For two days, the group of dragoons traveled west. Following the road, they encountered many savage beasts, including three aggressive squirrels, a pack of wolves, and four separate foxes. With each encounter, Kongol and Shana worked together to calm the animals and cure them of their ills, although Shana expressed multiple times that she didn't believe that her magic would continue to work for more than a day or so. Kongol rumbled out an agree, but the pair refused to ease their efforts.

On the second day, they reached a bridge that crossed a fast-flowing river. Meru grinned to see it and felt the water's joy as it rushed by underneath her. It charged off to the east, and she sensed that it was the same river that flowed by Neet.

As winter began to set in around them, Meru reveled in the chilly air. More than once, she teased the others about their thick coats, scarves, and gloves, and Haschel retorted with several comebacks that only served to invigorate her badgering. She and Dart became the only two of the party who were ever comfortable, and with his constant heat generation meant to pacify the others, she was forced to stay away from him most of the time. His warmth was unbearable, as if the fire in him would take over her and melt her into a puddle of nothingness.

The days grew colder, and after two straight days of snowfall, the horses began to struggle to push through the growing drifts. Eventually, Meru took the lead and began sweeping large swaths of snow from their path to make their travel easier. It became a sort of game for her to test her magic, and before long she was picking up the snow and billowing it over their heads in jest. After some scolding from Dart and Albert and an uncomfortable spark from Haschel, she agreed to stop, and her playtime dwindled. Her job became a dull chore, and she began to look forward to the time that she would leave them and find her own way through the forest.

But that comfort stopped there. What would follow her departure was something that only brought her anxiety.

On the third morning after visiting Neet, Meru awoke early and lay watching the pines sway for some time. She couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to go home, and after several drastic scenarios ran through her head, she was eager to distract herself with the lucky sap who'd taken third watch. Unfortunately, that person was Albert. But still, she supposed it would be worth a shot.

He was huddling by the fire with a thick cloaked wrapped around him when she finally pushed off the ground, and she came to join him, although she resisted the heat of the fire with her own cold from within.

"What's up, Al?" she asked.

"I am considering the fact that my country is simply too difficult to traverse," he replied with an airy voice. "We have been traveling comfortably by road for some time now, and despite the hilly nature of the landscape, the dense trees of the forest, and the sharp inclines that are found every mile or so, we have encountered no areas where a wagon would not be able to pass, of course ignoring the difficulty introduced by heavy snow. I am trying to devise a scheme to devote more money to infrastructure in Serdio so that we can travel more easily from west to east without risking lives along the mountain pass or the cave system. I could easily construct docks by the northern tip of the Serdian Mountains and just pass by sea. But how would someone travel from Lohan to Seles, for instance, without either going out of their way or through the dangerous mountains? I can devise no simple answer, and it has been pestering me for an hour or so."

"Okay, then," muttered Meru. Even having been up for an hour, she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of words he'd just spouted.

"Perhaps there is a way to dig across the mountains, or through them, to create a more traversable pass. Do you think – after this is all over, of course – that Kongol would be willing to help me in that venture?"

"Uh." Meru glanced over her shoulder at the lumbering Kongol who was still fast asleep. Almost an inch of snow had gathered on his blankets, and she flicked her hand and brushed it away. "Probably?"

Albert chuckled. "I apologize. I know that you are not interested in things such as infrastructure. What has you up so early? Usually, you are one of the last of us to awaken."

"I'm leaving today," she said simply.

"Ah, yes. I had nearly forgotten. Are you prepared?"

She shrugged. "As much as I can be, I guess."

He peered at her for several seconds and then said, "It is natural to be nervous about such reunions. I am already nervous about some I will have in the future, and I did not leave on ill terms. Do not think yourself lesser for it."

"I don't. I'm just… worried about what will happen."

"Are you certain that you do not wish for company? Any of us would be happy to join you."

She laughed. "No, thanks. That would just make it worse."

"Very well." Albert nodded. "But if you should need anything, we are all here."

There was a pause, and then Meru straightened her back and said, "I have an important question!"

"What is it?"

"Do you have any dancers in the castle?"

"My castle?"

"Duh, what other castle would I be talking about?"

"Fair enough. No, I do not."

"That's what I thought! You're all business all the time. You need to ease up and hire a dancer!"

"Specifically for Indels Castle?"

"How often do you have parties?"

"Perhaps once… twice a year. The captains insist on throwing me a birthday party every spring, despite my vehement protestations."

Meru gaped. "That's it?"

"Yes," nodded Albert indignantly. "It is not worth spending money on such frivolities if it can be spent on other, more important matters."

"So, how much do you plan to spend on your wedding, exactly?"

He thought for a moment. "I must say that I had not considered that."

"Make me a deal then. You hire me as a dancer at your wedding, and if Emille likes me, you hire a dancer for your parties that you'll have more often. Deal?"

Albert chuckled and shook his head. "I daresay these things will have to be discussed with my bride. Is it not a saying that the bride makes all decisions for a wedding?"

