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_A dragon's ability does not always manifest right away; it may take years. It could even appear when needed most. But for a rare few, a special bond has to be put into place--a bond like mateship works well for releasing one's inner power. _

--Dragon Proverb

Chapter Twelve

I awoke the morning after, exhaustion seeping into my bones heavier than a boulder. I ignored it as I got up and made my way to the elders. I needed to see if they knew anything about this new magic, which prioritized my exhausted body.

The elders saw me as soon as I arrived. Banelle walked me through their home, her thoughts entirely focused on what was for lunch--ideas bouncing between deer to boar and back again, weighing the pros and cons of each one. That's how it was around them. They were always conscious of their thoughts around me...blocking me from intruding on their private thoughts.

She led me to a large cave, big enough to fit all the elders and then some.

It seemed they took much care in this place. No stalagmites or stalactites were visible as I looked around. Some dragons preferred their ascetic in their dens, while others, like the elders. They preferred to dispose of them, evident in the floors barren of any dust or pebbles, the walls polished and smoothed by fire.

"What brings you here today, Furest?"

I sifted through each of their minds, all similarly blocked just like Banelle's, though Ethral's strength exceeded the others, I couldn't read a single thought from him, like a barrier was placed over his mind, enshrouding each thought in shadow.

"Something new has crawled up from the depths of the abyss, taking control of a dragon's body, sucking their very life force dry, keeping anything that might save them from working in their system. I need--"

"You want to know if we know anything about that," a dragon with red scales and a blend of black and red on her wings spoke up: Dravynna.

My silence was affirmation.

"We know nothing besides what you have experienced. We are looking into it."

"Do they know about Ymerc? His gift?"

I feared if they did. I never trusted them. They kept far too many secrets from the rest of us or, at the very least, pretended to know more than they did.

I decided to test them, a question that wouldn't relay my own knowledge, but test theirs.

"Do you know how to save them?"

"We do not. None of our records mention anything about this. It's safe to say for the time being, that whoever gets infected with this...blight, is sentenced to death."

"Dravynna, you can't be serious," I protested.

"They can't just give up. I've seen two dragons healed, and they are giving up? They wouldn't be if they knew about Ymerc. I think it's safe to say the elders have no idea. I don't think they know who got infected either, otherwise the elders would know that Xithris and Cythra were still alive. Likely, the elders thought Cythra and Xithris were dead."

"I'm afraid, for the time being, there is nothing we can do. We will continue looking into it," Banelle replied.

I didn't give the elders any more of my time. I left without another word, my tail lashing, striking the wall behind me. The sound of splintering stone reverberated along the walls. I would find my own way out.

"Hey, Furest! Wait up," Frith called as I flew.

Hovering, I waited for him. His scales of dark purple flexed along with his muscles as he flew. His light blue eyes held a depth that had my heart beating furiously in my chest. His wings matched his scales, dark purple, but with the light shining down, they seemed more of a scarlet purple. His tail ended in a sharp point, made for combat, it seemed. He always beat me in mock battles. Somehow his caudal appendage had a flexibility that made it hard to defend against. If things went poorly, I knew I could rely on him to have my back.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

Frith was my best friend. We did everything together. For a while now, I realized I liked him... a lot.

But I didn't want to ruin what we had in case things fell apart or he didn't reciprocate my feelings. From what I've already gathered of the way he talks about this amber-colored dragon, I've already assumed he does not see me in the same way.

"I'm heading out. I have an assignment."

His eyes bugged out, his wings halted for a moment, sending him nearly tumbling through the air.

"Wow, that's so cool! Can I come with you?"

My heart leaped at the prospect. There weren't any rules against bringing someone with you. Though, the harpies were expecting one dragon, not two. I would have to find an excuse by the time we arrived.

"Sure, I would love to have you along."

I blushed after I realized what I said, my cheek scales must have darkened, but he didn't seem to notice as he waved his paw, signaling me to lead the way.

"So, what's the assignment?" he prodded, his lips lifting in a toothy grin as we began flying.

"Nothing exciting. I have to go visit a flock of harpies down south. There have been some strange rumors regarding them."

Our wings flapped in rhythm, the wind caressing our scales and beating against us.

"Rumors? What kind of rumors?" he asked, balancing his body as a wave of turbulence hit him.

"Some say they have been sacrificing any creatures that wander into their territory. Others say they worship a deity surrounded by dark magic. Then there's one that says they even sacrifice their own children."

His jaw dropped.

