Bartlett and Shana squeezed through the crowd, Bartlett excusing himself as he got closer and closer to the commotion until he managed to get out into the open and witness the full extent of the disaster. Whatever the dragon riders implied were not exaggerated; the docks were practically inaccessible due to the dark, miasmic cloud that covered the sea. It threatened to spill inland but was stopped by some magick probes set hastily by the handful of mages that were presently in Aldimar.

  He silently admired their efforts despite the limitations, and quickly turned towards where Rodvar's workshop was. It was not far from where he and Shana found themselves, though navigating to that area was made difficult by the barricades. His quick thinking concluded that they should go up through the roof, where there was practically no barricades and because there were pathways on the roof, too.

  Aldimar’s architecture, unique even for Manarithian standards, was made with leisure in mind. Easy roof access from ground floor were made by white staircases that could be found on the sides of most buildings. Most of which were not restricted, so Bartlett and Shana could just pick a random staircase to get to the top of the building, which had a flat roof and were usually decorated by plants, gardens, and seats.

  The view from the roof painted a clear view of the extent of the disaster. A ship, big enough to be considered a galleon, crashed by the docks and sank, spilling its content to the bay. It was also split in half. Only an explosion could have done that. The more pressing issue was the low, black fog that obscured most of the docks and threatened the port area, only stopped by the efforts of the mages. He could see some bodies, unfortunate people who couldn't escape the initial spread of the dark fog.

  “Ashe’s mercy,” said Shana upon seeing the site. “It's as if they loaded the whole ship with it."

  “They have clearly planned for this," said Bartlett. "Nobody suspected a Jubari ship to be loaded with dangerous cargo, let alone something that oozes out dark magick."

  Bartlett started looking around. Soon, he found what he was searching for and pointed at it.

  "I found his workshop. Come on, Shana."

  Shana nodded and ran with Bartlett through several rooftops, joined together by planks or sturdy wooden bridges people built. There were other spectators watching the situation, some voiced their concerns while others were optimistic that the mages could deal with it.

  Along the way, Bartlett started reminiscing. While the view towards the port was undoubtedly soiled by the disaster, it was never that way before. From the rooftops, the beach and the port were in full view, along with the sunset. He usually had a meal he brought to any picnic tables on the public areas on the roof just to enjoy the sunsets on clear days.

  Yet, there were more than just that. It was also where he declared his taste for adventures. The vast sea and horizon beyond the lighthouse cape inspired him to travel far to make a name for himself. Rodvar was always there to join him on his declarations, dismissive at first, but slowly warming up to that idea, which led to their adventure, one where they met interesting people.

  He knew that story had to end somewhere, and it ended on a sour note. Bartlett must content with the fact that he fought in a war, one that made him lost his optimism and realize the true horrors of being an adventurer in a conflict-laden land. The tragedy he suffered and the heartbreak that followed proved too much for him to the point where he stopped his adventures and began searching for money, which could only be found mostly by slaying dragons. For a Manarithian, it was a disgraceful work. He kept this fact secret from everyone he knew, as no one wanted to believe that their hero fell so hard to the point he had to become a dragon slayer. Thankfully, he only managed to get three dragon slaying jobs before Henrietta, as it was so unpopular not many would want to take the job. That's why it was relegated to Wyrith, where it wasn't considered a taboo to slay dragons. In the ten years since he lost interest in adventuring, he took local jobs that paid well.

  He stopped reminiscing when Rodvar's workshop was in sight. It was no use thinking about the past when he couldn't change it. All he could do was to be glad that Henrietta saved him from the deep end.

  He and Shana climbed down a flight of stairs that led to an alley, from which the workshop was in full view. Once there, he rushed to the store, hoping that Rodvar was alright. Instead, he stumbled upon a person, who looked up at the wooden signs before she turned her attention to the newcomers upon hearing her footsteps.

  It was clear from her appearance that she wasn't a local beast person. She was a feline person, more specifically, a cheetah person called the Kal'Adre. If her tail and fur pattern were not indicative enough, her lithe, feline face, along with orange, feline eyes, were enough to convince people that she was a foreign beast person. Anyone who recognized cheetahs would recognize Kal'Adres.

  It would be difficult to distinguish between one beast person or another unless they were a fellow beast person. There was nothing human in their face structure, making it difficult for other races to discern one from the other. Yet, Bartlett could immediately tell who she was. He had lived among them long enough to start seeing any subtle differences that could identify them, such as fur pattern, mane, eye shape, maw shape, and more.

  He would not be able to easily forget the face of a cheetah person he once loved.

