for long distance running. Quite the contrary, even. His whole body was practically wired to sprint short distances, not the other way around. The disadvantage of this trait was showing evidently at the moment, as Zachary began struggling to deliver the precious oxygen to his demanding lungs.

He had to stop. He simply couldn't keep running like this anymore, and he knew it perfectly well. With his feet skidding over the ground as he ceased his sprinting, the feline allowed himself a moment of break. He leaned on his knees heavily, grimacing as his chest burned with immensely unpleasant intensity.

"Thanks... Izom..." Zachary hissed under his breath alongside with a couple of loud coughs and wheezes. The Elder healed him on that fateful day of bringing the head of the bandits down the best she could, but that apparently was not quite enough. The kick he got from the hyena left permanent damage to his lungs. He could feel it a couple of times while hunting. Short breaths, coughing, wheezing. It wasn't pleasant, nor something the young anthro thought he could ever get himself accustomed to.

Taking a deep breath and clearing his harboring thoughts from his mind at the same time, the leopard managed to ease the pain in his lungs. With a sigh and slower steps, he continued his way towards Centrum. He didn't run anymore. Lya could wait a little, his lungs would not give him that luxury, unfortunately.

Eventually Zachary was able to reach his destination. It took him a little longer than he would have preferred, but he arrived with the ability to properly breathe, at least. That was a good enough consolation for him.

The doors of the college were open, as always, and he stepped through the entrance with somewhat quickened steps. He was quite certain that his body wouldn't complain about that now. Spotting Rupert at his usual post and moving to him, the feline greeted with a wave and a smile as he asked, "Hey, Rupert. Have you seen Lya somewhere?"

The bat pointed towards one of the rear hallways. "She's out in the back garden, along with some other students your age," Rupert answered, giving the leopard a small smile, "Already making some new friends, hm?"

Zachary returned the gesture. "I suppose so," he said, glancing at the direction he was pointed for a second before bringing his gaze back to the bat, "Thanks for the help, Rupert. Wouldn't you want to join us?" The leopard cocked his head a little and gave the anthro an inviting look.

"Of course I'd like to," the bat replied with a nod, "But I gotta tend the counter until my shift is over. I'll be out to join you and the others later."

"I see, alright, see you in a bit, then!" Turning around after giving a comforting smile to the hardworking bat, the leopard took off towards his destination. The grin which adorned his muzzle as he walked was a clear indicator of his current mood.

New friends. What an interesting thought. Although Basajaun certainly provided the best friend the young anthro could ever wish for, the idea of meeting new ones filled his heart with both eagerness... and hesitation. Slowing his pace, the feline's thoughts shifted to something else than his everlasting joyfulness.

For only a few moments, he began doubting that this was such a good idea. What if these people didn't like him? It was a completely logical possibility. He couldn't appear friendly and engaging to everyone, no matter how hard he tried. Anthros were different, their tastes and mentalities varying on an even wider spectrum than Zachary's magical capabilities. He stopped walking and looked down at the ground, hesitating. He tried wiping away the unpleasant and uncalled predictions with a shake of his head. It didn't work, unfortunately. The fear of be--

"There you are!" Lya's voice came to rescue, it's alluring and comforting nature forcing Zachary to end his mental breakdown and look up at the ocelot. The female's face bore a somewhat criticizing look as she glared at the leopard. Even that didn't stop the leopard from smiling widely while watching as she approached.

"Hey, Ly--"

"You're late," A more than displeased librarian stated, putting her paws on her hips.

Zachary blinked and swallowed. "I-I know... got a little held up," he explained with a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry."

The ocelot's judging expression didn't change for a few moments, almost to the point where the leopard thought that her facial muscles stopped working completely. "I see," she said after a while, finally relaxing her posture, "I recall promising you a little facial makeup if you failed to arrive in time, or at all, right?" Lya mused aloud, putting a finger under her chin as if considering this offer very carefully.

Zachary flinched. "I... uh... I would politely decline that offer, if possible." The feline mentally crossed his fingers. He liked his face the way it was, there was no need for a change.

Lya looked at the leopard with narrowed eyes. "It wasn't an offer," she declared, forcing a more than worried Zachary to whimper quietly. Pleased with the reaction she got out from him, the ocelot finally allowed herself a smile, a gesture the leopard rather liked to see. "Just pulling your leg, Zach, don't worry..." there was a short pause, "And that's just a saying... I'm not actually going to pull your leg."

At first confused by the unnecessary clarification he received, the leopard smiled warmly at the ocelot nonetheless. "Thanks... uh... should we g--"

"Yes, come, it's this way." Unexpectedly taking Zachary's paw in her own, the ocelot dragged a perplexed leopard though the hallway with quick steps. On the short way, he couldn't quite decide by what to be baffled; Lya's seemingly continuous enjoyment of cutting him off while he was talking, or by the fact that they were basically holding hands. Or at least, the librarian was holding his. His paw was unable to do anything more than limply sway back and forth at the moment as it was grasped. Apparently he was baffled by the latter of the two more.

In his musing, Zachary failed to notice when the two of them exited the college. Only the bright light shining on his yellow fur and the fresh air rustling his fur was able to snap the leopard out of his trance. With a shake of his head, he observed the area around them, his eyes widening as he marveled at the beautiful view the back garden provided.

Decorated bushes of every form adorned the stone road on each side, their trimmed leaves swaying back and forth in the light breeze. Zachary was able to distinguish some of the bush statues, eventually figuring that most of them simply depicted animals of all sorts. Along these green and lifeless sculptures, flowers from a great deal of variety were placed, their endless coloration and combination of shapes and sizes practically caressing the leopard's eyes as he marveled at them. Dark green vines could be spotted occasionally among the other greenery, their wild appearance complementing the tidied and tended look of the bushes and flowers. In some places, the vines were able to worm their way between the stone bricks of the road. A persistent plant for sure.

With his fascination of the garden around him depriving him of the ability to focus on anything else, Zachary only noticed that they were nearing a large pavement area in the middle of the garden, as well as its occupants when it was too late.

"Alright, guys," Lya began with a cheerful tone, practically shoving the leopard in tow from behind her ahead, "This is Zachary... uhm... what was your last name again?"

The feline in question didn't respond. He simply stared in front of himself with wide eyes.

Shrugging, the ocelot turned back to the dozen or so anthros ahead of them, who had situated themselves in a sitting position on the pavement. "Just Zachary."

The other students gave a series of greetings of varying enthusiasm. "It's nice to meet you, Zachary," a male fox came forward from the crowd, shaking the leopard's hand, "Welcome to the party! And also welcome to the college, since you're pretty new."

"Look who's talking!" A mink called out from the others with a laugh, forcing the fox to look back at the anthro, "You've been barely here for more than two weeks, Drew, and you go around welcoming people like you were our speaker or somethin'!" The mink's words were followed by a series of lighthearted chuckling and giggling, which Zachary disregarded completely.

"Well there goes my shot at looking like I know what I'm talking about," the fox mumbled, before flashing a mischievous grin to Zachary.

Taking his sweet time to get his brain functioning properly in order to greet back the friendly fox, the leopard attempted to return the gesture with a sheepish smile. The result was rather hilarious, as it looked like the young anthro was practically struggling to succeed in that insanely complex facial gesture.

"H-Hi... it's... uh... nice to meet you too," Zachary eventually mumbled out with great effort, evidently trying his hardest to avoid embarrassing himself as less as he possibly could.

Lya suddenly stepped next to the socially unskilled leopard, putting a paw on his shoulder. "Zach's a little shy, so don't go all rough on him right away unless you want your fur and skin turned inside out," the ocelot declared with a warm smile, giving a look to every individual around them that held sheer seriousness and dominance to it, "And that's not an offer, for your information."

The announcement left the crowd a little speechless, before most of them shared a hearty laughter, some even shaking their heads at Lya's threatening and making similarly gruesome remarks and teasing. The leopard looked up at the ocelot with a grateful expression plastered on his face, eliciting another smile from said feline.

"Let me know if you ever need anything, alright Zach?" the fox offered, before pulling away to return to his activities as some more of the students stepped toward the leopard, giving their own greetings. Most of them seemed sincere, though there were one or two that seemed to be acting more like they were sizing up a rival than greeting a new acquaintance.

Included in the latter was a little mouse anthro. Even for his species, the mouse was short, barely coming to waist height compared to Zachary. "Hello, Zachary," the mouse greeted, though his tone was somewhat less than welcoming, "My name is Archimedes. No doubt you'll be hearing that name often if you spend more than a few days at the college."

"No you won't!" The mink from earlier called out once again. It didn't take too much for Zachary to figure out that this particular anthro was the heart of the teasing in this little group. "You'll be hearing Archy a lot more!"

The shortened name caused Zachary to let out an almost inaudible snicker. With a shy smile on his face, the leopard looked down to the mouse. "It's... nice to meet you, Archimedes," he greeted back, extending his paw and expecting a handshake like usual.

The mouse didn't return the gesture, glaring instead towards the mink. "Do not call me that, Lazlo!" he growled, trying to appear larger than he was as he did so. In a huff, Archimedes left Zachary's hand hanging in the air as he moved to join another group in the crowd.

The leopard's smile disappeared almost instantly. He turned to Lya, cocking an eyebrow and giving her a confused expression which clearly said "Did I do something wrong?"

The ocelot rolled her eyes and waved a paw dismissively, eliciting a relieved sigh from Zachary. He brought his attention back to the group, greeting a few other anthros in an uncharacteristically shy and sheepish manner. He might have appeared confident when he was with his traveling companions, but this evidently wasn't the case when it came to meeting new ones. Especially ones of the same age. It was so... novel, unknown, uncertain.

Despite his difficulties to act anything more than a vegetating plant, most of the students left with smiles on their faces after their greeting. This helped the socially awkward Zachary to slowly allow himself a little bit of relaxation. He was even able to hold a couple of conversations near the end. A puny accomplishment in normal people's eyes, but a huge one in the young feline's.

Lya stayed by his side the whole time. This, of all things, was able to calm Zachary immensely. Somehow the presence of the librarian next to him felt comforting, encouraging even. He mentally noted thanking her later for this.

"And... what do you guys... uh... do out here?" The leopard inquired as he watched the last anthro to meet him go back to her previous place and join with the rest of the group.

Lya shook her head a little and smiled. "Well, we mainly just sit out here and talk, you know, relax a little," she replied. The answer was able to put a smile on Zachary's muzzle as well. He rather liked the id--

"Sometimes we help each other with studying, showing off new spells we've learned," Lya continued, apparently her uncaring enjoyment of cutting the leopard off even applying to his line of thinking, not only his speech, "From time to time we also hold friendly spars between each other, to see..."

The words that followed the ocelot's statement were lost completely to Zachary as she continued talking. 'S-Spars?' He reiterated in his mind, the thought sending him right back to his brain dead state in a matter of seconds. He really didn't like this idea. Not one bit. It sounded... dangerous. He wasn't fond of dangerous things that much. He wasn't a reckless fool, after all. Only the hope of not having to take part in such an unnecessary display of strength and wit.

"Zach, are you alright?" Lya's voice came once again crystal clearly, forcing the leopard to snap out of his nearly-panic state. He brought his gaze back to the ocelot and gave her a small smile and a nod. "Alright... you kinda looked like you blacked out there for a moment."

"I'm... fine," Zachary assured, "Just a little overwhelmed, I guess."

Lya's expression softened almost immediately. "Not used to meeting new people, I assume?" The was no reply, and there was no need for it. Both of them knew the obvious answer. The ocelot put a paw on Zachary's shoulder. The leopard flinched a little at the contact, but soon relaxed as he glanced at the librarian's face.

She bore an otherworldly comforting expression. Her smile and eyes were like a fresh breath to Zachary, banishing the feeling of suffocation and uncertainty from his heart in mere seconds. His muzzle slowly broke into a similar gesture of delight as well, and he gave Lya the most appreciative look he could muster.

The ocelot bid her head knowingly, her paw lingering on Zachary's shoulder for a few more moments before it was pulled away, to the leopard's disappointment. Instead, she took his paw again, beckoning with her head for him to follow.

Zachary obeyed without any hesitation, his mildly reddened cheeks adorning his otherwise yellow coloration. She led him to the crowd, practically commanding him to sit down when the pair arrived in the circle the other students had formed. Just like before, he followed the older. Kind or not, Lya's threat of mauling down his face still burned fresh in his mind.

The leopard glanced around the anthros nervously, his eyes falling to the ground on several occasions. He couldn't really keep eye contact up for more than a second. The students' gazes were more like drills which threatened to bore holes in the young anthro's soul and mind at the same time.

Drew moved to sit himself next to Zachary, giving the leopard a friendly smile. "So, fellow newbie, how're you settling into the college?" the fox asked in a conversive manner, "Do you have a room on campus, or are you settled down somewhere in the city?"

The feline brought his gaze up to meet Drew's with great effort. "No... I live in the forest outside of Centrum," Zachary said the truth with a sheepish smile, his innocence and obliviousness once again showing evidently.

A few anthros blinked and looked at the leopard in disbelief. Some of them even let out a quiet snicker and chortle, none of which helped Zachary at the moment. He looked around the anthros with a raised eyebrow, wondering what their amusement was about.

"That sounds awesome, Zach," Lya's voice came from next to him, her gaze currently scanning the owners of said snickering and chortling. She looked just like a predator, seizing up her prey before striking down. When her glower forced the commotion to die down, she turned to Zachary and gave him a warm smile, which he returned almost immediately.

"That does sound pretty interesting," Drew agreed, giving the feline a supportive pat on the shoulder, "A lot cheaper than staying in an inn, and you get to enjoy the sights of nature."

"But wouldn't it be easier if you just got a room here?" another student asked curiously, "Why make the trek all the way from the forest to the college every day?"

Zachary's breath caught in his throat for a second. He expected questions like these, but apparently wasn't prepared enough to face them. With a clear of his throat, the leopard shook his head slowly.

"I... can't afford a room here," he stated somewhat quietly, "I don't like having to walk each day for ten or more minutes to get the college, believe me... but I don't really have any other options."

There were a few nods and shrugs at that answer, different conversations picking up between the students, before Archimedes leaned toward Zachary. "How long have you been practicing magic?" he asked, his tone still showing that hint of rivalry.

The leopard smiled at the question, not noticing the mouse's tone thanks to his amusement with this particular topic. "Just a few days... but I've been practicing since then whenever it was possible." Zachary replied with a moderately cheerful expression.

Lya blinked at the answer, cocking her head a little as she turned towards the leopard. "Only a few days?" she reiterated, snorting in amusement when Zachary nodded, "You started really late with magic, then... or wait, how old are you again?"

"Uh... nineteen, I-I think," the leopard in question stated, eliciting a chuckle from the ocelot. He cocked an eyebrow at the librarian. What was she laughing about?

Drew laughed warmly. "Oh wow, I thought I was the newest to magic here," he chuckled, his voice without mocking, "I've been practicing for a few months now, and all I've been able to do is this." Concentrating for several seconds, the fox held up his paw as a wispy blue light began to dance over it, before coalescing into a little blue fireball. "I'm an illusionist, you see," he stated, wiggling the fireball around a bit before pointing at it, "Not a real fire."

Zachary observed the spell in the fox's paw with a wide smile. "Wow, that looks really cool, Drew," he stated, his gaze lingering on the deceiving fire for a few moments before he looked up at crowd, "So, you all have been practicing magic for months now...?"

Lya nodded. "Most of us started together as kids in the same class, around eight years ago," she explained with a smile. The revelation caused Zachary to shrink internally. His puny experience with magic could not even be compared to these students', that much was certain.

"That's where I have the advantage," Archimedes suddenly cut into the conversation, "I've had private tutors and lessons since I was able to speak. I found my calling in fulmemancy at a young age, and have been studying the school for years. My arrival at the college is only the most recent step in my journey towards mastery of lightning."

Zachary gave an impressed expression to the mouse. "Mastery of lightning? That sounds actually pretty interesting, I might have to give it a try sometime in the future," he stated with a small smile, which soon disappeared when the students of the circle stopped talking and glanced up at the leopard with utterly confused look on their faces.

The feline blinked and cocked his head. "What? Did I say something bad...?" he inquired with a quiet voice, glancing around confusedly. Meanwhile, Lya struggled to contain her chuckling, but she held on for now, more than eager to see where this situation would advance.

"Give it a try? Is that supposed to be an attempt at humor?" Archimedes asked in a less than amused tone, "What is your field of magic, anyways?" The mouse crossed his arms and gave an expression that could have been interest, but was more likely disdain.

Zachary shrank at the mouse's words as well as the looks he got from the others. He swallowed, gathering his thoughts for a little while. "Well... I... uh tried ice, fire, illusion and conjuration spells before... so I guess those are the answer to your question."

A long silence followed. Nobody, not even Lya, opened their mouths for a very long time, the rustling of leaves in the light breeze providing the only sound at the moment. Zachary's gaze shifted between the students, each and every one of them staring at him with widened eyes and mouth agape. He definitely said something really bad.

"I... I di--"

"He isn't lying." Lya stated with a flat tone, cutting off the leopard as usual. At the moment, however, Zachary didn't mind the ill-mannered gesture. The ocelot glanced around the anthros with an unreadable expression, her mouth creeping to the faintest of smiles as she struggled not to break into laughter.

Drew was the one to break the silence among the other students. "Wait... you're the one training with Master Talib, aren't you?" the fox's voice bore a reverent respect to it. The other students looked to Zachary expectantly, while Archimedes seemed to have more than a little disbelief at the claim.

Unable to find his voice as the set of eyes stared at him, Zachary simply nodded, trying to appear as little as possible. He wasn't sure what to think of their searching gazes and bewildered expressions, not even mentioning the mouse's dispassionate expression. He wondered what could have caused them to react this way.

"I can confirm that," Lya said, putting a paw on Zachary's shoulder, "Master Xergon told me himself the day Zach arrived," the ocelot's muzzle broke into a wide grin, "Yes, what you're thinking of right now is exactly what he is."

The leopard cocked an eyebrow at Lya. What was she babbling about? What was he, and what were the others thinking about? Could it be... that they didn't know? Zachary gasped at the realization, looking up at the students and observing their reactions at the revelation.

The fox's expression turned to eagerness at the ocelot's words. "You're the multicaster there's been rumors about!" he realized aloud, grinning widely, "That's amazing! Come on, would you give us a demonstration? I'd love to see it!" Drew's tone showed obvious enthusiasm with just a tinge of envy, though that didn't seem to dampen his excitement at the prospect of seeing what Zachary could do. The rest of the students leaned forward slightly at the request, even Archimedes watching with keen interest.

Zachary's whole body leaned backwards at the same time the students leaned forward. He was getting really uncomfortable now. He could only wonder how Basajaun was able to withstand such a reaction from other people each time it happened.

Clearing his throat and swallowing, the leopard glanced at Lya for support. The ocelot smiled warmly and nodded her head, the gesture calming Zachary's mind immensely. "I... uh... sure, if you guys want." The feline's voice was unusually uncertain and quiet. The intimidation and tense feeling he got from his audience were not helping one bit.

He didn't even bother to close his eyes and concentrate anymore, simply snapping his furry fingers and casting Kindling in his right paw. The magic fire burst forth from apparently nothing in the blink of an eye, its orange flames dancing above his palm endlessly. Almost simultaneously with the fire spell, Zachary summoned the swirling icy mist in his left paw as well. The white mist flowed and turned around his hand with slow and mesmerizing motions, occasionally leaving wisps of snowflakes in its wake.

Holding his paws out in front of him, the leopard allowed a sheepish smile as he presented his spells. "These are just beginner exercises for multicasters," he explained, "Helps me build up my endurance."

Although knowing what the young leopard was, Lya could only stare with wide eyes at the performance she was given. She shook her head in disbelief, looking at Zachary with a clearly impressed expression.

"You... you didn't use any incantations..." she breathed, blinking in surprise, "And you've only been practicing magic for a few days? That's... that's unbelievable."

Zachary smiled at the compliment. Or at least, he assumed it was a compliment. Actually, he really wanted that to be a compliment, especially since it was coming from Lya.

The stares of the other students were enough to communicate their collective disbelief. "That is so... awesome!" Drew said after a few moments of staring in fascination, clapping the leopard's shoulder approvingly as he grinned wide, "I wish I had that kind of talent, Zach. Not to seem overly jealous, of course, but come on everybody, look at this and say you're not a little envious!" There wasn't any verbal response, but many of the others nodded in agreement.

The exception was Archimedes, whose expression seemed to flash with bitter envy for a second. "That's all well and good," the mouse muttered under his breath, "But raw talent can't make up for pure experience." It seemed like the statement wasn't directed at anyone in particular.

Zachary's smile slowly died down at the mouse's words, his arms falling a little as he grimaced. "Yeah... I suppose yo--"

"No he isn't," Lya cut him off for the umpteenth time, not even surprising the leopard anymore at all. The ocelot crossed her furry arms beneath her chest, and gave Archimedes a knowing look. "Experience can be gathered easily with determination and practice," she stated as she put a paw on Zachary's shoulder, and then gestured with her head towards the mouse, "But you either have raw talent for magic, or not. You're either born with it, or not. It's that simple."

The leopard glanced up at Lya with the warmest smile he could muster, which only grew wider when she returned the gesture and patted his shoulder before pulling away.

The mouse's face reddened deeply. "At least I'm not wearing a girly necklace!" he shot cheaply, standing up from his place in the group, "I have my studies to return to, so you lot will have to excuse me." As Archimedes stormed off into the college, many of the other mages present shook their heads at the sad display.

The cruel remark left Zachary speechless for long moments. He subconsciously reached for his pendant after his spells died down in his paws, clutching it tightly to his chest with an unreadable expression. The mouse's words hurt him more than he cared to admit.

Lya leaned a little closer to the leopard, nudging his shoulder. "I think it's a really pretty necklace, Zach," she affirmed with a smile, "Don't pay attention to Archy, he's way too pretentious to be able to cope with the feeling of envy. He simply can't handle the truth." Zachary nodded his head and sighed, his mood somewhat more sour than it had been just some moments ago.

"Can you tell her thank you for me?" a tiny chiming voice rang from the necklace's snowflake ornament, "For the compliment on the necklace."

The unexpected voice of Snowflake nearly made the leopard jump. With a shake of his head, he turned to Lya, giving her an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Lya, I'm sure the maker would love to hear those words on her work."

The ocelot blinked for a moment in confusion. "You're so weird, Zach," she stated with a small chuckle, waving a paw dismissively, "You're welcome."

The leopard nodded, turning his attention back to the other students. He expected more questions to arrive about the revelation of him being a multicaster, and sure enough, most of them had something to ask out of curiosity. Zachary answered each with the best way he could, his initial awkwardness slowly disappearing as he began conserving with the students about magic in general.

It was Drew that seemed eager to know more about the feline than his magical capabilities. "So, are you new to Centrum?" he asked when the questions about Zachary's multicasting began to slow to a trickle.

The leopard nodded with a smile. "I arrived just some days ago to... well..." he paused, hesitating for a moment before continuing, "Let's just say that my realization of being a magic user wasn't as pleasant as you expect... I came to Centrum seeking for help."

The fox nodded. "Right, I guess the rumors about multicasters having trouble controlling their magic are true then?" he asked, getting a nod in reply, "So if you're staying in the forest outside of town, I can guess that you don't have relatives in the city, do you?"

Zachary stopped smiling. With an unreadable expression on his face, the leopard shook his head slowly, his gaze not meeting anyone's as he stared at the ground in front of him. "No, I don't..." he said curtly, his voice suddenly very quiet and thoughtful.

Lya noticed the leopard's change of mood almost immediately, glancing at him with a somewhat concerned look. This was the second time she saw Zachary's sudden change in behavior. Each time, it was caused by a personal question towards the anthro. There definitely something amiss with the leopard, that much was certain, but the reason behind it remained a mystery for now.

The fox's face fell at the leopard's reaction to his question. "Oh, um... I'm sorry?" he apologized in an unsure tone, "Are you here on your own, then? I can offer my place if you're lonely."

Zachary brought his gaze back to the fox, forcing a small smile on his muzzle. "Don't worry, you haven't said anything wrong... I'm just..." He couldn't finish his sentence. There was no right way to go about this, and he knew that perfectly well. With a shake of his head, the leopard simply moved on from the topic.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine," he stated. Kind fox or not, Zachary still had an appointment with a particular dragon for dinner. He wouldn't miss that opportunity, no matter what he was offered. "It's not as bad as you think. I like nature a lot, just as much as relaxation, so it's a perfect match for me!" He chuckled quietly, Lya laughing along as well.

"Ah, alright then," Drew replied with a smile, "Offer still stands if you ever want to hang out with someone, though. Or if it gets too rainy for camping, or any other reason you can come up with!" Laughing lightheartedly, the fox patted Zachary's shoulder, his sincere and warm smile showing that he was serious with his offer.

"Thanks, Drew," Zachary replied with a similarly sincere tone, "I'll be sure to give you a visit when I grow tired or bored of camping." The fox seemed nice enough, perhaps he could even give him a visit after one of his lessons. It was the best way to get new friends, after all.

Lya nudged the leopard's shoulder, forcing him to glance at her. He cocked his head a little, perking up his ears in advance as a clear evidence of his curiosity. The ocelot didn't speak for a few moments, looking like she was hesitating.

"I can offer the same... Zach," she finally managed to speak her mind, her gaze not quite able to linger on the leopard's eyes for more than a fraction of a second, "I mean... uh... a place... to hang out, you know." Zachary raised an eyebrow at the librarian's sudden mumbling.

"Uh... alright, thank you too, then," he said with the same baffled expression plastered on his face. If it wasn't for his obliviousness, Zachary would have noticed the mild blush that adorned the ocelot's face as she nodded. Unfortunately for the leopard, he was as oblivious as they came.

"Any time, Zach," Drew assured the leopard, giving him a smile before he stood and extended his hand to the feline, "I'm gonna go mingle a bit with some of the others. It was nice to get to meet you!"

Zachary took the fox's paw with a warm smile. "Likewise," he said simply, watching the fox turn and leave after they shook hands. He glanced at the ocelot next to him, practically beaming at her. "Your friends are quite... uh... friendly." The leopard internally screamed at himself for that horrid sentence.

Lya was seemingly unaffected by his awkwardness, her joyful chuckle following the leopard's words. "Yes, friends are friendly indeed. Good job!" There was just the slightest hint of teasing to her tone, something Zachary had yet to get used to.

Instead of teasing back, however, the feline simply smiled warmly at the female. "Thanks for inviting me, by the way." He said with a sincere expression on his face, resulting in Lya to cease her laughter.

"You're welcome, Zach," waving a paw, the ocelot once again hesitated to continue. She pursed her lips for a few moments, her gaze shifting between the ground and Zachary. "You seemed like som--"

"Hey, multicaster guy!" A voice cut the ocelot off from the crowd, forcing both felines to look in the direction it came from. Zachary's face bore a curious expression, while Lya was outright annoyed that she couldn't finish her sentence. It was her job to cut people off, after all.

The joking mink from earlier waved a paw at the leopard, raising his other and revealing a moderately sized wooden mug. "Care to join us for some root beer?" Lazlo inquired with a grin, jiggling the cup in his paw while the other students looked back at Zachary with an expectant look, almost inviting in nature.

"I... uh..." The leopard stammered, not quite sure how to respond to that offer. He could still remember clearly the way he behaved the last time he consumed alcohol. The memory wasn't entirely pleasant.

Lya rolled her eyes at the mink. "You and your beer, Lazlo. It doesn't even taste that good, to be honest."

"Oh, really?" Lazlo demanded with a hearty laugh, grinning widely at the ocelot, "You sure seemed to like it last week, Lilly!" A series of laughter followed the mink's words from the other students, although they weren't mocking or offensive by any stretch of the imagination.

Lya gave the mink a sinister look. "You can give nicknames to Archy," she stated, her voice more threatening than ever, "But if you want to keep your tail, I would advise you not doing the same with me, got that?" Zachary glanced up at the ocelot with wide eyes. Lya was most likely the perfect representation of dominance, at least, that's the impression he got from her so far.

Lazlo visibly flinched at the threat. "Uh... yeah, su--"

"Good, I'm glad you have the mental capacity to understand where your boundaries lie," the leopard nearly choked on his laughter at Lya's words, "Just don't forget where they are, and we'll be best buds!" The ocelot gave a warm smile, eliciting a nervous nod from the mink.

With her complete dominance shown, Lya brought her gaze back to Zachary. "So, how does root beer sound to you?"

The leopard hesitated for a moment. "I... don't know." he replied. The ocelot smiled down warmly.

"You don't have to, Zach," she assured him, motioning with her to the mink, "Lazlo only wants to appear friendly, that's why he's offering it. But that doesn't mean that you're forced to accept. Just simply refuse, if that's what you would like."

Zachary considered his options, eventually nodding his head to the decline of the offer. One could not feed a dragon properly while being intoxicated, that much he knew.

Lya turned to Lazlo. "He's fine for now!" she replied in place of the leopard, which he appreciated more than he cared to admit.

"Awh man... there goes my chance of having a drink with a multicaster," the mink stated in a somewhat disappointed tone, which soon disappeared as he looked back to Zachary, "Let me know if you want a taste!" He said with a smile, sitting down next to the others and pouring drinks for some of them.

"So," Lya began after the others busied themselves with their drinks, turning her attention back to the leopard, "As I was saying, you seemed like som--" And she was interrupted once again.

"Hey, Zach, are you su--"

"I swear I'll choke you with your tail this instant, Lazlo!" Lya threatened with a growl, whipping her head to glare at the mink. It was obvious who was winner of the "Let's interrupt each other" game, as the friendly anthro practically retreated into a ball of fur in an attempt to disappear. Joyful laughter followed the hilarious interaction between the two anthros, Zachary joining in as well with the others.

"Just an advice, don't cut her off!" The leopard suggested with a chuckle, eliciting another burst of amusement from the other students.

"Yeah... tell me about it..." Lazlo muttered under his breath. He quickly went back to the other group, which Lya acknowledged with a satisfied snort before bringing her gaze back to Zachary.

"You seemed like someone who would fit in well with us," the ocelot gibbered as fast as she could, afraid that someone would deliberately stop her from doing so by interrupting. She gave Zachary a smile as she finished, a gesture that the young anthro liked seeing a lot.

The leopard blinked at the statement, returning the smile with his own. "Well... I'm more than grateful for that, Lya, truly," he affirmed, looking at the ocelot somewhat sheepishly, "I hope I didn't leave a terrible first impression."

Lya shook her head. "Don't be silly, Zach. You did excellent with everyone... well, mostly with everyone." Explaining what she meant was completely unnecessary. Zachary knew perfectly well who she meant with that statement.

"And besides," the ocelot continued, "No sane person would refuse to be friends with a multicaster," a short pause followed, "Especially when he's as cut--- I mean, oblivious as you are!" Lya chuckled nervously, obviously forcing the gesture as she patted the leopard's shoulder.

Zachary blinked and raised an eyebrow at the ocelot's sudden confusing behavior. "Uh... thanks, I guess?" he said with a quizzical expression, shaking his head a little, "And you're the one telling me that I'm weird, huh?"

Lya grimaced, swatting at Zachary's shoulder playfully. "My weirdness doesn't even come close to yours, to be frank here," she shot back, her teasing tone returning, "You're the equivalent of weird, Zach!"

The leopard laughed joyfully, nodding his head. "I honestly can't argue with that." He stated with a wide grin, glancing up at the sky for just a moment and blinking in surprise at the sight. "How late is it?" He inquired, peering at the distant sun as it began slowly retreating towards the horizon.

Lya shrugged her shoulders. "Evening," she stated the obvious, eliciting an amused snort from Zachary, "Why? Are you leaving already?"

The leopard hesitated. Staying here with the alluring ocelot was rather appealing to the young anthro, but his dinner with his best friend was something that simply could not be replaced. He had to get going.

With a sheepish smile, Zachary nodded. "I need to... uh... prepare my dinner. And that means hunting, you know... which takes a lot of time, usually." He explained, not completely pleased that he had to lie to Lya.

The ocelot gave a disappointed expression, her face falling at the leopard's words. "Oh... I see," she said quietly, before bringing her gaze back to Zachary, looking rather hopeful, "You could... come to my place and have some dinner, if you'd like. That way you don't have to... hunt, or whatever."

The proposition left the leopard bewildered for long moments. He considered the offer carefully, eventually sighing and shaking his head. "I would love to, but I... can't... not today, I'm sorry." Zachary forced the words out with great effort, watching with regret as Lya's face fell for the second time.

"Alright, no worries," she said with a forced smile, patting the leopard's shoulder, "The offer is up... if you ever want to take it." Lya stood up from the sitting Zachary, bidding her head and waving a paw. "See you later, then. Thanks for coming."

He watched her leave, following her with his eyes until she settled herself down next the group of anthros. This didn't work out the way he would have wanted. But there was simply no way to get out of this situation where both parties would be satisfied.

Sighing and shaking his head, Zachary stood up as well. "I... uh... I'm leaving guys! See ya later!" The feline called out to the others, who turned back from their drinks and said their goodbyes and farewells themselves.

With a nod, the leopard turned around and started making his way out of the garden. He simply couldn't wipe the unpleasant thought of refusing Lya's offer from his mind as he walked. He really hoped he hadn't offended her in any way. That would be horrible, to say the least.

The unpleasant thoughts harbored his mind for most of his back to the forest, but Zachary was eventually able to find a consolation. He still had a dinner with Basajaun, after all, an occasion which would most likely provide enough enjoyment for him to make up for his debatable decision.

While Zachary was at the meet up with the other students, Snowflake and Basajaun busied themselves with making the group's dinner. Using the two hours that the leopard spent at the college gardens, the familiar had pulled out many of her best tricks, taking the time to make some rather complicated, but lavishly delicious smelling and looking courses.

Each time Basajaun returned with another new berry or animal, the spirit seemed to know of some way to turn the item into a meal. The dragon was careful not to overhunt, like Esmeralda had warned, but he did allow himself to keep an eye out for any sort of edible greenery, clearing out every berry bush or herb patch he found. The drake was altogether tired of starving himself, and he wanted to make this comeback feast something memorable.

Combined with the food that the Elder had purchased in town, the meal had turned into something that looked like it might be fit to feed to a king's legion of elite soldiers, served up on a long table made of blue ice that the owl and spirit had created together. Snowflake even took the time to create some of her signature ice cream, along with other sweet delicacies of various types. Though baked confections obviously weren't able to be made in the wild, Snowflake's culinary creativity more than made up for this fact. And by the time the table was completely covered, the familiar had worked her way through an immense amount of ingredients, and the table was brimming with an incredible cornucopia of different meals, each appearing more inviting than the last.

Heaving a sigh as the last plate was set on the table, Snowflake nodded in satisfaction. "There, I think that should just about do it," the spirit announced, looking over to the rest of the group, "And just in time; Spotted Hunter is on his way back from the college."

Nodding with a broad grin of anticipation, Basajaun settled himself right next to the icy table. "Everything looks amazing, Snowflake!" the drake affirmed, his flickering tongue letting him know that the meals were even tastier than they looked, "I hope Zach gets here fast; this is going to be the best feast yet, I should think!"

The dragons' combined eagerness made the anthro among them smile right along with them. Although she was still a little fatigued, Esmeralda had also helped prepare the meal, trying to make up for her earlier mistake as best she knew how. Looking over the finished product, it was hard not to feel impressed just by the sight of so much food, let alone the fact that most of it was going right to Basajaun's waistline.

"You just be careful not to make yourself sick," Esmeralda warned the drake, chuckling lightly, "This looks like a lot, even for you!"

Cocking his head, Basajaun looked to the Elder quizzically. "You can make yourself sick by eating too much?" he asked, never having experienced this phenomenon himself.

Blinking for a moment, the owl let out a loud laugh. "Nevermind, I forgot who I was talking to!" she giggled, shaking her head, "Just have a good time, Fatty. I'm going to hit the hay after Zach gets here, but I want to see his face when he sees all of this before I do."

Getting a nod from both dragons, the group looked out to the forest in the direction of the road, watching for Zachary's return with eager smiles.

Sure enough, the leopard's form soon emerged from behind the cover of the trees. He walked with quickened steps, an unmistakable smile adorning his muzzle to go with his joyful gait.

"Hey, I'm ba..." The feline's words died down as soon as he laid his eyes upon the table. There was simply more food packed on that thing than Zachary had ever seen it once, leaving the young anthro completely speechless as he stared at their dinner. He simply shook his head a couple of times in disbelief, mouthing "What the f---" on several occasions.

When his bewilderment of the feast in front of his eyes slowly began dying down, Zachary glanced at the two dragons, pointing a finger at the hoard of dishes hesitantly. "I... didn't expect such a pleasant surprise," he admitted, a smile creeping on his muzzle while he observed the variety and the amount of food on the table, "You three are insane!" He let out a hearty laughter, his amusement evidently showing his opinion about the dinner his companions were able to present.

Feeling like the statement was a challenge, Basajaun grinned widely. "What, do you think this is too much for your arms to handle without tiring?" he challenged right back, patting his stomach, "Because I know you can't be doubting my capacity, Zach!"

Zachary grinned back as well. "Oh, I wouldn't dare to assume such nonsense, Basa. What do you take me for? I'm perfectly aware of your capabilities," he assured the dragon, moving next to the ice table, "Just make sure you're able to live up to your words, this is a lot of food!"

Basajaun laughed at the statement, nodding alongside Snowflake. "Well, I hope you appreciate it," Esmeralda said as she stood from her spot by the fire, "A lot of work went into this particular... 'meal'. Much of that work was my own, by the way. You're welcome."

Zachary raised an eyebrow at the Elder's claim. "Oh, is that so? In that case, thank you Esm-- I mean, my Mistress." The leopard gave an exaggerated bow to the owl, snickering to himself under his breath. Although joking about Esmeralda's help, he truly appreciated her willingness to do such a thing.

"And thanks to you two as well!" The feline said with a cheerful tone after he finished with his servant act, bounding to hug the two dragons at the same time as they sat next to each other. He embraced both of their necks with his arms, grinning widely as he pulled the two massive creatures close to his body.

Chuckling at the feline's enthusiasm, Esmeralda turned to her tent while the dragons hugged their feline friend back. "You three have fun, I'm turning in for the night," the owl announced, moving to the shelter's entrance, "Try not to pop, Fatty!"

The drake stuck his forked tongue out at the Elder. "Try not to oversleep, Oldy!" he quipped back, getting an unexpected laugh from the owl in response as she moved into her tent.

Zachary laughed along as he pulled away from the two dragons. "Nice one, Basa," he said with a mischievous grin, patting his friend's side and gesturing with his head towards the food, "I'll have a little as well before we start, if you don't mind sharing, of course. Wouldn't want to decrease your portion if it was against your will!" The leopard's tone held its usual mock, his teasing once again back in full motion. If that wasn't enough, he gave Basajaun a playful wink as well. What a tease.

The leopard moved closer to the table, scanning the dishes as he considered his options. With such a wide variety of food at his disposal, Zachary took his sweet time deciding which delicacy to choose. His gaze shifted between all the possibilities, his mouth practically drooling for full effect.

Laughing, the two dragons got themselves in position for the imminent feeding. Though he would have been more than intimidated by the amount of food there was available to his two feeders under normal circumstances, Basajaun was too eager to end his fasting to feel fear about the glorious feast that he had helped create.

Taking a position beside both of her male companions, Snowflake watched the leopard's expression, smiling happily at Zachary's approving look at the food she had made.

Eventually, the leopard was able to pick out a small portion for himself from the dinner. With a wide smile on his face and eagerness, he dug in his puny food with gusto. Almost as soon as the combination of Snowflake's culinary creations touched his tongue, he let out an approving purr and moan at the same time.

"This is heavenly, Snowflake." Zachary reported between mouthfuls, sitting down on the grass as he continued eating with a smile. Since the luxury of tasting such delicacies wasn't presented that much to the young anthro previously, he cherished each tasty piece of his dinner in an almost professional manner. The flavor of juicy berries and spices perfectly blended in with meat from every variety, caressing the feline's sensitive taste buds with their distinctiveness.

The spirit clapped her foreclaws at the leopard's words. "Thank you!" she said appreciatively, reaching over to nuzzle the leopard's arm as he ate, "I'm glad you like it, we worked hard on this one." Basajaun wrung his own foreclaws in anticipation as he watched the feline eat his dinner, resisting the urge to tell Zachary to hurry up so they could start in on the drake.

As it turned out, the dragon needn't have worried. The leopard finished up with his dinner in a record time of his own, leaning back on his arms after setting his clean plate aside on the grass. The smile on his muzzle said more than any words could have at the moment, his opinion on the dinner evidently shown through that simple gesture.

After only a few moments of relaxing, Zachary stood up from the ground and walked to Basajaun, pulling his paw over the reptile's fleshy side and patting it when he came to a stop. "Alright, big guy, ready for your dinner?" He inquired with a grin, knowing perfectly well the answer to his question.

Licking his snout, Basajaun nodded emphatically as he rolled over onto his back and scooted to place his head near Zachary. "Would you like to have a seat on your royal throne during this banquet, Sir Zachary?" the drake offered, patting his rounded belly.

Chuckling and nodding his head, the leopard crested the hill of pudge himself, feeling as the flesh beneath his weight yielded at his every move. Even though there was still more than enough flab on the dragon's abdomen, the decrease in size and amount were easily noticeable. The revelation might have saddened Zachary just a few days ago, but that wasn't the case anymore. With Basajaun discovering his talent in biomancy, as well as the current feast ahead of them, the feline could only await eagerly how both would affect the dragon's waistline.

Positioning himself comfortably on top of the dragon's middle, the leopard began caressing the flesh beneath him for a moment before grabbing a pawful and wobbling it around for emphasis. "Let's start then, shall we? We have to get you back in an acceptable shape, after all!" Zachary invited with a wide grin, winking at his friend.

The statement received an eager nod from both dragons, Basajaun simply opening his maw afterwards. Pointing from the food on his table to his awaiting mouth, the drake's tongue flickered as he anticipated the first mouthful of many, the action getting a giggle from Snowflake.

Smiling widely at the dragon's enthusiasm, Zachary was quick to oblige the famished reptile's request. Not even paying any heed to what he reached for, the leopard simply grabbed the first thing that was the closest to his paw, tearing a massive chunk from what he assumed was the leg of a deer.

With a routine that only himself possessed, the leopard offered the hearty piece of nourishment to the eager drake, watching it slide down the dragon's gullet as soon as he let go of it. While his paw reached for the next chunk already, the other began its instinctual routine just the same. His careful and soft paw caressed Basajaun's chubby gut with slow and deliberate circular motions. The feeling of the ample flesh between his fingers almost immediately kicked in the little anthro's purring. Out of all things from the dragon's diet, he missed this feeling the most, that much was obvious.

Moaning loudly the instant the venison touched his tongue, Basajaun pointed at the table once his mouth was clear. "Zach's right; this is indescribable!" the drake stated with great enthusiasm, "Thank you so much for your culinary masterwork, Snowflake."

Giggling at the compliment, the familiar grabbed her own handful of food, offering it after Zachary's. "Time for talking and complimenting is over now," the spirit teased as she gave the dragon's neck a fond nuzzle, "This is time for eating, silly!"

"Yes, Madame of Winter!" Basajaun responded with a hearty laugh, before accepting another mouthful. Snowflake used her unoccupied foreclaw to feel along the drake's neck and down to his side, before sliding her fingers back up through the dragon's soft fur, all the while pressing gently into the folds of adipose that lay beneath the silky pelt that Basajaun had created for himself.

"Snowflake's right," Zachary agreed with a chuckle of his own, patting the dragon's midriff beneath him, "You just relax and enjoy, bud." Waiting after Snowflake's own offering was consumed by the voracious reptile, the leopard was quick to offer a large chunk himself.

His paw never stopped its endless exploration of Basajaun's soft form beneath him, relishing the added cushion which his dense fur provided, as well as the ample fat which resided below it. If things worked out good, the latter would only grow bigger as time went on. The thought was so inviting that Zachary's purring became even louder as he continued fondling the dragon's flab as well as keeping a steady peace at making sure it would keep expanding under him.

With two feeders, Basajaun didn't have to worry about having to take a break for their sake; he simply kept swallowing each incredibly delicious bite as it came. The massage that the pair provided also prevented his stomach from ever becoming uncomfortable, and kept the drake eating on.

Feeling his own stomach begin to fill out and stretch again, Basajaun gave a deep, loud purr that set his whole flabby form jiggling and vibrating lightly. He couldn't help himself; the feeling of being spoiled by two of his closest friends was simply too good to not give every show of approval he could!

As the feast went on, Snowflake stood from her position to pull more dishes within Zachary's reach, giving the leopard a wordless nod at the completion of the action.

Only pausing in his hand feeding of Basajaun for a moment, the leopard gave the spirit a pat on her neck. "Thanks, Snowflake." He said simply and somewhat curtly, knowing there weren't any more words needed to show his gratitude. With more food at his disposal, as well as not having to worry about pausing anymore with the feeding of the dragon, the leopard slowly lost himself in the moment.

As the reptile's gut slowly expanded beneath him while he caressed the squishy substance with a paw, Zachary was able to completely disregard nearly everything around him, focusing all his attention exclusively on keeping the massive dragon's mouth full. Every last bit of his concerns, worries or uncertainties melted away in an instant, all thanks to the utterly blissful feeling he got from the experience.

Even Lya, Xergon, or magic in general became almost completely irrelevant. At that moment, the young anthro wanted nothing more than to simply enjoy his special dinner with his best friend. And oh, did he enjoy it, his constant purring loud enough to challenge the dragon's own, as well as the professional massage he provided for Basajaun's soft gut.

As his stomach filled ever further, one might inadequately describe the state that Basajaun fell into as blissful euphoria. And though Snowflake was the only one to retain her senses throughout the experience, her enjoyment of the feeding could hardly be overstated either, though her enthusiasm was more for the eventual aftermath than the act itself.

Still, the spirit kept the food coming, as well as making sure that there was always another dish available for Zachary to present to their draconic friend. This fact ensured there were no pauses, and the unrelenting cycle of generosity and gluttony seemed as though it might never end to Basajaun. This thought was not a fearful one; it was one that made his already broad grin widen even further, though the expression was somewhat obscured by the constant fullness of his muzzle.

With the two eager feeders, and an even more eager destroyer of every last morsel of nourishment, the initially daunting feast kept dwindling at a steady rate. Venison, hare meat, pork, delicious sweets and even all the dressing were met with the same fate; joining with their fallen brethren in the dragon's seemingly bottomless stomach, expanding it further with each passing mouthful the reptile swallowed.

Witnessing firsthand as said belly swelled under Zachary to unheard proportions, the leopard could only vaguely note just how stuffed Basajaun was getting. Having consumed already more than half of the enormous feast, the dragon's midriff stuck out proudly in the air, pushing the young anthro on top of it even further up. It was rather fascinating to observe the sheer gluttony the reptile displayed with his dinner, something the leopard had grown somewhat accustomed to, but he was always amazed when he was able to experience it himself.

Although the three were slowly approaching the end of their massive feeding, Zachary's enthusiasm never joined with the disappearance of the nourishment. If anything, he only became more and more eager as the dragon's utterly bloated middle was stretched even farther. For just a few moments, he wondered just how much food the reptile had consumed, but was unable to even make a safe estimation, eventually simply settling with a lot more than he ever thought his friend would be able to pack away at once.

Without the slightest of pauses, Basajaun wasn't able to feel how full he was getting. He just knew that there was more in his stomach than he could ever fit in on his own. And he loved every second of feeling his gurgling gut's gradual growth, even when the weight piling up in his middle began to make breathing a more strenuous task.

When the drake started panting heavily, Snowflake felt a small tinge of concern, but looking to the table and seeing how little was left, she didn't think it would hurt to allow the dragon to finish the banquet. Still, the dragoness' feeding of the drake slowed down moderately, just in case.

Even through his spellbound state, Zachary was able to notice his friend's minor problem. He slowed in his feeding just the same as the spirit, offering the remaining pieces to the stuffed drake in a more relaxed and calm pace.

Eventually, and to the leopard's utter disappointment, the source of nourishment ran out. Turning back to Basajaun with nothing in hand to feed him, Zachary simply patted the dragon's unbelievable bloated middle with both of his paws. "All the food's gone, bud," he reported with an obviously impressed expression and tone, his paws beginning their usual job of comforting the drake's extreme fullness the best they could, "I guess you didn't lose your appetite during your diet, huh?"

The dragon didn't respond at first. After a few seconds of silence, there was an cacophonous belch that reverberated through the woods that surrounded the group's hideout, followed by a long moan. Pawing at his mountainous stomach, Basajaun breathed in short pants, seemingly unable to speak.

"Um, I think he needs to roll over, Hunter," Snowflake said after a few seconds of watching the drake struggle for breath, turning to Zachary, "Could you dismount for a moment?"

Zachary nodded immediately, quickly sliding off from the hill of a gut that was a part of Basajaun's body now. He backed up a few steps, only stopping once he was sure he wouldn't be in the way to the two massive dragons. The thought of being squashed by Basajaun's weight was not something he found to be too pleasing.

Moving to the drake's head, Snowflake grabbed his foreclaws in her own. "Come on, Forest, let's get you upright," the familiar invited, pulling on the dragon's limbs. With effort, Snowflake managed to roll Basajaun off of his back, but even fully righted, the drake's massive midsection prevented his feet from contacting the ground, a fact that the spirit found more than impressive.

Wobbling back and forth on his stomach after being pulled, Basajaun let out a strange giggle. "Hehehe, sloshy," he chuckled quietly, his tired eyes looking up at Snowflake, "Thanks, pretty lady!"

Blinking for a second, Snowflake released the dragon's hands with an embarrassed smile. "You're, um, welcome!" she replied, rubbing the back of her neck abashedly. There was something weird about the spirit's bell-like voice as she said that, though Basajaun was too tired to notice.

With a loud chuckle and cocked eyebrow, Zachary walked to the two dragons, stopping next to Basajaun and observing the impressive results of his gluttony. Putting a paw on the reptile's bloated smile and stroking up and down gently, he glanced back at the spirit and gave her a suspicious grin.

"Did you put alcohol in his food?" he asked quietly from Snowflake, trying to hold back his laughter and failing miserably, "If so, then you're a genius!" The leopard stated, bringing his gaze back to the tired drake and trying his hardest to help him get as comfortable as he possibly could with his massaging.

Snowflake shook her head, trying to clear the odd embarrassment she felt. "No, I did not," she replied, curling her body around the drake's stomach as she set to massaging her own section of the reptile's bountiful middle, "I just think that this was a bit much, even for Forest."

The drake giggled as he felt his friends positioning themselves around him, moaning in pleasure at their caressing. "I'm all round now," he observed in an amused tone, almost as though he thought that the pair wouldn't notice this fact for themselves, before noticing something else, "Oh look! My feet are in the air!" Wriggling the toes of said limbs, the dragon giggled again, apparently quite tickled by the entire situation.

Zachary couldn't contain himself anymore. He began laughing loudly, clutching at his sides as they become sore after long moments of constant chuckling and giggling. When he was done with his amusement over his friend's uncharacteristic behavior, the leopard walked to Basajaun's head, lifting it to look him in the eye.

"I think it's time for you and your flying feet to rest a little, bud," the leopard suggested with a warm smile, stroking the dragon under his chin, "You look really tired, and I think resting a little would help you avoid embarrassing yourself even more. I mean, I don't mind it that much, I can tease you about it later!" Zachary chuckled joyfully, shaking his head, "But seriously, it's time for you to call it a day. Get a little comfortable and then rest."

The dragon gave a goofy grin as his chin was stroked, his purr kicking back up. "Feels nice," he announced happily, reaching over and licking the leopard's arm in return, before pressing his face against the feline's chest with a goofy smile. "Soft kitty..." he sighed blissfully. After a few seconds, the drake's head slowly sank down to settle on the curvature of his stomach, gently snoring before his head even came to a rest.

Zachary could only roll his eyes and giggle at his friend's strange behavior and the nickname he was given. Although he wasn't fond of similar titles when it came to his species, Basajaun was someone the leopard valued more than anyone in his life, thus the only one who could get away with such a remark.

Sighing as he wiped the dragon's drool from his arm, Zachary glanced to Snowflake, giving the spirit a sheepish smile. "Could you roll this tubby lizard to his side? I'm quite sure he's too stuffed to even realize how uncomfortable it's going to get for him if he sleeps in that position." He proposed, moving a few steps away from the dragon's form.

Giving a nod, Snowflake softly pressed her paws into the drake's gut, rolling him slowly until the dragon was on his left side, his belly still proudly displayed in all its glory. "Would you like a lift to the top?" the familiar inquired, offering a hand to Zachary.

"I wouldn't mind in the slightest," the feline replied with a warm smile as he walked back to Snowflake, patting her neck appreciatively and relaxing his body in advance.

Taking the leopard in her claws, the dragoness lifted him up to the crest of Basajaun's hill-like form. "There you go!" she said as she set Zachary down, before moving over to the group's bags and retrieving the feline's blanket.

"And here you go, too!" Snowflake added as she handed the comforter up to the leopard.

"You're a sweetheart, Snowflake, thank you," Zachary stated with a sincere tone, taking the blanket in his paws. He positioned himself comfortably on the dragon's squishy, and currently very stuffed, abdomen, curling up in a ball and draping the comforter over his body.

"Good night Basa, good night Snowflake." The leopard said with a quiet voice, a yawn splitting his muzzle after he spoke. With the cushiony bed that Basajaun provided, he was able to relax his body completely, an adorable purr soon joining in with his steady breathing. Within only mere moments, the young anthro was asleep.

Smiling at the sleeping pair for a moment, Snowflake moved over to the ice table, gathering up the dishes and cleaning them quietly. Once finished with cleaning and putting away the dishes, the dragoness moved to the table again, touching her snout to the frozen surface and absorbing it into her form. She didn't take the opportunity to change her form; the spirit merely added the ice to her mass, becoming denser in the process.

Finished with the cleanup, the familiar situated herself by Basajaun's side, giving a low chime that was her equivalent of a contented sigh. "You're going to be so embarrassed tomorrow," she observed softly, before picking up one of her lullabies as she cast her nutrient boosting spell.

"Sweet dreams, both of you," Snowflake sang in her lullaby, before settling her own head down for the night.

With the rising of the sun came another round of grumbling from Basajaun as his eyes were subjected to the morning rays. Muttering something under his breath about how the sun was a fair weather friend, the drake lifted his head and blinked up at the sky groggily, somehow hoping his glower would make the sun set again.

When his ability to affect the sun's path turned out to be nonexistent, the dragon simply huffed and looked down to find Zachary on his stomach again. With this sight came that of the effects of the previous night's meal. "Holy..." Basajaun breathed, not quite able to take in what he was seeing.

Completely forgetting the leopard on his gut, the dragon grunted loudly as he rolled onto his feet, completely dumbfounded when the globular sphere that was his belly pressed firmly against the ground even when he extended his limbs to their fullest extent. Said limbs had gained enough fat that it was beginning to fold over at their joints, while his soft chest began to sag into a second round globe above his gut; the fold between the dragon's gut and chest extended up nearly to his back. Basajaun's neck bunched up into rolls as he bent it to observe himself, his tail forming similar folds as it flexed. All in all, the dragon was now sure he could be properly described as obese, not just fat anymore.

After being dumped on the ground like a used towel, Zachary's eyes snapped open and he shot up from his lying position as soon as he came to a stop on the grass. Sitting up and groaning as he rubbed his back, the place he deadened the impact the most, the half-asleep leopard glanced around him confusedly and blearily.

"Ugh... best way to wake up," the feline remarked, mumbling under his breath about untrustworthy dragon beds and their dysfunctions of dumping their occupants on the ground occasionally, "You could just tell me to get off, y'know... would be ea..." Zachary's didn't continue, simply staring at Basajaun with widened eyes that threatened to pop out of their sockets.

He blinked in disbelief for a few moments, rubbing his eyes with his paws as if that would wipe away his assumed hallucination. When the action brought no results and the leopard was met with the same image as before, he shook his head in disbelief. "Holy..." he breathed the same way the dragon had, just as surprised by the results of last night's feeding as Basajaun, "That's... that's a lot of plush." With his obvious observation out of the way, the feline continued observing the drake's fattened form.

"Do you like it?" Snowflake asked as she raised her head from the ground, smiling warmly as she directed the question to both Zachary and Basajaun, "I used the nutrient spell again."

Staring at himself, the drake didn't seem to hear the spirit's question at first. A few seconds later, Basajaun's head slowly turned to face Zachary and Snowflake, a massive smile on his face. "I love it," he said simply, before sitting on his haunches and hugging his own belly, purring as he embraced his fattened form.

Taking a few moments to get both his brain and body working properly, Zachary stood up from the ground and walked towards the sitting dragon. He put a paw on the fat reptile's side, giving an experimental poke to the yielding surface and grinning widely when no resistance was brought forth against it, his finger simply sunk in the deep pudge with ease.

Pinching the drake's fat in his paw and jiggling the ample flesh a little, the leopard chuckled as he glanced at his friend. "I suppose we made up for your weight loss from your diet... and then some more! You look so fluffy and cuddly at the same time!" Zachary stated with a laugh, not wasting his time in showing whether or not he liked the change as he embraced as much fat from the dragon's body as he could. He loved it, obviously.

The dragon purred even more deeply at his friend's touch. "Thank you, both of you," he said after a moment, continuing to hug his belly for a moment before releasing the fat globe and watching it bounce like a water balloon for several seconds, laughing at the sight.

Noticing the motion the dragon's gut made, Zachary moved to face the dragon and smile warmly at his friend. "No, thank you for being so damn voracious and pleasantly rounded!" The feline stated with a chuckle, reaching for a handful of pudge from the drake's midsection and jiggling it lightly. The sight elicited a similar reaction from the leopard, who seemed to find endless amusement in seeing the reptile's form softening with each of their dinners.

"Well, jiggly, aren't ya?" Esmeralda's voice greeted the group from the fireside, smirking when she managed to make everyone else jump at the same time, even her familiar.

Disturbed in his observation with Basajaun's soft form, Zachary put a paw on his heart in an attempt to cease its fearful thudding as he glared at the Elder. "You need to stop doing that," the leopard stated with the most serious tone he could muster, although a hint of a smile slowly began creeping across his muzzle as he continued, "And yes, that's probably the perfect word to describe Basa at the moment."

Giving a lighthearted laugh, Esmeralda gestured towards the drake. "You look like you're going to trip over yourself if you try walking, you know," she teased, though there wasn't any malice in her voice.

"It's a good thing I don't have anywhere to go, then!" Basajaun replied without missing a beat, patting his stomach shamelessly, "You know I can just adjust this if I do need to move now."

Giving a nod, Esmeralda stood from her seat. "Snowflake, would you make us some breakfast?" she requested, moving to grab her books as the familiar obeyed her mistress, "And Zach, we're both going into the college today, so do try to be awake and aware when we go in. We aren't going to be late today!"

"Yeah, sure, I got it!" Zachary called back to the Elder, waving a paw dismissively as he turned back to Basajaun with a wide grin plastered on his face. He put his hand on the drake's stomach, rubbing the surface up and down for a few moments and feeling the newfound depth to his fatness.

"You really like it now, don't you?" The leopard asked, bringing his gaze back to the dragon as he cocked his head slightly to the right.

"I really do!" Basajaun agreed grinningly, joining his paw with Zachary's, "Heh, it's funny to think how I reacted to that first little bit of fat, isn't it?"

The leopard laughed at the memory, nodding. "You were so worried about losing your intimidation back then! And just to be clear, you're just as intimidating and daunting as the first time I met you, don't worry... just a little softer!" Zachary stated with a warm smile, fondling the dragon's flesh in his paws for a few moments.

"Can you imagine how... big this could grow now that you have biomancy at your side?" he asked thoughtfully, jiggling the drake's fat for emphasis, "I mean, you don't have to worry about ending up earthbound anymore!"

"Yeah," the dragon agreed, before his face fell somewhat. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, before looking back to the leopard. "Am I really that intimidating?" he asked quietly. Something about the description being put towards him didn't seem right anymore.

Pulling away, Basajaun shook his head. "This is going to seem strange coming from me," he began, looking down to Zachary, "I don't think I want to be seen as an imposing beast anymore. I... it's not going to help me be welcomed, and that's something more important to me now than being seen as a top predator."

Zachary glanced up at his friend with the most sincere smile he could muster. "Basa..." he began, stepping a little closer to the dragon and putting a paw on his wing, "You're going to stay a dragon, no matter what you do... and most people will judge you because of that," the leopard explained, giving his friend a sympathetic expression as he stroked his wing, "But that's their fault, not yours. Those people will be the ones missing the opportunity to meet the kindest soul they could have had the pleasure of knowing."

The feline put a finger on the dragon's chest, precisely on his heart, feeling as the powerful organ thudded with resolution under his paw. "As long as you stay who you are inside, those lucky ones who can look past the stereotypes of your race will welcome you with all their heart. I can assure you of that. I can't promise you that everyone will be able to do that... people are different, Basa, you simply can't please every last individual in this world." Zachary sighed, looking up at Basajaun once again.

"And you're not intimidating... I... thought that saying that would make you feel better, I'm sorry," the leopard admitted, giving an apologetic look to his friend, "I mean, you're not intimidating to me anymore. But that's probably because you're my best friend... I don't know how others would react, but I can assure you that your cuddly appearance will definitely help them see past the stereotypes, to what extent, however, depends completely on them."

Putting a paw over his heart once the leopard's finger withdrew, Basajaun thought for a moment with an unreadable expression. "Being called intimidating did used to make me feel better," he admitted, putting his paw back down and looking to Zachary, "I'd rather be called 'friend' now, though. And I suppose you're right, I'm just going to have to live with being stuck a dragon."

Remembering something, the drake looked over to where he had left his biomancy tome. "But that doesn't mean I have to look like one," he mused quietly, before glancing back to his feline friend with a smile, "I think I have some more reason to study biomancy yet."

Tapping some dishes together, Snowflake got the attention of the group. "Breakfast is ready," she announced, indicating the meal that looked tiny compared to last night's feast as she served a portion to Esmeralda.

Zachary's gaze didn't leave his friend's face for a few moments, his eyes searching the dragon's facial expressions. With a sigh and a nod of his head, the leopard suddenly turned around, beckoning his head for Basajaun to follow.

"Come, let's just have breakfast and we'll talk about this once we're back with Esmeralda..." the feline proposed with a small smile, walking towards Snowflake to retrieve his own portion. He looked at the spirit with a wide grin, cocking his head and fluttering his eyes as well. Given the familiar's experience and talent in culinary activities, the young anthro was eager to see what she had made for breakfast.

Setting his forelimbs on the ground, Basajaun hesitated for a moment as he considered how to move forward. The owl had been right about his current size; the dragon was likely to trip over his own gut if he wasn't careful. Taking tentative, slow steps forward, the drake felt his hind legs press into his belly significantly as he moved, lifting the mound of flesh marginally with each step forward. The novel feeling brought a small smile of amusement to his face as Basajaun steadily lumbered to the rest of the group, the degree to which he was enjoying squishing into his own softness more than making up for his slowed pace, in the reptile's mind.

By the time that Basajaun had reached the rest of the group, he had become aware of their staring gazes, which he met with a grin. "Like I said, I love it!" he reiterated proudly, not feeling the least bit of shame over his engorged form.

"I'm with him on that one!" Zachary added with a grin, chuckling a little as he took his own portion from the breakfast Snowflake had made. He sat down next to Esmeralda, digging in his food with just as much enthusiasm as the day before.

As he ate, the leopard occasionally brought his gaze to the Elder, his eyes lingering on the owl for a few seconds before they shifted back to his breakfast. "Should we talk with Xergon together?" he asked nonchalantly, taking another bite, swallowing and adding, "Or would you prefer discussing the matter in private? I'm fine with both... I just figured I should explain to him that my problem is yours as well."

The owl closed her eyes for a moment, thinking deeply while her familiar brought Basajaun his portion of breakfast, before retreating from the drake unexpectedly to sit herself next to her mistress. Blinking for a moment, the dragon shrugged as he took his breakfast slowly, enjoying the spirit's cooking and savoring each flavor.

"I think I'd like to have you there with me," Esmeralda answered after several moments' consideration, looking over to Zachary with a smile, "Two people asking for help is more convincing than one, after all."

Snowflake gave a subtle chime to get the group's attention. "I want to be there as well," she stated, looking over to Basajaun apologetically before continuing, "In case there's some sort of unexpected reaction to the bad spirit."

The drake's face flashed a disappointed expression for less than a second, before he could suppress it to give Esmeralda a supportive smile. "I'd be right there with all of you, if I could," Basajaun stated sincerely, before he quieted himself with another mouthful of food.

Zachary looked at his friend, his eyes filled with sorrow. For a few moments, the young anthro could only stare at the dragon, before he grimaced as something crossed his mind. "Then you will be," he stated resolutely, waving a paw when Esmeralda and Snowflake gave him a quizzical look, "I know for a fact that Xergon would rather not perform an exorcism inside Centrum... it's way too risky, and besides," the leopard glanced around the three members of the group, "He would have found out about Basa eventually... I'm quite sure of that. You simply can't lie to the guy. It's better we show him the truth ourselves than waiting for him to drag it out of us." Zachary sighed, looking over to Basajaun with a small smile.

"So, we're bringing him out here... and he'll have to meet you, Basa," the leopard announced, looking like he could not be persuaded to change his decision anymore as he brought his gaze back to the Elder and Snowflake, "This is the safest way for everyone... as dangerous as it sounds. I really think Xergon is one of those people who would give a dragon a chance... It shows in his way of running the college, after all."

Feeling an odd combination of dread and enthusiasm at the thought of being able to meet someone new, Basajaun nodded at the feline's words. "If you think that's best, then I won't argue with you," the dragon said, though his voice showed a hint of how unsure he really was.

Standing before anyone else could speak, Esmeralda cleared her throat. "Regardless, we're going to be late if we don't get a move on," the owl stated, indicating the sun, "If you're sure you want to come with, then come here, Snowflake."

Obeying, the familiar extended her snout to the Elder. Placing her hand on the dragoness' nose, Esmeralda muttered something quietly, a spark traveling from her talons into the spirit's body. With several loud cracking sounds, the frozen body of the dragoness started falling to pieces, leaving a smaller and smaller core. Eventually, all that was left was a little mouse of ice, which shook itself free of excess material before scampering over to Esmeralda's awaiting hands.

Looking over to Zachary, the owl noticed Basajaun's almost broken-hearted expression, but didn't comment on it. "Are you ready to go?" the Elder asked.

The leopard nodded, standing as well. He shot a glance at his draconic friend for just a moment, almost immediately noticing the look on his face. The sight filled his heart with a mixture of emotions that forced the young anthro to quickly run to the dragon's side. With a sudden embrace, Zachary held the much bigger creature in his puny arms for long moments.

"We'll be back as soon as we can, Basa," the leopard said in a sincere tone, looking up at the reptile with a hopeful smile, "Just hold out for a little while." Pulling away from the soft comfort Basajaun provided, Zachary bid his head to the dragon, turning away but stopping in the middle of the motion.

"Oh, and get yourself pretty and presentable!" The leopard suggested with a giggle, although it almost sounded like a command rather than a suggestion as he walked back to the Elder and Snowflake.

Giving a nod at the leopard's words, Basajaun finished his breakfast quietly as he watched the rest of the group heading out. Feeling an almost crushing wave of loneliness as they left his sight, the dragon shook his head. "They'll be back," he reassured himself, though it didn't rid him of the solitude he found himself in.

Heaving a sigh, the drake obeyed Zachary's request to get presentable, changing his fur back into scales and adjusting his weight so that he wouldn't drag his midsection across the ground as he walked. Basajaun didn't want to get rid of too much of his softness though, as he thought looking more rounded might help a new acquaintance to look past the fact that they were meeting a dragon.

Looking back out to the woods, Basajaun felt the quiet isolation beginning to wear at him. Moving to his one source of reprieve, the drake began reading more of his biomancy grimoire, hoping silently that he wouldn't become too lonely waiting for his companions to return.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group was making their way to the city once again. The trip seemed to be going like any other, when Esmeralda suddenly looked to the mouse on her shoulder. "So, do you want to inform the rest of us to the real reason that you wanted to leave Basajaun today?" she asked, an unusually serious tone to her voice.

The little mouse flinched at her mistress' words, looking down and wringing her hands for several moments. It was obvious that the spirit didn't want to explain herself.

Zachary glanced to Snowflake with a confused expression. "Y-You lied?" The leopard demanded in a more than displeased tone. He couldn't help but glare at the spirit as he recalled the sorrowful look on his best friend's face.

"You could have stayed there with Basa and you chose not to...? Why?" He could feel himself becoming more and more frustrated and angry at the revelation, his distress fueled by the fact that he knew how hard it was for his friend to begin with. This didn't help Basajaun the slightest. "You know perfectly well that he hates being alone..." Zachary stated, looking back the way they came and fighting off the urge to run back to the dragon right then and there.

Squeaking in fright at the leopard's tone, Snowflake retreated into her mistress' plumage for several seconds, before she finally gave a sigh. "He called me pretty," she said quietly, coming out from the owl's feathers to give Zachary a sorrowful expression.

"Good Gods, you're dense!" Esmeralda stated with a shake of her head, "You just now noticed how infatuated he was getting?"

Zachary couldn't help but shake his head as well. "Even I noticed it almost immediately, Snowflake," he stated with a sigh, turning to the spirit to give her an incredulous look, "And so what if he called you pretty? You are pretty! It's that simple. No need to make a big fuss about it." With a huff, the leopard turned away from the familiar, staring numbly in front of him as the trio continued walking on the worn out dirt road.

Looking back the way they came, the familiar's face showed great embarrassment for several moments. "I'm starting to think he's attractive, too," she finally admitted, shaking her head, "That's where the problem is." Esmeralda nodded wordlessly, her expression inscrutable.

Zachary brought his gaze back to Snowflake, cocking an eyebrow. "Wait... are you..." blinking for painfully long seconds, the leopard gasped quietly when the realization finally hit him, "Oooh... I see now. That's... uh... that's... yeah." He stammered on his words, trying to appear less surprised than he was at the moment.

After a few moments of looking bewildered, the feline looked back to spirit once more. "But... how is that a problem? I mean... you both like each other... I know for a fact that Basa does, and now that you do as well," Zachary smiled a little, "I think that's a good thing, if anything."

"B-but he's a dragon, and I'm a spirit!" Snowflake stated, her tone showing how confused she was, "And... I don't know the first thing about how this kind of thing is supposed to go! What if I accidentally hurt his feelings? What if I say the wrong thing? I don't know if we could have a family or if what we're feeling is real or just a passing thing or..." The spirit's words started speeding up to the point that they were becoming jumbled together, though her frantic and unsure tone communicated what her speech no longer could.

"Shh, Snowflake, calm down." Zachary said in a soft tone after listening quietly to the confused familiar's words, waiting until she relaxed a little and stopped her frantic babbling. Putting a paw on his forehead, the leopard slowly shook his head, not quite sure what to say to Snowflake.

With a long sigh, he glanced back at the spirit. "Well... I don't have all the answers to your questions, Snowflake... but," Zachary's muzzle broke into a small smile as he continued, "I know for a fact that you wouldn't hurt Basa's feelings if you decided to... you know..." he cleared his throat a little, chuckling nervously before he gave a sincere expression, "Knowing that is enough for me to fully support you and him... regardless of how you're going to handle this situation. And unfortunately, I can't help you with that... not because I don't want to, I'm simply unable to answer all your questions because I'm just as much in the dark as you are."

The spirit folded her arms, looking like she was trying to protect herself from the world. She looked down at the ground that steadily passed the group by, thinking for several long minutes. "What do you think, Mistress?" she asked. The familiar knew the answer already, but she wanted to hear Esmeralda say it out loud.

The owl chuckled lightly. "I say give it a shot," she answered with a warm smile, "You never know how these things will turn out unless you make the attempt, after all. Look at Boris and I's relationship."