"Their own children? That's horrific!"

His nose scrunched up as he talked. He was just as disgusted at that possibility as I was.

"I've been told to go down and investigate if the rumors have truth, and if they do report back. Having you along is a great help."

His wings skipped a beat, causing him to lose altitude for a moment.

"Won't the harpies attack you when they see you?" he asked, turning back to me.

Before today, I didn't know much about harpies. Just an hour ago, I thought they attacked everyone who wasn't one of them. His question was valid.

"Usually yes, but the elders sent a letter ahead explaining one of us would be coming down there for a vacation and to learn more about their ways. Just today, they received a letter of confirmation."

He seemed deep in thought, his eyes glazing over in that way that made my heart skip a beat.

The flight itself would be days long, on foot. I imagined it would take close to a week, maybe more.

The ground below changed into dense forest compared to the mountain range I called home. We talked, laughed, and joked. I silently begged for it to never end. It had been a while since we were together like this, and it made my heart light as a feather. As the sun reached the horizon, my wings were nearing their limit, even though my heart begged to keep going. However, fatigue crept up, lulling me to the surface.

"We should find a place to rest," I said, interrupting whatever he was about to say.

"A ways back, I noticed a small clearing. We could stop there for the night," he replied.

I nodded, banking left and turning around, letting him lead the way.

By the time we landed, it was completely dark. We collapsed as soon as our feet touched the ground. My wings splayed out on the soft grass that tickled my wings and soothed the burning pain shooting up and down with my racing pulse.

In the morning, my wings hurt like the day I learned to fly, muscles screaming in protest as I lifted them in preparation of another flight. I wasn't accustomed to such a long journey anymore, and we still had a day or two to go.

Frith was still sound asleep. I didn't blame him. I was better at flight, speed, and maneuverability in the air, his endurance was lacking in that aspect. His strength excelled in combat, which made him reliable on missions.

My stomach rumbled. Frith would likely be just as hungry, if not more, when he awoke.

Passing by, I observed his sleeping form. His wings splayed on either side, a thin wisp of smoke wafting up from his nostrils. His legs splayed out just like his wings, which told me he likely didn't even bother trying to get comfortable before falling asleep. His right paw was clenched as if he was dreaming about fighting, eyes flickering beneath his eyelids.

What I wouldn't give to be able to sleep next to him.

A sudden urge came over me; I wanted to lick his snout, but I feared waking him. If he awoke just as I was about to, things would get real awkward fast. Instead, I strolled through the trees, sniffing around, trying to find something I could catch for the both of us without much effort.

An hour later, I returned, the neck of a deer in my jaws, its body limp behind me.

It was about the only thing big enough for both of us to eat. Otherwise, I would have spent hours catching squirrels or other creatures like a boar.

I was about to wake up Frith when I realized that it would be like second-hand kissing if we were to share the deer.

I was thankful for Frith still sleeping. Otherwise, he would have seen my cheeks light up a dark brown like mud.

I clawed the deer in half, splattering blood all over my scales in the process, but it was better than sharing a meal with Frith that could be seen in another light.

Looking at Frith, I remembered the time he woke me up one morning, pouncing on my back scaring me to death. I was about to pay him back for that.

His body moved a fraction of a second before I landed, my paws touching grass rather than hard scales.

Okay, that was just a fluke. There is no way he can dodge in his sleep.

Another attempt yielded the same results.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

My roar sounded through the clearing, waking Frith up in the process and meeting my glare.

"Yo! Furest, what's with the look? Did I do something?" He said sleepily.

"Stupid dragon," I mumbled. Walking away to the uneaten deer and digging in on my half.

"What was that?"

"Noffing," I replied with a mouth full of deer meat.

I hope the deer was sick and it kills him. But I immediately realized the fault in that. I was eating the same deer, so if it killed him, it would likely kill me too. We were not entirely immune to sickness, even if it took a lot to kill a dragon.

"Stufid deer," I mumbled under another mouthful.

Frith looked at me, a strip of deer liver hanging from his jaws.

A quick slip, and it was down his gullet.

"Furest, if I did something to make you mad, please tell me."

I had found the heart of the deer as he was talking and grabbed it between my teeth. Making a show of squishing it between my jaws in front of him, blood squirting between my scaled lips and splattering onto the grass.

Blood covered my lips and his, staining them crimson.

"Ok, clearly, I did something. But you won't tell me--"

I took off, not wanting to listen to him talk another moment. I heard a loud curse before the flapping of wings.

