34 I am...

It was around fifteen or so minutes before I'd calmed down enough to get off him and talk. My rationality was also returning, so...I felt awkward. I looked around the cage and knew it was very dark, but my eyes could see everything anyway. Hmmm...turning my eyes to the boy, I studied him. He was covered in dirt, filth, scabs, scars, and open wounds. With the stuff in his hair it wasn't even possible to discern color, and his eyes were a bit dull. The biggest thing, though, was the tunic he wore. It was clearly the only piece of clothing he had and it was hardly able to be called 'clothing'. It was torn and worn down just about as much as the rest of him. For some reason, it also had a number written on it in bold. And...why is his expression so blank?

He kept staring at me, then inhaled slightly to say, "Who are you?"

I paused, surprised when finally hearing his voice that it was so raspy. "My name's Zavi."

"...what happened to you?"

This made me frown. "Ah...I lost a friend. I was trapped. You saved me…" He went quiet again for several minutes.

A bit lower than before, he said, "You should leave here. They're going to make you fight a lot more battles, and if they see you as a human, you'll become a slave too."

"But what about--"

"You've already saved me many times. It's better to leave while you can." That's annoying. I think I can understand why Xyon had gotten so mad at me. If he's a slave like he said though, then…

"What are they going to do when I just disappear and you're still here?"

"I'll either be locked up or fed to a beast. You should be able to leave while blending in with the guests. They will still be here for a good day or two, but some leave early."

I narrowed my eyes at his calm attitude towards such a thing. "And what makes you think I can get away with it as a human and not a dragon? I can fly in only one of them." Honestly, I hadn't completely realized I was human until it was pointed out. At least this meant the magic I learned wasn't a lie, but...how is this even possible?

"They have wyvern riders. They'll catch you." I tilted my head at him as he hugged his knees to his chest. He seemed so frail, and his soul itself appeared to be crushed. Getting to my feet shakily, I used the bars to hold myself up and smiled at him, holding out my hand.

"I can't possibly thank you enough. Even if I was to die for you, I still don't think it would be sufficient."

He stared at my hand but didn't move. "Leave now. You must leave right now." Pulling my hand back, I sighed and wobbled past him sitting down and slipped through the bars. The cold of the metal could be felt through the thin fabric but I ignored it and continued. As my bare feet touched the ground, the loose gravel cut my skin almost immediately. I winced and walked as gently as I could, leaving a small trail of blood behind me. It was painful, but nowhere near as bad as being torn apart several times over. Biting my lip, I glanced back at him before quietly exiting.

'The ground hurts to walk on…' Focusing, I covered the bottom of my feet with scales and the pain began to fade. This surprised me. I had done that as an experiment but never expected it to actually work, which came as a bonus. Whatever that magic stone was, and whatever magic it had given me, it certainly was useful. Sticking to the shadows, I snuck past people as much as I could, trying to avoid any unnecessary circumstances. The place was like a maze, but by following faint hints, such as scents and conversations, I eventually found the large group of nobles preparing to leave. Slipping into the crowd, I acted like I knew what I was doing and no-one batted an eye. A twinge of guilt struck me as I approached the opened gates, the boy's face appearing in my mind. Forcing it away, I left, exiting the cruel walls. Glancing back, I noticed it seemed to be a castle in its own right, with great walls surrounding it on all sides. Only moving my eyes, I studied the terrain and the outline of the fortress. With that done, I found a moment to leave the nobles and hid in the nearby forest.

I was tired and felt incredibly weak. Exhausted, I fell to my knees and leaned my back up against a tree, closing my eyes. Scenes of the green dragon and the pool of blood entered and I grimaced, then growled in frustration, hating my own weakness. Forcing through the agony, I shoved myself to my feet and searched the forest endlessly, doing whatever I could to find food and water. When I didn't find a source of water, I set traps and drank the blood of the animals I caught. It was going in a blur and after having the third meal I lay down, my eyes refusing to see clearly. Seeing my bones under my skin, it was clear I was emaciated, and then there were the small cuts and bruises all over. If I didn't slow down, I would get hurt, but I had no choice. Weakly, I placed my left hand on my chest, circulating my unused mana slowly. It felt sludgy, but when I finally got it focused, I began to heal myself. As I went, it cleared up a bit and I sat up, energy coursing through me. For some reason, from what I'd figured out so far, my healing magic seemed to get weaker every time I died. A glint entered my eyes as I used it again. "I will get this to the level it used to be and then even more. Then, I'll return for him."

