The Journey, Book 2; Chapter 19 - Previous Chapter
Chapter 19: Logistics
Vivi, Elvina, and Tarasque packed their gear beneath the rising light, preparing for the journey to the Buradoth Mountains. While Elvina moved with quiet efficiency, Tarasque was visibly flustered, fretting over the safety of their embroidered gala gowns.
“These weren’t meant to be stuffed in saddlebags and flown over mountain peaks!” she huffed, carefully folding the silks as if that might preserve their honor.
Vivi, already mounted on his coal-black steed Malhala, had little patience left. His thoughts were weighed down by the latest report from Nekonata—an orange dragon egg discovered deep within the Buradoth range. It posed no immediate danger, but its very existence was enough to shift political tides and awaken old powers long thought dormant. An egg like that was history waking up, if the wrong people were to find out about it… well Vivi didn’t even want to think about that.
“We don’t have time for wardrobe crises,” Vivi muttered, his grip on the reins tightening.
Elvina, calm as always, gave a small smile and mounted her mare Jolie, finally ready. “It’s not the dresses that worry her. It’s what this trip might mean.”
Tarasque, now halfway up the side of Elqiana, who had crouched to allow her rider easier access to the dragon saddle, shot a glare back. “And none of it is funny, no matter what Elqiana thinks.”
The dragon’s eyes glimmered, and she gave an audible snort of amusement, completely unbothered by Tarasque’s scolding.
Vivi watched as Tarasque fumbled with the last of the leg harnesses, jaw tight. Every moment lost was a chance for someone else to find out about the egg, and try to claim its future.
“We ride now,” he said, his voice firm. “Before the rest of the world realizes what that egg could become.”
Vivi and Elvina surged ahead, their mounts thundering over the grassy slope, hooves kicking up dust and dew in their wake. Malhala responded to Vivi’s silent urgency with eager strides, while Jolie, ever obedient, matched his pace with practiced grace. The wind pressed against their faces as they pushed forward, eyes set on the rising silhouettes of the Buradoth Mountains far in the distance, cold, vast, and now impossibly significant.
Behind them, the ground trembled.
With a rush of air and a sound like a thousand silk sheets snapping in unison, Elqiana launched from the earth. Her massive, translucent wings unfurled wide, catching the wind in a single, fluid motion. The opal white dragon lifted into the sky, sending a powerful gust across the meadow that bent trees and scattered leaves like startled birds.
Tarasque clung easily to the pommel of the saddle, her posture relaxed despite the violent burst of flight. Her hair whipped around her face, but her eyes were calm, focused. She didn’t need to grip hard, she and Elqiana had flown together too many times for that. Their rhythm was practiced, their trust built in quiet hours above cloudlines and under starlight. She leaned slightly into the turns as Elqiana banked, and the great wings adjusted with precision.
Below, Vivi glanced up for a heartbeat, watching as the dragon swept into the sky like a pale phantom. He could barely make out Tarasque’s silhouette against the white hide, but he saw the steadiness in her posture and allowed himself the briefest flicker of reassurance.
“They’re airborne,” Elvina called out beside him, her voice barely carrying over the wind.
“Then we don’t stop,” Vivi replied, eyes narrowing on the pass ahead. “Not until we see the cave for ourselves.”
Above them, Elqiana circled once to gain height, then tucked her wings for speed, gliding low and fast toward the same distant mountains, toward the place where the world had begun to shift, quietly, with the pulse of a single egg.
Tarasque and Elqiana circled high above the trail, the dragon's pale wings stretched wide like a second sky. Below, Vivi and Elvina rode hard, carving a path through the winding terrain with purpose. Elqiana’s sharp eyes scanned every ridge, every shadow, watching for movement that didn’t belong. Nothing stirred—yet.
They were cautious, and for good reason. The discovery of the egg had only just begun to ripple through the world. The wrong eyes might already be watching.
Above the soft roar of the wind, Elqiana’s voice slipped into Tarasque’s mind, gentle but weighted with thought.
‘Little one… do you think the dragon egg in the mountains holds a male?’
The question made Tarasque shift in the saddle. She felt the subtle twitch in Elqiana’s long, sinewy body beneath her, the flick of a muscle, the faintest flutter of tension in her wings.
Tarasque bit her lip and answered, even though she didn’t need to. ‘I don’t know, Elqi. We won’t know until we get there.’
‘A male would change things,’ Elqiana said, more to herself now, ‘in ways few are prepared for.’
Tarasque had thought about it, too. A male dragon, especially from the nearly extinct line, could mean a revival, a pairing, a resurgence of dragonkind.
The wind carried them onward, and still they flew.
