With the cockatrice’s menace gone, Bartlett and his party were given the rewards they were promised for, along with the gratitude of the people of Sondheimer. He tried to be humble, even letting Rory and Thomas getting all the glory. To his surprise, Rory acknowledged Bartlett and Henrietta’s role, despite his promise that Rory and Thomas would take all the glory. He did not sound that reluctant, either.

  Wondering about this change of attitude, after the crowd dispersed, Bartlett approached Rory, intending to ask him about it.

  "What changed your mind?" asked Bartlett. "I thought you need the recognition to start your adventuring career."

  "It's a team effort. I'm not one to hog all the efforts to myself. Sure, it could've gone better. But we're still alive and still intact, so I consider it a success."

  "I guess so," said Bartlett.

  "There is still something I need to ask of you, though I understand that your mission comes first." Rory pointed at the cockatrice head he carried. "I can refer you to a butcher who knows his stuff around monsters. He would be the man you need."

  "I...appreciate it, Rory," said Bartlett.

  Rory pointed him towards a human butcher he referred to. Once Bartlett asked him about the thing he needed, the butcher let out a grunt and asked for the head. He examined it.

  "You're lucky your dragon did not burst the sac," he said while sharpening his tools. "It could've easily chomp through it. Good thing the sac is covered in a membrane thick enough to protect it. Also, I'm surprised you know where it is. You cut its head below where the sac is."

  Bartlett turned to Rory, who simply shrugged.

  "I learned some chimera anatomy," he said.

  The butcher simply grunted, acknowledging Rory's admission.

  The butcher then moved the head to a metallic table. Bartlett noticed a dwarven rune carved into it, though he did not understand what it meant. The butcher then began to cut through the cockatrice's head, though the details of the gruesome job was obscured by his big, burly body.

  "But still," started Rory while waiting for the butcher to finish his work. "Why do you need a venom sac for? Sure, you said it's for a friend's project, but what kind of project?"

  "I don't really know much about it myself," said Bartlett, pretending not to know. "But it's complicated."

  "It will be if the butcher realized that you happened to supply a dark mage with ingredients," commented Rory, causing Bartlett to tense up. This did not escape Rory's attention.

  "You think I wouldn't know? My friend's a mage," continued Rory. "He may not specialize in it, but he learned about alchemical ingredients enough to know their significance. When we were out of earshot he told me that venom sacs are usually used in preparation for a curse, not a potion. For potions, you simply need the venoms from venomous snakes, not a cockatrice. Are you sure you're not being duped by your friend?"

  Bartlett did not immediately answer. He did not really want to say anything more so as to not cause Rory to suspect anything of Henrietta's true identity. But as he feared, Rory was not as oblivious as he thought.

  "If you don't want to say anything, then I'll say it for you," said Rory. "It has something to do with Princess's collar, isn't it?"

  Bartlett's eyes widened.

  "Your face's telling me I'm right," said Rory. "Come on, Evans. Did you think I wouldn't notice a black, metallic band around your dragon's neck that's cutting through her scales? I know you're not the kind of guy who'd put such a constricting collar on her, so the only other explanation is that it's a cursed object. Your friend claimed to know something about it, and sent you on a dangerous mission. Tell me if I'm wrong."

  Rory ousted him. There was no point for Bartlett to hide it.

  "Guess I can't hide that fact forever," said Bartlett with a sigh. "You're right. It's a cursed object. I asked a blacksmith friend of mine on whether he can break it, but he can't, not without using a dark magick to counter the protection. The only way it can be broken is by using a different kind of dark magick."

  "Yeah, I figured as much," Rory said with a sigh. "Look, man. I appreciate you looking out for your dragon, but you gotta be more open about it if you really want some help. Those afflicted by curses are not immediately society's rejects. You wouldn't turn away victims, now, would you?"

  Bartlett scoffed. "You'd be surprised how hollow those words are."

  "Oh, cut that cynical crap. I don't care if people see me as a monster for helping a fellow monster. It's their fear and their pride talking to them, which is not you. Just be prepared to defend yourself when they decided that violence is the answer."

  Bartlett nodded. Someone he once knew said something similar to him. That advice turned and bite them in the ass, causing the break in their relationship. Thankfully, the circumstances were different, except now, Bartlett was left changed from that experience.

  "Thanks for the pep talk," said Bartlett. "Don't worry about me. I'll pay for the service."

  "Not so fast," said Rory. "I have a proposal to make."

  "What are you proposing?"

  "Something I'm still rather reluctant to do."

  It did not take long for Bartlett to figure out what the man meant.

  "You want us to form a party?" wondered a surprised Bartlett.

