#pbb2020

Prologue

Dan hurried through the crowded forest, stumbling over rocks and roots in the darkness. The moon was masked by thick cloud, only the slightest glow making it through. He navigated mostly by touch, all the while keeping an ear out for the sound of beating wings above the canopy. It was raining hard, droplets pattering against wilted leaves and trickling along the faint dirt path. His clothing was soaked and clung tightly against his pale skin, sucking any remnants of warmth from his body. At least it should hide his scent, he'd be safe once he made it out of the valley. From then on it was only a half hour walk to Nyth, he’d be safe once he made it to the city. 

He began to climb upwards, trees thinning out as the terrain grew steeper and rougher. He had to scale a small, rocky ridge before he could join the road to the city. Up there he would be visible and therefore vulnerable, so he best not dawdle. He pulled up his hood, hoping it would conceal him better against the barren stone, cringing as it sent a cascade of cold water down his already sodden back. Damn this rain. He pulled his bag close to him, feeling the weight of the precious cargo inside, putting his arms around it protectively. He couldn't afford to damage them, else all of this would have been for nothing.

He quickly reached the tree line, pausing for a moment in nervous apprehension. He scanned the cloudy sky for any sign of movement, and upon seeing nothing bar a few insects battered by the rain, scampered quickly towards the rock. He was tired, cold and to be honest a little bit scared but he damn well wasn't going to give up yet. With a few nimble jumps, he made it to the peak of the ridge. He couldn't help but turn and cast his eyes over the valley, blood turning cold as a dark shape swooped over the trees. It glided softly on the cool night breeze, silent despite its enormous size. 

He held his breath, heart beating a steady tempo as it threatened to burst from his chest in fear. He imagined it turning to face him, glowing eyes fixating on him as he stood helpless atop the valley wall. Jaws lined with kitchen knife teeth closing around his neck or cutlass claws ripping through his torso. Thankfully, however, it continued on its journey, unaware of the human that it would soon come to despise, descending carefully below the canopy and disappearing from view. 

He allowed himself a moment to calm down before quickly joining onto the main road. It was still a dangerous place to be at night, but this was human territory now. He allowed himself to relax ever so slightly as the flickering torches of Nyth came into view. A flash of lightning streaked across the slowly brightening sky as morning approached, and the thunderous rumble that followed was almost enough to mask the sickening roar of anguish which echoed eerily from the valley behind him.

Part 1

There was a loud knock on the door, ripping Dan from unconsciousness and sending his thoughts haywire. His eyes darted around the room, squinting in the bright sunlight, heart racing. It took a moment for his mind to clear and for him to force out a hoarse reply.

"Yes?”

He shifted uncomfortably in clothes that were still damp from the previous night's escapades. Why hadn't he changed out of them when he got in? When had he got in? It was all a bit of a blur,

"It's almost midday dear,” replied a friendly female voice, “I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to vacate your room. I have guest waiting to check-in." 

"Shit, sorry," he said loudly, scrambling out of bed. "I'll be out in ten minutes," 

"Ok, thank you dear."

Dan listened as her footsteps retreated down the hall, hurrying to his bags and tipping them out in search of fresh clothes. Whilst finding a shirt and trousers he could pull on, he travelled light and he cursed himself for running one of the few outfits he owned. He was going to have to deal with wet shoes for the next few days it seemed, although he had had the foresight to hang up his coat by the window to dry. Scanning over it, he felt his stomach sink when his eyes met a large hole in the left coattail where a decent amount of fabric had been torn off.

His coat was one of the few possessions he had that he actually cared about. Sure, the thick black fabric was far too hot in the summer and it was prone to a good soaking, but it had served him well over the years. It was smart and stylish whilst remaining practical and good for hiding in dark places, something like that was hard to find. He’d stitched on a hood when he first acquired it, and a few of the buttons had been replaced over the years, but other than that he’d kept it well. With the amount of damage he didn’t dare fix it himself, although, with the sale he was about to make, he wasn’t going to have to worry about doing anything himself for a little while.

Wait, shit, the sale. He swiped his satchel off the bed and peered inside, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw that the contents were untouched. He fought the urge to reach in and inspect them properly, knowing he was short on time. If it was nearly midday then he had to be across the city in a little under an hour for a meeting with his customer, and his customers didn’t typically like to be kept waiting.

Within minutes every possession he owned was hastily stuffed into his bag and the room was cleared. He was used to this by now with all the travelling he did, but it didn’t make it any less depressing to see his entire life shoved messily into a medium-sized travel pack. It was something he didn’t want to think about, but wormed its way into his head nevertheless as all bad thoughts tend to do. Sliding his feet hesitantly into wet shoes and pulling on his coat, he left the room, messing with his hair in the reflections of the glass protected paintings that lined the walls as he went.

Having tossed the key to the inn-keeper, who almost didn’t catch it which would have been very awkward indeed, he emerged onto the busy streets of Nyth. Market stalls lined the road, horses and carriages fighting their way through the crowds of people who stopped to look over the produce or wears. A fruit vendor called out the price of apples and pears, and a baker waved enticing treats into the faces of potential customers. Dan could feel his stomach growling, but focused his thoughts onto getting his upcoming meeting over.

Whilst the meetings were something necessary to his survival, they weren't something he was particularly fond of. They were stressful and rather boring. His customers often had expectations he could never hope to meet and rejection was something he was all too familiar with. He’d rather just avoid all human contact whatsoever but unfortunately as much as he tried, it just didn’t seem possible.

As his journey took him further and further into the Northern part of the city, the scene around him began to change. The bustling crowds dispersed and the streets widened, filled with lavish carriages transporting the city's riches. No stall dared set up shop here, not that the residents would ever be seen buying from one. The houses became more dispersed and greenery lined the roads. Ever in the flat light of an overcast day, Dan couldn’t help but admire it. If he were to ever make his fortune, this was where he might want to live. Although, settling down had never really seemed like an option for him. 

He soon came to one of the grandest houses in the city, its intimidating stone walls rising above him as he made his way down the driveway. He paused at the door, but before he could even knock it swung open and he was met by a smartly dressed butler. The butler plastered on a fake smile and ushered him in. 

"Mr. Mras said you'd be here soon sir, he's anxious to see you. I'll show you to the drawing-room," he said politely, although as he examined their guest, it was clear he couldn’t hide the disapproval on his face.

Dan stepped back slightly in surprise but did as he was told, following the servant into the grand entry hall, walls lined with golden wallpaper and delicate carvings. He felt vastly out of place here with his wet shoes and ripped coat, like the people in the gold-framed portraits were watching him with judging eyes. He was led through a heavy wooden door on the right into what seemed to be a drawing-room.

"Ah, Daniel, my favourite scavenger! Glad to see you alive, I was beginning to get worried you'd had an unfortunate accident.”

The man who greeted him was heavyset and adored in an ornate green suit. His thinning white hair was in deep contrast to his dark skin. He had a certain aura of power about him, one that made Dan a little uncomfortable.

In response, Dan forced a wide smile onto his face, one he only used when conversing with customers. He had to be confident in himself, even when all he wanted to do was run a mile. 

"Ah, you know me Mras, I always come through in the end,” he replied, trying to match the other man's cheerful tone. Mras clapped his hands together eagerly.

“So, did you find that nest I told you about? I do hope it wasn't a wasted trip.”

 Mras settled down into a great green armchair, gesturing for Dan to take the seat opposite him. In between them was a small wooden table for Dan to display his goods. He pulled his satchel onto his lap and began uploading its contents.

“Your intel is always right Mras. I never thought I’d see a nest so close to a city, but there’s a first time for everything. It was fairly new though, they haven’t been there for more than a few months.”

Mras’s face fell slightly, 

"So you didn't find much?" he replied, enthusiasm dulled slightly. Dan's lips curled into a sly grin. 

Dragons were rare and elusive creatures. The information on them varied from culture to culture, but one thing remained consistent. They were a symbol of an ancient time, of magic, but most importantly of power. Power was something that always attracted the rich and ambitious of the world. That meant, to these people, owning remnants or artefacts from these creatures represented their own power.

Mras was an avid collector. He wanted anything to do with dragons and he had the money to fuel that obsession. He’d been a customer of Dan’s for years, and that meant he knew his methods. When Dan located a nest and searched it he might come across some shed scales or teeth, a broken claw if he was lucky. The older the nest, the more he found, the more Mras could buy. That being said, he’d never found an egg before.

“Ah ah ah,” he replied loudly, “I didn’t say that. You’ll have to wait and see.”

He first pulled out his usual findings, a group of six scales ranging from the size of a playing card to a book page. They varied in colour from sky blue to a dark midnight blue, with a few being inky black. They were some of the nicest he’d seen, and if he had lost all sense of self-preservation that night he might have wanted to wait until daylight to see the creature that shed them. Mras seemed pleased, examining them against the candlelight, attempting to polish one off with his sleeve.

Next were a few teeth. They were long and sharp, more akin to ivory in texture than a smaller tooth. He had found a particularly large one as well, an incisor he guessed. It was just over the length of his hand but fairly straight as dragon teeth went. Whilst it would fetch a fair price, he had decided to keep it, vowing to have it turned into a dagger at some point.

Finally, it was time for the main event.

"I've never seen you look so pleased Daniel, it does worry me," Mras said jokingly. Dan smirked. 

"There is a reason for me to be pleased, and I hope you will be too," he said confidently, reaching into his bag and closing his hands around a large object within, He pulled it out with some effort and placed it carefully on the table. 

Mras’s eyes went wide and he froze as if in shock. He reached forward as if to touch it, but his nerves failed him and he pulled away quickly. Eventually, he composed himself enough to force out a sentence. 

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked breathlessly. Dan nodded, also unable to look away, fascinated. 

On the table sat a large, round object, about the size of a particularly stocky sheep's skull. It was oval in shape and looked almost as if it were made of solid obsidian, but with streaks of sapphire, ruby and opal running through it. When touching it, however, it felt more like bone; there was a strange sense of fragility surrounding it.

"You know it's odd," the older man murmured a few minutes later, having examined the egg with a face of what could only be described as awe, "Most reptile eggs are soft, like leather. I never thought I'd see a dragon egg, I always thought they'd be like that too. How did you get these? A mother never leaves their eggs unattended," 

Dan reached into his satchel and pulled out a second, almost identical egg. He could see Mras quickly losing his mind.

“I’m good at what I do,” he said simply, and whilst not entirely a lie, on this occasion he’d simply gotten lucky.

"I want 15,000 for the eggs, each. 2,000 in cash now and the rest in my vault by the end of the week. You can have everything else for 100," he said curtly, quickly tiring of the social interaction.

Although part of him did long to keep the eggs, he knew it could never happen. The sooner they were someone else's responsibility and his pockets were lined with gold the better. 

Mras pursed his lips. "That's steep," he sighed, "But fair. You know I would never turn down something like this."

He barked a few orders to the butler who had been loitering nearby, eager to get a look at his employer's new purchase. He nodded and scurried out of the room, returning a few minutes later with two huge bags of gold. Dan hauled them up into his satchel and got to his feet, he was not going to stand around and count it when he could be on his way, besides which Mras was an honest man. 

“Well, it’s been good doing business with you, I hope our paths meet again soon,” he said, swinging the satchel over his shoulder and revelling in the sound of all that gold inside.

 Mras nodded, although he seemed unable to tear his gaze away from the eggs, completely fascinated by them. “Of course,” he murmured, “I’m always looking to expand my collection. Although I don’t expect to be in Nyth for a while. The city is no place to harbour dragon eggs.”

Dan nodded, he didn't really care, and bid him farewell, a great deal of relief flowing over him as he left the house with gold in hand. He couldn’t help the smile that came to his face, 30,000 was enough to keep him going for months or even years. He could get a horse, live in luxury for a little while, and all because of a lucky break.

He should leave Nyth now, he’d heard of rumours of a forest in the far west that was ripe for the picking with all kinds of magical items, but it was a long trek. Now he had the coin, he could afford to properly stock up. 

He headed to the market, looking through the selections of salted meats and carefully wrapped cheeses, picking out some that looked the least repulsive. He took his coat to the tailors and had them sew on a patch to hide to hole, wandering around the other clothing stalls as they did so.

He came to a jeweller’s stall, running his hands over the pretty bracelets and necklaces. He liked how they glittered in the sun, he could see why they were so tempting.

“Looking for something for your lady, are you sir?” came a voice from behind the stand and Dan jerked his hand away immediately. He shook his head with an awkward smile.

“No, just curious,” he said in a strangled voice, cursing himself for his social ineptness. The jeweller gave him a strange look before going back to his work and Dan swallowed thickly.

He headed for the best inn in the city, purchasing the nicest room he dared. The innkeeper seemed a little perturbed by his arrival, he didn’t exactly look like her usual clientele, but once he produced the money it morphed into a friendly smile. He dumped his things, trusting they would be safe, and headed for the nearest tavern. He didn’t usually frequent such places, but today was a day for celebration and forcibly forgetting his troubles.

Despite the alcohol relaxing his mind, he could still feel that something was off; he felt like he was being watched. Well, he was sure he was in the tavern, locals didn’t tend to like new faces, but this was different. He’d felt it since the market, and it was becoming more and more intolerable. Perhaps if he just had one more drink it would go away.

Part 2

He felt like he’d been beaten over the head with a hammer when he came around the next morning. TImmediately the bright light streaming in through the windows was enough to immediately spark a fire in his brain and he let out a deep groan, turning over to push his face into his pillow and hinde from the world. His mouth was dry and foul-tasting, and he prayed he hadn’t vomited over any of the room's expensive furniture. He tried to push down the nausea that had settled in his stomach.

He was so stupid, he was going to feel like crap for days. At least he’d had the sense to take off his shirt, the feeling of cool sheeits against his clammy skin was a welcome change to the previous morning's damp shirt. Maybe if he just closed his eyes and went to sleep, he'd feel a little better when he woke. He wondered briefly if he shouted loud enough, he could get a member of staff to bring him some water, but making any sort of noise seemed far beyond his energy levels. He was about to drift off to sleep when he heard a cough.

His eyes shotbolted open and he bolted uprightsat up quickly, immediately feeling a horrible wave of nausea. He managed to resist the urge to heave and his eyes locked on to a man sitting in a shadowed corner of the room. For a moment it seemed as though his eyes were silver, like those of a cat when caught in candlelight, but as he blinked, they turned into a brilliant blue. He felt his blood run cold. Oh god, he hadn’t, had he? No, he wouldn’t have been that reckless, he couldn’t have been.

He made eye contact with the man, and they just sat there staring at each other for a little while. Dan was completely dumbfounded, what should he do? The man looked completely unfazed by Dan’s panic, seemingly waiting for him to make the first move. What did Dan say? Was he about to get murdered?

“What the fuck are you doing in my room?” he exclaimed, the effort causing his head to throb painfully, “Oh shit, I didn’t umm, you know, with you, did I?”

The man frowned, tilting his head slightly.

“I had to take you up to bed last night before you got yourself hurt, you were very drunk,” the man replied sounding slightly confused, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean about that last part.” 

Dan let out a sigh of relief, thank god. The man had a nice voice, it was warm and friendly. Unfortunately, that didn’t make Dan feel any better as to why there was a stranger in his room, one who had apparently been there for quite some time.

