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The Dark Forest was certainly not known for sunshine and rainbows, the White Forest held that reputation almost greedily. No, the trees in the Dark Forest merely grew exceptionally close together and possessed quite a thick undergrowth that prohibited most of the daylight from reaching the forest floor and gave the illusion of darkness. It was still teeming with life and utterly infested with magic of both the wholesome and ominous varieties.

This particular day, a well-known inhabitant of the Dark Forest stalked tensely through the trees, carefully picking his way through the tangled shrubs and vines so as not to trip and spill his bundle of kindling which he clutched closely to his chest. This menacing creature was the Sorcerer of the Dark Forest, but his friends knew him affectionately as Tanaka.

A dark red tailcoat with gold trim and a black fluffy pelt on the shoulders billowed after him. It matched handsomely with his purple scarf that faded to black at the ends and writhed like a furious python. Both were deeply infused with black magic. The scarf held many secrets, but none more jealously than the four Dark Devas of Destruction. These were creatures of enormous, terrifying power that only the Sorcerer was strong enough to tame. Everyone else would see mere hamsters of varying breeds and colours, but Tanaka strenuously warned not to underestimate their power.

The Sorcerer was in a foul mood and if he was not careful, his aura was going to poison the plants he brushed past. Something sinister and awful had entered his territory and it was slaughtering animals and magical creatures alike, indiscriminately disembowelling and mutilating their bodies. Each mangled corpse would have at least one precious thing stolen from them. It was clear a magic user was collecting ingredients for their dark and nefarious means, and they were not above stealing from others and taking precious life to do so. This incensed Tanaka beyond words as it was no secret that all animals were sacred to him. That was putting it lightly. This young man would happily spend the majority of his time healing and taking care of all animals and magical creatures that came his way. His house was crawling with them. When Tanaka was not tying splints to sparrow wings or giving mice blood transfusions (do not ask how), he was studying his magic and inventing new spells of healing and darkness.

It should come to no one’s surprise that wasting innocent animal life was at the top of Tanaka’s list of unforgivable crimes against the earth and as a result, he was deeply troubled. Tanaka was wondering how he was going to track down and stop the senseless massacres when he finally entered the forest clearing that encircled his home. It was a cosy hut, intricately built around and within a grand oak tree, and someone was peering into the windows. Tanaka stopped and was able to identify the suspicious individual as none other than Celeste, the Witch of the Dark Forest. His neighbour.

“I shall have you know, mere mortal that I, Tanaka, do not take kindly to being spied upon!” Tanaka boomed, and his deep voice caused the Witch to jolt back in fright as if the windowsill had zapped her with electricity.

Tanaka’s bicoloured eyes glowered at the Witch as she quickly collected herself and laughed off the surprise.

“For one so loud, I’m surprised I did not hear thundering footsteps first,” Celeste chuckled. Almost everything she said sounded like an insult due to her perpetually degrading tone, “Actually, I am glad you are here,” she flattened the front of her petticoat, “I was in the area collecting rare ingredients for my spells and I was hoping you would be willing to spare some of your… specimens.”

It was at that moment when Tanaka finally noticed the various animal parts that dangled from the belt which clung to Celeste’s hips. Pelts, wings, horns, even rabbit feet and little jars of viscous intestines or freshly stained bones adorned her, compiling a repulsive outfit. The kindling dropped to the ground from Tanaka’s arms, forgotten as he realised that the monster that has been defiling his forest creatures was not only standing right before him, but had the audacity to ask him to give her more. His dark hair and padded pelt bristled like raised hackles on a dog and a deep, portentous aura had his coat tails and scarf swirl and writhe like eels. His teeth gnashed in a ferocious snarl and his trembling triggered his four loyal hamsters to emerge from their hiding place and chatter their own fangs aggressively at the offending Witch. Tanaka’s cursed left arm, bandaged all the way down to the fingertips, shuddered as if it held back a great power.

Tanaka jabbed an unbandaged, accusatory finger at the wicked woman, “You…” his voice was low at first, “How DARE you! You defile my forest by slaughtering the innocent and wasting their remains, and you have the audacity, the sheer gall to ask if I would simply hand over my loyal demons to you?!”

Celeste merely quirked a fine eyebrow as she knew she was going to be there for a little while and folded her arms. Tanaka had a reputation for his dramatic speech patterns and grand monologues. Most people thought he was a loser with delusions of grandeur that loved hearing his own voice when in actuality, Tanaka found that no matter how he spoke to people, no one understood him. So, the Sorcerer might as well speak how he bloody well liked and in a way that reflected his cursed birth right and awesome powers within.

“You, vile Witch, are a disgrace to magic and a blight on this forest.” Tanaka continued, “Your methods of spell casting rely on robbing magic from others no matter the depraved cost and the power you have stolen has made you so arrogant, you think you can encroach on my sacred territory and desecrate the vulnerable creatures under my care.” The Sorcerer clenched his shaking hands into tight fists, “I shall destroy you for your crimes, you dishonourable wench!”

The Witch scoffed, “Are you done?” There was only so much the Witch could take before her patience wore thin. “Anyway, it’s fine if you won’t cooperate. I can just take them by force.” She fiddled with her black curls, the ringlets coiled around her index finger nonchalantly, “After all, it would be awfully silly of me to waste this opportunity to collect such fine ingredients after I have been foraging all day…”

A dangerous look glazed over her red, sinister eyes as they flickered back to the Sorcerer. If it weren’t for his enhanced hearing, Tanaka would have missed what she said next. It made his blood run cold, nonetheless.

“In fact, I have heard whispers that the legendary Dragon of the Wind has been witnessed in these parts of the woods,” The Witch paused, savouring the Sorcerer’s reaction, and sighed crudely, “Imagine, the power I would gain if I possessed dragon scales,” her red eyes flashed, “or dragon’s blood…”

Celeste knew she had successfully hit the mark when what little colour in Tanaka’s face faded, the scar that adorned his left eye was stark against his skin and his eyes had widened in disbelief. He cursed his hyperactive, visual thinking imagination. The grim images that flashed through his head were enough to make anyone with a lesser constitution faint. Tanaka knew he had to stop Celeste, or more innocent creatures were going to die horribly, and possibly even- Tanaka shook the grisly thought from his head and refused to entertain the idea. He took a deep breath and positioned his feet into a wide stance. The atmosphere darkened, as if dusk was summoned early. Using their magical powers, the four Dark Devas of Destruction shapeshifted from hamsters into various sparrows and finches. Still chattering and cheeping in distress, they flew off from the clearing and their cries faded into the trees.

With his left, bandaged hand, Tanaka drew a large circle before him in the air, his fingertips left behind a black, shadowy line as if he were finger-painting without a canvas. The Sorcerer then began to murmur an incantation of Eternal Slumber as his left hand continued to etch dark runes within the circle to complete it.

“Somnus Aeternus.” Tanaka commanded with conviction just has he slammed his open palm into the spell.

Once released, the black spell launched forwards as if fired from a cannon and a shapeless black mass surged towards Celeste to envelop her in its maws and incapacitate her. Unfortunately, Celeste was more than ready, and her own right hand quickly etched her own counter-spell which glowed a honey-orange colour.

“Prohibere.”

The instant Tanaka’s curse ploughed into Celeste’s charm of Arrest, the orange light exploded into a wide net that halted the black mass in its tracks. This gave Celeste enough time and she gracefully leapt to her left, away from Tanaka’s house and safely out of the curse’s range. Failing to reach its target, the black mass exploded, and the orange charm faded with the glimmer of a dying sunset.

“Sacare Aperta!” Celeste spat. Her blood rushed at the thrill of a magic fight.

The Witch’s simple but violent spell of Evisceration rocketed towards Tanaka in a smooth spiral of silver light, as if it were a sword that flashed in the sun. The Sorcerer’s sharp eyes timed his response perfectly and his left-hand cast a holy defensive spell to divert the Evisceration spell.

“De’flectere!” Tanaka shouted just as Celeste’s spell clashed with his own.

In a flash of ice blue light, the silver spell bounced off to the side and when it inevitably struck a tree, the trunk split open. The fibrous insides exploded outwards as if disembowelled.

Tanaka howled with the fury of a thousand demons, “I’ll vaporise you, filthy mortal! Liquefactio!”

The Sorcerer’s right hand painted a swirling purple symbol that dripped like sludge. It was a horrendous spell of Melting with gruesome effects on anything it hit, but unfortunately, it was quite slow to launch. Celeste easily dodged with the elegance of a dancer and the spell soared past her. It too slammed into an ill-fated tree and the effects were instantaneous. In seconds, half the tree was mere sludge on the floor and what solids remained crumbled from its lack of foundation. Celeste, intrigued by Tanaka’s use of such a vile attack, opened her mouth to make a snarky remark when her opponent took the opportunity to strike again. The Sorcerer used both hands to quickly make various hand seals, each sign with its own meaning as he murmured their names. The summoning complete, he crashed and buried his fingers into the soil and enormous tree roots erupted where the Witch stood. Celeste was barely able to dodge and block the vicious onslaught, the roots and vines lashed with no mercy. The Witch noticed her movement slowing as more and more small cuts appeared on her body. She tsked in irritation as she was forced to cast the Touch of Death to free herself from the difficult attack.

“Tactus Mortis!” Celeste shrieked and her fingertips stained an inky black.

When her blackened appendages merely grazed one of the roots, the assault was ceased as each and every one of the roots shuddered and crumbled to dust, disintegrated.

Royally pissed off at this point, Celeste flicked her right arm out to her side and unsheathed her wand from her sleeve.

“Play time’s over!” She hissed with the viciousness of a feral cat and retaliated with a volley of rapid-fire attacks. They sprouted from her wand tip like red fireworks and furiously screeched for the Sorcerer.

Staring her down with the confidence of a hawk, Tanaka swept his hands over himself and formed a magical barrier which deflected Celeste’s barrage with ease. The weaker, faster attacks were powerless against the long-acting spell of protection. At some point, the Witch needed to take a breath and it was the opening Tanaka was waiting for. With the timing of a master musician, Tanaka dropped his shield and simultaneously launched a spell of Biting Snakes.

“Morsus Serpentes!”

From Tanaka’s hands, two enormous black snakes with glowing red eyes and fiery bellies flew across the clearing, their fangs bared and dripping with venom. But Celeste was also an excellent spellcaster and deftly dispatched of the Biting Snakes with a spell of Slashing. A white light beamed from the wand tip that resembled a rapier and Celeste beheaded the two snakes, obliterating the attack. The Witch was impressed at Tanaka’s use of a poisonous spell and opened her arms wide for dramatic flair.

“Tanaka! Think just how unstoppable we would be if we combined our powers and took the Great Forest for our own!”