  “Ellie,” said Bartlett with a sigh, though not of relief. “I never thought I’d meet you here.”

  “Bartlett Evans,” said Ellie with a sniff. “I should’ve known you’d be around. What do you want?”

  “Rodvar, obviously,” said Bartlett. “Who else?”

  The tension in their conversation did not escape Shana’s attention. Ellie, the Kal'Adre, clearly saw Bartlett in a negative light, one made clear by her subtle growl of displeasure.

  "Someone you know?" asked Shana.

  “She’s Eliani. It’s…complicated.”

  “It talked?” asked a surprised Ellie before she turned her attention back to Bartlett. “Calling it 'complicated' is generalizing it. You're the one who walk away."

  “I know, and I'm sorry,” said Bartlett. He reluctantly set aside his feelings to return to the main issue. “But we can talk about that later. You haven’t told me why you’re here.”

  “I’m here because of your damned war!” Eliani shouted, barely able to hold back her anger. “damn your politics, Bartlett. It’s because of your war I got myself into this mess, and you!”

  “Did the Wyrithians...?"

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  “Who else?! That shipwreck was supposed to transport Rogarian refugees, but then those bastards hijacked it and made it into an explosive full of those dreaded ghost powder! You can't just fight your own war, you just have to involve us!"

  Eliani’s sharp predator fangs and bared claws were clear enough for Bartlett to tell him that she was incensed by him. Clearly, she was incensed by many reasons, one of which happened to be the way they split up. Again, Bartlett could talk to her later, when she isn't too emotional to the point where he would have to heal himself from her bite and claws.

  Right now, she should know why they did what they did. Aside from Rodvar, she was the only other person he could trust. They may be far from being friends, but that trust was still present.

  “I know why they're here, Ellie," he said. "I harbor their enemy. They must have tried to lure her out by causing this disaster."

  “He’s telling the truth,” added Shana. “He harbors a Wyrithian princess. Those hijackers must have been part of the insurgency that wished to kill the last true claimant to the throne.”

  “What she said,” said Bartlett, though personally he knew it was not true. “You need to trust me, Ellie. I know we need to talk. This takes more precedence than that. I need your help. Please."

  Eliani growled, but she begrudgingly accepted that Bartlett was right.

  “Damn you, Bartlett,” she said. “I shouldn't have waited for Rodvar. I don’t even want to be involved with you.”

  “I know,” said Bartlett. “This is my fault. I'm sorry. But I have an obligation, and I'm sorry you have to be involved.”

  “You have a good point,” said Eliani, convinced by what Bartlett said. “Tell me what is going on. Just so we’re clear, Bartlett, we have been separated for ten years. I don't need to trust any of your words."

  “Trust me, then,” said a familiar voice. They all turn to see Rodvar, covered in black soot. He seemed exhausted.

  “Rodvar?!” said Bartlett. “What happened?”

  “The dark fog happened, lad. It's the same one the Clydethians are having trouble with up north. And Eliani. Acroos Tamul."

  “Akhrus tamal (Welcome),” corrected Eliani, before she let out a toothy smile. “I’ve missed you, Rodvar. You haven’t changed at all.”

  “Ten years is like a breeze for dwarves, lass,” said Rodvar with a chuckle. “You have grown yourself. You look wiser.”

  The two embraced one another, exchanging pleasantries, while Bartlett waited on the sidelines with Shana, feeling a little awkward. Once the two finished, he decided to continue with the explanation.

  “Rodvar,” said Bartlett. “Tell her about Henrietta.”

  Rodvar looked at Bartlett and, while glad to know that he had come home, was quick to discard any attempts to greet the human once he saw how serious his expression was.

  “Are you sure, lad?” asked Rodvar.

  "He's sure about it," said Shana. "Her presence caused all this."

  Rodvar, initially confused by the presence of a talking fox, quickly got over his confusion and assumed that Bartlett found an interesting traveling companion.

  "You do realize it's unfair for Henrietta, right?"

  "No one wants to be the cause of the problem, but she has no choice. Tell Ellie. She trusts you more than she trusts me at this point."

  "He said he harbors a Wyrithian princess, and that there are insurgents that are trying to kill her," said Eliani. "I assume you know about this too, then?"

  "Ah," he said, stroking his beard. "There's no point keeping it a secret for long. Yes, he is correct about it. Henrietta is the princess you're looking for. However, the situation is more complicated than you might think."

  "Complicated how?" asked Eliani.

  "You see, lass, the princess was cursed. Right now, she is not a human."

  "We broke the seal to her fire," said Bartlett, with Shana nodding in agreement. "But we haven't found out how to deal with her other curse."

