"It's all gettin' a bit hazy...what happened next..." he admitted while running a hand through his hair.

I glanced over the book in my hands, and found the entry following the chapter of of the demon curse, "Here."

Just as I was handing it over to show him, we would both pause as something odd caught our attention. Was that galloping we heard? Faster and faster now, those hooves drew closer to us.

"What's that?" I asked while closing the book and holding it close to my chest.

We could see the fog shifting to let them nearly break through it. As it did, we would see the general frame of the rider atop of their horse. Her long hair cascaded down her back, flowing behind her as she rode on.

Before I could react in any other way, the rogue beside me quickly grabbed me by the hand, pulling me into a run, "We need to get outta here!"

"Do you know who that is?"

Rather than answering, he focused on where we were headed. I had little choice but to follow him through the mists. We could still hear the horse's racing hooves behind us. The rider continued her chase after us, laughing as she did, "Who are you trying to hide from me? A new face perhaps?"

Still not answering, Duke would focus on the mists around us in our run. The fog would thicken behind us, as though trying to mask us from her view. I'd slipped the journal into my cloak, keeping it from slipping out. I'd also managed to keep my hood up as we ran, hiding my face from view of the rider in close pursuit still.

I would then hear a blade being drawn, the metallic swipe whistling in the air just behind us. I'd just managed to duck my head to avoid the strike.

"Oh, what's this? A mystery face?" she taunted when seeing my hood secured in place, "Why not let us see? I want to see if your eyes match my favorite ribbon!"

"She's already promised to me, Montarri!" Duke snapped while turning quickly and conjuring up a blade of shadow to wield.

With it, he deflected the next strike, all while slipping me behind him. As he struck with the next attack, he managed to knock the rider off of her horse. The steed galloped on at first without it's rider, but quickly paused when it realized she was missing.

"Now L'Orange, if you'd just let me be your partner, we could master the mists together. Not a treasure would be out of reach!" the strange woman offered.

From behind the rogue dark lord, I could see our attacker a bit better now. Her own hood had fallen back as she'd toppled off her horse. Revealing a pretty face at first glance. However, on closer inspection, it was getting easier to see the age brought on by time, wrinkles and thinned skin from the neck up. Though at her throat was an emerald shaded silk ribbon tied into a bow. While from below the ribbon, she remained in her prime in appearance and strength.

"There isn't a treasure I can't steal," Duke assured, "I don't need a partner."

"No?" I wondered aloud, causing him to glance over his shoulder with a raised brow.

"Watch out!" I suddenly called out as she lunged at him again.

He turned in time to block the strike. Then with a quick twist of his wrist, the blades became entangled until hers was pulled free of her grasp. The tip of his sword was now held at her throat as he warned, "Now, I'd back off while ya have the chance!"

She merely smirked in response, a twisted giggle escaping her painted lips that seemed to be drying out, "Oh, my dashing rogue, why not let me be at your side? Two lonely souls controlling these mists we wander together?"

"Not interested, Montarri. I like bein' able to slip in an' out as I wish without ya clingin' to me," he assured.

"You won't be able to resist me once I find the right set of eyes to win you over with," she snickered while glancing over at me, "Perhaps these are the right ones?"

"It doesn't matter what ya look like, I'm not goin' to be pulled in by a spiteful woman like you!" he glared at her with these words stated firmly.

"We'll see about that!" she snickered as her horse galloped behind her, allowing her to grab hold of the reigns and pull herself up.

Retrieving her sword, she began to turn back around to attack once more, "I'll claim her head, and with it that heart of yours!"

Before I could respond to any of this, Duke had grabbed my hand again. This time he pulled me back and into the shadows behind us. Just as she came charging up, she would suddenly vanish as I was brought into that space of ebony after him. As though making sure I was still in one piece, I then felt his hand at the back of my head as he pulled me against him.

Then, it was deathly quiet as we stood there in the dark together. The galloping of her horse, the horrid woman's snickering threats, everything but our own breathing was silenced.

After a few long moments of this, he then said to the surrounding shadows, "I'd have to have a heart to win in the first place."

"What?" I asked while risking a glance up at him.

