35th day of the season of the scythe 2448

After escorting Azena back to her tower, Serfantor returned to his, avoiding curious gazes. Although his task was complete, he couldn't relax. He stared at his hand for a long time on the way and thought about the complicated situation he was stuck in. His mother was ruthless and he knew she had eyes at the academy watching him, probably among the apprentices. His little brother was probably one of them, not by choice unfortunately. He knew that Katanor meant him no harm. Intentions were not enough in the grey elf society to make a difference.

Serfantor really wanted to change sides. He admired the values of the Guardians, and he knew he was better than what his mother wanted him to become. Also, there was Merryn. Even though he hadn't seen her again, he was satisfied that he had done a good deed for her. He couldn't put his finger on why he was so attracted to this young woman. Yet he knew almost nothing about her and they had spent only a brief evening together. He had read in a book at the academy that love was sometimes a strange, inexplicable phenomenon, but that it was the purest feeling in the world. In the grey elf culture, we didn't talk about these things. Love was a weakness that had to be eradicated. Now that he thought about it, none of his peers completely understood why it was seen as equal to a curse. To him, it didn't seem so bad. Yes, it could lead to unfortunate situations, even very dangerous ones, but he had a hunch that it might be worth it. Azena was an impulsive headstrong girl, but he sometimes envied her relationship with her friends.

He shook off his affectionate feelings and concentrated on his destination. He had to stay alert. He knew that his mother's watchers were keeping track of everything for the simple fear of dying at the queen's hand. They would obey. Fear, if solid enough, was a terrifying and manipulative thing. It was the perfect weapon for a being as cruel as his mother.

- Hey Serfantor! called a young woman vividly.

The young elf only had time to turn his head to see Lythrana swinging her arms to get his attention. The teenage girl's enthusiasm drained his patience so suddenly that he cursed her silently. He simply continued on his way, hoping that she would leave him alone.

- Lyth... I think he would rather be alone, said Lythrana's twin.

- Wait a second, she replied.

She caught up with the grey elf, walking rapidly. Serfantor could hear her approaching and with every step she took, his anxiety grew. Eventually he felt his arm muscles contract and a slight pain set in. He resisted the temptation to turn around and strike, breathing out longly. Clearly, he was running out of patience.

Moments later, a young half grey half was blocking his way. She had been blessed with an appearance that leaned much more towards her grey elf heritage, but she was handicapped by a human attitude that reminded him of Azena. She could've easily reduced any gray elf : dark grey skin, a beautiful face with a powerful jaw, long snowy hair and an elegant figure. There was only one stain that would have ruined this perfect painting: hereyes, the right one being blue and the left one being green. For some, it was a disturbing sight simply because it was unusual. Serfantor must have been one of the few exceptions to remain insensitive to it. He sometimes heard whispers, especially from gray elf peers, who cruelly imagined her naked. She was either unaware of her surroundings or didn't care. Either way, it wasn't Serfantor's problem.

- Can you get out of the way, please? he asked neutrally.

- I just wanted to apologize, you know, for earlier, Lythrana replied.

- It's okay, don't worry about it. I didn't mind.

He wanted to end this discussion that was causing him a lot of stress, but something inside him was pushing him to defend Azena's honor.

- Azena didn't like it much, he spat out a little too abruptly. Maybe you should think before you spew crap like that. It could damage the image of others. You're surrounded by children, at least mentally, for the most part. They will absorb everything without question and twist those words that were lies from the beginning. That can cause a lot of damage. Now, can you leave me alone?

Lythrana blinked her eyes several times in a row, as if she was trying to understand what the grey elf had just explained to her. Finally she nodded her head and withdrew to her group.

- Well, you have bitten into the wasp's nest, Nymfrein said as his sister returned.

Serfantor continued on his way. The last thing he heard from the twins was what sounded like a swear from Lythrana and a groan of pain from his brother. She must have hit him again. As captain of their skotar team, Serfantor was used to Lythrana's angry reactions.

Once in front of the stairs leading to the Tower of Clarity, the residence of the third years apprentices, the grey elf had a moment of hesitation. He did not feel very well; energy was not there. So he decided to walk outside with the only person he really trusted: Shalith.

