As Erin Solstice sat with the [Alchemist] named Octavia in a warm room in the city of Celum, another girl ran through the snow far to the south. She had been running for a long time\u2014before Erin had even woken up, in truth, but she ran on with wild abandon.<\/p>\n
Most runners conserved their energy; measured their pace and thought of distances to traverse, and of caution and prudence. They treated their bodies as finite resources. But Ryoka Griffin ran as though there would not be another ten minutes, let alone a tomorrow. She didn\u2019t think beyond each step; her bloody feet churned through the snow as she ran the icy road from Liscor north.<\/p>\n
She had known pain before. She had felt it in her heart, in her fragile limbs and from a thousand races and competitions and injuries. But now the agony of her heart was making even the urgent, biting thunder in her legs and chest grow silent. She had to keep running. She had to get there in time.<\/p>\n
She ran north, gasping for air. She ignored the group of Goblins who spotted her and chased after her for a few paces. She ignored the people on the road; merchants and even groups of adventurers who called out. She ran with only one purpose in mind.<\/p>\n
To avoid being too late.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
—-<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Never again. I swear it. Never again, I swore.<\/p>\n
Time and time again I\u2019ve said the same things, made the same promises. My broken oaths litter my past, and the dead claw at my heels. I feel like I walk in circles; repeating the same story towards infinity.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t break free. I can\u2019t stop it. I make friends and lose them. No; until this point I didn\u2019t have friends. It was just me driving the nail into my skin, waiting for my skin to fester and rot. I would throw myself into challenges and cast everything to the wind because there was nothing worth clinging to.<\/p>\n
At least, in my mind. But when I finally looked up and saw what was worth holding onto, it slipped from my fingers like starlight in the harsh light of the truth.<\/p>\n
I ran for my friends and found only blood and bones before my eyes. Piles of bloodied rags in the darkness. Memory in shadow. It hardly seems like they\u2019re gone. The lack of any goodbye haunts me.<\/p>\n
I fell down and the Stone Spearstribe lifted me out of the cold. They offered me a hand\u2014a paw\u2014and lit a fire to ward away the cold. They died to destiny and monsters, fighting alone against a horde led by the Goblin with empty eyes.<\/p>\n
And one last time, yes, one last time I run. Onwards, to save a friend who made a place to live in a world filled with monsters and magic. She built a place to keep my heart, and I brought death to her doorstep.<\/p>\n
Is that my fate? Is that the price I pay? The cruelest of fates would be that. If destiny could read my mind, it would know that punishing others for my transgressions would hurt me most. If that is the case, why shouldn\u2019t I run far away, far away and find a place where I will be alone forever?<\/p>\n
I tried that once. But people who loved me found me. I tried it twice, and they still brought me back. Was it truly love, or just the need to fulfill their duties as parents and guardians in a society that judged?<\/p>\n
I should have asked, even if it meant listening to lies.<\/p>\n
\u2026<\/p>\n
I have one last card to play. My deck is nearly empty. I thought I had a full hand of cards, but each one has flown away into a sky full of regrets. Some nights I stand on a hill full of yellow bones and wonder who will bury me in the dark earth when I die.<\/p>\n
I have nightmares about that. Not of dying; I never did. But now I fear I will outlive everyone around me.<\/p>\n
My fingers hurt. My lungs hurt. My feet\u2014<\/p>\n
At some point I think I decided the boots I was using were slowing me down too much. I threw away the coat and hat and everything else with it around the same time. I run through the snow. My feet burn with the cold; a terrible prickling pain trending towards numbness. Frostbite awaits, a dark little creature holding oblivion in one claw.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t care. I run on, as fast as I can. I don\u2019t even remember how long it\u2019s been. I knew I had to get to Teriarch right away; but it will take at least a day of running straight out to get there.<\/p>\n
Too slow. I might die before I reach him. So many things could happen. But I have to run as fast as I can.<\/p>\n
If Erin is dead, then I really am lost.<\/p>\n
How do I know she\u2019s even in trouble? I can\u2019t tell. She could have wandered off and simply not come back.<\/p>\n
She could be dead.<\/p>\n
It could be a thousand and one things or none of them. But as I was thinking, the terror of it came over me. When did I\u2014? I\u2019ve never been this afraid. Not of anything. But the thought of losing someone else makes me run even faster than I do now.<\/p>\n
Running alone through the snow, blurring past people on the road who stare at me in surprise. Running, running.<\/p>\n
