Aimless

by The Silent Insomniac

Joshua Renalia finds himself lost in the Dragon Realms with nothing but his sleeping clothes, his knowledge of Spyro lore, and a power beyond his understanding. Cut off from all he knows, the human discovers Spyro's world is alien, unforgiving, brutally shattering his naive expectations. How long can he live here before going insane? Is there a way back home? Why is he even here?

47. (City Life) (44D) Moving Up 3A

Author's notes:

I keep forgetting Streeg is a rhynoc, not a gnorc. I'll have to go back and correct previous chapters after I put this baby up.

Thanks again for Strykeruk for being my editor. Your work is always appreciated and I'm glad you catch me whenever you see some some sort of inconsistency with the characters. Any message from him will be put here if he decides to give one.

Timestamp key: "D" for days, "W" for weeks, "M" for months, "Y" for years, "EM" for early morning, "LM" for late morning, "EA" for early afternoon, "LA" for late afternoon, "EE" for early evening, "LN" for late night, and "AD" for all day. Note that the Realms follows the sexagesimal system for keeping time, just like Earth. (In other words, 60 seconds per minute and 60 minutes per hour.)

Snip category key: There are four categories of snips. "Settling In", "City Life", "Beyond the Wall", and "The Journey Home". All four represent parallel storylines that take place within Aimless, and other than "Settling In", each snip category has at least two subtypes. Those subtypes aren't listed due to potential spoilers.

Enjoy!

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City Life: Employment

Chapter 47: Moving Up 3-A

"Liberty is lost through complacency and a subservient mindset."

~ Ron Paul

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[44D/LM]

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"...as I place my paw on these documents, I, Over Steward Hoffbar, hereby declare Joshua Renalia officially dismissed from manual scavenging."

A bear garbed in a gorgeous, silken set of robes slammed the palm of his paw on a leather parchment, which contained Joshua's certification of employment. Anyone could tell the mole who wrote it had exquisitely beautiful penmanship.

The brown bear swiftly rolled up the parchment and tied it up in a well-crafted ribbon. Symbols of the four elements decorated its length, and the entire thing was fixed with a pin on which the insignia of the Allied Territories was prominently displayed.

Over Steward Hoffbar eyed Joshua while he separately rolled up three more sheets of paper. All four went inside a scroll case. A sturdy one. "I'm putting in the letters of recommendation written by your Groundhog and Under Steward. I've also added a Certificate of Good Conduct, which I prepared personally, and at Lady Cynder's behest. These should help you if ever someone questions your qualifications or moral character in your next job."

He walked over to Joshua and offered it to him. Hoffbar was just a bit shorter than a gnorc or rhynoc, yet still towered above him. Those who had the fortune of meeting Spyro or Cynder in the flesh would even argue the bear was still taller than the Saviors, at least when they were on all fours. "Congratulations," he said.

"Thank you very much," replied Joshua, shaking Hoffbar's paw according to centuries-old ursine tradition. He clapped his hands together and gave the bear a foreign yet deferential bow. "Volteer may have been the one who arranged all this, but you guys are the ones who saw it through to the end. I'm in your debt."

Any human with a keen eye would know the russet teenager hailed from an Asian country or family.

But Blink was not human. To him, this was nothing more than a stupid ceremony that would lift this stupid adolescent up to another stupid job in the Temple that involved licking even more dragon scales than before.

Blink grunted in displeasure when he heard Gaudog, who'd been silently watching this stupid affair by his side, make a loud, obnoxious sob. "Awww, don't mention it, hoo-man pup! Again, don't forget about your labor! Once you can leave the Temple, drop by Ember's Taphouse after-hours. The boars and I are there regularly and we'd love the opportunity to hear your stories over some ale."

Grimacing, the young mole stepped away from the scalelicker. It was bad enough that his fur carried the stench of dragon scat just like most Moles working at the Temple. He didn't need to hear the pleading reverence in his voice as well.

Joshua laughed. "Sure, but the first couple of rounds are on you, okay?"

"No problem," Gaudog barked, chuckling as well.

Blink looked askance. Under Steward Nydec was there too, watching the proceedings unfold. Where Gaudog was all but bawling all the snot out his muzzle, the not-so-burly mole giddily stomped his feet and giggled to himself in exhilaration. The mole pup didn't understand why these scalelickers were acting this way. Other than the fact that Joshua was the infamous "Dragonbane", this sort of thing was routine and didn't even require the Over Steward to personally do the handover.

"Rushing minecarts!" Blink grumbled loudly. "Can we get out of here now? You're all acting like you just struck the motherlode. There's nothing special about Joshua getting out of here. Why have a ceremony at all? This whole thing is stupid!"

He would've added that the human's discharge was nowhere close to the occasions his uncle revealed his latest inventions to Warfang aristocracy, but he never got the chance to say it.

"Dude!" Joshua blurted reproachfully.

"What?" Blink said. "I'm just calling a rock a rock—

Gaudog chastised, "Enough, Galleron!"

Blink growled. "Don't call me by that na—agh!"

Gaudog's grimy paws picked him up by his suspenders. "We've been tolerating your insolence for years!" Blink gritted his teeth anl resisted the urge to vomit. He tried to shy away from the larger mole's muzzle when the smell of dried dragon excreta invaded his nostrils. "Just because you're the Professor's only nephew doesn't mean you can call our ways—your ways stupid!"

"Aaaaack," Blink gagged. "Y-you reek! Get your scat-coated paws off of me!" His paw reached for the spanner hanging on his belt. Just a little more…

"Shameful! This pup can't even appreciate a fine coating of lavatorium mud!" The Groundhog's eyes rolled down, swiftly noticing his actions, his intent. Gaudog shoved Blink onto the wall and smushed their snouts together. Blink's goggles fell on the floor with a noisy clack.

The older mole breathed heavily, every breath an unbearable stench. "I don't need to knock your snout in when I can just pay Egeria's Veil a visit. Mark my words, little boar, Dumitru will hear about this!"

Blink gnarled at the threat. "Like he really cares! Go ahead, you damned scalelicker! Do your worst. Go and tell my Uncle!" He wasn't afraid. The Professor never was much of a father figure anyway.

"Hmph! You'll regret saying that." Gaudog relinquished Blink and moved over to another section of the wall, closer to the door. It didn't surprise him at all that none of the sows working in the Office of the Keeper so much as glanced at them. They were too busy processing documents.

Under Steward Nydec narrowed his beady eyes at the mole pup and huffed. "Little Galleron, aren't you aware how momentous this occasion is? Do you actually have pebbles rattling in your tiny head?

"Joshua isn't ordinary. He's a hoo-man; the only one in all the Realms. Furthermore, he's the dragon killer! To think he's moving to a tunnel no Mole has ever dug before!" He proclaimed. "It's every Mole's dream to devote their entire lives to dragonkind in a way most intimate and most respectable! It's one thing to have a dragon mark him as family; it's another to teach—to mentor the future leaders of Markazia!"

Blink watched Nydec stroll over to Joshua and, being of similar height, wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Hey!" Joshua groused in surprise.

Nydec ignored Joshua's complaint and, resisting his struggling, continued to spout, "This hoo-man becoming a Novitiate is no less amazing than a boar becoming a dragon diver, an alchemist, an engineer, an inventor! After all, our dear, beloved reptiles value these professions so much more than any other!"

"Ugh! Nydec, not too close. Blegh! You f*cking stink, too!"

Nydec barked, "Ha! Listen to him!" He tightened his hold and unknowingly drilled Joshua's face into his fur. "I accept the compliment, hoo-man pup, but you're not too bad yourself!" The Mole sniffed his furless skin, gasping in delight. "Ahhh, I envy you so much. Your sister really loves you."

The boy squirmed even more."F*ck! Let GO already!" Blink couldn't fault him; every Mole in the Temple proudly carried the stench of dragon excreta on their fur. Every single one, except those who worked in the kitchens, in the Office of the Keeper, and himself.

"Don't you realize how lucky you are, Galleron?" Nydec trained his eyes on Blink. "A Mole like you isn't destined for the lavatoria. You'll be an artificer as great as Dumitru! Just think about all the dragons who'll benefit from your works. They'll shed enough scales to fill your burrow many times over—

Blink bared his teeth. "Well that's not my dream! All of you can lick their scales as much as you want, but leave me out of it! I have other plans for myself and none of them has me groveling at their smelly paws like a damn slave—

A thick boom interrupted the young mole and drew everyone's attention to Over Steward Hoffbar's table. Even the sows working in the office paused for a few seconds before returning to work.

Joshua easily slipped out under Nydec's arm. He clawed at his own face and violently shook his head, choking and whimpering from what he'd just been subjected to. No one paid any attention to him, not even Blink, for all eyes were on the brown bear glowering at the mole pup.

"Galleron," Hoffbar said, massaging his furry head. "You're disturbing my sows. Stop this before I write Dumitru a scroll about your impropriety."

Blink's tail went stiff. A letter from Over Steward Hoffbar carried a lot more weight than a toothless complaint from a mere Groundhog. A formal reprimand from the Office of the Keeper came with punishment, and the last thing he wanted was an extended time of unpaid "community service" in the nearest lavatorium, and in Gaudog's paws at that!

Even so, Blink didn't want to back down. He didn't want to retreat. How could he renege so easily? A person's heart was only as strong as the choices they made. If he yielded here, what did that mean for him? For his beliefs? For his dream of bringing true glory to the Moles as a species?

A hand fell on Blink's shoulder. Shocked by the sudden contact, the mole pup jolted and whipped his head up and sideways to face its owner. He was less surprised to see Joshua than he was at the entreating glint in his viridian eyes.

"Dude, it isn't worth it," he said, shaking his head sideways in a gesture too foreign for the pup to comprehend. "I know how you feel," muttered the human. "But this isn't the right place or time to air your shit out."