The Sorcerer would have scoffed were he not so incensed with her.

“I vehemently reject your duplicitous offer!” He retorted, “You hardly possess any power of your own, opting to steal others’ instead of studying and learning from nature.” He folded his arms defiantly, “You have nothing to your name, Witch of the Dark Forest. You’re weak. An embarrassment.”

Celeste’s pale cheeks flushed red with fury, and she was about to direct another hail of spells when a truly awful idea struck her. If there was anything Celeste was exceptional at, it was getting under people’s skin and playing with their feelings. She smiled coyly as her slender fingers withdrew from her pocket something that made the Sorcerer baulk: a red dragon scale.

“Judging by your expression, I do not need to tell you what this is,” she grinned maliciously, “Oh, but I am just so proud of myself for sneaking past the dreaded Dragon of the Water in the Ninth Realm and finding the sacred burial site of the late Dragon of Fire.”

“You…” Tanaka could hardly breathe.

“It was too easy, honestly,” the Witch boasted, “just dam an important water source on the other side of the Great Forest and take your sweet time making yourself at home while that great, lazy oaf does his job for once. And when I found her grave and dug her up…” she relished in Tanaka’s horror, “it was as if she had died only yesterday. Well, her scales were pristine, the rest of her was less than pleasant to look at.”

Tanaka’s blood ran cold. How could anyone be so cruel? So utterly disrespectful of the dead and their living relatives? It was beyond his comprehension and shocked him to his core that he had lived in relative harmony with this creature ever since they had both taken settlement in the Dark Forest. His tongue was rendered immobile, and he was forced to listen to Celeste’s spiel.

“Anyway,” she perked up, “now that I am in possession of a scale from the Dragon of Fire, I now have immense control and enhanced power over fire.” Her eyes flash dangerously, “Would you like a demonstration?”

Tanaka was barely able to register what the Witch had said when she moved to cast a horrendous spell of Hellfire. With the glowing scarlet scale clutched in her left hand, Celeste held it outstretched and aimed for the forest of trees behind Tanaka.

“Infernis.”

As if the Dragon of Fire herself was in the Witch’s hand, a deep red wildfire spewed from Celeste’s palm like a burning meteor, and the wave roared over Tanaka’s head in a deafening firestorm.

“Supprimere!” Tanaka cried out in desperation and attempted to ensnare Celeste’s attack with a charm of Suppression.

The Sorcerer was barely able to bottle the Hellfire over his head, his arms outstretched as if his hands were grasping around the invisible barrier to contain the spiralling flames. Tanaka strained to hold his ground, and his boots dug into the soil to find grip, but the flames did not subside. Celeste merely grinned and held the spell in place while she basked in Tanaka’s futility. With a confident shove, Celeste amplified the spell tenfold, and it proved too powerful for Tanaka to contain. It exploded and launched Hellfire everywhere. Tanaka was blasted into the ground, his palms only just escaping severe burning. He groaned in agony and crawled to his knees and his hands clutched his pounding head. When he was able to look up, Tanaka would see all of the trees in the immediate vicinity alight in red flames, including his hut and the tree with all of his animals inside. Tanaka’s eyes widened in horror as the flames took hold and threatened to grow into an uncontrollable wildfire.

“What have you done?!” He screamed at Celeste in terror.

As if he were an animal backed into a corner, Tanaka’s desperation reached new heights. The young man forced himself to stand, and with a pained shriek, he poured his energy directly into a summoning spell. Shadow Monsters appeared around him, varying in shapes and sizes and they all ran for the Witch with the intention to shred her to pieces. Alas, however, the dragon scale proved too powerful yet again, and Celeste was able to burn the Shadow Monsters into ash with ease. Then, wand raised, Celeste fired a spell of Poisoned Thorns.

“Spinas Venenata!” Celeste cried and a glowing green spell of thorny vines shot at the Sorcerer with lightning speed.

Still reeling from the earlier explosion, Tanaka was unable to block or dodge the spell and the vines ploughed into his stomach. He staggered back with a grunt, unable to cry out in pain from being winded. The magic left several vile lashes in Tanaka’s flesh, and it quickly discoloured and festered from the poisonous thorns. He did not even have a chance to groan from the quickly intensifying pain and Celeste took advantage of Tanaka’s flinch and unleashed a whip variant of the Poisoned Thorns attack. Using her wand, Celeste flicked upwards, and a single vine whipped Tanaka from his stomach to his right shoulder. The angle and force threw Tanaka to his left and he rolled across the grass until he came to rest prone with a shaky gasp. He writhed and coiled up in agony and his cursed hand clasped over his stomach where the first spell struck him. The bandages quickly soaked with blood which the poison darkened almost to black.

Tanaka trembled where he lay and was barely able to lift his head due to the pain and crippling effect of the toxins. He felt as if Celeste had sliced his belly wide open and poured molten metal all over his insides. He broke out in a sweat and gritted his teeth in a desperate effort to not scream in front of his opponent, but he could not hold back the unusually high-pitched moans and whimpers that still escaped him. He watched Celeste smirk evilly, enjoying her carnage before she strode over to his house. The flames crept slowly across the fresh green canopy. Teeth gritted hard enough to crack stone, Tanaka’s quivering right hand stretched out, scarcely able to hold itself up from the pain and fatigue. Fear washed over him as he was now powerless to protect his family. He would be forced to watch the Witch kill them all like an harbinger of death. The Sorcerer choked out a wail of despair.

Then, as if answering his call, a songful cry that howled like the wind pierced through the roaring flames and a freezing gale washed over the forest with such tremendous force, the flames were instantly suffocated. Tanaka blinked and in the next instant, standing between him and the Witch in a defensive stance was the legendary Dragon of the Wind, his dearest friend. The dragon of infinite storms resembled a Kirin in structure with an extensive prehensile tail that ended in two large tail fins and wings so blue and vast, they blended into the sky. A pair of cream-coloured horns framed either side of her head, bearing a semblance to a regal holy crown. The four Dark Devas of Destruction had also faithfully returned to him, and they fluttered down as finches and transfigured back into hamsters. They chittered excitedly into Tanaka’s ears how they had successfully summoned the Dragon to rescue them.

Celeste’s red eyes bulged in disbelief. She did not actually believe she would find the Dragon so soon and she cackled. How lucky she was that the Dragon would just fall into her lap like this. What was more, now Tanaka could watch while the Witch descaled the dragon, sawed off her horns and bled her dry. This really was the most fortunate day, indeed! The Dragon, endless shades of blue and iridescent in the daylight, snorted and roared at the Witch. Her voice was songful and shrieked like the wind in a storm. She reared up and her impressive wings flared.

The Witch suddenly flinched from the intimidation and before she could collect herself, the Dragon split open her fang-filled jaws and unleashed an attack of Godlike power. A steel blue tornado of dragon energy and wind screamed towards the Witch at an incredible speed. Celeste hardly made it in time, knowing she could not possibly block or deflect the onslaught and leaped to her left, away from the hut and oak tree. She was too slow, and her right leg was struck by the blast. The impact made a sickening, wet crunch. Then the spiralling of the tornado gripped the limb and twisted it dozens of times in less than a second. The leg squelched and scrunched. Celeste released an ear-piercing scream as she was dragged by her mangled limb and rocketed hundreds of metres away to slam into a tree. The force crumpled the trunk. Celeste whimpered and gasped in agony, breathlessness, and terror. After that impressive display of sheer dragon power, she quickly realised that stealing materials from a live dragon would be infinitely harder than stealing from a dead one and she should cut her losses now while she still had her life. And three working limbs. With much haste, Celeste used the last of her strength to transform into a raven, her preferred animal form, and flew away to her home as fast as her wings would take her. Her pitiful leg dragged unpleasantly behind her.

As soon as the black figure sailed over the horizon, the Dragon snorted at the Witch with contempt before she turned to the fallen Sorcerer. The magnificent beast, two or three storeys tall on four slender legs stepped delicately over to the young man, examined him closely and sniffed his wounds. Tanaka wheezed and slightly curled on his left side to relieve pressure on the seeping wound which he still clutched. The trademarked circles under his eyes were darker and more pronounced than ever and his skin was completely drained of all colour. He looked alarmingly deathly. The four hamsters on his shoulders observed in quiet worry. One of the Dragon’s breaths brushed some of Tanaka’s hair from his face and he looked up at her from the corner of his half-closed eyes.

“S… Sonia…” He was barely able to whisper her name.

The Dragon named Sonia locked her sea blue eyes with Tanaka’s. Her tender gaze was reassuring and soothing, despite the unspeakable pain the Sorcerer was in. The Dragon quickly diagnosed what was wrong with him.

“I can save you,” her voice, somewhat high pitched and airy, was like the invisible breeze brushing ripples on an otherwise still pond, “I can cure the poison and the curse if I take you back to my shrine where my powers are strongest.”

Tanaka coughed pitifully, as if the words were caught in his throat, “B-but… my skin…” he could barely form a sentence, “You w-will die if… you were to… t-touch my ac-ccursed flesh-“ he was cut off by a weak coughing fit.

“If dying is what it takes to save you, then I will die a thousand times.”

Tanaka was rendered speechless and even his quivering momentarily stopped. For as long as Sonia had known Tanaka, he had reminded her, and anyone else who cared to listen that his skin was poisoned since he was a child and warned everyone to steer clear from his deadly touch. It seemed, as Tanaka liked to put it, that only low-ranking demons or higher could resist the toxins, and thus only animals were strong enough to embrace his touch. Sonia respected his wishes and made sure to never make him uncomfortable, allowing him to spend more time with her than anyone else of human intelligence.

But for Sonia to make such a declaration… Tanaka could hardly understand it. Why? Why would someone as blessed and holy as the Dragon of the Wind herself even consider giving her life for a creature as blackened and evil as himself? What had he, The Dark Angel of Healing, done to deserve such grace and sacrifice from her? Tanaka could find no sense in it, but Sonia’s word was of a princess, nay, a queen, and royal promises were unbreakable, even for fiends such as the Sorcerer himself.

Tanaka could barely muster a response, “… Dark Queen? … I beg of you, p-please…” before he lost his strength once more and panted as the poison took its toll on him.

As she saw that Tanaka was too weak to protest, let alone resist, Sonia laid down parallel to the right of the Sorcerer, her head aligned with his and leaned to her left. She dropped her wing down until it was flat on the ground next to Tanaka with the intention of gently scooping him onto it and sliding him onto her back. As Sonia’s wing cautiously inched closer to Tanaka, his breathing rate increased anxiously, and he could feel his heart pounding into the earth.

No… No, please, no… Don’t do this, Sonia… Please don’t die… not for me! Tanaka’s lips failed to form his thoughts.

