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Viina was broken. Not just her fractured bones and mangled wings, but her mind and spirit too. Between the unfathomable pain of her injuries, and crushing grief of losing her mate, she drifted between the blurry divide of consciousness and the abyss. She was no longer Viina; instead, the dragoness was simply agony—complete and unfiltered. Every part of her body felt as if it were on fire as she lay strewn across the sandy desert floor. She couldn't smell the blood she was losing, nor could she feel the warmth of the sun beating down on her. Her mind had become completely dominated by the excruciating feeling of being torn apart. Voices echoed through her skull, but she couldn't make them out. One was asking something of her again and again, with a hint of ever-increasing panic behind the thick layer of professionalism.

They couldn’t help her. With miles between her and command, there wasn’t anything they could do to stop the pain. If only she could answer her radio, to call for help, but no matter how hard she tried to snarl through the pain, no relief came, and her whole body quivered uselessly on the ground. Her eyes remained scrunched closed as panic gripped her mind. What if the pain didn’t end? And what did it mean if it did?

Flashes of the moments leading up to her crash raced through her mind as she pieced together what went wrong. Each memory drifted and fluttered through her pain-addled consciousness like leaves caught in a tornado. Every one of them brought with it another knife to tear into her heart. Riimack—the image of him being hit, the sound of his voice, and his life being cut short. The knowledge that he died trying to save her, and the swelling dread that his attempt was in vain. The impact of the crash should have killed her, but it didn’t, and now she was doomed to suffer the consequences of distracting her mate and selfishly flying with him when his shift had ended.

A glimmer of hope sparked deep down in her mind, like a single match in a sea of darkness. What if he lived? What if she was wrong? What if he had been able to glide to safety? The fact that she hadn't seen him crash fueled her resolve, and with a surge of strength began to fight against the all-encompassing agony that enveloped her. A long, excruciated whine tore itself from her lips as she tried to push through the pain, after which she huffed a quick, shallow breath of fresh air. Fire shot through her chest, and her lungs felt as if they were ablaze, like the very air itself were gasoline being poured onto an open flame. Her exhale was nothing short of an anguished cry that came from deep in her soul, and as she tried to force another lungful of air, the pain flared beyond what she could handle. Her mind began to be swallowed by the void, and the throb of her heart beating rapidly rang in her ears, each interval shorter than the previous one… and each beat weaker than the last.

Dread—ice cold and all-encompassing—crept through her body. It started in the bottom of her stomach and slowly crept through her body, taking away her pain but providing no comfort, fueling the panic that surged through her body. The tendrils of death worked their way through her like ivy growing up an old brick wall—never stopping, but taking its time to sink into every vein of her body. This was it.

She was dying, and fear extinguished every hope she had of seeing Riimack again.

“Vii?...” came a soft, confused voice that pushed through her mind like a wave washing over the shore. Not a crash of power, but an unyielding tide that took with it the flotsam cast on the sand. “Viina, you're hurt… gods, no!” it added, and Viina's eyes darted under her eyelids. She recognized the voice at once, and her heart soared—it was Riimack, her mate, who had come back to save her. However, she didn't hear his voice but felt it in her core, as if her very essence was being addressed.

“Riimy–” Viina croaked, her voice feeble and lost in the hiss of pain that followed. With every fiber of her body, she forced her mind past the agony and numbness that had overtaken her broken body and strained her eyes open. The world was painfully bright, the cloudless blue sky appearing white as her pupils failed to contract to protect her vision.

“I– I don't… I–I can't– gods,” Riimack said quietly as he tried to reach for a tourniquet from her harness. His paws fumbled at the strap with growing urgency before pausing and looking at her with a mixture of confusion and dismay. “I can't–” he repeated, his voice hitching. His chest rapidly expanded and contracted in shallow breaths before he clenched his jaw and lowered his head close to hers to try and comfort her. “Just keep still, try not to move; it will make it worse… the crash…” his deep voice became too tense to continue, and his lips quivered, but he continued to look at her with pain-laden eyes.

Confusion washed over Viina as she made out a chorus of voices coming through her radio. She didn't hear what they were saying, but it was clear something was wrong. Yet, Riimack stayed focused exclusively on her and ignored their command. Her eyes drifted toward his shoulders, and she saw they were bare. He was lacking his heavy combat harness and long-range radios. Scrunching her eyes closed again before opening them once more, she tried to focus on his neck and the place where he had been shot. However, there were no signs of injury. Instead, his scales were flawless, just like they had been when she had first met him. It didn't make sense to Viina. The drake she knew would be working to stop her bleeding, calling for support, and fighting for her. Instead, Riimack watched on with a helplessness that seemed to tear him up as much as it did her.

“Help–”

“I–I can't… I'm sorry– I'm so sorry…. Just stay with me,” Riimack said and shuffled closer toward her before extending a wing over her broken body. She couldn’t feel the warmth of her mate's wing, but it was the gesture that comforted her most of all. “Help is coming. I promise, everything will be okay,” he added, and tore his gaze from her to lift his head and look around briefly over the walls of the crater she had made. When he looked back, she could see the fear and worry etched into his expression, and his nostrils flared with a stressed inhale.

“It hurts–it hurts too much,” Viina croaked and tried to extend a trembling forepaw toward him, however,it refused to move more than an inch. The motion caught Riimack's attention, and he quickly brought his paw to hers. However, when his digits came in contact with hers, her breath hitched. His paw didn't grip hers like it should; instead, his talon tips slipped through scales like a dense fog, leaving behind a cool, chilling feeling. The realisation came to her that Riimack wasn’t actually there, that her dying mind was just trying to rationalize what was happening by recreating a comforting image of her mate from her memories. “Riimy? Please, make it stop.”

“The pain…” he said, looking at their paws before focusing on her face with glossy eyes. His voice trembled as his breath became ragged, but he forced a swallow and inched his snout closer to hers. “The pain, I know it hurts, but it's good. It means you're alive,” he added before clearing his throat and forcing his words out. His tone became professional as he tried to bury his emotions, but Viina knew that each word was as painful for the drake to say, as it was for her to hear. “You are going to be okay, Vii. Command, White Knight, they’ve worked out what happened,” he said, nodding towards the failing radio strapped to her horn. “They would have tracked us both, and help is on the way. They should be here any moment. But I–” he paused and swallowed heavily, then gave her a flicker of a weak smile. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to…”

“No–” Viina croaked as she processed what he was saying. She knew it was an illusion. She knew the truth: there hadn’t been some miracle that spared the large drake—he was gone, and she was soon to follow. Her eyelids threatened to close and every breath she took became laboured and hoarse. “No-no-no!” she whimpered, as he continued to look at her with a remorseful expression.

“Help is coming, Vii, they’ll be here any moment.” Riimack repeated, and shuffled so that he lay with his body beside hers, lowering his ghostly wing over her. Lifting his head once more, he looked over the lip of the crater and paused, his gaze locked on something. Tall dunes surrounded them on three sides, leaving an almost canyon-like passage that led east, where the trucks were now bouncing through the desert toward them. “Help is coming. They’ll get you home,” he said, and Viina could hear the growing panic in his voice.

They were the invaders in this desert land, and they both knew what the locals had been known to do to a downed dragon. A talon alone was a prize for one of their fighters; a head was a trophy that would rally more to their cause.

“Riimy–”

“It’s going to be okay,” he said in a forced voice, whipping his head around to focus on her. He was out of his depth, and she caught the anxious look in his eyes as he glanced towards the pools of crimson blood that had formed around her. “Just hold on, they’ll make it all better,” he added, nuzzling the side of her snout. It lacked all the physical warmth that she craved but offered a tenderness that soothed the rising tide of fear and dread in her heart. “You are going to live, you hear me? This isn’t how it’s gonna end.”

“Riimack, my–my wings?” she stammered and caught a glimpse of his eyes darting to the broken and bleeding stump, followed by looking across her body to the tangled and folded wreck of her other wing. “Will I ever–” her words faltered as she already knew the truth.

“You aren’t just your wings, Vii, don’t think about them,” Riimack said, his voice soft yet tense as the drone of their enemies’ unrestricted exhausts became audible. “Just stay with me, help is coming, just keep fighting,” he repeated. A small, traitorous part of her mind didn’t want to believe him. If he was gone, living without him would be a nightmare made real. The pain of losing both her wings and her mate was all-encompassing, and doubt began to creep through the back of her consciousness. She could just relax and stop fighting. The end would come, and the pain would stop… it would be easy.

“Vii, keep holding on. Just a little longer, please,” Riimack begged, causing Viina to look at him and catch a glimpse of the absolute terror hiding behind the mask of his reassuring gaze. He continued to focus exclusively on her as they lay together in the sandy crater, and as the roar of engines grew louder and louder, she could see his jaw clench hard. The guilt of what she had done began to resurface in her mind. She should have sent him back to base when she relieved him. She should have banked the other way; after all, she always ruined the lives of those around her. Even before she had hatched, she had ruined the life of her sibling. She was an extra egg that her parents hadn't expected but chose to keep instead of the other. Now, Riimack was dead, and if help was coming, they were walking into a death trap.

