Author's notes:

Hey guys! It's been a while since my last update on the main story. Been pretty busy lately. Started writing an OG fic that I'll try to e-publish sometime (under a pseudonym so I won't get shot or abducted by the cops where I'm at) and I've been riding the investing rollercoaster that is the COVID era.

Anyway, I am dedicating this chapter to my online buddy, SKDaGamer! Y'all may know him best for Broken Perceptions (one of the more decent human fics in this archive), Demonised (a story I admittedly have never read but have heard about the way every single character pretty much dies in there), and his latest schoolfic Grand Elemental Master (which I read as a guilty pleasure). How so? Well... mainly to set him off. And to that end, I have gone out of my way to make sure this chapter is published in British English format... with a twist.

Unfortunately some words may slip through the cracks because I'm used to writing in 'murican English, so if any of them seep through... be sure to tell me, 'cause Stryker probably didn't catch it. XD

Oh, and here's Stryker's message below.

Hi all Strykeruk here, hope you are all staying safe and that you enjoy a relatively peaceful chapter. This one offering another nice look at the inner working of temple life. 😄

Timestamp key: "D" for days, "W" for weeks, "M" for months, "Y" for years, "EM" for early morning, "LM" for late morning, "EA" for early afternoon, "LA" for late afternoon, "EE" for early evening, "LN" for late night, and "AD" for all day. Note that the Realms follows the sexagesimal system for keeping time, just like Earth. (In other words, 60 seconds per minute and 60 minutes per hour.)

Snip category key: There are four categories of snips. "Settling In", "City Life", "Beyond the Wall", and "The Journey Home". All four represent parallel storylines that take place within Aimless, and other than "Settling In", each snip category has at least two subtypes. Those subtypes aren't listed due to potential spoilers.

Enjoy!

City Life - Threads of Gold

Chapter 45: Moving Up 2

"There are no words to appreciate someone whose words empower children to chase their dreams."

~ Unknown

[43D/LA]

The dragoness stared up at the examiner standing by his lonesome in the middle of the arena. He was an Ice dragon, like her, but with rugged sapphire and white scales and a pair of thick, straight horns.

Her paws quaked with the effort to keep herself standing. "D-done," she barked. "What's the"—she panted, unable to hide her exhaustion as her mustard eyes gazed up at the older, more experienced apprentice before her.—"What's the next task, Senior?"

Her Senior glared sternly at the dragoness. She felt her orchid scales itch as the moments passed. She watched his eyes roll down to the unfurled scroll on the floor, making a mark on the parchment with a talon. She couldn't help but sit on her haunches and lift a hindpaw to scratch at the fin on her cheek, nervous.

"None left," said the older dragon, his muzzle stoic. "Vara, as of this moment you are officially finished with the Summer Examinations." He made a few more markings on the scroll, then began rolling it up. "We will post the results at Coalfire Refectory next Rhetorsha once the Senior Fellows are done with grading. You may leave now."

Vara resisted the temptation to loosen the knot in her belly in a shameless manner unbecoming of a dragon with her lineage. "Many thanks, Senior," she said while giving the older dragon a respectful bow.

The dragon grunted in acknowledgment. That was her cue to leave.

All four of her legs quivered as she walked up to Windvale Arena's sliding doors. She made sure to try and put up a dignified front when she reached up to the handle of one side and pulled half of it open.

"NEXT!" bellowed the proctor, his voice resounding in the subterranean passage ahead.

The waning daylight wafting in from the openings high up in Windvale Arena's cavern shifted to the dim, natural light of the Temple's interior and the many crystals protruding from the walls and ceiling. Vara watched another ice dragon, one she recognized as a top performer in her lounge, get up and approach the door.

Their eyes locked, and that was it, for they didn't know each other, not even their names.

Multiple apprentices rested in the lone corridor connecting Windvale Arena to the rest of the Temple. Many had their snouts to the ailerons studying unfurled scrolls and muttering to themselves. A few laid on the floor in small groups, discussing amongst themselves. Vara smiled to herself while she walked by. That was her a few hours ago, steeling her nerves and working through everything Joshua taught her.

She didn't know—she didn't care how he did it, but the methods he taught her worked. The Summer Examinations for an ice dragon at Vara's level consisted mainly of questioning on general knowledge and demonstrations of skill. The former was manageable, but in a world dominated by power the latter was valued even higher.

Questions pertaining to the geography of the Allied Territories, the history (or mythology) of the Ancestors, or practical applications of the various Elements had less impact on her final grade compared to combining every shaping exercise she'd learned and practised to perform feats, even combat manueovers. The Summer Examinations were especially tough, as it was all done actively. Vara didn't stand in one spot while channelling her mana. No. She had to channel her mana in the correct way while she was on the move. In the air or on the ground.

At least two more of Vara's seniors awaited the proctor's commands in the utilidor leading to Windvale Arena, both also ice dragons. They would trot out during the practical portion and spit blunt icicles or ice balls at Vara while she concentrated on forming an Ice Claw or fired Polar Bombs from the air. Sometimes the proctor would throw her off with seemingly random questions on common knowledge while she danced and pranced about the arena.

Egeria! If all this was for apprentices, how much worse could it be for her seniors? Already Vara imagined vicious sparring, the involvement of the other elements, or even exams taking place outside the Temple. Or, Azeroth's rump, outside Warfang entirely!

Vara quaked at the notion. With what she was capable of, it looked quite hopeless. Even Joshua's tips could only help a dragoness so much. Somehow, she had difficulty manipulating her mana as quickly, as efficiently, and as powerfully as Joshua did with it. She could only hope the practice she put into her shaping exercises under Joshua's direct guidance at least spared her from absolute failu—

"Oh look, the monoscale's passing by," leered a voice.

The corridor had a stairwell at its end with four dragons resting beside it. Vara recognised them from her lounge. "How'd the Summer Exams go for you, False Purple?" the speaker continued, in deceptive singsong. Derision dripped from her pitched voice.

Vara hissed at the abhorrent nickname. She was hatched with orchid scales. A shade of blue so close to purple that scores of people had already mistaken her to be a Purple Dragon just like the Savior. It might have been tolerable if her mastery over Ice came close to Spyro's, but to be weak and a monoscale at that, her own scales had been the cause for so much misery during her apprenticeship here.

"Suck an egg," she muttered, her mustard gaze ogling a beautiful Ice dragoness with turquoise scales. The leader of the group. Vara had come to hate the pair of short, well-groomed horns adorning her head and the bully's glistening yellow underbelly. It was clear to her this dragoness was hatched in Warfang aristocracy and clearly enjoyed seeing her inferiors suffer.

It was a kind of poetic justice that Vara last saw this dragoness in Spyro's special lecture earlier that week. Hatched and raised in the upper class, yet to only have the skill and power of a mere plebeian. It must tickle her liver to put down someone already immersed in their own problems.

"Did any of you hear that?" the bully laughed, chuckling to herself and her friends. "'Suck an egg', the monoscale tells me. Ha! I bet you just flew through a stormcloud back there." She rose to her feet and padded forward to intercept Vara. The bully growled, "I dare you to say that again, False Purple." Her paws drummed on the floor, claws clacking threateningly. "You don't have the cloaca for it!"

Vara snarled, "I'm not in the mood right now." Not knowing whether she failed the Summer Examination was bad enough. Dealing with bullies just compounded the problem.

"Of course it isn't!" hollered another. "You're destined for failure, monoscale. We won't be seeing you here in the Fall."

The dragoness crouched on the floor, preparing to pounce. "Heh," she sneered, "I should send you a farewell gift. That way, if I ever see your muzzle out there, I'll remember your—

"Remember this!" Vara cried at her. She reached into the core of power stored deep inside her and whipped her tail towards the bully. The sensation of Joshua channeling her own mana through her tail—and his soft yet hard fingers squeezing it—filled her mind. She worked past the momentary distraction and managed to send the mana straight through, just as the human taught her.

An icicle manifested directly on her tail and it flew towards the bully's muzzle. Completely caught by surprise, the other dragoness abandoned her crouch and pushed off backwards to avoid getting struck in the snout. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the white shard of ice hitting the enchanted stone and crumbling into pieces on impact.