The Dragon then fluidly curled her head and tail around the Sorcerer and, with her nose and tail fins, she gently and tenderly pushed Tanaka onto her wing. Once he was completely off the soil, Sonia then carefully lifted her wing to slowly slide Tanaka onto her back. There, he was cradled between her wings and spines. Tanaka could not believe it. He was amazed that his dear friend had not dropped dead at the touch of his skin. Relieved and exhausted, Tanaka collapsed into her, his cheek pressed into smooth plate-like scales along her back. He sighed as the scales were cool and soothing against his feverish skin. His mind hazily wondered if the Dragon was perhaps immune. Or maybe he had underestimated her powers further still and not realised she was powerful enough to break the curse all along.

While Tanaka practically lost consciousness, Sonia pondered how she was going to secure the Sorcerer to her back and not drop him in flight. It was then that the four Dark Devas of Destruction came to the rescue and together they pulled the Sorcerer’s coat tails to reveal a magical silver rope secured to his belt. Since Tanaka was one for ethically sourcing his own materials and had built a healthy rapport with the mythical creatures of the forest, he had collected enough unicorn hairs to make his very own enchanted rope. Due to its mythical origin, the silver rope possessed fantastical properties and was most useful for getting Tanaka out of a tight spot when he was exploring. Once it was revealed, the rope came to life and untied itself from Tanaka’s belt. As if reading Sonia’s mind, it coiled smoothly around Tanaka and Sonia’s torso, and securely tied the young man in place.

Sonia gave Tanaka a cautious nudge and, satisfied when he did not slip, readied herself for take-off. The last of the hamsters had vanished amongst the folds of Tanaka’s scarf when the Dragon dropped her hips and powerfully launched herself into the air with her hind legs. Her endless wings swooped out on either side and effortlessly lifted the party high into the sky. Sonia spiralled up and up until she was happy with the altitude and turned into the direction of her home known as the Seventh Heaven. Since Sonia had gathered quite a bit of height from the start of the flight, most of the journey was smooth as she was able to use gravity to slice through the air with minimal effort. Flapping was infrequent but it lulled Tanaka to sleep with each rhythmic wingbeat.

In no time, and with no time to waste, the Seventh Heaven came into view. An enormous, open plan palace was situated in one of the highest mountains of the region. Its wealth and grandeur were instantly apparent with walls of various, blue-pigmented geodes and tiled floors constructed from lapis lazuli. The structure was tucked comfortably into a sort of plateau that lay below the mountain peak behind it. Icy rivers ran through the palace halls in little channels, thriving with decorative aquatic life and flora. A cavernous, grand hallway, large enough for Sonia to comfortably walk through in her true dragon form, stretched from the entrance of the sanctuary all the way through the centre to the back where a gorgeous garden lay. The archways that adorned the corridor were all decorated with windchimes in varying sizes and materials, some wooden, others metal, some even glass. The entire building was a chorus of singing wind instruments. The hallway was lined with doors, smaller corridors and glassy staircases that led to different wings and rooms of the palace. The entire structure, due to its magical significance and the status of its main occupant, was utterly infested with wind sprites and wind spirits, attracted to the energy flow that poured from the very walls. They floated about like deep sea jellyfish and greatly enhanced the sanctum’s aesthetic.

In the round back garden, soft grass and alpine flowers swayed and dozens of beautiful, kinetic wind sculptures artistically littered the place. They varied in complexity, and most were spiral in shape. They spun and whirled animatedly. A blessed light rained down from above and butterflies and wind spirits lazily lilted to and fro. Behind the grassy knoll, clinging to the rock face of the remainder of the mountain peak were stone steps that swept back and forth across the cliff all the way up to the Sacred Shrine at the summit.

Sonia landed gracefully on the lapis lazuli-tiled piazza that preceded the entrance. There, she was greeted by a bizarre-looking robot. He was shaped just like a man but, strangely, possessed shark-like qualities, from serrated teeth to triangular fins along his arms. It was Souda, Sonia’s live-in companion and self-appointed personal assistant. Souda was a man-made robot whose creator gave him a soul. He was crafted in a faraway land beyond the Great Forest. But when he inevitably outlived his creator, Souda travelled, and eventually found himself rusted and exhausted in a strange, fantastical world. Unfortunately, the elements rusted Souda so badly that he was forced into a shutdown. It would have become permanent if it was not for the Sorcerer, Tanaka finding him. Taking pity upon the poor soul, Tanaka used his holy powers of healing and blessed Souda with eternal life. Unfortunately, Tanaka had not accounted for personalities clashing, and quickly called for Sonia to take the Robot Shark-Man off his hands. The moment Souda first laid eyes on the Dragon’s other form, he was infatuated by her grace and beauty and immediately pledged his eternal loyalty to her. To Sonia’s mild chagrin, Souda insisted on waiting upon her every need and being as useful as possible ever since. The minute Sonia’s delicate talons touched the floor, Souda rushed over to her, fretting and distressed.

“Miss Sonia, what’s going on?!” Souda’s metal feet clanked loudly on the hard floor, “You left suddenly without a word and now you’re back with a dead Tanaka!”

“He’s close to death,” Sonia answered, “I will explain details later, but I must take him to the Sacred Altar immediately if I am to save him. I’m going there now, but I need your help.”

“A-anything, Miss Soni-“ Souda had barely finished his sentence when Sonia verbally ran him over.

“Please bring a gift for the ritual and a large glass jar. Meet me at the Shrine, and hurry!”

“Of course, Miss Sonia!” Souda cried, scampered off in a panic. His clattering footsteps causing a racket though the otherwise tranquil sanctum.

The moment Souda turned away, Sonia leaped into the sky, her take-off left a roaring gale in her wake. The Dragon flew up and up until she was level with the mountain summit and circled once before coming into land. The Shrine pathway that snaked towards the Altar was lined with pink cherry blossoms in perpetual bloom, and large round stones blanketed by soft moss. More windchimes hung from the trees and spiral wind features that were scattered all over reeled and twirled. The Altar was a smooth, moss-covered pointed stone and before it was a waist high stone platform on which to present offerings. A natural spring bubbled from the peak and trickled down behind where it formed a glassy pool around the Altar, creating a little island. A wooden Torii arched before the Altar on the island, a gate representing the fabric between the mortal and the eternal worlds.

Sonia walked along the path and through the spring until she was at the Altar side of the shore. The silver enchanted rope uncoiled and obediently tied itself back onto the Sorcerer’s belt. The Dragon then carefully laid down and rolled to her right, allowing her fragile passenger to slip off her back and onto the shore. The Sorcerer laid on his back, submerged in the spring up to his chest. His breathing was now laboured, and his skin was clammy as the toxins drained his energy further still. His brows were knit together in pain. Strained, wheezing whimpers escaped his lips with every other gasp. The four hamsters emerged from Tanaka’s scarf and nuzzled his cheeks with worry.

Just as Sonia settled Tanaka onto the rich soil, Souda emerged, banging up the stone steps. His cacophony of metal clashing drowned out the soft murmurings of the windchimes. Clutched preciously to his chest in one arm was an enormous sapphire geode and in the other arm a similarly sized empty glass gar with a rubber seal. Souda watched as the Dragon peered down at the Sorcerer, examining his festering wounds closely. The Robot may not have a heart, but the gears in his chest tightened as Sonia’s face moved to hover very closely over Tanaka’s. Her breath blew his hair from obscuring his visage. Sonia suddenly looked up to see Souda and her piercing crystalline gaze snapped the machine out of his stupor. Shaking the intrusive thoughts from his head, Souda scampered over to hand Sonia the giant gemstone to be used as a tribute for the ritual. Sonia took the stone in her mouth before turning away and standing with her head over the tribute platform. With her powerful jaws, Sonia crushed the stone with ease, and it shattered into a million cerulean stars. The stars floated upwards like reverse snow, higher and higher until they vanished into the heavens. With the sacrificial tribute now completed, Sonia’s teal scales glowed with divine opalescence, blessed by whatever deities that be above. Her powers were enhanced exponentially, and she turned to the Sorcerer. As Sonia elegantly stepped towards him, her feet did not touch the earth. She leaned over Tanaka and brought her snout just over his face. Sonia then used her governance over the Wind and took a long, deep breath.

On the mainland, away from the Altar, Souda watched in awe as the mystical wind drew the poisonous spell from Tanaka’s body. An inky substance, neither liquid nor gas slowly seeped from the Sorcerer’s mouth and into the Dragon’s. Sonia’s inhale was long and deep, but eventually the last few droplets were extracted from Tanaka’s body, curing him from the curse. His breathing immediately steadied and his face relaxed, all signs of pain and trauma washed away. Holding her breath and the poison within, Sonia raised her head and approached Souda. The Robot stared blankly at her until she gestured to the jar he was holding.

“O-oh!” Souda exclaimed foolishly.

Of course, with her mouth full of poison, Sonia could not speak. Souda hastily opened the jar and held it high above his head to where Sonia lowered hers and deposited the poison. The black, inky substance nearly fully filled the container. Souda secured the lid shut.

Sonia cleared her throat, “Souda, please label the jar clearly with ‘poison’ and store it away safely with my other hazardous ingredients.”

“Y-yes, Miss Sonia, immediately.” Souda nodded feverishly, “Uhm, is he going to be okay now?” The Robot peered around the side of Sonia’s slender legs to see Tanaka still laying unconscious on the floor.

“Yes,” she responded with a small sigh, realising just now herself that the immediate danger was over, “I just need to tend to the lacerations. He’s going to be fine.”

“L-lacerations?!” Souda squawked.

“Later, Souda. I’ll tell you everything later.”

Sometimes his voice was really grating.

“… O-okay, Miss Sonia. I’ll put this poison away now.”

“Thank you, Souda.”

The Robot looked up to meet her gaze but only saw Sonia in the middle of turning away, back to her patient. Souda walked as quietly as he could back to the stone steps to make his descent. Just as he reached the ledge, however, Souda stopped and hid behind the nearest cherry tree, intending to watch Sonia from afar. She had reached Tanaka’s side and the hamsters on his chest were cheeping with joy and gratitude. Sonia sniffed the long, deep cuts on Tanaka’s torso that peeked through the torn clothing, now pink and clean from poison but still bloody and exposed to reinfection. Gently, she used her nose tip and teeth to pry open and pull away Tanaka’s clothes, exposing the injuries properly. Under his extravagant coat, he wore a black vest over a wine-red button up shirt. He would have otherwise looked very smart and handsome if not for how tattered the clothes were from being shredded and bloodstained.

Sonia looked at the four Dark Devas of Destructions directly, “I’m going to close and heal the wounds now, is that okay?”

