"You know Asher, I was so happy you two decided to invite me and so distraught at having to share my story, I never asked what it was we were actually hunting? Wide ponds and lakes are pretty different and vague." Conall asked as he held onto Asher's back, the wind whipping through his fur as Zephyria flew beneath the pair. Asher spoke with some frustration, "Right. That's part of the issue. Petra has only received a few panicked reports about our prey. So far its done a good job not leaving any witnesses and leaving those that do make it out scared shitless. Petra isn't even sure its a threat to Rannoch, but right now I agree with her that we can't leave something that can take out entire patrols silently uninvestigated right now." Asher sighed and scanned over the message the Cardinal Guard had given him. "Whatever it is it lives near large bodies of water, and has scales. Might be some kind of lizard again, but we aren't sure of anything." Zephyria called out over the wind, "A hunt where we do not even know our prey? How interesting." Conall asked Asher, "So why were we sent on this one? If its so dangerous and mysterious surely they would send out several teams of warlocks to comb the area and weed it out." Asher tapped the paper as he responded, "The message doesn't say, but if I had to guess, Zephyria, for one. Its not much of a stretch to say that this is her job and anyone that's coming along is just there to watch and give Petra a proper report that Zeph wouldn't be bothered to do." Zephyria huffed in amusement, and as she did so she banked to scan more of the forest. "The other reason, is that she can fly and fly fast. We don't know anything about this creature, aside from its general location. It would someone on foot most of the day to get as far as we've been already, and it would take them days to search even portions of the forest from below. We're simply the fastest and most effective option Rannoch has." Conall nodded and said "Aye, suppose that all makes sense. I'm just not quite used to being... Trusted with things."

  Zephyria glided downward causing Conall to grip against Asher tightly for support. "I see a rather large lake ahead, certainly bigger than any I've seen before. Is this where we need to be, little ones?" Asher leaned to take a look and nodded. "Is as good a place to check as any, take us down Zeph. Its hardly been mapped properly so its hard to know, but there should only be the one body of water in the area." As Zephyria made the decent down the trio took in the moderately sized lake. Murky blue-green waters laced with algae gently lapped at the edges as the wind blew the water. The forest surrounding the water came to its very edge on its southern half, but on the northern it broke open to create a comfortable clearing absent of trees. Asher spoke up, then, and said "A gorgeous little lake, I'll give it that. The way that edge is cast in shadow by the trees would be a fantastic fishing spot. Its almost a shame were here on a dangerous hunt, I'd love to just go for a swim and relax." Conall still hugging Asher's back for support as they glided down nodded and said, "Agreed, its rather nice." He spoke to Zephyria this time, "Say, Zephyria, stop me if this is rude but you seem to have some fish-like traits. Have you ever been swimming in waters like these before?"

  Zephyria braced her legs and tried to make the landing as gentle as possible for the two boys on her back. Conall and Asher held tight as she hit the ground and then the two boys slipped off her back and gave her a little space. Finally, she spoke with a degree of regret in her voice, saying, "No, I have not. Mother always told me to stay away from anywhere deep enough to swim. Said that dragons are prone to drowning. We just sink to the bottom, she said. I'm coming to learn I have to question much of what I have been told." Zephyria stared at the lake in front of her with a longing she had never been allowed to feel before, a longing that was alien to her. Asher placed a palm on her foreleg and spoke softly, "Then please, swim. But be careful we are still on a hunt and our target could be anywhere. We'll stay by the shore and look for signs of anything large coming this way to drink. Just give us a shout if you need support, of any kind not just violence."

  Zephyria approached the edge of the water with trepidation. I've been in the water before. Walked along rivers and shallow ponds. But being within water deep enough for me to drown? I've always been told I'd sink to the bottom never to surface again. Zephyria slowly waded into the murky waters, deep enough that the bottom of her belly was barely submerged. But they keep comparing me to a fish, or an eel. I can't deny the resemblance. Zephyria lifted a paw somewhat and looked through the water at the webbing between her toes that always seemed to become more prominent when she was wet. She slowly walked deeper into the water until only her neck was above water. This is it. Worst case I hold my breath, turn around, and walk away. I'll find another reason for my odd features. But I can't deny the call of the water. I want to swim.