Vara scowled at this. An icicle from a normal apprentice wouldn't have disintegrated like that instantly. It was supposed to splinter into a few fragments and subsequently melt in the next minute.

The bully and her friends backed off the moment Vara invoked her element. Judging by the apprehensive expressions on all four snouts, they must've misinterpreted her scowl. All the better for her. Now she could finally get out of this stupid hole and find Serenya—

"A-A-A-Azeroth the Infinite! How? HOW?" stammered a third bully. He was a runt, similar to Vara in height, length, and weight, if not slightly smaller. "Y-you're a monoscale! You weren't this good in Lord Spyro's lecture!"

Vara smirked at them. "It's a secret," she jeered, knowing the answer would drive them crazy for days. Hopefully it'd throw them off their flights with the proctor and his assistants later. It would be downright hilarious if they were the ones who failed the Summer Examinations.

Vara bolted the second the words flew out her maw. "Vulcan's Flames!" another dragon shouted. "Get back here, False Purple!"

"Gotta catch me first, scat egg!" Vara cackled. She tucked in her aquamarine wings and dashed upstairs as fast as she could. Several hundred steps spiralled upwards before terminating at a passage that either led to the outside world or deeper into the mountain, to the Residential Area, Proudtail Hall, and other lecture chambers.

Vara continued to run, not trusting her ability to fight off four dragons—two bigger than her—had they decided to chase after her. After half a minute of running, she paused to listen, to determine whether they did pursue her. The silence that ensued was a dead giveaway for her bullies' clear intelligence. Either they've been intimidated by her bluff or they thought it was better to let this go for now and wait until their turn with the proctor was finished.

Vara slowed her pace but maintained a good, even speed up the stairs. The more space between her and those gilded wings, the better. When she emerged onto the landing, she veered right and made her way towards the cavernous opening to the hillside. After a short walk and a few turns in the corridor, Vara finally perceived the top of the small forest surrounding the Temple and the orange light coming in from outside. "Thank Alona," she whispered to herself. "Almost out of here…"

But… what was she going to do now?

Vara hummed in rumination. Lounging around in the Botanic Gardens and rolling on the grass sounded nice—very nice, in fact—though it would've wasted all that effort walking up here as she could have just flown out of Windvale Arena's windows earlier and even eluded that encounter with the bullies.

Her head hurt. Why didn't she think of this earlier? She really should have just flown out that way. "Eh, what's done is done," Vara murmured under her breath. Best not to leave things to Gintomyr the next time around.

She stopped at the small loitering cavern just a short plod away from the opening, where dragons of various elements gathered in small groups, speaking amongst themselves, discussing their experiences in today's Summer Examinations. Sunlight came in the chamber and competed against the glowing crystals peppered above trusses supporting the ceiling.

The thought of flying home early crossed her mind. She rejected it instantly. What a horrible idea! Go home now and suffer her abusive mother? She's as bad as the bullies! No way!

Vara felt like spending time at the Temple a little longer. Maybe until sundown? She had a few hours before the sky went dark and the moons rose to take the sun's place. But what was she going to do? Being on her own was Ancestors-damned boring! Vara sulked. It was times like these she wished she had friends aside from Serenya. But who'd even lounge around with a monoscale like her?

Vara suddenly froze. Come to think of it, shouldn't Serenya be also finished with her Summer Exams by now? How did that go?

She rapped her claws on the floor. "Hmm, now where are the Fire dragons doing their tests?" Vara's muzzle scrunched while she tried to remember if that smushed egg told her about it the other night. Or maybe, she should just wait for that fire dragoness right outside her room?

Suddenly a strident voice groused, "You're blocking the way!"

An unusually large apprentice one-and-a-half times Vara's size swept his paw on Vara and shoved her sideways. As she fell on her flank, she felt the offender's horns strike her rump and send her careening to the floor. She rolled over a couple times.

Dazed, Vara could only look up at the culprit: an Earth dragon glowering menacingly down at her. "You stupid egg," he growled. "Lifebringer's tail, learn some manners! It's rude to block everyone else walking behind you minding their own business. Who do you think you are?"

Vara stammered, anxious. He was huge. She couldn't possibly take him on. "I, I, I-I, I'm sorry," she blubbered. She got on her paws and prepared to present her neck. "I was just—

"Go fly in a volcano, monoscale," the senior apprentice cut her off. He stomped past Vara without glancing at her again. She heard him grumble and curse at her as he left. "Piece of dragon dung. If I wasn't so tired…"

Vara watched the Earth dragon continue onward, breathing a sigh of relief when he finally went away and out of sight. Her gaze panned the chamber; the other apprentices sent judging looks in her direction as they whispered amongst themselves. They couldn't be talking about her, were they?

Were they? Ancestors, she hoped she wasn't getting paranoid now.

Vara heard more movement from behind. Not wanting to have her muzzle shoved to the floor again, she threw herself at the wall right as several apprentices came galloping from the depths of the corridors. A banded dragon appeared near the rear of the group and screeched, "Dragonbane's heading this way!"

Someone replied, "I can't believe it hasn't been executed yet! What're the Guardians doing?"

"Hey!" An electric dragon protested, snarling in reply. "Whoever you are, dung-for-brains, you know nothing! I'm gonna pass the Summer Exams thanks to Novitiate Joshua!"

Another reptile of the same element took his side. "Yeah! The furless ape helped a full lounge of apprentices the other day!" Vara watched sparks crackle around his body. "Show yourself, I dare you!"

"I don't care what he does!" An orange dragon slammed his horns in the latter's flank. "He's working for Lord Caesar, I just know it!"

The other electric dragon glared at the dissenter. "Damn scat egg! I'll tear your horns out!"

"Go ahead and try!" The threat was met with a rude, and loud, burst of noise from the fire dragon's muzzle. He sprinted out of the cavern, with the other two dragons giving chase. The apprentices lounging in the chamber resumed their conversations the second the excitement died down.

Vara sat on her haunches to reflect on the schism slowly taking over the Temple. It was a sign of change for sure. Positive change, she hoped. As her mind meandered back to the subject of killing time, the voices murmuring all around her fell silent. The sheer quiet drew Vara's attention. What's going on? Why was everybody staring towards the corridor?

"Heeyyy," she started to question another apprentice and was in the middle of verbalising when a thought struck her mute. She blinked. Wait a minute… didn't they say Joshua was coming this way?

As soon as Vara turned around, lo and behold everybody's favuorite topic in Warfang was walking through the halls, his apparent destination clearly the stairwell between the loitering chamber and the hillside exit. Every dragon around Vara remained motionless, watching the furless ape. He was flanked by the leopard and the gnorc. Copeland and Streeg, if she remembered their names correctly.

A grin formed on Vara's muzzle. The perfect opportunity to NOT go home just presented itself.

She scanned the other dragons in brief contemplation. If she followed through on what she was thinking right now, it... wouldn't reflect badly on her, would it?

.

.

.

"Psshh," she grumbled dismissively. "Guess I'm leaving it to Gintomyr again."

Wiping the sweat of her paws on the floor, and her anxiety along with it, Vara leaped to the middle of the corridor when the furless ape was nearer. "Heeeyyy!"

Copeland and Streeg were on guard immediately. Vara almost shrunk back when she saw them tighten their grips on their weapons. "They know you," the fallen noble told herself. "They know you, they know you, they know you…"

Another deep breath. Vara steeled her nerves and ambled forward to meet the trio.

Copeland whipped his arm out at his comrade and stopped the massive gnorc from lunging at her. Vara found it hard to describe the relief she also felt when she saw the Talonpoint Knight relinquish his hold on his sword. "Oh, it's you." He jeered, "Our young trespasser."

Vara stared fixedly at him. "Not, funny." She was almost expelled that night. How could anyone find that amusing?

"Guys!" She could hear the human speak up behind the knights. "Why'd you stop? I'm not comfortable—Oh! Vara, is that you?"

Vara approached Joshua Renalia like she normally did with Serenya. Confidently, without the stress or tension in her pawsteps. "The very same, Hairless! Clear skies."

