When he was in his true body, a single scale was the size of my palm, but now it looked like a plump cluster of grapes, each bead set neatly in place.
"Varen, I’ll give you a kiss."
I pressed each scale with my fingertips and then touched my lips to it. The spot my lips brushed flinched.
The sensitive reaction was cute, so I brought my lips to it a few more times. Then from the thick adult male’s vocal cords came a sound I hated to hear.
"Uh..."
I froze my expression and looked at Varen; his face was flushed scarlet.
"Hey, don’t kill the mood."
"It’s not that... uh..."
"Seriously, can you be quiet?"
"Uh—just a moment. Ceryl, stop... uh..."
Ugh, I can’t stand that.
My buzz went flat and strength went out of both arms. The tail, which moved as fluidly as a snake, slipped out of my embrace.
How long had I even been holding it, that empty space in my arms was unbearably hollow. I reached out to grab the tail, but it had already hidden behind Varen’s back.
"What are you doing? Hand it here."
Varen shook his head hard, face bright red.
"Don’t kiss my tail."
Even as he said it, the tail hidden behind his back swayed. If you’re going to say no, don’t tempt me.
Drawn as if bewitched, I moved for his back, and Varen half-turned his body to hide the tail.
"My tail... my tail..."
"How is that your tail. Move, Ceryl."
"Give it back... give it back!"
I tried to grab the tail; Varen tried to dodge. Spinning in place without meaning to, we didn’t notice Kallen and Ella had come back.
"Oh my, you two really get along, don’t you. Right, Ella?"
"Frrr."
***
After a bout of commotion, night came.
Kallen was perfectly healthy, Ella’s wounds had properly healed. The dragon had recovered enough mana.
I was reluctant to leave this gentle space, but we couldn’t delay any longer. We had to arrive before the battle at Belzena Gorge began.
The Spirit returned to the cabin around sunset. He complained, saying if he took his eyes off things for a moment, humans did vile things to the river.
And he gave us the things we’d need for a long journey.
First he gave new clothes to Kallen and me. Both of us were wearing Facility uniforms full of dirt, blood, and soot.
Setting filth aside, there was nothing good about advertising that we were from the 5th Monster Containment Facility.
The new clothes were a light beige long-sleeve and dark chestnut trousers. Simple in design and easy to move in—suited my taste exactly.
Kallen bent her waist ninety degrees and thanked the Spirit.
"Grandpa, thank you so much!"
Her long, curly hair that the fire had singed and thinned out, she took the chance to cut to a short bob. The much lighter, lively style suited her well.
Smiling, the Spirit looked at Kallen’s shortened hair.
"Your voice is full of life as well. Go carefully."
Kallen’s hometown of Triven lay in the same direction as our destination, the Belzena Mountain Range.
Her home to return to was gone, but her younger siblings were living at an orphanage in the next village, she said. With the Facility burned down, she planned to see them before finding a new job.
On foot it would take a solid ten days cutting across the forest, but riding Elfera, it was a day’s journey.
Still, it weighed on me to take a child along a dangerous road.
"Kallen, traveling with a dragon will be dangerous. You don’t have to come with us."
"That’s exactly why I should come together!"
Kallen balled her small hand into a firm fist.
"I’ll protect you, Ceryl!"
"...Do I really provoke that much of a protective instinct?"
Why were there so many people saying they’d protect me.
Of course, the dragon didn’t like the company of any human but me. I soothed him, saying it wasn’t right to send a kid off alone.
Varen grumbled that nineteen wasn’t a kid. I lightly ignored him.
"For humans, it’s just bread and soup to eat, eh. Still, there should be enough for a month."
"That’s plenty."
Beyond that, the Spirit’s gifts were very useful. Especially the backpack slung over the shoulders looked light and small, but had extradimensional magic on it.
The backpack’s opening connected to the Spirit’s storeroom. If you plunged a hand in deep and rummaged, you could pull out what you wanted.
And unlike me, the Spirit was very methodical and thoroughly prepared.
After pulling Varen out of the underground, I’d planned to just run. The Spirit clicked his tongue and nearly had a fit.
"How many days can you fly?"
"Don’t know. I’ve only done it once."
"Can you find your home?"
"Who knows. If we get to the Belzena Mountain Range, we can probably find it."
Varen showed an unexpected side. Looking closely, he was as planless as I was.
The Spirit looked up at the sky and gestured. I saw a fist-sized being cross the bright full moon.
"Follow Serif. If nothing happens, you can arrive at the Aeterna Nest within a week."
"Chirp! Screee!"