"That was awkward enough the first time seeing it!" Snowflake nearly shouted in a panicked tone, "I don't want to think about it again!"

Laughing loudly, the Elder shook her head as she continued smiling. "Yet we're still friends, even after that whole series of events," she affirmed, giving the mouse on her shoulder a gentle pat on the head, "So even if the whole romance thing doesn't work out, I'm certain you two are mature enough to still have a friendship afterwards."

Snowflake's face seemed to brighten slightly at those words, though there was still a healthy amount of trepidation there as she turned to look back at the woods again.

Feeling more confused and uninformed than he would have preferred, Zachary simply nodded his head at the owl's words. "Yeah... what she said, I guess..." the leopard affirmed, giving the spirit a warm smile, "Give it a chance, Snowflake. If an anthro like me and a dragon could become friends, then I don't think... love... is impossible between a spirit and a dragon either. You just have to try and see for yourself."

Taking a breath, Snowflake eventually nodded. "I... guess I can try," she relented, a shy smile crossing her face.

Nudging Zachary's side, Esmeralda grinned as she pointed at the mouse on her shoulder. "You can't see it, but she's blushing so cutely right now!" the owl informed the leopard in a mischievous tone.

"M-mistress!" Snowflake exclaimed, retreating into the Elder's feathers again.

Zachary laughed warmly at the tiny mouse, returning the owl's expression. "You just wait and see how Basa's going to blush," the leopard chuckled lightly, shaking his head at the image, "These two will provide us quite an amusing sight very soon, I'm sure." The leopard continued his smiling for long moments, before his own statement reminded him of a particular ocelot and yesterday's happenings.

His eyes fell on the dirt road ahead of him as he walked, the crackling of the rubble beneath his feet providing the only audible sound. He looked lost in thought, his mind racing with similar thoughts just like Snowflake's, although they weren't fixated on Basajaun. Was he... in the same boat as well?

Poking her head from Esmeralda's plumage, Snowflake watched Zachary's expression for a moment. "I guess this sort of thing is more obvious to those on the outside, isn't it?" she observed, giving the leopard a knowing smile.

A suddenly surprised feline quickly whipped his head to the spirit, giving her an awfully unconvincing confused expression. "Huh? I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted with a nervous chuckle, bringing his gaze back to the ground and watching his feet as they exchanged which was ahead and behind, "And I wouldn't say that you're entirely outside anymore in my case." He tapped a finger on his head so Snowflake could see, knowing that he didn't have to explain himself.

Giving a quiet giggle, Snowflake simply nodded, looking over to the quickly approaching city. "It'll be good to be around more people again," the mouse stated, changing the subject, "I can't wait to meet them!"

"Speak for yourself, crowd lover," the Elder grumbled, shaking her head, "Let's just hope you don't get jostled off of me by all the people you're so eager to see."

Zachary remained awfully silent as the trio walked the remainder of the way to Centrum, even letting Esmeralda converse with the guard they had come to know by now. His verbal interaction with the world was reduced to a thoughtful greeting and goodbye to the bull, and he stayed in his uncharacteristic muteness throughout the whole way to the college.

His thoughts raced in his mind endlessly, confusing him even more than he already was. He simply couldn't help but think about Lya and yesterday's event as he walked behind the Elder. Only now was he able to even start realizing that whenever he thought about the ocelot, his heart began thudding faster in his chest. Everything about her, every last bit of detail or gentle gesture, graceful movement or word leaving her lips were simply... attractive, beautiful and alluring. Even her habit of cutting him off was something the leopard was rather fond of.

Heaving a prolonged sigh, Zachary considered the revelation for only a fraction of a second, hesitating. Could it be that she felt the same way about him? It was very much a possibility, or at least, the leopard thought so. She always appeared kind and caring with him, despite her terrifying nature when it came to threatening people. And then there was her offer for dinner the day before, which the feline was oblivious enough not to consider as the conformation to his suspicion.

Pulling his fingers over his face for not noticing it immediately, the leopard soon found himself smiling at the possibility. Perhaps he should simply try his luck just like Snowflake before it was too late. They were only staying in Centrum for a few da--

When the reality of his own line of thinking hit him, Zachary's face fell instantly, along with his heart that felt like it was drowning in sorrow and disappointment at the realization. Even if, by some otherworldly miracle, Lya felt the same way about him, the two couldn't enjoy each other's company for too long before the young anthro had to depart. Suddenly leaving Centrum was harder to imagine than ever before.

With another expansive sigh, the leopard fought off the urge to start whimpering about the realization, simply keeping his heartache and disappointment to himself. When the familiar open college doors came into view, he recollected himself as much as he could, knowing that there was no place for mourning right now.

Esmeralda showed no hesitation as she moved into the open doors, her expression resolute. Seeing them come in, Rupert waved to the leopard and owl. "Hey, welcome back!" he greeted with a smile, "Master Talib is waiting for you in his tower, Zach. And Miss Eszes, Oyuu is in the library."

Giving a nod, Esmeralda turned to Zachary. "We'll address the issue after our lessons for the day," she stated quietly, smiling warmly to the leopard, "Meet me in the library after you're done, alright?"

Nodding wordlessly, the leopard turned to start making his way towards the hallway that led to the tower. He walked with slow steps, his mind still not quite over its previous distress.

"Hey, multicaster guy!" A voice came practically out of nowhere, forcing Zachary to bring his gaze away from the floor and look ahead of him. When he saw the familiar mink and a few other students approaching with books in their paws, the leopard allowed himself a small smile. Unlike yesterday, he didn't close his eyes this time, waving a paw to the anthros instead.

"Name's still Zach, root beer guy," the feline replied with a teasing tone, eliciting a few chuckles from the students as they neared him and greeted him in a similarly friendly way. When all of them passed by the leopard, he sighed, turning ahead and finding himself staring straight at Lazlo, who bore a knowing grin on his face.

"Y'know, I've been classmates with Lya for seven years now, so you could say that I kinda know her by now," the mink stated with a chuckle, patting the leopard's shoulder, "She's usually very distant with new people, to say the least. The fact that she invited you for our get together yesterday shows that she really likes you... hell, it took her more than a week to even start talking with me when I came to the college!"

Lazlo laughed at the memory, shaking his head and withdrawing his paw from the feline's shoulder who kept looking at him with a cocked eyebrow and a bewildered expression. "I think we both know what I'm trying to imply here," the mink stated with a wink, giving a nudge on Zachary's shoulder as he walked past him, "Just make sure you don't make her mad with anything if your life is dear to you. That girl means business! I experienced it firsthand more than once!"

The leopard watched the mink walk away with an unreadable expression on his face, listening to his joyful laughter until he disappeared behind the corner. Blinking in both confusion and surprise for a few moments, soon a warm smile began creeping across his muzzle.

"I knew it!" Zachary stated joyfully, his suspicion all but confirmed thanks to the mink's words. She really did like the leopard, after all! The inviting thought was enough to overwhelm his previous worries and concerns about his brief stay in Centrum, his heart too pleased with the news to even think about such things at the moment.

With light steps that even a feather would have been jealous of, the leopard practically pranced his way up to Talib's office, a constant and hilariously goofy grin adorning his face as he walked. When he arrived in front of the serpent's doors, however, Zachary was quick to suppress his amusement which showed evidently on his facial expressions.

"Er... I'm here for my lesson, Master TalIB: " The feline said with a raised voice, knocking twice on the wooden door and waiting patiently for his teacher to open it for him.

A few moments later, the door opened to reveal the occupant's typically dispassionate face. "Good, you're on time," he said approvingly, motioning for the leopard to enter as he opened the door the rest of the way. There were several books waiting on the table when the leopard entered, along with the familiar tome on magical history.

"Good morning to you too," Zachary greeted with a sigh, feeling somewhat disappointed by the fact that his teacher simply ignored the deal they had made before. He moved to sit in the chair, watching with a cocked eyebrow as the snake closed the door and slithered his way behind the table.

"Can I ask what happened yesterday?" the leopard inquired with a serious expression on his face, his gaze not leaving Talib's, "I'm afraid missing too many lessons is a luxury I can't afford... I'm only staying in Centrum for a few days, Master Talib." Zachary's tone wasn't questioning or criticizing, he was merely trying to get his point across with the snake. He really didn't have much time.

Talib gave the leopard a cocked eyebrow. "Much as you seem to think you're the center of the cosmos," he said in a more than critical tone, "I do have other responsibilities that I cannot simply ignore."

Without further explanation, the snake tapped the history book. "We're picking up where we left off," he continued, opening several of the other tomes, "After we're done with history for the day, we'll move on to the basics of each school of magic. I do hope you remembered to practice your Azure Scorch, and that you've improved your endurance, because you'll need it today. I'm not going to coddle you if you failed to improve yourself during my absence."

Zachary narrowed his eyes as he glared at the snake, mumbling something under his breath as he closed his eyes. He called out both the fire and ice spell in his paw faster than ever, the two appearing in his paws in less than a second, each appearing stronger and clearer than before.

Opening his eyes and colliding the two arch enemies in a single motion, the leopard held his paws in a ball for just a moment, before presenting a perfectly executed and casted Azure Scorch for Talib. Before the teacher could even draw a breath however, Zachary blew on the fire gently, resulting in it to grow in size and intensity.

Thrusting his paw at the ceiling where it wouldn't burn anything, a pillar of blue flame shot out from it in a straight line, the fire seemingly in full control of the leopard as he paid careful attention not to cast it too powerfully. Wisps of azure flames drifted down as Zachary pulled his paw away and killed the spell easily by clenching his hand in a fist.

"I went ahead a little in the book," he stated with a flat tone, knowing that the last step of the spell he had just casted wasn't requested by Talib, "I hope that shows my attitude towards these lessons, Master Talib. I took your note and request seriously." Zachary gave the snake a dispassionate stare as well, before he grabbed the history book from the table and began flipping through the pages to find where he left off.

The serpent's eyes widened for a few seconds at the spell the leopard cast, before he could stifle his surprise and regain his composure. "That was well executed," Talib stated, just a little bit of positivity in his voice while he gave the leopard his first real compliment, "I honestly did not expect you to be able to learn that spell on your own."

Zachary's eyes darted on the serpent ahead of him from his book, both of his eyebrows raised as he looked at his teacher with a surprised expression. When he was sure the snake's words were absolutely sincere, a warm smile crossed his muzzle. "Thank you," he said simply, his gaze already back in his tome. The smile never left his face, however.

The snake gave a dismissive wave at the leopard's words, clearly uncomfortable with them. "Just try to focus on your reading," he ordered, though the hint of approval that was still in his voice removed at lot of its usual bite, though it returned by his next statement, "And don't you go getting a big head over one successful spell. There's still a lot of learning for you to do before you move from being passable to being competent."

"I'm perfectly aware of that," Zachary stated with a flat tone, not even bothering to glance up at the snake as he read through the pages of his tome, "And I don't know why I would get a big head from casting a spell. I'm not like that... perhaps you're speaking from your own previous experiences." The leopard allowed himself a single second of mischievous look to Talib, the teasing nature of the young anthro gleaming evidently in his eyes.

The room actually darkened slightly. "Do not mock me, boy," Talib said in a deathly calm tone, "I expect a respectful tone from my students, and that was far from being respectful."

Zachary didn't even flinch at the snake's tone, his eyes slowly drifting up from his book to look at Talib, his expression dead serious. "Respect has to be earned," the leopard's voice was so calm and flat that even he himself was surprised by it. He returned his gaze to the tome in his paws to continue reading and added. "It doesn't come naturally, I'm afraid. At least, not in my eyes."

The snake narrowed his eyes at Zachary. "Is that how your parents taught you to address your teachers?" he demanded quietly, the muscles in his jaw visibly twitching as it was clenched.

Zachary stopped reading and breathing at the same time almost immediately, simply staring in front of himself for several long moments before he looked up at Talib with an expression that was completely unexpected to come from the young anthro, almost threatening in nature.

"My parents didn't have the opportunity to teach me too much, unfortunately," he explained in an otherworldly calm and firm tone, his eyes never leaving the snake's face, "I'm just a homeless orphan from Boldrumton, so you'll have to excuse my lack of manners, Master Talib. Cold streets and jailhouses don't teach much about those things, I'm afraid." Zachary's gaze lingered on the snake for a few more moments, his expression indescribably temperate and restrained. The snake's words hit way too close to home, yet the feline suppressed his bubbling emotions with great effort.

Blinking for several moments, it actually looked like the serpent regretted something he had said for the first time since Zachary laid eyes on him. "Oh," Talib replied in an awkward tone, "That would, um, explain it."

Swallowing hard, the snake seemed rather hesitant for nearly a minute. "I'm sorry," he finally managed to grunt out, the expression one that he was quite obviously unused to utilizing.

Zachary kept his stare up for a few more moments, before he sighed and shook his head. "You didn't know," he stated simply, his gaze returning to where he left off his reading in his book, "I apologize for mocking you. It wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings. Manners or not, though, I meant what I said about respect, so I'm not sorry for that in the slightest." The leopard affirmed with a serious tone, not bringing his eyes up to meet Talib's face. There was just a slight hint of sorrow in the leopard's expression as he continued reading, his earlier good mood practically thrown out the window.

Although used to ruining moods by now, the way he had done it in this instance was a new one to Talib, and one he had not enjoyed using. After several minutes of watching the leopard read in silence, the snake cleared his throat. "Look, I'm not a people person, and I know it," he stated, his tone as apologetic as he could manage, "But... I truly am sorry for my words. I had no idea..."

Shaking his head, the snake looked at Zachary. "You want me to earn your respect?" he asked rhetorically, "That's not something I'm accustomed to. Perhaps you can meet me halfway and respect my knowledge of magic, and that I'm the best chance you have at completely mastering your talents."

Zachary actually laughed at the snake's words, though it still seemed like it was rather weak and almost forced. "And you're the one telling me about getting a big head, huh?" the leopard asked with a shake of his head, sighing as he lowered his book for a moment, "I already respect your knowledge of magic, but that doesn't mean I respect you as a person. They aren't the same thing." He explained.

"I can respect anyone who takes the time to... hm... let's see, perhaps greet me in the morning? Or not appear like the whole ordeal of teaching a student is causing physical pain to said individual? It's really not that hard to earn my respect, Master Talib. It's quite simple and easy, actually." Despite his comical statements and suggestions, Zachary's voice was deadly serious as he talked.

The serpent cocked an eyebrow. "Fine, we'll try things your way," he said, a tiny smirk on his face, "Good morning, Zachary. It's a joy and a pleasure to be able to serve as your humble guide on the road to mastery of the arcane." Talib's voice held its serious tone, and seemed to make each sentence he spoke mean its opposite. Though it did seem like he was trying.

Zachary's face broke into a grin. "Yes, that's it!" he stated with a chuckle, waving his paw at the serpent, "Be as cynical or ironic as you'd like, I appreciate that a hundred times more than formal language or compliments anyway," the leopard admitted, giving the snake a sincere smile as he raised his book up to continue reading, his smile not leaving his muzzle, "I already respect you a whole lot more than a few moments ago. See? I told you it wasn't hard."

"I think I have a bad taste in my mouth," Talib responded, running his forked tongue out as though trying to rid himself of said flavor. A moment later, the snake smirked again, showing he was attempting humor.

Zachary rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're worse than an old owl I know, and that's not a compliment... she's horrible with jokes," he stated with just a hint of tease to his voice, hoping that the serpent wouldn't react the same way to his mocking like before, given the friendly nature of the gesture, "But you'll have my respect in no time if you keep going like this. I find myself becoming rather fond of this new teacher, the old model was quite cranky." He couldn't help himself anymore, his snickering showing it evidently. The snake started it, and he just simply had to play along now.

The serpent huffed, though he allowed the remark. "That's quite enough now," he stated, tapping the history book, "Get your focus back here. We have a lot to cover."

With their attention back on topic, Talib waited for Zachary to finish reading through another three chapters of the history book, before giving him a review. With another perfect score, the pair moved on to the basics of each school of magic, discussing how each worked and the origins of the schools, as well as learning the basic level spell of each.

This continued without significant event until the pair came to the last school they were covering; necromancy. "This one is definitely not for the light of heart," Talib stated, retrieving the black tome from his book shelf, "And I'm not going to lie; necromancy is just as unpleasant to use as it is to think about. But, learning it will give you an understanding of the school, and that will help you if you ever do come across someone that uses it for their own gain."

Zachary nodded wordlessly, taking the book and grimacing. "I really don't like this one..." he admitted with a sigh, opening the heavy tome and reading the introduction with a sour expression on his face, "Makes me feel way too uncomfortable."

Not looking up from his book as he read, the leopard asked casually. "Have you ever casted a necromancy spell, Master Talib?" His tone was curious, which his perked up ears complimented perfectly.

The snake nodded. "Never on an anthro, but I have used it to acquire temporary assistance with dangerous projects," he answered, "If you ever go hunting, I'd like you to attempt the basic Animate Dead spell at least once on the resulting corpse. It will give you insight that just reading about necromancy would not."

The leopard visibly flinched at the request, the thought sending a chill down his spine. "I... I'm not sure I can do that..." he stated quietly, staring at the book in his paws, "I feel like it's the biggest violation of nature... and I... almost hunt every day in the woods. Nature fascinates me and it's a big part of my life, I'm not certain I would be able to spit in its face like that."

Sighing, Talib nodded. "Necromancy is the greatest sin against nature," he admitted, shaking his head, "I can understand your hesitation regarding it. But, to truly understand magic, you need to understand all of it, the good and the bad. I'm not going to order you to perform necromancy, but I can say that I am glad to know it; the knowledge allows me to better counter its use. And if you want to master magic as much as you say, then you'll need to master the basics of this school, as well."

Zachary hesitated for long moments, before he slowly nodded his head. "Then I'll do it," he stated with a determined tone, looking up at Talib, "But only this one time and never again... I just hope I won't find myself in a similar dangerous project like you." The leopard mused, his gaze shifting between the book and Talib. He looked very uncertain for a long time, before he finally sighed and gave his teacher a concerned expression. "Speaking of dangerous projects... is that why you weren't here yesterday?" He asked somewhat quietly, his tone sincere and restrained.

The serpent shook his head. "I can't discuss that; it's a private matter between the government and I," Talib stated, "Let's just say I serve as their strongman, and leave it at that."

The feline cocked his head a little. "So, you're like a really powerful guard here?" he thought aloud, a small smile crossing his muzzle as he added, "That sounds pretty cool."

"It isn't," the snake said curtly, "And the less you know, the better. Believe me, it's not the sort of work you want to know about." His expression flashed regret for a second, before returning to observant.

Zachary nodded but cocked an eyebrow at the reply. "Why don't you simply quit then, if it's that bad?" he asked curiously, his gaze occasionally meeting the snake's face before it went back to the pages of the tome.

Sighing, Talib gave the leopard an honest expression. "Because I'm afraid of who they'd get to do their work if I don't," he stated, shaking his head slowly, "And bad as I might be, there are those who are far worse than I am. This isn't the kind of job that you want to hire someone who enjoyed doing it."

"I see," the leopard said curtly, his eyes once again completely fixated on the pages before he gave the snake a warm smile, "And you aren't bad, at least not in my eyes. Just a little cranky." Zachary stated, tittering for just a moment while he continued reading his book.

The statement actually got a small laugh from Talib. "Hopefully you'll never have to see me at my worst," he said quietly, though it almost seemed like he wasn't talking to Zachary.

Shaking his head again, Talib looked to his student. "Would you look at that? I said I can't discuss it, and here I am doing just that," he stated with an odd tone, "I'm not going to say any more on the subject. Please focus on your work."

Zachary's muzzle broke into a grin. "I have my ways, Master Talib." He stated simply, shooting a glance at the snake before looking back to his book to follow his teacher's order. Although trying very hard to appear like reading about necromancy didn't cause him physical pain, the leopard's face wore a disgusted expression as he continued with his studying. He really didn't like this school of magic, and that's putting it mildly.

Watching for several minutes, the snake remained quiet while Zachary read. He could see the displeasure on his student's face, and felt a measure of relief that the leopard didn't enjoy the school he was studying. "We do have some necromancers here in our college," he said after a few minutes, "I advise against showing them how much you disapprove of their school; not all necromancers are bad, but most of them are a little odd, to say the least."

"I bet they are..." the leopard agreed with a displeased tone, shaking the thought away in an attempt to wipe it from his mind, "Spending your time with corpses can surely make you an odd person, I should think." Zachary thought aloud, his eyes not leaving the book no matter how much he wanted to stop reading the words written in it.

"And... how many necromancers are here in this college?" He asked casually, heaving a somewhat relieved sigh when he began nearing the end of the introduction and basic spell paragraphs in the tome.

The snake shrugged. "I don't keep a running tally of the staff and students here," Talib stated, "But I know that one of the people that helps to run the library is a necromancer. I won't give names, as necromancy is a rather personal matter that often gets people judged before they can make their own impressions."

Zachary blinked and stopped reading. "Did you... just say that this necromancer helps in the library?" He reiterated in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing when the snake nodded. He put the necromancy book down on the table, closing it and staring at it with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Oh... no... that can't be her..." The leopard muttered under his breath in fear, his voice but a whisper as his eyes searched for the answer by darting from one object to another yet not finding anything. The feline simply couldn't think of anything else than the possibility of Lya being someone he was so strongly against.

Seeing the leopard's expression of panic, Talib shook his head. "There are many people that help with the library," the snake clarified, "You can relax in whatever suspicions are cropping up in your head. No need to start a witch hunt over something that's perfectly acceptable, after all."

"It's not that!" Zachary nearly exclaimed with a more than worried tone, calming himself after several seconds and sighing expansively, "I... I think I know that necromancer and I simply can't imagine her being one... she's just the sweetest person I've ever met, despite her constant threats of ma--" The realization hit the young anthro harder than a ton of bricks, his breath catching in his throat when it all came together in his head.

"It's Lya..." He breathed quietly, shaking his head in disbelief and confusion, his mind simply not able to comprehend or process the information it was given. Zachary buried his head in both of his paws, groaning and whimpering at the same time. Just how unlucky could he possibly be?

The serpent didn't deny the leopard's words, but he moved to put himself next to the feline, before promptly thumping the backside of his head. "Not all of us are lucky enough to get to choose which schools of magic we specialize in," he said, his voice full of anger, "Do not judge a mage by their school, Zachary. It is entirely unfair and shallow to do so."

When his teacher's words made their way in the panicking leopard's ears, he stopped his tantrum almost immediately. He remained silent as he extracted his head from his paws, and lost in thought. He considered the serpent's words very carefully.

Did it really matter that Lya was a necromancer...? Zachary knew he liked her the first time he laid his eyes upon the ocelot, and that didn't change when the two of them started talking with each other. Did the knowledge of her being a necromancer change any of that?

'No, you fool, she's still Lya!' The leopard insisted in his mind, mentally smacking himself across the muzzle for reacting this way to the revelation. The ocelot always appeared to be kind and caring with him, despite him being a complete newcomer to the college and Centrum itself. The least he could do was return the favor, no matter how much he despised necromancy. It didn't affect his emotions when he was unaware of Lya's school of magic, why should it now? She was nothing close to what he thought necromancers would be, and thanks to a certain dragon, Zachary was able to look past the stereotypes and accept the ocelot for who she was.

"I'm sorry... you're right," the leopard replied after he finished with his inner debate, shaking his head and giving Talib a smile, "I just... panicked because... I kinda like her, I mean... a lot. I-I like her a lot," Zachary was entirely convinced that his stammering would never go away whenever Lya was the subject of a particular topic, "And didn't know... what to think of her after knowing that she was a necromancer, a school of magic I... really don't like. You understand my confusion now, right?"

The snake nodded, seeming unusually personable for a moment. "Lya is a close friend of mine," he stated, almost in a warning tone, "So I may have gotten a little more emotional about your judgment than I should have."

Moving back to his spot on the other side of the table, Talib gave a nod. "She did mention that she had met someone very interesting recently, and that she thought she might be developing feelings for them," the serpent continued, before giving the leopard a nearly threatening expression, "I don't want her feelings hurt, so you keep your judgments to yourself, am I clear?"

"Crystal clear," Zachary replied immediately, nodding his head, "Even before I knew she was a necromancer I... I knew I liked her. This doesn't change anything. I still feel the same way... I shouldn't have even thought of judging her for being something she can't choose, and I'm truly ashamed of myself for doing that," he explained, sighing and shaking his head, "I'll never do that ever again, you have my word." The leopard's tone was absolutely sincere as he spoke, his expression both resolute and regretful.

"Good," Talib replied simply, before looking to his tinted window, "If you're done learning that Animate Dead spell, then our lesson is over for today. You are excused."

As the leopard made to move, the snake brought his gaze back to Zachary. "Oh, and I like my face just the way it is," he continued with a serious expression, "So you heard absolutely none of this from me, understand?"

"Alright, I'll keep my mouth shut," the leopard replied, a mischievous grin appearing on his muzzle as he continued, "If you don't tell her how I reacted when I realized that she was a necromancer. I'm rather fond of my current face as well." Although joking, Zachary was dead serious with that last statement. He had seen enough to know how Lya would react.

"Deal?" the feline asked with a sheepish smile, extending his paw to the snake, "Both of us get to keep their faces, nobody gets hurt and everyone wins."

The snake nodded, taking the leopard's hand with a small smirk. "Deal," he agreed, before making a dismissive motion with his hand, "Now, go, have fun doing whatever it is you do when you're not here."

Chuckling and shaking his head, Zachary stood from his chair, almost immediately having to catch himself when the sudden dizziness he had come to expect as a result of casting spells appeared. Given that Talib had him cast almost every school of magic's basic spells, the leopard wasn't surprised by the giddiness he was presented with.

"Don't worry... it's... it wasn't my endurance!" the leopard stated in a rather unconvincing tone, chuckling nervously as he recollected himself, "I'm just clumsy, is all." Somewhere deep down, he knew that convincing the snake that his words were true was practically impossible, but figured trying wouldn't make the situation worse.

The snake cocked an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "Just go before you embarrass yourself," he said in response, shaking his head at the leopard's attempt to cover for himself.

"Little late for that..." Zachary murmured under his breath just quiet enough for the snake not to hear. He moved to the door with somewhat uncertain steps, occasionally shaking his head a little until he reached and opened it quickly.

Looking back to Talib and waving a paw, the leopard gave his teacher a smile. "Thanks for the lesson, it was the best one so far," he stated, bidding his head before exiting the room. After closing the door and turning towards the staircase that led downstairs, the leopard found himself standing in front of Lya, who seemingly appeared out of thin air ahead of him.

The encounter was so unexpected that the poor leopard actually jumped a little and gasped, putting a paw over his heart to calm its rapid thudding. "Gods, you scared me..." Zachary reported the obvious, shaking his head and breathing deeply before he cocked an eyebrow at the ocelot, "How come you're up here?"

Lya returned the gesture just the same. "Visiting a friend? Do I have to get permission to do that now?" she asked with a chuckle, shaking her head and crossing her arms under her chest as she walked towards Zachary, "How was the lesson with the grump? Learn anything interesting?"

"I... uh... yeah, you could say that." The feline replied curtly, his gaze falling on the floor. He learned more today than simple spells.

Noticing the leopard's posture and odd tone, Lya put a paw on his shoulder when she reached him. "Everything alright? Did Talib say something bad again? I could give him a facial reconstruction, if you'd like." The ocelot's tone was so unreadable that Zachary wasn't sure whether she was serious or not for a few seconds.

"No, he didn't, don't worry," Zachary brought his gaze back to Lya and gave her a warm smile, "But I'd like to hold onto that offer, if possible... I might use it later if he does decide to say something bad." The leopard gave a teasing grin, which the ocelot returned with a chuckle.

"Alright, just call me if ever need help with that," Lya said, cocking her head a little as he continued, "How was hunting yesterday? I hope you didn't go hungry to bed... or whatever you sleep in when you live in a forest."

Zachary chuckled a little, before sighing and giving a regretful expression to the ocelot. "I had some hare for dinner, don't worry about it. And besides, not eating every day wouldn't be a new thi-- I mean... uh..." putting a paw on his face and shaking his head, the leopard let out a quiet shriek internally. Why couldn't he just think before talking when he was around the librarian?

The librarian in question raised an eyebrow at the reply. "Oh? How so?" Came the question that Zachary hoped wouldn't, and one he didn't want to answer honestly if he wasn't forced to.

"It's... well... sometimes you can't find any catch in the wild, so you have to simply go with it, sleep and try the next day," the leopard explained, not pleased with himself in the slightest for lying to Lya, "But I'm a good hunter, I guess, so that doesn't happen very often anymore."

Lya nodded with a smile. "Ah, I see. You know... you can just come to me when you're having one of those days. My offer from yesterday is still up." The statement was so heartwarming that Zachary could actually feel his cheeks reddening. Or was that because he was simply blushing...? He wasn't so sure which was the case anymore.

"T-Thanks, Lya, I'll keep that in mind," he replied with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck and hesitating for a few moments before adding, "Sorry for yesterday, by the way. I wish I could have accepted your off--"

"It's alright," the ocelot cut him off as usual, an action Zachary found both frustrating and alluring at the same time, "You got busy with the wilderness or whatever, I understand." Lya's face bore a comforting smile, another gesture from the ocelot which the leopard found a delight to marvel at.

"Speaking of the wilderness," she continued, cocking her head a little as he pointed a finger at the leopard, "I have an... uh..." Lya stopped for a moment, hesitating before shaking her head and sighing, "I have an... assignment to make from my school of magic, and I can only get the... ingredient for it in the forest outside. Would you mind... helping me a little? You could show me where you live and all that."

Zachary blinked and didn't respond for several moments. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the ingredient meant in Lya's case. When he glanced at the ocelot's hopeful expression and warm smile, however, the leopard's heart practically melted at the sight. Necromancer or not, Lya was the most adorable person he knew.

Nodding and smiling as well before he could realize what he had just agreed on, the leopard's smile didn't disappear until it hit him harder than any blow he was given before. "I... uh... I me--"

"Awesome!" Lya cut him off with a grin, patting the leopard's shoulder as she asked, "What time would you prefer going?" The leopard swallowed, raising a finger to answer truthfully.

"I'm n--"

"Tomorrow?"

"Lya... I do--"

"Today?"

"I... well..."

"Today it is, then!" The eager ocelot agreed with herself, smiling widely at Zachary, who was currently nothing more than a statue that could only stare ahead of himself in panic. "I'll talk a little with the grump. Meet me in the lobby and we can head out, alright?" Not waiting for an answer, Lya simply walked past the unmoving leopard, giving him a grin as she opened the door to Talib's office and entered.

Remaining in his statue form for long moments after the ocelot left, the leopard slowly buried his head in his paws and let out a quiet whimper as he began walking towards the staircase. He had no idea how he would work things out now.

Inside Talib's room, a more than distressed Lya paced back and forth, waving her paws around in the air frantically at the same time. "I can't believe I just did that! What is he going to think of me when I tell him? What if he's going to... despise me for it like almost everybody else?" Similar questions followed the previous ones as the ocelot told her worries to the snake, eventually sitting down in the chair in burying her head in her paws.

"I think I made a huge mistake..." Lya breathed with a regretful tone, not lifting her face from her paws.

Talib watched and waited for the ocelot to calm down, before moving beside her and putting a claw on her shoulder. "You're talking about Zachary, aren't you?" he asked, giving his best equivalent of a reassuring smile, "You told him about your necromancy?"

Lya shook her head in her paws. "No... but I finally built up the courage and... asked him to accompany me for my assignment. I wanted to show him there and explain it... and... I..." the ocelot's words died down as he could feel her throat tightening, her heart filling with dread and worry as she looked up at the snake, "Gods, Talib... I don't want any more rejections from anyone anymore... especially not from him. I should have just waited or kept it a secret..."

"Lya..." the snake drew the worried feline into a gentle hug for a few seconds, which was the most he could handle, "You don't have anything to feel ashamed of. You have a wonderful talent, and don't you let anyone tell you differently. Besides, Zachary is an open minded young man. I have a lot of faith that he isn't going to judge you like some of the more narrow-minded mages you've met."

The ocelot nodded slowly, wiping something from her eyes and sniffling quietly. "I really hope you're right, Talib... I can't handle another failed attempt to... feel something for someone because of my necromancy. I've had enough of those... and I haven't felt this strongly for someone in a really long time. If he rejects me too, then..." Lya couldn't finish her sentence, her words dying out as the painful memories returned to her. She heaved a long sigh, shaking her head to wipe the unpleasant thoughts out of her head.

"Anyway..." she continued, recollecting herself after clearing his eyes of her tears and giving a smile to the snake, "How was the lesson today? Is he still a dork?" Lya asked with her usual tone, practically swallowing down her worries and concerns in order to get a hold of herself.

The snake laughed as he nodded. "He is indeed, though I'm slowly helping to fix that," Talib confirmed the ocelot's question, "He's cast the basic spells of each school except necromancy. Which is his assignment for today. So, even if you're a necromancer, technically he's going to be as well by the end of the day."

Lya's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? He agreed on casting a necromancy spell?" The ocelot asked in disbelief, a smile crossing her muzzle as the snake nodded. Heaving a relieved sigh, she put a finger under her chin in thought.

"That's going to make my situation a whole lot easier," she thought aloud, pursing her lips, "I just need to take it slow and explain it very carefully and it'll be fine. He's a multicaster, he of all people should understand my position better than anyone, right?" Lya asked from no one in particular, seeming like the question was directed at the universe itself.

"I'm sure he will," Talib assured the ocelot, before straightening himself, "Now, did you have something other than boy troubles to discuss, young lady?"

Lya rolled her eyes. "Yes, Lord Grump, I have, actually," The ocelot responded, sticking her tongue out as she began explaining the reason of her visit, although her thoughts occasionally drifted towards a particular leopard as she spoke.

Said feline was deeply in thought as well as he made his way to the library to meet up with Esmeralda, although they were mainly fixated on the fact that he had agreed on going to the forest with Lya, as well as showing his "home".

'Congratulations, Zach. You're a goddamn genius! Now you not only have to explain why a dragon is living in the forest with you to Xergon, but to her as well! That's just Splendid!' A currently very distressed and confused leopard scolded himself in his mind, hitting himself in the head a couple of times lightly, as if the punishment would help him in any way.

Arriving at the library and sighing long as he entered, Zachary quickly spotted the owl with a tome in her hands standing just some distance away next to the shelves. "I'm here, Esmeralda," the leopard reported with a quiet tone, walking next to the owl and nudging her shoulder, "I... I kinda agreed on doing something really bad just now..." He stated with a whisper, giving the Elder a regretful expression.

"I thought it was really sweet," Snowflake said from the Elder's shoulder, giving the feline a supportive smile.

Looking up from her tome, Esmeralda cocked an eyebrow. "What did you do this time?" she asked nonchalantly, a smirk on her face.

"Well... you know Lya, right?" Zachary began, waiting until the owl nodded, "She asked me to help her with her assignment or whatever in the woods... and I said yes," he explained, raising a paw when the Elder gave him a confused look to why that was a bad thing, "And... I agreed on showing her where I live in the woods, and she doesn't know about any of you... and then there's Basa..." the leopard put a paw on his face, shaking his head and whimpering, "I'm so goddamn stupid."

The Elder gave a smile to Zachary. "I think that's a wonderful thing you did," she said, surprising the leopard, "I keep saying I want people to get to know Basajaun, don't I? Well, this is a good chance for that, and I'm sure Fatty'll be happy for the company, too."

"B-But what if she freaks out or something...?" Zachary demanded with a quiet voice, shaking his head, "She'll never talk to me ever again if I screw this up... and I really don't want that, Esmeralda." The leopard's tone showed obvious distress as he spoke, his unsure expression adding to it a great deal as well.

Scampering down to Esmeralda's arm, Snowflake reached out to Zachary until the owl held her up to be face-to-face with the leopard. "From what I saw yesterday, I don't think she's going to overreact," the spirit assured the feline, "She's a tough girl, Hunter."

The statement provided a marginal amount of relief for Zachary, although his doubts didn't fade away completely, but he nodded his head anyway. "I guess we'll just have to see how it goes... I already promised her, and I can't go back on my word," the leopard stated with a sigh, looking to Esmeralda as he continued, "Should we find Xergon now...? I kinda have to hurry to the lobby as soon as possible, Lya's probably waiting for me there."

The Elder laughed. "Yes, let's ask Rupert if he knows where the headmaster is," she suggested, replacing her tome on the shelf, "And we can bring your librarian friend along if she's already there." Repositioning herself on Esmeralda's shoulder, the little mouse continued her supportive smile towards Zachary.

The leopard nodded somewhat hesitantly, turning around and making his way out of the library with Esmeralda in tow. The two quickly walked to the lobby, finding Rupert there, but having no luck spotting Lya just yet.

"She must be still with Talib..." Zachary thought aloud as he made his way to the bat, tapping the counter to get his attention, "Could you tell us where we can find Xergon? Or at least tell him that we're waiting for him in the lobby?" He requested with a small smile.

The bat nodded with a smile, pressing down on the sigil on his desk. "Master Xergon, Zachary is looking for you," Rupert said as he addressed the symbol, "Alright, I'll let them know." Turning back to the waiting pair, the bat said, "He'll be right down shortly."

Nodding, Esmeralda took a seat on one of the lobby chairs. "I think I need to learn that communication glyph myself," she mused with a small smile, "That seems downright handy!"

Zachary nodded as well, walking next to the Elder but not sitting down. He folded his arms under his chest, still feeling rather uncertain about this whole thing, especially the one involving Lya. He really didn't want this to end badly for any of them.

Glancing down at the owl, the leopard sighed. "I really do hope Xergon will be able to help us," he thought aloud, turning his head towards the hallway as he continued, "He's the best chance we've got... and I want this to work, Esmeralda. I want to help you." The feline's tone was unusually serious and sincere, his expression the same as he brought his gaze back to the Elder.

The owl gave Zachary a warm smile. "I do appreciate that, Zach," she stated in a similarly honest tone, "And believe me, even if this doesn't work, your efforts are enough to warm my heart. That alone is all the help I really need. Though it would be nice to have this issue resolved."

"I can only imagine..." Zachary said under his breath, the owl's painful memories returning to him almost immediately. Shaking his head to wipe the unpleasant thoughts away, the leopard could see Xergon approaching when his head came to a stop. "Alright... here goes nothing."

The lynx's face bore its usual smile, although he furrowed his brows just a little bit when he spotted the owl on the chair. "Zachary, Lady Eszes," Xergon greeted with a smile, his earlier expression long gone as he bid his head to the two in turn, "I heard you were looking for me?" Zachary nodded, urging the master to continue, "How may I assist you?"

The leopard gave a hesitant expression, glancing at Esmeralda for confirmation. He wouldn't say a word unless the owl allowed it, that much was certain.

The Elder stood from her chair, moving to place herself directly in front of the headmaster. "I'm going to cut to the chase," she stated resolutely, her eyes staring into Xergon's, "I have a serious issue that requires a great deal of effort, planning, and magic to resolve, and we believe you are the person we need to organize its resolution. I would rather not discuss the issue in public, so if you're willing to help, as Zachary informs me that you are, I'm going to have to ask you to accompany him and I to the woods outside the city."

Xergon's expression didn't change in the slightest, the same smile adorning his face as he glanced at the leopard. "Is this the issue we were talking about yesterday?" he asked, continuing when Zachary nodded with a sigh, "I see," The lynx said simply, turning his attention back to the Elder. The comforting smile never left his muzzle.

"Since you're a student of our institution as well, it is my duty to offer my help as the headmaster," Xergon stated, eliciting a sigh of relief from the leopard, "But, I have to ask, is this issue you're talking about in any way threatening your well-being, Lady Eszes?"

"It is," Esmeralda answered, "And it has been for years. I can honestly say that it's hard to get more dangerous to one's well-being than what I've had to cope with for decades."

Xergon observed the owl's face for a moment, nodding after a few seconds. "In that case, I'm willing to offer my help now more than ever. There's nothing worse than having a student at our college who is having life threatening issues. You should have adduced the matter to me earlier, though," the lynx stated with a serious expression, cocking his head a little, "I don't know what exactly your issue is, but I have a few suspicions already. And I know you're saying the truth, so waiting to seek help when the situation is so diresome wasn't the best choice, Lady Eszes."

Zachary blinked at both the statement and Xergon's willingness to help them out. "Gods, Master Xergon, thank you so much," the leopard breathed with a relieved tone, shaking his head, "You don't know how much I appreciate this gesture." He stated, which the lynx only waved away with a paw.

The owl heaved a similar sigh of relief, leaning on her cane for a moment as her familiar came out from her plumage. "Thank you so much!" the little mouse chimed, not particularly caring if the lynx understood her as she gave him the most grateful expression she could.

Xergon blinked, before his muzzle broke into a wide smile. "Aha, I knew my hunch wasn't lying!" he stated with a chuckle, leaning closer to the little mouse with evident fascination in his eyes, "I could feel your presence as soon as you entered the college, kind spirit."

The lynx closed his eyes, concentrating for a few moments and opening them again. "An ice spirit. Marvelous! It's a pleasure to meet you." Xergon said with a warm smile, pulling back from the spirit and glancing at Zachary, who gave him a more than impressed and confused look.

"I didn't get this position through wealth or connections, Zachary. I'm here for a reason." The lynx stated with a chuckle, patting the leopard's shoulder, who soon returned the gesture with a smile.

The spirit gave a shy smile to the headmaster after his comments. "I like him," she stated simply.

"Of course you do," Esmeralda chuckled, shaking her head before addressing Xergon once again, "Before we leave, Zachary had also invited a student to come along with him into the woods, so would you mind waiting for her with us?"

Xergon cocked an eyebrow and gave the leopard a grin. "Her?" he asked, laughing warmly when the leopard's cheeks reddened.

"It's... it's Lya." He stated simply, looking away sheepishly towards the hallway and hoping to spot the ocelot approaching as soon as possible to end this uncomfortable situation.

The lynx looked at the leopard with a surprised expression. "What are the odds?" Xergon asked with a chuckle, shaking his head a little, "I wanted to talk with her anyway about our previous lesson together, I guess you saved me a great deal of time looking for her! That girl can vanish into nothing sometimes, I swear..."

Zachary blinked. "Wait... she's your student?" he inquired in disbelief, his eyes widening when the ocelot nodded. The leopard didn't continue for a few moments, simply staring in front of him, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to find his words. "So... you're a ne--"

"There she is!" Xergon cut him off with a chuckle, watching with a smile as Lya approached the quartet. Zachary swallowed his earlier statement, too confused and bewildered to even attempt putting things together in his brain at the moment.

Spotting the headmaster next to Zachary and an old owl, the ocelot gave a similarly confused expression when she reached the other four. "Uh... good day, Master Xergon... and," Lya stopped for a second, glancing at Esmeralda while cocking her head, "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before. Are you a new teacher?" Although still completely perplexed, Zachary couldn't help but snicker at the question.

The Elder shook her head as she laughed. "No, I'm a student, young lady," she corrected the ocelot, "I was at the library when you met Zachary, though I suppose he is quite the looker, so I can understand you missing me then!"

With the exception of Xergon, the remaining two felines blushed deeper than their fur could hide, Zachary glaring at Esmeralda with a look that could kill. Chuckling nervously, Lya gave a small smile to the owl. "Ah, now I remember you! I didn't know you knew Zach, though," she stated, shooting a glance to said leopard that sent shivers down his spine, "I thought he didn't know anyone in Centrum." Zachary practically shrunk as little as he could as the ocelot spoke in an attempt to hide himself. This didn't look good, not one bit.

Shaking her head again, Esmeralda turned on her heel to face the doorway. "Alright, are we all ready to head out?" she inquired, already moving to the exit, "I'd rather not waste more daylight, and the crowds are likely to be annoying at this time of day. Hold on tight, Snowflake!" The owl's familiar nodded, clutching tightly to her mistress' feathers.

Xergon nodded, following behind the Elder as he pulled his hood over his head. Zachary made to move as well, but he was only able to take a few steps ahead when someone grabbed his arm and forced him to glance back as he kept walking behind the owl and the lynx.

"Explanation. Now." Lya stated simply, letting go off the leopard's arm and walking next to him with an expectant look.

Zachary swallowed, sighing in defeat and shaking his head. "I lied," he said simply, continuing when the ocelot's expression didn't change, "But I had to... I'm sorry, it's... it's complicated. You'll understand... or I hope you will when we get back to the woods."

Lya kept up her glower for a few moments, before she narrowed her eyes. "You're not living alone in those woods, are you?" she asked, snorting when the feline shook his head, "Do you even live in the woods? Or was that just another lie?"

The ocelot's questioning tone was so unpleasant to hear that Zachary cursed himself internally for lying to her. "Yes... I do live in there, that wasn't a lie. But... Lya, you have to unde--"

"I assume she lives with you there?" Lya questioned with a calm tone, motioning with her towards Esmeralda and continuing when the leopard nodded his head, "Is... is she your relative?"

Zachary's gaze fell on the ground as he walked, slowly shaking his head at the question. "No, just a traveling companion and a really close friend," he replied with an honest tone, his eyes following the anthros that passed by them as they continued walking towards the market.

Lya sighed. "Zach... what on earth are you doing here?"

The leopard didn't answer.

"Oh, you like to be the mysterious multicaster guy, huh?" Lya's tone was filled with obvious mock, although a slight hint of hurt feeling radiated from her words just the same.

"It's not that... Lya..."

"What is it, then?" The ocelot demanded, her voice still calm.

Zachary sighed and shook his head. "As I said, it's complicated. I... I can't tell you that. Not yet." The leopard's eyes didn't meet Lya's, although he knew she was still staring at him.

"When?" She asked, leaning down to look in Zachary's eyes. "When, Zach?" A small smile appeared on Lya's face when the leopard looked at her. That didn't make the situation better, though. It made it worse.

He turned away from the sight, not able to look in the face of someone he had just lied to. "Why are you so keen on knowing, anyway?" Zachary demanded quietly, his gaze not returning to Lya as he walked with slow steps, "You won't like it, trust me."

"Because I care." The answer came almost immediately and without any hesitation, forcing the leopard to close his eyes for a few moments to calm himself. He finally brought his eyes back, giving Lya a regretful expression along with a small smile.

"In that case, very soon... I'll tell you why I'm here, show you why I'm living in the woods, and why I'm traveling without any relatives to a city where I don't have any either," the leopard stated with an expansive sigh, shaking his head a little, "And I'm only going to do that because... I care as well. I shouldn't have lied to you, Lya... but I couldn't do anything else... I ju--"

The ocelot put a finger on Zachary's lips, silencing him. He blinked in confusion at the gesture, his expression brightening when he noticed the warm smile on the ocelot's muzzle. "It's alright... we all have our secrets. I just really don't like when people lie to me, is all. But I can understand if you were forced to do so..." Lya pulled her paw away, looking lost in thought as she walked beside Zachary. It didn't take him long to figure out her distress.

Nodding, the leopard gave her a relieved smile. "I'm glad," he said simply, hesitating for a moment to continue as he furrowed his brows, "I... just want to say in advance that... what I'm going to tell and show you won't be normal or usual things."

Lya actually laughed, waving a paw. "Don't you worry, I'm used to those by now. It takes a lot to surprise me." She stated with a wink, a gesture that sent Zachary to a brain dead state. Even that simple action was a delight to marvel at.

Glancing back as he walked beside Esmeralda, Xergon chuckled at the two felines behind him, who were quite some distance away from the owl and the lynx. "That's what I would call the definition of youth," he stated with a smile, giving a knowing look to the Elder, "They look good together."

"That they do," Esmeralda agreed, flashing a mischievous grin towards the lynx for a moment before turning back to the pair of felines behind them, "Are you two sure you can find your way when you're lost in each other's eyes like that?" The owl laughed teasingly after her comment, taking immense pleasure at getting the young couple to blush deeply.

Xergon laughed warmly at the tease as well, mouthing "Nice one" to the Elder and giving her a grin.

"Your remark wasn't needed, Lady Curmudgeon!" Zachary called out from behind the two, eliciting a chuckle from Lya which was soon followed by his own, "We're able to concentrate on two things at once, unlike old owls!"

The Elder scoffed, resisting several less than appropriate remarks that came to mind that she could shoot back at the leopard. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm so polite," the owl stated with a wink back to the felines, "Wouldn't want to be too vulgar in proper company, that'd be downright unladylike of me!"

"Oh yes, you're known for you manners, Esmeralda," Zachary stated with a chuckle, shaking his head. Turning his attention back to Lya, the leopard looked like he hesitated for a moment, before he finally built up the courage.

"So... I heard Xergon was your teacher," he stated quietly, noticing as the ocelot's body next to him tensed almost immediately, "I guess he likes you more than me. He refused to teach me and sent to the grumpy snake instead." Zachary laughed a little, hoping to soothe Lya's evidently distressed situation.

"It's not because of that, Zach," she began with a sigh, shaking her head, "He teaches me because... he is the only one in the whole college who can."

Zachary cocked an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised. "How come?" he asked, trying his hardest the get the truth out of ocelot on her own, rather than telling her that he knew it already.

Lya didn't answer immediately, furrowing her brows. "It's... complicated," she said simply, eliciting a chuckle from the leopard. The ocelot put her paws on her lips, glaring at Zachary. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I just find it amusing that you practically quoted me from earlier," he explained, "Care to explain? I mean, if I'm going to tell you everything, you should at least return the favor, don't you think?" Zachary gave Lya a comforting and encouraging smile, looking at her expectantly.

Sighing and nodding, Lya returned the gesture. "I suppose that would be fair...," she agreed, holding up a finger when the leopard tried to proceed, "But I'll only do that once you're done with your explanation. You're the one who lied to me, so you're going to be first." She stated, her tone giving the impression that this wasn't a proposition, rather a command.

Zachary rolled his eyes and relented. "Alright, alright... it's settled, then," he said with a sigh, still not quite sure how to tell everything to the ocelot. Everything meant... everything, and there were things he didn't prefer talking about, especially not to people he liked so much.

Lya nodded once again with a smile, remaining silent as she walked next to Zachary, whose lips remained shut just the same. Both had their doubts and worries with what they had agreed on, some more than others, but they couldn't back away now. It was time for some long due explanation.

As they made their way towards the gate, Esmeralda looked to Xergon. "By the way, in my haste to get Zachary to your college, I may have been less than upfront with the gate guards about our magical capabilities," she admitted, though there wasn't any regret or shame to her tone, "Don't worry, I didn't lie; I just didn't tell the guards the whole truth."

Xergon cocked an eyebrow at the statement. "Well, you have my protection if things go sour with them, don't worry," he stated, smiling mischievously and winking at the owl, "Being a headmaster of the biggest college in the province comes with some perks."

Nodding, the Elder walked calmly over to the gates slightly ahead of the rest of the group. "Good afternoon, young man," she greeted, taking on her grandmotherly demeanor once more and hoping for another smooth exit, "Still keeping the city safe from beasts and bandits, I hope!"

The usual bull raised an eyebrow at the statement, before he began laughing heartily. "Oh, if that was the case, I wouldn't have let you in, granny!" he stated with a grin, leaning on his spear in a relaxed posture, "You look more dangerous than a group of bandits and wolves combined! And you have some tricks up your sleeve as well," he said with a wink, motioning with his head towards the Elder's cane before noticing the rest of the group approaching.

He regarded the tall lynx in his robe for long moments, shrugging when he couldn't see his face under his hood. "Relatives giving a visit to your camp in the woods, huh?"

"Just some good friends looking to join us," the owl replied, beckoning to the group, "Come on you slowpokes, Mother Nature's awaitin' for us!" Snowflake had retreated into the owl's plumage, but her tiny tinkling giggle at her mistress' act managed to filter through the insulating feathers.

The guard held up an arm, stopping both Lya and Xergon when they arrived at the bull. "Standard procedure, just a moment granny," he said with an annoyed sigh, motioning with his hand for both felines to step closer, "Empty your pockets, show me the weapons, if you're carrying any... bla bla bla... similar stuff, you probably know how this goes." The request caused Zachary to tense a little, but he soon relaxed when he noticed the reaction of the felines.

Lya and Xergon nodded, searching through their pockets while the bull turned back to Esmeralda. "Gotta make sure you friends didn't steal anything, y'know. It's for the safety of... whatever, I don't really care I just have to do it, part of my bloody job." The bull explained with a shake of his head, bringing his gaze back to Lya first.

She held out a small book in her paw, as well as a long needle that the bull regarded with a cocked eyebrow. "Dangerous weapon, be careful not to prick anyone with it," he said with a chuckle, gesturing with his head for the ocelot that she was all good and could leave.

Turning to Xergon, the guard hesitated for a moment, leaning slightly down to get a better look at the lynx's face. "Wait a second..." he whispered, grimacing as he pulled back, "I know you!"

Zachary's heart stopped beating altogether at the statement. He glanced at Xergon, noting his deadly calm expression with wide eyes.

The bull laughed, surprising everyone. "I drank with you a barrel of root beer a few days ago, haven't I?" he asked with a grin, patting the lynx's shoulder and grinning widely, "Man, we destroyed that barrel in less than an hour! I haven't felt that drunk in a very long time!"

Xergon's expression brightened as he gave the guard a warm smile. "We'll repeat that night very soon, my friend. Just make sure you bring two barrels this time!" The lynx stated with a laugh, seeming nothing like himself. Not only Zachary and Esmeralda could act when the situation called for it.

"You can bet!" the bull replied, shaking his head and motioning with his head for the other guards to open the gates, "You're all good, have fun with mother nature or whatever. We'll meet soon, beer bud." The guard gave Xergon a grin, which he returned almost immediately.

The gates ahead of them began moving with great effort, a loud cracking noise following their wake as they were slowly opened. Zachary watched for a few moments, sighing in relief as he joined by the Elder's side, Xergon and Lya following behind him as they crossed the gates.

"That was close... got a little scared there for a second." He admitted with a chuckle, giving Xergon an impressed look as he walked beside him. The lynx waved a paw and shrugged, words not needed between the two felines.

"Seems like you've got a hidden side to you," Esmeralda mused, grinning toward the headmaster after they passed through the gate, "I'll need to keep my eyes on you, mister!"

Xergon chuckled warmly at the comment. "You'll have to keep your eyes on me for a long time, then. I read people like books, but that doesn't work vice versa, I'm afraid." He stated with a smile, his tone absolutely serious. Lya and Zachary shared a mutual confused look, both shrugging and giggling quietly after they have come to the agreed conclusion that the lynx was simply weird.

While the other three members of the group had gone into the city, Basajaun spent the first hour working on his biomancy, even managing to learn some new spells. Eventually though, the drake began to become more and more aware of just how quiet it was around him. No one was talking, or moving around, or resting nearby. He was alone, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking of this fact with increasing frequency.

Shaking his head vigorously, the dragon tried to focus on his grimoire once more. It was no good; having spent over a month with at least one other sentient being, now that Basajaun was alone again, he couldn't help but remember the seventy three years he had spent in absolute isolation, and how lonely he hadn't known he had been back then.

The drake shook his head again, the motion continuing in waves through his soft form. Standing up after closing his tome, the dragon moved to his saddlebags, looking for anything that could serve as a distraction.

Sifting through the travelling goods that Esmeralda had packed, Basajaun set each item aside, from the tent that Zachary had yet to use, to lanterns and umbrellas, and other tools that one would use while on the road. As he went through his bags, the dragon stumbled across an item that had escaped the Elder's "necessities only" packing policy. It was a gift he had received from the children back in Plainstead the day after Izom's defeat; a small, stuffed doll in the shape of a stylized dragon.

Looking at the toy for several minutes, a sincere smile crossed the drake's face as he picked up the gift, holding it against his chest. 'I'm not alone anymore,' Basajaun thought to himself, 'My friends are waiting for me to return.' The realization sent a single joyful tear down the dragon's snout, though he wiped it away quickly.

Returning to his grimoire in a brighter mood, the drake got back to learning more about his school of magic, his precious gift cuddled lovingly under his wing as he read. Though he was still eager for his companions to return, Basajaun no longer felt as alone during the wait.

"So... what are you going to show?" Lya asked for the third time since they left Centrum, her eyes not leaving the abandoned farms that the group passed by.

Zachary sighed for the third time as well, shaking his head. "You'll see, Lya... just wait a little, alright?"

The ocelot rolled her eyes. "I bet you made that up as well, and now you're trying to figure out a way to explain yourself, huh?" Lya insisted with a teasing grin, nudging Zachary's shoulder who put a paw on his forehead.

"No... it's... Argh," Growling in frustration and glaring playfully at the ocelot, the leopard narrowed his eyes, "You're quite impatient, ar--"

"Yes, I am." Lya cut him off with a wide smile, chuckling when Zachary thanked the gesture with a playful shove against her shoulder.

"And you like cu--"

"Yes, I do." Lya was almost in tears at this point, her joyful laughter echoing through the flat plain fields. Zachary, however, couldn't help but breathe deeply and loudly to calm himself. For only a moment, he wondered how surprised Lya would be when she was faced with a real dragon. The image sent a smile across his muzzle, as well as helped him hold out the rest of the way back to the camp.

Some distance ahead the pair, Xergon walked beside Esmeralda with relaxed steps, relatively quiet until he suddenly spoke. "I do hope you aren't leading me and my student into a trap of some sort," he said with a chuckle, although there was a hint of seriousness to his voice as well, "That would make me reconsider my constant offer to help anyone in need."

The Elder laughed out loud. "Believe me, I'm not stupid enough to try trapping the headmaster of Centrum College," she responded, still giggling as she smiled over to the lynx, "Though we do have a surprise awaiting you and Lya in our camp. You do remember us mentioning another prospective student, yes?"

Xergon put a finger under his chin in thought, snapping his fingers after a few moments. "Basajaun, was it?" he asked, continuing when the Elder nodded, "Ah, the student that has a hard time blending in with others. I do remember," he stated with a smile, cocking an eyebrow as he asked, "How would he surprise me, though? I've had more students in my college than I could count. Another one shouldn't be a big surprise to me."

The owl chuckled quietly. "Just brace yourself to be surprised, and try not to overreact, if you could," she said cryptically, looking forward to seeing the look on the lynx's face when he would suddenly come face to face with Basajaun, "And don't get intimidated by his looks. He'll probably be able to smell us coming by now, though."

Snowflake moved out onto the Elder's shoulder. "He's really nice, so you don't have to worry about that," the mouse stated with a smile, her mistress translating for her, "He's really a big old softy!"

Xergon nodded with an unreadable expression on his face. "Now I'm quite intrigued, to be honest," he stated, a small smile crossing his muzzle, "I'll restrain myself for now, you have my word." Glancing back at the two felines behind him, the lynx chuckled as he noticed Zachary's pleading expression.

"Just... try not to overreact, alright?" he demanded for the umpteenth time, giving Lya a sheepish smile, "We'll have everything under control, no need to worry about anything, really."

The ocelot cocked an eyebrow, raising a finger and opening her mouth to argue but stopping when Zachary fluttered his eyes. Rolling her eyes and chuckling, Lya relented. "Fine, I won't... now you've made me really curious about this whole thing, to be honest."

The leopard nodded with a warm smile. "You won't be disappointed, just trust me." He stated, glancing ahead of himself when Lya nodded. He could already see the forest approaching quickly, urging his heart to thud rapidly in excitement as he watched the trees draw closer and closer to the walking group.

With a gesture of her hand, the Elder pointed in the direction of their camp. "We're nearly there," she reported, waiting for Zachary and Lya to catch up, "It's just a little ways off from the road."

Zachary quickly took the lead ahead of the Elder, motioning with his head for the lynx and ocelot to follow. The way through the forest was spent in relative silence, all three felines taking their time to appreciate the beautiful scene that the tall trees provided. The surrounding flora was able to calm the leopard's heart immensely as he lead the others to their camp. He could always count on nature for relaxing.

"Alright," he began after he noticed the opening to the clearing, stopping and turning around to face Xergon and Lya while his body blocked any view from them, "We're here. Now I want you two to follow behind me and just relax," Zachary instructed with a smile, starting to walk backwards when the two felines nodded their head.

"He's just a li--" The leopard attempted to continue, but soon stopped when he heard loud footsteps fastly approaching him from behind. Before he could even react or draw a breath, it was already too late.

"You're back!" Basajaun's voice greeted gleefully as the leopard was suddenly yanked up off of his feet, the drake falling backwards and landing in the grass as he hugged the feline close to his chest. The impact sent his body wobbling, but the dragon was too preoccupied with the fact that he wasn't by himself to care about anything else at the moment.

Zachary laughed joyfully as he was embraced in the dragon's softness, returning the kind gesture immediately. "It's good to be back, bud," he stated with a warm smile, pulling away and glancing back at their guests with a sheepish expression, "Lya, Master Xergon, this is Basajaun, my best friend."

Nothing. Not even the slightest sound left either individual's lips. Lya simply stared at the drake with such wide eyes that they were threatening to pop out of their sockets. She shook her head, blinking and not believing what she was seeing.

Xergon, on the other hand, bore a deathly calm expression on his face. As Zachary's eyes drifted down along his robe, he spotted some sort of bright light swirling around the master's paw before it disappeared into nothing after a few moments.

"Should have expected it." The lynx stated with a flat tone and shaking his head. Taking a deep breath and holding it in for a just a second, a wide smile crossed the master's muzzle as he looked at both Basajaun and Zachary. "Best friends, huh? A dragon and a leopard..."

The lynx began clapping and laughing at the same time. "Congratulations!" he stated with a wide grin, apparently amused by the sight he was presented with, "You have managed to surprise me! That hasn't happened in decades!" Zachary gave a more than confused expression to the lynx, glancing at Basajaun for a second to give him a smile before his gaze settled on Lya.

"You alright?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow, smiling widely at the ocelot.

Lya slowly nodded his head, not daring to make quick movements. She couldn't find her words for a few moments, simply opening and closing her mouth as she stared at Basajaun. "Just... gimme a moment," she said in a quiet and somewhat fearful tone, looking at the ground to calm herself. Zachary furrowed his brows at her reaction. He told her to brace herself.

Esmeralda joined the lynx's laugh. "Told you you'd be surprised, didn't I?" the owl affirmed, not needing an answer as she nudged Xergon's side.

Taking a few moments to enjoy the leopard's embrace, Basajaun finally rolled onto his side and gently set Zachary down, before looking to their visitors. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he greeted with minor shyness, though it seemed like he was also relieved to have more company, "I hope I didn't scare you too badly, I just really hate being alone."

Lya visibly flinched at the deep voice, trying her hardest not to tremble as she hugged herself tightly with her arms. Xergon put a paw on her shoulder immediately, nodding his head and giving her a comforting smile before turning to the dragon.

"Likewise, Basajaun," the lynx greeted back, raising his paw, "And I will be honest, you did scare me very much with that surprise hug at our only multicaster student. I almost casted something really nasty, but then I saw, instead of simply looking, what you were doing with Zachary," Xergon chuckled and shook his head, "Avoid hugging your friend so suddenly when you get new visitors. Some narrow-minded individuals might not see past your friendly gesture, and perceive it as an attack towards a defenseless anthro."

Zachary laughed and waved a paw. "Basa would never do that, just to be clear," he clarified, walking next to the dragon and giving him a pat on his shoulder, "He's the most gentle and kindest creature I've ever met. He just got a little lonely and couldn't contain himself." The leopard explained, his words completely sincere, eliciting a nod and a smile from Xergon.

Smiling at the leopard's words, Basajaun turned to Lya with a warm smile. "Are you alright?" he asked in a concerned tone, trying to keep his posture as unthreatening as possible, "You seem more than a little shaken. I don't mean to be imposing; that's just part of being a dragon, I'm afraid."

For long moments, Lya didn't reply, internally debating whether or not she should be more perplexed by the fact that she was in the presence of a massive dragon, or that said dragon was asking if she was alright. Eventually settling on the latter, the ocelot gathered her voice with great effort, still not looking up from the ground.

"I-I'm o-okay..." she said quietly, nodding her head and taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, "Just a little... surprised, is all. My f-first time meeting a d-dragon." Zachary patted the dragon's side, giving him a warm smile before he walked to Lya and put a paw on her shoulder. The ocelot flinched at first, but soon brought her gaze up to meet the leopard's.

"You have absolutely nothing to worry about, Lya," he affirmed with a warm smile, "I know how you're feeling right now. I was scared of this lizard the first time I met him as well, but..." Zachary looked back at his friend with the most sincere expression he could muster, "I cherish that memory more than anything, and the day I met him. That's the best thing that happened to me since I was born, truly."

Lya gave a surprised expression, although still somewhat hesitant to look at the dragon. "How about the discovery of being a multicaster?" she asked in quiet voice, eliciting a chuckle from the leopard.

"That doesn't even come close," he stated, meaning every last word that left his lips, "Having him as a friend is the best thing that happened to me ever. He... saved my life twice. He gave me shelter and food when nobody would have. He treated me better than anyone before." Zachary's voice broke as he spoke. He took a moment to recollect himself, continuing with the widest smile his facial muscles could produce.

"Give him a chance, and I can guarantee you that you will never ever regret it." He finished, giving Basajaun a wide grin when Lya nodded her head and hesitantly waved a paw at the dragon.

Giving a smile, Basajaun waved back to the ocelot. "I know I can be pretty intimidating," the drake admitted, "But I can try to make myself less so."

Concentrating for a moment, the dragon intoned, "Rheno." As Basajaun's scales once again transformed into a pelt of silky fur, he looked to both of his new acquaintances, watching their reactions with a friendly grin.

At first, both felines stared at the dragon with wide eyes. Xergon was the first to begin laughing heartily, shaking his head in disbelief. "First you have me meet a friendly dragon, and now he's casting perfectly a biomancy spell. You've already managed to surprise me twice, and we haven't even touched on the issue I came here to discuss in the first place!" The lynx stated with a smile.

"We told you to be prepared," Zachary added with a chuckle of his own, turning to Lya and searching her face, "You see? He's friendly, and a magic user just like you and me. Look past all the fluff and judge him for what's inside, not outside." The leopard proposed with a smile, knowing perfectly well that Lya of all people should know what he's talking about, given her school of magic and the burdens that come with it.

Lya nodded, walking past the leopard with hesitant steps and stopping some distance away from the dragon. She regarded Basajaun for a few seconds, before a small smile crossed her muzzle. "I-I like the change," she stated quietly, "You look like fluffball." The ocelot actually giggled at her own remark, which elicited a sigh of relief from Zachary.

The dragon nodded with a smile of his own. "I like this more than scales anyways," he admitted, running a claw through his fur for a moment, "Feels a lot nicer. I can do feathers too, if you want to see that. I've been reading the biomancy tome that Esmeralda borrowed for days now, and I almost have the spells completely learned."

Lya hesitated for a moment, before she nodded her head and smile sheepishly. "Sure, I'd like to see that," she said, turning back to Zachary for a moment to give him a cold stare and continued with a serious tone, "Dragon or not, I'll feed his fur to you if I find any in that book, understood?" The leopard's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why me?" he demanded with a confused tone, extending his arms for emphasis, "It's his fur, not mine!"

"I..." Lya furrowed her brows, looking up at the dragon for a second before bringing her gaze back to Zachary, "Threatening a dragon, no matter how friendly he is," the ocelot smiled a little at the reptile, "Is a risky move. Threatening you is way safer and way more fun, so you'll just have to deal with it." Zachary threw up his arms in the air, murmuring something under his breath that was lost to everyone except himself.

Stepping next to Lya and cocking his head slightly, Xergon regarded the much bigger creature in front of him with a raised eyebrow. "You've only been practicing magic for a few days and you were able to cast an advanced spell like that?" he asked in disbelief, shaking his head in confusion, "This little group of yours is filled with more magical potential than the whole college..." The statement was so unexpected that Zachary found himself laughing out loud. Lya didn't share his enthusiasm, however.

"Master Xergon!" she demanded with a hurt tone, glaring at her teacher, "I'm standing right here, you know!" Laughing and waving a paw, Xergon gave the ocelot a smile that clearly indicated that he was joking.

"Thank you," Basajaun said simply, even though he was tempted to start gloating. He then intoned another spell, his fur transforming into feathers to show Lya. The dragon's form became more aerodynamic than with his furry pelt, long flight feathers growing from his wings as well. "This is a new one for you, Zach," the dragon stated, looking to the leopard, "I think it'll improve my flying."

Zachary smiled while Xergon gave another impressed expression to the dragon. "Looks awesome, bud!" he replied with a grin, glancing at Lya to see her reaction.

The ocelot's face bore a similarly impressed expression like Xergon's, although it was still partly because of the fact that she was in touching distance with a dragon, and still alive. "You look like a... chicken now. I liked the previous one better." She stated honestly and in an almost professionally criticizing manner.

The leopard burst out laughing at the statement, clutching his sides as he laughed. "That's another way to put it, I suppose!" He managed to comment between his fit of giggling, wiping joyful tears from his eyes. Xergon could only shake his head at the ocelot's remark, wondering just how far could be the term courageous stretched before it became simply foolhardy. Apparently with Lya, there were no such boundaries.

Blinking for a moment, Basajaun looked at himself with an amused look. "Well, I guess the plumpness does make me look less like a raptor and more like... that, doesn't it?" he admitted with a chuckle, before casting his fur spell again to return to his silky soft form, looking back to Lya with a smile, "I appreciate your candor, young lady!"

Esmeralda cleared her throat to get attention back on her. "Well, if we're done ogling Fatty, we did have that issue to discuss, Xergon," the Elder reminded the group with a mildly reluctant sigh.

"Right, I apologize, Lady Eszes," Xergon agreed with a smile, shooting a glance at Basajaun, "Got a little lost in the moment, I suppose. I don't get to meet friendly dragons very often, to be honest," the lynx gave the reptile a smile and bid his head, walking to the Elder and motioning with his head that was ready to discuss the matter.

Meanwhile, Lya stayed at the dragon's side, her eyes scanning his form for a few moments. She hadn't even realized how much extra poundage the reptile possessed before it was pointed out. Now, however, she could see that calling the dragon plump would have been an understatement. The realization was strange to her, but she didn't comment on it, simply shrugging it off as another thing she didn't expect from his kind to come.

Glancing between Lya and Esmeralda for a few seconds, Zachary raised a finger. "I... uh... Basa," he turned to his friend, leaning a little closer, "Could you keep her entertained for a little while? I don't think the grumpy owl would want to share her... issue with everyone right away, only Xergon." He asked, fluttering his eyes as the ocelot gave him a confused look. She didn't hear what he said to the dragon, but was sure the leopard was up to something.

The drake nodded, giving Lya a smile. "So, is there anything you want to know?" he asked with sincere tone, "You're probably quite curious, right? You did say I'm the first dragon you've seen, so I'll be happy to answer any questions you have."

The ocelot pursed her lips for a moment, glancing up at the dragon and narrowing her eyes while pointing a finger at him. "Can you breathe fire? All the dragons can do that in the stories I've read so..."

Lya's voice died down as Zachary slowly left the two alone on their own, walking back to Esmeralda and Xergon. Arriving next to the owl and lynx, the leopard could already hear that the pair was in a conversation.

"I'm quite sure I'll be able to take anything at this point," Xergon insisted with a smile, gesturing towards the dragon, "I already got more surprises during these few minutes than I have in decades. Just tell me plain and simple what's the issue, Lady Eszes, and I'll try my very best to help you resolve it, I promise."

The owl gave a subtle nod. "Plain and simple it is, then," she agreed, folding her arms, "I'm possessed by an evil spirit, and I have been since I was seventeen. Can you do something about that?"

Xergon blinked. He didn't answer for long moments, completely silent and unmoving to the point where Zachary started to fear that the lynx was too shocked by the news to even think.

"I see," he said simply, bringing a pair of eyes back to the Elder that shone with dead seriousness, something Zachary had never seen before, "This... was one of my suspicions, but I was hesitant to even consider it as an option. I'm deeply saddened to hear about this, Lady Eszes."

Shaking his head and sighing, the master pulled down his hood and put a paw on his forehead. "Since seventeen, gods above..." he breathed, his voice shaking for the first time as he asked, "How long has this evil spirit resided in your body exactly?"