"Uhm, err, mmm—ah! Steady winds, right."

"Someone's learning," Vara sneered. She fell in step beside him, trying hard not to ignore the crowd now that she could feel them all staring at her. It was difficult. She eluded making eye contact with any of the other dragons, her mustard gaze fixed only on Joshua's russet, hairless face. "Anyway I'm glad you recognise me," she said. "For a moment there I thought you were just gonna ignore me." Like everybody else did, she thought.

Joshua cocked an eyebrow at her. Vara hadn't figured out what that gesture meant, but she had a feeling it was an expression of skepticism, or doubt. "Why would I do that? You're my friend."

Hearing him say the word made her heart fly. Friends weren't something the average monoscale had in great abundance, not in Warfang at least. Vara wanted to show her appreciation, but an affable nudge or two probably wasn't the right thing to do when she was under heavy watch. She coughed. "Never expected to see you in this part of the Temple. What're you doing here? Finally decided it's safe to walk out in the open?"

"'Safe? Hell no it's not safe!" Joshua reacted. "I just overheard some dragons fighting back there"—he gestured to the chamber Vara just walked out from with an expression she found funny.—"about me!"

"A couple of apprentices did stick up for you."

"Only because they were there in that class Volteer put in front of me," Joshua said. "Look, Princess, let me tell you something." He leaned closer to Vara and, to her surprise, brought his right arm across her withers and pulled the dragoness in.

Vara squeaked out of reflex, her tail going stiff. She could feel the staring intensify, as though she was rapidly losing all respect from every other apprentice who could see them.

"It's true I've got more people on my side now more than I've ever had," Joshua continued in hushed tones. "Especially the dragons living on the first two floors. But everywhere else? Look around you, Vara. They're nervous. I can sense it."

But she didn't want to look!

She didn't want to see her fellow apprentices. Those reptiles were all judging her for greeting Joshua in public and surely by now they've all figured out Vara had already met him at least once after the incident in Alona Hall. Mother of Knowledge, later tonight her name, or her description, would echo throughout the airstreams… again! And this time she'd definitely be tagged as Dragonbane's friend. Or worse, she might finally be identified as the very same dragon who risked expulsion sneaking up the third floor.

"Hairless, I"—Vara sniffed the air and frowned. With Joshua this close to her, she could easily smell the cloying smell of the lavatoria lingering on him.—"Ugh! You reek!" She placed a paw on the human's chest and pushed him away.

Vara gagged and stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Ugh! I forgot you're one of those manual scavengers."

Joshua's lips pursed into a gauche expression, eventually giving Vara a small smile with dimples forming on his cheeks. Human faces are really expressive, the thought crossed her mind.

"I... try to mask the smell with scented oils they have in the workers' toil"—Joshua caught himself and went with a word Vara comprehended instantly.—"lavatoria but they don't last long enough."

Once more feigning apathy to their audience, Vara booped the human on his shoulder. "They're not that strong either, Hairless," she said and gave him another sniff. "But I'd rather have this over those oils."

"Huh?" Joshua blinked in confusion. "Why?"

"Do you know just how strong those oils can get? There's this stall in Roughneck—

"What's Roughneck?"

Vara had the urge to smack him with her wing, which she succumbed to with fervor. In full view of the public eye, her left wing unfolded with a loud fwoomph and struck Joshua by the shou—by the head. Whoops.

"Ow! Hey, what the hell! Why'd you go and do that?" He started rubbing at a sore spot.

Vara barked, "That's for interrupting me! Besides, are you dumb? Roughneck's the biggest market in Warfang! Massive courtyard, buildings full of people every day, and a crowded VTOL to the nearest speedway—

"You're the one who's dumb," retorted Joshua. "I'm NOT from here, remember?"

"I don't care! Don't you walk through the second floor going down to your job? A lot of the apprentices here are from the central districts—

"Again, Princess, not from here…"

"—and you've been here for a full red cycle, so you have to have heard it by now!" She grunted. "Anyway, there's this stall deep in Roughneck. The bear there offers scented oils in their purest form. Mother likes to get a jar of the stuff once a week, and"—she made a choking noise.—"Blegh! It's overwhelming! It's not as nice as you think when you're the one rubbing layers of it on the scales of a dragon two, three times your size until it cakes over."

"Vara, you have no f*cking clue how bad it is in the lavatoria."

"Of course I do." They continued onward past the chamber and entered the long corridor that led to the exit as well as the stairwell just beside it. "I use it myself!" She leaned close and, with a mischievous tone, whispered into his ear, "And sometimes, I like to do my dirty business in one that's being emptied by the Moles. It feels exhilarating when I hear the manual scavs screaming for joy down there rolling in my—

"What is wrong with you? That is disgusting." Joshua glared at her.

His angry scowl only deepened her smirk. "Not to them."

"...God-f*cking-dammit, Vara, you are sick."

"No, I'm not. I haven't fallen ill since the time I caught Dragon Flu last winter."

His face twisted into an irritated mien. "Jesus Christ, that's not what—ughhh! What I mean is, you have a problem with your f*cking head. Normal people don't do that kind of shit for shits and giggles!"

Vara hummed. "Mmmmmaybe?" She tittered. "But! As long as nobody gets hurt, no one cares. I'm not the only one who also does that for 'shits and giggles' if I understood that right."

Vara looked ahead and noticed how everybody was walking around them, giving way to their presence. The sight of Talonpoint Knights and the so-called "Dragonbane" deterred anyone from plodding straight into the formation. She loved every second of it and it showed in the way her tail furiously swished behind her. So this was how it felt to be in power, to be someone important… It gave her a feeling of superiority far more addicting, and more lasting, than those fleeting moments hunched over a hole in an empty lavatorium.

"I'm… I'm not gonna judge you for that," Joshua finally said. "I know you're just doing it for fun and it doesn't actually hurt anybody but I, I think the joy you get out of it doesn't last long. I'm guessing you do have a problem, and I don't mean your apprenticeship."

Vara locked eyes with him. The human was observant, she'd give him that. They hadn't known each other for very long and already he had an inkling of the Vara's lifelong concerns with what Alona gave her. She chose not to answer him.

Joshua continued, "If you don't want to tell me, fine. I just—someone has to tell you that thing you do in marked-off lavatoria isn't a real solution. You're my friend, and I'll support you the best I can."

That was the best thing Joshua ever said to her that day. He must have seen the widening grin on her muzzle, otherwise he wouldn't have added, "As far as I deem reasonable, by the way. You have a terrible habit of testing limits."

Vara chortled in reaction. "But that's how people should be!" she argued back. "High-flyers in this world don't get to their level soaring on steady winds like smushed eggs. Climbing altitudes takes a strong liver and the will to challenge limits."

Joshua scratched his head and he sighed.

Vara interpreted that as a sign she was right. "See? I was right."

"Not really my point, Princess, but whatever. At any rate, I won't have to worry about you or anybody else dropping a big one on my head anymore, because my days working as one of those f*cking dung scrapers are numbered. You've heard about what happened the other day, have you?"

"Naturally," Vara said. "Everyone's talking about it, even the lesser species. People are telling stories in qawa houses, sentry boxes, markets, diners…"

"Oh my God! The grapevine mill in this place works really fast."

"What's a 'grapevine mill'?" She asked. That's the second time he mentioned that and now she was curious.

"Uhm, uhhh… you know, the way rumors and gossip spread through the entire place…"

"Ah." Her snout lit up. "You mean the airstreams! That's what we dragons call it. It's where windwhispers fly about and reach even far-flung places at the edge of the Allied Territories."

"That, that term actually makes sense."

"Mmhmm! Anyway, you think they'll let you be a… a teacher's pet or something?" Vara's forepaw tapped the human's leg "Right, Novitiate Joshua?" she teased.

"Oh I'm not speculating," Joshua said, confidently. "It's definitely happening! God, you should've been there, Vara! It took a while to sell the idea—Hell, I even thought they'd stay close-minded the entire time!—but once they all saw what I did to my skeptics, everybody just prostrated in front of me." He nudged Vara's flank. "Like, dude! They were all fighting each other just to get in line! Seriously, I would've never gotten that opportunity if it weren't for you."