They pushed through the day and into the cold hush of night. The moon rose, silver and high, casting long shadows on the rugged land below. Elqiana kept her distance but stayed close enough to protect the riders, ever vigilant. Vivi and Elvina barely spoke now, focused on the trail and the mission ahead.
Finally, sometime after midnight, the rhythm of hooves faltered. Jolie stumbled slightly, and Malhala slowed to a trot. The horses were exhausted,lathered in sweat, their sides heaving.
Vivi dismounted in a fluid motion, scanning the area before nodding. “We stop here. Just long enough to let them rest.”
Elvina agreed silently, patting Jolie’s neck. Tarasque patted Elqiana’s neck, and the dragon spiraled down in wide, graceful loops, landing without a sound nearby.
Tarasque dismounted and stretched stiff muscles. Elqiana folded her wings, head turning toward the looming shape of the Buradoth Mountains on the horizon.
“We’re close,” Vivi said, casting a glance skyward.
Elqiana lowered her head, eyes glowing faintly. ‘Close enough to feel what’s waiting.’
Tarasque stepped beside her, placing a hand on her scaled neck. “And whatever we find… we face it together.”
They set up a small, quiet camp beneath a stand of bent pine trees, the branches whispering with the mountain wind. The horses grazed peacefully beside a trickling stream, the water cold and clear, while the last hues of twilight faded into indigo. Elqiana had taken to the skies again, wings slicing silently through the air as she hunted her meal in the wilderness beyond.
Tarasque paced in slow circles near the campfire, muttering under her breath and massaging her inner thighs with both hands. “I swear, if I ever get feeling back in my legs, I’m burning that saddle.”
She blew a breath upward, attempting to clear her long, unruly red curls from her face for the third time, only for them to fall defiantly back over her eyes.
Elvina, trying to keep a straight face, finally sighed and stood. “Honestly, you’re hopeless,” she said, walking over. With practiced ease, she turned Tarasque to face her and pulled one of her own ties from her wrist.
“Wait, what are you—?”
Before Tarasque could resist, Elvina had quickly gathered the riot of curls into a loose, high tail. “There. Now you can suffer in silence and see where you’re going.”
Tarasque blinked. “I—you—thanks,” she muttered, clearly unused to the simple kindness.
Before another word could pass between them, Vivi’s voice cut through the air, low and razor-sharp.
“Do not move.”
His tone froze them all instantly.
Around them, the air shimmered.
Spherical orbs flickered into view, at first just one, then several, swirling in a silent, hypnotic dance. Each orb pulsed with a different hue, crimson, sapphire, amber, violet, emerald, floating inches above the ground. They drifted between the trees, brushing low over the grass, humming softly with elemental energy.
The wind fell still. The horses raised their heads and stood frozen, ears perked, as if sensing something ancient moving just beyond sight.
Tarasque didn’t even breathe. Elvina’s hand was still in Tarasque’s hair.
Vivi’s eyes tracked the orbs, hand inching toward his blade.
“They’re not attacking,” he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. “They’re watching.”
“What are they?” Tarasque whispered, barely daring to move her lips.
Before anyone could answer, the sapphire orb pulsed brightly and then spoke, not with sound, but directly into their minds, its voice fluid and crystalline, echoing as though heard through ancient waters:
“We are spirits, red-haired one. We wander restless over the land, ensuring balance is kept.”
Tarasque blinked, her spine straightening as the power of the voice reverberated through her chest. The others remained motionless, eyes fixed on the orbs as they hovered and swirled with intention, less like aimless ghosts now, and more like sentinels, assessing judgment.
Vivi raised one hand slowly, palm down, signaling for stillness. His voice was low and measured, but carried the weight of years spent negotiating with forces not easily swayed.
“We are here by peace, O fair elementals,” he said clearly, keeping his gaze respectfully lowered. “This is Tarasque, rider of the opal dragon Elqiana. I am Vivi of Clan Panther, and this,” he inclined his head toward Elvina, “is my daughter, Elvina. We seek safe passage to the Dwarven Kingdom of Buradoth. We come with no harm in our hearts.”
The orbs trembled in the air, thrumming like strings pulled taut by some unseen hand. The crimson orb blazed momentarily brighter; the emerald orb shimmered with a ghostly light; the amber orb hovered just inches from Tarasque’s brow, then gently drifted away.
Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the orbs flickered one by one and vanished, fading into mist, leaving only a faint warmth in the air and the sound of running water nearby.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then Vivi exhaled slowly, the tension draining from his shoulders like sand slipping through fingers. “Spirits guide us… that could’ve gone much worse.”
Tarasque let out a short breath and turned toward him. “So. Just another routine trip into the mountains, then?”
Elvina gave a soft chuckle and knelt to soothe Jolie, who had only just begun to calm.