"This would be the fiftieth year of possession," the owl replied, suddenly stumbling slightly and catching herself on the lynx's arm. "Sorry! I'm fine, it just makes things worse thinking about it," she assured the headmaster, shaking her head, "But do you think something can be done about a spirit that's been possessing someone for so long?"

Xergon held the owl for a few moments, putting a paw on her shoulder for both physical and mental support. With a sorrowful expression, the lynx sighed expansively. "I... I've never even heard of anyone surviving for so long while being possessed. This... this is nearly impossible," he stated, shaking his head, "Unless you were given an aiding spell of some sort shortly after you were possessed... please, Lady Eszes, tell me that's the case." The master's tone was so unusually concerned and fearful that Zachary nearly choked on his own worries. This was more serious than they thought.

The owl nodded. "My father sacrificed his life to protect me from the spirit," she informed the headmaster, sighing sadly, "But his spell worked, and Snowflake here has reinforced it on several occasions. He used a spell called the Demon's Lullaby, if you're familiar with that."

Xergon let out a massive sigh of relief, nodding his head. "I'm deeply sorry about your father," he stated with a sincere tone, "But he must have been a very smart and powerful sorcerer. Demon's Lullaby is an extremely difficult ritual to perform, especially alone, but it's the best one he could have given you." The lynx pulled his paw away from the Elder, a hopeful expression on his face.

"I can use that spell to wipe the spirit out by reinforcing it with my own and improving on it to an even more powerful spell which exclusively exists for this single purpose. If it wasn't for your father's braveness and sacrifice, I wouldn't be able to help you." Xergon admitted with a sigh, shaking his head to get rid of the unpleasant thought. "Since you've been possessed for such a long time, I need something that I can establish a link with to reach the spirit that has become a part of your mind by now. The spell helps me make a connection with this demon and destroy it forever."

When the lynx finished talking, Zachary glanced at the Elder with a hopeful little smile, wiping something from his eyes quickly to recollect himself.

Esmeralda spent several seconds staring into Xergon's eyes. "You can?" she asked quietly, for once seeming out of words.

The master nodded. "Yes, I can, and I'm willing to, as well," he stated with a determined expression, raising a finger before anyone could react though, "But... this is not something that can be done easily. It requires days of preparation and work... as well as help from at least another very powerful mage," he explained, looking at the Elder with a sincere expression, "The latter is not an issue, though... and the preparations are only the easy part. The... the consequences of destroying a spirit that has become a part of you are is what I'm truly fearful of." Xergon shook his head and sighed, his gaze shifting between the owl and Zachary.

"It could lead to... loss of memory, marginal or massive amount, or complete change in behavior... or..." the lynx stopped talking, not able to continue for several long moments. He put a paw on his head. He really didn't want to say it out loud, but he knew he had to.

"To insanity." Xergon's voice was quiet, his gaze shifting to Esmeralda from the ground. The look on his face was something Zachary could only describe as uncountable amount of sorrow and worry. The leopard's eye welled up with tears as he looked to the Elder. "I can't do anything to prevent any of those from happening, and I cannot promise you that they can't happen. It all depends on you and the success of the spell... I'm sorry, Lady Eszes."

Slowly sinking to sit on the ground, Esmeralda set her cane aside as she wiped her eyes. "But it's possible," she breathed, a tone of fear and joy both in her voice, "You... don't know how relieved I am to hear that. I always thought I'd be on my deathbed with this thing still latched onto me."

After a few seconds, the owl cleared her throat, looking up to Xergon resolutely. "I'm willing to take the risks," she stated with an adamantine tone, "If this unholy bastard can be destroyed, then by the Gods, let's give it what it so richly deserves!"

Zachary closed his eyes, fresh tears running down his cheek as he remained silent. This wasn't his place to talk, and he knew it. The heartache and worry that he felt restlessly kept drilling holes in his heart, however. This wasn't what he wanted to hear.

Xergon nodded slowly. "I understand," he said simply, turning to Zachary for just a moment and noticing the leopard's expression. The lynx closed his eyes at the sight as well, quickly recollecting himself and bringing his attention back to Esmeralda. "These risks are very serious, and they can happen if anything goes wrong, but that doesn't mean you can't come out of this completely the same," he explained both to the Elder and the leopard, a hopeful expression on his face, "If everyone does their job right, even such a spirit can be destroyed without hurting the possessed. I, for one, have performed exorcisms in the past... more than I care to admit, but this is by the far the longest possession I have come across. Even with that aiding spell... holding out for this long... I doubt even a handful of the most mentally controlled and realized mages would be able to do that."

Xergon gave the owl the most impressed expression yet, one that Zachary hadn't seen, even when it was discovered that he was a multicaster. "You, my lady, are the strongest person I've ever met in my whole life. I'm sincerely honored to have met you, truly," the lynx bowed, swallowing the lump in his throat, "I'm willing to help you end your more than fifty years of suffering and torment with everything in my power. I'll request the help of the best mage in this province as well. We'll not leave you in the darkness anymore, I promise." The lynx's tone sounded so sincere and resolute that Zachary couldn't even attempt to doubt his words. He respected Xergon for this more than ever.

"Um, are you alright, Esmeralda?" Basajaun's voice came from his position near Lya. The dragon was looking to the owl on the ground with a concerned expression, his head slightly cocked.

Quickly regaining her composure and wiping the last of the relieved tears from her face, the Elder nodded to the drake. "I'm fine, Basajaun," she responded with a smile, "I'm... completely fine, don't worry."

"She's a tough old bird, Basa," Zachary's weak voice came, his gaze never leaving Esmeralda's as he wiped his own tears away. He was smiling. "She can survive anything at this point, don't you worry about her." The leopard attempted to tease, but was soon struggling to contain his emotions once again.

Xergon chuckled weakly at the remark. "I can only agree with that. Lady Eszes can take care of herself, that much is certain," he said, smiling a little at the Elder before sighing and continuing, "I guess we're doing this, then... It's been awhile since I performed an exorcism, so you will have to forgive me, but the preparations will most likely take at least another few days," he explained, his gaze shifting to Zachary, "I hope that doesn't ruin your plans on leaving Centrum as soon as possible."

The leopard waved a paw. "It's already too late for that... an extra few days won't change anything at this point, and I'm willing to have helping Esmeralda as our number one priority. That's way more important than anything else at the moment." He stated, his tone sincere.

"Well, it's nice to be a priority," the owl chuckled, taking her cane and standing again, "I'm sorry to cut out suddenly, but I find myself rather drained, so I think I'll retire early today. And Xergon... I'm not usually one for seriousness, but this is from the bottom of my heart; thank you."

Xergon bid his head with a smile. "It is my duty to help our students in any way I can... although I think I would have offered my help even if you weren't a student of our college, to be honest," the lynx admitted, shaking his head, "Nobody deserves such an unfortunate fate."

With only a nod in reply, the Elder moved to her tent with slightly unsteady steps. As she came to her shelter, Esmeralda took Snowflake from her shoulder and set the spirit on the ground. "Sorry to stick you in a tiny body overnight, but I just don't have the energy to help you grow," the owl apologized, receiving a nod from her familiar. Giving one last grateful expression to Xergon, Esmeralda entered her tent, closing the entrance behind her.

As the mouse made its way through the grass towards Basajaun, the dragon kept his gaze on the Elder's shelter for a moment, before turning to Xergon. "You have my thanks, as well, Master," he said with his own thankful expression, "I'm more grateful towards Elder Eszes than I can fully articulate, so if you can help her, I'll consider myself in your debt."

Xergon waved a paw, letting out a weak chuckle as he pulled his hood over his head. "Having a dragon in my debt will surely be useful, I'll hold you to that, Basajaun... the friendly dragon," snorting and shaking his head at his own remark, the lynx made to turn towards Zachary but stopped and held up a finger as he brought his gaze back to the reptile.

"Lady... I mean, Elder Eszes tells me that you're a very eager learner and enthusiastic of magic. Is that correct?" He asked with a warm smile, Zachary cocking an eyebrow at the question in confusion. What was the master getting at?

Looking to the lynx curiously, Basajaun nodded. "I seem to have a talent for biomancy, and I'd like to be able to develop that," he agreed, before sighing, "But I don't think I'll be able to attend your college, as much as I would love to. There's a bit of a species restriction on getting into populated areas, if you catch my meaning."

"Unfortunately the government of Centrum isn't as open-minded as I'd like..." Xergon agreed with a nod, before his muzzle broke into a warm smile, "But that doesn't apply to our college. You know, our teachers are trained to handle students of all sorts. It's a part of their job, we don't even hire anyone we don't consider fully suited for this kind of work." The lynx explained, giving Zachary a grin when he continued staring at him with a bewildered expression.

"And it just happens that sometimes these trained teachers are sent to tutor students who are unable to attend our college for personal reasons," the statement was so unexpected that the leopard could only blink and stare with wide eyes at both Xergon and the dragon, "I've already seen that you're very talented, as well as the way you behave around others and the way you treat your friends," Xergon gestured towards Zachary with a smile, "That's enough for me to ask you a very serious question; Basajaun, would you like to be a student at Centrum's College of Magic?" The lynx inquired with a wide smile, giving the dragon an expectant look.

The dragon gave the headmaster a dumbfounded expression, before a joyous smile spread across his snout as he walked over to the lynx. "I couldn't possibly refuse that offer. Thank you so much!" he answered gratefully, his arm reaching forward for just a moment before he hesitated, "Um... do you have an issue with hugs?"

Xergon blinked at the question, snorting in amusement after a few seconds and laughing warmly. "You're nothing like I imagined dragons," he stated sincerely, shaking his head and chuckling, "A multicaster, a friendly dragon, an elderly owl who survived through more years of possession than anyone ever, and an ice spirit. I don't think your group could be more varied, weird and fascinating at the same time." The lynx declared, eliciting a joyful laughter from Zachary.

"Don't leave him hanging, Master Xergon," the leopard reminded the master with a grin, "He's going to go sour on you if you refuse a dragon's offer."

Cocking an eyebrow at the statement and shrugging, the lynx turned back to Basajaun. "I don't have anything against hugs... just try not to squeeze the air out of me, if possible. I like to breathe, believe it or not."

Grinning, Basajaun gently embraced the lynx in a show of thanks and appreciation. "I've got some practice from Zachary, so I don't think crushing is an issue anymore," he said somewhat teasingly, releasing Xergon after a few seconds, "See? No suffocation here!"

Xergon nodded and clapped his paws. "Perfect execution of a hug, bravo," He said at first in a completely serious tone, before he smirked, revealing his own teasing nature. Turning to Zachary and sighing expansively, the lynx closed his eyes for a moment.

"This has been a rather surprising... sorrowful and marvelous encounter at the same time," he stated, giving the leopard a warm smile after opening his eyes, "I really did not expect this, I have to admit."

"Tell me about it..." Lya's voice finally came from behind the dragon as she sat on the grass, her eyes scanning the sky, "I knew why Zach is so weird now... everyone is weird here. The whole group is weird, especially you two," the ocelot waved a paw at Zachary and Basajaun at the same time, "You two are just plain bizarre! How did I even get here in the first place?"

The leopard could only laugh joyfully at Lya's words. "You're here because you're weird too! And bec--"

"No, I'm not." Lya insisted with a calm tone.

Zachary furrowed his brows. "Yes, yes yo--"

"Nuh-uh."

"But you ar--"

"Nope."

"See? You're wei--"

"Give it a rest, dummy." Lya said with a teasing grin, sticking out her tongue at Zachary.

The leopard rolled his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. "You're horrible..." he stated with a quiet growl, glaring at the ocelot.

"We have something in common, then." Lya shot back almost immediately, forcing the leopard's face to redden with frustration. She laughed loudly at the sight, bringing her gaze back to the sky and smiling widely as she watched the clouds pass by.

Zachary looked at Basajaun, grimacing. "I'm not horrible, am I?" he asked in a hurt tone, pouting for full effect.

The dragon laughed heartily. "No, you're just weird, like she said, Zach," he teased with a grin over to Lya, hoping the toothy expression wasn't too off-putting, "And I know you well enough to say that with certainty, too."

Lya nearly choked on her laughter. "Ha, you hear that Mister weird?" she continued her mock with a grin, giving Basajaun a thumb's up as she added, "I like the way you think, Ba... Bajasun... whatever, you know what I mean." The ocelot said with a chuckle, rubbing her neck in embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Zachary attempted to drill holes in the dragon's eyes with his glare. He pouted, furrowing his brows and narrowing his eyes at the same time. "My memory might not be as good as yours, but I'll remember this one, lizard!" The leopard announced, shaking his finger at the much bigger creature threateningly as he stormed off towards Xergon, all the way muttering under his breath. "Look who's talking, telling me I'm weird. I'm not weird, you're weird, overgrown lizard..." Similar niceties left his mouth as until he left the presence of the ocelot and dragon.

Lya let out another laugh at Zachary's reaction, giving Basajaun a mutual teasing expression and watching with a grin as the leopard stormed off towards Xergon.

"That was actually payback for something you've obviously forgotten!" the drake said with chuckle, before looking to Lya with a smile, "I don't forget things, you see, which is part of the reason I can learn so fast."

"Well you seem to have forgotten me," a tiny chime came up from the grass, causing the dragon to jump slightly, "Would you stop moving around? It's hard trying to get to you when the grass is like a forest!"

Smiling sheepishly, Basajaun held his paw out to the little mouse in the grass. "Sorry, Snowflake," he apologized as she scampered up his arm.

Lya regarded the tiny creature with wide eyes. "Snowflake? Is that its name?" she asked, continuing when Basajaun nodded, "I've never seen a blue mouse before... and why were you talking to it? I know you all are weird, but that's a whole new level." The ocelot stated with a nervous chuckle, standing up to hesitantly walk towards the dragon and observe the little creature on his arm.

"She's not an it, Lya," the dragon corrected in a defensive tone, "This is Snowflake, Esmeralda and Zachary's ice spirit familiar. And I spoke to her because I was answering her." The protective manner that the dragon adopted surprised Snowflake, though it also warmed the little spirit's heart.

Lya shrunk visibly when she noticed the massive creature's tone, not finding her voice for a long time. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I didn't know she was a spirit," she stated quietly, taking a step backwards from the suddenly very intimidating dragon. She didn't look in Basajaun's eyes, simply holding her gaze on the grass as she appeared to be struggling to not take another few steps backwards.

The dragon was caught off guard by Lya's reaction, an apologetic look appearing on his face. "Um, no you're fine," he tried to backpedal from his earlier words, "I'm just... she's... Snowflake's a close friend and when you called her an 'it' I... I guess I overreacted. I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

Lya nodded vehemently, still not looking up at the dragon. "A-Alright, I... uh... understand," she said in a weak tone, evidently thrown back to her initial awkwardness and fear that she managed to get past since meeting the dragon. Right now, however, the ocelot appeared to be just as distant. She took another few steps backwards, sitting down in the grass slowly and sighing long. Friendly dragon or not, she still felt intimidated by him every time she looked at him, and his sudden change in behavior didn't help that in the slightest.

"What on earth are these two doing?" Zachary asked with a raised eyebrow, shaking his head at the image and sighing.

"Zachary, are you listening?" Xergon insisted with a mildly frustrated tone, leaning closer to the leopard to get his attention, "I need your word for this before I can adduce the matter to our teachers. This is not something usual, so I require your full support in this case.

The leopard turned his gaze back to face the lynx, nodding without any hesitation. "None of your teachers will suffer from any harms, just as you said. You have my word. I'm fully behind Basa and supporting him. There won't be any problems, I promise." Zachary stated in a sincere tone.

Xergon searched his face for a few moments, before nodding and smiling warmly. "I believe you, Zachary," he glanced at the dragon, "And I believe in Basajaun as well, but you have to understand my position here, and why I have to make sure my colleagues are going to be safe out here."

"I understand completely, don't worry," the leopard affirmed, glancing at the reptile as well, "He would never hurt anyone intentionally. He's not like that, Master... I know him better than anyone, and you know I'm not lying."

"That I do," Xergon agreed with a chuckle, patting the young anthro's shoulder but furrowing his brows when he noticed the ocelot's posture and position, "Just make sure that Lya will understand that as well, just like you. She's... a very open-minded young lady, but that doesn't mean she can take all this in on a whim like me."

Zachary sighed and nodded, grimacing when he noted Lya's sudden change in distance from Basajaun. "I'll show her what Basa is truly like. And she won't be disappointed," he stated, remaining silent for a few seconds and hesitating before asking, "So, you're Lya's private teacher, correct?"

"That's right." Xergon replied curtly.

The leopard swallowed, not sure whether or not he should ask what he was about to. "Are you... a... nec--"

"I'm familiar with necromancy, yes. It is a school of magic I've been practicing for a long time now, although not for my own pleasure, mind you," Xergon clarified with a serious tone, sighing as she looked at Lya, "Not everyone is born a multicaster, Zachary. Do not judge her prematurely. You of all people should know that stereotypes don't apply to everyone." The lynx gestured to the dragon, giving the leopard a warm smile.

"You sound just like Master Talib," Zachary stated with a chuckle, eliciting a joyful laugh from the master.

"Who do you think taught him about our philosophy in the college?" the lynx asked rhetorically, "You're a student, learning at us now, so following our beliefs and view on the world is the least you could do."

Zachary shook his head. "I'm already past that, Master Xergon," he stated, giving the master a smile, "I'm judging her by who she is, not by what she is. And so far... I can say that I'm getting rather fond of her."

"Oh, really? What a surprise, that wasn't obvious enough yet," Xergon stated in a teasing tone, resulting in the leopard to give him a playful glare, "All I'm asking is that you be careful with your words. She's been through some difficulties in her life because of her school of magic. Not everyone is as accepting as you are, I'm afraid."

Zachary nodded, his eyes not leaving Lya's form. "I'll do my very best, Master," He affirmed with a resolute expression on his face.

"Glad to hear that," Xergon replied with a smile, patting the leopard's shoulder as he turned around, "Now, it's time for me to return to the college... hopefully it hasn't burned down since I left," the lynx laughed, taking some steps towards the exit of the clearing, "Tell your dragon friend that it was a pleasure to meet him, and that a teacher will visit him sometime in the coming days, perhaps even tomorrow. Oh, and tell Lya that she has to present her assignment the next day!" The lynx called out from behind the undergrowth, waving a paw to Zachary as he disappeared behind the trees.

Heaving a sigh and looking after Xergon with a warm smile, the leopard turned back to watch Lya for a while, wondering just what could have caused her to appear suddenly so distant towards Basajaun.

Repositioning himself to sit by the ocelot, Basajaun sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you again," he apologized, giving Lya a small smile, "Can I... make it up to you somehow? I hate scaring people, so..." The drake shook his head and sighed again, trying to think of some way to reassure the feline.

"Well... you're still kinda good at it..." Lya stated somewhat hesitantly, leaning slightly in the opposite direction the dragon was sitting. She pulled her legs close to her body, her tail swishing behind her as an obvious evidence of her discomfort. She took a deep breath, resting her chin on her knees. "Just... uh... let me calm myself for a second. I'm not used to... this... any of this."

The dragon nodded, waiting quietly for a moment. "Physical contact might help," he suggested after a few minutes, "I've been told I'm quite cuddly." The dragon's tone was a mixture of honest and joking, as he tried his best to help the feline relax. He even remembered to keep his mouth closed while smiling, so his fangs weren't showing.

"I precisely remember mentioning that I wasn't used to this," Lya replied after a few moments of silence, giving her first glance to the dragon in a while, "Apparently you're just as dense as Zach. You two make a perfect match." The ocelot stated with a hint of a smile, obviously trying her best to make the situation better for both herself and the dragon.

"Sorry," the dragon apologized again, laughing slightly, "I guess I've just been lonely out here. I'll be quiet now and let you adjust." The drake looked over to Zachary questioningly, not quite sure if the ocelot was always like this.

The leopard, who had been slowly making his way towards the sitting pair, cocked an eyebrow at the dragon's expression. Arriving behind the moderately curled up Lya and blinking, Zachary gave the best "What did you do?" look to his friend, gesturing towards the ocelot and motioning with his paws questioningly.

The dragon gave his friend an abashed look. "I sort of... grumped at Lya for calling Snowflake an 'it'," he admitted, his face slowly lowering to the ground guiltily, said spirit moving up the drake's neck and patting his head, "I didn't mean to..."

Zachary raised an eyebrow, turning to Lya. "Is that true?" he asked with a serious tone, walking in front of the dragon and ocelot and putting his paws on his hips.

"I know he didn't mean it... I just got a little scared." Lya admitted from her furry fortress, her voice a mumble as she lowered her head as well behind her legs.

The leopard blinked for a few moments, simply giving an extremely inappropriate chortle at the reply. "So, Basa got a little overprotective and you got scared because of that?" he asked in disbelief, his giggling eventually becoming a full hearted laugh when both the dragon and the ocelot nodded. "That's it? And here I was worried it was something serious!"

Lya's head almost instantly popped out of its previous shelter, glaring at Zachary as narrowed her eyes. "It was serious! Don't make fun of my evident distress!" The ocelot demanded, which only caused the leopard to laugh even harder.

"Come on you two," he began after a few moments of laughing, wiping joyful tears from his eyes, "You both overreacted, that's it. Just a little misunderstanding, can happen to any person who meets a new one. I know for a fact that Basa already apologized," Zachary gave his friend an expectant look, smiling when the dragon nodded, "Did you apologize, Lya?"

The ocelot nodded. "I already apologized to him." She replied simply, resulting in another inappropriate laughter from Zachary, that Lya regarded with a cocked eyebrow and a cold stare, "What's so funny now?"

"You should have apologized to Snowflake for calling her an 'it' instead of Basa, silly!" Zachary stated with a chuckle, shaking his head.

Lya kept up her death stare for a few moments, before sighing. "Fine..." she relented, looking over the little mouse on Basajaun's neck and smiling a little, "I'm sorry, Snow...?" she said somewhat hesitantly, looking to Zachary for support and continuing when he mouthed the rest of the spirit's name, "Snowflake. Didn't mean to hurt your feelings..."

Zachary gave a pleased grin. "There, and now apologize to Basa for not forg--"

"Don't push your luck, Zach," Lya's voice was so serious that it actually caused the leopard to blink in surprise and chuckle nervously. He nodded his head, inching some distance away from the ocelot, who kept her glower up for a long time.

"It's okay, really," the mouse replied with a little smile, "It's completely understandable that you wouldn't recognize me as a sentient being, given my current body. Maybe tomorrow Mistress could--"

The mouse stopped, before looking over to Zachary. "You can cast ice magic now!" she remembered suddenly, giving the leopard a grin, "Could you help me not be so tiny?"

The leopard nodded with a warm smile. "Sure, let me recall the spell I learned today with Talib... just a moment," he said, closing his eyes and concentrating for long moments.

Meanwhile, Lya gave the most confused expression she could to Basajaun, leaning a little closer to the dragon without hesitation. "I haven't the slightest clue what Snowflake just said to me..." she stated sheepishly, "Wanna make up for scaring me? Translate for me and we'll call it even." She proposed, obviously wanting to just simply forget and move on from the unpleasant experience as much as the dragon.

The dragon lifted his head from the ground to look at Lya. "So I don't need to be quiet anymore?" he asked, giving the ocelot a small smile.

Lya nodded with a small smile as well. "Just... try to take things a little slow with me, alright? That's all I'm asking... I probably need more time to adjust than Zach or Master Xergon... but that doesn't mean I don't want to get to know you. I'm just... still a little surprised and bewildered a little. I mean... I'm talking to a dragon. And I was reading books in a library just a few hours ago. It's a little too fast for me."

"Well, I'll try to take being a dragon slowly," Basajaun teased just a little, before shaking his head, "Sorry, Zachary must be rubbing off on me. Oh, and Snowflake said that she understands your mistake and isn't upset about it."

Lya actually giggle a little at the dragon's remark, giving him an appreciative smile for the translation before cocking an eyebrow. "Zach and teasing? Those two things are like polar opposites of each other!" she said, shaking her head, "He was struggling to even form normal sentences since I've met him, let alone even attempt teasing!"

"I'm right here, you know," Zachary's voice came, although it was muffled as he remained in his concentrating position. He didn't even bother to open his eyes, too focused on his task to pay too much heed to the librarian's teasing.

Lya shrugged and chuckled. "Good for you, dummy!" The leopard growled under his breath, muttering something as well which only caused the ocelot to giggle harder. "But it's true. I can't imagine him teasing anyone but himself."

The drake looked over to Zachary with a cocked head. "You've really been that tongue-tied around Lya?" he asked, getting a nod from Snowflake as she positioned herself on Basajaun's shoulder.

The dragon turned to the ocelot with an amused smile. "Usually Zach is just full of smart comments to make towards anyone nearby," he informed the feline, "I guess you really do throw him for a loop just being around him."

"Can you three just shut it and change topic?" Zachary growled quietly, his eyes still closed, "It's hard to concentrate when people are gossiping around you." Although it was indeed very difficult to focus one's attention on casting a spell when your friends were talking you out, the reason behind the leopard's request was more to avoid more embarrassment from his way. Lya could really be a meddler sometimes.

The ocelot in question chuckled at Zachary's demand, pursing her lips afterwards as she observed the concentrating feline with narrowed eyes. "I guess I do..." she mused, raising an eyebrow, "I wonder what's the reason behind that." The wondering didn't take too long. She could guess what was behind the mysterious behavior of Zachary when she was around him. The thought warmed her heart more than she cared to admit.

Zachary cleared his throat nervously, shaking his head a little. "Cutting me off constantly doesn't help me quit being tongue-tied, yo--"

"You mean this?" Lya laughed joyfully, not getting an answer as the leopard continued both concentrating and currently sending Lya in his mind to a place where it doesn't shine.

Basajaun and Snowflake both laughed at the pair of felines. "You two are adorable, you know that?" the mouse stated from her spot on the dragon's shoulder, her perch translating for her as she spoke.

Basajaun giggled a bit more at the spirit's statement. "Coming from you, that's saying something!" the dragon said, shaking his head as he chuckled.

Lya gave the familiar a smile. "Thanks, Snowflake," she said, leaning back on her arms as her gaze shifted to the spirit, a mischievous flash in her eyes, "I might be adorable, but Zach's just a..." stopping as she turned back to the leopard, the ocelot's eyes widened as she observed the feline.

Holding out his left paw with the icy mist swirling around it, Zachary opened his eyes and exhaled loudly towards his hand. His breath collided with the snowy fog, following its wake until it reached the ground. Blue ice shards began forming on the green grass, glimmering wonderously in the sun's piercing light as they continued growing and expanding on top of each other, forming irregular shapes in the process.

Lya could only watch with wide eyes as the fascinating spectacle played out in front of her eyes. She knew Zachary was a multicaster and a talented sorcerer, but seeing it actually in action and witnessing just how effortless it seemed for the leopard was a whole other thing. With a clearly impressed expression plastered on her face, the librarian waited until the spell was completely finished.

Stumbling a little and shaking his head, the leopard breathed deep for a moment, a wide smile spreading across his muzzle as he observed his creation. "That good enough, Snowflake?" he inquired, gesturing with his head towards the pile of sparkling ice shards that were half the size of the leopard's body. It didn't turn out as big as Esmeralda's, but he was quite satisfied with the results.

Jumping from Basajaun's shoulder to the ice, Snowflake gave a smile. "It'll do for now," she answered, before her small body seemed to melt into the ice that the leopard created. A few moments later, the ice began forming into a more organic shape, but not one that was familiar to those present.

The ice steadily took on a humanoid shape, with an extra set of limbs protruding from the back. As the group watched, it looked like the spirit was taking the form of an anthropomorphic lizard, except for a pair of wings that grew from her back. Snowflake's new form was the size of a young child, and her proportions matched, giving her a youthful, innocent appearance as her features finished coming into focus.

The spirit smiled to the group after her transformation was complete. "What do you think?" she asked, looking herself over, "This is something I haven't tried before."

Basajaun translated after a moment of regarding the familiar's new form, a smile crossing his face. "That's really cute, Snowflake!" the drake affirmed after he finished repeating the spirit's words, standing to get a better look at her new body.

Zachary put a paw under his chin in thought, humming under his breath as he walked around the spirit's body. "It's confirmed," he said after stopping with the tiny dragoness' observation, stopping to face the familiar with a grin, "You look cute, just like Basa said."

Glancing behind Snowflake to Lya, the leopard snorted loudly at the ocelot's completely baffled expression and open mouth. The librarian blinked, shaking her head a little in disbelief and hesitantly pointing a finger at the spirit as she asked. "What just happened?"

Zachary patted the ice dragon's head with a smile. "Snowflake here can change forms whenever she has access to ice," he explained, holding up his paw as he flashed the snowy mist for just a second before continuing, "She's an ice 'spirit' for a reason."

The ocelot regarded Snowflake with a raised eyebrow, still looking a little bewildered from witnessing the transformation event. "I... uh... see. That's really cool, I gotta admit," she stated, a small smile crossing her muzzle as she continued observing the little dragon further.

Snowflake walked somewhat unsteadily over and sat next to the ocelot. "I'm not used to walking on two legs," she said with an amused smile, shaking her head before looking to Lya, "But I thought it'd be easier for you to think of me as a person if I looked more like one. You already have a dragon to get used to, so I thought it'd make things easier on you this way." As he translated for the little dragoness, Basajaun followed her closely, situating himself on the other side of the spirit.

Lya gave a thankful look to the spirit. "I appreciate that, truly," she said in a sincere tone, giving Snowflake a smile before she looked over to Basajaun with narrowed eyes, "I'm glad to know that someone's at least trying." She stated as seriously as she could, but the evident mock and tease to her voice was something she couldn't hide.

Zachary chuckled and shook his head as he made his way to the sitting trio, settling down next to the ocelot to give her a nudge on the shoulder. "Basa's trying harder than you give him credit for," he informed the feline, receiving giggle from Lya as she rolled her eyes and added, "He doesn't like when people... don't like him? Does that make any sense?" The leopard grinned widely.

"No, no it doesn't, dummy," the ocelot stated with a laugh, patting Zachary's shoulder before turning back to Basajaun with a smile, "But I know... I know he's trying. I can see it clearly, and I'm trying too, believe me," she stated, "I just need a little more time to adjust. But... I can already see that he's nothing like I imagined dragons." The statement elicited a warm smile and a nod from the leopard, who was relieved to hear those words leaving Lya's lips.

The dragon gave Lya a warm smile at her words. "That's more pleasant to hear than I can really say," he said firmly, giving the ocelot a smile, "Oh! I wanted to thank you myself for letting us borrow these books over the weekend; I haven't really had much to do out here, and the biomancy tome we borrowed has been one of my only sources of entertainment since we got here."

The ocelot waved a paw dismissively. "You're welcome," she said with a smile, the expression never leaving her muzzle as she continued, "You just make sure nothing happens to them or I'll have your friend here undergo some facial reconstructions and whatnot." Lya patted Zachary's shoulder, who gave the currently more than terrifying librarian a long stare and slowly inched away until he was pulled back by her paw.

"I... Basa... take care of those books, will ya?" he requested with a shaky voice, flinching when Lya's paw patted his head, "I have a feeling she isn't kidding..." The statement was followed by a confirmative nod from the ocelot in question. Zachary chuckled nervously, purring almost silently when he received an unexpected, but very pleasant, scratch behind his ear from the librarian.

Basajaun nodded, pointing over to where the book sat on the group's bags. "I've been very careful with it," he stated matter-of-factly, "It'd be just wrong to take poor care of something that doesn't belong to me. I don't think you'll even find one of my hairs besmirching the pages of that book." The drake thought about giving the ocelot a pat of his own, but decided against it.

The little girl among them suddenly pointed to the pair of felines. "You might want to take care of your assignments while there's still daylight," Snowflake reminded them through Basajaun, though there was something a little odd about her tone, "But um... you know how I don't like fire magic, Hunter?"

Zachary raised an eyebrow, but nodded his head nonetheless. "Yeah, I know... why?" he asked, cocking his head a little while Lya blinked and turned between the leopard and the ice dragon with a more than confused expression.

The spirit looked over to Basajaun, before she sighed. "I... death magic is something I like even less," the spirit continued, her voice coming almost silently from the leopard's necklace, instead of her main body, so that the dragon wouldn't hear and translate, "Can you please take this off before you go practice it? I don't want to see your spell..."

Zachary nodded with some hesitation, moving to take off the necklace when Lya's voice interrupted him.

"H... how does she know about my assignment?" She demanded quietly. First meeting a dragon in the woods, then having a conversation with said dragon, discovering that the little mouse is actually an ice spirit, and seeing said ice spirit transform in front of her eyes. With all the surprises today, this newest and most recent one was starting to make the ocelot a little more uncomfortable than she would have liked.

Zachary chuckled at the question and held up his pendant. "Remember this?" he asked, continuing when Lya nodded, "It's from Snowflake. We can communicate with each other while I'm wearing it, and she can also see and hear what's happening around me if she wants to," remembering something and giving a sheepish smile, the leopard hesitated to add, "And I kinda told both Esmeralda and Snowflake that I was going to help you with your assignment, so she probably knows from there." He explained, taking it off when the ocelot looked away and giving it to Snowflake behind her.

Lya slowly nodded her head, still looking a little perplexed. "Calling you all weird was an understatement, seriously," she stated, eliciting a joyful laugh and a reassuring pat on the shoulder from Zachary. The gesture was greatly appreciated, and she was quick to let the leopard know by giving him a warm smile before sighing.

"But you're right, Snowflake," she said, glancing up at the sky with narrowed eyes and standing when noticing the sun's position, "We should probably get moving with Zach. You still have quite some explaining to do, so we shouldn't waste any more time..." Lya chuckled nervously, turning to Basajaun and the spirit, "Not like talking with you guys is a waste of my time... it's just... you understand."

Making to stand along Lya, Zachary gave the two dragons a teasing grin. "It actually is, these two are a little boring anyway," he stated with an outrageously pretentious tone, snickering a little as he grabbed Lya's arm, "Let's just leave before they infect us with their utter dullness, shall we?"

With a mild blush on her face, the ocelot nodded and chuckled quietly. "Lead on then, Mister interesting," Obeying the command, Zachary quickly advanced towards the exit of the clearing with Lya in tow, turning back once they reached the edge and waving a paw.

"We'll be back... uh... soon, I guess!" he stated, laughing a little when the ocelot shoved playfully against his shoulder, "You two have fun or whatever!" With that, the two felines turned around to make their way deeper in the forest.

Not five seconds into this, Zachary came rushing out of the undergrowth. He quickly bounded towards the group's bags, retrieving his bow as well as a few arrows and gave the two dragons a sheepish expression. "You two didn't see anything!" He commanded with a grin, narrowing his eyes as a way of actually attempting to convince the pair before he got up and quickly disappearing behind the trees once again. This time, however, he didn't reappear almost instantly.

Looking after the pair for a moment, Basajaun stood and stretched, making to move toward the biomancy grimoire. "Forest, wait," Snowflake interrupted the dragon. Stopping, the drake looked over to the spirit, noticing an extremely embarrassed expression on her face.

"Are you alright?" the dragon asked, sitting back down next to the familiar and giving her a concerned expression.

Hesitating a moment, the dragoness nodded. "Y-yes, I just..." Snowflake fiddled with her hands for several seconds, before looking up to the reptile's face and asking, "What do you think about me? And please think hard before you answer."

Blinking in surprise, the dragon shook his head. "I think y--" he began to answer immediately.

"Think harder than that, please," the spirit insisted, an oddly pleading quality to her voice.

Looking to the familiar in confusion, Basajaun nonetheless did as he was told, looking inward and considering how he felt about Snowflake. He knew he liked her; he even knew that he liked her a lot, but in a strange way that he hadn't felt towards someone before.

After a few minutes of contemplating this, the drake shook his head. "I think you're a wonderful person," he answered, this time the spirit let him continue, "You're someone that I care about, but... I don't know, it's different than how I care about Zachary and Esmeralda. When I'm with you, I just feel... happier, to put it one way. Like all warm inside."

Shaking his head again, Basajaun looked to Snowflake with a confused smile. "I like the way I feel when you're around," he said, an odd blush crossing his face for reasons he couldn't identify, "But I can't really explain it better than that."

The spirit's embarrassed look steadily transitioned into a smile as the drake spoke. "That's what I needed to know," she said, poking the dragon's blushing cheek playfully, "Thank you, Forest."

Giving his own abashed smile, the dragon got to his feet again. "Lya's right; we're all weird," Basajaun stated with a chuckle, moving to the book without interruption this time, though he was joined by the little dragoness, the familiar bearing a pleased smile.

"So, Zach," Lya began, jumping over a root of a tree and forcing the leopard to lower his bow and glance back at the ocelot with a raised eyebrow, "I heard what your assignment was for today..." she stated somewhat quietly, looking away from Zachary's confused expression towards the mildly intriguing scene that the forest provided.

The leopard huffed, turning ahead to continue looking for a suitable prey. "Snake likes to chit-chat, huh?" The question sounded more like an accusation than actual inquiry.

"Yes, we talk you out every day after you leave your lesson," Lya replied with a chuckle, the leopard ahead of her snorting, "No but seriously, we like to talk about a lot of things... and somehow your assignment came up as a topic, that's it." No answer came from Zachary's side as he continued making his way deeper in the forest, occasionally raising his nose to sniff at the air.

Sighing, Lya continued, although a little hesitant. "How... how do you feel about it?" she asked, her gaze not meeting Zachary ahead of her as she glanced around her, "I mean, the assignment. It's not entirely usual or normal..."

Swallowing and stopping at the same time, the leopard slowly lowered his bow to his side, turning back to Lya with an unreadable expression as he asked. "What's not normal about it?"

The ocelot raised her eyebrows, giving Zachary a confused look. "Well... that school of magic is usually not really accepted by... Er... others," Lya stated quietly, her gaze falling to the ground as she stopped some distance away from the leopard, "It's considered a..." she hesitated, clearing her throat and shaking her head, "Curse... unlike all the other types of magic." Zachary's expression remained unchanged, his eyes searching the librarian's face restlessly.

When he didn't reply, Lya looked up from the ground. Seeing the leopard's face, she decided to continue, although the uncertainty from her voice never left. "And... the users of this school of magic are looked at as... strange, creepy, unnatural..." she swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes falling on the ground once again, "Freaks..."

As Lya spoke, Zachary slowly started walking towards the ocelot with relaxed steps. The librarian's last word sent an unpleasant cold and sharp sensation through his heart, and the leopard had to stop himself from shouting back the opposite with all his might. Seeing her like this left him more worried and sympathetic than he would have expected.

"I wouldn't view them as freaks," Zachary stated with a calm and soft tone, even he himself surprised how he managed to remain so comforting while talking to Lya. He stopped in front of the ocelot, lifting her head with his paw and giving her the warmest and most comforting smile his face was able to perform.

"They are just weird. But we all are a little, just like you said," The leopard's voice was nothing but a whisper as he spoke, Lya's eyes scanning his face as he held her head up to stare in her eyes, "And we can't choose what our talent in magic will be. Judging them by something they can not control is just plain stupid and an evidence of ignorance and lack of intelligence."

Something in Lya's eyes seemed to glimmer in the sun's orange rays as they shone through the forest canopy after the words left Zachary's lips. With a beam of comfort across his muzzle, the leopard tenderly brought up his finger to the ocelot's eyes, wiping the fresh tears away.

When she didn't speak and only stared at him, Zachary cocked his head a little. "But that's only my opinion..." he stated in a hesitant tone, sighing before continuing, "Honestly, I was somewhat negative towards... this type of magic as well, and I still am." Lya continued searching the leopard's face as he spoke, her expression unchanged.

"But," he continued, smiling warmly, "That doesn't mean I'm negative towards the users of this school of magic. No matter how much I disapprove of it, I won't ever judge a person by what type of magic users they are." Zachary finished, watching carefully as Lya's expression changed to confusion.

"Who told you?" She asked with a deadly calm tone, shoving the leopard's paws away and taking a step back as she wiped her eyes.

The question surprised Zachary so much that his breath caught in his throat. Trying to save face, he smiled nervously. "Told me what, Lya?"

"I'm serious, Zach," Lya insisted, "Who told you I was a necromancer?" The last word sent a chill down the leopard's spine. He was unable to answer for long moments, trying to search for his words to argue. Yet, each time he looked at the ocelot's expression, he hesitated. She deserved better. No more lies.

"Nobody," he replied honestly, continuing before Lya could speak, "Master Talib and I were discussing necromancy during our lesson... and I..." sighing and shaking his head, Zachary gave the ocelot an apologetic look, "I showed evidently that I was strongly against this type of magic... then the students of the college came up, and how some of them were necromancers..."

Hesitating to continue, Zachary did so anyway when he got a cold stare from Lya. Talib was probably going to kill him for this. "A mention of a necromancer working at the library was enough..." he explained, shaking his head, "I knew from there that it was you. But I di--"

Lya help up a paw, for once silencing the leopard without any verbal assistance from her part. She didn't speak for long moments, simply looking at Zachary with an unreadable expression. The afternoon breeze gently rustled the leaves around the pair, providing the only audible sound to the two. Even the animals of the forest seemed to quiet themselves as silence fell on both felines.

"So," the ocelot was the first to speak up, her voice a little shaken, "It was Talib." Lya nodded her head to herself, chewing on her lips. She felt betrayed.

Zachary sighed, taking a step closer to Lya. "It wasn't his fault, really... I'm sure he didn't mean to, Lya. And if we want to be fair, he didn't tell me anything... I figured it out on my own. You can't blame him for this, please," he reasoned in an almost pleading tone, forcing the ocelot to look up to him as he added, "Just blame me, not him."

"Why?" her voice was quiet, showing evidently that she felt absolutely hurt, "Why did you pretend...?" Tears welled up in her eyes as they drilled holes in Zachary's soul. The sight felt as if someone was squeezing his very heart. He knew he had to say something. Something that came from the heart that was currently struggling to beat as it was grasped.

"Because I didn't want to hurt you."

Lya could feel her heart skipping a beat. She felt confused, hurt, betrayed and somehow... relieved at the same time.

He already knew. Even before she invited him to help her with the assignment. He already knew. And he came anyway. He already knew. And it... didn't change his behavior towards her.

He already knew. Yet he was the same.

A single tear escaped from the confinement of the others that filled Lya's eyes, slowly drifting along the curvature of her cheek, a part of it lost in the fur in the process, and the remaining tiny droplet of relief falling to the ground.

Zachary once again wiped gingerly the other awaiting tears with a finger. This time, however, his paw was stopped. Lya held the leopard's hand in hers.

He didn't even attempt to pull away, simply repositioning his grip on the ocelot's fragile paw. With a smile that spread across his muzzle, Zachary gathered his voice with great effort. "And because I wanted you to tell me," he stated, his embrace on her paw tightening, "I didn't want to drag it out of you. It's... not something that can be forced to confess."

Lya actually chuckled weakly at the statement, shaking her head a little. "I was about to..." she admitted, smiling at Zachary, "I've been planning... on telling you. And today, I finally built up the courage and asked you to help with my necromancy assignment," laughing and shoving playfully with her free hand, the ocelot added, "But you had to ruin the moment, dummy."

Zachary returned the gesture with a laugh of his own. "I don't care," He stated, eliciting a confused look from Lya. The leopard pulled her closer just a tiny bit, their hands still intertwined as he spoke with honesty and sincerity. "I like this moment... a lot."

"Gods, you're so cheesy," the ocelot remarked with a shake of her head, giggling a little before looking up at Zachary with her gorgeously glittering brown eyes, "But I like it too."

Upon hearing those words, Zachary almost immediately pulled Lya in his embrace. Body against body, heart against heart; two souls connecting inside.

The pair remained unmoving for long moments. They didn't speak, and there were no words needed. The simply enjoyment and comfort of their embrace provided was all they wanted. Both in desperate need for something that wasn't given to them thanks to their lives;

Love.

It was perhaps after a millenium later, or at least that's how much it seemed to Zachary, that the two finally pulled away. With a mutual crimson blush adorning their cheeks, they both smiled at each other warmly.

"Well..." Lya began, stroking her ear a little as she gave the leopard a sheepish expression, "That went a lot better than I expected."

Zachary, in his similarly awkward state, could only chuckle nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... for me too."

The ocelot laughed joyfully, her delightful voice practically caressing the leopard's ears. She held up a finger, shaking it at him. "Don't think I've forgotten your little act," she stated, "Pretending like you don't know something is basically lying. You know I don't like that."

Zachary furrowed his brows. "But... I already explained why I d--"

"Don't care!" When the interruption came, the leopard felt no more frustration at all. He simply waved it off, laughing along the currently very amused Lya and shaking his head.

"Okay... I'll make it up for you somehow, alright?" He asked with a warm smile, watching joyfully as Lya nodded and made to move.

"Alright, you could start by starting to explaining what you've promised to me on the way to this forest." Lya suggested, although from her tone, it sounded more like a command than anything. He should probably get used to this as soon as possible.

Sighing and relenting, Zachary turned to move as well. "Fine, I will..." he reassured her somewhat hesitantly, not quite looking forward to that particular part.

Every worry seemed to melt away when Lya joined by his side and took his free paw in her hand. The gesture forced Zachary to look down at the ocelot, who smiled warmly at him, another thing he was sure he would never go bored of looking at.

With a warm smile on his face as well, the leopard turned ahead to look at the forest ahead of them. With his trusty bow in his paw, and Lya's hand in the other, Zachary felt like he could take down any prey at the moment, no matter how dangerous or ferocious it was. Lucky for the two, they only required a small prey for their assignments, and the leopard was more determined to help Lya now more than ever.

With his arms resting against the frame of his window, Talib stared out down to the people milling around below his tower. The snake wasn't really paying attention to the activity below however; his attention was on the plans for tomorrow's lesson with his student.

Although he wouldn't admit it to most people, the serpent was beginning to grow fond of the leopard. It was a realization that surprised Talib, as he had only known the feline for a few days. He knew the cause was the misunderstanding between the pair that lead to the leopard revealing his orphaned nature, and he sighed loudly over this thought.

"Why do you have to be such a sucker for sob stories, Talib?" the snake asked himself, thinking of Lya as well. He wasn't too fond of people in general, but for some reason or another, whenever the serpent was presented with someone who had of rough time of things, he couldn't help but soften up a bit.

Shaking his head, the snake looked over to his bookshelf. 'He'll be ready for more advanced spells soon,' Talib thought, considering a curriculum for the next day, when a knock on the snake's door caught his attention.

Unhappy with having his train of thought interrupted, the serpent turned to look at the door. "I don't want any, thank you!" he called out somewhat grumpily from his position, not in the mood to entertain guests.

"Good, because I didn't bring you any," Xergon's voice called back, and although the statement was rather comical, the lynx's tone sounded unusually serious, "Let me in, Talib. We need to talk," there was a short pause, "Now."

At the sound of the headmaster's voice, Talib gestured towards the door, the locks coming undone and the door opening seemingly on its own. "I wasn't expecting another visit today," the snake admitted, looking to the lynx quizzically, "And so serious looking, too. What happened?"

Closing the door behind him and pulling his hood down, Xergon moved the chair in the middle of the down and sat down. He glanced at Talib with a look that the snake hadn't seen in a really long time. The lynx seemed tense.

"I need your help," he stated flatly, not looking away from the serpent's searching gaze, "It's a very serious matter, Talib. It concerns the well-being of a student. And it's also connected to Zachary and his problem," Xergon sighed, shaking his head a little, "I wouldn't have come to you if I knew anyone else that could help. But you're the only one. Will you listen to me?"

Talib moved to his table, giving the lynx a serious expression. "You know you can count on me when you're in need, Xergon," the snake said, one of his few sincere smiles coming forward at the words, "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"Alright." The lynx said with a sigh, closing his eyes for just a moment before opening them once again. Paying careful attention to every bit of detail about the matter, Xergon recited the entirety of the situation he had found himself in regarding Zachary, and most importantly, Esmeralda.

He told everything to the snake about the Elder's condition, eventually concluding in the end that she was possessed by an evil spirit. He even mentioned the numbers of years she had spent with another being latched to her mind, the owl's aiding spell and everything else that he knew.

"She needs help," the lynx stated with a determined expression, clearing his throat which had become dry from talking too much before continuing, "There's no one else in this province that could perform an exorcism like this... she's been possessed for so many years... I wonder how she managed to keep her sanity."

Shaking his head and sighing, Xergon looked at Talib expectantly. "It's only the two of us that can help her, Talib. And we have to... she's our student, just the same as everyone else. But even if it wasn't for that... nobody deserves decades upon decades of misery and constant torment. We must help her."

The snake stared at Xergon for nearly a minute. "Fifty years..." Talib breathed, shaking his head in disbelief, "I need to meet this woman and shake her hand; she's managed to impress me."

Looking back to the headmaster, the serpent smiled. "I'm not making light of the issue, mind you," he clarified, giving a nod to Xergon, "I'm agreeing with you. And I know that you're going to need my help with this. I'll cancel my plans; this is going to have to take priority over everything else."

Xergon heaved a sigh of utter relief. "Thank you, Talib... thank you," he said, his voice sincere, "She knows the risks already, but agreed to the exorcism nonetheless," he informed the snake, looking at him with a resolute expression, "We need to make sure that there won't be any negative consequences. This woman of all people deserves to live the rest of her life in happiness and healthiness."

Now knowing that he had Talib's help, the lynx actually allowed himself to relax a little. "Oh, by the way," he began, giving the snake a small smile, "You'll be able to meet her very soon, don't you worry." There was something about Xergon's tone that struck the serpent as odd. He was definitely not done just yet.

"Okay, that tone means you're not telling me something," Talib stated, looking to the lynx with a cocked eyebrow, "Is there more to this possession than you're letting on? Because you know it's important that I be fully informed on this, Xergon."

"It's not connected directly to the possession," the lynx stated, "It's connected to both Zachary and Esmeralda... and another individual." Sighing again and standing, Xergon walked to the window, watching for a moment as the people went about their way on the streets.

"This woman actually lives with Zachary in the forest, believe it or not," he informed the snake, not waiting for a reaction as he continued, "And... with another magic user. A very unusual kind of magic user, someone that unfortunately cannot enter through Centrum's gates to visit our college."

Xergon turned around to face Talib once again. "But, he's a very talented biomancer, and I offered him... an opportunity to become a student," he explained, holding up a paw, "He needs a teacher, Talib... I've already asked both Miss Oyuu and Mister Ghan, but they had to refuse because of their busy schedules with their own students."

The lynx pointed a finger at Talib as he continued. "Given that Zachary lives with both Esmeralda and this potential new student, it would be the best for them if you could... hold your lessons with the leopard boy in the forest. It would give you a chance to prepare Lady Eszes as well, and would make things a lot easier for these two.... and," Xergon hesitated for a moment, looking at the snake pleadingly, "I would ask you to tutor this biomancy student as well. There's nobody else in this school that knows that school of magic except the previously mentioned teachers, but they simply couldn't accept."

Sighing, Xergon shook his head a little. "I know you hate having more than one student at once, but I simply cannot think of another solution to this problem. That student has amazing potential, perhaps not as much as Zachary, but still something that we cannot ignore. All I'm asking is that you go out to the forest every day, instead of staying inside your tower all day and help those three out. You're the only one who can, Talib."

The lynx gave an amused smile. "You might as well get a little surprise from your new student, if you decide to take him under your arms. I promise you you won't be disappointed if you accept, Talib." Xergon finished with a long sigh, watching the snake's reaction with a hopeful expression.

Looking into the headmaster's eyes, Talib shook his head after a moment. "You know how much I hate taking on more than one student, Xergon," the snake sighed, before looking back up to the lynx, "Again though, there's something you're not telling me. Why all the secrecy all of the sudden?"

The lynx chuckled loudly, shaking his head in disbelief as if still not believing what he witnessed just a while ago. "This student can't enter Centrum because he's a..." pausing and snorting, Xergon gave Talib a grin, "He's a dragon, Talib. A dragon that can cast magic, and is the best friend of our little multicaster leopard, by the way."

The feline laughed at his own statement. "I'm still struggling to believe what I saw, but it's the truth. There's a dragon living in that forest with a possessed owl and her ice spirit familiar and a multicaster leopard... and they are all friends, really good friends from what I've seen so far. Now, does that sound interesting to you? Because it still amuses me each time I think about it!"

The snake stared at Xergon for several seconds. "Okay, so what's the punchline to this joke?" he asked, shaking his head and chuckling, "You honestly had me going there for a moment, Xergon!"

"Oh, you will be going very good when you meet them!" The lynx stated with a chuckle, shaking his head before giving an expression that Talib knew very well, "I'm not lying, my friend. Everything I said is true, every last word," he stated with an honest tone, "Biomancer dragon, possessed owl with an ice spirit and a multicaster living in the forest area that surrounds Centrum. Not a joke, it's the truth."

The snake shook his head in disbelief. "A dragon," he muttered, mulling it over in his head, "That close to Centrum... alright, I'm intrigued. I'll give them a visit tomorrow to see what I can find out."

Looking up to Xergon, Talib gave the lynx a serious expression. "But I swear to the Gods, if you're playing some elaborate prank, I'll adhere toes to your eyelids, Xergon," the snake stated in a tone that wasn't quite joking.

Laughing anyway, the lynx patted the snakes' shoulder with a smile. "That will never happen, my friend. You'll see for yourself tomorrow," he stated, moving past Talib and walking to the door.

"Talib..." he began, opening the door and holding in his paw as he glanced back at the serpent with a warm smile, "Thank you. It seems like our friendship has survived through enough that you even come to my help with such an absurd request. I promise you that I'll never forget this favor, ever." Xergon stated, his tone sincere.

Waving his hand dismissively, the snake shook his head. "You know how I feel about elaborate thank yous, Xergon," the serpent said simply, before giving an honest smile for a second, "But you're welcome, old friend."

Bidding his head with a smile of his own, Xergon exited the snake's room, feeling like a massive amount weight had been pulled off of his shoulders since he entered. Grumpy multicaster serpent or not, Talib was a true friend to the lynx.

"How come you've become such great friends with that snob snake, by the way?" Zachary inquired after he sent an arrow through the air. Icy mist followed the bolt as it flew effortlessly towards its target, planting and drilling itself in an unsuspecting hare's neck.

"It worked!" The leopard stated joyfully, bounding to retrieve his catch with a smile on his face. Nearing the hare and picking it up, Zachary examined the damage his spell empowered arrow had done to the creature's body. By casting a frosty and sharp ice shard on the top of the bolt, it was able to drill itself even deeper in the prey's neck, but not damaging the muscle and flesh tissue in its cold wake.

"What did you ask, Zach?" Lya's voice came from some distance away, the ocelot emerging from behind a dense bush. She rustled her fur for a moment, wiping some branches out and giving the leopard a quizzical look when she noticed his catch. "Oh, you already found something?"

Nodding, the hunter feline made his way to the ocelot presenting his catch with a smile. "This will do perfect... for the assignment, I guess," he said, continuing when Lya gave him a confirmative look, "And I asked how you became such good friends with the snob snake."

The female furrowed her brows. "He's not a snob," she stated, chucking a little, "Just a little grumpy. And we're good friends because..." Lya paused for a second, sighing as she looked up at Zachary with a somewhat sorrowful expression, "He was the first person to accept me for who I am, and not for what I am. He's... just been there for me for a long time and I can always talk to him or ask for his advice. He's not as bad as he likes to appear, Zach."

Zachary nodded at the explanation, lowering the hare in his paws and holding it by its ears. "He's kind of like Basa to me, then," he said with a smile, "He was the first one to give me shelter and food without looking at me like I was an insect..." When the leopard realized what he had just said, it was already too late.

Lya stared at him with wide eyes, remaining silent for long moments as she tried to process the information she was just given. "You... what do you mean?" she asked, hesitant, "I-I don't understand... why would people look at you as in insect? And what do you mean by food and shelter...?"

The leopard closed his eyes. He knew this was coming. He knew it perfectly well. But that didn't make things easier for him. While happiness made him forget about his past, talking about the past... well, it didn't help his mood in the slightest, and that's putting it mildly.

Heaving a relenting sigh and gesturing with his paw for Lya to sit down, Zachary sat down next to her after a moment, putting the hare aside. His uncertain gaze met the ocelot's, and when he saw the encouraging and comforting smile that her face adorned, the leopard nodded in determination. He promised he would tell her everything. The time had come to do just that; no sugarcoating, just the simple truth.

"I don't really like talking about this," Zachary admitted with a weak chuckle, shaking his head, "But it's something you need to know. I used to be a..." pausing for just a moment, the leopard grimaced as he spoke, "A homeless. I... grew up on the streets of Boldrumton, alone."

Lya didn't respond for several seconds, her expression one of concern and sincerity. "That explains... your reaction when I asked you about school and other kids just some days ago," she thought aloud, turning away from the leopard for a moment and hesitating. She tried not to, but she had to ask. She had to know. "You grew up alone on the... streets. But... your parents?"

Zachary shook his head. "Homeless orphan," he said curtly. He knew there weren't any more words needed than that. There was no need to explain it.

Lya closed her eyes and swallowed, clearing her throat afterwards the remove the lump that has formed. "No relatives?" she asked quietly, slowly opening her eyes to look at Zachary with a painfully sorrowful expression.

The leopard shook his head again. "Nobody."

The hard answer felt like as if someone had punched Lya straight in the heart. She had to close her eyes again, slowly nodding her head as she tried to recollect herself. "You spent your... entire childhood on the streets with no one... to go to?" Asking questions was becoming a lot harder.

Zachary nodded. "Mostly on the streets... sometimes behind an iron cell for trying to keep myself from starving."

Lya wiped something from his eyes. This wasn't what she expected. Nobody could have expected from such a joyful person to have such a past. It wasn't fair. Zachary didn't deserve this, or at least, that's what the ocelot believed with all her heart, which had become more and more filled with misery and agony as the leopard spoke.

"Explains..." Lya attempted to continue, but choked on her words when she remembered Zachary's expression from their get together. She had to wait a little before trying again, finding her voice after only long moments. "Explains your reaction... to Drew's question."

Silence fell on the pair for a long while, both staring at the ground. "Zach," Lya began, her voice a little shaken, "Does this get better? I'm not sure I... I can..." She couldn't finished her sentence, simply looking up at the leopard with teary eyes.

Zachary slowly shook his head. "I told you it wasn't a pleasant story," he stated with a sigh, calming himself a little before continuing, "It doesn't get better until I'm banished from Boldrumton."

Lya's face fell at the revelation. "You said you were nineteen..." she breathed, shaking her head, "Nineteen years of... that... in Boldrumton?"

"Yes..." he replied quietly, "I wouldn't want to go into detail, if possible. Not exactly... you know," Lya nodded vehemently, putting her paw over her mouth and closing her eyes again.

Almost two decades of suffering, torment, loneliness and constant fear of starvation; a cruel fate for even the most evil individuals. And yet, Zachary had to endure every second of it. How he managed to survive, and come out as he was now, was something Lya could only wonder about. She didn't let herself delve in the possibilities too deep, however. She simply couldn't even think about it.

"And," she began, giving a hopeful smile with great effort as she wiped her eyes again, "So you were banished for...?"

"Thievery, from the Mayor of the town, Boldrum himself."

Lya nodded and continued, "You were banished for thievery, and then what happened?"

A warm smile slowly spread across Zachary's muzzle at the question as he looked to Lya with a bright expression. "Then I met Basa," he said, not continuing for a few seconds as he recalled the events of that day, chuckling and shaking his head at the memories, "Probably the best and luckiest day of my life." The leopard stated, sighing before he began telling the story of the friendship of a dragon and an anthro.

With the subject changing to more happy and joyful ones, Zachary went more into detail, making sure to include every little funny conversation or event that happened between the drake and himself. He laughed gleefully on numerous occasions as he recited the tale, Lya laughing along, although still a little shaken from the previous revelations.

He made sure to include a particularly important remark about Basajaun's appetite, which the ocelot could only chuckle and nod at. "Yeah, I kind of noticed that he was a little rounder than normal." She stated with a smile.

Zachary laughed a little nervously as well, hesitating for long moments to continue before giving Lya a sheepish expression. "Well... it's not entirely his fault." He admitted, swallowing when the female next to her raised an eyebrow and cocked her head.

"How so?" she asked curiously, her searching eyes not helping the leopard in the slightest.

"Uh... I kind of... well..." stammering as he tried to find his words, Zachary sighed and relented, "I kind of encouraged him..." He stated with a sheepish smile.

Lya gave an utterly confused expression as she inquired. "Why?"

The leopard shook his head a little, laughing and putting a paw on his forehead. "Honestly, I still don't know," he admitted honestly, looking back to the ocelot, "It's something that I can't... explain. I just... like seeing him eat happily. Does that make any sense?" Lya blinked, looking perplexed and forcing Zachary to continue.

"And he likes it too... so we didn't see anything wrong with it," he said, chuckling a little as he added, "And he makes a really comfortable bed as well! So yeah..." Coughing nervously and clearing his throat, Zachary glanced at Lya, who was looking just as taken aback as before by his statements.

Blinking again as a way of exiting her trance, the ocelot shook her head at Zachary. "I told you calling you all weird was an understatement..." she said, laughing a little, "You're positively and completely bonkers, Zach."

The leopard laughed as well, nodding his head. "I really can't argue with that, Lya," he agreed, looking at the ocelot with a somewhat fearful expression, "I hope this... doesn't freak you out or... you know... I hope it doesn't change anything."

Lya gave the warmest smile she could muster. "Of course not, dummy," she stated, eliciting a massive sigh of relief from Zachary and added, "It just confirms my earlier statements that you're the weirdest person I've ever met... but I... I don't see that as a problem, I mean..." the ocelot chewed on her lips for a second, her gaze shifting between the ground and the leopard, "I don't really care... it doesn't hurt anyone, I guess, and it seems to make you happy, so... I'm not saying I'm for it, but I'm not against it either. Let's just say I acknowledged it and I'm neutral, alright?"

Zachary suddenly embraced the feline next to him, almost squeezing the life out of her as he hugged her. "Gods, you don't know how relieved I'm to hear that, Lya... I was so worried about... this whole thing," he said, finally admitting to himself as well. Confessions weren't exactly easy business, especially when one as many secrets as this particular leopard.

Lya fought bravely for the air, having to tap the feline on his back a couple of times to let him know that he was practically choking her. "Oh, sorry," Zachary apologized with a sheepish tone, pulling away from the embrace and smiling warmly at the ocelot. Suffocating Lya right after the events of today would have been quite big of a disappointment, to say the least.

Taking a few moments to replenish her depleted lungs, she returned the gesture. "It's the least I could do," she said, reaching for Zachary's paw and holding it tenderly, "You accepted who I am... despite my necromancy, I can surely cope with a hobby that apparently makes both you and your friend joyous. We all have our little secrets... and I'm glad you were willing to share yours with me."

"I promised you I would," Zachary replied, squeezing the feline's paw in his gently, "I keep my promises to the people I care about... and I care about you a lot, Lya." The statement came from the bottom of the young anthro's heart. He couldn't have sounded or looked more sincere than he was at the moment.

The ocelot smiled warmly at the remark. "I know you do, and I do too," she said, tapping the leopard's arm with her free hand and giving him an expectant look, "I do think that this wasn't the end of your explanation nor the tale, correct?" Zachary nodded at the question eagerly, more than willing to continue.

The next hour or so was spent with a joyful conversation between the two felines. The leopard continued telling his story, Lya listening very carefully and paying attention to everything Zachary mentioned.

He told her of the day the mercenaries came for him, and how Basajaun saved his life for the second time, as well as their decision to leave Boldrumton completely in search of a new home where they would find peace. Their journey to Plainstead was mostly glossed over, Zachary sometimes courageous enough to mention their dinners with the ravenous dragon and his steadily increasing waistline. Although not completely interested in this particular part, the ocelot listened nonetheless, making sure to make as much fun of Zachary as she could.

When Plainstead came, the leopard's muzzle broke into a wide grin. With that expression plastered on his face, he recited their first arrival at the town, and how they managed to get people to accept Basajaun and look past his appearance. This part of the tale managed to get a smile on Lya's face as well, who could steadily feel herself becoming more and more accepting towards the forest dragon.

He told her of their mission to take Izom down, and its success, as well as the consequences it came with.

"I still have trouble breathing sometimes when I put too much pressure on my lungs," Zachary stated somewhat hesitantly, putting a paw on his chest, "Esmeralda... saved my life, but she couldn't heal my lungs completely, I suppose. But it's not that serious, just a little annoying."

Lya's eyes widened. "You almost died in that encounter?" she asked in disbelief, shaking her head a little.

Zachary nodded with a grimace. "If it hadn't been for Elder Eszes and her biomancy, I would have... most likely died on that day," the thought sent a chill down his spine, and the leopard had to shake his body a little to get the unpleasant feeling and thought out of his mind, "But I didn't... we took Izom down and freed the people of Plainstead with Basa. After that, we were accepted as equals in the town... the people were so kind there. They loved us, and we loved them back."

The memory made the feline smile widely, and it was only broken when he reached the part of his nightmares. He didn't go too much into detail, but told Lya nonetheless about the effects that it had on his body and mind alike, and how he went to Esmeralda for help.

He spoke about the experience with the Elder as they both lived through his life through his memories. The revelation of his father's death and Boldrum's horrible crime was followed by a long silence, Zachary seemingly blacked out as he thought about the dreadful memory for the first time since then. A simple, comforting hug was all he needed from Lya to continue his tale, and eventually move on their decision to leave Plainstead, confront Boldrum and help the people of Boldrumton.

The part about the journey was mostly glossed over once again, Zachary only mentioning the most important aspects of that particular interval and the effects it had on him and the group. When the discovery of his magical abilities were talked about, the leopard smiled warmly at the memory, both happy for the discovery itself and the fact that he couldn't control his magic back then. He would have never come to Centrum if it hadn't been for that, after all. And he wouldn't have met the alluring ocelot he was talking to right now.

"So, we decided to go Centrum to look for a solution... and we're here. Until we're done with our business here, the pig has to wait," he explained, sighing expansively as he finished his tale, "I think... I think that's all. That's why I came here, and that's why we are staying here with the group. I hope the answer was satisfying because I sure as hell won't tell it again!"

Lya chuckled and waved a paw before her gaze fell on the ground, looking lost in thought. "That was... the saddest and at the same time... most beautiful story I've ever heard," she stated quietly, bringing her eyes up to give Zachary a warm smile, "Thank you very much for telling me all that, Zach... I really don't know what to say."

The leopard snorted in amusement. "You don't have to say anything... just... don't go telling everyone who I'm and all my secrets, alright?" he requested, chuckling when Lya nodded her head. Looking around himself for a moment and noticing the hare, Zachary turned back to the ocelot.

"I think we should get this over with and then head back to camp..." the leopard glanced up in the sky, giving a thoughtful expression, "It's getting late, and I don't really want us to stay out here after the daylight's gone."

Nodding and sighing as she stood, Lya made her way to the hare, Zachary joining by her side as the pair began preparing for the necromancy spell. The leopard still felt quite unsure and hesitant about the whole thing, but with the ocelot by his side, he knew there wouldn't be any problems.

As he read through the second half of his spellbook, Basajaun couldn't help but notice that Snowflake seemed to take more of an interest in his activities than usual. The little spirit would insert her own comments on the drake's studies, give advice for certain spells, and in general appeared to want to be a part of the dragon's learning.

Not that he minded; Basajaun found himself quite enjoying the familiar's input, as well as her almost incessant praise over each little accomplishment and learned spell. Snowflake's enthusiasm never seemed to die down, nor did the reptile's enjoyment of her liveliness.

Eventually though, the dragon did begin to wonder what Zachary and Lya were up to. Over an hour had passed since they moved off into the woods, and though he could still smell them and track where they were, he couldn't help but be curious about their activities.

Shaking his head slowly, the dragon closed his book when he began to notice his magic fatigue, not wanting to overly tire himself. Standing up and stretching, the reptile looked to Snowflake with a smile as he set his book aside, the dragon toy that had been embraced under his wing for a long while being set beside the grimoire. "I think I'm going to go out hunting," he stated, nuzzling the spirit's face, "Can you get things ready for dinner? I'm famished!"

As the dragon patted his stomach for emphasis, the familiar nodded smilingly. "Sure, you make sure you get enough for all of us," Snowflake replied as the dragon moved out to the tree line, after a moment adding, "And plenty for yourself, too!"

"You can bet on that!" Basajaun called back as he moved off into the woodlands, his form disappearing in the brush.

Standing and stretching, the spirit flexed her limbs a bit, having to check her balance a few times as she walked bipedally to the group's supply of ingredients. 'Still clumsy,' the familiar thought to herself, 'Maybe I should have gone with a quadruped.'

Shaking her head, Snowflake gathered up a few spices, looking out to where the dragon had entered the woods and sighing. 'How am I going to broach the subject of attraction to him?' she wondered suddenly, the thought almost catching the little dragoness off guard.

"Snowflake, you're overthinking this," the familiar scolded herself, returning to her work, "Let things happen naturally."

Noticing that she had been organizing the same three spices over and over again, Snowflake groaned at her distracted state. 'Pull yourself together,' she ordered in her mind, shaking her head again, 'You'll talk about it when you're back at full dragon size. That way it'll be less awkward.'

Nodding at that idea, the spirit was more able to focus on what she was doing, actually making progress again as she awaited her friends' return.

"Chamaeleon," Basajaun whispered as he watched the herd of deer, his body fading into near invisibility as his coloration shifted to perfectly match his surroundings. With utter silence, the dragon half crawled and half slithered his way over to his prey, the animals remaining blissfully unaware of the danger they were in.

"Exacueret Unguibus," the drake breathed silently, his claws lengthening and sharpening to needle-like points. Drawing some venom from his fangs, the reptile licked the talons of his forelimbs, coating them in neurotoxin.

With imperceptibly slow movements, Basajaun crept ever closer to the herd, until he was within striking distance. Remaining still for several minutes, the dragon's low posture, coloration, and fur all made him look like nothing more than a mound of grass, and that's exactly what the deer regarded him as.

At the right time, the drake suddenly moved in a blur of motion, his fangs sinking into one deer, while his forelimbs each struck into another. The action broke his camouflage spell, but he had done what he needed. Releasing all three deer at once, the reptile watched them sprint off into the forest without worry; his toxin was already in their veins.

While he moved to track his soon to be prey, the dragon held an extremely self-satisfied expression. He was already a good hunter from decades of practice, but with magic on his side now, it was almost too easy. Still, the drake wasn't too disappointed in the lack of a challenge; after all, this wasn't the part of his hunting that he enjoyed most.

Shaking his head with a grin, the dragon found the three deer relatively close together. With merciful swiftness, the reptile dispatched each one, before hooking his kills on his back spines, which protruded slightly from the fur of his back.

With enough meat for the night, Basajaun flickered his tongue, picking up the scents of the herbs and vegetation of the forest. Sauntering calmly along, the deer on his back at first felt a little heavy, until the drake adjusted his musculature to compensate. His suspicions of biomancy being extremely useful had been confirmed before, but its utility in his hunting and gathering only solidified this fact in the reptile's mind further.

The dragon's enthusiasm for his newfound talent was only bolstered by the thought of having a teacher come out to help him learn. As willing as Snowflake was to teach the drake, her knowledge on biomancy wasn't quite as thorough as he needed from an instructor, though he did appreciate her efforts. This also meant that the dragon would be able to meet someone new, which he had come to enjoy experiencing.

With his cheerful thoughts and satisfied grin, the reptile continued his search, gathering up any edibles he came across.

"Are you alright, Zach?"

Zachary nodded his head. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His paw on the cold hare's body never left, although it took the young anthro great effort and willpower to keep it there. Accepting necromancy was one thing, casting it was entirely different.

Lya watched him with concern, her searching gaze scanning the leopard's face as his eyes were closed. Obvious hesitation and uncertainty danced across his gestures and posture. He really didn't want to do this.

The thought saddened the ocelot more than she cared to admit, but she kept her sorrow to herself for now. She knew perfectly well how hard it was to attempt necromancy for the first time. It wasn't pleasant, it never was, not even for Lya.

