A scrawled letter on the back of a wanted poster for David Alexander Strider. It is torn around the edges and curled very tightly onto itself.

vantas,

im really not that mad that you managed to find me. surprised, sure. i mean, im not in the country or anything, but since when did we care about overextending our reach? but all things considered, im pretty impressed. you managed to hit me up from a whole country away while im making sure to move location pretty regularly. damn, vantas, talk about dedication.

you lost your brownie points at the guilt trip psuedobribery shit, though. "your sentence will be shorter if you come back of your own volition" and "but john misses you"? fuck that. you arent allowed to say that shit to me. what, we talk once and you think were best friends?

you were really frank about responsibility, sure. i appreciate that. seriously, there were like six lessons in that lecture alone. but honesty, this army and the way its run are some special shades of bullshit that i refuse to submit myself to.

yes, vantas, just let me throw everything ive done here away and come waltzing back. its not like ive got responsibility or anything, right?

im not letting the dragon face punishment for my bullshit and im not goin back to a place where im not satisfied with my life. i didnt even want to join the fucking military, okay? it was some dumb obligation. this is the first thing ive done for myself since i was born, and im not going to let it go because some fuckwad wrote a letter politely asking me to.

this is the most freedom ive had in years. youre batshit mental of you think im giving it up any time soon.

and now that you mention it, im kind of offended at how youre treating my dragon buddy. what, do you think hes some useless baby or something? hes like the smartest gy i know, and its not like he dont pull his weight in food collection. he wouldnt have a life back there without me, anyway. dragons and trainers bond in mysterious ways. no way he would have done it again. this was the only option.

but, hey, look on the bright side. there is one thing you arent entirely wrong about. it really was useless to try and get me to come back with my tail between my legs. man, i dont know why john even asked you to write me. if you know where i am, why not just have him write me himself? hes not dumb. im pretty sure he knows how to write. hell, hes probably reading this letter over your shoulder right now. since when were you degraded to royal secretary? thats just unfortunate.

one more thing, ill tell you to go fuck yourself as much as i damn well please. i mean, its almost all youre doing in this revolving circle jerk of bullshit. i mean, sure, it might be difficult with that stick youve got lodged up your ass, but im not gonna tell you how to live your life. i bet youre into it, and you do you buddy.

besides, its unfair that you get to tell me to go to hell if i cant tell you to go fuck yourself. i mean, really, vantas.

didnt we have a bonding moment?

-ds