"Only the good ones."

"Emille is far more than good," smiled Albert as his eyes drifted into his memories. "She is worthy of all decisions."

"Hey, snap out of it!" She clapped once in front of his face, and he flinched. "You can make at least one decision. Hire me as a dancer at your wedding!"

Dart, Shana, and Kongol stirred, and Meru grimaced at her loudness.

"Oops."

"Very well," nodded Albert finally. "Assuming that Emille has not already made other plans, I will put it forth as an option."

"An option?"

Albert grinned. "I kid, of course. You are more than welcome to dance at my wedding. And you can expect a reasonable rate."

Meru grinned and crossed her arms. "That's what I'm talking about."

Slowly, the others began to rise, and Meru pouted to realize that the time to leave was fast approaching. In less than an hour, they would be on the road, and shortly after that, she would have to leave. She took a deep breath to steady herself as the group began to prepare for the cold journey.

Well before noon, the dragoons came to a second bridge crossing the same river that had doubled back on itself. As soon as they reached the end of the bridge, Meru suddenly stopped at the front of the line of horses. The other hooves eased to a halt, and she hesitated.

"Meru?" asked Shana. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong!" said Meru a little loudly as she turned her horse. "I just… have to… leave. My parents are close by."

"How close?" asked Albert. "There appear to be no roads or settlements nearby."

"Farther than it looks but not as far as you think."

"Awfully cryptic," muttered Dart. "But okay. Do you want us to wait for you?"

Meru shook her head. "I might stay a day or two, and I don't want to slow you all down. You go on ahead, and I'll meet you in Deningrad."

"The roads are dangerous," said Kongol. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, big guy! I can handle anything! And you know that I won't freeze to death, either."

"But who's going to clear the road of snow?" protested Haschel.

"With any luck, the sun," complained Dart with an eye up to the gray sky.

"Albert can clear it just fine," said Meru. "You'll only be without me for a couple days, don't worry. Besides, Rose said we can communicate over any distance, right? I'll send pings occasionally to say that I'm okay."

"An excellent idea," nodded Albert.

"Well, I guess we'll see you in Deningrad," added Dart.

Meru nodded enthusiastically. "You betcha!"

Haschel rode forward and reached out a hand. She took it with a smile. "With any luck, we'll be in the castle schmoozing it up with the queen," he said. "We'll miss you." His expression grew serious, and he added, "Stay safe."

"I will," she replied. Then she took a deep breath. "If you don't mind, I'm trying to get up the nerve to actually leave, so you all just head on along, and I'll stay here until I'm ready."

Rose peered at her with a suspicious eye, but Meru avoided her gaze and turned to Dart.

"I can understand that," he said kindly. "Just make sure that you actually go. Even if it's difficult. We'll see you later, Meru."

With sad smiles from everyone except Rose, the other dragoons slowly made their way west while Albert took the lead and attempted to sweep snow off the road. Meru chuckled at his first two attempts, but then he seemed to get the hang of it, and she sighed deeply to see her friends dwindle into the distance. Some part of her felt empty with them gone. She hadn't realized how much she'd come to rely on them.

But now was not the time for such reminiscence. As soon as they were beyond visibility, she took a deep breath, turned north, and plunged into the forest.

For a half hour, she followed the river that Teo's father had called the Sander River. She thought it was a silly name, but no sillier than calling her people "fairies." She chuckled again at the title and tried to imagine what life would have been like had she been born only eight inches tall, like the actual fairies of ancient times. Then she laughed aloud to imagine a dragoon of the same size.

Her laughter faded as she approached a wide lake nestled into the feet of the mountains. High ridges stood on every side of it, and she sat on the southern ridge overlooking the smooth water whose only escape from the lake was the flowing mouth of the Sander River on her right. With a smile, she dismounted.

"I haven't seen this in such a long time," she told the horse beside her. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Untouched snow blanketed the landscape, and thin layers of ice had begun to form around the edges of the lake. She stepped closer to the water, held out her hands, and felt at the undisturbed liquid. It called to her in a way that she knew she could never explain, and a warm joy spread through her chest. With a grin, she threw her hands into the air, dragging a plume of water with it. The jet leapt from the surface and solidified at her command, forming sharp shards of ice spraying like a frozen fountain. Dissatisfied, she struck her right hand out, and the ice shattered and fell back into the lake with a thousand satisfying splashes. Focusing a bit more sharply, she tried again, this time creating a massive ice fountain nearly thirty feet high. Supremely pleased, she turned back to her horse and gestured to her sculpture.

"Isn't that awesome?" she grinned. "I can do so many cool things! No wingly has that power. At least, not nowadays."

The horse stood unimpressed, and Meru placed her hands on her hips.

"Look, I know it's not a huge deal, but I thought it was pretty cool." She sighed. "What am I going to do with you when I go in there? Will you stay here? Or do you want to cross the lake with me?"