I turned into a dragon and stretched my wings, then tried to use another magic that stone had shown me. The color of my scales wavered, but just wouldn't maintain it and changed quickly after. All I really had to do was get to the point I'd be able to carry someone. Because he'd already started getting me to eat and I was moving around, the natural way my dragon body operated was regenerating quickly. If I kept using healing magic I would be able to return tomorrow, but the magic still wouldn't be where I want it to be. Although...if I was to wait too long and overestimate, then he might die. Choosing to move around as a human, I exhausted myself, used magic, then continued. Only after expending all my mana did I collapse, having used every recovery magic I had at my disposal. When my mana came back, I went on repeat, jumping off hidden cliffs to remember flight. The first few times I simply fell, flapping my wings uselessly, but eventually, I learned how to adjust according to how my body was currently. I still wasn't healthy, but it was at the point I could now operate. Even though I tried many times, the color changing magic never worked properly so I soon gave up on it, watching the fortress and listening in on anything I could catch from the nobles who left. It was the second day now, but there was no news about him in any form. Laying on my back, I let my body relax for a moment. I was pushing it badly. Without any real strength, this would destroy me if I didn't slow down, but I couldn't, not without getting nervous.

Anxiety overwhelmed me whenever I slowed, either memories of Xyon or that slave, they haunted me. If I couldn't save one, the least I could do was save the other. Resting next to the road, I froze when a few chatting nobles walked by, saying, "Hey, did you hear?"

"About what?"

"The slave."

"Ah, that one, yeah. What all happened do you think?"

"From what I heard he was found inside the cage of the dragon but the beast wasn't there. I think they put him in isolation. How do you lose an entire creature like that, especially one so large?"

"No clue. What do you think the punishment will be?"

A third voice interjected, "I heard a guard talking about execution in front of all the others. I'm not sure if he'll be tossed in the arena or just have his head lopped off, but they plan to make an example out of him."

"No way...when is that happening?"

"Tomorrow? I'm not sure but I think they're busy preparing and searching today." They continued as they walked, but I was stuck in place, my heart pounding as if wanting to leap out of my chest. He was going to die for me. The green dragon came to mind and the scene laid out in front of him. Darkness began to crowd in on me and I squeezed my eyes shut, then surged to my feet and stormed off into the forest, irritated. Clenching my hand into a fist, I punched a tree with all I had to release energy. The bark crumbled away from my hand, the wood underneath cracked and indented. I stared at it in surprise. From what I knew, I was never this strong as a human before. Maybe because I was a dragon in this world it was different? Anyway, my time was running out. In actuality, I was most likely strong enough to get in, but getting out was the problem. There was no way I could fight everyone there. Looking past the trees at the fortress, I smiled, my eyes landing on the mountains.

I mused aloud, "If I can get to there, the wyverns won't be able to keep up. They're not able to fly up very fast or fly quickly in high altitude. Not to mention they'll have people on top of them. Well, I will too, but still." Resuming my practicing, I worked on a plan. Nobles went in and out on a regular basis, providing entry. Then what? The moment I transform I'll be exposed as a shapeshifter. I changed forms and leapt off the cliff. "Maybe...yes!" I flared my wings and spiraled upwards. I didn't know what time they would get rid of him but I knew what day. Flying back into the forest, I took on human form and crossed my arms. "I would rather have no-one know I can shapeshift until I'm strong enough to defend myself. Right, I'll be breaking in from the sky!" It wasn't the best, but I knew a way.