But they follow me even so. So I guess I\u2019m not alone.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she trying to run fast?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think she is! But she is so slow, <\/em>isn\u2019t she sisters?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, so slow! Slow like dripping sap and ice melt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I grit my teeth. But they\u2019re with me, as always. I look left and see a faerie lazily flying by my side. She laughs at me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHuffing and puffing away. Do you think it will help?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere. Is. Erin?\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie stares at me. I stare back. For once, this is a contest I can\u2019t win. After a few seconds I stare back at the road, just in time to dodge past a large stone.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHuman. Have ye not heard us the last hundred times we\u2019ve said it? We do not interfere in mortal affairs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLiar.\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie flips over and stares at me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMm. True. But we do not break our oaths that easily.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou broke them once for me and Mrsha. Just tell me if Erin\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd why would we do that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don\u2019t snap at them. Don\u2019t yell. I breathe in and taste the blood as the cold air rushes into my lungs.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you care? She made you food. She likes<\/em> you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe is still mortal. She is one among countless many. Why does she matter more?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe matters to me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s too much. I stop in the snow, slowing down and trying not to tumble as I start to skid. I stare at my feet in the snow and only notice now that I\u2019ve left a trail. I lift one foot and see pink, red flesh. Blood begins to drip out of the white-red gashes on my feet, but slowly. The cold makes even losing blood hard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOoh, she bleeds!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some of the faeries flying around me fly closer. I wave them away, but they just fly around my leg, pulling faces at me. I stare at them.<\/p>\n \u201cHelp me. If you won\u2019t help me find Erin, help me reach my destination quicker. I know you can.\u201d<\/p>\n I still remember the rushing air around me, the coldness in my bones, and the feeling\u2014of flying. The night I ran through the Goblin Army to safety with the faeries\u2014how far did I go? Each step felt like I was running into forever. The world felt still around me and I felt like I understood running like I never had before.<\/p>\n I need the same thing now. Erin could be injured, betrayed by her damn skeleton. Or maybe it failed her and a monster got her. Or if she crashed the sledge\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin lies on the ground. The blood from her head stains the snow. She\u2019s looking around, calling out for her skeleton. I hear a growl, and then a Carn Wolf pads over to her. It sniffs at her and then bites, engulfing her head in its huge mouth. Muffled as it is, I hear a <\/em>scream\u2014<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n I shudder. My dreams were like this last night. I keep seeing\u2014<\/p>\n I have to run faster. I look at the faeries. They\u2019re hovering around me, giving me skeptical and incredulous looks. One of them floats nearer to my face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou beg a favor with naught to offer? Nay, you beg to alter destiny? Have you no shame?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n I meet her eyes squarely. The faerie shakes her head at me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNothing is free. We are not gods! This fate you fear is your<\/em> duty to change, mortal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Ryoka Griffin.\u201d<\/p>\n She gives me an old look.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDust.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe fed<\/em> you. She built her inn out of copper<\/em> to please you! She\u2019s the only damn person in this world worth saving! Don\u2019t you care!?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n I scream at them. The faeries hover in the cold air, and I feel it grow colder. My feet don\u2019t really feel like anything anymore. But I don\u2019t look away from them.<\/p>\n This time, the high-pitched voice is gone. The voice that comes out of the glittering diamond of a body is lower, and it echoes. Something else is speaking. Or perhaps it\u2019s the true form of the faerie that even Erin and I can\u2019t see.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe care. Watch your tongue, mortal. We care<\/em>. We care like pouring rain and a new shoot\u2019s blossom. We care for fires\u2019 burn and for scurrying things caught by flood and fang. We care for the fading earth and the sigh of a dying breeze. We care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo stop asking!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A snowball hits me in the face. This one has shards which cut and burn. I wipe away the snow and feel myself bleeding. Around me, the fey are hovering. Watching.<\/p>\n \u201cI know there are rules. I know destiny exacts casualty for every action. But if that is the nature of this world, why not cheat? Why not\u2014break the rules and act without consequence? I bet you can.\u201d<\/p>\n Scornful looks. One of the faeries flies closer. I think I know her. I think I\u2019ve been talking to her most of the time. She looks like the others, but\u2014<\/p>\n She taps me on the nose and everything freezes for a second. I stumble backwards and clap my hands to my face. She shakes her head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou really know nothing, do you? Did ye ever think that even we have enemies? Did you not think that the rules exist for a reason? You could not even dream<\/em> of those who would call the fair folk their enemy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what?\u201d<\/p>\n The faerie blinks at me. I swing at her and she lazily flips over my hand. She doesn\u2019t look offended. I breathe heavily out of my mouth; my nose feels numb.