"Of course it's all thanks to me." Vara licked his cheek, thankful that he didn't taste like he smelled. She noted the salty tones of the ocean infused into his skin. "You know… there's one way you can show your appreciation for that."

"Good Lord! You've already gotten three favuors from me, and we're friends on top of that. What more do you want?"

A lot more, Vara mused while she watched Joshua sniff himself and his own clothes. "You really want those oils, huh?"

"...well, yeah. I know what you said about them but I just want this smell to go away.

"Eh, you just need a bath." She licked her chops. "How about this, Hairless? I'll give you one right here, on the spot. In exchange, you give my paws a good rubbing." Vara grinned. It'd certainly be wonderful to experience that special touch of his again. "With plenty of attention on the pads."

Joshua gave her an incomprehensible look. The dragoness knew him well enough there wasn't any chance of him granting her request, but she couldn't quite figure out what his expression meant. Just what was he thinking?

As they approached the stairwell, a couple apprentices from her lounge passed by them, presumably headed for Windvale Arena. "Azeroth's horns!" One mentioned to the other. "Look, it's the monoscale from our lounge. I can't believe it. She's sniffing up Dragonbane's cloaca. How shameless."

"Tch. Distasteful."

Vara heard the way the two dragons spoke about her. The disdain in their words was unforgettable. She needed to do something about this or her social standing might suffer even more than it already had. The fallen noble had to look wise. To look farsighted. To be thought of as someone who saw where things were headed far in advance and positioned herself to fully exploit it to her own benefit.

Living up to her bloodline as the sole descendant of Vulcan the Sunburst Dragon required that much at least.

In response to their scathing insults, Vara coiled around Joshua before he could answer her. She kept her wings folded as she wrapped her scaly body around him. "Think about it. A bath is the least I can give you right now." She then raised her voice to the point everyone in the corridor could hear her. "After all, I got better with Ice because of you! I thought I was going to lose my apprenticeship for sure, but after what you did for me, I feel like I'm gonna pass the Summer Exams today! I don't regret going to you for a second!"

The dragoness ensured she had a full view of the two apprentices who dared to insult her. Her mustard eyes locked gazes with them. It was delightful to see their muzzles contort and scrunch from what was surely a bothersome irritation settling within their breasts. That's right, she thought. This was aaallll me.

"What the f*ck are you doing?" Joshua questioned. He squirmed in place, his good hand resting atop her spine. The way his fingers felt when they squeezed the base of her wings, where her hide was thin, removed all the stress accumulating there in a knot. It felt so good. Vara had to suppress the moan that wanted to rush out of her snout.

She brought her muzzle to his ear. "Play along, Joshua, please," the dragoness muttered. "I'm trying to get people to think better of me and this is the best chance I have for today."

"You're just taking advantage of me again."

"I am, but this helps you too. Now help me out or else! I'm telling you now: I'll sit on your face if I have to."

Joshua grimaced at the threat. "Fine, fine," he grumbled. "Only because you're my friend." The human raised his right arm and cupped Vara's cheek. She couldn't help purring when his fingers tugged at the turquoise membranes on her ear fin.

"What are YOU talking about?" Joshua responded with a voice just as loud as hers had been. "You're the very first dragon to give me a real chance. If it wasn't for you, Volteer and Cynder would've NEVER gotten me in front of those apprentices the other day and I'd still be looking at a job scraping shit beneath lavatoria!"

He verbalised his affirmation clearly, not stammering or pausing at all. The words flew out his mouth as easily and as sincerely as any charismatic person could have done. The fact it was all true made the whole thing even better. It was probably also why Joshua could say this with a straight face.

Then he surprised her by flying even higher than Vara expected to begin with. "How about you join me upstairs in my room? We've got plenty to talk about. You can tell me how the Summer Exams went for you. I might even have a few tips for next time."

"Sure!" Vara replied, ecstatic. The dragoness gave Joshua's cheek another slow lick, her tongue sliding upward and leaving a slimy trail in its wake. She put a bit of her feelings into the gesture; hopefully this ensured the whispers floating in the airstreams today would paint her in a better light.

The two dragons from before bared their fangs at Vara and turned away. They ambulated out of sight, indignant. In a single automatic movement, she released Joshua and let him take a step back. "Thanks for the help," Vara told him. Her body twitched as some of the observers began speculating how she became friends with the furless ape in the first place. Great! This would certainly boost her reputation in the Temple.

Joshua flicked off a loose, orchid scale that got stuck on his tunic. "I swear to God, sometimes I feel like you enjoy it when you're publicly humiliating me." He turned to Copeland, who'd been watching the entire spectacle without lifting a finger. "Why didn't you two help?"

The Talonpoint Knight chuckled. "And miss the show? The nine knights in charge of you, myself included, are responsible for your safety and nothing else. Councilor Tuconsis and the Guardians only gave us the right to detain or even kill anyone we think's a threat to your life. As far as I can tell, boy, nothing of the sort ever happened today." The leopard laughed. "Isn't that right, Streeg?"

The gnorc snorted, then bellowed in amusement. "Correct. Life and safety of furless ape, only. All else, irrelevant."

"Oh, f*ck me…"

"Besides, your friend's right. That public display of gratitude just now will make it easier for people to look at you more positively."

Joshua palmed his face. "But it's embarrassing!"

"Huntress shoot you! You should be more grateful to your friend. She's got a proper head on her shoulders."

"C'mon, dude! Vara made me look like I'm beneath her!"

Vara stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at him. "You can deny it all you want, Hairless, but it's true. I'm just making sure the entire Temple knows your place and that's underneath my paws." She emphasized the last few words and sneered, relishing his incensed visage. "There's nothing embarrassing about that." She resumed walking. "Now come, let's go. We're close to the stairs."

"You are a terrible friend," Joshua said, walking after her.

Vara waited for him to catch up. "Why, thank you," she drawled. "I try my best." She booped Joshua's shoulder and positioned herself in-step next to him.

To prevent overcrowding, the stairwell they were on only brought them to the corridor that led into the Residential Area's first level. From there it would continue its ascent to another section of the underground network, which contained cave chambers comparable to the lecture halls in size. There many of Vara's seniors worked, including those who had long graduated from apprenticeship and moved on to the path of a civil officer or a dragon knight. The stairwell would ascend even further and ultimately terminate where the highest flyers in the land—the Guardians and the Saviors—all lived and worked.

Vara twisted her snout to cast her mustard gaze on the human walking upstairs with her. Joshua was not only her ticket to the upper reaches of Warfang society. He was also her friend and, if the dragoness read him correctly, a loyal one at that. Vara had a feeling he was the kind of person who would tolerate a lot of the scat she'd dump on him.

A true friend.

Just like Serenya.

Praise Azeroth the Infinite Joshua wasn't a smushed egg like her. He couldn't afford to be one, not when he obviously had goals of his own. Lofty goals too, it seemed. Vara wasn't exactly sure what the human aspired for but if he wanted training for his bizarre, one-of-a-kind Element then he was definitely after something.

That "something" might very well be what would lift Joshua, and all associated with him, to even greater heights. "I'm glad we're friends," Vara admitted, glancing at the furless ape with a small smile on her muzzle. It was a rare moment. For her.

Joshua considered the dragoness with a neutral, if withering, gaze. Arms on his waist, his back slouched, the boy scowled at her. "Yeahhhh, okay, I like you too. But that still doesn't make up for the stunts you pull in public. Why do you even do that shit? You remember Blink?"

It took a few seconds for Vara to remember. "That mole you were grumbling out the other night?"

"Yeah! I took your advice and spoke to him. He's my friend now and he doesn't put me down or put me through crazy shit like you."

"He's still a mole," answered Vara, callously. "Moles aren't just beneath my paws. They're beneath dragons in general, and they like it that way."

"I told you he's not like the other moles. Unlike them, he's not—

"I know what you said, Hairless, but he's younger than us. Children can get rebellious before reality sinks in. Just wait a few years. He'll eventually fly through that crevice. I have your neck." Vara put her snout to the crook of his neck. With a smug expression she leered, "Just like you."