Joshua gave the mole's shoulder a good squeeze and rubbed his fingers on his thin coat of fur. Blink couldn't help but gasp. It felt good. Weird, but good. So good he couldn't even retort. "Just let it go, Blink," Joshua urged him. "Let it go."

The mole pup wanted to sigh and relax, and he didn't know why. His face got warmer the longer Joshua held him. A foreign, if alien, sensation descended upon Blink, urging him to go limp and present his stomach.

Blink might've even done so if he did not realize what he was doing. His eyes dilated; he slapped Joshua's right hand away. "Alright, alright, just stop touching me!"

Blink shifted his eyes across the Office of the Keeper. Every Mole in the room was glaring at him. He could feel their stares. Over Steward Hoffbar was calmly watching, seemingly apathetic after that announcement. "Can we please go now?"

"Sure, kid."

Joshua Renalia grinned down at him before moving away. Ugh, why did he have to be so tall? He was taller than most moles, too...

Blink watched Joshua walk over to Nydec, then Gaudog. He exchanged a few pleasantries with each of them before both boars finally left. He found it difficult to ignore the way they (or Gaudog, rather) glowered at the mole pup on the way out, even when he'd been deliberately staring at a wall, scrutinizing a pretty sow, or crossing his arms, resisting every urge to speak.

When he was finished with them, Joshua sauntered to the Over Steward and exchanged some last words with the bear. Hoffbar ended things on a good note, despite Blink's interruption. "It's been a pleasure, having you down here," said Hoffbar, not caring whether he was heard or not. "I believe we might be able to do some business someday, once you're clear to do so. I might not be the famous 'Moneybags' but know that I am invested in a few but highly profitable ventures in Central Warfang. If you ever need a helping paw, Joshua, you know where to find me."

"Thank you, Over Steward, sir!" Joshua replied. He gave Hoffbar another bow and ended the conversation with a handshake.

Hoffbar smirked. "You're welcome." He turned to Blink. "And Galleron, watch what you say next time. People won't always be forgiving. Someday your relationship with Professor Dumitru won't be able to shield you. The same goes for all the threads of gold you'll tie together with others in the future."

Blink scowled. "Hmph. Thanks for the warning," he grunted with arms crossed, sulking.

.

.

.

Blink remained silent for the rest of the time spent at the Office of the Keeper. Hoffbar accompanied the both of them back to the arterial utilidor, bidding farewell just before shutting the stone door behind them.

Making sure he didn't mistake the two tinheads guarding the Office of the Keeper for Joshua's security detail at this time of the day, Blink sought out the rhynoc and leopard standing tall amongst the passing crowd. He glanced up at Joshua.

"So where are we headed next?" Blink asked him. He took out a spherical object from one of the pouches on his waist and snapped it open, revealing a dome topped with a flat surface, on which markings were carved and a single black piece of metal swept across its area. "The sun shouldn't have reached its zenith yet. We still have plenty of time."

"Whoa, is that a watch?" Joshua blurted out.

Blink shot back, "What's a 'watch'? Oh, you mean my pocket clock?"

"Yeah."

Blink obliged the curiosity pooling in Joshua's gaze and stretched out his paw. "I made it myself. Helps keep track of the day while I'm underground. I'm the only one with a pocket clock in the entire city, by the way. It's something nobody thinks they need until they finally have it. Luckily the Professor—I mean my uncle—is busy working on something else."

He smiled at the way Joshua closely studied the device. "Jesus Christ," he mumbled, "I've never seen something like this outside of a f*cking museum…"

Blink paid little attention to his rambling. "Sounds like this is ancient technology for you."

"Of course it is! You gonna put this out on the market? You can make some coin with it…"

"I would," Blink declined. He snapped the pocket clock closed and stowed it away. "If I could find a way to make sure it isn't freely given away to the scalies and the Bears won't just get another mole to copy my design."

"Sounds hard."

"Whatever. I'll figure this out eventually." They stopped in front of Copeland and Streeg. "So, where're we headed now? You never answered my question."

Joshua Renalia didn't answer him right away. Eyes on his security escorts, he lifted up the scroll case he received from Hoffbar. "Hey Copeland, Streeg, look what I got!"

The two Talonpoint Knights recognized the scroll case in Joshua's hands. "Ah, officially discharged," Streeg rumbled. "Good."

Copeland ambled over, his enchanted armor ringing in Blink's hearing. He took it from Joshua. "Your labor had good timing, sharing Ember's ale with you the other day. Yesterday was your last day working the lavatoria. What's in this? It feels heavier than what I expected."

"Uhm, aside from my official papers, apparently my Under Steward and Groundhog wrote letters of recommendation. Mister Hoffbar also threw in a Certificate of Good Conduct."

Streeg muttered, "Wonderful. This is, unusual."

"Streeg's right," said Copeland. "Most workers don't get this much support when they're leaving." He paused. "Or being promoted."

"Really?"

"Yes. Now turn around so I can stash this in your bag." Leaning on a nearby wall, Blink had his arms crossed and watched Joshua turn around so the leopard could fiddle around with his backpack and stow the scroll case inside. "Given your circumstances, I expect someone will talk to you about your new arrangements soon. If I have to guess, it'll be Lady Cynder or Master Volteer."

"Not going through messengers, huh?"

"Not for something as important as your new job."

Joshua sighed wistfully. "I hope my room gets upgrades with it. The fact it's so, sooo, uh, empty bothers me a lot. Feels a lot like a prison cell."

Copeland replied nonchalantly, "It was meant to be that way, Joshua, back when we didn't know much about you and the Incident was still fresh in everyone's minds."

"I know, I know. I've never really held that against anyone. Like, it is what it is."

"It's good that you understand."

"Any idea when Cynder or Volteer will come and tell me?"

"I wouldn't know. People at their level are incredibly busy. But… if you had some coin on you right now, I'd wager a few it'll be tomorrow morning."

Streeg chuckled. "Dumb cat! Me, I bet later. Today. This news is important. To them."

"You're on, rhynoc!" chortled Copeland and met his challenge. "Ten coins say you're wrong."

"Heh. We'll see, Copeland."

Seeing an opening, Blink raised his voice before anybody in the group spoke again. "Hey!"

"What is it, Blink?"

Joshua's expression made it obvious he had forgotten all about him. The irritated mole pup quaked. It would feel so cathartic to punch the human in the face right then and there. "What now?" He growled out. "Where do we go next?"

Joshua was seemingly unfazed by his ire. He scratched his chin. "Hmm… Actually, I don't know!"

"What!" Blink exclaimed.

"I didn't give it much thought to what goes after Nydec had me report to the Office of the Keeper. I was expecting, like, a shitload of new assignments!"

"Then think of something! We can't stand here all day looking like idiots."

An awkward laugh was all Joshua had for him. "Seriously dude, I, I don't know. Kilat's at her usual lecture in Alona Hall right now. I guess it would be great if I could drop by Ignitus's statue or Hookfang Library, but… you know…"

"Oh. Right." Blink muttered in understanding. "You're not supposed to go around."

"Exactly! I can't simply wander around the Temple grounds. Besides, even if I did have permission, it wouldn't be a good idea anyway."

"Do the scalies still hate you?" Blink asked. "I thought you did a phenomenal job in Windvale Arena."

"Me too," Joshua confessed, slumping slightly. "But I went through the first and second floors yesterday after work and most people appeared…"

His voice trailed off. He smacked those strange, fleshy lips of his in a way that left Blink with the impression of consternation, if not difficulty in expressing his thoughts. "Nervous? Cautious?" He shrugged his shoulders. Another foreign gesture Blink couldn't understand. "It's hard to say. I actually received friendly greetings from, like, a handful of dragons, but most of them just didn't pay much attention to me." He hummed. "Honestly though, I feel like they were just keeping an eye on me while pretending to act normal."

Blink was incredulous. "Do you seriously expect those scalies to change their attitudes toward you that quickly? Temple apprentices aren't old lizards with shriveled-up leather, but they're still adolescents. Rowdy, reckless, hormonal. They're not a lounge of gullible whelps like your sister."

Joshua raised his right arm—his only working arm—defensively. "Okay, okay! I admit you make a good point. Still! I did stir up the hornet's nest. So who knows, right? Things juuuuust might improve on that front."

Blink tilted his head in confusion. Stir up the hornet's nest? What did that mean? He groaned. Navigating through various figures of speech and cultural references was something the mole pup hated the most in a multi-species society. Being friends with someone who came from some highly advanced civilization beyond the Known World made comprehension difficult. Blink already knew it was a miracle the human could actually speak their language, but he wished he would at least adapt faster and stop talking with his weird words and phrases.

It was so irritating.

Joshua seemed to sense his discomfort and answered the unspoken question, "It means I got everybody talking about me, because I, uh, caused some excitement, if that helps."

Now that made sense. "Ah! I understand now." He chuckled. "So you destabilized the tunnels."

"If that's how you guys say it, then, yeah, that's right. I did. Though I wish things happened faster…"

Blink crossed his arms, brows furrowed. He fixed a censorious stare up at his friend. "Joshua, you mind if I suggest something?"

"Not really, dude. Go for it."

"Have you ever considered rubbing fur and scale?"

Joshua frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"When you had your hand on my shoulder back there," Blink said, shooting a glance at the Office of the Keeper, "It, i-it felt"—he paused and bit his lower lip—"good—no, great! It felt great, but, but in a weird way! Uncle Dumitru used to give me something like that when I was younger. It was nice. Very relaxing.

"On the other paw, you somehow make it more, more… err, more intense than that. It was short but you made me feel like flopping over and presenting my stomach to you."

Joshua didn't offer much of a reply. "That kinda explains a few things," he was muttering to himself.

"Not the first time, is it?"

