The one-week travel through Manarithia proved to be a rather interesting journey for Henrietta. Everything for her was new and exciting, and it showed just from the way things were.

  Unlike Wyrith, which was a kingdom mostly populated by humans, Manarithia had a more varied population. Other than humans and elves, Manarithia was also populated by dwarves, halflings, and all assortments of beast people from all over the world. Too bad she couldn't talk to them without drawing attention.

  "Manarithia is a major trade route for several nations and kingdoms," explained Bartlett when Henrietta enquired about this fact. "I have never experienced a time when Manarithia was a human-only kingdom. It has always been this way even before I was born."

  It was evident for Bartlett that Henrietta was easy to talk and to travel with. While it felt strange talking to a dragon at first, as they continued their travels, that strangeness was gone, replaced with one more akin to a normal conversation between two people. Her face may have filled most of Bartlett's vision, given that she was twice the size of an adult horse, but it did not felt strange to him, especially after they had known each other for a while.

  He could tell that she liked the new things she encountered, and he was glad to have had someone with such passion, even if she could only talk to him in whispers or beyond earshot. It must be hard reigning in that excitement.

  And then, after a weeklong of travel, they finally reached their destination: Aldimar. It was also a such a perfect timing, too, as they arrived just as the sun was setting over the horizon.

  "Wow," said Henrietta, complimenting the sunset. "It's beautiful. I've...never seen anything like it."

  "Must have been quite a sight, huh?" said Bartlett.

  "The castle I lived in had high walls that blocked most of the views," said Henrietta. "Even when I got to one of the towers, there are hills where the sun usually sets. This is the first time I've seen it in full glory. In fact, this is the first time I've ever seen a sea before."

  Bartlett couldn't help but smile. Henrietta acted like an excited child seeing the sea for the first time. It was hard to tell from her expression, but her voice told the whole story. Still, it was quite peculiar hearing it from a dragon of all things.

  But he could understand Henrietta's fascination, as he certainly did feel the same way. After months journeying inland and trying to find work as he went, the sight of the sea and the unblocked sunset would certainly leave him in awe of nature's beauty. Even more so when he was familiar with the town and what to do once he returned home proper. He should try and do that as soon as possible, when he still had light.

  Yet, he had a slight problem. He did not expect to have come home with Henrietta as his ride. While he did not need to worry for the gold he got thanks to Manarithia's banking system (he deposited the chest full of gold coins in the first town with a bank, updating his passbook as well), he still had the pink-scaled, princess-turned-dragon to content with. He was worried that Henrietta would be too awkward to even act like a dragon, but it was clear that two years surviving on her own gave her a chance to learn what it meant to be one. He wondered if it was a human's strong will that made her able to adapt in just two years as she claimed.

  That, however, was not the real problem. As he continued his travel through the road, Henrietta looked at the sky.

  "Hey, Bartlett?" asked the dragon. "Is that a dragon approaching us?"

  "Hmm?" The human looked up, following her direction. Sure enough, a dragon slowly descending from the sky. He noticed it fitted with riding gears, which could only meant one thing.

  "A dragon guard," he surmised. "Not surprising, considering how close we are to the town."

  "So, they are like constables?" asked Henrietta.

  "But airborne," added Bartlett.

  "So, then...are we in trouble?"

  "Uh...."

  She made a good point. The only reason dragon guards would approach them was because they were interested in something. They had no reason to if they were not involved in anything at all.

  As the dragon, or more specifically, a wyvern, landed and slowly walked towards them, the rider on its back motioned Bartlett to climb down Henrietta's back. He did so, leaving his sword and shield behind as he could tell that it would only mean more trouble if it looked like he was resisting. Aldimar was not a shady town and he could trust a dragon guard.

  The dragon guard tipped her hat and said, "Good evening."

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  "Evening," said Bartlett casually. "Is there something you need?"

  "One thing, really. Did you tame that dragon?"

  Bartlett turned to Henrietta, who stayed silent but keeping an eye on the proceedings, including the wyvern behind the woman. Bartlett soon return and came up with an answer.

  "Yes. Somewhere near the Wyrith-Manarithia border," said Bartlett. "I saved her from poachers."

  "Threading the needle there, aren't you? Decided that there's good money in the war?"

  "I, uh...need the money. But I can assure you, I'm no snitch."

  "You better not be. But you have honor. I can tell from that dragon's attitude towards you. If you're other than honorable, that pink beauty behind you will make short work of you. But honor or not, you clearly don't know the first thing dragon riders need to do."

  "May I ask what?" asked Bartlett.

  "I know some folks don't mind bareback riding, but here, you need to put a saddle on her. What if you need to fly, or control your dragon?"

  "Oh, uh...I don't know that," said Bartlett, stammering to find a good reason. "The dragon...well, I thought we understood each other after I showed that I meant her no harm."