She was met with a tirade of squeaks of support and confirmation. Sonia smiled and lowered her snout over the wounds. She opened her jaws and slid her tongue over the long, deep slash that ran the length of the Sorcerer’s torso. She then did the same over the smaller individual gashes from the initial Poison Thorn attack. Her tongue left glistening saliva which contained magical properties over the lacerations. Once the gashes were sufficiently coated, the Dragon approached the nearest cherry blossom tree and snapped off one of the densely flower-ladened branches with her mouth. She laid the branch next to her friend then began to concentrate.

A sudden gust of wind swirled around her, and an azure mystical light shielded Sonia from the view of the world. In the next instant, the lights faded and revealed Sonia in her humanoid form. She still retained her slender wings and tail, and her arms and legs remained scaly, ending in sharp, black talons. Her horns framed her blonde head as a natural, magnificent crown and teal scales speckled her snowy cheeks. Her pale gold hair flashing like silk drifted endlessly behind her. She was clothed in a gorgeous aqua and white dress that stopped above the knees for practicality and a silk shawl rested off her shoulders. Sonia crouched next to Tanaka, her dragon eyes with vertical pupils gazed lovingly down upon him. She lifted a delicate scaly hand towards his face, hesitantly hovering over him as she resisted touching his skin. She settled on tenderly moving his hair from his face.

Meanwhile, from behind the farthest cherry tree, Souda watched with immense jealousy coursing through his gears. He gritted his shark-like teeth in heartache and felt ashamed for spying on someone he supposedly loved, performing something so intimate. Souda turned away and quietly, dejectedly sneaked down the mountain steps towards the sanctuary. The windchimes echoed in his ears, the sound ringing inside his hollow chambers with melancholy.

Oblivious to the emotional turmoil leaving the Sacred Shrine, Sonia took the cherry branch and carefully plucked off individual petals and plastered them over the Sorcerer’s injuries. The coating of dragon saliva attached the pink petals securely to the skin and gashes. Eventually, a delicate and beautiful mosaic of pink cherry blossom bloomed across Tanaka’s chest and stomach. It served as a protective dressing, masking the lacerations from exposure. Satisfied with her work, the Dragon carefully, tenderly scooped the Sorcerer into her arms, his head rested against her scaly shoulder, and his knees tucked over her elbow. Her dragon strength had Sonia lift the young man with ease and the sacred spring water rained from his clothes like a sudden summer shower. As Sonia carried Tanaka across the Sacred Shrine towards the stone steps, royal blue lilies sprouted and bloomed where the droplets of spring water landed in the soil.

Cautiously, Sonia scaled down the mountain steps to arrive at her sanctuary. With the grace of a benevolent goddess, she sauntered down the grand hallway before turning off to the left up a flight of stairs towards the sleeping quarters. By the time Sonia had reached the corridor of bedrooms, the enchanted breeze had left Tanaka as dry as a bone. The two of them entered a room with a large bed in the centre against the opposite wall. The covers were a rich midnight blue with an embroidered flower pattern. Cherry blossom, specifically. A canopy made from a light material hung over the bed, swaying lazily in the natural ventilation of the palace, along with a couple of small metal windchimes which jingled softly. There was an excessive number of pillows and cushions at the head of the bed, but one could tell just by looking that they were heavenly to sink into. A marble topped bedside table stood to the left on which a glowing zircon crystal was perched, serving as an ambient nightlight. On the left wall was an impressive wardrobe and drawers made from what appeared to be mahogany and on the right wall, a door that would lead to the ensuite. Sonia approached the left side of the bed and, as her arms were full, used her tail to push back the duvet covers and laid Tanaka down.

“Please, pardon me,” the Dragon murmured as she moved to undress him.

With the tenderness and professionalism of a hospital nurse, Sonia carefully slipped off Tanaka’s coat, vest and shirt while leaving the scarf exactly where it lay. It seemed unwilling to abandon its master, anyway. She also unravelled the blackened bandage that shielded his left arm from the world and revealed a lifetime of scars that disfigured the skin from the fingertips to his shoulder. Sonia had seen these scars only a handful of times before and instantly came to love them when she learned that they all told tales of taming wild demons and quelling terrified creatures. She planned to give the damaged clothes a good wash and repair while Tanaka rested and hooked them over her forearm. She also removed his boots and placed them to stand upright by the wardrobe. By the time Sonia turned back to the Sorcerer, his loyal hamsters had crept out of their hiding place (the stubborn, seemingly sentient scarf) and sat on his chest, peering at their caretaker with mild concern. Sonia moved to stroke them, and they all nuzzled into her comforting touch. For a moment, all five of them watched as Tanaka breathed slow, rhythmic breaths, reassuring them that he was healthy and stable.

Sonia gave each of the hamsters a kiss on the head, “I’ll be right back.”

Sonia quietly left the room and shut the door as softly as possible. When she turned around, her heart nearly leaped out of her throat. Souda had managed to approach without alerting her and stood to attention eagerly. He could traverse the palace quietly if he took his time.

“How is he?” He asked, genuine concern in his voice.

The Dragon smiled softly, “He’s going to make a full recovery. Tanaka is extremely strong.”

“I see,” said the Robot.

His eyes flickered down to the three layers of clothing and filthy bandage that hung over Sonia’s forearm and his gaze lingered. Subconsciously, Sonia held them closer, as if preciously guarding a new treasure. Dragon habits, perhaps.

Souda gathered himself, “So, what happened, anyways? Those birds came out of nowhere just screamin’ at you and then you left without so much as an explanation.”

Sonia gestured for Souda to follow and the two of them walked together to the palace laundry. She explained to Souda about the Witch who had trespassed on Tanaka’s territory and was killing and stealing animals and creatures for her nefarious means.

“She threatened to steal more, so Tanaka fought her.”

“Geez… How come Celeste beat ‘im up so badly? I thought they were, like, evenly matched, y’know?”

Sonia’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. “That’s what concerns me… The whole place was on fire, too. I shall have to ask Tanaka when he wakes up.”

“F-fire?! Miss Sonia, what if Celeste hurt you?”

“Souda, please, do not worry about me.” She pushed the door to the laundry room open and entered, the metal man clanging in behind her, “She got off light. I ought to have ripped both of her legs off.”

Something about the darker tone in Sonia’s last sentence would have made Souda break out into a sweat if he was a real man. In almost stunned awe, he watched as Sonia nonchalantly approached her wash tub as if she were merely a humble scullery maid and not one of the three strongest beings in the entirety of the Great Forest. She turned on the water pump to fill the tub, careful not to use hot water. She then deposited Tanaka’s blood-sodden clothes in the basin and grabbed a nearby container which contained a potion that functioned as a perfumed soap. The Dragon added a mere couple of drops but in almost an instant, the tub was brimming with bubbles and the room was filled with a heavenly fresh scent. When the water was an appropriate depth, Sonia then gave the tub a motivational nudge with her foot. The enchanted paddle in the basin sprang to life, and gently churned and stirred the clothes in the lukewarm, soapy water.

“Right, that’s that sorted.” She said, quite satisfied with herself.

“I coulda helped you with that,” Souda sulked.

Sonia shrugged, “Thank you, but I can run my own household if I want to.”

Sonia walked past Souda and left the room only for the Robot to hurry after her.

“Where are you goin’ now?”

“The kitchen. The Dark Devas need somewhere proper to sleep while they await their master.” Sonia beamed, a slight pep in her step.

“Is all of this really necessary?

Sonia frowned, though not harshly. Still, it made Souda flinch.

“Of course, Souda. Why would you ask something like that? Tanaka is our friend and as a guest in my sanctuary, he deserves the best hospitality we can offer him.”

Souda rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed, “Yeah, yeah. Sorry I asked.”

They had now reached the kitchen. An impressive but still homely room with cast iron pans of varying sizes hung from the walls along with bunches of dried lavender. The lapis lazuli that tiled the floor also tiled the walls and several intricate chandeliers made from silver hung from the ceiling. The light sources were dozens of glowing crystals reminiscent of stars that completed the midnight feel of the room. For just a kitchen, it was enough to take one’s breath away but Sonia and Souda were quite used to it by now. Humming happily to herself, the Dragon retrieved a large wooden tea tray and a few shallow bowls among other rodent-related supplies. The Sorcerer, being Sonia’s closest friend, often made visits to her Sanctuary and his hamsters never left his side. As a result, the Dragon made sure to always have extra hamster supplies to make them feel at home whenever they visited. From the pantry, Sonia fetched a sack of sawdust and filled the tray with a generous amount. Souda sat at the island countertop and watched as Sonia placed a basket full of the softest wool for a bed, a bowl full of seeds and a bowl of water strategically around the tray. To complete the setup, she placed a double-sided hamster wheel on the other end from the bed. Now she had a comfortable place for the hamsters to stay.

“Can I make you a hot drink, Miss Sonia?” Souda interjected Sonia’s humming, hoping to make himself useful to her again.

Alas, Sonia was content providing for another and politely declined the offer. As Souda pouted gloomily, Sonia checked her potion pantry and withdrew a modest sized jar which contained a gold liquid that ran like honey. She also picked a pale blue solution in a tall glass bottle with a wide base as well as a silver cloth that looked to have been woven out of spider’s silk. Placing the care package on the hamster tray, she picked everything up and moved to leave the kitchen.

“I won’t be long,” she almost sang and used her tail to gracefully push open the door.

Souda merely grunted in response and, after watching the last of her long tail vanish around the corner, settled on guzzling his preferred lamp oil to distract himself.

Upon returning to Tanaka’s room, Sonia placed the hamster tray on the marble bedside table. The four Dark Devas of Destruction instantly hopped over and made themselves comfortable. Sonia took the potion that resembled golden syrup and, lifting the Sorcerer’s head slightly, held the jar to his mouth to feed him a few sips. The potion seemed to have an immediate effect as the young man sighed in his sleep, the soothing liquid working its magic on him. The Dragon then took the blue potion and applied enough to the silk cloth to make it damp. She cleaned her patient slowly and meticulously and removed as much of the dirt and blood from him as possible.

It's not weird, she reassured herself. Mikan does this all the time.

Her focus was palpable. Thankfully, she did not have to work long as the cleansing potion made a quick job of it and when Sonia was done, she hastily threw the covers over Tanaka, pulled the edge up to his chin and fluffed the pillows. In the moment of respite, Sonia’s reptilian eyes lingered on his face. Soft and pain free, it almost surprised her that a face with a perpetual scowl could look so… tender. The contrast was fascinating to observe, and she could not help but study Tanaka’s bizarre features. With the tip of a black talon, she lifted some of his wavy forelocks from his face and further revealed the impressive scars that streaked over his left eye. The Dragon smiled, remembering the times Tanaka had told her of their origin, each retelling more fantastical than the last. And then her gaze landed on his lips. They were thin and almost colourless, but they had a pretty shape. The top lip was ever so slightly bowed in the middle and the edges somewhat curved downwards but not enough to look like an unpleasant grimace.