“You did what? What the fuck are people going to think,” hHe groaned in response, lying back against the covers in an effort to stop his head from spinning., “Why are you still here?”

The man shifted awkwardly,

“Because I needed to talk to you. I’ve been following you for a while, I was going to try last night but by the time I got to you, well you were too far gone. You have a few things of mine, and I’d like them back,” hHe spoke in an almost apologetic tone, eyes boring into Dan. 

Dan groaned again, he knew he was being followed, but what could he want?

“Are you trying to rob me?” he said suddenly, the realisation coming over him. If this stranger was some kind of burglar, well to put it nicely he wasn't a very good one, but he’d still rather not have him be there. The man sat back, looking slightly offended.,

“What, no, the eggs. They were in my care and I know you took them. If anything you were the one that robbed me,” came his irritated replyhe replied irritatedly, a mixture of taken -a-back and firm. Dan felt his heart stutter,

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” hHe replied shakily, voice clearly giving him away. 

The man stood up, rooting around in the many pockets of his coat, an old and battered thing, clearly too big for his lanky frame. He let out a frustrated sigh as he came up short on the first few, finally pulling out a long strip of black fabric with a triumphant flourish.

“This is from your coat!” he exclaimed with a smirk, “And was also snagged on a rock pretty close to where they went missing. I watched you get it patched up. Look, I know you have them, just hand them over and I can be on my way,”

For someone who had been stolen from, he seemed to be acting pretty reasonable. Maybe there was an easy way around this.,

“And what if I don't want to hand them over?” he snapped in reply.

The man took a step forward, presence suddenly becoming incredibly intimidating. For a brief moment, his eyes seemed to glow red and teeth became sharpened and long. Dan gasped, scrambling backwards but when he looked back again it had faded, the man having closed his eyes in an effort to remain calm.,

“I really, really do not want to hurt you, Dan,” he retorted, this time tone harsh, “But you have taken something from me, and you have a duty to return it. Give. Them. Back.” 

He spat out the last three words with such focused fury that Dan thought he might snap and kill him in that moment. What was he going to do, he didn't even have the eggs anymore. And what had he just witnessed, did this man just go all werewolf on him or something, or was it just his terrible hangover? Also how the fuck did this complete stranger know his name, it wasn’t exactly something he tossed about.

“I can’t, I’ve already sold them,” he exclaimed desperately. The man raised an eyebrow at him, glaring at him is disbelief.,

“You sold them? Would you sell a baby?” hHe cried out, letting out a long groan., “Humans, all you think about is gold, I thought that was supposed to be our thing.,” 

Dan swallowed thickly. ,

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know they belonged to anyone. That was a dragons nest, it’s fair game.,”

The man threw his hands up into the air dramatically. ,

“Exactly, that nest belonged to a dragon, as did everything in it.,”

Dan frowned. ,

“First of all, how can they belong to you if they belong to the dragon, because I hate to break it to you, but you are  human, secondly stop referring to me as ‘human’ it’s weird, and thirdly, why the hell do you know my name?”

The man paused for a moment, thinking intensely.,

“I . . . work for the dragon?” he said slowly, before nodding firmly, “Yes, I am in employment with the dragon and they have asked me to retrieve them. Also, I don’t think you’re really in any position to be demanding anything since you’re in the wrong here. I only know your name because you wouldn’t stop introducing yourself to me last night. I didn’t even have to go out of my way to find you, you wouldn’t leave me alone.,”

Dan's face flushed hot. He couldn’t blame himself, the man was clearly attractive, but he needed to keep that sort of behaviour to a minimum if he was going to survive. He had a few issues with the first bit of that story, it didn’t exactly sound the most believable. Perhaps he had seen Dan on the road with the eggs and was looking to make some quick cash, then again, he had the torn bit of fabric which was left either in the nest or close to it.

“Tell me then, how does one enter into employment with an enormous magical reptile. I’m sure they don’t speak the common tongue,” Dan replied sharply. 

The man shrugged. ,

“I speak all sorts of tongues,” the man replied indignantly. 

Dan raised an eyebrow. ,

“Prove it.,”

The man huffed loudly, but walked over to the window and swung it open. He let out a quiet cooing sound and a small white and brown pigeon flew in and landed deftly on his hand. 

“This is Steve,” he said matter of factly, “Steve please can you spin around for our dear friend Dan here,”

Much to Dan’s surprise the pigeon did a clumsy spin on the man's hand before letting out another coo and flying out of the window, leaving behind a lovely reminder of its presence on the curtain. Dan sat there for a moment, mouth agape,

“How do I know you hadn’t planned this scenario in advance and had a trained pigeon on standby?” He replied finally, crossing his arms firmly, knowing full well he was clutching at straws. The man’s pleased expression fell and was replaced by a frustrated frown.

“I can call in every pigeon in the city if you’d like, perhaps a few rats as well. You can try and explain that to the inn-keeper,” The man snapped. Dan straightened out suddenly, holding his hands out in defence,

“Ok, fine, I believe you. But what do you want me to do about it? I don’t have the eggs anymore,”

The man rolled his eyes,

“You can take me to the person you sold them to, now,” He ordered, tapping his foot impatiently.

Dan let out a deep sigh, Mras was not going to be pleased with him. Still, if this man really was in league with a dragon then he really didn’t want to piss him off,

“Fine, but he won’t want to sell them back. You’re going to have to come up with one hell of an argument.

“Don’t worry,” he replied darkly, “I will,”

 Dan rolled his eyes but quickly got dressed, ushering the man out of his room as he found a shirt, it was clear he wasn’t going to on his own. He felt like shit, but he did manage to convince the man to fetch him a just of water to clean himself up in. The headache was starting to fade ever so slightly but with every demand of the man to hurry up he felt more and more like straight-up committing murder. 

It was still early, to the point where the sky was only a pale blue and the streets of Nyth remained almost empty. Chickens roamed the cobbles, pecking at the trampled hay and manure that lined them. The baker's ovens were alight but the sign on the door read closed and the market stalls were yet to be occupied. He reluctantly handed the key back to the inn-keeper, deciding not to mention the pigeon crap on the curtains.

“If you know my name I think it’s only right that I should know yours,” He said with a sigh as they headed down the deserted high street. The man tilted his head slightly,

“It’s, um, Phil,” he replied, the name sounding completely foreign to him. Dan raised an eyebrow at him,

“Are you telling the truth, or have you never introduced yourself to anyone before,” he said sharply. Phil shook his head,

“It is my name, I’m just not used to saying it with this tongue,” he said quietly.

Dan decided not to question it. It was clear by now that Phil was a pretty strange guy. He might have been more put off by his company if he wasn’t so pleasant to look at. In the sunlight, he could see just how pale Phil was. You didn’t stay that pale whilst working on a farm or travelling in the sun. Either he was very rich or a complete hermit, judging from his apparent lack of social skills Dan was betting on the latter. 

It contrasted starkly with his hair which was dark and swept up into a messy quiff. There seemed to be the odd stick or leaf poking out of it, something that Dan decided he wasn’t going to mention. What he was going to mention however was Phil’s lack of footwear.

"Eww, that's disgusting. You're just stepping in horse shit barefoot. Why aren't you wearing shoes?" he exclaimed, grimacing at a pair of long, bony feet covered in a variety of appealing substances.

Phil looked down in surprise as if he hadn't noticed, 

"It will wipe off," he said simply, "And watch your language. There might be babies listening," 

Eventually, they came to a familiar house. It was still quiet, although the odd servant scurried around in the gardens, picking weeds or trimming the heads of dead flowers. He approached the door cautiously, knocking a few times as loudly as he dared. Phil was looking about himself nervously. The door finally swung open and they were met by a familiar-looking servant. Dan cleared his throat,

"I need to speak to my client," he said quickly, trying his best to convey a sense of urgency. 

The butler looked him up and down, much as he had done yesterday, except this time without his master to hold him back, an unimpressed sneer lurking on his face, 

"It’s a little early for that. Besides, I'm afraid Mr Mras is not here, he left early last night. If you wish to speak with him I suggest visiting his representatives in Northguard, else I cannot help you," he said in an irritatingly calm voice. 

Dan gritted his teeth, fuck, he should have seen this coming. Of course, Mras said he was leaving. He just hadn't expected it to be so soon. Now what was he going to do, he was going to end up being roasted in Dragonfire. That wasn’t a pleasant way to go.

"Can't you tell me where he's going?" he replied desperately. The butler shook his head, 

"That is not my information to give," the man said curtly, "I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Have a good day," 

With that, the door was slammed in his face and he was left standing there unsure of what to do. He knocked a few more times but was repeatedly ignored. Shit, what was he going to do now? 

"I guess we're going to Northguard," Phil said quietly, voice surprisingly steady. "Come, I'm not waiting for you to let those eggs slip out of my grasp again," 

Dan stood back and shook his head, 

"No, I'm not coming with you. Northguard is a five days walk east and I need to be heading west. I've done all I can," 

Phil's peaceful demeanour suddenly became very threatening once again, blue eyes shining red, teeth growing pointed. Dan squeaked in shock, but before he had time to comprehend what was happening Phil was back to normal again, or at least what was normal for Phil. 

"I am not asking you to come with me, I am telling you. You took something from me and now you are repaying your debt. Until that debt is replayed you do as I say," the strange man said through gritted teeth. Dan swallowed thickly, 

"Yeah and what are you going to do if I don't go with you? You clearly need me if you're so desperate for me to join you," he hissed back. Phil stamped his food in frustration, 

"I don't need you, not anymore. Having you there would make it easier sure, but that's not why I'm making you come. I am trying to give you the chance to redeem yourself. If you don’t come, then you can’t be redeemed, and if you can’t be redeemed, you can’t live," he sighed. 

“What sort of logic is that,” Dan snapped back in reply, quickly feeling overwhelmed.

“The logic of a dragon, it’s the law. If you commit a crime you must do all you can to rectify the problems you have caused, or pay for it with your life,” Phil replied quietly. Dan stepped back,

“I only took a couple of eggs,” he returned helplessly, voice growing weaker.

“Each of those eggs will soon hatch into children, children that must be cared for by one of their own kind and not a human. You might not have realised it at the time, but what you did has put them in danger, serious danger. As far as dragons go, that is not a crime to be taken lightly,” Phil said gently. Dan nodded and sniffed quietly,

“But if I go with you and we recover the eggs?”

“Then all of this will be forgotten,” Phil said firmly, “You can go back to living your life having learned a valuable lesson. Dan nodded,

“Right, ok, I will help you. I have a few ideas on what we could do. 

Phil smiled, looking pleased.

“Go ahead, you know this world better than I do,” 

Dan paused to think for a moment, where would Mras have gone?

"Right, we should hire some horses and set off down the southern road. Chances are he's heading to a summer house in the country. If we're fast enough we might catch him up," he said quickly, doing his best to keep his head in order. Phil frowned, 

"Yes, but where's Northguard? That's where that servant said we should go. They might be able to tell us where he is," 

"Northguard is to the East, but if we go all the way there and find he'd travelled south then the journey would have been for nothing. We might as well check the southern road first," 

"And if we travel south and don’t find him then we'll have wasted a lot of time," Phil exclaimed, his voice becoming higher as he fought back the urge to yell. 

"Look, we agreed I know this place better, let's head south first. If we stop in and ask about him at the inns and carriage houses along the way then we'll know for certain if he's gone that way. Mras does not travel lightly," Dan returned confidently, "Come on, let's find a stable," 

In reality, Northguard would probably be the best option for actually locating the eggs, but Dan wanted to avoid it as best as he could. He prayed they would find the merchant on the southern road, else he might not only face the wrath of Phil but have some things to answer for elsewhere. How had he gotten himself into this mess?

Part 3

Unfortunately, they seemed destined to fail from the start. They had finally found somebody willing to lend out some horses to them which hadn’t been easy. People were reluctant to trust the two strangers to the city, it probably didn’t help that Phil seemed to be completely incapable of holding a normal conversation for more than a few minutes. They were fine horses, slim and built for speed. They would have been perfect if not for one major issue, Phil was completely terrified of them. 

Dan was by no means an avid equestrian but he knew the basics, Phil, however, looked as though he'd never even seen a horse before, let alone ridden one. Dan felt like screaming into the sky.

"You know you could have told me earlier that you couldn't ride," He groaned, knowing the last hour or searching had all been for nothing. Phil shook his head, 

"No, it's not that," he replied with a sigh, "I thought it would be OK," 

Dan rolled his eyes, 

"That what would be OK?" 

Phil stepped forward towards the horse as if going to mount it, but as he drew closer the horse became nervous. It shifted restlessly, letting out the occasionally frightened whinney and pulling away from its rope. It wasn't until Phil rested his hand on its shoulder in an effort to calm it however, that it completely lost control. 

It reared up, head yanked downwards by the rope that still tied it in place and let out a horrible cry. Phil stepped back quickly in order to avoid its flailing legs and the horse tugged desperately on the rope, almost throwing itself onto the floor in fear. It's breathing became more and more laboured as froth began to appear at the mouth and the whites of its eyes were clearly visible and it struggled relentlessly. Dan's eyes went wide, he'd never seen a reaction like it. 

"What the hell did you do?" he exclaimed. Phil shrugged helplessly, 

"I didn't mean to," he said timidly, “It just happens,”

"Is it going to be like that with every horse?" Dan sighed. Phil nodded dejectedly, 

“Can’t to talk to it, tell it everything is going to be ok,”

Phil bit his lip sheepishly,

“I don’t speak horse,” he said quietly

“Why the fuck would you learn to speak pigeon and not horse,” Dan groaned, burning is head in his hands in frustration. Phil shrugged,

“Pigeons always look like they’ve got something nice to say, horses are evil, I don’t trust their legs,”

Dan sighed in defeat, he would never understand this man. There was only one thing for it.

"Well, I guess we're going on foot then," 

Dan knew that their chances of catching up with Mras on without horses were slim, but he still had a little hope, at the start at least. It didn’t help their chances that the road was busy at this time of year,  busy enough for even someone fairly rich to go unnoticed. They checked in with inns and watch-posts along the way, but none could either confirm or deny that their target had passed by. Either they had been paid off to keep Mras’s travels a secret or simply didn’t care enough to notice the comings and goings of others.  Dan insisted on continuing, He did not want to end up in Northguard.

Each night they slept a little way from the roadside. It was cold and uncomfortable but Phil was determined to keep moving as much as they could, which meant staying at an inn or carriage house would just be impractical. It wasn’t something Dan was unused to, but he didn’t find it pleasant. He only had one sleeping sack, so Phil slept without, although the cold didn’t really seem to bother him. Still, Dan couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. If there weren’t so many people around then he might have suggested to share.

With no confirmation that they were making progress, frustration grew, and Dan found himself finding it harder and harder to make up excuses for continuing. They would have to travel all the way back to Nyth and take the Eastern road. Phil was right, this had all been for nothing.

“This has been a waste of time,” Phil sighed, “It’s been three days. We’re going to have to go all the way back to Nyth before we can even head to Northguard. If we’d just done what I suggested then we would have been almost there by now,”

He didn’t sound angry, or resentful as Dan had feared. A little irritated perhaps, but overwhelmingly worried for the most part. The younger man could feel the guilt rising in his chest,

“Ok, let’s head back. I’m sorry, I really thought we might find him,” he said softly. Phil nodded,

“It’s ok, I know you are trying your best,” he said with a smile. That only made Dan feel worse.