"Nope. I actually know this dragoness who keeps demanding I rub her paws almost every time I run into her."

Blink didn't know who it was. If he had to take a guess, it was that apprentice who destabilized the tunnels herself by getting caught skulking about the third floor. "A friend of yours?"

Another shrug of the shoulders. Damn it, what did that gesture mean? "At this point, yeah, I guess so," he said dismissively.

Blink tittered. "Magic fingers!" he barked. "Sounds like you can have that scalie literally eating out of your paws! You know, if you share that gift with the rest of the Temple, I bet you'd EASILY get popular with a lot of people, scalies and otherwise." He eyed Copeland and Streeg. "Start with your guards, then the mineshaft will start rumbling with activity. I know a couple bears who'll definitely toss some coins your way."

"No," Joshua said. Blink's ears twitched at the resolute tone in his voice.

"Why not?" Blink gestured at the two Talonpoint knights peacefully—patiently flanking the two of them and preventing anyone from entering their personal space. "Look at them! They need it, I tell you."

Copeland peeked at them. He realized the conversation had focused on them, but he hadn't been listening. "Need what?" asked the leopard.

"A massage! Did you know Joshua has a gift for it? He—mmmfff!"

Joshua snaked his right arm around Blink and shoved his snout downward so he couldn't speak. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut, up!"

Blink kicked at Joshua and wrenched himself free. He noted the nervous look on his face. "Whaaaat? Why? Don't you want to have all the scalies here shedding their hides for you?"

Copeland and Streeg were laughing but neither Joshua nor Blink paid attention to them. "I get it!" an exasperated Joshua exclaimed. "I know I'm not maximizing everything I have, I know it's a lot easier than becoming a teacher's assistant or whatever, but dude! Come, on! I have some f*cking dignity, and I want to keep it."

"Dignity?" Blink snorted. "You lost that the day you agreed to be a manual scav, scalelicker."

"I didn't have any other choice!"

"Scalelickerrrr," Blink drawled, teasingly.

Joshua swiped at him in the hopes of swatting his snout. "F*ck you!" Blink easily noticed this and just as easily stepped away to dodge it.

"Pbbbbt!" The mole pup blew a raspberry at him and giggled when Joshua missed again.

Blink could hear the human's heartbeat pulse faster as he began seething. Sensing he was rapidly approaching the limit of Joshua's patience, the young mole raised his paws in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. You're, you're a little easy to tease."

Joshua scowled at him. "Goddamn brat."

"Now seriously," Blink switched subjects, straightening his posture, with arms on hips. "Where are we going? We must've spent ten minutes out here. Let's go somewhere already!"

"Hmmm…" Joshua tapped his chin. "Aren't you and the Professor staying in a laboratory near here? Why don't we go—

"No!" Blink retorted. "I don't want to be anywhere near Uncle Dumitru!" He was always arguing with the Professor over the focus and direction of his engineering. He hated how the old mole considered his acquaintance with Joshua Renalia with some level of approval, not because they could empathize with each other somewhat, but rather due to the fact he'd been "marked by a dragon" and recently broke new ground.

Besides, Gaudog or Nydec would be at Egeria's Veil right about now and the last thing he wanted was a long, winded lecture on showing respect to people who he thought didn't deserve any of it.

"You don't want to be there," Blink insisted. "Uncle's just going to interrogate you on the stuff your species' best scientists have accomplished. Moreover—

"Ehhh, that doesn't sound so bad."

"Joshua, let me finish!" the mole pup yelled. He fixed the blue bandana on his head. "Moreover, Uncle's an even worse scalelicker than most moles! I swear to you, sometimes I think he actually gets the little death just giving away everything he makes to the Councilor of Knowledge for free."

Blink didn't see Joshua stare confusedly at him. "Little death?" he questioned.

He growled. This culture clash was annoying. "I'm sure you know it by another phrase. 'Breaking the arrow', the 'fadings', 'stiff tail'..."

Blink frowned when he observed Joshua had no response to that last one when it was a favorite among the scalies. "Skylanders generally call it 'getting off'—

Joshua's eyes shone with understanding. Blink could see him connect his newfound knowledge with what he said earlier. Then… he blanched.

Disgusted, Joshua's face soured. "Okay, you made your point," he conceded. "Forget about the Professor then."

Blink leaned on the wall again. He brought out the spanner tucked on his waistband and absentmindedly fiddled with it. He could feel its solid construction. It was also inscripted with a few glowing runes inscripted on it, which amplified its innate durability and weatherproof resilience. "I just want to spend more time with someone sane. I'm fine with whatever you want to do as long as you don't go back to your room. I'd come over myself but the knights upstairs still won't let anyone up the third floor."

"Ah! That reminds me." Joshua turned to the feline knight escorting him. "Copeland, what happened to that request I put in?"

"What request?" Copeland answered.

"You know… the one where I asked permission for Vara and Blink to come upstairs whenever they want to see me. You told me the other day Coulombrin or Seriphos would handle it."

The leopard was attentive, his tail swishing along. His whiskers twitched. "I did," he said. "I did."

"...and? Any news?"

"Not at the moment," Copeland replied. "I remember warning you it'd take a few days for Cynder or Volteer to get to it. People at their level have plenty of things to worry about in their Great Hunt; anything that isn't urgent or critical to the health of Warfang will be deferred to a more convenient time."

Joshua nodded his head several times. "Jesus Christ, this f*cking red tape. Alright then. Alright." Blink watched the human grumble and murmur to himself.

"What now?" asked the mole pup.

Joshua took a few more seconds to answer. When he did, his eyes glinted with determination. "We've got nothing better to do right now, so let's just go to the Second Floor."

"To do what?"

"Look for Vara."

"Who's that?"

"She's a friend."

Blink's muzzle scrunched as he wondered who this was. "Is she, uhhhhmm, is she an apprentice here?"

"Yep!" Joshua replied in a tone of agreement. "Remember that dragoness I told you about earlier?"

"You mean that scalie who's desperate for your 'magic fingers'?"

Blink noticed Joshua clenching his right fist. "Hey!" the human growled, indignant. "Say it like that again one more time, man, and I swear! Oh I swear—

Blink waved his paws in surrender. "Hey! I'm not making fun of you this time!"

"Like I f*cking care!" Joshua scolded him. "I just don't want to hear the words 'magic fingers' ever again!"

"You can't deny reality, Joshua…"

Joshua raised his fist. "Blink…"

"Okay, okay, I'll shut up now!"

"Good." Joshua reached forward and gave the mole pup a friendly tap on the back. "C'mon, Blink, let's get out of here."

"Right behind you."

Thus began their long walk back to Residential Area 2F. The throng of workers, liaisons, and couriers coursing through the main arterial utilidor underneath Warfang Temple was as dense as ever. Streeg and Copeland's presence ensured not a single person got in between him or Joshua. Talonpoint Knights rarely descended into the underbelly of the Temple, and Blink had to admit that a leopard and a rhynoc clad in an enchanted set of heavy armor, with weapons to match, made for an intimidating sight.

They passed a few labors of moles when their path intersected with the other, slightly smaller arterial tunnels. Blink attached himself to Joshua or Streeg whenever they got close, sliding up to their larger, taller bodies as much as possible. He was especially vigilant when they passed Egeria's Veil—Professor Dumitru's laboratory—since he didn't want to be caught by Gaudog or his dragon-worshipping Uncle. All the other Moles considered his beliefs heretical in a sense, going against millennia of tradition and culture, and they often made him pay for it in bullying, even borderline harassment, with Uncle's name the only thing shielding him from anything worse.

They knew his voice too. Blink had to put up with silence for the entire time they remained in the main utilidor. He concentrated his eyes and ears on his surroundings, paws ready to dig into his belt pouches for something to distract them with.

For all the mole pup's caution, not a single thing happened to them. Uneventfully, Joshua and his retinue arrived at the first flight of stairs (out of many). Blink blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind as soon as his boots landed on the eleventh step. "What's this Vara like anyway? Knowing how most scalies are, she'll want us licking her paws, trimming claws, or something… subservient," he concluded with a revolted tone.

Joshua laughed. Blink twitched; it sounded a little off. "What?" Blink asked. "Something I said?"

"Ehhhhh, funny you mention it," Joshua remarked. "Vara's kind of, sort of like that? She's like, uh, a 'wannabe domme' and—

"What's a domme?"

Joshua completely ignored his question. "And she's always nagging me about it. Constantly! I'll admit it's annoying as hell, but honestly she's not all that bad. Vara has never mistreated me at all, and she's good to talk to, well, ignoring her 'you're beneath my paws' shit and all."

Blink groaned. "Do what you want, but since you're bringing a scalie in, you're doing all the worshipping, got it?"

"C'mon, Blink, like that's gonna—

"I don't care what you expect!" The mole pup sternly cut him off. "I know how dragons are and if your 'friend' behaves like I think she will, then leave, me, out of it! Got it?"

"Jesus Christ, dude, you don't have to go that far."

"Joshua…"

"All right, all right, I got it already. Whatever Vara makes me do—if that ever happens—I promise you'll be under no obligation to do it yourself." He glared at him, frustrated. "Happy now?"

"Better." Blink hawked up a glob of spit and sent it flying into the nearby wall, which had gotten closer the more they walked. "Honestly I'd rather meet Kilat. She doesn't seem like someone I'd hate, going by what you told me about her."

"Because she isn't the kind of dragon who'll boss you around?"

"That's one reason."

The group continued on their ascent. Sweat coated Joshua's furless body when they went up the stairs. Most species perspired elsewhere, so this was a curious matter to Blink. Humans were so strange. They resembled Apes in many ways, yet if he considered Joshua as a model of the average individual and took what he knew about his people at face value, he surmised they were, to varying degrees, as intelligent as Moles, as enterprising as Bears, as resilient as Gnorcs and Rhynocs, as adaptable as the Felines, and as bold as the Dragons, despite possessing none of their natural advantages.

