Ralem picked up one of the vials. The liquid inside was a startling purple color, and a sticker of a skull  and crossbones glittered on the front. “Is this poison?” he asked nervously. The healer gently took it from him and set it back on the shelf, “That is none of your concern. Just let me get your remedy. I know its somewhere around here….” She shifted through the varieties of bottles and vials until the whole shelf shook.

Ralem gazed across the room to find Jaydon trying to sneak a piece of pie on the other side of the room. I see you, he said. Jaydon hid his hands behind his back and smiled  like an angel. But two little horns curled over his black hair and his canine teeth elongated into fangs. Arianna laughed and slapped the dragon in the back, “You silly dragon. But he’s right, those cakes will probably turn you into a mouse.” Jaydon set the cake down quickly.

Ralem backed up and accidentally banged into a table. Suddenly a little vial with a broken cap smacked him on the head. Both of his friends and the healer looked up, eyes buggy, as the turquoise glitter-like substance swirled around his face. He tried not to breathe it in, but he had never been good at holding his breath. He sucked it in in one wild gasp. The substance was bitter and itched his nose. He started sneezing violently.

When he was able to open his bleary eyes, he saw Jaydon, Arianna, and the healer looking at him concernedly. He wiped one of his eyes before jumping back. “The medicine turned you guys into giants!” his voice sounded surprisingly high even to himself.

Arianna put her hand to her mouth, laughing silently. Jaydon even cracked into a smile. Boy, did Jaydon look tall. And scary.

Ralem pulled himself to his full height, which should have been every inch of Jaydon’s but he only reached a little over Arianna’s waist, “What’s so funny?”

“You’re soo cute!” Arianna said, leaning down and pinching his cheek.

Terror rose up in his throat, “Wait- you don’t mean- I’m not…”

Jaydon crouched, “you look like this,” his form shimmered and suddenly he was a mischievously smiling little boy, with messy black hair and burning bright eyes and too big clothes. Then he shimmered again to grown—up Ralem.

Ralem looked at the healer desperately, “Am I going to be a little kid forever?”

“Until you grow up, honey. No one stays a little kid forever,” the healer said.

Ralem looked at the ground, “I hated being a kid. Nobody listens to you,” he muttered, then, “Are you sure there’s nothing to make me older again?”

The healer looked at his cute little heartbroken face and she melted, “No. You’ll be twenty one by the end of the day. But until then, have fun being ten again!”

Ralem let out a deep breath. The healer brought out a vial from her large overcoat, “Here’s the medicine.” She started to give it to Ralem, then drew back and gave it to Jaydon, “Better give it to the adult. You might break it.”

Ralem hopped angrily, “What? I’m way older than Jaydon! This is not fair!”

Jaydon smiled and Arianna laughed out loud. “You need a piggy-back ride?”

Ralem was so mad by now that he started punching the dragon in the legs, “Quit it, Jaydon! This is NOT funny!” Jaydon chuckled at his pitiful attempt, “See you, Arianna, we got an appointment.”

Oh yeah, Ralem thought. “Yeah,” he piped in, “See you around, Princess.”

She waved her fan and smiled, but before he knew it she had bent over and kissed his cheek. “Sorry,” she fluttered, “I just can’t help it. You’re adorable.” Then a swish of skirts she was gone.

A mix of anger at being called adorable and happiness at being kissed overwhelmed Ralem, but he sucked it up and put his chest out like a cock about to crow, and ran to the jewelry shop.

The jewelry shop was so blingy that it hurt Ralem’s eyes. He blinked at the assortments of bracelets and necklaces and rings. Walking toward the ring section, he fingered a pristine gold one with a beautiful amethyst sparkling in the center. I can’t wait until the day I buy one of these, he thought.

Suddenly strong hand grabbed him under his arm-pits. “Hey!” he yelled.

 “No kids allowed in here,” a gruff voice said, then the man leaned down so that his whiskers were scratching Ralem’s face, “I know what you were doing. Touching around with those grubby hands when you ain’t got the money to buy even the charm pendants. Be off with you!” he was about to throw the indignant Rider out the door when Jaydon grabbed his hand, “He’s with me,” he said.

The shopkeeper stammered, “Oh, great Rider! I beg your forgiveness.” Jaydon waved a hand to dismiss the comment.

“Wait- I’m the Rider!” Ralem sputtered as he was set down.

The shop-keeper bobbed his head, “Is he your nephew? Good looking lad.” He crouched to his knees, “Ask the Rider here how it is being one with that sort of job. It’s not easy. I know it looks fun and all, riding dragons, but it’s dangerous. You could poke your eye out on a spike!”

Jaydon nodded his head and folded his muscular arms, “Yes you can. It’s far too dangerous.” The shopkeeper stood up, thinking his work was done and walked to his corner.

Ralem made a face behind his back and turned to glare at Jaydon. You’re really milking this, aren’t you? Jaydon laughed silently before turning to finger some bracelets.