The sudden crack of gunfire made Viina snap her eyes shut and brace for the finishing jolt, but none came. One by one, more and more guns began to fire, hard, fast, and loud, like an orchestra of death filling the sky with lead. “Help is here…” Riimack said hoarsely, and Viina opened one eye to see him looking toward the west. “Oh gods… please, no,” he added in a soft whisper that was snatched away by the cracks of gunfire. Viina rolled her head to try and follow his gaze, only partially understanding his trepidation.

Banking wildly and weaving through the air, a single dragon fought its way through the deadly ribbons of gunfire. Determined and fearless, the creature kept coming toward Viina despite the onslaught of tracers trying to cut her out of the sky. Just one unlucky hit would be all it would take to add another life to Viina's failure, but the dragon didn't stop. Instead, it danced around the shots with sharp flaps of its large wings. She caught glimpses of red as a stray shot tore a small hole through the dragon's wing membrane, but thankfully it missed the bony wing fingers, and Viina’s savior continued to surge toward her.

Once above the large dunes, the dragon cropped its wings and fell from the sky, and for a moment, Viina feared it had been struck. However, as they swooped down the face of the sandy dune, it reopened its wings and raced down the sandy surface with only a few feet separating them from the ground. Using the ground effect of the dunes, the dragon didn’t need to flap to create lift but instead angled its body and half-retracted its wings for more speed. In its wake, a wave of soft dust was lifted as it sliced through the air, continuing to weave while clouds of sand erupted all around it. Tracers slammed into the dune at supersonic speeds as the dragon continued to weave and dive toward her. When the dragon got close enough to make out the details in her markings Viina understood Riimack's fear.

The dragoness, whose body was covered in brilliantly orange scales, with the exception of her inky black paws and wings, was Taalli, one of Riimack's closest friends. Like a cold blanket being draped over her, fear and panic washed through every fiber of her being. Unable to fly on her own, Viina would need to be carried to safety. The added weight, combined with the fact that the dunes surrounded them on three sides, meant that they would be easy targets. Viina groaned as she tried to call out, to wave the orange dragoness off and have her save herself, but nothing more than an anguished wail left her maw. By coming down to save Viina, Taalli was condemning herself to the same fate, and the knowledge felt like another knife stabbing into her heart. She had already been responsible for Riimack's death, and the thought of getting the drake's best friend killed because of her selfishness made her squirm and thrash.

“Keep still, Viina. Save—save your strength,” Riimack said, his voice wavering slightly as he tried to place a paw on her shoulder. His touch was like a shadow over her scales, no comforting pressure, no contact and just felt… hollow. Viina glanced between his paw and the rest of her mate and began to see the desert dunes through his body. Caught between the razor-thin line of life and death, Viina stared at the illusion of her mate and wished for nothing more than for him to hold her like he used to. “Taalli is gonna get you safe. You're going to be okay,” he added before rising to all fours and taking a step back from Viina's prone body.

“Where—where are you going?” Viina croaked in fear, thinking he was leaving her, but she realized that the drake was giving the incoming dragoness room to land. It was a polite gesture between dragons, and while unnecessary, it was an automatic reaction from the kind and gentle drake she loved. The leathery snap of wings flaring and the wash of sand-filled air caught Viina's attention and tore her desperate gaze from Riimack. Landing heavily, with her black paws straddling Viina's pale, white, and broken body, Taalli crouched low to absorb the impact and breathed rapidly while keeping her wings extended to shield Viina from the world. Instantly, Viina felt a coolness wash over her as the orange dragoness' wings blocked out the sun's scorching rays.

Taalli's voice was muffled, and she spoke loud and fast as tracers continued to zip above them both. Viina didn't catch the words but understood her tone. She was surprised to see that it was Viina who had been downed, and she hid her concerned expression with a clenched jaw, focusing on the task at hand. Tugging at the tourniquet that Riimack couldn't get from Viina's harness, the dragoness began tending to Viina's wing stump. The crushing pain of the thick nylon band being pulled tight around her bleeding appendage made Viina grunt through clenched teeth, and the corners of her vision darkened. A surge of adrenaline flowed through her, an irrational, primal response to being trapped under another dragon while being hurt. Her body squirmed and her broken tail thrashed, but Taalli continued to pin her with unyielding strength and worked without pause, only stopping to hold the transmit button on her radio and shout commands. Any attempts at making out the words were snatched away by the deafening cracks of tracers overhead and the deep thuds of rounds striking the rim of the crater she had made. Sand showered the pair, most of which landed on Taalli's wings as she continued to huddle over Viina.

Looking away, Viina saw that Riimack was watching with bated breath as Taalli tended to her. As adrenaline surged through her body, and her body fought for survival, Riimack's form seemed to waver and become more transparent. The fact that he was disappearing made her whine, and she tried to reach out to him with a forepaw, only for Taalli to snatch it back to her chest to keep her from moving. “Vii, please, let her work,” Riimack said softly, stepping closer. Lowering his head down to her level, he tried to press the bridge of his snout against hers, but she couldn't feel his scales. “You need to keep still.”

“But– but I need you…” Viina croaked, trying to nuzzle him back. The muscles in her neck protested at the attempt, and the pain caused her breath to hitch. Her mate pulled his head away from hers and looked down at her with a mixed expression of worry, regret, and longing.

“I know… but I need you to live” He tried in vain to offer her a reassuring smile. “Please…” he added, his lip trembling as emotions threatened to overwhelm the large drake. His eyes darted to Taalli as she pulled a second tourniquet from her harness and looked to Viina's remaining wing. With the elbow joint shot through, Viina was still losing a lot of blood, and it needed to be stemmed quickly. “Europe, remember? We’re gonna travel,” he said in an attempt to distract Viina, but it was no use.

A firm paw on Viina’s one remaining wing sent a jolt of sharp pain through the pale dragoness, and when she tried to whip her head around, she watched in horror as the dragoness meant to save her tore a talon through the membrane of her broken wing. It wasn't a long incision, no more than six inches, but it ran parallel to the broken wing joint and just below the injury. Before Viina could rationalize why the dragoness had deliberately hurt her, Taalli fed one end of a second tourniquet through the tear in the membrane and looped the band around the wing arm. Pulling it tight with her teeth, she stemmed the bleeding from Viina's other wing and looked down at her with an almost deranged expression. Covered in dusty sand and now with her maw and paws stained by Viina's blood, Taalli looked truly fierce as she held down the transmit button on her radio and began barking further orders.

Viina caught glimpses of the words that Taalli was shouting and looked toward Riimack, who whipped his head around to see how close their enemies had gotten. Taalli had just called for the same artillery that both Viina and Riimack had failed to call in, but with renewed coordinates. While artillery was one of the most powerful instruments on the battlefield, deeply grounded in mathematics to ensure its effectiveness, there was always room for error when calling in a strike, and now the trucks were dangerously close to where they lay. For a split second, Viina was sure that the dragoness would try to fly her out of the crater and the strike area, but instead, Taalli used her snout and tail to forcibly curl Viina so her head and tail tip touched, then hunkered down over the top of her. Pressing her orange body tight against Viina and with her wings spread over them to shield them from shrapnel, Taalli blocked out the world from Viina, and together they waited for the inevitable. The gunshots paused as they lay still, and Viina heard the roar of engines increasing again as the trucks drove closer.

In the corner of her eye, Viina saw daylight under Taalli's wing and the ghostly image of Riimack's head looking in, checking on her and offering a look of concern. His image was faint, and at first, she wasn't sure if she was really seeing him or not, but a small part of her held onto the idea that he was watching over her. Viina felt Taalli's paws tighten around her in a securing embrace, the gesture broadcasting that she too understood the risks of calling in artillery so close to them..

There were no words that Viina could use to describe what she felt as the first round of high-explosive ordnance struck the desert floor. It was as if a sledgehammer had been swung into her chest, driving the wind from her body, as the entire world shook and a deafening blast rattled her bones. Her eyes snapped open in pain as the shards of bone in her wings were shaken together like dice. Above her, Taalli hissed in pain as countless fragments of truck, rock, and ordnance scratched and tore at her shielding wings. The subsequent booms of artillery falling around them were no less gentle. Viina's heart felt as if it were being forced to beat to a different rhythm as each shot landed in an irregular tempo, shaking her to her core. Breathing was difficult; the concussive blasts made her chest tighten, each forcing more air from her lungs. Between the lack of blood and now the lack of oxygen, her mind grew foggy and her eyes lost focus. The pain began to fade as she drifted out of consciousness, going limp under Taalli's protective body.