  "I figured you need some help when it comes to magick. I can help you with a lot more things other than being the fisticuffs guy. I can be your judge of character. Before you say anything, the fact that I already figured out you're lying said a lot of my merits."

  "How can I know you're not lying to me yourself?" rebuked Bartlett.

  "I won't," insisted Rory. "Sharing that glory you prefer not to take is one proof of that. Our experience with the cockatrice also told me that it is a dangerous world, and if it's just the two of us, we would not be able to survive that long. We're not blessed with godly skills or godly luck. This is the best way to go if we hope to survive this harsh world. So, what do you say, Evans?"

  "Hmmm...."

  Bartlett pondered about the merits. While it was true that Rory and Thomas proved to be very valuable, there was a reason why Bartlett preferred this to be a one-time deal. Traveling with a party risked exposing Henrietta's secret. The fact that Thomas was the dragon's brother also made this situation complicated.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  As the two were coming up on a decision, Thomas had just finished preparing his spells. The adventuring guild hall provided a service for Clydethian mages to shorten the time to prepare spells for a small amount of coins, which he took. His experience in his first true adventure as an adventurer made him realize that he should change up his spell composition. His spells were mostly barriers and armors. He should stock some spells that he could use to defend himself. This decision was born out of his realization that he would be vulnerable if the others could not warn him of impending danger. His important support role also necessitated his survival, hence this thought process.

  And then there was the dragon. Seeing her in action was a moment of realization for Thomas. Despite their intellect and majestic appearance, they were still beasts underneath it all. If beast people required hundreds of years to temper their animalistic urges before they could live among other races, then dragons were the same.

  "In the end, it was me who's romanticizing them too much," thought Thomas. "Not that it changes my opinions on them. It's just...well, it opened my eyes a bit."

  He pondered about it as he went to Bartlett's camp, where the dragon chose to stay after the recent ordeal despite the acid burns she suffered. He had no knowledge of healing spells, but he bought some salves with similar properties, which were hopefully enough to treat the dragon's wounds. As he walked outside, he noticed the dragon laying on her belly, looking sad. Some of her scales, specifically those damaged by the acid spray, made her look battered, yet they were not serious. The serious one, however, was the part that was still bleeding: her maws and the gash that missed her right eye.

  Thomas wondered if it was possible for a dragon to be injured like that; he read somewhere that a dragon's scale was tough and resistant to magick. Of course, it did not say anything about acid resistance, though acid spells existed, so it could have been categorized as part of that resistance. Instead, her scales were smooth and hardly visible at all. Where the hard ridges were supposed to be was replaced by a blonde mane. She looked so soft and vulnerable, almost like a princess in a dress.

  It somehow reminded him of someone he knew, though he immediately dismissed that notion.

  He approached her slowly, knowing that her injured face conjured up the terrifying visage of a dragon that was throttling a cockatrice and break its neck so audibly it disturbed Thomas terribly. Even now, it was hard not to imagine her glaring eyes and her beastly roar.

  But he steeled himself, deciding not to think about it and focus on what he wanted to do.

  "Uhmm...Princess?" said Thomas, after mustering enough courage to call her. She looked towards him.

  "I...got some salve," said Thomas sheepishly. "The shop owner said it can treat burns, regardless of the creature. I told him it was for a dragon. He didn't laugh."

  Thomas chuckled. "Well, we won't know until we apply it. You don't mind, do you?"

  The dragon simply growled and let Thomas approach her. He was a little wary at first, but as he stared at the dragon's bright blue eyes, he started to feel calmer. Despite what he saw, the dragon was docile and was willing to let him treat her injuries.

  He started applying the salve on the dragon's exposed flesh. True to what the shop owner claimed, the healing spell kept in the salve started mending the exposed flesh and stop the bleeding, though unfortunately, it wasn't perfect. As he expected, there were facial scars.

  "I'm sorry about the scars," said Thomas. "It's the best I can do for you right now. Perhaps there are mages in Manarithia that can help heal those scars."

  The dragon grunted and nodded in response. This made Thomas chuckle.

  "I still can't believe I'm talking to a dragon and she understands me," he said. "I always wanted to do this for a long time, even before I was finished with my studies. Guess I am quite lucky, huh?"

  He then sighed. "But I never feel good about it. My luck always came in expense of others, whether I like it or not. This life came because my sister sacrificed herself for it. I had spoken a lot about her back then, and I meant everything I said about her. She was a strong-willed woman, an inspiration among a family that were too busy with running a kingdom. Everyone had a responsibility, and it felt like I hardly know them at all."

