Chapter 14

Turns out, my mother had decided to force me to stay home for three more years. She didn't like my interaction with the adventurers at all, the opposite of what she pretended. I've been trapped in the cave or on the platform since then...with my father watching me when she went out to hunt. He hasn't gotten better and has been holed up in the back of the cave. Most likely because of how cold it is back there. "Mother! Let. me. Go. Explore!" I whipped around her, my talons brushing her scales. Alright, I understand how weird that sounded, but I'm getting tired of being cooped up in a cave!

"Why would I?!" She swiped at me and I slipped aside, avoiding it altogether.

"Because you promised!" We whirled around each other, dodging any and every strike made by the one another.

"The condition was that you beat me in combat!"

"That's not fair! I never agreed to that!" I switched our combat from elusiveness to brute force, rolling into a ball midar, and rammed into her. She flared her wings in surprise, barely managing to recover from the impact. I took advantage of that hesitation to come at her again, grabbing her spread wings and forcing them to close, and drove her toward the solid platform. I'm still smaller than her, but she's better at evasion tactics or battles than face-to-face brawls. Lucky for me, I eccell at both of them. I twisted my paws, flipped her over just before we slammed into the ground with a boom. I pinned her on her back, trapping her wings, neck, tail, and legs with a growl. I had my mouth around the space beneath her jaw, my front paws pressing her front legs down onto her wings, my hind legs holding hers, and my tail wrapped around her scarlet one like a vise. "What now, huh? Doesn't this fulfil your stupid condition?" She was holding back though, wasn't she...there's no way I could've beaten her this quickly otherwise. Her eyes met mine and I let go, stepping off her.

She sighed, rolling onto her side. "You pass. At that strength no human can beat you, but be wary of the other species. Never...ever...let your guard down." I nodded, but found myself staring at her.

"You mean I can leave?"

"What do you think?" A wave of joy overtook me and I rushed over, giving her a hug. Human-like, again. If they haven't figured out my past life as a human yet, they will eventually.

"Thank you! I'll be back, I promise!" I left immediately, not so much as blinking at my automatic compulsion to go to Xyon's house. He's my first and only friend in this world...I can't let that go to waste! Her eyes didn't leave me until I was out of sight. I get that she's worried, but watching me that closely seems a bit excessive. He's not going to like how long I've been gone for sure...maybe. There's a chance he won't mind, right? Hold on, why am I, a dragon, scared of someone as small as him? Is it because of my human mind? Sounds about right. I've noticed that as every year goes by, I become faster and stronger...what will I be like as an adult then? By now I can fly to Xyon's in half an hour at a sprint, so what about a couple of minutes? Is that even possible? Ah...there's his home. I lowered down in front of his house, furling my wings nealty and glancing around. Where is he? I closed my eyes, spreading my senses around me. Ah, there he is. He's in a tree? "Xyon!" I faced him, seeing his grinning face on top of a platform. Woah...he's higher up than my head right now. "You built it? The tree house?"

"Yep! Never thought you were coming back, you were gone so long!" On his hand and knees, he crept forward and leaned out before laying down with his arms dangling over the edge.

"I wouldn't do that, not after having promised." His wolf ears and tail have been out for a while...is it intentional this time? "Why do you look like that right now?"

"Huh?" His ears flicked and he touched them. "It's warmer like this. Haven't you noticed it getting colder lately? I got tired of freezing every time I tried to climb up here."

"I haven't noticed. Not that I really can tell the difference. What happened with the adventurers?"

"Them? They got what they wanted and left." He smirked at me and sat up. "You know, I think I can do that now."

"Do what?"

"There's a part of this that I can't quite put together because of the angle. Can you 'give me a hand'?" from the tone he used and the motions he made, he meant a literal hand. I rolled my eyes at him.

He hasn't changed at all. "Alright." I balanced on my hind legs and stood. Hah, now I'm higher than him. I held out my right paw, placing my left against the tree. "Where?" He climbed on and pointed up, at the point the branches become too thin to stand on. Makes sense he had problems. He grabbed some rope as I lifted him up to it, giving him the opportunity to tie part of what seemed like a ladder. "What's that for?"