  Zephyria took a step before stopping in confusion. The water before her rippled oddly, like something was moving? She craned her neck down a bit to get a closer look and that may have been what saved her life. Zephyria only could only comprehend flashes of what was happening. A gleam of algae colored scales, a booming crash of the water exploding towards her, a piercing pain in her shoulder, her human screaming, and an incredible pull that yanked her deeper and deeper into the waters. In what felt like an instant she was pulled so deep that not even the light could properly reach the lake bed around her. Before she could even begin to try to understand her surroundings she felt something wrap around her torso, once, twice, a third time, then a fourth time, and then the coiling creature began to squeeze. She felt her bones creak beneath the pressure and the breath she had instinctively held was pressed from her lungs in an instant. Zephyria had no breath, was deep below the water surface where no help would be coming, and had a creature wrapped around her slowly squeezing her to death. As her vision darkened she thought to herself, I should have listened to my mother.

  Zephyria was desperate for air and beginning to panic. With her mind going fuzzy with panic and air deprivation she took a panicked gasp, some part of her expecting her lungs to fill with water and this to be the end of her meager story. Instead of drowning pathetically she felt little slits on the sides of her throat open up and take in some water before closing for a moment and pushing it out again. A rhythmic cycle that matched her normal breathing in an intense fight. In, and out. The pain in her shoulder was still piercing and whatever in the void it was that was wrapped around her was still crushing her. But, she could breath somewhat. Deep beneath the waters of the lake she found her mind more clear and focused than it had ever been. More than that, she was furious at this creature for daring to try to kill her like this. Furious that it should have succeeded. Furious that she knew her mortal was on land and terrified for her well being while she wrestled this fucking thing down here.

  Thinking back to her last big fight and how her very body crackled with electricity she channeled her heart flame as hard as she could with those effects in mind. Lightning coursed along her scales and just as she hoped it seeped first into the water and then into the creature wrapped around her, she felt it jerk with pain and surprise and was emboldened by it. She put everything she had into one massive discharge from every direction at once.

  The murky dark waters around her flashed white for a moment and it bubbled wildly as huge portions of it turned to steam in tremendous thump and boom of thunder and crashing water. The creature around her was coiled so tightly that it wasn't dislodged but Zephyria felt it go slack around her. With even less pressure on her chest she could breath even more freely in the depths. She panted though the slits in her neck and then began to crawl towards where she was sure her mortal was, though she didn't know how. With each struggling stomp in the mud beneath the waters she found it easier and easier to move. She was even beginning to calm down and was truly taking the lake bed around her. The odd plant life, the fish, the murky waters she just couldn't see very far into. It all felt like... Home. Is this what I have been missing, what they kept me from?

  As the lake bed sloped ever closer to the surface the creature wrapped around Zephyria began to stir. I didn't kill this fucking thing? Void rot this beasts soul and may the old gods wipe their asses with its scales! This was supposed to be my first swim and yet here we- The creature gained enough awareness to try to keep squeezing Zephyria to death, but it was too weak to do anything but make it a bit more difficult to breath now. Zephyria refocused and kept stalking towards her mortal.

  As she reached the surface she pushed her head above the water she took in where she was, and sure enough she was moving directly toward Asher. Asher, had his head in his hands trembling while Conall gave him a hug from behind and was saying something to him. As she broke from the water both Asher and Conall looked at Zephyria with looks of utter astonishment and confusion. The creature shifted and gave Zephyria a firmer squeeze than it had managed in a while. Water poured from the slits in Zephyria's neck causing her to cough for a moment before they closed shut and she rasped out in a wheezing growl, "Our prey yet lives." Without the support of the waters she realized how truly weak she felt now, she stumbled and onto one of her front legs. She struggled to return to all fours, her front right leg no longer cooperating with her mind.

  Zephyria was so focused on struggling to stand that she was utterly surprised to see Conall stood before her with his new gleaming blade drawn and poised to strike. He said to her then, though she couldn't understand what. Something about still? No I cannot be still. I must. I must get to-

  Asher stood before her now as well, her ears still weren't co-operating with her and her vision was fuzzy again but she understood what Asher wanted of her immediately. She allowed herself to crash into the soil beneath her and held still. She watched with fuzzy eyes as Conall gripped his blade in an odd manner, and then drove it deep into the part of her shoulder that hurt so badly. Asher was petting her muzzle now, urging her to remain calm and still. Conall drew his blade back and drove it deep again, and again, and again. After a half dozen strikes the pressure around her torso went limp. Finally free of that pressure and oh so very tired Zephyria closer her eyes for just a moment, just to rest them for a second to gather her strength.