The notion that humankind completely dominated the lands and seas beyond the Known World and kept track of developments in what everybody called the Dragon Realms made so much more sense when Blink considered this admittedly whimsical conjecture. That Joshua Renalia was nobody of importance was a bitter herbal decoction to swallow. What a shame! All the things that could be accomplished—that Blink could create if he had been someone from humanity's equivalent of the Talonpoint Knights instead. Blink could weep thinking about all the inventions he could've had.

The mole pup was nowhere near finished with his silent daydreaming when the scent in the air changed. The earthy smell of a hundred young scalies or so packed together in a few subterranean corridors entered Blink's nose. Drawn back into reality, he realized they were approaching the stone door that led out into a cul-de-sac on the Residential Area's second floor.

"Joshua," Blink said as their little group of four filed into the chamber one by one. "We're here. What now? How will we find Vara? Does she even live in the Temple?"

"We can look for someone who knows her—

Blink snorted. "Tch. Don't be so sure about that. The whispers say Vara's a monoscale. She probably doesn't have friends!"

"Wrong! Actually, little mole man—

"I'm not little!" Blink chided.

Joshua shot back, "Relative to me you are! Anyway, Vara does have a friend. At least one, and she lives on the second floor."

Blink bristled at the human's remark. Of course he was small in comparison to his tall, wiry frame. It's in his nature—Moles were pudgy and diminutive, but they compensated for it in other ways. He set aside the urge to give Joshua's shin a good kick and focused on the task ahead. "Okay," he said, his voice thinly disguising his ire, "Do you know her?"

"Uhmmm…" Joshua rewarded Blink with an expression so dumb he almost smacked his thigh on the spot. "Not, not really? Like, I kind of know her name—it sounded like Serenity or Rena or something—I wasn't really paying attention when Vara told me about her—OW!"

Blink couldn't take it anymore. He lifted his leg and stomped Joshua's left foot. With the latter wearing only sandals, there was nothing that blunted the damage.

"Agh! F*CK!" Joshua crouched instantly and began rubbing his toes. Their physiology was alien to Blink as well, but it wasn't so surprising anymore. "Jesus-Mary-Joseph, F*******CK! What the hell, dude!"

The leopard knight let out a sadistic chuckle at the sight. Blink ignored him and went on to rebuke Joshua. "Are you stupid? How'll you find Serena Whatshername when you don't even know her?" He grunted. "Don't tell me you were thinking of just going through each and every corridor here!"

"Errr, to tell you the truth…" Joshua laughed. It had that tone again. Blink was starting to figure out the boy's behavior and this did not sit well with him. His muzzle scrunched from anger. He balled his paws and raised to strike the human right on the belly, where he knew it'd hurt.

Joshua quickly sidestepped away from Blink's center line, as if he knew the mole pup's intent. "Wait! Hear me out, Blink. I"—Blink merely turned and sent out a hook.—"I SAID WAIT, GODDAMMIT!"

Joshua slapped down Blink's attack. "You probably don't know this, but I can sense life."

"So what? Any amateur magician can do that!" retorted the scowling mole.

"No, not that way, dude. Not that way! It's a part of my Element, okay? I can identify specific people. Even a general sense of their feelings, if you can call it that."

"That doesn't do anything about the fact you've never met this dragon!"

"No, but I've got tons of practice! I wouldn't be standing in front of you like this if I didn't. Just trust me, man. We'll go around the place. Ask some apprentices about Vara or her friend, while I'm using my special 'Detect Life' power to distinguish them from everybody else."

Joshua's plan made sense on the surface. Details on the exact nature of the Unknown Element were sparse, the whispers in the mineshaft carrying countless rumors and speculation. One of the older stories being circulated talked about scores of archers, and only archers, literally rotting to death in an instant, yet another said the little girl accompanying Joshua had actually died. Few people could reveal what truly happened that day, but all were dragons of such rank Blink would never, ever be able to speak with them.

Yet, if both were true, then it was consistent with what Joshua was saying right now. Specific identification of people and a rudimentary assessment of their psychological state through their life force alone exceeded the realm of a normal life-sensing spell. It meant Joshua could sense souls, distinguish them, and possibly read them, but to a limited extent.

How far did that go? Could he read thoughts? Could he see into someone's past too? Was it possible for him to see the mystical threads of gold that bond people together?

Blink remained skeptical. There was no way he could prove all of this, and he doubted Joshua's proficiency in his Element and all the powers it blessed him with extended to this level. But what if it did, even if just a little bit? What if Vara had left a mark on her friend's soul the way one's hide carried the scents of all the places they stayed in and all the people they spent the most time with? And what if that mark, if it existed, was vaguely detectable to even this idiot in front of him?

Blink hummed in thought. "I admit, what you just told me sounds like a pile of scat. I'm tempted to just dismiss it all as an attempt to look good, especially when there's no way I can verify your, ability to follow through on this."

Joshua grinned at the mole pup, letting silence speak for him. It annoyed Blink even more. Damn it! Wasn't he going to defend himself?

"Either way, we're still going through every hall on this floor until we find our dragons. It's that or I leave you here and go to my room. If you can't handle that then, then I guess somebody here is just too lazy to do the legwork."

Blink gnashed his teeth. There was no escaping it now. "I'm not lazy, you scalelicker!" he yelled. "Fine then! Let's do this."

Joshua glanced over at the two knights escorting them. "You guys okay with this plan?"

"Doesn't matter," Streeg replied. "Our jobs, the same."

Copeland agreed. "What the rhynoc said. It'll be less boring than standing in front of a door 'til my shift's done."

With that settled, the group set off on a quest Blink wasn't sure they could finish.

They started out by walking to the main corridors of the second floor, the ones that ringed every other passageway here and connected to the other floors, the rest of the Temple, as well as the outside. For a moment, Blink was wary. He noticed pairs upon pairs of slit eyes falling on either Joshua or him. Then, like the dawn, he felt astonishment settling in him.

Astonishment at how relaxed the scalies were.

Blink was never one to exit the utilidors and meander about the halls when they were crowded with apprentices. Much of his information from "topside" was sourced from rumors and gossip, so the mole pup had never truly witnessed the scenes that awaited Joshua whenever he walked through the Residential Area.

Just last cycle the scalies would flee or stand their ground in the human's wake, quivering as though they were "staring at tornadoes", as the dragons would say. Now, the sight unfolding before Blink's eyes was practically a whole different world, for many chose to ignore Joshua and go about their business. Not a single one acted like the second coming of the Dark Master was upon them. In a way, Joshua was a part of the crowd—he still drew attention, certainly, but hardly a single gaze lingered on him anymore.

Blink glanced at Joshua, expecting a smug expression on his face. (He would've had one, for sure.) To his shock, his mien was neutral. Eyes prancing about their surroundings, at times taking on a dazed and unfocused stare, the young man led them slowly through the passageways of the second floor.

Impressive.

Expectations of a smooth, eventless search for Joshua's friend crumbled when they came upon a brown dragon who saw their group from the next corner and did a double take. A hen, going by the streamlined curves of their body and their gait. Upon realizing it was Joshua, the hen stomped towards them, her footfalls resounding in Blink's ears.

He shivered. The dragoness was scary to behold up close. About two heads taller than Joshua, the youthful surface of her muzzle was a clear sign she was unusually large for her age. Her light brown scales matched the human's russet skin, yet each were surely miniature fortresses, impenetrable and unyielding.

Blink feared to meet her bronze eyes. The boar's gaze dropped to study the reptile's underbelly. It glowed in the dim crystal-light, like the blue waters of the ocean. That threw him off—he couldn't quite tell if she was Earth or Ice. It could go either way.

"Yes?" Joshua not so much spoke as he hollered his question when the dragoness accosted him. He stopped where he was, clearly hesitant to take another step further—and closer—to the newcomer when the latter's intentions were still undiscovered. "Can I help you?"

The hen strode forward and came closer, her eyes fixed on Joshua. Blink studied her scales. They were normal to the eye, save for a wide celeste band that ran up her flanks. White speckles ran across her sides in a single line, looking more like tattoos than a congenital aberration. A hen like this normally wouldn't intimidate him, but her unusually large size made him a little nervous. The young boar was compelled to grab his spanner. Was she picking a fight? Why weren't the two knights accompanying them drawing their blades? Their charge was in danger! How in the Realms couldn't they see that? They ought to ready their weapons by now. They should be pushing Joshua aside and—

"C-Clear skies, Novitiate Joshua," the dragoness rumbled with a slight stutter the moment she was as close as Blink thought Copeland and Streeg would permit her. Blink's tension deflated when she heard the apprentice's friendly voice. Slightly deeper, more baritone than the average hen, but still clearly feminine.

Blink felt a little self-conscious when he heard nobody else sigh. Was he the only one who didn't see this coming? "Steady winds," Joshua slowly replied back, unsure. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Errrr, yes, actually." The apprentice fidgeted a little, then took a couple steps closer. "I want to ask you something." Her tail went rigid. "I-if you don't mind!" She truly meant no harm.

Joshua nudged his nose in acknowledgement. "Alright. What is it?"

The answer startled her. "W-well! Can you… can you tell me when's your next lecture?" she asked. "My friends and I have been pestering all our lecturers to get you in front of our lounge ever since we heard about your success the other day. We would've gone upstairs to look for you but the knights tell us the third floor's still off-limits…"

Dumbfounded, Blink's jaw dropped. The human actually had a few scalies seeking him out already? Damn! His reputation was soaring faster than he had expected.