He stepped back, shaking his head, "It's nothin'. Anyway, we'll be safe here in the shadows."

Looking around I would find that we were in what seemed to be a pocket of space between even the mists. Or were they apart of them? Turning to him for answers, I asked, "What is this? Are these shadows how you get through the mists?"

He gave a confident smirk, "I can walk along the shadows, in an' out of the mists. They do come in handy though to get where I want to go."

"What of your home? Your domain like the other lords of the mists?"

"You've traveled the mists before to know such things?" he realized.

"I have. Other adventurers refer to the spaces within the mists as dread domains, and they have different dark lords ruling them as they are ruled by the very mists that trap them there," I admitted, "So then, where is yours?"

"You're standin' it it," Duke gestured to the space around us.

"What are you talking about? This isn't-?"

"A place that I can control as I slip in an' out of it? The mists themselves are my domain to wander, findin' treasures to take as my own, as well as any heart I wish to steal along the way," he declared smoothly.

"Just not your own?" I pushed a bit.

I watched as he recoiled a bit from these words. Finding his composure rather quickly, he then said, "In any case, we'll be safe here for a while. She may be able to move through domains as I do, but she has no power over shadows as I do."

"I see?" I replied while readjusting my head while his back was to me.

"Is somethin' wrong?" he caught the unease lingering in my tone, "Aside from her huntin' for your head jus' now?"

"I'm a bit surprised," I admitted, "You could have let her take it, and you could have stolen my heart without any more hassle attached to it?"

"That wasn't the deal," he replied while turning to face me again, "Besides, a livin' heart is worth far more to me than a dead one. One that doesn't beat any longer can't feel either."

"Is that why you seek them out then? To be reminded of such sensations as emotions?" I ventured.

"That might be part of it," he replied with a bit of a shrug.

"Why not be with this other thief? Wouldn't you two be a good match?" I inquired.

At this, Duke shook his head, "I wasn't lyin' about not needin' another partner. I learned my lesson on that a while ago."

He gave a glare at the memory that he'd drudged up, and I couldn't help but wince from the bitter tone he'd had. Then I slipped the journal from my cloak, and opened it to where we were. Curiosity tugged at me a bit as I began venturing through the next passage a bit, and said to him, "This seems to beg to differ? It seems you relied on Lady Heart quite a bit?"

He turned to me, and I would catch the hurt bewilderment in his remaining eye. With this, he gave a slight nod, and asked, "May ya start the next part...it's still a bit foggy to me after so long...?"

"Alright," I assured a bit gently.

He gestured for me to sit there in the dark with him, the shadow serving as our sanctuary for the time being. Luckily this wasn't an issue as I was able to read on for him.

"We're close to Anaheim," I read along the wooden post at the crossroads we'd come to.

"We should be there by nightfall," Duke noted while checking the map, "Perfect for us to slip in unnoticed."

"You don't think word would have spread from Gremanna by now? It's been a few weeks, especially with the days we spent in that forest apparently," I mentioned.

"I've been a wanted man for a lot longer than a few weeks," he sighed with some regret in his tone.

"I'm lucky you were," I pushed back firmly, drawing out a soft smile from my companion.

Before he could say anything else, we both would jump at the sudden roar heard overhead. Looking up, I soon felt the blended grip of fear and awe strike my very core, as something quite large darted into the clouds before we got a good look at it.

"Was that...?" I wondered aloud while trying to track it with my eyes.

Duke didn't have a chance to answer, as we then heard a quickly approaching horse drawing closer from the right. Not wanting to risk being seen out in the open, my rogue friend grabbed a hold of my arm to pull me into the formation of boulders at the foot of the mountainside we were at. For the road to the Eastward mountain range, came to a crossing at the post. The horseman was coming from the opposite road towards it.

When he came to a pause at the sign, we tried to get a better look from our hiding space behind the earthy formation. Driving an ebony coated horse, an older man in crimson sorceror robes pulled the reigns sharply to get his horse to obey him. He had a gaunt, narrow face that was framed with white hair both atop of his head, and over his chin with a sharply shaped beard. The layers of fabric he wore were that of deep blue, and striking red, with a yellow sash holding the robes closed.