  "You're lucky that's the case." The guard sighed. "I'll let you go with a warning, but consider this a final one. You two will be alright if you just walk, but if she's caught flying, or worse, with you on it, I won't let you go with a warning. Is that clear?"

  "Yes. I understand."

  "Good. Now, with that out of the way, let me ask you a couple of questions. Name?"

  "Bartlett Evans."

  "Reason for visiting Aldimar?"

  "I lived here. Have a home in the Trader's Quarter."

  "Home, huh? Anything else I need to know about beside that sword and shield?"

  "Nothing in particular. No dark magick spells."

  The dragon guard jotted down some notes, glancing at Bartlett every now and then. It did not take long before she put away her notes and said, "Thanks for your cooperation, and welcome to Aldimar."

  Bartlett grunted in response. The dragon guard then climbed onto her wyvern and let out some clicking noises. The wyvern had been staring at Henrietta for a while before it heeded its rider's calls and opened its wings before flying away, leaving behind a strong wind in its wake.

  Bartlett let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that there was nothing serious other than not saddling a dragon. That sounded out of the left field, but then, he could always say that he had just starting out as a dragon rider.

  This news, however, was not taken as well by Henrietta, who listened to the conversation. She tried to stay silent, without reacting to it. Yet, when the dragon guard left the two, the first thing she did was complain.

  "No," said Henrietta with a growl. "I am not turning myself into a glorified horse!"

  "Princess, I know that's not a fair rule, but...dragons don't tend to walk around without a saddle."

  "I am fine with saddles, but that...thing in that dragon's mouth. Are you telling me I am supposed to be wearing that? No one's going to see that as unusual, but I will be mortified. Worse, if I ended up liking it...."

  Henrietta shuddered. Somehow, Bartlett could understand.

  "We'll...think of something, okay? For now, let's just stay out of trouble."

  Henrietta let out an exasperated huff before she silently walked, though she deliberately increased her pace so as to leave Bartlett behind, annoyed by the situation she found herself in. Bartlett was forced to run to follow her until she finally slowed her pace once they got close to the town, realizing that the dragon guard's warning held merit once she started drawing unwanted attention, in part due to her pink-colored scales and her not wearing any riding gear.

  Thankfully, the townspeople did not mind her antics. She also forgot her worries when she saw the town proper.

  Once the sky was dark enough to require illumination, the lamps in the town slowly lit up, bathing the town in light. The town had a unique flair to it, in which the walls were white and the roof were covered in brick tiles. The paths were also paved with bricks, something that reminded Henrietta of home. The palm trees and a generally warmer weather added to the unique flair the town gave when compared to Wyrith and the forest she lived for two years.

  "It's so beautiful," said Henrietta, "You clearly picked a good place to call home."

  Bartlett smiled. "I'm glad you like it, princess. Now that I see it, I realized I missed Aldimar after being away for months."

  "I bet that's where the fun at," said Henrietta, pointing at the beach.

  "The beach? Well, to be fair, it's only when there's a party. Most times, it's just a place to relax and cool off during hot summer days. In any case, we can't really do anything much, not with you--"

  Bartlett stopped before he said anything that soured Henrietta's mood. He was going to say that, with her not saddled properly, they couldn't do much except resting for the night. Thankfully, Henrietta let out a big yawn, one that exposed her sharp teeth.

  "You're right. I am tired after a long travel," said Henrietta. "Do you happen to know where I can sleep in a town?"

  "I can get you a private place. If it wasn't for all that gold, it might strain my own finances."

  Henrietta wished to enjoy the night some more, but she soon found that Bartlett was right. She was too exhausted to do anything, especially after she and Bartlett decided that they should not linger in a town too long. If they were following the main road, the shorter rest period would also shorten their journey, but they used the roads less traveled, and they ended up in Aldimar a week later. Both were exhausted by the time they reached Aldimar, with Bartlett barely able to stand.

  Knowing that Henrietta had opinions regarding her choice of accommodation, Bartlett let her stay in a more private dwelling near the sea where she could admire the sight, which happened to be a barn with some windows. Once Bartlett finalized the transaction, he bid Henrietta farewell for the day and returned to his home. It was modest, but it was home, nonetheless. It was the fruit of his labor; he bought the once vacant house near the docks using his earnings, though he wished he could just forget the fact that he slayed dragons to earn such a good home. Thankfully, nobody in Aldimar knew what he was doing. Otherwise, living in the town would be uncomfortable.

  Once inside, he took a well-earned bath, dressed in a more comfortable attire, and immediately went to bed. He was still wondering about the events that happened to him in the past week, and how uneventful the travel was back home in comparison. Perhaps Henrietta's presence discouraged bandits and muggers to try their luck. He shuddered when imagining what she could do to them.

  "Whatever she does, though...pales in comparison to my sin," he thought as he drifted to sleep.