If there was one thing Vlad could undoubtedly appreciate, it was good wine.

Sadly, as time went by and his health got worse, he was eventually forbidden to drink altogether. While focusing on Ethelwulf would prove easier than handling his alcohol, he was just too tempted. The first sip purged him of the longing, yet his mind demanded to be sated further.

What he didn't expect was that his new body was not trained.

He was barely on his fourth glass and he already felt lightheaded. His stomach screamed to be filled with anything else but wine, yet he was already too tipsy to care. However, it took more than just one bottle for Ethelwulf to feel the same.

"My, Vladimir, I wasn't expecting you to take such a liking to wine," he remarked with a wide grin, already pouring himself another glass while Vlad couldn't help but smile.

"Let's just say it took way too long to have a drink like this again," he said and took a swig, greedily gulping down the red drink. "The taste is either sublime, or it's the worst thing I've ever had, but I don't care. How could I turn the opportunity down?"

Ethelwulf barked a laugh. "Please, you sound like an old geezer! You have so much ahead of you for you to say that!"

A laugh escaped Vlad's lips. "Trust me. I look like a deranged teenager, but I'm just as old as you are!"

"Nonsense!" Ethelwulf bellowed heartedly. He tried pouring Vlad another, only for a single small drop to come out of the bottle. A grumpy frown formed on his features and he set the bottle on the ground. He peered into the stash and was about to take another one out, but pulled his hand away.

"But I think we've had enough," he admitted, closing the stash with a loud thud. "I said we have important matters to discuss after all."

A groan escaped Vlad's lips. "And I was about to enjoy myself further."

"I have to ration the wine," Ethelwulf said and took a seat. "I don't know how long the next harvest is going to take, so I have to make sure I have enough for the whole war."

"Right. War," Vlad drawled, leaning fully on his chair. "I'm more out of the loop than I'm willing to admit, to be honest."

Ethelwulf nodded. "And understandably so, you are a nomad after all. Or at least that's the conclusion I came to when we inspected your gear."

"Yeah, let's… keep it at that," Vlad said with a nod, an idle hiccup escaping him. He saw the light glare from his drinking buddy, but Ethelwulf decided to shake his head.

"Anyway, the war between the Divine and Fell Dragons has been going on for quite some time now. While most of the outside areas haven't been touched by this conflict yet, much to our benefit, we can't go outside our territory without risking precious lives with all the roaming Corrupted."

Vlad, despite his current state, listened to Ethelwulf carefully. He had to play his cards right now because the facade he had already tried to convey was cracked. There were already some slip-ups.

"And since the only Divine Dragon still alive is Queen Lumera, some people have already lost hope, and rightfully so. Our struggles might as well be in vain with how bleak everything is looking."

Vlad hummed, touching his chin in the process. "You make it sound like it's a lost cause."

"That's because it is, to some extent at least," Ethelwulf admitted defeatedly before he took a ring with a pink gem off of his finger and carefully set it on the table. "But these are the key."

"...it looks like any other ordinary ring," Vlad remarked. "Though there's probably more to it than that."

"Indeed. This is an Emblem Ring, a band of extraordinary power. It can turn an inexperienced soldier into an undefeatable warrior." A sigh escaped his lips. "The issue is that we mortals don't have the capacity to unlock that power. For us, it is just a piece of jewelry. Only with a dragon's blessing is this ring even worth the trouble."

Vlad crossed his arms, letting Ethelwulf's words sink in before it clicked for him. He used one already, the girl's ring. The description matched too well with what happened, but that didn't explain why those thoughts coaxed him into wearing it.

Which also meant…

He internally clicked his tongue, the tipsiness was long gone.

"And your point?" Vlad asked, and a nod was Ethelwulf's answer.

"Is that once we have enough of these rings, of which there are twelve, we can put a stop to this war. All we need is for Queen Lumera to give us the power we need and we can defeat Sombron."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "Who is probably the leader of these 'Fell Dragons', if I had to guess."

"Yes, and luckily for us, there is a second ring within our grasp. All we have to do is take it," Ethelwulf declared, balling up his fist.

Vlad's face darkened, hiding his mouth behind interlocked hands.

"My partner has it," he said barely above a whisper before glaring at Ethelwulf. "Where is she?"