It was then that Sonia realised she had been watching Tanaka sleep for quite some time and, in a weak effort to retain her dignity, blessed him with a spell of fast healing (a mere “get well soon”) and a charm of pleasant sleep (“sweet dreams”). Ignoring the heat in her cheeks, Sonia took her leave and departed from the room. The door clicked securely into place. Once outside, her mind blanked momentarily, and she had to force herself to recall what she was going to do next. She returned to the kitchen and found Souda, now sipping on his lamp oil.

“Is our Majesty of Darkness and All Things Horrible satisfied with his level of care?” Souda groused.

“I sure hope so,” Sonia ignored his tone, “if everything goes well, he should be up in two or three days.”

Souda threw his hands behind his head, “Well, that’s a relief for sure. You were so stressed, your scales were practically falling out.”

Sonia laughed nervously, “Sorry. It was a time-sensitive situation.”

Souda shook his head, “Nah, don’t apologize or anythin’. I’m just glad I was able to help, is all.”

“And I thank you for that.”

“… ’S cool…”

A silence stretched out as Sonia pottered around the kitchen, putting things away. Souda stewed on what he had seen at the Altar and how precious Sonia was acting over this dude. Sure, he was nice to animals and all. And he supposed he did owe his life to the guy… but he was just so weird and creepy. And the way Tanaka talked just confused the crap out of Souda. It drove him nuts. What the Hell did Sonia even see in the weirdo, anyway? Souda was just about to broach the subject when Sonia spoke first.

“I’m going to check on Tanaka’s house to make sure the animals are okay.”

“Wha-?! Already?! But you just got back!”

“You can come if you want.”

Souda sighed, “Nah, it’s fine. Go check on Tanaka’s pets, or whatever.”

For someone who was basically obsessed with Sonia, it was interesting how much Souda disliked flying. In fact, he hardly cared for anything at all relating to her true dragon form. Sonia tried to not let it bother her but living with him in her sanctuary full time made it hard now and then.

“Alright.” Was all she said before she exited the kitchen.

When Sonia walked out into the courtyard at the palace entrance, she shapeshifted in a gust of sky-blue light. Standing two or three storeys tall, she opened her colossal wingspan and tested them with a few flaps to warm up. Once she felt limber enough, she flew off, not even having to gain altitude due to the sanctuary’s elevation on the mountain. Her sleek wings filled with air like parachutes and with her immense weight she cut through the sky as if she were a comet of azurite. Just as during the journey home, she was in Tanaka’s domain in no time and circled the clearing once before she came into land. The moment her feet touched the earth, Sonia was greeted by a cacophony of animals, common and magical alike. Worry etched their faces and they chittered animatedly. Sonia took her humanoid form and reassured them that their beloved caretaker was alive and well.

“He’s just asleep for now and will be back home in just a few days.”

As if a mother had just reassured a child that nothing was under the bed, the animals and creatures visibly sighed in relief. Sonia could not help but smile.

“I’m here because I wanted to make sure everyone is safe and still getting fed. May I come inside and assist for a few days? At least until the Dark Angel of Healing himself can return to his dastardly duties?”

Sonia was practically pushed into Tanaka’s hut to find a familiar sight. She was not new to the inside of Tanaka’s home, having been invited over for tea and dark spellcasting many times before. The place was filled with as many fond memories as it had animals inside, meaning it was crawling with them. Sonia noticed that the fireplace had burned out a while ago and she checked the basket for firewood to find that the kindling was running low. She would have to help refill it the next time she visited as it was too late in the evening for foraging now. However, there was enough for one more fire and she stacked them in the fireplace and littered it with scrunched up parchment from the local newspaper. Sonia then pointed her index finger to the pile.

“Favilla.” She said softly.

A single flame shot from her fingertip like a discarded cigarette and instantly set the kindling and parchment alight. As Sonia watched the flames flicker and grow, she recalled when Tanaka had taught her that very spell. He was a patient teacher and very good at explaining things, at least Sonia found. She learned the small fire spell in no time and always insisted on using it to light Tanaka’s candles whenever they practiced rituals and summoning spells together. Sonia noticed just in time that the kindling was almost used up and she quickly satiated the flames with three substantial logs of wood. Once the fire was roaring, Sonia turned around and was greeted by dozens and dozens of little eyes peering at her. There was everything, from rodents, birds, fawns and reptiles to wood sprites, fire salamanders, ghostly-blue fire wisps and what, to Sonia’s distress, appeared to be a baby basilisk with a blindfold over its eyes. She was utterly surrounded.

“… Well then.” She said, her voice a little tight, “Let’s get to work, shall we?”

All those afternoons passed in that deceivingly spacious hut and tree house were well spent as Sonia had a very good idea on how to run the place and ensure all the animals were fed and watered. It took the better part of two hours, not including the forty-minute petting session with the Hellhound puppies (where did he find them?) and detangling an adder with attachment issues from her horns before Sonia had finished restoring the Dark Angel’s home to its former glory. With several more logs tossed into the fire to keep the home warm, Sonia bid the animals and creatures goodnight, promised to return the next day, and flew off into the night to return home.

“Souda!” Sonia cheered as she burst into the kitchen having successfully located the tinman.

She would be greeted by the sorry sight of Souda playing chess against a wind sprite and losing. Badly.

“Oh, Souda, I had such a lovely time with Tanaka’s animals today!”

“Uh huh.” Souda grunted as he watched his Queen fall to the sprite’s knight.

“I know it took me a little while, but there were just too many heads to pat!” Sonia could not help but gush, “There were all the usual animals like rabbits, fawns and lots of birds.”

“How cute.” Souda responded disingenuously.

“But he also had some really fantastical creatures,” Sonia digressed, “like the Hellhound puppies. I think he was also incubating some fire drake eggs, too. Oh! And the baby basilisk was much friendlier than I expected.”

His attention gripped, Souda turned to Sonia incredulously, “Aren’t those animals, like, really dangerous and evil?”

Sonia shook her head, “Oh, no, not at all! The creatures of the night are very sweet, just a little misunderstood-“

Souda would be subjected to Sonia’s recounting well into the night, and occasionally contributed with unenthusiastic ‘wow’s and tight-mouthed nods of fake approval and interest. In all honesty, he would rather have gotten his butt thrashed in chess a hundred times over instead of this torture, but at least Miss Sonia was talking to him again. The Robot would take what he could get. It was nearing midnight when Sonia felt compelled to stop for the time being and bid the Robot a goodnight. Before she retired to her own quarters, she made sure to check on Tanaka and the four Dark Devas of Destruction. She peered around the grand doors and was comforted to see that Tanaka had not moved but was still breathing deeply and evenly. He seemed to have thankfully not contracted any infections. The hamsters, being creatures of the night themselves, were very active and were enjoying the sleepover. Happy with the sight, Sonia was able to sleep well and without worry.

Over the next couple of days, Sonia kept her promise and visited the Sorcerer’s home to make sure his companions’ needs were all being met. She found herself occupied for a good chunk of the day, much to Souda’s annoyance, but she thoroughly enjoyed her time there and felt like a king when the animals expressed their excitement to see her. Now she knew how Tanaka felt when with animals and why he clearly preferred their company over other peoples’. After the Dragon had restocked the kindling (she had not forgotten), she decided to take some of the young animals for a walk to get some fresh air. Much to her delight, she found them all to be very well-behaved and came to her the moment she called. No doubt Tanaka was the best monster tamer that ever lived.

Back in her sanctuary, Tanaka’s clothes were washed and free of bloodstains and Sonia spent her evenings lovingly repairing the items with a magic thread and needle. A marvellous duo, the thread and needle restored the fabric without a trace they were torn in the first place. Good as new, Sonia hung the clothes in the grand wardrobe in Tanaka’s room. The bandage, now a pristine white was left rolled up on the bedside table next to the hamster tray.

When Tanaka’s eyes finally fluttered open, they were greeted by tinkling windchimes that swayed from the ceiling and the squeaking of the hamster wheel as it whirled furiously. Tanaka recognised exactly where he was, the soothing aeration and the chiming wind instruments were unmistakable; the Seventh Heaven. He lay there for a moment, and slowly allowed himself to wake up properly before he forced himself to sit up. His voice strained and his throat was a little dry. Before he knew it, his four Dark Devas had scampered over from their tray and were hopping up and down on his lap, squeaking frantically. He smiled adoringly down at them and allowed them to furiously nuzzle the inside of his right hand. Looking down, past his scarf, it was then that Tanaka realised he was shirtless. He would have blushed at the implications, but his eyes were arrested by the intricate pattern of cherry blossom petals that still adorned his torso. For a half moment, he thought that he had perhaps been tattooed in his sleep, they clung so flush to his skin. Hesitantly, he trailed his lithe fingertips over them, and his touch caused the pink flakes to crumble and fall, revealing the impressive but very well healed scars that marred his pale skin. They were ridged and glistened slightly from their silvery hue. But they were painless and fully sealed. He did not quite know it yet, but the saliva had acted as a protective gel and magically accelerated the healing process. The Dragon’s work was truly miraculous.

Soon, memories of the fight with Celeste trickled back to Tanaka and he took his time to carefully patch together the pieces. He remembered why Celeste was there in the first place, and the rage hit him with full force. He remembered how they were quite evenly matched until the wicked Witch used a red dragon scale that she had poached from a grave to set his forest alight. The dragon power was overwhelming, and Tanaka was soon outplayed, taking two Poisoned Thorns spells to the chest and stomach. He had to think a little harder but vaguely remembered his hamsters had returned in that moment with… Sonia. He recalled the Dragon unleashing her power on the deserving Witch, practically blasting her out of existence and could not help but smile in admiration of Sonia’s raw energy. He recalled what happened next, and the image of Sonia’s dragon form standing protectively over him took hold. She said something that he tried to argue against, and...

If dying is what it takes to save you, then I will die a thousand times.

The words struck Tanaka like Sonia’s tornado blast. A lump formed in his throat and blood pounded in his ears. With the influence of an incantation, the words still had a devastating effect on the Sorcerer, and they rendered him immobile. He swallowed to no avail. The declaration clearly meant a lot to him, but why was he feeling so hot in his core? He held a hand over his chest and confirmed the accelerated heartrate. More petals rained off at the contact.

“Why do you react like this, Dark One?” Tanaka grumbled to himself, “It’s not like she was casting a spell on you. Get over it already.”

He took a deep breath, which seemed to help and tried to bring the remaining memories to surface. He remembered Sonia laying down next to Tanaka and how she touched him for the first time to lift him onto her back and he remembered how her scales felt pressed against his skin, soothing and cooling. As good as it felt, the most remarkable thing to Tanaka was Sonia not dropping dead like he presumed she would at his touch.