Ralem was having a hard time looking at some of the displays. Many of them were high out of reach for children. Can I get any more embarrassed today? He thought. But Jaydon already had read his mind and he found himself being lifted high above the jewelry. Gosh, I didn’t realize how tall I was until now. He comforted himself with the fact that no one would possibly recognize him.

A bracelet with a purple in the center and curly adornments decorating the sides caught his eye. He pointed to it and Jaydon picked it up and held it up for his Rider to see better, “Nah. This is not good enough. Leave this to me. I’m an expert.” He surveyed the shop with a practiced eye.  After slowly sifting through the bracelets and necklaces he picked a bracelet and necklace, each with a brilliant sapphire. “See, the sapphire brings out the blue in her eyes and the silver complements her skin tone. It will look beautiful on her.”

Ralem nodded appreciatively, “You’re right. What would I do without you?” He grabbed the necklace and bracelet and, fighting to keep his pants up, he ran to the shopkeeper, “I’ll take this,” he said.

The shopkeeper nodded and started fancily wrapping it up, “And who is this for? A schoolgirl you took a fancy to?”

“No, it’s for my princess. Princess Arianna. We’re throwing a party for her. And soon I will be back for my engagement ring for her,” he blurted.

The old man laughed so hard tears ran down his face and he slapped his knee, “That’s funny, boy. You think you honestly have a chance with a princess nine years older than you? I’m sorry to break your little heart, but you better find a schoolgirl. Even your Rider friend can’t help you in this area.”

“I’m. Not. A. Kid.” Ralem said sternly, his eyes turning a furious shade of green,  “The healer woman turned me into a kid. I look like that,” he pointed a finger furiously at Jaydon, “ Now give me my jewelry.”

The shopkeeper looked surprised, “Okaay…. Here you go, kid.” He looked over Ralem’s shoulder at the ‘Rider’ to ask him to hand over the money. But Ralem dug out his ‘manly purse’ and sifted through his money. The owner’s eyes bugged out of his head at the sight of so much money. Ralem counted out the money and slapped it into the owner’s hand. With a sniff he took the jewelry and shuffled out of there.

“Hey, well at least you look like you’re eleven now,” Jaydon smirked. Ralem dug his hands into his pocket. “Oh man!” he face-palmed, “I forgot! We have lessons with Lauri now! What am I supposed to do!?”

“We’ve got to go,” Jaydon said, “We’re going to be late.” Even he was nervous at the concept. “It’s on the other side of town. Here-” Jaydon picked his Rider up and darted through the crowd.

“Hey!” Ralem said, “Put me down! This is so embarrassing!”

Jaydon didn’t stop, “You ride on my back all the time. What’s the difference?”

“The difference is that I’m a grown man, and I don’t need to be carried like a child,” Ralem said, squiggling in his grasp.

“Not right now, you’re not. I doubt you can keep up with me on your short legs.”

“Of course I can! I’m a Rider! I can run! Now, put me down!”

“Okay, master,” Jaydon said drily, setting him down. When Ralem settled softly on his feet, he pulled up his pants and glared sourly at the arena, “oh.”

 A javelin sunk into the earth a few feet away from Jaydon, “You were this close to being late,” Lauri said as she stepped out, her fingers showing how small it was. Then she stopped, “Where’s Ralem? And why did you bring a child? He is surely too young to be watching these sort of things. Go home, boy.”

Ralem groaned, “I’m Ralem!”

Vali appeared out of nowhere and inhaled deeply, “He’s telling the truth.”

Lauri raised an eyebrow, “How… how on earth did that happen to you? And how on earth am I supposed to teach you?”

Ralem shrugged sadly, “Well I was at the healer’s place and one of her concoctions fell on me.”

Lauri smiled, “You’re so cute… but that’s not going to help you today. I was going to teach you some lethal moves, but its hard to do that with a good conscience to a child.”

“I’m not cute!” Ralem huffed, “And I’m a grown man! I can take it!”

“Whatever you say,” Lauri said, pulling her javelin out of the earth, “It’s your funeral.”

They followed her to the arena. She took a deep breath before turning around, “Today, my lesson would have been on speed, but I doubt you could move much in your oversized clothes.” Ralem pulled his pant up. “Tell you what, we could borrow those clothes on the line over there,” she pointed to some clothes waving in the distance. “Jaydon, how about you whisk over there and get them for your Rider.” Without another word Jaydon melded into the wind, reappeared picking the clothes off the washline, then disappeared again, reforming next to his Rider with the clothes. Ralem grabbed it gratefully and dashed behind a bush, Jaydon cover me. He thought. The good dragon sighed and glanced apologetically at Lauri before standing in front of Ralem as he changed. Don’t look. Ralem said. Jaydon rolled his eyes. Oh. Well I guess it’s fine. Sorry, being a little kid is really getting to me. He hopped out with his old clothes in hand. The new ones were still a little big, but he didn’t have to keep pulling up his pants. He put his clothes on the sideline and ran back to Lauri. “I’m ready,” he said.

“Sure you are,” Lauri said, then pulled out two eye masks.