"We haven't finished the deer!" he yelled from behind me, his voice softened in the whipping winds.

I was faster than him--always have been--so it didn't take much to have a reasonable distance between us. I didn't feel like hearing his voice at the moment.

The day continued, and as we flew, guilt wormed its way into my heart. I felt terrible about how I had behaved. Perhaps I acted like that since I liked him so much? Or maybe it was just the fact I couldn't get him back for his prank well over a year ago.

I slowed down, letting him catch up. When he was finally beside me, I apologized.

"Look, Frith, I'm sorry for the way I behaved earlier. Can you forgive me?"

He looked lost in thought, my heart beating rapidly at being so close our wingtips nearly touched.

"Of course, I forgive you; however, I wish you would tell me what had you so riled up."

"If I told him, would he make fun of me?"

I decided to tell him. Growing up, we told each other everything. Why should that stop now?

"Hey, Frith, do you remember that time a little over a year ago when you woke me up by pouncing on my back?"

His lips lifted, revealing a toothy grin.

"Of course, I remember: one of the greatest pranks I've ever pulled. You should have seen your face. I wish I could have it painted and have it hanging in my den."

"Not helping," I ground out between clenched teeth.

"Right. Sorry."

"I saw you sleeping this morning and decided to pay you back. But when I tried, you just kept rolling away."

"Wait, really?" he asked. His eyes lit up.

"Yes."

"Awesome, I could be like a sleep-fighting dragon! I would go down in history! Imagine, the first dragon ever to be able to fight in his sleep," he waved his paw outward as if he was envisioning the scene before him.

I glared at him, his demeanor calming down when he saw my glare.

"Right, sorry. I got a little excited."

"I can tell," I replied.

"Look, I am sorry if it means anything."

He's apologizing though he doesn't have anything to apologize for.

A sigh escaped my lips.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted the way I did, and you have nothing to be sorry for. You don't have control over yourself when you're asleep."

I met his gaze, his cheeks lighting up in blush, when he saw me looking at him.

He doesn't possibly like me back, does he? Nah, that's not possible. Besides, he already told me he likes someone else. Much to my dismay.

"But you know what was really funny?" he asked, drawing me from my thoughts.

"What?"

"That time, we scared one of the elders into peeing himself."

That day was colder than usual for fall the frigid temperatures already forming a thin layer of ice on the lakes. Frith and I had snuck into an elders' den early in the morning before the sun had even peeked over the horizon, laying down thick vines and other traps as quietly as we could, going as far as tying his paws together.

Then just like he had done to me later, we pounced on his back, roaring as loudly as we could. The elder jumped up, getting caught in the rope and tripping him over into a large bowl of ice-cold water, splashing him in the face and neck. When he stood back up, we noticed a small puddle that smelled like urine underneath his stomach.

We bolted out of there before he realized who it was. To this day, we still got away with it.

I laughed, nearly falling from the air as I clenched my stomach in a fit of laughter, Frith joining me.

"It was even better when he chased us outside--breathing fire at us. But by then, we were long gone," he said between fits of laughter.

I nearly stopped flapping. I was laughing so hard.

"And the look on your face when we thought he had seen us," I hurriedly told him.

"I was scared. Wouldn't you be if a dragon was breathing fire at you?" He had a fair point.

"Maybe if he was in front of me. We were far away by that point, hidden in the trees," I retorted.

"If I had known you were such a scaredy-cat at that point, I would have helped the elder get back at you." My devious grin had him on edge, trying to figure out how to respond.

He kept silent, not knowing what to say to that, a look of defeat plastered on his face.

I realized I may have hurt my best friend.

"Frith, I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I snatched his paw, slowing us down a little. I leaned in, trying to get some reaction out of him when--

He roared in my face. I flapped backward, my heart thumping heavily in my chest.

"And that is for earlier," he stated as a matter of fact.

"Oh, you!" I grabbed the humerus closest to me, bending it so it didn't catch the air. He plummeted through the air as I dove with him, my paw stilling his wing.

"Apologize!" I roared.

"Why should I?"

"If you don't, I'm more than happy to let you go splat on the ground, which is approaching rather quickly."

He looked below, his eyes going wide. I could tell he was trying to think of something fast, but with my grip on his wing, he wasn't going anywhere.

"Let go. You're gonna get us both killed!"

"Nuh-uh, all I have to do is wait till it's too late for you and glide away."

"Not fair!" he roared over the swift winds.

