I stood there watching Duha talk with Kyros around the fire. "They seem to be getting on."I nodded as Green Dragon came closer. "What holds your attention Red Dragon? Is it wishful thinking?" I shook my head at her. "Then what?"

"Life. She has been badly treated by most people but she is willing to trust. The same goes for Bear, he has been pushed close to his limit of being a bear. He almost succumbed to his primal needs. Reina brought him back from that edge."

She sighed. "I can't help but be jealous of Reina of the Dragon Fire."

I laughed. "Do not be jealous of her. You showed no interest in me until now."

She huffed and then smiled. "You may be right. There is something about this Wolf that is different." You are right but you don't have the first clue what it could be. I nodded. "You know don't you?" She said, smiling at me.

"We are at the crossroads that Reina created. There is a path of light and a path of dark. There is no good or evil here. Only one way or the other. Duha has the dark path in her sights. Reina will pick one of them to walk down and we will follow her. I know this as I saw it."

Green Dragon stared at me in silence. The other Dragons in the earshot also stared. "You leave the fate of the world in the hands of these people?"

I looked at the cluster of stars that represent the ancient one feeling anger at Green Dragon. "What right do we have to say one way or the other? We left them to their lives. The humans endlessly searching for more than they have. The yaspilrmeth trying to be both human and animal. They are the ones who have suffered while we slept safely in our volcano. They were chased and killed. So they are in charge here." The Dragons looked to Kyros and Duha. Both of them were looking at us. "The world turns and we were forgotten. The Dragons fly back into the world, but the world has moved on; we are the past, they are the future. We left things to continue and this is the result."

Bear was muttering to Duha as I spoke. "The future?" Duha stood looking angry. "The humans killed us for years and you fly back into the world and think you have a say? Do any of you think the humans will just leave us in peace? They will continue to do what they always have! They will butcher and fight us every time they think they can win. And you talk so casually about the future! If this vision comes to pass of us living in peace, the humans will try and take it again and again until we own everything!"

"Duha..." Kyros said to her.

"No! Kyanite is right. They slept while our families died. Where were any of you when my home burned to the ground? Where were you when my sister and her family were dragged out of their beds and murdered? What right have you to say we aren't worth saving when we are the ones with blood to repay."

Duha stared at the Dragons as they stared at me waiting to see how I would reply as I translated her words to them.

"You see. This is why we follow Reina. Reina understands where we don't. We can't understand what they went through... what I went through. There is more pain here than you could comprehend."

I turned and walked away. I let myself be angry at them and I shouldn't have, but Duha is right. They don't know what it has been like to be out here. "Kyanite?" I looked around and saw Kyros. "Are you upset?"

"About what Duha said no."

He sighed and rubbed his head. "This would be a bad time to ask you...."

"Ask me what?" I cut him off and he frowned.

"About that thing you said to Duha. What offer is she going to take up?"

"A long time ago we offered her pack the choice of retirement from the world. A chance to live out their lives in our volcano and be honoured in the place we honour our dead."

He shifted his feet. "I see.... and the kiss?"

I smiled. Always protective of Reina. "A kiss for a friend, Kyros. Nothing more. It is a part of the Dragon culture. We give our friends of the opposite sex a kiss to show them they are loved."

He nodded curtly "Is that offer you give to just anyone?"

A deep sadness filled me when he asked me that. If he goes home, then we will lose his strength, and I feel we will need it. "Why?" I asked turning to look him in the eye.

He sighed scratching his head. "I love walking about and hunting but...."

He trailed off looking at the floor. "You are sick of the fight." I finished for him. He nodded. "So is Reina. She is considering coming home. I will want her to stay there soon but I suspect she will fight me if I insist. I'm hoping she will stay of her own will."

"I see." He said staring off into the distance.

I patted his shoulder. "You are welcome to come too. We will always hunt and you will be asked to hunt with us. And if you wish to walk the forest, then we will come with you."

He smiled weakly. "Thanks... what about Duha's prob..."

"She is going to do as she wishes. All we can do is stand by her."

Kyros shifted his feet and then made eye contact. "Eric told me that the people are looking forward now, it's hard to look when you know how bleak it is."

"It's not bleak Kyros. It could be fine."

He shook his head and opened his mouth but closed it with a click when Duha approached with dinner. "Don't stop on my account" She said, giving him a small smile.

He took his meal and walked away with a small grumble. "Don't mind him, Duha. He is a grumpy old Bear." She chuckled watching him walk away. "How are you?"

She shook her head at me. "Fine. My back hurts from flying but other than that..." She shrugged.

"You should have said."

She frowned at me as I put my hand on her back and made it warm. She jumped slightly when I touched her but then leaned into it. "Ahh. I see you are very useful."

I could see Kyros glaring at us from where he ate. "I will remember this when we fly tomorrow. I shall warm your back while we fly. Then maybe you will be less uncomfortable."

She looked up at me. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"My wife likes you a lot. She wants me to look after you like you are her. I do as my wife wishes, it is a way to stay in her good books."

She offered me the food and stepped away from me. "Kyros is trying to kill us with his eyes, so it best not to treat me too much like Reina of the Dragon Fire."

I chuckled. "You don't need to call her by her title. She is your friend as am I." I took the food and she nodded.

"Dragons are very formal."

I nodded. "Tiresome isn't it?" I said chuckling.

She smiled as she walked away from me. I sat down still feeling Kyros's eyes boring into the back of my head. I'm sorry, my gem, but you will hear everything I'm doing because of Kyros. He is so overprotective of you and so you will hear all about what I did for Duha. I knew she wouldn't hear me from this distance, but I also knew she would know I was thinking of her. My mind pointed to her like an arrow as soon as I thought her name.

