XXI.

Kilgharrah woke up to Arthur and Aithusa prodding him. They both pouted like peeved children.

"You never answered the question!" Aithusa complained.

"I was getting there," Kilgharrah yawned, "but you all fell asleep, so I saved it for later."

"We only fell asleep" Arthur retorted, "because you were rambling."

"My mistake," Kilgarrah admitted as he got up and dusted off his clothing. "In any case, perhaps Merlin would like to hear that story, as well. Shall we be on our way now?"

Arthur simply pointed behind him in reply. Kilgharrah looked over the king's shoulder to see Faukes leaning against an impatient-looking Buckbeak, while Pleionis patiently stood by.

"Ah. I see you were waiting for me." Everyone glared at him. "How polite of you all." Getting up, Kilgharrah stretched his limbs. He was in a good mood.

"We have to move faster today," Buckbeak announced urgently, "so we can reach Camelot before sundown."

"Is that so?" the Great Dragon's eyes twinkled mischievously. Of course, he understood the worry—the trolls most likely were going to attack Camelot sooner than anticipated. "I think we should get there by noon." Everyone raised their eyebrows.

"How?" Buckbeak asked.

"We're still a bit far," Arthur added, "and there are several of us travelling together."

"Simple…we race there!" Kilgharrah bolted past the whole company. Briefly pausing some distance past them, he turned and called back to them. "You should all have mastered your human forms by now. Test your limits!"

Aithusa wasted no time, dashing ahead without hesitation. She seemed apprehensive of the uneven terrain, but her eyes were alive. Pleionis and Arthur were not far behind her. Pleionis took advantage of his naturally strong legs and graceful instincts to surpass the natural human by a slim margin. Fawkes took long strides, seeming to fly over the ground as if he still had wings, and overtook them both. Buckbeak naturally stuck to the shadows, which led to a less-than-direct path, but he still managed to keep pace with everyone. Aithusa struggled to maintain her lead against Faukes.

Kilgharrah smiled and kept narrowly behind, keeping an eye on everyone's well-being.

Just as I thought, he couldn't help noting, Aithusa is still a dragon at heart. No dragon could ever resist a challenge. He had worried her inner fire was quelled by confinement, oppression, and betrayal, but it was clear she still had a fighting spirit to complement her gentle disposition. Just like me, he realized, she never truly gives up…Except, he suddenly remembered, I gave up on life. Kilgharrah shook his head. Now is not the time for musing.

To Arthur's surprise, the only real human found himself falling behind everyone else. He had lost weight on that mysterious island, but this was still the first time in a long while he exerted himself through long-distance running. To Arthur's annoyance, Kilgharrah matched his speed perfectly.

"What is this I see?" the latter teased him, "The great King Arthur cannot keep pace with the rest of his company?"

"Shut up," he panted.

"Well, I certainly won't carry you. You must be prepared for the upcoming invasion. Move faster!"

"I can't, okay?"

"I wonder," Kilgharrah tried a different angle of motivating him, "how many people are vying for the queen's hand right now? You are presumably de—"

Arthur strode ahead, gaining on the others with renewed speed and determination.

Meanwhile, in Camelot…

THE STORY CONTINUES! It sleeps, but it never dies!

HAPPY ADVENT, and thank you for still being here. 3