  Zephyria woke to Asher slapping her muzzle around. "Zephyria! Zeph. Stay with me here. You are okay. Its gonna be okay." Zephyria tried to lift her head and shove the pesky human away from her well deserved nap but found herself feeling more clumsy than she had ever felt, not even as a hatchling did she feel this uncoordinated! She growled in frustration and tried to move herself when Asher put both hands on her muzzle and shoved it straight into the dirt. "Zeph! Its okay, your gonna be pretty distorted for a while but I need you to stay awake. You can't fall asleep yet, okay? We haven't removed the snake's head from your shoulder yet to stem the bleeding and its mildly venomous. Conall says your gonna be dizzy and confused but it isn't dangerous on its own even to mortals. Just try to relax." Zephyria tried to respond but found her tongue feeling fat and clumsy and she couldn't quite focus her eyes on her mortal. "He stabbed me, Asher. Stabbed meeeee..." Asher couldn't help but laugh at the childish whine in her voice. "No, Zeph. He stabbed the giant fucking snake that had its fangs a foot deep into your shoulder and was trying to crush you to death. He saved you." Zephyria wobbled her head around a little bit. "Oh. Good wolf." Asher just kept bushing his hands along Zephryia's snout in a way she found incredibly soothing. "Conall went to go find some herbs we can use to block the wounds the fangs will leave when we finally remove it, and to grab some flowers we can brew into a tea that should hopefully help you come off its venom sooner."

  Asher pet her muzzle some more and then spoke softly to her in a caring tone. "I was really scared, you know? I watched you slowly walk into the water, and then in the blink of an an eye I watched this colossal fucking snake sink its fangs into your shoulder and yank you down underwater before I could even blink. And then... Then... Then you didn't come back up for so long. I thought I was going to lose you." Asher laid on top of her muzzle then and hugged her for a long moment. When he got up it was with tears in his eyes. Zephyria couldn't quite tell, her head was so fuzzy and she just couldn't think. She was so focused on trying to formulate a response, something she could say to make her mortal feel better, she didn't even notice what Asher was actually doing. He held out before him a massive bloody heart and said "Here you go Zeph. To honor the fight and to hopefully help you heal some."

  Zephyria nudged it with her nose back towards him and slightly slurred as she said, "You take the first bite, little dragon. Grow big and strong." Asher grimaced, "Zeph, its different for mortals remember? I'll just get sick." She growled at him softly, "No. You are different, little dragon. Think like a dragon. Fight like a dragon. Growl like a dragon. Now eat like a dragon. Eat." Asher glanced at the bloody heart in his hands, "It.. I did wonder why it looked so good compared to the last time you tried to get me to do this.." Zephyria just nudged him and the heart again. "Eat."

  Asher slowly lifted the heart towards his face. He took a bite. Asher dropped the heart nearly instantly, his head whipping back like it had been punched. He gripped his head in obvious pain and his breath shuddered and shook for a long minute. He began to poke a finger into his mouth, touching his teeth for some reason.

  "Asher... Did you just take a bite of that heart? You seriously let the delirious, intoxicated, dragon convince you to eat an actual raw heart? Old gods preserve my patience, I'll go back out and find something to help with upset stomachs as your going to have one." Conall spoke with exasperation in his voice as he approached. Zephyria looked at him and he was carrying a variety of herbs and flowers in a surprising quantity. Conall looked at her as she gave him a smug look and said, "I really can't blame you for encouraging him, you're high on Loch Viper venom. But really Asher? Really? You should know better." Asher held up his palms defensively near his chest and said, "Conall, wait. I think she was right to do so. Look!" Asher lifted his upper lip to reveal his canines were notably longer and sharper than they used to be. Zephyria was proud of her little dragon's fangs! She would have said so but her tongue wasn't cooperating anymore so she just kept laying there.