"All is fair in love and pranks!" I roared back.

He didn't see the blush on my cheeks, and I was glad.

I really needed to stop thinking about him in that way.

"I-I'm sorry," he said.

"What? Didn't quite hear that!"

He glared at me, knowing I had heard him, but with my claw on his wing, he didn't have much choice.

"I'm sorry!" he roared with all his might.

I let go, and together we climbed upwards again, the tree line a distant memory.

"You know you could have just twisted out of my grip, right?" I told him when we were safely back in the sky. "Besides, I can't believe you thought I would actually kill you."

"Your grip was far too strong. I would have just ended up twisting you over me."

His cheeks turned a purplish scarlet, and the image of me over him quickly had me looking away too, my wings missing a beat as I lost focus.

"I'm so stupid. I never should have done that."

We kept silent after that, keeping our conversation to a minimum as we focused on flying and expending as little energy as possible. His wings flapping less than normal, barely keeping up with me.

The day flew by, the sun setting quickly. We had found another place to sleep for the night. A small field next to an even smaller creek, which we both stopped by and lapped up the chilled water like we would never see it again. I sighed when I felt the water wash the feeling of sand down my throat.

The next day, we arrived at the harpy nests. Trees larger than any other I had seen reaching towards the endless clouds. There were numerous nests with a family of harpies in each. Some of the children looked as if they had just hatched yesterday, tiny and helpless.

Dozens of gazes drew to us as we flew around, looking for a nice open space to land. It wasn't until an older-looking harpy flew up to us and signaled us to follow him that we found a lovely nest to land, which seemed brand new, almost as if they had prepared it just for us. The branch bowed beneath our weight as we landed on it. I feared it would break and snap in our sleep, sending us tumbling to our deaths.

"So, you two are the dragons we have been expecting? I must say, it's odd that dragons would want to learn about us. Even more so when two appeared when we were expecting only one."

I had prepared for this, knowing exactly what I would say before he even spoke a word.

"Frith and I wanted to get away from other dragons for a while. We like our space, and what better space than days away from any other dragon? Besides, we've always found harpies fascinating."

His eyes narrowed before returning to normal.

"How long will you be staying?"

Kind of a rude harpy.

"We aren't exactly sure. We were planning on staying until we felt like it was time to go back... if that's alright with you?" I answered.

"Of course, of course! There isn't much for dragons to do around here like there is up in Dravawynn, but make yourselves comfortable if you need anything or have any questions. My nest is that one over there."

He pointed his wing in the direction of a group of nests before taking off and landing in the highest one.

"Was it me, or was he kinda rude? Asking how long we would be staying?" Frith asked, his eyebrows raised.

"I was thinking the same thing. Maybe they are hiding something. Come on, we have some investigating to do."

I took off, ignoring his protests as I dove to the ground and landed softly on the pads of my feet.

I had almost reached Kaerlis's den. He had the most extensive collection of books on dark magic and its capabilities. I wanted to see if he had anything on what had just happened.

Touching down, I belted out my fire, asking for entrance.

I did it again when nothing happened, hoping he was inside and would allow me in.

A brief flicker of light and the sound of flames signaled it was okay to enter. My claws on the stone, announcing my entrance. A few scrolls lay on the ground half-opened. Further in, the walls narrowed into a hallway of polished granite before widening into a large room filled with bookshelves carved into the walls, each one stacked with books and scrolls, a chandelier of torches hung from the ceiling, illuminating most of the den. While we could see in the dark, reading was more difficult. With any luck, I would get to take some home with me.

I hadn't seen Kaerlis yet; he was likely hidden behind a stack of books and scrolls. He preferred the company of books over dragons ever since his mate died, which I understood. Losing your mate drives some dragons completely insane, something I knew all too well.

Further in, I found him, an open scroll flat on the ground in front of him. We had never met before. I only knew of him because of word of mouth about his extensive collection of dark magic.

"What brings a new dragon to my humble abode?" he said without looking up from his scroll.

His scales were a dark amber; his wings were the same. His horns curled upon his head like rams' horns. His eyes are bright gold, a long scar ran down the length of his snout.

"My name is Furest. I am a healer in our clan. Recently something new has crept up from the abyss. Something I can't fight with traditional methods. I was wondering--"

"You want access to the knowledge that surrounds us, right?" he interrupted.

"Y-Yes."

"And what is this new magic you claim you've seen?"

He finally looked up from his scroll, his eyes moving across my scaled form.