Above them, a gust of wind signaled Elqiana’s return, her wings wide and silent as she landed nearby, eyes narrowing with curiosity as she took in the lingering energy in the air.
‘They let you pass,’ the dragon said quietly, sensing what had occurred. Tara repeated what the dragon had said.
Vivi nodded. “For now.”
He looked once more toward the dark silhouette of the Buradoth Mountains, rising ever closer on the horizon. The path ahead might be open, but it was clear now: something in the world had shifted. And the elementals were watching.
With rest behind them and the mountain winds whispering through the trees, Vivi and Elvina mounted their steeds once more. The sun had barely crested over the eastern ridgeline, casting long golden shadows over the path ahead. Without a word, Vivi nudged Malhala forward into a gallop, and Elvina followed close behind, Jolie's hooves light on the soft earth as they raced ahead with renewed purpose.
Tarasque lingered a moment longer at the stream. She knelt, cupping the frigid water in her hands, and splashed it over her face with a quiet hiss of breath. The chill snapped the last of the drowsiness from her bones. She stood, wiped her palms on her breeches, and turned toward Elqiana, who crouched nearby, wings partially extended in anticipation.
With practiced ease, Tarasque climbed into the saddle atop the opal dragon’s back. Elqiana waited, still and steady, until she felt the final click of the harness buckle.
Then, with a powerful thrust of her limbs, Elqiana launched into the sky.
Her wings cut clean through the air, and she spiraled upward, catching the wind beneath her like it was her birthright. Tarasque leaned into the motion, her body moving in rhythm with the dragon's. Within moments, they were circling above Vivi and Elvina, who looked like swift-moving shadows against the vibrant green and gold of the land below.
Then, Elqiana’s voice curled through Tarasque’s mind in a silken whisper:
‘I really hope it’s a male dragon.’
Tarasque didn’t answer right away. She simply reached forward and patted Elqiana’s sleek, warm neck, the scales gleaming faintly in the rising sun.
But the dragon wasn’t finished.
‘My loins are restless, little one,’ Elqiana murmured with dramatic flair.
Tarasque nearly choked on her own breath. ‘Hey, woah—Elqi! Too much information for my delicate ears!’
She could feel Elqiana’s amusement ripple through the bond like a warm laugh.
‘Is that not how you feel for ‘No-Name’?’ she quipped smugly.
Tarasque’s face flushed a deep red. ‘Oh, you did not just—!’
But Elqiana was already tilting a wing and banking sharply left, the wind laughing with her as they soared forward. Beneath them, the land rolled steadily toward the looming shape of the Buradoth Mountains.
After two grueling days and nights of travel, the party had covered a staggering distance. The horses, despite their strength, were near their limit, breathing hard, legs trembling, sides damp with sweat. As the rocky terrain of the Buradoth foothills rose before them, Vivi called for a halt near a flat clearing, shaded by ancient pine and marked by a moss-covered dwarven boundary stone.
Elqiana touched down nearby, her wings folding as Tarasque slid from the saddle with a sigh of relief. Elvina dismounted and moved to tend to Jolie, while Vivi loosened Malhala’s bridle and led him to a stream.
That’s when they heard it, a soft rustle in the underbrush ahead, too light for any dwarf, too quiet for any beast.
Two small lithe figures stepped into view.
Werecats.
One small and black-furred, the other small lean and tawny-striped, both moved with a predator’s grace and the quiet confidence of those who knew they were never unarmed.
Vivi blinked, then broke into a rare smile. “Bloody hell. Blacky! I haven’t seen you since the day Nekonata was born!”
The black-furred werecat grinned, white teeth flashing. “And you’re still dramatic, Panther. But older.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Vivi replied with a snort.
The striped one, Tabby, stood between them, arms crossed, gaze cool and unimpressed as she scanned the camp.
Blacky gestured vaguely at the mountains behind them. “We’ve come to go with you to the little people—”
Whack.
Tabby slapped the back of his head without even looking.
He flinched and scowled at her. “What was that for?”
Tabby rolled her eyes. “Try again.”
Blacky sighed. “Fine. The Dwarven stronghold. Happy now?”
Tabby gave a curt nod and turned to the group. “Ignore him. He’s rude by nature. I’ve given up correcting it entirely.”
Tarasque raised an amused brow. “Charming pair you two make.”
“We’re useful,” Tabby replied flatly. “Charming’s optional.”
Elqiana rumbled softly from behind, her eyes narrowed with interest.
Vivi stepped forward, giving the newcomers a measured nod. “Ah, the more the merrier.”
Blacky grinned, claws flexing. “Good. We were getting bored.”
Tarasque studied the werecats with open curiosity, arms loosely folded as her red curls caught the breeze. She tilted her head and asked, “How do you know… all of it?”