The horse snorted and turned his head to the side.

"That's not an answer."

The horse shook his mane.

"Fine! I'll go by myself. But you're missing out." She stepped up to the water and placed her toes in. "This is going to be so much fun."

The cold water rushed into her shoes and filled her with glee. The chill seeped into her legs and up into her chest, and she felt invigorated. Then she plunged into the water.

As it surrounded her, she twirled with joy. She hadn't gotten a chance to swim since she'd found her dragoon spirit, and this was a sensation that she wished she could keep forever. As she swam, she maneuvered the water around her and flicked herself all around the lake, speeding faster than she ever had before. She surfaced with a splash and threw streams of water into the air before diving back down again and speeding across just under the surface. Then she got an idea.

Treading water, she placed her hand on the lake surface and focused. Thick ice cracked into existence at her touch, and soon, she had a wide platform to stand on. Using the water beneath her, she pushed onto the ice, stabilized it by freezing pillars below it, and began to skate. Though she lacked the proper footwear, she found that she could manipulate the water to serve that purpose for her, and she leapt around gracefully for several minutes before coming to a stop at last.

Panting, she turned north, where a large mountain awaited her. This side was a sheer cliff face at least thirty feet high, but the peak stood another thousand feet above it. It loomed over her with pride and disdain, and she shivered.

As a slow breeze drifted over her and chilled her wet skin, she looked around at her frozen creation, and her spirits lifted slightly. Then she turned back to her horse, now over a hundred yards away, and shouted, "I'm not cold, by the way! Isn't that awesome?"

The horse looked at her for a moment, then bent his head and began searching for some grass to munch on.

With a sigh, she stepped to the edge of the ice and swung her arm to slice off a chunk. Then she pushed the water forward, and it dragged her icy floor along with it as she crossed the rest of the lake. Finally, she arrived at the northern shore with only fifty feet between her and the cliff face.

As she stepped up to it, she sighed and reached out her hand to touch the cold stone. She stood this way for several moments before withdrawing her hand and noticing a watery imprint left behind. Suddenly, she realized that she was still soaked through, and she shook to dispel the excess water. After splashing all over the fresh snow, she was dry once again.

"Okay," she said to herself. "This is it. You have to do it now. It's like Dart said." She held up her hand, hesitated, then dropped it. "He felt better seeing Neet, right? You'll feel better seeing home. What about your parents? Like Haschel said, maybe they just want to know that I'm alive." She sighed. "But what if they really, really hate me? They won't actually execute me, will they?"

She fidgeted with the hem of her tunic.

"Ugh! Just do it! Your probably stronger than all of them anyway."

She placed a finger on the stone and drew on a power that she had not accessed for over two years. The light bubbled up inside her like an unfamiliar spring, and she channeled it to her finger before tracing a rune on the rock wall. Everywhere her finger touched glowed with a colorless light, and once the rune was complete, she stood back and watched as the stone grew hazy. A moment later, it had turned into a swirl of blue energy that plunged into the mountain.

With an unsteady heart, she stepped into it.

The unpleasant, churning matter pressed in on her for half a second before disappearing. Warmth washed over her, uncomfortably abrasive to her chilled skin, and she pushed it away with the ice hidden in her dragoon spirit. A warm light showered down from above, and she looked up to see lofty trees, much taller and thicker than any in the evergreen forest. Each was easily twenty feet wide. Their broad branches reached over her, and she turned around to see the swirl of energy dissipate until it took the form of a rock wall once more.

The wall stretched in either direction and curved ever so slightly to encompass the magical space inside the mountain. She stood on soft earth, untouched by snow and slightly damp from recent rain. Moss clung to large stones edging a small creek that flowed past her to the northeast, and before her was a short bridge made from living wood that stretched across it. She stepped onto it and touched the wood railing, pleased to see such lovely magic again. She looked up at the tree whose roots had formed the bridge and smiled at it, then peered down the simple dirt path that wound through the massive trees and out of sight.

Just as she was steeling herself to take a step forward, a low hissing came from her left, and she turned to see a fireball hurtling toward her. She yelped and threw up a hand, and as the fire struck her palm, it diffused into harmless flames, though her skin stung to have felt them. As the magic dissipated into the air, her heart raced to see a man flying in the sky, his appearance hidden by the bright sun gleaming behind him.

"Meru?" gasped the man, and he flew toward her. She shuffled backward and off the bridge, keeping as much distance as she could between them. As he alighted, and the sun's angle changed. Upon seeing his face, she froze. His magical wings disappeared as his feet touched the ground, and his silver hair shined at her. His garb was simple – a light blue tunic hung low over gray pants, but she saw that – unlike human garments – there was no seam in the fabric. His face was kind but shocked, and as she watched him, a swirl of other emotions ran through him: anger, sadness, confusion, grief, and love.

"It's you," he said as he stepped toward her. "It's really you." He held a hand out and touched her shoulder. "You're so cold."