"Blast it, where are they?!" he scowled while looking down the roads a moment or two each, "I must find them before the soldiers do, or it will all go to waste!"

"I wonder what he's looking for?"

I would ask Duke without a voice. He glanced at me and shrugged his response. We waited for him to move on, cracking the reigns to force his steed to gallop off to the left, still away from Anaheim.

When we sure he wouldn't come racing back around, we slipped out from behind the boulders and headed down the road, straight ahead.

"I guess we'd better keep a watch for soldiers?" Duke mentioned as we went along.

"And whatever that caster was searching for?" I pointed out.

"Ya got a bad vibe from him too?" Duke asked.

"I did."

"We should also be careful from what we heard earlier," Duke reminded me, while looking up at the clouds still blocking out most of the blue skies.

"What do you think it was?" he then asked.

"Well, I-"

Before I could finish, we heard it again. Only this time, the pitch was far different. Yet still it caused my very center to tremble as we searched for the source of it. This time, we would both see in a brief flash of white, something large darting out from behind another formation jutting out from the cliff-side to our right. Yet it rushed into a nearby cavern before we could register just what it was.

"Ya don't suppose...?"

I was already walking up to it, my curiosity tugging me over to behind those natural pillars and mounds of rock and minerals. The shifting stones under my feet would make the slightest clacking from my boots as I began climbing up the rounded boulders that towered over me.

"Wait up," I heard Duke call up to me as he followed after.

I only vaguely realized, that rather than a rope, a set of claws had emerged to make the climbing easier for me. While Duke went ahead and used the tools he carried for such tasks.

Once we'd reached the top, we looked down to see where the large creature had emerged from. My own eyes grew wide from the sight before us. For as we gazed downward, we would find a rather large nest at the foot of the other side of the rocky formation. In this great bundle of molded together into a comfortable heap Earth, was a collection of shimmering shelled eggs!

"Are these...?" I couldn't believe it to put it to words.

"I've never seen eggs like these," Duke noted while crouching down to get a better look without venturing further.

"Then what we heard before?" I tried to comprehend the weight of what I felt.

"Do ya think he's lookin' for them?" my companion asked.

"I...I don't know...but this is..."

"Is what, sweetheart?" Duke encouraged, catching my trapped in awe expression.

"This is incredible!" I finally remarked while unable to keep myself from sliding down along the boulder down to them.

"Heart!" Duke exclaimed while following my lead, unable to stop me.

Once steadily on my feet again, I couldn't help but walk over to the nearest egg. Marveling at the wonder before me, I reached out a gentle hand to brush it against the delicate shell. It felt like that of a smoothed, rounded crystal somehow, rather than the cracking thin casing of a normal egg. It also stood as tall as me, meaning the creature inside would be quite big for just a babe.

"We're in a dragon's nest!" I about cried out with a rush of unexplainable joy curving my lips, but managed to catch myself just enough to give a low cheer instead.

"I can't believe what we're seeing!" I then breathed out softly, "Aunt Victoria, maybe even Madame Lucille, would shriek at me being this close..."

I glanced nervously over at Duke, but instead found a warm smile encouraging me, "It's much different than readin' about them, isn't it?"

"I wonder what kind of dragons they'll be?" I replied with furthered curiosity as I looked them over.

"There's different types?" he asked, pushing me with this careful prompt.

"There's three sorts of dragons," I started to explain, "Chromatic, Metallic, and the rarer Gem Dragons. The moonstone one we met in our shared dream was of the third type. We have records of their sightings back in the study, written by an observer and fellow magic user, the Great Fizban!"

"I've studied it front to back, all his notes and teachings. The book was gifted to my family a long time ago," I told him, "For he wanted to share what he'd learned with us, to spread the majesty of these inspiring creatures."

"Did ya ever get to meet him?" Duke asked.

I shook my head, "No, but Madame Lucille did. The journal was first gifted to her after my parents were killed, and she passed it down to me when I grew older...I'm now starting to wonder if she knew this whole time what I was, and perhaps was preparing me for it?"

"Even if ya weren't one, I don't think that would change how ya look at them," Duke mentioned with certainty in his remaining eye that gleamed with warmth as he watched me.

