Carlito was still in his dragon form as SJ arrived back at the clearing where he had first met her. He lay curled up, his tail tucked around his body, reminding SJ of a sleeping cat. His eyes were closed as she came into land on Kibble.
Concerned by his appearance, SJ dismounted from Kibble and grew.
"Are you okay?" SJ asked as she neared his still form. SJ could see his chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths.
Carlito opened one eye and looked at her. "I'm just tired. I said it affected me."
"I have food with me. You said that you are hungry as well, normally?"
Carlito let out a snort.
"This isn't normal. I haven't drained my poison or used my ability for probably three centuries. I can honestly say I had forgotten just how much it does drain me."
SJ removed the sack that she had been given at the Hogling Arms under Floretta's instruction.
She removed some portions of cold meats that were wrapped in waxed paper. "Would these help?"
Kibble looked at the meat excitedly, and she swore she saw saliva drip from his mouth. SJ called her claws to her hand and then carefully sliced the meat into thin strips before handing some to Kibble.
He gulped it down greedily, eyeing her for more. As SJ fed Kibble another piece, Carlito shifted, uncurling his tail and transforming back into his elven form. He stood and stretched, yawning as he walked over to where she was now sitting.
SJ removed more of the food from the sack and handed it to him.
"Thanks," he said, eating. He looked tired, his usual elven skin tone paler than usual. The effects of his dragon ability were even evident in his changed appearance.
Calrito ate the food slowly, and as the explosion of taste flooded his mouth, his eyes opened a little wider.
"This is good," he said around a mouthful of food.
"Thanks to Floretta. She is a Master Cook."
"You have a Master Cook in Killic?" Carlito was surprised by the statement.
"Yes. She works at the Hogling Arms."
"I may have to meet her," he said, devouring the food.
SJ removed more and gave it to him. The food she had been given was supposed to last her a few days if needed, but that wasn't going to happen, feeding a post-skilled drained dragon.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, until Carlito eventually lifted his hand when SJ offered him more food.
"That's enough for now. Thank you," he smiled. "How did it go with the lizards?"
"Kibble was amazing," SJ said, stroking him softly. He had also finished eating and climbed onto her lap, curling up, satiated for now. His little head tucked into the crook of her arm, and he was purring like a kitten.
"He managed to control... sorry influence one of the lizards. It started to cause chaos until I think a draconian who must have been their leader came and dealt with it."
Carlito smiled as he lay back on the thick, luscious grass of the clearing, folding his hands behind his head.
"I wish I could have seen it, but there was no way I could have stayed flying. I only just made it back to the clearing before my wings gave out."
"Remind me never to ask you to do that again, if it leaves you this winded."
Carlito scoffed. "I'll be fine in a while. I suppose it must be like a mage when they suffer from mana exhaustion. It makes me want to sleep."
"The path is gone. The mages collapsed it completely. There is now only a cliff in place of what was there before. Once it's light," SJ looked upwards. "I will go back and confirm exactly what damage it achieved."
Carlito just nodded his head as his eyes closed. "I'm just going to sleep for a while."
SJ looked around the clearing. It was likely safe, but they were away from the others and by themselves, and if Carlito did fall asleep, the last thing she needed was for someone to stumble upon them.
"Here," SJ said, as she handed a bottle towards Carlito.
He opened his eyes again and frowned, looking at the swirling liquid inside the bottle SJ held.
"Rejuvinatus?" Carlito asked.
"Yes. Drink some, and then we should really head back to where the others are."
Carlito propped himself up on an elbow and took the bottle from her. He pulled the cork and then took a drink. It seemed to take longer for Carlito to react than with others she had seen drink it, but slowly the colour started to return to his face. His cheeks no longer looked as grey and pale, their usual sheen returning. He handed the bottle back.
"Thanks."
"No problem. Let me know if you need more."
"I should be fine for now. It won't stop the tiredness fully, but it will help."
The fact that Rejuvinatus wasn't the cure-all energy spike that she had experienced for Carlito didn't concern her, but it did raise questions.
"Can I ask you something?" SJ asked.
"Sure," Carlito said, lying flat again, this time his eyes were open.
"When you eat, how does it work?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean. In dragon form, you are huge, but you can change into elven, human form and the like. Is the food you require related to size?"
Caliro smirked. "Very astute. Yes. If I had remained in dragon form, I would have required much more to eat. Your size changes must be similar?"
SJ had never even considered eating in her miniature form and wondered if it was. If that were the case, the food she would need could be tiny in proportion, if she only ever ate in miniature form. It may not be very practical, but it was something to consider.