"...Wow," Joshua said, barely recovering from speechlessness himself. "I'm… I'm happy you guys think so highly of me. Truth is, I can't answer that question. I really don't know when my next one will be." Blink expected him to reference the fact he'd just been discharged from his current job, but he omitted it entirely. He continued, "That whole thing in Windvale Arena was just an experiment. I know what happened back there's great, but in the end Lady Cynder and Master Volteer are the only ones who tell me what I can or cannot do. I've received nothing from them so far so you'd have to wait for some kind of official notice."

It was a neutral response, one that left nothing to speculation. It merely pointed out who were the decision makers on his case and everybody knew it. The hen went downcast; a disappointed frown adorned her snout. Even her blue wings drooped. "Awwwww. that's a shame. My friends were really hoping to try flying with you, Novitiate. We feel like you'll fly well with our lounge."

Joshua noticeably cringed when he was called novitiate again. "I know 'novitiate' isn't an official title in the Temple but I, I don't think you should be calling me that—

The apprentice stepped closer towards Joshua. "But why not?" she asked. "My partner tells me you're already being treated like one, and I think he's right. Obviously you aren't a dragon, but you have your own Element, you train in a lecture hall by yourself, you've got two high-flyers practically sponsoring you, and now it looks like you might become an assistant lecturer soon. How's that any different from an actual novitiate?"

Joshua stammered. "But I—I-I, well, uhmm… you, y-you make a good point."

The dragoness brightened. Smiling, she said, "Don't trap yourself on the ground. We were all wrong about you. I know plenty of dragons still don't fly together on that, but I believe you'll change their minds eventually."

Joshua smiled at her in return. "Thanks for your support."

"So, uhh, what's poking your scales today? Why are you wandering about the second floor?"

Blink nearly scoffed. Here it comes…

"Actually, I'm looking for a friend." He blinked, then gestured at the boar. "We're looking for a friend."

The hen glanced at Blink briefly. True to his name—true to the apprentices' near-universal treatment of Warfang moles—she acknowledged his existence with a simple, fleeting grunt before returning her gaze to Joshua. "You mean False Purple, right?"

Joshua turned to Blink. What? Why? Why was he looking at him? Did he think he had all the answers, just because he listened to the whispers in the mineshaft? With a soft, exasperated groan, he mouthed at the human, "I don't know!"

Joshua's face crumpled. So much for that, he was probably thinking; Blink could tell this much. Responding to Mei's question, he repeated, "False Purple?"

"She's that monoscale you were with the other day. I saw you together on the first floor."

His eyes lit up. "Ohhh! You mean Vara! But why are you calling her False Purple?"

The dragoness rubbed her forepaws on the floor and momentarily looked away from Joshua. "Errrr, she's not my friend, so I don't actually know her name."

"Ah, my bad."

"It's fine. It's just that, everybody calls her that because of her scales. Most people who don't know about her tend to mistake her for another Purple Dragon."

The hen was right. Even Blink made the same fumble, many cycles ago.

"Uh huh," Joshua grunted in light recognition. His expression was inscrutable. What was he thinking?

"Why are you looking for her?" asked the dragoness, carefully. The way she verbalized her words had Blink guessing she was treading cautiously, afraid to offend this supposed novitiate.

"...that's," Joshua paused. "That's not really your business, you know."

The apprentice showed no indication she'd heard him. "Are you, going to… are you going to teach her again?"

Joshua's eyebrows furrowed together. He looked irritated. "Didn't you hear what I just—

"Can I come with you?" she suddenly spoke.

"What?" Joshua recoiled in surprise. "Why would you… No!"

"But, why not?" Blink couldn't believe his eyes. He watched the scalie leap to Joshua in a single bound, startling everyone present. Then she lowered herself, presenting the back of her neck to him. In public. His ears twitched from the murmuring that broke out among the few apprentices loitering at either side of the corridor. "Please reconsider. I know you've been helping False Purple prepare for the Summer Examin—

"The Summer Exams are done, scalie." Blink straightened his yellow goggles and crossed his arms, glowering at the dragoness.

She surprised the young boar with a reply, "Y-yes, I know that!" Swiveling her muzzle to Joshua once more, "N-Novitiate, I know the Summer Exams are done! But, b-but, I… I want your help for something else." The apprentice didn't let up, speaking before Joshua could even get a word in. "I just became a Fellow this year. I'm aspiring to become a field medic in Talonpoint Keep someday, so, I'm, I'm actually paying a dragon diver to teach me a few things about dragon physiology but the concepts are—

"A dragon diver!" Blink exclaimed. He stuck his tongue out in disgust. If there was any other mole-only "profession" he detested more than the manual scavenger, it was the dragon diver. Everything they did epitomized what was wrong with his entire species—embodied their subservience to dragonkind. He couldn't help snapping at the young apprentice groveling in front of Joshua. In front of him. "What do you need one for? You don't need to know how your bodies work! Scalies can heal almost anything with spirit crystals!"

"Blink," Joshua interjected.

Blink didn't stop. He couldn't stop. "Disease? Illness? Malnutrition? You flying lizards can solve it all with some shiny rocks literally sprouting out of the ground like plants! You don't have to learn scat from some fat, hairy mole stiffening his tail by—

"BLINK!"

Joshua called his name, and sternly. Normally the mole would've ignored him and continued his tirade, yet for some reason the human's voice tugged at his soul. Rendered it impossible to disregard him.

Blink and Joshua locked eyes with each other. He was glaring down at him. It felt admonitory. He couldn't help but flinch. Unable to fight back, the boar turned away and crossed his arms. "Hmph!" he grumbled.

There was a lull in the conversation. Blink couldn't bring himself to look back at Joshua. His eyes scanned the apprentices observing them from afar. He caught a few scalies staring at him. No doubt wondering to themselves what sort of mole would lash out at "his betters".

"—help you, really, but I don't have much control over my free time and there are other things I'd rather do," he overheard Joshua telling the dragoness. "Besides, we're not friends. Jesus, I don't even know you!"

"But," she pleaded, "False Purple—

He bluntly cut her off, "Miss, please don't call her that in front of me; her name is Vara." Joshua then confessed, "And, okay, I admit I've got a private arrangement with her, but it's not because she asked! I can't just make deals with people on a whim. I've been trying to get permissions for Vara for a week now and I still got nothing to show for it.

"I'm only going this far for Vara because I practically owe my life to her. I don't know if people are talking about it—probably not—but she's the sole reason why I was there in Windvale Arena to begin with. I'm sorry, but no is no. Capiche?"

Joshua delivered his explanation with the right level of firmness in his speech. Not as hard as bedrock, yet not as pudgy like wet mud. Soft and gentle, but assertive.

All in all it was a good answer, except for that last thing he said. Blink heard it as well. His experience with the human so far told him it was better off being ignored. It probably didn't mean anything. The apprentice, however, she listened to every word and now the boar could almost hear the confusion radiating out from her brown scales. "Ca, c-capish?" she dumbly mimicked. "I, I, umm, uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Joshua let out an exasperated groan. "F*ck," he muttered. "Okay, first, you need to stand up."

Blink peeked at them. He saw him nudging the dragoness up with his good hand, jerking it under the crook of one foreleg. "Miss, stand up," he spoke, a red color tinting his cheeks. "Please get up on your feet and look at me."

She complied without uttering another word. She was wilting from her disappointment. Blink was inclined to believe that shame played a part in that as well. No right-minded dragon would dare put up such a submissive display in public. It was practically taboo for such a strong-willed species.

"Now," Joshua asked, "do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

She stammered, "Y-yes, sir. I, I-I do."

"That's good." The guy smiled. Patting her shoulder a few times, obviously avoiding prolonged physical contact with the reptile, he took a step back. "It's true that I can't help you right now, but the only thing I can advise you to do is to just keep doing what you're doing. Okay?" He had a friendly tone throughout the entire conversation. "Pester the shit out of your lecturers. Get other lounges clamoring for me. The more dragons want me teaching them, the more you'll pressure your higher-ups—I mean your high-flyers—to make that happen."

The scalie's hunched figure made it clear she was still disappointed with how things turned out, yet to her credit she did not let it show on her snout. "Alright. I will. I'll do exactly that."

"Good luck. If it ever happens, I look forward to seeing you in a lecture hall."

The apprentice gave Joshua a deep bow. "Thanks for listening, Novitiate Joshua." When she was done, she flapped her wings to straighten herself—Blink could've sworn she had white markings on it too—and turned around.

They watched her leave. After she vanished behind a corner, they waited for a few more seconds. Joshua broke the silence. "That went well," he said.

Blink grunted. "Tch. Good riddance, if you ask me." He proceeded to slap Joshua on the waist. "Anyway, looks like you're more popular than I thought, scalelicker!"

Joshua frowned in reaction, but he did not bother calling the boar out on the nickname. "Didn't expect it myself, to tell you the truth. I thought she was going to yell at me or"—his face contorted.

"What's wrong?"

"Hmmm… I don't think she ever gave me her name."

"So what? That isn't your problem. Besides, she doesn't know Vara or her friend. She would've been useless gangue."

Joshua hesitated before nodding his head. "Right. Let's keep going then."

They resumed walking through the halls. Joshua and Blink continued to wander the second floor. Their presence drew many curious eyes; the boar slowly became accustomed to them. At first, he idly wondered if a nodding head was considered affirmative by human customs, if other humans had a strange way of talking too, among other things he considered strange about the adolescent beside him. Soon his thoughts explored the notion of other humans visiting the Dragon Realms once they established a method of transportation, magical or otherwise.

Perhaps his talents would be better appreciated over at their side of the world? He'd have centuries, maybe millennia of knowledge to catch up on, but he was a mole, and not just any ordinary mole at that. He was Professor Dumitru's nephew! He could easily learn whatever humankind taught their engineers and scholars. He was quite sure he could.

Blink appreciated Joshua for the way he seemed to relate with him. He beheld the scalelicker in a warm gaze, noticing once again the blank and vacant look in his viridian eyes. What was he staring at? What sort of thing required this sort of concentration?