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  Asher continued on, saying, "It hurt like a bastard when they popped out like that, but I've got fangs! Fangs Conall! Don't you get what this means?" Conall was stunned, he spoke in a soft voice, "You're- You're her..." Asher was practically vibrating with energy, "Her chosen! Or something like it at least! We've suspected it might be something like that but this is proof! Man I feel incredible right now, like I could run from here to Rannoch and back! Like I could cast a thousand spells. Zephyria is this how it feels every time you eat a heart? Oh! Wait, right! You haven't eaten the rest of this one, here!" An extremely energetic Asher passed the rest of the massive snake's heart to an extremely lethargic Zephyria who fumbled a bit and scarfed the entire thing down in a few gulping bites. Immediately she felt a windfall of of energy and immediately set to incorporating it into her heart-flame properly with the very same techniques she used the last time this happened. She hadn't felt this much power in a single being since honoring her own mother nearly two weeks ago. Unlike last time she could actually feel the energy start going to work in healing her and helping purge the venom from her body. It wasn't an instant cure but it made enough of a difference that she lifted her head and spoke with only a little slurring. "Such incredible power in that heart, no wonder you feel so energetic, little dragon. I can feel myself recovering already."

  Conall gesticulated wildly as he spoke, "You're her chosen? Since when!? How long have you suspected?" Conall deflated and spoke more softly, "Am.. Am I going to lose you already? The chosen they.. Their minds.." Asher walked up and crushed Conall in a hug, he spoke more seriously now. "If i'm not her chosen, I'm something similar at least. Zephyria brought it to my attention yesterday, but I'd been considering it for a few days now on my own. And I'm not going anywhere, Conall. I doubt I'm going to turn into some kind of cultist." Asher spoke in a somber tone now. "That nameless warlock spoke to me as well, in private. He told me to avoid becoming a chosen as they often lose their friends and family in the process. But I don't have any friends or family, Conall. Nobody but you two. The closest I've got to family, elsewhere, is an information broker back in Ironwood." Asher shook his head and refocused himself. "From what I gathered the chosen become so isolated because they become so different from who they used to be. That, and they stay close to their patron which makes friendship difficult. But, Conall, remember you met me after I had already shown changes in my personality. If you can accept me as I am now, then we'll be fine. You already know the new me, and you already knew I was tied to Zephyria. Nothings changed, alright?" Conall nodded wordlessly and gripped Asher in another fierce hug. Conall spoke softly to Asher as they embraced, "I've known you for so little time and yet I cannot imagine a world where I am not your friend. If you say you're fine, then I trust you. But, Asher, did you even want this?"

  Asher moved over to Zephyria where she was still resting and placed a palm on her muzzle. She nuzzled into it slightly though was still too disoriented to try too much more movement than that. "I want this. From the moment I saw Zephyria I was enamored. The changes might mess with my head, but they came from me in the first place. I saw a magnificent dragon and knew on some level my place was by her side, that was before any changes could have possibly taken place. Wherever this road takes us, I'm happy to walk it alongside her." Zephyria nuzzled him and said, "The feelings are mutual, little dragon. The moment I met you I knew something was different. Perhaps not to the same extent, but it was felt all the same. Do you remember? I had just saved those mortals you were traveling with, all you did was pull an arrow from my side and carve a few iron wolves and yet I nearly immediately tried to feed you one of their heart-flames. I do not believe in destiny, but I do believe we were meant to be together as... Siblings, perhaps." Asher pat her and said "Thank you, Zeph. It warms my heart to no end knowing you feel the same way. Regardless, I can't help but notice you're sounding a lot more clear already."

  Asher spoke to Conall in a jovial tone, "Conall, Its probably about time we got this damn snake head off of her shoulder. She's already perking up after eating that heart so I figure if we pack it with those herbs you got we can be flying sooner than you feared. And, can you show me how to do all of it? I never learned first aid as a noble, we were expected to have someone else do that sort of thing." Conall took his odd choice of friends for a moment. A human turning into a dragon, and a dragon with a massive snake's head lodged in its shoulder without complaint. He spoke softly to himself, though not so quiet as to prevent the others from hearing. "Siblings, huh? I can see it." Focusing at the task at hand he spoke more clearly, "Of course, Asher. I'm happy to teach you all I know. Warlocks are expected to live on their own with only their patron for support so we are taught many herbal remedies and basic medicines. And, Zephyria? Does the Loch Viper's head truly not bother you? You've not complained once of its presence despite it being quite a grievous wound." Zephyria gave her best impression of a dragon shrug. "I cannot feel most of my body properly right now. I may have gained control over my tongue once more, but I do not believe I can stand right now." Conall blinked. "You're awfully calm about something most would panic over. Are you.. Alright?" Zephyria responded, "You will be brewing me an antidote, correct? I trust you little wolf. I have nothing to fear if it works." Conall just nodded in surprise, "Aye, that's.. Fair enough. Then yes Asher, lets get our dragon moving again."