"Guaraha," she whispered, frustrated to find a lump in her throat. She wanted to melt into his embrace, but she stood firm until he released her.

With the slightest of smiles, he said, "That's not what you used to call me."

"I know, but… I don't think I'm allowed nicknames anymore."

"I thought you were dead. Why did you come back?"

She hesitated. "I was just around. I thought I'd pop by."

He frowned. "Are you really so nonchalant? You know you can't just 'pop by.' You should count yourself lucky that I'm on duty this week."

"Why are you on duty at all?" asked Meru. "Usually nobody guards the entrance, since nobody can get in besides us anyway."

Guaraha stepped back, averted his gaze, and said, "The Ancestor has been on edge lately. He thought it best to keep the entrance guarded for the time being."

"Why? Surely you know the reason?"

"I… do. But it's not my place to tell you."

"And why not?" Meru crossed her arms.

"Meru, you've sacrificed all rights. You have no right to know anything about us. Technically, I'm permitted to kill you right here, right now, and I wouldn't need justification."

Meru sighed. "This is ridiculous. I didn't do anything wrong."

"You left!"

"I had to!"

"You had to? You had to leave me behind?"

"You wouldn't come with me."

"And how could I? How could you make me choose between you and my home?"

"Don't put that on me!" shouted Meru. "You're the one who made me choose between you and my home!"

Guaraha stiffened. "And you made your choice. You cannot have both. …Why have you come back?"

"I told you. I was around. I wanted to visit."

"That's not an answer. You know the consequences, and yet still, you came. Tell me why, and maybe I'll let you leave without telling the others."

Thoughts of Haschel flew through Meru's mind, and she scorned the tears that threatened to escape her. She had to see her parents. It was as simple as that.

"My mom and dad. I want to see them," she said.

"You have no right to do so."

"I don't care!" she shouted. "I'm going anyway, and you can kill me, or you can come with me."

"If I let you go through, I could be executed myself," said Guaraha in a low voice.

With a huff, Meru spun and began marching across the bridge. She was several paces past it when Guaraha shouted at her.

"Wait!"

She paused.

"I'll come with you," said Guaraha as he trotted up behind her.

She nodded and continued.

In silence, the pair walked down the dirt path between the trees. It curved on for some time until they came to a clearing around which stood six trees even greater than the others. They towered up a hundred feet in the air, and all throughout them were homes grown out of the trees themselves. Living wood formed arches, pathways, windows, and doors. Amid the thousand branches hovered a hundred people, each of them flitting back and forth with wings of pure magic. Another dozen stood and walked among the flowers and herbs that grew in the middle of the clearing. Every person had silver hair.

"You will be arrested as soon as you are noticed," whispered Guaraha. "And I will be arrested for letting you in."

"You're not helping anything," returned Meru.

All at once, people began to take notice of her presence. As eyes locked onto her, gasps were heard throughout the forest, and Meru hesitated. Maybe if she made a run for the exit now, she could escape before they told the Ancestor of her presence.

But it was too late. Several people flew off toward the largest tree, and she knew that they would alert him. As rumbles ran through the crowd, Meru's heartbeat began to race, and she jumped as a tall man landed before her with a heavy thud. With daggers in his eyes, he beheld her as he crossed his thick arms and scowled.

"You dare come back here?" he said. Then his voice rose to a shout. "After what you did?"

"I didn't do anything!" insisted Meru. "I just left!"

"You don't deserve to be here! Go back to the humans or die!"

He held up a ball of fire and prepared to throw it at her, and she took an unsteady step back, but Guaraha flew forward and hovered before her, arms stretched out in protection.

"If you want to kill her, you'll have to fight me first!"

"That is quite enough," boomed a thick, deep voice. Peering around Guaraha, Meru saw the ancient wingly himself – the Ancestor. The old man's wrinkled face was set in a scowl, and his hair was more white than silver. He stood near the base of one of the trees with his hands clasped calmly before him. "I will handle this situation and execute judgment, as is the way of the winglies. Mr. Bardel, I ask that you calm your magic."

Bardel growled but lowered his hand, and his magic dissipated. Guaraha relaxed slightly, and Meru stepped up beside him.

"Ancestor," she said with her chin high. "I know that I was not supposed to come back, but—"

"That is correct! The punishment for your sin was exile, and yet you did not heed our laws."

"I just want to see my family!"

"That will be discussed. Come with me."

The Ancestor held out his hand, and Meru glanced at Guaraha and Bardel before pushing past them and hesitantly taking the Ancestor's hand.

"Guaraha, your presence is not needed," scolded the Ancestor, and Meru turned back to see Guaraha right behind her. He nodded sheepishly, and Meru offered a comforting smile, but he did not return it. Then the Ancestor squeezed her hand, and she closed her eyes.

A moment later, she opened them to an enclosed room with no doors or windows. Only her own memory told her that she stood within the great tree at the back of the clearing. A large seat that reminded Meru of Zior's throne sat in one corner, and radiating from it were rows of seats waiting for occupants. She glanced around at the meeting room and then looked to the Ancestor.