---

Thud

Thud

Thud

The repeated rush of wind over Viina's scales stirred the dragoness from her stupor. Her whole body felt like it was roasting under the relentless desert sun, and when she slowly forced her eyes to open, she was met with the blurry image of the orange dragoness and a dark black shape hovering above them both. The downdraft from the black hawk helicopter's blades was oddly comforting, each pass delivering a rush of cool, fresh air that sapped away the overwhelming warmth in her body and helped her focus. With her mind still drifting on the edge of consciousness, she tried to make out the details of her savior. The orange dragoness didn't look as she should have. After saving Viina and shielding her from the blasts, the dragoness appeared to be something from the depths of hell. Her once brilliant orange scales were now covered in oily streaks of unburnt ordinance mixed with crimson blood from the countless small wounds littering Taalli's wings. However, now, the blurry colors weren't how they should be. Instead of black soot and grease, hues of indigo and purple streaked across Taalli's body.

Scrunching her eyes closed, Viina forced a deep breath and opened her eyes again. Blinking rapidly to try and make sense of what she was seeing, she began to understand. The orange shape above her wasn't Taalli and instead was the sky, the sunrise cutting through the morning haze in a dazzling display of yellows, reds, and oranges. The entire sky looked as if it were burning, with the edges of the clouds glowing in an almost blinding silver. Viina's eyes darted to the black shape at the edge of her vision and forced her vision to focus. The swirling shape wasn't the rotors of the black hawk, comeing to bring her back to base; instead, it was a dragon.

Exposed and vulnerable on the ground, with a large dragon looming beside her, a surge of adrenaline rushed through Viina's body, making her convulse in a pathetic attempt to rise. “Signora! Mi sente?” The words confused Viina more than anything. They sounded familiar, as if it were a question, yet she couldn't process what was being asked of her. The voice was deep and masculine, and the idea of being helpless and on the ground under an unknown drake made her racing heart skip a beat. Panic jolted her into rolling over, and with a scrambling of paws, she pushed herself away from the unknown drake. “Whoa, piano signora, per favore vada con calma,” the dragon added, sounding like he was attempting to calm her with honeyed words. “Ahh… S'il vous plaît, ralentissez,” the drake continued in an incredibly seductive tone that made Viina uncomfortable. When she glared at him with an uneasy expression and continued trying to get to her feet, he simply cocked his head at her.

Pulling her feet under her and rolling onto them, she tried to rise, but her legs felt like hot jelly and buckled beneath her when she put weight on them. “¿Señora? No se apresure, tómese su tiempo,” he said, taking a half step forward. She had no idea what he was saying, but it sounded as if he was trying to get under her tail. Feeling helpless and frightened, she snarled and scrambled to move away from the large drake. Shoulder to shoulder, he would have only been a foot or so taller than her, however while she was lean and athletic, his body was thicker with well developed muscles. Without wings to escape and already exhausted from running, she knew he could overpower her easily.

“Nie? Cholera, jakim językiem ty mówisz?” Now she was sure she was delusional, as the words from the drake's mouth sounded even more disjointed, like a record being scratched or a zipper being tugged on rapidly. She shook her head to try and clear her sluggish mind, instantly regretting the motion. Any sense of balance evaporated, and with a sway to one side then the other, she tumbled to the ground in a heap of paws and tail.

Viina panicked as the drake leapt to his feet and lunged at her, speaking in an aggressive, if not threatening tone. “Es geht ihnen nicht gut, aber sie sind in Sicherheit. Ich will ihnen nur helfen.”

“Get the fuck away from me!” Viina whined in a broken, panicked voice as she scrambled backward, dragging her body across the coarse gravel and trying to get to her feet. Flicking her crimson frill to full extension, she warned him not to come closer, even as her hind legs failed to cooperate and she had to resort to pulling herself up into a slumped sitting position.

“Oh! American!” The drake said in a surprisingly calm voice, stopping mid-step. “I'm trying to help, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. You fainted,” he quickly added, slowly lowering his paw to the ground. A look of realization flickered across his eyes, and he lowered his rump to the ground to sit down, tucking his wings close to his body to appear smaller. “Are you okay?” His voice was thick with an accent Viina didn't recognize.

Panting, Viina looked him up and down, a few feet between them. He sat as though ready to rise, yet he stared at her with the same critical and concerned gaze that she had seen in many doctors eyes. His amber eyes never rested, flicking to her rapidly rising and falling chest, then to her wing stumps, and finally to her throat as she took deep breaths of the cool morning air. Her adrenaline-fueled observations were correct: the drake was large. He didn’t appear fat by any means, but instead, he carried his larger size with a confident strength. When standing, her shoulders rested at a similar height to a human’s, with her long neck providing the height to look down on them. This drake, however, was like a draft horse with wings—every part of him was larger and thicker. His snout, broader and more boxy than hers, started with a blunt tip and widened where his powerful jaw muscles formed his cheeks. Sitting and studying her, his neck formed a graceful 'S' shape, his posture wasn’t that of a homeless vagrant but instead someone well nourished and attentive. Sweeping her focus down his thickening throat, his neck transitioned to his broad chest and shoulders with only the slightest changes of direction. His chest was thicker than hers, a testament to his powerful flight muscles, and his legs were nearly twice as thick as her own. While sitting, his front paws flared, and she saw that each one was tipped with an ivory talon, well cared for. However, it was his scales—or rather, lack of them—that caught her eye. Covered from snout to tail tip, the drake was adorned in a thick, shaggy, glossy black fur. His wings, unlike the ones she once had, lacked the thin membranes and were instead covered in long, black feathers. His void-like appearance made his amber eyes even more striking as he shuffled his wings against his sides, continuing to look at her with worry in his eyes.

“Ma'am, are you okay?” he repeated himself, tilting his head to one side. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just trying to help.” It was becoming clear to her that she had overreacted, and the homeless drake meant her no harm.

“I—I'm fine,” Viina stated between breaths, shaking herself as the adrenaline began to leave her system. “I just… never mind.” She looked past him, spotting Riimack’s photo where she had left it, sitting on the bench and facing the morning sunrise.

“Are you sure? Heat exhaustion is no joke,” he added, lowering his head slightly while he continued to look at her. A feeling that he was judging her scratched at the edge of her mind, and she tried again to get to her feet, only for her hind legs to shudder and threaten to give out. “Woah, easy now,” he said, rising to his feet. “Just relax, catch your breath. You’re alright.”

Slumping back down onto her haunches, Viina rolled her shoulders and felt the absence of her harness around them. Feeling exposed and vulnerable with her broken wings on display, she looked towards her harness, lying a few feet behind the black-furred dragon. The drake seemed to understand and quickly trotted over to retrieve it for her. To her relief, he didn’t pick it up in his maw, but instead gently folded it over itself and used his paw to lift it, holding it against his chest.

Viina waited and watched as the drake walked on three legs toward her, keeping a polite distance and extending his foreleg to offer her the harness. Taking it from him with more of a snatch than he deserved, Viina took back her harness and began searching for the mouthpiece of her water bladder.

“I’m Keekzee, by the way,” the drake announced as he sat back down, watching her struggle to drink. Viina offered him a small, curt nod to acknowledge that she had heard him, as she tried to coax more water from her harness’ bladder. It was dry, and no matter how much she squeezed or angled it, no more water came out.

“You need water? Give me a second,” the black drake said, when he saw her struggle, before getting to his feet and quickly trotting over to where he had been sleeping.

Viina watched the obviously not homeless drake cautiously as he collected a heavy leather harness from the ground and tossed it loosely over his shoulders, carrying it back to her. It jangled with every step as the buckles and assorted trinkets jostled against one another. It wasn’t until he came closer that Viina noticed a peculiar detail about the drake's possessions. Unlike the homeless dragons she had seen back home and throughout Europe, who hoarded whatever they could, this drake’s baubles all matched. Not just in their red and white coloring, but each pouch, the large thermos flask, and even a whistle clipped to the strap all sported the same logo: a stylized dragon flying over a human walking.

Lowering himself to the ground, Keekzee pulled the harness off his shoulders and placed it between his forepaws, unhooking the large thermos before unscrewing the lid with a twist of his large paws. He placed the open canister down, then slipped a paw into a pouch in his harness and extracted a sachet. He glanced at label for a moment before tearing the top off and emptying it into the bottle.

“Here, have this,” he announced, before tucking the empty sachet between his digits and picking up the bottle. With a brief swirl of his wrist, he mixed the mysterious contents in with the water and held it out to her.

It took Viina longer than she would like to admit to realize that she had misjudged the drake—that he might not be homeless. Even still, having just seen an unknown drake spike a bottle of something in front of her, her wing stumps tucked closer to her body. She froze, unsure what to do as she looked between the drake, the bottle, and the empty sachet. “I think I'm good, thank you,” she said, trying to stop herself from panting.

“Mmmm–no, this will help, trust me. The closest water is in town, and the morning is only going to get warmer,” Keekzee explained, tilting the bottle towards her. “Some electrolytes will do you good.” He placed the bottle down on the ground as far towards her as he could while laying down. It was clear that he was trying to put her at ease; however, with him laying down and her sitting up, her head was only a few feet higher than his, and she knew that he could still be a danger to her if he chose to be.