  Conall and Asher separated out the herbs Conall gathered, and with each herb they separated Conall explained what it did and and how he could use it in the future if he found more. Deciding that the pain killing properties of the Loch Viper's venom could be used they worked on getting the head dislodged first.

  "One, Two, Three!" The pair counted together as they yanked the snake's maw open opening the deep puncture wounds the fangs had been blocking. Blood gushed out of Zephyria disconcertingly fast and the two boys worked as fast as they could to block up the wounds with the herbs and poultices they had prepared first. Within a few minutes Zephyria was no longer bleeding and the wounds were packed and coated in a beige mush. "I can't believe you can lose that much blood and be so unbothered. I mean, I know your so much bigger than us but that much blood loss would leave someone pale or even outright kill them if they were on the small side! Its surreal." Asher spoke as he did his best to clean up her scales below the wounds. Zephyria just kept quiet and tried to relax as the pair worked on her shoulder while the venom stifled the pain.

  The two boys then worked on preparing her the tea that would hopefully cure her of the venom. Conall had Asher start a fire for them to boil water, but when Asher tried to manipulate the flames to coax it they jumped wildly into an inferno. "By the old gods! What was that Asher!? We needed a fire not a fireball!" Asher looked at his hands in confusion. "I don't understand, my magic was always so weak..?" Zephyria awkwardly crawled closer and spoke to Asher, "Your heart-flame took in too much power at once, little dragon. You must temper its flames before you can wield it once more. Let me show you the same exercises my mother taught me as a hatchling. The same ones I practiced when I honored her death and my own flame grew wild. Sit." Asher sat down and crossed his legs. "Find your heart-flame and feel it, its heat, its strength, its temper. You do not have a dragon's breath but perhaps try this anyways. Channel those flames out and into your maw, hold it there for a moment, and then guide it back into your heart-flame." Asher looked at her funny. "I told you before Zephyria, mortal's don't have heart-flames like you do." Zephyria nudged him with her muzzle. "You didn't before, you do now. Do as I say little dragon. If you cannot channel it into your maw perhaps another focal point, your fingertips perhaps."

  Asher gave her a hesitant look but then closed his eyes and tried to do as she asked. He was shocked to find his mana-core did indeed feel strange. Before it was a cold still thing, more like a lake of water that filled and emptied as he casted. Now? Now, it felt as Zephyria described. A burning ball of wild flames uncomfortably close to his heart. He found his control over mana wasn't so rigid anymore, the usual practiced routines and spell forms did little to give his mana direction. He poked and prodded at it with his senses and found that he needed to command it with his will, demand that it behaved as he wanted it to, apply force to it. It was a brutish and aggressive form of casting that Asher found it made quite a lot of sense that this was the type of control a dragon had over their mana. A dragon simply imposed its will on the world and demanded that it became reality, no more and no less. He demanded the crackling fire that he once called his mana into his mouth where it seemed to latch onto something and get stuck. His throat felt almost a little electric. He held it there for a moment before pushing it back down into his heart-flame. Asher repeated this exercise over and over until the flames obeyed him immediately and without question, not a single lick of flame lashing outside of his command.

  Asher opened his eyes to find more time had passed than he expected. Conall had finished brewing the antidote tea and was in the process of trying to figure out how to feed it to Zephyria. Zephyria noticed immediately when Asher came out of his trance. "Good work little dragon, I knew you could do it. If your flame ever grows wild again repeat this until it behaves. You will likely not need to do it regularly, but consuming particularly powerful heart-flames can leave your flame wild. To much power at once is a burden as much as it is a blessing." Conall spoke to him as well, "Glad you're back with us Asher. Can you help me feed this to Zephyria. I can't figure out how to get her to drink it without spilling most of it. I could spoon it to her but that would take hours and I'd like to help her sooner than that."