"It’s located northwest in the forest. Invisible to human eyes, but if you get near, a Dravergh will recognize it."
Thus, according to the Spirit’s proposal, our first destination was set.
The “Aeterna Nest” was said to be the place where an ancient Dravergh was buried with all its power. A safe barrier was set, of course, and it was a place to fill mana fully.
Most of all, it was said we could obtain the coordinates of a dragon habitat hidden in secret somewhere in the Belzena Mountain Range.
"It’s just right for a young dragon’s first takeoff."
"I can fly even now."
"My, my. Planning to burn the forest to the ground, are you."
At the Spirit’s brief click of the tongue, Varen closed his mouth with a disgruntled face.
The forest was full of hunters who targeted dragons. Transform anywhere and you’d be found instantly. We needed a safe, unfrequented launch site.
Besides, Varen’s use of power was still unstable. It would take days of flight to reach the Belzena Mountain Range, so he had to recharge his mana beforehand.
To prevent Varen from being caught by Dragon Hunters, or a catastrophe where he blacked out mid-flight, we decided to go via a stopover. Even if it took ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) time, we chose the safe road.
"Let’s aim to arrive within a week."
"Ha-ha, I like the spirit. Have you packed all the lunch boxes?"
Smiling, the Spirit handed Ella a pouch stuffed full of carrots. Without being told, Ella snorted and slung the pouch over her back.
And Rami was adjusting to the pocket of her freshly changed clothes.
"Hyii!"
She popped her head and looked at me with bright, beady eyes. On any other day I would’ve laughed and called her cute, but today the laugh just wouldn’t come.
I decided to carry Rami’s luggage for her. I tied a small pouch at my waist, and the shadow lizard was busily packing lunch in there.
"Ugh, Rami. I told you to bring them stunned."
Through the thin cloth I could feel crickets thrashing at my left flank.
If it were just one or two I could let it go, but as the pouch filled with live insects, even I couldn’t bear it.
"Do we really have to bring all of these?"
"Hyii! Hyii!"
Rami held her head stiff and talked back. Then she skittered down into the grass and started hunting again.
"She says she’s busy; don’t talk to her."
"There are tons of crickets in the forest. Do we really have to catch them here?"
"They say the crickets of this place are especially tasty. Plump and nutty."
"Ha... must be the terroir."
The great reptile interpreted for the small one.
It was persuasive in its way, and I gave up in the end.
Fine, fine. Fresh from the source is always best.
Varen had no baggage at all. Even his clothes were the white garments he’d made himself; from the old man he’d received only a single waterskin.
The leather waterskin could be worn at the waist. It too had the Spirit’s magic on it; a spring that never ran dry bubbled within.
"When you meet the Draverghs, give them my regards."
"I will."
To the eye it was an old man and a green young man. The rude informality grated to watch, but Spirit and dragon were an ancient symbiosis—no place for a human to butt in.
With interested eyes, the Spirit looked Varen up and down. Then, lowering his voice deliberately, he murmured:
"A dragon’s growing pains last long. It’s the process of becoming an adult, so take good care of him."
"Yes, I will."
"...You’re the one who’ll have it rough."
The mischievous smile turned to me. I’d expected hardship, so I only gave a light shrug.
Those departing and the one staying exchanged their last farewells. The Spirit offered final counsel.
"These days Dragon Hunters hire magicians. The concealment spells of the skilled are sometimes beyond even my notice. Be especially careful."
It was a premise that had made me grind my teeth even reading the original.
Growing ever more cunning, humans hired magicians for monster hunts. Erasing their presence completely with magic, they approached dragons, and at the moment the startled dragon took to the sky, they hurled harpoons and captured them.
"Don’t worry. I can smell humans from a hundred kilometers away."
Varen threw out his already thick chest. Then he subtly watched my reaction.
Ugh, tiresome.
"Wow, as expected of a Dravergh. The best dragon."
I clapped a soulless applause. Varen lifted the tip of his chin, triumphant.
Now it was truly time to go. I bowed my head to the Spirit to convey all my thanks.
"Thank you so much for saving us."
"I too had fun for the first time in a while."
It had been only a day, but the grace we’d received from the Spirit was great. It wasn’t something a token offering could repay.
"I don’t know if we’ll meet again, but I will repay this kindness."
As always, the Spirit burst into hearty laughter at my words.
"May we meet next time with good news."
For the last time, I took in the space whose bright life-force shone even in the dark night.
And I looked in turn at the huge dragon, the bob-haired girl, the snow-white horse, and the pitch-black lizard.
"Let’s go, everyone."
This strange party’s journey was only just beginning.