"I'm going to take it all the way to the top of this tree. I could see you coming sooner that way...it might give me the chance to greet you first." That bothers him? How unusual. I'm glad someone like him is my ally. "Okay, take me down." I let him hop back to where he was earlier, leaning back to sit on my ankles. This works...I'm at eye-level with him when he stands. "Hey, Zavi, why were you gone for so long?"

"I was forced to. My mother didn't like my interaction with the adventurers and made me stay until I could beat her in a duel...of course, she was going very easy on me."

"Sounds painful."

"It was." I was fighting her without magic...extremely painful. I wasn't permitted to use healing magic either.

"Zavi. Look at this." He held up a wooden stick...ah. It took me a minute to realise it was a flute. "I made it. Based on my memories of the one my father used to play. It always made the most wonderful sound...but it vanished alongside him." He presented it to me, but I didn't dare try to touch it. "I think I have it working, but a few of the notes aren't quite right. Here, let me show you." He pressed it to his lips, a crisp note cutting through the air. He played each note slowly and carefully. Then he reached one that sounded higher than the one before it instead of lower.

"There, that hole isn't the right size. Might not be the right shape either."

"Oh...you're right!" He fiddled with it, carving a bit with a small knife. I couldn't completely see what he was doing, but I could hear every slice he made. "How's this?" He played through the notes again, and now it fell in nicely. The last one didn't make any sound at all and we both scowled at it.

"Did you make it too small?"

He tilted his head and angled the flute differently. "Maybe. Perhaps some wood chips are stuck in it." He snapped his fingers, making me flinch, then faced me. "You can breathe water right? Can you clean it out for me?"

"Huh? I'm not sure I can get any inside of that tiny thing."

"Ah...it must be very small to you. Can you try anyway?" I nodded and he held it up with the mouthpiece towards me. Hah, almost like he wants me to play it. I gently touched it and filled my mouth with water, but didn't do much to spit it out. Instead, I let it trickle through the flute, slowly clearing it. "Yes! Right there, it's a clump of dust." I stopped, pulled away, and swallowed the water. At least I'll never be thirsty. "Thanks, Zavi!" He tossed it away and tried playing that note again. It was very low, the way it was supposed to be. "Great...now I can play that song. He showed me how to, once." He took a deep breath and started playing the flute. This song...it's amazing. But haven't I heard it somewhere before? Like in my old world...I know it's identical to one from there. Although...it's still pretty cool. I found myself closing my eyes and humming the lyrics I didn't remember. The scenes I saw going through my head were the images of the words I had no recollection of, but they were amazing. I saw dragons, a human full of curiosity, and frosty northern mountains. He finished it off, but I barely noticed, falling asleep. "Zavi, what'd you think?" I felt his small warm hand touch just under my eye, leaning toward it. "You must be tired. But don't sleep like this, put your head down." I could feel him climb on my head and slide down my neck before I set my chin in the snow. That song seems far more calming than I remember.

Huh? Where'd he go? I don't feel his touch anymore. "Xyon…"

"I'm right here." He placed a hand on my snout. "This is cool. Does music really have this kind of affect on you? Here, I'm going to try something." I'm so tired...was I this exhausted before that song? Out of seemingly nowhere, he began playing a completely different tune that was extremely upbeat for something on a flute. I felt awake again, the previous music gone from my mind for the moment. The more I thought about what I saw, the more I wanted to sleep.

"Xyon, what do you think just happened?"

"You woke up! So is it only that one?"

"I think so." He tapped the flute, thinking.

He glanced at me curiously. "My father did mention that this was a song meant for dragons...their souls, anyway. Do you think you can trying humming it again? I want to test something."

"Sure, sure, at my expense."

"I'll wake you up if you fall asleep again."

I raised a brow. "Only if you really will." I thought it over and started humming, discovering my vocal chords as a dragon were insane! They were able to go up and down at will smoothly. I wish I'd had such a good voice as a human...I might have lived better. With this kind of skill, would I ever have to have an instrument? Aren't I one all on my own? Really cool, but most likely not helpful in this life. That was when I realized I wasn't affected by it at all.