  Asher stood and stretched his legs. He felt better than ever before, but unlike before he wasn't energetic. No, he felt like a coiled predator ready to strike, all restrained power ready to be unleashed at his demand. He felt good! He walked over to the pot Conall was brewing from and picked it up by the handles on the side. They were burning hot but it just didn't bother him. He said to Zephyria "Open up and tilt your head back Zeph. Just swallow it as fast as you can." When Zephyria was in position he simply just poured the cooking pot of tea directly into her mouth, nearly straight down her throat. Conall gave him a mixed look, looking at Asher like he was both an idiot and a genius at the same time. "Well. That works."

  As Zephyria finished up the tea, Asher placed the cooking pot back down and then leaned against her in solidarity. Conall spoke up, "In a mortal the tea takes hold quickly, less than an hour. I can't predict how fast a dragon will absorb the flowers essence. In the meantime let us all rest for a while. Today has been trying and we've not taken time to truly relax after the disaster at the lake. I wish to discuss that, as well." Zephyria gave him a look with her head tilted and he sat down on a rock before continuing. "I didn't want to pry until you were well. But how in the void did you survive that Zephyria? You were under the water for so long and by everything I know about Loch Vipers it should have crushed the air from your lungs to drown you faster." Zephyria nodded and then said. "It did. And I should have drowned. I'm still furious that strategy would have worked on another dragon." Conall looked at her in surprise. Asher pat her muzzle and said, "I have to admit I was so relieved to see you okay I never even stopped to consider how it happened. How did you do it, Zephyria?"

  Zephyria told the story from her perspective. She spoke of how it dragged her to the bottom of the lake and how she didn't even know it was a snake until Conall had already killed it. She told them how it crushed the air from her lungs. "It was then that something I did not even know was possible happened. Strange little slits in my throat opened up and water rushed in, and yet I did not drown. Quite the opposite, I felt as though I could breath once more. Of course I was still being choked by the snake but some breathing is far better than none at all." She went on to describe how she stunned it with her lightning before following a sense of direction that lead her straight towards Asher. "It was like I could sense where you were, little dragon. You were my beacon in the darkness." Asher gave her muzzle a hug and said, "We'll have to test that later, see if it goes both ways and how far away it works. That's a powerful tool." Zephyria nuzzled into him. "I agree little dragon." She spoke to Conall now. "I must thank you, little wolf. For all that you have done for me today. You slew the snake, you mended my wounds, and I can feel control of my body returning to me properly thanks to that antidote. You have saved me from much hardship, and may have even saved my life. If there is something I can do for you, name it and I will try to pay this debt." Conall just shook his head and waved her away. "Its nothing, the only thing I want is to just keep joining you two on your adventures. If anything consider it a job application." Zephyria laughed and purred in amusement. "That was already a given little wolf. We have both taken quite a liking to you, you're our's now." Asher laughed as well. "The moment she called you 'little wolf' I knew she was taken with you. Nicknames with 'little' in the front are how she says I love you." Zephyria playfully nipped at Asher in pretend anger but didn't deny it.

  Asher stopped playing and looked contemplative for a moment. He marched towards Conall and dragged him away from Zephyria for a moment and the two boys exchanged a few words. She couldn't hear them but from their body language they were having some kind of disagreement. When they returned Conall looked incredibly nervous in a stark contrast to Asher looking incredibly smug. Asher spoke first, "Zephyria, I thought of an actual way you can pay the life debt your giving Conall. Go ahead, Conall."

  Conall took a few nervous steps forward and then dropped to one knee. With his head bowed and in a formal tone she hadn't heard him use before he said, "Zephyria the dragon. As a graduate member of the Fists of the Forgotten, I humbly request the honor of being your warlock. Should you take me as one of your own, I pledge to stand by your side against any foe and uphold the terms of our pact until the day I die or you see fit to send me away."

  Zephyria shakily got to her feet for the first time since she collapsed. She carefully stood over the kneeling Conall and gave him the toothiest most fang laden grin she could manage.

  "I accept, little wolf."