"I've sent her to guard this place against any Corrupted that she can find, so that I may at least have some evidence. Either she truly meant what she said, or it was nothing but a ruse. I will have to act if she—"

"No," the firmness of Vlad's voice caught Ethelwulf off-guard. He eased his hand and gently hovered it over his cup of leftover wine, letting out a cautious hum.

Vlad took a deep breath. "If all you need is someone to vouch for her, then I'm here. I don't know her that well, but if there is one thing I can safely say, it's that she is on my side. What I don't get is why she would do something like guard duty without having anything to gain."

He shot a glare at Ethelwulf. "So tell me this; How did you force her to do your bidding?"

"Hmm, I didn't expect you to be the perceptive type," he said before gulping down the last drop of wine. "But until you tell me what is truly going on between the two of you, I have no reason to share the details."

Vlad clicked his tongue. "The matter is simple. I saved her life once, and she saved mine."

"You did what!?" Ethelwulf shouted, the grip on his cup causing a crack. "You saved a Fell Dragon!? And you allowed her to have the Emblem Ring on top!?"

"Don't think I'm done!" Vlad stated firmly, forcing Ethelwulf to stay put. "I've seen her battle a Corrupted wyrm already. It almost killed her, despite having that damn ring. I saw the fear in her eyes when we were found. She is afraid of them as much as you or I am."

He rose from his seat, leaning one of his arms on the table. "And while I don't understand how she can be a Fell Dragon of all things, how would that even matter? Actions speak louder than words, and that skirmish we were in before coming here told me all I needed to know about her intentions."

Veins started to pop on the back of his hand. "You said Fell Dragons are supposed to be these… monsters, but I've yet to see her act like one. She is just brash and lacks basic courtesy."

Vlad pointed at himself. "Me being alive should be proof enough, Ethelwulf. Even if it was with your help."

Long, drawn-out breaths escaped Ethelwulf before his shoulders sagged. He gently placed the cracked cup on the table, making sure not to break it.

"Don't get me wrong, Vladimir. I understand what you're trying to say, but even with your words, it is still hard for me to accept that a Fell Dragon would be on our side," he carefully explained. "The amount of pain and suffering they inflicted is already far from redeemable."

"But isn't there strength in forgiveness?" Vlad shot back, his heart jumping up his throat from his own words. "Being able to admit our faults is already hard enough, but what would one do to gain such an opportunity?"

A pained smile adorned his features. "I would do everything if there was a way for my own children to forgive me."

Ethelwulf's eyes shot wide open. "Your children? But you look so young—"

He stopped himself and slowly brought a hand close to his chin, not fully touching it. It hovered in place, stationary just like Ethelwulf's thoughts. He raised his head, and two sets of green eyes stared back at each other in a delicate way.

"I knew there was more to you than meets the eye, but this…" he trailed off and allowed his hand to lay on the chair's rest. "Tell me. The banter we had with the wine, you weren't playing me?"

"Alcohol loosens tongues, doesn't it?" Vlad remarked and steered his gaze at the plate with food on the table. "I'd rather not talk about it now. Especially when you made a deal with my partner and I need to know what it is."

Ethelwulf closed his eyes for a moment before a sigh escaped his lips. "I'll spare you the details even if there isn't much to it. She guards this place until Queen Lumera arrives to see if she truly vouches for the girl."

"So me almost dying isn't enough for you," Vlad bitterly added.

A shake of Ethelwulf's head was his answer. "Sadly, it's not. As much as I would want it to be, Queen Lumera is a woman who has my complete trust. If she says it's fine, then I won't object."

"And how long will it take her to arrive here?"

"She comes here often, so I dare say a week or two would be already pushing it. The real question is, what are you going to do now?"

Vlad jolted his head up. "I will go after my partner, of course. Who wouldn't be a better guard than the one who saved a Fell Dragon already? She might as well be my responsibility now."

Ethelwulf let out a chuckle. "I could dissuade you from doing so, but I'm sure you wouldn't take 'no' as an answer. Even if I offer a safe haven here."

"You're forgetting who is keeping this haven 'safe' in the first place." Vlad slowly stood up and took a deep breath. "Just tell me where my horse and equipment are, and I'll be on my way."

"Just ask one of the clerics. Tell them you have my blessings and they will point you in the right direction."