Joshua pouted and shoved her muzzle away. "Go f*ck yourself, Princess!"

Vara spent the next few seconds laughing. "Ancestors!" she exclaimed. "It's fun to poke your scales!"

"Good for you," the human droned with a neutral, scathing tone Vara had used multiple times herself.

"It's okay, Hairless." She draped her wing across his shoulder, mirroring what he did earlier. "I'm a patient dragon. I'll wait for the day you realize your place. When that happens, I'll happily receive you."

"Riiiiight. You'll be waiting forever."

Vara chuckled mischievously. With her head this close, she could hear Joshua's heartbeat spike. Her giggling made him nervous, she believed. Sooner or later he'd lose his scales completely and start flying everywhere. It would be interesting if Joshua ended up all tied up in her wings, but something like that would never happen.

They walked together in silence for several minutes, with only the two Talonpoint Knights for company. The stairs had a long way to go before they could enter the Residential Area. It wasn't long before Joshua, already exhausted from his day cleaning multiple lavatoria, started wheezing. He panted out of breath, making heavy grunts as he trudged up every step.

Vara did considerably better than him, if only because of her quadruped stature and the fact she was used to Temple life. It surprised her that the gnorc knight lagging behind them remained silent throughout the ascent despite the heavy armor and fearsome axe on his person.

The dragoness held her tongue. She had no interest bringing up any sort of conversation after Joshua reached out to her of his own volition. "I'll, never, get used to, all these f*cking stairs!" he grumbled in between deep breaths.

Vara smirked. "I guess humans aren't so different from the lesser species after all. You know, you could always ask me for help."

But it'll come with a price, she would've said. Joshua didn't give Vara the time to attach that bit at the end, for he screamed her name and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Goddammit, Vara!" he said, collapsing onto her withers and planting his face on it. "I can't take it anymore. Let me, l-l-let me rest for a bit."

The dragoness sat on her haunches and watched beads of sweat trickle down Joshua's forehead while he took one deep breath after another. He inhaled strongly, and rapidly. As she waited for him to regain his breath, Vara felt self-conscious and, for a brief moment, wondered, Do I smell right now?

.

.

.

Vara quickly discarded the thought. What was she, a smushed egg? The dragoness never worried about that kind of thing. Bathing herself was something she had to do every morning when Mother or Father were too busy clawing at each other's scales, and she took pride in her self-discipline.

Besides, so what if she stank? That was Hairless' problem, not hers. If anything, Vara realised she'd actually enjoy it if he raised the topic. She was meant to fly high and dominate, not worry over useless things.

Useless self-doubt was Serenya's thing.

Pursuing grand ambitions was Vara's.

With that in mind, the fallen noble rubbed her snout on Joshua's side. "Hey," she said. "Are you done yet?"

His breath still heavy, Joshua raised his palm at her. But Vara didn't understand what that meant.

"We've been standing here for a little over five minutes. I know my scales smell good"—he flinched and grimaced in response.—"but I don't want them reeking of the lavatoria because of you."

Vara glanced down at his two guards, who had decided to sit down on the steps. "And I doubt they'd enjoy sitting here until nightfall either."

"You don't smell as good as you think, Princess," Joshua rebutted. "You reek yourself." Vara bristled. She was just about to thwack him with her tail when he said, "but you're softer than everything else around here." He gave her an exasperated look. "Can't you let me rest for another ten, fifteen minutes? I've been working all day and walking through all the utilidors took a lot out of me."

An annoyed expression fell on Vara's muzzle. "Egeria! Hairless, you're pitiful!" The remark drew a chuckle from Copeland, who was watching them bicker. She couldn't do anything about a captive audience so she ignored him. "I ought to just leave you here." She vented off her irritation by thumping her tail on the steps. "I've got better things to do."

Joshua chortled. "Like what? Aren't you done with your Summer Exams? I thought you liked being around me."

Vara rounded on Joshua. "Just because I'm always around you doesn't mean—

"Doesn't mean what?" the human stepped up. "You're always taking advantage of me, aren't you?" Vara had nothing to say to that, and she knew it revealed plenty about her. "I don't really feel anything malicious about it so you probably like my company. And as much as I hate you for your, your… your bad habits, at least being around you is refreshing." He hummed. "Mhm! Maybe that's why this friend of yours still keeps you around. If that wasn't the case, I definitely would've dit"—he coughed mid-speech and cut himself short. "Ah, never mind."

"You would've what?" Everything sounded great and tickled her yen for recognition until that last part. "Say it, Hairless!" She snarled. "I dare you."

"No way, Jose!" the human shot back.

Vara had no idea what he'd just called her but she knew a rejection when she heard it. She snapped at him with the intent of cutting a shallow groove of her teeth into his skin. Instead Joshua pushed off of her flank the exact moment she struck out as though he read her mind. Such a thing was impossible, but that didn't deter her from lashing out with her forepaw and pushing him to the step.

It was wide enough for him to lie down on. The irked apprentice planted her foot on his face and shoved down. She rubbed her dirty pads on him for good measure.

"Blegh!" Joshua sputtered. "Eeyuck! Get off of me! Goddammit, I—mmff!"

Copeland howled in laughter. "Good show, kittens!"

Ignoring the knight's comment, Vara locked eyes with Joshua. "Now what were you saying?" She asked as she brought her snout down and bared her teeth. She lifted her paw just enough for him to breathe and speak.

"Nothing. I said nothing. You're a great friend!"

Vara smirked. "Hmph. Thought so."

"Now get your stinking foot off my face!"

Vara released him. Joshua got up on his feet and vigorously wiped his face using his tunic. "F*cking hell, that was terrible. Terrible!" He wiped his tongue on the fabric for good measure. "Can't get the rancid taste out of my mouth. Agghhh…"

"See? Beneath my paws after all," Vara sneered. Her grin widened when he glowered at her but otherwise remained silent. "Anyway, it's clear you're fine now, so let's go already."

"Fine," grumbled Joshua. "I won't waste your precious time anymore." He turned to the two guards behind them. "Jesus Christ, some security you turned out to be. You two are f*cking useless!"

"She wasn't trying to kill you, boy," Copeland retorted. "That's just how she is. Couldn't you tell? Great Hunt! You're the one who's friends with her."

The human groaned and didn't bother replying to any of that. Wordlessly they resumed their trip upstairs. Even though they had wasted quite a bit of time dawdling in the middle of the stairwell, it had done wonders for Joshua's recovery and now he could keep pace with Vara without sounding like he had somebody sitting on his chest.

Every now and then they would make way for a dragon or two who were headed downstairs for their own business, their size making it apparent they were apprentices around Vara's age and, possibly, level. The sight of Joshua walking amidst them was enough to draw their attention for a few seconds.

Yet that was nothing more but passing curiosity. Their lack of interest in Joshua suggested many things. What actually caused their jaws to drop in surprise was the one apprentice walking with him.

And just like before, Vara lapped up the attention like she'd been desperately thirsty. Her mood improved significantly after the tenth apprentice or so gazed at them—at her—longer than the others before he proceeded downstairs like the rest before him.

Joshua must've felt the change in her, otherwise he wouldn't have reopened the conversation. "Hey Vara?"

By the Lifebringer, he couldn't stay angry at her, could he?

She tilted her head in his direction.

"How DID your Summer Exams go? What was it like?"

"Are you curious? You're not even part of the system."

"My sister is."

"Kilat doesn't count. Sooner or later she'll be grading apprentices her age."

"Doesn't matter. I just want to know what life is like here. I-I wasn't lying when I said it's refreshing to be around you."

"Okay, if you insist. Well…"

Vara began telling Joshua about her experience earlier, saying that it started with general questioning. The human likened it to something that went by the phrase "Harry Potter" when he heard the way they conducted that portion of the Summer Exam. Vara relinquished her curiosity for more of his weird and bizarre terminologies to keep going with her story.