I couldn't help but blush at this, quickly looking back at the eggs to try and hide it.

"I can't believe we're standing in a dragon's nest," I remarked while gingerly brushing my hand over the egg, "They're quite warm too. I wonder if they're close to hatching?"

"The mother must have gone to gather food for them," Duke noted while looking around.

"Then the other roar we heard? Could that be a threat to them?" I asked.

"I don't really know, sweetheart," he replied.

Before we could ponder over this for very long, we would hear the fastly approaching hooves of a steed on the other side of the rocks. Duke and I didn't dare move or speak, beyond crouching down beside those tucked away eggs.

"They must be around here somewhere!" the man from before exclaimed in furthered frustration.

We heard his horse shifting in it's stance while he continued to search the area. While we remained cautiously quiet. That is, until we heard something rumbling from within the caverns near the nest. We knew it had caught his attention as well, as we heard him declare, "Ah, the beast must be this way!"

Quickly glancing at Duke, we gave a quiet nod to the other. He then crept over to the narrow opening of the rock formed nest leading to the natural tunnel, while I climbed my way back up. As the rider turned to head down the slim path, I would whisper my spell with a hand thrust out towards him. A small burst of thunder and lightning flew from my claws and struck him off of his now startled horse.

"What is the meaning of-?!" he trailed off as he looked up to see me standing upon the wall of the nest.

"You will not be permitted to go passed this point! It is under protection of the Cezanni Family!" I ordered with as much authority in my tone as I could gather.

Even Duke seemed surprised by this regal declaration when he looked up at me. Still, he waited to make sure the figure couldn't go passed him if he tried.

"A dragon's domain under protection of any royal decree? This must be a joke! You only want their hyde for yourself!" he scoffed.

"This isn't a joke. You will not go any further in your pursuit!" I ordered.

"I'm afraid I've come too far to turn back empty handed!" he insisted with a sneer.

"Come any closer, and I will not hesitate to stop you!" I warned while preparing another burst of magic from within my core.

"So be it, wench!" he chortled while waving a hand towards me, "Stand in my way, and that will be the last thing you do!"

With this swift gesture, a bolt of magic came flying at me, giving me barely any time to leap away as it collided with the rock at my feet. As I landed on the ground, I instinctively rolled to the side to avoid the next blast of magic.

"How dare you try and make a mockery of Asteroth!" he snarled, "Your pathetic plight will be cut short!"

This time, the blast struck me, knocking me back a bit. Wincing from the impact, I tried to get to my feet, murmuring my own spell in the process. As he shot out another blast, I managed to call upon my magic to send a burst of energy to meet and collide with his.

"You wretched child, this has gone on long enough!" he scowled while shielding himself from the blinding light that was the result of their collision.

He glared down at me as I tried to get up, causing me to pause as his sneering eyes met with mine in a terrifying gaze, "You will serve as a warning to all who stand in my way!"

Yet before he could finish his gestures, he would feel something tug on his arm. Thus causing his spell to shoot passed me and collide into a nearby tree. Instantly the bark would splinter into several flying pieces from the burst of magic striking it. A sharp gasp escaped my lips as I saw what would have become of me, had the rogue not stepped in as he did now. Taking the opportunity while the magic user looked on in confusion, Duke lunged into the fight with his rapier drawn now, "Get away from her, ya cretin!"

"Another wretch to deal with? So be it!" Asteroth scoffed while knocking my companion back with the same sort of blast he'd sent me flying with.

With Duke landing just at my feet, I watched as he scrambled to sit up. Shielding me with his own frame. Even as a sharp pain raced up his side, and we both looked to see the wound that had torn open from the blast striking him. Forcing him to place a hand over it, as he still didn't falter.

"Duke!" I gasped, before rushing to my feet.

As Asteroth gathered himself quickly to cast his next spell, I was already on the attack again. With another burst of Thunder Clap, I was able to distract him long enough for Duke to get to his feet in an attempt to slip behind him. That is, until we all heard it above our heads. The thundering roar that shook the Earth we stood on.