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the point of rules if you can\u2019t do anything? If\u2014if your version of morality doesn\u2019t consider Humans important, it\u2019s broken. If that\u2019s what you believe, you can all go to hell.\u201d<\/p>\n I raise my middle finger and flip all the faeries off. They stare at me.<\/p>\n \u201cIt matters. Now matters. If we\u2019re so insignificant and you can\u2019t do anything, why are you following me?\u201d<\/p>\n The faeries exchange a glance. And then four more fly down with the first faerie. They speak right on top of each other.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause we are bored.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause you defy the fates.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause of a grain of sand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause you would challenge Gods.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause we can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I look at them.<\/p>\n \u201cThen help. You can\u2019t just watch. There\u2019s a cost, even for the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the faeries blinks. The others scratch at their heads.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere is?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n My heart beats again. I hear it, but my mind is racing. I grasp for straws.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course there is. The audience is never silent. They gasp and encourage or boo the actors. And sometimes they help. Sometimes they change the story.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMm. True. She speaks the truth!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the faeries says that. The other smacks her, eliciting a cry of pain. The second faerie glares at me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou have asked much already. Too much! If we do all for you, what purpose do you<\/em> serve?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n She\u2019s right. I stare at her. I have been asking for their help. I should have been taking care of everything myself.<\/p>\n Without a word I keep running. Something in my body screams, and I swear, it feels like things are breaking<\/em>\u2014snapping apart in my legs. But I keep running nevertheless.<\/p>\n Faster. I have to run\u2014<\/p>\n A faerie flies by my side. The same one as before. She looks at me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYe really are slow, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n I close my eyes. It was the only thing I was proud of. But it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n \u201cI know.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n A bit faster. I pump my arms, and my foot pushes off the ground. I can\u2019t really feel them. But who cares?<\/p>\n This might be my last chance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Erin backs away from a skeleton with a sword. It grins at her, empty sockets flashing with purple life. She raises her arms, but it runs her through. Blood bubbles out of her mouth and she grasps at the skeleton. It yanks the sword back and pieces of her come with it. It slowly raises the dripping blade and\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Faster. I gasp and cry and run. Just once, please. Please God, or anyone who\u2019s listening. Just let me save one more person.<\/p>\n I did it once. Mrsha. I paid a price. I\u2019ll do it again. No matter what I have to give up. Faeries and Dragons. Immortals. I\u2019ll offer whatever it takes.<\/p>\n But how? I know who might find her. But how can I convince him to help me?<\/p>\n It\u2019s like part of me is screaming at once, running with a thousand emotions in my heart. But another side of me sits in silence, listening to the rushing wind. That other Ryoka in me is thinking. Even if I get to Teriarch in time, how do I convince him?<\/p>\n He\u2019s proud. He\u2019s a Dragon. I\u2019m nothing. He might erase my mind or kill me in an instant. What could I offer him?<\/p>\n Think. Dragons. Old. Immortals. Timeless. Pride?<\/p>\n No. Greed? Wisdom? The desire of immortals is\u2026what does a Dragon want? Virgins on stakes? Cow steaks? Money? Magical items?<\/p>\n It\u2019s impossible. But I have to think of something. Something that would tempt even a Dragon?<\/p>\n The oldest kind. The oldest games. Something timeless. Pride. Challenge the Dragon. Sacrifice and risk. A magic sword.<\/p>\n I\u2014old. He\u2019s old. And he\u2019s prideful? Yes. Something\u2019s there.<\/p>\n Hold on. Pride. Magic sword. Magic? Magic\u2026the oldest games?<\/p>\n Hang on.<\/p>\n I think I know what I have to do. If I can ask him that\u2014how did it go? Red house. Owning cats? Fish?<\/p>\n Try to remember. Cryptology club. Middle school. So long ago. I can reconstruct it. Think of it.<\/p>\n My mind is fuzzy. I\u2019m so tired. How long have I been running? Where did my shoes go? I feel numb. It\u2019s a bad sign. But I\u2019m still running. It feels like it\u2019s been over a day. Or maybe it\u2019s been a few hours?<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter. I can feel the cold wind touching my half-healed stumps. I\u2019ve already lost something. I\u2019ve not lost enough. I would give away the rest if it means I\u2019m not too late for once.<\/p>\n I have to be there in time.<\/p>\n It\u2019s so cold.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n High above the girl, the faeries fly in the cold sky. They stare down at her and consider what she\u2019s said. They debate in words no Human could ever understand, and think of what might happen and might be.<\/p>\n A faint wind blows. It pushes the girl, though she doesn\u2019t feel it. It is not a wind that touches the skin. It makes her run across the ground, through the snow, and yet, somehow, her path is shorter than before. She runs the same distance the same way, and yet the wind makes her arrive a bit faster than she would have otherwise. That\u2019s all.