There was nothing ahead of them but more twisting corridors, more lounging scalies. What in the Realms was he looking at? Was he employing the Unknown Element right now? Was this really his so-called "Detect Life" ability at work?

Blink wished he could ask Joshua these questions, the brief thought of how it even felt to have this power crossing his mind. All the non-dragons had this thought, this sense of curiosity, at some point in their lives. The boar felt a little jealous that he, a kind of furless ape, enjoyed something no other biped would ever, ever have.

The mole pup took another step forward to follow Joshua, and promptly struck the teen's back with his snout. "Hey!" Blink said as he twisted his goggles and bandana back into place. "What gives? Why'd you stop?"

They were at a cross-section between two main corridors. A few dragons walked about with complete disregard for the group of four loitering at the very center. Joshua's gaze was… blank. Directionless.

"Someone had been following us for a while now—about five minutes, more or less."

"Oh. Where?" Blink scanned the halls ahead, to their right, to their left, and, swiveling his head, to their rear. They stretched further, deeper into the mountain upon which the Warfang Temple was built. Many more passages branched from it, making it difficult to find a stalker.

"Can't tell you," Joshua replied. "He'll run away if you point him out."

Copeland replied before Blink could. "Or talk to him. That happened the other day, just before we encountered you at the utilidor access."

Blink sniffled at the knight's remark. "Ran away too, huh. Is this a scalie too?"

"Yes, he's a dragon," Joshua answered. "An apprentice, we think. I caught a glimpse of his tail a few days ago. He's red, so, Fire element. Couldn't tell if his scales were more orange or maroon because of how dark it is here." He pointed at the crystals affixed to the columns lining the sides of the wall as well as the ceiling. "Crystal light sucks."

True, but they were cost-efficient and ran on a physical, clearly non-magical, process, making their illuminating glow impervious to the dragons who absorbed every particle of mana in their environment. Blink wanted to point that out, but now was not the time. He kept on searching for their stalker. Nothing. Maybe he should try his nose next. "Do you have a problem with that scalie?"

"Not really," said Joshua. "I get warm tugs whenever I sync with him." Sync? As in synchronize? "And a gnawing feeling in their center."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

The human shot back, "It's not nonsense! It's just the feedback I get."

"Riiiiiiight," the mole skeptically drawled. "And how do you interpret that?"

"That he wants to talk to me but something stops him from doing so?"

Blink paused. Oddly specific, that response. Was that really life-sensing? It sounded more like he had read the dragon's soul, but that's something spellcasters did! Actual magic, not a plain old Element—

Blink's thoughts suddenly veered in another direction, and his muzzle fell—snapped open. Rushing minecarts, had Joshua been doing that to him this whole time?

Blink slapped his own cheeks. Now wasn't the time. "So what're you going to do?"

"I don't know, dude, but this shit has to stop."

Then, Blink caught him. He spotted the dragon at a faraway corner to their left. A bump of dark red scales and a green eye, barely noticeable behind a small group of apprentices laying beside their rooms engrossed in conversation. He must've been taking some side passages, Blink figured.

"Joshua, I see him."

The guy didn't reply.

"Uh, Joshua?" Blink turned, face blanching when he saw the look on his face.

Oh no.

Oh no, no, no, no.

He knew that look. The way he clenched his fist and straightened his back. The stiff lips, the barest glimpse of his teeth. Even the angle his eyebrows pointed down…

"Joshua," Blink cautioned. "Don't do anything too—

"Hey!" Joshua cried. His shout drew some attention to them. "You've been stalking me almost every time I come down here! I'm sick and tired of playing this f*cking game! You know we can talk. Show yourself now, or else!"

Blink clutched the human's tunic. "'Or else'? Saying something like that won't work. Don't go chasing after him—

"He won't get away," Joshua uttered. "I've already locked onto him."

"Joshua—

"This bullshit ends today!"

"Joshua!" Blink shouted. The young man suddenly went into a sprint. He rushed into the left corridor, dashing straight to his target.

Blink went down on all fours and sprinted after him. "Damn it. Don't leave me behind!"

The two knights grumbled and groused behind them but Blink couldn't care about them right now. He didn't want to get lost here amongst people who took his kind for granted. Copeland and Streeg protested, demanding Joshua and Blink to wait for them, to not run through the halls, but neither of them listened.

Up ahead, the stalker's eye dilated in surprise. Not at Joshua's sudden rush, but at Blink's. The dragon turned as well and ran into the corner, to abscond from them.

Blink rose to his feet when he caught up with Joshua. "Come back!" the human was yelling. "I told you! I'm open to talking! Don't be f*cking scared!"

Many apprentices obstructed them, but each and every one made way for the two while they chased after the stalker.

Blink could hear Copeland grunting. "Great Hunt! Wait for us! I said wait—

They turned another corner and heard no more. The corridors were becoming narrower as the chase progressed, and some of the turns started to sow confusion in even Joshua, who'd been guiding them with some kind of sixth sense.

Fortunately none of the scalies here truly barred them or bared their fangs at Joshua. The sight of the human running about the second floor by himself was new, but the apprentices living here were obviously overlooking the fact he was now unsupervised. Such a thing would've been unthinkable last cycle!

They came across an Electric dragon standing by the next intersection, gazing ahead of them. "Hey!" Blink shouted at him.

"Did you see another dragon running this way?"

"Yes. Wh—

"Where'd he go?"

"He? Actually—

Joshua interjected, "Dude, just tell us where that dragon went, please! He's been stalking me the entire f*cking month and I just wanna talk to him!"

The shocked apprentice could only point his tail in the right direction. It was a good thing Joshua had asked. This cross-section intersected with six separate halls, each the width of one and a half adult dragons.

"Thanks, buddy!" Joshua said. "C'mon, Blink!"

"Y-you're welcome," the apprentice stammered, observing them as they dashed further ahead. Blink could've sworn he heard him call Joshua a novitiate like the dragoness earlier, but he instantly dropped this thought.

The two of them were panting for breath, but they could still keep up with Joshua's stalker. Blink soon realized they were veering back to another main corridor, where more apprentices passed through. They ran into some members of the Temple guard along the way, who'd been doing routine patrols throughout the first and second floors of the Residential Area.

Surprisingly, none gave chase. Perhaps they were caught off-guard to the extent they fell into a stupor that only lasted until he and Blink had long vanished past the corner and into the crowd of dragons.

The stalker proved himself to be a quick thinker. Not long after they reached another arterial passage again did the number of dragons going about their business proved too much for even Joshua to weave through. Worse, he stumbled, slowed down, and stopped, clutching his head. "Ahhh f*ck."

"Did we lose him?" Blink asked.

"Yeah," Joshua said. "Yeah. F*ck! Too many f*cking people."

Looks like he had a limit too. "Where are we now?"

Joshua pointed to a structure Blink failed to see the first time. A stairway landing, going down. "He could've gone down to the first floor, into another corridor, or"—he pointed with his good arm—"wherever that leads to."

Blink said, "That goes to the lecture halls."

"Whatever," Joshua dismissed. "As far as I know, it's just one of the three."

Blink noticed a good number of apprentices were still present at the second floor landing, but some were hurrying away from here.

From them.

"Should we ask around?"

Joshua shook his head. Another weird gesture, one that he clarified immediately. "No. They're nervous with me here." He grimaced. "Shouldn't have left Copeland and Streeg behind. They're more relaxed when I have knights with me."

"The scalies believe they're guarding them from you," Blink observed.

"Exactly. They're pretending not to care, but they are watching us, especially right now when I'm alone, unsupervised."

"Joshua, doesn't that actually give you more reason to ask around?" Blink suggested.

He stayed in place and cogitated over his words. "...you're right," Joshua admitted. "It really does." He chuckled, ruffling Blink's head without disturbing his goggles. "Thanks, dude."

Asking the idling apprentices for information turned out to be a pleasant affair. The first set of dragons they approached were nervous at first. They were small and quite young, all looking like they had just hit adolescence. Still, some short conversation melted the tension, and soon they treated Joshua like anyone else.

Some apprentices asked why Joshua was downstairs by himself in spite of Blink irritably reminding them that the furless ape technically had one companion with him. A few had taken the opportunity to ask about a future lecture, much like that brown dragoness earlier, and he gave them exactly the same information.

Thanks to their efforts, not only did they give the young apprentices more confidence in speaking with the so-called Dragonbane—who was not the person he'd been described to be—but also learned of their stalker's location: he had stayed within the second floor. One senior apprentice even told them the dragon in question, a monoscale, lived in a room a few hallways from the stairs leading up to the third floor. Blink guessed it was how he could easily stalk Joshua almost everyday.

"Thanks for the help," Joshua said. He brought his good hand to his chest and bowed low enough to present his neck. "Really appreciate it."

"No problem, Novitiate Joshua. Good luck on this flight."

"C'mon, let's go."

Joshua Renalia led Blink to the hallway that led straight to the third floor landing. "We'll go to the other side and start from there. I can identify their pulse of life now, so as long as we get close enough we'll be able to track this asshole down as easily as I can find Vara—oh shit!"

Turning the corner whilst distracted by their conversation, they didn't notice a solid mass approaching and collided with it.

"Alona's cloaca!"

Joshua tumbled down in a mess of scales and furless skin. He recovered quickly. So did Blink, who had been swift in coming to his friend's aid. He was in the process of lifting the human up when the dragon cried out.

"Aghhhhhh! My lunch!" The scalie ran his forepaws over his striped breast in utter dismay. Brown sauce had been splattered all over the blue and white scales. Meat that Blink identified as roasted mallardu, a type of bird. "Who in the Realms did this?" he screeched, causing nearly every other apprentice around them to pale and back away. Everybody except one. An electric dragon, who'd been walking with him. His friend.