Quickly glancing up, we would see the core shaking presence of a crimson scaled dragon. My jaw dropped as I realized aloud, in a stammering voice, "A red...dragon?"

"Just what I needed!" Asteroth laughed with contempt as he looked upon her, "Now hold still, and I will take what should have been mine to begin with!"

How one could stand there so boldly before such a being bewildered me. Duke and I had both stepped back out of sheer respect when it had let out it's warning cry. Seeing the elderly mage, she then began to inhale deeply, drawing from the very energy around her.

"Heart!" Duke called out in alarm as he grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side back near the nest.

We'd just made it when she unleased a blinding, breath of radiant energy down upon the wizard.

Yet he was on the ready as well, as he cast out his next prepared spell, "Wall of Stone!"

As the sheet of solid Earth to block the powerful dragon's breath! This was swiftly followed up with another spell he waved towards her, "Hold, Monster!"

Thus freezing the dragon in place as he concentrated hard on this spell. He gave a twisted chuckle as he kept his focus on the mother, "Now then, to take the power that should have been mine long ago! Though I am a little disappointed that it's been this easy. No matter!"

"How is a dragon being taken so quickly like this?" Duke wondered in shock.

Looking up, seeing her fiercem face glaring down at the wizard, I would recognize the fatigue in her glistening green eyes.

"She's exhausted," I murmured, "She's been protecting the nest, and trying to tend to her babies. He's caught her worn down!"

Now glaring at the elderly wizard, I barely took a breath, before charging towards him with my weapon drawn.

"Heart!" Duke exclaimed while following suit, drawing his rapier.

"Leave her be, you vile mage!" I ordered while lunging at him.

"You should have escaped while you could! This is to be my moment of triumph that you are trying to ruin! For this incolence, you shall stand forever for your stubborn foolishness!" He declared with a growl in his throat, "Flesh to Stone!"

"Heart, no!" I would hear Duke cry out just as he managed to pull me back, before letting out a defeated groan of pain following this.

After stabling my stance as he'd yanked me backwards, I looked to see my companion freezing up where he stood as a living shield for me. Catching what the warlock had said in his anger, my eyes widened in fear for my friend as I then watched his stance grow far more rigid.

"What a fool!" Asteroth scoffed while concentrating his magic on Duke and the mother now.

Duke would let out another groan as his change to stone started with his hands and began spreading upward.

"Duke!" I cried out while rushing over to him, before I turned around, glaring at the crimson clad caster, "Let them go!"

"Why would I do that?" he taunted while focusing on overpowering Duke's fighting will to break free, "He'll make a fine map marker for travelers! Don't wander off the road like the foolish soul did!"

With this, I focused my own magic, summoning up the fury and energy in me to cast out a wicked bolt of lightning that flew at him. As I did, I felt the scales at my wrists beginning to spread up my forearms. Asteroth's eyes widened to see this, before he gave a scowl, "How can a venomess creature such as yourself hold their power in you?!"

Rather than answering, I held my ground before them, preparing to cast out any more magic that I might need.

"This is growing old!" he sneered while quickly grabbing my arm, as I stood defending my companion still, "However, I shall let you live to regret your choice, but with a curse!"

"Heart, run!" Duke snapped as the stone flesh crept up his chest and to his throat.

"I won't leave you both!" I snapped while trying to focus my own magic and pull away from the wizard's grasp.

"I think the curse of KinSlayer may do nicely?" he pondered with a wicked grin crossing his face, "You'll be compelled to attack all those dear to you. Starting with this companion before he's turned into a statue?"

A sharp gasp escaped my throat as he cast his spell upon me, causing me to freeze up as I tried to resist his horrid curse. When he was sure I was under his spell, he released me and stepped back a bit so I could do as he'd ordered. My rapier firmly in hand, I then began to step forward, as though something were urging me to go forth and attack.

"That's much better!" he laughed while facing Duke, "To be slain by the very friend you tried to save; this is a treat, isn't it?"

He then began to focus on the dragon still fighting to get free of his will over her.

"Heart!" Duke attempted to reach me, "Heart, fight it!"

"Duke..." I attempted while raising up my blade, preparing to strike as I drew nearer.