They talked the whole time they walked, it helped break up the hopelessness and pointlessness of it all, although it was, of course, all Dan’s fault. Phil seemed reluctant to answer questions about himself, often reflecting them back at Dan. He could understand why, sometimes there were things you wouldn’t want to talk about to a stranger, he had plenty of those of his own. He was happy to talk about his life for the most part, as long as certain topics were avoided.

He had lived a very interesting life, that was hard to deny. He had travelled to almost every part of the globe, met a thousand different people, done things most wouldn’t even dream off. He had seen dragons, fairies, mermaids, climbed the highest mountains and traversed the greatest lakes. He had had adventure after adventure, then why did it all seem so empty? It wasn’t he was talking about the time he fished on the Great Southern Reef that Phil finally piped up.

"I miss the sea, I wish I could go back," he said wistfully. Dan cocked his head, urging him to elaborate. Phil noticed it, raising an eyebrow at him, but dong as requested.

"I used to live on the coast. It was beautiful. On nice days the water would glitter under the sun and you could stare at it for hours. Even when the weather turned foul, safely hidden away the crashing waves were always a comforting sound," a small smile tugged at his lips as he spoke, quickly returning to neutral as more unpleasant thoughts worked their way in.

"Why did you leave, it sounds like you loved it there," Dan replied quietly. Phil nodded, 

"I did," he said solemnly, "But it was ruined by the same thing everything else is, humans. First, it was just one house, then two, then three. Suddenly there's a hundred and they really don't want you there," 

Dan didn't reply, he didn't know how to. How old was Phil? He didn’t look to be older than in his late twenties or early thirties, although there was a certain aura around him that made it quite hard to tell. Why would the people of this new village or town that popped up in his lifetime, questionable in itself, want him out? The way he used the word humans made him uncomfortable, why did he always seem to be implying he wasn’t one. He shook off those thoughts and soon Nyth came back into view after almost six days of solid walking. He couldn’t say he was glad to see it.

Dan put his foot down on sleeping outdoors that night. It was dangerous in such a large city and they needed to spend time gathering to gather supplies for the trip anyway. After a few hours of wandering around, they finally managed to find a guest house with room available. The landlord had given them both a strange look when they agreed to take it even when there was only one bed, but they were too tired to try and explain the situation. Dan was anxious at his scrutiny but Phil didn’t seem to care. Either he was completely unaware of the connotations behind it or he was simply too aloof to be bothered. 

It seemed walking long distances was not something Phil was entirely used to. Whilst he was absolutely determined to carry on at all costs, it was clear he was exhausted. The moment Dan opened the door to the room, the other man had thrown himself into bed and was snoring softly within minutes. Dan almost didn’t mind, he looked sweet whilst sleeping, hair messily askew, faced relaxed. He swallowed thickly, he couldn’t have those thoughts.

It wasn’t only the distance that they had walked which was affecting Phil, it was clear his lack of shoes was not boding well. He trod tenderly, and by the time the fourth day passed they were raw and swollen. Dan wondered how he’d gone about without them before. Sure, maybe he was used to walking on soft dirt paths, and not the hard stone of the road, but even as they left the road to sleep he still seemed uncomfortable. He’d asked, but only got a grumbled reply of something along the lines of ‘I don’t like these feet’, which he blamed on them both being pretty worn out.

It was only late afternoon and the markets were still open. Whilst what Dan wanted most in the world right now was to flop down beside Phil and sleep for a hundred years, he’d probably do better getting a head start on the supplies. He was annoyed that he had spent so much on food only a few days ago and had so little left to show for it, but he was travelling with a companion who it seemed, didn’t like to plan ahead. He wondered if Phil would have eaten at all, had he not offered. He really was very strange.

After browsing through the stalls, picking out food and other bits and bobs, he headed over to the apparel section. He picked out a large bag for Phil, so far they had just been taking it, in turn, carrying the supplies and it would be much more efficient if the other man just had one of his own, and a sleeping sack of his own as well. Hed said he wasn’t bothered by the cold, but Dan wasn’t going to let him catch pneumonia. Once again his eyes caught the jeweller's stand. It seemed diamonds and rubies were in fashion at the moment, personally he’d always preferred darker gems like jet or sapphire. Then again he couldn’t exactly be seen wearing things like that without attracting some unwanted attention so it didn’t really matter.

Finally, he came to the shoemakers. Usually, he would have a pair custom made for such a long journey, but they weren’t for him and he didn’t think Phil would deal well in such a busy environment. Therefore he would rather just pick out a pair that would be the most likely to fit his companion and hope for the best. He finally settled on a set of sturdy leather boots, they were crudely made and clearly second hand but like Dan, Phil was taller than average, so things in his size were harder to come by.

He was excited to show his purchases to Phil, he hoped he’d be pleased. On the way back to the guest house however, something occurred to him. If he were to just leave, right now, would  Phil ever find him? Sure he’d been sussed after escaping the nest, but he’d made it too easy. He’d left evidence, he’d hung around too long. If he just paid off a few guards and covered his tracks right, he’d be halfway across the continent before Phil had even an inkling of where he was heading. Realistically how long would Phil actually search for him? Eventually, he’d just give up and go after the eggs himself. 

It would be so easy, and yet he didn’t really want to go. It was stressful and exhausting, and at the end, he was going to be forced to have a very worrying conversation with Mras, but it was something he felt like he needed to do. He regretted taking those eggs, and not just because he’d been caught. He could see how desperate Phil was to get them back, and even if he was just working on behalf of someone... something else, it showed how much of an impact he’d had on other people's lives.

As much as he denied it, he’d always wanted to be liked, and being so disliked, or at least resented, for something he’d done weighed heavily on him. Phil was a little irritating at times and his thought process was something Dan would never understand, but Dan liked him. He didn’t have any friends, he travelled alone, Phil was a companion that he desperately needed. Even if he was only with him through force. Dan craved his approval, and maybe if he finished what they started, Phil would give it to him.

He was embarrassed to think about it, and a little ashamed. He didn’t usually attach himself to people so quickly, but when he did it always ended up in disappointment. He was beginning to think that his attraction to Phil was more than what was... acceptable. Sure, their conversations were easy and they seemed to click right, and if circumstances were different they would probably make great friends, but it was more than that. Dan liked being near him, it was comforting in a way. He liked the way Phil spoke, he liked how it felt when he gave him a friendly touch, or how he always seemed to listen to Dan like he was the most interesting thing in the world. If he was already so far gone after only a few days… Well, it didn’t bode thinking about.

Phil had not moved an inch, he didn’t even stir when Dan slammed the door shut behind him upon returning. Dan had been sat organising their supplies for the last hour hoping the other man would wake up on his own, but it clearly wasn’t going to happen. As much as he didn’t want to wake the other man, he did need to see if the boots fit so he could exchange them before the markets closed if they were unwearable. That and Phil was also somehow sprawled across the whole bed. Dan was not going to spend another night sleeping on the floor, not even for Phil.

“Phil wake up, I got something for you,” he said loudly, shaking the other man roughly.

Phil jolted awake with a gasp and no amount of grace. He looked startled for a moment but groaned once his eyes came to rest on Dan, throwing his arm over his eyes and pressing his face into the duvet. Dan tried his best not to feel offended.

“Let me sleep,” he sighed, yawning loudly. The younger man rolled his eyes,

“In a minute, I need you to try something on,”

Phil lowered his arm, looking curious. Dan held up the shoes and a small appeared on Phil’s lips,

“You bought me shoes?” he said softly, smile growing brighter. Dan handed them over and the other man pulled them on, clumsily doing up the laces.

“Do they fit?” Dan asked tiredly, fully ready to collapse into bed. Phil nodded looking pleased, tapping his feet against the hardwood floor,

“Yes, this is much better. Thank you Dan!” Phil exclaimed happily, pulling him into a tight hug. Dan froze and Phil pulled away upon noticing it, looking slightly disappointed and embarrassed,

“Sorry, but I do mean it. Thank you,”

Dan shrugged,

“It’s ok, I know you needed them. I’ve got you some other things as well. We might as well be prepared for the journey this time,” He said with a quiet, forced laugh, “Now let’s get some rest, I might end up asleep on my feet if I’m not in bed in the next five minutes,” 

He tried to use a playful tone, but it fell a bit flat. He had to stifle a yawn, stretching his aching legs. Phil nodded, taking off the boots. If he'd noticed Dan’s strange behaviour he wasn’t going to mention it, shuffling over so that there was plenty of space on the bed.

“I’ll wake you up in the morning,” he yawned, turning over to face the wall rather than the rest of the bed, probably more for Dan’s comfort than his, “Night,”

 Dan swallowed thickly, staring hard at the wall. His body was exhausted, but his mind was racing. He’d pleased Phil, he'd done something thoughtful and received praise for it, then what was wrong? Maybe buying someone the same gift doesn’t bring with it the same reward when you use the money you got from selling something very dear to them to get it.

Part 4

Dan woke with a start, sharp pain in his cheek. He looked up to see Phil hovering over him, finger outstretched, having just poked him with a suspiciously sharp fingernail.

“What the fuck Phil,” he groaned. Phil bit his lip and stood back sheepishly,

“Sorry, I just needed to wake you up. We should get going,”

Dan held his hand up to his cheek, which still stung a fair bit despite Phil’s touch having been relatively light.

“Why didn’t you shout at me, or shake me? You don’t poke someone in the face to wake them up,” he muttered groggily, quickly sitting up, “And you really need to cut your fingernails,"

Phil flipped his hand round to examine his nails and Dan frowned, seeing them to be fairly well trimmed. Why had it felt like being pricked by a needle? They stood in silence for a moment, either really knowing what to say, before Phil finally clapped his hands together loudly, 

"Right, off we go then," 

 . . .

“How long will it take up to get to Northguard?” Phil asked as they left Nyth for a second time. He was trying his best to remain upbeat, but Dan could tell he was anxious. Dan shrugged,

“It depends on how fast we walk. Four days? Probably five? Then of course we still have to get to where Mras is staying and god knows where that is,”

Phil bit his lip, 

“This is a real nightmare isn’t it. I feel like we’re on a mad goose chase,”

Dan tried to suppress the influx of guilt he felt. They’d only traveled South because of his own selfish desires to avoid Northguard and now they were paying for it, or more specifically Phil was.

“What’s the rush? I know Mras, he will do everything in his power to keep those eggs safe,” Dan said softly, “He’s my best customer, he will buy anything to do with dragons for his collection. I don’t think there is a single thing I’ve sold him that he’s lost,” He continued carefully in a bid to calm the other man's obvious nerves. Phil’s head whipped around,

“Oh, so this is a regular occurrence for you then?” he snapped suddenly, anger rising sharply. Dan shook his head desperately, taking a hasty step back,

“No, I swear I’ve never taken an egg before. I just go into any nests I find and look for scales and stuff. I’ve hadn’t even seen an egg before last week, and I wouldn't have taken it unless I knew there was a buyer nearby who could have taken care of it,”

Phil’s harsh expression softened but he let out a deep breath,

“So that’s why I couldn’t find anything,” He sighed, mostly to himself. Dan frowned,

“What do you mean?” 

“I needed a scale or tooth or claw, anything embedded with dragon blood for something. I thought it was odd that I couldn't find any back at the cave. Let me guess, you sold them too?”

Dan nodded sheepishly,

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. What did you need them for anyway?”

Phil rolled his eyes and pressed his lips together,

“It doesn’t matter. As long as I get those eggs back it should be fine,”

Dan put a hand awkwardly on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him,

“Don’t worry, we will get them back,” he said gently. Phil turned to look at him with a hard, scrutinizing gaze,

“We better,” he said coldly.

The road seemed to go on forever, endlessly stretching into the distance. The occasional cart trundled down it’s bumpy track and the trees on each side were beginning to close in on them. The sky was grey and gloomy, the recent storm still not having completely dissipated. Dan Hadn’t been this way in a long time, he had always hoped he’d never have to.

“You never answered, what's the rush?” he said quietly, anything to distract him from the monotonous trek thay had ahead. Phil bowed his head, looking uncomfortable,

“The eggs are due to hatch soon, and I need them to hatch with me and not with some human  who doesn’t know what to do with them,” he said quietly.

“Mras was quite the dragon enthusiast, I’m sure he’ll know what to do,”

Phil shook his head, giving Dan a curious look,

“Dragons are not the simple creatures you think they are Dan,” He murmured, “That is something you ought to think about. They are children, if not raised by their parents they should at least be raised by one of their own kind,”

Dan frowned,

“But you aren’t one of their own kind, you’re human too,”

Phil didn’t answer, something that made Dan feel very uncomfortable.

Maybe he was a witch. Dan hadn’t heard much of witches, but he knew they were peculiar beings, and could confer with the magical creatures of the world which seemed to fit his new companion perfectly. He thought back to the time when he had seen Phil change, the beast with red eyes and pointed teeth, had that been some sort of magic? Then again, witches were supposed to be ugly or unpleasant, and Phil was definitely neither of those things. 

After Phil’s bad mood had subsided and his anxiety was dulled slightly by their progress, he became more playful and teasing rather than intimidating and his quirks were more endearing than unsettling. He seemed unsure of talking about himself, instead encouraging Dan to open up. Dan had been quite pleased to eat first, he didn’t get the chance to talk about his adventures or share his stories nearly as much as he would like to. Who would he tell them too? He didn’t have anyone constant in his life besides his buyers and they hardly wanted a biography with every sale. It became more of a problem though as the questions grew more personal.

He didn’t want to talk about his childhood or family, they had always been difficult topics, and as much he was growing to appreciate Phil’s company, it wasn’t for him to know. For all he knew Phil could still have malicious intentions for him, and his sweet but admittedly erratic demeanour was just a plot to get him away from the city where Dan could be brutally murdered without hope of his attacker ever being caught.

“How did you come to be in the employment of a dragon Phil?” Dan said finally, sick of being interrogated. Phil paused and shrugged,

“It just happened I suppose,” he said vaguely. 

“How does that just happen?” Dan said loudly, “Did you just waltz into a dragon cave one day and hand them your CV?

Phil frowned,

“What's a waltz, or a CV?” 

Dan rolled his eyes at the obvious attempt to change the topic, but decided to indulge him nethertheless.

“A waltz is a dance, and a CV is like a document that contains all of your skills, education and past work experience for when you apply for a job,”

Phil scrunched up his nose,

“Oh, that CV thing sounds boring, but I’ve always wanted to try out a dance. How does a waltz go?”

Dan shrugged,

“I don’t know how to describe it. We used have a dance in my village at the summer solstice, my mum taught me one year,” He said absentmindedly, “I’m sure i could remember it if I were to actually do it,”

Phil cocked his head,

“Then do it with me,” he said holding out his arms. Dan stepped away quickly,

“No, I can’t do it with you,” he said with a slightly forced laugh. Phil shrugged,

“Why not?”

Dan let out a deep sigh,

“Because there are people around and if they see me dancing randomly with another guy on the side of the road, not only will they think I’m completely crazy, but also that it isn’t right. You should be dancing with a woman,”

Phil stuck his bottom lip out, looking disappointed,

“Why? Does the dance require the use of something only a woman has?”