Vlad gave only a slight nod and aimed for the flappy cloth. He pushed it aside, but a click of a plate made him look back at Ethelwulf.

"A word of warning, Vladimir. Just because she acts differently from the norm, it doesn't cleanse her of her origin," Ethelwulf said with a fork in his hand. "Her bond to Sombron is extremely strong to resist. While I will admit she was doing an admirable job when I asked her pointed questions, there may come a point she could break."

He set the fork aside. "You'll still be watched by one of my trusted scouts, and if there's a moment she shows signs of madness, I will not hesitate to put her down."

Vlad's fists balled up so tightly that the leather screeched in protest. "That won't be necessary."

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

As Vlad strode inside the forest with his steed's reins in his hand, he was given a general direction about where the girl was sent. He hated not knowing her name, which was getting more and more of a hindrance.

It was going to be the first thing he would ask. Or at least he hoped the girl would answer him.

Of course, he had to find her first.

Vlad thought he could find some smoke and locate her camp that way, but he found nothing of the sort. It especially puzzled him when it got dark and cold.

While the thought of her not knowing how to make a campfire was amusing, it also made him even more motivated to find her.

Eventually, he spotted a blurry red dot in the distance leaning against a tree. He reached it and found the girl sitting down with her arms hugging her legs. She was looking down at the ground, completely ignoring Vlad altogether.

Instead of making himself known, Vlad looked around first, and to his surprise, he found a large closed bag next to the girl.

Maybe those are the supplies Ethelwulf gave her.

He shook his head and clicked his tongue twice to make his horse stay in place, but once Vlad took a closer look, she was already asleep. Puffs of vapor escaped her mouth, and her body moved on its own, trying to find the best place to stay warm in this cold.

A small sigh escaped Vlad's lips. I guess I'll make the camp first.

The process didn't take long. Their combined supplies made it very easy to turn the spot into a hospitable resting place, including a roaring campfire that would make sure the girl wouldn't catch a cold.

Can dragons even catch a cold? he idly thought before shaking his head. Once a piece of meat was roasting over the fire with finally some added salt, it was probably the first time Vlad was excited over his dinner.

The girl let out a groan and she slowly opened her blurry eyes. She crawled over to the campfire and snuggled in front of it, taking comfort in its heat. A small smile spread across Vlad's face and decided to stay silent.

The girl spotted the meat over the fire before outstretching her hand to grab it, but Vlad eventually touched her shoulder and that made her jolt on the spot.

"I've just put it there. It's not ready," he said, and the girl tilted her head up. Her eyes widened before she retreated her hand from Vlad's grip.

"You!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here!? You should be resting!"

"Do I look like I need more time in bed?" he shot back, rolling up his sleeve and revealing only remnants of his cuts. "They treated me well enough, even if it'll leave a scar or two."

The girl gawked at him before her mouth slowly clapped shut. She turned back to the campfire and hugged her legs. "Why are you here?"

A hum escaped Vlad's lips as he sat in front of the girl. "I've come here so we can be both on watch duty together."

"That doesn't explain anything," she grumbled.

"Look, we haven't gotten the time to get to know each other and there couldn't be a better time than while we're out here…"

Vlad paused and tilted his head in every direction, trying to find that scout Ethelwulf was talking about. He groaned when he didn't find anyone inside the forest, barely illuminated by a foreign moon. "Relatively alone."

She tightened her grip on her legs. "I don't like talking much."

"I've noticed," Vlad said with a huff. "How about this? Have you heard of a game called twenty questions? We can start off with simple—"

"Why are you so kind to me?"

Vlad stiffened and fixed his gaze on the fire. "I… 'Kind' wouldn't be the way I'd describe it, but you remind me of somebody important to me."

She tilted her head in Vlad's direction.

"She meant the world to me, but certain circumstances just didn't allow me to act the way I wished," he stared at the meat, charring inside the fire. "If anything, I was cruel and only once I lost her did I realize my mistakes, but it was far too late."

A spark of ash floated into his hand and he absentmindedly opened his palm. As the ember slowly withered away, he balled up his fist. "I have to hope she is in a better place now."

Once the leather gloves started to wrinkle, he eased his arm and his palm was empty. He let out a snort. "But I wasn't expecting you to ask that so suddenly. I thought we would start with our names first."

The girl's breath hitched and hid her head behind her knees. "It's… Alear."