<\/p>\n The faeries fly after her, savoring the breeze. Then they fly up, and one speaks. She declaims to the world, to the others, her voice high and carrying.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Tis so often we see on high that it is like rain.<\/span><\/p>\n The thing that kings dream of and heroes possess;<\/span><\/p>\n An end or beginning of such tales, which mortals call doom.<\/span><\/p>\n The birthright of tragedy; a speck of hope in despair.<\/span><\/p>\n As blades of grass are crushed \u2018neath heedless foot<\/span><\/p>\n So too shall the skein of woven fate<\/span><\/p>\n Crumble and break<\/span><\/p>\n Upon this earth.<\/span><\/p>\n Yet for this one, the star shines brightest now,<\/span><\/p>\n At fire\u2019s waning and the moment hammer strikes.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018Twill spell her fate, the wretched child<\/span><\/p>\n Who would dice upon the table of worlds with Gods.<\/span><\/p>\n But quick, we fly on!<\/span><\/p>\n To bear witness for friendship burgeoning.<\/span><\/p>\n And let the oldest stories rise again.<\/span><\/p>\n Lo! We declare such immortal words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The other faeries looked at each other. One spoke.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLord, what fools these mortals be!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n They flew off after Ryoka. And in moments, hours, in due time, she reached the High Passes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTeriarch!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n The girl screamed. The Dragon watched with magic, one eye cracked the tiniest fraction of the way open. His spells had woken him from his slumber, and now he stared at the girl running through the deathly path between the mountains.<\/p>\n Shouting.<\/p>\n He\u2019d thought she was at least partly intelligent. Didn\u2019t she know what shouting would bring? She wasn\u2019t even using that foul potion this time. Already the wolves were following, and the goats had begun to descend. A few more steps and she would wake darker things with her noise.<\/p>\n He sighed. He didn\u2019t feel like dealing with Humans today. Already he\u2019d been pestered by Reinhart\u2019s messages. He just wanted to sleep. But he had sent something with her, hadn\u2019t he? Something important?<\/p>\n Oh yes, the letter. He\u2019d thought about it for a while. Had it arrived? Teriarch thought of Perril Chandler. Yes, the mage was a nuisance, but the letter was the important thing. He had to know if it had arrived safely.<\/p>\n The Dragon grumbled, but the girl was stumbling. And there were those blasted fae with her as well. But it couldn\u2019t be helped.<\/p>\n He stirred himself, spoke a word. A man appeared in the room; standing with an irritated expression on his face. Teriarch focused, and the man walked back a few paces. There. He looked normal, didn\u2019t he? Teriarch had a thought and glanced at the cave wall.<\/p>\n Right. Shadow. He flicked his tail and his shadow vanished. That should do it.<\/p>\n He looked back at his image of the high passes. He couldn\u2019t focus on the girl; her blasted name still didn\u2019t work. But he could still see her from high overhead. He spoke another word. The girl in the magic spell vanished, and she was standing before him.<\/p>\n She stumbled; stared around in shock. The fae were already chattering to him in tinny voices that hurt his ears. Teriarch grumbled and spoke another word. The flitting immortals didn\u2019t freeze, but the girl did. That was something.<\/p>\n Teriarch cleared his throat. Below him, the magical copy did the same. He saw the Human representation of himself raise his hand to cast the next spell.<\/p>\n All he had to do was say a few words. Teriarch didn\u2019t know what the spell would be called with the magic system Humans used. [Greater Geas] was probably close enough; he doubted the girl would ever meet a mage capable of casting the same.<\/p>\n The Dragon took a breath. He only had to say those words. Then he could ask her all the questions he wanted. She wouldn\u2019t be able to throw off his magic if he used more force. He only had to do that.<\/p>\n But then the Dragon smelled the blood. It was such a faint odor at first, almost masked by the scent of the fae and snow and sweat and ice. And he was used to smelling blood from the things in the High Passes. But this blood was fresh, and close.<\/p>\n Teriarch stared at the girl. Blood was pooling around her feet, running in the warmth of his cave. It ran from her feet, but he couldn\u2019t see any wounds on her body. He stared at her feet.<\/p>\n Two words. He only had to say them. But Teriarch hesitated, and that made all the difference. It was such a small thing. But it meant\u2026<\/p>\n Everything.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYour feet.\u201d<\/p>\n I stare at the old man, unable to move. I throw myself against the spell that holds me, trying to move any muscle in my body. Hell, I\u2019d release my bowel control if it meant getting his attention. But the full-body paralyze spell freezes even those<\/em> muscles.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t let him send me away. I have to resist whatever he does. I have to resist. Don\u2019t lose focus. Don\u2019t give in. Don\u2019t\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to your feet?\u201d<\/p>\n I blink at him. I can move again. I stare down at my feet and see the blood.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot of it. It stains the perfect, lovely marble floor. I raise my foot and slowly stare at it.<\/p>\n Ruined. Flesh is torn. I stare at the bottom of my feet and try to remember what they\u2019re supposed to look like. My feet always had calluses, and Mom used to say that they looked awful. But now\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cHah.