Dan let out a short, slightly awkward laugh,

“No, I’m afraid you must be thinking of a different type of dance there Phil. It’s just how it is,”

Phil crossed arms, looking unsatisfied with the answer,

“Well neither of us is a woman and I want to know how it goes so I’m sure there is nothing wrong with us trying it,” he said quietly. Dan looked around, making sure there was nobody close by,

“You can’t just do the dance, we don’t have any music. A dance looks silly without any music,” he said, a certain fondness to his voice that worried him.

Phil smirked,

“I think you’re just making excuses,”

Dan rolled his eyes,

“I’m not, you need it to keep rhythm and stuff. How about this, if we end up in a place where music is playing and there’s nobody around, I’ll teach you how to waltz,” he sighed. Phil smiled brightly and nodded, seemingly pleased with the conversation in which he had not only managed to avoid the original question but also got something out of it as well. The cheeky bugger.

. . .

“Dan, what are your goals in life?” Phil asked softly as they stared up at the stars.

The sky had cleared for the first time in weeks as they settled down for the night. Whilst the bright, twinkling lights above made pleasant company, the absence of cloud had caused the temperature to drop significantly. Phil had by some miracle managed to get a fire going on the damp earth but the cheap sleeping sacks Dan had bought alongside Phil’s boots back in Nyth where doing little to keep in the warmth. He shivered in response, letting out a deep sigh,

“I don’t know, what are your goals supposed to be? To start a family, have children? I don’t think it’s for me, maybe I just want to survive,” He replied tiredly.

How depressing was that, his only goal was to live, but what did he have to live for? He had to shake the thoughts from his head,

“What about you Phil, what is your big dream?”

The other man shrugged, eyes still scanning the sky above,

“Maybe I’ll be a parent, if we manage to get the eggs back,” he said with a small laugh, “Otherwise I don’t know either I guess. Maybe I should get a mate . . . partner, but it just seems like too much hard work. I think I just want to go home and stay there. Where’s your home?”

“I don’t have a home, I move around a lot,” Dan murmured in response, trying his best not to delve too deep into Phils . . . odd choice of words.

“Then don’t you ever dream of having a home?”

Dan pursed his lips,

“If you have a home, there are expectations placed on you, expectations I will never be able to fill,”

Phil frowned,

“Like what,”

Dan felt like letting out a disbelieving laugh. Of course, he’d almost forgotten what a mysterious hermit Phil was,

“You have to get married, you have to have children, you have to have a regular job,”

Phil cooked his head again,

“What’s so hard about that? I’m sure you could find someone to marry and have children with. Maybe you could sell flowers, I think you’d make a good florist,”

Dan raised an eyebrow at him,

“Why would I make a good florist?”

Phil shrugged,

“Because flowers are pretty,” he said absentmindedly,

“And?”

Phil looked at him carefully for a moment and Dan almost jumped. His eyes where doing the odd cat thing again, the firelight reflected back in small silver disks,

“You’re pretty too,” he said firmly, “It would be a good match,”

Dan’s throat tightened,

“You can’t just say that Phil,” he said firmly, voice strangled slightly. The complement caused warmth to flood through his chest, but the connotations of it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Phil cocked his head,

“Why not?”

His tone wasn’t malicious, more curious, but it sent a flash of anger through Dan.

“I don’t know what backwater place you come from Phil, or if this is just some cruel joke, but the dance thing, and now this. You need to keep your mouth shut or we’ll both be done for,” he hissed in response, “Just go to sleep,”

He rolled over so he was facing away from Phil, a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could feel the other man's eyes on him, burning into the back of his neck. His gaze felt confused above all else which only made things worse. 

How could he not know that what he was doing was wrong? How could he be so naive. Before it had been friendly teasing, but now it was getting closer and closer to flirting. Dan had been too lenient, an unfortunate side effect of his growing affections for the other man and now it was going to happen all over again. All this talk of family and expercations, it was like Phil was just trying to remind him of all the things he couldn’t have.

He wanted desperately to turn back and apologize, but at the same time he wanted to get up and walk away. He didn’t want to go back to Northguard. He didn’t care that he’d brought this upon himself or that he had some sort of duty to help Phil, that place held deep, best forgotten memories he’d rather just ignore. For now though, he just wanted to sleep and forget the world for a little bit.

Part 5

By the time morning came, Dan didn’t want to move, not now, not ever. Phil had gone about diligently packing up their camp as the other man lay curled up in his sleeping bag. He had days like that sometimes, when nothing felt worth doing and he couldn’t muster any energy at all. Usually, he would be left to himself and could force him to sleep until it passed. It did nothing to help in the long run, but it made the episodes more bearable in the long run. This time, however, Phil was not going to let them wait around while Dan got himself together. He was on a mission, and the more they dithered, the more restless he became.

The clear skies of last night were once again shrouded by cloud and everything just felt so miserable. They had spent almost a week on the Southern road in vain and it was all his fault and now they were going to spend four more night on another road which would not even lead them towards their final destination. His body was tired and overworked, but worst was his mind. Why was he doing this, why was he doing anything to help this man? All it was going to cause him with pain, especially as his thoughts on him fought definitely against the cage in his mind that they were locked do firmly into.

“Are you ok? Phil asked softly, falling to the floor crossed legged by Dan’s head. Dan Didn’t answer, staring ahead blankly into the abyss of the forest. Phil examined him carefully, browning deeply.

“Is this . . . is this about last night?” he said somewhat awkwardly, “Because I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable I swear. I’m just . . . not good with people,”

Dan shook his head with a sigh. He didn’t like how Phil was looking at him like felt as though he had done something wrong. He hadn’t done anything wrong at all, or at least nothing that ought to be wrong.

“It’s not that Phil, I just feel like this sometimes,” he muttered. 

“Feel like what?” Phil asked quietly, shuffling forward ever so slightly as if wanting to comfort him, but decided otherwise. Dan shrugged,

“I don’t know, like nothing I guess. Everything just seems so pointless and bleak. What if we never find those damn eggs, and what does it matter if we do or don't," he replied dully. Phil looked taken aback, unsure of how to respond. 

"It matters to me," he said quietly. Dan scoffed. 

"It might matter now, but what about in a hundred years when we're all dead and nobody remembers us, then what will it matter?"  he snapped, immediately feeling guilty. 

"Dragons live for thousands of years, it will matter to them," Phil replied desperately. 

"Does the time frame really matter that much? You're missing my point completely!" Dan groaned. 

"I know that," Phil replied loudly, before letting out a deep sigh and trying to calm himself down. "I just don't know what else to say. I want to help you, but I don't know what to do. I don't understand these things; I don't know how to make you feel better. I can't force you to come but I need you, and I need to go. I have two children out there who's wellbeing and even possibly lives depend on me, on us. We need to help them!" 

Dan pressed his lips together firmly, remaining silent. He didn't want to disappoint Phil. The other man was genuinely upset, and it had all been Dan's fault, but he just didn't have the energy. He wasn't in the right sort of mind to be walking all day, especially to a destination he really didn't want to go in the first place. He wanted to scream, more than anything, and yet even that seemed so far from what he could bring himself to do. 

He was expecting Phil to shout at him, to get angry, or at least make some snarky remark, but instead, he just sat by his side, waiting. They must have sat for nearly an hour, Phil picking quietly at the dirt and as Dan thought. He thought of how lonely he was, how unfulfilling his life was. He didn't have a home, he didn't have a family, and he never could. He didn't even have any friends, except maybe he did. Phil was his friend, and Phil needed help. He thought about that for a long time, until eventually, he cleared his throat, 

"Are we friends Phil?" he said quietly. Phil tilted his head slightly, 

"I see no reason why we shouldn't," he replied with a soft smile. It made Dan's insides curl but in a nice way. 

"Even though I stole your eggs, well not your eggs, your 'employers' eggs. Oh, and the scales and all that crap," 

Phil sighed, 

"Yes, even though you did all that. You didn't know any better. You'd never do it again; would you?" he said gently. Dan huffed, 

"You've got that right, this has been an absolute nightmare," he muttered. Phil raised an eyebrow at him and Dan held his hands up defensively, 

"And it's morally wrong and was an inconsiderate and crappy thing to do I get it," 

They sat in silence for a little while longer before Dan took a deep breath and sat up with a groan. He slipped out of his sleeping sack and rolled it up, stuffing it into his bag. Phil gave him a warm smile as well as some bread and dried meat which he took wearily. He still didn't feel like eating, or doing anything, but had by now mustered the energy to begin their arduous trek. He ate in tiny bites, feeling as though it were merely a pointless chore despite its importance in fueling his journey. 

"I think I'm ready to go,” he said finally, picking himself up and dusting himself off.

A look of relief flooded over Phil’s face, but it was still mixed with scepticism,

“Are you sure? We can stay for a little while longer if we need to. Dan shook his head firmly,

“No, I’m ready to go. We need to go and get your eggs back,”

He tried to ignore the strangeness of that sentence and they set off again down the long road. 

Phil was quieter this time, more reserved. He seemed to be walking gon eggshells and Dan couldn’t help but feel that it was his fault. He’d let himself get worked up last night, too caught up in his own head.

“Phil, what are you going to do once we get the eggs back?” He asked quietly, anything to avoid the tense silence that had quickly developed between them. 

“Well, I guess I’ll go home,” he murmured, “After I’ve delivered the eggs back to the dragon of course,”

“And where is home for you?”

Phil shrugged and let out a small laugh,

“Wherever humans aren’t,”

Dan bit his lip, he wished he could do that. Just live the rest of his life hiding from the world,

“How do you do that? I don’t mean to be rude but you don’t exactly strike me as being someone who can rough it in the wild,”

Phil held his hand to his heart, feigning offence,

“How dare you, I am the toughest man you will ever see,”

Da rolled his eyes fondly,

“Sure you are, but seriously, how do you do it. You must have lived quite close to Nyth else you wouldn’t have found me. Do you have a house in the valley?”

Phil shrugged,

“It’s complicated, and believe me I won’t be staying near a city again. I thought it would be safe but I was wrong. Being near people, it never ends well with me,”

“Once we go our separate ways, will I ever be able to see you again?” Dan said quietly, looking down at his feet.

Phil gave him a sympathetic smile,

“I don’t know Dan; I’m not sure that it would be such a good idea. I might not even stay on the continent for much longer”

Dan frowned deeply,

“Where else would you go?”

Phil shrugged, looking up at the murky sky,

“Over the sea, I’ll keep going until I find a place where no one has ever been before, where I can make it my own,” he sighed, a slight smile coming over his face at the thought.

“Won’t you be lonely?” Dan asked in a time voice. Phil only shrugged,

“I’ve been alone for a long time, besides I won’t be alone,”

“Who will go with you?”

Phil didn’t reply, and Dan made the decision not to push. Maybe Phil had someone else, someone to share his life with. He seemed like the type of person who would casually forget to mention something like than unless directly asked, and Dan wasn’t going to do that. Then again, it didn’t matter. Dan was only staying with him until they got the eggs back, then Phil was free to bugger off with who he liked.

As they drew closer to Northguard, the surrounding got more familiar, and Dan became more and more on edge. There was like a cloud of nervous energy surrounding him, enveloping anyone who happened to get so close. Phil, who was already nervous around other people in any social capacity whatsoever, was beginning to get quite agitated by it.

“Is there a reason I should be afraid of this place?” He asked in a hushed wisher, eyeing up their fellow travellers wearily. Dan closed his eyes, swallowing thickly in an effort to calm down,

“No, there is absolutely no reason to be nervous. I’ve just not been here in a long time and it’s a place I’d much rather forget,”

This only resulted in Phil’s expression becoming a little more panicked,

“Not because anything bad happened,” he exclaimed, rather unconvincingly, “It’s just a bit of a dump,”

That seemed to calm Phil down a little but Dan knew he wasn’t helping the chances of them having an uneventful visit. They just needed to get in, talk with Mras’s representative, and get out. Then they could get those eggs back and both be on their very separate way with Phil leaving the landmass and Dan wandering around the kingdom aimlessly wondering if his only source income was morally irreprehensible or not. 

He didn’t know what he was getting so worked up about the idea of Phil leaving, a few days he’d hated the guy, and a few days before that they’d never even met. Dan had stolen and Phil was only here to get the stolen items back, they may have become sort of friends, but they weren’t exactly going to have a lifelong bond. What had Dan been expecting?

“Right you keep telling me everything is fine, but you’re staring at that tree like you want it to burst into flames,” Phil said with an awkward laugh.

“I do want it to burst into flames, then maybe it will fall and crush me,” Dan spat dejectedly. 

“Why would you want it to crush you?” Phil asked, voice laced with worry. Dan threw his hands up in the air,

“Because I hate Northguard, my feet are sore and I like being dramatic,” he snapped.

Phil shrunk in on himself, eyeing up his surroundings with a concerned expression. 

"Honestly it's not that bad, there are just some people there who I don't really like. But I haven't been here in years and they might not even still be here so I'm worrying over nothing," Dan sighed heavily. 

"I don't want you to be worried about anything," Phil replied softly, "If anything happens I'll protect you," 

Dan snorted, 

"Phil, you couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper bag, but I appreciate the sentiment," 

Phil crossed his arms indignantly, 

"I told you before, I'm tough," 

Dan gave him an exaggerated pat on the back, 

"Sure you are bud," 

As they grew closer to the city, the road became busier. Dan pulled his hood up over his head, letting it cast dark shadows over his face. The touches danced over the city walls, their flickering flame like the raging fires of hell. He didn't remember Northguard being so big. The rows of hastily built houses spilt from the historic confines of the city and even as the hour grew late people wandered along the cobbled streets. 

The inns and drinking houses were overflowing with drunks and travellers, energetic cheering which would morph into pained groans when morning came. It had changed so much even in the relatively short time he had been away. Hopefully so had the people. 

They slipped past the crowds like foxes in the night, remaining quiet and quick as Dan led them from street to street. Eventually they got to a quieter area where an Inn stood on its own, sign swinging pathetically in the wind. The bar was still occupied by a number of burly looking but it was nowhere near the hub of activity they had seen a while back. 

"Are there any rooms available?" Dan asked quietly to the haggard Inn keeper. She looked him up and down lips pursed, eventually nodding, 

"Ay, we've got a fair few. You only looking for one?" she murmured, eyes flicking to Phil. 

"Have you any with two beds?" Dan asked quickly. The keeper hummed thoughtfully, 

"I believe so, would you be wanting that one then?" 

"Yes, that would be great," 

They were tossed a key and ordered upstairs to unpack, if only for the night. The room was dim and damp, with two batter bed frames squeezed into the cramped space,"

"Why did you ask for a room with two beds, it would have been cheaper to just go for one. We shared in Nyth," 

Dan shook his head firmly, shivering slightly, 

"She would have gotten the wrong idea Phil, I'd rather just stay on the down low whilst we're here," he replied in a hushed tone. 

Phil frowned, 

"Are you going to tell me what happened here or not, because it's clearly bothering you," he said softly. 

Dan sighed, tossing his pack onto the rough, straw bed. 