"Please, sit," he directed as he gestured to the many chairs. Meru cautiously sat in the one closest to her, several rows away from the throne. The Ancestor grabbed one just in front of her and turned it to face her before sitting and crossing his arms. He watched her for a moment and then said, "Meru, Meru… Why did you come back?"

"I wanted to see my parents," she said resolutely.

"Is that the only reason?" His discerning eye studied her closely.

"I… I'm worried. About the forest. I was hoping that someone might be able to tell me what's going on."

"Worried? How so?"

Meru leaned forward on her knees. "Surely, you can feel it, Ancestor. The earth is surging. I can feel it right now. And Dart and Kongol—" She stopped abruptly and looked down. "The animals in the forest have become savage past what's normal. Even squirrels have been attacking people. Something is really, really wrong, and I was hoping that you would know what it is."

"As a matter of fact, I do," nodded the Ancestor. "But how am I sure that you are worthy of the information? Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

"Besides the fact that your security stinks?"

The Ancestor raised an eyebrow. She sighed.

"Meru, you are hiding something. The others may not sense it, but I can feel the power that's residing within you. It's no ordinary power of the winglies. What have you discovered? What have you brought back?"

For several seconds, Meru contemplated whether she should reveal the dragoon spirit lying in her pocket. Even now, it ushered a pleasant cool throughout her body, offering what comfort it could. She felt every droplet of water in the air and was certain that she could splash the Ancestor with it if she just brought it all together. She loved its magic and its power, but something in her hesitated. After all, the winglies had been overthrown by dragoons.

"What happens if I don't tell you?" she pried.

The Ancestor shrugged. "That depends on your actions. You must understand, Meru. You've been gone for over two years, and now you reappear at one of the most tremulous times I have encountered in the past two centuries. And now, knowing that you have an unseen power that you are hesitant to disclose…"

"You can't possibly think that I have something to do with whatever is going on."

"I don't, personally. But I must rule out every possibility for the safety of my people."

"They're my people, too," she said sourly.

"Are they? Didn't you turn your back on them? I believe that, in doing so, you have claimed otherwise."

Meru sighed, put her head in her hands, and rubbed her face. Then she grew animated as she spoke.

"How can you not see it? The world is a thousand times bigger than this forest! There's so much out there to be discovered, so many places that even the humans haven't gone! Mysteries to be solved, lives to be saved, friendships to be had! And yet, you want to coop us up in this tiny forest and force us into this life! Is it really such a sin to want more?"

"It is a sin to unveil ourselves to the outside world," replied the Ancestor. "You have done this. Humans would not take kindly to winglies. The hate of the Dragon Campaign still runs in their veins. Our species are opposed, and there is nothing we can do about that. If we revealed ourselves and the humans fought us, we would be overwhelmed. To stay here is to survive."

"Surviving wasn't good enough for me," she said quietly.

The Ancestor heaved a sigh. "Very well. Your mind is made up, and I can't sense any evil intent within you. Perhaps you are masking it with your new power. But as it is, I will let you visit with your parents for one hour."

"Yay!" Meru leapt to her feet and began bouncing on her toes. "Thank you!"

"As for your other request… I will only tell you if you tell me of your new power."

Meru stopped bouncing, and her arms fell to her sides. Then she fell into the chair and eyed the Ancestor. He'd always been hard for her to read, but never more so than in this moment. His eyes were flat, and his lips were drawn into a thin line. His hands were folded in his lap, and he watched her carefully, waiting to see what she would say.

At long last, she said, "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone else."

"And why is that?"

"If I tell you, you'll know."

Several pained moments passed as the Ancestor watched and waited. Then she reached into her pocket and withdrew the dragoon spirit. It shined with a blue like the ocean, and she reached out her other hand and drew water out of the air. She swirled the handful of liquid and shaped it into a small circle.

"What is this?" demanded the Ancestor as he stood and walked closer.

"It's a dragoon spirit," she said quietly. "I'm the water dragoon."

"What is the purpose of this foul weaponry?" His voice had grown rough and angry. "These are the tools that brought about the destruction of our world!"

"No, they're the tools that ended the oppressive tyranny of the ancient winglies. And one of them chose me."

"'One of them'? You know of more? How have they been found?"

After misting the water back into the air, she pocketed the dragoon spirit and held back her shoulders. "My friends and I are the new dragoons, and we've been brought together for a reason."

"How many are there?"

"Seven."

"So, the set is complete." The Ancestor retreated and began pacing while muttering aloud. "All seven dragoons and the dragon coming back to life… What could be the purpose? The destruction of the winglies? How could they know about our existence?" A flash of anger glinted in his eye, and he turned to Meru. "Have you revealed us to them?"

"No, of course not! That's not our purpose!"

"And how could you know? What is your purpose?"