I smiled at Topaz as he studied the paper in his hand. "Try.. it.. again." I said slowly so he could hear the way I was saying the words.

"I am Topaz. I would like to help you." He said very slowly.

"That was perfect!" I said clapping.

Topaz let out a low grumble while smiling. "I'm very happy. I share this with my brothers. I don't know how to say their names."

I chuckled pointing to colours and the word for Dragon. "They aren't your friend, so you tell them your colour, right?"

"That is right." He said tucking the paper away.

Topaz looked up at me again then smiled at someone behind me. "Pup?"

"Ahh Dad. I have been helping Topaz." I said patting Topaz on the arm.

Michi crossed his arms as Topaz gave him a little bow from where he sat. This could be a problem. Dad looks angry at Topaz for some reason. "I am Topaz." He said perfectly.

"You have been teaching him to talk our language?" Michi asked sounding as unimpressed as he looked at Topaz.

I nodded smiling at him. "I think honoured father is annoyed with us." Topaz said, sounding a little concerned.

I patted Topaz on the hand. "Why do you look annoyed Dad?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. I came to find you as it is getting on in the day and I thought we should have dinner together. Come home with me."

"Can we offer dinner to Topaz Dad? It will give him a chance to test his skills with this language." I gave him my sweetest smile in the hopes it would work. I would like to spend more time with Topaz, too, and I think that Dad knows that. That might be why he is annoyed with Topaz.

Michi looked at Topaz, who sat there smiling. "Fine." He said gruffly.

"Topaz would you like to come to our house for dinner?" I asked Topaz in his language.

"You're sure it will be alright?" He asked eyeing Michi like he was going to be hit.

I nodded standing up and still holding his hand. "Come on then, you two," Michi said, turning around.

We followed Michi away from the tent. I said to Topaz slowly. "We need to talk in this language. This will help you get better."

He smiled looking up at our home as Michi stopped at the door. "Yes, I will try. Beautiful house."

I nodded looking him up and down. He stopped looking at the house to watch me. His large dragon form came up to the top of the door frame and was twice as wide. "You need to change. You won't fit through the door." I said smiling.

He frowned a moment then nodded. Michi stood in the doorway as Topaz started to shrink, his tail slipped behind him and disappeared. His face changed shape to become more human, and his ice-blue eyes changed to look more human-like. I smiled at his hand which was still bigger than mine but was soft instead of rough. His clothes were loose now and he pilled on strings that made them change shape to fit his much smaller form. "Come on then." I said pulling him gently to the door.

Michi disappeared into the darkness of the house. Then light shined through the door and windows. Topaz looked around the space smiling now he had walked through the door. "Very nice." He said smiling.

Michi frowned at him as he moved into the kitchen. "Sit here." I offered the seat next to me. Topaz sat down and frowned.

"I'm uncomfortable. I don't know what to say."

I patted his arm. "What is making you uncomfortable?"

He gestured to Michi's back. "Honored father seems to not like me."

I nodded, opening my mouth to assure him that Michi was just overprotective, when Michi turned, glaring at us. "You said he would talk in this language."

"Dad he was asking me something. He needs to learn and so I need to talk in his language to explain things easier." Michi grumbled turning back to the cooker. "Don't worry, Topaz, he is just overprotective." I said in his language.

Topaz took my hand under the table. "I don't blame him. He wishes to protect a truly precious gem in his hoard."

I blushed and chuckled. "Just don't say that to him."

Topaz let out a small grumble and said. "Gorilla your hoard overflows with wealth." His words were slow but full of confidence.

Michi flinched then turned slowly to look at us both. "My hoard?" Topaz nodded smiling. "What hoard?" Michi said growling.

I frowned realizing that it might mean something else to Michi. Oh no. This could get out of hand fast. "Dad I think he means everything you have. To a Dragon the hoard is precious. He was complimenting you."

Michi puffed out his chest. "I know exactly what he meant by hoard!" He said through gritted teeth.

Topaz looked at me worriedly. "Did I miss speaking?" He asked sounding panicked.

I shook my head wondering how I was going to calm this situation down. "Dad don't be like this, please. Topaz, it's miss spoke, not miss speaking." Topaz nodded and looked at Michi.

Michi looked at me, deflating slightly. "He means you are a thing like coins and gems."

"I know that. He told me that he thinks you have a truly precious gem in your hoard. That is not an insult. You need to be mindful of the difference between cultures."

He turned back to what he was doing. Topaz loosened his grip on my hand and took a deep breath. "Honored father, I meant no...." He looked to me for help.

"Offence." I offered.

He nodded and turned back to Michi who had turned at the start of Topaz's sentence. "Offence. I mealy meant you.... child is intelligent and.... ahh.... is beautiful the wrong word?" I shook my head and he finished. "Beautiful. She must be the most precious gem in the hoard."

Michi watched him silently for a moment. "Thank you." He said gruffly.

Well, that tone either means Topaz fixed it, or he made it worse. Michi brought a tray to the table with dinner. "We will need to go and find Rat when we have finished our dinner Topaz." Every word of that sentence was dripping with threat.

Ok worse. I sighed as Topaz frowned. "You wish to talk to me?"

Michi nodded. Why does that fill me with apprehension? Michi put the food in front of us as Topaz gave me a worried look that I knew was replicated on my face. I hope Michi isn't going to stop me from seeing Topaz. I like him.