"I have never eaten in miniature form, but now you say it, it does make sense," SJ replied.
"Correct," Dave said. "Food portions are related to the consumer's body size and will change accordingly. And nope. Don't even ask how it works."
"I think we should head back to the others," SJ said.
Carlito rose slowly and rolled his shoulders. "Okay."
SJ stood lifting Kibble carefully and cradling him in her arms. He didn't even stir as they began to walk through the forest in the direction of the town guard.
The animal trails were easy to follow, and they soon broke out into the clearing by the river. The newly formed cliff face still groaned as the changes to its geology continued to settle. A fire that the gnolls had started had been kept burning, and a group of the guards sat around it, while others looked down into the valley below.
"Halt," a voice called, seeing the pair of them appear from the forest.
It was still dark enough that many beings wouldn't see them coming easily unless they had night vision.
"It's SJ," SJ called.
"Is that you, ambassador?" a voice replied. The man who had spoken looked to be in his late forties. He wore dark leather armour that had seen better days. It looked faded and almost worn in parts.
"Yes. It's me," SJ said, approaching the fire.
The guards sitting at the fire all turned and watched her approach with the strange elf that none of them recognised. The human guard who had challenged her frowned.
"And who is he?"
"A friend," was all SJ said in response.
He looked at Carlito warily. Carlito just smiled back.
"Have you seen the Lieutenant?" SJ asked, using Lorna's official title.
"Yeah. She returned to the holding area with the injured."
"SJ," a voice she recognised called. SJ turned and saw the half-elf striding from by the far end of the cliff-edge.
"Darren," SJ said, happy to see her friend.
"Come, we should talk," Darren said, ushering SJ to one side, away from the fire. Carlito remained standing by it, not following.
Once they were out of earshot, he turned toward her. "Do I dare ask?" he raised an eyebrow.
"About what?" SJ said, genuinely confused.
"About the fact that a dragon miraculously turns up and saves us."
It was SJ's turn to smirk. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"Liar, liar pants on fire," Dave said.
SJ ignored Dave as she continued. "I think we were just very lucky."
"Luck had nothing to do with it. Now, where is the dragon? I really want to meet one up close," Darren said, his voice filled with excitement.
With Carlito being a kept secret, SJ wasn't just about to start introducing him or bragging about him being a dragonling. Never mind that he was also her guardian and one of Asterfal's most renowned assassins.
"I'm glad the push worked so well," SJ said, changing the subject.
"Yeah. It went very well. We only lost four in the push."
Four was still too many in SJ's opinion.
"Damn. I was hoping there would be no more losses. I'm not sure how many more deaths of friends or family I could face," SJ cursed.
"Compared to what it could have been, we should think ourselves lucky. If that dragon hadn't done what they did, I doubt we could have managed to push them back at all. Even with my bonuses to archery and special skills, my arrows did little damage. They did do a good job of annoying them at least," Darren smiled.
"I saw," SJ said, returning the smile. "So, what's the plan?"
"For now, we stay here. At least until first light, then we can see the extent of the damage. We can't really say for definite in this light."
"Have you spoken to Alice?"
"No. Not since I have been out here."
"I need to do something about this. Communication is an issue for most of us."
"How? You can't exactly spawn communication stones."
"I can't, no, but we have an auction house. I'm going to head back and see Lorna. I guess a runner has been sent to town already?"
"One was sent immediately. Also, we know there are several familiars of the druids also reporting back."
"I'm surprised they aren't out here," SJ said. The fact that, from what she was aware, all the druids were still in Killic didn't make sense to her. She would have thought them more useful on the ground, bringing intel straight to the troops.
"I get the impression from what Alice told me that many of them aren't very skilled. Most of the information that she has received in the past has been contradictory."
"Oh," SJ replied, a little surprised. She didn't understand the druid class. Her knowledge was limited to video games from Earth. "I'll see you soon," SJ finished as she returned to the fire, still carrying Kibble, where Carlito stood.
They continued back through the forest, the main track was clear, and it was the easiest route to reach the holding area. SJ would have expected to hear more noise than she did as she approached. The clearing was busy, but no one really spoke. Many of the town guard just sat with comrades, recuperating from the recent conflict. The air still felt tense, and SJ could see Lorna talking to a tall ent.
"It's going to keep collapsing for some time yet," the ent said. "The amount of mana we pumped into the slope is likely to have significant effects while the residual mana continues to be released.
"Do you know how long exactly?"
"No. Sorry," the ent shrugged.
"Thanks. Farisquai, and thank Fran for me when you see her." Lorna said.
"I will." The ent smiled before turning and striding purposefully back into the forest.
"Great job," SJ said as she approached Lorna.
