Because of his size, his voice thundered. My shoulders flinched on instinct.
I scowled at the absurdity of it, and Varen glared back, huffing angrily. Was kissing Rami really something to react to like that?
“Shut up, idiot.”
I replied lightly and started to walk away, but Varen suddenly grabbed both my arms. His grip was tight enough that I thought I’d bruise even from that brief hold.
“Hey, that hurts. What are you doing.”
“You told me not to kiss you.”
His voice crackled with anger, and all I could do was let out a hollow laugh.
A giant reptile jealous of a tiny reptile. Sounds like the pampered life of ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ a blessed pet owner—except when he’s in human form, it’s a whole different problem.
“I don’t want it when you’re human. I’ll kiss you when you’re a dragon.”
“Why? Why don’t you want it? I want to kiss you too.”
Ugh. I almost gagged in his face.
Varen stared without even blinking, eyes fixed on my face, then flicking toward my lips.
“...Give me one too.”
A shiver rippled from my scalp to my soles.
If he were in his gorgeous golden dragon form, maybe—maybe—it’d be tolerable. But a human-shaped slab-door whining for a kiss was just overwhelming.
“Move, damn it. You’re creepy.”
Even as I said it, Varen kept shoving his face at me. Too close to even punch properly—I had to block him with my hands.
“I want—”
“Ugh, stop being gross! Move!”
I finally managed to push his face back, and in that moment, something about the heat against my palm felt wrong.
“Huh? Why are you this hot.”
Beyond warm—feverish. I cupped both his cheeks with my hands. I felt his forehead, then checked mine with my other hand.
Varen, who had been insisting on leaning in, suddenly went still. He quietly rested his face in my palms.
“Dragons naturally have high body temperature.”
“I know that, but this is hotter than when you’re a dragon. Does your temperature rise when you humanize?”
“I don’t know.”
His skin felt like an electric blanket set to its highest level. I couldn’t tell if humanization raised his temperature or if he was running an actual fever. But no creature should naturally be this hot—fear pricked at me.
If I’d known, I would have touched him earlier, back when he first humanized. Without knowing his baseline, I couldn’t diagnose anything. Regardless, this heat wasn’t normal.
“You’re running a fever. Anything hurting?”
“Dragons don’t get sick.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. Let me check.”
I hesitated. Was I supposed to evaluate him like an animal or like a human?
For now, I flipped his eyelid. Fine blood vessels were visible in the sclera.
“What are you doing.”
“Open your mouth. Say ah.”
Varen obediently parted his lips. It wasn’t wide enough, so I grabbed his jaw and forced it open.
Inside, his tongue was bright red and dry. A clear sign of fever.
“My mouth... why are you—”
“Checking your pulse.”
I pressed my fingers beside his airway under the jaw. Thump-thump—unstable and too fast. Without a stethoscope, I leaned my ear to the left side of his chest to hear it clearly.
“C-Ceryl. What are you—”
“Shh. Don’t talk.”
Even in dragon form, Varen’s heartbeat had always been irregular with its heavy thudding. But right now, it was almost racing in frantic bursts.
So his heart stayed reptilian even when he humanized. I hardened my expression. Varen, meanwhile, gently placed a hand on my waist and whispered.
“The little one is watching....”
Sure enough, Rami was standing on my shoulder, eyes glowing with excitement. Apparently, inspecting a giant reptile was thrilling.
When I pulled back to look at Varen, his face had grown redder. His fever was rising in real time, and anxiety tightened inside me.
“You definitely have a fever. You pushed yourself too hard since yesterday.”
Varen’s ears were burning red as he lowered his gaze. Even his vitality signs were dropping rapidly.
“Let’s just get to the mountaintop. If there’s a hiding place on the way, we’ll rest.”
“Why the mountaintop.”
“The forest is crawling with soldiers and hunters. If you try to transform now, harpoons will come flying from every direction. We’ll hide until sundown and run.”
I patted his shoulder and started walking. Varen trudged behind.
“Run?”
“Yes. You’ll have to ascend vertically as fast as you can. Before the humans get a chance to throw harpoons.”
Dragons are unmatched once airborne, but the moment they start flying is their weak point. Heavy bodies don’t lift instantly—they have to flap for a while at low altitude.
Dragon Hunters waited for that single vulnerable second and threw their harpoons. The weapon itself didn’t wound much, but the net attached would tangle around the wings and capture the dragon.
“When night comes, most of them will be asleep. There’ll be a watch, but it’s safer than daytime. And starting from high ground lowers the chance of being surrounded.”
“Understood.”
“By the way, when you transform, can you do it quietly without blasting wind?”
“I can.”
“Good. Then I can mount you right away.”
Minimizing ground time was crucial to avoid a sudden capture.
If he released a heatwave while transforming, I wouldn’t be able to stay close. It was a relief I wouldn’t need to retreat and spend precious time running back to him.
While I mapped the plan seriously, Varen grabbed my wrist again. His red face and bright blue eyes shone with earnestness.