Vlad shuffled a little in his seat. "You can call me Vlad to keep things simple."

"Vlad…" Alear said slowly. She murmured it a few times before peeking through her hiding spot. "You aren't going to ask anything?"

"Well, since I interrogated you enough back then, I thought you would appreciate it if I gave you an extra," he admitted before switching his attention back to the slab of meat. He took the stick and poked it with his finger. It bounced off too easily and decided to put it back.

A quiet hum escaped Alear's lips. "I was going to ask why you saved me, but… I think I can guess why now."

"It was more instinctive than anything. Honestly, if I didn't have your Emblem Ring, I'd probably be dead by now."

Alear snapped her head in his direction. "You… already know?"

Vlad gave her a slow methodical nod. "Yes, and Ethelwulf told me a few things already. Some of which I would have rather heard from you than him."

She clicked her tongue. "Like what?"

He pressed his lips into a thin line. "Like the fact you are a Fell Dragon, even if you don't look like one."

Her face darkened but remained silent. She slowly stood up and began walking away from the campsite. "I'm leaving."

Vlad let out a sigh. "And where to?"

"Far away," she said quickly. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were disgusted by me, like all the people in the settlement."

"But I'm not," Vlad stated and Alear suddenly stopped her stride. She let out a gasp before slowly turning back.

"What?"

"You heard me. Why should I think ill of someone who saved my life?" Vlad stood up as well and faced Alear with crossed arms. "Fell Dragon or not, saving somebody shouldn't be overlooked, no matter what Ethelwulf says."

He gave her a stern eye. "If you are supposed to be dangerous, you should explain why yourself. If you can't, I have no reason to think otherwise."

Her mouth quivered and her face was scrunched up before jolting her head away. "I thought my origin should be reason enough."

"Not for me," Vlad said with finality before switching his attention back to the steak. He took it out of the fire one last time before digging into his dinner. Fat covered the slab like a drizzled sauce and the added salt finally gave the meal some flavor. He savored his bite before gulping it down with a mighty swallow.

With a wave of his hand, he beckoned Alear back. "Come sit down and eat. I will try not to pester you with anything else today. Other than getting your own fill."

It took a moment for Alear to finally sit back down as well, but Vlad couldn't help but notice that small tear trickling down her left cheek. She immediately wiped it away and it made him pause from taking another bite. Instead, he gave the stick with the meat to the girl.

"I think you need this more than I do right now," he remarked. She glanced at his arm before gingerly taking it, this time waiting for Vlad to let go of it. With a small nod, Alear carefully dug into the slab, taking deliberate bites.

Vlad kept quiet, and instead focused on keeping the fire ablaze before checking if the tents were fastened well enough. They were, but he wanted Alear to eat in peace. He wasn't expecting his words to shake her up this much, and whatever her past was, it couldn't be pretty.

There was still some meat left on the skewer, but Alear decided to hand the meal back to Vlad. He gingerly took it. "You sure you had enough?"

"I know my body well enough," she said, switching her gaze back to the campfire.

While Vlad wanted to say more, he closed his eyes and zeroed in on the rest of the meat. "Very well."

There wasn't much left. As in, only three bites worth. Still, it satisfied him enough to keep his hunger at bay. By the time he was done, he saw the campfire dying out quicker than he expected. He stood up before adding a few more logs, enjoying the sounds of crackling wood.

"So, do you have any questions to ask or—"

A light snore reached Vlad's ears, and he jolted his head in Alear's direction.

"That was surprisingly quick. So much for twenty questions."

He gently lifted Alear up, and carefully put her inside a tent with a sleeping bag at the ready. After he'd covered her with a thin blanket, he closed the tent flap and sat down in front of the campfire again, this time holding on to his sword as well.

"I hope this will be a quick week."

AN: Another chapter done and dusted, and certainly a fun one at that. I'm honestly surprised on how much I'm enjoying writing Ethelwulf. Despite him being an original character, it gave me the freedom to mold him into whatever I needed. It's quite the blessing.

Anyway, I'd like to thank Cavik for beta-reading this chapter, and the Treehouse Community as well. They are an awesome bunch, and if you want to join the server, go right ahead. We welcome all with open arms.

Link: gg/u89gs745fn

Thank you for reading today's chapter.

God's speed.