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not quite a laugh. I just stare at what used to be my soles and shrug. I look at Teriarch. The old man is staring at my feet. His haughty look is gone.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n He looks at me, surprised. I just stare back. They really don\u2019t matter. Not right now. But he shakes his head.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough. [Mend].\u201d<\/p>\n He points at my feet, and I feel a shock<\/em> that goes through my core. It feels like something bright flashes through me. If bright could be a feeling\u2014<\/p>\n Suddenly, the terrible numbness in my feet and my legs fades. I feel pain, and then not even that. I wiggle my toes, able to wiggle them after that feeling vanished.<\/p>\n Blink. Blink. My toes waggle in the blood around my feet. Teriarch speaks again, and then the blood begins to flow away.<\/p>\n I turn around and see the blood flowing away, back towards the cavern entrance. One of the faeries laughs and chases after it.<\/p>\n \u201cThere. Kindly do not track\u2014kindly do not bleed in my domain again.\u201d<\/p>\n This time, I look at Teriarch and realize how frozen and tired I\u2019d been before. Now my mind feels like it\u2019s racing at its peak. No\u2014I feel better than I have in years<\/em>. What magic was that?<\/p>\n No. Focus. Standing before me is a Dragon. Remember that.<\/p>\n But now that I\u2019m in front of him, the old man seems far realer than my belief in Dragons. Just looking at him erodes my confidence in my memories. I remember them clearly but he looks\u2014<\/p>\n He looks good, okay? Like, really good*.<\/p>\n *Like the kind of person we wish we could be. Like a model, something to strive for. Even if it\u2019s an illusion, it\u2019s art in its own way. He makes me remember my imperfections.<\/p>\n But I have to focus. Erin.<\/p>\n The thought of her is the shock I need. I blink and grit my teeth so hard my gums hurt<\/em>. Teriarch stares at me in silence for a few moments. What should I say first?<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I must congratulate you for punctuality, I suppose. You took longer than I had hoped, but you are clearly dedicated to your duties.\u201d<\/p>\n I stare at him. What? What\u2019s he\u2014<\/p>\n Oh. Oh right. The letter. I\u2019d barely remembered that.<\/p>\n Human Teriarch sighs. He waves a hand and a bag appears and gold coins appear out of the air and drop into it. A lot of coins for such a small bag*.<\/p>\n *A bag of holding? No\u2014focus.<\/em> Why do I feel so\u2014so distracted? I was\u2014was I depressed? Did that spell actually normalize my brain chemistry or something? Focus, Ryoka*.<\/p>\n **But I want to smile. I want to laugh. What the\u2014I feel so good. What is this? I\u2019ll take it, whatever it is. I can do this.<\/p>\n The old man waves the bag and it drifts towards me. He looks me in the eye, his heterochromic eyes hypnotizing.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeak the truth\u2026messenger.\u201d<\/p>\n Did he just forget my name? Teriarch clears his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cI assume that you fulfilled my request and delivered both ring and letter to Perril Chandler?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n He nods.<\/p>\n \u201cWas there any response? I doubt it, but the man might surprise me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. He\u2026read the letter and said it was an appropriate gift.\u201d<\/p>\n While he was making a horrific monstrosity over my head. Don\u2019t mention that part! Just speak the truth. But half-truths. Yeah.<\/p>\n Teriarch looks vaguely pleased. He nods, but then flicks his fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it took a bit of thought. And with that, I should be fine for another hundred\u2026blast, what about Reinhart? Hmm\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Unless Magnolia\u2019s older than I thought, Teriarch believes in thinking ahead a lot more than a Human. And he\u2019s pretty damn optimistic too, unless Humans live longer than they do in our world.<\/p>\n But then the old man pretending to be a mage looks back at me, and my spine stiffens. It\u2019s not a spell; I\u2019m just tense. I have to speak. I open my mouth, but then the bag flies towards me. I catch it instinctively.<\/p>\n \u201cThere. Eight hundred gold pieces, as agreed. I believe it should serve you well. Now, I will send you back to your city or hovel or wherever you please.\u201d<\/p>\n He waves a hand and then hesitates.<\/p>\n \u201cAh. [Open Portal]?\u201d<\/p>\n Did he just cast magic without using a spell? The shimmering magic of golden motes that begins to swirl around me started before<\/em> he said those words. But that\u2019s not important.<\/p>\n \u201cWait!\u201d<\/p>\n He looks irritated.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it this time? I will not renegotiate\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Is now the time for it? No, no time to hesitate. I point at Teriarch, straight at his chest.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2026you are a Dragon, aren\u2019t you.\u201d<\/p>\n He freezes. The air freezes. For a moment the world goes s\u2014<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOoh! She said it!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShh! Quiet!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n That came from overhead. I barely process the voices, though. Neither, seemingly, does Teriarch. He stares at me. At last, he clears his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cDragon? What? You must be\u2026I\u2019m not a Dragon.<\/em> Hah. You must be mistaken.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh my\u2014he sucks<\/em> at acting! I stare at Teriarch. He stares back.