Asteroth drew out a horrible dagger, and began to levitate up to the mother's face. She attempted to raise up her claw in order to swipe at him, but found herself shackled in place. Yet before he could get far, as I drew nearer to him, I took in a rather deep breath, feeling the energy in it as I did. Then suddenly, I looked up and unleased that electricfying breath upon the wizard, "You won't hurt her!"

To which he exclaimed in confused outrage, "What are you doing?!"

That wild breath of a small, but still ragingin storm, caught the wizard, knocking him back down to the ground. This time he glared up at me, his concentration broken, and thus released both the mother and Duke from the spells trying to hold them in place.

"How did you resist my my magic?!"

"With my own!" I snapped while standing steady between them.

He growled in growing rage as he looked up at Duke and I, and then the dragon now roaring behind us.

"I will not leave empty handed!" he snarled while waving up his hand just as we were about to grab him, "Cloud of Daggers!"

With a swipe of his hand and quick gestures, a strange mettalic shaded nimbus formed above us. Seeing this, Duke quickly grabbed me, and dragged me back behind the walls of rock that made the nest, before those wicked, countless blades came raining down at us, as though thrown. Yet just as we took cover, I would notice the mother looking up in alarm. For she knew if she moved, than her eggs would be struck by the bladed weather. Then upon glancing up, too tired to move as fast as she would have, a deep roar would bellow out from her throat as those daggers came flying at her face, and right under her right eye!

She screamed out a fiere roar as it struck her, and Asteroth would give a sneer while casting levitate on himself once more to reach her. Before I could pull away from Duke to try and stop him, with the daggers still being thrown at us from the heavy cloud; Asteroth retrieved the one lodged into her face. Near her eye.

"No!" I screamed as he made no secret of what he was taking from her.

Her roar of agony drowned out my cries of horror.

With the dagger in hand, and her eye along with it now in his other palm, the wicked wizard let out a triumphant laugh, "This is only the beginning! Now I will be the Lord of the Red Dragon, as I was always meant to be!"

As he murmured another spell, he then laughed, "Be happy that I am in such a good mood, for I will let you all live...for now!"

Then he was gone, vanished into a portal that took him far away from the nest, and even his abandoned horse. With this, the storm of daggers ended it's rain down upon us, and the strange nimbus vanished as well.

"We have to help her!" I exclaimed as I wasted no time climbing up to the mother.

"Heart, wait-! Ah!" Duke cried out sharply while trying to follow me.

Looking back as I heard this, I would see him holding his side still as he leaned against one of the outer bolders of the nest. Forcing through the grimace that was twisting his facial features, he instructed, "Help the mother...I'll be alright."

"Duke...?" I asked with concern.

"Hurry," he insisted.

With that, I continued climbing up to the wounded mother as she roared in pain still. This made it difficult to climb up as I had before, even with claws. However, I would reach the top with some focused effort. Her remaining eye now focusing on anything that came near, would find me immediately, and she let out a fierce roar in warning.

"Please...I want to help you!" I tried to assure her, "We were trying to keep your eggs safe from that cretin of a wizard!"

Duke and I would both then hear,

"Why would you protect my eggs?!"

Without batting an eyelash, I said, "Why wouldn't we?"

"Don't you fear my kind?"

Looking over us both now with her one, vibrant green eye, she seemed to peer into our very souls. As she turned to Duke, she would quickly furrow her brow with a warning growl hissed at him,

"Thief! Stay away from my nest and my hoard!"

"That thief just saved your eggs!" I snapped in a sudden flash of anger, startling the very rogue I was defending.

This rewarded me with a somewhat stunned expression from the mother as well. She let out a low hiss again towards him. With my hands on my hips now, I pushed back, "We're trying to help you! We could have gone on our way and let him find them, but we didn't! Now you can either trust both of us, and let us help you, or we can go ahead and leave!"

"Heart?!" Duke said in shock.

"You are a strange one, aren't you?" She then mused.

"So I've been told," Heart shrugged.

Watching Heart stare down a dragon, my jaw had about dropped to the floor. The princess had been shy in her own castle, taking on tasks herself rather than instructing anyone else. Now here she was arguing with this mother, a red dragon, and for my sake on top of that.