Tabby didn’t miss a beat. “We’re werecats,” she replied flatly. “We hear what others don’t. Whispers, footsteps in the dark, the way the wind changes when old magic stirs.” Her golden eyes narrowed. “The air’s been different for days now. Thinner. Louder. Something’s waking.”
Before anyone could respond, Tabby’s form shimmered, one moment a small, striped bipedal feline, the next, a sleek, golden cat. With feline grace, she leapt up onto Elqiana’s foreleg, then padded up the dragon’s side, tail flicking casually as she scaled the height with ease. Reaching Elqiana’s broad head, she settled between two ridges of scale, curling like a queen on a throne.
Elqiana let out a low grumble in her throat, audible only to Tarasque and the others close by.
‘Keep those tiny-stabby-things tucked in, little one,’ she said with dry patience, her mind-voice rumbling into Tabby’s. Tarasque also heard what the dragon had said and smiled amused.
‘Relax, scales-for-brains,’ Tabby purred back, already beginning to groom a paw.
Blacky, not to be left out, stepped forward and crouched, preparing to leap up after her, but Tabby didn’t even glance down. “No,” she said, lazily swiping her tongue across her paw. “This is my spot. Find your own.”
Blacky paused mid-step, ears twitching. With a dramatic sigh, he lowered himself to the ground beside Elqiana’s enormous paw and leaned back, arms behind his head like he meant to nap right there.
As the sun dipped behind a ridge, the group settled in for a brief pause. The horses munched quietly on the sparse grass and sipped from the nearby stream, while Tarasque paced out the stiffness in her legs, arms lifted above her head in a long, satisfied stretch.
They shared a simple meal, strips of dried meat, some preserved fruits, and hard bread softened in water. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was fuel.
Vivi chewed thoughtfully, his eyes never straying far from the darkening ridgeline ahead.
Elvina, sitting cross-legged in the grass, glanced upward at Tabby lounging on Elqiana’s head. ‘Think she’ll ride all the way up there like that?’
Tarasque smirked. ‘If she does, I want a painting of it.’
Elqiana gave a quiet snort, smoke curling from her nostrils.
‘If she tries it while I’m flying, she’d better hold on with more than those stabby-little-things.’
High above them, the first stars were beginning to pierce the evening sky, and in the distance, the faint, low hum of the mountains whispered of stone, secrets, and things awakening.
With the horses rested and the last stretch ahead, the group began preparing to move once more. Elvina was already tightening Jolie’s reins, and Vivi swung himself up onto Malhala with fluid ease. He barely had time to settle before a sudden weight landed squarely in his lap.
Blacky, now in the form of a shaggy, black cat, curled himself comfortably across Vivi’s legs, tail swishing once before tucking in.
“Say not a word of this to anyone, grey hair,” Blacky growled, eyes narrowing to slits.
Vivi stared at him for half a beat before laughing under his breath. “Your secret’s safe. But only because I’m afraid you’ll claw my legs to bits.”
From her perch atop Elqiana’s head, Tabby watched the whole exchange with a lazy, mischievous smile tugging at her feline mouth.
Elvina looked up from adjusting her stirrup, raising a brow at the strange sight of Tabby lounging like royalty on the dragon’s crown. Before she could even speak, Tabby flicked her tail and called down without lifting her head.
“I’m fine where I am, elf. No need for commentary.”
Elvina smirked. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
With a quick signal, Vivi and Elvina kicked their steeds forward, racing out of the clearing and into the high mountain trail. The sun was beginning to dip again, casting long shadows between the stone pillars that marked the path to Buradoth.
Tarasque approached Elqiana with a soft pat on her scaled side. Once more, she climbed into the saddle with practiced ease, buckling the harness with swift, sure motions. Above her, Tabby was already curled tight, her tail flicking in rhythm with the breeze.
Elqiana, feeling the final tug of the straps, launched into the sky with a powerful beat of her translucent wings. The air cracked around her as she gained height, gliding in wide circles above Vivi and Elvina like a gleaming guardian. Her scales shimmered like opal fire in the fading sun, catching the golden light in radiant flares.
Tarasque couldn’t help herself, she smiled at the absurd yet oddly perfect image of the small tabby cat curled atop the massive dragon’s head. It felt like something she would never forget. And so, she silently etched it into memory.
They flew in silence for some time, the mountains growing ever closer, the air thinner, sharper.
Then, without lifting her head, Tabby spoke up, her voice soft but clear in Tarasque’s mind.
‘Fly ahead to the flat mountain crop. There’ll be a waving lantern. That’s our signal.’
Elqiana adjusted course instantly, wings tilting slightly as she gained speed. Below, Vivi looked up, catching the shift and spurring Malhala forward. Elvina followed, her eyes scanning the cliffs ahead.