I explained how it began with a dragon named Xithris, then moved on to Cythra, an already injured dragon. I explained the symptoms and everything that happened up to and including death.

He looked intrigued, quirking an eyebrow.

"You may have access to everything here, on one condition."

I was afraid of what he was going to ask for, but at this point, I wanted answers.

"What are your conditions?"

He shifted his body so one paw was draped over the other, his head lifted in pride.

"Share anything you come across. Knowledge is a weapon. After all, the more one knows, the stronger one becomes."

I agreed to his conditions. Afterward, I browsed his fine collection, well organized by subject and title.

Not knowing where to start, I asked him for help. He led me over to a corner where books with the "Old Magic" tag resided. He pointed a claw to the top shelf where almost a dozen books sat covered in dust.

"This starts with the beginning of dark magic, its history, and abilities at the height of its power. If there are answers to your questions, this is where you will find them."

Without another word, he strode away, not bothering to help me anymore.

A tome bound in washed out leather caught my eye, its color is snow white compared to the wheat tan of the others, carefully I grabbed it with my jaws and set it on the ground.

The leather was cool to the touch. Inside, the words were almost illegible from time. I stuffed it in the pit of my arm and grabbed a few others before leaving, thanking Kaerlis on my way out.

It was odd, there was absolutely no sign or scent of dark magic amongst the harpies, but on the whole, I couldn't shake this feeling that something was hidden from us on purpose. Frith agreed with me.

Today brought the weekly harpy races. The concept of the races was explained to us, and we were even invited to join--an offer we turned down. The prospect of having every harpy in one area was too tempting to resist. It gave us much-needed time to investigate without anyone watching us. Since the moment we arrived, we've been watched like hawks, never alone for more than a moment.

"Frith, over here," I hissed, trying to keep my voice down. The screeches of harpies echoed through the entire forest, but I wasn't about to take any chances.

"Did you find something?" he whispered back.

"There's something over here."

Above us, the tree branches were stripped of their bark, claw marks as visible as if a dragon had made them. Though if a dragon were to sit on them, they'd break.

I followed the trail with Frith at my side, careful to make as little sound as possible. If the harpies were using dark magic, they would do everything to hide it from dragons, and I wanted to avoid detection if a harpy was looking for us.

Further down, I saw a large rock covered in plants and ivy. Moss covered the ground around it, squishing against our paws.

"Hey, this feels kinda nice. I would love to layer my den with this," Frith said out loud. I paid him no attention. He was clearly thinking to himself, his paws flexing and unflexing on the moss.

I felt the same pull, but the job at hand was more important. I could come back later and sleep on it if I so chose.

I stuck my nose to the ground, sniffing for any trails of death and decay. A faint smell I recognized all too well was underneath the scent of water, grass, and wood.

"Frith, come here and smell the ground. Tell me what scents there are."

His nose touched the ground, a wisping sound emitted as he inhaled lungful of air, the brows on his face scrunched up in concentration.

"Behind the scents of the forest, I smell... death."

"We are definitely in the right place. Stay alert."

His body tensed before I had even finished talking. He moved forward, following the scent along the ground until he hit the hard surface of the rock with his snout.

"Maybe the other way?" he wondered out loud before moving past me, his snout close to the ground.

I followed suit, the scent of death stronger on my nose now that I knew it was there.

"Frith, it's gone." We passed the mossy ground back onto solid dirt, the soft moss leaving my paws, making me almost groan in frustration.

"He was right. This moss would be excellent for sleeping on."

"It can't just disappear. The only place the scent appears is near the rock."

"Hey, remember when our parents taught us that dark magic can hide itself?"

He turned around, facing me.

"I believe it was actually, 'The being using dark magic can hide its scent but only to a degree.' Don't make dark magic into some sentient being that it's not."

"Right, sorry. Anyway, what if the rock isn't just a rock?"

I walked across the moss, glad to feel the soft sand-like feeling caressing my paws again.

"You think it's a cave?"

"Only one way to find out," I replied.

I drew on my mana, focusing it towards a single claw before touching the side of the rock. I forced it into the rock, letting it flow outward like ripples in a pond.

The plants along the surface retreated, revealing a small hole big enough for a hatchling to fit through.

"Frith, do you think you can fit in?

"No, too big. Can we make it bigger?" he said, stepping up beside me. He grabbed the edge and pulled, trying to forcefully make it bigger, but the rocks didn't budge.

"Perhaps, let me try."

The hole could be made bigger with enough mana. I just wasn't sure I had enough.

