Thomas jerked his head up when he felt someone shook him. He opened his eyes to the presence of a man wearing what he immediately identified as one of the doctors, made clear by the clean clothes and robe. He had seen people wearing the uniform ever since he entered the clinic and waited for any news regarding Rory and Shana after being directed by a nurse to wait on a nearby chair. He had been anxiously waiting for this moment, though during the long wait, he must have gone to sleep.

  “Are you Thomas Alonquin?” asked the doctor.

  “Y-yes!” exclaimed a surprised Thomas. “What’s wrong?”

  “Are you Mr. Rory Tellian’s friend?"

  “I am. How is he?” asked Thomas anxiously.

  The doctor scratched his head. “How do I say this? Normally, someone with that kind of injury will need at least a week to recuperate, even if he was healed by a cleric. He’s…well, he’s good to go. He also asks for you.”

  Thomas did not really listen to what the doctor said. He was only focused on Rory's condition. He did not hear the part where he healed much faster than a regular human would.

  "That's great!" said a brimming Thomas. "Where is he?"

  The doctor simply glanced towards the patient’s area, which was through a double door that led into a room with at least six beds, two of which were occupied. Thomas initially assumed that one of them was occupied by Shana, only to find the sionnach already sitting on the floor beside the bed where Rory was. She was in her animal form, which was a giant fox that was as big as a wolf.

  On the bed was Rory, looking happy and cheerful, a far cry from the condition he was when he was admitted. None of the grievous injuries he suffered the day before were visible, not even any scars. Thomas did not think of this as unusual, considering how he was already assured by the cleric that his healing light would not leave any scars behind.

  “I was just wondering where you've been,” said the red-haired man upon noticing Thomas. “The doctor said I’m good to go. I asked for you when the doctor told me you've been waiting in the reception all night. You should've just gone to Bartlett and Princess.”

  “How can I?! I’m worried about you, Rory. You almost died back there,” said Thomas empathetically. "What were you thinking?! You almost died back there!"

  “The monster's nothing," said Rory with a smile. "What? Can't trust good old Rory?"

  Rory’s usual visage of smugness annoyed Thomas. He had always been a risk taker, even before they joined Bartlett and Princess. Even before the cockatrice hunt, Rory had always been a reckless and tough man, especially when it came to protecting Thomas from unsavory people. He could back up that recklessness, as Thomas had never seen him defeated by the people he started a fight with. Sure, he got cuts and bruises, but he never surrendered. The one time he did was to lower his opponent's guards and attack them. Rory was not above underhanded tactics, which was something that sometimes irked Thomas, who was taught about chivalry and fairness from his childhood. He started to doubt that lesson when, in his two years living among the commoners, he had seen instances where chivalry was not in anyone's minds, including Rory himself.

  Looking back, if it wasn't for Rory, Thomas would never be as confident as he is now. He couldn't shed the trauma he experienced when his family was attacked and massacred in front of him. He couldn't do anything but cry, unable to even muster any courage to fight back due to fear. If it continued, he would've snapped and lost his mind, probably unable to function as a human being.

  But then Rory came into his life, and his fate changed. Rory saved him from the deepest pit of his depression. He snapped him out of it the best way he could: by slapping him and shouting at him. He implored him to be more open, and to accept that there were more than just good and evil in the world. His advice helped Thomas overcame his depression. In two years, Thomas turned his life around. He reminded Rory about it many times since then, and the man did not even say sorry. Not that Thomas demanded it. Still, the ends justified the means.

  Which was why losing Rory would surely remove that progress. Thomas was afraid of losing someone he cared about again. He did not want to be alone. He wasn't ready for that yet.

  “I’d say don’t do it again,” said Thomas after reminiscing about their friendship. “But you’d end up on one of these beds soon enough. You’re lucky one of these doctors happened to be a cleric. If it wasn’t for him, you might be bedridden for a week.”

  Rory turned to stare at Thomas. His expression blanked for a moment, but not before Thomas noticed. He let out a smile and said, “Lucky me. Too bad about my clothes. I should've packed some more if this is what I'm getting into."

  “That's what you get for not packing your clothes,” said Thomas. "I'll buy you something comfortable. Try not to rip it again."

  "We have enough money to be worried about clothes, Thomas."

  "Then good luck having to ration the foods we eat."

  That retort surprised Rory, though he let out a hearty laugh. He never thought the young, sheltered former prince had it in him.