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t lie to me. I know you\u2019re a Dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a Dragon. You\u2019re mistaken. I\u2019m uh, an [Archmage]. You must have confused my noble disposition with a Dragon\u2019s\u2026somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know you cast some kind of memory spell on me. I broke it and remembered<\/em>. You. Are. A. Dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n The white brows of the old man draw together.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s impossible! No Human could\u2014wait a second. Did Magnolia interfere? Is this one of her\u2026pranks?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA Courier had a powerful charm. It broke the enchantment on me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA Courier? One of them had\u2014but my spells\u2014was it a directly applied magic, or some kind of non-renewable sealed spell? I suppose my magic might<\/em> have been compromised by a interwoven spell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The old man begins to mumble. Again, I\u2019m a bit taken aback. He sounds grouchy, now, not like a Dragon. But after a few more seconds the old man looks at me. Shit. He\u2019s going to\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cAnyways, you are mistaken. I am not a Dragon. I am just a\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch\u2019s eyes widen and then my fist crunches<\/em> as it meets his perfect nose. It was a good punch; I stepped in and hit him with my best shot. With my left hand. My right one is still missing those fingers even after the spell.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve gotta admit, even though part of me feels bad for hitting someone who looks like he\u2019s four times my age, I enjoy that immensely. Add that<\/em> to my gravestone*.<\/p>\n *Ryoka Griffin, 1995 \u2013 2017. \u201cNever knew when to shut up. Also, punched a Dragon.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The old man stumbles backwards. I blink. What? He raises a hand to his nose and looks at the blood gushing from one nostril.<\/p>\n Oh no. Oh shit. I didn\u2019t\u2014he\u2019s human?<\/em> But I thought\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cHmf. Humans are so violent.\u201d<\/p>\n And then the old man in front of me wavers, and vanishes. The blood, the odor of his body, even the presence<\/em> of him, the faint sense that something is there all vanishes in an instant.<\/p>\n And then I see the Dragon.<\/p>\n There are no words. It\u2019s a Dragon. What else can I say? And yet, and yet\u2026how insufficient the word is for him.<\/p>\n A Dragon. A wyrm. A being of scales and fire. An immortal creature or at least an ancient one in most mythoi. Ostensibly a large lizard with wings when you get right down to it. But the reality of one is different.<\/p>\n The Dragon lounges in the cavernous cave, the place that could hold a military aircraft hangar with ease, and makes the room feel cramped<\/em>. He stretches out,\u00a0 serpentine tail coiling around some of the magical artifacts piled up in his room. He\u2019s not sleeping on a pile of gold a la<\/em> Smaug\u2014rather, he\u2019s just lying on the ground, using his claws as a pillow.<\/p>\n Yes, he looks more like a dragon depicted in Western culture than an Oriental dragon. But instead of horns on his head he has a mane that looks like someone\u2019s taken molten bronze and turned it into some kind of living hair.<\/p>\n Oh yeah. His scales are bronze. A deep bronze\u2014and let me be clear, when I mean bronze, I don\u2019t mean the color people think of as bronze. I mean bronze as it truly looks when it\u2019s worked properly:<\/p>\n Golden.<\/p>\n The light. Oh, the light. Even the sun doesn\u2019t look as beautiful as this color. The faint light in the cavern reflects off his scales and turns the entire cavern a slightly odd shade. He glows <\/em>in the light, and his mane is luminous as the rest of him.<\/p>\n And now the Dragon\u2014Teriarch raises his head. When I first saw him he looked almost as if he was sleeping, but now he sits up, and spreads his wings slightly. I step back and stare up, up, up<\/em>, into two mismatched eyes that pierce me to the core.<\/p>\n This is a Dragon. This is Teriarch\u2019s true nature, in front of me at last. He still defies words. We have so many, but what could really describe what I\u2019m seeing?<\/p>\n Serpent. Wyrm. Drake. Arach. Naga. Ormr. Tann\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n Wait a second, I\u2019ve done this before.<\/p>\n I break out of the spell. I\u2019ve done this before. Yes, I\u2019ve seen Teriarch before. And I could stare at him forever, but I don\u2019t have time for that. I clear my throat.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuman.<\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The word makes my bones vibrate. Teriarch\u2019s voice\u2014his true voice shakes me to the core. Remember that bowel movement I talked about? I\u2019m one second away from actually making good on that threat.<\/p>\n Teriarch lowers his massive head and suddenly he\u2019s only twenty feet away from me. Twenty feet, but his head\u2014I\u2019m fixed in place, like a mouse staring at a cat. Or a mouse staring at a jumbo jet that smells like brimstone. When his mouth opens I can smell fire<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cSo. You have uncovered my true form. I suppose I should congratulate you. But know this: your error was not in bringing this secret to your grave. Whatever paltry treasure you have imagined obtaining, know that I will not part with a single fraction of my wealth. If you are wise, you will\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want any treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n He pauses. The sight of a puzzled Dragon is something I\u2019ll take to my grave.