The inky black drake brought his forepaws together and fidgeted with the empty packet before holding it up for her to see. “It's strawberry-flavored, if that helps,” he added, attempting to coax her into drinking.

Viina's nostrils flared slightly as he spoke, and her eyes narrowed as she looked at the bottle once more, taking in the details of the logo. Under the logo, it was curiously engraved with the words ‘Ask ____ Anything!’ with the name Keekzee scratched into the paint. She frowned and flicked her eyes toward his harness, now taking note that it also sported the same logo, and his name was stitched into the shoulder strap with a silvery thread. Piece by piece, Viina’s mind concluded that the drake was definitely not homeless and perhaps was some sort of guide. Additionally, the pouch from which he had pulled the mysterious powder had a red cross stitched into it.

Slowly, she extended a trembling forepaw toward the bottle and picked it up. It was cool to the touch, and as she lay down with it clutched between her forepaws, she angled her head to look inside at the contents. In the early morning light, the contents appeared slightly reddish-pink, and after sniffing it, she could only smell a synthetic strawberry scent.

Her mouth felt cottony and dry, and she looked down at the refreshing liquid for only a moment before throwing caution to the wind, flicking her tongue through the mouth of the bottle, and taking a small sip. The moment the liquid touched the back of her throat, she flicked her tongue into the bottle again and took another drink of the hydrating water.

“Thank you,” she murmured after swallowing, then lifted the bottle in her jaws so she could lift her head and begin to drain the entire canister in a series of quick gulps.

The drake nodded in acknowledgment and relaxed his wings down to rest on the ground beside him while continuing to stare at her. "Are you training for something?" he asked, causing Viina to frown with the bottle still held between her jaws. "You ran here, right? I mean—" he said, his eyes briefly flicking to her exposed wing stumps. "Are you training for a race or something?"

Viina lowered her head to take the bottle from her mouth and swallowed before shaking her head. "No, I just couldn't miss this," she said, placing the empty bottle down between them. Turning her head toward the east, she looked toward the rising sun and the photograph of Riimack that had its back to her. With a stifled groan, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and then leaned forward, moving her hind legs under her. Rising gingerly to all fours, she saw that the drake was looking at her with concern, but didn't tell her not to move. Catching his eyes glance toward her scars, she picked up her harness and draped it loosely over her shoulders.

"It is pretty, isn't it? My group was meant to meet me here if they wanted to see the double sunrise of Tuscany. But I suspect they wanted to sleep in," Keekzee said as she took a step away. Viina's expression softened as her suspicions were confirmed: he wasn't homeless and was indeed some sort of guide or chaperone. "I don't blame them either..." His words drifted off as Viina slowly walked toward the bench where she had left Riimack and sat down beside it.

She didn't mean to silence him, although she was secretly glad he stopped talking, as the sun continued to rise, and she wanted to share this moment exclusively with her mate. Taking a deep breath of the morning air through her nose, she let the scents of the land soothe her body and held it for a moment before slowly exhaling through her mouth. The simple breathing exercise steadied her heart, and once she had repeated it twice more, she began to finally feel relaxed and at ease.

Looking toward the sun, Viina took in the sight and committed it to memory. The sky was more yellow now, with it having almost completely cleared the horizon, but it still made the tall conifer trees cast long shadows that streaked over the rolling hills. The fields of green sparkled less now, but instead, they appeared like a patchwork quilt of greens, purples, and oranges. Flicking her eyes toward the heavens, Viina felt a deep sense of longing as she saw the scattering of clouds high above catch the sun's rays and glow in a fiery amber light. A sunrise on the ground was always a beautiful affair, but from the sky was often even more magical.

Adjusting her wing stumps under her undone harness so they were tucked close against her sides, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine that the weight of her harness was Riimack's wing instead, even though the weight of the limp, synthetic fabric was a poor substitute for the warmth and comfort that the drake had so effortlessly given her, when he had tucked her close against his side. A flicker of a smile twitched at the corners of her lips as she remembered having to lean into the strong drake and whisper to him that he could hold her with his wing. He had been so unsure of himself and their budding relationship at the time that she had needed to coach him on many occasions. Not that she minded, of course, and even now, she cherished the memory of his inexperience.

The crackling of a foil packet being opened behind her shattered Viina's thoughts, causing her eyes to flick open and her jaw to clench. With a subtle turn of her head, she glanced backward and saw that the black drake was still lying on the gravel ground and had produced a packet of something she couldn't identify. Keekzee's eyes darted up toward her when he saw her watching and sheepishly smiled. “Want one?” he said, extending his forepaws toward her with the packet pinched between his talons. “They have chocolate in them,” he added as she hesitated.

The image of Riimack’s eyes lighting up at the mention of something sweet tugged at Viina's heartstrings, and a wave of emotions rose inside her, threatening to spill out. He would have gladly accepted the snack, even if it was from someone he had only just met. Swallowing forcibly, she went to shake her head before pausing. She turned around and got to her feet again. Keekzee looked visibly glad that she had accepted his offering and lifted the packet closer to her. With two strides, she closed the distance and gently reached into the packet. “Thank you,” Viina said softly as she rummaged inside and gripped two crescent-snap fragments of hard biscuit with her digits. True to the drake's word, they were dark brown and smelled incredibly sweet.

“It’s Biscotti; it might be dry, but the sugar will help.”

Nodding in agreement, Viina then turned her head to continue looking back toward the sunrise. She felt torn between leaving the generous drake and returning to the photo of Riimack, or staying close to Keekzee out of politeness. Ultimately, it was seeing Riimack's photo all alone on the bench that tore Viina away from the black drake. After giving Keekzee a small smile and a nod in renewed thanks, she took her place beside the bench.

With a subtle extension of her forepaw, she placed one of the shards of the hard, sweet biscuit in front of the photo of Riimack, before lifting her paw and dipping her head to take a bite of the other. The treat was incredibly hard, and she wondered briefly how a human was meant to bite into it as her fangs cracked it in half. It was more akin to a hard and dry cookie than the doughy biscuits that she was used to, but it was delicious, and the sweetness made her mouth water. She chewed slowly to savor the moment as she continued to take in the fiery vista before her, the serenity only broken by the occasional crack of tough cookie being eaten and the drake crinkling the packet as he hunted for another piece.

After a particularly loud crack, she glanced back and frowned as she saw the drake looking towards the west and away from the sunrise. He had one large paw stuffed inside the packet, and it almost looked stuck due to its size and the way the long fur on the back of his foreleg bristled around the opening in the bag. Once he had finished crunching his biscuit, he pulled his paw out and tossed another into his maw while continuing to look westwards. Curious, she briefly glanced towards the sunrise for a moment and then turned her head to stare at the drake. A hint of self-consciousness tugged at her mind; after all, she was in the best position to see the sunrise, and she began to wonder if the drake was trying to avoid staring at her and her crippled wings.

“Did… did you want to see the sunrise? We can swap if I'm blocking your view?” she asked hesitantly, even more confused when the drake shook his head with his mouth full of biscuit.

With a series of hurried cracks and crunches, Keekzee devoured his mouthful before finally swallowing and shaking his head again. “No, you're not blocking the view. The second sunrise is meant to begin soon. It apparently takes a few minutes,” he said, nodding towards the west.

Perplexed at what the drake was talking about, Viina looked towards the west and tried to see what he was seeing. The low sun rising behind them and the hill they were perched on created dark shadows that engulfed much of the landscape. The few gaps between the hills created beams of orange sunlight that slowly stretched up the hills and ever so gradually expanded with every passing minute.

“Second sunrise…” Viina repeated, looking towards the cryptic black drake who nodded enthusiastically. “I don't understand, what do you mean?” she asked, and the drake chuckled before delving a paw into his harness and opening a pouch sewn into the fabric that wrapped around his chest.

After a pregnant pause, he pulled out a slim book with a picture of a colosseum, and with deft paws, flicked to a page he had left with the corner folded. Clearing his throat, Keekzee read from the sheet and gestured with his paw towards the west. “‘Day three, dawn, join your guide’, that's me, ‘and witness the wonder of Tuscany's double sunrises. A once-a-day phenomenon that is accessible by foot or wing. Bring your partner and start your day with an unforgettable vista,” he said, before his eyes narrowed as he mumbled under his breath, “Second sunrise starts in the west just after the first sunrise… a good moment to offer to take photos of the couple's… gratuity not required… and yeah! That's about all it says.”

Viina glanced between the book and the hills towards the west and shook her head. “I think they must be talking about something else then. ‘Cos there is only one sun and you know… Always rises in the east,” she said with a small shrug. “No more intel on what you are meant to be showing people?”

“Nah, I think it's probably something that the lead guide is meant to know or something… it's my first time being a lead, does it show?” Keekzee asked, his stoic expression softening into a sheepish smile. Viina wasn't sure how to answer his question politely while staying truthful. Thankfully, he continued. “I've only done a few tours, but as an assistant and never in Italy. The lead quit at the last minute, so I got tapped to lead,” he added, looking around to confirm they were alone. “Although, between you and me, maybe it's good that none of the group came. There's one couple in the group that makes me want to pull my fur out.”