Exhaling loudly and opening his eyes, Zachary reached his other paw to a nearby flower. The tiny, white petals of the simple plant swayed gently back and forth in the light breeze, the amber globe in its centre holding them together as if it were their mother. Its emerald body held the bloom proudly in the air, seemingly paying no heed to the light wind that threatened to tilt the tiny flower over.

The leopard's paw stopped in the motion, uncertain. His eyes kept observing the puny life form sprouting stubbornly from the ground. As he watched, Zachary couldn't help but think of one thing; Life radiated from this flower, and he was going to be the end of this tiny being's life.

Sighing, he relented. He had promised Talib that he would do his assignment, and as his gaze drifted to Lya's hopeful eyes and encouraging, although hesitant smile, Zachary knew there was no other choice. He was going to do it, no matter what.

In a single motion, the leopard laid his paw around the green stem of the blossom, while the other remained on the unmoving hare's lifeless corpse. He closed his eyes once more, although this time, he showed no hesitation.

Painfully long seconds passed in silence as Zachary remained still, his breathing almost unhearable as he concentrated. Lya didn't move a single muscle either, simply standing some distance away from the leopard with her paws clutched tightly against her chest.

The light breeze rustled the petals of the flower for the last time.

Zachary opened his eyes. Almost immediately, the blossom seemed to slowly change. It began losing its lively coloration, brown and the blackness of death taking its place across its entirety. It fought bravely and stubbornly, almost to the point where the leopard could hear its silent screams of help for life.

Yet, no matter how much it wanted to survive, the tiny flower withered away. Its colorless, shapeless, broken form sunk to the ground in defeat, unmoving.

It was dead. Nothing but a hollow corpse of a former blooming life form, that wasn't sentient, but living nonetheless.

Zachary breathed with regret, his gaze stuck on the remains of the flower. Although just a simple plant, it was a part of nature, something that the leopard held closely to his heart. It was important to him. He loved nature, and yet... he just ended the life of something that was an integral part of it. He knew it wa--.

A voice.

A tiny, barely audible voice echoed in Zachary's brain. He glanced around him in confusion, his paws still on both corpses. For long moments, silence fell on both outside and inside his mind, the sky seeming to darken as a pesky cloud blocked the sun's basking rays of light.

Sobbing.

The leopard closed his eyes, shaking his head a little. What was going on? Why was he hearing voices and crying in his mind? It couldn't have been Snowflake, could it? She stayed with Basajaun back in the camp, and the spirit cou...

Zachary's train of thought stopped, his grip on the lifeless corpse of the flower tightening. He breathed raggedly as the realization hit him.

'The spirit of the flower...' When the statement formed in his brain, the leopard opened his eyes, glancing at the remains of the blossom with regret and sorrow.

Anger. A question. Accusation. Crying.

The spirit's soul remained strongly present in Zachary's brain, its quiet sobbing for the unfairness of its death sending a chill down the leopard's spine. He knew from the instructions of his necromancy book how the spell worked and what had to be used to animate the dead, but... he wasn't prepared for this. He didn't want to, he didn't mean to. He never wanted to kill the spirit of the flower, and yet, that's exactly what he had done.

'I'm sorry.'

Silence. Understanding. Forgiveness.

Sighing in misery and tearing his eyes away from the withered plant, Zachary brought his attention to the hare's body. He swallowed, breathing deeply as he concentrated once more.

A single green spark seemed to form on top of his finger, dancing across the leopard's hand for a moment playfully. The image tightened the leopard's already aching heart as he watched the former flower spirit play on his paw. It was so fragile, innocent, peaceful, forgiving and pure. He couldn't watch it anymore.

He closed his eyes and cast the spell in his mind.

The emerald light vanished into the corpse of the hare. The voice from his head left along with it, a final shriek slowly and steadily quieting until it was lost to the leopard.

Zachary could feel himself filling with regret as the spirit's soul connected with the dead hare's cold body. He waited patiently and silently as the process played out in front of his eyes, for long moments wondering just how Lya was able to do this without becoming an emotional wreck. The painful scream of the flower spirit echoed restlessly in his mind the whole time. He felt horrible.

After a minute, the hare's hind leg began twitching gently. Both felines watched with unreadable expressions as the corpse opened its eyes.

They were green.

Zachary almost instantly recognized the familiar color. He knew it was the flower spirit, and for just a moment, he could see agony dancing in the hare's eyes as it looked at him. He had to look away. He couldn't watch the flower spirit's searching gaze.

The corpse slowly managed to stand up on shaky legs. When the process was fully done, it simply stood in place like a statue. It didn't breathe, didn't blink or swallow. It just stood there, unmoving.

The leopard sighed as he observed the result of his first, and most likely the last, successful necromancy spell. The sight filled his heart with misery, remorse and anguish. He simply stared with regret at the corpse as it stood for long moments.

When he noticed a paw on his shoulder, Zachary glanced behind him slowly. He saw Lya's sympathetic and understanding expression, the single gesture enough to hold back the forces of sorrow with a great deal.

"You did excellent," she said quietly, "Now call it off. You've casted the spell flawlessly, let it go, Zach."

The leopard slowly nodded his head, extending his paw towards the hare's head and closing his eyes. After only a second, the green light from the corpse's eyes faded away, its body collapsing on the ground as if nothing had happened.

Zachary sighed, watching the lifeless remains for long moments when Lya's arms suddenly wrapped around his body from behind. His heart skipped a beat at the gesture.

"It's okay," she whispered, the leopard sniffling as she held him and spoke softly, "I know, Zach... I know. I'm here, don't worry... I'm here."

Not much later, the two felines were on their way back to the camp. Lya held the hare by its ears in her paw, Zachary walking alongside her with slow steps. His gaze fell on the ground as he walked. He really wasn't feeling very cheerful at the moment.

"Have you..." the leopard began, finally looking up at Lya for the first time in minutes, "Have you ever heard... a spirit's voice while casting a necromancy spell?"

Lya sighed, nodding. "Once," she said, giving Zachary a comforting stroke on his shoulder, "When I was little... it was perhaps my third attempt at animating a corpse. I used a... beautiful flower for source," the ocelot stopped talking for a moment, shaking her head a little before continuing, "When I heard the voice, I had to stop... I just... I couldn't listen to it. I have no idea what it was trying to tell me, but it was angry at me... confused and scared. I didn't even think of necromancy after that for months..."

Zachary took Lya's paw in his. "I'm sorry Lya..." he said sincerely, eliciting a nod from the ocelot as the two continued walking next to the each other, their hands intertwined, "I can only imagine how hard it is for you..."

"It's certainly not pleasant..." Lya replied. The statement felt the leopard with an odd sort of relief. Somehow those words were able to calm his mind more than anything at the moment.

The way back to the camp was spent in relative silence, both felines not quite on top of the world. Zachary simply searched for comfort in his surroundings, the forest around him. And although at first the tall trees and dense bushes were a marvel to look at, after a while the leopard couldn't help but feel like they were... judging him for his actions. Accusing him, questioning him... hating him.

He spent the rest of the way looking at the ground. And by the time they arrived, the sun began retreating towards the horizon, its final rays of light spreading across the blue sky as evening approached swiftly.

"Hey, we're back." Zachary announced as the pair reached the edge of the clearing. He held his bow low next to his body, while the other paw held Lya's hand stubbornly. He didn't want to let go. It felt comforting and nice, especially after what happened.

Basajaun was absent from the clearing, though Snowflake looked over to the pair as they exited the brush, giving them a warm smile and a friendly wave. Moving over to the felines, she offered Zachary his necklace, waiting for him to put it one before speaking. "Welcome back, did everything work out?" she asked, smiling towards Zachary and Lya both.

The leopard's gaze fell on the ground after he took the necklace, putting it back around his neck slowly. He couldn't answer, his mind filled with the scream of the spirit he had... killed.

For long moments, he couldn't look at Snowflake. It felt like he had just ended the life of the ice spirit's distant relative. The thought twisted his stomach. He felt sickened by himself, disgusted, even. He never wanted to do something like this to an innocent life form, and yet, that's exactly what he had done. There were no excuses, and he knew that perfectly well.

Swallowing, Zachary attempted to gather his voice, when Lya's own soft tone whispered in his ear. "What did she just say?" she asked, sounding unsure and confused.

The question actually managed to draw a small smile on the leopard's muzzle. He looked at the ocelot, his expression a little brightened. "She asked how the assignment went," he informed the female next to her, sighing and tightening his grip on her paw.

Lya nodded with a soft smile, turning back to Snowflake. "He did excellent," she stated, squeezing Zachary's arm as well, "He casted the spell perfectly... I'll make sure to tell Talib how flawless his execution was." The sentence provided a marginal amount of comfort to the male feline's heart, although the feeling of regret never left.

He glanced back to Snowflake, giving her an apologetic expression as he stared in her blue crystal eyes. There were no words needed, the soul link developing between the two friends was enough to transmit Zachary's feelings; the regret and disdain at himself that were dominating his emotions. Somehow, he felt like apologizing to the ice spirit for... killing another of her kind was the only right thing he could do at the moment.

The spirit could feel the leopard's internal struggle herself. Beckoning to the leopard until he leaned down slightly, the little dragoness suddenly hugged Zachary tightly. She could still feel the leftover traces of the necromancy spell on the feline, but she disregarded the unpleasant sensation in order to comfort her friend.

"I don't hate you," she said adamantly, her grip on the leopard's chest almost painfully strong, "You did what you had to do to learn. It's okay, Hunter... it's okay."

Zachary's bow fell to the ground, for just a moment his paw letting go of Lya's as he hugged back the familiar with all his might. He had to hold back his tears, and he succeeded, although with great effort. He collapsed on his knees, resting his head on Snowflake's shoulder.

"I... I could hear it scream," he whispered, "I can't... I can't get it out of my head, Snowflake..." his words died down as his voice trembled, closing his eyes and pushing his head as close to the spirit's body as he could. For long moments, Zachary didn't continue, simply relishing the feeling of comfort. He really needed it.

Exhaling raggedly, he opened his eyes. "It forgave me," he said, shaking his head a little, "I... ended its life, and it forgave me."

Lya observed the embracing pair silently, holding her paws in front of her body. She knew perfectly well from Zachary that he needed this right now, and he couldn't get it from anyone else than one of his friends. Somewhere deep down, she really hoped she would be able to provide that to the leopard some day.

After a moment, Snowflake withdrew slightly, lifting up Zachary's face to look into his eyes. "It's easier for a spirit to accept death than a mortal," she said, giving a small smile, "A lot of us have already experienced it. When a spirit dies, we can come back, if we try hard enough and for long enough. That spirit knew that. When it was in your mind, it could tell that you were truly sorry. It knew you were only doing what you had to do. So it forgave you. And I do too, Hunter."

A massive wave of relief washed through Zachary's harboring emotions upon hearing Snowflake's words. He felt relieved both for the revelation, and the ice spirit's willingness to forgive him.

"Thank you." He said simply with a sniffle, pulling away and breathing deeply to recollect himself. Although the horrible feeling of regret didn't leave completely, the comfort the familiar provided helped the young anthro a great deal.

Lya cleared her throat to get the pair's attention. "I... uh..." she began, glancing around and cocking her head a little at Snowflake as she asked, "Where's the dra-- Basajaun? I... I want to talk to him."

The spirit pointed out to the woods. "He's hunting and gathering food for us," she informed the ocelot, waiting for Zachary to translate for her before looking into Lya's eyes.

Heaving a sigh, the spirit moved over to the librarian and gave her a friendly smile. "Necromancers and spirits are supposed to be mortal enemies, you know," Snowflake stated, knowing that Lya was probably already aware of this, "But... I believe that any tool or skill can be used for the greater good. I won't lie; black magic makes me sick when I see it. But as long as it's used for a good cause, I can accept it."

The familiar extended her hand to Lya. "So, can we move past this difference, and be friends?" the dragoness asked simply, cocking her head with a wide smile.

The ocelot regarded the spirit's hand with wide eyes, swallowing as she moved her paw hesitantly towards Snowflake's. "I thought..." she began, for the first time showing a truly worried and unsure expression on her face, "I thought you'd hate me... When I learned you were a spirit... I..." Lya took a deep breath, shaking her head. This wasn't the time to get emotional.

She grabbed the dragoness' paw, still somewhat hesitant. "I would gladly be your... friend, if you're willing to accept me and my... school of magic." The ocelot gave Snowflake a small smile and looked at her hopefully.

Zachary found himself smiling warmly as well, the scene he was witnessing currently overwhelming the sorrow he felt for his actions. He really hoped Lya and his friends would get along, and judging by how things were advancing, there was a high chance of that happening.

"Just try to avoid using it around me, if you can," Snowflake requested with a sheepish grin, "And we'll get along just fine. I hope that doesn't sound judgmental; I really do want to be friends."

Lya shook her head slowly, taking her paw and hugging herself with both of her arms, as if protecting herself from the world itself. "I... I try to avoid using it as much as I can myself," she stated quietly, looking out in the forest, "Believe it or not... I do not enjoy it. It is not pleasant, and I..." the ocelot paused for a second, swallowing the lump in her throat before continuing, "I'm... asham--"

"Don't say that," Zachary's voice came sternly from the ground, the leopard standing up quickly and giving Lya a concerned and serious expression, "It's not your fault, Lya... you can't possibly blame yourself for that. Stop beating yourself, please..." The ocelot glanced back to the leopard, her eyes will with evident uncertainty and years of regret.

He simply smiled back, walking to Lya and putting a paw on her shoulder. "We've both accepted your for who you are," he said with a soft tone, gesturing with his head towards Snowflake, "Now... now it's time for you to do the same. Accept who you are, Lya. I know... that it's hard, but I'm he-- we are here for you."

The ocelot remained unmoving for long moments, looking lost in thought as she closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she opened them again, this time massive amount of relief and gratitude dancing in them brilliantly. She suddenly extended her arms, giving Zachary a warm hug as she rested her head on his shoulder. The leopard simply returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around Lya.

After a moment, Snowflake tugged softly on the ocelot's dress and the leopard's pants, giving a smile. "Mind if I join in this hug?" she asked, reaching her arms up cutely.

Both felines glanced down at the puny dragoness with joyful chuckles, kneeling down and extending an arm each to pull Snowflake in a hug. With a mischievous smile on his face, Zachary stood up, forcing both Lya and the spirit to do the same, the latter's legs dangling in the air adorably as her wings fluttered in surprise.

"Zach, what ar--" Lya began to ask, when the leopard started spinning around in a circle. At first stumbling a little, the ocelot was able to pick up the pace and join in with the sudden and unexpected motion. The three friends spun around in the middle of the clearing, their joyful laughter echoing throughout the forest that surrounded them.

For a second, Lya doubted she would ever want this moment to end. Sure, she had friends back at the college, but none of them were as close to her heart as the two individuals she was hugging right now. The thought surprised her greatly, given that while she knew her classmates for years, she had only met Zachary and Snowflake very recently. But that didn't make her feelings any different. In a long time, she felt truly... happy.

As the trio spun in their embrace, Basajaun appeared from the forest undergrowth, carrying two deer hooked to his back, one deer under his right wing, and a variety of greens under his left wing. About to announce his presence, the drake looked over to the three hugging, spinning creatures with a quizzical expression.

"Well now, a group hug I wasn't invited to!" he observed in a tone of mock disappointment as he moved to put the food he gathered near the fire, "Suddenly I regret not being here when you two got back." Grinning to let them know he wasn't serious, the dragon asked, "So I take it your assignments went well?"

At the question, Zachary stopped moving almost immediately, not thinking what the consequences of his action might be. A grave mistake.

Lya's leg collided with the leopard's stationary one, the ocelot letting out a yelp of surprise as she lost her balance completely. Grabbing to the only object in her paws, namely Snowflake, the ocelot fell to the ground, landing on her back with an ungraceful thud as she clutched the tiny dragoness close to her body. She gave a shallow groan as she lay on the ground, her arms wrapped around Snowflake.

Meanwhile, Zachary was still standing, apparently unaffected by the collision whatsoever. He look at the ground with an unreadable expression on his face, before his gaze slowly settled on Lya's collapsed form on the grass. His eyes widened fearfully, tucking his tail between his legs and lowering his ears to his head. He gave a nervous chuckle as he observed the results of the accident.

"I'm... going to... kill you..." Lya moaned and hissed at the same time, finally letting go of the familiar's tiny body and simply lying down on the grass.

The leopard visibly shrunk at the threat, fiddling with his paws for a little while. "I... uh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, Lya..." he apologized, his voice sincere. Unfortunately, the ocelot wasn't having any of it.

"Still going to kill you!" She reiterated, her voice more forceful this time. Zachary yelped, almost seeming to tremble as he slowly inched closer to Lya's lying form. He sat down hesitantly, pouting and fluttering his eyes to her. The gesture seemed to work, as the ocelot let out a chuckle and swatted playfully at the leopard's nose.

"Dummy." She remarked, giving Zachary a small smile and watching as he returned the gesture.

Laughing a bit, Snowflake stood up from the ground. "I don't think spinning hugs would work with you, Forest!" she giggled, shaking her head.

"Hey, a dragon can dream, can't he?" Basajaun whined, before smiling to Lya and Zachary. "What were you two doing out in the woods?" he asked curiously, moving over to the group once he unloaded all that he'd gathered, "You were gone for quite a bit."

The leopard hesitated for a moment at the dragon's question, before he sighed and turned to Basajaun. "Well, we ta--"

"It's private matter," Lya cut Zachary off as quickly as she could, sitting up with a groan and giving the leopard a death stare for her injuries, which he regarded with a terrified expression, before turning to the reptile, "Let's just say that... we got to know each other a little better," she gave a warm smile to the dragon and Snowflake both, "And I got to know you all a little better too."

Suddenly, the ocelot stood up and walked to Basajaun without hesitation in her movements. Stopping in front of the dragon, she turned to face him, looking up at the much bigger creature with evident resolution in her eyes. "You said physical contact might help my situation, right?" she asked, almost immediately embracing as much of the dragon's body as her tiny arms could reach when he nodded.

"That's for being there for Zach in need," she stated curtly, still not pulling away from the hug, "He... told me everything. I know what you've done, and I... I want to apologize for my behavior earlier. You... you really deserve to be accepted." Zachary watched with widened eyes as Lya stayed in the embrace for long moments, blinking a little before a relieved and warm smile spread across his muzzle. This is what he wanted to see.

With a relieved smile of his own, Basajaun hugged the ocelot back gently. "Thank you," he said quietly, a grateful tone to his voice, "That's... what I hoped you'd say." The dragon held Lya for a while, not wanting to be the one to break the embrace. His love for finding acceptance was obvious for anyone to see. As the pair embraced, Snowflake moved to the food that the drake had brought, beginning to prepare it for a meal.

Lya finally pulled away after a moment, although she was somewhat hesitant to do so. The dragon's softness and plushness was rather nice to the touch, she had to admit.

With a warm smile on her face, the ocelot took some steps back from Basajaun. This time, however, it wasn't because she was afraid of him. She felt no fear anymore as he looked at the drake, a realization that surprised even her.

"Alright," she began, clapping her paws and chuckling as she glanced to Snowflake and Zachary and added, "That was quite enough emotional experience and constant hugging for today, I think."

The leopard laughed joyfully at the comment, waving a paw. "Yeah... we tend to have a lot of those," he explained, giving Lya a warm smile, "We've managed to create a group with the weirdest personalities and a lot of problems, so I'm not even surprised anymore, to be honest."

Lya nodded at Zachary's statement, giving him a knowing look. "Now I can actually understand what you all have been through..." she sighed, shaking her head, "My necromancy problem is nothing compared to yours, to say the least. I wonder... how you're not constantly... you know."

The leopard grinned. "We're weird like that, you said it yourself." He stated, eliciting a chuckle from Lya and another nod.

Basajaun blinked for a moment. "What necromancy problem?" he asked, cocking his head slightly.

Lya tensed a little at the question, giving Zachary an uncertain expression. The leopard simply smiled back, waving a paw as he turned to Basajaun. "Lya is a..." he began, shooting a glance to the ocelot and only continuing when she nodded, "She's a necromancer, Basa. And... as of today, I... I kind of am too."

The dragon looked between the pair for a moment in confusion. "Is that bad?" he asked, "It's just another school of magic, isn't it? From what I read, it sounds like a pretty useful field of magic, though it's a bit on the dark side. But that just means it needs to be used responsibly."

Lya blinked, opening and closing her mouth at the dragon's words for long moments before she began laughing and shaking her head. "I've... I've never heard anyone react to my biggest secret this way," she informed, snorting in amusement, "I... I think we'll get along just fine, kind dragon. You seem to be more accepting than most people I know. I value that trait a lot, and you can expect the same from me." The ocelot's words were evidently sincere as she stared deeply in the drake's eyes, obvious gratitude and relief glimmering in her gaze.

Basajaun laughed out loud. "I have to have others look past the fact that I'm a Gods damned dragon to make friends," he chuckled, shaking his head, "Accepting people's differences is kind of what I do, Lya. But I'm still a bit confused as to why your school of magic is a secret. Can I ask why that is?"

"I... Er..." Lya stammered at the request, clearing her throat and suddenly looking a little uncomfortable. Noticing that almost immediately, Zachary was quick to come to her rescue.

"Anthros can be very narrow-minded, Basa," he began, knowing perfectly well that the dragon was aware of this, "They aren't as accepting to people who are different from them as you are. They... like to judge others by their faintest of traits or talents," the leopard sighed, shaking his head, "Even the ones that we cannot control or choose, like Lya's talent in necromancy."

"People view necromancers as freaks," Lya's voice came out of nowhere, sounding a little more forceful and angry than she intended, "They think we are... some kind of monsters that enjoy killing innocent spirits and... playing around with lifeless corpses like toys," the ocelot furrowed her brows, glaring at the ground under her, "But I'm not like that, I know I'm not... I'm really sure I'm not... I don't want to be like that.... ever."

Zachary suddenly stood up from the ground, taking the ocelot's paw with a smile and forcing her to sit down next to him on the grass. "You're nothing like they say, Lya," he assured the feline, squeezing her paw, "The stereotypes about necromancers do not apply to you at all, and we all know that. You're not a monster, nor a freak... don't say that." Lya slowly turned to the leopard, nodding her head with a small smile and wiping something from her eyes.

The dragon looked at Lya with an inscrutable expression for a moment. "A monster..." he thought out loud, before smiling to the ocelot, "Lya, you might just be the first person that I've met that knows what that's like. It looks like we have something in common."

Looking over from her spot near the fire as she began cooking, Snowflake gestured towards Lya. "Will you be staying for dinner?" she asked with an inviting smile, Basajaun translating for her.

Blinking at the question and glancing up at the sky, Lya's eyes widened as she noticed how late it was. "I... uh... I think I should really get go--"

"Of course she will!" Zachary replied in place of the ocelot enthusiastically, the latter giving him a death stare that threatened to drill holes in his soul. The leopard was quick to quiet himself, whimpering as he sunk to the ground. He looked up at Lya almost pleadingly, not really pleased with letting the ocelot go home just now. "But... but will you stay? Just for a little while, please?" He fluttered his eyes, pouting as well and showing perhaps for the first time to the librarian how good he could act when the situation called for it.

Lya sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine," she relented, a mischievous smile spreading across her muzzle as she continued, "Although I don't really get your eagerness to keep me here, you said yourself in the forest that you like to keep your little dinners with your friend private, if possible."

Zachary blinked at the statement, sinking even lower to the ground as a crimson blush appeared on his cheeks. "Well... I..." he attempted to explain, but soon found that he simply had nothing to offer. He glanced to Basajaun, giving him an expectant and uncertain look.

The dragon looked over to Zachary with a look of mild disbelief. "You told her about our dinners?" he asked, though not in an accusing tone. He was more surprised that the leopard had admitted the hobby on his own.

Turning his gaze to Lya, the dragon smiled. "I don't mind having you here," he stated with a nod, "We could have a normal dinner and just talk like a regular group of friends, you know? Or if Zachary's feeling brave, you could see how our dinners usually go. I'm fine with both."

The ocelot seemed to consider the offer for a while, pursing her lips with an uncertain expression on her face. After a moment, however, she simply shrugged, giving Basajaun a small smile before turning to Zachary. "I've already been through a lot of surprises today," she stated, chuckling lightly, "I guess another one wouldn't hurt... but it's your choice, Zach."

The leopard in question looked up at Lya, hesitating. Telling her about their dinners with the dragon was one thing, actually showing it to her was a whole other. Crossing his legs under him and putting his paws on his knees, Zachary's gaze fell on the ground. "Are you..." he began, swallowing and not looking up from the mildly intriguing view the grass provided as he asked, "Are you interested in seeing it, Lya?"

The ocelot cocked an eyebrow and shrugged again, proceeding to answer verbally when she realized the gesture would go unnoticed by the leopard. "I don't really know what I would be interested in seeing, you know," she explained, Zachary raising his gaze to look at her with a cocked head, "You didn't really go into detail about the dinners with Basajaun, only mentioning that you 'encouraged' and 'helped' him. I don't know exactly what that means." Lya gave the sitting feline a quizzical look, folding her arms below her chest as if expecting an explanation.

Zachary furrowed his brows, turning away from the ocelot and murmuring something under his breath that was lost to everyone else except him. He shook his head and sighed, deciding to throw caution to the wind.

"Well... I..." he started, clearing his throat and gathering both his voice and proper words, "Basa... we... started, Er... he asked me..." Zachary showed obvious struggle to blurt out the sentence, the crimson blush on his cheeks an evident sign of his awkwardness. He didn't continue for long moments, simply staring at the ground until the point where Lya actually believed he had become a statue. She was about to make a remark, when he suddenly looked up and finally built up the courage to confess.

"I... feed him by hand during our dinners."

Lya blinked. She stared at the leopard with an unreadable expression on her face for long moments, before she turned to Basajaun and did the same. She repeated the motion a couple of times, her mouth opening and closing through the whole time as she processed the information. She knew she liked Zachary... very much, actually, but the leopard's constant weirdness was something she was still struggling to get used to.

The leopard looked at Lya with a worried expression, terrified to think that he had ruined his chance with the librarian. "Lya... I..."

The ocelot held up a paw, silencing him and closing her eyes. "So," she began after a while, looking at Zachary, "First of all, you're still weird," she stated, the leopard blinking at the remark before she turned to Basajaun, "And you've just become equally weird. But..." Lya sighed and shook her head, a small smile crossing her muzzle, "I'm weird too, so I'm more than willing to... you know... accept your hobbies and customs. After all, you all have accepted me, the least I can do is return the favor."

The statement caused Zachary to heave a sigh of relief, a wide grin parting his maw as he looked at Lya. "So... you do wa--"

The ocelot held up a finger, silencing the leopard once more who could only furrow his brows and pout at being told to shut his mouth for the umpteenth time. "I have one question," she began, turning to Basajaun with a cocked eyebrow and a smile of amusement, "Why?" When Zachary was about to answer, Lya silenced him with a wave of her paw again, her gaze not leaving the dragon's face. It was obvious that she wanted to hear the answer from him.

The dragon had a much less hesitant expression at the question. "I'm a predator," he said simply, pointing to the deer he had taken down, "And an apex predator, at that. I enjoy being able to have my fill of whatever I can catch. As intelligent as I am, I tend to enjoy simple pleasures the most; namely food, company, and pleasant sensations."

"And for me, this," the dragon ran his forelimb across the curvature of his furry form, "Is a very pleasant sensation. I know it probably seems odd to others, but honestly, I stopped caring about that awhile ago. Snowflake, Zachary, and I all enjoy this softness, so that's all that matters to me." The words elicited a nod from the spirit mentioned as she continued to prepare dinner, her gaze periodically moving to the mortals as they discussed this issue.

Finished with his explanation, the dragon looked between the pair of felines with a smile, apparently completely unashamed and even proud of this lifestyle now.

Lya looked at the dragon with a grimace for long moments, narrowing her eyes as she turned to Zachary and asked. "Do you really enjoy his... uh..." she pointed a finger at Basajaun's fattened form, not having to explain any further.

Zachary's body stiffened, his rapid and perplexed blinking the only movement coming from his part. When he was done with his temporary black-out, the leopard hesitantly nodded his head, watching carefully as the ocelot raised an eyebrow and gave him a surprised expression.

"Huh," she voiced, tapping a finger on her lips while her gaze shifted between the drake and Zachary, "I see." With that simple and unexpected answer, Lya walked to Basajaun without any hesitation, looking up at the dragon with a warm smile. "Alright, I'll bite. May I... have a look at it?" she asked, Zachary's jaw nearly dropping to the ground and his eyes popping out of their sockets as she stared at the librarian in disbelief. Did she really just ask that?

The dragon smiled again at the request. "Absolutely, but this isn't my full size, per se," he stated, patting his stomach, "So if you want the full experience; Pinguesco."

At Basajaun's spell, his form rounded out further, the drake sitting up on his haunches to let his girth expand unimpeded to its full, more than seven foot depth. Humming quietly in approval at the feeling, the dragon patted his belly invitingly. "Go ahead, see what you think," he said grinningly, already running a paw across the plush surface himself.

Lya's eyes widened in surprise as she took in the dragon's form, more than surprised to see him at his 'Full size'. She peered over the hill of pudge in disbelief, observing it at every angle as she walked around the drake.

"Well," she began in an unexpectedly impressed tone, stopping in front of Basajaun with a teasing smile, "And here I thought you were... hefty before," she gestured towards the extra pudge that coated the dragon's form, chuckling a little, "That's quite a lot of baggage... I gotta admit. Can you even... walk like this?"

As she waited for the drake to answer, Lya stepped closer to the reptile's gut as it spilled out on the ground, hesitantly poking it with a finger and expecting some sort of resistance against it as usual. Zachary watched with a curious expression, leaning slightly towards the librarian's direction and trying to observe as much as he could.

When the ocelot touched the drake's belly, not even the slightest of push came against her finger as it simply sunk first in Basajaun's fur, and then to his flab. For a moment, Lya couldn't decide what to think of the feeling, simply pulling her finger out and looking at it in disbelief. Calling Basajaun hefty was a massive understatement. He was definitely obese, another trait she would have never expected a dragon to possess.

"I can still walk, though not that fast," the dragon admitted, giggling a little as the ocelot probed his middle, "Thankfully I have biomancy to adjust my weight as needed, so walking isn't a problem for me at all."

Basajaun looked to Lya's expression as she withdrew from him, cocking his head slightly. "So, what do you think?" he asked curiously, his own paws still idly enjoying his body's texture, "Soft and cuddly, right?"

The ocelot gave a thoughtful expression for a moment, putting a finger under her chin as she observed the fat creature in front of her. "Can't argue with that, I suppose," she replied with a flat tone, humming under her breath as she turned to Zachary and asked, "You said he was a comfortable bed, right?"

The leopard slowly nodded his head, not even drawing a breath and simply staring at Lya with a hopeful expression plastered on his face.

"So... you sleep on Basajaun," her tone was unusually cold and observant, her gaze falling to the ground as she considered her own statement for a moment, "Alright." She said simply, not able to keep her amusement inside anymore as she began snickering at first, which soon advanced into giggling before it became a joyful laughter that echoed throughout the whole clearing.

Zachary raised an eyebrow at the spectacle, cocking his head a little. "What's so funny?" He asked innocently, lowering his ears to his head.

Lya simply couldn't answer as she fought against the forces of joy, waving a paw at the leopard's question and clutching her sides. She could feel them starting to hurt from all the fun she was having.

The sitting feline snorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest and narrowing his eyes at the librarian. "So what if I do?" He inquired in an almost hurt tone, which only increased the intensity of Lya's laughter. Zachary furrowed his brows, muttering something under his breath about the ocelot that wasn't exactly a compliment.

It took Lya a minute or so to suppress her laughter, although her tittering never left as she wiped joyful tears from her eyes. She turned to the leopard, shaking her head. "Weird doesn't justify you, Zach," she stated in an amused voice, "I don't know what you are, but I have to admit, you amuse me."

"I'm a leopard, that's what I am," Zachary replied swiftly, the sentence eliciting another series of chuckling from Lya. The formerly declared leopard growled quietly, attempting his own death stare at the ocelot. Suddenly she didn't appear as comforting as she was back in the forest.

"As for your question," Lya began after she was able to recollect herself, giving Zachary a wink, which surprised the feline more than he expected, before turning to Basajaun, "It felt soft... for sure, but I don't really know what to think of it. I mean... it's not what I'm used to seeing, you know." She stated with a small smile, the thought that the dragon probably knew nothing about how weight was viewed among the civilized races never crossing her mind.

The dragon nodded. "Well, that's fine," he replied without any disappointment, "I didn't know what to think of it at first, either, to be truthful. But then it grew on me!"

Laughing at his own joke, along with Snowflake, who had been unusually quiet, Basajaun shook his head as he rolled onto his feet. "But really, this is a big part of this group's pastimes," the drake stated, before pointing over to Esmeralda's tent, "With the exception of Elder Eszes. I'm not really sure what she thinks of it at all. But that's nothing new; I'm not ever sure what she's thinking."

Lya watched with a quizzical look as the dragon's body wobbled back and forth from just simply rolling to his feet. The image wasn't unpleasant, nor appealing, it was simply something novel she had never seen before, and never expected of witnessing, especially from a dragon.

"I can kinda see where you're coming from," she said after a while, cocking her head at Basajaun as she asked, "But isn't it tiring carrying all that around? I mean... I can only imagine how heavy it mu--" Stopping herself in the last moment, Lya smiled sheepishly as she fiddled around with her paws, "I-I'm sorry, didn't mean to be impolite." She apologized, her tone sincere while Zachary got up from his spot and started walking towards her.

Basajaun looked over to the leopard as he moved. "Did you tell her about the iron bars incident?" he asked, before turning his gaze to Lya, "I don't feel too weighed down by all of this; I'm quite strong, as my friends have seen on occasion."

Snowflake sat down as she finished preparing dinner, fanning the scents over to the rest of the group with her wings. She didn't want to interrupt the conversation, but she did want the others to know that dinner was ready.

Lya nodded in acknowledgement, giving Basajaun a sincerely impressed expression. "Well, in that case, I don't see anything wrong with it," she stated with a small smile, turning around when she heard Zachary's sigh of relief. She cocked her head a little, giving the leopard a pat on the head when he arrived next to her.

"It doesn't hurt anyone," the ocelot continued in a soft tone, scratching the feline's ear a little and giggling joyfully when he began purring quietly, "And it seems to make this dummy here, and the rest of you, happy. As long as that's how you all feel, I don't think it's that big of a deal. I'm not saying I'm all about it, I'm just... as accepting as I can possibly be."

Lya smiled warmly at Zachary, an obvious attempt to show her gratitude for achieving her own acceptance. She truly felt like she could be a part of something for the first time without having to worry about being rejected or hated by others because of who she was. That was an opportunity and a chance she simply couldn't miss.

Pulling her paw away, to the leopard's utter disappointment, Lya attempted to continue when the sudden alluring aroma made its way in her sensitive nose. The ocelot blinked at the unexpected scent for a moment, before she began searching frantically for its source by whipping her head in every possible direction. Eventually, her gaze settled on Snowflake and the possible dinner. Judging by its fragrance, the spirit was a hell of a cook.

Zachary noticed that their food was ready right after Lya, a wide smile spreading across his muzzle as he took the ocelot's paw and quickly began walking towards Snowflake. "Now you'll see why Basa has no objections when it comes to our dinners." He stated joyfully, a more than confused ocelot simply nodding her head behind him as she was dragged.

Already shifting his not-insignificant heft over to the fire, Basajaun settled himself on his side, his broad middle splaying out in front of him in all its glory. The dragon's tongue was flickering frantically to pick up the scents and flavors of Snowflakes cooking, the little dragoness standing and bringing their guest the first serving.

"Venison stew with hare," the spirit said, Basajaun translating for her around his tongue's eager motions, the familiar handing the bowl to Lya with a happy smile, "I'm the group's cook, by the way. I hope you enjoy it!"

"I'm sure I will, thank you" Lya replied with a warm smile, taking the bowl from the spirit and holding it in front of her somewhat hesitantly. She glanced around for a second, her eyes widening when she looked at the leopard next to her.

Zachary held his own bowl in his paws, although the edge of said object was already in contact with his mouth as he happily, and quite oblivious to his audience, slurped up the stew eagerly. Taking just a second to breath, the leopard let out a satisfied moan, giving Snowflake an approving thumbs up before she noticed Lya's expression and cocked his head in confusion.

The ocelot was about to point out the fact that Zachary wasn't using any tableware while eating. Having been raised in a family where table manners were expected at meals, Lya practically had to stop herself from scolding the leopard for behaving this way. Instead, she simply waved a paw and smiled warmly at him, gesturing with her head for him to continue his dinner.

Zachary did just that, failing to notice Lya's somewhat sorrowful expression as she watched him eat.

'That was way too close, you idiot,' The ocelot cursed herself in her mind, sighing a little in relief. She almost managed to scold an anthro who grew up on the streets as a homeless, and was never taught anything about the customs and manners of normal people. She grimaced, shaking her head at the thought. She had to be more careful in the future, lest she hurt Zachary's feelings for something he has no control of with her foolishness.

Lya looked lost in thought as she stared at her dinner, the meal's steam and fragrance endlessly making its way stubbornly in her nose. Lost in her musings, however, the ocelot's brain failed to notice even the inviting scent.

After bringing a larger bowl to Basajaun, Snowflake moved to sit next to Lya. "Is something wrong?" she asked, cocking her head to the ocelot, "You look like you have something on your mind." About to dig into his meal, the drake stopped to translate for the spirit first, giving Lya an equally concerned expression when he noticed her expression as well.

The question actually managed to break the ocelot's trance, and she quickly whipped her head to glance at the two dragons with a forced grin. "Oh, no, nothing," she said in a rather unconvincing tone, waving a paw and forcing a chuckle as well, "It's just your meal, Snowflake. It smells so good that I blacked out a little, I guess!"

Zachary extracted his head from the depths of his bowl, running a tongue around his mouth to wipe the remains of his dinner the best he could, not registering the rest which was littered around on his cheeks and nose as well. He gave Lya a wide grin, apparently oblivious enough to miss her mild distress as he nodded in agreement. "I can actually imagine that happening! Snowflake's an excellent cook!" He stated, giving the spirit a warm smile as he proceeded to clear his bowl.

Lya tittered lightly at the leopard's words, as well as the state of his fur on his head, before turning to Snowflake. "Could I have a..." she hesitated, glancing back to Zachary for a moment as she asked, "A spoon or something? I can't really... you know." She motioned to her bowl, giving the spirit a sheepish smile that was currently able to hide her earlier embarrassment and guilt.

Snowflake actually started laughing, the chiming noise bringing a smile to Basajaun's face. "Of course! Wow, someone with actual table manners," the spirit giggled shaking her head as she moved to the group's bags, retrieving a spoon for Lya and bringing it to her, "Here, sorry about that. I've been with these two pigs for too long!"

"Hey! We're right here, Snowflake!" the dragon whined, before laughing at the dragoness' playful tone, "Sorry Lya. I never really had the chance to learn proper etiquette. I apologize if my behavior seems rude." Running his tongue across his muzzle, Basajaun cleaned the bits of food from his face.

The ocelot took the spoon with a smile, waving a paw dismissively at the dragon's apology. "It's alright, Basajaun. Expecting a dragon, as kind as he is, and Zach to know such th--" Lya stopped, her mouth staying open as the words died out in her throat. She actually wanted to simply choke herself in the bowl of stew at the moment.

Zachary pulled his head out of his bowl, cocking it slightly at her. "I know what now?" He asked curiously with a grin, wiping the food from his face once again and licking it down from his fingers. To Lya's utter relief, he wasn't aware of the fact that she managed to bring up his past by calling out his lack of manners when it came to eating.

The ocelot cleared her throat, chuckling nervously. "Nevermind, forget it. Just keep eating, dummy," she suggested with a forced smile, turning to Basajaun, "And you shouldn't worry either, I don't mind it at all." Bringing her gaze back to her stew as fast as she could, and sighing in relief that she hadn't done something really stupid just now, Lya plunged her spoon in her dinner, raising it and blowing on it gently as she waited for it to cool down.

Watching for a few seconds, Basajaun cocked his head curiously. "I don't suppose you'd have any pointers for me?" he asked, pointing at the ocelot's spoon, "I mean, I would hate to wind up accidentally offending someone with my piggishness. That is, you know, if I ever had the opportunity to meet someone that proper." Shaking his head, the drake smiled to Lya, "But it never hurts to be prepared for anything!"

The ocelot's eyes widened at the request, but she was quick to smile back and attempt to accept it when Zachary ruined it.

"Who cares about that, anyway?" he asked with a confused tone, shaking his head and laughing, "The way you eat doesn't represent your intelligence, courtesy or manners... or at least, not in my book," turning to Lya, the leopard cocked his head a little as he concluded, "I think it's just a waste of time to learn that, honestly."

The female feline found herself struggling to even attempt arguing, especially with someone like Zachary. She simply took a sip from the cooled down stew from her spoon, her eyes widening in surprise as she took in the delightful flavors. She turned to Snowflake with an utterly impressed expression on her face.

"You cook better than my mom," she stated in disbelief, giggling a little, "And she's an actual cook! You know, she works in an inn as a chef, but this simple stew is better than most of the food she had ever cooked for us at family meals." She gave the spirit an approving smile and a thumbs, before turning to Basajaun and not looking in Zachary's eyes on purpose.

"And I could teach you some etiquette, if you're willing to learn," she announced, laughing as she held up her puny spoon, "Although I think you'll need a lot bigger set of tableware if you want to eat with those!"

Zachary cocked an eyebrow at the whole interaction between Lya and Basajaun, simply shrugging it off and holding up his bowl to Snowflake with a sheepish smile as he asked. "Could I have a little more? Just a tiny bit, I'm still a little hungry."

As the spirit brought more stew to Zachary, Basajaun nodded to the librarian. "I'm always happy to learn something new," he said with evident enthusiasm, before looking over to the tree line. "Hold on, I'll get myself something to learn with."

Standing up, the dragon waddled slowly over to the trees, not bothering to decrease his girth. He still enjoyed the feeling of walking around his own stomach; it was almost like a miniature belly massage provided by his legs and the ground. Chuckling at the thought, Basajaun lifted his feet up to brace himself against a tree, before taking a branch in his jaws and tearing it down.

Carrying the branch in his mouth as he moved back to the group, the dragon had an obvious smile on his face as he wobbled along. He enjoyed being this large, and it was evident to anyone who cared to look.

Taking the branch in his hand as he settled back down, the dragon used his claw sharpening spell again, beginning to whittle the log down into the shape of a large spoon, smiling over to the ocelot as he did so. "I'm clever with making tools, you see," he said rather proudly, his literally razor sharp claws making quick work of the wood.

Lya regarded the process of the dragon's craftsmanship with an impressed look on her face. "I can see that you're quite familiar with this kind of thing by your movements," she stated, smiling at the dragon, "While my mom is a cook, my father is a carpenter. I used to watch him for hours when I was little and bored," the ocelot laughed at the memory, shaking her head, "I would always just be in his way, and my mom would have to either command me to go play somewhere else or simply drag me away when I wouldn't obey. I was a little brat, you see!"

As the ocelot conversed her family matters with Basajaun, Zachary worked through his second bowl of stew, although at a much slower pace. He looked a little thoughtful as he chewed on his food, remaining silent as he ate. He felt like he had nothing to add to the conversation.

"Wow, a necromancer from a cook and a carpenter," Basajaun mused smilingly, "Your parents must be proud of having a mage like you in their family!"

Lya's smile died down at the statement, and the ocelot stopped eating for a moment. "Well... if sending me to a distant college at the other half of the province is a display of how proud they were at me, then I guess you're right," the ocelot grimaced, shaking her head, "I know they love me, and I love them too... but..." she paused, clearing her throat and taking a deep breath before continuing with a cold tone, "The people of village I come from don't take too kindly to necromancers, you see. My parents... sent me here to protect me, I guess."

Lya looked out to the darkening sky, sighing. "But that doesn't mean I don't miss them. They... they were the first ones to accept me for who I am when I turned out to be a necromancer. It's kind of funny, though, that they sent me away the very next day to Centrum, telling me to stay strong. Back then, I didn't understand what they meant by that... I didn't know why people started hating me when they realized I was a necromancer." The ocelot brought her gaze back to Basajaun, smiling a little.

"Now I know," she stated with a sigh, although the smile never left her muzzle, "And now I can just ignore most of the hateful comments they throw at me. And thankfully," glancing to Zachary and chuckling, Lya's smile widened, "There are people who are more accepting than others. Their opinion is what I care about."

Picking himself up, Basajaun moved to the feline's side. As his wing extended to provide a comforting hug, the dragon stopped himself. "Um, may I?" he asked, smiling as warmly as he could to Lya.

"Is hugging another important pastime for this group or what?" Lya inquired with a mocking laugh, proceeding to not answer the dragon's question as she simply pulled the reptile's wing a little closer and smiled warmly back at him.

"Thanks." She said simply, Zachary looking from the grass to glance at the two. Although a little lost in thought by the current subject, he couldn't help but smile at the image. It was a relief seeing so close Basajaun, his best friend, and Lya, the person he... loved?

Blinking at the thought, the leopard simply nodded to himself in conformation. It was rather strange he had to admit to himself his feelings towards Lya right now, but he knew there was definitely something more between them than the first time he laid his eyes on the ocelot. Although she didn't show as much affection towards him back then, he was entirely convinced and impossible to persuade that it was otherwise. It was love at first sight, no matter how many evidences argued against that statement.

Chuckling a little, the dragon withdrew his wing after a few moments. "I just like providing comfort to others, anyway that I can," he stated honestly, before giving Lya a knowing smile, "I had to leave my mother at a young age as well. Of course, I didn't really know her that well; I only had the opportunity to interact with her for about seven hours before she kicked me out to find my own place to live. Parenting isn't exactly a strength among dragons. I never even met my father, in fact."

Shaking his head, the drake smiled. "Not that I resent their actions; dragons are supposed to be solitary creatures, at least instinctually," he explained, finishing his wooden spoon as he did so, "But as you've seen, I'm rather different from most dragons."

Lya actually laughed out loud. "That's a massive understatement!" she said, shaking her head at the dragon, "From what I've read about dragons from books and all that, the stereotypes of your kind don't even come close to your personality. You are more... friendly, kind and understanding than most people I know." The statement was a huge compliment from the ocelot, who tried to avoid praising someone as much as she could usually. Although with Basajaun and his unexpected behavior, she couldn't help but do just that.

Zachary cleared his throat at the statement, glancing over his shoulder at Lya with an expectant look.

The ocelot waved a paw. "I said most people, dummy. If the cap fits, wear it." She replied in a confident tone, giggling a little when the leopard gave her an utterly confused expression, obviously not understanding what that expression exactly meant.

Smiling, the dragon nodded. "Thank you, I try to be as friendly as I can," Basajaun stated, before holding up his finished spoon and asking, "Is this good enough for you to give me instruction with?"

From her position near the fire, Snowflake started to feel a little left out of the conversation. Shrugging, she decided her best way to contribute at this point would be a bit of singing, which her group always seemed to enjoy. Picking up a quiet little tune, the spirit sang a wordless melody that was just meant to sound pretty, rather than say anything.

Lya was about to answer to the dragon when the spirit's voice caught her attention. She glanced to Snowflake, simply listening to the song she sang with a warm smile. "That's... that's really pretty," she stated, "It reminds me of my mom's lullabies she used to sing me when I was little." Enjoying the pleasant tune for a few moments, the ocelot had to remind herself that a dragon right next to her was actually waiting for an answer.

She turned to Basajaun, observing his improvised creation with an impressed look. "Yeah, that looks perfect," she assured the drake, gesturing to his bowl, "You might want to get a little more food. Teaching you how to eat properly without that would be a little strange." Lya chuckled, her attention once again distracted by something, although this time, it was Zachary.

The leopard suddenly stood up from his place and walked to the group's saddlebags with quick steps. After a moment of searching, he arrived back with something in his paws, which remained a mysterious object right until the point the feline neared the fire and sat down next to the familiar.

With a flat expression, he began tuning his lute, the process taking no longer than a couple of seconds. Waiting for the right opportunity to jump in, he began playing along Snowflake's singing, the two tunes complementing each other perfectly and creating a tune that felt like a massage to the ears.

Lya regarded the leopard's instrument with wide eyes, turning to Basajaun and leaning closer to the dragon. "I didn't know he played the lute," she said quietly, smiling a little as she asked, "Dummy is full of surprises, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is," Basajaun agreed, making to get himself more food when Snowflake stood, bringing another bowl for him. "Thank you," the drake said gratefully, before smiling over to Lya and patting his middle with a small chuckle, "See why this is so big? I don't even have to feed myself most of the time!"

Lya watched with a cocked eyebrow as the dragon's gut jiggled from the motion, only tearing her eyes away from the sight when Basajaun spoke. "Oh yeah, Zach and Snowflake help you with that, huh?" she mused, glancing to the leopard and observing him play the instrument with precision and ease for a moment before turning back to the dragon with a smile and gesturing to his spoon.

"Ready for some etiquette lesson?" she invited, cocking her head a little. Given the situation, namely that she was actually going to teach a dragon something, Lya showed no signs of hesitation or uncomfortableness. Despite the somewhat rough start with Basajaun, she could feel herself getting more and more accustomed to the presence of the massive creature, although still at a slow pace.

Holding his bowl and spoon eagerly, the dragon nodded. "Definitely! How do I begin?" he asked, looking between his utensils and his impromptu instructor with an avid smile.

Standing up almost immediately at the dragon's reply, Lya was quick to grab the reptile's huge paw in her puny one, showing no hesitation whatsoever. "First of all, you don't hold a spoon like that," she instructed with a flat tone, forcing and readjusting the Basajaun's fingers on his cutlery so it was in a proper position that all anthros used. Zachary stopped playing his lute for a moment, observing the lesson with a mildly curious look on his face.

Finishing with the adjustment of the drake's grip, Lya gave him a little smile as she observed his paw. "There, that looks good now," she informed him, furrowing her brows when she noticed the bowl in Basajaun's other paw and pointed a finger towards it, "Second, you almost never hold your bowl in your hands while eating. You just leave it on the table..." glancing behind her for a moment and slapping herself on the forehead at the realization that there was no such thing around the pair, the ocelot sighed and gave a sheepish smile, "Nevermind that. I guess we'll have to do without a ta--"

When the sound of ice shattering against the ground caught Lya off, the surprised feline couldn't help but jump and yelp a little. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she glanced back to the source of the sound, finding Zachary and a perfectly cut out cube of transparent ice behind her.

The leopard's face bore a smug grin, his paw patting the crystal square as he looked at Lya and asked. "This good enough?"

The ocelot narrowed her eyes at Zachary for a moment, before she turned around to observe his creation. "Yeah... this will do for now," she stated, giving the leopard a pat on the head, "Nice work, dummy." Although the comment elicited a displeased expression from him, Zachary soon found himself purring as Lya proceeded to scratch the area behind his ear. Just the perfect spot.

Scooting over to the table, Basajaun set his bowl down on its surface. He settled himself comfortably, holding his spoon over the dish as he was instructed, looking over to Lya expectantly. "So, like this?" he asked, taking a spoonful from the bowl, and sipping it like he had seen the ocelot do earlier.

Pulling her paw away from Zachary's head and turning back to Basajaun, the leopard whimpered loudly when the very enjoyable scratching of his ear was interrupted. "Basa, your stupid lesson ruined my massage! I was enjoying that!" He announced with an evidently exaggerated whining tone and crossed his arms under his chest.

Lya laughed joyfully at the leopard's comment, waving a paw at him. "Quit your whining, you big baby," she said with an outrageously teasing tone to her voice, grinning back at Zachary and chuckling when he gave her a disappointed expression, "Your friend here wants to learn something new, and I'm more than happy to help him out. You should do the same instead of acting like a toddler."

The leopard narrowed his eyes at the ocelot, inhaling loudly. "I don't care about table manners, I already told you my opinion about it."

"Then let me teach this much smarter and proper gentleman here, hm?" Lya snickered under her breath, finally turning away from a more than displeased Zachary and giving all her attention to the 'gentleman' at the table.

She observed the dragon's grip on his cutlery for a moment, her gaze falling to the bowl and eventually on the reptile himself. Furrowing her brows, Lya walked to face the back of Basajaun and gave him a gentle swat on the curvature of his spine. "Straighten yourself. Don't hunch over when you're sitting, it's inappropriate." She instructed with a flat tone, seemingly not herself when it came to teaching things to others.

Giving a minor hiss of surprise at the impact, Basajaun straightened himself obediently, the action pressing his middle forward and against the table slightly. He still had to arch his long neck down to use the spoon, but hoped that it was acceptable. "Is this better?" he asked unsurely, a slightly cowed look on his face.

The spirit's song was momentarily thrown off by her laughter at the image that Lya and Basajaun were providing; an ocelot treating a dragon that was over seven times her size like a misbehaving child.

Walking back to face the dragon with a finger under her chin and a critical look in her eyes, Lya observed Basajaun for long moments. "Have another go from the stew," she said, her tone almost commanding as she narrowed her eyes, "Remember to keep your posture. Don't lose the position of your grip on your spoon," the ocelot suddenly pointed a finger at Zachary as she added, "And for the love of everything, if I hear you slurping I swear I will have dummy there lick clean both your bowl and spoon."

The leopard in question nearly jumped at the threat, giving a somewhat disgusted face and shaking the thought away as fast as he could. "Not really keen on tasting dragon saliva, Basa," he stated with a quiet voice, grimacing a little and furrowing his brows, "Why is it always me that has to get the punishment!? I haven't done anything wrong!" He demanded, crossing his arms under his chest.

Lya completely and fully ignored the leopard's demand, her gaze never leaving Basajaun's face. She put her both of her paws on the table, leaning close to the dragon and giving him an expectant look. "Go ahead, your stew is going to get cold." She urged with an otherworldly cold tone, waiting eagerly to observe the drake's actions and review them.

Nodding, the dragon took another spoonful from his stew, eating as quietly as he could. He regarded the ocelot with almost fearful submission, not wanting his friend to suffer from his mistakes. "Is this better?" he asked hesitantly after he finished the spoon, giving a hopeful smile to Lya. The reaction got another laugh from Snowflake, who shook her head at the dragon's behavior.

Not even a single muscle moved in the ocelot's facial expression as she stared at Basajaun for long moments. Her narrowed eyes drifted between the spoon, the bowl, and the dragon himself, as if processing every little motion and gesture he had made.

Suddenly, she clapped her paws together and pulled away. A wide, warm smile adorned her face as she cocked her a little at Basajaun. "Much better. You will make a fine gentleman one day, dragon," laughing joyfully at how ironic and unimaginable her own statement sounded, Lya gave the reptile an approving thumbs up as she added, "Congratulations, you can eat stew with proper etiquette."

Zachary snorted loudly at Lya's words. "Like it's gonna be any use for him!" He called out from behind the pair, almost sounding a little jealous from his voice. The ocelot simply waved a paw at his remark, eliciting a quiet growl from the leopard. In love or not, she could really be a pain in the neck sometimes.

Basajaun smiled in relief. "Thank you, this was... interesting," he said, giving a nod, "And I do appreciate it. Even if I don't have a use for it now, given how long I might live, I could have a use for this knowledge in the future. Like I said, I don't forget things, so this little lesson of yours is going to be in this head for a few centuries, I should think." The drake tapped his temple for emphasis.

Lya snorted in amusement, shaking her head. "Oh, don't you think this is over," she stated with a wide smile, gesturing towards the bowl and spoon at the same time with her paws, "Eating like this can be taught to a kid in less than five minutes. Using a spoon to eat your stew is the easiest thing in the world. I'd like to see how you would do if you'd have to cut your food with a knife, while simultaneously holding it down with a fork. And of course, there are other customs as well, namely thanking the food to the cook in the beginning of the meal with a few kind words, as well as leaving your cutlery in the proper position once you're finished with eating. And these are only the basics."

With her stretched out and very thorough explanation of the 'basics' of table manners done, the ocelot gave the dragon a warm smile and cocked her head a little. "That is, if you're willing to learn them someday. There's more to etiquette than most people know about. My parents made sure I knew all of them when I was little, so as short as my life might be compared to yours," tapping a finger on her head as well, Lya concluded, "They will stay here until I die."

"I'm willing to learn them now, if you'd be willing to teach me," Basajaun stated, continuing to eat his stew as he had been instructed, "The stew's basically an appetizer for me, right Snowflake?" The dragon looked over to the spirit as she nodded.

"I was going to make more for Forest to enjoy with Hunter and I later, but I can make some recipes that you can use to teach him instead," Snowflake stated, looking over to Zachary as Basajaun translated for her, "If you didn't mind letting Forest feed himself for a bit more."

Shrugging, Zachary was about to say something when Lya's voice came before he could speak.

"Oh, no, it's fine," she said with a sheepish smile, gesturing towards the sky, "I'd love to stay and teach you all about table manners, but I have to get going. It's getting late, and I... I don't really like walking on the abandoned streets late at night, so I need to leave before that happens."

The leopard's face fell at the statement, his gaze following along as it fell to the ground. "Do you really have to go?" he asked in a quiet voice, pouting as he looked at Lya pleadingly, "Can't you stay a little more? Or... or you could just sleep here and go back to Centrum in the morning." He proposed, a hopeful expression on his face. He really didn't want to see the ocelot leave just yet.

Lya furrowed her brows at the request, sighing as she considered the offer. "I... I don't know, Zach. I definitely can't stay more and leave later, and I'm not really used to sleeping in the forest, you know? I'm quite sure my bed provides more comfort than the ground." The ocelot gave an apologetic smile, turning from the two dragons and walking to the leopard.

"Oh... I see." Zachary said simply, obvious disappointment in his voice. When he thought all hope was lost to keep the alluring feline here, rescue came in the form of a sudden realization. Looking up at the approaching Lya with a wide smile, he gestured to their bags on the ground. "We have a spare tent and a sleeping bag that I've never even used before. You could sleep in that!"

The ocelot stopped in front of Zachary, pursing her lips at the offer. She was hesitant to accept, that much was certain. After all, she only knew the group for less than a day. They couldn't really expect her to stay with them in the woods for the night, could they? Surely they wouldn't want her to sleep among them, right after they have met. They were just being polite. Or... could it be possible that they actually enjoyed her presence enough to want that?

With some uncertainty and hesitation in her eyes, Lya turned back to Snowflake and Basajaun, fiddling with her paws as she asked. "Would you two really want me to stay too? I mean... we hardly know each other. I wouldn't want to be in the way or something."

The pair of dragons both gave sincere smiles, alongside Zachary's own. "I'd love to have the extra company," Basajaun stated with a nod, the familiar doing the same, "You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. Am I right?" Looking over to Snowflake and Zachary, the dragon grinned when they nodded.

A warm smile slowly crept across Lya's muzzle as she listened to Basajaun's words. Somehow hearing something like this coming from the whole group who knew perfectly well what she was warmed her heart immensely. And although she had a lot of friends in Centrum and in the college... there was a major difference between that and the current situation.

"In that case," the ocelot began with a chuckle, turning back to Zachary with a warm smile, "I guess... I guess I could spend the night here, if you're will-- woah!"

"Of course we are!" The leopard stated with a laugh of utter joy and happiness, picking Lya up in his arms and spinning around with her, holding her body close to his as he did so. "Thank you!"

Lya laughed along as well as she was spun around in the air, tapping Zachary's back with a paw. "I'll kill you if you drop me again!" She threatened as seriously as she could, although it was rather unconvincing through her constant chuckling. The threat seemingly went unnoticed by the leopard, who continued spinning with the ocelot in his arms just the same. He felt so happy.

The dragons watched the pair's embrace with warm smiles. "I wish I could do that without hurting someone," Basajaun mused quietly, turning his gaze to his stew as he finished it, shaking his head, "Ah well, I've got my plushy advantage for hugging!"

Taking the dragon's empty bowl, Snowflake patted the drake's side, smiling to him. "You could try that with me when I'm at your size," she suggested with a giggle.

Watching as the spirit moved away and cleaned his bowl, Basajaun had to wonder if she was serious with that offer. It made him feel warm to think that she'd be willing to share a special embrace with him, like the one that Zachary and Lya were enjoying together.

Watching the felines spin for a moment, the dragon smiled again at the sight. Zachary looked like he was quite happy to have the ocelot staying with them, perhaps more so than with any other visitors they'd ever had. Basajaun wondered what could have happened for them to become friends so quickly, but he knew Zachary would tell him when he had the chance.

The joyous spinning continued for several seconds, the leopard too lost in happiness to notice the increasing dizziness the endless circular motion came with. When it hit him, it hit him hard, and Zachary simply couldn't keep his balance up anymore.

"Oh, crap!" These were the last words that left his mouth as he toppled over on the ground like a wooden log, shrieking in surprise, along with Lya, the whole time. Landing on the grass with a satisfying and very ungraceful thud, Zachary groaned loudly instantly at the impact. Unfortunately for him, more pain was on its way.

The ocelot's body landed hard on his upper body, pushing all the leftover air from his weak lungs. Wheezing under Lya's body loudly for a moment, Zachary let out a final groan as his arms fell to the ground and he remained unmoving.

The feline in the better condition hissed as she forced herself to sit up on the leopard's chest, the action eliciting another painful shriek from Zachary, which Lya found very amusing and appropriate at the moment as his punishment. After all, she wa--

Stopping her train of thoughts as she realized something, the ocelot practically jumped up from the leopard's body, a terrified expression on her face as she knelt beside Zachary. "Gods, I'm sorry! I forgot about your lungs!" Lya stated in panic, observing the leopard's unmoving form with a concerned expression, "Zach, are you alright?" she asked hesitantly, poking the feline's face with a finger, "Z-Zach?" When no answer came, Lya glanced to the two dragons with an unreadable expression. Did she... did she really just kill him by landing on him?

Looking over to the leopard with worried expressions, Basajaun and Snowflake both moved over to the feline. "Zach? Zach, this isn't funny," the drake said as he moved to the his friend's side.

Kneeling down beside the leopard, Snowflake had a relieved expression. "He's just knocked out," she said, patting the feline's chest gently, "I didn't realize he still had an injured lung."

Blinking in surprise, the drake looked between Snowflake and Zachary. "I thought he had healed from that?" he said questioningly, nuzzling the leopard's face concernedly.

Lya looked at the leopard's unmoving form with regret and concern as well for long moments. She hesitantly reached for his hand, taking it in her paw as she turned to Basajaun with raised eyebrows. "He... he didn't tell you?" she asked in surprise, her gaze falling back to Zachary as she continued, "When we were in the woods... he told me a lot of things. About himself, his life, and your group," the ocelot explained, squeezing the leopard's hand a little, "He also told me that... he had trouble breathing when he put too much pressure on his lungs. He had a hard time running long distances even before, but after Izom... he said he couldn't even run all the way to Centrum from here. And that's not a big distance..."

Settling down by Zachary, Basajaun's face bore obvious worry and concern. "Why wouldn't he tell me?" he asked from no one in particular, scooting himself until he was snuggled close to the feline, his paws stroking Zachary's fur gently while his wing came down to cover the leopard protectively, as though he could defend his friend from the injury within his body.

Lya's gaze on Zachary only broke when she noticed Basajaun's wing next to her. She glanced up at the dragon, blinking when she saw his evidently protective and caring posture and movements. Seeing him like this surprised the ocelot more than anything, yet she couldn't help but simply smile at the image. These two were really best friends, that much was certain.

"I'm not sure..." she replied to the question that wasn't directed towards her, looking back to Zachary with a thoughtful expression before she glanced back at Basajaun with a sigh, "He must have done it because he didn't want you to worry about him. Or... perhaps because he was afraid he would appear weak and useless if you all knew. He told me almost everything... I know how much he fears becoming that in this group, so he must have kept it a secret because of that."

Looking between Lya and Zachary, Basajaun's expression was one of distraught confusion. "B-but he... he's not useless," the dragon affirmed, holding the leopard gently but closely to his body, "He could have asked for help or... something. We have an experienced biomancer here that could have healed him more properly, or at least tried!"

Mentally scolding Zachary for his stubbornness, Basajaun curled his neck and tail around the feline, an odd crooning sound coming from him as he tried his hardest to protect the leopard from anything else that might harm him. He almost seemed possessive, his desire to shield his friend was so strong and obvious.

Noticing Basajaun's behavior, Lya distanced herself a little from the embracing pair, although not letting go off Zachary's paw. She wasn't scared of the dragon, she knew perfectly well that she had nothing to worry about. However, seeing him behave like this when the leopard's health was a concern made her respect Basajaun a lot more than before.

"We all know that he here," Lya began with a weak chuckle, patting the unconscious feline's paw, "Is a dummy. He must have thought that looking for help from Esme... from your biomancer would put unwanted concern on him," the ocelot shook her head, smiling warmly at Zachary for long moments before she looked at Basajaun.

She hesitantly put a paw on the dragon's wing, giving it an uncertain pat. "D-Don't worry, he will be fine. He said it himself that it isn't serious... so I guess we have nothing to worry about, although..." Lya gave a thoughtful expression, "If an impact like this was able to knock him out, as well as his inability to run far distances... I can't help but wonder just how serious his injury is."

The drake didn't move, except to nod slightly at the ocelot's words. The low trilling sound that seemed to emanate from the dragon's chest continued for several minutes, and Basajaun didn't seem to be able to notice things outside of the cocoon he had turned his body into.

Moving over to the group's bags, Snowflake withdrew a long scroll and writing utensils, before returning to Lya's side and writing, "Basajaun has really strong instincts; I think this might be an instinctual reaction, so it might be a while before he comes out of this." The spirit turned the scroll to show the words to Lya, a small smile on her face.

The ocelot nodded in acknowledgement after reading what was written on the paper. She turned to the dragon with a cocked head, a sudden smile crossing her muzzle as she watched him embrace and protect the unmoving Zachary with all his might. Basajaun was really nothing she expected.

She observed the pair for long minutes, sighing as she turned back to Snowflake with a concerned but resolute expression. "Has... has Zach had any problems with breathing that you've noticed yourself?" she asked, "You know, like wheezing and coughing or anything similar to that?"

Snowflake shook her head. "He's been riding on Basajaun or me since we started traveling," she wrote, "So besides hunting, he hasn't really done any running that I know of. I didn't have any clue that he had lasting breathing problems." As she gave the scroll to Lya to read, Snowflake knelt down and petted Basajaun's wing over Zachary's body, trying to comfort both of them.

"I see..." Lya said quietly after she read the note, shaking her head and putting a paw on her forehead as she glanced at the leopard with furrowed brows. Cute as he was, how could he be so irresponsible at the same time? He was a young adult already, judging by his age, so acting in such a careless way was a little childish in the ocelot's eyes. Although that didn't change a thing she felt towards him as she stared at his unmoving form.

With a sigh and major hesitation, Lya turned to Basajaun, gently tapping the dragon's neck as subtly as she could. "How about you? Have you noticed anything similar to that with Zach?" she asked, leaning a little closer to the drake and furrowing her brows when no answer came, "I want to help him too, Basajaun. I might know someone in the college that could check him, but I need to make sure how serious his injury is first. Help me help him, alright?"

After several seconds, the dragon managed to pry his head from Zachary's form to look at Lya. His eyes were still highly dilated, showing that he wasn't quite out of his instinctual reaction yet, but the drake did manage to give a hesitant nod. "W-when Esmeralda... that thing... Zachary panicked... couldn't breathe," Basajaun's voice was odd; it was lower and still had the crooning in it, and he seemed to be struggling to find his words.

Taking a moment to consider Basajaun's not entirely coherent words, Snowflake finally remembered something, taking the scroll back and writing, "A few nights ago, Mistress Esmeralda had an incident with an affliction she had, and it sent Zachary into a panic attack. He couldn't breathe, and it made things worse." Nodding again, Basajaun curled his neck back into its place in the body-shell he wrapped Zachary into.

Disregarding the first half of the statement for now, Lya nodded at the spirit's words, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "I'm no biomancer, but that's definitely not good..." she stated quietly, glancing to Zachary with a concerned expression, "I... I think even he himself doesn't realize how serious his injury might be," looking back to Snowflake, the ocelot gave a determined expression, "I let both Oyuu and Ghan know that one of the students needs a check up. And I'll drag this dummy there if I have to, I'm not goi--"

"Stop... calling me... a dummy." Zachary's weak and muffled voice came from the confinements of his dragon prison, his paw reaching up to give Basajaun a gentle stroke under his chin, "Ah... bud, look at you. You got... all worked up," the leopard chuckled weakly, scratching the reptile's chin tenderly, "It's alright, Basa, I'm fine..."

Lya's heart leapt upon hearing the leopard return to consciousness, a relieved sigh and smile the only thing she was able to do. She didn't kill him by landing on him, after all. She couldn't help but feel guilty as she waited patiently for the two friends, staying a safe distance away and only observing what was happening in front of her.

At the leopard's voice, Basajaun's grip tightened slightly, maintaining his protective position. "Scared... I was scared, Zach. You scared me," the dragon whimpered weakly, his wings and forelimbs both pressing the leopard gently into his torso.

"I... didn't know... I could scare a dragon. I'm... hardly intimidating." Zachary managed to tease amazingly, giggling weakly and almost immediately regretting his action as he could feel his lungs burning with pain. He let out a series of loud coughs, clearing his throat and not talking for a little while. He simply couldn't, it felt like his lungs wanted to explode each time he drew a breath.

Lya watched with a concerned expression, her worries only rising when the leopard attempted to continue and only managed to draw a single breath before he began coughing again. "Give it a second, Zach" she said, her tone almost commanding as she looked at the leopard worriedly, "Don't talk... alright?" The leopard simply nodded at the request, closing his eyes for a moment and snuggling himself closely to Basajaun. He wanted to apologize for whatever he had done, but simply couldn't do so at the moment.

Several minutes past as the pair embraced, Basajaun stroking the leopard's back gently as he caught his breath. After a while, the dragon managed to lift his head, shaking it vigorously before looking down to Zachary with a more focused gaze. "You're too damn stubborn, you know that?" he scolded half-heartedly, not breaking his embrace, but uncurling himself from the leopard so that others could see him clearer and offer their own comfort more easily.

Zachary blinked in confusion, attempting to sit up. When he moved to do so, however, his lungs were quick to protest against the action, releasing another series of painful bursts each time he tried to sit up. Sighing in disappointment that he was unable to perform such a simple task at the moment, the leopard looked up at Basajaun with the same bewildered expression, cocking his head a little.

"What... did I do?" he asked hesitantly, glancing to Lya with great effort and blinking as he looked lost in thought, "What happened? Did I fall asleep with a rock on my chest or something?" The ocelot gave a similarly confused expression at the question, although for another reason. After a moment of thinking, she came to the conclusion that Zachary's black out must have affected his ability to remember what happened just before that. She didn't comment just yet, however, letting the dragon have his way with the leopard before it was her turn.

Basajaun shook his head. "You're a hypocrite, too," he continued with a shaky voice, hugging Zachary anyways, "You scold Esmeralda for keeping her problems to herself, and what did you do when your lungs started giving you trouble? The same damn thing."

Reaching down to the leopard, Basajaun licked his arm twice, not caring a bit if anthros didn't perform this particular display of affection at the moment, before he insisted, "Don't ever do that again, you... you... my wonderful little boy." The dragon rested his head against the feline's back, a single tear running down from his eye and into the leopard's clothing and fur.

Zachary blinked as he was hugged, his eyes widening in surprise at what he was called as well as the dragon's words. He had never heard him talk like this before. What on earth did he do to force a reaction like this from Basajaun?

"I'm... sorry?" he apologized uncertainly, still not quite sure by what to be surprised the most; his friend's behavior, or by the fact that he knew about his lungs. He quickly wiped Basajaun's saliva from his paw, grimacing a little as he did so. There was definitely something off with the dragon.

Meanwhile, Lya could only stare with wide eyes at the scene. She slowly leaned closer to Snowflake, her gaze not leaving the pair some distance away as she whispered. "Is... was that... was that an instinctual action as well?" she asked, pointing a finger at Basajaun, "I've only seen this kind of behavior from animals... parent animals nursing their little ones. I've seen enough cats and dogs doing the same thing to know." The ocelot turned to the spirit and gave her an uncertain and confused expression.