“Now, why would that be…?” He mused.

The answer had to lie with the Dragon. She was the only one who possessed the magical potency to even consider explaining the phenomenon. That had to be it. It had to be…

After that, the memories would no longer come forward, and Tanaka would have to settle on asking Sonia for further details. When he looked up, he noticed the exquisite mahogany wardrobe (of course! The Dark Overlord deserved nothing less!), his tall boots stood to attention to the side and one of the wardrobe doors was wide open to display his coat, shirt, and black vest in pristine condition. He looked down at his scars to double check and confirmed that yes indeed, his clothing had been completely repaired while he was out. It was then, finally, that Tanaka became acutely aware of his bare torso and his hamsters had less than a second to escape the duvet cover before Tanaka flung it up. With a deep sigh of sheer relief, Tanaka flopped back, and his head collapsed into the pillows and cushions. The trousers were spared.

“… Thank the Dark Gods…”

Tanaka’s prayers of gratitude were cut short by the tentative sound of the doors sighing open, and a pair of familiar pearly horns and breath-taking blue eyes peered in from behind. Both Tanaka’s and Sonia’s eyes met for a mere second before she rushed in and practically sprinted to Tanaka’s bedside. There was a moment where it appeared she was about to embrace him, but she restrained herself and her hands hovered in front of her as if they itched to grab the Sorcerer to confirm he really was awake. Sonia settled for sitting on the edge of the bed, scaly hands clasped together on her lap. Her eyes bored into Tanaka’s face, scanning for any signs of discomfort. Tanaka was certainly uncomfortable, but not due to any pain or illness. He found himself completely unable to meet her gaze, and his own eyes fixated on the deep midnight material that covered his legs. Every time he attempted to look up, he was met with the terrible sensation of his defences breaking apart.

The intensity of the Dragon’s Stare is enough to shatter my magical barrier and render me powerless! Tanaka panicked and pulled his scarf over his nose subconsciously as usual.

He still retained control over his tongue, however.

“You saved my life,” he said gently, his deep voice low and soothing despite the disuse.

“Of course,” she spoke back, her own voice like that of a dandelion bouncing in a summer’s breeze, “how could I not?”

Tanaka swallowed, “And… My poisonous touch… My curse… How are you even alive?”

“Perhaps I broke it.” Her lips made a soft smile, “Or maybe I am immune to your poison.”

Tanaka stole a glance and caught her eyes glittering with adoration. He shielded his own once more before hers could hypnotize him or perhaps give him a stroke. His hamsters had returned to his lap and looked back and forth between the two with their shining, beady eyes. His view of them was then interrupted by Sonia’s hand with her palm up. The iridescent scales flashed even in the modest light of the shining zircon crystal. Her palm looked soft and inviting despite the black talon-ended fingers.

“Please… Let me hold you… Once more.”

Her voice was pleading and made Tanaka’s insides squirm. There was a significant pause as he stared down, wide-eyed at the offering hand. What was he so afraid of? There was no room for doubt that the Dragon of the Wind had carried the Sorcerer on her back to bring him to her home, his cursed skin pressed on her scales making full contact for the entirety of the journey, and yet… There she sat before him, alive and radiant as always. He shakily lifted a hand, palm down until his fingertips lightly grazed her palm. When nothing happened, the Sorcerer visibly relaxed. Unable to resist any longer, Sonia flung her arms around him, her face buried into his messy hair. Tanaka gasped.

“I’m so happy you’re back.” She could barely whisper.

Tanaka was stunned, having literally never touched another creature of human intelligence for the entirety of his life until a mere three or so days ago, and now, the person most precious to him was pressing her whole being into him. He could hardly breathe. His entire body had stiffened, and his fingers twitched pitifully. He could feel her powerful heart pounding into him. Or was that his own? Actually, all he could hear was the blood rushing in his ears, and his face resembled that of a poppy flower. A perfume wafted from Sonia’s silky hair and smothered Tanaka’s airways with her intoxicating scent. How unsightly it was to find himself being embraced by the most beautiful woman in this entire plane of existence without so much as wearing a damn shirt! The shame! Trembling, Tanaka summoned all the power within him, lifted his cursed hand and lightly placed it on Sonia’s folded wing that clung to her back like a cape cut from the same fabric that made the sky. This only served to make Sonia grip Tanaka tighter, and he had to bite his tongue to suppress a squeak from escaping. He could feel her talons tickling the skin on his back like electricity and every hair on his body bristled. Even his scarf twitched stiffly as if it was trying to break out from being frozen solid. Eventually, Sonia released him, and Tanaka glimpsed what might have been a dusting of rose on her cheeks as she pulled back. He dismissed whatever that could have meant, doubt clouding his mind.

That was nothing, he convinced himself, she’s like that with everyone. You’re not special.

Tanaka cleared his throat and stammered out a question, “M-my home… How have my dark minions fared?”

“The fire damage was minimal.” She reassured him, “And I have been taking care of everyone every day.”

Relief washed over Tanaka, “Thank you, Dark Queen. I owe my life to you and more.”

“Any decent person would do the same.”

“Don’t be so sure, fair Dragoness.”

Sonia’s soft smile split into a toothy grin at Tanaka’s teasing smirk. The Sorcerer then cleared his throat once again.

“I, uh… While I am eternally grateful for… Everything you have done, I wish to return to my domain as soon as humanly able. My loyal demons will surely unleash Hell on earth if I am not there to quell them soon.”

“Oh! Of course!” Sonia leaped up from her seat, “I’ll wait for you in the kitchen.” She then pointed to the door on the opposite wall from the wardrobe, “There’s the washroom for you to refresh yourself. And I washed and repaired your clothes for you. I’m so terribly sorry, but I had to undress you to-”

“Th-thank you very much, Sonia! I’ll be out shortly, see you in the kitchen!” Red blasted across Tanaka’s face as he yanked the duvet covers up to his nose, the four hamsters tumbling down the slope like little furry snowballs.

Taking the hint, and turning an impressive shade of red herself, Sonia quickly excused herself and departed, allowing Tanaka some much needed privacy.

Has it always been this flustering between us? Sonia pondered internally.

She supposed that no, it had not always been this… whatever it is, between the two of them as she had never had to save Tanaka’s life before, and thus never found themselves in such… compromising situations. As Sonia made her way through the corridors and stairwells, the realisation that Tanaka was in her home and awake hit her again and she was so overwhelmed with joy that she squealed, and her wings flapped with pure delight. Her outburst caused a gust of wind to rush through the palace and the castle sung back to its master with a choir of echoing chimes.

A short while later, back in the guest room, Tanaka was washed, refreshed, and dressed. His four Dark Devas of Destruction were tucked safely away in his prehensile scarf where they belonged, and his cursed left arm was bandaged to the fingertips once more. Confident everything was back where it belonged, Tanaka navigated his way to the kitchen where Sonia had directed him. He found the room easily, having visited the Seventh Heaven enough times to call it his second home. Not that he did that. However, instead of finding his familiar heavenly Dragon, Tanaka was greeted by the Robot, sitting glumly at the dining table with a mug of lamp oil clamped in his metal hands.

Souda looked less than pleased to see the Sorcerer and conflicting feelings roiled inside him. On the one hand, Souda literally owed Tanaka his life, it was he who had revived the Robot and given him immortality after all, and it was also Tanaka who introduced Souda to Sonia, now his favourite person in the whole world and with whom he had fallen deeply in love. On the other hand, Souda viewed Tanaka as his romantic rival and the one who stood in his way of the Dragon’s affections. He wondered if Sonia honestly preferred Tanaka’s company over his, which was just preposterous. It was Souda who lived to serve her, and Tanaka barely seemed interested in Sonia’s attention in the first place. The guy was just plain weird at best and creepy without trying. So why did Souda feel like Sonia was getting more and more distant from him since Tanaka’s arrival at the sanctum?

The two men merely gave each other a curt nod, Tanaka nodding down while Souda nodded up, when Sonia revealed herself. She emerged from the potion pantry holding the large jar that contained the poison she had extracted from Tanaka a few days ago. She placed it on the countertop in front of him and slapped her hand on the lid.

“This is the poison that was killing you,” she explained, “I was able to extract it using a holy ritual. I had it bottled in case you would like to use it in your potion making.”

Tanaka eyed the pitch-black substance almost greedily, “To think this vile concoction was coursing through my veins…”

Sonia loved the way Tanaka took great fascination in the macabre. Topics that usually left most people pale simply riveted both Tanaka and Sonia and they poured hours upon hours into discussing them.

Tanaka looked up at Sonia, his eyes shining with reverence, “You truly are a creature of miraculous ability, Dark Queen.”

Souda rolled his eyes.

Sonia laughed politely, “Tanaka, please. Nothing less would have sufficed.”

“Angels and demons alike weep for they cannot hold a candle to your power, Draconic One.” Tanaka was back to his old speech patterns and the Robot had to hold in a groan. The Sorcerer slapped an open palm on his chest, over his newly acquired scars, “The trauma inflicted on my earthly body was no laughing matter, yet I have healed in mere days my Devas tell me! My Dark Queen, Emissary of the Wind, I beseech you share your secrets and tell me how you were able to treat such dreadful injuries!”

Souda, ever the mechanical marvel, somehow managed to choke on his lamp oil and spilled some of it on the table. Despite his coughing fit, he slinked unnoticed to find a cloth to mop up the mess.

“Sorry,” he spluttered, “I’ll clean it up.”

Sonia herself, though ignorant to Souda’s knowledge on the matter, struggled to suppress her own glowing cheeks and racked her brains for a tactful way to answer Tanaka’s question.

“W-well,” she stammered, “it was quite a simple procedure. That is to say, erm, the… product I used…”

Tanaka’s wide, innocent glare made Sonia’s throat tighten and Souda furiously wiped at a now clean table with the procured cloth.

“A product, you say? Like a potion? Pray tell, what kind?”

“Ah-“ she squeaked, “That is… how do I say… Dragon. Saliva.”

Tanaka stared. Sonia stared back. She could physically see the gears turning in the poor man’s head.

“Saliva?” He affirmed.

“Yes.”

“Of the dragon variety?”

“The very same.”

“Y… Yours?”

“Who else?” Growled Souda into the table, the hardwood looking quite beautifully polished at this point.

“I-… Yes.”

Tanaka was silent for a moment, processing, “I see.”

Souda looked up to see the infuriating sight of Sonia and Tanaka with hot cheeks and both taking immense interest in the kitchen environment. Sonia broke free first.

“H-how about a hot drink?” Her voice unusually high, “Something to eat? You must be famished and should eat before you go.”