Lorna looked at SJ, then at Carlito, and then back at SJ, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. She reached out, grabbing her arm.
"Both of you come with me," she said, her voice carrying authority as she urged SJ. SJ knew this moment would come and still hadn't decided how to handle it.
They followed Lorna away from the main area and deeper into the forest until they reached a small clearing where a backpack and blankets lay by the base of a tree.
"Sit," Lorna said, offering them the blanket.
Carlito didn't need telling twice and willingly dropped down to sit cross-legged on the blanket.
Lorna kept glancing at him as she dug in her pack and pulled out a waterskin. SJ wondered why it wasn't in her inventory, but wasn't going to ask.
Lorna sat also across from SJ and Carlito. She didn't take her eyes from Carlito as she drank greedily from the waterskin. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand when she finished, she placed it down before folding her arms and staring directly at Carlito.
"You are, aren't you?" Lorna said.
"I'm what?" Carlito said non-commitally.
"You're a shifter. I felt your presence when you entered the clearing."
Carlito raised an eyebrow.
"It takes one to know one," Lorna said, smiling as she grew her front teeth. The exceedingly vicious and sharp points of her weretiger teeth were starting to form. She didn't transform fully and stopped, returning to her human form.
"Ah. A lycan," Carlito said.
"Yes. You're no lycan, though. Yet, I can sense you are a shifter."
"What did Cristy tell you?" SJ asked.
"That you had a friend who would cause a distraction from the air. You can imagine how surprised I was to see a dragon suddenly attack the gnolls."
"So she didn't mention..."
"No, nothing."
"It's a rare gift you have, being able to sense shifters. I have similar, but only for my kind," Carlito said.
SJ could see the battle of wills as they had locked eyes. Lorna knew, but without seeing, she couldn't confirm, and Carlito wasn't about to give her a show.
"So, what are you exactly?" Lorna squinted.
"I am a friend of SJ's," Carlito smiled.
Lorna huffed. "It was you, wasn't it, and if that's the case, there is only one being you can be."
"I don't know what you are referring to."
Lorna shook her head in exasperation. "For the love of Amathera. Just admit you're a dragonling. I know of no shifter who could ever take on a beast that size. Never mind having the actual abilities of the beast as well. Therefore, there is only one conclusion."
Carlito smirked. "It would be poor of me to keep the charade up," he nodded. "I am indeed a dragonling, although I would ask that you do not communicate this information."
SJ hadn't been sure whether Carlito would admit it. She supposed that none of them knew him as Carlito the assassin from Asterfal in Killic. Dragonlings may be rare, but they were only beings after all.
"What's your name?" Lorna asked.
"You can call me Fas," Carlito said.
"And you may call me Lieutenant," Lorna replied. "I have a title in the town, and I don't know you well enough for you to address me on personal terms."
That comment took SJ by surprise.
"That's fine, Lieutenant," Carlito replied, smiling warmly. His elven form exuded a subtle charm, and Lorna smirked in response.
Carlito's dragonling name was Fasquiliatieousacidulum, so Fas was rather apt.
"I prefer that to Carlito," Dave said.
'It also keeps his name from the general town as well if it slips out what he is,' SJ thought.
"Not that it would matter if it did. He could just change into something different as he chooses."
'True,' SJ thought.
"Lorna. When you next send a runner to town, can you ask Alice to check the auction house for communication stones? I don't know if they have them, but we are really not doing well here without them."
Lorna looked at SJ, shaking her head. "It has been done already. There were none. She set a request, hoping that it would get fulfilled."
"Damn," SJ cursed, although she was happy that the town had thought of it. That was one less thing to worry about. "I am going to stay here until the morning to see the state of the valley, and then I will head back to town. I want to speak to Zigferd about the defences."
"You can rest for a while, use my blankets. When the sun is high enough, I will get someone to come and wake you," Lorna said, as she stood. "I need to check on the injured anyway."
"How many were there?" SJ asked, feeling bad that she hadn't enquired.
"There were only five that needed a direct cleric's input after the push. The remainder were fine with potions."
"Any serious?" SJ asked, concerned.
"Hopefully not," Lorna smiled. "Anyway, rest for a few hours. You look exhausted."
"You've got no room to talk," SJ said.
Lorna smiled as she turned and walked back to the main area.
"You heard what the Lieutenant said," Carlito sighed as he lay back on the blanket, immediately closing his eyes.
SJ just shook her head in disbelief as she carefully moved Kibble, placing him down before lying down herself. With her head resting on her arm, she looked at her companion fondly. She closed her eyes, stroking Kibble as he continued to let out a soft purr.