Viina smirked and gave him a small nod of her head. “Well, I'm glad you were here. I kinda overdid it, and I don't know what would have happened if you hadn’t been here,” she mused, looking towards the photo of Riimack and the sunrise beyond.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. When she simply nodded, a silence began to hang in the air. “Heat exhaustion is no joke. The Mediterranean sun is brutal, especially on the fur. I’m so glad they do the whole siesta thing here,” Keekzee said with a small chuckle. “A nice nap by the hotel pool is honestly one of the best things to do to pass the midday sun.”

Viina nodded in understanding and found her eyes lingering on the drake's lush, black fur. He would be far better suited to colder climates, and she began to wonder why he would pick such a career, guiding tours in a climate like this. Now that the fur caught the morning sun, it was far glossier than she had first imagined and was quite well-groomed. The shaggy locks of his coat gave him an almost wild look, and the more she studied him, the more she wondered if he kept the fur trimmed in areas to accentuate his figure. He looked in good shape, but not in the overly brawny way that many of the drakes she served with were. While enlisted, it was common for dragons to train and strengthen their flight muscles, as flying was so often their greatest asset to the corps. Keekzee, however, had a more balanced figure. His chest looked broad, but every part of him also oozed the practical strength of a drake that worked outdoors for a living.

Viina’s frill flicked up as she realized that she was staring at his body, and that the drake had noticed. Recoiling her neck back as if she had been stung, Viina quickly shook her head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. Just back home… We don’t really have fur dragons,” she admitted and was grateful when the drake nodded in understanding.

“Ah, it’s okay. Where I come from, we don’t get too many scaled types either,” he countered, giving her a friendly smile. “Some do make it up to the slopes, just tourists though, and they rarely come during our winter.” He said before shuffling his large, feathered wings against his sides. “And those that do kind of stick to the lodges. Not that there is anything wrong with doing that, of course. Nice warm fire, comfortable couches—it’s a great way to lose a few days.”

Viina still wasn't sure exactly where the drake's accent was from, but she was beginning to piece together that he was likely from either one of the Scandinavian countries or somewhere northeast of Europe. “Is home far away from here?” she asked politely.

“Ah… not as far as America.” Keekzee said before his eyes widened in understanding as he realized what she was actually asking him. “But my home is this little place called Zakopane. It’s on the Polish side of the Slovakian border. I sorta live and work at a ski resort in the winter, but in the summer… Well, that’s why I’m here.” He said, and Viina nodded in understanding before cocking her head in renewed confusion.

“So hold up, you go from snowy winters in… Poland, to Mediterranean summers?” she asked, eyeing his fur and wondering if he had ever considered clipping the dense black fur to help ease the heat.

“Yeah… well… I'm still kinda new to this,” Keekzee said defensively but thankfully didn’t sound offended. If anything, the chuckle he made sounded genuinely amused. “So far it’s been kinda a last minute thing being told what tour I’m doing next,” he added, shrugging his wings.

“Or if you’ll be the tour leader?” Viina asked, already knowing the answer, which made the dark drake flash her a warm smile and chuckle deeply. Seeing the drake’s ivory teeth against his dark fur brought a brief smile to her own snout. Her moment of merriment was quickly snatched away when she caught a glimpse of Riimack’s photo in her peripheral vision. Seeing his photo alone on the bench while she smiled in the company of another drake drove a sharp blade of guilt through her heart. Blinking deeply to bury the sudden pain in her chest, she flicked her head to one side and swallowed. “Well, thank you, Keekzee, but I should be getting back to town,” she announced with a stiffness in her voice and began pulling her harness around her body.

Keekzee gave her a brief look of confusion at her sudden change in tone before forcing a polite smile and dipping his head. “It was nice meeting you…” His words drifted off as Viina brought the two halves of her harness’s zipper together and zipped it up without difficulty.

“Viina, I’m Viina,” she said with a polite smile before rolling her wing stumps under the elastic fabric. The movement helped her adjust the harness to make sure it was symmetrical, and then she rose to all fours.

“Well, Viina, it was nice meeting you. Just maybe take it easy today and drink lots of water,” he added, and sat up to hold himself in a more regal posture. With his front legs straight and neck curved into a graceful arch, he tracked her with just his head as she turned away from him and watched Viina as she approached the bench where she had left Riimack.

“Will do,” Viina said automatically and glanced toward the sunrise. The sky was still awash in a brilliant array of fiery oranges and streaks of dark purple, but the moment had passed. After moving herself so she blocked Keekzee’s view of the photo, she used her paw to subtly send the small piece of biscotti flying into the grass. Slipping Riimack’s photo between her harness and her chest, Viina turned and flashed the black drake a brief smile and nod to bid farewell.

Her mind was restless as she walked. She hated herself for feeling guilty over simply exchanging pleasantries with a drake but still couldn’t shake the chest-tightening feeling that she was somehow cheating on Riimack. After all, it was her fault that he wasn’t here to share the sunrise with her. She tried to imagine the silver and blue drake scowling at her for allowing herself to forget him. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t picture her mate looking at her in such a way and instead found her mind imagining her father’s disappointed expression. The same scowl that he gave her as frequently as a greeting filled her mind, and she swallowed past the lump in her throat as she quickened her step.

She had only just left the gravel picnic area, and was about to make her way down the winding path, when she heard Keekzee exclaim behind her. “Oh, I get it now!” he said, as if suddenly relieved, and then called out to her, “Viina, look! It's happening!”

Instinctively, she turned her head towards the east, but when she saw nothing but the rising sun, she curled her neck to look behind her and glanced towards the drake. Standing on three legs with a look of excitement in his eyes, Keekzee pointed towards the west with a forepaw. Turning around, Viina faced west and looked towards the horizon in confusion. The sky was much lighter now, but as expected, there was no sign of a second sun. “I don't…” Viina's words trailed off as she saw it, and her eyes widened in surprise. The tall plants that had whipped at her as she ran to the lookout now filled the fields around them. Each one was taller than her shoulders, and now she realized they were crowned by a single large yellow sunflower, larger than her paw. With the sun rising behind her, the fields of green seemed to twinkle with flecks of gold as each of the tall flowers began to turn and face towards them.

Her paws seemed to move on autopilot as she turned around and walked back up the path towards the picnic area, still taking in the sight. The soft crunch of gravel underfoot tugged at her attention, and she glanced across to see Keekzee sitting on his haunches, staring at the fields. Following his lead, she sat a few feet away from him and watched the spectacle with glossy eyes.

The long shadows cast by the rolling hills shrank slowly as the sun continued to rise, the light now causing a steady tide of new flowers to turn, creating what looked like a wave of gold sweeping across the landscape. A deep sense of longing washed over her as she wished her departed mate were here to share the moment. She had seen countless sunrises, but this was something truly unique.

“It’s… incredible,” Viina murmured under her breath and scanned the rolling hills to see more and more swaths of flowers turning to face her. Her eyes grew glossy and her throat tightened as she imagined the look of wonder on her mate’s face. He hadn’t been one for flowers, but she knew he had a deep appreciation for the world’s beauty. Having spent much of his teenage years incarcerated, Riimack had cherished the simple things she so often took for granted. Something as simple as a nice meal, the gentle touch of her scales against his, or a cool breeze through an open door had been as precious to the strong drake as the finest treasures.

“It is, isn’t it?” replied Keekzee in a distant voice as he too continued to be captivated by the spectacle. The pair continued to sit in silence, and it was only when a bell rang out from the town that they moved.

It wasn’t a ring of alarm—just the announcement of the passing hour. Viina counted each toll in her head, despite already guessing the time. When the sixth bell rang and silence followed, Viina nodded softly and took a deep breath of the morning air before glancing towards Keekzee. “I guess your book was right,” she said, noticing the feathers on his wing arms lift slightly as he smiled with a hint of pride in his eyes. “Not that I ever doubted it,” she added with a smirk.

“Never,” he remarked, picking up the thin tour guide manual in his paw. “On my last tour, the lead told me to just trust the book,” he added before using his other paw to flick through the pages. “So far, it hasn't been wrong. Although, I sometimes wish it was a bit more detailed.”

Viina hummed in acknowledgement as she looked over the fields of sunflowers. Extracting her tablet-like phone from its holster, she unlocked it and held it up to take a photo. With a simple press, she captured the moment, although she noticed that the digital image paled in magnificence to the real scene before her.

“Want me to take one with you in it?” Keekzee asked and his yellow eyes flicked to her phone when she looked towards him.

“No… It’s okay. Thanks,” she said softly and locked her phone. She didn’t like photos of herself, especially alone where she should have had him with her. Slipping her phone back into its holster she looked back up to commit the landscape to memory. After several minutes in silence, the crunch of gravel stirred her from her thoughts, and she looked over to see Keekzee storing his manual inside his harness and tightening the straps in preparation to leave.