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want any treasure. I\u2019m not here to try and extort something out of you. I don\u2019t have any desire to tell anyone that you\u2019re a Dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n Pause. The huge eyes sweep over me like spotlights.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n Blink. Even that\u2019s scary on a face as huge and terrifying as his.<\/p>\n \u201cThen why are<\/em> you here?\u201d<\/p>\n Stay calm. Be cool. He might be a Dragon<\/em>, but he\u2019s still Hu\u2014he\u2019s only mort\u2014he\u2019s uh, he probably has the same emotional wavelength as I do. He\u2019s acted like that so far, anyways.<\/p>\n I clear my throat nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026need help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n One eye stares at me. My mouth is dry as the Sahara in a heat wave, but I speak anyways.<\/p>\n \u201cMy friend is missing. I need you to help me find her. I need your magic. I ask\u2014humbly\u2014for your aid.\u201d<\/p>\n Stare. The Dragon\u2019s just staring at me. I mean, Teriarch\u2019s just staring at me. Is this a lizard thing? My back is already sweaty, but then he turns his gaze away. Teriarch stares at the ceiling and starts talking to himself.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst Reinhart, and now a random Courier. Do I look<\/em> like I enjoy entertaining such\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a mumble, but coming from a Dragon, it\u2019s quite audible. Teriarch seems to realize this, because he shuts up and fixes me with another glare.<\/p>\n He looks\u2026grumpy. The massive Dragon exhales a plume of smoke as he stares at me.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should I use my vast powers for you?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Okay. Time for reasoned arguments. That I didn\u2019t prepare. With a Dragon.<\/p>\n I gulp.<\/p>\n \u201cMagnolia Reinhart knows my friend. If Erin Solstice dies, she will be upset.\u201d<\/p>\n I can only tell the truth. Or maybe he can sense it? Did he cast that spell on me this time? But it\u2019s sort of true, right? Erin did mention that. It\u2019s not a lie, not a lie, not a lie\u2026<\/p>\n Teriarch eyes me.<\/p>\n \u201cSo? Humans are always upset.\u201d<\/p>\n Is that a bluff? Call it.<\/p>\n \u201cOh really?\u201d<\/p>\n I try to smile at Teriarch, but my lips barely work. I feel like I made a really stupid face, but I press on.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s an interesting perspective. Would you like to talk to Magnolia Reinhart and explain how you knew Erin was about to die and you let her? I\u2019m sure she\u2019d love<\/em> to hear that.\u201d<\/p>\n He twitches<\/em>. I\u2019m on the mark, or close to it.<\/p>\n \u201cReinhart doesn\u2019t have the power to order me about.\u201d<\/p>\n Now he really does sound like he\u2019s grumpy! I take a deep breath. Flatter. Dragons. Pride. All that.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t mean to offend you. It\u2019s just that I really care about my friend, and I know she\u2019s important to\u2026Magnolia Reinhart. I need your help. I\u2019ll do anything for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh. What would I need from you?\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch draws back and stares over my head. He looks at something on the ceiling. I look up too.<\/p>\n Oh shit. The Frost Faeries are flying around the ceiling, laughing and then shrieking as Teriarch stares at them. They don\u2019t look intimidated at all, but the Dragon looks pissed.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHrm. Let me see. You come here, bringing these pestilent beings with you, bleed in my cave twice, inflict that foul potion upon my senses, extort me for more money than your services are worth, and then you demand my help after insinuating that Reinhart may order me about?\u201d<\/p>\n Uh oh. When he puts it like that\u2026yeah, maybe I should have reconsidered.<\/p>\n And to make matters worse, the faeries seem to have understood his reference to them. Some of them fly around Teriarch\u2019s face, shouting shrilly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPests! We aren\u2019t the pests, you bag of scales, you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe do not fear you, old fool!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIndeed! Just the other day we slaughtered a score of bees!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBegone.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s only a word, but it sends the faeries flying away in a panic. Okay, local chain of authority established. I gulp, as Teriarch looks down at me.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u2019s presumptuous, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The word rocks me on my feet. But I hold my ground. Not for my own dignity; I think I did pee a bit there. But Erin\u2014<\/p>\n \u201cFine. No favor. But I still need your help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed?\u201d<\/p>\n Now he\u2019s mad. Teriarch stands up for the first time and holy crap is he huge.<\/em> He takes one step towards me and I flinch. His head lowers further until I can stare down his nostrils. They\u2019re like the muzzle of a cannon.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what will stop me from erasing your small mind and sending you out of my cave to be torn apart, Human?\u201d<\/p>\n Yeah, he\u2019s mad. I gulp, but I\u2019m out of saliva.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014I challenge you, Teriarch. I challenge you to a game of riddles.\u201d<\/p>\n He blinks. Overhead, the faeries blink. I can practically see his brain working.