Joshua quickly changed his mind after Vara told him about the practical portion. The demonstration of proper channelling was on par with his expectations, he said, but not the part that came after. He blanched at the mere notion of proctors rushing at apprentices to put them under pressure. He looked dismayed to know there was a risk she or another student could get hurt during the process, and that such injuries would drag down their grades.

Studying his reactions, Vara thought that human society was weak-minded. If he went squeamish from the brief description of the Summer Examinations alone, what did that say about the rest of his kind? Just how contradictory was it for humans like Joshua to dominate the world that laid beyond the map of the Dragon Realms yet feel revulsion when faced with the harsh and violent reality of life?

When she was finished, Joshua had only one thing to say. Giving Vara's withers a firm squeeze—oooh, she couldn't help but moan a little at that—he said, "That all sounds hard as balls. But from what you told me, it looks like what I taught you really helped."

He patted her back.

"Joshua," Vara said, "I rarely say things like this, but thank you. I'm, I'm extremely grateful for what you've done. I, wouldn't be this relaxed right now if it weren't for you." She leaned closer to him, licked his face, and gave him a light boop on the nose.

The gesture mirrored the one they showed the other apprentices downstairs. With only the two knights observing them, Vara put all her sincere appreciation into her actions. "I know it can get turbulent around me. I don't know how else I can say it; I'm glad you've been patient enough to stay with me."

A smug look appeared on his face. "See, Vara? That wasn't so hard."

Vara growled. "Don't fly through this crevice again, Joshua, unless you want me to pin you down just like the last time."

Joshua raised his good hand in a non-threatening gesture. "Jesus! I learned my lesson, okay? But… you're welcome all the same."

As he spoke, the din of Residential Area's first level reached their ears. Both Vara and Joshua glanced at each other before rushing up the stairs.

Another thirty steps brought them to an open doorway that led into another corridor. The stairwell continued to ascend from here, but they weren't headed for the other parts of the Temple.

A few more apprentices entered the stairwell to descend to the lecture halls or Coalfire Refectory below. None bothered acknowledging Joshua on sight. Many of the younger dragons who lived here had stopped caring too much about him fairly recently. It wasn't hard to remember why—

"Hello, Novitiate Joshua," a passing apprentice spoke. His voice was respectful. The young drake—a notch smaller than Vara—beamed at the human and gave him a respectful bow. "Clear skies."

"S-steady winds," Joshua stuttered, caught off-guard by the friendly greeting.

The dragon didn't mind his awkward reply. Instead, his eyes lingered questioningly on Vara. She squirmed in discomfort before he decided to forgo his interest and continued downstairs.

"That was new," Joshua said to Vara.

"I know. Getting greetings at random now? Looks like you really are moving up."

"Uhhhh, what's a novitiate? I've been hearing that several times now but it doesn't sound like anything I know about the apprenticeship system here."

"Ahhh, it's actually an unofficial position. I can tell you more about it while we're heading to"—she jolted. An idea just struck her.—"Oh hey! You're not doing anything else, right? How about you come with me to the second floor? I'll introduce you to Serenya."

Vara reached over with a wing and leaned on Joshua the same way he would put his arm around her withers. "I'm supposed to keep it a secret but she's dying to meet you."

"Princess, if she's anything like you I—

"Whoa, fasten your wings! Don't beat the wind. A dragoness like me? Seldoot's tail; I'm one of a kind!" She used her snout to nudge his cheek. "Honestly," she assured, "You and Serenya are more alike than you expect. I'm sure you'll fly together very well. I have your neck!"

"Uh huuhhhh," he reacted with a somewhat pathetic noise. "So you also bully her, huh?"

"I don't bully people," Vara crooned, flashing her teeth at the human in what she thought looked like an innocent smile.

Joshua didn't think so and it showed. "Says the 'ness who shoved her paw on my face," he carped, deadpan. He pushed away from her.

Her reply was dismissive. "Oh, you fly where you turn! I demanded something and you didn't give it. Everything you do has consequences, Hairless."

"M'kay," he muttered. "If she's been 'dying' to meet me, why hasn't she tried already? Since you're both friends, then my guards would've told me about some dragoness who knows you."

"I told you the other night; she's a smushed egg! Her liver turns white whenever I invite her. She's refused me several times now and every time I follow up she tells me she worries the knights upstairs will yell at her."

"Their job," Streeg chimed in from behind. "Not everyone allowed on Third Floor."

"To be fair they'd yell at you too if you go up there right now, young dragon," Copeland added. "His friend or otherwise."

"Even if I walk upstairs with him?" Vara stepped closer to Joshua and folded her tail around the human.

"Probably not," the leopard answered. He glanced at his charge. "But…"

It seemed to be a cue for Joshua to jump in. "Actually, I'm still heading up," he said. He made a queer gesture with his hand, pointing his thumb where the stairwell continued. "Not going back to my room just yet."

"W-what? Why?"

"Kilat's taking the Summer Exams with the, the Fellows—I think they were called? I'm picking her up."

"You sure you want to do that?" Vara asked him with genuine concern. "The older apprentices still hate you. This might become a storm."

"I'm not worried. If some shithead tries to attack me, Copeland and Streeg will take care of them. Kilat will also throw herself at anybody dumb enough to do that. Besides, unlike the first time we met, I can properly defend myself now."

She was skeptical. "I only have your word for that," the dragoness rejoined. "You didn't have a chance to train your element the other night since you were too busy with me."

"I didn't plan on doing it that night to begin with, Princess. I'm thinking more along the lines of having you brought over to Proudtail Hall every now and then. I don't remember if I told you this, but I do get training time there."

Vara vaguely recalled Joshua mentioning it back in Alona Hall, but back then she still thought of him as a murderous, fearsome piece of dragon dung. It was funny how she couldn't imagine him the same way anymore. "I think you did…"

"Yeah, well, it's twice a week. Generally on, uh, Torsha and Mazarach?" He paused. "Although it's not really fixed on those days, and I have least priority unless Volteer or Cynder specifically demand it."

"...Right." Vara heaved a disappointed sigh. "All this time I thought we really were going up to your room."

"You should've just asked instead of making assumptions like that." Joshua chuckled. "The world doesn't revolve around you, you know."

"I know that!"

"Anyway, about this Serenya…" Joshua's voice trailed. Vara eyed him as he scratched his head, looking like he just put something nasty in his mouth. "Just stop meddling with her business, alright? If she doesn't want to meet me for whatever reason, then don't force it on her."

"But—

"Even if her reasons sound stupid to you, they're still valid. To her! People don't think the same way you do—nobody thinks the same way everybody does and it's just f*cking dumb to try and impose your views on them. Obviously I'm not the only one you're forcing yourself on and"—Joshua stopped. "Oh. T-that came out wrong."

The pause gave Vara the opportunity to answer back, "Azeroth's cloaca, Joshua, I just care about her!" She cried. "Serenya's too timid for her own good! She never takes any chances either." She was snarling, tail hammering on the floor. A few apprentices from the Residential Area glanced at her on the way downstairs and quickened their pace. "She just takes life in the Temple one day at a time without really caring about what's next. By Ventura, I swear she's just drifting along the wind! I don't even know what she wants to do with herself!"

Joshua snorted. "I don't know her, but where I come from, there are some people who live by the day and they're happy that way." He looked Vara in the eye. "I'm getting this feeling you've got grand ambitions and you're betting your entire life on them."

She jolted from shock. She didn't tell him anything about that. Not once did she mention her noble lineage or her recent troubles in the family.

"My best friend back home is a bit like you. Dude's just as determined to get what he wants. I bet, when you look at someone who's perfectly okay and content with whatever they have right now, you feel restless. It bothers you. They're so laid-back it disturbs you and you end up worrying about them."

"That's… T-that's…"

That's exactly how I feel, the words wanted to fly out. For some reason, Vara couldn't verbalise them. Not at all.

Joshua continued to speak, uninterrupted, "Because that's what he did with me. I was a laid-back dude back home. All I ever concerned myself with were things that didn't exactly matter to my future, because I liked it that way.