Chapter 19: Logistics
Vivi, Elvina, and Tarasque packed their gear beneath the rising light, preparing for the journey to the Buradoth Mountains. While Elvina moved with quiet efficiency, Tarasque was visibly flustered, fretting over the safety of their embroidered gala gowns.
“These weren’t meant to be stuffed in saddlebags and flown over mountain peaks!” she huffed, carefully folding the silks as if that might preserve their honor.
Vivi, already mounted on his coal-black steed Malhala, had little patience left. His thoughts were weighed down by the latest report from Nekonata—an orange dragon egg discovered deep within the Buradoth range. It posed no immediate danger, but its very existence was enough to shift political tides and awaken old powers long thought dormant. An egg like that was history waking up, if the wrong people were to find out about it… well Vivi didn’t even want to think about that.
“We don’t have time for wardrobe crises,” Vivi muttered, his grip on the reins tightening.
Elvina, calm as always, gave a small smile and mounted her mare Jolie, finally ready. “It’s not the dresses that worry her. It’s what this trip might mean.”
Tarasque, now halfway up the side of Elqiana, who had crouched to allow her rider easier access to the dragon saddle, shot a glare back. “And none of it is funny, no matter what Elqiana thinks.”
The dragon’s eyes glimmered, and she gave an audible snort of amusement, completely unbothered by Tarasque’s scolding.
Vivi watched as Tarasque fumbled with the last of the leg harnesses, jaw tight. Every moment lost was a chance for someone else to find out about the egg, and try to claim its future.
“We ride now,” he said, his voice firm. “Before the rest of the world realizes what that egg could become.”
Vivi and Elvina surged ahead, their mounts thundering over the grassy slope, hooves kicking up dust and dew in their wake. Malhala responded to Vivi’s silent urgency with eager strides, while Jolie, ever obedient, matched his pace with practiced grace. The wind pressed against their faces as they pushed forward, eyes set on the rising silhouettes of the Buradoth Mountains far in the distance, cold, vast, and now impossibly significant.
Behind them, the ground trembled.
With a rush of air and a sound like a thousand silk sheets snapping in unison, Elqiana launched from the earth. Her massive, translucent wings unfurled wide, catching the wind in a single, fluid motion. The opal white dragon lifted into the sky, sending a powerful gust across the meadow that bent trees and scattered leaves like startled birds.
Tarasque clung easily to the pommel of the saddle, her posture relaxed despite the violent burst of flight. Her hair whipped around her face, but her eyes were calm, focused. She didn’t need to grip hard, she and Elqiana had flown together too many times for that. Their rhythm was practiced, their trust built in quiet hours above cloudlines and under starlight. She leaned slightly into the turns as Elqiana banked, and the great wings adjusted with precision.
Below, Vivi glanced up for a heartbeat, watching as the dragon swept into the sky like a pale phantom. He could barely make out Tarasque’s silhouette against the white hide, but he saw the steadiness in her posture and allowed himself the briefest flicker of reassurance.
“They’re airborne,” Elvina called out beside him, her voice barely carrying over the wind.
“Then we don’t stop,” Vivi replied, eyes narrowing on the pass ahead. “Not until we see the cave for ourselves.”
Above them, Elqiana circled once to gain height, then tucked her wings for speed, gliding low and fast toward the same distant mountains, toward the place where the world had begun to shift, quietly, with the pulse of a single egg.
Tarasque and Elqiana circled high above the trail, the dragon's pale wings stretched wide like a second sky. Below, Vivi and Elvina rode hard, carving a path through the winding terrain with purpose. Elqiana’s sharp eyes scanned every ridge, every shadow, watching for movement that didn’t belong. Nothing stirred—yet.
They were cautious, and for good reason. The discovery of the egg had only just begun to ripple through the world. The wrong eyes might already be watching.
Above the soft roar of the wind, Elqiana’s voice slipped into Tarasque’s mind, gentle but weighted with thought.
‘Little one… do you think the dragon egg in the mountains holds a male?’
The question made Tarasque shift in the saddle. She felt the subtle twitch in Elqiana’s long, sinewy body beneath her, the flick of a muscle, the faintest flutter of tension in her wings.
Tarasque bit her lip and answered, even though she didn’t need to. ‘I don’t know, Elqi. We won’t know until we get there.’
‘A male would change things,’ Elqiana said, more to herself now, ‘in ways few are prepared for.’
Tarasque had thought about it, too. A male dragon, especially from the nearly extinct line, could mean a revival, a pairing, a resurgence of dragonkind.
The wind carried them onward, and still they flew.