The spirit simply nodded, not needing a scroll to say yes. She had seen Basajaun doing that same action last night during his stuffed stupor, and was now relatively certain of how the dragon viewed Zachary. It was a realization that brought a smile to her face, but not one that she would share, in case she was wrong.

With a great deal of effort, Basajaun managed to let go of his friend, though he still gave him a patronizing look. "Lya, would you explain to Zachary what happened?" he requested, shaking his head, "I'm not sure I can without... that embrace happening again."

The ocelot nodded with a sigh, the leopard turning to look at her with a perplexed expression. He was quite curious to hear what could have made Basajaun act this way.

"Well, dummy, you've managed to lose your balance while you were spinning me around," she explained, shaking her head at Zachary, "You fell on your back... and I... well..." Lya gave an apologetic smile, "I fell on your chest and knocked you out, I guess."

The leopard blinked at the explanation, his gaze shifting between the members of the group. "That sounds..." he began, letting out a chuckle as he continued, "That sounds something I would do! But still..." Zachary gave Basajaun a somewhat confused look, "Didn't you all overreact a little? You can see that I'm fine, so the--"

"Oh, don't you dare!" Lya cut Zachary off, almost shouting as she stormed next to the leopard, who visibly shrunk with each step she took, "We didn't overreact anything! You scared us, you... you..." the ocelot threw her arms in the air in frustration, shaking a finger at the currently terrified feline, "Perhaps if you told the others about your lungs they wouldn't have reacted this way, huh? How about that!?" The leopard lowered himself as low to the ground as he could, inching closer to Basajaun for protection from Lya's wrath.

Giving Zachary a death stare with narrowed eyes, Lya took a deep breath to calm herself. "You should ap--"

"I'm sorry." The leopard said quietly, the ocelot whipping her head to look at him. When she noticed his regretful stare at the ground, her expression softened as she shook her head again.

The apology seemed to work well on Basajaun as well, though he still looked a little upset. "I know you want to be strong for us, Zach," the drake explained, putting a claw on the leopard's shoulder gently and giving him a caring look, "But please... if you're hurt, don't keep it to yourself. We can't help you if you do. I'm pretty sure we want to help you as much as you want to help us." Snowflake nodded at the statement, actually able to quantify that herself.

"I... I just didn't want to be a bother," Zachary stated, his voice nothing but a barely audible whisper, "We have a lot more important things to worry about... and you know that perfectly well." The leopard didn't look up from the ground, drawing circles in the grass with his finger while Lya sighed at his words, but remained silent.

"Zach..." Basajaun pulled the leopard back into his embrace again, "You're never a bother, you hear me? And don't you ever say you're less important than anything; there is nothing on this world more important to me than you. Not magic, not food, not shelter; you are right at the top of every list, as far as I'm concerned. So don't... don't risk your health like that, okay? I don't know what I'd do if..." he couldn't finish the thought, simply hugging the feline tightly, but not so tight as to start another coughing fit.

Zachary embraced the dragon back with all his might, burying his face in his best friend's side. "Okay..." he said quietly, holding Basajaun with all his heart, "I'm sorry, Basa... I was stupid, I should have told you about it the first time I noticed it... but I really thought it wasn't serious at all."

Pulling away suddenly and standing up, the leopard held back a hiss as he stood on his legs and forced a smile on his muzzle as he patted his chest. "And it's really not that bad, just a little sting for a moment and then it's gone, look," he jumped up and down a couple of times, chuckling a little as he did so, "See? I'm good already... you don't have to worry, real--"

With a single and loud cough interrupting his attempt at convincing Basajaun that he was completely fine, Zachary gave a sheepish smile to his friend after clearing his throat. "Woops, that went down the wrong way, heh." The leopard chuckled nervously, failing to notice Lya who attempted to drill holes in Zachary with her glower as she tapped her finger on her arm under her chest.

The entire group glaring at the leopard, Basajaun insisted with adamantine determination, "Tomorrow, you're going to a healer, and you're having your injury examined. You don't get a say in this, Zach; it's happening, even if I have to carry you there kicking and screaming and hunt down a biomancer myself."

"But... but what about my lesson with Talib?" Zachary demanded, raising a finger, "And I do have a saying in this, they are my damn lungs, I can do wha--"

"Zach, you really don't have a say in this," Lya stated with a flat tone, her expression unchanged as the leopard whipped his head to look at her, "Don't worry, Basajaun, I'll get him to a healer tomorrow, even if I have to drag him all the way by his ears."

Glancing between the three members of the group and noticing their determined expression, the feline had to wonder how could they be so strongly for something in unison, even Lya, who only knew him for a couple of days. Realizing that he really couldn't convince his friends that he was fine, as well as understanding that he might have a serious problem, Zachary relented.

"Fine," he said quietly, sighing as he gave the three individuals a roll of his eyes, "I'll just skip my lesson with Talib and have a stranger examine me, I'm sure Talib will love that expa--"

"You don't have to worry about him," Lya stated, waving a paw, "I'll tell him what happened. I'm sure he'll be more understanding than you are with your own problem, dummy," the ocelot gave a displeased expression to Zachary as she continued, "And stop being so irresponsible. We all want you to get better, why are you so strongly against that?"

The leopard grimaced at the question, his gaze falling to the ground as he fiddled with his paws. "I dunno... I don't really like when others are constantly worried about me," he explained, the memory of how he was handled after the Izom incident reappearing, "I know you all care, and I appreciate it, really. But... I don't want to feel like I'm not able to take care of myself and that you are the ones to always solve my problems. It makes me feel... I dunno... like a damsel in distress."

Basajaun shook his head smilingly. "I don't mean to make you feel like you can't help yourself, Zach," he explained with a caring tone, "But part of that is knowing when to ask others for help. Even in all my pride, I know when I need help; like when I gained enough weight that I couldn't adjust my harness myself, I asked you for help because your fingers are more dexterous than mine. We all have our strengths and shortcomings, so we look to others to make up for that. It's part of the reason that I loved being part of a community back in Plainstead. Do you understand?"

Zachary glanced up at the dragon with a grimace. "Yeah... I guess I do," he relented with a sigh, although his tone still gave a displeased vibe, "I'll go to those biomancers tomorrow myself. I promise."

Lya nodded. "Good," she said curtly, pointing a finger at the leopard, "But if I see you breaking your promise, Zach... I don't know what I will do, but you won't like it." The ocelot's voice was cold, almost daunting in nature. She could really appear frightening when she wanted to.

"I promised." Zachary reiterated, giving an expectant look to Lya. He waited patiently for her expression to soften, giving her a small smile as he spoke. "And as much as it looks like I'm seriously injured, it's really not that big of a deal..." Although trying to sound as certain as he could, the leopard couldn't help but question the reality of that statement, given the recent event.

The ocelot furrowed her brows. She glared at the foolish feline in front of her for several seconds before suddenly storming to him. "Oh, really?" she inquired with an evidently frustrated tone. How could he act so childish?

Not waiting for him to answer the question, Lya gave a hearty punch on Zachary's chest. She felt horrible for hurting him, but knew there was no other way to convince him.

At the impact, the leopard stumbled back just a little, but that was the thing he cared the least about. He almost immediately began coughing loudly, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. He collapsed on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. His eyes closed, his paw grabbing at his chest.

He couldn't breathe.

The realization sent a series of thoughts through his mind. This shouldn't have happened, judging by how light Lya's blow was. He shouldn't be having so many problems trying to catch his breath after such a weak punch. And yet, he was struggling to do just that.

Lya watched the leopard on his knees with an unchanged expression. Although not showing emotions outside, the ocelot practically screamed at herself inside for hurting him like this. She didn't want to... but she knew she had to. He wouldn't understand otherwise. He was too damn stubborn.

"Still think it's not serious?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking a little.

Zachary couldn't answer. He just kept coughing, wheezing and groaning as he grabbed at his chest. His lungs were burning up. It felt excruciating.

"Lya!" Basajaun shouted, quickly scooting to wrap his arms and wings around the leopard defensively. He glared daggers at the ocelot, but deep down, he knew Zachary needed what she had done to realize just how bad his injury was. Heaving a great sigh, the dragon held his companion once again, stroking his back tenderly until his coughing fit was over.

Snowflake moved to stand next to Lya, touching the ocelot's paw to get her attention. "That was a bit much, don't you think?" the note she handed to the librarian read.

Lya's gaze fell on the ground after she read the note. She remained silent for long moments, looking lost in thought. "No," she stated with a sigh, glancing up at Snowflake with tears in her eyes, "No, he needed that... He's too stubborn to admit it to himself unless he sees it," wiping her tears away and clearing her throat, she looked at Zachary with an apologetic expression, "I know you two wouldn't have done it. So I did it... but that... that doesn't make me feel any less horrible."

As the two females talked, Zachary managed to actually breathe properly a couple of times. His face bore an unreadable expression as he was hugged by Basajaun. "She's right," he said quietly, coughing a couple of times from having to talk, "This... this is getting wo--" He simply couldn't keep talking. His coughing returned each time he tried to do so. There was something seriously wrong, now he knew.

Reaching down, the drake nuzzled Zachary gently as he struggled for breath. He didn't need to say anything; he just held his friend close, massaging his back gingerly as he did so.

After a while, the dragon managed to look over to Lya without feeling the urge to growl at her. "Thank you for getting the point across," he said curtly, shaking his head slowly, "But next time, maybe a warning would be good for everyone here."

"It's all... good, Basa," Zachary spoke instead of the ocelot with a weak voice, breathing as slowly as he could to avoid putting too much pressure on his lungs, "Lya... Lya likes to... improvise... I guess." His own statement actually managed to get a smile on his muzzle. Given his current state, it was a rather amazing accomplishment.

The ocelot's usually certain and dominant posture slowly transformed to a more relaxed and submissive one. She gave Basajaun an apologetic expression. "Command dummy to stop being so irresponsible and childish, and I'll never do something like that ever again," she stated, glancing at Zachary with a regretful look, "Don't... don't think I liked that. But I know you needed that to realize how serious your injury is. If a weak punch like that was able to send you in a state like that..."

Zachary furrowed his brows. "Yeah... I get it now." He stated curtly, sighing in obvious disappointment as he leaned closely to Basajaun. He enjoyed the comfort his friend provided, especially in the current situation. It seemed like Izom's parting gift was a ticking time bomb all along, and the explosion was more sudden than he expected. He really needed to get himself checked out.

Giving his friend another nuzzle, Basajaun looked him in the eyes. "Are you okay now?" he asked, his massage of Zachary's back continuing as he embraced the leopard, "I mean, I know you have to feel disappointed, but... just know that we all care about you, alright?"

"I know, Basa... I know," the leopard said softly, returning the dragon's embrace, "And I'm... I'm okay now. Just need to... take it a little slow, I guess." Zachary pulled away from the hug after long moments, attempting to draw a deep breath and sighing in relief when it wasn't interrupted by any coughing.

"See?" he said with a small smile, tapping his chest, "Injured as it is, it's still working. You don't have to be so worried, really. I appreciate it, I truly do... but..." Zachary leaned a little closer to Basajaun, giving him an uncertain expression as he whispered in his ear, "I know I'm short, but that doesn't mean you have to call me your little boy. It's... kinda... you know," he chuckled lightly, "Embarrassing when you do it in front of the others." He gave Basajaun a tender scratch under his chin, smiling warmly at his best friend and showing that he wasn't upset or mad at him for the remark by any stretch of the imagination. It actually felt... nice knowing that the dragon cared for him so much.

Basajaun blinked for a moment, before giving his own embarrassed smile. "Um... I... didn't even notice I called you that," he admitted quietly, before shaking his head, "Sorry, I won't do it again if it bothers you."

Zachary smiled warmly at the dragon. "Just try calling me such things when we're in private, that's all I'm asking," he proposed, patting Basajaun's head softly and chuckling, "I have an image to keep up, you know."

The drake nodded quietly, looking over to Lya and Snowflake as they watched. "I do hope we make an amusing spectacle for you," he teased the pair of females, winking to Zachary after his statement, "I can start dancing if you're bored of this particular show."

The leopard let out a joyful giggle at Basajaun's teasing, patting the dragon's neck as he looked over to Lya and Snowflake as well. "Now that's something even I haven't seen him do before," he stated with a soft tone, looking a lot better than he was just some minutes ago.

Giving a final appreciative pat on his friend's head, Zachary stood up somewhat shakily, letting out a quiet hiss when he had to move his chest muscles. Although still a little in pain, the feline was able to stand up on his legs. He gave Lya a painful expression.

"You can punch really good, I gotta admit," he remarked with a teasing grin, his earlier look from his face long gone, "You got me real good there."

The ocelot forced a regretful smile on her muzzle. "No, it was actually a weak little swat..." she sighed, shaking her head as she pointed a finger at Zachary, "Your injury is just so serious that even that was able to hurt you like that. I hope this showed you your current condition and that you will stop being so irresponsible."

The leopard nodded his head without hesitation, putting a paw on his chest and clutching Snowflake's necklace tightly in the process. "I get it, I get it now..." he insisted, tapping his furry chest, "I really thought this wasn't that serious... and it wasn't just some days ago. I will definitely have it checked out tomorrow, otherwise I fear how worse it could get..." Zachary's voice died down at the thought. He really wanted to avoid that happening.

Both dragons nodded at the leopard's words. "Good," Basajaun stated simply, giving Zachary a playful nudge to the arm, "Now that that's settled, I think we can put the issue aside for now, don't you?"

"Oh, gods yes!" Zachary replied immediately and with evident enthusiasm to switch topics, "Tired of thinking about the fact that I'm practically a cripple!" The leopard laughed at his own statement, Lya giving him a weird look. How on earth did he find that amusing?

Clearing her throat to get the group's attention, the ocelot gathered her voice somewhat hesitantly. "I... I want to apologize for what I did just now, especially to you, Basajaun," she said with an evidently regretful expression, although smiling hopefully at the dragon, "And... I can understand if you would want me to leave instead of staying... I do--"

"Oh, no, no, no. You're not going anywhere," Zachary insisted with a serious tone, shaking both his head and finger at Lya as he walked to her and put a paw on her shoulder, "We're past that. You did it, it happened and you apologized," he glanced back to Basajaun as he patted the ocelot's shoulder as he asked, "No hard feelings, right, Basa?"

The dragon nodded after a moment. "I said we could put the issue aside, didn't I?" he reiterated, giving Lya a smile, "Just don't do it again, and you're still welcome here." Although inside he was still perturbed with the ocelot's brash action, he knew she did it for Zachary's own good.

"That said," Basajaun continued, looking between the two felines, "Let's go ahead and change topic; Zachary, were we going to have one of our standard dinners while Lya was here?"

The leopard cocked his head in confusion at the question. "I thought you two wanted to practice more stupid etiquette or whatever?" he asked, his gaze shifting between Lya and Basajaun, "I can... uh... skip tonight's special dinner, if you guys wanted to do that instead." Zachary cleared his throat, simply looking at the ground as he could feel his cheeks reddening a little.

The ocelot didn't notice his sudden blush, simply giving the dragon an expectant look. "I-I'm fine with that... if you still wanted to learn from me, Basajaun." She said, the uncertainty in her voice evident.

The dragon nodded, looking over to Snowflake. "Would you still want to make the courses I needed to learn with?" he asked, smiling when the spirit nodded and turning back to Lya, "I'm still willing to learn, then."

Moving back to the ice table, Basajaun settled himself back into his straightened posture, giving Lya a dignified expression despite how his middle pressed against the table somewhat comically. "Dear lady, please instruct me in the ways of the gentleman," he requested in a posh tone, before a snicker broke his act.

The ocelot blinked and raised an eyebrow at the dragon's behavior. "Is he alright?" she asked with a whisper from Zachary, eliciting a chuckle and a nod from the leopard.

"Basa only acts like this around people he likes," he stated quietly with a warm smile, patting the feline's shoulder, "Don't leave him hanging. Go, show that dragon how a proper gentleman should behave."

Giving an uncertain smile and a nod, Lya moved to the table. Looking at Basajaun for a moment, the ocelot pointed at his spoon as her gaze remained on the reptile. "You will require another set of cutlery, my dear sir," she informed him in a similarly elegant tone and expression, "The courses you will partake require both a knife and a fork. If you would be so kind to retrieve these items, I'd be willing to continue guiding you through the path to the manners of excellence." Unlike the drake, the ocelot seemed to have no problems staying in her act. Or... perhaps she wasn't acting at all?

Zachary could only laugh and shake his head at the display. "Well, you two have fun with that," he said with an amused grin, moving to the fire and sitting down close to it. He held his paws towards the flames for a moment, coughing a couple of times suddenly as he reached out. He sighed. Even such a simple action put unwanted pressure on his lungs.

As Basajaun moved off to get more materials for his utensils, Snowflake moved to sit next to Zachary. "Thank you for letting us try to help you," she said, giving the leopard a sincere smile as she reached up to pat his shoulder, "It's not just for you that we ask that you get this checked out; we're going to be worried until we know that you're okay." Reaching her little arm around Zachary, Snowflake gave him a gentle hug.

Zachary laughed out loud at the spirit's words, hugging her back a little tighter than he wanted. "I should be the one thanking you all for being so..." the leopard pulled back with a warm smile, patting Snowflake's head, "For being yourselves. For being my friends. I really couldn't ask for better ones."

Giggling as she was squeezed, the spirit gave a simple nod. "And you're a great friend, yourself," she agreed, patting Zachary's side, "Look around you; a black mage, a dragon, a spirit, and a multicaster. We're all friends because of you. Can you blame us for being a little overprotective about you?"

The leopard couldn't speak, simply shaking his head and hugging the spirit once again with all his heart. He simply stayed in the embrace, his wide smile never leaving his face. Even the pain in his chest was completely disregarded by the warm feeling in his heart. Snowflake's words meant the world to him.

Once more pulling a little away after long moments, Zachary wiped something quickly from his eyes, chuckling as he glanced at the other two members of the group. "Weird little circle of friends, huh?" he asked rhetorically, shaking his head and giggling. As he looked at the Basajaun and Lya, the leopard found his gaze stuck on the latter.

"She... she's a nice addition to our weirdness, don't you think?" Glancing back at Snowflake, Zachary's face bore a warm smile and a mild blush, "I... I really like seeing her here with us. And you don't know how happy I am that..." he shook his head, "I'm happy to see that you all get along."

Smiling, Snowflake leaned in close to Zachary. "To be honest... it's hard for me," she said quietly, shaking her head, "I mean, I know she didn't get to choose what kind of magic she was best at, but... it's just hard." Pulling her knees up to her chest, Snowflake rester her arms on them, with her head settling on top.

"I really do want to look past that, though," she continued, her wing reaching over to hug Zachary again, "So... I want to be able to spend time with her. Maybe tomorrow. Just her and me getting to know one another for a while. Is that okay?"

The leopard nodded with a smile. "I'm sure she would have nothing against that, Snowflake," he assured the spirit, patting her wing before standing up, "But I don't want to even think of what you two will talk about. I heard that girls like to gossip a lot." Giving a teasing grin, Zachary moved to retrieve one of his books from the group's bags, passing Lya in the process.

"Basajaun!" the ocelot shouted with an unconvincingly serious tone, looking at the dragon in the woods, "The sun is going to rise by the time you finish!"

Chuckling lightly and shaking his head at Lya's urging, the leopard quickly grabbed his book from a bag, smiling as he held the tome for multicasters in his paws. With relaxed steps, he walked back to Snowflake, sitting down next to the fire and opening the object in his paws with evident enthusiasm. There was no better way to kill one's time while your friends were learning about useless things than by learning actual useful ones!

Returning with an abashedly submissive expression, Basajaun quickly whittled out his new eating utensils. "Are you sure I need a knife? I can just use my claws--"

Holding up a paw and silencing the dragon, Lya gave a death stare to Basajaun. "Only pigs eat with their hands," she informed with a deadly calm tone, giving the reptile a cold look as she asked, "Are you a pig, Basajaun?"

"Go easy on him, Lya!" Zachary's voice came from the fire, a joyful chuckle soon following in its wake. The leopard found it immensely amusing to see his friend behaving this way with the ocelot.

The feline in question waved a paw at the request. "Don't pay attention to him," she said, tapping a finger on the table, "Just answer my question; are you a pig?"

"Um, no?" he replied, deciding against questioning the intimidating ocelot anymore, instead finishing his carving as quickly as he could without making mistakes; he had a feeling Lya wouldn't let him use improper eating utensils and would make him redo anything that was less than perfect.

Giggling alongside Zachary, Snowflake couldn't help but watch the amusing spectacle as she prepared a second course for the dragon. It was downright funny to her to see Basajaun become so submissive around such a little woman, yet he was almost acting downright servile in his attempts to please Lya.

"Then you'll be using a knife to cut your food. Period." The ocelot announced, quickly tearing the utensils out of the dragon's paw once he was finished with them. Observing and scanning the two objects for long moments, Lya put them on the table next to each other in an organized and precise position.

"I know when I see good craftsmanship. Remember my father?" Glancing up at Basajaun, Lya gave him a warm smile, "Nice work. You could actually make some money off of your talent if you wanted to... although I'm not sure how many people would be willing to buy knives from a dragon." Chuckling at the image and shaking her head, the ocelot leaned on her elbow on the table, looking out in the forest with a smile on her face as she waited for Snowflake to finish the drake's second dinner.

Within a few minutes, the spirit brought over some roasted venison for the dragon, patting his shoulder as she set the food in front of him. "Thank you Snowflake, this looks divine," Basajaun said, remembering the ocelot's instruction to compliment the chef on their cooking when he was served. The drake smiled over to Lya as the familiar retreated back to the fire, hoping he had done well.

The ocelot's smile widened as she glanced back to Basajaun. "Good job," she said, raising a finger before the dragon could get too enthusiastic about his success, "But don't get too cocky, we're only starting."

Moving on the same side Basajaun was and shuffling her way close to the table, Lya put a paw under her chin as she observed the items in front of her. She quickly grabbed the rest of the utensils from the dragon's paws, tossing them randomly on the table before looking up at the drake. "Do you see anything wrong with this image?" she asked with her usual flat tone, gesturing towards the dish of food and the cutlery that were scattered around the table without any consistency or purpose to their position.

The dragon looked to the randomly distributed dishes and nodded. "They were like this when you set them out originally," he stated, putting everything back as it had been, making sure it was aligned carefully and precisely, "I think this arrangement is supposed to be kept consistent, right?"

Lya nodded with a grin. "Correct, although..." she put the spoon on the other side of the dish, leaving the fork and the knife on the other side, "This is the correct arrangement, but I can't blame you for not knowing that." Looking back at Basajaun, the ocelot gave an evidently impressed expression.

"I've got to hand it to you, you're quite the learner." She admitted, patting the dragon's shoulder approvingly before moving back to the other side of the table and remaining silent as her eyes scanned the table.

Smiling at the praise, Basajaun nodded. "Like I said; I don't forget what I've been shown or told," he said, trying his best to be humble with the statement, "So, is there a specific way to hold these utensils, too?"

As the reptile received his instruction, Snowflake began work on another course. She looked over to Zachary as he read, seeing the pages for herself from the necklace he wore. She couldn't read the words herself; they didn't give off any more or less heat than the page itself, but she could hear the words as he read. It was a different kind of magic than she'd ever studied, and Snowflake was tempted to direct more of her attention to the book. However, she knew she had to keep her focus on her cooking, lest she make a mistake.

While the three members of the group focused on their own tasks, Zachary's eyes scanned the pages with neverending enthusiasm. Just only a few minutes ago, he had found a very intriguing spell, and wanted to have a go at it, despite the warning before the instructions.

He spent a good deal of time reading through the wall of text, memorizing every step one by one. Once he was certain he knew all of them, he closed his book and stood. He walked some distance away from the fire, not bothering to give an explanation to the group as he murmured something under his breath.

Stopping at a safe distance, he closed his eyes. Concentration followed the action, long and careful. And he knew he needed it, judging by the spell's difficulty. Although the warning saying that it was categorized as a highly advanced spell, Zachary was quite certain in himself and his ability to cast it successfully.

He extended his paws in front of him after he felt prepared enough. Almost immediately, icy mist began swirling around in his left paw. Allowing himself a little smile at the effortless casting of the spell for just a moment, Zachary focused his attention on his right paw afterwards.

For long moments, nothing happened, the leopard simply standing still with the ice spell cascading around his left paw, while the other remained empty. He remained unmoving, his steady and balanced breathing the only thing coming from him.

As much as she was lost in teaching Basajaun about proper table manners, Lya only had to glance behind her once to notice Zachary standing a little distance away from the fire. She cocked her head at the image, narrowing her eyes and raising her eyebrows when she saw the white mist around his left paw. What followed, however, surprised her more than anything.

The air seemed to twist and bend around Zachary's right paw.

Blinking at the sight and rubbing her eyes in disbelief, the ocelot could only stare with mouth agape as she observed the leopard's spell casting.

Moving his fingers on his right hand a little, Zachary grinned widely when he felt a gentle breeze rustling his fur at the action. It seemed like the lessons with Talib were paying off, after all.

Opening his eyes, the leopard clenched his right hand in a fist tightly. The motion caused a gust of wind to blow forcefully in every possible direction, nearly knocking Zachary off of his feet with its intensity.

"Woops, little too strong," he murmured under his breath, extending his fingers and watching in awe as lines of air currents followed along on their path. Satisfied with the results, Zachary closed his eyes again, moving onto the next step.

Suddenly, he brought his right fist on his left open palm. The two elements collided, creating a fascinating display that Zachary could only laugh joyfully at once he opened his eyes.

Tiny, ice fragments span around his paws in circular motion, seemingly carried and held up by an unnatural wing that floated on the curvature of Zachary's hands. Occasionally, one or two drifted off from the others and fell to the ground before another replaced it almost immediately.

Pulling his unused left paw away and marveling at the tiny circle of icy cyclone in his right paw, Zachary played around with the basic form of the spell for a little while, apparently finding it more than amusing. However, after only a few moments, he stopped moving his arm, once again closing his eyes as he proceeded to the last step.

Lya watched with widened eyes as the puny hurricane began growing in the leopard's paw seemingly on its own accord. When the spinning ice shards threatened to reach Zachary's face, the ocelot had to hold back herself from the urge to warn him. Upon seeing what the multicaster's next move was, however, the librarian's breath caught in her throat.

In a single, precise and forceful motion, the leopard gestured with his paw in front of him as if throwing a ball with a curve, the spell in his paw obeying instantly as it shot out in a straight direction.

From her perspective, Lya could only see as a blizzard of relatively massive size began cascading above the ground in front of Zachary. It never stopped its gait as it continued swirling towards the tree line in a precisely straight direction. Judging by the way it looked, it seemed rather harmless. That thought immediately proven false, however, as it reached its destination.

The snowy cyclone collided with a single bush at first. The sight of the ice shards practically tearing down each little leaf and branch one by one was amazing to behold. In less than a blink of an eye, the formerly dense and healthy bush was reduced to nothing more than a cut out root that stuck out of the ground.

The blizzard completely destroyed it, leaving its broken remains scattered around on the grass. The spell was not satisfied with the destruction, however, as it advanced to the base of a wide tree that was next in line.

Lya couldn't help but gasp quietly when the cyclone collided with the tree, the razor sharp ice shards practically sawing their way through the trunk like it wasn't even there. Small wood pieces flew in every possible direction, landing on the ground while the spell restlessly tore huge chunks out of the plant.

Before Zachary could even stop the blizzard by calling it off, it was already too late.

The tree's trunk snapped with a painfully loud crack. As the wind seemed to disappear and the ice shards slowly fell on the ground, the corpse of a former tree followed along. It gave a final deafening splitting sound, before it landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

The leopard hissed and flinched at the sound, looking sheepishly at the destruction his spell had caused. He blinked for a few moments, quickly rushing to the scene and observing the results with a perplexed expression.

Meanwhile, Lya's mouth opened and closed as she looked after Zachary. "Gods above..." she breathed, slowly turning to the two dragons and shaking her head, "That was... that was truly something. I... I knew Zach was a multicaster and all, but..." the ocelot looked at the results of the leopard's successful spell casting, "That's brutal. I... I've only seen Talib cast such a powerful spell like that. Ever."

The pair of dragons nodded numbly. They were equally impressed, seeing the results of the razor-like vortex of ice. "Um, Zach? I think you should give us a warning when you do your multicasting," Basajaun said in an almost reverent tone, shaking his head slowly, "I was not prepared for a display like that! Really impressive spell, though."

"I didn't know it was this strong!" Zachary called back, still wandering around the scene with a bewildered expression on his face. He hesitantly reached for a single ice shard, picking it up, screaming and immediately dropping it back on the ground.

"Gods, that's sharp!" He exclaimed, remaining silent afterwards. It took him only a few seconds to emerge from the edge of the clearing, walking back to the group with his finger in his mouth. He was suckling on it.

Lya raised an eyebrow at the display. Although she found it very amusing to see the leopard like this, her evident bewilderment stopped her from laughing out loud at the scene.

Moving to his book and picking it up, Zachary quickly searched for the spell he had just used, putting a paw on his forehead and shaking it. "I guess... I guess I should have taken the warning more seriously," he mused with a grimace, pulling his finger out of his mouth and joggling it a couple of times, "I suppose highly advanced spells become more and more powerful... should have expected that."

The ocelot blinked. Did he really just say what she thought he did? No, he was surely just kidding. Or he simply misread something, or misunderstood something... it couldn't be that he had just casted a highly advanced spell only a few days after discovering that he was actually a magic user. She had been practicing magic for long years now, and still wasn't even close to being able to cast necromancy spells on such level.

Smelling the blood with Zachary's scent, Basajaun beckoned the leopard over to him. "Hey, let me look at that cut, Zach," he requested, a tone of concern tinged with curiosity to his voice. The way he gave the request was odd enough for Snowflake to give the dragon a quizzical look, before realizing what he was likely thinking of.

The leopard rolled his eyes. "Basa... I can understand your concern about my lungs, but this is seriously nothing..." he reasoned, sighing in frustration when he saw Basajaun's adamant expression and moving to the dragon after putting his book down on the ground.

Jumping at the opportunity, Lya quickly retrieved the grimoire from the grass. She buried her snout in the wall of text, reading through the spell's instructions. As she read, her eyes steadily widened in surprise. Zachary really did just cast a highly advanced spell on his own.

The dragon took his friend's hand and gave it a look over. "I'm not being overprotective this time," he explained, grinning up to Zachary after a moment, "I want to try a healing spell. Is that alright with you?"

Zachary cocked an eyebrow, shrugging after a moment. "Yeah, sure, go ahead," he said, watching with mild curiousness as he added with a teasing smile, "Just make sure you don't deform my finger somehow, if possible."

Laughing, Basajaun nodded with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I won't... probably," he replied in a lightly teasing tone, and before Zachary could pull away he incanted, "Carne Sanare."

With a little green spark, the small cut sealed itself, the pad of the feline's finger looking as though it had never been pierced in the first place. The little spark of energy actually felt nice, like a tiny, brief massage in a small area. "There, see?" Basajaun said, waving the finger in front of it's owner's eyes, "No horrific deformation here! And now I know I can fix up little cuts like this, so don't hesitate to come to me if you get any more nicks, alright?"

The owner of the limb in question regarded the results of the dragon's spell with an evidently impressed expression. He observed his injury, or rather the place it had been, for a few moments before giving Basajaun a satisfied grin. Naturally, the gesture bore a teasing look to it. It wouldn't even be Zachary if it didn't.

"Yes, doctor Basajaun," he replied in an almost convincingly serious tone, "Patient Zachary will be sure to give you a visit when he has a boo-boo." The leopard chuckled joyfully after his statement. Even Lya, through her current complete bewilderment, found his behavior amusing enough to let out an entertained snort and shake her head at the young anthro. Basajaun was right, he really could actually be a tease.

The drake laughed along at Zachary's jest, patting the leopard's paw gently. "You do that," Basajaun chuckled, before leaning in close and whispering, "By the way, I think I know how you felt when you walked in on me tearing apart those cells, now. That spell was scary!"

Hearing the dragon's words, the feline pulled his hand back and held it in front of him. His gaze scanned his paw as he rotated it around thoughtfully. "Yeah..." he agreed with a somewhat quieted voice, turning back to see the destruction he had caused. The sight wasn't pleasant to him.

"I wanted to call it off," the leopard explained, grimacing as he gestured at the fallen tree and the plucked bush, "I didn't want to cut that tree down... But before I could even realize what was about to happen, it was already too late," he sighed, "I really didn't expect this spell to be this powerful."

Lya cleared her throat after the statement, getting Zachary's attention immediately. She held the tome in her paws, her finger pointing at the spell's instructions. "It's called Vortex of Frost-daggers for a reason, Zach," the ocelot informed the leopard, "And it says right here that it's a very dangerous and highly advanced spell. It's literally in the first two lines, dummy." She narrowed her eyes at him, the gesture eliciting a sheepish smile from the male feline. Multicaster or not, it seemed like the ability to pay attention and focus on reading material didn't come as an attribute with this particular talent.

Looking to the words on the page, Basajaun took the opportunity to flick Zachary's ear while he looked to the book. "Maybe you should take those warnings a bit more seriously, hm?" the drake suggested, shaking his head, "Especially with those battle spells. Thank you for pointing it away from camp, though!"

Snowflake seemed to be rather quiet through this discussion, though she seemed to be regarding Zachary with an odd expression. It was halfway between worried about and appraising the leopard; it was obvious there was something on the spirit's mind, but whatever it was, she was keeping it to herself.

The individual behind the familiar's mental debate rubbed at his ear which had been cruelly assaulted by his friend. Even after this attack, which obviously came with excruciating pain and misery, Zachary appeared to be quite thoughtful. His eyes searched the wreckage at the edge of the clearing for some time, before he turned back to the members of the group.

He nodded to the dragon. "I'll be more careful in the future, I promise," he assured Basajaun, looking somewhat hesitant to continue, "But... I need to learn as many battle spells as I possibly can," Zachary's expression was serious, although he still seemed a little uncertain, "I have a feeling we're going to need them when... you know." Lya blinked in confusion at the statement at first, but was quick to realize what the leopard probably, or more accurately, who he referred to.

"I'd appreciate that!" Basajaun said with a grin, patting his friend's head affectionately, "And I know you want to be prepared. Just maybe give us a warning so we'll be prepared for that, as well."

Turning his attention back to Lya, the dragon tapped the ice table with a claw. "Were we done with our lesson, Miss Lya?" Basajaun inquired curiously.

Brought out of her clearly impressed and perplexed state, the ocelot regarded the eager dragon with a smile and a cocked eyebrow. "Well, someone's quite enthusiastic here!" she observed, tilting her head a little and gesturing at Basajaun's noticeably stretched out middle, "You sure you want to keep going?" Lya inquired with an evidently amused expression, "Table manners aren't going to change overnight, there's no need for rushing. But if you're that eager, I have nothing against the idea. I just thought you wouldn't want to eat any more."

Zachary burst out laughing at the statement, Basajaun chuckling right alongside him. Completely forgetting his previous redecorating of the edge of the clearing, the leopard's gleeful chuckle echoed through the whole place.

Lya regarded the currently amused feline with a confused expression. "What?" she demanded, turning to glare at the chuckling leopard, "What did I do wrong now?" Her paws rested on her hips; an obvious gesture of frustration among females.

"Nothing!" Zachary replied, wiping tears of joy from his eyes. His constant giggling never left, though. He grinned at the ocelot. "I don't think Basa will have any problems with that, right, bud?"

Shaking his head smilingly, Basajaun looked to Lya. "Don't worry, I've had more than twice what I caught tonight at one meal," he assured the ocelot, patting his bulging belly, "I'm no where close to being full yet. But if you're getting tired, I don't mind putting this lesson on hold for your sake."

At first caught off guard by the dragon's statement, Lya was soon smiling to the dragon. She waved a paw and put the back on the ground, before moving back to the ice table. "Nah, I can keep going," she said, raising her voice a little and glancing back at Zachary while speaking, "At least I don't have to associate myself with a certain leopard. Ugh... he can be soooo boring!"

The feline in question blinked, furrowing his brows just a moment after his initial surprise subsided. "Oh, excuse me!" he replied with an exaggeratedly hurt tone, snorting and walking back to retrieve his book from the ground, "I'll just leave you two alone, then. Wouldn't want to disturb your exciting lesson about cutlery with my dullness!" Sitting down next to the fire again, Zachary tried his hardest to appear convincingly frustrated by Lya's comment, although his occasional muffled snickering was an evident display of amusement.

"Good," the ocelot replied curtly, smilingly teasingly to Basajaun. With no more witty remarks leaving her lips, Lya continued teaching the drake about the ways of a proper gentleman and their manners at meals in general. While she was busy with her own lesson, Zachary remained silent as well, his eyes already back on the pages. Thanks to not feeling exhausted at all, he was just as enthusiastic to learn something new as the dragon.

Time passed as Basajaun and Zachary went about their respective learning. Though the dragon's lesson seemed to have a more obvious effect; namely his steadily bloating midsection. Despite the amount of food he was eating on his own, Basajaun was surprised to be able to continue his consumption without the slightest feeling of being full. He had assumed before that his capacity to take in food was dependant on being fed by someone else, though at his slow, thoughtful pace, the drake was able to simply keep taking mouthful after mouthful.

The bulging of his waistline was still a pleasant experience, and Basajaun steadily became more cheerful as his gut expanded, quite obviously enjoying himself. The absence of the massage from his friends was a bit of a disappointment, but the drake was nonetheless avidly taking in each pointer, correction, and instruction that Lya gave out.

Inevitably, Snowflake ran out of food to prepare for the reptile's courtesy lesson, bringing him his last course of the night; a simple stew made from the last of the venison. "Sorry for the repeated course," the spirit apologized, patting the side of Basajaun's distended abdomen, "But I think you've got table manners completely figured out now, Forest."

Giving a jovial smile, Basajaun reached down and nuzzled the dragoness' face. "It's no problem, it still looks and smells heavenly!" he affirmed with enthusiasm, taking his spoon again just as he had been instructed, "We'll just call this one a review, right Lya?" The dragon flashed a grin over to the ocelot in question, before returning to his proper conduct while he ate the stew.

The dragon's impromptu teacher and guide returned the gesture with a smile of her own. "No need," she stated, waving a paw, "I've pretty much taught you everything there is to table manners and proper customs, and I can honestly say that I'm quite impressed, Basajaun," Lya's tone was sincere as she spoke, "You haven't made a single mistake since I informed you of all the instructions. So," she gave a thumb's up and a wide smile, "Congratulations. You are a proper gentleman... gentledragon... gentle... whatever, you know your way around meals, basically! You wi--"

When the loud sound of a nearby blast interrupted Lya's explanation, the ocelot jumped and yipped almost immediately, evidently caught off guard by the unpleasant sound. She held her paws to her ears, closing her eyes for just a moment before she was able to recollect herself.

With an utterly annoyed growl, the ocelot whipped her head back to observe what could have caused the sudden explosion. She could already guess who was behind the whole ordeal, and was completely unsurprised when she found herself staring at a wide eyed Zachary. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the leopard.

"Keep your damn spellcasting down, will ya?" Lya demanded with a raised voice, her glower still fixated on Zachary. After a moment, however, her gaze wandered to the ground and she couldn't help but gasp loudly at the sight.

Brought out of his shock, the leopard shook his head and glanced only for a second at the ocelot. "I-I'm sorry!" He apologized, hastily running to the small crater he had made with his spell.

Orange flames danced inside and at the edges of the burned out hole, even reaching out to grab hungrily at the green grass around it. With a clearly shocked expression plastered on his face, Zachary quickly put out the flames the only way he could. In less than five seconds, the entirety of the tiny crater was enveloped in thick shards of ice, killing both the fire and the light it provided at the same time.

Standing numbly in the darkness for a few seconds, Zachary remained silent, although not for long. He began with a soft giggle, which soon turned into a hearty laugh. "It worked!" The leopard observed the obvious, prancing joyfully around his crater and the ice formation he had created.

Lya furrowed her brows. "We just asked you to warn us when you do things like that, haven't we?" she asked with a calm tone, glaring at Zachary while crossing her arms under her chest, "It's really not that hard to do, and I honestly think it's a small re..." the ocelot breathed in frustration as she observed the leopard, "Are you even listening!?"

Too lost in his joy of a successful fireball spell, the feline in question could only continue his gleeful jumping. He completely and fully disregarded Lya's complaints, evidently both amused and impressed by the results of his spell. He couldn't wait to tell Talib about this!

The ocelot simply sighed and shook her head at the prancing Zachary. "I swear he acts like a little kid sometimes..." she stated quietly, watching the leopard with a thoughtful look on her face, "Nineteen years old, and still dancing around like he was given a new toy to play with or something." As she kept her eyes on Zachary, Lya couldn't help but smile a little. Childish or not, he was still convincingly adorable when he was acting this way.

Watching the leopard prance joyfully about for a moment, Basajaun finished his last course quickly, before setting his utensils down in their place, heaving a contented sigh as a paw ran across his stretched middle. His own smile of accomplishment adorned the dragon's muzzle while he pressed his forelimb into his yielding belly, before he raised his gaze back up to regard the crater that his friend had created.

"Nice one, Zach!" the reptile cheered the feline, getting to his feet and feeling his gut squeezing against his limbs even more firmly than before. At the motion, Snowflake stood and gathered up Basajaun's dishes, starting to clean them as the drake moved wobblingly over to Zachary.

The leopard grinned widely to the dragon while he approached, his constant bouncing never stopping. "At least someone realizes how awesome that was!" he stated with a chuckle, shooting a glance at Lya who could only narrow her eyes at him, "That has to be my favourite one so far! It felt not so difficult to cast, and it looks like it can do serious dama--"

When a sudden and unexpected cough disturbed his monologue, Zachary stopped his prancing immediately. With a few other loud coughs following, the leopard had to close his eyes and simply wait the unpleasant experience out. They sounded painful, and his expression was an obvious proof of that fact.

He clutched tightly at his chest with a paw, wheezing quietly afterwards. When the pain subsided a little, the feline was actually able to open his eyes, although his lungs felt like they wanted to explode at the moment.

Lya didn't say a word. She simply regarded Zachary with a sorrowful look on her face, sighing expansively and putting a paw on her forehead. She couldn't even imagine what the leopard must be feeling at this very moment. All he did was get a little excited over a spell, jumped around joyfully for only a few moments before breaking down in a cough attack once again. If anything, it was an evident confirmation of his current health, and all the more reason for him to take it seriously.

Basajaun put a paw on Zachary's shoulder when he finished coughing. He didn't say anything for a while, merely giving the feline a supportive smile while he rubbed his friend's arm softly.

The leopard remained silent for a long time, slowly sinking down the the ground. "I... I'm okay," He replied to the question that was never asked. His own statement was a foolish attempt at convincing himself that it was indeed true. It wasn't working.

"I-I'm fine. Just got... just got a little overexcited there. That's it." Zachary's tone was odd. He sounded like he was actually talking to himself, rather than to the members of the group. He closed his eyes, swallowing hard and resting his head on top of his knees after pulling them close to his body. "Goddamnit..."

Lya almost immediately noticed Zachary's strange behavior. She quickly made her way to his side and sat down next to him on the grass. Her soft paws rubbed at the leopard's back tenderly, while her lips remained shut. She had nothing to say.

Snowflake was equally quick to join the leopard's side, gently taking Zachary's hand in her own. "We're all here for you," the spirit said quietly, rubbing the feline's arm supportively.

The members of the group stayed together with Zachary, giving him their gestures of support for as long as he needed.

With the comfort of his closest friend, the leopard was eventually able to fight off his unpleasant feelings towards his injured lungs. He cursed Izom in his mind endlessly for a long time, though.

"I think," Zachary began after a while, hissing in pain while he was talking, "I think... I need to go to bed. I'm... I need to rest. It... it doesn't hurt when I'm sleeping." He gave his friends a small smile in turns. It was evident that it was a forced gesture.

Lya felt like her heart was being squeezed at the sight and the leopard's words. She didn't show it, however, simply returning her own forced warm smile. "I think that's for the best, Zach," she agreed, nodding her head as she rubbed Zachary's paw with her own, "You go and have a nice rest."

"Yeah... thanks for the... you know what." Suddenly standing up, the feline gave Basajaun a gentle stroke on his head, repeating the gentle gesture with Snowflake as well. When he was about to do the same to Lya, he hesitated. Even through his sour state of mood, his cheeks were reddened as he looked at the ocelot. "I... uh... you have a go--"

An unexpected hug was all the leopard needed to silence himself. He could only blink in surprise at first, but was quick to return the embrace afterwards. Lya's body was so close to him that he could actually feel her heart as it beat purposefully in her chest. It was an odd and fascinating feeling at the same time.

"I... tha--"

"Shut up, dummy." Lya insisted quietly, staying in the embrace for such a long time that Zachary began to wonder whether or not Basajaun's venom had somehow entered her body. He didn't complain, though. The hug felt nice. Very nice, actually.

Suddenly pulling away, the ocelot quickly turned away from the leopard. He was still able to catch a glimpse of her own blush, though. "Good night or whatever." Lya said quietly, clearing her throat before she began walking back to the fire.

Zachary simply smiled warmly after the librarian. Even the constant pain in his lungs was disregarded and overwhelmed by the warm feeling in his heart. "Good night, Lya," he replied to no one in particular with a soft tone, turning to the two dragons after a moment, "Would you two be so kind and help her with her tent? She's never tried camping before, so I doubt she knows how to set it up on her own."

"I'll get to that right away," Snowflake replied, nudging Basajaun's side, "You just get to bed and rest, Hunter."

Taking the hint, Basajaun moved to the fire and rolled over onto his back, his body sloshing side to side for several seconds before the motion died down. "Come on, I'll give you a lift up," the drake invited, extending an arm towards Zachary as Snowflake moved to retrieve the spare tent and sleeping bag from the bags, along with the leopard's blanket.

While Zachary was lifted to his usual soft mattress, Lya took the items that Snowflake offered to her. The spirit moved on to assemble the tent almost immediately, leaving only the leopard's blanket in the ocelot's paws.

As she watched the familiar, a familiar scent began to enter her nose. She glanced around herself for a moment, expecting to see a particular feline standing right next to her. Seeing him with Basajaun however, Lya blinked in confusion for a second. The realization only hit her a little later.

Raising the soft blanket a little, the ocelot sniffed at the cloth curiously. She grimaced at the smell. "Zach!" Lya called out almost immediately, the leopard raising his head to glance at her, "When was the last time you had a bath? Gods, your blanket stinks!"

Zachary sunk deeply in the dragon's flab. "Can't... can't really remember..." he cleared his throat nervously, attempting to hide behind Basajaun's hill of a belly, "I will... do that tomorr--"

"You better do!" Lya demanded with a serious tone, shaking her head at the leopard. He was seriously like an overgrown child.

Helping the feline get himself comfortably situated, Basajaun gave him a loving nuzzle as he settled into the drake's luxurious belly fat. "Would you hand that to me?" the dragon requested, pointing at the blanket, "We'll get it and Zach washed up tomorrow."

"With pleasure." Lya replied with a chuckle, walking to the dragon and tossing the comforter straight in Zachary's face. She laughed joyfully the whole way back to Snowflake.

The leopard removed the blanket from his head, grimacing as well. "Yup... that kinda stinks alright," he stated, a warm smile spreading across his muzzle as he hugged the cloth close to his chest nevertheless, "But I don't care. Still a good memory of our travels." With that, Zachary rested his head on the dragon's midriff under him. He put the blanket over his body and sighed in bliss afterwards.

"Thanks for the bed, bud." He said quietly, his purring kicking in. Only after a few seconds, his paw began stroking Basajaun's supple flesh gingerly, and although his purring became even louder, it was occasionally interrupted by a soft cough. Yet, Zachary continued showing his evident amusement nonetheless, disregarding each unpleasant cough like it wasn't even there. "Good night."

Feeling the leopard's body jump with each cough, Basajaun simply reached his head up to the feline and nuzzled him lovingly. "Good night, my wonderful boy," the dragon whispered back, still not sure why he was suddenly referring to Zach this way. It just felt right to the drake, bringing a smile to his own face with the words.

As the leopard and dragon cuddled each other, Snowflake finished setting up Lya's tent and moved to the ice table. Touching it with her hand, the spirit absorbed the frozen water, her body growing upwards as her features matured into those of a young woman, rather than a child.

Moving to Esmeralda's bags, Snowflake retrieved a set of clothes from the bags, getting her sleeping mistress' permission to do so with their mental bond. The familiar donned the clothing carefully, selecting looser items that would allow her folded wings to be hidden beneath them.

"I need... I need to get used to that," Lya stated with a small chuckle, giving Snowflake a warm smile before turning to Basajaun and the leopard on top of him. She couldn't help but cock an eyebrow and grin at the sight. "You two look ridiculous..." there was a small pause, "And kinda adorable."

With that remark out of her way, the ocelot bid her head to the two dragons in turn. "Thank you for the wonderful night... and for everything. I... I can honestly say that I enjoyed every second of it," Lya smiled widely at her own statement, "That dummy there is lucky to have you two as his friends."

Chuckling, the feline shook her head, waving a paw to the pair. "Have a good night you two, see you tomorrow." Lya entered her tent afterwards, the sounds of movement coming from inside for a few moments before she situated herself comfortably. Silence followed, the ocelot quickly joining Zachary in dreamland. It seemed like both felines had a rather exhausting day, after all.

The dragons both smiled to Lya's words. "Good night, Lya," Basajaun replied, his gaze returning to Zachary as he slept restfully on the cushiony form that was the dragon. He wanted to reach up and stroke the feline, but at his current size, none of his limbs would reach.

Content with knowing that the leopard was already comfortable, Basajaun looked over to see Snowflake next to him, her taller form once again giving her the second largest size in the group.

Putting a hand on Basajaun's belly, the spirit looked up to the drake with a questioning smile. "Do you want my nutrient boosting spell tonight?" she asked quietly, cocking her head, "You're already pretty big and soft."

The dragon nodded without hesitation. "I made a promise that I'd keep getting fatter, didn't I?" he asked rhetorically, returning Snowflake's smile as he put his paws against the surface of his gut, "Go ahead; not only do I not mind, I'm still loving getting to feel myself getting bigger and softer."

Grinning widely, Snowflake nodded and caster spell, the magic settling into Basajaun's stomach as it always did. "That's still really tingly!" the dragon hissed gigglingly, covering his snout with his forelimbs until the ticklish feeling died down.

Heaving a contented sigh after the magic was in place, Basajaun looked up to Zachary again, his smile becoming one of loving concern. "I hope that one of the biomancers in the city will be able to help Zach," he stated, looking to Snowflake as she sat beside the dragon's chest, "I... I'm really worried, Snowflake."

The spirit put a reassuring hand on the furry reptile's chest, stroking the silky surface gently. "We can only hope for the best right now, Forest," she sighed, her fingers running through the drake's fur and pressing lightly into the flesh beneath, "Have faith that things will get better."

Nodding, the dragon laid his head back, looking up into the sky and giving a small smile as he was petted by Snowflake. "Thanks, I'll try to do that," Basajaun whispered, remaining quiet for a while.

The silence was broken by a weak cough from Zachary, the beast serving as his bed craning his head up immediately to offer the sleeping leopard a gentle nuzzle. The crooning sound that Basajaun had made before kicked up again while the feline momentarily struggled for breath, the dragon using his snout to rub Zachary's back until the fit ended.

Shaking his head, Basajaun set his head back down on the ground when he was sure that the leopard was still asleep. "Something tells me it's going to be a long night," the dragon mumbled, looking over to Snowflake, "Can you bring me that biomancy tome?"

Giving a nod and a pat on the dragon's chest, the spirit stood and quickly retrieved the dragon's reading material. "Thank you," the drake said as he took the book, flipping through the pages to find his place.

Settling against Basajaun's chest, Snowflake started singing one of her lullabies, trying to help the dragon relax. Despite her best efforts, the dragon would always rise to full alert when Zachary started coughing, the drake unable to resist making the effort to comfort his sleeping companion.

For all three, it was a long, uncomfortable night.

The leopard actually woke up on numerous occasions from his comforting sleep. When his lungs began burning with an intensity that was almost unbearable, Zachary couldn't help but whimper quietly at the unpleasant feeling. No matter how many times he was able to fall back asleep, he would eventually find himself waking up to pain that burned cruelly in his chest.

Sometime after the sun began rising over the horizon, the feline simply couldn't take it anymore. His eyes opened slowly as he sat up on his belly bed, his paw gently massaging his chest. Although the touch provided a marginal amount of comfort and help, the loud coughing that followed surely did not.

Groaning quietly and hissing after his fit was over, Zachary slowly slid off from Basajaun's belly, almost instantly toppling over as soon as his feet made contact with the ground. "I can't believe this..." The leopard snarled silently at his own clumsiness, getting to his feet with deliberate movements trying his hardest to muffle an upcoming cough. The result was just as unpleasant, as he almost choked on his own attempt to not be too loud.

With a more than frustrated huff, the feline made his way to the group's bags, pulling out his canteen to provide some much needed liquid to his throat, which had become quite sore over the course of the night. He observed the rising sun with baggy eyes as he drank. At least the sight was pretty.

Sitting up from leaning against Basajaun's chest, Snowflake cocked her head while she watched Zachary's coughing. Standing up from the ground, the spirit walked over and placed a hand gently on the leopard's shoulder. "Can I get you anything?" she asked quietly, rubbing the shoulder gently.

"New lungs, if possible." The feline replied with a weak chuckle, still looking at the circular globe of light. He took a last sip from his canteen and put it back in his bag before turning to Snowflake. Although quite used to seeing the spirit change forms from time to time, Zachary's eyes still widened as he observed the familiar, who was now quite taller than the leopard himself.

"Back to feeling like a dwarf again, I suppose!" He managed to joke and laugh joyfully despite being interrupted by his own coughing every now and then. He gave the dragoness a warm smile as he spoke. "You look beautiful, Snowflake." Zachary's tone was evidently sincere, his paw reaching up to pat the spirit's shoulder before it was brought in front of his mouth once again to muffle an upcoming cough. This was getting rather annoying.

The spirit gave an appreciative smile at the compliment, before her expression turned again to one of concern. "I can help if you're getting sore from coughing," she offered, a hand moving to the leopard's back, "If you don't mind a back-rub, that is. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Zachary held Snowflake's necklace close to his chest, smiling widely. "I don't think you could ever make me feel that way." He stated, looking quite sure about his own statement. He turned so his back was facing the spirit.

"And I think I'll take that offer... thanks." The leopard glanced over his shoulder, giving the familiar an appreciative expression before he turned his head back. He breathed deeply, filling his weak lungs with fresh oxygen and inhaling slowly. To his surprise, the action wasn't rewarded with another cough fit. It actually eased some of the pain inside his chest.

The spirit tugged gently on Zachary's vest. "I'll be better able to provide relief if you take this off," she stated, giving an embarrassed smile, "But you can leave it on if that would be inappropriate."

"You know I don't really care about such nonsense, Snowflake." Zachary replied with a chuckle, quickly pulling his vest down and tossing it on the ground. With his upper clothing gone, the leopard's back was in full display.

Although the spirit hadn't seen the state of the feline after he left Boldrumton, and thus didn't know how much different he looked back then and now, the lean muscles that stretched across his back were an obvious proof of a very successful hunter. An apex predator, even. Weeks of healthy diet, constant hunting and bow wielding sure did wonders to an emaciated body.

"Alright, let's see," the familiar muttered, putting her cool hands on Zachary's back, drawing from a spell that Esmeralda knew. "Relax," she sighed, the command directed to the leopard's muscles as blue biomantic energy focused in the spirit's fingertips.

Moving with practiced motions, Snowflake pressed her fingers firmly into the feline's back, the spell in her hands working loose the cramped and sore muscles under Zachary's skin. "How's that?" she asked quietly, "I haven't done this in a while, so let me know if I'm making any mistakes."

The leopard could only moan in bliss and slowly nod his head at Snowflake's words. His legs trembled under his body as his back was massaged. With deliberately slow motions, Zachary steadily sank lower and lower to the ground, the spirit's caring hands following along until eventually both were sitting on the grass.

The feline's whole body loosened and relaxed completely soon. He occasionally still let out a quiet cough, but it was nowhere near as unpleasant as previously. "Feels..." Zachary began purring quietly as his back was rubbed, smiling under his nose, "Feels really nice. Thank you."

The dragoness smiled at the leopard's words. "You're welcome, Hunter," she responded.

Now that she was looking at the feline's bare back, Snowflake saw that it was rather disheveled and dirty. "Black Mage is right," she stated with an amused tone, "You're quite in need of washing up, Hunter!"

"Yeah..." Zachary responded quietly, arching his back a little and curling his tail around his body as a particularly cramped area was tended, "I'll... I'll wash up today, don't worry."

The leopard remained silent for a while, simply enjoying the massage that Snowflake provided. "I just... always forget it, you know," he explained after a moment, his purring stopping afterwards, "Guess I got used to being dirty," he sighed long at his own statement, "Not that I like that about myself that much. I just... I don't even notice it."

"I don't either, unless I'm looking at it," Snowflake admitted, chuckling lightly, "It's hard to notice because I don't have any sense of smell, I suppose. Just to be clear, though; I don't blame you at all for not noticing this. I think Black Mage will be good for making sure you do, though."

Zachary giggled somewhat nervously, a crimson blush adorning his cheeks that Snowflake couldn't see. "Yeah... I guess you're right. Lya likes to be quite bossy and," the leopard paused, a warm smile creeping across his muzzle, "Caring with others. It's the main reason I li--"

"Who're you calling bossy, dummy?" The ocelot's quiet voice came from her tent some distance away from the pair, Zachary jumping a little at the unexpected sound. After only a second, Lya emerged, yawning expansively and stretching her back before glancing at the pair on the ground.

Blinking at the sight at first, the librarian quickly put her paws in front of her eyes, yipping in surprise and turning away at the same time. "Gods, I'm sorry!" she apologized with an evidently embarrassed tone.

The leopard cocked his head at Lya. "What are you sorry for?" he inquired with a clearly confused expression, raising an eyebrow and letting one of his ears fall to the side of his head, "You haven't done anything wrong, have you?" The ocelot didn't reply. How could he be this oblivious, innocent and... adorable at the same time?

When Lya didn't open her mouth, Zachary simply shrugged. "Good morning, by the way. Slept well?" The ocelot nodded vehemently at the question, still facing away the pair. The leopard sighed. "You're acting weird." He stated quietly and with a suspicious tone. The librarian had to stop herself in the last second from snapping back. She didn't want to embarrass both herself, Snowflake and Zachary at the same time.

The spirit gave an abashed expression when she realized what the issue was. "Oh! I was just giving Hunter a massage because he was sore," she attempted to explain herself, standing up quickly and forgetting for a moment that Lya couldn't understand her, "He was coughing all night and I wanted to help and... Hunter can you tell her, please?" Although it wasn't visible, Zachary could tell through their bond that Snowflake was blushing hard.

The feline in question sigh disappointedly that his massage was over, standing up and stretching his back. He cocked an eyebrow at both the spirit and Lya. "Now Snowflake's acting weird too..." Zachary shook his head in confusion, glancing at the ocelot with a small smile.

"She was just giving me a little massage to help me with my soreness, that's it," he explained, crossing his arms under his bare chest when the ocelot didn't react in the slightest, "Lya? Are you feeling alright?"

Nodding once again, the librarian slowly made to turn around, keeping her gaze on the ground. "Yeah... it's no--" stopping as her eyes settled on Zachary's uncovered upper body, Lya's eyes widened for just a moment before they went right back to staring at the ground, "G-Get dressed, d-dummy. You're going to catch a cold..." Her blush was more evident than ever.

The leopard blinked. "But... it's not even chilly at a--"

"Just do it!" Lya insisted, her gaze never leaving the ground.

Zachary threw his arms in the air in defeat, shaking his head as he went to retrieve his vest from the ground. Putting it on while mumbling something under his breath, the leopard extended his arms and looked back at Lya with a clearly unimpressed expression. "There, better?"

Looking up hesitantly, the ocelot nodded her head and sighed after observing the feline for a few moments. "Thanks." She said curtly, Zachary once more shaking his head in confusion at the librarian's odd behavior. Could it be that this was her way of dealing with waking up in the mornings?

Chuckling lightheartedly, Snowflake moved over to retrieve her writing materials from the group's bags. "Hunter, can you ask if Black Mage is free later?" the familiar requested, smiling to Lya, "And tell her that I wanted to have some time together with her. So we can get to know one another better."

Zachary nodded with a wide smile, turning to look at the ocelot. "Hey Lya, are you... uh... free later by any chance?" he asked simply.

Lya felt her heart leap at the question. She moved to face the leopard, a similarly wide display of enjoyment adorning her face. "Of course, I would love to hang out wi--"

"Awesome, because Snowflake wanted to spend some time with you today. You know, to get to know each other a little better and all that!" The leopard explained with a grin. He was truly a very oblivious individual.

Upon hearing Zachary's words, Lya's smile died down somewhat, but she was quick to force it back on her muzzle after only a second. "Oh... uhm... yeah, sure! I would love that!" She gave the spirit a confirmative nod. Although the idea of spending time with the intriguing familiar sounded rather inviting, the ocelot was still a little disappointed for something that even she herself couldn't quite explain what truly was.

Giving a thrilled smile, Snowflake nodded to Lya gratefully, a happy jingle coming from the spirit, before a much less pleased growl came from the furry green hill near the fire. "Is there any way that I could convince you three to let me sleep without the noise?" Basajaun grumbled, grunting heavily as he rolled to face away from the source of the speaking, his tail snaking over to the fire and relaxing in the hot flames.

As if reminded of his own lack of rest by the dragon's comment, Zachary let out an expansive yawn while stretching his back at the same time. Even before he could finish his action, a series of painfully loud coughs disturbed the leopard. He tried holding his paw in front of his mouth to deaden the unpleasant sound.

"Sorry, bud..." The feline apologized with a weak and quiet voice, rubbing his baggy eyes with a paw while his fit of coughs continued endlessly, although at a much quieter and less intense way.

Lya gave a concerned expression as she walked next to Zachary, putting a paw on his shoulder. "It's been like this all night?" she asked, her paw moving to rub the leopard's back.

Zachary nodded at the question. "I'm surprised I was even able to get up. I'm usually the one sleeping in, no matter what happens... just another confirmation that this problem with my lungs is serious enough to force me out of bed," he sighed, swallowing hard and rubbing at his chest gingerly, "I think I'll head to Centrum in a few moments. I really need this thing checked out... I'm so fed up with it." Lya gave a silent nod, agreeing completely with the leopard's reasoning.

There was a bit of movement from Esmeralda's tent, before the owl's head came out from the shelter. "If you three are going into the city, then go ahead without me," the Elder instructed, pointing over to Basajaun, "I'll stay here and keep Fatty company."

The owl's words actually got the dragon to raise his head and give a tired smile. "Thank you, Elder Eszes," Basajaun replied with a gracious tone, before his head flopped back down on the ground.

Yawning once again and nodding, Zachary turned around and started walking out of the clearing. "I don't know about you two," he began, gesturing with his paws at Snowflake and Lya, "But I'm definitely leaving now. The sooner this issue is dealt with, the better."

The ocelot gave a small smile, quickly joining by the leopard's side. "I'm going too. Still have some things to take care of, but," she turned back to Snowflake, "I'll be back really soon! It's only going to take an hour or two and then I'll meet you here, alright?"

The spirit nodded. "Before you go," she started, pointing at the leopard's necklace, "May I have that back? I kind of want to be able to focus on what Black Mage and I are doing, and I don't want to be distracted. So, if you wouldn't mind? I'll give it right back when we're done."

"Of course, Snowflake," Zachary replied with a tired smile, walking back and giving the pendant to the spirit, "I'll probably not be back before Lya, so you two have fun together. I'll see you all later." With that, the leopard turned around once more and started making his way towards the exit of the clearing with Lya alongside him.

He glanced over his shoulder, grinning as he called back. "Sweet dreams, lizard!" His somewhat exhausted, although still joyful laughter followed right after his words, the pleasant sound not stopping until the two felines were out of sight as they disappeared in the forest undergrowth.

Heaving a sigh, Snowflake put the necklace around her own sinuous neck, before moving over and sitting beside Basajaun. Running her fingers through the drake's fur, the familiar frowned when she caught her claws on several knots in the silky pelt.

Cocking her head, Snowflake giggled and shook her head. "Looks like Hunter's not the only one in need of grooming," she mused, moving over to her and Esmeralda's bags. Retrieving the brush and comb that her mistress used on the familiar's hair, when she had it, Snowflake returned to the drake's side.

Taking the brush, the spirit gently ran it through the dragon's neck fur, causing him to raise his head. "What are you...?" he started to ask, until he felt the brush again, this time the tool scratching pleasantly at the skin beneath the dragon's fur.

Moaning and purring at the same time, the reptile set his head back down. "Nevermind, don't stop!" he requested with a goofy grin.

Giving her own smile, Snowflake gingerly ran the brush through Basajaun's fur, removing the dirt and detritus that had begun to cling to the hairs. "I thought you'd enjoy this," the spirit stated smilingly, giggling as the dragon's rear legs shook periodically when she started brushing the right areas. The movement rippled through the massive creature's doughy form, wobbling his body like gelatin.

Now able to relax completely, Basajaun was soon back asleep, resting peacefully with his silly smile and pet-like behaviors still going while he was groomed lovingly.

The way to the city was spent in relative silence between Zachary and Lya. With the firstly mentioned individual practically struggling to not fall asleep right then and there, it was rather difficult to keep any conversation alive for more than a few words. The ocelot didn't mind the silence, though. She simply enjoyed the leopard's company, even in his current state.

When the massive, and now familiar, gates of Centrum came in view, Zachary regarded the entrance to the city with an uncertain expression. Experience biomancers or not, there was no guarantee that they would have a solution to his problem. The thought was able to send a shiver up his spine. He didn't want to think of staying in his current state.

The leopard actually expected to find the friendly bull waiting for them alone, and was somewhat surprised to find himself approaching not only the guard, but what looked like another traveller of some sort as well. Although wondering why an anthro would be at the gates so early in the morning, Zachary eventually shrugged the thought off. He didn't really care that much about a random individual's business.

Even though completely untouched by the traveler's whole existence in general, he was sure to give the anthro, who he was able to identify as a rat when they arrived at the gates, a small smile and a nod of his head.

Turning his attention to the bull, Zachary greeted with a tired grin. "Good morning, mister guard! Would you let us in, pretty please?" He fluttered his eyes as he spoke while Lya had to hold back a snicker with all her might.

The guard glanced at the leopard with a welcoming smile. "Sure thing, kid! Always nice seeing your baggy eyes in the morning!" Chucking, the bull moved to wave a paw at the other guards on the gates when he was stopped by none other than the rat himself.

"Wait a moment..." The anthro's voice was rather deep, almost daunting in nature. With all three pairs of eyes set on the rat, he completely disregarded the searching gazes, simply walking up to Zachary and looking him in the eyes.

The leopard leaned back from the rat's face, giving a confused expression. "Uh... can I help you with something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the anthro's odd behavior.

The rat continued his observation, ignoring Zachary's words. His narrowed eyes scanned the feline's face for a long time, almost to the point where Lya was about to just simply take the leopard by his arm and drag him away from the scene.

When the stranger's eyes widened in surprise, Zachary could clearly see them filling up with just as much fear as bewilderment. The rat stumbled backwards a little, his body trembling as he pointed a finger at the leopard in an accusatory manner. "T-That's a criminal!"

Zachary's breath caught in his throat.

With shaking hands, the rat swiftly pulled out a piece of paper from his backpack, presenting it to the bull with an evidently terrified look on his face. "Here, look! I found this on the edge of Boldrumton! It's a wanted poster!" he gestured at the leopard with a trembling finger, "Look at the picture! It's definitely him, arrest this criminal at once!"

Zachary stopped breathing. He stared at the rat. That's all he could do. He was in shock.

What was... happening? How did...? Why...?

"ARE YOU DEAF!? WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, ARREST HIM ALREADY! HE'S A WANTED CRIMINAL!"

A criminal? The word echoed in his mind endlessly. That wasn't him. He hasn't done anything wrong. He hadn't broken the law since...

'Boldrum.' Zachary finished the thought himself.

He felt furious. He felt so outraged that he wanted to kill the swine at this very moment. He wanted to kill him with all his heart. And yet, even through his rage, he knew he had to do something. He had to expl--

"NO!" Lya's forceful voice snapped Zachary out of his shock. He glanced in the direction the sound came from. He gasped.

The ocelot was holding back two other guards at once with all her might. Her arms extended on both sides, screaming and fighting. That's the display the leopard was given when he looked at Lya.

"HE IS INNOCENT, PLEASE, LISTEN TO ME! HE HASN'T DONE ANYT--" When one of the guards shoved forcefully against the ocelot, the tiny feline landed on the ground with a heavy thud. Zachary saw red.

With a loud growl that defied every possibility that the leopard was in any way related to anthros, Zachary's whole posture and expression changed to predatory. With a glare that would have terrified even the bravest warriors on the battlefield, he began walking towards the guard that hurt Lya. Flames began forming in both of his paws.

Completely driven by fury and rage, Zachary failed to notice the reinforcements arriving from the gates in the form of more guards. Only one didn't move an inch; the bull. He simply held the wanted poster in his hand with an unreadable expression on his face.

Even before he could reach the guard that attacked Lya, the leopard soon found himself facing seven guards in front of him in total. They held up their spears, pointing them straight at Zachary's head.

"Lower your hands and surrender!" One of the guards called out.

The leopard didn't care. He kept on walking towards the sharp weapons, his loud growling and glare never leaving a particular guard's face.

"I'm warning you for the last time! STAND DOWN, NOW!"

Zachary didn't stop.

"ARREST HIM ALREADY!"

"DO NOT TAKE ANOTHER STEP!"

"Zach, stop! They are going to kill you! Please!"

Upon hearing Lya's pleading words, the leopard looked back at the ocelot on the ground, his earlier predatory look long gone. "Are you alr--"

A single blow to the head from behind. That's all that was needed.

Zachary collapsed on the ground immediately, his broken form lying limp on the road. He didn't move an inch.

Lya screamed painfully at the sight. Tears coated her face and muzzle. "He's innocent, I swear!" The ocelot pleaded. She got on her feet unsteadily, quickly rushing to stand between Zachary's unmoving body and the guards. "Please, you have to listen to me! This is a misunderstanding, he hasn't done any--"

The ocelot stopped.

Feeling a hoof on her shoulder, she glanced back to look at the bull. His expression was of sincere sorrow. The guard simply shook his head.

Lya looked furious and terrified at the same time. "No!" she screamed on top of her lungs, shrugging the bull's hand from her shoulder and turning back to the guards, "You're making a mistake! Don't arrest him, plea--"

"Move out of the way. Now." One of the spear wielding guards commanded with a calm tone.

"You can't do th--"

"This is your final warning, ma'am. Assisting a wanted criminal is a crime as well," all of the guards began walking towards Zachary's body, "Move. Out. Of. The. Way."

Lya couldn't stop crying. "B-But he i--"

"NOW!"

Before the guards could advance, the bull simply plucked Lya up in his arms, resting her on his shoulder as he began walking away from the scene.

The ocelot fought against being carried with all her will. She beat the bull's back with her paws, kicking the air with her legs and screaming on top of her lungs. "NO! LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HIM ALONE! PUT ME DOWN!"

"It's no use, little lady..." the bull stated simply with a weak voice, "You can kick and scream all you want, but I ain't letting you go. You can't help him now... you're going to get both of you killed. He still has a chance this way..."

Lya bawled as she was carried away. "ZACH!"

She watched through tears as the guards crowded Zachary's unmoving body. She extended her trembling arm towards the leopard's unconscious form, as if it would somehow help him. Before she saw what was about to happen, the bull walked her through the gates, the massive doors closing behind them until Zachary was out of Lya's sight.