Then his yellow-banded eyes glimpsed the culprit. "You?" the scalie said in disbelief. "Y-you're here?"

Joshua cringed when he saw the mess he made. "Oh, uhm… hello? Clear skies? You're… Corey, right?"

The reptile in question was smaller than the brown dragoness from earlier, but he was still an adolescent, larger than many, and shockingly well-built. Blink shuddered. This one was a fighter. He could tell from the muscles rippling beneath his form.

"It's Korahnir, you dumb monkey!" the furious dragon shot back. "And you, you're, y-you're roaming about the second floor! Egeria's wings! I can't believe this. Who do you think you are, Dragonbane? You're not an apprentice. You aren't one of us!"

"I've got every right to be here, jerk!" Joshua retorted. "Why're you being like this? I helped you back in Windvale! Hell, people have been calling me a novitiate since then."

Korahnir snarled, his colorless horns reflecting the dim, white glow of the luminescent crystals in the ceiling. "I don't care. That doesn't make you a real novitiate!" He spat on the floor. "Look at you. How much more arrogant can the Dragonbane be?"

Korahnir roared. It was fearsome. Bestial. And it grabbed all the attention from everybody close to the second floor landing. "What's wrong with all of you?" His wing popped out and thrust its tip at the human. "Dragonbane is walking around the place you're all living in, and you're just letting him do it! He killed my father! He murdered city guards, knights! He butchered people, and you're just going to treat him like he's one of you? Doesn't anyone have the cloaca to—

"HEY!" Joshua Renalia fought back. "The f*ck is wrong with you? You f*cking know I didn't have control over that, plus, you guys were the ones who attacked first!"

"Then you should've just taken it and died," Korahnir callously rebutted.

"Yeah!" the second electric dragon chimed in. He stood by Korahnir, the hue of his scales a pale yellow. "You should've just let them kill you."

"F*ck off! I haven't done anything to you either, asshole. You were there in Windvale, too!"

"Suck an egg, Dragonbane!" replied Korahnir's friend.

"Yeah, Mellanus, you tell him!" agreed Korahnir. "Go fly in a volcano!" The dragon scanned their surroundings. "Come on!" he urged the bystanders. "Look, Dragonbane's here. He's alone. He's defenseless! Why am I the only one breathing hellfire here?"

Mellanus glanced dismissively. Condescendingly. "Don't bother with them, Korahnir," he said out loud. "They're nothing but a bunch of smushed eggs all tied up in Dragonbane's wings."

Blink backed away and pulled Joshua along with him. His eyes panned from one apprentice to the next. Some had grown teary-eyed from Korahnir's provocation, fresh wounds from the recent past opened anew. Others looked awkward, as though they didn't want to take part in this. Every single scalie in the corridor showed signs of hesitation. It didn't shock Blink at all; they'd been conversing with Joshua just fine minutes ago, treating him like normal.

The chances of them—of Joshua being lynched by a mob of vengeful or misled apprentices were next to nil, but that still left two burly scalies to deal with. If they were looking to get rid of Joshua, now would be the time. It wouldn't take long for Copeland and Streeg to catch up, and surely any commotion would attract the other guards.

"Vulcan's flames, fine. Sometimes you're the only one who can take flight," Blink heard Korahnir mutter.

They had to buy some time. Blink glanced back the way they came. They could lose them the way Joshua's stalker did, through the labyrinthine halls. They could even take the stairs down to the first floor and—

Another scalie broke off from the crowd. He—no, she strolled right into their path of retreat. Her scales were a beautiful combination of turquoise and yellow, her underbelly and her horns majestically groomed. A member of the noble class. Blink hated these dragons the most. They had a tendency to live with their heads in the clouds, looking down on everybody the same way Skylanders did towards all who grew up and lived in Markazia.

Korahnir warbled in approval. "Ahh, Levanelle. it's good to see a familiar face joining this flight."

"Why are you here?" Mellanus asked. "I thought you were jealous we got into Dragonbane's lounge and you didn't."

"Yeah, but I have a very personal enmity to settle with Novitiate Joshua."

Joshua gaped at her. "You've got something against me? Girl, I don't even know you!"

Levanelle replied, "You don't, but I know your friend and it's poking my wings."

Blink fingered his spanner, praying the few things he had in his utility pouches would help. "This isn't good," he muttered. He poked Joshua's side. "Joshua, you better fight too. I can't protect you if it's three-on-one."

The guy acted like he didn't hear him. Blink didn't know if he was still processing things or if he was trying to think of a way out of this without exchanging blows. Blink couldn't discern their escape, for that had been rendered impossible by the rich-looking ice dragoness blocking their path of retreat.

"Damn it."

---

Author's notes:

The action shall continue in the next update! I had to split up Moving Up 3 since my word count had struck the 12K mark and I didn't want to make this too long. I'm actually working on the upcoming brawl, so no surprise-swap to the fight for survival going on in Eyria.

Thankfully, there are only a few scenes to cover in that scene, so it'll all be wrapped up nicely in Moving Up 3B. Hopefully with a word count ≤10,000. Everyone can pretty much tell what'll happen next, but not all of us are here to predict future events. Many are quite content riding the rollercoaster, and I really hope I'll be able to deliver on that.

I'd like to thank my discord friend Angeles Frostscales#5004 for letting me use their OC Mei, who was the Ice Dragoness who asked Joshua for help. She is an adult dragon wielding the Water element in her original incarnation, but a few adjustments had to be made so she could fit into Aimless canon and the current setting.

See y'all soon and a happy thanksgiving to those who celebrated it the other day! Stay safe now.

Replies to reviews now…

Djax80. Hello! Glad to see you again.

The world-building in the December Cliifs series of chapters will be very significant. It explains a lot of the stuff that'll happen later in what I've started calling "Serious Aimless", so better pay attention.

Yes, I wanted to stay true to the idea that this was gonna be a treacherous trip, even if there was a path. Just 'cause there's a road doesn't mean the dangers are small and nothing won't happen on the journey.

BTW, you know what's funny? Until now I haven't spoken with Real!Vara at least once, though I've heard she recently started a business due to the pandemic. Apparently the waifu wants to avoid seeing her as much as possible because of family politics and the very, very high chance she'll just go blabbing off stuff she isn't supposed to...

Guest #1 (Guest). Yes! Ever since CH35 (TJH: Breakthrough - 33D) he's gotten an idea of how to use his element. He's been able to demonstrate novice level of proficiency with it since then. To date, he could conjure an ethereal spear (CH36), enhance his presence a little (CH38), and even inflict muscle fatigue (CH45). The next update (Moving Up 3B) will showcase how far he's gone since he realized two major rules that govern the use of the Unknown Element.

Guest #2 (Guest). No comment. :)

BronzeHeart92. Hello! Thanks for the review.

Glad you liked this one too :D Yeah, poor caravan. Getting ambushed right when the destination's so close! Spyro and Bianca are there though, so they should come out fine... mostly. XD

The younger Zembillas kinda looks like Bruce Banner. His current picture makes him look more like a chubby wizard. lol. I can imagine him being a bear. A hands-on, artistic one, surprisingly with no love for the business of coin. The resident artist of Stone Hill Artisans, and one of Serenya's mentors in the guild.

Yeah... that sounds oddly fitting.

Bolt Thrower (Guest). Whew, long review as usual.

For your first point, while Aimless is conceived to be a story that combines all three Spyro continuities into a single world (Skylanders, Classic, and Legend), this is still mainly a TLoS story. Spellcasting did not feature in any installment of this PS2 trilogy. Furthermore, I do have some liberty to make adjustments as I see fit - it's been stated a few times that TLoS mechanics don't perfectly match matches how things work in Aimless. There are gaps in knowledge, and Joshua has attributed his imperfect knowledge to the corporate meddling or artistic decisions made by the developers.

Then feel free to disagree. You can always look it up yourself. It's easy to find if you just google it.

The scene transitions to Spyro waking up, and we see that Sparx and Cynder are already awake. Do I need to point it out for you second-by-second on the game footage?

I think you're forgetting the context she overheard the tail end of that conversation back in CH12. It's true that some people "won't give a rat's ass" if someone's going through the same thing they are. Others will. How would you know Cynder's "self-righteous attitude" will still be around after being subjected to four years of discrimination? Anyway, at this point it looks like this is the sort of thing that is shaped by one's life experiences, so clearly you would pick differently if you were the author. In that case, go write a post-DotD story yourself, and have that happen to your main character. You don't even have to use a human, too.

If you don't like the story or what I'm doing with it, then it's fine. I'm not here to please everyone; I'm here to write the story I want to write, first and foremost. I also write what I think will generate reader attention or induce some emotional reaction from them, because people read to get lost in a fleshed-out world or to ride the rollercoaster. But I never write a story for the sake of receiving someone's approval.

See you around, Bolt.

Darkifiedluis. Hey! Thanks for the review.

Briging back the bosses fought in the Classic games? Not necessarily. I have no plans to bring them in. If we're talking characters, then, yes, they are, albeit with different names and backgrounds. One example is Gnasty Gnorc - he's in Aimless but has been given a secondary/supporting role, along with a different name. He's appeared once, actually, if you've been paying attention.

Bianca and the Sorceress both already know about Joshua. Bianca actually thinks there's no use studying him, but her mistress does. Something about him being human makes him special, as both are aware of humans and they know they aren't native to the Realms.

SKdaGamer. Yeaaahhh Frostbite Village 1 was a long chapter as I warned you. I know, I know, there are basically three scenes here. Three *large* scenes. But then, I wanted all the climbing details to be there. XD Like, you totally got me there.

I figured the Magi bit felt too "expositionary", but I think it was a good point to throw in there. At least it wasn't in dialogue form. Still, I'm glad the rest of the chapter made up for it.