  The dragon looked around, especially after he said 'kingdom'. Thomas thought the dragon did not appreciate him lying to her, so he said, "I did it to protect myself. I was a prince, yes, but I couldn't tell anyone that. It's not because no one's going to believe me. It's because I'm afraid they would, and I someone would come for me. Wyrith...Wyrith's not a kingdom I recognize anymore. I lost everyone. I lost my family. I lost...I lost...."

  Thomas bit his lips. He tried his best not to be overwhelmed by the traumatic experience. He promised Rory, and then himself, that he would not cry or relive the experience all over again. It was not good for his future. If it wasn't for Rory's advice, he could end up becoming a wrathful man, bent on vengeance. He should've just leave that life behind, and be Thomas Alonquin.

  As he tried his best to stay calm, the dragon nudged him with her snout and, to his surprise and astonishment, began to talk.

  "Holding back the pain will not do you any favors, Thomas," said the dragon. "But I commend you for that."

  "H-huh?" said Thomas. "You? You talked, Princess?"

  'Princess' scoffed. "My true name is not 'Princess'."

  "Then, what is it?"

  The dragon paused, then said, "Do you think I'd tell it to just anyone?"

  "Oh. You have a point. But still, you talked? But that's...."

  "A secret between us, considering how good you are with keeping secrets," said 'Princess'.

  "Does Bartlett know?"

  "He knows. You, and possibly Rory, will be the second and the third person alive who knows this secret."

  "Alive? Then does that mean...?"

  The dragon grinned, causing Thomas to be taken aback.

  "I-I understand! I won't speak of this to anyone!" said Thomas.

  "Are you sure about that? Surely, you must have alerted someone with a pair of sharp ears."

  Thomas immediately realized that she was referring to him sharing his secret with a normal tone. He immediately looked around, only for 'Princess' to say, "No one is here, Thomas. Our secrets are safe."

  Thomas sighed, not knowing that the dragon, was secretly his presumably dead sister, Henrietta. She tried hard holding back her laughter. It was quite fun, making use of his obsession with dragons to play with him. It was better than not being able to say anything, though Henrietta believed that there would be a time when she should be honest about it and tell him the truth.

  She believed this way was better than just telling him about it outright. She never realized how wrong she could be.

  "Feel free sharing about this to your friend," said 'Princess'. "I'm sure he'll be surprised."

  Thomas wondered if that was the reason why the dragon respected him enough to reveal that she could talk with him, not knowing that Henrietta decided not to make things too complicated and just allow herself to tell him about herself slowly, at least until she could muster enough courage to tell him the truth. She believed the truth would be too hard to swallow.

  When Thomas left on that boat, she knew she was dying the moment she saw her intestines dangling out of her cut stomach. When she became a dragon and was on the run, all she could think about was the worst case scenario: that Thomas was ambushed at the shores and did not survive. Yet, she kept hoping that he would survive, never able to move on from it and her own vengeance against those who attacked her kingdom.

  From afar, Bartlett and Rory saw the two conversing with each other, prompting Bartlett to smack his head in frustration, along with Rory letting out a smirk.

  "Your dragon's beaten you to a punch," commented Rory.

  "I can see that," said Bartlett with a sigh. "I'm more surprised you don't seem fazed about it."

  "Hokinese dragons can talk," he said nonchalantly. "They don't speak in common tongue, though."

  Bartlett looked at him and wondered if he had traveled more than anyone before meeting Thomas. Even Bartlett, in his adventuring days, had never been that far east before. The man could ask Rory many things, but he preferred not to.

  "You don't want to reprimand her about it?" asked Rory, returning Bartlett to the conversation.

  Bartlett pondered about it before saying, "No. I think it's better for her to have someone to talk to besides me. But this is going to be complicated."

  "It doesn't have to be," said Rory. "Tom's a good kid. Looking at him now, you'd hardly believed that he was a prince."

  "That's what makes a good prince. I think I remembered someone told me that a prince will become a king only when he's accepted by everyone. Same goes for a princess who aimed to be a queen. He may not have the throne anymore, but who cares about that? All you need is a good-natured soul and you can befriend anyone."

  "Even if that 'anyone' happened to be a dragon? You do realize his fixation with them, right?"

  "He probably wants to know more about her."

  "What else he wants to know? He rode on her, he fought with her, and he certainly had gained enough respect out of her. I really don't want to go there, Evans, so just leave it at that."

  "Yeah." Bartlett knew the conversation would be too awkward to continue. "Let's leave it at that."

  The two started walking towards Henrietta and Thomas, who noticed them and waved at them. While Bartlett reprimanded Henrietta, taking care not to speak her real name out loud, Rory pondered on what Bartlett said to him earlier.

  "He doesn't seem surprised to know Thomas is a prince," pondered Rory. "I wonder why."

  He nevertheless shrugged and joined the three, celebrating the success of their first job together.