"All I know is that if the dragoon spirits wanted to kill all the winglies, it wouldn't have chosen me."

"And you don't know the reason for the anxious earth?"

Meru rolled her eyes. "No, I don't."

Relief seemed to roll over the Ancestor as he said, "The dragoons have chosen a wingly… And they are not after the dragon. What is this? What could be happening that would call the dragoons together? What threat is there? Do you have any idea?"

The image of Lloyd flashed in her mind, but she shook her head.

"Very well. I believe you," said the Ancestor as his shoulders relaxed slightly. "And I believe that you have no ill intent."

"So, what is it? You mentioned a dragon, but we've already killed one of those."

"You've killed a dragon?"

Meru looked down. "Yes."

"Why would dragoons fight dragons?"

"Because he threatened the lives of innocents."

"I see…" said the Ancestor. For several long seconds, he eyed Meru, and then he sat once again. "The energy of the earth that you feel is an ill omen foretelling the resurgence of a great power. There is a dragon that sleeps in this land, and its strength is greater than that of any other dragon. In fact, many have called it the King of Dragons. You may have heard it called the Divine Dragon."

"What!" exclaimed Meru as a hundred stories from her childhood ran through her mind. "How is that even possible? Everyone always told me that the Divine Dragon was killed in the Dragon Campaign!"

"A deception well populated to keep fear at bay. The Divine Dragon lives. We were unable to kill it, and we were forced to place a magical seal on its consciousness, keeping it perpetually separated from the body. Powerful, powerful magic created the seal, magic devised by Faust himself. But it appears that, over time, the magic has been weakening. Someone is now tampering with it, and the seal is close to breaking. We fear that it may happen anytime in the next fortnight."

A swirl of panic ran through Meru, and her hand flew to her forehead. Suddenly, their chase into Mille Seseau made sense. Dart was right; Lloyd was behind the earth's odd phenomenon. Surely, somehow, Lloyd meant to release the Divine Dragon. But did he really believe that he could control such a beast? It seemed impossible to her, but she'd realized long ago that Lloyd's abilities far surpassed that of any normal wingly.

"I have to get back," she said. "I have to tell the others."

"And what will you tell them?" asked the Ancestor. "You said that you had not revealed us. Do they know that you are a wingly, after all?"

"No, of course not! But they're dragoons! They have to know about this! What if this is why we exist again?"

"How will you tell them without revealing the source of your information?"

Meru swore. "I'll figure it out later! I just have to tell them!" She leapt to her feet.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Well, yeah!"

"And what about your parents?"

"Oh."

Meru's mind was buzzing with the need to communicate with the others, but her heart wrenched her firmly in place. The two warred erratically, and she tried to imagine what the dragoons would want her to do. The faces of Dart, Shana, Kongol, and Haschel all appeared before her, each telling her the same thing: she needed to see her parents.

"I'll visit them first," she said somewhat dejectedly.

"Very well."

The Ancestor stood and reached out his hand again. With inner peace a faint dream of the past, Meru grasped his palm tightly until she opened her eyes in the heart of the forest, at the base of the trees. The pleasant aroma of flowers drifted to meet her, challenging her anxiety.

"I will leave you to it," said the Ancestor. "I expect you to leave the forest as soon as your time is up. Guaraha will go with you to ensure that you obey and do not cause any issues. And Guaraha." The Ancestor turned his piercing gaze to Guaraha, who had trotted up behind Meru. "I will speak to you after she is gone."

The Ancestor vanished, and Meru turned to see Guaraha watching her with an odd expression.

"You won't be executed, then?"

"Not today, at least," she replied with a grin. "I get to see them for an hour. Then, I have to leave."

"Very well. Let's go. Adam and Moira have been told that you're coming."

Guaraha held out his hand to her, and she frowned.

"I don't need to hold your hand," she spat. "I can fly on my own, thanks."

"Sorry," he mumbled. "A habit, I guess."

She sighed and then looked up at the tree on her left. Fifty feet up was a small platform with a door, and within that home waited her parents. She hesitated, then called on her suppressed power once more. The deep well of ancient energy felt so peculiar when compared to her dragoon magic, and somehow more distant. After all this time, it felt almost foreign to her, but she relished the opportunity to use it. The magic flowed through her and then burst from her back, and as her wings appeared, she lifted into the air. With a grin, she rushed forward and up, exhilarated to be so far off the ground. She wished with all her might that dragoons could transform more readily so that she might experience this more often.

Within seconds, she alighted on the doorstep that stood so high above the earth, and Guaraha landed next to her.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

"Wouldn't you be nervous?" she said scornfully.

"Well, yes, b—"

"Yeah, I'm a bit nervous to see my parents that I haven't seen in two years because I exiled myself."

Guaraha sighed. "Are you mad at me?"

She spun and gaped at him. "Is that really what you wanna do right now? At this moment in time?"

He didn't respond but pursed his lips and looked down, and Meru huffed and knocked on the door, fueled by her desire to reach her friends again.