With a painful and defeated bellow, Lya's head fell on the bull's back. She kept striking the guard's body as she coated his armor with her tears. She was in shock. She was scared, afraid. She... didn't want Zachary to get hurt.

Groaning loudly as he was pulled up from the ground, Zachary felt as a rope was tied tightly around his hands behind his back. He opened his eyes slowly, glancing around blearily and noting the seven shadowy figures with a confused expression.

"Alright, let's get moving." One of the figures commanded, shoving at the leopard's back and forcing him to stumble forward. After catching himself from falling, Zachary began walking behind the guards at a slow pace.

"W-Where are you taking me?"

Nobody responded.

"Could you... at least tell me whe--"

"To the jail, where all the criminals belong."

Zachary stopped walking. "No..." His whole body tensed. Not a single muscle was moving.

He was panicking.

"No... no, no, no... Please, not there! I'm begging you! No! NO! ANYWHERE BUT THERE!"

He was terrified.

One of the guards shoved against his back once again. Zachary didn't budge an inch. Azure flames began dancing around his paws, the blue fire eating at the rope which held him hungrily.

He had to run away.

"Hey, stop that at once!" A voice commanded from behind. The leopard disregarded it. He had to run away. He wouldn't go to jail. No. Never again.

Cold steel against his throat.

Zachary looked up at the guard in front of him with tearful and terrified eyes. "Please..." His voice was barely audible. A tiny whisper. A final cry for help. "Not in the there... I-I can't go there... please, I can't go there... I can't go there... I CAN'T GO THERE!"

"Get. Moving." The guard pressed his weapon tightly against the leopard's neck. Tiny droplets of blood began flowing down the the curvature of the spear's end, landing in the ground and painting the green grass in red.

Azure Scorch.

The spell shot out of Zachary's paw. The rope melted away. Yet free, the leopard could only savor the feeling of freedom for a fraction of a second before another blow struck forcefully against his head.

Blue flames retreating.

A final painful scream.

An unmoving body on the grass.

"MASTER XERGON!" Lya screamed as she rushed through the entrance of the college. She was panting, her eyes searching frantically at the occupants of the lobby.

The students of the room regarded the ocelot with confused expressions. Lya didn't care in the slightest. She rushed to the counter, tears falling from her eyes as she look at Rupert with a terrified expression. "Where's the master!? I need to talk to him! NOW!"

"Gods above, Lya. What on earth happened?" The lynx's voice came from behind her.

Whipping her head around, Lya rushed to Xergon, taking him by the arm and dragging him out of the lobby with great effort. She dragged him to one of the classrooms, closing the door behind them.

Xergon regarded the ocelot with an unreadable expression. "I really hope ther--"

"IT'S ZACH!" Lya screamed, wiping her tears from her eyes. It was no use. They just kept coming, no matter how much she tried to get rid of them. "We... he... we were just coming... and the guards... a traveller was there and he had a poster and they just..."

The lynx put a paw on the ocelot's shoulder. He squeezed her gently. "Calm down, Lya," he said with a soft tone, nodding his head to the feline, "You need to calm down first, my child. Only tell me what happened afterwards, alright?"

Nodding vehemently and swallowing her tears, Lya remained silent for a long time. She kept wiping at her eyes, breathing unsteadily and sniffling. With a whole minute passing in silence, the ocelot was eventually able to gather her voice and thoughts.

"Zach... he's been..." Lya shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, "He was arrested."

Xergon's expression remained unchanging. He stared in Lya's eyes. "For what?" He asked.

The ocelot shook her head once again. "He hasn't... he hasn't done anything wrong, I swear! A-a traveller was at the gates and h-he had a wanted poster about Zach and the guards believed him and now he's..." Lya gave the most sorrowful expression her facial muscles were able to perform.

"He's probably... in jail already."

The lynx nodded simply. "I see," turning away from Lya and rushing to the door, Xergon glanced back at the ocelot for the last time, "I'll try to handle this. There's no time to waste, Lya. I'm heading to the jailhouse right now. You stay here and calm yourself." With a deadly serious tone that almost never visited the master, the lynx quickly exited the classroom, leaving Lya alone.

The ocelot was still in shock. If her constant tears weren't enough, she could feel her legs trembling under her body. Thoughts of every imaginable horror swirled around in her mind. How was Zachary? Did they hurt him? Are they going to keep him in jail for a very long time? Are they going to... kill him?

Shaking her head in an attempt to clear the unpleasant thoughts away, Lya looked at the open door with an uncertain expression. She didn't know what to do. She felt so confused and scared... afraid for the life of the leopard.

Eventually, her legs decided for her, as she began walking out of the classroom. She knew she had to do this. They deserved to know what happened. Of all people, they were the ones that actually deserved to know what happened. They needed to know.

With unsure steps, Lya exited the college. She knew where she was going. To the only place where she could go at the moment:

Back to the forest clearing.

While Basajaun slept, Esmeralda had exited her tent, situating herself away from the fire with her cane-rapier drawn. She hadn't had the opportunity to exercise for a while, and was going through her combat forms with slow, deliberate motions. Her thin blade moved unwaveringly through the air as the owl almost danced across the clearing, her arms knowing the techniques without having to receive instruction from her mind.

Watching her mistress practice for a moment, Snowflake seemed to be staring out to the city with a concerned expression. Not long after Zachary and Lya would have reached the city gates, the spirit began to feel uneasy. The feeling was a nagging sense that something was wrong, and it was getting worse over time.

Eventually, Snowflake had to stand and move, pacing around the fire for several minutes. She couldn't clear her head of the dread that pervaded it, no matter how hard she tried. "Mistress, I think something's wrong," the familiar stated, looking over to Esmeralda.

Slowing to a stop, the Elder looked over to to dragoness with a cocked head. "What is it, Snowflake?" she asked, the owl probing the spirit's mind until she found the feeling herself, following it to its source.

The owl's eyes widened, before whipping her head to face the sound of approaching footsteps.

Lya's running form approached the spirit and owl at a quick speed. She looked out of breath, worried and tense.

When she finally arrived at the group's camp, the ocelot could only breathe deeply for long moments. The tears that still coated her face glimmered in the sun's light. Lya was outright terrified.

"Zach..." the ocelot breathed weakly, breaking down in tears once again, "Something happened with Zach... I-I didn't know what to do... I already told Xergon and I just thought I..." Lya's voice cracked, her throat too tight to continue. She simply held her paw in front of her mouth as she cried her eyes out.

The sound was enough to rouse Basajaun as Snowflake and Esmeralda rushed to the ocelot's side. "Lya, what happened?" the owl asked worriedly, her and her familiar both wrapping an arm around the distraught librarian as Basajaun wondered the same thing.

Lya didn't bring up her face for a very long time. She let all her sorrow out in one go, finally giving in to her demanding emotions. She wept as she was embraced. The hug was the only thing keeping her up from collapsing on the ground.

With red and teary eyes, the ocelot could only take a second to gather her voice and reply. Saying it out loud felt like she was drowning in pain.

"Zach was arrested," she said quietly, her voice weaker than ever, "He's... he's in jail."

There was silence for several seconds, before a throaty growl emanated from the drake among the group as he righted himself. "He's what?" Basajaun demanded, his voice full of anger and indignation as he addressed Lya.

The ocelot couldn't help but flinch at the sight. She swallowed fearfully, glancing at the dragon with tears brimming her eyes. "Zach... he..." Lya had to stop for a moment, both feeling terrified by Basajaun and the current situation.

"A-A traveler was there when we arrived at the gates... he... he had a wanted poster about Zach and he recognized him," she wiped her eyes again, "Guards... guards came and they..." there was a long pause, "They struck him on the head while he was... trying to protect me and arrested him. I-I was carried away afterwards and I could only watch his body on the ground... I don't know what happened after that... but he wasn't moving." Lya buried her face in Snowflake's shoulder, sobbing quietly.

As Snowflake held Lya against her, Esmeralda stared over to the fuming dragon. "Basajaun, stay calm," the Elder insisted, seeing the drake breathing raggedly, "We'll figure this out, just don't do anyth--"

"Corrobo," the dragon growled deeply, his body receding inwards quickly. His eyes were so dilated, they resembled black pools of darkness.

"Ah, Hell!" Esmeralda swore, before pointing to the tree line, "Paries Glaciem Maxima!"

The spell ripped out of the owl's body, and she fell to her knees as a massive blockade of ice began to grow upwards from the edge of the trees. "Snowflake... stop him..." the Elder managed to gasp out after draining her entire magical fortitude into one spell.

The dragon was already moving to the wall as it grew, his body losing its roundness with each step he took, his speed picking up with every bit of weight that was turned into muscle.

Releasing Lya and stepping out in front of Basajaun, Snowflake spread her arms wide. "Wait, Forest! We need to think and stay calm," the spirit tried to reason with the drake.

"Get out... of way," the reptile's seething voice ordered as he continued to advance. He only thought of Zachary's reaction to the prison below what was now their home. That look of sorrow and fear filled his mind to the brim, pushing rational thought aside in its wake.

Flinching at the intimidating resonance of Basajaun's voice, Snowflake realized the only one that could reason their way through the dragon's reaction was Zachary. Turning to the wall of ice that towered over the trees, the spirit ran and leapt into the frost, her form melding seamlessly into the barrier.

The icy bastion rapidly withdrew into a rounded form, before spreading out into the rough shape of a dragon, like an unfinished ice carving that was half again larger than Basajaun. "I don't want to hurt you, Forest!" the spirit's voice rang out from the frozen form, before she set herself into a defensive posture, "Just stop and think!"

The drake didn't stop; his pace increased to a full blown gallop as the last of his padding was converted to rock-hard muscle. "Move or break!" Basajaun roared in reply, his claws gouging massive divots into the clearing ground as he ran full bore at the spirit.

The dragoness sighed sadly. "I'm sorry," she apologized, before running forward, the pair of dragons crashing together with a massive noise.

Lya gasped and held a paw in front of her mouth. She took a couple of steps backwards before finally collapsing on the ground.

"No..." the ocelot's voice was quiet, "No. This is not helping him!" She shouted at the two dragons, her voice sounding quite forceful despite her current state. "STOP! THIS WON'T HELP ZACH!" The feline couldn't help but wonder whether or not coming here was a smart idea. Judging by the situation, it wasn't.

Snowflake tried her best to simply hold Basajaun in place, the spirit's paws pressing firmly against the dragon's shoulders. Even though she was larger, the dragoness felt her rear legs losing traction against the ground, her claws digging tracks into the dirt as she was pushed back.

The drake growled loudly as his progress was slowed, his fangs displayed as his lips curled in a snarl. Snowflake stared into the reptile's eyes, and she knew what would bring him to his senses.

Straining her mind, the spirit felt her bond with the dragon, and she reached into his mind. 'Basajaun, you're going to hurt me,' she whispered mentally, watching as the drake flinched at the words, 'You're going to hurt someone else if you lose control. Be brave. We can fix this together.'

Basajaun's eyes slowly came back into focus, and he stopped. "I... I promised him..." the drake's trembling voice whispered back, "I promised he'd never be imprisoned again. I have to save him, Snowflake. Please... let me save him!"

The familiar lifted Basajaun's face to look into his eyes. "I can't do that," she answered, drawing the drake into her embrace, "You can't do it on your own, Forest. We all have to work together now. Trust us to help you and Hunter both."

Hot tears streamed down Snowflake's back as she held Basajaun close. "I'm sorry," he sobbed quietly, his arms reaching around and hugging the dragoness tightly, "I'm sorry..."

Lya's gaze fell on the ground upon noticing that the dragon had calmed down somewhat. She sighed raggedly, taking several long moments to recollect herself. She wiped her tears away from the umpteenth time. Crying wasn't going to help Zachary in the slightest.

Standing up on unsteady legs, the ocelot walked to Esmeralda's side as quickly as she could, kneeling down and putting a paw on the owl's back as she asked. "A-Are you alright, Lady Eszes? Do you need anything?" Lya's tone sounded calm, although quiet and shaky. She was trying her hardest to keep her bubbling emotions inside. She wetted the fur on her cheeks enough.

The owl shook her head, a hand rubbing her temple. "I'm fine," she grunted, hesitantly standing, "Are you back with us, Basajaun?"

There was a deep sniffle, followed by a cough as the drake tried to come to his senses. "I-I think so," he managed to answer, lifting his head from Snowflake's shoulder and looking over to Esmeralda, "I... I'm not sure if it will last, though..." The dragon's eyes showed that he was dangerously close to losing control again, and he was struggling to hold himself together.

Lya breathed slowly as she stared in the dragon's eyes. She was scared by the sight. It was an instinctual reaction that she simply couldn't fight off. She knew Basajaun was only acting this way because of Zachary, but... her expression remained fearful nonetheless. And yet, even through fear coating her mind, she wanted to help somehow. Anyhow.

"B-Basajaun..." the ocelot began with a weak voice, standing up from the ground, "I-I know you're angry. I... I'm angry too, but you have to stay with us, please," Although tears brimmed her eyes, Lya wasn't crying anymore.

She managed to smile at the drake.

"Zach would want you to stay calm, I know he would... I know it," Lya sighed long, "You can't... you won't help him if you lose yourself. You're only going to make things... worse for both him and you. What... what do you think Zach would do if you hurt yourself while trying to save him?" She answered her own question before Basajaun could.

"H-He would blame himself for it," Lya sniffled quietly as she looked Basajaun straight in the eyes, "Do this for him, please. Stay with us, don't let your instincts control you."

The dragon looked back into the ocelot's eyes. He knew she was right, but his inner beasts were still railing for release, demanding vengeance for his friend. "I'm trying," Basajaun stated, clenching his eyes shut and shaking his head vigorously in an attempt to clear it.

Lya nodded and sighed expansively, turning to the Elder and Snowflake. "X-Xergon knows too," she informed the two females, a hopeful expression crossing her face, "He went straight to the jailhouse... if there's anyone who can fix this, it's him."

"See, Forest? Someone's already on their way to help," Snowflake said, stroking the dragon's back gently, "Everything's going to be okay."

Sniffling again, Basajaun nodded. He knew that trying to get into Centrum on his own would most likely end in his death; there was an army of guards and dragon hunters waiting for him beyond the walls. "I just feel so powerless out here," he said quietly, squeezing Snowflake tighter against himself. The spirit didn't have her usual softness, but he still felt comforted by her touch.

Esmeralda moved to stand beside Lya. "We need to get to the jailhouse as well," she stated fervently, "The more witnesses in support of Zachary we have, the better our chances are of clearing his name."

The ocelot nodded without hesitation. "Let's go, then. Now," she insisted with a determined tone, turning to Basajaun and giving him a supportive smile, "Stay strong, Basajaun. We'll get Zach out of there."

With that, Lya turned around, Esmeralda following closely behind her as the pair left the clearing once again, leaving the two dragons alone.

Watching as the two anthros left to support Zach, Basajaun couldn't avoid feeling helpless himself. Resting his head back on Snowflake's shoulder, the drake could only cry quietly in frustration. Just because of his race, he couldn't help his closest friend this time.

A few minutes into this, Snowflake tapped the dragon's back. "Forest, your claws are going to get stuck," she said in a tone of discomfort.

"Claws?" the dragon repeated, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that the claws in question had buried themselves completely into the familiar's back. "Oh Gods, I'm sorry!" Basajaun apologized vehemently, tugging his paws free from the dragoness' back, "You should have said I was hurting you sooner!"

Snowflake smiled gently, patting one of the reptile's paws. "You weren't hurting me quite yet," she reassured the dragon, nuzzling his snout, "Don't worry, I'm pretty tough!"

Flexing his paws as the embrace was broken, Basajaun looked out in the direction of the city. "Thank you for stopping me," he said after a moment, sighing in defeat, "I just have to accept that I can't help Zach, this time. Pinguesco."

The drake's toned form began to loosen again, returning to its former roundness steadily. "I need something to do, or I'm going to lose it again," he said, moving over to the fire and staring into the flames.

The spirit quickly retrieved the dragon's book and brought it to him. "Here, try to focus on this," she offered, patting the reptile's softening back, "I'll go get you something to eat, too. We'll keep you on this side of your instincts, don't worry."

Nodding slowly, Basajaun took the grimoire gratefully, simply starting from the beginning in the hope that things would be resolved by the time he read through the pages again.

The morning sunlight faded away steadily as Xergon descended the stone stairs. Muss clung to the worn-out steps stubbornly, small torches mounted on the walls providing the only source of light as the sun's natural rays were overwhelmed by the darkness.

The lynx walked as fast as he could. Perhaps for the first time in centuries, he felt truly uncertain. Occasionally, he would catch a glimpse of maggots worming their way beneath his feet on the green moss. The sight was unpleasant, but the master didn't care in the slightest. He only cared about one thing at the moment.

Arriving at the end of the long descend to Centrum's dungeons, Xergon quickly made his way to the small table that was situated against a wall. An anthro in heavy armor sat in a wooden chair next to the table, his arms crossed under his chest.

As soon as he noticed the lynx approaching, the guard stood up and held up a paw. "Hold it right there, stranger. What are you doing down here?"

Xergon walked the remaining steps to the guard at a more relaxed pace. He pulled down his robe, stopping right in front of the anthro's face. "My name is Master Xergon, I'm the headmaster of Centrum's college of Magic. One of my students was arrested by mistake this morning. I want to see him," when the guard opened his mouth, the lynx breathed heavily, "Now."

The anthro, now identified as a pitbull while the faint light of the torches cast shadows across his face, stared at Xergon for long moments, not responding at first. He didn't move, either. "Do you have the permission to visit one of our prisoners?" He asked calmly.

The lynx's eyes seemed to focus entirely on the canine's face. Xergon regarded the anthro in front of him with an expression that was more terrifying and daunting than a dragon's gaze. "It seems like you missunderstood me," his voice was deadly cold, "I don't need permission to help my students when they're in need of assistance. It is my duty to do so. I'm doing my job as much as you are."

Xergon simply walked past the pitbull. The guard didn't move an inch, his eyes widened as he stared numbly in front of him. He didn't even blink.

The lynx quickened his pace after he was past the guard, his gaze frantically searching through the empty cells that lined on both sides of the dark corridor. Barely flickering torches shone weakly through the darkness. Most of them weren't even lit, and the ones that still had some fire in them looked like they could go out at any second.

As he passed the cells, Xergon noted the few anthros that were locked away in some of the cells. Most of them were simply lying on their mattresses, some simply staring at the lynx until he disappeared from their sight.

There was silence. It was too quiet.

As if on cue, one of the prisoners called after Xergon after he walked past him. "I wouldn't go there if I were you..." he said quietly. The lynx turned around for just a second to face the prisoner, staring in his eyes with an unreadable expression.

The locked up anthro tore his eyes away from Xergon. "Prisoner at the end of the corridor... in the last cell..." there was a long pause, "I've been seeing blue light coming from there and screaming," the lynx breathed raggedly at the statement, "That guy is dangerous... if your well-being is dear to you, you shouldn't go there."

Xergon didn't respond. He simply turned around, leaving the anthro to himself as he continued walking on the long corridor. His pace had slowed down somewhat. Warnings were warnings. They existed for a reason.

When the lynx neared the end of the hallway, he stopped. His eyes widened as he observed the area around him.

The stone floor was pitch black in front of the last cell on the right. Through the whole way on the corridor, moss covered the floor mostly. It wasn't the case at this particular cell, as the entirety of its entrance was covered in the burned out remains of the flowerless plant.

With hesitant steps, Xergon continued walking. He glanced down at the ground beneath his feet when he was nearing the cell.

Everything, even the stone itself, looked like it was burnt-out. The scorched blackness even crept on the nearby walls, and as Xergon finally reached and stepped in front of the cell, he could only stare at the iron bars that were partially melted, twisted and bent over in some places.

Tearing his gaze away from the destruction, the lynx peered through the darkness that enveloped the entire cell. He put one of his paws on an iron bar, almost immediately pulling it back and hissing in pain.

It was still scorching.

"Zachary...?" Xergon called out in the darkness, his feline instincts not quite kicking in yet to provide him a better sight in the complete blackness.

There was no answer, only the faint sound of crackling fire.

Waiting until he was able to see better and remaining silent for several moments, the lynx was finally able to get a better view of the dark cell. What he saw, however, was something he had never seen before.

Zachary's unmoving body sat in the far corner of the room. He was nothing but a small ball of yellow fur, his head buried in his knees and his back hunched over. The leopard didn't move an inch, and yet, there was still movement around him.

The air seemed to twist and bend at its own will, swirling around Zachary. Ice coated the floor beneath him, while dancing, azure flames shone weakly through the darkness.

Xergon felt steady impulses hitting him. He couldn't explain what the feeling was. The force simply radiated from the leopard's body endlessly, their intensity so high and strong that the lynx could actually hear them thudding in his ears.

Silence fell on the cell and on both felines for a very long time. It was only broken when Xergon had come to his senses from the initial shock, his hearing once again perfect.

Zachary sobbed quietly as he held his legs close to his body. No other sound left the leopard. He simply sat in the corner while the spells twisted and turned around him. He couldn't control them.

Xergon swallowed as he stared at the leopard. "Z-Zachary... it's okay, son. It's me, Master Xergon, I came to help you." The lynx's voice was gentle, carrying a tone of understanding and sincerity that was unknown to most anthros.

There was no response.

The master sighed raggedly. "Zachary, listen to me," he insisted, raising his voice a little, "Zachary! You have to calm yourself now, it's okay, nothing bad is going to happen... just try to concentrate on my voice, alright?"

Nothing. Not even a flinch.

Xergon knew that this was going to end badly. Zachary could easily risk exhausting himself to the point of no return, and he feared what the consequences of that might be. He had to find a way to calm the leopard. But how?

The ice under the leopard's body began to spread wider, the azure flames following along. The gust of wind that swirled around him grew even stronger until the point where it was ruffling the feline's fur and vest.

"Let... me... out."

Xergon tensed at the unfamiliar voice. It sounded nothing like the cheerful anthro he had come to know. It was deep, quiet, hopeless, pleading, confused and terrified.

It sounded like a trapped animal's final cry for help.

"I... can't... stay. Let. Me. Out."

"Zachary!" Xergon shouted, slamming a fist against the hot iron bar under his paw, "You have to calm down, please!"

The leopard couldn't hear the master's words. He simply kept chanting, the forces of his spells becoming stronger with each word leaving his lips.

The lynx stumbled backwards when a strong gust of wind pushed against his body forcefully. He glanced at Zachary with fearful eyes, rushing back to the cell and hitting the iron bar once again. "You have to keep it in control! Zachary, you hear me!? You're going to kill yourself if you keep going like this! Calm down!"

Xergon felt the rushing wind on his cheeks. He had to realize that Zachary was simply too much in a shock to think. He didn't know the reason behind his behavior, but tried his hardest to help his student in every possible way he could.

"LET ME OUT!"

The leopard's shout sent the entirety of the dungeon in utter silence. The torches near his cell died out, their fire blown away by the rushing wind and the sudden chill in the air as the ice crept across the floor.

Xergon held a paw in front of his eyes, his paw clinging tightly to the iron bar. For the very first time in his life, the lynx didn't know what to do. As he watched Zachary slowly stand up, the lynx quickly let go of the iron bars.

He knew what was coming.

Jumping away in the last second, the master could only stare with wide eyes as the azure flames shot out through the iron bars. When the fire retreated, ice took its place, the cold substance creeping on the cell's bars and freezing it in the process.

"PLEASE! LET ME O--"

When a loud cough interrupted Zachary, both the flames and ice immediately retreated.

Xergon heard something landing on the stone floor with a heavy thud. A series of painfully loud and continuous coughs followed in its wake. The lynx listened quietly, only moving an inch when he heard the leopard was practically fighting for air.

"Zachary!" With a terrified expression on his face, Xergon rushed to the iron bars once again, disregarding the ice which still coated it.

The leopard was on his knees on the ground, completely hunched over. A paw clutched at his chest stubbornly while he continued wheezing and grabbing at the air. Yet no matter how hard he was trying, he couldn't breathe properly. His lungs simply wouldn't obey each time he drew a breath.

They burned more painfully and intensively than the azure flames themselves.

Xergon breathed rapidly, staring at the leopard on the ground for only a second before he whipped his head in the direction he came from. "Help!" the lynx screamed on top of his lungs, "One of the prisoners needs he--"

"Xergon...?" Zachary's weak voice came from the dark cell.

The master quickly returned his gaze to the feline, smiling in relief. "Yes! Yes, it's me!" Xergon sunk down to be in eye level with the leopard, his paws clinging forcefully at the ice coated cell bars.

Zachary swallowed and raised his head to look at the lynx, coughing and wheezing the whole time. When Xergon finally saw his student's expression, his breath caught in his throat.

The leopard's terrified eyes searched the master's face endlessly, the glimmering tears streaming down across his cheeks. The droplets of sorrow were clearly visible even through the complete darkness.

"Please..." Zachary began, his voice nothing but a whisper, "Master Xergon... I can't... stay here. I need to... get out. I can't take this place anymore... please..."

The lynx's throat tightened at the leopard's words. "I-I'm sorry, Zachary... but I can't let you out myself right now. You have to stay in there and stay calm for a little while, alright? Please, Zachary, you have to stay calm. I'm going to help you get out, but I need you to stay aware of yourself and not lose control. Can you do that for me?"

Zachary slowly nodded his head, coughing once again.

Xergon sighed in relief. "That's the spirit, son..." his voice cracked, and he had to shake his head a little to recollect himself, "I'll use everything in my power to help you, Zachary. But I need to know... did you do anything that was against the law?"

The leopard shook his head. "No..." he replied, groaning in pain as he attempted to change positions and sit down on the ground. He flinched a little when his paw touched the ice under him.

"It's because of my... past in Boldrumton..." he explained, sniffling as he glanced at Xergon, "I did break the law when I was there, but I was given my punishment right away, I swear! I was banished from that godforsaken town the next day... but it seems like that wasn't enough for Boldrum."

Xergon nodded his head. He didn't know exactly what Zachary was talking about at the moment, but he couldn't blame him. The boy was clearly in shock. "I see," the lynx said, sighing once again, "So it was a mistake, after all."

Standing up and giving Zachary a sorrowful expression, the master's face was fixed a grimace. Given the leopard's current situation, Xergon was fearful to even think of the possible outcome that could come his student's way. "I'm going to... leave you now for a little time, okay? I need to talk with someone. That's the only way I can he--"

"No, please, don't leave me alone in here!" Zachary pleaded, crying and coughing at the same time, "I-I can't take this place alone!"

Xergon hesitated. When he attempted to comfort the leopard, his attention was drawn to the sound of footsteps. At first tensing, the lynx soon relaxed as he noticed both Elder Eszes and his necromancer student arriving at the end of the stairs.

Holding up a finger to Zachary and leaving him alone for just a moment, which the leopard noted with a crestfallen expression, Xergon quickly rushed to the two arriving females and to the guard they were conserving with.

"Let us in! We're good frie--" Lya tried to reason when she was cut off by the pitbull.

"I don't care, little lady. No permission, no visiting." The guard stood his place, an adamant expression on his face.

The ocelot growled loudly and was about to start shouting at the pitbull when she noticed Xergon approaching.

"They are with me." The lynx stated with a calm tone as he neared the trio, beckoning with his head for the two to follow him.

The guard simply blinked, huffing in annoyance and turning around to return to his chair. Blasted mages with their privileges.

After pulling the two females away a little from the pitbull, Xergon turned to Lya with narrowed eyes while pointing a finger at the owl. "I thought I told you to stay in the college? How does Elder Eszes know about this? And don't tell me you ran into her in the college, Lya, I know when you're lying."

The ocelot shrunk at the accusation. "I... just..." looking at Esmeralda for support, Lya gave the owl an uncertain expression.

"She came to notify the rest of his friends to Zachary's predicament," Esmeralda replied, giving Lya a nod before moving to the leopard's cell and extending her hand to him comfortingly, "Which I appreciate. Now, how can we help?"

"ESMERALDA!" Zachary exclaimed joyfully, coughing painfully but scooting himself closer to the owl's talon nonetheless. Instead of taking her hand, the leopard simply rubbed his face against the comforting limb, quietly sniffling.

And yet, he was purring at the same time.

The feline's whole body trembled as he nuzzled the Elder's hand, although his relieved purring never stopped.

Lya and Xergon soon joined by Esmeralda's side, the ocelot putting a paw in front of her mouth and gasping when she noticed the state of the cell and the iron bars. She looked over to Xergon with wide eyes. The master closed his eyes and simply shook his head, before turning to both the leopard and the owl.

"You can help by comforting the boy..." he replied, giving a small smile, "I wasn't able to provide that for him, unfortunately. And that nearly ended very bad just some moments ago. Make sure he's..." Xergon cleared his throat, "He isn't really fond of prisons, it seems."

The owl nodded, giving Xergon a serious expression. "We'll stay with him," she promised, stroking the leopard's fur gently, "You do what you can on the legal end of things."

Turning back to Zachary, the Elder gave him a warm smile. "Don't worry, we'll fix this," she swore in a resolute tone, "You're not going to stay here any longer than we can help it, alright? Just stay calm, Zach. Stay strong."

The leopard simply nodded and kept purring as he cuddled the owl's hand. His whole body shook in fear and shock. "Just don't leave me alone in here, please... don't leave me alone... I don't want to be alone in here," Zachary breathed raggedly, wheezing a little and closing his eyes, "Just stay..."

While Lya watched Zachary plead for the company of his friends like never before, Xergon sighed and turned away from the sight. "I need to leave and speak with some people now. I'll be back later, don't worry... hopefully we'll have a solution to this problem by then."

Seeing that the leopard was too occupied with calming himself in the comfort of the owl's presence, Xergon simply bid his head to Lya, turning around and leaving the trio with quick and determined steps.

The ocelot watched the master leave for a few moments, sighing and taking a deep breath to recollect herself. She sank down to the ground next to the Elder, regarding the ice that clung to the iron bars with a confused expression. She didn't comment on it, though. She wanted nothing but to provide comfort to the currently terrified leopard.

Taking a few minutes to simply comfort Zachary with her presence, Esmeralda eventually tapped the feline's head. "Hey, you thinking straight yet?" she asked, withdrawing her hand slightly, "I need you to try to pull yourself together. Can you do that for me, Zach?"

The leopard almost instantly snatched the owl's hand back with his own paws, whimpering and purring as he held it close to his face. The Elder's question was completely disregarded at the moment. Zachary simply couldn't think rationally in his current state. He appeared to be more like an animal's newborn infant than an anthro.

Lya put a paw on Esmeralda's shoulder, shaking her head at the owl. "He's still in shock, I think..." she stated quietly, glancing at Zachary with a sorrowful expression. The leopard had his eyes closed, his breathing leveling out simultaneously with his purring as he scooted closer to the iron bars, pressing his body against cold steel like it wasn't even there.

The ocelot sighed at the sight. "He told me he hated prisons... but I didn't know he was this strongly against them," she looked at Esmeralda and asked, "You... you think he's going to be alright? He's still trembling..." Lya's voice carried evident concern and worry as she spoke.

Sighing as her hand was held hostage, Esmeralda gave a gentle smile to the ocelot. "I know exactly how he feels right now," she stated, her talons gingerly scratching Zachary's chin, "I've seen it before."

Straightening her face, the owl rested her head against the bars of the cell. "Zachary, if you can understand me," she began, reaching her other arm through to grasp the leopard's hands, "Basajaun is staying strong for you. Will you stay strong for him?"

Zachary's eyes snapped open at the question. "Basa...?" he breathed quietly, swallowing fearfully and finally looking like he was partially himself once again, "I-Is he okay? Did he do something? Please tell me he didn't do anything..."

Sighing in relief upon noticing Zachary returning and replacing the whimpering leopard cub, Lya gave him a comforting smile. "He's fine, Zach," she reassured the feline, eliciting a relieved expression from him, "It was hard convincing him to stay put, but he did it for you. He knew that's the only way he could help you right now."

Zachary nodded. For some time, he remained silent, closing his eyes and breathing slowly. "Alright..." he began after a while, opening his eyes and hesitantly letting go of Esmeralda's hand with still trembling paws, "I-I'll stay strong. I just... it's..." The leopard glanced around his cell, flinching visibly at the sight. There was no further explanation needed.

"I know," Esmeralda said quietly, pulling lightly on Zachary to give the best embrace she could through the bars, "I'm not leaving until this mess is resolved. I don't care if they try to boot me out; I'm. Not. Budging. Do you hear me, Zach?"

The leopard returned the embrace with all his might, burying his face in the owl's comforting hug. The pair stayed unmoving for long moments, Zachary's voice breaking the silence which fell on the three.

"It... it was Boldrum again..." he stated quietly, breathing heavily as he could feel himself filling with rage and fury once again, "That fucking pig put wanted posters out with me on it... I'm a wanted criminal for a crime I was already punished for." Zachary's voice steadily grew more and more angry as he spoke, and he was left growling quietly when he finished.

Taking a deep breath, Esmeralda kept her own rage in check. It would cause a lot more problems than solutions. "I know, Zach," she repeated, stroking the feline's head and neck, "I saw it for myself. And I swear to every God above, I'll have that bastard pig's liver for this. But we need to avoid getting worked up too much; at least I do, if you catch my meaning. So please, try to stay calm, for my sake."

Hearing Esmeralda's request, Zachary almost immediately fought off the forces of fury, breathing slowly until he could feel himself finally calming down. Although his wish to see the owl's words coming true stayed nonetheless.

Lya stayed silent throughout the pair's hug. She regarded Esmeralda with an odd look on her face. She couldn't help but think that her request to the Zachary sounded a little selfish, given the feline's current situation. She didn't comment on it, however.

With great effort, the leopard finally pulled away from the embrace. He kept his paw close to the owl's own, though. He glanced up at the Elder, his expression uncertain and scared. "I-Is there going to be a trial again?" He asked, his gaze shifting between Lya and the ice mage.

"I don't know," Esmeralda stated honestly, shaking her head, "I hope that Xergon can get things sorted out before it comes to that. If nothing else, you've got me, Snowflake, Lya, and Xergon here to testify on your behalf. Basajaun would too, if he could. We're all here for you."

Zachary's gaze fell on the stone floor. He simply nodded. "T-Thank you... I hope so too." He said quietly, giving a hopeful expression to both Lya and Esmeralda. Sighing, the leopard leaned against the cell bars, coughing weakly afterwards.

Lya's face fell at the sound, and she gave a more than worried look to the Elder as the captured feline closed his eyes and slowly relaxed himself in the presence of his friends. He really didn't know what he would do without them, especially right now.

Waiting and watching as Zachary slowly fell half-asleep, the ocelot leaned in closer to the Elder as she spoke. "He was supposed to visit a biomancer..." she said quietly, her voice a whisper, "I... I'm kinda scared what's going to happen if he's kept in this damp cell for too long and without any medical care. His condition is already bad as it is."

Looking between Zachary and Lya, Esmeralda nodded. "Why don't you fetch a healer for him, then?" she suggested, lightly squeezing the leopard's hand, "I can stay here while you do that."

Glancing at the sleeping feline, Lya hesitated. But when she saw the small smile that adorned Zachary's face as he held the Elder's hand tightly even in his sleep, the ocelot knew there wouldn't be any problems.

"I'll try my best." She stated quietly, giving a few passionate strokes on Zachary's head and smiling warmly before standing up. With just as much determination in her step as Xergon's, Lya began making her way out of the jailhouse. She knew the leopard needed help, and she would do everything in her power to do just that.

The departure of the alluring ocelot went unnoticed by Zachary, who was content with the comfort his rest and Esmeralda's touch provided. With his earlier shocked spellcasting, namely three at once, he managed to tire himself out quite successfully and was more than happy for a much needed sleep for both mentally and physically.

As Snowflake brought Basajaun his second deer of the day, she smiled and stroked the dragon's back. "Zachary's doing okay, Forest," she said with a relieved tone, she announced, getting a nod from the drake as he continued to focus on his grimoire, while his free hand kept a slow, steady flow of raw deer coming, keeping himself as distracted as he could.

Settling down beside the dragon, Snowflake laid her angular head gently on his torso. "Gods, you're cold!" Basajaun hissed, flinching away from the spirit, before giving her an abashed expression, "Er, I mean... you're usually just cool. What happened?"

The spirit shook her featureless skull. "I didn't have time to make a proper, flesh-like body before I had to..." Snowflake trailed off, giving an apologetic expression, "I'm not as insulated as I usually am. Sorry, I forgot."

Sighing, Basajaun patted his side invitingly. "It's okay, it wasn't painful," he clarified, reaching up and pulling the dragoness' head back down to rest on his fur, "You just startled me. I've never felt something that cold before. But I've got enough insulation of my own for the both of us, so it's fine."

Nodding, Snowflake nuzzled her head into the dragon's fur. Retrieving the brush she had set aside earlier, the spirit began brushing the drake again. "Okay, that's a welcome feeling!" Basajaun chuckled, continuing to munch on deer meat as he read. Despite the stress he was feeling, the brushing managed to get his purr going, making Snowflake smile while she groomed the furry reptile.

"Well, and here I was expecting only one dragon," an unfamiliar voice interrupted the tender scene, causing both dragons to bolt to their feet. Or rather, Snowflake bolted to her feet while Basajaun's hefty limbs spasmed and tilted his round body just slightly more upright, the rest of the movement being absorbed in waves through his fat.

His head whipping up to glare over his own fleshy form, Basajaun locked gazes with a black serpent fearfully, until he noticed Snowflake relax and give a relieved chime. "It's Hunter's teacher," she stated, her tone showing that she would be smiling if she currently had a definite mouth.

"Oh," Basajaun replied, watching as the snake approached thoughtfully, apparently without any sort of fear.

Looking between the dragons, Talib crossed his arms. "Since you're actually an ice spirit," he observed as his gaze was on Snowflake, the snake turned to meet the drake's eyes, "I'm going to assume you're the student that Xergon mentioned he wanted me to take on. I didn't expect you to be so obese, though. Or furry. Or able to speak my language so fluently."

The dragon gave a sheepish smile as he set aside the deer, wiping the blood from his snout. "Um, good morning, sir," he greeted, before he shook his head, "Actually it isn't. Do you know what happened to Zachary?"

Cocking his head, Talib looked around the clearing. "I was assuming he'd be here," he stated in reply, setting his sight back on Basajaun, "Where is he, then?"

"In prison," the dragon answered, clenching his jaw as he felt the urge to rescue his companion rising again. Having to take a deep breath to calm himself, the drake looked over to Talib with anger in his eyes, though he managed to keep a level head and a calm tone, "He's been framed for a crime he already suffered for. You should probably be helping with that; he is your student."

Blinking in surprise, the serpent looked back the way he had come. "That's unacceptable; I was far from done teaching that boy," he growled, his statement catching both dragons in the clearing off guard, "I'll be back in a moment."

With a subtle gesture, the snake suddenly disappeared from sight, leaving the two confused dragons behind in the clearing.

In the next instant, Talib appeared in front of the guard in the prison, causing him to jump and squeal in surprise. "I need in to see a prisoner, Brutus," the snake ordered, the dog nodding when he recognized the serpent.

Slithering past several inmates that flinched at the sight of the snake, Talib quickly made his way to the rear cells, seeing his student being hugged through the bars of his cell by an owl sitting outside of it, singing a low lullaby.

Narrowing his eyes, Talib positioned himself behind the owl. "I assume you know Zachary," he stated, causing the bird to jump with surprise at the snake's voice.

Standing quickly, Esmeralda turned to face the voice that had interrupted her. "Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded protectively, her cane positioned between the sleeping leopard and the snake she faced.

The serpent glared at the owl for several seconds before responding. "I'm Master Talib of the College," he answered flatly, "I'm this boy's teacher and I'm here to find out how he got himself into this mess."

The Elder's feathers fluffed up at the snake's words. "Zachary didn't do a damn thing!" she hissed, clenching her cane tightly, "He's here because of a pig that can't be satisfied with punishing him once already!"

The owl's disrespectful tone elicited a glare from Talib. "Listen, old woman, I'm here to set things right, so maybe a bit of respect wouldn't be too much to ask, hm?" he hissed back, the pair of mages glaring intently into one another's eyes as they sized each other up.

"I was just here! Are you seriously this dense?" Lya's demanding voice interrupted Esmeralda's and Talib's glaring fight.

With an annoyed huff, the ocelot simply walked past a more than confused Brutus, who could only shake his head and blink at the events of today. The jailhouse hadn't had this many visitors in... never.

"Esmeralda!" Lya called out as she picked up her pace and made her way towards in the corridor. Thanks to the unlit torches at the end of the hallway, she didn't notice the black serpent standing along with the owl at first.

"I... I searched through the whole school, but all the biomancers were busy with their les--" stopping in both her speech and tracks as she finally became aware of the presence of Talib, Lya blinked in confusion, silently watching as the two mages attempted to overpower one another in an intense display of glaring.

Clearing her throat as she neared the pair, the ocelot glanced at the sleeping leopard on the ground for just a second before bringing her attention back to the two individuals next to her. "I didn't expect to see you here, Talib... not that I mind." She stated, forcing a small smile on her muzzle while she sank down to the ground and sat next to Zachary's body. She reached over the iron bars, stroking the feline's head gingerly.

As if startled by the touch, the leopard let out a series of weak coughs, eliciting a sigh and a worried expression from Lya. "Shh, it's alright, Zach," she said softly to the unconscious anthro on the ground, hoping that he words would be able to reach his mind somehow. She moved her paw to rub at his chest, flinching each time Zachary was assaulted with another painful sounding cough.

The snake broke his staring contest with Esmeralda to set his gaze on Lya. "Well, it's good to see you," he greeted, before looking to Zachary, "That doesn't sound healthy at all."

Setting himself lower, the serpent put a hand on the leopard's chest, closing his eyes and feeling his senses sinking into the leopard's body. He felt the feline's lungs, and immediately saw the issue. "Definitely not good," the snake muttered, exploring the injury completely for several minutes.

Lya's eyes widened as she realized something. "Gods, I completely forgot that you were an excellent biomancer!" the ocelot stated, burying her head in her paws in embarrassment for a few moments before bringing her gaze back to Talib, "C-Can you help him? Is he going to be alright?" she asked with a hopeful expression, glancing at Zachary worriedly, "Please tell me it isn't as serious as it sounds..."

"I'm afraid it's irreparably serious," Talib stated flatly, eliciting a flinch from both females, "But, it is treatable. One need only know how. And fortunately, I do." Concentrating for a moment, the snake's hand began glowing in a multicolored light, the biomantic energies sinking into the sleeping leopard's chest and gently working at the wound.

"I need to concentrate, so if anyone makes a sound, I'll hurt them," Talib announced curtly as he focused on his healing spell.

Lya could only nod her head and watch. She felt a sense of dread and worry fill her heart at the healing process, as well as Talib's words.

'Irreparable...' The word felt terrible to utter even in her mind. After everything Zachary had gone through, fate decided to throw another problem in his way just to make things worse for him. It was unfair. Nobody deserved such unfairness in their lives... especially not him. She didn't want him to suffer anymore.

Sometime during the experience, the leopard began showing signs of waking up. He groaned as he attempted to sit up, only to be shoved back to the ground by a hand that definitely wasn't Esmeralda's.

"W... What's going on?" Zachary asked groggily, hissing in pain as he became fully aware of the burning feeling in his chest. His lungs felt like they were about to fall inwards and simply stop existing.

Letting out a quiet and painful shriek when he could feel his organ practically moving a little, the leopard put a paw on the unknown hand that was on his chest, squeezing it with all his might and screaming once again, although much louder this time. He had no idea what was happening, or who was doing it for that matter, thanks to his hazy vision, but there was one thing he knew;

It hurt. And it hurt a lot.

"Hold still, boy!" Talib hissed, stopping in his work as soon as Zachary began to move around, "Your lungs need healing, and they need it now, so quit your moving around before you screw me up!"

"M-Master Talib?" the leopard asked between hissing and coughing, recognizing the snake's distinct voice. He blinked a couple of times to get his vision working, looking up at the serpent with barely open eyes. Uncertainty and fear shone from the two globes evidently.

"What... are you... doi--"

Before Zachary could even finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a cough that was louder than ever. The feline could feel something warm on the edge of his lips. It was definitely liquid, as it began drifting down on the curvature of his mouth, landing in his fur eventually.

Lya gasped loudly. "Gods, Zach, don't talk!" She exclaimed with a terrified voice, quickly reaching through the cell bars to keep the leopard's mouth shut.

She flinched when her paw made contact with the blood that Zachary coughed up.

Letting out a couple of muffled coughs, the leopard wasn't able to talk even if he wanted to. He breathed raggedly for the precious oxygen, wheezing on several occasions as he struggled to provide the much needed air to his lungs.

With great effort, Zachary simply nodded his head, relaxing his body completely. His arm let go off Talib's, falling to the ground. No matter how much he tried to breathe properly, he simply couldn't. He knew he had no other choice.

Taking a breath, Talib resumed his spell. "Zachary, I'm going to immobilize you so you don't accidentally twitch and throw my aim off," he warned, looking into the leopard's eyes, "Don't resist this spell."

With his free hand, the serpent pressed a finger against the base of the leopard's neck. There was an electrifying sensation as the feline's nervous system began to go numb, until Zachary could only feel his body from the neck up.

Nodding, Talib focused on the leopard's lungs once more. For several long minutes, it was all he did, while Esmeralda and Lya could only watch and worry.

The ocelot's paw never left Zachary's head. She stroked the leopard gingerly, silently saying gentle words to calm him the best she could. Although these words were barely audible, they seemed to work, as the feline's breathing leveled out somewhat and he actually stopped coughing.

Although immobilized from toe to neck, the torment that resided in his lungs was as clear as the blue sky. It never left, practically burning up his chest with its intensity. The feeling elicited a few quiet whimpers from Zachary, who despite trying his hardest to not move and stay quiet, couldn't help but occasionally let out a painful groan, followed by his almost constant whimpering.

The only thing keeping him together was the gentle caressing on his head, as well as Lya's mesmerizing voice. She kept chanting that everything was going to be alright, and despite his current situation, Zachary actually believed in those words. He wanted them to be true.

It was nearly an hour before Talib finished his spell, the snake's expression never changing throughout the process. Finally, the snake withdrew his hands, calling off the immobilization spell at the same time. "There," he sighed, before looking to Zachary with a real smile, "Had I known that you were walking around with an injury like that, I'd have given you a bit more respect, Zachary."

The only response that came from the leopard was a simple nod. With half-closed and hazy eyes, he looked in the general direction Talib's voice came from. He looked completely exhausted from the hour long pain he had to endure.

He gave the snake the most grateful smile he was able to at the moment. He even attempted to raise his paw, but found himself simply unable to do so. Heaving a final, much clearer and cough less, sigh of utter relief, Zachary's eyelids slowly fell down, his head rolling to its side as the feline finally gave in to his tiredness.

Lya glanced at the leopard, still feeling more than worried. "Zach?" when no response came, the ocelot looked at Talib and Esmeralda with a scared expression, "I-Is he okay now? D-Did you heal his lungs?"

The snake nodded. "He'll need periodic treatment, but for now, he'll be fine," Talib stated, raising himself up and looking between the owl and ocelot, "Now, does anyone want to explain what the hell is going on here?"

Sighing raggedly in relief at the serpent's words, Lya's gaze never left Zachary's unconscious face as she spoke somewhat quietly. "Zach was... arrested for a crime he was already punished for," she explained, shaking her head a little, "The guards made a mistake... they don't know he's innocent. They believed what a wanted poster said instead of actually listening to me..."

Lya finally tore her eyes away from the leopard, an evidently apologetic expression crossing her face. "I tried to reason with them when we arrived at the gates this morning. But... this traveler had a wanted poster about Zachary... and from there, I couldn't do much. He was struck in the head and arrested while I could only watch." The ocelot trailed off, closing her eyes and swallowing hard.

"He's completely innocent, Talib. He hasn't done anything wrong... his past just keeps... catching up to him," opening her eyes and looking once again at the sleeping feline, Lya remained silent for long moments before she was able to continue, "We need to get him out of here... he's going to break if he has to stay here for too long."

The snake nodded again, straightening himself. "Has Xergon been made aware of this?" he asked. When he received a nod from those present, Talib continued, "Then I'll join him in getting this resolved. Our fair rulers owe me quite a lot; let's see if I can't pull in a favor." With those words, the serpent gestured, and vanished.

Heaving a sigh, Esmeralda sat back down next to Zachary. "You have quite a lot of people willing to go a long ways for you," she whispered to the unconscious feline, smiling as she reached a hand through the bars to hold onto his hand once again, "You're blessed with luck both good and bad, it seems."

Even through his sleep, the leopard's paw moved to grab tightly around Esmeralda's, a small smile spreading across his muzzle as he held the owl's hand.

Lya couldn't help but chuckle weakly at the sight. "How could anyone resist helping such an oblivious, childish, ill-mannered little dummy?" She asked from Esmeralda, smiling hopefully as she stroked the leopard's forehead gently.

Sighing lightly once again, the owl leaned against the iron bars. "He is all of that," she agreed smilingly, "But he's also a wonderful young man that helps bring people together." Nodding tiredly, the Elder slowly drifted off beside Zachary, too emotionally drained to remain awake.

Lya was quick to join the sleeping duo afterwards, giving in to her own sleepiness as she leaned against the bars of the cell as well. Her paw never slid off from Zachary's head, however.

It was a few hours later that the heavy footsteps disturbed the resting trio. Steel armor clang loudly as the unpleasant sound drew closer and closer, forcing both Lya and Zachary awake.

Opening her eyes groggily after raising her head from her knees, the ocelot had to focus for a few moments before realizing who were approaching. She almost immediately jumped to her feet, watching with a terrified expression as the four heavily armored guards arrived at Zachary's cell.

"Why are you here?" Lya asked with a growl, standing between the guards and the leopard behind the iron bars.

The guards actually laughed out loud, one of them stepping forward and shaking his head at the feline. "We're doing our job, ma'am. We were commanded to escort this criminal to his trial, which happens to be today," the guard informed Lya, who could only stare numbly back, "So, I need to ask you to get out of the way and let us do our job. We're not going to hurt him. It's just an escort, ma'am."

Zachary, who had become partially aware of his surroundings, sat up from the ground with a grunt. When not even the slightest of coughs disturbed the action, the leopard sighed in relief before he turned his attention to the guards and cocked his head a little. "What did I do again...? Why are they sending a group of soldiers at me all the time?"

Lya didn't move an inch from her position, simply standing her ground in front of the much bigger anthros. "Why is he having a trial on the same day of his arrest?" she asked quietly, staring at the guards, "That's not normal. Master Xergon would surely want to ha--"

"Master Xergon was the one who brought up the idea to the council, ma'am." One of the guards cut the ocelot off, heaving a frustrated sigh and beckoning with his head for the others to follow him.

They simply walked past Lya like she wasn't even there, the ocelot not putting up any fight anymore. She trusted the master's decision with all her heart, yet couldn't help but feel worried as the guards passed her and stopped in front of Zachary's cell.

"Gods... look at this mess," one of the them breathed, scratching his head as he observed the partially melted iron bars with wide eyes.

"Yeah... kid's quite dangerous, they say." The other added quietly, regarding the groggy leopard in the cell with disdain.

Zachary drew backwards from the searching gazes, scooting away from the iron door fearfully. "W-What's going on?"

The jingling of keys was the only answer that came from the guards as one of them slowly moved to open the door, completely disregarding the owl next to it.

The motion woke the sleeping bird, who quickly stood to her feet. "What's going on here?" she demanded as she came to her senses, looking to the guards blearily.

While two of the heavily armored anthros entered through the cell, the third and the fourth one stayed outside, each moving to explain the situation to both females. Apparently, Xergon managed to force the council to regard Zachary's case with more attention than normal, thus his trial was put ahead everything else as a prioritized issue that has to be looked after as soon as possible. They informed both Lya and Esmeralda that they would need to attend the trial too, as well as reassuring them that Xergon and Talib were both going to be there with them.

Unfortunately for a very confused leopard, he wasn't given a proper explanation to his sudden custody, as he could feel cold steel snapping tightly against his wrists. "E-Esmeralda?" Zachary's quiet voice came from the cell as he stared at his manacles. A forceful shove against his back was all he needed to get moving, despite the trembling in his legs.

"Get a move on, kid," one of the guards insisted as he pushed the feline out of his cell, the leopard stumbling forward as he crossed the door, "And don't you dare even thinking of casting any magic, understood?"

Giving a fearful nod and swallowing, Zachary met gazes with both Lya and Esmeralda as the guards began escorting him out of the jailhouse. He looked utterly terrified, his searching gaze not leaving his companions' faces.

The Elder gave Zachary a reassuring nod as she began walking alongside the guards. "Just do as they say, Zach," she said, forcing a smile, "Everything will be okay, you'll see."

Nodding his head slowly, the leopard turned to look at Lya, who was walking right next to them as well. She gave the same gesture to him, and eventually, Zachary was able to calm himself as he was escorted. The uneasy feeling in his gut never left, however.

The way to the court went by faster than he could even comprehend, and he was somewhat relieved and surprised to find himself not wheezing for air or coughing once he ascended the long staircase. Talib's spell did work, after all. He was feeling a lot better.

The thought provided a massive amount of comfort to Zachary, who was able to disregard and ignore the searching and confused gazes that followed him as he was lead out of the jail house and through the most crowded places of Centrum. He simply let his gaze fall to the ground as he walked, breathing deeply to calm himself. He didn't meet the look of disdain and hate in an anthro's eyes this way since... Boldrumton. The sight wasn't welcomed, to say the least.

Eventually, the four soldiers and the three friends arrived at the court. The building stood proudly, the noon sun's orange rays dancing across its painted large windows that adorned the white walls. Above the two massive, open doors that led inside was a wooden sign which read: "Centrum's Court of Justice."

Marveling at the court's interesting architecture and perfect condition for a few moments, a hearty shove against his back forced Zachary to continue walking. With somewhat hesitant steps, the leopard entered through the open doors, coming to a stop once and glancing around once he was inside.

Disregarding the crowd that sat on their seats with eager and curious expressions on their faces, the feline regarded the interior of the building with wide eyes. Golden lines ending in distinct patterns adorned the pure white walls, their distinct coloration reflecting the sun's rays that shone through the windows and glimmering brightly.

A large, wooden podium of some sort was positioned at the end of the spacy room, rows of seats lined after each other with almost no free space left on them as they were occupied by anthros of all kind. Apparently, word got out that a highly dangerous wanted criminal was arrested in the morning at the gates, and quite a lot of people were interested to see where the trial would end. They didn't care what an unlawful boy's punishment would be. They simply attended to see something interesting for a change in their otherwise dull lives.

As his eyes observed the crowd fearfully, Zachary's stomach twisted. He really didn't like this. He wanted nothing more than to simply turn tail and run away as far as he could and never come back. He couldn't bare the look on the anthros' faces. It felt like... they were sizing him up, mocking him, judging him for a crime he had never committed. It felt horrible.

"Alright," Xergon's powerful voice interrupted the leopard's unpleasant line of thought, snapping him out of his temporary trance, "Everyone is here, we can start now." While Zachary was pushed forwards until he was right in front of the wooden podium, Lya and Esmeralda were seated on their respective place, right next to Talib and Xergon on the seat which was situated on the left side of the podium.

As he was brought in front of the judge, Zachary regarded the rat who got him in this trouble on the left side of the podium with a look that could kill. If it weren't for the handcuffs, he would have choked the anthro right then and there.

His fantasies were disturbed by a loud, deep grunt from the judge as he stood up from behind his podium. Swallowing, the leopard glanced up at the anthro with fearful eyes.

The stoat sat straight in his chair, nodding to Xergon as the lynx took his seat. Standing when everyone had taken their positions, the judge took his gavel in his right hand and book of scripture in his left. "I am Judge Adil Qani," the stoat introduced himself, looking out to the gathered masses, "We are gathered today at the request of Headmaster Xergon of Centrum's College of Magic to ascertain the guilt or innocence of the accused; Zachary, no surname."

The judge turned to the leopard in question. "Today you stand accused of armed robbery, attempted murder, assault of an officer of the law, assault of a government official, resisting arrest, and fleeing the scene of a crime," Judge Qani listed off, reading from a parchment on his podium before locking eyes with Zachary, "How do you plead?"

Zachary's whole body froze as the judge read his 'crimes'.

A loud chatter followed the stoat's words from the assortment of anthros in the room. The leopard couldn't understand a single word, but it wasn't needed. He could hear the disdain and indignation in their voices. They saw nothing but a dangerous criminal.

Remaining completely unmoving and silent for long moments, Zachary was only able to snap out of his shock when Xergon stood up from his seat. The lynx regarded the judge with a deadly calm expression as he asked, "What was the source of all these listed crimes, if I may inquire? Were there any witnesses that can confirm that Zachary had done any of that?"

The leopard was grateful for the master's support. He was simply too much in shock to verbally express himself at the moment. He knew Boldrum was a despicable individual, but to fabricate crimes and lies like this. This was low, even for him.

"The witness is Sir Boldrum, the mayor of Boldrumton," the stoat replied, holding the wanted poster in his left hand while his right held a pair of glasses in front of his eyes, "Along with several of his personal guard. Their signatures are present here as witnesses to this crime."

Looking up from the parchment, the judge looked into Xergon's eyes. "Since you are representing the accused, I assume you have some form of evidence to present that contradicts this?" he inquired with a flat tone and an impassive expression.

The lynx bit his lip at the question, breathing in short bursts as he glanced at Zachary with an apologetic look on his face. He only found fear in the leopard's eyes, and Xergon had to close his own pair while he answered quietly. "Unfortunately, no."

Sitting down slowly, the master put a paw on his forehead, sighing raggedly. Upon noticing the action, Zachary felt his heart skip a beat. This wasn't good. This wasn't good one bit.

"He hasn't done any of that!" Lya's powerful voice broke the silence which fell on the room. The ocelot didn't stand up, simply staring straight in the judge's eyes. Her tone was adamant. "Those are all fabricated accusations! Do you really believe more in what's written on a parchment of paper than a person's words?"

Lya pointed a finger at Zachary. "He's innocent! His only real crime could be resisting an unfair arrest for crimes he had never committed!" His gaze fixated on the ocelot, the leopard's currently rapidly thudding and stressful heart swell in his chest. Her willingness to protect him like that felt like a warm embrace that would last forever.

There was a bang as the judge's gavel hit his podium. "You are out of order, young woman," he barked out, glaring intently at the ocelot before his gaze returned to Xergon, "If you have no evidence, then do you have any witnesses that you can call forward to refute these claims?"

When the lynx was about to shake his head, he stopped. Zachary spoke for the first time since entering the room. "You have one right here," he said, surprising strength clinging to his tone. The leopard stepped forward a little, looking up at the stout with an unreadable expression on his face.

"The accused cannot serve as a witness against his own crime," Judge Qani stated, shaking his head, "Unless you can come up with a witness without any relation to the accused, I'm afraid I will have to move on to sentencing."

Esmeralda raised her hand into the air. "I witnessed the crime myself, your honor," she stated calmly, the stoat's gaze falling on the owl.

"Are you related to the accused?" the judge asked.

"No, your honor," the Elder replied, standing after the weasel beckoned her forward.

Looking over the owl, Judge Qani eventually nodded. "Very well, you may present your testimony," he relented, leaning forward to listen carefully.

Taking a deep breath, Esmeralda began. "Your honor, the defendant did indeed infiltrate Sir Boldrum's home," she reported, leaning on her cane as her gaze remain locked firmly with the judge's, "He attempted to steal from the mayor and was caught in the process."

"However, he was unarmed in this attempt, and there was no assault," the Elder continued, "Furthermore, the accused has already stood trial for this crime and was subsequently banished from the town in which it took place. I bore witness to that trial myself, and can state without reservation that this current trial is due to Sir Boldrum's desire to see the accused executed, instead of merely banished."

The stoat stared down to the owl with his expression unchanged. "This is a serious accusation against a government official, madam," he said in reply, "What evidence do you have to support your testimony?"

The owl sighed. "None but my own words," she stated sorrowfully, looking up to the judge once again, "I can prove it to you, though. Through Memory Vision, I can--"

"Spellcasting is not permitted in a court of the law," Judge Qani interrupted, "It can be used to bewitch the judge into a false sentencing. If you have no physical evidence, I am going to have to ask you to sit down, madam."

Clenching her jaw tightly, Esmeralda hesitated for several seconds as she gave Zachary an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry," she whispered, turning and taking her seat once again.

Even though terrified of how things were advancing, the leopard actually managed to force a small smile to his muzzle as he bid his head to the Elder. Her effort was appreciated, even if it was in vain.

Xergon, who steadily became more and more uneasy as time passed, swallowed as he raised his head from his paws and looked at Zachary with evident worry in his eyes. The pair of felines locked gazes for long moments. The look on the lynx's face was all the leopard needed to realize how bad his situation truly was.

He glanced up at the judge in front of him, clenching his paws tightly in fists. He cursed Boldrum endlessly in his mind. He hated nobody as much as the swine, and by the looks of things, the feeling was mutual. The mayor really went out of his way to make Zachary suffer as much as he could.

The stoat nodded. "Well then, I'm afraid I have to make my sentencing," he announced, motioning for Zachary to stand in front on the podium, continuing once he did so, "Zachary, given the evidence against you, I would have to say that my sentence for you would be nothing short of execution."

When the leopard's breath caught in his throat, the judge continued, "However, Sir Boldrum has made the request in his wanted poster that you not be killed. Therefore, I am sentencing you to return to Boldrumton, accompanied by an armed escort. Your sentence will be carried out tomorrow afternoon. Court is now adjourned; guards, escort Zachary back to his cell."

Standing numbly and not even breathing, the leopard could only stare at his friends with tearful eyes as he was grabbed by both of his arms. He put up no fight. The two heavily armored anthros simply began dragging him backwards out of the court.

He was in shock.

"NO!" Lya shouted as she looked after Zachary, slamming her first against the seat and standing up to glare holes in the judge's eyes, "He's innocent!" fresh tears streamed down the her cheeks, "This is unfair... he hasn't done anything! Please, reconsider, your honor! You're making a mistake..." Unable to keep standing, the ocelot collapsed back on the seat, burying her head in her paws as she wept.

Xergon breathed heavily as he stared at the judge. "This is not what I meant when I said this issue should be prioritized," the lynx was evidently struggling to contain himself, "This... this is not what I wanted." Looking back at Zachary as he was dragged away, the lynx's eyes were teary for the very first time.

Esmeralda breathed raggedly, clutching her cane tightly against her chest, as though it could shield her from the judge's decision. She wanted to stand up and charge the guards with her blade drawn, to freeze them in place while she escaped with Zachary and never returned to Centrum. But she was held in place, tears beginning to fall from her eyes as she listened to the horrid sound in her mind.

It was laughing at her.

Snowflake shook visibly, her body shivering as though she were cold. "Hunter..." she whispered softly, a tinkling sob escaping from her body.

Looking up from his book, Basajaun knew something wasn't right. "What is it, Snowflake?" he asked worriedly, his lip held between his teeth as he waited for an answer.

Shaking her head slowly, the spirit did her best to hide her sorrow. "It's... it's nothing, Forest," she lied in a believably cheerful tone, knowing what the drake would do if he knew what she did, "I was just thinking."

Cocking his head, Basajaun nodded. "Yeah, hard not to do that in a situation like this," he affirmed, before returning his gaze to his tome again, putting another mouthful of venison in his muzzle and chewing slowly and deliberately.

The dragon had been steadily munching on whatever Snowflake brought him since he found out Zachary was captured, but the spirit wasn't paying any heed to the drake's stressed gorging. Her attention was solely on the leopard whose emotions were ringing like funeral bells throughout her mind. She was trying her hardest not to let Basajaun see how much she was struggling, simply giving him her cheerful tone and joyful body language. He was worried enough without her adding any more to it.

Seeing the dragon beginning to run low on his current deer, Snowflake stood and moved off into the woods again, happy for the distraction that hunting brought.

Fear.

The only thing Zachary felt as he was dragged down to the jailhouse for the second time today. He disregarded everything around him. The sore feeling in his arms from being held by the two guards. The darkness that enveloped him. The dampness of the dungeon. The maggots creeping under his feet.

They didn't mean anything.

Just fear. The fear of Boldrumton. The fear of Boldrum. The fear for his life.

The realization that, despite what the judge said, Zachary was practically sentenced to death hit him like nothing ever before. He could feel his body trembling.

'Am I... going to die?'

The thought was like a horrible infection. It spread through the leopard's mind, enveloping it completely and depriving him of the ability to even attempt thinking about anything else.

"L-Let me go..." Zachary's whisper caught the two heavily armored anthros off guard. One of them glanced over his shoulder.

"Shut it, kid," he insisted, pulling forcefully on the leopard's arm. The motion went completely unnoticed to the feline.

"I-I don't want to die."

The two guards locked gazes for a few moments, nodding in unison. Stopping in their tracks on the stone stairs, one of them pulled a cloth out of his armor. In a single motion, he secured the garment close to the the leopard's mouth, holding it firmly there.

Zachary tensed. He raised his paws for just a moment to protest before they dropped back down limply to their original place. His eyes rolled back and with a final painful whimper, the leopard's whole body loosened like gelatin.

The guard pulled back the chloroform soaked cloth with a smirk. With the leopard unconscious now, they continued dragging the feline's limp body down the stairs.

Talib stared into the eyes of the council members, his intense gaze actually causing many of them to flinch. "I know for a fact that he's innocent," the serpent stated, his voice nearly a growl, "My divinations confirm the boy's story. What happened to our arrangement, hm?"

"You know magic is prohibited as evidence," the elephant situated in the middle of the council's wide podium reminded the serpent with an unwavering voice, "Even your divinations are not infallible, Talib. Hard evidence is what our courts must use, and the evidence here indicates Zachary's guilt."

The snake's jaw visibly twitched, though his expression was otherwise impassive. "You're sending that boy to his death for a crime he's already been punished for," Talib repeated once again, as though the reiteration would force the council to change their minds.

A frog snorted loudly, locking gazes with the serpent in the middle of the room. "We are not sending him to his death," he stated with a flat tone, "We are sending him back to his hometown. As for what Boldrum does to him, that's not our concern. We judged him fairly with the given evidence against him."

The anthro sitting next to the frog, a bear, nodded and hummed quietly at the statement before glancing at Talib with a quizzical look. "Why does this issue concern you anyway, Sir Talib?" he asked, shaking his head a little as an undignified smile crept across his jowls, "That boy is a nameless nobody. What makes him different from all the people in Centrum? Anyone would have gotten the same punishment, why make an exception?"

"He's my student," Talib answered as he crossed his arms, "Why the hell am I working for you if I can't save one innocent boy from a punishment he doesn't deserve?"

A frilled lizard shook his head. "Your pull with us can't be used with convicted criminals, you know that," he reminded the snake, "Boldrumton will have better evidence for or against the boy. You're just going to have to trust the legal system in this matter, Talib."

Growling in frustration, Talib turned away from the council. "I'm getting nowhere with you idiots," he seethed loudly, disappearing with a gesture from his hands before any of the council members could react to his insubordinate behavior.

Lya's breath came in short pants. She occasionally lost her balance on the slippery surface of the stone steps. Her tearful eyes blocking her vision and thus preventing her to see where she was putting her feet weren't helping either. Despite all the discomfort, she descended the stairs to the jailhouse with quick steps. Elder Eszes followed closely behind her. She was in a similar emotional and physical state.

Without even saying a single word to the pitbull at the base of the stairs, the ocelot simply ran past the guard as if he weren't even there. She couldn't care less about him.

Panting and sobbing at the same time, Lya's breathing slowed down as she finally arrived at Zachary's cell. She saw the leopard lying limp on the ground, unmoving as darkness enveloped his body.

"Z-Zach...?"

Not even a twitch.

The ocelot could feel her head filling with fury. She whipped her head back to the pitbull. "W-Why is he not responding?" Lya's voice was otherworldly intimidating. She walked back to the guard, looking up at him with tear filled eyes. They were filled with both sorrow and anger. "What did you do to him!?"

The guard regarded the puny ocelot in front of him with a perplexed expression. "N-Nothin'. He kept babbling about his life and all that, so we thought we could," the pitbull's muzzle broke into a wicked smile, "Help him by letting him sleep his worries out."

Lya clenched her paws in fists. "You're all monsters..." At first a tiny whisper, her voice grew into a scream of anguish, "HE'S INNOCENT! HE DOESN'T DESERVE THIS!"

The ocelot's arm raised up on its own accord.

She wanted to hit the pitbull, as if that would solve all their problems. She wanted to make people understand what a huge mistake they were making. Treating someone like this, especially someone so dear to her, was just wrong. It was unfair. It was... disgusting.

"I hate you." Lya uttered the words with a loud hiss, closing her eyes. Droplets of sorrow drifted down her cheeks.

Her paw dropped back to its original place. It wasn't even worth hitting someone as horrible as him. "I hate all of you. Every guard, every stupid council member and that dense judge," Lya never broke her death stare with the pitbull in front of her, "I hate everything you represent. You're a monster, just like all the others. You're not here to protect anyone."

Lya broke down in tears. "Your so called justice just punished a boy for a crime he was already punished for."

The pitbull actually looked uneasy. He swallowed and backed up a little from the ocelot.

"Your... justice sent an innocent person to his..." She couldn't keep her posture up anymore. Lya collapsed on the ground. She buried her head in her paws. Her crying echoed throughout the whole jailhouse.

She didn't want him to die.

Putting a hand on Lya's shoulder, Esmeralda simply stood quietly as she looked to Zachary's unconscious form. "Whatever happens, we'll be here for him," she whispered almost silently, not looking to the guard out of fear of what she might do to him, "We'll just wait here until he wakes up."

"And... and then what?" the ocelot demanded between sobbing, extracting her head from her paws to look at Esmeralda, "What are we going to say to him? What... what can you even say in a situation like this?"

Lya's gaze turned to the unmoving leopard's body. She sniffled quietly, wiping her tears from her eyes. "H-He's gonna be in shock again... and I have no idea how... how can you calm someone who knows that..." The ocelot trailed off. She simply shook her head and closed her eyes.

Esmeralda couldn't think of anything to say. She simply remained silent, her head shaking with frustration and sorrow spelled across her features. Heaving a great sigh, the owl slowly knelt down to the ground beside Lya, pulling the ocelot close and letting her own helpless tears flow alongside those of her companion.

Returning to the clearing with the sixth deer and eighth hare she had caught, Snowflake sighed when she saw that Basajaun had passed out once again from deliberately casting as many spells as he could while simultaneously glutting himself on whatever he was brought by the spirit. Under normal circumstances, the drake's appetite and passion for magic would have been a pleasant sight for her, but the reasons behind it now were what granted the sight a sorrowful tone.

Simply setting the kills next to Basajaun for when he woke up again, the familiar retrieved a rag from their bags and cleaned the messy dragon's face, careful not to wake him during the process. Stroking the engorged drake's back for a few moments, it wasn't long until Snowflake felt the idleness beginning to get to her again.

Chiming a sigh, the spirit wandered back out into the woods once more. 'What are we going to do?' she couldn't help but think to herself as she meandered aimlessly through the trees. The question ate at Snowflake's mind ceaselessly, drumming against her thoughts with every step she took. She wanted desperately to help Zachary, but there was no solution that she tried thinking of that didn't end poorly in her mind.

Stopping in her tracks, the dragoness sank to the ground, holding her blocky, crystalline head in her claws. She couldn't do anything else. So she simply let her emotions go, crying frozen tears into the ground.

It took a long hour for Zachary to even begin showing the signs of consciousness. Despite the dungeon having no windows to speak of, thus making it impossible the time of the day, the feline could feel the natural darkness of the night. But it wasn't only the evening's infinite blackness. Groaning quietly as he opened his eyes, the feline rubbed his throbbing head with a paw. It felt like his brain was still unconscious.

Lya almost immediately noticed the sound. She quickly wiped the remnants of her tears from her eyes, breathing shallowly as she scooted closer to the cell and pushed herself close to the cold, iron bars. "Z-Zach?" she asked as her gaze settled on the leopard, "Are you awake?"