"I'd rather not talk about it, but it wasn't good," he muttered, "We just need to wake up early tomorrow and find our guy, then we can be out of here and on our way to those eggs," 

"Are you sure you're alright?" Phil murmured, eyes brimming with concen, something that tightened Dan's stomach. 

"I'm just worried, I knew people here who did some pretty shitty things. I just hope that I don't see them," he sighed. Phil gave him a sympathetic smile. 

"Just know, whatever happens, I'll be there for you," 

Dan swallowed thickly, 

"Thanks Phil, I appreciate that," 

Phil flopped himself down onto the hard mattress without a second thought, barely having had time to kick his shoes off before he was unconscious. Dan could feel the weight of several days walking sitting on his shoulders like a pile of bricks, but he wasn't ready to sleep yet. He had thinking to do.

Why had he gotten so upset at the idea of never seeing Phil again? Why should it matter to him. Sure Phil was basically the only friend he'd had in ten years and he was really growing attached to the guy, but the only reason they were even travelling together was to help retrieve something he had stolen. Why were those pesky feelings of loss and longing plaguing his mind where they had no right to be there? 

Perhaps he wished they could have stayed together a little while, that for once he could have a friend, or maybe more than that. He wished the thoughts would go away, but the more he paid attention to them, the more the answer became clearer. An answer that would cause him nothing but pain, but was most definitely the truth. He had feelings for Phil. 

Part 6

When Dan awoke the next morning, he was crying, although he had no idea why. Foul thoughts danced briefly in his mind, before dissipating into the darkest depths of his brain as he was dragged forcefully from his restless slumber. Phil was standing over him, brow scrunched in needless worry. 

"Are you OK Dan?" he asked quietly, voice heavy and deep with sleep. Dan wallowed in the sound, letting it wash over him like a cool wave on a hot day, 

"Why wouldn't I be," Dan replied groggily. 

Phil reached forward, swiping his thumb across Dan's cheek so lightly he barely noticed, taking with it a single salty tear, holding it on his finger to show Dan.

"I think I was having a dream," he continued dismissively, "I've forgotten it now, it doesn't matter," 

“Are you sure?” Phil asked softly. Dan swallowed thickly,

“Come on, let’s go,” 

They left the inn, heading down the dim highstreet. The sun was rising on the horizon, but the streets were already busy. Dan’s eyes flicked from one person to another in the crowds, dreading that he might recognise one of them. He was being ridiculous, Northguard was one of the biggest cities this side of the silver sea, and it had grown enormously in the relatively short time he was gone. The chance he’d ever be recognised was incredibly slim.

“Do you know where we’re heading?” Phil asked, stopping and looking around at the numerous shop fronts that lined the streets.

Shit, of course Phil didn’t know where he could find the person they were looking for, Dan didn’t even know and he was the one pally with Mras.

“I kind of just assumed we’d be able to find them when we got here,” He said sheepishly, “Mras is a pretty influential guy though, it can’t be too hard to find his representative,”

“How about you just go wait back by the inn, and I’ll try and get some information?”

Dan snorted,

“Are you really sure that’s a good idea, you aren’t exactly the most socially adept,”

Phil rolled his eyes,

“Do you want to do it then?” 

“No, no, sorry. Don’t be too long, I’ll be waiting by the bar,”

Phil nodded and they quickly parted ways. Dan murmured a small prayer under his breath that Phil wouldn’t do anything that got himself hurt. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him, it's more like he didn’t trust the people here to be very understanding of his eccentricity.

The bar was quiet, as it should be at the break of dawn. There was a passed out drunk in the corner and a few exhausted-looking travellers picking at a loaf of stale bread. The innkeeper frowned at him, he had only just left after all,

“Can I help you,” she asked coldly.

“I’m just waiting for my friend,” he said carefully, “Have you got anything non-alcoholic?”

“Water,” she replied stiffly.

“I’ll have a glass of water then,”

He must have been there for about an hour before Phil finally returned. A few people had come in and out, he had tried to strike up a conversation with the innkeeper once or twice, but apparently it was too early for anyone to be in a good mood.

“Thank god, did you find our guy?” he groaned, eager to leave this miserable place.

“Girl not guy, and yes. They have an office by the main market, it should be open by now,”

“Good, let’s go,” Dan replied, trying to push down the lump in his throat that formed when he thought of the market.

He was forced to squint as they emerged back into the city, sun having risen significantly in the hour he had spent uncomfortably nursing his glass of water.

“He led Phil towards the market through the twists and turns of labyrinth-like streets. They were deep into the old city now and stone buildings towered above them, casting them in shadow and giving Dan a comforting sense of enclosure and safety. Phil appeared to be a little more put off by it,

“Doesn’t it feel very claustrophobic to you? I mean I usually like clutter, but they could do with opening things out a bit,”

“Don’t worry, we’re almost at the market,”

Just as he got those words out, they turned a corner and the tight alleyways expanding out into a sprawling square, filled with colourful tents and shouting vendors. Tables were piled with everything from potatoes and apples to sparkling dresses and bundles of wool. Horses were lined up alongside them, tethered to a long fence dotted with troughs and bushels of straw for them to eat at. Each one was ladened with empty saddlebags, ready to be filled up with unsold produce once their masters decided to return home after a long day of vending.

“It’s a shame we can’t just nick a pair of those and be out of here,“ Dan sighed, nodding towards the horses.

“Haven’t you learned you’re lesson about stealing things,” Phil sighed. 

“I was only joking,”

They edged their way around the outskirts of the market, Phil eying the horses wearily as they snuck past. Eventually, they came to the correct building, knocking firmly on the door.

It was opened by a tall, dark-haired lady dressed in a smart shirt and trousers. She looked him up and down, pursing her lips,

“Can I help you?”

“We’re looking for Mras’s representative,” Dan replied quickly.

“Well, that would be me,” the women said, forcing out a small smile, “My name is Mrs Amble, you can call me just that. Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but it won’t take long,”

“That may be so, but I operate only by appointment,” she said firmly.

“We just need to know where Mras is,” Dan exclaimed, an unflattering amount of desperation creeping into his voice, “He’s a regular customer of mine, and I believe I have some items that he will be very interested in. I was told I could find is the current location here,”

Mrs Amble sighed,

“What’s the name,” she asked tartly,

“Daniel, Daniel Howell,”

She hummed thoughtfully.

“Howell? That name is quite familiar. You don’t have family around here by any chance?”

Dan shook his head firmly,

“No, it must be a coincidence. Can you give us the information we need or not,”

The woman held up her hands in defence,

“Alright, alright, give me a minute. I just have to make sure you’re on his approval list,”

Dan raised an eyebrow at her,

“He has an approval list?”

“Of course he does, he doesn’t want to be found by just anyone,” she replied, as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

She opened up a large book scanning the list of names,

“Ah, here we go. Daniel Howell, tall, brown hair, pretentious as hell,”

Phil giggled behind him,

“Seems about right,”

“He’s at his property on Enyer Island. I can arrange passage down to the coast, then you’ll have to get a ship over,” she said boredly. Phil let out a small groan,

“How long will that take?”

“Well we have a convoy leaving early tomorrow morning, then it’s a days journey to the beach, and around a day by boat if the wind is good,”

“Is there any way of getting there quicker?” Dan sighed, he didn’t like the idea of staying in Northguard for another night.

Mrs Amble shrugged,

“Not unless you can fly,” she said with a short laugh, “I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to get a boat unless you go with the envoy so I think that’d be your best bet. You can’t be that desperate to make your sale.

 Dan was about to open his mouth when Phil stepped forward,

“That sounds great, where do we meet?”

“Here will be fine, see you then,” the woman replied quickly, ushering them out, “Don’t be late,”

The door was closed and they were both left standing gout on the street,

“Why the hell did you agree to that?” Dan hissed.

“You heard what she said, it’s the quickest way,” Phil replied, frowning, “Why shouldn’t have we agreed,”

“Yes, I know,” Dan sighed, ”I just don’t want to spend another night in the city,”

“We’ll just go right back to the inn and stay in the room. What could possibly happen?”

Dan shuffled uncomfortably. He wanted to protest, but Phil looked exhausted. He had already caused enough delays to their plan. He let out a long groan,

“Fine, let’s go,”

They returned back to the inn they had spent the previous night, explaining to the long suffering that they would like another room. She handed over the key with a certain amount of trepidation and up they went.

Phil flopped down on the bed with a long sigh,

“Lord I can’t wait until this is all over,”

Dan hovered by the window, peeking out at the street below,

“It’s not been all bad, you like me right?” he replied with a slightly forced smile.

“Of course,” Phil said softly, “I’m just not used to all this. Besides, my feet hurt. Don’t yours?”

Dan shrugged,

“I’m used to it, if I wasn’t with I’d probably be on the other side of the kingdom by now,”

Phil grimaced,

“That sounds like too much work for me, once I’ve got those eggs back I’m going to sleep for like an entire week,”

They sat in silence for a little while, Dan drifting off into a daydream. His eyes became unfocused, but he didn’t feel like concentrating enough to resolve it. Besides, he was quite enjoying the beautiful blur that surrounded him. Eventually he yawned, the action causing his eyes to lock onto Phil.

The other man was looking at him with a soft expression on his face. He didn’t necessarily seem to be focused either, but it was still a little on. He straightened up, frowning. Phil flinched, as though coming back to reality,

“Sorry, I wasn’t creeping on you I swear,” he said jokingly. Dan shrugged,

“It wouldn’t be so bad if you were,” he sighed, almost to himself.

“Well, if that’s the case, I guess I was looking at you. I like your hair,”

Dan snorted, raising an eyebrow at him. He should be used to this by now, although he appreciated the complement. 

“Thanks I guess? What do you like about it?”

“It’s wavy, I wish my hair was wavy, and it matches your eyes,” he said softly.

Dan turned to face him properly. He didn’t know how to reply. What did Phil even mean by that? Usually he would have scoffed and shot him down. He was handsome, and he knew it, but he didn’t like being told it by others. It only made him anxious, but when Phil did it he didn’t mind so much.

“That’s not necessarily a good thing,” he said quietly, “I’d much rather have blue eyes, like yours,”

Phil shrugged,

“I think brown eyes are pretty, and they suit you,”

Dan tried to hide the smile that was tugging at his lips,

“Thanks,” he replied quietly, unsure of what else to say. Phil smiled in response and they slipped back into their respective daydreams.

Phil left not long after that to get them some dinner, Dan looking after him with an embarrassing amount of longing as he left. He didn’t like being left alone, especially here, and Phil brought him a certain amount of comfort. Soon the gentle chatter of people on the street outside softened and the sky grew red. It was replaced by the soft sound of music drifting up from the bar below. The melody was unfamiliar to him, played carefully on a slightly out of tune Vielle. He hadn’t heard music in so long.

He closed his eyes, humming along as soon as he got a feeling for the chorus. He almost didn’t notice Phil's return. He stood at the door looking slightly disheveled, but proudly brandishing two small pies. Dan frowned,

“Phil what did you do?”

“Nothing, I just tried to talk to the seller and he didn’t appreciate it. Apparently people don’t like outsiders around here, even if they are buying their food,”

Dan picked up the pie, cherishing its warmth.

“Some people just don’t like change,” he sighed.

"Do you know this song?" Phil asked absentmindedly. Dan shook his head with a small laugh, 

"No, I was just humming what I assumed the melody was going to be. It is nice though," 

Phil hummed in agreement, before his face lit up. 

"Wait, there's music!" he exclaimed. Dan frowned, 

"So?" 

"We're alone…" 

"Phil what's your point?" Dan groaned, taking a mouthful of overdone pastry. 

"Your promise. You said you would teach me how to dance if we were alone and there was music," he replied excitedly. 

Dan felt his stomach drop, 

"Phil I don't think that's a good idea," 

The other man's face fell, his happy grin replaced with a deep frown. It made Dan's stomach twist, he didn't like to see him look so sad. No, it was stupid. That promise was a joke, Phil had no right to look like Dan had just stabbed his puppy.

"Oh, OK," Phil replied quietly, sensing it was something that he shouldn't push. 

Dan's resolve lasted all of five minutes. He couldn't bare to see Phil disappointed. 

"Fine, I will teach you, but you have to remember that I'm not very good,"

Phil jumped to his feel, grin plastered onto his face, 

"That's fine, I wouldn't be able to tell anyway," he giggled, "What do I need to do," 

"You just stand there, I'll lead," 

For a moment Phil looked as though he wanted to object but he remained quite. 

Dan stepped forward, taking a deep breath. He placed his hand on Phil's waist, guiding his hand to his shoulder. 

"This feels weird," Phil whispered. Dan smirked, 

"Why, do you not like being touched?" 

Phil shook his head, 

"No, I'm just not used to it," 

"What about if I do this," Dan replied with a smirk, digging his hand into Phil's ribs. 

Phil squeaked in surprise, jumping away like a startled rabbit, 

"You're horrible," he exclaimed dramatically. 

"I was only messing," Dan giggled, gesturing for Phil to return back to the proper position, which he did only after ensuring he wasn't going to get poked again. 

Dan waited a moment for a new song to start, counting out the beats in his head. It was hard to concentrate with Phil so close. He could feel the other man's warm breath on his neck, and was acutely aware of how much he was sweating. His hands had grown clammy and he wanted desperately to wipe them off on his trousers. 

"Right when I tell you to, step back and I'll step forward. Then we have to move around in kind of a square pattern," Dan said nervously, quickly realising that he was in no way qualified to be teaching this. 

They got the first part right, but after that it was nearly impossible to coordinate together. Phil couldn't seem to get his lefts and rights worked out, and on the rare occasions he did get it right, his timing was all off. Dan must have stood on his toes twenty times before he gave up, and Phil vice versa. That being said, it wasn't as miserable as Dan had expected. 

Phil did not seem in the least bit dissuaded by his complete lack of skill, in fact he seemed almost delighted with it. There was a smile stretched across his face and he had taken to randomly twirling Dan around despite the other man's insistence that it had nothing to do with what he was trying to teach. Usually it would have annoyed Dan, that he wasn’t taking it seriously, but he could only find it endearing.

It wasn’t as though he wasn’t enjoying it as well. He hadn’t laughed this much in years. His grip on Phil became tighter, and he relaxed into his touch. Phil was warm, and he smelled good. Dan was tired, but he didn’t want to stop or leg go, he wouldn’t have an opportunity to be close to him like this ever again. The thought sent a sense of dread through him, their time together was coming to an end, but he wasn’t ready for that. He didn’t want to let go, he finally had a friend.

Part 7

Phil woke with probably the worst headache he had ever had in his life. Every movement sent spasms of pain through his body and the world around him was fuzzy and dark. It took him a while to realise he was on the hard wooden floor rather than the bed he was sure he'd gone to sleep in. Had he fallen out of bed and hit his head maybe. He brought his hand up to his head, finding it matted with a dark, metallic smelling substance which he assumed to be blood. Suddenly he jumped up, Dan! 

The human was nowhere to be seen, his bed empty, the duvet cast aside and one of the pillows in tatters. He stumbled over to it, vision foggy. Feathers littered the floor, spilling out of the cotton case. It had been sliced, not ripped, who could have done that? He remembered going to sleep, and at some point was awoken, but nothing after that. He hoped Dan was safe, he needed to find him! Fuck he should have listened. Dan didn't want to stay in Northguard for a reason, Phil had just been too selfish to see the danger. 