A moment later, the door cracked open, and the face of her father appeared. He held the door mostly shut and peered at her with startled but determined eyes.

"I thought you'd show up at some point," Adam said. "The Ancestor always liked you. Gave you things he shouldn't have."

"Hi, Dad," she replied sadly.

"Why is Guaraha here? He's not doing anything stupid, is he?"

"He's just here to make sure I don't stay too long."

Adam nodded. "So, what did you come here to say?"

Meru worked her jaw and replied, "I came here to see you. I didn't have anything to say."

"Well, you've seen me. Best be on your way, then."

He started to shut the door, and Meru faltered in her despair. But Guaraha pushed past her and forced himself against the door to hold it open.

"Please, sir," he said. "Give her one hour. She risked everything to see you."

"Is that Meru?" called a voice from inside. "Meru!"

Tears welled in Meru's eyes to hear her mother's voice, and she covered her mouth with her hands. Her father growled and relinquished control of the door, and it swung wide to reveal Moira beside him, her eyes lit with relief and joy. Waiting for nothing, she pushed Guaraha to the side and embraced Meru as they both began to weep.

"You're okay," whispered Moira. "My dearest, you've come home."

"I'm sorry," replied Meru.

Her mother didn't respond but squeezed her tightly for a long moment. Then, still bearing tears, Moira pushed past Adam and Guaraha and dragged Meru into the house. Within minutes, Meru sat with a cup of steaming tea in her hands as she took in the room around her.

In truth, not much had changed since her departure, if anything. While most things were reminiscent of human homes, like couches, tables, and chairs, each of those items were drastically different from what Meru had grown accustomed to. Magic had shaped everything in the room, from the utensils sitting on the kitchen counter to the fabric adorning the sofa, and as a result, everything was smoother, rounder, and more colorful than anything found in human homes.

"I'm so glad that you came home," gushed Moira from the sofa. Adam sat with his arms crossed next to her. "I'd begun to think something terrible had happened."

"Well, it didn't," replied Meru awkwardly as she glanced at Guaraha who had been placed next to her on the loveseat. She was uncomfortably aware of his touch.

"Tell us about your travels! Where did you go? Did anything exciting happen?"

"I've been in Tiberoa for most of that time," said Meru cautiously. "I lived in Donau for over a year. I worked there as a dancer."

"Where is Tiberoa?" asked Moira with an excited gleam in her eye. "What is it like?"

"It's south of here, and very warm. Across the ocean. You'd love it, actually. Donau is beautiful, just covered in flowers. They grow them everywhere. But a lot of Tiberoa is just a desert if you go farther south, but there are lots of quaint little towns that sit along the edges, pretty much anywhere there's water. We spent a lot of time in Fletz and the Twin Castle, both very cool places with some really gorgeous views. And the ocean! One day, you really need to see the ocean, Mom. You'd love the ocean so much."

"You will imply nothing of the sort," inserted Adam sharply. "Moira will not be leaving the forest like you did."

"Oh, Adam, she's just telling us about her adventures," dismissed Moira. "Let her be excited!"

"Adventures? You make it sound like she went for a lovely stroll! She exposed herself to the humans! She's lucky none of them recognized her for what she is!"

"I didn't expose myself!" insisted Meru, and then she chuckled at the phrase. If only Haschel were with her…

"You're laughing at that?" gawked Guaraha.

"Not at that… you wouldn't understand."

"I'm sure it's some type of poison the humans implanted in her mind," scorned Adam.

"Come on, Dad!"

"Stop it!" shouted Moira. "Let Meru tell us what she's experienced. Don't you want to know what she was doing in a castle?"

"What splendor can human castles possibly hold?" challenged Adam.

"Alright, listen," inserted Meru. "I only get to be here for one hour. One hour, Dad. Listen to me talk for one hour, and then you can complain all you want when I'm gone."

For several tense seconds, Adam worked his jaw and glanced between Meru and Moira. "Fine," he conceded. "I will hold my peace for one hour."

Satisfied, Meru gave a curt nod and then turned to her mother once again. With gusto, she told them about her time away, starting with her wanderings around Mille Seseau and then her travels across Illisa Bay. She detailed how she'd saved up enough money to book passage, and then her miserable experience on the tiny boat that had shipped her to Fueno and then on to Donau. Having found Donau diverting, she'd decided to stay there. When she reached the arrival of the other dragoons, she carefully skirted around the country-wide issues that they'd gone on to quench, allowing her mother to believe that she'd only been allowed in the Twin Castle because of her friendship with King Albert. With no mention of Lenus or Lloyd, she concluded her tale by implying that the king also had business with the queen of Mille Seseau, and her parents did not seem to notice her omissions. At the very least, her mother didn't. For the full length of her tale, Adam sat with his arms crossed, a scowl firmly on his lips, clearly holding back disdainful remarks about humans.

"What wonderful adventures!" exclaimed Moira. "You must have been all over the world!"