"Heart, it's okay," I ventured while looking up at her, "I can wait near the crossroads an' patch myself up while ya help her?"

"There's no reason for that! You got hurt trying to help!" Heart protested.

Then, quite abruptly, we both heard a warm chuckle in our heads,

"What a bold little thing you are!" The mother looked Heart over a bit closer now, before remembering the pain stinging her face where her eye should have been.

"Please, let me get a better look at it?" Heart requested in a gentler tone.

This time, the mother lowered her head for Heart to look over the wound. As she did, she would sigh, "There's not much we can do about the eye...we can't restore it. We have to simply clean and bandage the wound somehow?"

It was then that I noticed how pale Heart was while trying to figure this out. Thus causing me to push passed my wound and climb up a bit slowly.

"You alright?" I asked.

After trying to take a quick breath, Heart attempted, "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Ya look like you're about to faint?" I mentioned as Heart tried to prepare for cleaning the wound.

"Of course not!" Heart insisted, before I pulled her back by her shoulder.

"Let me help with this," I quickly offered while slipping the cloth from her hands, "It's a bit gruesome to try an' clean up."

I could see the frustration surfacing in Heart's eyes, but it seemed she was a bit relieved from me doing this. To this I assured her, "Everyone has things that get under their skin. That doesn't make ya any less brave or strong."

"Easy for you to say," Heart sighed while folding her arms over her chest.

I couldn't help but try and stifle a laugh to see her acting like this right after staring down a dragon. Then I sighed while replying, "Well, I never thought I'd admit this...especially in front of a dragon...but I can't stand gettin' slime an' sludge on me. The feelin' jus' makes my skin crawl."

"That said, I know if it came down to it, you'd be the one doin' this," I assured her while thinking back to how she'd helped me slip the enchanted eye into place, handling scar tissue on my face to do so, "But I'm here an' able, so let me help with this, okay?"

Glancing over, I would see a shy, but very appreciative smile cross her face as she said, "Thank you, Duke."

After a while, I'd gotten the wound completely cleaned, all while surpressing bad memories of my own in regards to the topic. Then Heart helped me to fashion a bandage for the mother, and together we were able to wrap it in place.

"What would he want with it anyway?" I then pondered aloud.

"Even pieces of us hold great magic within. He could forge a wondrous item with only an eye, as they are gem-like in nature," the mother explained.

Looking to Heart, I would realize and say without a second thought, "That explains your sapphires."

I then watched as her face turned as red as her hair from the flattering remark. Causing the mother to look over with growing curiosity, and then chuckle herself.

"We do have a potion left if you think that would be better?" Heart then offered, trying to gather her composure a bit.

"Don't waste it, dragons heal rather quickly," she assured, "As you will learn yourself as time goes on. I can sense the blood in your veins, our blood."

"Still, I wish we could do more," Heart then sighed while glancing down over the eggs.

Then she got an idea, while looking back to the mother, "Maybe we could watch over the nest while you rest, so you don't get caught like that again?"

"Earlier we heard another roar, was that a friend or foe?" I then asked.

"Their father, a brass dragon, was trying to ward off would be adventurers that may draw near with his presence. He hoped they would see his metallic sheen and know he was not a direct threat as long as they stayed away from the nest. However, it seems that only drew out the wrong sort to us," she explained.

"Please, let us watch over your nest while you get the rest you need?" Heart pushed carefully.

"You are a persistant one," the mother noted while eyeing Heart with her remaining emerald eye.

She looked me over again as well. Then she glanced down over her nest, and let out a deep sigh, "Very well. I sense that I can trust you both, otherwise I'd have struck you down where you stand."

"That's good to hear at least?" I shrugged with slight unease remaining.

With that, we got to watching over the nest while the mother retired beside it. The lingering pain made her want to lower her head as soon as she comfortably could. As she did, Heart and I found a space to set up a small camp. Once settled, Heart looked to me with the same stern look she'd given the dragon, "You're pushing it too much."

"What?" I asked, before I realized she was looking at the wound in my side I'd been neglecting throuh everything.