They pushed through the day and into the cold hush of night. The moon rose, silver and high, casting long shadows on the rugged land below. Elqiana kept her distance but stayed close enough to protect the riders, ever vigilant. Vivi and Elvina barely spoke now, focused on the trail and the mission ahead.
Finally, sometime after midnight, the rhythm of hooves faltered. Jolie stumbled slightly, and Malhala slowed to a trot. The horses were exhausted,lathered in sweat, their sides heaving.
Vivi dismounted in a fluid motion, scanning the area before nodding. “We stop here. Just long enough to let them rest.”
Elvina agreed silently, patting Jolie’s neck. Tarasque patted Elqiana’s neck, and the dragon spiraled down in wide, graceful loops, landing without a sound nearby.
Tarasque dismounted and stretched stiff muscles. Elqiana folded her wings, head turning toward the looming shape of the Buradoth Mountains on the horizon.
“We’re close,” Vivi said, casting a glance skyward.
Elqiana lowered her head, eyes glowing faintly. ‘Close enough to feel what’s waiting.’
Tarasque stepped beside her, placing a hand on her scaled neck. “And whatever we find… we face it together.”
They set up a small, quiet camp beneath a stand of bent pine trees, the branches whispering with the mountain wind. The horses grazed peacefully beside a trickling stream, the water cold and clear, while the last hues of twilight faded into indigo. Elqiana had taken to the skies again, wings slicing silently through the air as she hunted her meal in the wilderness beyond.
Tarasque paced in slow circles near the campfire, muttering under her breath and massaging her inner thighs with both hands. “I swear, if I ever get feeling back in my legs, I’m burning that saddle.”
She blew a breath upward, attempting to clear her long, unruly red curls from her face for the third time, only for them to fall defiantly back over her eyes.
Elvina, trying to keep a straight face, finally sighed and stood. “Honestly, you’re hopeless,” she said, walking over. With practiced ease, she turned Tarasque to face her and pulled one of her own ties from her wrist.
“Wait, what are you—?”
Before Tarasque could resist, Elvina had quickly gathered the riot of curls into a loose, high tail. “There. Now you can suffer in silence and see where you’re going.”
Tarasque blinked. “I—you—thanks,” she muttered, clearly unused to the simple kindness.
Before another word could pass between them, Vivi’s voice cut through the air, low and razor-sharp.
“Do not move.”
His tone froze them all instantly.
Around them, the air shimmered.
Spherical orbs flickered into view, at first just one, then several, swirling in a silent, hypnotic dance. Each orb pulsed with a different hue, crimson, sapphire, amber, violet, emerald, floating inches above the ground. They drifted between the trees, brushing low over the grass, humming softly with elemental energy.
The wind fell still. The horses raised their heads and stood frozen, ears perked, as if sensing something ancient moving just beyond sight.
Tarasque didn’t even breathe. Elvina’s hand was still in Tarasque’s hair.
Vivi’s eyes tracked the orbs, hand inching toward his blade.
“They’re not attacking,” he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. “They’re watching.”
“What are they?” Tarasque whispered, barely daring to move her lips.
Before anyone could answer, the sapphire orb pulsed brightly and then spoke, not with sound, but directly into their minds, its voice fluid and crystalline, echoing as though heard through ancient waters:
“We are spirits, red-haired one. We wander restless over the land, ensuring balance is kept.”
Tarasque blinked, her spine straightening as the power of the voice reverberated through her chest. The others remained motionless, eyes fixed on the orbs as they hovered and swirled with intention, less like aimless ghosts now, and more like sentinels, assessing judgment.
Vivi raised one hand slowly, palm down, signaling for stillness. His voice was low and measured, but carried the weight of years spent negotiating with forces not easily swayed.
“We are here by peace, O fair elementals,” he said clearly, keeping his gaze respectfully lowered. “This is Tarasque, rider of the opal dragon Elqiana. I am Vivi of Clan Panther, and this,” he inclined his head toward Elvina, “is my daughter, Elvina. We seek safe passage to the Dwarven Kingdom of Buradoth. We come with no harm in our hearts.”
The orbs trembled in the air, thrumming like strings pulled taut by some unseen hand. The crimson orb blazed momentarily brighter; the emerald orb shimmered with a ghostly light; the amber orb hovered just inches from Tarasque’s brow, then gently drifted away.
Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the orbs flickered one by one and vanished, fading into mist, leaving only a faint warmth in the air and the sound of running water nearby.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then Vivi exhaled slowly, the tension draining from his shoulders like sand slipping through fingers. “Spirits guide us… that could’ve gone much worse.”
Tarasque let out a short breath and turned toward him. “So. Just another routine trip into the mountains, then?”
Elvina gave a soft chuckle and knelt to soothe Jolie, who had only just begun to calm.