My claw touched the side of the entrance, my mana draining from me like a waterfall, small rocks tumbling away to the moss.

My claw separated from the rock's surface, Frith pushing me away before using his own mana to do what I had, only much faster. By the time it was big enough for us to fit single file, he was gasping for air.

"What did you do that for? You pushed me out of the way."

A look crossed his face, one I had never seen before.

"Concern? Worry? He wouldn't worry about me like that. We've been friends for ages, he wouldn't...right?"

Part of me hoped he would. If he did, maybe it meant he liked me the same way. But then the realization hit me that he had a crush on another dragon. I remembered the description he gave me when he talked about her for what seemed like ages ago but was only a few months.

"She's a light brown, almost an amber color with dark brown spots across her body, and her eyes, her eyes a golden amber. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

His words echoed through my head in memory.

He still wouldn't tell me the name of this dragon he has a crush on no matter how many times I asked, but he says they are the same age and get along well together.

I wish that were me.

I imagined becoming mates, sleeping together in the same den, raising hatchlings together.

"Are you ready? You seem lost in thought. We can wait if you need to."

His words broke me from my reverie.

"N-no, let's go." I tried not to stutter or let him see my blush, but I failed in that regard.

"Furest, why are you blushing?" he asked as we entered. His brows raised.

The scent of decaying corpses was strong in the air, making me nearly gag.

"N-no reason. Let's continue," I replied, trying to take my mind off both the embarrassing thoughts and the smell of death.

He didn't say anything else.

It wasn't long before the tunnel descended and opened into a cavernous room. At the far end, steps rose onto a polished stone floor. A table made of quartz sat in the center, chains connected on all four corners.

"Say, you don't think the rumor about sacrificing their own children could actually be true, right?"

"I really don't know right now, but this place is to the T of sacrifices." Walking through, I noticed a splotch of red on the floor near the quartz table. Behind it a statue of a harpy stood, its face grotesque to the point you could hardly tell what it was supposed to be. Its wings were folded at its side, and in its talons was the head of a dragon.

"Frith, over here," I whispered.

The gaze of the statue seemed to follow us everywhere we went.

The air stunk of rust and decaying flesh.

On the floor lay a large puddle of dried blood. The ground was covered entirely in crimson on the table's far side. Cuffs were at the ends of the chains, which I imagined were for restraining the poor thing. Body parts were still clinging to parts of it, flesh, and what looked like green feathers.

"We have what we need. Let's get out of here. We are heading back to Dravawynn."

He trailed me as we dashed back outside and took off, flying as fast as we could home.

We were almost clear of the harpies' forest when an older harpy shot out from below, nearly colliding with me.

A flap of wings and I surged backward, narrowly avoiding him.

"I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

He turned, ready to fly off again when Frith stopped him.

"Sir, what's the matter?" he asked.

I didn't notice anything strange. Frith always did have better eyes than I did.

"I'm afraid," was all he said. His eyes flicked between us.

"Afraid of what?"

"Some creature cloaked in fire is attacking the tribe, burning our nests and destroying everything. I'm sorry, I must go!" He took off without a moment's hesitation.

"Furest, it's likely our fault for disturbing whatever that place was! We have to stop that creature."

"Agreed, let's go."

We flew back. for a creature cloaked in flames, there wasn't any smoke--or fire, for that matter.

Below us, the harpies' nests were untouched, but not a harpy was seen.

We descended below the branches, the sounds of our wings bouncing off the trees.

"For a creature cloaked in fire, there isn't any fire. What's going on here?" Frith wondered out loud.

Frith was beside me one second, then gone the next, a fiery form tackling him out of the air, a bird's screech echoing from below.

"Frith!"

I dove after the tangle of the creature and my friend. The creature released him and Frith caught the air with his wings, sending him into a glide before he touched the ground. A bright flash and the fiery monster was gone.

"Frith, are you okay?"

I landed next to him, checking him over for any wounds.

"I'm just fine. I didn't get a good look at that thing. It's flames were hot though, hotter than normal fire."

"You think it's another dragon?" I asked before remembering the screech.

No dragon can screech like a bird. Perhaps it was a harpy? I tossed that aside, whatever attacked Frith was far too large to be a harpy.

"What dragon would in their right mind use dark magic and attack one of its own?"

"Well, maybe it's not in its right mind." I shot back, taking a step back, fear no longer causing my limbs to shake.

"He seems fine. I don't see any wounds."

"Come on, it has to be close."