Grunting, Zachary sat up from the ground, moaning as his head protested against the action. He glanced around his cell blearily, heaving a hopeless sigh. "I guess it wasn't a dream, after all..." The leopard's voice sounded like it wasn't even his.

Not even a single trace of his usual joyfulness could be found in his tone.

When Zachary turned his head to look at Lya and Esmeralda, he smiled warmly at the pair. The gesture took more effort to do than anything in his life before. "Thank you for being here," he stated simply, his eyes searching through his damp cell, "I don't know what I would do if I had to be alone right now."

Lya's throat tightened. She didn't cry, however. She wanted to stay strong for his sake. "Y-You can always count on us, dummy," she assured him, stifling a sob before it could appear.

The statement made Zachary's smile grow wider. "I'm glad," he said, looking back at the pair. Small tears began forming on in his eyes, his smile never disappearing. "That's enough for me. That's all I need."

Lya couldn't help it anymore. The ocelot broke down in tears for the umpteenth time today. She knew perfectly well what he meant, and it only made things worse.

Esmeralda held her hand out to the leopard through the bars. "We're not giving up, Zach," she insisted, her voice adamant, "We'll get you out of this, yet. Just you wait. This isn't over." Although her tone was steady, the Elder couldn't help the tears that drifted down her cheeks.

Zachary took the owl's hands with his trembling ones. He chuckled weakly at the Elder's words. "I appreciate the effort," he said, sniffling and smiling nonetheless, "But I'm no fool, Esmeralda. I know what's coming."

The leopard squeezed the owl's hand tightly. "There's no legal way for me to get out of this situation. You all have done so much for me already as it is. And... and I'm not going to let you, or any of my friends, risk their lives," he laughed in misery, his own tears falling, "O-One death is quite enough for today, alright?"

Lya buried her face in her paws. She simply had nothing else to do, but simply cry. That's all she could do.

The owl clenched the leopard's hand hard enough to hurt. "Don't you give up on me," she hissed, pulling Zachary's hand and bringing it to her chest, "You're not going to die. You're not..." Looking down, Esmeralda had to hold her breath for several moments.

Lifting her tearful gaze back up to the leopard, the Elder gave Zachary a determined expression. "You know what Basajaun would do if he knew you were giving up," she whispered, shaking her head, "Please... hang in there, okay? For us?"

Zachary's face turned into a grimace as he struggled to avoid breaking down completely. He gave the most terrified and heartbroken expression yet. "P-Please tell me he doesn't know..." his voice was barely a whisper, "I-I don't want him to get hurt. Please, Esmeralda, don't let him..."

The leopard closed his eyes, forcing the droplets of anguish that were brimming them to fall on the cold, black stone. He couldn't open his eyes as he spoke. "I-If it comes down to the worst," his voice cracked, "I-I want to ask you to not leave him alone. He... he doesn't like to be alone, Esmeralda. D-Don't leave him alone... ever."

"I..." Esmeralda began, stopping to hold back another sob, "Don't worry, Zach. I'll make sure he's well taken care of. He'll never be alone, and he'll never go hungry. I promise."

Shaking her head, the Elder smiled sadly to Zachary. "Snowflake's been keeping him distracted," she continued, patting the feline's paws, "He doesn't know what happened. If it comes down to it, she can come up with a believable story that will help put his mind at ease."

The leopard nodded with a sigh, finally able to bring his gaze back to the Elder. "Thank you," he said. Suddenly, Zachary let out a sob of anguish, his head lowering until he was staring at the ground. He couldn't keep it together anymore.

'Basa...' The name clutched his heart like a painful needle. His tears of sorrow never stopped falling to the stone floor. 'I wish I could talk to you for the last time.' Zachary breathed raggedly, sinking even lower to the ground. 'I'm so sorry. I don't want to leave you alone. I'm sorry..."

Not able to say anything that would even remotely help, Lya simply extended her own paw to the leopard. When Zachary took it without even having to look up and pulled it closed to his face, the ocelot smiled in pain. "Just my luck," she said as she cried, chuckling weakly, "I finally find someone who accepts me for who I am, and he goes and... he..." She couldn't say it out loud. It was too painful.

Zachary laughed along in misery. "I-I told you all I brought bad luck. That's just me, I guess."

Lya held back to bawl with all her might. She pulled Zachary and Esmeralda closer to her, embracing them both in the best way she could through the iron bars. The silence that followed was filled with mourning. The quiet sniffling and sobbing of the three were the only audible sound that echoed throughout the dungeon. Not a single inmate broke the silence.

Although the comfort of his friends meant more than anything to him, the leopard knew there was someone whom he wanted the most to be there. His thoughts about his best friend raced in his mind endlessly. As he was embraced, he wondered just what Basajaun could be doing at this very moment.

Zachary hoped he was happy in his blissful nescience about him.

Basajaun's claws grated against the ground of the plain he found himself in. The landscape was barren, an endless expanse of smooth, reflective glass. He was lost, confused, trying desperately to find something, anything that would help him find his way.

The dragon wandered aimlessly, his gaze eventually falling to the mirror-ground beneath him as he came to a stop. He looked at himself; a frail, emaciated drake staring back at him. He was weak; he was helpless.

A pitiful sob escaped the dragon's throat, echoed moments later by that of another creature. Basajaun lifted his gaze, finding a leopard curled in the fetal position not two paces from him.

He wanted to call out, but the dragon's voice wouldn't come. He took steps towards the feline he could see, but they never grew closer. Basajaun tried to move faster, but the leopard remained ever out of his reach. Lifting his eyes up to the drake, the leopard stared into the reptile's eyes pleadingly.

It was locked in a cage.

He was sprinting now, the feeble muscles in his gangly legs screaming with effort. "Zachary!" Basajaun finally managed to cry out, reaching a scrawny claw towards the feline.

The cage was lifting, rising up into the sky. Ever out of the reptile's reach. He wanted to fly. His wings wouldn't move.

"Zachary!" the dragon roared once again, his weak body falling from exertion.

Weak. He was weak. He couldn't even help one friend.

Basajaun was curled up now. He tried to block out the shattering mirrors. His reflections stared into him; judging him for his frailty.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed loudly, his forelimbs covering his head, "I'm sorry!"

"Basajaun?"

A light pierced through the glass, each shard fading away until there was only a white void. A dragoness, beautiful in every meaning of the word, emerged from the pale nothing, placing her hands on Basajaun as he sobbed.

"I'm here for you," the dragoness assured the drake, pulling him closer to her.

Basajaun opened his eyes, finding himself back in the clearing. His furry face was drenched in tears, and his head was held in Snowflake's arms. Cold and hard as the spirit's flesh was, the embrace still warmed his heart, if only just.

The corpulent dragon shifted his great mass until he could return Snowflake's hug, quietly sobbing into her crystalline shoulder. "I j-just feel... so useless!" he cried mournfully, his tears freezing into the spirit's form.

Snowflake began chiming a lullaby. "It's okay, Forest," she said reassuringly, holding her own bubbling emotions at bay as she gently stroked the dragon's neck, "Everything will be okay."

'Stay strong.'

Zachary commanded to himself for the umpteenth time. The embrace with Lya and Esmeralda never stopped, even after his arms became sore from squeezing the two as close to his body as possible. The iron bars dug into his chest uncomfortably, but he didn't care.

He wanted to enjoy the moment until it lasted. Until it was... too late.

Holding back tears took effort. Massive amount of effort, especially with Lya soaking the entirety of his vest with her own. Zachary paid no heed to that, either. His soft paw simply stroked the back of the ocelot's head as she hugged him. Holding her this close felt nice, despite the situation.

"I wish morning would never come." Lya whispered. Her whole body shook with her sobbing.

The leopard smiled. He really was just as important to the ocelot as she was to him. The thought warmed his heart like no fire or flames ever could. He pulled the ocelot's head to his shoulder. There was no resistance against the action.

When Zachary opened his mouth to speak, no words came. Only silent sorrow left his lips. He couldn't find his voice. It was impossible.

'How can I be so unlucky and miserable at the same time?'

The thought spread through his mind like wildfire. Along with his anguish, anger came. Fury that he welcomed with open arms. This was unfair.

After nineteen years of torment and hardships, finally something good happened in his life. He met someone. A friend. A best friend.

And now... that person was torn out of his grasp. And with that someone, his happiness too. This was unfair.

He was lucky enough to meet others as well. People he cherished. People he called his friends. People he wanted to be with, to talk with them, share his joy with them. To be a part of their lives.

Zachary desperately wanted to convince himself that this was all a bad dream. That he would just wake up from this nightmare. That he would find himself back in peace with the people he loved. Especially with someone he... loved, literally.

'This is unfair.'

Before he could even realize, he was growling quietly. Why now? Why after finding so much joy in this world? Why after finding so many friends? Why after finding someone he loved?

'I don't want to die. Not now. I don't want to leave all this behind.' His growl grew into a loud snarl.

Lya suddenly pulled back, hissing in pain. "Zach!" she cried out, her voice fearful.

The ocelot's word snapped him out of his rage.

Zachary blinked his fury away, pulling back from the embrace and looking down at the ground. He gasped loudly when his gaze fell on his paws.

Crimson flames of rage danced above his palms, stretching and flickering as they grabbed at the air hungrily.

"Oh... no..." he breathed in shock. His eyes glanced up at the two females. Evident fear played across them. "I-I didn't mean to... I..."

Lya breathed raggedly as she watched the fire in his hands. "Z-Zach, try to calm down." She said calmly, her voice shaking.

Closing his eyes, the leopard concentrated, and opened them again. They didn't disappear. He repeated the action for more times than he could count, but the flames never went away.

"I-I can't control it...!" Zachary stated. He breathed heavily, his gaze shifting between Esmeralda and Lya. "Don't come close to me!" He scooted away from the two females, their hands hanging in the air as he moved away. "I don't want to hurt you...I-I can't control it..." He clutched his paws tightly in fists. The flames shot out from between his fingers. They didn't go away.

"Zach, listen to me," Lya's tone was soft. She appeared calm when the leopard locked gazes with her fearfully. "You have to calm down, Zach, alright? It's okay, we're here for you."

Nodding his head as he breathed heavily, Zachary closed his eyes once again. 'Go away.' He demanded. He knew perfectly well what caused the flames to appear. It was his own rage, and it terrified him that he couldn't control himself when he was angry.

He opened his eyes. The fire was still there.

"I... it's..." The leopard couldn't find his words. He stared at the spells, trying his hardest to make them disappear. But they simply wouldn't. They would just dance there, practically laughing in his face for not being able to make them obey.

"I can't... I can't cont--"

"Yes you can." Xergon's voice resonated through the dungeon.

The lynx stepped in front of the cell, as if appearing out of nowhere. Zachary glanced up at him. The master's eyes were red, his face worn out and tired. "Zachary," he began, his expression adamant, "Remember what I said about controlling your emotions when you're having troubles with spellcasting. You're the most talented mage I've ever met. I know... I know you can do it, son. And... and I know it's hard, but try to calm down."

Nodding with tearful eyes, the leopard slowed down on his breathing and closed his eyes once more. It took long painful moments for the flames to even begin retreating. The entire process took more minutes.

Opening his eyes and looking down at his dirty paws, Zachary gave a small smile to Xergon with great effort. "Thank you." he said simply.

The lynx bid his head with a similar gesture on his face. It soon disappeared, however, as it was replaced by a crestfallen and guilty expression. "I'm..." he began, shaking his head to recollect himself, "I'm truly sorry, Zachary. It wasn't my intention to make things worse... I really wanted to just..." a single tear escaped Xergon's eye, "Help."

"I know, Master," the leopard replied with a warm smile, "This is... this is not your fault. If it's anyone's, then it's mine," Zachary sighed long, "I should have expected something like this. I... I should have been more careful."

Lya struck one of the iron bars with her paw. The loud thud echoed throughout the entire dungeon. She glared at Zachary. "Don't you even dare say things like that! This is nobody's fault, but Boldrum's!" The ocelot glanced at the Elder next to her for support when the leopard only nodded his head in silence and stared at the ground.

The owl nodded in agreement. "Hey, even if you do wind up being taken back, Snowflake, Basajaun, and I will all be following you," she insisted, giving a reassuring smile, "We were going to Boldrumton anyways; we're just going to head there sooner than we thought. You're not going back alone."

Zachary looked up at the owl with a sincerely warm smile, a gesture that wasn't seen on the leopard's face for a while now. "T-Thank you, Esmeralda. That... that's..." The leopard shook his head, unable to continue as he could feel his throat tightening. Those words were able to calm his mind more than anything.

Shifting his gaze to Lya, Zachary's smile died down when he noticed the ocelot's odd expression. "Hey," he started with a soft tone, getting her attention, "Lya... we both knew this was coming, eventually. This doe--"

"No." Her voice was adamant, determined. Her eyes searched Zachary's face as she continued. "I'm going too."

Zachary nearly choked on his breath.

While the leopard tried his best not to suffocate, Lya glanced up at Xergon. The two felines locked gazes for a long moment, before the master sighed and nodded his head. "I told you I didn't like this idea one bit, Lya..." he said.

"That doesn't matter," the ocelot countered, bringing her gaze back to Zachary, "You remember my assignment that you helped me with?" she asked, continuing without waiting for an answer, "That is... actually my final test. This was my last year in this college, Zach. And as with everyone, students are required to go on a 'field trip' of some sort of their own choice before they finish school. This way they can practice and see their talent of magic in action."

Sighing expansively, Lya gestured towards Xergon. "I already talked about this with the master. And despite him not fully supporting my idea," the ocelot chuckled weakly, "I chose my field trip to go to Boldrumton and... help you."

Zachary could only stare at the ocelot for several long moments. He didn't even blink once. Drawing a breath as if snapping out of his trance, the leopard's expression became one of fear and worry. "NO!" he cried out, eliciting a flinch from Lya, "You... you can't come," he breathed heavily, putting a paw on his forehead, "T-This is dangerous, Lya. No, you can't come! I will not let you risk your life for me!"

He turned away, closing his eyes as he fought back his bubbling emotions. "There are enough people putting their lives in danger because of me... I... I don't want another one," Zachary's voice was a barely audible whisper as he spoke, "Especially not you."

Lya's expression remained unchanged, her voice deadly serious. "Good thing you have no say in this, then," she explained, Zachary whipping his head back to look at her in confusion, "This is my choice, Zach. Only mine. And I chose it only by myself, alone."

The leopard buried his head in his paws. "But... why?" he asked quietly, shaking his head, "Why would you risk your life for a person you've only known for a couple of days...?" Although the question was logical, he knew he would have done the same to Lya. He would have offered his help the same way she was.

The ocelot's muzzle broke into a warm smile. She extended her hand towards Zachary, who hesitantly scooted back close to her and took it. "Because," she began, stroking his paw, "Because despite having met you only a few short days ago, you're already one of the people in my life who I... truly like... and perhaps then some more..." Lya's intense blush was all he needed.

Zachary's heart skipped a beat in his chest.

"And," the ocelot continued, a hopeful glimmer in her angelic eyes, "I... take care of the people who are important to me. So," Lya chuckled weakly, patting the leopard's head and glancing at Esmeralda, "You all will just have to endure me, I guess, because there's no way you can persuade me to change my mind. I already spent a whole sleepless night thinking about this, and I made my decision."

Heaving an expansive sigh, Lya quickly wiped something from her eyes. "Yesterday evening," she pushed on, her smile growing even wider, "I haven't felt that... happy and secure about myself since I left my hometown. I haven't felt... accepted like that in a really long time. I-I want to... I want to experience that feeling more," Zachary stared deep in Lya's eyes as she spoke, "Most people aren't aware of what I am in this college. And even the ones that do know, my friends, are... I can see them struggling to keep a straight face when they are talking to me. I'm no fool... I notice subtle things like these always. Years of experience taught me how to."

Lya's gaze shifted between Esmeralda and Zachary, her gesture of hopefulness and happiness never leaving her face. "But... it wasn't like that yesterday. Finally, I was able to just be myself and not feel tense or uneasy about somehow revealing my secret. You all knew. You all accepted it, and there I could see that it was... sincere," she shook her head vehemently, "I don't want to have that feeling go. I'm scared what I would do if it just left... t-that's the other reason why I made the decision to accompany you." The ocelot breathed quietly as she finished with her explanation, looking to the owl and the leopard in turns.

Zachary simply stared at Lya with wide eyes, before his head slowly turned to Esmeralda. He blinked in bewilderment, evidently not able to process the information he was just given.

The Elder gave a warm smile to Lya, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're welcome to join us, of course," she affirmed with a nod, her gaze shifting to Zachary, "We will need all the help we can get for our endeavor, after all. A mage like Lya might be just what we need to help even our odds a bit, Zach."

"B-But..." the leopard insisted, shaking his head as he gestured at Lya with evident worry in his eyes, "What if something happens to her? I... I wouldn't... I couldn't bear to..." He trailed off.

Xergon cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "You needn't worry about that, Zachary," he assured him, smiling at Lya, "This young lady here might appear tiny and fragile, but I can honestly claim that she is the opposite of that. She was my personal student, after all. I made sure, both magical and physical, that she would become a powerful sorceress and fighter. Trust me when I say this, she can protect herself."

"And although I still don't support her idea, as romantic as it might be," the lynx managed to make Lya's blush even more intense, "I can assure you that she will be of great help in whatever this dangerous quest of yours is."

Zachary furrowed his brows as he glanced back to Lya. "I still th--"

"Don't think, dummy," the ocelot insisted with a small smile, patting the leopard's head, "I know it takes a lot of effort for you," Zachary growled quietly at the statement, "Just accept it. And here I was thinking you would be happy to have me come with you..." Lya shook her head.

"I am happy, goddamnit!" the feline insisted with a powerful voice, sighing as he lowered his shoulders, "I... I'm just worried, okay?" rubbing the back of his neck nervously as a blush appeared on his cheeks, Zachary glanced away from Lya's searching gaze as he continued, "The thing you said about being important. Well... I kinda... uh... feel the same way about you, y'know. I mean... I..."

"I understand," Lya said with soft tone, her own blush deepening, "I-I'm glad to hear that." Both felines looked in the other direction, clearing their throats almost in unison.

Zachary, whose hand held on tight to the ocelot's, could feel as she squeezed his paw back. He smiled at the gesture, almost completely forgetting what kind of situation he was currently in. But only almost.

Heaving a sigh, the leopard finally managed to look back up at Esmeralda and Xergon. "So," he began, grimacing, "As much as this news is great and all, we still have a little problem," there was no clarification needed, "H-How am I going to get out of this mess without... you know." Lya and Xergon looked at each other, a mutual uncertainty and worry crossing their faces.

Esmeralda shook her head in uncertainty. "I don't know, Zach," she admitted, before she looked up to the leopard with resolution, "But I'm not going to stop thinking of a way."

Sighing, the Elder reached through the bars to put a hand on the feline's shoulder. "What should we tell Basajaun?" she asked, "You know how to reassure him best; I can have Snowflake relay a message from you, if you'd like."

Zachary's gaze fell on the floor. He could only give the same answer to the owl. "I don't know," he replied, remaining silent for several seconds before he spoke again, "I-I think it's for the best if we keep him in the dark... He's not stupid, he can see through a lie easily. Just... just tell him I'm doing fine."

Bringing his eyes back to Esmeralda, the leopard sniffled quietly. "And... and if it comes down to the worst, and he ever finds out," his voice cracked, but he pushed on nonetheless, "Tell him... tell him that I'm sorry. And tell him to never ever change, no matter what, alright?" Zachary's eyes were brimmed with fresh tears once again. He has cried more on single day than in a whole year.

Esmeralda's breath caught in her throat, but she nodded nonetheless. "I will," she stated simply, stroking the feline's arm reassuringly, "I promise."

Before the owl could say anything else, the sound of heavy footsteps approaching them caught the group's attention. Three guards neared them, bearing stern expressions. "Visiting hours are over," the guard in the lead stated curtly, gesturing with his head towards the exit, "You'll have to leave, now."

Resisting the urge to simply blast the guards with an arctic wind, Esmeralda nodded and brought her gaze back to Zachary. "Remember; stay strong," she said with the sincerest smile that she could.

The leopard's face fell upon hearing the guard's words, evident signs of minor panic showing in his expression and body language. And yet, he nodded nevertheless. "I-I will." He said simply. When he was about to turn to Lya, he was caught off guard by an unexpected hug through the iron bars.

"If we never meet again..." the ocelot whispered weakly, trying her hardest not to break down in tears. She held Zachary for long moments, to the point where he was wondering whether or not she had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, Lya pulled back. At the same time, she planted a small kiss on Zachary's cheek. Although it only lasted for a second, her warm lips touching his fur felt like a million hugs and compliments at once. That otherworldly soft feeling would be etched in his mind forever.

Without saying another word, she stood up, quickly rushing out of sight with her face buried in her paws and disappearing. Zachary could only watch with an unreadable expression as she ran away, his paw rubbing at a particular spot on his cheek.

Xergon leaned in a little closer to his cell. "We're not giving up on you yet, Zachary." That's all he said before turning around and passing by the impatient guards, leaving the leopard and the owl alone.

"Well," he began, blinking and swallowing at the same time, "That was... unexpected." His earlier panicking state seemed to have disappeared, although the evident uncertainty and fear never left his eyes as he brought his gaze back to Esmeralda.

"You know," Zachary continued, a small smile crossing his muzzle, "If this is... the last time I'm seeing you," the thought was so unpleasant that he flinched visibly, "I have to tell you; You're... you are someone really important to me, Esmeralda. You're..." the leopard's eyes couldn't hold his tears at bay anymore, "You're the mother I never had."

The statement flew out of his mouth with surprising ease. He meant every word of it. His voice was undoubtedly sincere. "Thank you for everything." He could only smile at the Elder, while his tears coated his cheeks.

"Zachary," Esmeralda breathed. The dam broke; reaching through the bars, the owl hugged the leopard close, sobbing quietly into his shoulder. There was more communicated through the embrace than words could ever express.

A few minutes into this, the lead guard put a hand roughly on the Elder's shoulder. "I said, time to go," he insisted coldly.

Sniffling, the owl nodded, smiling to Zachary. "Mother's not going anywhere without you," she teased lightly, though the way she did let the feline know that the feeling he revealed was shared by the avian, "We will see each other again."

Turning on her heal, the owl shoved past the guards more roughly than they expected, one of them nearly losing their footing by the strength of the old woman's push. They didn't bother retaliating; all three of them were shaken from the sight of the owl's fiercely protective eyes.

With a smile plastered on his face and tears falling from his eyes, Zachary watched the Elder leave. His grip on the iron bars tightened when she disappeared from his sight. His head hit one of the bars as it sunk lower and lower to the ground.

"Wait..." he breathed quietly, sobbing, "Don't go." His crying resonated throughout his cell and others alike.

"I don't want to be alone in here."

Lya wiped her tears from her eyes. She could feel the cold stone wall against her back as she leaned against it at the entrance of the jailhouse. Her whole body trembled as the chilly evening breeze ruffled her fur. But it wasn't only the light wind that made her tremble.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, the ocelot only exhaled when her lungs began crying out in pain. With the air escaping through her mouth, a marginal amount of her worries left along. When she noticed Esmeralda approaching from the long staircase, Lya pushed herself away from the wall with great effort to wait for the owl.

"Hey," she began, sniffling quietly as a forced smile spread across her muzzle, "I'm going to pack some of my things for... you know. Could you wait for me at the gates until I finish? I'm... not really sure where the clearing is exactly, and I would feel more safe with you around when we're out of the city."

Wiping the tears from her own eyes, Esmeralda nodded. "Sure," she answered, patting the ocelot's shoulder before beginning to make her way to the gates. She couldn't stand to be near the prison any longer than she had to be.

"And Lya," the owl began, turning back to face the librarian for a moment, "Thank you for being here for Zach. We all appreciate it."

Lya waved a paw and sniffled, chucking weakly. "No problem, really. I-I should be thankful to all of you for being so accepting. It's the least I can do to be there for Zach, or anyone for that matter, when it's needed. So... thank you." With a small smile on her face, the ocelot bid her head to the owl, turning around to start walking towards the college.

She was never the camping type of anthro, but had a general idea of what things would be required on such a trip. She made sure to have a mental list of things she was going to pack, as well as a list of people she had to say goodbye to. On top of that list, was a particular snake, with whom she didn't anticipate the farewell that much.

'I hope he isn't going to be too mad... or sad," Lya mused, grimacing and sniffling quietly as she made her way on the street to the college. The occasional lanterns illuminating the way were the only source of light on the road as the darkness of the evening enveloped everything.

Although the glow of the stars across the darkened sky shone ever brilliantly, they couldn't brighten the blackness of worry that resided inside her heart, spreading like a wildfire as more and more unpleasant thoughts crossed her mind. There were anthros of all kind walking around and going about with their lives, but the ocelot disregarded each and every single one of them.

Her mind could only focus on Zachary at the moment.

When she realized that he would have to spend the whole night alone in that cell, Lya had to close her eyes. 'He'll be okay. He's a strong dummy.' With those words in her mind, the ocelot was able to wipe the unpleasant thought out of her conscious and continue making her way to the college with quickened steps. Esmeralda was waiting for her, and she had quite a lot of things to pack in. She knew she had to hurry.

Staring up into the starry sky, Esmeralda sighed heavily. She had to repress her emotions; the fear, sorrow, and anger she felt were beginning to exacerbate her condition to the point that she could feel the spirit within her beginning to stir.

Sitting down on the cobblestone road, the owl crossed her legs, placing her hands upon her knees as she closed her eyes. Taking deep breaths, the Elder quietly chanted the song that her father had left her with, ignoring the concerned looks of the few passersby that still wandered the streets at this time of night.

Despite her calming exercise, Esmeralda still wanted desperately to let her emotions out. But with her affliction, even this desire had to be suppressed. She could only sit and sing softly as she waited for Lya to arrive.

"And... done!" Lya announced to herself, standing up from the ground to observe her bag. By the looks of it, the red colored backpack was brimming with items of all sorts, some of them even poking out despite the ocelot closing it the best she could. With her baggage filled with all the essential, some more than other, necessities, Lya knelt down to get the whole thing on her back.

With some effort, she was actually able to secure it safely on her back, although the feeling of the straps digging in her shoulders was quite unpleasant. She disregarded it, however. There were more important things to worry about.

Taking a last glance around the room she had lived in for the last couple of years, the ocelot couldn't help but smile just a little as her eyes wandered around her furniture. She sighed after a moment, closing her eyes and turning around to leave the room with determined and no hesitation in her steps. The wooden door closed behind her, leaving the now uninhabited place in darkness and silence.

'Now... onto the next part.' Lya reminded herself, making to move towards the great hall of the college. She knew perfectly well that there's where she would find her friends. They were always killing their time gossiping and talking in that place.

"Oh, look who's here!" Lazlo called out cheerfully as he noticed the ocelot entering the hall, the other anthros from their seats turning their heads to look at Lya with a mixture of curiousness and suspicion. "You were gone for a whole day, Lya. We thought you left the college or something," the ferret chuckled, blinking in confusion when he noticed the bag on the ocelot's back, "Why do you have a backpack on?"

Lya waved a paw. "Heading out to my field trip tomorrow," she replied, giving a convincing, but forced, smile to the anthros, "It's quite some ways away from the college, and I thought I would try camping! Hopefully it's going to be fun..."

Lazlo snapped his fingers and nodded. "Right! I forgot that you were finishing school already," he said, chuckling nervously as a few anthros exchanged odd looks between each other, "Congratulations."

"Yeah, congratulations," One of the anthros reiterated, standing up from her seat to give Lya an indignant expression. The female fox simply glared at the ocelot for long moments before she spoke again. "Congratulations on bringing a wanted criminal to our get together and endangering our lives," the feline's breath caught in her throat, "We heard the news, Lya. Do you realize what could have happened if that murderer decided to have some fun with us? Why on earth did you bring a maniac there? He could have easily killed us!"

Lya could only stare at the fox in silence as a loud chatter followed by the anthros in the room. She couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but one thing was certain; they didn't know the truth. They really thought Zachary was a criminal.

"You really should choose your friends better in the future. Or at least, be with them on your own and not bring them to our parties!"

"Yeah, that was a really stupid move, Lya."

"Imagine what a murderous multicaster could have done to us! Thank the gods he wasn't feeling bloodthirsty that night..."

"I can't believe I shook hands with him."

The comments continued endlessly. Lya didn't open her mouth once. She simply stared out in front of her with an unreadable expression on her face, clutching her paws in fists as she listened to the hateful remarks.

"They should have executed him instead, seriously."

That was it.

"Shut. Up." The ocelot's voice cut through the room like a thousand knives. It wasn't loud, yet it silenced every single person in the great hall. The anthros looked at her with confused and judging expressions on their faces.

"You don't know anything," Lya continued, glaring at everyone in turns. Some actually swallowed and drew back a little at the intensity of her glower. "You blindly believe the first thing you hear about a person, and you judge him immediately without even taking the effort to care whether or not the things said about him are true."

The ocelot had to stop herself from shouting as she pressed on. "You are the stupidest and most dense people in this world if you really think that Zach is a murderer, or a wanted criminal, for that matter. You all met him, and you saw how he acted around all of you. Are you all really ignorant enough to believe that he is any of that after meeting him?" No response came. Lazlo simply stared at the ocelot with wide eyes while the fox who previously spoke sunk back to her seat.

Archimedes sat with a smug expression. "It's little wonder that a mage that can't fully control his magic would be less than sane," the mouse remarked, shaking his head as though he had seen the leopard's wanted status coming, "Turns out I was right; that kind of raw ability isn't what we should be idolizing. It's experience and training. That leopard is as dangerous to us as he is to himself."

Lya slowly turned her head towards the mouse. A few anthros flinched at her expression. "It's not Zach you should worry about," she said with a deadly calm tone, staring deep in Archimedes' eyes, "I'll feed your ears to you if you call him insane again, I swear." The ocelot was dead serious with her threat.

"Zach is innocent," she continued, turning to look back at the other anthros, "He is not a murderer, he is not dangerous to us, and he's the one suffering from a punishment he doesn't deserve," Lya tried her hardest to not cry, "A punishment that can very likely end his life. If you really still think that he's a wanted criminal, or don't see this matter as utterly unfair... then you all are nothing but monsters." Although no one spoke up, the ocelot could clearly see their doubts and disdain on their faces. They didn't believe her.

Drew was the one to speak up after several moments of silence. "How do you know he's innocent?" he asked. The fox's face showed evident hesitance and confusion. "I mean... he seemed nice enough when he was here, but... we've seen the wanted posters, now. How can you argue with that?"

"The wanted posters were the work of a mayor that wants to see Zach dead," Lya answered honestly, sighing as she turned to Drew, "They are fake. The crimes listed on them are all fabricated lies."

The ocelot shook her head in frustration. "Do you really think I would defend him if I wasn't sure he was innocent?" she asked, snorting in amusement, "Why would I defend a wanted criminal if it wasn't for the fact that he was only portrayed as one, while in truth he hasn't done anything wrong?" The question actually managed to get a few anthros to exchange looks and shrug their shoulders. It seemed like at least some of them were beginning to see things from another perspective. Most of them still looked unconvinced, though.

Sighing softly, Drew stood from his seat. "I want to believe that," he said quietly, moving past the ocelot and to the college doors, "Would you... if you find a way to clear his name, could you let me know? I don't want to think he's guilty if he isn't."

Archimedes snorted overdramatically. "Please; if a mayor of a town can't be trusted to give reliable information, no one can," the mouse affirmed, shaking his head in amusement, "It's really quite obvious that you've been taken in by his good looks, Lya. Try not to let a pair of dreamy eyes cloud your judgment, hm?"

It didn't take more than a second for the ocelot to stand right next to the mouse, her backpack long gone from her back. She put a paw on Archimedes' shoulder, spinning him around in his seat so he was facing her. Her claws dig in the mouse's fur to the point where it was almost drawing blood. Lya stared in his eyes for long moments.

"How about these eyes, Archimedes?" she asked with a tone that sent the anthros around the pair to draw back a little, pointing a finger at her own eyes, "I'm quite good at judging people by their looks. For example, I know perfectly well that you're only acting this way because you are jealous and insecure about yourself. You desperately try to cover up your shortcomings by taking every opportunity to judge others for theirs. You're nothing but a judgmental little kid," Lya shoved forcefully against the mouse's shoulder, forcing him to stumble backwards in his seat as she pulled back and straightened herself.

"That's who you are, Archimedes," she stated, regarding the anthro with the most dispassionate look she could give, "And do not make assumptions of me and my capabilities to judge others. You don't know me, and with that kind of attitude and behavior, you never will. It's time you looked in the mirror and realized who you truly were and where you stand," Lya's voice was so calm that it actually sounded almost intimidating in nature, "And try not to let your biased little eyes cloud your judgment about yourself when you do decide to look in that mirror, hm?" The whole room went in complete silence, the anthros staring with wide eyes at the pair.

The mouse squeaked as he stumbled back, looking both physically and emotionally hurt by Lya's actions and words. He couldn't say anything; he just stared angrily at the ocelot, his furious indignation spelled out across his entire face.

Standing silently, Archimedes ran past the rest of the anthros present. As he passed her by, Lya could see the tears brimming in his eyes.

Feeling a pang of guilt as she looked after the mouse, Lya sighed loudly and shook her head. She let her emotions overwhelm her common sense again. Most of the time she was able to control herself, but she just snapped at Archimedes' comment.

"That was... a little harsh," Lazlo stated quietly, regarding the ocelot with an intimidated look on his face.

Lya silently nodded her head, securing her bag on her back once again. "Tell him I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I usually don't let people get to me like this... and I don't hurt them like I just did. But... he went too far. He needs a reality check, and nobody else was going to give it to him."

Turning around, the ocelot simply waved a paw at the anthros in the room. "I'm not going to try convincing any of you about anything anymore," she stated, shaking her head as she began walking out of the great hall, "Think what you want. Just don't be surprised when nobody believes you and judges you the same way you have Zachary when you find yourself in a similar situation."

"It's been great with you all. I hope the next time we meet, you will be more open-minded than right now. Goodbye." With that fitting farewell, Lya exited the room, leaving a crowd of confused and surprised anthros to themselves.

Lya panted heavily as she crested the spiral staircase. The heavy backpack pulling at her fur and skin at the same time wasn't helping her situation. Why did he have to live so high up in this damn tower?

Knocking twice on the familiar door, the ocelot breathed deeply to calm her demanding lungs. "It's me Talib." She said, waiting patiently for the snake.

The door opened immediately, though the snake was across the room, staring down at the people below through his window. There were fresh scorch marks on the walls and ground, which were being cleaned by animated skeletons, each silently going about its task.

The serpent didn't greet Lya verbally. In fact, if it hadn't been for the door opening, it would have seemed like Talib was ignoring the ocelot. But she knew better than that.

Entering the door somewhat hesitantly and regarding the destruction of the room with a concerned look, Lya arrived next to the snake and put a paw on his shoulder, squeezing it supportively. She knew perfectly well what happened.

"Did it help?" she asked quietly, glancing back at the marks for a second and sighing loudly. Although she had known Talib for a long time now, she never saw him react this way before. She felt worried about him.

The serpent's gaze didn't leave the ground far below as he shook his head. "I couldn't do a damn thing," he stated, his voice filled with frustration and disgust, "All these years acting practically as an assassin, and I couldn't save one life."

Talib turned slowly to face Lya, his black eyes brimming with whirling emotions. "What the hell have I been working for, Lya?" he demanded, searching her face for answers, "I'm supposed to keep innocent people like Zachary safe, and I..." He didn't need to finish.

"Talib..." the ocelot breathed with sorrow, suddenly letting go of her backpack and letting it fall to the ground. She embraced the snake tightly, keeping her own emotions at bay. "You did everything you legally could. Don't even think about blaming yourself for this." Lya hugged the serpent with all her might, stifling a sob as she sniffled quietly.

Flinching at first from the sudden embrace, Talib sighed and put a hand around the ocelot's shoulders. "Thank you," he said quietly, even though the hug filled him with discomfort. The intention was heartwarming enough, though.

Eventually tapping Lya's shoulder, Talib looked into her eyes. "I think I just need some time alone," he stated, giving a tiny hint of a smile to the feline, "But thank you for your words. They mean more than I can really show you."

Nodding her head with a small smile in acknowledgement as she pulled away, Lya sighed as she looked up at the snake. "As for giving you time to be alone..." she began, gesturing at her backpack, "I couldn't have timed it better, it seems. I... I chose the location of my field trip."

Walking back to her bag, the ocelot heaved it up on her back with great effort before she turned back to Talib. "I'm leaving Centrum to accompany Zach's friends to Boldrumton." She announced with a calm tone. The way she looked at the serpent was all he needed to realize that there was no way convincing her otherwise. Lya was going, no matter what.

Talib's smile grew a small amount. "I almost forgot you were nearly ready to graduate," he admitted, before patting the ocelot's shoulder, "You're close to becoming a peer to me."

Looking over to his bookshelf, the snake beckoned over a thick tome, the book coming to a rest in the air in front of Lya. "Here," Talib offered smilingly, "My own personal notes on the school of necromancy. I have a feeling you're going to need them more than I do."

Hesitating for a moment, the snake managed to add in a somewhat strained tone, "I'm proud of you, Lya."

Resisting the urge to hug the snake again as she took the biomancy tome in her paws, Lya looked up at her friend with a warm smile. "Thank you," she said simply, wiping her eyes, "I couldn't have done it without a certain grumpy snake supporting me through the whole time."

Clutching the book in her paws close to her chest, the ocelot's smile grew. "You were always there for me. From the first day we met. I'll never forget that, Talib," she extended a hand to the snake, chucking weakly, "Don't forget me either, okay? I'll be definitely coming back here sometime in the future, and I wouldn't want to rearrange my first friend's face for not recognizing me."

Chuckling along with the feline, Talib took Lya's hand firmly. "You just think it's hard getting close to me," he said with one of his few honest grins, "Getting rid of me is even harder. Don't worry, I'll be rooting for you the whole way."

Releasing the ocelot's paw, Talib's gaze returned to the world outside of his tower. "And Lya," he added, "Try to have fun, won't you?"

The feline's face fell at the request. "I'll try," she replied quietly, turning around, "But it's not easy when knowing that he's spending the whole night alone in a place he hates the most, and that he will be marching to his possible death tomorrow."

Arriving at the door, Lya glanced back at the snake for the last time. "It's... hard to have fun in an unfair situation like this." She stated simply, sighing and walking out of the room through the door. Her quiet sniffling was audible as she began descending the stairs.

Talib stared quietly out of his window, listening to his friend's crying until she was out of hearing. One of the skeletons in the room suddenly flew apart as a bolt of black energy erupted from the serpent's body, creating another scorch mark for the rest of them to clean.

Looking up when she heard familiar footsteps approaching, Esmeralda smiled to Lya as she stood. "Ready to head out?" she checked, her voice slightly hoarse from a long time spent chanting.

The ocelot nodded. "More read than I'll ever be," she assured the owl, her red eyes for once not brimmed with tears. Moving next to Esmeralda as they began walking towards the gates, Lya glanced behind her to watch the familiar houses and buildings for a few moments.

"I suppose living in the wilderness will be good for a little change," she mused, turning back to look at the Elder, "Centrum can become pretty boring if you live here for a couple of years."

Chuckling lightly, Esmeralda nodded to the familiar guard as she passed him by, the gates opening easily for them now. "I'm sure you'll get along fine," the owl replied supportively, "We have Snowflake and Basajaun for hunting and gathering. You can start off tending the camp itself with me. Goodness knows I'd appreciate the assistance!"

Lya gave a small smile to the owl. "Sure, I'm pretty good with cleaning and keeping things in order," she replied, her smile almost immediately dying down as the gates closed behind the pair, "I... I just wish I could have accompanied you all in a different situation."

The ocelot sighed, her gaze falling on the dirt read under their feet. "I can't get him out of my head, no matter how hard I try or how much I chant in my mind that he will be okay," she glanced back in the general direction the jailhouse was located in Centrum, "I-I hope he's better off than he was the first time we visited him."

Giving her own sigh, Esmeralda nodded in agreement. Looking over to the ocelot's book, the owl smiled warmly. "Hey, why don't you tell me a bit about necromancy?" she suggested, thinking the subject might help distract Lya from the situation, "I'd like to hear about it from your own point of view. I never got to research the school without some negatively biased material, so I'd love to know what an objective take on the subject is like."

Lya's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You... you'd like to hear about necromancy?" she asked in disbelief, a smile spreading across her muzzle when the Elder nodded, "Well... in that case, I could tell you a little, I guess."

With unfamiliar enthusiasm and relaxation to her tone, the ocelot began her own tale of the black magic and its users that almost everyone in the world despised for its dark nature. And although her attention was on the subject, Lya found her thoughts occasionally drifting to a particular leopard as she enlightened the Elder about necromancy.

The subject of the ocelot's thoughts sat quietly in the corner of his cell, his back against the wall. Zachary's eyes wandered around his dark home, noting the uninviting mattress on the ground with disgust as the only real object currently at his disposal.

Feeling as his body began trembling for the umpteenth time since his friends left, he closed his eyes and pulled his legs close to his body.

'Stay strong.' He commanded himself for the umpteenth time as well, taking a deep breath and coughing weakly almost immediately. The dampness of the dungeon wasn't the ideal place for a person with weak lungs to stay at, despite the fact that the organs in question were in a better condition than before. They were still injured, nonetheless.

Zachary didn't know that, however.

Breathing heavily in panic after his cough, the leopard placed a hand on his chest. 'I thought Talib healed me already...' With breathing becoming more and more of a laborious task as his panicking advanced, it seemed like his current condition contradicted that statement.

Grasping at his chest tightly as he tried to level his breathing out, it took Zachary more than ten minutes to get a hold of himself before he could go into a state of panic again. It took a lot of effort, and it was only for his endless thoughts about his friends that managed to calm him down. They wanted him to stay strong, so he would.

Sighing, the leopard stood up. As his body left the warmed up spot in the corner, Zachary's whole body shook. The chilly air that resided in the dungeon filled his cell cruelly, as if deliberately trying to make his situation as bad as possible.

Letting out a quiet whimper and trembling in once place for long moments, Zachary forced his legs to start moving. He walked to his mattress, looking down at the disgusting object with a grimace.

"Been awhile since we met, huh..." He stated quietly, sounding as if he were greeting an old acquaintance of some sort. The sight of the barely considered bed was so unpleasant that Zachary could feel himself getting sick just by staring at it. It brought up memories. Memories that he desperately wished to forget.

'Enjoy your cushion of tonight, little thief.'

A voice from his mind echoed in his brain. Zachary shook his head vehemently, breathing raggedly.

'Let me go!'

'Shut it, thief! You won't be going anywhere for a very long time, don't you worry.'

The leopard slowly sat on the ground, burying his face in his paws. He desperately tried to get the memory out of his head. It was to no avail, however.

'I was starving! I didn't have any oth--'

'I told you to shut it! We don't care what you did. We're following orders, kid. Just don't talk and you might see the sun again.'

Zachary beat his hands against his head.

'That will teach you not to steal ever again, you little thief.'

'Thieves like you are the problem with Boldrumton.'

'So young and already stealing what others worked so hard for. You're just a pathetic thief, kid.'

'The jail is the perfect place for a criminal like you are. Get used to it.'

'I hate robbers the most. You're no exception, no matter how young you are.'

Although inside his head, the hateful and judgemental voices continued endlessly, outside the only audible sound was Zachary's quiet sobbing. He had to close his eyes. He simply couldn't look at the iron bars anymore. It only fueled the comments of disdain to keep flowing.

"I don't want to be alone in here," the leopard pleaded with a weak voice, his body curling in a ball on the hard mattress. The dirty bed was soaked by his tears as he wept.

The memories never stopped coming.

Without anyone to distract him, Zachary simply couldn't fight against the terrible thoughts that enveloped his mind completely, spreading like a cancerous feeling. Its only intention was to simply make him feel as miserable as he could. And in that, it succeeded.

"S-Stay strong..." he commanded himself, "Stay strong. They want you to stay strong." Hearing his own voice aloud somehow brought comfort. Although, it didn't bring peace.

The memories never stopped coming.

It took Zachary more than an hour to fall asleep. By the end, he was simply so emotionally exhausted that he passed out on the mattress. Dreams didn't bring peace either, however. There were only nightmares. Nightmares about jailhouses. Nightmares about starvation. Nightmares about loneliness.

Nightmares about death.

His tears and quiet whimpering, along with the memory fueled nightmares, never ended.

Panting in discomfort, Basajaun stared up into the night sky, though his attention was focused entirely on the nearly-spherical orb that pinned him down. His activity of choice for distracting himself had lead to him steadily glutting himself further and further, and for the first time in a while, his stomach was actually painfully full.

He could hardly think; the organ full of food in his middle had robbed his brain of blood flow, rendering him virtually drunken. Even through the painful discomfort though, the lack of any ability to think rationally was an odd sort of relief for Basajaun. The drake's mind was almost blank; there were no thoughts of losing any friends, or of being left alone. He was hardly aware of the world around him at all, his periodic hiccupping the only noise he made.

The dragon's icy companion breathed a sigh next to him. She could finally feel the drake beginning to relax, his reduction to a passive, unthinking state seeming to be what he needed most at the moment.

Unfortunately for Snowflake, this state also caused Basajaun to flinch away from her cold touch, to the point of whining loudly when she attempted to contact him. So she had taken a place next to the fire instead, staring pensively into the dancing flames.

Zachary's emotions bled over into her mind. She wanted to comfort him desperately, but their bond hadn't yet reached the point needed for her to do so at this distance. She was stuck by herself, feeling one of her closest friends suffer. The experience was so distracting that she hadn't even noticed that her mistress had begun to make her way to the clearing until she heard the owl's approaching footsteps, along with Lya's.

Looking over to the pair, the dragoness chimed wordlessly in a sad greeting, her featureless face showing a great deal of sorrow even without the ability to use expressions.

Arriving at the camp, Lya regarded Basajaun's unbelievably stuffed form with a flat expression. Even the amusing state of the dragon didn't help her mood in the slightest. Nothing could.

"Hey there, Snowflake," the ocelot greeted back, forcing a small smile on her muzzle with great effort. She quickly ran past the drake's lying form, quite convinced that he wasn't in a state at the moment to be careful around creatures much smaller than him. She sighed as she put her backpack down next to the spirit and positioned herself close to the fire.

Silence followed, and Lya knew something was missing. Or more accurately, someone.

Moving over to her familiar, Esmeralda gently embraced the massive dragoness. "Here," she muttered, a tiny spark of ice magic jumping from the owl into Snowflake.

Accepting the magic gratefully, the familiar's form softened and shrank slightly as her features came back into focus, her body taking on a more organic form and consistency once again.

While the process took place, the Elder sat herself next to Lya. "I can make us a sleeping aid, if you'd like," she offered, more than tempted to brew a batch for herself at the moment to escape into a dreamless sleep.

The ocelot nodded silently. "I don't think I could sleep without that, to be honest," she admitted quietly, closing her legs close to her body. She stared in the flames for long moments, finding the dancing fire more comforting than anything else right now.

"Do you two know why I'm here, by the way?" Lya asked after a while, glancing up at Snowflake and then Basajaun.

Snowflake gave a nod as she stood, moving over to Basajaun's side now that she was insulated again. The dragon didn't flinch away from her when she put her paws on his middle this time.

While Snowflake started losing herself in the drake's softness and providing him with a relieving massage, Esmeralda answered for her familiar. "Snowflake knows everything I do," the owl stated, looking over to the nearly comatose forest dragon, "But Basajaun doesn't know you're here at all, I'll wager. It looks like he really did a number to himself today. Not that I can blame him; he's the closest to Zachary out of all of us."

"Yeah... I know now," Lya agreed quietly, shaking her head, "I can't blame him either. Zach was right about keeping him in the dark," she continued, sighing, "I can't imagine what he would do if he knew..."

Glancing down at the ground in search of a twig, the ocelot found herself staring at a familiar object in the green grass. She reached for it, taking it from the place where Snowflake had been sitting earlier. She held the icy necklace in front of her, staring at it with a grimace.

It was Zachary's.

Tearing her gaze away from the pendant and simply bringing it close to her chest, Lya stifled a sniffle as she wiped her eyes with a paw. "This is just the worst," she chuckled weakly, rubbing her eyes as she continued fighting against the urge to start weeping, "I haven't cried this much in my whole life."

Feeling the necklace being picked up, Snowflake looked over to Lya, before sighing and shaking her head. Esmeralda echoed the gesture, her eyes scanning the flames of the campfire as though it could be used to divine the answers to their problems.

"We told Zach to stay strong," the Elder reminded herself and Lya both, "Let's stay strong for him, as well."

After hearing Zachary's name several times, Basajaun's mind cleared by a marginal amount. Lifting up his head to look over to the anthros by the fire, the dragon whined when the action put a strain on his stretched stomach. "Zhag... okhay?" the reptile's forked tongue seemed to be unresponsive to his desires, sliding loosely around his sharp teeth and slurring his speech.

Tensing at the question, Esmeralda looked over to the drake with an inscrutable expression. She hesitated, not wanting to lie to the dragon, but also wanting to reassure him. "He's... safe," she said, telling the most hopeful truth she could.

Blinking for several seconds as his mind worked to comprehend the owl's words, Basajaun looked from the Elder to the ocelot beside her; he only saw a spotted feline.

Whimpering quietly, the dragon reached an arm out pleadingly to Lya. "Dzach," he slurred out, his blurry sight telling him that his friend was just out of reach, "Zaghary... phlease..."

Lya looked at Basajaun in confusion, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. When the realization hit her, the ocelot let out a series of breaths, as if the sorrow in her chest deprived her of the ability to breathe. She closed her eyes, clenching them tightly shut as the droplets of misery coated her fur.

"I-It's... it's me... Basajaun, Lya..." The ocelot managed to breathe out between sobbing, holding her tiny arm to the dragon nonetheless. She took the reptile's claw in her palm without hesitation, squeezing it harder than she wanted to as her gaze dropped to the ground, her tears soaking the grass under her.

Crooning quietly, the dragon pulled lightly on the ocelot's paw. When she realized what Basajaun thought he was seeing, Snowflake looked to Lya with a pleading expression of her own. "Please, let him think you're Hunter," she begged through Esmeralda, putting her paw on the ocelot's shoulder, "He needs it. He really, really needs it..."

Lya couldn't keep it together anymore. Her quiet sobbing broke into crying so sorrowful, that it would have sent even the most heartless person on the world feel sympathy for the ocelot's anguish.

Nodding slowly as she tried her hardest to suppress her tears, Lya stood up on trembling legs, her paw never letting go of Basajaun's. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, the ocelot managed to do something that was practically impossible in the current situation.

She smiled at the dragon.

Although her tears never stopped falling as she approached him, the gesture she managed to force on her muzzle never left. It took unimaginable amount of effort to do so, however.

When she opened her mouth to speak, no words came. She simply couldn't find her voice. Her throat was too tight.

The dragon smiled back happily. Gingerly wrapping his claws around Lya's torso, he lifted the surprised feline up and placed her gently on his soft chest, his hand stroking her fur softly. "Zach... missed you," he whispered quietly, his paw not leaving the ocelot's back as his head fell slowly back to the ground. He was finally asleep.

Lya kept up her act right until the moment she was certain that Basajaun had fallen asleep. She sobbed louder than ever, her whole body shaking with each motion as she buried her face in her paws. "I can't do this..." she breathed, attempting to wipe her tears away as they kept coming endlessly, "This is too much..."

Putting her own hand on Lya's shoulder, Snowflake gave her a supportive smile. "I know it must be hard," Esmeralda admitted as she stood, walking over to the sleeping dragon and the weeping ocelot, "But can you do this for Zachary? He would want Basajaun kept happy like this. Even if it's a deception, this big softy means the world to Zach, so we have to keep him smiling. All of us."

Lya breathed heavily, her paws ceaselessly wiping her fresh tears away. "And... and just how do you think... he will react when he finds me here in the morning instead of Zach?" she asked quietly, evident concern in her voice.

"I'm sure he'd appreciate the company," Snowflake answered, Esmeralda nodding in agreement when she translated for her familiar, "You're a friend, too. Even if you're not as close as Hunter, Forest will appreciate this. I'm sure of it."

Exhaling loudly as she sniffled for a last time, Lya slowly nodded her head. "Alright..." she said silently, turning to Esmeralda with red eyes, "But I-I'm going to need that sleeping aid, please. I... I simply wouldn't be able to get any rest normally..." The ocelot rubbed her eyes with her paws, breathing slowly as she tried to inch away a little from the dragon's paw to reposition herself.

Nodding, the Elder moved to the group's bags, retrieving the ingredients she needed from them. Moving to the fire, she quickly threw together the concoction, brewing up two doses within only minutes.

"Here," the owl offered, handing up a warm cup of the foul-smelling brew to Lya, while her other claw held her own cup.

When Snowflake loosed a few chimes, Esmeralda translated, "Snowflake wants to know if you brought a blanket with you in your bag, and if so, if she can get it for you."

Lya nodded her head at the question, swiftly taking the cup from the owl's hands. "Thank you," she said simply, checking the warmth of the concoction before downing the whole thing in one go and completely disregarding the unpleasant taste in hopes of peaceful rest.

Sighing and grimacing as she lowered her cup from her mouth, she gave it back to the Elder. "Sorry..." she apologized quietly, shaking her head a little and looking at the pair of females with exhausted and red eyes, "I just... want to sleep as soon as possible. I can't stop thinking about him and I-I simply can't cry anymore. I'm... out of tears."

Lying down with another expansive sigh on Basajaun's chest, Lya was surprised to find that there was little to no resistance brought against her body as she lay down. For only a moment, there was a small thought in her head that the soft bed under her felt rather... pleasant.

Before it could develop into anything else, however, the ocelot could feel the effects of the potion beginning to kick in. "Good... night..." she managed to whisper quietly before closing her eyes, allowing the blissful unconsciousness to envelop her mind.

Finding the ocelot's blanket quickly, Snowflake carefully tucked the comforter around the feline and under the drake's paw. That done, the spirit wrapped herself around the sleeping pair, her head resting beside Basajaun's. Knowing it would be what Zachary wanted, Snowflake used her nutrient-boosting spell on the drake as he slept.

"Good night, Mistress," the familiar sighed, pushing herself into hibernation to escape from Zachary's contagious nightmares. Esmeralda wasn't far behind the rest of the group, swigging down her sleeping aid and retreating to her tent in silence.

"Time to get up!" A harsh, loud voice demanded, striking the iron bar of Zachary's cell with his armor.

Jumping up in surprise, the leopard glanced at the guard in front of his cell with baggy eyes. He didn't get too much sleep last night. "I'm up." He said simply, rubbing his red eyes with his paws.

"Good, because we are leaving Centrum soon," the anthro announced with a flat tone, gesturing at the leopard and his current poor state, "Get yourself up and ready. You have five minutes, understood?"

Zachary nodded silently. He stared at the ground in front of him with glassy eyes.

Snorting as he observed the leopard's hopeless expression for a moment, the guard turned and walked away, his heavy armor rattling the whole way.

Zachary sighed, closing his eyes and burying his face in his paws. He hasn't felt this desperate in a really long time. He couldn't help but feel like he was right back in Boldrumton. Back in those nineteen years of misery and torment.

Everything was here: the damp cell with the hard mattress, the demanding hunger in his stomach, the feeling of loneliness, the guards who looked at him in disdain, complete and utter hopelessness.

Even Gradus Hughe's voice was here.

The leopard blinked. He perked up his ears, the chatter he had picked up some time ago coming from the general direction of the pitbull's table.

The incomprehensible conversation continued for several seconds, before the sound of heavy footsteps caught Zachary's attention. He could feel his heart thudding rapidly in his chest as he stared out of his cell in front of him. He didn't move an inch, waiting patiently as the person who was approaching drew closer and closer.

When Hughe stepped in front of his sight, Zachary's heart stopped beating.

"Seems like the rumors are true, after all," the great bull's voice echoed throughout the jailhouse. He held a parchment of paper in his hoof. It was the wanted poster.

Hughe gave a smile to the leopard, dropping the paper on the ground. Zachary watched it float across the air, landing on the floor inside his cell. "I hope one day we'll meet without me finding you in jail, Zachary," the bull continued, his smile widening.

Blinking in disbelief, the leopard swallowed loudly, his voice trembling as he spoke. "W-What a-are you doing here?"

The judge cocked an eyebrow at the question. "Well, if you're that keen on knowing, I came to Centrum to find a job," he replied calmly, "It seems Mayor Boldrum doesn't like when a judge does not obey his every command, or does not let himself be influenced by his power."

Hughe gestured at the wanted poster on the ground. "I was taken out of my position, but I would have left anyway. I was just about to cross the borders of Boldrumton when I found this on the wall," the bull shook his head and snorted, "Ridiculous. Boldrum is a terrible individual, but I didn't think he would sink low enough to fabricate lies about an innocent boy and get his will that way."

Tears left Zachary's eyes as he stared at the bull.

The judge noticed the leopard's state almost immediately, frowning when he saw the desperation and hopelessness in his eyes. "I assume you were detained and found guilty of these lies, correct?" the feline slowly nodded.

Hughe heaved a sigh, putting a hoof on his forehead. "How long have you been in here, Zachary?" he asked.

"A-A day." he replied quietly, still unmoving.

"What is your punishment?" Gradus glanced back at Zachary, a sympathetic expression crossing his face when he noted the leopard's fearful posture.

"They are sending me... back to Boldrumton." He stated quietly.

The great bull narrowed his eyes at the statement. "Outrageous," Hughe leaned closer to the feline's cell, staring in his eyes, "Zachary," he began, not continuing until the leopard's baggy eyes were on him, "Have you broken the law even once since you were punished and banished from Boldrumton?" The judge's voice was dead serious.

Zachary closed his eyes to think for a moment, before he shook his head vehemently.

Hughe continued searching his face. "In that case," he pulled back, a warm smile appearing on his face, "You're innocent and you were arrested and given punishment for crimes you never committed or were already punished for."

The bull shook his head. "That's anything but fair, in my opinion. Remember what I said I hated the most back in Boldrumton?"

The leopard thought only for second. "Y-You despise unfairness." He replied, a glimmer of hope crossing his face.

"That's right," Hughe affirmed with a nod, his smile never leaving, "I'm going to go ahead and guess that you are not particularly fond of spending your time in a cell and going back to Boldrumton while being innocent," he chuckled, waving a hoof, "I know I wouldn't! So... I suppose you would appreciate a little help that would get you out of this mess?"

Zachary could only nod vehemently, his heart thudding powerfully in his chest.

"Thought so," the bull said with a tone of utter sympathy, pulling away from the leopard's cell and pointing at the poster once again, "Being a judge has its perks, believe it not. My word is considered evidence, one that cannot be ignored like everyone else's," Hughe smiled at Zachary warmly, "You needn't worry anymore. I'm going to make sure the truth is revealed. And if the council members don't believe my word for it," he patted his bag behind him, chuckling lightheartedly, "I've got all the previous cases and files about all the trials and criminals that took place in Boldrumton's court while I was a judge there. I figured Boldrum wouldn't miss them that much, so I took them all before I left. Seems like it was a wise choice, after all."

Zachary simply collapsed on the ground, tears streaming down his face. They weren't of sorrow, however. They were tears of relief. "T-Thank you," he breathed weakly, wiping his eyes, "Thank you..." He couldn't say anything else.

Hughe regarded the broken down leopard on the floor with a concerned look. "You really thought it was the end, huh?" he mused, sighing as he shook his head, "You can stop worrying now, Zachary. You'll be out of this jail and your name free before you know it. Just hold out in there for another hour or so, alright?"

When the leopard nodded, the bull smiled once again. "Thank you, Gradus..." There was nothing else that could leave Zachary's lips as he stared at the bull, "You... you're saving my life for the second time."

Hughe actually laughed out loud. "Oh, you must have gone through quite a lot my boy if you were able to change your point of view like that! You didn't see me as your savior when I banished you from Boldrumton, to put it mildly!"

Shaking his head as he continued his chuckling, the bull bid his head to the leopard. "I'll take care of things as fast as I can. Try to relax a little until I'm back, alright?" he gave Zachary a warm smile, "It won't take too long, I promise." With that, the bull turned to leave, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the jailhouse until they were too far away for the feline to hear.

Zachary simply stared in front of him as tears continued flowing down his cheeks. He closed his eyes, letting out his bubbled up emotions in a relieved final cry. A constant smile adorned his face.

"I'm not going to die..." he breathed shallowly, putting his head in his paws as he kept on weeping and smiling at the same time, "I'm not going to die."

Arriving back at Zachary's cell, the guard from earlier furrowed his brows. "I thought I told you to be up and ready in five minutes, haven't I?" he demanded, slamming a fist against the iron bars.

"Leave him!" The pitbull called out from his table. The anthro in front of the leopard's cell whipped his head to glare at his workmate. "He's under Judge Gradus Hughe's protection... we have to wait for an official to come back and say what's next. Until then, just leave him be in his cell. He's going to be punished anyways, perhaps not now, but soon." The leopard resisted the urge to snap at the comment, simply ceasing his crying as he stared at the guard in front of him.

The anthro snorted, shaking his head and giving a final glare to the leopard before he walked away from his cell. Zachary watched him leave silently, heaving a great sigh once the guard was out of sight. He sunk back on his mattress, rubbing his baggy eyes. It was going to be a long hour, that much was certain. But at the end of it, freedom awaited.

Snowflake looked out to the city as the sun rose into the sky. Although the only one awake at the moment, the spirit bore an unmistakable smile. She could feel Zachary's relief and joy, and it brought the same to her; even though she didn't know what had caused it, the familiar knew it must mean that something had changed for the better. It was just what she needed to wake up to.

The sound of approaching footsteps caught Zachary's attention as he waited, along with a pair of familiar voices.

"...will have to give him my sincerest apologies," Adil's voice came from down the line of cells, "You have no idea how grateful I am that you've come forward to straighten this out."

Perking up his ears as the footsteps drew closer, the leopard could clearly hear Hughe's unmistakable chuckle. "It's my duty to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. I'm just doing my job," a short pause followed before the bull added with a whisper that Zachary could only barely understand, "You should be grateful that the boy managed to endure such unfairness."

"I just hate being the one to add to that," Adil replied, "From what you've told me, I owe the boy more than mere words."

There was a loud hum of approval from Gradus. "We'll see how forgiving a wrongly convicted criminal can be. Just as a warning, I wouldn't expect too much of it in this current situation. He has every right to be outraged."

Zachary cocked an eyebrow at the statement, getting to his feet when the footsteps were just some paces away from his cell. He stared out in front of him with an unreadable expression on his face, as if still not believing whether this was really happening or not.

Rounding the corner to Zachary's cell, Adil looked to the leopard for a moment, before bowing deeply. "I am truly, terribly sorry," the judge stated fervently, before standing and taking the cell key from his coat, "I have made a horrible error, and you have suffered for it. I can only ask for your forgiveness, though I cannot begin to hope for it." Unlocking the cell, the weasel beckoned for Zachary to exit.

Breathing slowly, the leopard looked hesitant to move. He locked gazes with Hughe behind the stoat, sighing in relief when he noticed the bull's encouraging smile.

Moving with slow steps, Zachary didn't say a single word as he exited the cell door, almost immediately letting out a series of ragged breaths. Leaving the cell felt like the hands grasping his neck and trying to choke him to death finally disappeared. "Am I... am I free to go?" he asked fearfully, his gaze shifting between Adil and the guards that were around them.

The stoat nodded, before stepping towards Zachary. "I know it can't hope to make up for what I've done," he admitted as he drew a sack from his clothing, "But... it's all I can give you to try to do so. You may consider this yours."

Taking the leopard's hand, Adil deposited the jingling bag onto his palm. "I became a judge to protect the innocent," he insisted, his gaze lowered, "That I should nearly send one of them to their death... words cannot express my sorrow for what I almost did to you, Zachary."

The leopard could only stare out into nothing with a wide smile on his face. "I'm free..." he breathed, laughing in relief. Although the judge's words and kind gestures could never make up for the torment he had to go through the day before, the uplifting feeling of freedom was able to overwhelm these unpleasant thoughts at this very moment. He only wanted to do one thing, and these people were holding him up.

He finally turned to Adil, grinning widely to himself. "You're forgiven or whatever," he said quickly, putting the jingling bag right back in the stout's hand, "And I don't need your money. Never got used to it, and besides," he winked at the stoat, "It makes you look like you're trying to buy my forgiveness."

Leaving a more than perplexed Adil to himself and swiftly turning to Hughe, Zachary gave the warmest smile he could muster. "Thank you." He said simply, extending his paw. The bull smiled back, taking the leopard's hand immediately and shaking it. "I'll never forget this. I promise you, Judge Hughe Gradus."

Without saying another word to anyone present, the leopard turned around and simply bounded off towards the stairs, disappearing from everyone's sight in less than a second.

The bull could only blink and chuckle as he watched Zachary depart. "Well," he began, patting Adil shoulder, "Even I didn't expect that. That boy is quite strange, huh?" Hughes gestured at the bag of gold in the stout's hands, "Refusing something like that. He's either insane, or just simply pure and innocent," Gradus snorted in amusement as he looked in the way the leopard left, "I'd like to think it's the latter."

Blinking for a few moments in surprise, the judge eventually returned the sack to his coat. "He is an odd one," Adil agreed with a nod, "Though truthfully, that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that he is free, as the innocent should be." Hughe gave a hum of approval, still looking in the way Zachary left and wondering just where he was hurrying to so much.

Letting out an expansive yawn, Lya slowly opened her eyes. She stared up in the morning sky blearily, remaining unmoving. The events of yesterday played out in her mind as she returned to consciousness, and the ocelot desperately wished for the blissful peace sleeping provided.

Sighing in misery and rubbing her eyes with her paws, Lya finally sat up, yipping a little when the soft cushion yielded easily under her. "Right... almost forgot..." she said in frustration, glancing around her "bed" for a few moments before attempting to lift the dragon's paw off of her.

"Basajaun," she began with a somewhat raised voice, grunting as she pushed against the reptile's claws around her body, "Could you... let go of me... please?"

Grunting at the voice, Basajaun slowly cracked his eyes open. Looking down to find Lya on his chest, gripped loosely in his paw, the dragon blinked in surprise, before releasing her. "Um... when did you get there?" he asked confusedly, "And where's...?"

Stopping when he remembered the previous day's events, the dragon slowly let his arm fall to the ground. He immediately felt the worry returning to him.

Turning around quickly at hearing the dragon's voice, Snowflake grinned joyfully to him. "Forest, Hunter is happy!" she reported jovially, "He's happy and relieved! Something good happened this morning!"

Whipping his head to face the spirit, Basajaun felt his long neck bunch up into several rolls in the position. "What?" he demanded, a hopeful tone in his voice, "What happened, Snowflake?"

The spirit shrugged. "I don't know," she stated, though her happy tone still shone through, "But it was really, really good!"

Feeling both relief and confusion, Basajaun smiled. "Lya, Snowflake says that something happened to make Zachary happy," he reported, before heaving a large sigh.

The ocelot slid down from the dragon, a hopeful expression crossing her face for just a moment before she looked at Snowflake in confusion. "How do you know that?" she asked, chewing on her lip as she could feel uncertainty filling her heart. She desperately wanted the statement to be true, but didn't want to get her hopes up in fear of watching them get destroyed once again.

"She has an empathic bond with Zachary," Basajaun answered, the spirit nodding in confirmation, "She can feel his emotions. He... something must have happened to make him relieved and happy."

Making to roll over onto his front, the dragon felt a moment of confusion when the motion was simply absorbed into his form. Looking down to himself, the drake stared at the three foot addition to his waistline. "Well, I'm glad I can adjust this!" he joked lightheartedly. It was quite clear that the reptile trusted Snowflake's words unquestioningly.

Lya, on the other hand, couldn't help but doubt the reality of the spirit's hunch. She completely disregarded Basajaun's amusement over his newfound flab, holding her paws in front of her chest as she looked in the general direction of Centrum. She could feel worry eating at her heart, but Snowflake's words were able to provide a marginal amount of hope.

"Perhaps he doesn't have to go to Boldrumton..." she mused, closing her eyes as a hint of a smile spread across her muzzle, "Or... or perhaps he..." Lya shook her head, trying her hardest not to be too hopeful about the situation and not even realizing what she just said in the presence of Basajaun.

The dragon's head shot up from the ground to look over his gut. "Excuse me?" he nearly shouted, "They're taking him to Boldrum?!" With a surge of his protective nature, the drake hefted his bulk upright, his belly now large enough to press against all four of his legs, even when they were fully extended. "Please tell me I misheard you, Lya," Basajaun nearly begged, his expression pleading.

Closing her eyes and putting a paw on her forehead, the ocelot cursed herself in her mind on more occasions than she could count. She turned back to Basajaun and gave him a forced smile. "Yeah, you misheard me," she replied with a nervous chuckle, waving her paw, "I was just... uh... talking about Boldrumton and you must have misunderstood me!"

The dragon searched Lya's face. "Please... don't lie to me," he said quietly, dragging himself toward the ocelot, "What happened to Zachary yesterday?" Basajaun's voice bore fear and concern, as did his eyes.

"I... uh..." Lya stammered, feeling her heart thudding in her chest as she took a couple of steps backwards from the drake. She couldn't find her voice as she stared in his eyes fearfully. She wasn't afraid of Basajaun, she was afraid what he would do. And yet, even without words, the ocelot's expression was enough.

"Oh Gods," the dragon breathed, before looking in the direction of the city and shouting, "Zachary!" Snowflake tensed, not wanting to have to hold the drake in the clearing again.

"Basa!"

Whipping her head at the voice coming from the forest, Lya breathed quietly as utter silence fell on the group and the clearing the same. Even the birds stopped chirping, the wind stopped rustling the leaves and everything seemed to stay completely still.

"Basa!"

The voice was a lot closer this time, but there was still no movement coming from anywhere near the clearing. Lya narrowed her eyes as she stared in the general direction the voice came from, her gaze searching the undergrowth endlessly.

When she finally saw a branch moving and a glimpse of the color yellow, the ocelot's breath caught in her throat.

"BASA!" Zachary exclaimed, coughing loudly as he practically jumped out of the undergrowth like a gazelle and standing at the entrance of the clearing for only a moment. As soon as his baggy eyes locked on Basajaun, the leopard's face was split in half by the widest smile anyone had ever seen from him. Tears of joy ran down his cheeks.

Not hesitating a single fraction of a second, Zachary began sprinting towards his friend with open arms, his tears of joy drifting through the air as he endlessly shouted his best friend's shortened name on top of his lungs. Despite looking like a wreck in terms of tiredness, the utterly ecstatic and relieved expression that adorned the leopard's face was enough of a disguise.

"Zachary!" Basajaun greeted with equal enthusiasm, his joy seeming to grant him the strength to bound over to the leopard, despite his gratuitous amount of baggage.

Meeting in midair, the pair embraced lovingly. Rolling forward, Basajaun pinned Zachary beneath his chest flab, starting to lick his face relentlessly, not having the words to describe how happy he was to see the leopard.

Laughing joyfully as his face was enveloped in dragon saliva, the feline simply ignored every negative things he felt about that particular substance, too thrilled to care about such things at the moment. The drake's fatty chest pinning him down felt pleasant, though. Instead, Zachary held Basajaun by his snout the best he could, embracing his best friend with all his might.

He never wanted this moment to end.

Lya breathed raggedly as she watched the scene play out in front of her, sinking to the ground as relieved smile and tears appeared at the same time. He wasn't going to die, after all.

After several minutes of this, Basajaun finally stopped his slobbery assault. "I was so... damn... worried!" he said vehemently, his snout nuzzling the leopard's, "Look at me; I couldn't stop eating yesterday!"

Taking only a moment to glance at the dragon's form, the leopard regarded the newfound fat on his body with wide eyes and an unmistakable grin. "You were panic eating again?" he asked with a laugh, pulling Basajaun's snout close to his chest and purring loudly at the comfort it brought to his heart, small tears of joy drifting from his eyes.