Above them, a gust of wind signaled Elqiana’s return, her wings wide and silent as she landed nearby, eyes narrowing with curiosity as she took in the lingering energy in the air.
‘They let you pass,’ the dragon said quietly, sensing what had occurred. Tara repeated what the dragon had said.
Vivi nodded. “For now.”
He looked once more toward the dark silhouette of the Buradoth Mountains, rising ever closer on the horizon. The path ahead might be open, but it was clear now: something in the world had shifted. And the elementals were watching.
With rest behind them and the mountain winds whispering through the trees, Vivi and Elvina mounted their steeds once more. The sun had barely crested over the eastern ridgeline, casting long golden shadows over the path ahead. Without a word, Vivi nudged Malhala forward into a gallop, and Elvina followed close behind, Jolie's hooves light on the soft earth as they raced ahead with renewed purpose.
Tarasque lingered a moment longer at the stream. She knelt, cupping the frigid water in her hands, and splashed it over her face with a quiet hiss of breath. The chill snapped the last of the drowsiness from her bones. She stood, wiped her palms on her breeches, and turned toward Elqiana, who crouched nearby, wings partially extended in anticipation.
With practiced ease, Tarasque climbed into the saddle atop the opal dragon’s back. Elqiana waited, still and steady, until she felt the final click of the harness buckle.
Then, with a powerful thrust of her limbs, Elqiana launched into the sky.
Her wings cut clean through the air, and she spiraled upward, catching the wind beneath her like it was her birthright. Tarasque leaned into the motion, her body moving in rhythm with the dragon's. Within moments, they were circling above Vivi and Elvina, who looked like swift-moving shadows against the vibrant green and gold of the land below.
Then, Elqiana’s voice curled through Tarasque’s mind in a silken whisper:
‘I really hope it’s a male dragon.’
Tarasque didn’t answer right away. She simply reached forward and patted Elqiana’s sleek, warm neck, the scales gleaming faintly in the rising sun.
But the dragon wasn’t finished.
‘My loins are restless, little one,’ Elqiana murmured with dramatic flair.
Tarasque nearly choked on her own breath. ‘Hey, woah—Elqi! Too much information for my delicate ears!’
She could feel Elqiana’s amusement ripple through the bond like a warm laugh.
‘Is that not how you feel for ‘No-Name’?’ she quipped smugly.
Tarasque’s face flushed a deep red. ‘Oh, you did not just—!’
But Elqiana was already tilting a wing and banking sharply left, the wind laughing with her as they soared forward. Beneath them, the land rolled steadily toward the looming shape of the Buradoth Mountains.
After two grueling days and nights of travel, the party had covered a staggering distance. The horses, despite their strength, were near their limit, breathing hard, legs trembling, sides damp with sweat. As the rocky terrain of the Buradoth foothills rose before them, Vivi called for a halt near a flat clearing, shaded by ancient pine and marked by a moss-covered dwarven boundary stone.
Elqiana touched down nearby, her wings folding as Tarasque slid from the saddle with a sigh of relief. Elvina dismounted and moved to tend to Jolie, while Vivi loosened Malhala’s bridle and led him to a stream.
That’s when they heard it, a soft rustle in the underbrush ahead, too light for any dwarf, too quiet for any beast.
Two small lithe figures stepped into view.
Werecats.
One small and black-furred, the other small lean and tawny-striped, both moved with a predator’s grace and the quiet confidence of those who knew they were never unarmed.
Vivi blinked, then broke into a rare smile. “Bloody hell. Blacky! I haven’t seen you since the day Nekonata was born!”
The black-furred werecat grinned, white teeth flashing. “And you’re still dramatic, Panther. But older.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Vivi replied with a snort.
The striped one, Tabby, stood between them, arms crossed, gaze cool and unimpressed as she scanned the camp.
Blacky gestured vaguely at the mountains behind them. “We’ve come to go with you to the little people—”
Whack.
Tabby slapped the back of his head without even looking.
He flinched and scowled at her. “What was that for?”
Tabby rolled her eyes. “Try again.”
Blacky sighed. “Fine. The Dwarven stronghold. Happy now?”
Tabby gave a curt nod and turned to the group. “Ignore him. He’s rude by nature. I’ve given up correcting it entirely.”
Tarasque raised an amused brow. “Charming pair you two make.”
“We’re useful,” Tabby replied flatly. “Charming’s optional.”
Elqiana rumbled softly from behind, her eyes narrowed with interest.
Vivi stepped forward, giving the newcomers a measured nod. “Ah, the more the merrier.”
Blacky grinned, claws flexing. “Good. We were getting bored.”
Tarasque studied the werecats with open curiosity, arms loosely folded as her red curls caught the breeze. She tilted her head and asked, “How do you know… all of it?”