  "Her curse?" asked Eliani.

  "Well, you see, Ellie...." Bartlett rubbed the back of his head. "She's cursed into a dragon."

  Bartlett half-expected Eliani to stare at him in disbelief and bursting into laughter from how ridiculous it sounded. Yet, he noticed that, while she did stare at him in disbelief, she was not laughing. He then wondered if she thought the statement was so ridiculous it was insulting. Eliani was not actually the kind of person who would accept that kind of notion.

  "He's telling the truth, lass," said Rodvar, once he understood that Eliani needed to be convinced. "It doesn't feel right, breaking a promise to her. But you need to know."

  "A princess cursed into a dragon," said Eliani, trying to confirm it herself. "I'd dismiss it as a joke, but knowing both of you, that doesn't seem to be the case."

  "We're not in the mood for a joke," said Bartlett. "Not with the disaster out there and the fact that Wyrithians have invaded. Rodvar, where are your assistants? The gnolls?"

  "You harbored Rogarians?" asked a surprised Eliani.

  "I am," replied Rodvar short. "And don't you say it's wrong, lass. You being here is proof of that."

  "I'm not judging you. I mean, after Rogaria, I...."

  "I'm glad you have the same idea," said Rodvar, smiling under his bushy beard. He then turn to Bartlett and said, "Boluti and his wife are safe. They're helping the constables with the survivors, working as their translator. They'll be taken care of, Eliani. Those two will do what's necessary."

  Eliani replied with a nod, a silent thank you to her oldest friend.

  "Well, that's great, then," said Bartlett. "Come on, Shana. We should go back to Henrietta and the others."

  Shana suddenly perked up her head before turning towards the direction where they came from. She was agitated by something, and Eliani could immediately tell.

  "The princess...she's in trouble," she declared.

  "What?" said Bartlett in disbelief. "How can you tell?"

  As if confirming what Shana had just declared, several people ran at their direction, screaming and shouting in panic of something. Shana looked at the alley, as if trying to clarify her claim, only to look away in surprise when she felt something else. Something dangerous.

  Something primal.

  "No, this isn't possible," said Shana. "Magick of this magnitude...it can't be possible...."

  Bartlett, disregarding her astonishment, asked, "Shana, what happened to Henrietta?"

  "She's in trouble, lad!" cried Rodvar as he grabbed a nearby sledgehammer, the only weapon he could find in such short notice. "That's all we need to know. Ellie!"

  Eliani was confused and full of questions, but she did not hesitate when Rodvar called her name with such authority and desperation. She immediately readied her bow and followed the dwarf through the alley. Bartlett followed behind, with Shana close by, although she immediately passed Bartlett, then both Rodvar and Eliani, owing to her four legs.

  They ran through the back alleys and main roads, essentially cutting through Aldimar. The town's unusual road structure, architecture, and geography made traversing through the town much more complicated as it should, with only the rooftops providing a more direct route. This was something that they quickly noticed once Rodvar found that they found themselves needing to go around a building just to go straight.

  Just as they were reaching for the stairs, Eliani's ears caught an unusual call. It sounded unlike anything she had ever encountered before, though it was similar to a bird call, though it sounded like a croak and a growl. She stopped on her tracks just as a crossbow bolt landed right in front of her, causing her to react by drawing out her bow. She readied an arrow and looked around the roof and the alleyway.

  Her attention was quickly drawn towards Bartlett when he tapped her shoulder and pointed forward, joining both the human and the dwarf in expressing their surprise.

  A group of people of unknown race surrounded them. They were all reptilian in appearance, some with frills, others with horns, each with different, muted scale color reminiscent of dragons. Their heads were bestial with a snout, complete with reptilian eyes. For Bartlett, seeing them felt like the first time he had ever met a beast person. The only resemblance they had with humans were their body proportions, intellect, and more importantly, sapience and culture. The rest were reminiscent of the beast they were based on.

  Yet the reptilian people confronting them were so different from what he expected. He had heard of the serpent people of the far east, but these reptilian people did not resemble any snake he knew. He was aware of the region further down south, where thick jungles grew it hot and humid environment, was still unexplored. They may have originated from there, considering that the area was too hostile for adventurers and were poorly documented.

  His wondering was interrupted when he heard threatening hisses, growls, and clicking sounds. His attention returned to the present situation, where the lizard people bared their claws and teeth, some readied short swords, others their crossbows. He reminded himself that this was not the time to be in awe.

  They confronted them with hostile intentions. They wouldn't let them go without a fight. With this in mind, Bartlett raised his shield and readied himself for a battle.