"Believe it or not, I haven't," grinned Meru. "There's a whole country in the east I haven't visited, and I'm pretty sure there are islands out west where people live, and there's so much more beyond that! The world is massive! It feels like I could spend my whole life exploring and never find the end of new things."

"A hundred fifty years is a long time. Maybe you can find the edge of the world by then."

"That would be amazing! You should come—" Meru stopped and glanced at her father. "Maybe one day, when this whole racial feud is over, I can bring back some more stories. If they ever let me back in." Her face fell, and she glanced at Guaraha, who had been sitting dejectedly since the beginning of her tale.

"I wouldn't count on it," said Adam in a sour tone. "You won't live to be a hundred fifty anyway. As soon as the humans find out what you are, you'll be killed, just like that other girl."

"What other girl?"

"The one who left to chase after you! The humans found her and killed her."

"I didn't have anything to do with that!"

"You left!" Her father stood and pointed at her as his voice rose to a shout. "You chose humans over your own people – over your family – and someone else paid the price! Humans are evil, and there is no end to their malice!"

"You know what?" Meru handed her empty mug to a flustered Guaraha and stood. "That's enough! You have this twisted idea that humans are all terrible, and… well… you're wrong! Humans are wonderful, and I love them!"

"Then go back to them! You have no right to stay here!"

"I will!"

Meru whipped her head around and stomped toward the door as her mother called after her. With a burst of wingly magic, she blustered in a gale to force it open, and then she walked out onto the platform. Her wings appeared, and she was about to push off the platform when a soft hand wrapped around her wrist. She turned in surprise and saw her mother with pleading eyes that glistened with fresh tears.

"Don't leave like this," she whispered.

All at once, Meru's temper vanished, and she melted into another embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Mom. Maybe I shouldn't have left in the first place."

"Don't say that. You were always meant to be out there. Your father… I'll talk to him. Maybe we can come to an understanding."

"I think he's too stubborn for that." Meru pulled away and wiped her face. "I got that from him, you know."

"And your lust for freedom from me. I'm just glad that you had the willpower to leave when I never did."

"What about that girl he was talking about?"

Moira stroked Meru's hair and brushed a piece behind her ear. "Don't worry about that. You go out there and live your life. It's enough for me to know that you're alive, and that you're enjoying yourself."

Grabbing her mother's hand, Meru squeezed it tightly and said, "I love you, Mom."

"And I love you, my dearest one. Now go, before the Ancestor grows angry."

Nodding, Meru stepped back as Guaraha awkwardly stepped through the doorway. He nodded to Moira as he moved past her, and then he and Meru took off and flew their way to the magical entrance. With a heavy heart, Meru approached the wall.

"Meru, can I talk to you before you go?" asked Guaraha.

She sighed and turned. "What's up?"

"I… don't want you to leave again."

"I have to. Ancestor's orders." She issued a salute.

Guaraha took two tentative steps forward as he prepared to speak. His face was wrought with anxiety, but at last he managed to say, "What if I came with you?"

Again, Meru stood disarmed before him. Her feet closed the distance between them, and her hand took hold of his.

"You know that you can't do that," she said quietly.

"Yes, I can. I just… wouldn't be allowed to come back."

"I know you. I know that you would never make it out there, not the way things are now. Maybe one day… but not today."

Guaraha stiffened. "Are you saying that we'll never be together again?"

Meru searched his eyes and found a love that she had once cherished. Some part of her still did, but she had made her decision, and he had made his. In truth, no part of her held hope that their situation would ever change.

"I won't say never," she lied. "It's possible, if we can overcome this weird thing between humans and winglies. But I don't know when that might happen. It might not happen in our lifetime. You should move on, Gary. Be with someone who can give you what you need."

He grinned. "You called me Gary."

She smiled back. "You know I've always thought you had a stupid name."

"I've missed that about you," he said, and his hand flew to her head and pulled her to him. Then without warning, he kissed her.

As much as she wanted to pull away for his own sake, she found that she didn't have the strength. For several long moments, they delighted in their love for each other until Guaraha himself retreated with his head bowed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I… should not have done that."

"Well, there are worse things you could have done," replied Meru. Then her grin turned mischievous, and she looked up at him. "I don't think I would have minded either way."

"Meru! Don't say such things!"

"Sorry. You're right. I'm leaving, and… this is over."

"You're never coming back, are you?"

The question hung thick in the air.

She shook her head. "I don't think I ever can."

"Then if I never see you again, I will not be ashamed of my actions. And I will not let you leave without saying it one more time… I love you, Meru. Forever, I will love you."

Meru bit her lip to keep from reciprocating. Slowly, she backed away from him, fighting tears as she tore herself from him.

"Well, I'd best be off!" she said with as chipper an attitude as she could manage. "Got dragons to kill and things. See you later!" Then she drew another rune on the stone and waited. As the magical seal opened, she threw back, "Or not, I guess." Then she jumped into the portal.