“Well, if my group isn't coming here, I should probably get back to them so they don't go wandering off,” Keekzee said with a polite smile. “I don't think it would look good if I lost a guest on my first tour as a lead,” he added, gripping the front of his harness with one paw and jostling it from side to side. The action freed the dense fur that had become trapped under the straps, and as it sprang free, it created an illusion that his rig was being swallowed by his dark coat. “You take things slow today, okay, Viina?” he said, his tone turning slightly more serious, making her look up at him.

“Sure thing, doc,” she said, her voice layered in sarcasm, but he didn't look offended and instead chuckled. “I think I'll find one of those bathhouses I keep hearing about and rest,” she added. The dark drake nodded before his amber eyes widened.

“Well, if you want to see something amazing, there are some thermal springs only an hour's flight away. It might be a bit warm, but it's over in that…” The drake paused to point toward the horizon before recoiling his neck back. “...fuck, I mean, sorry, there’s probably a bus or something—”

“It’s okay,” Viina said, shaking her head softly while her frill flattened against her back. “I knew what you meant. What's it called?”

Relief washed over the drake’s features, and he flashed her a thankful smile before continuing. “It’s called ‘Terme di Saturnia.’ The locals used to believe it’s got some sort of magic in it to keep it warm, but it's really just a geothermal vent,” he explained, and Viina nodded in understanding. “Although it’s got a cool folk tale story that I get to tell.” he patted the front of his harness where he had stored his manual. “I’m meant to be taking the group there tomorrow.”

“Terme di Saturnia, huh? Maybe I’ll check it out. Thank you,” Viina replied, watching as the drake rolled his large, muscular wings while still keeping them furled. “And thanks again for the drink,” she added, bringing a smile to the drake’s large snout.

“You’re more than welcome, Viina. You take care of yourself now,” he said warmly, and with a small bow of his head, he bid her farewell before turning to walk down the gravel path. His large form pressed back the tall sunflowers that grew alongside the path, and it almost looked like he was being consumed by them if it weren't for his thick neck and head protruding above them.

Viina watched on, feeling a flicker of warmth in her chest as he trotted down the path until he was almost out of sight. Then, he unfurled his large wings above the plants and leapt into the sky. Viina’s eyes widened as she noticed that the drake's feathered wings made almost no noise as they caught the air and heaved downward. If she hadn’t been watching him as he took off, she wouldn’t have known he was in the air.

Tilting her head in confusion, she watched as the drake stayed close to the tops of the flowers, following the contours of the hills until he disappeared from view. While there was no law forbidding a dragon from flying so low, it was not something many dragons did, as it imposed its own set of risks and often required more concentration than it was worth. She continued to watch him fly until he slipped behind one of the many rolling hills and vanished from view.

---

Padding slowly through the narrow streets, Viina's paws landed gently on the cobblestones as she slowly drank from her replenished waterskin. The buildings that flanked either side of the winding street felt as though they were looming over her, yet they didn’t feel intimidating. Many of the mismatched windows boasted small planters with flowers of various colors, while others appeared as if they were being absorbed by the lush green plants growing up the sides of the sandstone buildings. Where it could, the sun shone through the gaps in the roofs, casting its rays on the tan-colored bricks, making them almost glow in the late morning light.

The town was alive now with the sights, sounds, and smells of a village starting its day. The smell of fresh bread wafted down the streets, but Viina was cautious not to follow it in case she ended up talking to the baker she had almost trampled. Instead, she ignored the growing hunger in her stomach, turned away, and walked down a winding street lined with street vendors. Unlike many of the towns she had visited, this one seemed to cater less to tourists but it still looked as if it was market day. The wooden carts instead sold food and produce at reasonable prices. Likewise, it lacked the stalls selling plastic, mass-produced trinkets, and Viina found herself pondering the wares as she walked past. The streets were busy, but despite their narrow width, they lacked the scale and hustle of the big cities she had visited.

She continued to walk between the market stalls, taking in the scents of fresh fruits, breads, and meats, before pausing at a market stall operated by an aquatic drake. His scales were an inky black, but like most aquatics, they also gleamed in an array of iridescent colors, resembling an oil sheen even though he was dry. His whole body was smaller than Viina's, and while he too lacked wings, his body was more streamlined and looked as though it could carve through water with ease. Upon seeing her stop at his stall, the frill-like collar around his head fluttered as he smiled and spoke to her in the local tongue. “Eh ma guarda un po’, che bellezza! E non sei nemmeno di queste parti, eh? Dev’essere che le mie polpette di pesce sono proprio irresistibili!" he said, or asked—Viina wasn’t completely sure, but he looked at her expectantly while absentmindedly flipping lumps of something fried in bain-maries. They smelled delicious and quite fishy, and breaded protein fried in oil was exactly what her body needed after such an exhausting run.

“I'm sorry, I don’t speak Italian,” Viina said, smiling politely. The drake seemed not to mind and instead gestured with a metal spoon to the different options. Through an exchange of pointing and nodding, Viina ordered a serving of the fried fish lumps and watched as the drake scooped them into a large cone-shaped cardboard cup. Once it was almost overflowing with chunks of fried fish and corn chips, the merchant stapled a long length of cardboard-like twine to each side of the cup and then held it up for Viina.

It took her a moment to understand, but she smiled as she took the food from the merchant and dipped her head down to slip her the loop over her head and horns before guiding it down her neck. The string felt a little uncomfortable pressed against her frill, but once she had worked it down so that it rested against her shoulders, it was hardly noticeable and allowed her to walk while carrying her breakfast. Tapping her phone against the merchant's payment machine, Viina felt the vibration in her foreleg and heard the merry chime of money leaving her account. With a nod and smile of thanks, Viina plucked a chunk of fried fish out of her cone and ate as she left.

Losing herself in the town, Viina continued down the streets without much direction, only pausing to eat chunk after chunk of the delicious breakfast. Stopping at an intersection, Viina scanned up and then down the perpendicular street and smiled to herself as she saw a familiar black drake sitting on the pavement, holding a door to a building open with his tail. He looked busy, talking to a mixed group of humans and dragons. Many of them stood with the awkward looks of awe and confusion on their faces that Viina had come to notice on tourists, but one by one, they were ushered into the building as the drake continued to talk. He was too far away for her to hear what he was saying, but she continued to watch as he worked.

“Se stasera devi restare fino a tardi, mi scoperò il tizio della porta accanto,” came a voice calling out to her. Viina whipped her head towards the source of the voice. With her head out of the window on the top floor, a dragoness looked towards Viina with a playful smile. The dragon’s scales were a brilliant shade of yellow with a dark red band that started at the tip of her snout and ran between her horns. Viina was confused as the stranger looked down at her with a friendly smile and was about to ask what she had said when she was cut off.

“Tu ed io sappiamo entrambi che non lo farai. Tornerò a casa il prima possibile,” replied a lanky-looking man walking behind Viina. Dressed in mechanic's overalls and walking with a pace that made it clear he was in a hurry, the man still took a moment to blow a kiss to the dragoness above them before he continued walking down the road.

Viina had no idea what the words meant but understood that the pair were bidding each other farewell in a heartfelt way. Smiling warmly at the exchange, she watched as the man left and then looked up to see the dragoness tracking him until he turned around a corner. With a content smile, the dragoness shook her head as if wanting to say something else and then pulled her head back inside. Seeing the man and dragoness interact so openly made Viina's heart swell. Although she had grown up in a country town that resided half way between nowhere interesting and the edge of civilisation, she had still seen mixed couples. Back home however, their love was almost taboo and kept out of the public eye; to see a couple express themselves so openly made her smile. A smile that quickly faltered as her mind drifted towards what could have been, and the fact that it was because of her that it hadn't.

Inhaling deeply to try and steady the tide of emotions building in her, she caught the scent of her food and comforted her mind with a few large chunks of the fishy treat. Sitting down on her haunches, Viina swept her tail around herself to keep out of the way and sat at the crossroads while she ate. The chunks were a little oily and had begun to leave dark patches on the cardboard cone, but overall, it was quite delicious, and the addition of corn chips made for a variety of textures.

Savouring the meal, Viina took in the sandstone buildings and the small details of the architecture. She was no expert on the buildings' design or construction, but as she looked at the ancient brickwork, she wondered just how old some of the structures were. At street level, many of the sandstone bricks had been polished smooth, undoubtedly by the countless bodies brushing against them. Only once the bricks were above her shoulder height did they become rougher, though they still showed some cracks and marks from time. If Viina had to guess, she would say that the buildings were likely much older than the founding of her country, and she began to wonder what the original builders would have thought to see their work still standing. Surely they would be proud, knowing that their efforts had lasted the test of time.

As she looked up at the old windows, she wondered how many families had called the buildings home over the years. How many meals, loves, and losses had these structures witnessed? How many cries of a hatchling or child had these walls heard? And if the buildings could talk, what would they say? After all these years, would they still remember the first family that called the walls home? Or would their short lives simply become a footnote in the structure's existence?