“The Dark Angel and Overlord of Ice would appreciate that very much!” Tanaka blurted out in a single breath.

Sonia filled her stovetop kettle, “Tea? Coffee?”

“Coffee for the Dark Lord, please.”

As the familiar kitchen sounds of running water, pots clattering and food frying filled the room, the tension subsided, and Sonia and Tanaka were soon enjoying scrambled eggs on toast and sipping coffee together. Tanaka demolished a dozen eggs by himself before he felt satisfied. Not eating for three days would do that to a man. It was somewhat apparent that Souda felt left out, only being able to consume oil to lubricate his gears and had never once been able to enjoy Sonia’s cooking. The other two, however, noticed nothing amiss and chatted amicably over steaming drinks as if it was a regular Sunday morning.

“How exactly would you like to get home, Tanaka?” Sonia asked before taking a delicate sip of her drink.

“I wish to walk home,” the Sorcerer replied, “if that suits you well, Dark Queen?” His eyes were slightly apologetic as he declined her implied offer for a ride home. As much as a sober flight session appealed to Tanaka, he did not feel quite ready for one yet. Or worthy.

“Of course, Tanaka,” said Sonia, “may I ask that I accompany you home?”

Unable to catch a break, Tanaka’s pale cheeks warmed again, and he sunk inside his scarf on cue.

“I would like that very much, Shining One,” he managed to mumble, and hid in his scarf until his colouring subsided and he could take a mouthful of his own coffee.

After breakfast, Sonia retrieved a travel bag for Tanaka to carry the poison jar more easily and merrily marched with him to the palace entrance. Souda followed gloomily. A fresh wind blew over the courtyard, sweeping everyone’s hair and Sonia tucked her wings in tightly.

“Ready?” She asked Tanaka who nodded silently. Sonia turned to Souda and waved politely, “We’re off. Please watch the sanctuary for me.”

“Yeah, sure.” Souda replied, completely unenthused.

Souda watched as the other two began to descend the mountain on foot and felt an enormous wave of envy twist his gears. He mildly wondered if it was possible for them to break like a heart could. The hike down the mountainside was steady and uneventful but it devoured the better part of four hours before the two companions would meet level ground. Tanaka thanked what dark powers were at play for the timing of his awakening. It had been quite early in the morning which he calculated gave them just enough time to reach his abode shortly after nightfall. They strolled somewhat briskly through the level forest, knowing the way by rote. For a while, the Dragon and the Sorcerer travelled in silence, and occasionally exchanged glances and hid blushes.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tanaka watched how Sonia graced the forest, her long tail hissed over the soft grass, reminding him of a sea snake, back and forth with each step she took. Her taloned feet padded the ground almost silently, the black tips cut into the soil momentarily with each step before lifting off. Her wings, bluer than the feeling of sadness, seemed to bob with each movement, similar to how arms would swing slightly as their owner walked. Their span was deceptive while they were folded in her humanoid form. Using shapeshifting magic to shrink their size in this form for practical purposes, the tips only reached down to the middle of her thighs. Unravelled and inflight, everyone would notice a significant discrepancy, and that length would trail on the floor behind her a couple of feet. Such range was needed to lift a tall woman plus a not so insignificant tail with heavy scales off the ground as easily as lifting a feather. Tanaka marvelled at her biology.

Then his eye fell upon Sonia’s hand, swaying lightly by her side, mere inches from his own. Tanaka’s index twitched, desperately wanting to clasp her hand in his grip. His will failed him, succumbing to the butterflies that stormed in his stomach. He was then struck by a splendid idea and articulated his scarf to wrap its blackened tip around her slender scaled fingers. He was most relieved to feel Sonia clasp it back and she beamed at him, clearly ecstatic to receive the gesture. He then choked on his spittle and fought excruciatingly hard for the next half minute to retain his composure and clear his airways. Sonia’s thumb rubbed back and forth on the cloth. As time went on, Tanaka noticed that something was bothering the dragoness as her fine brows had furrowed with concern.

“What ails you, Lady Sonia?”

She tilted her head to the left and Tanaka smoothly dodged getting whacked by her pearly horns. He had had enough attempts on his eyeballs that he basically did not need them anymore to memorise the exact space the lethal appendages occupied.

“I’m worried about Celeste.” Sonia answered, “What if she comes back to cause you and your darling animals more pain? Or at the very least, exact her revenge on you for my mangling of her leg?”

Tanaka’s scarf squeezed Sonia’s hand, “Please do not concern yourself, my Dragoness. While we are quite evenly matched in power, I intend to take precautions to ensure she cannot get the upper hand on me ever again.”

Sonia smiled sadly as the worry refused to vacate her eyes, “I know… But what if something unforeseen goes wrong again? I may not always be around to chase her off. And it was quite unlike her to be so brazen about encroaching on your territory and antagonizing you so directly.”

Tanaka hummed, his voice so low it tickled Sonia’s pointed ears, “I must concede, her behaviour lately has been most alarming…”

Sonia looked at Tanaka, “Whatever do you mean by that?”

The Sorcerer took a deep breath, as if mentally preparing himself, “Celeste had snuck into the tomb of the Dragon of Fire and defiled the corpse. She… stole a scale from the body. That is how she was able to cast such a horrific fire spell and overwhelm me.” A dark expression clouded his face and he swallowed. He could barely suppress the slight tremor that betrayed his voice, “She… She threatened to harvest your materials to increase her powers…”

Sonia was far less concerned by the threat than Tanaka was, but she was grave nonetheless. “Celeste’s crime is unforgivable. I have no choice but to inform the Dragon of the Water that his sister’s grave has been desecrated.” She looked grim, “It will probably mean that he is going to kill Celeste in retaliation.”

Tanaka sighed, “I will admit, I would not miss her bloodstained lifestyle in the slightest.”

Sonia hummed in agreement, “However, the gods above may have other plans for the inhabitants of the Great Forest. It is hard to say what will happen for sure. Honestly, I am more concerned with how Kuzuryu will cope with the news. He’s been through enough as it is.”

Tanaka only grunted in response. He knew very little about Sonia’s aquatic counterpart aside from what lore she shared about him and their mythological relation to each other.

“In any case,” Sonia digressed, “I will have to give the Witch a quick visit to retrieve the scale. Hopefully, by returning it to its rightful owner, Kuzuryu might not flood the entire forest. We might have an entire season of torrential rain, though.” She grinned at Tanaka playfully.

The young man smirked, “What is rain but the source of all life, anyway?”

Sonia gently nudged his shoulder with her own, and his face vanished behind the scarf once more.

The day slipped into night but the two marched on, unafraid of the Dark Forest as their superior vision pierced the black with ease to make the trip simple enough. They finally arrived at Tanaka’s home, a warm glow from the windows indicated a cosy fire inside. Upon approaching the door, it burst open, and Tanaka was soon smothered by his animals, ecstatic at his return. Sonia waited patiently, her face unable to cease smiling until the Sorcerer quelled the mob. He reassured them all that he was okay and asked them to wait inside for him. The animals did so without hesitation.

When Tanaka turned back to Sonia, his breath hitched. The moon had risen, and its silver rays bathed Sonia in a ghostly glow. Her iridescent scales and shining hair gleamed in the dark, a beacon that stole the observer’s breath away. The Dragon tilted her head at Tanaka, and it took everything within his power not to clutch his chest and collapse to the floor, screaming from overload.

“Tanaka?” She asked with mild confusion when the Sorcerer remained quite paralysed.

“S…” he fought to regain control and took a deep breath, “M-my apologies. You look… Sonia, you look so radiant in the moonlight. That is all.”

Sonia laughed nervously, “Oh, that’s a relief. For a second, I thought there was something on my face, or you were having a stroke.”

“Certainly felt like it,” Tanaka mumbled to himself out of earshot.

“What was that?”

He blanked, “I, uh…” he cleared his throat and stalled for time, “Sonia. I thank you. Your generosity and kindness are unmatched, and I could never repay you if I had a thousand lifetimes to do so.”

Sonia bowed and it made Tanaka uncomfortable to see such a regal creature stand so humbly before him, “If I could spend those thousand lifetimes with you, Tanaka, that would be payment enough.”

What. Tanaka felt that blasted twisting in his chest again. Maybe if he punched it hard enough, his black heart would restart and do its damned job properly, or he was going to faint.

“Tanaka…” Her ethereal figure approached.

Now his knees were failing! What the bloody hell was happening to his body? Had his mortal vessel finally expired? Sonia’s face was a mere foot away from his and in the silver light, he could see all the heavenly details to her visage. He counted four shades of blue in her eyes, as if the souls of the sea, sky, ice, and blue fire were all imprisoned inside. Her cream-coloured horns framed her portrait, akin to a halo. Pearly scales speckled her cheekbones below her eyes like glitter. They thinned out the closer they reached inwards but were densely packed together as they approached her ears. Tanaka wondered how it would feel to run his thumb over them and imagined the sensation to be quite addictive.

Banish the thought, scoundrel! He chastised himself.

Unbeknownst to him, Sonia was analysing Tanaka just as thoroughly. Her draconic pupils scanned his heterochromatic eyes, the left iris a steel grey and the other a warm red, hoping to decipher the enigmatic thoughts that lay behind them. But his mask was too great, and all she saw was a handsome portrait, pale skin with boyish features and a youthful jawline. His dramatic brow hooded his striking, enormous eyes that were lined with shadowy rings. The scar, normally dark in colour, that graced his grey eye had its own silvery gleam at just the right angles in the moon’s light. His lips were parted ever so slightly. Everything was asymmetrically framed by dark wavy forelocks that fell haphazardly to his left.

“I have something I wish to give you.” Sonia spoke, breaking the spell.

Tanaka blinked foolishly, “Huh?”

He waited as Sonia withdrew from the folds of her clothes the most exquisite teal-blue dragon scale he had ever laid eyes on. It was vaguely heart-shaped, roughly the size of her palm and appeared to be engraved with a natural swirling insignia. It flashed in the moonlight with each subtle movement. Even a fool could see that this particular scale was an artifact precious above all others.

“This scale is both unique and extremely powerful,” Sonia explained, and held it out for the Sorcerer to see, “dragons grow only one of these at a time and shed it after a thousand years. I… I want you to take it. It will protect you when I cannot.”

Tanaka lifted his right hand over Sonia’s, his fingers hesitant to touch the lovely scale at if it might shatter, “… I… I-I cannot possibly-“

“Please, Tanaka.” Sonia thrusted the gift into his hand and tenderly folded his fingers around it. He did not withdraw from her touch, “I want you to have it. Treasure it. Nothing would bring me greater joy.”

Tanaka stole a glance at the Dragon, her gaze pleading but adoring and he held the scale in his hands as if he were holding her physical, beating heart.

