Euden held the Sacred Shard close as they traveled the short distance back to the wooden bridge, uncertain what to do with it. He’d come so far at his father’s urging, made a pact with the Windwyrm and discovered a long-lost shard, and now…

Now someone with his father’s face had tried to take it from him, spitting threats and promises of conquest. Zethia said it wasn’t their father, and she was right, he knew his sister was right, their father would never act like that, but something about the situation bothered him.

The imposter’s disguise was too good, too thorough, for him to be comfortable with labeling the man entirely unrelated to them. And his words about visiting the Binding Ruins, about awakening in the miasma and reclaiming one of what was lost, gave him a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

There was nothing he could do about it, Euden firmly acknowledged, giving himself a mental shake. He needed to be at his best for his friends, and pointless worry would keep him from that. He’d talk with the others when they had a moment and devise a plan, and until then he had other things to handle.

Like the unknown dragon who had raced to their rescue, spitting mad and still utterly in control. He’d dominated the fight in a way Euden wished desperately that he could match, protecting all of them without a thought. He hadn’t thought a dragon would use human weapons, but… maybe he wasn’t; no human weapon, no matter how well-crafted, changed shape the way the dragon’s weapons had.

The dragon prowled towards the bridge, his tail swaying with every step and his gaze intent on the castle that rose above the trees. Whoever was still inside, he clearly cared about them to the point of worry; Euden just hoped Zethia could heal a dragon as easily as she could heal a person.

Euden quickened his steps to catch up with the dragon and smiled up at the other when he looked down and arched an eyebrow in question. “I’m Euden,” he introduced himself. “Thank you for your help.”

The dragon’s striated gold-and-grey eyes narrowed and his lips pursed, gaze going back to the castle for a moment. “I didn’t do it for you,” he declared.

Untruth, Euden decided immediately, eyeing the dragon’s restless tail and the way he glanced back at the others the minute they started to cross the bridge. The dragon hadn’t done it for them specifically, but he’d done it because they were in trouble and he could do something about it.

Still, some of it had to be because of whoever he’d left in the castle. He’d have probably driven off the impostor even if they hadn’t been there, but they had been there and the dragon had done everything in his power to protect them as well.

“You protected us and I want to thank you,” Euden told the dragon again. “You saved my sister and helped us guard the Sacred Shard.”

The dragon eyed the Sacred Shard in Euden’s hands, not as if he wanted it but as if he was wary of it. “You should find somewhere safe to put that. Wandering around with such a powerful beacon in your hands will only invite trouble.”

“I can’t, it’s important for our kingdom. I need to get it back to the Capital and to Father—”

A clawed hand settled on top of his head and Euden blinked up at the dragon in surprise. The touch was more gentle than he expected; in his experience, warriors who fought with the ferocity this dragon had were rarely gentle, his own father aside.

“Take a deep breath. Good. Now let it out. Is the Capital currently under attack?”

Euden shook his head. As far as he knew, it wasn’t, but the impostor was a worry. Did Lief know about it? Did his father? Did anyone? Was the castle safe or had it already been taken over?

“Then you have time to do it right,” the dragon said as he withdrew his hand. “Send someone in to scout the situation and report back, don’t just charge blindly into a potential trap.”

“It’s a sound plan,” Ranzal agreed with a nod, giving the dragon a considering look as he did. “Bit hard to do with how few of us there are, but we’ll figure something out.”

“If you would have me, I would like to continue accompanying you,” Cleo said as soon as Ranzal finished speaking, a touch of hope in her gaze as she held her staff in a tight grip.

“You’ve been a lot of help, Cleo, and I would love to have you continue traveling with us,” Euden reassured her with a smile. He hoped that time and companionship could ease Cleo’s loneliness at last.

“Thank you,” she murmured, then shook herself and gestured towards the castle they had almost reached. “Since you cleared the mist, that means this castle is ours to use. It’s called the Halidom and is where Alberius the Founder’s dynasty began. We should tarry here a while to regain our strength and make our plans—er, if that’s alright with you?” she asked, explanation stumbling to a halt as she looked at the dragon. “I didn’t realize anyone was living here…”

The dragon shrugged. “We stopped here to rest, nothing more. I have no attachment to this place and neither does my companion. Do with it what you will.” His head lifted and he frowned, staring over the treetops at the castle. “Excuse me, my companion is awake.”

“Wait, you can tell that from here?!” Ranzal exclaimed. “How the hell…?”

“It’s obvious to anyone with the right senses,” the dragon said with a small, teasing lilt to his voice. His amusement faded in seconds though, and he frowned back up at the castle. “I need to go. I’ll meet you in the throne room.”

He crouched. Leaped. Cleared the trees in a single bound and raced across the air as if on solid land.

He didn’t look back.

“Did he just—that wasn’t flight, was it,” Ranzal said with a sigh, then rubbed at his forehead and shook his head. “Never mind, forget I asked.”

Zethia hurried to Euden’s side and gave him a nudge, drawing his attention away from the sky where the dragon had gone. “Come on, let’s hurry. I hope his friend is okay, but with the way he left…”

“Right, let’s not keep him waiting.” Euden looked at the trees all around them, searching for a path towards the castle. The obvious direction was blocked by a sheer cliff about twice as tall as him, and nothing else stood out as an actual /path/. “Er… Cleo, do you know the way? The mist is cleared but…”

She grinned and stepped forward, bowing slightly as she gestured for them to follow. “Right this way.”

Euden spared one last glance at the castle, watching the distant figure of the dragon disappear into one of the windows, before he looked away and hurried after Cleo and the others.

He hoped they could help the dragon’s friend. He hoped they could figure out a plan. He hoped his father was okay.

He hoped, he hoped, he hoped…

(He refused to fall into despair!)

(They’d find a way through, he knew they would.)