Looking upward toward the terracotta shingles, she noticed that they were not uniform in colour. While they were all a dusty shade of red, many had been replaced throughout the years. Her mind drifted to the repairs and wondered if they would continue to prolong the structure's life. If so, would they continue to stand for another century? Maybe two? How long would they remain standing, and what did that mean for her own life? If she was so insignificant compared to these imposing sandstone brick structures, what did her pain mean in the grand scheme of the universe?

Her jaw tightened as her mind continued to wander down a maze-like train of thought. She thought back to her conversation with Keekzee and how guilty she had felt when she allowed herself to be happy. A mixture of shame and guilt washed over her as she wrestled with her feelings, and her heart began to beat faster as her chest tightened. She owed it to Riimack to share her journey with him, and some days it felt as if he were right there with her. So, allowing herself to be friendly with another drake felt, in some ways, like she was cheating on her mate. However, the rational part of her mind tried to argue, using her therapist's words to remind her that she had done nothing wrong and was, indeed, allowed to be happy.

A small voice from in front of her broke through Viina's thoughts and made her recoil back in surprise. “Sumimasen... onee-san, tasukete kuremasu ka?” said the voice. When Viina looked down, she had to curl her neck further to see where it had come from. Sitting on its haunches with its tail coiled around itself in a pose that almost matched her own, sat an incredibly small hatchling. Its golden eyes looked impossibly large and stared up at her with a look of worry that gave Viina pause. The hatchling lacked wings; however, Viina quickly deduced by its slender and tubular-shaped body that the young one was likely either a young aquatic or perhaps had oriental heritage. Its scales were a vibrant red colour that covered its entire body, although she noticed that the scales around the hatchling's cheeks and down its spine were littered with tiny flecks of the purest gold. Judging by the small bulges at the back of its head, the dragon was just about to start to crown its horns and must have been no older than six.

Unsure if the squeaky voice was gibberish, Viina softened her expression and lowered her head further to talk to the hatchling. “I-I’m sorry, little one, what did you say?” Viina asked, met with the hatchling tilting its head to one side in confusion.

“Watashi, michi ni mayoimashita... otou-san ga inai no.” The words flowed from the hatchling at a rate that left Viina speechless, and she watched, dumbfounded, as the small dragon gestured with a paw toward the main street. Guessing by the slender shape of the hatchling's snout, and the fact that its disproportionately large paws were tapered, Viina deduced that the young one was female, and a pang of protectiveness washed over her as she began to understand.

“Where are your parents, little one?” Viina asked, only to be met with a blank stare from the hatchling. The young dragon repeated herself, and Viina quickly realized that she wasn’t speaking Italian, but rather some Asian language. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak… that,” she said, trying to be respectful, though she guessed that the hatchling didn’t understand her either.

The hatchling’s expression dropped, and a heart-breaking, crestfallen look spread across her face, until her gaze landed on the cone of food dangling below Viina's neck. “Sore... tabemono desu ka?” She asked, glancing up at Viina with a hopeful expression. “Watashi, onaka suite masu... chotto dake itadakemasu ka?” She asked again, gesturing with a paw toward the cone of fried fish, then making a grabbing gesture with both paws.

This Viina understood clearly, and she curled her neck back in a tight ‘S’ shape as she used one paw to extract a chunk of fish. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?” Viina asked and held out the offering to the little dragon. With a gentleness and reverence that surprised her, the hatchling used both paws to take the chunk of fish, then giggled happily.

“Arigatou gozaimasu, onee-san,” the hatchling chirped cheerfully and took a bite of the fish. The chunk was small enough for the hatchling to eat in one go, but she still took a small, polite bite. Finding it to her liking, the hatchling excitedly wiggled from snout to tail and took another bite. “Watashi, Kaariyo desu,” she added cheerfully, and Viina smiled politely.

“I have no idea what you're saying, I’m sorry.” Viina said, shaking the cone of fish. It was almost empty, and the hatchling was clearly hungry. Using her talon, she cut the twine that secured the cone of fish around her neck, offering the rest to the hatchling. Even with the little one sitting on her haunches, the cone was almost the same height as the small dragon. A smile pulled at Viina’s snout as the hatchling’s eyes became the size of saucers, and she gladly took the cup from her, thanking her profusely in her squeaky voice. Glancing around for anyone that might look like the hatchling, Viina's eyes darted between the various people bustling through the streets. Dragons and humans walked the cobblestone roads as they went about their day, yet none shared the hatchling’s vibrant red color, nor were there any with her noodle-like figure. Given that the hatchling wasn't speaking Italian, Viina guessed that she wasn’t a local, and as she looked for anyone who might be a tourist, her eyes widened in realization.

Whipping her head around to look down the street, she began scanning the stores. Many of them had iron-wrought signs hanging from above their doors, and she tried desperately to remember which one the drake and his tour group had gone into, until she spotted the sign for a gallery and remembered the drake mentioning he was taking his group to one.

“Hey, little one, can you ah… come with me?” she asked, looking down at the hatchling whose cheeks bulged with lumps of fish while she held the cone between her forepaws. It felt awkward encouraging a hatchling she didn’t know to follow her, and she felt her frill lift involuntarily but she couldn’t just leave a child alone on the street in a foreign country. The hatchling looked up at her and tilted her head in renewed confusion while slowly chewing, then glanced towards the cup of food and clutched it tightly against her chest. “Oh, you can keep that,” Viina chuckled and smiled warmly. “Come on, sweetie, I think I know where your mom and dad are,” she added, gesturing with a paw to try and coax the hatchling to follow.

In response, the hatchling simply squinted slightly and looked at her with a skeptical expression while clutching her food tighter. The small dragon’s needle like claws dug into the cardboard and Viina saw its whole body tense defensively. “Watashi no da!” she said firmly and turned her body to shield her cup of fish chunks from Viina's gaze.

“Really?” Viina chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. “I’m trying to find your parents, come on,” she added and took a few deliberately playful steps towards the gallery. Looking back, the hatchling remained stubbornly in place while guarding her food. Although the gallery was only a few buildings down the street, Viina wasn’t going to leave the hatchling alone. “Little one, come on!” She said with a hiss that made the little dragon glare at her. Inhaling deeply, Viina forced a smile and lowered her head to appear more inviting. “I’ve got more snacks for you over here!” she said in a soft sing-song voice to try and calm the hatchling. Feeling incredibly self-conscious, Viina was quite glad that the locals didn’t seem to understand her. Yet still, the hatchling seemed only intent on keeping her food to herself and slowly dipped her snout into the cup to take another chunk into her maw.

Taking another deep breath to ease her frustration, she began to walk towards the hatchling. In two strides, she was above the hatchling and lowered her head to pick up the dragonet in her jaws. However, the small dragon seemed to read her intentions and let out a shrill hiss and bared her small needle-like fangs. Seeing the display gave Viina pause, and in a heartbeat, the hatchling turned her head, snapped its jaws tightly on the edge of the cardboard cone and turned around on itself.

“Hey! Wait!” Viina shouted as the hatchling leapt away like a coiled spring. While she had been sitting, the hatchling had appeared quite small, but now that she was on all fours, she was surprisingly long and incredibly agile. Roughly the length of Viina’s foreleg, the hatchling scampered away and weaved its way through a pair of humans. Lunging after the hatchling, Viina covered half of the distance in a single bound but cut herself short as she saw the humans’ panicked expressions. Instead, she lashed out with a forepaw to try and stop the escaping hatchling.

The small dragonet had just touched her forepaws to the ground when she was suddenly brought to a violent halt. With a jerk, her head stopped suddenly in place as if striking an invisible wall. Her hind end, however, seemed to take a few extra moments to slow down, sweeping past her head in a crimson blur of legs and tail. Despite this, the hatchling deftly managed to roll itself to prevent any food from falling out of the cardboard cone and crashed to the ground on all fours. Glaring at Viina with a look of feral hatred, the hatchling let out an attempt at a growl, muffled by the packet still held in her maw.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Viina said with a low rumble from the back of her throat and began to coil her digits around the length of twine she had managed to pin to the ground. Undeterred, the hatchling tugged at the other end with a small growl, but its strength was pathetic compared to Viina's. “Come!” Viina said firmly as she tugged gently on the twine, causing the hatchling to stumble forward.

At any point, the small dragon could have let go of the food and scrambled away, but it seemed convinced it could win. The pair of humans who had initially braced themselves now chuckled at the hatchling’s antics and made remarks in Italian. Viina smiled politely as they passed, and then, while taking things slowly, began to walk on three legs toward the gallery. “Come on, please be a part of Keekzee's group,” Viina prayed as she gently pulled the small hatchling down the street, even as it scrambled frantically and tried to get purchase with its claws between the cobblestones. The twine tightened around Viina's digits as the hatchling thrashed its tiny head from side to side, but she continued to walk undeterred. To Viina's surprise, the twine didn't break, and even though the mouth of the cone had become stretched wide by the hatchling’s feeble attempts at escaping, she managed to get the hatchling to the gallery.