"It's not too bad," I assured her.

"It will get worse if we don't tend to it," she pushed back.

Knowing I couldn't sidestep my way out of this, I sighed and sat beside her. For part of the wound was where I couldn't reach it easily, and she insisted on helping me. I winced a bit as she began dabbing the wound with a medicine soaked cloth, "Sorry."

"It's alright," I assured while forcing a smile through the stinging.

"We make a good team though, don't we?" I then ventured cheerfully.

"Yeah?" Heart asked, "Is this anything new at this point?" She couldn't help but tease a bit.

To this I gave a chuckle, "You're finally breakin' out of that shell. Or maybe it's bein' around these dragons that's brought this out in ya?"

Heart would glance over at the resting mother and her eggs. There was indeed a smile of comfort on her face. Yet she then said, "I think there was a change in me before this."

With this, she then instructed, "I need to get at the wound a bit better?"

I couldn't help but noticing her blushing a bit, almost looking away, as I began to oblige. Removing my tunic and armor, I realized too late that this meant she could see more than this one injury in my side. Just as when I'd been under that curse, changing back and forth before her, Heart could now see every scar I bared from over the years as a thief. It was something I was careful to hide, knowing how rough some of them appeared to be.

My heart would suddenly skip in my chest as she ran a hand along one long gash in my arm, her touch ever so careful. She then gathered herself again, and tried to focus on the open wound that went from the front of my right side, and reached all the way to my back. That blast had taken a decent chunk of my flesh. Adrenaline must have driven me to push passed it until now, especially when, "I didn't know what would happen when he cast that spell on ya...the one that almost made me a garden decoration...I just didn't want ya to get hurt again."

I risked a glance to note the scar still healing on her face from my own talons that I'd had, "Not when I can try an' stop it this time."

"Still...I don't know what I'd do without you," Heart then slipped, before withdrawing slightly, "I'm glad you're okay."

I'd already caught it though, and my heart about tore in half to hear those words from her. The longer we spent together on the road like this, the harder it was getting to keep my distance. I tried to ignore how she'd been starting to look at me, and focus on the quest at hand. She had enough on her mind without me to add to it. Besides, as far as I knew, I was still a wanted man. Even if Heart had the authority to pardon me, I'd never ask it of her. She didn't need to be judged when she had enough going against her to reclaim her throne. This was why I'd referred to her as Lady Heart at first, trying to stay formal for both our sakes. Yet I'd quickly given in to her request of dropping such formalities.

"Heart...I..." I thought quickly, looking up at the ruby scaled being before us, "I thought red dragons were considered particularly dangerous?"

Heart looked over the mother a moment and replied, "Well, I believe there are exceptions to rules." She glanced at me as she said this, and she smiled, "You'd be surprised where one can find their closest allies."

I gave a grin, "Rather wise, Lady Heart."

She blushed a bit at this remark, and then added, "Besides, all dragons carry a source of honor to them. We've done this dragon a great service by protecting her young and her. Perhaps it will inspire something later on? And if not, I will still carry no regrets. Brass Dragons are considered to be more benevolent in nature, and he deemed her dear enough to love and have their children."

"You're completely comfortable among them, aren't ya?" I couldn't help but tease her a little.

"I guess so...I know to be careful, that not all dragons carry such honor to them. Still, if I can try and build a connection with them, I will," she told me, "Same with people."

"I'm lucky for that," I said, supporting her in a number of ways, as I nearly slipped once more while looking over at my companion.

My saving grace was the dragon mother beginning to stir. By now Heart had dressed my wounds and I was pulling my tunic back on. She fell back to sleep, but I'd already found my composure as I offered, "I'll take the first watch."

"You need to rest that wound," Heart pushed back, before looking over the eggs, "Besides, I don't exactly want to sleep just yet."

I couldn't help but smile, and even chuckle a little, to see her excitement returning to her. It seemed that the side of her I'd only seen glimpses of back at the castle, was at last coming back. And I was quite happy to see it in her once again. So much so that I listened as she took what notes she could while observing the nest, until I couldn't help but lean my head against her shoulder and drift off to sleep. Content to be with the real her, even if it was for a short time.