"I-I was worried too," Zachary admitted with a weak voice, staring in the dragon's eyes. Some of the leftover fear lingered in the feline's gaze. "I was worried I would leave you alone." Not able to bear another second without embracing Basajaun, the leopard once more pulled on his snout, closing his eyes and breathing raggedly. His loud purring never stopped, however.

The dragon sighed, pressing his face gently against his companion's chest. "Don't worry; I'm not alone," he affirmed strongly, though his voice was slightly muffled by Zachary's vest and fur, "I was worried I'd lose my little boy." As he embraced the feline unrelentingly, Basajaun continued, "I felt so helpless out here. I couldn't even visit you. I couldn't see you." Sniffling, the dragon started crooning again as he hugged his friend close.

Returning the umpteenth embrace with just as much affection as the first one, Zachary began sniffling quietly as well. "I know, Basa, I-I know..." he whispered softly, squeezing as much of the dragon close to his body as he possibly could, "But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"But you will," Basajaun pointed out, lifting his gaze to meet Zachary's, "You're going to have to go back into the city at some point. And then I won't be able to reach you if anything happens."

Pulling back from on top of the feline, the drake looked down to the ground. "Zachary... I can't stand it out here!" he finally shouted, feeling his pent up frustration welling to the surface, "I can't take this hiding! When I'm out here and you're not... Zach, I'm just useless! I can't do a damn thing to help you here!"

Zachary swatted at the dragon's nose, furrowing his brows. "You're never useless," he stated adamantly, sighing before a warm smile crossed his muzzle, "Don't you say things like that, lizard." He commanded with a soft tone, cupping Basajaun's chin affectionately.

"You help me by being yourself," he stated simply, "You help me by waking me in the mornings and waiting for me to come back in the afternoons. You make my life better by simply existing, Basa. That is all I need."

The dragon sniffled, pressing his forehead against Zachary's. "But when your life is at risk in there, I can't do anything," he stated, his voice wavering, "I can't stand knowing that, Zach. This just made it all too clear. I can't... Zach, please don't leave me again."

Taking a breath, Basajaun looked again into the leopard's eyes. "I know that's an unreasonable request," he admitted, his own eyes pleading and helpless, "But I really can't take this anymore. It's going to eat away at me whenever you're in the city now."

"Basa..." Zachary breathed, wrapping his arms around the dragon's snout as much he could and keeping it close to his whole body. He simply held his friend in the position, not letting go for a long time. He purred quietly, the puny sound resonating his chest as he hugged Basajaun.

"Then I won't." The leopard spoke up after a while, his eyes still closed. A wide smile spread across his muzzle. "I won't leave you again. I... I'm done going to the city. I don't care about my lessons if they make you unhappy," Zachary's voice was sincere and comforting at the same time, "I care whether you are happy or not. And if going to the city makes you unhappy, then I simply won't go anymore."

Enjoying the embrace of the friend he nearly lost, Basajaun continued sniffling and crooning quietly, not wanting to end the moment. "Thank you," he murmured through the leopard's arms, the last of his worried tears soaking into Zachary's vest.

Pulling away gently after an unidentifiable length of time, Basajaun looked down at himself when he felt something caught in his fur. When he noticed the clotted blood and bits of meat from yesterday's raw meals, he shook his head smilingly. "Gods, I'm a mess!" he laughed, the relief of having his best friend back finally overwhelming all of his other concerns.

Zachary laughed along joyfully, nodding his head. "We both are!" He stated with a grin, indicating his baggy eyes and showing off all four of his dirty paws to Basajaun, as well as his somewhat blackened fur. "I didn't really sleep well last night," he remarked with a weak chuckle, smiling at the dragon, "And the cell didn't come with a bath. Seems like Centrum is just as cheap of a place as Boldrumton. Every prisoner should be given a private place to bathe, if you ask me!" The leopard giggled, the joy of laughter feeling like an old friend coming back to him after a whole day of absence.

"I think we could both use a good bath and a nap," Basajaun suggested. Although he was still laughing, it was an honest suggestion. "I just wish there was a nearby stream or something for me. I've been getting pretty grimey out here."

"We can help out with that," Esmeralda suggested from directly beside Lya, grinning when the ocelot jumped.

"Gods!" The former librarian breathed, putting a paw on her chest as she panted heavily from the sudden surprise. "Don't do that again!" she demanded, glaring at the owl, "I nearly had a heartattack!"

Zachary could only chuckle at the scene. "Esmeralda has a hobby of scaring everyone like that," he stated with a warm smile, patting Basajaun's side before he walked to the Elder and immediately embraced her, "I'm back, mom." He said in a teasing voice, laughing loudly in utter joy.

Returning the embrace, the Elder stroked Zachary's back gently. "Call me that again," she requested quietly, an oddly sincere tone to her voice, "I like the way it sounds, coming from you."

The leopard grinned widely at the request. "Anything for you, mom," he said, before he lifted the owl right off from her feet and began spinning her around in the air as they stayed in the embrace. Their happy laughter echoed throughout the entire clearing.

Lya watched the scene with a somewhat concerned look on her face. "Make sure you don't drop her like you did with me, dummy!" She cautioned, shaking her head and snorting in amusement when the only answer she got was more chuckling from both the Elder and Zachary.

"Alright! Put me down, or I'm gonna be sick!" Esmeralda shouted laughingly after several seconds of spinning, holding tightly to the leopard embracing her.

Watching with wide smiles, the two dragons of the group shook their heads gigglingly. "I don't think you want owl pellet stains on your clothes, Zach!" Basajaun teased, getting another laugh from Snowflake.

"Owl what now!?" Zachary demanded with a disgusted voice, coming to a stop from his spinning and putting the Elder down carefully. He grinned widely at the owl, taking a few steps away from her. "Just to be sure," he cleared his throat nervously, "My clothes are dirty as it is."

Lya gave a hum of approval at the statement. "Yes they are!" she affirmed, narrowing her eyes at Zachary and soon giggling when he looked back at her with the most innocent expression he could muster.

Taking the steps toward Zach that he had taken away from her Esmeralda gave him a serious, but loving look. "Just to be clear, I was serious with that request, Zach," she clarified, putting a hand on his shoulder, "If you want to call me mom, or mother, or another matronly name, I'd... I'd more than accept that. You are a son to me, and... goddamnit, I love you like a son, you hear me?" The Elder shook her head, trying not to become emotional again.

Zachary smiled warmly at the Elder. He put both of his paws on the owl's shoulders, squeezing them affectionately. "And I meant what I said in that cell, Esmeralda," he affirmed, "You're the mom I always wished I had... alright, perhaps I wanted her to be less grumpy, but that's not my point!" the leopard laughed at his own words, giving a serious expression to Esmeralda when he finishing chuckling, "I'd gladly look at you as someone like that," there was a short pause, "Mom."

Smiling tearfully, the owl suddenly embraced Zachary again. "Thank you," she whispered softly, pressing her face into the leopard's chest much like Basajaun had, "My little boy."

Returning the embrace, despite the discomfort the owl's beak caused, Zachary smiled as he rested his head on Esmeralda's shoulder. For long moments, the leopard simply didn't pay too much importance to the Elder's words, but suddenly a thought crossed his mind.

'My little boy?' He reiterated the expression. It sounded familiar... very familiar, actually. It took only a few more seconds for Zachary to realize that those were the exact same words that left Basajaun's lips.

The revelation brought a mixture of feelings. From Esmeralda, someone he truly looked at as the mother he never had, the expression sounded just right. But... from his best friend? Why would he call him that?

Could it be that he was...?

Shaking the thought away for now, Zachary brought his attention back to the owl he was hugging. "No problem at all." He whispered, pulling away from the embrace. Although feeling still ecstatic by the fact that he was back with his friends, the lingering thought about the dragon's behavior towards him didn't leave. It wasn't an unpleasant thought by any stretch of the imagination, though.

The owl's beak was curled as she left the leopard's embrace. "Okay, no more touchy-feely," she ordered, waving a talon in front of her nose, "You're getting a bath, now."

When Basajaun laughed at the statement, the Elder whirled around and pointed a talon and him. "So are you, Fatty!" she continued, before pointing at an unused portion of the clearing, "So suck in that gut and get digging. We're making us a place to wash."

"Yes, mam!" Basajaun obeyed with an exaggerated salute, not even having to use the incantation for his metabolic spells anymore, he had practiced them so much. His body simply began retreating into itself at his will, until he was back into working shape, leaving enough pudge on his form that his belly still reached his knees. The dragon's firm musculature showed through his flab and fluff alike now, due to the amount of fat he had converted into muscle.

"I really am glad this kind of magic is what I wound up being proficient in," he mused aloud, looking over to Zachary with a broad grin.

The gesture was immediately returned as the leopard glanced at Basajaun. "It's quite convenient, indeed," he agreed, chuckling lightheartedly as he added, "Especially for the two of us, if you know what I mean." Winking at the dragon, the leopard turned to Lya, locking gazes with her. The ocelot's head was cocked, her eyebrow raised. Evidently, she was still not used to the little 'hobby' Zachary and Basajaun were pursuing.

Giving a sheepish smile and rubbing his neck in minor embarrassment, the leopard bid his head to the Elder, acknowledging her request of a bath. He wanted to have one himself, anyway. Even he could smell the effects the jailhouse had on both his fur and clothes. And besides, with Esmeralda's novel idea of making a place to wash up, he could practice a school of magic he hadn't before.

Before that, however, he had more important things to care of.

Walking to Lya with a wide smile plastered on his face, Zachary extended his arms to the ocelot when he arrived in front of her. She was was still in a sitting position on the ground, but that changed very soon.

Taking the leopard's arms with her paws, she used him as a leverage to lift herself from the ground, and also to immediately jump up and embrace him. Zachary actually let out a couple of coughs as he was hugged tightly. Lya's grasp was rather strong, he had to admit.

"It wasn't needed, after all," the ocelot said simply. When Zachary regarded her with a cocked eyebrow and a confused expression after she pulled away, she put a finger on a particular spot on his cheek. It took the leopard a couple of seconds what she meant. "Thank the gods, it wasn't the last time we met, dummy." Lya's sincere and wide smile felt like a million stars shining brightly at him.

Hugging Lya once again closely and lifting her up a little in the process, she giggled joyfully as her legs dangled in the air. Her gleeful laughter made his smile grow even wider. "It was still... uh... appreciated. The kind gesture, that is." Zachary admitted with a whisper, blushing intensively as he buried his face in the ocelot's shoulder.

"You're welcome." Was all that left Lya's lips as they curled into the widest smile in a day. She was glad to have Zachary back for more reasons. One of them was the fact that the amount she cried during that single day was unbelievably much. She was quite convinced that she would have dried up if he had stayed more time in jail.

And of course, she was ecstatic just to see him free and happy again.

Suddenly pulling back from the embrace, Lya grimaced as she waved a paw in front of her nose. "Bath." She uttered the word with an adamant expression.

Rolling his eyes and tittering at the same time, Zachary put the ocelot back on the ground. "Just one more thing," he held up a finger in front of the ocelot, smiling warmly when she nodded.

Turning to the last member of the group he hadn't given a hug of love, Zachary's eyes widened as he regarded Snowflake. Blinking in disbelief for only a moment, the leopard's muzzle broke into a wide grin. "Well, you've grown quite a bit since I last saw you," he remarked with a chuckle, his feet already on their way to the ice spirit.

Although almost every person in the world would have felt intimidated by the familiar's size, given that she was even bigger than Basajaun now, the leopard felt not even single trace of the unpleasant sensation.

All his eyes saw was a close friend. A friend he wanted to embrace with just as much enthusiasm as the first one.

Arriving in front of Snowflake and looking up with a warm smile, Zachary extended his arms as he said. "I missed you so much." With only Esmeralda and Lya visiting him in jail, the leopard meant every word of that statement. Her lack of physical presence was just as unpleasant and distressing as the damp, dark cell he had to spend the night in itself.

Grinning with equal enthusiasm, Snowflake carefully leaned down and embraced the leopard in one arm. "I missed you too," she said joyfully, resisting the urge to hug Zachary with all her might. At this size, she was likely to crush him if she wasn't cautious.

Nuzzling the leopard's face, Snowflake withdrew from the hug after nearly a minute. "Can you give me a bit of ice magic?" she requested from the feline, "I want to be a bit smaller than this. I'm afraid of squishing someone!"

"You got it." Zachary replied enthusiastically, patting the spirit's claw before he took a few paces backwards. Summoning the now well-known white mist in both of his paws at the same time, the leopard extended his arms in front of him, aiming straight at the ground.

Transparent ice began forming on the green grass as the snowy fog continued to flow from the feline's paws. It glimmered wondrously in the morning sun's orange rays, reflecting the warm light from its cold surface in a marvelous display. While the spell casting was in process, Zachary stood his unbreaking ground, seemingly creating ice out of thin air effortlessly. Given his current tired state, the easiness of this action was rather amazing. His endurance was improving, after all.

"There, that good enough?" He asked with a wide smile, gesturing at the pile of ice on the ground which were nearly the size of Zachary himself. He knew Snowflake requested only a marginal amount, but the effortless spell casting made him want to enjoy the feeling just a tiny bit more.

Nodding smilingly, Snowflake touched a paw to the frost, taking in a small amount of what was there before her form cracked and large pieces fell away, the resulting smaller body approximately the same size as the group's other dragon.

Shaking excess material from herself, Snowflake smiled to Zachary. "Thank you," she said appreciatively, nuzzling his face again.

While Zachary was busy with the familiar, Basajaun had already begun digging at the ground, his claws sharpened and arms muscled for the work. Standing by the drake, Esmeralda was instructing him on the dimensions she thought would work best for the group.

"You're welcome," the leopard replied with a warm smile, patting the spirit's neck now that he was actually able to reach it. He glanced at the working Basajaun some distance away, his expression changing to one of thoughtfulness.

"I could feel your presence, by the way." Zachary stated simply after a while of watching the forest dragon dig at the ground enthusiastically. He didn't look up at Snowflake as he said. "Believe it or not... it helped. Even if I could only barely register it, it was still there. I wasn't completely alone," he heaved a long sigh, "It... it made that horrible night easier to endure."

Lya had made her way next to Basajaun and Esmeralda as well while the leopard and spirit conserved, watching the forest dragon work with an evidently impressed expression on her face.

Snowflake's face fell slightly. "I... I felt how much you were struggling," the spirit responded quietly, not wanting Basajaun to hear, "I wish I could have been there for you. I feel... responsible, because I asked you to take off your neckla--"

The spirit stopped. "You can understand me without the necklace!" she suddenly realised.

Blinking at the statement, a wide grin spread across Zachary's muzzle after a moment. "Seems so," he agreed, glancing up at Snowflake and stroking her neck, "I guess a night like that was the thing needed for that bond to develop further," shaking his head and chuckling joyfully, the leopard glanced back at the other members of their little group and added, "This morning is just full of surprises, it seems."

Still smiling, Snowflake put a paw on the feline's shoulder. "At least some good came of it," she affirmed, stroking Zachary's arm gently, "But I hope you never have to be alone again. And I promise I'll always do everything I can to be there for you. Including letting you keep that necklace, if you still want it."

"Of course," the leopard replied immediately, suddenly grabbing hold of Snowflake's claw and clinging himself tightly to it, as if afraid that an unknown power would tear him away from his friends once more. He never wanted to let go of Snowflake's paw if that was the case.

Zachary's body trembled a little as he closed his eyes and continued to grasp the spirit's paw. "I hope so too," he said weakly, obviously meaning what the spirit had said about being alone ever again, "Thank you."

Lya turned her head away for only a moment from Basajaun, a somewhat concerned expression crossing her face as she watched Zachary and Snowflake. There was something about the leopard's posture and the look on his face that was different. He looked like he was... terrified of something.

Busy with their work, neither Basajaun nor Esmeralda noticed the leopard's emotional moment. Looking over to Lya, Snowflake beckoned her over with a smile. "Black Mage has your necklace," the familiar informed Zachary, "You'll have to ask her for it."

Noticing the spirit's gesture, Lya pointed a paw at herself questioningly. When the leopard nodded his head with a small smile, the ocelot cocked an eyebrow, shrugging as she left the working pair alone and made her way to the other two members of the group.

Arriving, Lya's gaze shifted between Snowflake and Zachary as she asked. "Yes?"

Heaving a long sigh to remove the last remnants of his worries from his body, the leopard gestured at the ocelot. "Snowflake says you have my necklace," he said, cocking his head a little, "Could you give it back to me, please? It's..." he glanced up at Snowflake with a warm smile, "It's really important to me."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Lya replied, pulling the pendant out from seemingly nowhere as she simply reached behind her. She held it out for Zachary, a happy look on her face. "It just felt right having it around me," she explained somewhat quietly with a sheepish tone, "Made things just a little bit easier."

The leopard took the necklace, resting it on its respective place around his neck. For long moments, he held it in his paw, his grip on the icy jewelry tight. "Thanks," he said, looking back at Lya and beaming at her, "Good thing this isn't affected by how I smell," he jingled the necklace in his paw, chuckling, "Otherwise you would have been just as displeased with it as you were with my blanket."

Lya snorted in amusement. "That blanket smells even worse than you yourself," she smirked teasingly at Zachary, "And that's a big accomplishment. You reek!"

The leopard rolled his eyes at the statement. "Alright, I got," he insisted, shaking his head a little, "I stink. But I'm getting a bath very soon, so you call can just calm down already, hm?" He gave the ocelot an expectant look.

"I will," she began, snickering as she added, "Once you don't smell like a thousand rotten potatoes," When Zachary took a deep breath to try to appear bigger and attempted to snap back, Lya held up a paw, the leopard exhaling and deflating like a balloon that was robbed from its chance to shine.

"So," the ocelot's expression suddenly changed to a serious one, "Now that we're all done with welcoming you back, I'd like to know how you actually managed to get out of prison without angering a platoon of soldiers or breaking the law." Lya crossed her arms under her chest, tapping a finger on one of her arms as she waited patiently for the answer.

"Oh," Zachary voiced quietly, his gaze falling to the ground for only a second before he gave both Snowflake and Lya a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I was too happy to be back that I forgot about the whole thing altogether," he explained, looking at the working pair some distance away and calling out, "Could you two pause a little and come here for a second?"

Jumping in surprise at the sudden shout, Basajaun looked over to Zachary questioningly for a moment, before following Esmeralda over to the feline. "Yes?" the dragon asked, sitting on his haunches in front of the leopard as the owl folded her arms expectantly.

Clearing his throat, Zachary regarded the people around him with an outrageously posh expression. "My friends," he began. Even his voice was elegant. "We've gathered here today so I could tell you the tale of a boy, a very good-looking boy, who found hi--"

"Gods, stop it before I puke!" Lya's voice interrupted the swanky leopard's grand speech, "Just explain what happened simply, you dummy."

Zachary shook his head, laughing joyfully as he waved a paw. "Alright, alright," he relented, gesturing at the ocelot as he continued, "Lya here wanted to hear how I got out of jail, so I thought I'd ask you all to come here because I don't want to tell it more than once." He explained smilingly, looking at his friends in turns.

Heaving a sigh, the leopard locked gazes with Esmeralda. "Judge Gradus Hughe saved me," he said simply, "He found the wanted poster about me as well, and probably heard the news that I was arrested when he arrived in Centrum."

Hesitating to continue for a moment, Zachary's gaze fell on the ground. "I'm not going to lie," he stated, his tone sincere, "I... I felt... hopeless when I woke up this morning in that cell," the leopard looked up at the Elder with an apologetic expression, "I know I promised I would stay strong, but... I nearly gave up. I was very close."

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the leopard disregarded Lya's worried gaze for now as he continued. "But when I saw Hughe standing in front of my cell, hearing his voice, listening to his words and his promise that he would get me out of there by presenting evidence of my innocence... I was so past hope that I couldn't believe it at first."

Zachary smiled as he continued. "I only started to realize that this was really happening when the judge from yesterday came to my cell. He... he apologized for his mistake, let me out of my cell and wanted to give me a bag of gold," there was a short paused as the leopard shrugged, "Don't ask my why. I don't really care, I refused it." Lya's eyes widened at the statement, but she didn't comment, letting him finish.

"Anyway," the feline glanced at Basajaun as he pressed on, "As soon as I was out of the cell and sure that I was free, I ran out of the jailhouse, out of Centrum and along the dirt road, through the forest until I was back here," Zachary's muzzle broken into a smile that threatened to split his head in half, "With the people I love the most; my friends, all of you."

Finishing with his speech, the leopard glanced around the members of the group, an ecstatic grin plastered on his face. Nothing in the world could have made him happier at the moment than being among them.

With warm smiles, Snowflake and Basajaun both nuzzled at the leopard's face. "I wish I could thank this person myself," the drake stated, looking back out in the direction of Centrum for a moment before his gaze returned to Zachary, "But I'm truly grateful for your freedom. I don't mean to sound selfish about this, but I really don't think I could have mentally taken another day of worry."

"Me neither." Lya agreed, shaking her head a little.

Moving a paw each to stroke both dragons' heads, Zachary sighed expansively. "I know..." he said quietly, glancing at the members of the group, "It must have been harder for you all than it was for me. I know perfectly well how awful uncertainty is..." There was a hint of sorrow and fear glimmering in the leopard's eyes for only a moment, before it disappeared like it hadn't even been there in the first place.

Although they didn't comment on the feline's words, it was rather evident that the rest of the group agreed with him. Cuddling their companion for a while longer, the dragons withdrew when Esmeralda cleared her throat.

"Thank you for the explanation," the owl said with a slightly curt tone, "Now can we please focus on getting that bath finished before I have to start holding my breath around you two?" Pointing at Zachary and Basajaun, the Elder chuckled as she turned back to face the area being dug before adding, "And if any of you youngsters want to join us old folks with digging, I'd appreciate that, too!"

Taking a moment to think whether he was being categorized with the young or the old, Basajaun simply nodded after pushing that issue from his mind. "Come on, let's not keep Miss Fluffygrump waiting," the dragon whispered to the felines, grinning as he suppressed his laugh.

Stifling a loud laugh and snickering quietly in the process, Zachary nodded enthusiastically, his earlier hint of sadness long gone. "Thanks, I have another name to call her now," he whispered back to Basajaun, grinning widely as he turned to start making his way after Esmeralda and called out to her, "Basa's not old in dragon years, just so you know!"

Shaking her head a little and chuckling, Lya quickly joined next to the leopard's side. As the two felines walked closely next to each other, their spotted tails swayed behind them lazily, occasionally colliding lightly. After one of these collisions, however, Zachary could feel as his tail was gently wrapped in something exceptionally soft. Glancing over his shoulder for only a moment, the leopard smiled warmly.

Without any hesitation, he returned the tail-hug to Lya, wrapping his own around hers until they were intertwined.

The ocelot smiled and blushed at the same time, Zachary doing the same as they continued walked back to the hole Basajaun had dug out. Their tails stayed in their embrace, though.

Following behind the felines, the two dragons smiled warmly at their friends' action. Although tempted to tease them, Basajaun decided against it, thinking it would be best to allow them to enjoy this moment, especially after the previous day's events.

Standing next to the spot where the drake had been digging, Esmeralda's arms were folded as she tapped a foot against the ground. "How is it that an old lady can move so much faster than you four?" she questioned with a cocked eyebrow, "Honestly, I can understand Fatty being slow, but the rest of you ought to learn how to pick up the pace."

With an abashed smile, Snowflake quickly obeyed her mistress, tugging on Basajaun's arm with her tail so that he'd keep up with her. The action was surprising, but got the drake chuckling at the familiar's enthusiasm almost immediately.

Smiling as Basajaun was dragged by Snowflake, Zachary quickly removed the gesture from his face and gave the best hurt look he could when he arrived in front of the Elder. It's been awhile since he tried acting like this. "My excuse for being slow is that I have a condition," he informed the owl, tapping his chest with a paw, "Wouldn't want to put too much pressure on these weak lungs."

Although trying his hardest to stay in his upset act, the occasional muffled snicker that left the leopard's lips were too evident to miss. Lya, however, wasn't too concerned about such nonsense, as she chuckled joyfully and swatted playfully at Zachary's shoulder for making fun of a serious injury like that. At least he was positive about it.

Shaking his arm once Snowflake released it, Basajaun looked over to Zachary concernedly. "Did you ever get a healer to take a look at you?" he asked curiously, "You seem a lot better than yesterday morning, but you're still coughing."

Esmeralda couldn't help but tense up at the question. Talib's description of the leopard's injury came back to her, and she shook her head to rid herself of that memory. It wasn't her place to say anything on the matter.

The leopard nodded with a smile. "Master Talib helped me out," he explained, putting a paw on his chest and giving a thoughtful expression, "Although I still had problems with coughing yesterday in the cell..." he mused, clutching the fur on his chest.

Lya's tail, which was still hugging the leopard's, squeezed the limb a little at the leopard's words, which went unnoticed by Zachary. She closed her eyes for a moment, heaving a sigh before opening them again and looking over to Esmeralda with uncertainty in her eyes. There was no explanation needed.

Basajaun gave Zachary a comforting smile. "Maybe you just need to adjust to what Talib did to heal you," he suggested thoughtfully, nuzzling the leopard before turning to the spot he had begun digging in, "I'm sure you'll be back in top form in no time!" With those words, the drake resumed his labor, resharpening his claws for the task with a subtle word.

Remaining lost in thought for only another second, the leopard nodded and grinned widely at Basajaun. "Yeah, you're probably right!" Zachary agreed enthusiastically, moving closer to Basajaun and scratching under his chin as his eyes scanned the hole the dragon had dug out thoughtfully.

Lya, on the other hand, clutched her tail in her own paws, her gaze on the ground. She appeared thoughtful as she stood some distance away from the other members of the group. Zachary's ignorance about his condition, as well as his blind hope that he would be completely healthy one day, weren't the only thing on her mind. There was something else.

Looking up in the general direction of the city, the ocelot sighed. The thought had been bugging her since Zachary finally arrived back, but she pushed it aside up until now. Right at this moment, however, Lya was having a debate, which revolved around this particular matter. A debate with herself about something of what its consequence would affect her life.

Enjoying the attention the bottom of his jaw was getting, Basajaun nonetheless pulled away from the leopard's hand after a moment. "Come on, help me get this trench dug," he requested, flicking the feline's nose with his forked tongue, "I'm looking forward to a nice soak!" Taking the drake's request to heart, Snowflake joined his side, her own crystalline claws scratching out chunks of earth.

"That's exactly what I'm doing, bud," Zachary affirmed with a musing tone, his eyes still observing the hole, its depth, width and length, as well as its edges. Humming in thought as he cocked his head a little as an idea crossed his mind, the leopard took a couple of steps away from the digging dragons, positioning himself at an area which hadn't been dug up yet.

Kneeling down and putting a paw on the ground, the leopard bit his lip, wondering whether or not this could work. It was rather complicated, and dangerous, for that matter, but would save them a lot of time. Heaving a sigh and shrugging, Zachary decided to attempt his theory anyway.

Closing his eyes and concentrating for long moments, he slowly brought a finger to his head and held it there. When he was sure the spell was ready to be casted, Zachary began pulling his arm away. In his finger's wake, a known white line followed, drifting through the air effortlessly.

It took a little time for the spell to be casted properly, especially in the leopard's tired state, but he was eventually staring at a familiar little, ghostly dragon in front of him, who waited eagerly for its master's command. "Dig a straight hole down in the ground. Make it narrow." Zachary said simply, the illusion nodding its head and immediately jumping to claw away at the dirt under itself.

Thanks to the illusion's forever lasting endurance and tangible form, the digging advanced at a great speed, which was helped by the fact that the cat-sized dragon was only required to make a simple, straight hole in the ground. It wasn't until the ghostly reptile's entire body was nearly lost from Zachary's when he called down in the narrow hole.

"Alright, that's enough." He said, closing his eyes to call the spell off. The remains of the ghostly dragon lifted up from the hole in the ground, Zachary watching the white lights dance in the air until they disappeared into nothing.

Standing up, the leopard glanced back at the two working dragons, as well as Esmeralda. "I'm going to try something. Can you guys take a few steps back?" He requested with a small smile, his tone unusually certain.

Looking up from their work, the dragons nodded, backing away from the hole. "What are you up to now, Zach?" Esmeralda asked, cocking her brow as she watched the remnants of his illusion floating up into the air, before looking back down to the leopard.

Grinning, the leopard took Snowflake's necklace off from his neck as he walked to the spirit and put it in her paw. "Making the progress a little faster, hopefully." Was all he said, patting the familiar's paw before he walked back to the narrow hole in the ground.

Not afraid that he would scare Snowflake anymore, Zachary closed his eyes and concentrated. When two flames at once appeared out of thin air, the leopard couldn't help but smile widely. Summoning fire in both of his paws still took a little more preparation than the usual for him, yet it was still practically an effortless action.

"Okay," the feline inhaled loudly, opening his eyes and glancing up at the rest of the group with a grin of a maniac, "Cover your ears!"

With that warning, Zachary held his paws close to each other. The two orange flames collided and merged into a single, huge fire which was the size of the leopard's head itself. Aiming straight down at the narrow hole in the ground, he could feel his energy and adrenaline practically exploding inside his body as the same spectacle happened outside.

A scorching fireball shot out from Zachary paws with great force, disappearing in the hole and leaving a smoke trail in its wake.

Even before the spell left his paws, the leopard, along with everyone besides a confused Basajaun, was already moving away from the scene, running with all their might and jumping on the ground.

The muffled explosion that followed after only a fraction of a second shook the ground itself. The grass parted painfully around the edges of the narrow hole first, spreading further and further until it was nearly at Zachary's lying body.

Lya could only let out a loud scream and cover her ears in the last second.

The underground dirt and debris practically exploded in the air after the detonation, creating a somewhat circular crater that was half of Basajaun's total length, and approximately three feet deep at its apex. With the hole the two dragons had already dug out, and the one Zachary just blasted in the air, the basic structure of the planned trench was already laid out.

Flinching a little as the earthy detritus kept falling on his head, the leopard slowly opened his eyes and pulled his paws away from his ears. Glancing behind him somewhat hesitantly, Zachary jumped to his feet and let out a roar of victory as he observed the crater in the ground.

"Take that, dirt!" He exclaimed joyfully, pointing at the accused with a finger as if it had hurt his feelings somehow. Laughing loudly and shaking his head, Zachary put a paw on his forehead as his eyes scanned the results of his destruction. "I can't believe that worked!"

Opening her eyes finally and taking a very deep breath, Lya stared at the crater in the ground in front of Zachary. To think that a simple fireball was able to cause so much destruction if it was used correctly, one had to wonder just how powerful a fire mage, or a multicaster, could become.

Snapping out of her initial trance, the ocelot nearly exploded just like the ground had some moments ago. "You're insane!" She called out, glaring intently at Zachary. He could be even more childish and inconsiderate than she thought.

The leopard flinched visibly at Lya's powerful, and currently terrifying, voice. He looked fearfully at her, fluttering his eyes. "I might be... b-but it worked, at least!" Blinking at the statement, the ocelot could only shake her head and bury it in her paws in annoyance.

Having not moved from the blast site, Basajaun had been pelted with a massive wave of dirt. Shaking his whole body, the dragon looked to Zachary with an annoyed expression. "'Cover your ears' is not a sufficient warning for something like that!" he exclaimed in irritation, snorting dirt from his nostrils.

"Look at it from the positive side, Basa. At least you didn't get any dirt in your ears!" Zachary called back with a chuckle, seemingly too impressed with the results his idea of 'digging a trench' brought.

Shaking his head, Basajaun looked over the rest of the group concernedly. Esmeralda had an obviously aggravated look about her, while Lya was trying to choke Zachary with her glare. Snowflake, on the other hand, was currently cowering on the ground, her head buried under her hands and wings both.

"Ah, Zach!" the drake scolded, moving to the spirit and putting a paw on her back, "You scared Snowflake!"

With every possible member of the group currently quite displeased with his actions, Zachary felt a great pang of regret filling his heart, especially when he noticed Snowflake's trembling form on the ground.

Lowering his shoulders as his smile died down, the leopard's gaze fell on the ground, his whole posture changing to one of complete submission. He kicked at the small rocks in the grass which had erupted from underground.

"S-Sorry," he said quietly, occasionally flashing a glance at the angry members of the group, "I... uh... just wanted to help. I guess I overdid it a little."

Lya planted a paw on her face, pulling it down slowly across her face. "A little?" she asked, snorting loudly, "You blew up the ground, Zach! That's not overdoing it a little, that's not a little anything!"

Seeing as Zachary flinched a little at the remark and sunk even lower inwards, the ocelot's expression brightened somewhat, only if by a marginal amount. She let out a sigh of frustration, rolling her eyes and waving a paw at the leopard. He was hopelessly childish.

Moving to Zachary, Esmeralda put a talon on his shoulder. "Given the situation you've just been through, I'm going to skip the scolding this time," she stated flatly, before pointing over to Snowflake as she was cuddled reassuringly by Basajaun, "But I'll ask that you not cast that particular caliber of fire magic anywhere that she can see you doing it. She has a real phobia when it comes to pyromancy, Zach, so please be considerate of that."

Silently nodding his head, the leopard looked up at Snowflake with an evidently regretful expression. Moving past Esmeralda and nearing the spirit with hesitant steps, Zachary eventually arrived at the dragoness' head, sinking to the ground and sitting down quietly.

He looked at the spirit's head as it was covered by her paws, grimacing and sighing expansively. "I apologize for scaring you, Snowflake," he stated, his voice sincere, "I didn't mean to... really... I just wanted to help and... I didn't think it through well enough. I'm sorry, truly." He moved to raised his arm, hovering it above the familiar's head in hesitation for a moment before finally bringing it down and stroking the distressed dragoness tenderly.

The spirit looked up to Zachary, forcing a smile. "I-it's okay, r-really," she stammered, still quite shaken, "Thank you f-for taking off the necklace, first." Not wanting the group to worry too much, the familiar reached her head up and nuzzled Zachary's face affectionately.

"Just d-don't do that again, please!" she pleaded, shaking her head, "That was really, really scary!"

"I won't, I promise," Zachary affirmed, returning the spirit's cuddle with his own and purring. Even that sounded apologetic at the moment.

Sighing as she watched the scene, Lya shook her head and turned her attention back to the massive crater in the ground. Moving to the circular destruction Zachary had made, the ocelot couldn't help but feel both impressed and somehow... intimidated by the sight.

"This is massive," she mused quietly, regarding the size of the crater with wide eyes, "Is this really what a simple fireball can do?" she asked with a whisper, turning to Esmeralda with a somewhat tense look on her face, "Or was this just... Zach himself?" Too busy with comforting his friend, the leopard didn't hear a single word that left Lya's lips.

"This kind of magic's power depends on its caster," the Elder affirmed with a tone that was equally quiet, turning to glance at Zachary with an almost fearful expression, "We need to make it clear to him that this isn't the sort of thing that you just play around with; someone could have gotten hurt here. But... I don't want to yell at him so soon after he's been released from that horrible ordeal."

Lya's gaze settled on Zachary as well, a mixture of affection and concern playing across her features. Sighing after a while of watching the leopard constantly apologizing to Snowflake, the ocelot nodded.

"I agree," she said, shaking her head a little, "But he still needs to understand that he can't act so careless and childish anymore. He's an adult. He has to take responsibility for his actions and... grow up," there was a short pause as Lya continued to stare at Zachary with a thoughtful look, "I wonder why he acts like a fully realized adult at some times, and like a little kid in the other..."

Hesitating for a moment, Esmeralda sighed and leaned in closer to Lya. "Look, I only tell you this because he already told you a lot about his past," the Elder prefaced, before giving the ocelot a serious expression, "Zach never had a real childhood. Now think about how that would affect him."

Her gaze falling to the ground as the thought dawned on her, the ocelot stared numbly in front of her for long moments. It all made sense now. Lya felt immense amount of guilt rising in her heart as she remembered on how many occasions she called Zachary childish for his behavior. While in reality, he was just simply being the person he never had the opportunity to be before.

The ocelot nodded with an utterly sorrowful expression. "I see now," she said quietly, glancing up at Zachary once again and looking at him from a whole different perspective, "Thank you for pointing that out, Esmeralda. I... I somehow wasn't able to figure that out on my own."

"Pointing what out?" the owl asked, a smirk on her face, "You didn't hear anything from me." Giving the ocelot a subtle wink, Esmeralda turned and faced the hole that had been dug and blasted out. "Well, it's time to line this so it's water tight," she announced, kneeling down and putting her hands on the edge of the hole, intoning, "Paries Glaciem Durabilis."

While a sturdy layer of frost began extending from the Elder's talons to line the hole, Snowflake stood and smiled down to Zachary. "I think I'm okay now," she reported, nuzzling the leopard forgivingly.

Returning the gesture, the feline looked up at spirit from his sitting position. He still felt horrible for scaring her like that, and he was quite sure that unpleasant, lingering sensation would last for a while. He was truly sorry, and that's the only thing that was in his mind right now, stronger than any other emotion.

"Alright..." he said quietly with a sigh, heaving himself up from the ground and giving Snowflake a last smile. He turned back to the crater, walking towards Esmeralda with slow steps as his tail hang limp behind him. Even his body language suggested that he was feeling downright disappointed in himself and sorry for his actions.

When she noticed the leopard's emotions, Snowflake suddenly reached over and playfully nibbled the feline's side, tickling him with the action. "I said I'm okay, silly!" she repeated herself with a smile, "You don't need to feel so upset about this, really."

Laughing as he was tickled, Zachary shoved against the spirit's snout playfully when his sides began to hurt from too much amusement. He jumped away a little from Snowflake's reach, giving her a smile which soon died down.

"But I do," he said, sighing and shaking his head, "I made a mistake, and I'm aware of that perfectly well, but that doesn't mean that my previous actions are non-existent anymore. I didn't mean to scare you," Zachary turned to Basajaun for a moment, smiling a little, "Or burying you in dirt. I'll think twice before I attempt one of my insane ideas in the future, I promise."

Reaching over with a paw, Basajaun patted the leopard's head gingerly. "Good," he said with a smile, before looking to his dirt-covered fur, "And don't worry about the dirt shower too much; we were going to wash up anyways, remember?"

"Zach, did you learn any water magic with Talib?" Esmeralda called over from the now completely ice-lined hole, cutting off the trio's conversation, "The ones I know would make for rather uncomfortable bathing water."

Turning back to the owl, Zachary nodded with a smile. "I know the most basic water spell: Aqua pura, commonly known as the water summoning spell," giving a pat on Basajaun's paw, the leopard walked to the Elder, regarding the impromptu bathtub in the ground for only a few moments before extending his right paw.

Closing his eyes and concentrating, Zachary's muzzle broke into a wide grin when water began trickling from his fingers. Only a few seconds into this, the leopard's concentration was broken by a weak cough that escaped his lips.

The water stopped coming from his paw almost immediately, and Zachary rubbed at his baggy eyes before he glanced down at his chest and regarded the area with a quiet growl.

Upon hearing the cough, Lya snapped out of the trance she had fallen into, looking at the leopard concernedly as she asked. "You alright, Zach?"

"I'm fine." Zachary insisted curtly, evidently frustrated by something. Closing his eyes once again and raising his paw once more, it only took a single second after he began casting the water summoning spell that another cough, somewhat louder than the previous one, interrupted him.

Now growling quite loudly, the leopard sighed in frustration, and getting another cough for taking a deep breath in return. Resisting the urge to curse his lungs, Zachary looked at Esmeralda with an apologetic expression. "I... I can't do it, I'm sorry," he said quietly, a paw clutching at his chest as he suddenly let out an expansive yawn, "I exhausted myself with those previous spells, it seems... plus I didn't get too much rest to begin with."

His paw pushed deeply into his chest fur. The leopard grimaced. "But still... I thought my lungs were fine now." His distress with the situation was as evident as the blue sky above their heads.

Lya sighed at Zachary's words, shaking her a little when she was certain he wouldn't see. Someone had to tell him. And it had to be done really soon.

Esmeralda put her hand on the leopard's shoulder. "Don't worry, Snowflake and I can take care of it," she reassured Zachary, before beckoning the familiar over to the empty pool.

Nodding, the spirit placed her paws on the edge of the pit. "Mountain runoff," she intoned, crystal clear water beginning to pour from her hands. Looking over to Zachary, the spirit gestured to the water with a wing. "Don't get in just yet; this is cold!" she warned, her mistress passing on the warning to Lya.

"I wasn't going to, don't worry," Zachary replied with a small smile, before he began simply staring at the transparent liquid as it filled up the hole. His paw thoughtfully rubbed at his chest, his face occasionally turning into a slight grimace.

A sudden, unexpected yawn parted the leopard's muzzle, forcing him to snap out of his trance. He rubbed at his baggy eyes for a moment, glancing at Snowflake with an obviously tired expression. "How long is this going to take?" he asked, his eyelids falling up and down slowly, "That fireball spell really wore me out... and I'm only starting to feel it now."

Looking over to Zachary's tired face, Snowflake suddenly smiled mischievously. Taking one of her claws as it poured out ice cold water, the dragoness flicked the limb once towards the feline as his eyes fluttered shut for a moment, sending several large drops of water his way while he couldn't see it coming.

Yipping loudly, the leopard jumped a little when the chilly substance made contact with his fur, and mercilessly made their way on his way more sensitive skin. "COLD!" Zachary exclaimed with a whimper, hopping away from Snowflake and hiding behind Basajaun fearfully. Even though only a few droplets made their way to his body, it was apparently enough to send the feline trembling in exaggeration as he stayed behind the protection and the warmth of the forest dragon.

Lya, on the other hand, was struggling to keep her hearty laughter from becoming a full-on guffawing. Evidently, the ocelot appreciated Snowflake's way of waking the leopard up, as much as he himself disapproved of this idea.

Managing to suppress his laughter, Basajaun wrapped a wing around the leopard, looking to him with a smile that showed how hard he was trying not to laugh. "A-are you awake now, at least?" he asked mirthfully, grinning to Zachary as he asked the question.

Narrowing his eyes as he glared lightly at Snowflake, the leopard looked up at Basajaun with a flat expression. "You know what?" he asked, simply letting his body fall on the ground and almost immediately curling up in his favourite ball, "No." He replied quietly, burying his face in his knees. As much as he was trying to stay in his upset act, he couldn't escape the quiet snickering that always followed along with it.

Snickering along with Zachary, Basajaun looked over to the spirit as she resumed filling the pool. "That wasn't nice, Snowflake," he pointed out, setting himself down beside the leopard on the ground.

Nodding with her mischievous smile, Snowflake looked to Zachary. "Now we're even," she said simply.

Jumping up from his ball and startling Basajaun in the process, Zachary pointed a finger at Snowflake with narrowed eyes for long moments, before his muzzle broke into a wide grin. "You. I like you," he stated with a chuckle, letting out another long yawn, his tongue curling out as he did so, before giving the spirit a warm smile, "Nice one, Snowflake."

Seeing the yawn, the dragoness raised her hand again. "I don't know, it looks like you could use another one!" she said playfully, glancing over to Basajaun, "What do you think, Forest?"

The dragon shook his head grinningly. "Go easy on him, Snowflake!" he laughed, putting a paw on the leopard's shoulder, "He's likely to squeal in an even less manly manner if you do that again!"

Unable to hold it back anymore, Lya began laughing out loud at the scene, clutching her sides as she sat down on the grass and began rolling back and forth in joy.

Meanwhile, Zachary's head slowly turned to glance back at Basajaun, his eyes narrowed. "My squeals are very manly, just so you know," he clarified, sending Lya laughing even harder as he continued, "You must have gotten dirt in your ear, after all. Your hearing is not quite right, it seems." The leopard snapped right back at his friend, a teasing grin appearing on his muzzle as well.

It was Basajaun's turn to grin mischievously. "Oh, is that right?" he asked, suddenly standing and moving to place himself over the leopard, before settling down once again and pinning the surprised feline gently with his arms. "Let's put that to the test then, shall we?" he asked, taking the leopard's vest in his mouth and pulling it up to reveal Zachary's abdomen.

"How manly is Zachary's squeal?" he asked to the entire group, before taking a deep breath, and planting his mouth against the leopard's stomach, giving him a gleefully impish look.

"Manly enough to tell you to get off of me, you overgrown lizard!" Zachary demanded with a chuckle, shoving against the dragon's snout with all his puny might. When Basajaun didn't even move an inch, the leopard fought on regardless, grunting as he tried to squeeze his way out of the reptile's grasp.

Having finished her laughter attack, although still tittering, Lya wiped joyful tears from her eyes as she looked at the pinned down leopard on the ground. "On a scale from one to five?" she put a finger on her lips, as if considering it seriously, "Two. And only because he reminds me of a pet animal I had back in my hometown," the ocelot's muzzle broke into a wide, teasing grin, "A little piggy."

Looking back at the ocelot with effort as he was pinned down, Zachary waved a fist at her threateningly. "Don't just sit there and tease me!" he demanded, gesturing at his vest, "He's not kidding! Help me!"

Chuckling gleefully, Lya crossed her arms under her chest and shook her head. "Not a chance, dummy. I'm not going to miss this opportunity."

Growling in frustration and finally letting his arms fall to the ground, Zachary looked deep in Basajaun's eyes, fluttering his own and pouting, "M-Mercy?"

The dragon's answer was a sharp exhale as he wiggled his snout against the leopard's belly, he and the rest of the party laughing joyfully as he did so.

At first resisting the urge by trying to keep his mouth shut as long as he could, Zachary was betrayed when a weak cough opened the hatches the that kept the joyous forces inside at bay.

Now with the mirthful demon free from its confinement, the leopard let out a series of happy screams and squeals, beating with his paws against the dragon's snout as he laughed. "I-I su-urren-nder!" He pleaded between his fit of wailing for assistance against Basajaun's cruel attack.

Lya could only take a moment pause in her laughing to assert an important remark. "No, I was wrong. I'm changing my rating from two to one!"

Laughing joyfully, Basajaun moved from Zachary's stomach to his face, giving him an affectionate nuzzle before sighing happily. "Gods I missed that laugh," he said quietly, suddenly changing his nuzzle into a hug.

Letting out a couple of quiet coughs as the aftermath of his joyous outburst subsided, the leopard returned Basajaun's embrace, disregarding the fact that the image of his manliness was just brutally assaulted and destroyed in a battle as he wrapped his arms around the dragon's snout.

"And I missed a certain lizard making me laugh." He stated with a warm smile, his baggy eyes closed as he relaxed in his best friend's hug, his purring unintentionally kicking in quietly. There was something about the way he was clinging to Basajaun that was different from before. It felt like he never wanted to let go, afraid that it would be the last time.

Lya's laughing slowly died down as she watched the heartwarming a scene, a soft smile replacing it instead. Unlikely individuals as they were, she could clearly see already that Basajaun and Zachary were true friends.

Several minutes of an unbroken embrace later, Snowflake chimed once to get the group's attention. "The pool's full," she announced tiredly, withdrawing her paws and shaking her head.

Lifting his head, Basajaun looked over to the filled hole, giving a nod. "Is it ready to use?" he asked curiously.

"Not quite," Esmeralda answered, "Now it's my turn."

Stretching her limbs for a moment, the Elder sat at the edge of the pool, her hands in the cold water. "Furtum Calor," she spoke, the spell at first seeming to have no effect for a few minutes. Just as Basajaun was about to ask if something had gone wrong, the water in the pool began to steam, and he realized what the owl was doing, though not how she was doing it.

Arching his neck to glance at pool and seeing everything upside-down, Zachary let out an expansive yawn, moaning as he sat up from the ground and rubbed at his baggy eyes. "Alright... let's get this over with... I'm too ti--"

As if to reinforce statement, another yawn parted his muzzle. Giggling a little, the leopard extracted himself from under Basajaun's arm, taking the vest from the ground in the process. He walked towards the pool with unbalanced steps, his eyelids falling up and down as he neared the steaming water.

Tossing his vest in the water casually before sitting down at the edge of the pool, Zachary hissed a little when the warm liquid made contact with his sensitive paw pads. He soon relaxed into the warmthness, however, a quiet purring coming from him as a small smile spread across his muzzle.

With his eyes closed, the leopard sink into the pleasant water like a limp body, disappearing under the surface and eliciting a small gasp from Lya. Before she could ask whether he was okay or not, bubbles resurfaced, indicating that Zachary was still aware of himself.

Sure enough, soon the leopard's soaked head popped out of the water, his smile even wider as he leaned back against the edge of the pool. There were no words needed to express his enjoyment at the moment. The goofy expression and loud purring was all anyone would have needed to determine that he was feeling very relaxed and happy with the current situation.

Lya watched the leopard soak himself happily in the tub with a wide smile, before a somewhat sorrowful expression appeared her face as a thought crossed her mind. She stood up from the ground and made her way next to the Elder, observing Zachary in the water quietly and listening to his loud purring.

"H-Has he ever had a hot bath?" she asked as silently as she could from Esmeralda, leaning close to her to whisper in her ear, lest Zachary hear it. Fortunately for her, the feline in question was too lost in the experience to register anything around him. The hot liquid swirling around his body felt like a thousand paws caressing his fur and skin at once.

The owl shook her head. "No, he hasn't," she answered quietly, "At least not during any of the memories I saw. Or during my own time with him."

While the ocelot and owl conversed, Basajaun waded into the water after Zachary, sighing happily as he felt his fur floating in the pool. The water brimmed at the pool's edge with the dragon's entrance, overflowing as he submerged completely for a moment. His own purr joined in with that of the leopard, before he looked down at himself.

"Um, how does one wash fur?" he inquired, realizing that he had never done so before.

Zachary shrugged with his eyes still closed, sinking low enough so his mouth was just barely out of the water. "I usually scrubbed myself with my paws or a cloth while standing in the rain when I had the opportunity," he explained quietly, Lya looking at him with a somewhat sad expression as he continued, "I imagine it's... the... same... wi--" letting out a yawn, the leopard shook his head a little to keep himself awake, "It must be... the same with bathing in a tub, I suppose."

Moving to the bags, Esmeralda retrieved a bar of soap and two sponges. "I brought a sponge for each of you," she reported, bringing the items to the bathing pair, "And soap as well. You drop it, you go rooting around in the pool for it!" With her warning done, the Elder offered the bar of soap and a sponge to Zachary, "You first; no offense, but you need it more!"

Opening his eyes with great effort, the leopard took the two items with a flat expression. "Yeah... yeah... I smell, whatever." He said, his voice growing almost too silent to hear on numerous occasions. He was obviously struggling to stay awake, his eyelids slowly falling up and down as he held the soap and sponge in each paw.

Bringing the unfamiliar, squishy item curiously to his nose, the leopard grimaced as he smelled at the novel item. "This is soap?" he asked curiously, glancing back at Lya with a cocked head and yawning once again.

"Uh... yes," the ocelot affirmed with a nod, giving the leopard a warm smile despite the feeling she got in her heart from his words, "Make sure you scrub yourself with it very carefully, so you won't leave any foul smelling spots out, dummy." She suggested.

Regarding the soap in his paw for a moment with a distrusting look, Zachary shrugged, standing up in the pool with a grunt. Thanks to the water, his entire bare abdomen was soaked, the wet fur clinging tightly to his decently toned body and emphasizing each lean muscle that would be otherwise hidden under his fluff.

Staring at the sight for a few moments in surprise, Lya could feel her cheeks reddening with each second passing as her eyes wandered around on their own. Realizing what she was doing, the ocelot let out a quiet gasp as she whipped her head away in the other direction, the crimson blush adorning her cheeks radiating evidently.

"So," Zachary began, seemingly not noticing Lya's change in behavior behind him as he he put the soap on his chest. Making circular motions and raising an eyebrow when resulted in some bubbles and somewhat sticky substance to come out of the soup, the leopard glanced at Esmeralda and Lya questioningly and with a cocked head, "Like this?" The ocelot only looked over to the leopard for a fraction of a second, before she repeated the action she had done just some moments ago.

The owl gave the leopard a supportive smile. "Just like that," she agreed, "Make sure you scrub everywhere, too." Standing up from the pool, Esmeralda moved to her tent. "I think it'd be best if us females vacated eyesight while Zachary bathes," she suggested, taking her own advice immediately as she ducked into her tent and called out, "Let us know when you're all clean and decent, Zach!" Following closely behind her mistress, Snowflake positioned herself next to the tent, her head resting behind the shelter.

Cocking an eyebrow as he continued rubbing his chest with the soap and wondering the reason behind the owl's sudden departure and request, Zachary simply shrugged as another expansive yawn parted his muzzle. He turned to Lya, eager to look for answers there.

"Are you going to lea--"

"Yes!" Lya stated with a nervous chuckle, jumping to her feet and still not looking at Zachary as she added, "H-Have a nice bath!" Before even Zachary could react, the ocelot quickly made her way to the Elder's tent, disappearing from the confused leopard's sight.

Blinking in bewilderment, the feline shook his head after a moment of trying to solve the mystery behind behavior of the females. They were simply unfathomable. Turning to Basajaun, he gave a tired smile. "What's their deal?" he asked with a snort, plunging his sponge in the water and raising it to scrub the soap out of his fur from his chest.

"I didn't have normal clothes to speak of until I was around twelve... I think, I'm not sure. I only had a pair of torn shorts," he explained with a smile, "People saw me going about my way in nothing and not caring what they thought about me for years, and that didn't change... I still don't care! I don't mind anyone looking at me." He stated with a small chuckle. It was obvious that Zachary didn't understand some basics about privacy among civilized races, given his lack of experience.

Giving a shrug, Basajaun simply enjoyed the warmth and buoyancy he felt in the water. "You're asking someone that's never worn clothes at all," he pointed out, swishing his tail through the water and feeling the novel sensation of his fur freely floating through the liquid. The experience brought a smile to the dragon's face.

Quietly humming in approval, Zachary silently continued scrubbing his dirty fur with the soap while standing in the pool. By the time his entire upper body, namely the front part of his abdomen, was coated in bubbles, the leopard could feel himself struggling even harder to fight against the forces of sleep.

Letting loose an adorably long yawn while his tongue curled out, the tired feline looked down at himself, mentally noting the completion of the cleaning on his abdomen. When he proceeded to obey what both Lya and Esmeralda asked from him, namely washing himself everywhere, there was a slight problem. As he reached over to scrub his back, the leopard found himself unable to reach most of the area.

Mumbling in frustration, Zachary tried his hardest to get as much of the soapy substance on his back as he possibly could, but his struggles to perform that task were evident. He kept trying nonetheless, determined to do what was asked of him, even if it meant twisting his shoulders in ways that weren't exactly pleasant.

"Need some help there?" Basajaun asked, cocking his head at the feline's struggles as he repositioned himself next to the leopard.

"Can't... reach..." Zachary stated with a grimace on his face, his arm stretched and twisted backwards as he attempted to reach a particularly pesky spot in the center of his back. Staying in that position for a few more moments, the leopard eventually withdrew his paw, sighing.

"Yeah... I could use a hand." He admitted somewhat quietly, not completely pleased with the fact that even such an easy task was a struggle to perform for him. Turning to Basajaun, the leopard held both the soap and sponge out for the dragon with a sheepish smile as he requested. "Don't tell it to Lya, okay?"

The drake nodded, taking the two items offered. Motioning for Zachary to turn around, Basajaun carefully mimicked the motions he had seen the leopard using, scrubbing his friend's back with the aromatic substance. "I've a feeling that a lot of people might find this awkward," the dragon mused aloud while his claws worked the soap into Zachary's fur, providing an affectionate massage at the same time, "Lucky for you, you've got me to help with these little things."

Purring loudly as his back was caressed carefully, the leopard's body shook a little when Basajaun scratched a particularly pleasant spot on his back. The feeling of another living being's tender touch was a novel feeling, and the feline was quick to let Basajaun know that he was very much enjoying the sensation with his body language and gestures.

"Thank you," he said simply, reaching back to pat the dragon's paw with his and give him an appreciative stroke at the same time, "I don't know... why anyone would... find this... awkward, though," Zachary mused, pausing in his speech on numerous occasions thanks to the soft back massage he was getting, "You're just... helping a friend out. Nothing... wrong with that."

Nodding in agreement, the dragon withdrew his claws after he was certain he had finished the leopard's back. "Always happy to help!" he stated honestly, offering the soap and sponge back to Zachary, "I'll probably need some assistance with my own back, so I don't mind helping with yours."

Stretching his back as he yawned for the umpteenth time, the clueless feline moved his soap soaked paws to rub at his eyes. A grave mistake.

Only a second into his action, Zachary withdrew his hands from his eyes, yipping as a sudden burning feeling began to settle in the globes. "Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch," with those rather unmanly complaints leaving his mouth, the leopard attempted to wipe the burning sensation away with his paws once again, not realizing that he was only making things worse for himself.

"Esmeralda!" he called out with a whimper, his eyes half-closed as they began tearing up, "My eyes are burning!" The observation was a massive overstatement, but in his current perplexed state of what could have caused the painful feeling to appear, Zachary didn't care about exaggeration.

"Don't get the soap in your eyes, by the way!" the Elder called out from her tent, "Sorry, forgot to mention that! Also it doesn't taste as good as it smells, in case either of you were thinking of taking a bite!"

"Thanks for the warning, Ice Queen!" Basajaun called back, before nuzzling the leopard's cheek worriedly, "Are you alright?"

Having withdrawn his paws and washed them clean in the water after the Elder's warning, Zachary nodded quietly as he now rubbed at his eyes without soap on his hands. "I thought someone casted a spell on me or something," he admitted quietly, blinking the tears away from his distressed eyes and turning to Basajaun, "Just another reason to hate soap! You can't get it in your eye, you can't eat it either... it's useless!"

"It makes you clean, dummy! Stop complaining and finish up already!" Lya called out from the Elder's tent as well, Zachary furrowing his brows and turning in the direction the voice came from.

Sticking his tongue out at the tent itself and mimicking his idea of how the ocelot talked as he cocked his head this way and that, the leopard eventually waved a paw at both Esmeralda and Lya and brought his gaze back to the forest dragon. "I have a feeling that those two will get along just fine," he stated with a grin, shaking his head before he put a paw on Basajaun's snout and stroked the area gently, "And I'm fine. It's finally gone now."

Heaving a relieved sigh, the drake let Zachary pet his muzzle for a few moments. "Hey, if you're done washing yourself," the dragon began, pointing to his back, "Do you think you can help me with my own back before you pass out from fatigue?"

As if reminded of his tiredness by the drake's words, the leopard yawned and nodded at the same time. His eyelids slowly fell up and down as he look back at Basajaun. "Yeah... sure," he replied with a warm smile, patting Basajaun's muzzle and turning to the Elder's tent once again, "I'm done with washing up! We need Basa's soap and sponge now!" He announced, amazingly still remembering what Esmeralda asked of him despite the fact that most parts of his brain were practically half-asleep by now.

Turning back to the drake, the feline pointed a finger downwards. "Could you lower yourself a little?" he requested, "Too tired to climb on your back right now."

Nodding obediently, Basajaun sank himself up to his shoulders in the water as Esmeralda exited her tent, bringing a larger sponge with her. "Here you are," she stated, offering the item to Basajaun, along with another block of soap.

Bending over, the owl picked up Zachary's vest from the pool's edge, before offering it to him. "You might want to put this on before you embarrass Lya to death," she suggested, "I'll get you something else to cover yourself up with after you're done washing Fatty's back."

Taking the soaked vest in his paws with a cocked head, Zachary felt simply too tired to question the Elder's words anymore. He pulled the green cloth over his body, trembling a little when the cooled down texture made contact with his warm fur and skin.

Quickly sinking down in the warmth of the pool so his vest was under the surface, the leopard smiled when the unpleasant feeling left. Sighing in comfort, Zachary practically had to catch himself from falling asleep. He still had a dragon to help out, after all.

"Alright," he began, standing up and wading through the water to the dragon. He snatched the soap and the sponge from Basajaun's paw when the dragon wasn't paying attention, chuckling as he began climbing the massive reptile. Once settled comfortably on the drake's back, Zachary began rubbing the soap tenderly against his friend's green fur and skin underneath, his other paw scrubbing another area with the sponge. His careful paws, as well as his experience with massages, provided an immensely relaxing and comforting experience to Basajaun.

Poking her head out of the tent after a few moments, Lya sighed in relief when she noticed that Zachary was back in his clothes once again. Although when she noticed the way he tended the dragon while sitting on his back, as well as the warm smile that adorned his face, the ocelot couldn't help but giggle and shake her head a little at the sight. From her perspective, the scene looked similar to a happy owner cleaning his pet. In this case, however, the pet was a huge dragon.

Grinning and humming in approval at his friend's actions, Basajaun started purring gently. The drake arched his back up slightly as it was scrubbed and massaged. "Hey," he muttered with his mouth just above the water's surface, "Know what would make this even better for both of us?"

"Sleep?" Zachary teased with a yawn, chuckling lightheartedly as he continued to caress the dragon's back with both of his paws, while making sure that every last grime and unwanted dirt was exterminated from Basajaun's formerly silky fur.

The drake giggled at the leopard's tease. "Close," he replied, before lifting his head and smiling back to Zachary, "I was more thinking of this." At his words, the dragon's muscles relaxed, before his form started filling out to it's usual adiposity. The extra volume that was suddenly present caused more water to overflow the pool, though Basajaun took no notice of this. He was preoccupied with enjoying the loving attention his best friend was giving him.

Watching the transformation for only a few seconds, Lya rolled her eyes and snorted, before her head disappeared under the covers of the tent once more. Although accepting Zachary's and Basajaun's odd hobby, she was still rather uninterested in the subject herself.

That wasn't the case with a particular leopard, who watched with wide eyes and a grin as the dragon's form began filling out with flab. He could actually feel him rising slightly higher in the air while Basajaun's back expanded with pudge under him.

"Well," he began with a clearly impressed tone, peering to look down at the drake's sides and observing the way they splayed out and floated in the water, "I didn't even realize up until now how much you've gained while I was out," chuckling joyously and patting his friend's fleshy side, Zachary gave a restrained smile to the dragon.

"You really did panic eat quite a bit, huh?" he mused aloud, his eyes wandering Basajaun's fattened features. Although knowing perfectly well that the reptile's sudden boost in adiposity could be thanked to his worrying about his friend's well-being, Zachary couldn't help but be happy with the results it brought.

Feeling himself starting to float up from his fatness, Basajaun giggled at the new sensation. "I guess I did," he said somewhat uncertainly, "I don't really... remember past some point yesterday."

The realization was odd for the dragon. His memory was usually flawless, but now he was having trouble remembering what happened after a point near sundown. "I think I might have just passed out at some point," he wondered aloud, before realizing that statement might worry his companion.

Turning back, Basajaun flashed a reassuring smile. "But I hope I haven't gotten too girthy for you now!" he teased, knowing with a reasonable degree of certainty that this wasn't the case.

Staring at the dragon with baggy eyes and an unreadable expression on his face, Zachary gave the best performance he could in his current tired state. "You have, actually," he stated with an unusually cold tone, pointing a finger at the dragon, "You're going on a diet again." He announced, really trying his hardest to stay in his act and succeeding for now.

The dragon blinked in surprise, Esmeralda and Snowflake also seeming caught off guard by the leopard's convincing performance. "Wha... really?" he asked quietly, immediately looking torn and disappointed, before he shook his head. "Hey wait a moment!" he exclaimed laughingly, "I have biomancy for that now, you little jester!"

Holding his mouth shut for only a moment and snickering, Zachary practically exploded with joy as he began laughing loudly, clutching his sides with his paws and closing his eyes at the intensity of his amusement.

It took him a few moments to even attempt talking between his guffawing. "Almost!" He said with a chuckle, gesturing at the dragon's head while he put a paw on his forehead and continued to laugh, "You should have seen your face! That was so worth it!" Zachary welcomed the joy and happiness that returned to him since coming back from one of the worst experiences of his life with open arms. Everyone could evidently see how thrilled he truly was among his friends once again.

His recurrent teasing was an obvious evidence of that.

Laughing along with the feline, Basajaun reached his head back and bumped noses with Zachary, his neck bunching up into rolls at being flexed. "You're getting better at acting, you goof," he stated playfully, chuckling as he shook his head, "You had me completely fooled for a moment there!"

Sifting through the group's bags, Esmeralda retrieved a towel for Zachary, before rising up again and turning to the bathing pair. "When you're done with Fatty's back, you can dry off with this," the owl announced, moving over to observe the spectacle that the leopard provided as he washed Basajaun's expansive back. The smirk on her beak revealed that she found the sight amusing.

Nodding to the Elder in acknowledgement, and still giggling from the previous scene, Zachary let out a long sigh of happiness. He almost lost all of this joy. He didn't even want to think about that possibility, and so he wouldn't, simply enjoying the moment instead.

Giving a tender stroke on Basajaun's snout, the leopard smiled warmly at his best friend. "Of course you haven't gotten too hefty for me," he stated, snorting and shaking his head, "Why would you even ask that question? It's completely unnecessary, you already know the answer!"

Turning to the dragon's back after a moment of chuckling, the leopard continued washing the reptile's fur and skin with just as much care as before. Although the occasional yawns and his eyelids falling down for increasingly longer periods indicated that the only thing keeping the exhausted feline awake was his determination to help his friend.

A few moments later, Snowflake came over to the warm water, putting a paw on Zachary's shoulder. "I can take over if you need me to," she offered smilingly, "You look like you're going to fall asleep any moment now."

The leopard shook his head with an exhausted smile. "I'm f--" an expansive yawn, "Okay, I'm tired, but I'm fine. I'm gonna finish this... since I promised I would help him," Zachary flashed a tired grin to the dragon, before he shook his head. He looked back to Snowflake, grimacing a little.

"And I don't wanna sleep yet... I want to... spend more time with you all." He admitted. Yesterday's events did affect him greatly, after all. It almost looked like he was even afraid of going to sleep because he wouldn't be with his friends that way.

When another yawn parted his muzzle, the leopard quickly brought his attention back to Basajaun's back, scrubbing the fur with the soap and sponge with a somewhat quickened pace, but just as tender as before.

With his back once more receiving Zachary's affection, Basajaun laid his head back into the water, bubbles rising up from his snout as he sighed blissfully. And with his corpulence back, the drake couldn't help but smile as he floated on the surface of the water like a fleshy iceberg.

Watching the leopard pick up his pace, Snowflake couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe I should use my awakening spell," she offered jokingly, still laughing at the thought, "That'd help you stay awake with us!"

Looking back up at Snowflake from his work, Zachary looked deadly serious as he said. "Do it." He really wanted to be with his friends, even if it meant going through the unpleasant experience.

Blinking at first in surprise, the spirit knew that the leopard actually meant it. "Um, alright," she replied, putting a hand on the feline supportively, before incanting, "Awaken!"

As soon as the words left Snowflake's lips, Zachary's whole body stiffened as his muscles tensed up. With a surprised expression frozen on his face, the leopard slowly began leaning backwards until the spirit's support caugh him from falling down.

"T-Than-nks." Was all that the leopard managed to hiss through his closed jaws, closing his eyes as the spell worked its way through his system. It was rather unpleasant, but with the hopes of being with his friend floating in front of his mind, Zachary was able to endure the experience.

Sighing as his muscles relaxed and loosened, the feline patted Snowflake's paw. "And thanks for the support, too." He said with a small smile, his baggy eyes still present, but his earlier tired expression gone. With his energy somewhat replenished, Zachary turned back to Basajaun once more, and marched on with the cleaning.

Filth and smudge of all sorts fell in the water as he worked, coloring the liquid in the soft shade of grey. Zachary even found a few twigs in the dragon's dense fluff, and made sure to toss them at Basajaun's head each time, chuckling joyfully and looking like a little child who was harassing a parent and finding immense amount of amusement in it. Although teasing the drake as much as he could, his tender caressing and massaging never stopped.

When the third stick thumped against Basajaun's head, the dragon looked up from the water and glared at the leopard, though his continued purring showed he wasn't actually mad. "That's getting annoying, you know," he said in the most scolding tone he could manage. Given the smile that he couldn't suppress, his voice was still more jovial than corrective.

Getting a laugh for his attempt at rebuking the leopard, Basajaun's face soon resumed its prior blissful expression at the feline's scrubbing. Even though he had increased the area of his back, it still seemed a bit too soon when Zachary finished scrubbing the places that the dragon couldn't reach.

"There," Zachary announced with a warm smile, stretching his arms a little which had become quite sore from repeating the same motion uncountable times, "Your back is clean and twig-free, sir dragon. How would you like to pay for the services?" The leopard laughed joyously at his own question, screaming in happiness as he jumped off from the dragon's back and landed in the water right next to Basajaun's head with a loud splash.

As if disturbed by the scream, Lya suddenly exited the tent, looking around frantically and with a worried expression. "What happened?" she demanded, "Where's Zacha--"

Resurfacing with a gasp, the leopard in question continued chuckling happily as he splashed around in the water, seemingly enjoying himself very much now that he was more awake.

Heaving a relieved sigh, Lya could only watch Zachary play around in the water with a warm smile. He was acting like a kid again, but she knew better now. He needed this, and he deserved it more than anyone.

Getting his face splashed by water, Basajaun grinned widely. "Oho! So that's the way you want to play!" he pronounced, before splashing the leopard right back with a careful flick of his paw, laughing joyously.

Smiling at the scene, Snowflake perked up as she noticed something suddenly entering the clearing. Turning to face the newcomer, the spirit smiled when she saw the familiar serpent, before looking back to Zachary. "Hey, your teacher's here," she announced.

"I can make my own presence known, mam," the snake huffed, crossing his arms as he looked to the pair that played in the pool, "Zachary, I need to speak with you."

"TalIB: ?" the leopard exclaimed in surprise, turning towards the voice and almost immediately getting a splash in the back of his head that Basajaun sent at him beforehand.

Disregarding the attack, Zachary blinked in disbelief as he stared at the snake, before he realized how childish he must have looked to him. Clearing his throat nervously, he waded through the water and heaved himself out of the pool. He curled the towel that Esmeralda prepared for him around his body and walked to Talib with somewhat hesitant steps.

"W-What are you doing here?" he asked quietly, looking between the members of the group and the snake fearfully and stammering, "I-I can explain everything... it's just... a long story... but..."

"I've already met your dragon friend," Talib stated, before gesturing towards the leopard. Suddenly, all water was drawn away from the feline's fur and into a sphere over the snake's hand, leaving Zachary completely dry. "Master Xergon told me about him already, as well," he continued, tossing the water back into the pool, "Now tell me; how did you get out of jail?"

Blinking in surprise for more reasons than he could count, the suddenly rather fluffy and fragrant leopard regarded the snake with wide eyes. "I... I had a little help from a judge from my previous town," he explained, shaking his head a little in disbelief as if still not believing what the snake just said, "He cleared my name by bringing evidence of my innocence to the judge from yesterday."

There was a moment of relief that flashed across Talib's expression. "That's good," he sighed, shaking his head, "I was worried I'd have to..."

Not finishing his statement, the snake looked back up to Zachary. "But that's not important now," he affirmed, moving to place himself directly in front of the leopard, "I need to ask you; how are your lungs? Are you still coughing as badly?"

The leopard shook his head while Lya joined by his side with a similarly surprised expression on her face, wrapping her tail around his. "No..." Zachary replied, putting a paw on his chest. He remained silent for a little while, looking lost in thought before he looked in Talib's eyes questioningly.

"But I am still coughing. Yesterday evening, for example, it took me minutes to even suppress a coughing fit," he explained, worry dancing in his eyes, "And... I was coughing while I was running back to the clearing, as well as when I was casting spells," grimacing, Zachary finally asked what was on his mind, "I thought you healed me completely...? Why... why is it still a problem?" Lya's grasp on his tail tightened at the question. The leopard's whole body tensed.

After a moment, the serpent's expression softened. Leaning down, Talib put his hands on Zachary's shoulders, giving him a sorrowful and apologetic expression. "Zachary, I'm sorry," he said quietly, looking deep into the feline's eyes, "This kind of injury can't be healed completely, not without techniques that are more likely to kill you than save you."

"This is one problem not even I can fix."