(See the end of the chapter for more notes .)

I'm gonna try pacing myself better from now on, in light of the rushed plot in the second chapter.

The trio sets one final camp before moving on to their unknown objective, led by the mysterious man in the cloak.

Chapter Text

“So… Dragon, huh.”

“Heh, yeah… sorry about keeping it secret.”

Blake glanced over at her diminutive friend.

“I’m sure there were reasons. It’s a bit frustrating though, you keeping secrets. We’re supposed to be business partners, you know?”

Ruby dug her heel into the ground by the campfire where she sat next to Blake. At the opposite side, Yang stared into the blaze with unfocused eyes and a vacant expression. Their fourth companion, the man in the hood, stood at the edge of their improvised campsite, glaring out into the darkness of the surrounding forest. Ruby winced a bit at the harshness in her friend’s words.

“It’s a well-guarded secret of us dragons, being able to take human form like this,” Ruby began to explain. “If it got out to the general public that anyone they met on the street could be a dragon in hiding, there’d be mass panic.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I don’t, no. But this has been the law to us dragons for millennia and I’m just a hatchling, so I can’t possibly claim to know everything.”

“… How old are you really, anyways? I doubt you’re actually 15, now that I know what you really are.”

“Actually it’s more like 150-ish. Heh.”

“So I’m still older than you, then. I’m 170.”

“As old as me? Neat.” Yang chimed in before going back to poke about in the campfire with a twig. Ruby sighed and rose to her feet. Crouching down before Blake, she put one hand on Blake’s hands while hoisting the other in the air.

“If this’ll make you feel better…” She paused as she could feel Yang’s gaze burning into the back of her head while Blake looked at her curiously. Swallowing, Ruby continued.

“Zhu’oh vhahet nehau dhai tha’ralam, I, Rubolynnhaerisha Roshahgash, will never lie to you again.”

“What?” Blake blinked in confusion. Yang merely buried her face in her hands and groaned in exasperation.

“Little Dum-Dum here just swore on her wings for you.”

“And that’s…”

“… A pretty big deal in our culture? Yeah. She basically said her butt is yours if she ever lies to you again.”

“Oh. Well…“ Blake leaned in to Ruby, cupping her friend’s chin in her hand while grinning coyly. “… I’ll be holding you to that then.”

Ruby blushed.

“Get some rest. We move out in three hours, first sign of darkness.” Everybody jumped at the cloaked stranger’s words, having momentarily forgotten the fourth member of their group in his silence.

“Jeez man, you scared me half to death!” Yang exclaimed. “I see your point though. Night Rubes, Blake.” And with that, Yang merely tipped over by her makeshift backrest log and almost immediately fell asleep. Ruby followed suit in short order.

“’Night Blake.”

“Goodnight Ruby.”

Ruby walked along the green meadows.

Suddenly she could see smoke trailing from the village, and as she started running towards it she saw people approaching.

“What happened?! Can I help with anything?!”

“We don’t need help from YOU! You’ve done plenty enough, demon!” an old man spoke up in the crowd.

“What? Demon? What are you talking about?”

“Spare us the excuses! We know what you really are, DRAGON!” another man yelled, brandishing a pitchfork.

“What?! Sir, you’re mistaken! I’m not a dragon! I’m a human, like yo-…” Ruby had instinctively put up her hands to ward off the mob, but she was suddenly made aware that her hands were no longer human. She gazed in horror upon her long fingers, covered in bright red scales and ending in sharp, curved talons. The mob split apart as a lone figure walked up towards Ruby.

“You lied to me, Ruby. I am very disappointed in you.” Ruby opened her mouth to scream as she felt Blake’s spear impact her sternum…

Ruby jolted awake with a yelp.

“Finally awake huh? Dust yourself off and come with me, Yang and your elven friend are waiting for us.” Ruby tried to reply, but the hooded stranger threw a cloth in her face before she could open her mouth. As she finished cleaning herself, she noticed the stranger hadn’t even waited around for her, he had just started walking.

Catching up to him just as he was a few metres away from the others she put a hand on his bicep, stopping him in his tracks.

“You know, it’s getting kind of hard to relate to you without a name…”

“Call me ‘Strider’, then. It’s as good a name as any.” He broke free from Ruby’s grip and walked up to Blake and Yang.

“Blake, was it? We’d better back up a bit, give these girls some room to do their thing.” Grabbing Blake by the shoulder and pulling her away, he gestured to ruby and Yang. No sooner had his request registered in their minds than they started to shift and shudder. Yang started to grow exponentially, sprouting large golden wings before falling over on all fours besides her younger sister, whose corset and skirt was already making way for glittering maroon and silver scales.

Strider glanced over at Blake whose jaw hung open in awe at the scene before her.

“Eh, you get used to seeing it after a while. I’ll be riding with Yang, you ride with Ruby.”

Blake was about to climb up on the wing Ruby had helpfully extended as a landing board when Yang blocked the way with her head.

“Actually,” she rumbled with a voice that reverberated in Blake’s body, “… I’ll take Blake. I don’t trust Dum-Dum keeping her promise, and I’ll be an Orc’s plaything before I let you guys toy with fate like this.”

“You just don’t want me to control her, don’t you.” Blake chuckled. “Fine. Give me a wing up?” Yang gracefully swung down a wing, and Blake swiftly positioned herself at Yang’s shoulders in front of her wings.

“Wow, that’s elves for you. Ready, Blake?” Without waiting for an answer, Yang pushed up from the ground and launched herself into the skies with a triumphant cheer, soon followed by Ruby and Strider.