Unless...  could Dan have done this? No, he didn’t seem like the type.  Phil didn’t remember doing anything that might initiate a fight. He’d been so comfortable last night, maybe Phil had gone a bit too far again. He liked Dan, he wanted to be close to him, but that seemed to scare the human. Perhaps he’d done something wrong, perhaps this was all his fault.

It took him a moment to compose himself. The cut on his head stung like hell and the throbbing was so bad it was almost blinding. It had been a long time since he'd been able to get seriously hurt, he forgot how much it sucked. Eventually, he was able to take a deep breath, leaning out of the window and whistling. There was a flap of wings and almost immediately a pigeon came to land on the window sill next to him. It was scruffy and skinny, not like the plump, cheerful birds he was used back home. Still, it was worth a shot.

He tossed it a dried hunk of bread which it dove into with intense vigour, 

"Did you see anything strange last night?” He murmured in his best pigeon. The bird cooed in confusion.

“Did anybody come into this room late at night, or did someone leave?”

The pigeon thought for a moment, they weren’t all that bright so Phil waited quietly as not to scare it off. Finally, it cooed excitedly. 

Ok, so it wasn’t Dan. Someone was here. Why hadn’t they been stopped by the inn-keeper or even another guest? It must have been quite a racket. 

“Did you see where they went?”

The pigeon hopped up and down eagerly. Phil threw it the rest of the bread and rushed back to the bed, picking up both is and Dan’s bag. It was odd that they’d both been left behind, if it had been a robbery then they would have been taken surely?

He left as quietly as possible, not even bothering to return the keys. He kept his eyes down, emerging into the street, fear actually beginning to set in. What if Dan was hurt? Oh God, it would be all his fault. The pigeon flew from windowsill to windowsill, waiting until Phil got close before moving to the next one. Occasionally it flew over to other birds before making its decision. Hah, and Dan thought this skill was useless.

His eyes focused briefly on the darkened sky. It wasn’t long before the envoy would leave, and they were going to miss it, but in a way, he didn’t care. Of course, he needed to get those eggs back, as soon as possible, but he wasn’t going to abandon Dan. He’d grown attached to the human, a lot more than he should. It was going to be hard saying goodbye, not yet though.

Phil’s dread grew the further they got. Eventually, they got out of the inner city and the houses were beginning to thin. The pigeon went from branch to branch rather than window to window, chirping impatient as Phil hung back nervously. His eyes scanned the woodlands. He should be used to it, but these eyes were terrible. Everything was black, the dim moonlight which would have once guided his way could barely break through the canopy. It made him jumpy.

It took him a while to realise they were actually following a path. Soon a flickering light came into view. He thanked the pigeon and crept closer, realising that it was a small house. The walls were of rough grey stone with a straw roof. There was a small pen with a pig laying in the mud and a stack of firewood next to the door. Why would they have taken Dan there? It looked fairly harmless. Maybe hs informant had gotten it wrong?

He considered briefly simply knocking on the door, but he didn’t imagine it would go well. If Dan wasn’t there then he’d just be bothering a random family in the early hours of the morning and if he was, well they weren’t exactly going to admit it were they? He moved quietly around the side of the house, trying to see if there was anywhere he could peek in. There was light in the window, and he jumped back upon seeing movement.

He dropped down onto his hands and knees behind a bush, looking through the leaves as if he would be able to see anything at all. What was he going to do? He wasn’t used to this, he couldn’t deal with people at all. That was why he’d brought Dan with him in the first place. What if he fucked everything up, what if he got Dan killed, what if he got himself killed? He should have protected Dan, how could he have let this happen.

Eventually, he managed to build up the confidence to get closer to the house, peeking in through the window. At first, it seemed pretty ordinary. There were three people milling around the small room and a fire flickering comfortingly in the corner. They seemed to be deep in conversation although Phil couldn’t work out what they were saying.

He pressed his ear to the hard stone as if it would help anything at all. Upon realising that he was just being stupid, he decided it would be more helpful to try the next window. The leaves rustled and cracked beneath his feet, but one particular step the sound was different, more hollow perhaps. He frowned, bending down and carefully brushing the leaves aside, finding beneath it a small metal grating. 

It must look into a cellar of some sorts, and as he peeked in, staring back up at him was a familiar pair of warm blue eyes. Dan! Dan’s eyes went wide as if in shock, followed immediately by a flood of relief.

“How did you find me,” Dan hissed, looking about himself wearily. Phil shrugged,

“Doesn’t matter, only matters that we can get you out,”

Dan brought up his arms to show off his bindings, thick rope wound tightly around his arms and legs.

“Maybe if I can pull this grating off I’ll be able to hoist you up,” Phil whispered.

Dan shook his head,

“It’s too small of a gap. You’ll have to go in the front, maybe they’ll leave soon,”

Suddenly there was a crack of broken twigs behind him and before Phil could so much as turn around there was a cold blade pressed to his neck. Shit.

“Come to save your boyfriend have you?” A deep voice sneered. Phil swallowed thickly. They hadn’t killed him before, hopefully, they wouldn’t now.

“No Markus, don’t hurt him. I’m only travelling with him because I owe him a debt, let him go,” Dan exclaimed desperately,

“I gave him his chance,” The man hissed, “Get up, come with me or I’ll slit your throat,”

Phil got shakily to his feet and was pulled back round to the front of the horse. The door was thrown open and he was yanked inside. Without even a word to the other residents, he took Phil down to the cellar, binding his hands and pushing him down next to dan.

“There we go, reunited at last. Don’t cause any trouble, we’ve got to figure out what to do with you,”

Phil waited until the man had left, frozen with cold fear.

“Dan, who are these people? Why did they take you, what did they want?”

Dan didn’t look at him, eyes focussed on his feet, lids heavy. There was bruising on his face and all song his arms. Phil wanted desperately to vanish them away, tell him everything was going to be fine. He’d never seen the other man look so defeated.

“These,” Dan said with a heavy sigh, “Are my family or at least some of them. They threw me out when I was a teenager, said I was a disgrace. They warned me, they warned me and I should have listened. They said if I ever came back they’d find me and I’d regret the day I was born and look where we are now,”

“I’m so sorry,” Phil murmured, “I didn’t know, I should have listened. We wouldn’t have even come here if it weren’t for me,”

Dan shook his head slowly,

“It’s ok, we had a task to do, you couldn’t have known,” His voice was tired and raspy,, as though he’d been screaming for hours.

“Have they hurt you,” Phil asked worriedly.

“No, well nothing but these,” he replied, gesturing to his bruises, “But they will. You shouldn’t have come looking for me, you should have just left me behind and gone with the envoy,”

Phil frowned deeply,

“I couldn’t have done that, you’re my friend. I care about you,”

Dan laughed coldly,

“You barely know me, and after all this, you’re just going to bugger off and abandon me like everyone else so why does it matter,”

“You don’t want me to leave?”

Dan sniffed softly, leaning over to rest his head on Phil’s shoulder,

“Of course not. You’re the only friend I’ve had since I was a kid. You’re just so nice, why don’t you hate me. We only met because I screwed you over, well your boss I guess,”

“You didn’t know what you were doing,” Phil replied softly, “I shouldn’t have made you come, but I am glad we met,”

Dan sighed.

“Yeah, me too. Even if we are about to die,” he said with a pained laugh.

“I’m sure it won’t come to that, we can figure something out,”

The door to the cellar swung open and two men marched down the stairs, one taking Dan the other Phil. They were pushed up into the main living area.

“Daniel, aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend,” One of the men exclaimed, voice frighteningly light. Dan shuffled uncomfortable next to him, eyes darting around the room. The man’s amused grin morphed into more of a glower and he repeated the question,

“Did you know just hear what I said boy, tell us who the scrawny lad is or I’ll force it out of you,”

“He’s just Phil,” Dan replied, voice timid and terrified, “I nicked something off his boss and he’s just here to get it back. Let him go, this is none of his business,”

One of the men scoffed,

“Really, well you two seemed to be very chummy earlier,”

He turned to look a Phil, examining him in the flickering firelight,

“Tell me ‘Phil’, do you know why Danny here isn’t welcome in this city?” he sneered. Phil shook his head, cringing away as his face drew closer. What could he have possibly done to warrant all of this?

“He is the work of the devil, a tempter, an abomination,”

He turned back to Dan, eyes dark,

“Do you remember that young man you were so fond of, the blacksmith’s son? He’s married now to a wonderful woman, they have two lovely children. I always knew you were the one that led him astray. I bet his memories of you are field with disgust,”

Phil frowned,

“Let me get this straight. You kidnapped him in the middle of the night, dragged him all the way out here, and plan to do lord know’s what, all because he was a little too fond of a guy when he was a kid,”

The man growled,

“He brought shame to our family! Why do you think we live out here? People think we harbour heretics and evil, and it’s all because of him! We were too kind on you Daniel, we only cast you out. We should have cut you down where you stood. We won’t make the same mistake,”

Phil could feel his blood boiling. This was ridiculous. Humans and there messed up beliefs. He wasn’t going to let them hurt Dan, his Dan. How could they? The fire that smouldered behind them began to blaze a little brighter. He closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. He had to concentrate.

Soon he felt his binding disintegrate into ashes, floating softly to the floor behind him, glowing orange with heat. The man stepped back,

“How the hell did you do that? Demon,”

Phil took in a deep breath, fire turning now into a raging inferno, spewing out from the fireplace and igniting the soft straw bedding that surrounded it. 

Dan was looking at him with wide frightened eyes, but Phil didn’t have time to apologise or explain, he grabbed the younger man and ran. Their kidnappers were two reoccupied with trying to dampen the fire to pursue. The burning house illuminated the forest, casting dark shadows amongst the blazing red.

Even as they drew closer to the city, they could see the smoke rising up from the treetops. Phil felt a cold wash of dread come over him. Oh God, what had he done?

Part 8

Dan’s breathing was ragged and harsh as they pulled into a dark alleyway, confident that they had not been followed. The faint smell of smoke clung to their costs and images of dancing flames played in his mind. He looked down at his wrists and ankles, which by all logic should still have been bound, but were instead moving freely. There was a ring of white ash where the rope had once been but only the slightest feeling of warmth against his skin.

“What the fuck,” he muttered, looking about himself in a state of panic. Phil was looking back at him with those big blue adorable eyes, but the expression of triumph he might have expected given their miraculous escape wasn’t there. Instead, he had gone very pale, lips pressed into a tight line. 

Dan's breathing hitched, because it wasn't miraculous, Phil had made it happen. How had he done that, how had he burned down a fucking house? Dan's mind flashed back to back at the house, how the once seemingly harmless man's eyes had glowed ember red. What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck.

They stood in a shocked silence, both staring intensely at each other for a good few minutes. Dan searched Phil’s face again for any signs of the beast he’d sworn he’d seen, but there was nothing. His skin was a soft peach, cheeks just a hint of pink from the running. His soft hair was tousled and messy, and dan thought about how much calmer he’d be if he could just run his hands through it.

“You saved me?” he said, voice full of uncertainty. Phil nodded slowly, eyeing Dan as though he were a rabbit about to bolt. 

“But how? How did you do that?” he muttered, backing away ever so slightly. "What happened to you?"

"I didn't do anything, we just got lucky, " Phil murmured . Dan gritted his teeth, 

"Don't lie to my Phil," he exclaimed angrily, although it was more fearful than anything else, "I've had a shit enough day as it is, tell me what you did. Ropes don't just disappear, houses don't just burst into flames, eyes don't randomly turn red," 

"That was probably just the light playing tricks on you," Phil said solemnly, as if he knew it was useless. 

"I know what I saw," 

Phil let out a deep sigh,

“Think about it Dan,” he said softly, "Just think about it, and please don't freak out. I'm not going to hurt you, I'd never hurt you, " 

Dan recoiled as Phil reached out to comfort him, the gears in his brain whirring so loud he swore they were physically audible. What the fuck was he supposed to think? So was he magic, could he somehow control fire? Maybe he was a witch, he'd suspected it before. Would that explain the weird eyes though? He should have known something was wrong. All that stuff with the calling him 'human', the general weirdness, it was obvious. Why would a dragon hire a human anyway? That was so obviously a lie, he should have trusted his instinct. Why would he be so desperate to get the eggs back though. Unless… 

He swallowed thickly, eyes blowing wide. No, that was impossible. 

“Phil, are you a dragon?” he said quietly, voice just barely above a whisper.

Phil took his lip between his teeth. Dan felt his eyes drawn to it, immediately pulling them away when he realised what he was doing. 

“No, of course not, I’m human,” He murmured, eyes flicking down to his feet, “Well I am now,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dan almost yelled, "You need to tell me the truth right now or I swear to god I'm going to ram a curtain pole so far up your ass you can taste it!" 

He was breathing heavily and clenching his teeth so hard he thought they might crack.. Why could nobody ever tell him the truth, as if he hadn't gone through enough shit today. A flash of gut shot through him, however briefly and he closed his eyes trying to calm down. Phil had just saved his life, he should be pulling him into a big hug and thanking  him with all his heart, not shouting at him. Then again it was only going after Phil's bloody eggs that had taken them here in the first place. But, if he himself hadn't gotten greedy, then there would be no need to go after the eggs. 

“When you stole my eggs, I used some very old magic that I shouldn’t have done. I made myself human so I could find you and get them back. I’m sorry I should have told you. I never expected that I’d be like this for very long, I never expected to get so . . . close. I didn't want you to be afraid of me,”

There was a forlorn look on his face, and he seemed to shrink in on himself.

Dan's eyes lingered on him, mind racing. It was very hard to picture the generally bouncy but timid Phil as a great big lizard. He didn't think they would be smart enough to talk or express emotion, but it was very clear in this moment that Phil was extremely distressed. 

“Can you change back?” Dan asked quietly, unsure of what else to say. 

Phil nodded, 

“Yes, but I need something to help me with it, like a scale or claw. I think the eggs could work as well. If you hadn’t cleared out my nest I probably could have just flown to Eyer and I’d be back home by tomorrow,” He sighed with a harsh, clearly forced laugh. 

Dan swallowed thickly, picturing in his mind the slightly singed bag that Phil had managed to grab on the way out of the house and the contents within. He could tell him, he could tell him and It would solve all of Phil’s problems. But then Phil would leave him, and Dan wasn’t ready to let go.

“So they’re your eggs, your children?” He said suddenly, trying to distract himself but feeling sick to the stomach. Phil shuffled uncomfortably on the spot.

“Not quite, they belonged to a friend of mine,” he sniffed softly, “Unfortunately, she strayed too close to the human world and suffered for it. I took them on, I promised I’d take care of them,” He had to stop, voice faltering.

“I’m so sorry,” Dan murmured, tears pricking in his eyes. Phil shook his head,

“We’ve been through this, you didn’t know. Let’s just get them back yeah?” He replied quickly, handing Dan his bag. Dan took it quickly, wanting nothing more than to turn and launch it into the nearest wall. 

"You think I'm still going with you?" 

Phil's frown deepened. 

"Look, I'm not who I said I was, but it's not like I'm a different person," 

Dan crossed his arms tightly, tears forming in his eyes. He was so overwhelmed. Why was this happening to him. What had he ever done to deserve this.