"Hmmm...seems you have to hear someone else doing it. Ah! What if…" I fell silent when he tried humming as well, watching him closely.

"Nothing. Was it the flute you have? If possible, I'd prefer if you wouldn't play that one too much then." He smirked and did the first half of the song. I felt slightly dizzy, but it was nothing like before.

When he stopped, he held it at his side and tilted his head. "Were you doing something different last time?"

"I was seeing what was happening in the song...is that the problem?" He shrugged, but an idea came to mind. "Maybe it only works if the dragon is unaware? So...if it works against other dragons, couldn't it be used to our advantage against the green dragon?"

"What?" Or I was just tired beforehand, which is the most likely case.

"Nevermind. It probably won't work." It was only familiar...that's why that happened. There's a small chance it's connected to my reincarnation, but not much more than that. Was it ever actually from my world in the first place? Or have I gotten everything mixed up and completely backwards. Nothing has been clear anymore...not recently. It feels like there's something I have to do, but can't quite reach.

"Is something wrong?" He waved a hand in front of my eyes and I snapped back to attention.

Why can't my mind stay focused? "Huh? No. I'm fine. Xyon, do you want to go flying?"

"Sure! I want to find more wood for my tree house and carving, I have for a while!" I got to my paws, testing to make sure I wasn't too dizzy. I seem to be fine for now. He waited for me to crouch so he could grab my spikes and pull himself up, taking a seat right where I'd taught him previously. "I'm ready." I nodded to him, shoving off and beating my wings down in huge strokes, clearing the trees quickly. I'm stronger than before, I can feel it. His weight doesn't have as much of an affect on my wings as it used to. "Zavi, what's wrong?" I didn't respond immediately, wondering why he was still trying to ask me about that.

"Nothing's wrong."

"Then why are your wingbeats uneven? Your heart and breath rapid? That is totally different from what I heard, saw, and felt last time." I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Why would he pay that much attention in the first place?! "I'm worried...is it bothersome to carry me? Is that it?"

"No!" He's worried? About me? "I'm fine, I really am. It's just...I'm a bit confused. I feel like I'm supposed to be doing something, but I don't know what."

"Are you hungry?"

"No...I ate a few hours ago. I don't need food." What's wrong, what's going on?

"Wow...you can last much longer without food than I can. Over there...land over there, where the two trees are crossing to form an X. There are a lot of great pieces for carving there. Try to figure out what you need to do while I gather some. Sound good?"

"Yeah." I went down gently, setting down carefully next to the trees he described, laying down. He slid off, patting my neck before walking off. He started picking up thick chunks of wood that were scattered all over, examining each one he grabbed. "What makes these so special?"

"Hm? They are harder and last longer, but are also easier to shape at the same time. I don't know how else to explain it. Oh! That one looks great!" He dashed to one a few yards off from my right wing, reaching for it. My scales prickled when he got extremely close, telling me something was wrong. I intercepted a slitherhowl that leapt out at him, taking the bite in his place. They are snake-like wolves, with no legs but a serpentine body, fur poking out from under their scales, bat-like ears, and a face mixed somewhere between a snake, hellhound, and your worst nightmare. They're extremely venomous and agile, but not very strong. The bad part is...its fangs slid between the gaps of my scales, slipping into my skin beneath. Ow, ow, ow…! I think I just got poisoned! "Zavi?!" I flung my paw, tossing it far enough it retreated. I'm the most unlucky dragon there is, for it to get between my scales! My vision clouded over and I began to panic. I'm...going to die? Again?! "Hey! Can you see me?!" I could tell he was waving or standing in front of my eyes, but I couldn't see it.

"Xy...on…" His hands seemed warmer than I recalled...ah, I must be about dead now, then. This is so sudden...but...why do I feel relieved? Like whatever it was I'd had to do was now accomplished? My soul is far more at peace than it should be. What's going to happen to me now? As I felt I was being pulled away, I made an attempt to clutch to Xyon's bright shining soul, not wanting him to leave me.