The buildings roofline was no taller than the two story structure beside it, but instead of windows on the top floor, timber slatted vents dotted the side. The entryway was oversized, and if it wasn't for the tight street, Viina guessed that a truck would have been able to pass through the large opening. If she had to guess, she would have said that the building was likely once either a dragon trading hub, or perhaps a grain storage building. Despite the age of the building, there had been some modernisation to the structure and the front door had been replaced with a pair of glass doors.

Looking through the double glass doors, relief washed over Viina as she saw the familiar shape of a black-furred dragon inside. She used her snout to push open the door. “Keekzee—” she called out as the hatchling tugged too hard on the cardboard, and the length of twine suddenly went slack. Glancing back, Viina watched as the hatchling tumbled backward with a scrap of the cardboard cone between her jaws and sent the last few remaining chunks of fish flying up into the air. The hatchling looked on in horror as the fried pieces fell to the ground and became soiled by the dirty cobblestone street.

The door softly closed on a pneumatic damper as Viina pulled her head back and turned to see the hatchling’s eyes go impossibly wide. A small strip of cardboard clung to the hatchling's lower lip and trembled like a leaf as the hatchling looked over the aftermath for any piece of food that had survived the dusty ground. The large black pupils darted from piece to piece with growing despair before the hatchling threw its head skyward and let out a long mournful wail.

“Well, what did you expect?” Viina hissed before shaking her head and taking a step toward the hatchling. Thankfully, the child was apparently too distraught to run, and didn't resist as Viina lowered her head and gently picked up the hatchling by the scruff. Viina's heart sank as the child continued to cry, and she tried to hum soothingly as the hatchling gave up entirely, its legs and tail dangling limply in the air. Turning back toward the gallery, she was greeted by the sight of Keekzee opening the door with a look of confusion and concern in his eyes.

“Kaariyo?” Keekzee said as he looked at the hatchling. “Where—how—Viina?” He said and snapped his head around to look over his shoulder at the guests inside the gallery. “She was just here…” he added, his words drifting off in realization. Turning back to look at Viina, Keekzee stepped forward and lowered his head until it was level with the hatchling. “Anta wa chibikko itazura ya na!” He said with a forced smile. His tone seemed to calm the hatchling somewhat, and her cries became more ragged as she tried to speak.

Viina stood with the hatchling dangling from her maw as Keekzee listened to the hatchling's blabbering. “One of yours?” Viina asked out of the corner of her mouth when the hatchling paused for breath and was glad when Keekzee nodded.

“How she managed to give her father the slip… please, bring her inside,” he said, taking a quick half-leap to the door and pushing it open for Viina and the hatchling with a folded wing. Maintaining her grip on the hatchling’s scruff, Viina walked carefully through the open door and into the gallery.

Inside, the gallery was more modern than she expected and Viina glanced upwards to see new looking black steel beams spanning the vaulted ceiling to reinforce the old structure and provide a mounting surface for the countless warm white lights shining towards the various pieces of art. Likewise, the floor was polished concrete that looked far newer than the sandstone walls and, despite the roof being quite high, the interior walls were only six or so feet tall which gave the space an open and airy feel. Toward the rear of the gallery, a small group of dragons and humans stood looking at the various large paintings that hung on the white walls. Viina was about to wait for Keekzee until the hatchling began to squirm and thrash excitedly. Any hints of her previous anguish had completely vanished as she called out across the room in a loud, squeaky voice.

“Kaariyo!?” exclaimed a dark-haired man among the group. He stood next to a navy-blue stroller and did a double-take between the interior of the pram and the hatchling in Viina's jaws. “Yokatta... buji de,” he added as he abandoned the stroller and quickly jogged across the gallery with arms outstretched.

Lowering her head, Viina didn't relinquish her grip until the man had wrapped his arms under the hatchling's outstretched forelegs and smiled as the hatchling began chattering quickly in her own tongue. Letting go, she waited patiently as the hatchling recounted her tale of woe to her father, who listened with a mixed look of patience and disbelief. Only when the hatchling paused to draw breath did he reply in a tone that Viina understood. He spoke with a soft firmness that made it clear he was worried, but glad that she was safe before looking up at Viina.

“Thank you, ma’am. Kaariyo is a... ahh... free spirit,” he said with a thick accent. “I hope she didn’t cause you any trouble,” he added, and Viina was quick to shake her head. She paused as Kaariyo cut her off and continued to talk in a hurried tone before jabbing a paw in Viina's direction. “She tells me that you ruined her lunch, something about fish?” he said with a look of defeat.

“I may have given her some of MY fish, I hope that is okay,” Viina said and chuckled as the hatchling glared back at her.

“You got her to eat, for that I’m grateful,” the man said while moving the hatchling to his hip so he could give Viina a curt bow. The whole time the hatchling continued to stare at her with sharp eyes, as if she was incredibly displeased that her father would thank the ‘ness. “Thank you.” The man added as he held the bow for a moment before straightening up once more.

“It was nothing, I’m just glad she’s safe,” Viina replied and waved a paw to play down her actions. The man, however, thanked her again before readjusting his grip on his hatchling and carrying her back to the rest of the group. The others watched on and gave the man a mixture of looks, some smiling sympathetically, while others subtly shook their heads in disapproval.

“Thank fuck you found her,” Keekzee said in a hushed voice as he stepped up beside her, then nodded toward the rest of the group. “I’d lose my job if I lost a guest, especially if it was a hatchling,” he added through clenched teeth while forcing a smile at the few tourists who were looking their way.

“I ain't gonna tell anyone,” Viina said with a smile of her own and shrugged her wing stumps under her elastic harness. “Hatchlings will be hatchlings, I guess,” she added. When she looked back towards the tour group, she noticed a couple of the guests were still looking at her. Feeling somewhat self-conscious, she gave the drake a small nod farewell and turned to leave.

She had made it to the door when the black drake cleared his throat. “Ah, Viina, did you want to… join us?” Keekzee asked politely. When she looked back over her shoulder, he nodded towards the artwork. “It may not be traditional Italian art, but it's pretty good stuff.”

Glancing towards a poster hung on the wall, Viina saw a portrait of a green drake with dark, ram-like horns and a series of titles in a language she didn't recognize. In the corner of the poster, she saw the price for admission. Growing up, she hadn’t had an opportunity to be amongst the arts and wondered just how talented the artist had to be to command such a high price. Shaking her head, she looked back at Keekzee and smiled apologetically. “I'm sorry, I don't have that sort of money–”

“Oh, don't worry about that!” Keekzee said, shuffling his wings against his sides. “The company has booked the gallery for the next hour or so,” he added, tilting his forepaw to glance at the phone strapped to his leg. “I won't tell them there was an extra guest.”

Viina went to shake her head and decline. However, a large painting in the corner of the gallery caught her eye and made her pause. Unlike the many paintings that hung in sleek, modern black frames on the white walls, one painting stood alone on a timber easel and appeared as if the artist had left it half finished. However, it wasn’t the presentation of the piece that froze Viina in place, but the image of the dragoness captured within.

“Um… could I?” Viina asked, tearing her eyes from the piece to look at Keekzee.

“Of course!” he exclaimed cheerfully, his smile warm and genuine. “I was just going through the different pieces,” he added, turning around and gesturing with his folded wing for her to walk ahead.

Padding slowly into the gallery, Viina's eyes narrowed as she looked at the painting on the wooden easel. Moving closer, she took in the details of the dragon and furrowed her brow. The backdrop was a solemn mixture of blacks and blues, which only made the orange of the dragoness’ scales look even more radiant. Tilting her head to one side, Viina examined the familiar dragon’s features with confusion, a cold chill running down her spine. The piece wasn't finished, with only a simple outline of where the dragon's legs and wing arms would be. However, without the orange filling in the limbs, the dragoness in the unfinished picture looked incredibly like the brave dragoness that had saved her.

A heavy lump formed in Viina's throat as she paused in front of the painting. The longer she stared, the more she realized it wasn't Taalli. The dragoness lacked the muscular build of the Marine who had saved her in the desert; instead, the dragon's features were softer, more regal, and far more elegant. However, she also looked more youthful and unaged by war which made Viina wonder if this is what Taalli would have looked like if she hadn't enlisted. The expression that the artist had captured on her face sat heavily with Viina, the orange dragoness wasn't smiling, nor looking at the viewer. Instead, she looked toward the edge of the painting, and had a look as if she didn’t want to be there, yet had to be. With wings partially raised, she looked as if she was preparing to leave, and the slightest excuse would send her fleeing.

“A curious piece,” Keekzee said softly and Viina came back to reality as she heard the sound of pages turning. Blinking and shaking herself from her stupor, Viina turned her head and watched as Keekzee unfolded a brochure and flipped to a page. “Ah, yes, here we go. It's called ‘The one that got away.’”