The black dragoness was exactly where he knew she could be found: rolled into a ball inside a huge weeping willow tree on the shores of Crystal Lake. She had always preferred solitude, just like her rider. He knew she was staying at the academy for him. She would have ran away long ago if she hadn't bonded with him when they met during the bonding ceremony of his first year. He hadn't been happy to be there either, since his mother forced him to, just for the possibility of seeing him emerge from the academy full of power. Two sad glances had managed to find happiness together. For him, it was beautiful and he regretted nothing. Neither did Shalith, he knew that. He felt it in his heart.

For her part, Shalith had been rescued from the Dragon's Blood by the Guardians of Archlan's Academy during a regular patrol near their territory. She was severely injured and had no choice but to let them take her with them for treatment. She remained under their protection for four long seasons before she met Serfantor. She had confessed to him that she was on the verge of escaping since she was feeling much better. She was upset about the rules. Even the thought of being in the ranks of the Guardians made her sick. She was a real wild dragon. She grew up and lived wild and that's where she's always wanted to be. They promised each other that they would become strong and independent so that no one could steal their freedom. So they decided to stay in the academy until they finished their education. Then they would go to the other side of the world and maybe even start their own family if they found partners by then.

Shalith's presence gave him instant comfort. He smiled and sped up his walk as he approached the dragoness's sanctuary.

A small sniff was heard and one eye shone in the darkness of the tree.

- There you are, she said, sliding her long, thin head out of hiding.

The young man's muscles relaxed as he lovingly squeezed his companion's snout. She smelled like a dead, wet fish as usual, but the stench did not bother him. Neither did the slimy scales. He redoubled the strength of his embrace and the dragon emitted a little purry laugh.

- To what do I owe this visit? she asked. You shouldn't be here at this hour. Rendar will be happy to pull your bones out of your tiny body after burning you alive.

They giggled, knowing better. Serfantor would get growled, but not tortured like that. Shalith dragged her skeletal body to a mound beside the willow tree and laid down again. Serfantor nested in the hollow of her belly. She closed her wings to keep him warm as best she could. This was no easy feat considering she was a cold-blooded dragon.

- What's wrong? she asked.

The gray elf smiled unwillingly. Shalith was the only person in this world who could read his emotions without him voluntarily revealing them.

- Life, he replied simply. You know.

- Mhhmmm, Shalith replied purring. No news of your girlfriend yet?

- Oh, stop it. Merryn... it was nothing... it's impossible. She must be halfway around the world by now. I did a good deed, that's all. It helps me sleep at night... For a... good conscience.

Serfantor tried to keep a certain neutrality, but the dragon didn't seem convinced at all. She emitted a kind of chuckle and a small puff of shadow came out of her nostrils. Clearly, she was laughing at him.

- Then you'll have to get yourself another one.

- You'll be too big for your tree soon, the elf commented, trying to change the subject.

- Oh don't remind me, she mumbled sadly. It's the only one I can get into.

- Desperate to hide from any living presence eh?

- That's the goal.

Tthe two friends' jokes were interrupted by the sound of flapping wings. A dragon had landed near them, probably to drink water from the lake. Shalith uttered a muffled growl, probably annoyed by the new presence.

The newcomer replied, growling too. A shadow jumped to the ground and tapped the dragon's side to calm him down. Serfantor wasn't the only one who didn't want to sleep tonight. Thanks to his elven night vision, he recognized his skotar partner Ariella. The blonde girl approached her captain and squinted while her dragon bent down to drink.

- Serfantor? she called, unsure of who she was addressing, as she had poor night vision compared to a pure-blooded elf.

Shalith hissed a warning at the blonde. The red dragon rider took a step backwards as not to upset the dragoness even more. Serfantor sighed. Decidedly, life didn't want him to have peace today. He motioned to Ariella to come closer.

- It's all right, he said, admitting defeat. It's me, he said. Shalith is just a little delicate, easily grumpy.