“… Thank you…” He mumbled weakly.

In a desperate effort to at least try and compete with Sonia’s gestures, Tanaka willed himself to take her hand and, trembling more violently than a dried leaf, left a very quick peck on the back of her hand. He could not bring himself to look her in the eyes, but if he did, he would have seen the happiest, most in-love creature in the whole forest. Trying not to die from hypertension, Tanaka attempted to bid her goodnight.

“Farewell, dear Dragoness.” He managed to strangle out and turned to leave. “May that we meet again soon.”

Just as he turned, however, Tanaka detected a swift movement out of the corner of his eye before a delicate, chaste kiss planted itself on his cheek. He froze and the only indication of her departure he felt was a rush of wind generated from her true form taking off. It was far too long before the Sorcerer finally freed himself from his paralysis and, redder than a ruby, retreated inside his dwelling.

In the black of the night, Sonia beelined for the Witch’s house, her heart soared with her from her last exchange with the Sorcerer. No creature in the sky flew faster than the Dragon of the Wind and soon her destination was in sight. The windows glowed in the dark like cats’ eyes from the fire crackling away inside. Sonia landed gracefully, the gust of wind cleared the fallen leaves away and the windows in the house rattled. She could hear cursing from inside followed by something falling with a crash. When the door finally burst open, an extremely pissed off Witch in a wooden wheelchair, her leg elevated in an extensive cast rolled to the entrance. Apparently, healing spells were not on her list of strengths. Celeste blanched at the regal sight before collecting herself and resumed her vicious sneer.

“What do you want, lizard? Here to finish the job?”

“Oh no, that is not the case,” Sonia responded with fake politeness, “I am just here to retrieve what was stolen.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Celeste sniffed, her arms folded.

Sonia took a deep breath and counted to ten. When she next spoke, her voice was firm, and her oceanic eyes glowed ominously in the darkness.

“I am asking you nicely to give it back.”

Celeste screamed, “NO! It’s MINE! I earned it and you have no right to take it from me!” She drew her wand, “I will use it against you if I have to, you vile reptile!”

Sonia blinked slowly, “No disrespect,” her voice dripped with all the disrespect within her, “while you may feel much more powerful for being in possession of that one scale, I have about two hundred and twenty thousand on me right now.”

There was a pregnant pause as the Witch reconsidered her position. She might be a little arrogant, but she could still count. Oh, but she worked so hard to get it! What right did the Dragon of the Wind have to it?

Sonia saw that she was losing her, “I am going to have to tell Kuzuryu what you have done, whether you return it or not. But if you do, he may be more merciful and not flood the entire forest we all live in. Either way, I am doing you a favour letting you know now so you have time to get away, rather than springing Kuzuryu on you as a surprise.”

There was another while as Celeste chewed on her cheek, weighing her options. They were not good. Wordlessly, she slammed the door shut. Sonia heard rummaging and more cursing before the entrance reopened and the Witch rudely flung the red scale at Sonia’s feet.

Sonia ignored the attitude, “Thank you. And Celeste?” Red eyes met blue. “If I catch even a whiff of you anywhere near the Sorcerer’s woods, I will make Kuzuryu’s flood look like a fucking joke.”

Celeste’s face lost what little colour it had, and she hastily closed the door once more, notably without a slam. It was not often Sonia resorted to foul language, but that only made it all the more meaningful when she did. She then delicately took the red scale in her jaws before flying off towards the domain of Dragon of the Water known as the Ninth Realm.

She was soaring over a particularly dense part of the White Forest when the sanctuary revealed itself. The main body was a breath-taking lake from which four rivers of varying formations branched out. One was a violent river, riddled with rapids and impressive waterfalls. Another was calm, almost glassy but hid deadly weeds below the surface. The third split into dozens and dozens of trickling streams and babbling brooks, known as the ‘Singing Way’. The fourth was Sonia’s favourite. The river was substantial, but it was broken up by large pools of varying sizes that descended with the extravagance of a grand staircase down the waterway. Soothing waterfalls, small to medium in size poured consistently into the pools which were a gorgeous turquoise against the cream-coloured rocks. Very few things were as aesthetically pleasing as this river. To Sonia’s joy, that is exactly where the Dragon of the Water just so happened to be, sitting on a dry ledge in his humanoid form with his feet dipped. His gaze was skyward, possibly stargazing but their eyes met as she flew over. Sonia dropped her wing and plummeted with the conviction of a falcon in a stoop dive. Her wings exploded out at the last second and she landed with her usual grace, a gust rippled across the pools, causing a small surge downstream.

“Out for a night-time flight?” Kuzuryu asked lazily.

He was dressed in traditional robes of emerald. Yellow horns branched out above his green pointed ears. A long scar sealed his right eye shut but the other glowed a fiery red. A cape resembling swirling river weeds cascaded from his shoulders and a slender tail swayed under the water in the pool behind him. His viridian scales were round in shape as if he wore the same armour as the beautiful koi fish and a blond mane grew all along his dorsum. Like Sonia, his legs and feet were also covered in scales, but his toes were considerably longer and ended in much more hooked talons, jade in colour.

“Please do not overreact, Kuzuryu, at least not yet. But I bear dreadful news.” Sonia replied, holding the scale under her dragon tongue.

Kuzuryu quirked an eyebrow, but his eye sparked dangerously, “Go on.”

In a flash of familiar azure light, the Dragon of the Wind was replaced by a fair maiden once more and in her hands, she held something that made Kuzuryu’s heart stop. He was as still as a statue as she approached until she held out the precious item towards him, which he took graciously. He looked at it, sitting lonesome in his palm. The red contrasted against the green, and immense sorrow warped his face.

“Who did this?” He demanded, his eye burning with the fury of Hellfire.

Sonia sighed, “Celeste, the Witch of the Dark Forest. She managed to break into the gravesite and… dig her up. She took one scale and was using it to enhance her powers.”

Kuzuryu’s fist closed around the scale tightly and Sonia noticed blood run down his arm. She watched as the substance dripped into the calm pool and swirl away into nothingness.

“She is most likely on the run,” Sonia continued, “since I made sure to return the scale to you first. Kuzuryu-“

He stood up on the ledge and he would not let her meet his eye.

“Please…” How could she possibly tell him what to do at a time like this? “… Be kind to yourself.”

The Dragon of the Water looked down as his stormy counterpart, his eye burned with hatred but held a softness for her.

“Thank you, Sonia. You are good to me. I shall consider your wish.”

Suddenly, the water pooling around him spiralled and drew towards him. It was pulled up until it completely surrounded Kuzuryu in a revolving sphere of water and a sea green light glowed in the centre. In a flash, the water dropped in a slosh to reveal the snake-like dragon form of Kuzuryu. Contrary to his small humanoid form that stood almost two heads shorter than other males, his dragon form was enormous, a hundred metres long from nose to tail tip. Long whiskers writhed from his snout and his golden mane that grew the span of his entire spine swayed as if it was perpetually under water. He looked nothing like Sonia’s winged Kirin-esque form and stood significantly shorter on his modest, tucked-in limbs, but his coiled, seemingly endless twisting body more than made up for it. With the grace of a water spirit, Kuzuryu lifted off the ground, wingless but also weightless. The sky was no stranger to the Dragon and Sonia blessed him with fare winds for his journey.

With a sad sigh, she shifted back and launched herself skywards. After she was content with her altitude, she soared home, wings stretched and unmoving as she silently shot through the night sky. Though it was well after midnight now, she looked down over Tanaka’s territory and caught the warm fire glow from the windows and a silent stream of smoke that seeped from the chimney. A wave of euphoria washed over her, and she could not help but execute an aerial loop while she unleashed a songful cry. He must have heard her because the light from the windows flashed and dimmed in intensity, an answer to her call.

When Sonia eventually returned home, her talons clattered on the lapis lazuli as she skipped and cantered into the grand hall. The windchimes and features went ballistic with her arrival as the winds howled through the Seventh Heaven. The poor wind sprites and wind spirits that were peacefully snoozing were wafted up in the gust and they drifted erratically, half asleep and disorientated.

“Miss Sonia!” Souda cried out as he emerged from the kitchen, apparently having stayed up waiting for her, “It’s so late, what the Hell took you?!”

Sonia playfully nudged the Robot with her nose and squeaked blissfully. Souda squawked as her sheer size knocked him onto his rear, and he was only just able to duck under her sweeping tail.

“I’m sorry I’m late, I just had the most wonderful day with Tanaka!” Her head bobbed from side to side, unable to contain her joy and her horns pushed against a sleepy wind spirit that mewled unhappily.

“Tanaka this, Tanaka that,” Souda grumbled, “he’s just a weirdo.”

“A wonderful weirdo!” She sighed, still swaying happily, “A wonderful, fantastical, enthralling, compassionate and beautiful weirdo!”

Souda stared up at her, “… Miss Sonia…?”

His voice died in his throat as the Dragon walked on, her slender legs swept past him, and he never felt so small in his life.

“I’m going to bed; it’s been a long day.” Just as Sonia reached the stairs to take her to her sleeping quarters, she shifted back into her humanoid form, now an appropriate size to scale the steps, “Goodnight, Souda!”

The Robot watched her go. A while after the last of her tail fins vanished up the stairway, he tucked his knees to his chest and balled up. Shudders, sniffs, and sharp inhales echoed through the cavernous hallway, but not a single tear fell. They could not. Wind sprites and spirits drifted like languid jellyfish overhead, unaware of the sorry sight below.

When Sonia collapsed in her bed, she clutched a pillow to her chest and buried her face. Her head spun with the memory of Tanaka kissing her hand and she squealed. She thought about the kiss she had left on his cheek and squealed again. Sonia rolled back and forth squealing like one of Tanaka’s four hamsters in a bed of sunflower seeds until sleep finally stole her away.

Back in the Dark Forest in the Dark Angel of Healing’s hut, a comforting fire crackled away (kindling supply fully replenished). The Sorcerer sat before the ambient flames in a soft armchair, his cursed left hand clasped around a hot drink. His right hand held the teal-blue dragon scale, and his thumb rubbed over it obsessively, memorizing every edge, texture, and indentation. His glower did not move from the fire, and he took occasional sips from his beverage. At some point, Tanaka did not quite know when, he had placed the scale down on the arm rest and his fingers had drifted to the spot on his right cheek where the Dragon had… kissed him. It was hot and it tingled. He wondered what kind of fiendish curse it was that She-Dragon had cast upon him. Try as he might, its diabolical effects would not go away, no matter how many counter spells he cast or potions of healing he took. Tanaka sighed through his nose with a groan, and he picked up the scale to resume stroking it. It was hours later, and his damned heart had not stopped pounding since.