"In a way, I was still a child. I recognised that too and two years ago I told him he was getting too serious when we were still young and had a few years to enjoy." A nostalgic glaze enveloped his viridian eyes. Vara sensed his mood dropping. The subtle smile he was wearing on his lips simply vanished. "But he disagreed with me completely. We drifted apart after that day. Went our separate ways. I don't know what he's doing now and, unless I make my way back home, I guess I'll never find out.

"Vara, I never realised exactly how he felt until I found myself here in the Dragon Realms. I have a goal now and every day I fall short of my plans makes me feel sick. I know where you're coming from, but I also understand how your friend feels. If you really care about her, leave her alone and just enjoy your time with her. Don't force things on her just because you think you're right. Even if you are right. If you're not careful, she might resent you someday."

Joshua stiffened, as though mentally bracing for Vara's reaction. She watched him with a gnawing sensation in her liver that he was about to say something she wouldn't want to hear.

"My point is, friendship works in both directions. So get over yourself. There aren't any 'main characters' in this story. Only perspectives."

Joshua went quiet. He stared at her, awaiting her response. Anyone could tell he was nervous, from his shallow breathing to the way his eyes danced over her body.

Vara was speechless. For the first time, the human opened up a little about himself. It explained why he tolerated her and perhaps why he sometimes reminded her of that fire dragon.

Yet she didn't like what he said. It struck a nerve. Did he just say Serenya would end up despising Vara because she cared enough about her to intervene? That she didn't know how relationships worked? That she thought she was always right?

That Vara believed everything was about her?

Get over herself?

Vara's throat rumbled. Her snarling reached a crescendo the longer she cogitated over his message. "You're pulling my tail! I know how friendship works, you dumb egg! Mother of Knowledge, if Serenya knows I'm doing it because I care then she should just stop being stubborn and try something new for once.

"Why would she hate me for it anyway? She's a monoscale just like me. Monoscales in Warfang fly through stormclouds all the time; she's lucky enough to have at least one friend! There are dragons who don't even have that luxury."

Vara seized Joshua by his face, her digits clutching bare skin. The claws broke skin. Instead of slamming him to the floor—the temptation to do it was strong—the dragoness shoved him to the side, nearly flinging him into Streeg's massive, armored body head first.

"Go fly in a volcano, Joshua!" Vara yawped, marching outside the stairwell. Anger rendered her pawsteps graceless. Her gait was stiff; her tail held taut. She knew she was breathing hellfire; she knew people could easily see how furious she was; she knew people were watching. Right now, she simply didn't care.

The apprentices traversing the corridors in the direction opposite hers avoided her gaze and walked large circles around her. Vara forged ahead, thinking to herself just how insulted she was to have received advice like that.

"I know what I'm doing," she was muttering to herself, her mood sour. "She won't do that to me. No, no, she won't…"

Her ears twitched when they heard the fast tapping of sandals behind her. Vara swiveled 180° to glare at Joshua. He stopped literally inches from her snout. "Ancestors! What do you want now!"

"I, uhm, err—look, Vara, I'm, I-I'm sorry but, I, I had to tell you—

"Well I heard every word. I don't feel like talking to you right now." More accurately, she felt like tearing his horns off. If he had them.

Vara turned away, her tail brushing forcefully against the human.

"Wait—!"

She trotted deeper into the wide corridor, towards the direction of the stairs leading to Residential Area 2F.

She had to give credit to Joshua. The furless ape was persistent when he wanted to be. Refusing to give up, he chased after Vara. She had not even taken ten steps forward when she felt his soft, delicate hand land on her orchid scales. She had to admit, the human touch felt addictingly good. Before she could react, lethargy suddenly spread across her body. An unnatural exhaustion set in and overwhelmed all desire to move.

Vara's legs felt as though she had just sprinted up the White Steps from the bottom at a speed fast enough to give cheetahs trouble. The sensation was abnormal and terrifying to anyone who had never experienced anything like this.

Vara had never experienced this either, but she easily figured it out. So this is the Unknown Element, she thought. Because what else could it be?

Ancestors, no wonder the airstreams all depicted Joshua's power as menacing and intimidating. The experience was difficult to describe in a way anyone could comprehend. She knew exactly what was happening to her body and it still scared the scat out of her.

Vara felt sweat moistening her paw pads. She exhaled crossly, trying to calm her nerves without relinquishing her irritation. Spring of Fortune, there was no ridding herself of this human for the rest of the day until they talked. Deciding to finally give in, she turned and glared at Joshua, who locked his gaze with hers in an instant. "Alright, fine," she acquiesced. "Say it."

"Okay, oookay, I get it," he replied. The enervation in her limbs dissipated and feeling returned to her paws. If it wasn't for the fact she gave him a chance to speak, Vara would have smacked him down right there and ran. "You're pissed off at me. Breathing hellfire, I mean. I get it. You don't want to see my face again for a few days, maybe a week. That's fine! But can you please answer just one last thing? I forgot to ask you on the way up and I don't want to worry about it until I see you again."

Vara growled. "Will you leave me alone after that?"

"Yeah… yeah."

"Go ahead."

"...Will things get better for you at home?" Joshua asked. For a very brief moment, he brushed his good hand on the scar Mother put on her muzzle in Roughneck last Meredy. "I'm expecting you to have passed your Summer Exams so your, y-your parents won't do this to you anymore, will they?"

Vara's mind blanked at the question. The scathing response she'd been ready to fire off suddenly lost all its ability to fly. Even after driving her away and nettling her in the process, Joshua went so far as to ask about her personal flight.

"I…"

"I know it's a personal question," he added. "But I've been thinking about it on and off and sometimes I worry about you."

The look in Vara's eyes softened. The dragoness couldn't decide whether she should stay angry at him. He had just insulted her. Yet he also ran after her.

The words "true friend" continued to echo in her skull, even as she tried to retrieve the frigid anger in her chest and yell at him. "I…!"

Vara deflated in the end. She sighed. "Haaaa~ I don't know," she confessed. "Maybe? Hard to say. Mother is just different and Father's liver is so white he's an undragon."

Joshua shut his eyes and took an extended breath. "Vara, I… look, first chance I get, I'll ask Cynder or Volteer if they can start letting you upstairs. Only you, okay? But don't forget what I said about Serenya, 'cause there's no way in hell am I taking back everything I said back there! Anyway, when you, uhhmm, when you decide you want to see me again, just go up the Third Floor. We can talk, train, and do whatever. You won't be expelled. I promi"—he coughed—"Ehem. I mean, I have your neck."

Vara stayed quiet. She never expected this. Conflict mixed in her eyes. She couldn't figure out what to say, let alone what to do. Spring of Fortune, Joshua was practically the same as Serenya: kind, and loyal. Gentle, possibly. She felt she didn't deserve to have either of them in her life.

The human leaned in and gave Vara a one-armed hug before she realised what was happening. "Take care of yourself," he muttered in her ear before breaking away and returned to Copeland and Streeg, who were standing a few wingspans away waiting for him.

"Okay, let's go," Vara overheard his faint words. "We've got a li'l dragon to fetch." She whipped around and watched Joshua Renalia leave the Residential Area with his back facing her. Her gaze remained fixed on him until he slipped into the staircase and resumed ascending the Temple.

Left alone by herself, Vara noticed that a good number of the apprentices lounging by the walls had been watching the two of them, some from the very beginning, she believed. Surprisingly none accosted the monoscale about her apparent friendship with "Novitiate Joshua". Quickly thinking about it, Vara concluded that some resident apprentices suspected her to be the dragon who caused a ruckus on the third floor a few nights ago. Others strangely didn't care, treating it as simply another everyday occurrence in Temple life. Few were still staring, ogling her from the sidelines.

Vara gave the staircase one last, lingering look before she went on her way. As she sauntered towards the first floor landing, Vara's features faded into the coluorful mess of scales, horns, claws, and fins. She vanished into the crowd.

Along the way to Serenya's room, a peculiar weightlessness settled within her. Plunged into reflective silence amidst the indecipherable noise of the crowd, Vara repeated Joshua's words over and over. There was no way she could deny her outrage towards his advice and the insinuations that came with it. At the same time, it was impossible to stop a genuine smile from appearing on her muzzle when he all but said he was ready to support her if she needed it.