The black dragon pouted. She knew he was as delicate as she was about it, but he had still chosen to put the blame on her.

- Can we join you? Ariella asked, bowing her head slightly as a sign of politeness. I didn't want to disturb you.

Serfantor beckoned her to come once again. Ariella was not too cumbersome; during the skotar games she was his best attacker. She was extremely passionate. The blonde and the red dragoness sat down beside them. The Valkirel girl shivered and huddled up against Harath's warm scales.

- Aren't you cold? she asked her skotar captain.

- A little, Serfantor confessed. It's not so bad; it's only the season of the scythe. There is worst.

- I'm not as insensitive to the cold as you are. I'm quite used to Harath's the heat.

- I can make a fire, the red dragoness offered.

Shalith puffed so softly that only Serfantor heard him. The grey elf retained himself from making a reproving comment. She was completely jealous. Next to her, Harath looked strong and sturdy. The difference in size and stature was quite evident.

- You don't mind, do you? Ariella asked Shalith directly. I know that black dragons are not very fond of heat.

Ariella was usually very stubborn and full of energy, but she could be diplomatic and polite when needed. This side of her always filled her captain with happiness. When he graduated, he intended to make her captain if nothing changed his mind by then. He was assured that she would make an excellent group leader.

Shalith didn't react for a while. Serfantor felt tense for she was very protective of her dragon rider and had a hard time when someone could help her better than she could. In the end, the black dragon gave her consent with a nod. Harath went to fetch wood. Meanwhile, Ariella started to collect some rocks and placed them in a circle. Serfantor watched her with interest.

- Rendar is sure to spot us, he warned.

- If he does, I'll just tell him that I've always lived here and it's never been a problem for me, Ariella explained with a mischievous smile.

- Does that really work?

- Yeah. Don't worry.

- You're talking like it's happened to you before.

- Unfortunately, many times. Even when I wasn't an apprentice. I always loved that lake at night. I don't know why.

Shalith looked up suddenly.

- So you were the one who came prowling around, said the black dragoness.

- Don't you have night vision? the blonde asked.

- Yes, but to tell you the truth, I didn't care who it was.

- Perfectly reasonable.

Serfantor exchanged glances with his dragon. Shalith grunted before continuing:

- You wouldn't bother me anyway.

Ariella smiled, placed one last rock and the circle was complete. She moved to the opposite side of Serfantor and Shalith and waited for Harath. The red dragon returned swiftly and thus, a few badly cut logs were placed to the right of the circle of rocks.

- Even twigs! Ariella exclaimed. I congratulate you, old fart. This time you haven't forgotten.

- Don't play with me, hatchling, Harath grunted. I'm not old.

The offended dragon laid the twigs in the circle, laid down behind her rider and prepared to light the fire by blocking one nostril with one finger.

- Wait, wait! Ariella cried, swinging her arms like a madwoman. I want to light the fire.

Harath lowered her paw and started laughing. Her laugh was much more imposing than joyful, which made Shalith uncomfortable. She, however, quickly realized that her intention was innocent.

- Are you going to show off again? questioned Harath in her cavernous voice.

- Stop it, replied Ariella who had positioned herself in front of the circle of rocks. This is good practice! You're a dragon, so your talent is natural.

Harath laughed. Her thick tail whipped through the air, eventually damaging Shalith's weeping willow. It was an act of horror for the black dragoness. On the verge of raging, she gnashed her teeth and drove her claws into the ground. Serfantor put one hand on her paw in the hope that she would not succumb to her wild instincts. He had never seen Harath so energized; she was normally quite serious.

Luckily, the ruby scaled dragon quickly calmed down and began to mock her rider again:

- Come on champ, show us what you can do.

Ariella made sure that she was strong on her legs and put one hand forward, but nothing happened.

- Harath! she exclaimed. The fire... You know, I can't shit it out of nothing.

- And I had such high hopes for you, the dragon replied, rolling her eyes.

- Come on, be serious!

Ariella didn't need to repeat herself; her companion blew a flame from her nostril, which the dragon rider immediately began to maneuver with sharp and aggressive movements. The flame floated to the center of the rocks and instantly ignited the twigs. Ariella released the flame and inspected her work as she squatted down.