“You’re coming with me?”
“...Hm?”
“To the Belzena Mountains. Are you coming with me?”
I hadn’t actually said it aloud yet, had I? Despite his size, his expression was that of a hopeful, young creature brimming with expectation.
I snorted softly and tapped his warm cheek.
“Yeah. I can’t send you alone without worrying.”
“...Really?”
I had many reasons to go with him. The biggest was that I no longer had a reason to stay here—and a part of me wanted to see dragons gathered in flocks.
“Don’t get too excited. It’s basically a parent-teacher conference.”
Odds were high I’d have to hand him over directly to his parents. If their kidnapped son returned half-witted and strange, they’d be alarmed—human sins had to be confessed by a human.
“Let’s go. We should move before sunset.”
I answered firmly and headed forward again. Varen followed quietly, and Rami pricked her senses, keeping watch for approaching humans.
***
The scorching midday sun was softened by the conifers overhead. Even so, after climbing the mountain path for a long time, my breath grew ragged.
“Hoo... let’s walk a little more, then rest when we find cover.”
“Ha... ha... okay.”
Varen’s answer was overlapped with harsh breath. Alarmed, I turned to look and saw sweat pouring off him like rain.
I rushed over and touched his forehead. He’d been hot before, but now he was burning like a furnace. There was no shelter here, but climbing further was impossible.
I sat him against a large rock and wiped his sweat with my sleeve. His breaths were shallow, and his fever-bright eyes unfocused.
“You’re getting worse. Can you stay human until night?”
“Ha... I’ll be fine.”
“Just rest here. I’ll go find water.”
I needed something to cool him down. But as soon as I moved to stand, Varen grabbed my clothing.
Was he afraid of being alone? When I looked down, he was staring fixedly at something.
“A human... is coming.”
I lowered my voice and looked in that direction.
“How many? Hunters?”
“One... ha... a dying human.”
Dragon Hunters and border guards never moved alone. Even reconnaissance was done in pairs.
But one person? A dying human approaching? It made no sense.
At that moment, Rami—who had been calm on my shoulder—began bouncing wildly.
“Hyiung! Hyiung!”
“Rami, what’s wrong?”
“Hyiung!!”
In excitement, she leapt off me and dove into my pocket.
I whirled, trying to find her, but she had vanished somewhere without a trace.
“Ha... Elfera....”
At the three syllables from Varen’s lips, my heart dropped. I knelt and grabbed his face.
“What did you just say?”
“Elfera... is coming with them.”
Elfera was not a common monster. They didn’t even travel in groups.
If an Elfera was in this forest, the odds were high it was one I knew.
“Stay here. Just a moment—I’ll be back.”
Before Varen could grab me again, I sprinted like mad. While I ran toward where he’d been looking, Rami suddenly returned to my shoulder, guiding my direction.
Breath burst in my lungs and my heart thundered painfully. I ran and ran until a narrow path appeared—
And at the end of it, a familiar shape limped toward me. Even though I’d healed her, she was dragging her hind leg again.
“...Ella!”
I rushed to her; Ella recognized me and gave a joyful phu-hng.
But something was wrong. Her silky white coat was smeared with black soot, her shining mane singed.
And another thing. On her back—where she never allowed anyone—was a girl with orange hair.
“Kallen!”
I quickly lifted Kallen down from Ella’s back. Her long curly hair had burned into uneven short patches, and her old uniform was charred black.
I laid her gently on the ground and checked her breathing. A faint breath touched my fingertips.
“...She’s alive.”
My eyes burned. I had prayed—begged—for mercy. But it wasn’t a god who answered my plea.
I stood and checked Ella next. She was exhausted, and a large burn scar marred her left hind leg.
My throat tightened. I clenched my teeth to hold back tears and stroked her head gently.
“You... saved Kallen?”
Despite her exhaustion, Ella’s tail swayed weakly.
I finally broke. Worthless human that I was—I hadn’t even thought of Kallen. Yet this monster had torn through fire to rescue a human. Emotions I couldn’t describe welled up.
“Ugh... Ella... I’m sorry... thank you... thank you so much....”
“Phu-hng.”
Ella rubbed her head against me as I clung to her, crying. The smell of scorched fur stabbed my heart.
Then I heard an unfamiliar strangled sound.
“Ggh... ghhk....”
I turned—and saw Kallen suspended in midair. Her bare feet dangled.
Slowly lifting my gaze in shock, I found Varen standing there. I didn’t even know when he’d followed us. He was holding Kallen by the neck with one hand.
“What are you doing! Put her down!”
I grabbed the thick arm holding her, but it didn’t budge. My frustration flared hot and sharp.
What the hell was wrong with this bastard? Anger management issues?
“You—seriously! Are you ever going to stop grabbing people by the throat?!”
I screamed, but the reply was a voice that had turned cold and flat.
“I know this human.”
His blue eyes—clouded earlier with fever—now shone with murderous clarity.
“She’s the one who used to bring me the corpses of my kin as feed.”