"Thank the Ancestors I really lucked out with you," Vara mumbled to herself. As she set her forepaws down on the steps headed up to the second floor, the dragoness dared to think positive thoughts of the future ahead.

Even for a nobody like her, life was starting to move up at last...

Author's notes:

Whew. Another long one. This chapter clocks in at 11,200 words.

...time to prep an update of the OG fic now...

BTW, if anybody is managing their own retirement money pot here, never bet against the US Federal Reserve. The shotgun they call "monetary policy" has a way of decoupling the financial markets from the economy, so even if you've got the right set of expectations (for example: the recent US protests and the repercussions on public health and, later, business activities), it may take a while for them to materialize, if they do at all.

Replies to reviews:

Derick Lindsey (guest). Yep, Bianca finally shows up in the story proper. She'll have some visibility during the December Cliffs series of chapters (unlike the characters imported from Skylanders), so I'm excited to work with her character later on. Aaaand yes, she's the apprentice witch the Sorceress wished she had in the Classic games.

As for Spyro, well, being away from Joshua helps him. Guess it was a good idea for him to take a long trip out the city after all, huh?

Anything related to the Village of Eyria, check out Bizzleb's "Key" series of stories (specifically "Key to the Soul" and "Key to Destiny"). The whole shebang is full of cliches (because what would you expect from a story made when TLoS was pretty new?), but it's a blast from the old days when the archive was buzzing with activity. Altai belongs to me, but for the Village and all the characters in it? Oh, it's all Bizzle's.

Djax80. In some ways, Spyro's still that naive child from the games.

Spyro's a prick to Joshua for a reason. Someone had figured it out fairly recently, and he's not even a hardcore reader.

The next December Cliffs chapter will kick things into motion, so I'm pretty excited for that.

I'm curious to know what those thoughts are, but yeah sure, hold on to them if you want.

Guest #1 (guest). Ooooooh, noticed that didn't you? XD

Guest #2 (guest). They suspect they are connected, but there isn't any real evidence pointing to it, other than the ramblings of a foreign madman. It's not something Spyro wants to think about it either, let alone acknowledge.

Guest #3 (guest). That's a great idea! ...I should add that to my growing list of entries for "Meaningless Crossovers".

Piston24. Hey! Glad to see you again :D

Oh yes, a lot of exposition in this one, plus Bianca entering the fray. If only they knew the role she played in what's going on in December...

BTW, thanks for explaining to me about your perspective re: the similarities between Joshua and Spyro. That's a viewpoint I haven't heard from the other readers, so it was pretty interesting to know.

I still find it funny that you thought Altai was Red Lady. XD

As for my side stories, well, I don't consider them canon unless they're posted in the main story itself, simply because I might change my mind later on. The only exception to this right now is Chasing Leads as you already know, seeing as how you've also read it.

As for the names Altai mentioned (Ophelia, Gileao, Kalen, Aurona, Selema), as I told Derick Lindsey, refer to Bizzleb's "Key" series of stories. The first five are all in his short "Whispers in the North". It won't help you figure out what I've got in store for the December Cliffs arc, but you'll definitely have a much better appreciation for the setting since it's a tribute to one of the people who got me writing for the Spyro fandom to begin with. :D

Chaoscontrol108. Hello! Thanks for the review!

December Cliffs arc is off to a good start. I'm feeling the urge to throw in a slice-of-life chapter next, but I'll hold off on writing for a few weeks. I might just change my mind again. XD

A glimpse into celebrity life, yes. Being rich and/or famous comes with its own set of problems. At least you don't go hungry though.

Glad you're loving my take on Bianca. As previously mentioned to another reviewer, this version of her is the Sorceress' ideal apprentice. Hell, she was just told about her original incarnation the last time she had a scene and her suggestion was to kill off her counterpart.

Bizzleb. Yooo! Hehe, well, in the COVID era, we all need things like stories and comics to take our minds off of things, so I'm glad to deliver on that note.

Your excitement is duly noted hehehehe. We're moving a lot closer to the inevitable appearance of Eyria, so I'm pretty excited too. I admit I'll have to go and reread your stories, but rereading is always a fun time. :P Aaand yes, definitely a lot more Selema references than I previously thought. Hehe, I saw it come my way and there's no harm in grabbing the low-hanging fruit.

And I figured you would catch that mention of Selema's favorite constellation. Hypothetically, my multiverse does have room for your actual OCs to be meandering somewhere. After all, the Classic trilogy exists here and you have at least five people in Aimless who are at least aware of other worlds. :D :D :D

And glad you're enjoying Altai! It's a bit shameful that I'm woefully lacking on background stuff for Ophelia, Kalen, and Chief Gileao (beyond his drama with Aurona of course), so I'm making do with it.

DiabloPProcento. Hey Diablo!

Good to see you again.

Eh, the quarantine's making us all lazy. Just forcing myself to write is hard, y'know?

Oh yeah, this chapter really gets things going as far as the December Cliffs arc goes. We got more information about Eyria, I've fleshed out Altai here (whereas I fleshed out Claytor in "Departure"), and FINALLY Bianca gets introduced. XD

Bolt Thrower (guest). Oh, we will. :3

Kilat, forgiving Cynder? I doubt that'll ever happen, honestly. Some people will always hold a grudge.

Re: medieval beer. If you're gonna counter-claim like that, then show me your sources, because I spent a few days looking for information on brewing medieval beer (using techniques available at the time) and trying it out. Someone in the academe did just that; it was a research paper. His experience is basically my reference for Joshua's, as he noted that his experience is different from a lot of deliberations made by scholars who didn't have the extensive knowledge or the time to actually try it. Also, the strong beers in the Middle Ages were those that had been brewed by the nobility. Commoners won't have access to those.

When did they all had that moment where "it was not her fault"? I'm going off of what's in the games too. Cynder and Sparx both woke up before Spyro did. If you don't believe me, you can watch the footage on Youtube.

...shit I am not looking forward to going through all that text.

That's your belief, if not your stance as a writer or a story architect. Not mine.

So, what's the difference between that and fics where they put Cynder or other OCs in Spyro's place? They both *replace somebody* in canon.

Being smart doesn't necessarily translate to maturity. Also, you presume that the emotional/mental state is constant throughout the entire thing. You might even be predisposed to that idea because, well, "the games depicted it". I'm not necessarily 100% on "the games depicted it". What is most likely going to happen if you put a smart and rather mature 15 year old into a vicious war where he's placed in the frontlines and he survives it? A 17-year old, even, since you have to be at least that age to enlist in the U.S. military. There's a reason why most veterans suffer PTSD. Just imagine Spyro dealing with that AND the fact he's never known dragon culture his entire life.

Of course, none of that's in the games. That may matter to you, but not for me, 'cause it'd make a great story.

Angstcannon. Hello! Thanks for the review.

Hehe, yeah, Spyro's discomfort in that moment had been a difficult moment for me to write. I had to redo it a few times since I wasn't getting the "uncomfortable/awkward" vibe properly, so I'm glad that, for you, the feeling was conveyed through the prose. Shows that I've done a good job.

Oh yes, Bianca has her own agenda. She said it herself: people of her kind only care about benefits and knowledge. Makes you think what the Sorceress can offer her when she's clearly competent and very strong here, relative to her canon counterpart.

See you in the next update. :P

BTW, did you check out Chasing Leads? I hope you liked it... if the spoiler warning didn't scare you off. ^^

Guest #4 (guest). Joshua's origin here on Earth is a very ordinary one. He's a typical gamer, but he doesn't carry a lot of the angst or pain that a lot of writers put into their OCs.

Guest #5 (guest). Theme? What do you mean?

Verdauga. So how long did it take you to get all caught up again? :3

Starlitsoul 0359 (guest). That's because long chapters kill pacing. They take a long time to write too. Granted, yeah, there's effort and love and all that, but I have so much planned for Aimless and it kinda pains me that I'm just in Month #2 after 40+ chapters. *sigh*

TheKazotskyKicker. OF COURSE I had to begin with that. I just had to. XDDD