"How do I know you're even telling me the truth. Is this just one great big practical joke? Was that why you forced me to come here? So that my fucking family could torment me one last time," he spat, desperately wiping at his eyes to stop those tears from flowing. 

Phil looked hurt, eyes wide and forlorn. 

"This is the truth, why would I ever do anything to hurt you. You're my friend,"

"How can I be your friend, you aren't even fucking human," Dan hissed. Phil straightened up, clearly trying his best to stay calm. 

"Well I am now thanks to you. I still have feelings and thoughts you know. Humans aren't that unique. Please, come with me. I need you. I like you Dan, you're funny and sweet, and I'm sorry so many shitty things have happened to you," 

Dan swallowed thickly, 

"You aren't just using me to get to Mras?" he said quietly. Phil shook his head, 

"No, absolutely not. I want you to come, truly," 

Dan made up his mind far quicker than he dared to voice it. If Phil hadn't just saved his life, if Dan didn't have a daunting and mind consuming crush on him, things might have been different. But he did, so the answer of the question 'will you come with me?' was a certain and resounding yes. 

He nodded and Phil's face was flooded with relief. He picked his own bag gingerly, as if any sudden mood would spook the human and send him fleeing. In all honesty Dan thought it might. 

The sun was slowly beginning to rise as they headed through the streets towards the meeting spot. Dan was beginning to calm down by now, guilt weighing heavy on his chest. It wasn't like he was wrong. Finding out your friend and traveling companion is a dragon is of course no small matter, and all that crap with his family was obviously going to scramble his head, but he still felt like he had been far too harsh. 

“Thank you again for coming to rescue me, Phil,” he said eventually, swallowing his pride and leaning in for a friendly shoulder bump. Phil turned to him and smiled weakly, “Yeah well you needed rescuing didn’t you,”  

“I’m sure I could have gotten out on my own,” Dan replied, feigning offence in an attempt to lighten the mood. Phil scoffed,

“No, you couldn’t, you needed me to come and save you,” he replied with a small grin. It stayed only briefly however before Phil forcibly returned his lips into a pressed line, as though the act of smiling was in some way inappropriate. 

“I’m sorry your family was so awful,” he said quietly, “You didn’t deserve that,”

Dan nodded slowly. This was the first time he had seen them in years, they had been willing to kill him. That was no family. For so long he had held their beliefs to heart, he wouldn't let them control him anymore, he couldn't. 

“I've always known they were crazy," he said with a strained laugh, "But I think I need to get it in my head that what they thought of me was crazy too. I won't believe them anymore," 

Phil wrapped his arm around him hesitantly, squeezing comfortingly. Dan almost melted, relishing in the warmth. His first reaction was to pull away, looking about himself in a panic, but he fought it, letting himself relax into Phil’s arms. Maybe one day he wouldn't feel so nervous. 

They arrived in the main square to a group of carriages and a slightly pissed off Mrs Amble tapping her foot impatiently. 

“I thought you were never going to show,” she announced, frowning when she spotted the state they were in. Dan became suddenly aware of the sharp stinging on his cheek, not helped by salty tears, raising his hand up to his face and hissing when it came into contact with swollen skin. Phil frowned, pressing his hand to the wound. Dan closed his eyes, expecting pain, but instead found himself humming softly as it dissipated slightly.

They perched onto the back of a goods cart, trying to ignore the strange look the driver was giving them as the horses shied desperately away from Phil. And with that they were off. 

Phil sighed deeply,

“I miss flying,” he groaned, “It’s so much easier than this crap,”

He was studying Dan as if to gauge his reaction. The human did his best to remain indifferent, but on the other hand he felt guilt flash through him.

He was deeply conflicted. On one hand if he gave Phil the tooth, he'd be off and Dan would be free, on the other hand, well, Phil would be off and Dan would be alone. Even in his fear he hadn't wanted to give Phil the means to abandon him, because deep down even then he'd known he didn't want Phil to go. 

Besides, it might end up better anyway. If he could convince Phil to stick with him, he might be able to convince Mras to hand over the eggs peacefully. Yes, it was defiantly5 for the best that Phil remained as a human. Besides, maybe if they spent enough time together, Phil wouldn’t want to fly off and leave him all alone.

“I can’t believe I never figured out you’re a dragon,” He announced, much louder than he needed to in an effort to curb his racing thoughts. Not that it really mattered, everyone was going to think they were a bunch of looneys anyway, “When do dragons just go around hiring people?” 

Phil grinned,

“I must have been doing an excellent job at pretending to be human then,” he said smugly,

“You weren’t,” Dan replied fondly, his attempt at exasperation falling flat on its face.

Phil turned to face him, eyes soft. Dan was transfixed.

“You’re taking this quite well,” he murmured softly. Dan shrugged.

In all honestly, he was finding it kind of hard to deal with. He’d known Phil was a little odd, he should have figured this out way sooner. Maybe it was the way he always felt warm and safe when they were together, how he enjoyed their conversations and Phil’s quirky personality. Maybe that’s why he didn’t want to turn and flee.  

“It does suck a little,” he said eventually, “I kind of wish I could have come and lived with you in the forest, away from everyone else,”

“You still could,” Phil said quietly. Dan gave him a strange look,

“Well not if you were a dragon all the time,” he said with a forced laugh, "I'd go mad just talking to myself," 

“I wouldn’t have to be a dragon all the time,” Phil said absentmindedly, “I could still take some time for you, in this form I mean, ”

Dan’s eyes went wide,

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course, you’re my friend,” Phil smiled, leaning into Dan’s shoulder, “Maybe I could turn you into a dragon,”

Dan wrinkled his nose,

“What? A great big, flying magical reptile?"

He paused. 

Actually that does sound pretty cool,” he muttered after a moment of concideration. 

Phil laughed softly,

“I don’t think that would be a very good idea, imagine how clumsy you would be,”

Dan rolled his eyes,

“If you could fly then so could I, you have absolutely no coordination whatsoever, "

Phil crossed his arms, giving Dan a look which was obviously supposed to come off as unimpressed, but instead was stomach churningly fond. Dan had to turn away for a moment, taking a deep breath. 

"Of course I'm not very coordinated. I'm in the wrong body. That's not my fault," 

Dan shrugged in defeat, laughing softly. 

"What is this body then, how did you get it? Like did you steal someone else's or create it from scratch," he asked curiously. If he had just nicked it then he'd certainly made a good choice. 

Phil shrugged, 

"I don't really know, I think it's just what popped into my head when I thought 'human'. I do like it though," 

Dan nodded in agreement, smile tugging at his lips. 

"I do to," 

Part 9

It didn't take long to reach the coast. Dan was dozing off in the back of the cart, sun warm on his face. He had stretched out across the hard wooden planks, legs swung over Phil's thighs. It was a bold move, but one he was willing to risk. Phil was staring straight ahead, lost in a daydream, occasionally brushing his fingers across Dan's calves. The air grew crisper, the wind stronger, leaving the faintest traces of salt across his drying lips. 

They joined the road that ran along the tops of the harsh cliffs, vegetation morphing from tall forests to tough and sparsely scattered grass. Dan was captivated by the rolling hills that had become so clear in the distance now that they were free from obstruction. He imagined standing at the top, bracing against the wind and looking down on the world below. That was the closest he'd ever get to flying. What drew the most attention, however, was Phil. 

He was looking longingly over at the sparkling blue water and it stood eerily still, despite the rough sea breeze. It sparkled with every disturbance, hinting at what lay in the depths below. Dan shuddered, it was always his fear that he’d be swimming out in the open ocean and his foot would touch something rather worrying. He hoped to god his feet could stay firmly in a dry, buoyant boat and not be plunged into the pleasant, but cold looking water beneath.

He wondered if they would live somewhere like this, slough far away from civilisation, once all this was over. If Phil was being serious that is. Dan wanted so much to believe that the future was set in stone, and not instead faintly imprinted onto the thick fleece of a sheep. Prone to disappear at the faintest ruffle, or in fact be shorn off altogether should the weather change too much.

“What do you think Mras is going to say?” Phil murmured, “About giving the eggs back I mean?”

Dan shrugged,

“He won’t be happy. You should have seen his eyes when I gave them to him, it was as though they were the largest jewels in the world,”

“More precious than any jewel,” Phil sighed.

“What if he doesn’t give them back?”

Phil shrugged,

“Then we make him, I don’t want it to come to that but I will do anything I can to get them back,”

Dan swallowed thickly, images of dancing flames playing behind his eyelids.

“I’m sure we can convince him to hand them over peacefully, I’m quite the charmer,” He said with a wink. Phil rolled his eyes, looking unconvinced,

“Sure you are,”

Eventually, the cart rolled into a small port town and they were ordered off. The houses that surrounded them were light sandstone rather than the harsh grey rock back in Northguard. The feeling was brighter, airier, Dan was almost sad they had to leave. Before he had much time for admiring they were herded onto a somewhat lopsided pier and into a fairly large wooden sailing boat with a great canvas sail. Dan looked up at it in awe. He’d never been on one of these before.

Phil sat uneasily on one of the long wooden benches, peering over the edge as water lapped softly against the hull.

“You don’t like it?” Dan asked, striding around the deck to pull at the various bits of rope that hung down from the mast.

“I’m just not used to it,” Phil said quietly. 

“Yeah well neither am I and I don’t look terrified. Surely this isn’t any worse than flying?”

Phil shrugged.

“I trust my own wings, I know they will not falter unless I falter myself. I feel like this thing could tip at any time and I would be in the mercy of the ocean,”

“Look, this ship has probably sailed this route a hundred times before, and it’s still in one piece. There’s nothing to worry about,”

He gingerly took Phil’s hand in his, squeezing gently. After a moment the let his own hand slacken, expecting Phil to pull his away. Instead, they remained interlocked, albeit loosely. Dan suddenly became hyper aware of the sailors that milled about the deck around, but tried to push those thoughts down. Phil needed comfort and he was going to give it to him. Internal fears be damned.

Unfortunately, however, it seemed that Dan had been wrong, and Phil did have something to worry about.

Almost as soon as they got into open water, and the once seemingly still water became rougher and rougher, Phil’s already pale complexion turned a sickly green. His head was resting on the outer edge of the hull, eyes pressed shut. He already emptied the contents of his stomach overboard and looked as though he was planning to do the same with his wearied body.

“How are you not dying,” he groaned, peaking an eye open to look at Dan. Dan laughed softly,

“I don’t know, maybe because I don’t get seasick. It happens with some people. Besides, they said we’d be there before tomorrow morning. The wind is in our favour thank God, it’s the only thing that ever is,”

“Don’t laugh at me, it’s not funny. You’re just lucky,” Phil sighed.

Dan shook his head fondly, giving his shoulders a quick squeeze. He might have gone in for a full hug if the other man didn’t smell vaguely of vomit.

When they arrived at the island, they were whisked away almost immediately. The house sat high on the island, overlooking the barren, windswept slopes below. A wide, winding path led up to a pair of impressive gates which they were unceremoniously shoved through. Why anyone would decide to build a holiday home here was beyond Dan.

“Finally, " Phil muttered, looking up at the house with pursed lips."It's a pretty nice, I hope I don't have to burn it down," 

They were led through the front doors after a quick and awkward frisk by one of the many guards. Actually, there seemed to be guards all over the place, he couldn't imagine why such a remote area would have to be so heavily fortified? Maybe Mras was more paranoid than he thought. They were greeted by a butler almost as soon as their feet crossed the hearth. 

"We have informed the master of your arrival, he is quite perplexed. He'll be waiting for you in the study," he said sternly. 

Dan nodded with a slight smile, but hung back, leaning in close to Phil. 

"Let me do the talking. If everything goes to shit you grab the eggs and I'll deal with Mras OK?" He whispered, eyes darting around the grand entrance hall.

Phil nodded hesitantly, face going blank as he tried to put on his best 'serious business' expression.  I wasn’t that convincing but Dan appreciated the effort. 

The butler turned, giving them a warning look.

Mras’s study was like nothing Dan had ever seen before, and he’d been forced to observe many collections in his time as the supplier of them. The room was as large as a house, open and uninterrupted by columns or walls. The ceiling was high, supported by thick, strong wooden beams embedded into the hard stone walls. Bookcases lined the walls, but instead of books, there were bottles and vials or small glass chests fastened with brass locks. In the centre, there was an enormous tree, its leaves a fiery red.

Whilst Dan gaped as the vast number of items that lined the walls, Phil’s eyes were locked on two items in particular. Specifically the two perfect blck eggs, propped up on soft silk cushions by the fire. Mras eyed him wearily, putting himself between Phil and the eggs. Phil let out an almost audible growl of annoyance.

“Why are you here Dan? Are you going to show me your new inventory or what? And who’s your friend?”

Dan turned sharply,

“I lied, I don’t have anything to sell you, rather I want to buy something back,”

Mars pursed his lips, quickly growing tense,

“I don’t appreciate being misled, nor will I indulge you by hearing you out. Get out,” 

He spoke calmly, but the undertone to his voice was deep and dangerous. Dan swallowed thickly,

“The eggs, I need them back. I will return your gold in full and you never have to see me again,”

Mras shook his head, face becoming increasingly red,

“I will not hear of it, they are my most prized possessions, I should have known nobody could give them up so easily,”

“You are right, I should not have given them up so easily, but only because they weren’t mine to sell. I must return them to their original guardian,” Dan replied calmly, fear beginning to creep up his spine. Fuck, why couldn’t something just go right for once,

“Well tough, they’re mine now,” The wealthy man stated, not raising his voice despite the veins growing ever more present on his face. He stepped forwards suddenly, grabbing Dan by his wrist and hauling him towards the door with a surprising amount of strength. He was pushed to the floor, scrambling to get up before the butler, who had been looming ever closer throughout their conversation, got his hands on him.

Phil pulled him to his feet, ushering him away from both men. Dan wasn't one to cower in a fight, but Phil would protect him,  and he was far more capable in this situation than Dan could ever be now the talking was done. He kept behind him, one hand twisted in the fabric of his shirt in both fear of being separated and the desire to let Phil know that everything was going to be okay.

"Those eggs are mine," Phil said firmly, "You can't keep them,"

Mras scoffed, 

"Called dibs on them did you? I bought them for a fair price, where they came from before that has nothing to do with me,"

"You cannot possibly care for them when they hatch, what are you going to do then," 

Mras splayed his hands, looking around his collection in all its splendor,

"Look about you boy, I am one of the wealthiest men in the known world. Who else would be in a better position to raise them, even to feed them alone would bancrupt most. They shall be my loyal beasts, a teatime to my success," he exclaimed almost joyfully. 

Phil groaned in a foul mix of frustration and distaste, 

"They aren't beasts, they are children. They belong with one of their own,"  

"And I'm supposed to trust that you will deliver them to one? For all I know you've simply found a higher bidder, and your friend here regrets being so hasty in selling them to me," 

"I do regret it, but that isn't the reason," Dan grumbled, earning a light 'shut up' nudge from Phil. 

"I have no interest in money, I just want to get those eggs back where they belong, and you aren't going to stop me," 

"Those eggs belong here, with me, and they are never leaving," Mras spat, hovering over them possessively.