  "Get some more rest, okay?" said Thomas before he left with Shana, who followed the young man while glancing at Rory, puzzled by his rapid recovery. They exchanged some looks before she disappeared behind the doors.

  Rory's smile faded.

  “Sooner or later, I must come clear with Thomas," thought Rory. "But not here. Not now."

  He then noticed one of the doctors who seemed to glance at him several times. Rory could easily tell that he was the one who took care of him, as only he would know how long his injury would need to heal. Rory put his finger on his lips, gesturing the doctor not to tell anyone. The doctor nodded and left the area to tend another patient, although Rory was sure that he still had questions. Rory only hoped that patient-doctor confidentiality existed in Manarithia as it did in Clydeth.

  It would be a shame if he had to silence the doctor for something so trivial.

  Both Bartlett and Henrietta were also puzzled by Rory's rapid healing once he was dressed and checked out of the hospital. Not only did he heal in less than a day, he was also relatively healthy, unlike Bartlett, who still had his head in bandages, though the concussion was fully healed. Bartlett was intrigued enough to ask him how.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “Turns out he knew more than just healing words,” commented Rory when asked. "I won't divulge his secrets. I made a promise. Man, was it unpleasant."

  “How unpleasant, exactly?” inquired Bartlett.

  “Imagine the gashes all over your body closing so quickly, forcing your body and brain to compensate. It felt weird, and rather painful. He even warned me that I would have some mobility issues that may last for a day. I hoped it only lasts for several hours, though. Who knows when I'm going to need to fight again."

  "And Shana?" asked Bartlett, turning to the Sionnach. "Did the cleric heal you too?"

  “The same one,” said Shana. “Having a fox form helps."

  Unseen by anyone, she exchanged a quick glance with Rory when the rest of the party were not looking, silently agreeing not to tell anyone.

  "In any case, we should talk about something more pressing," said Henrietta. "What did you hear that distresses you, Bartlett?"

  "I suggest we don't concern ourselves too much about it," said Bartlett. "Ottimar's full of rumormongers it's hard to discern which are facts or not. There's no reason to believe that's the case. Still, the rumors of Aldimar being attacked...it certainly is distressing. I live in that town with a personal friend. I can't help but worry."

  “We won’t know anything about it until we confirm it with our own eyes,” said Rory.

  "You're right," said Bartlett. "But it's better we go to Aldimar as soon as we can."

  They all agreed on what Bartlett said and continued their journey to Aldimar, occasionally talking about the rapid healing of both Rory and Shana, along with the concerns of how the war with Wyrith had developed. Henrietta decided to just listen to the conversation but was also troubled by her involvement in the whole thing. Her enemies knew that she was a Wyrithian princess and would target her if they knew where to look. If Aldimar, as rumored, turned out to be attacked because of her presence, then she must stay away from it. She did not wish for the people of Aldimar to suffer because of her presence.

  She was pondering about her decision the previous day of not telling Thomas the truth of who she really was. Maybe it was better to just come clean with him and everyone who were suffering because of her. This resolve, however, was still impeded by her own reluctance.

  Shana noticed Henrietta’s silence. She could tell that the dragon's troubled from her expression; it wasn’t hard determining a dragon’s expression if one was a beast person. She wanted to talk with Henrietta about it, but she knew whatever they were going to talk about would surely reveal Henrietta's secret.

  So they kept silent through the travel, which grew uncomfortable.

  After several hours of travel, they finally saw Aldimar from the top of the hills. At first glance, nothing seemed to be amiss. That soon changed when Rory spotted two dragons flying towards them.

  “We’re not in trouble, are we?” asked Rory, pointing at the approaching dragons.

  “They’re part of the town’s guards,” explained Bartlett. “Let me do the talking.”

  The two dragons landed nearby and lowered their bodies, allowing their riders to climb down their backs, still in full flying gear. They took off their helmets and held them on their sides.

  “Good evening, riders,” greeted Bartlett as he approached the two riders.

  “Good evening,” said one of the riders. “I suggest you don't proceed further. There has been an accident."

  “Is something wrong?” asked Bartlett.

  “Well, accident is not the right word," said the other rider. "Sabotage's more like it. Wyrithian saboteurs hijacked a Jubari ship and blew it at the docks. It contaminated the dock with something dangerous.”

  “What kind of contamination?”

  “We don’t know. Whatever it is, we can’t clean it without the help of the mages. We also need to find the perpetrators. They shifted off the ship after letting the ship crash to the docks. The mages stationed in Aldimar told us that they would not shift far, not with the interference caused by the dangerous material."