- I think it looks great, she said.

At that moment, something clicked in Serfantor. He didn't know if it was only the effect of the brown glow of the moon and the brightness of the fire, but suddenly Ariella seemed even more alive than before, as if she was glowing. He had always seen this vividness in her, but it had never been like it was now. He felt blood rise to his cheeks as he admired the beautiful young woman in front of him. A small jolt from Shalith's belly brought him back to reality. He looked up and noticed that there was something wrong with her, but he couldn't put his finger on what. Had she noticed that he suddenly found the half elf to his tastes? He realized what had just gone through his head. It confirmed that he had felt an attraction for Ariella a moment ago.

- What's going on? he thought with a slight panic. Why now?

Ariella leaned backwards against Harath's belly, supporting her head with her hands, while the dragon smiled mischievously. She seemed so happy and in perfect acceptance with herself.

This time, Serfantor felt the tips of his ears overheat. He looked away, hoping she would ignore him while he regained his composure.

- You're much nicer face to face, Ariella commented. We should do this more often.

Her frankness made the gray elf blush even more. But what was happening so suddenly? He never lost control of his emotions like that. In any case, he had been saved by Ariella's bad night vision, this thanks to her human heritage. She probably wouldn't notice it. Human eyes were useless in the slightest shadow.

- Yes, he replied simply hoping she would forget about it.

Shalith became agitated again. This time, Serfantor followed her gaze. She stared at Harath, who seemed as angry as she was. The two dragons had a sparkle in their eyes. Harath momentarily stuck out his long tongue and Shalith imitated her. The two seemed to be in agreement about something.

- What's going on? asked Ariella, who had also noticed that her companion was acting strangely.

Serfantor suddenly understood the situation. Shalith had told Harath about his attraction to the half elf.

- Nothing at all, he said impulsively.

He realized that it would only make the situation worse, arousing Ariella's curiosity.

- This boy wants to sire your hatchlings, said Harath with a frankness that struck Serfantor like a ton of bricks. I'm not convinced he's right for you, but we'll see.

The silence that followed was very long and embarrassing.

Finally, Shalith grew impatient and announced that she was hungry and sleepy. Ariella and Harath decided to stay by the fire.

- Shall we do this another time? Ariella asked.

- Of course, Serfantor answered clumsily.

The grey elf climbed on the back of his dragoness and held on to a spike. He avoided his skotar teammate's gaze as Shalith hurried off.

Once they were far enough away that they couldn't hear them, Shalith spoke:

- You're such an idiot. You completely ruined your chance to impress her. I had to help you, so I made up excuses to get us out of there.

- You think I'm gonna... gonna...

- Yeah, mate with her, she threw out there dryly. Well, why not? You'd make some worthy eggs together.

- Why are you doing this? It's embarrassing.

- You know, we only want what's good for our riders. We want you to find a suitable partner for yourselves, even if Harath irritates me. The young humanoid, on the other hand, compensates.

- Do you really think that...?

- Yes, I can see that. In fact, Harath has confirmed that Ariella has always found you to be of her liking, but that she's never done anything about it.

Serfantor was speechless, embarrassed.

- Come on, Shalith insisted, at least reply.

- What about Merryn? questioned the grey elf.

- It wasn't meant to happen and you did a good deed for her. Maybe you should think about trying to get to know Ariella. You need a life partner. It would do you good.

- But you hate Harath. She drives you crazy.

- Oh you know, sighed Shalith. It's going to force me to develop my patience and social skills. It's okay as long as she doesn't screw up my weeping willow. Tsk... The sacrifices I make for your filthy carcass.

- How strange you are... But then again, nothing's guaranteed. Don't get used to the idea. Humanoid relationships don't work like yours.

- Nothing's secure so far, she replied with a spark of mischievousness. We'll see tomorrow.

At that moment, Serfantor forgot all her worries. He had a chance to find himself a lover, and he had a dragoness for a partner. He looked up and let himself be rocked by his daydreams as he watched the moon shine in its comforting brown.