Tabby didn’t miss a beat. “We’re werecats,” she replied flatly. “We hear what others don’t. Whispers, footsteps in the dark, the way the wind changes when old magic stirs.” Her golden eyes narrowed. “The air’s been different for days now. Thinner. Louder. Something’s waking.”
Before anyone could respond, Tabby’s form shimmered, one moment a small, striped bipedal feline, the next, a sleek, golden cat. With feline grace, she leapt up onto Elqiana’s foreleg, then padded up the dragon’s side, tail flicking casually as she scaled the height with ease. Reaching Elqiana’s broad head, she settled between two ridges of scale, curling like a queen on a throne.
Elqiana let out a low grumble in her throat, audible only to Tarasque and the others close by.
‘Keep those tiny-stabby-things tucked in, little one,’ she said with dry patience, her mind-voice rumbling into Tabby’s. Tarasque also heard what the dragon had said and smiled amused.
‘Relax, scales-for-brains,’ Tabby purred back, already beginning to groom a paw.
Blacky, not to be left out, stepped forward and crouched, preparing to leap up after her, but Tabby didn’t even glance down. “No,” she said, lazily swiping her tongue across her paw. “This is my spot. Find your own.”
Blacky paused mid-step, ears twitching. With a dramatic sigh, he lowered himself to the ground beside Elqiana’s enormous paw and leaned back, arms behind his head like he meant to nap right there.
As the sun dipped behind a ridge, the group settled in for a brief pause. The horses munched quietly on the sparse grass and sipped from the nearby stream, while Tarasque paced out the stiffness in her legs, arms lifted above her head in a long, satisfied stretch.
They shared a simple meal, strips of dried meat, some preserved fruits, and hard bread softened in water. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was fuel.
Vivi chewed thoughtfully, his eyes never straying far from the darkening ridgeline ahead.
Elvina, sitting cross-legged in the grass, glanced upward at Tabby lounging on Elqiana’s head. ‘Think she’ll ride all the way up there like that?’
Tarasque smirked. ‘If she does, I want a painting of it.’
Elqiana gave a quiet snort, smoke curling from her nostrils.
‘If she tries it while I’m flying, she’d better hold on with more than those stabby-little-things.’
High above them, the first stars were beginning to pierce the evening sky, and in the distance, the faint, low hum of the mountains whispered of stone, secrets, and things awakening.
With the horses rested and the last stretch ahead, the group began preparing to move once more. Elvina was already tightening Jolie’s reins, and Vivi swung himself up onto Malhala with fluid ease. He barely had time to settle before a sudden weight landed squarely in his lap.
Blacky, now in the form of a shaggy, black cat, curled himself comfortably across Vivi’s legs, tail swishing once before tucking in.
“Say not a word of this to anyone, grey hair,” Blacky growled, eyes narrowing to slits.
Vivi stared at him for half a beat before laughing under his breath. “Your secret’s safe. But only because I’m afraid you’ll claw my legs to bits.”
From her perch atop Elqiana’s head, Tabby watched the whole exchange with a lazy, mischievous smile tugging at her feline mouth.
Elvina looked up from adjusting her stirrup, raising a brow at the strange sight of Tabby lounging like royalty on the dragon’s crown. Before she could even speak, Tabby flicked her tail and called down without lifting her head.
“I’m fine where I am, elf. No need for commentary.”
Elvina smirked. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
With a quick signal, Vivi and Elvina kicked their steeds forward, racing out of the clearing and into the high mountain trail. The sun was beginning to dip again, casting long shadows between the stone pillars that marked the path to Buradoth.
Tarasque approached Elqiana with a soft pat on her scaled side. Once more, she climbed into the saddle with practiced ease, buckling the harness with swift, sure motions. Above her, Tabby was already curled tight, her tail flicking in rhythm with the breeze.
Elqiana, feeling the final tug of the straps, launched into the sky with a powerful beat of her translucent wings. The air cracked around her as she gained height, gliding in wide circles above Vivi and Elvina like a gleaming guardian. Her scales shimmered like opal fire in the fading sun, catching the golden light in radiant flares.
Tarasque couldn’t help herself, she smiled at the absurd yet oddly perfect image of the small tabby cat curled atop the massive dragon’s head. It felt like something she would never forget. And so, she silently etched it into memory.
They flew in silence for some time, the mountains growing ever closer, the air thinner, sharper.
Then, without lifting her head, Tabby spoke up, her voice soft but clear in Tarasque’s mind.
‘Fly ahead to the flat mountain crop. There’ll be a waving lantern. That’s our signal.’
Elqiana adjusted course instantly, wings tilting slightly as she gained speed. Below, Vivi looked up, catching the shift and spurring Malhala forward. Elvina followed, her eyes scanning the cliffs ahead.