Yeah, it's different seeing Bianca as a competent well-traveled sorceress. Another reader said they're getting "Kabuto (from Naruto) vibes" from her especially after seeing her pic on my DA. I can't wait to start writing her later in the December arc.

And yeap, totally a Spyro move! Goes to show that he's normal here, and a decent guy all around... when he's not around Joshua, that is.

You think Altai put up a lot of death flags? XD

Anyway, thanks again for the review, SK! Liked it. Hope you liked this chapter. I made sure it didn't go beyond 12K words. Hehehehe

Piston24. Hi Piston! Thanks for sticking around and thanks for the review. My situation got better, but not by much. Thankfully things have been fine... so far.

Oh yes, so much world-building here. Foreshadowing too, IF you can spot them. You have your work cut out for you. XDDDD

Bianca's a shady one, as you know. Makes you wonder what exactly she's planning here.

Thanke for the comment on my writing. Glad you liked it! See you around.

Bizzleb. Hi bizzle! Glad to see you again. I've no idea what's going on with you wherever you are, but I hope you're safe, you're doing well, and I'm glad you found my update timely. Things have been so-so for me lately, but I'm trying to stay positive in these times.

It helps that I was rereading Key to the Soul and Key to Destiny again. They helped me get in the mood for writing this thing. :D So the original Eyria doesn't take much to get to other than being prepared for the cold? How did you imagine the route then? You pretty much skipped over that leg of the journey in Whispers of the North. The added difficulty in my take makes it even more worth it, no?

Re: my take on Selema. I knew you'd like how she turned out! :D She didn't get any screentime, but seeing how she impacted the lives o" people in the region is the next best thing. And yesssss, "looking for someone" indeed. Even in a parallel universe she's unconsciously yearning for Matt.

The concept of the Devil's Snare here is terrifying. Just imagine what Bianca must've done to learn its feeding habits... and what she herself gained from the knowledge.

Yeah those apes are about to face one badass purple dragon XD They got a trump card of their own though.

(Spoiler alert for the Key series) Btw, any tips on writing Gileao? Having just read Whispers, you mentioned that he never took on another mate, remaining loyal to Helena after her death. He then became increasingly cold and emotionless as the years passed and realized Aurona was dead after a messenger reported her MIA.

In this alternate Eyria, she got home with a 5 or 6 year old Selema in tow, having decided to take the long and harrowing journey back to Eyria after Aragon died and they managed to escape Gaul. It would be helpful to know how Gileao would be like. Same for Aurona too; I kinda have an understanding. but better to hear it from her creator's words.

Thanks again!

Earthpatriot117. Looks like someone read NewLegend01's The Journey Home!

I absolutely love that fic, and this plant left such an impression on me that I decided to port it into Aimless. I've also named an entire category of chapters after that story too. It's basically my homage to it. :P

So no, it's not canon. It came from another fic. ^^

Guest #3 (Guest). Yes, it's a Fate reference. This means my definition of Magi here will be similar, though not the same. My concept of a Magus is actually much closer to two Wuxiaworld novels than it is to the Fate franchise.

Fredrik the astral dragon. Alas, I haven't read Lord of the Rings. Just a movie watcher here... :(

But hey, the fact you're comparing it makes me happy. XD

EndlessPossibilities57. Thanks for sharing your theory re: Selema. I say you're on the right track...

My progress through Aimless's storyline?

Very little, sadly. It's to be expected when the fic's mostly slice=of-life, and most readers have no problem with it as the world's so vivid. If you're one of those keeping tabs on my story for "Serious Aimless", I apologize for what looks like filler to you. I just enjoy the slice-of-life aspect a lot more.

But if you must know, I have more than 15 story arcs planned for Aimless, and not all of it is mapped out to minute level of details. The December Cliffs arc is the 3rd story arc so there's a lot more content to come.

Thanks for the review!

Ginopippofrebooteer. I'm just saying that I'm using a different definition of a continent. It actually depends on who you ask, as some people call Antarctica and Australia massive islands rather than continents, and it's based on some arbitrary threshold. Still, most sources I look at say it's a continent. So it should be safe.

Sounds like someone has a loooooooot of plot bunnies to write out.

DiabloPProcento. Hello! Thanks for the review :3

Well, Spyro's character development is really slow, maybe that's why? :D Or he's just the least interesting here compared to everything else lol

Poor Joshua how? He's not even mentioned in Frostbite Village 1. lol

And yeah, more Bianca screentime! XD

IJustBrowseStuff. Hehe noticed Electroy didn't you? :P

Yep, he's the same character. I needed a one-time OC that fit his description and luckily Electroy of Pure Light fit the bill so I didn't have to create a character just for that one moment.

Glad you're enjoying the story.

Guest #4 (Guest). The story won't be leaving Warfang and the December Cliffs for a very long time, so we probably won't see too many locations from the games.

Still, try reading my oneshot Chasing Leads. It's a flash-forward of Aimless and it takes place in Munitions Forge, a location Spyro visited in A New Beginning.

Thanks for the review!

Hunter of city. Thank you very much for your review. I really appreciate how you took the time to write it, even though English isn't your first language.

World-building is a big thing for me, so I wanted to make the TLOS world feel lived-in and real. I'm glad my efforts are paying off.

Yes, I designed Joshua to make him act like a normal human being instead of what other human stories do here on this archive. It's always bothered me how many of them often have their protagonist act as though they never really wanted to come back to Earth to begin with. (You may want to check SnickerToodles' The Impossible Sky if you haven't read it yet. Her OC there also wishes to go home. Same with SKDaGamer's Broken Perceptions.)

Ah, something that portrays the dragons as imperfect too? Yes, I did do that with Blink. But on a larger scale, you say? Hmm... I guess we will see more of that when the setting (eventually) pays a visit to the Skylands Empire.

BTW, good job spotting my reference to the Fate franchise!

Folwod. Whoa, haven't heard from you in a very, very long time. Yes, I still recognize your name. XD

I hope you're doing much better now. And missing out on several years of updates means you've had a lot to catch up on. So I'm glad you like the progress I've made with Joshua. Yes, he's got a long road ahead of him but he's well on the path of getting his freedom back, and I can't wait for the chapter he officially transfers to his room on the second floor (which was previously hinted in the chapter "Keeping Time"). When that happens, that will actually unlock a lot of the things I've been holding back in my warchest of content and I'll be free to write 'em.

Ah yes, the difference in linguistics. My vision for Aimless is that it's supposed to emulate how it feels to be an immigrant in a place that's completely foreign to you and you're pretty much stuck there for good. So giving the different races varying cultures, figures of speech, and cultural references helps bring out the life in the setting. I'm glad you find this aspect "attractive and engrossing", to use your own words.

Oh, I'll be continuing this fanfic, yes. It took me five years getting to the point where the story starts getting interesting, so I'm not about to call it quits now. :P

Thanks for the review, and welcome back. See you in the next update.

Snowy (guest). Really! The fact you're here means my decision to put up the story on AO3 was a good one after all. Damn it, I should've done it way, way, waaay earlier. At least it's there now.

And it's okay if you can't properly articulate your feelings. I'm glad you're here, and I'm happy you're enjoying it.

See you in the next update, if ever. (Feel free to leave a comment or a kudos on AO3 as well.)

GeminiSparkSX. Hi Gemini!

No worries if this is just your first review. I'm always happy to receive feedback and - holy s*** you weren't kidding about the length!

I haven't received long reviews in a very, VERY long time. Not to worry, I have plenty of experience writing back to 'em.

So first, thanks for your (emotional) investment in Aimless. The fact so many people are following my story is one massive motivator to keep on going. I do have a form of emotional investment in the story myself, as I channel the several years I lived as an immigrant into it. Plus, I don't really plan on stopping Aimless anytime soon. It's my outlet from IRL, after all.

Let's see the rest of your review...

The Unknown Element. I'm not gonna put down my reaction here to keep things clean and pristine for other readers.

Joshua and Spyro's relationship. You are right that Spyro has a justified reason for disliking/distrusting Joshua, and they are connected. If you want a preview of how their relationship will look like in the future, read my short story "Chasing Leads". It's a flash forward two years into the timeline. You can find it on my FFN profile, of course.

Copeland and Joshua. Yeah, they've got a pretty friendly vibe going on. It'll most likely be Corvold though. Copeland's ultimately doing it as part of his job and inevitably work will get in the way.

Pool of Visions. Yes, it was brought up, then summarily dismissed/brushed aside. Joshua wouldn't want to do it though. It'd lead to the topic of how humanity "watches over" the Dragon Realms and the fact he's been lying would be revealed. Even if he wanted to, it isn't likely to work either. Volteer's amazement at "long-distance scrying" heavily implies that the Pool of Visions isn't actually an omniscient magic tool and if he uses it, it would sputter, produce static, or worse, fail AND draw unwanted attention to himself.

Joshua's mutation. It hasn't come up yet, actually. Same for his homesickness (or lack thereof?), as it's only been a few Earth months for him.

Lord Caesar. You're assuming that he actually cares about the dragons in the sense that he wants to avenge those who've been tricked by Malefor and restart the generations-long war between Apes and Dragons. You might want to look at Lord Caesar's point of view from the perspective of Post-WW2 Japan, particularly the ministries led by Shigeru Yoshida or Kijuro Shidehara.

Thanks again for the review! I certainly didn't mind the length. It was a treat to read and reply to it.

See you around in the next chapter.

MysteryWriter175. I update Aimless whenever I feel like it. XD I'm juggling this with real life and a second story, so please bear with me.

Henchman1997 (Guest). I don't adhere to a fix schedule. Again, I am juggling this with real life and a second story, so please bear with me.

Felister97 (Guest). I haven't quit yet! I won't, unless life changes that, and I certainly hope it won't. I've got so much more content to cover.