  "Is Rodvar Rodinson okay?" asked Bartlett. "His workshop is by the docks."

  "May I ask who you are?" asked one of the riders.

  "I'm Bartlett Evans. You know who I am."

  The two riders looked at one another, surprised by his name.

  “Then you should go and help," said one of the riders. "I won't try and downplay the situation, given that you're Bartlett Evans. The perpetrators are dangerous and we have our hands full trying to deal with the crashed ship."

  "Then we'll help," said Bartlett. "Go back to what you're doing before."

  The riders both nodded in silence before putting on their helmets and climbed on their dragons’ backs. Without any audible command, the dragons immediately flew away, leaving the four of them to contemplate their warning.

  "You seem to be famous," remarked Rory. "They immediately let you through upon hearing your name."

  "It's nothing important," said Bartlett. "Dealing with whatever's happening is more important."

  They all agreed with Bartlett's remark. They all hastily climbed on top of Henrietta’s back as she quickly ran towards the town.

  Aldimar, as Bartlett and Henrietta knew it, was a lively port town that gave Henrietta her first sight of a normal life as a commoner. Now, it was not as welcoming, with the part of the town they arrived in deserted, and many more ran in the opposite direction from where they came. Whatever happened at the docks had clearly panicked many of the people.

  Bartlett climbed down Henrietta’s back and said, “We need to find Rodvar and the gnolls.”

  “I’ll go with you,” said Shana. “You need magickal backup against the invaders.”

  Bartlett stared at her, unsure whether she could be trusted. Shana, sensing this, then added, “Anyone who can phase shift is a potential magickal threat. You won’t last long without someone who can help with that. I will not betray you. You have my words, Bartlett Evans.”

  “I don’t need your words,” said Bartlett, after overcoming his reluctance. “Just prove it with your actions."

  Shana nodded as Bartlett ran, with her following closely in her animal form, leaving the other three behind.

  “Right,” said Thomas. “We should try and help however we can. Princess, will you be fine if we ask people to—”

  “Scratch that,” interrupted Rory, his tone serious. “Here they come.”

  Thomas was initially confused, but quickly found the reason for what.

  Several humans walked out into view, all with their eyes trained at them. They all carried weapons, ranging from spears to swords to crossbows. Henrietta also noticed several more showing up on the roofs of some of the homes, all wielding crossbows trained at them.

  “But…they’re just civilians,” said Thomas with a surprised tone. “Does that mean the accident was…?”

  “A diversion,” said Rory. “While everyone's trying to find the ones on the ship, they neglected to find those who are already in the town to begin with. They must have known who she is.”

  Henrietta tensed as a confused Thomas asked, “Who are you talking about? Who's she?"

  “Princess. Who else? There is something you need to know, Thomas. She’s—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, one of the men dashed towards Rory with incredible speed, more than what a human was capable of. He was already drawing his dagger and went to try and stab Rory. But Rory also showcased a heightened sense and reaction when he managed to grab his attacker’s wrist before the dagger’s blade could even reach him. He kicked the man in the solar plexus while grabbing the dagger on his hand. He went flying to a wall several feet away. That, however, did not injure the man whatsoever. In fact, he was unscathed.

  Or so it seemed at first. The group noticed that his feet were not human, but were beastly and covered in scales. The rest of his skin also sagged. It was as if they lost their tension and started to come loose. That was followed by the skin ripping apart like fabric, revealing something reptilian that emerged from beneath the human skin. He shed his human skin, revealing a lizard kind with green scales and big, yellow eyes, complete with a long tail and a pair of digitigrade legs. Once his form was truly revealed, he let out a threatening hiss.

  “Oh, no…,” said Thomas. He never thought he would see one of them again, not after what happened two years ago. "Not again."

  “It’s them,” said Henrietta. Her voice was deep and menacing, barely disguising the anger building up inside her. She growled, with her eyes glaring at the lizard person. His eyes caught her glare, intimidating him enough for him to hiss back.

  "Sybarians," said Rory, who entered a fighting stance. "Corrupted ones. I wouldn't hesitate against you assholes, so why don't you guys take off your skins and be done with it so I can beat the shit out of you for being idiots?"

  They all looked at each other, momentarily confused by Rory's claims. Rory took the silence as an answer.

  Without warning, Rory ran towards the 'humans', letting out a yell that made clear his feeling of them.