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n This was a stupid idea. This was the kind of stupid idea I could only have while running through the snow at freezing temperature and high velocity. But it\u2019s all I\u2019ve got.<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard me. I said I challenge you. To a game. Of riddles. It\u2019s customary, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe game! She challenges him to the old game!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Overhead one of the faeries shouts jubilantly. Both Teriarch and I look up.<\/p>\n \u201cHaven\u2019t\u2014haven\u2019t you heard of that? Uh, riddles? You don\u2019t\u2014don\u2019t do that?\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch looks miffed.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I suppose I have enjoyed a riddle or two. But are you implying some play this game as a way to win\u2026favors?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n I really shouldn\u2019t base all my ideas on The Hobbit.<\/em> Teriarch just stares at me for a while. I try to explain.<\/p>\n \u201cUh, well, I thought it was considered a sacred game that not even the most horrific of monsters would dare to violate. You could\u2014uh, use it to wager things like life, magic rings\u2014it\u2019s a contest\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am familiar with how games work.\u201d<\/p>\n I shut up. Teriarch stares at me, and then flicks his eyes to the faeries above. Then he sits back.<\/p>\n \u201cRiddles? A game? How\u2026intriguing.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh, be still my beating heart. Seriously, be still. I think I might be as close to a heart attack as I\u2019ve ever come. But then Teriarch looks at me, and I don\u2019t need to worry about that heart attack. It\u2019s already happened.<\/p>\n \u201cBut why would I want to waste my time playing a game I know I would win?\u201d<\/p>\n Good question. Excellent one. Do I have an answer? I scramble.<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026because it\u2019s a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n He looks nonplussed. And then I get a bit annoyed. My mouth opens, and it takes charge instead of my fumbling brain.<\/p>\n \u201cSo? Are you a Dragon or a lizard that likes to hide under rocks? It\u2019s a challenge, idiot. What part of that don\u2019t you get?\u201d<\/p>\n Teriarch gapes at me. The faeries gape at me. My mouth continues as it shoves my brain into the backseat.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you really as stupid as you look? A challenge <\/em>isn\u2019t meant to give you something. It\u2019s an attack on your authority! If you think it\u2019s so easy to beat me, why not prove it rather than act like a coward and stall? Bring it!\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m pointing at Teriarch. His eyes fix on my finger. Above me I hear cheering. I see massive teeth draw back into a snarl, and then I hear the voices, at the edge of my hearing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cShe dares! She dares!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLet havoc cry and slip loose dogs!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Tis the moment! It is upon us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I hear something, or\u2026feel something from overhead? Even Teriarch looks up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n Then something hits me, and I feel\u2026different. But I can\u2019t wonder what I\u2019ve done. Something about faeries? But Teriarch is staring back at me, full of rage.<\/p>\n I meet the Dragon\u2019s eyes, and bow my head. I need to say this right. I\u2019ve only one shot.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cKnow now I only seek to make things right!<\/p>\n Oh temper’d Dragon take heed of my request.<\/p>\n Put back your ire as in my hour of plight,<\/p>\n I do beseech thee at one other\u2019s behest.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wait, what did I just say?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oh fair readers let us set the stage and bring you sighs and words unseen. For this cavern where Dragon waits and Human does set the fates, the faeries dance and laugh and dream above. Nothing but such words and plots will inflame few thoughts.<\/em><\/p>\n And so they gather closely and listen well; is this Ryoka\u2019s triumph or her death knell?<\/em><\/p>\n The Dragon laughs and breathes brimstone\u2019s glare. Sure to sizzle the Human fair. He mocks and talks; she stands firm. Determined to trick this ancient wyrm.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYour riddle game insults my name. <\/em><\/p>\n I am Teriarch; by what dare you to my time lay claim?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI dare for friendship and pride and all these things; <\/em><\/p>\n I challenge you to an ancient game played for things like magic rings. <\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s fun and daring; a game of skill. <\/em><\/p>\n Unless you fear you lack the will?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The Dragon blinks and the faeries cheer. It has been too long since they have seen a mortal without fear.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHm. Well I suppose I could indulge your request<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014understand it is not at your bequest. <\/em><\/p>\n But any game must wager meet. <\/em><\/p>\n If I would win, what will I keep? <\/em><\/p>\n You have nothing to offer\u2014you there in bare feet.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n She speaks before him brash and bold; she does not fear to not grow old.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI offer my life to serve until I am old and lame.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cA spell will do the same.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n