Phil closed his eyes and Dan braced, moving himself away from the fire. The flames once again began to jump, but Phil hesitated, letting them settle once more. 

" What are you doing? Start the fire, " Dan murmured. 

Phil shook his head, 

"I can't, the eggs are too close,"

Dan groaned, 

"Are you telling me dragon eggs aren't immune to fire? Phil they're dragon eggs. Isn't fire your whole shtick?" 

 "Yes but I can still burn in this body, who's going to grab them when they're engulfed in flames, you?" 

Mras stepped back fearfully, 

"What are you? Never mind, I'll have you both killed for this. You come into my home under false pretences, you threaten to take my possessions, and now you threaten me. I won't stand this sort of disrespect. I have treated you well scavenger, and this is how you repay me?"

Phils hand moved down until it was finally grasped firmly around Dan's wrist, 

"I think we need to leave, right now," 

"But your eggs," Dan hissed. 

"We can deal with that later, but for now I really don't want you killed," 

They rushed past the butler who made an attempt to grab them, hand gripping at the fabric of Dan's shirt but ultimately failing to hold on. 

Mras shouted for the guards but they were already out of the door and halfway up the drive before any of them understood what was going on. A few made a feeble attempt to chance but they were weighed down by heavy armour. Besides it wasn't like they had anywhere to go. They were trapped on the island and there was no way they would get down to the Dock in time before the alarm was sounded. 

"Fuck Phil, what do we do?"

Phil groaned in frustration, 

"I don't know, there must be somewhere we can hide and wait this out, let's just be glad they don't have bows," 

Almost as if on cue an arrow whizzed past Dan's head, sticking firmly into the ground ahead, their run became more desperate as they regaled how out in the open they were. A few more hit the earth with loud thumps around them before they were able to get to the edge of the cliff, flinging themselves down the steep and poorly kept track for cover. 

They ran along the beach for a little while, arriving in a cave gasping for breath.

"I don't know how that could have gone any worse," Dan gasped. Phil placed his finger to his lips, listening intently. At first only the crashing of the waves could be heard, thunderous against the rocky beach, but slowly the sound of clanking armour and shouts became clearer. 

"They're going to find us eventually, and we'll be slaughtered," Phil murmured. 

Slowly dread began to take hold of Dan. He never thought this was going to happen, was he really going to die. Surely Mras had some humanity, or had his obsession over those damn eggs stripped it all away? 

Phil stepped forward, bringing him into a strong hug. Dan buried his face in the dragons chest, relishing in his warmth. 

"I won't let them harm you Dan, even with a sword though my heart I'd stand for you. Don't cry, please don't cry it's all going to be okay," 

There was nothing he could do, Dan knew that, but it didn't stop the words from bringing comfort to him. 

"If we get out I'm going to come and live with you, I hope you meant it seriously when you said I could. We can have a nice house by the sea, so far away we'll never be bothered by anyone else," 

Phil smiled, holding him tighter still, 

"Yes we will," 

"I like you Phil, like I like. I don't care that you aren't human, or if you don't feel the same, I just think you ought to know," 

Phil placed a kiss on top of his head, 

"I like you to," he said with a grin, "If only we weren't having this revelation in such a dire circumstance," 

"I know," Dan groaned, giggling slightly , "Such a cliche."

In that moment he almost didn't care that they were about to be murdered. And then he realised he didn't have to. The tooth. 

Part 10

"Phil please listen, and don't be mad," Dan said suddenly. Phil pulled back, looking concerned. 

"I think I have a way out of this. How long does it take you to complete the spell that turns you back into a dragon?" 

Phil shrugged, 

"A couple of minutes, don't need much for the reversal. I don't have anything relating to my past self though, nothing I can use to complete it. Else I would have done it a long time ago don't you think," 

Dan but his lip, trying to push down the guilt that was steadily rising in his stomach. Maybe it was just best to die with the knowledge that he might have had a chance with Phil, rather than ruin it all so soon after it had begun. Then again that would also lead to Phil's death and that simply wasn't fair. Besides he didn't want to die,  it now he had hope for the future. 

"I'm sorry, I lied to you as well, I didn't want you to just leave. Please you're the only friend I've had in years," he said quietly, words sticking in his throat, thickening into a vile sludge that choked him. Phil frowned, 

"What are you on about?" 

Dan let out of drawn out sigh, 

"I didn't sell everything, I kept a tooth. I thought if I gave it to you, you'd abandon me. I'm sorry," 

Phil stood mouth agape, 

"What the fuck Dan, we could have saved so much time. I would have taken you with me anyway you idiot. Give it here," 

Dan handed it over, resisting the urge to grovel at Phil feet for fear of wasting time. 

"You stay here, find somewhere to hide, lie down and don't move until I come and get you," Phil said sternly, storming out of the cave, tooth clutched in hand. 

Where was he going, he was going to get himself shot. Dna began to run after him, hesitating by the opening in the rock. It was all going to be OK, everything was going to be fine. It had to be. God this was all such a mess. 

Suddenly the crashing of waves was smothered by a terrifying cry, deafening and inhuman. He recognised it deep in his heart, it was the same awful noise he'd heard all those nights ago when he thought it would be a good idea to pluck two eggs from the safety of their nest. 

So Phil had done it, he was a dragon again. That meant they'd be safe, right. Almost immediately after that thought flashed across his mind an arrows slammed into the rock a foot or so from his head, splintering upon impact and sending shards of wood pattering onto the stony floor. Fuck, he should have been hiding. 

He ducked behind the opening, contemplating his options. Either he waits in here for someone to come in here and slaughter him like a pig in a pen, or he makes a break for it and hopes for the best. If there's an enormous dragon flying overhead surely he isn't going to be top priority? It didn't take him long to make up his mind. 

He darted out of the cave, quickly taking shelter behind some nearby rocks. There were two guards hovering on the beach, occasionally looking fearfully to the sky. Their bows were drawn, ready to hit anything that moved. Dan could sense their fear from here, in the way they held themselves and their quick movements. He imagined they would not be in the best state for making good shots, but then again he didn't really want to risk it. He cowered behind the rock, praying they had not seen him leave the cave. 

They continued to approach the entrance, repeatedly detracted by the cacophony of noise sounding from the cliff above. There were shouts of orders, crashes that shook the very earth he stood on, punctured every now and again by that awful roar. It left his ears ringing, yet he had yet to lay eyes on the creature who made it. 

A man appeared on the edge of the cliff, calling down to the two guards, gesturing for them to come up. They nodded in agreement, drawing their swords, and sticking their heads through the opening of the cave, reading to cut the throat of anyone hiding within. Upon seeing that it was empty, they turned and began to scramble up the steep grass track to join the rest of their squad. Dan let out a long sigh of relief.

He sat there for a little longer, until the cacophony became muffled and the ground stilled. Had Phil won, what was going on? What if they'd killed him, oh god what if he was dead. The fear continued to creep through him as he forced himself to wait, eventually becoming too much. He stood up, legs cracking after so long crouched in the same position and crept towards the path. 

Eventually he was able to stick his head over the edge of the cliff, nostrils filled with the stench of smoke. The house was aflame, the study gone, reduced to rubble. There were burnt patches in the grass covering the island, although thankfully it appeared to be free from casualties. The soldiers huddled in a small cluster, Mras at their centre, and towering above them was a magnificent blue dragon. 

His scales shimmered water under a bright sun, eyes a flaming red. It did not seem however that he had gone completely untouched by the fight, arrows pierced the thin membrane of his wings, a few others were still lodged into his legs and belly, wedged between scales. Dan watched as one by one the guard's nerves failed, fleeing the group until only Mras remained, carrying in his arms the two eggs. 

Dan got up from his position, moving towards the dragon and his target. Perhaps he would be able to convince Mras to stand down. Phil had clearly avoided hurting anyone, had he willed it the earth would have been littered with corpses. It wasn't like the rich man had any other choice, he had to see hy now that he couldn't hold onto those eggs for much longer. 

"Mras give up," Dan exclaimed, stumbling over the rough, charred ground. 

"This was your doing?" the merchant sneered. 

"Does it matter? Hand over the eggs and we'll let you go," 

Mras shook his head desperately, 

"I can't, I need them. I will only spend the rest of my life dreaming of them if I give them up. Don't you see, I am their guardian now, " 

Phil growled, wings flaring, silhouette blocking out the dimming sun and casting them both into shadow. 

"No you aren't, you never were and you never will be. We don't want to hurt you Mras but you must give them back to us," 

"Never," Mras growled, clutching onto his precious cargo with such fervent possession that Dan worried he might crush them under his grip. 

Suddenly there was a searing pain in Dan’s foot and he let out a strangled cry. He looked down with horror to find an arrow sticking out from his foot, having hit with such force that it had gone all the way through and embedded firmly into the soil beneath. A frightened guard hovered on the fringe on the field, darting away as Phil turned to face him, teeth bared. 

Mras took his opportunity to run, as if it would do him any good. He made it maybe ten feet before being  engulfed in flame. Dan might have screamed in horror as the man collapsed to his knees, grieving for a life he did not necessarily like but ought to be there just the same. Instead he fell to his own knees, vision going foggy as the pain in his leg became unbearable.

He could feel every pulse of his heart, his boot was quickly becoming sodden with a steady stream of warm blood. He lifted his foot, snapping off the arrowhead which sent a wave of agony throughout his entire body. Then he grasped the wooden shaft, yanking it out in one quick movevent. He’d hoped that once it was gone the pain would ease, but blood only continued to flow. He was quickly becoming weaker and weaker. The last thing he saw before blacking out was the great blue dragon approaching. Maybe he’d be put out of his misery.

When Dan woke, it was with the worst headache he’d ever had to endure. He felt like he’d been out drinking for seven consecutive nights and every hangover and rolled into one. The surface on which he lay was cold and flat, although a thin blanket had been wrapped tightly around him. He tried to sit up, immediately letting out a long groan as his head turned fuzzy. There was a sligh grunt to his side and he turned to see Phil lying next to him, looking equally awful, although surprisingly in his human form. 

“Shhh, don’t try to get up, you lost a lot of blood,” he murmured, voice hoarse.

Dan looked down to see his foot tightly wound in strips of cloth, already soaked with blood. He grabbed his forehead, desperate to stop the pounding in his skull,

“What happened, where are we?”

Phil shrugged,

“I don’t know. You fainted and I didn't know what to do. There were so many guards still around, I just picked you up and flew as far as I could. I took a quick look round, there isn’t anybody for miles and miles,”

Dan nodded slowly. They were close o a beach, he could taste it on his lips, and the sun was bright and warm as it shone down through the canopy of the trees above. The trees were strange, with broad leaves and thick, fibrous trunks. He could see fruit on some of them, flowers on others. It was a beautiful sight.

“I’d take you back to the mainland, but I'm too weak to fly right now. You don’t mind waiting do you?” Phil yawned. Dan frowned,

“No, I don’t want to go back, I want to stay here with you. You said I could, you promised,”

Phil’s eyes were on the floor, shoulders hunched,

“You saw me kill someone Dan, you watched me burn someone alive and you still want to be with me?” He said softly. Dan shrugged, but in his kind he hesitated.

Ok, so Phil had murdered Mras, a long time customer and seeming okay guy, but it hadn't been without reason. The merchant had ordered their deaths, he was the reason Dan was shot.

“To be fair I was quite distracted,” he replied with a forced laugh, gesting down to his bandaged foot. Phil gave him a look that pierced Dan right through his soul,

“You didn’t have a choice, and what’s done is done,” He said softly.

Pil nodded slowly, still looking unconvinced.

“What do we do now then?” he asked quietly. Dan shrugged.

“You’re the one who knows how to live it out here rough, I have no idea about all this surval crap,”

Phil rolled his eyes fondly,

“I can sort all that out, I meant what do we do about us? Do you still . . . like me?”

A grin spread across Dan’s face, despite how crappy he felt.

“Of course I do, you just saved my life for a second time, how could I resist such a hero?” He exclaimed dramatically, although completely sincerely.

Phil smiled brightly,

“Really? Well, I like you too,” he smirked. Dan yawned, laying his head down onto the compact earth of the forest floor,

“Haven't we been through all of this before?”

Phil nodded,

“Yeah but I was just making sure. Everything is changing so fast, we only met two weeks ago but it feels like months,”

Dan sighed, 

“I know, it’s been mad. Are the eggs safe?”

Phil nodded with a smile.

“I won’t steal them this time,” Dan said weakly, earning a light and joking slap from Phil,

“Don’t you even dare. I just need to sleep,” he groaned.

“God what a mistake that was,” Dan sighed. 

“Not that much of a mistake, you got me afterall,” Phil replied with a wink. Dan rolled his eyes,

“Not so hung up on it now that they’re back are you,”

“Shut up, I’m making the best of a bad situation,”

“You’re ridiculous did you know that?” Dan yawned, feeling his eyelids growing heavy.

“Well you better get used to it,” Phil smirked. Dan hummed in agreement. Yes, he probably would.

Epilogue 

The sky was blue and clear, the air humid but not so much that it was oppressive. Dan sat on the beach, the soothing crashing of the waves washing over him as he absorbed the warmth of the summer sun. His hair blew in the wind, falling down into his eyes. He should probably ask Phil to cut it for him, or maybe not. He didn't exactly trust the man with anything sharp, especially so close to his face. He remembered when he would have had to visit a barber, or sit in front of the mirror in a dank old Inn room. He didn’t miss those days.

Curled in his lap was a bundle of red scales, tail twisted tightly around his thigh, sister bounding about by the sea, dipping her little claws into the swash and flicking the water back onto the sand. They'd hatched not long ago, in fact they didn't even have names yet. Dan kept suggesting them but Phil wasn't all that impressed, apparently simply calling them Red and Blue wasn't good enough. They'd figure them out on their own soon is what Phil kept saying. Dan wished that humans could choose their own name, although he dreaded to think what he would have called himself in his teenage years. 

Speaking of Phil, he was off hunting, which was why Dan was babysitting. Dan had tried a few times, but had always returned empty handed, or empty clawed he supposed. Evidently it was going to take him more than a few months to figure out all the intricacies of occupying a body with a y-axis. So for now he let Phil deal with it. 

Suddenly an unexpectedly large wave crashed against the beach, soaking the sister and sending water so far up the beach it almost wet Dan's trousers. She squealed in horror, scampering over to Dan sand hiding her head beneath his arm. Dan cooed, picking her up and rubbing her gently. They hadn't gotten their flame yet, it was very important to keep them warm. 

The sound of flapping wings came behind them, kicking up sand which swirled into the air like it had just been hit by a tornado. Before Dan could even turn around, Phil was in his human form, standing over the enormous fish he had just plucked from the sea. Dan grimaced, admittedly the food out here wasn't great, but he could live with it of it meant his family's safety, 

"Well done, successful trip," Dan smiled, giving Phil a quick peck on the cheek. Phil grinned, 

"Indeed," he exclaimed happily, sinking down onto the sand next to his mate. 

The sister joyfully leaped into Phil's lap, settling comfortably against her guardian. They preferred him in his dragon state, but were slowly getting used to him staying as a human more and more. It was only temporary of course, once Dan got more comfortable in his other body they would split the time in each form more evenly, but Phil was understanding in time it might take. A lot had changed for Dan.