Next steps.

James frowned at the cup, his innards promising to spill out this time. Sure, it had smelled rank, but he'd been drinking cheap ale for more than a year now. It didn't make sense. And that stupid voice only he could hear would not shut up about how alcohol was not a healthy choice.

He knew that. He knew better than most anybody, and he still wanted to drink.

"James! There you are! Why does your room smell like a noble man's privy and a pig's barn decided to have kids?!"

James snorted in annoyance. Now came the questions. He'd begged Rob to escort him to a different tavern, but the thief had had him coming back here once he'd shown the first signs of losing it. Absolute coward.

"That, boss man, is the product of our oh, so important mission this afternoon," Rob answered.

"You didn't need to tell her that," James grumbled in annoyance.

He took another heavy swig, ignoring the children coming to stare at his face and palpating his shredded clothes. Talia came to sit across from him and Rob, her frown pronounced.

"What happened?"

Rob only shrugged, taking a swig of his ale before he could answer. Hansworth pulled up a seat next to Talia.

"There was this heavy metal door," Robb leaned in to whisper. "Kinda thought there was gold or treasure or some such, but it was a burst. Perhaps that's why the kid's disappointed."

"And who's this guy?" Nino asked.

"Who?" James asked distractedly. "Rob? Surely you know all our travelling companions by now."

"No, I mean the tiny black guy on the table. He looks moppy."

'She can see me!'

James was just as shocked at the reveal, and his eyes stared from one of the fox children to the other. They were both staring at the place the dragon sat. Or whatever it had become now.

"Is he saying something? Why can't we hear anything?" Eno asked.

"What are you talking about?" Rob asked.

But James could only sigh in relief.

"So you can see him? I'm not crazy or cursed or anything?"

The children shared a look, then turned to James with frown lined faces.

"What? You mean no one else can see him?"

"Well, why don't you go ahead and ask them?"

"Again, what the hell are you three talking about?!" Talia asked, impatience starting to seep into her tone.

James sighed in relief again, pushed his cup away, and smiled brightly at her.

"We're talking about how I'm maybe not crazy."

She glared. "Im starting to doubt that notion. Why are you drinking?"

"You mean why was I drinking? And its because of this," he pointed to the empty table, "thing that only I could see. I thought I was cursed, or that maybe I was losing my marbles."

"So I'm guessing seeing this thing wasn't a part of your plan?"

James stopped dead and stared at her with wide open eyes. He stared back down at the black thing. There was something there, sickening at the base of his throat. A connection between dragons and the divine treasures.

But that didn't make sense. They were divine treasures. And yet...

"Damnit!" he reached for his cup again and this time drained it in one gulp.

He couldn't avoid a wince.

"What is it?" Talia asked, alarmed.

"This whole trip was a burst, wasn't it? I'm simultaneously regretting my timing, and also horrified at what good timing might have signified," and he frowned at the nervous black thing that kept swinging it's gaze from one spot to the next at random.

"What did you hope to find?" Hansworth this time asked.

"It's nothing important. In the end, the theme stands. Human greed knows no bounds."

"A wrong time to gain a conscience, don't you think? So am I right in thinking your true intentions in coming here had nothing to do with the people," Talia asked.

James snorted. "Of course not. Save them from what, a dragon. I'm not suicidal, you know. I came here for totally selfish reasons. The safety of this town played not a single part in my decision."

"I guess I can see it now. Your nobility," she said with an evident sneer, "you'd done well to try and hide it so far."

James frowned at her. What did she want him to say?

"Why would a dragon, the first one seen this far South in hundreds of years come to a human town? Come on, I know you know the answer."

Dragons had stopped interacting with humans. Along with many of the greater races, and even many demi human races. Even if humans were individually weak, their numbers were myriad and their ambitions, perhaps turned greed, knew no bounds.

"To search the remains of his breathren!" Hans declared with finality. "To perform their rites and such. Dragons have been said to do that, even though they are solitary creatures."

"Well, yes. Essentially. And the information I heard of the event corraborates that suggestion. Hey, how about another jug over here! No, send the waitress!" he shouted towards the counter.

"That still doesn't justify you thinking of the people with such callousness!" Talia complained.

James frowned, and went to say something else when Rob touched his forearm from under the table in a desperate signal to desist. He sighed. The waitress brought over another jug of ale. James watched her watch him, then let his eyes slide over her body suggestively.

Crimson bloomed on her speckled cheeks. James started to lean towards her, but then Rob was pinching him again. The hell was wrong with the guy?!

But as he turned his head he caught sight of a fuming Talia. She looked like mere seconds from jumping onto the waitress and feeding her steel.

James still couldn't let his hand slide away from her work calloused hands as he handed her a copper. He had to eventually, but first he savoured the moment, closing it off with a wink and a suggestive twist of the head to a dark secluded corner.

"She's just humoring you for your purse, you know," Rob commented after she'd left.

"Well maybe the ladies would like you a lot more if you loosened your purse strings every once in a while."

"I don't need coins. Remember my secret technique."

"Yeah! Right. We're still on for later, right?"

"Right," Rob gave him a thumbs up, helping himself to the new jug of poison.

There was no more talk for a while, and eventually the rest of the table ordered dinner. Talia went off to deal with feeding her men, and Hans went to the two servants' table.

The bell tolled its scared beat a little after that. The dragon was coming. Sighing, James took another long gulp and went to stand.

"So, it's here?" Talia asked, coming to stand in front of him.

"Yeah. Guess its about time I gave over this stuff, at least I finished its damn assignment."

"And after that?"

"We'll leave tomorrow, like I said we would. Tell everyone that."

"Yeah, sure."

***********

Except for the sounds of shutters being shuttered, and a few doors banging here and there, Uluth was a ghost town.

Only those mage lights set up by the town council were still lit. A few taverns and inns also gave out light, but it was lamp light. Perhaps they thought the duller light would not attract the dragon's attention.

The big red waited just where he promised James he'd be, and the small black thing with legs and wings terminating in black vapour sailed beside him and couldn't seem to shut up. Or maybe shut up was the wrong word. He was the only one who could hear it, after all.

Solas didn't even stare at him or the egg shards he carried when he reached him.

"So I wasn't too late?"

"And maybe I was too early."

"Hmm?" the ancient dragon studied him. "So you can see him?"

"And hear him too."

"What is your name, little black?"

'So you're the legendary dragon Solas? Not too shabby. I mean you're all big and whatever...Oh, my name. My name was—'

James stared at the dragon in question. Did it not have a name?

"You died very young. I see."

"Hey, Solas, here's your egg. This whole ordeal was a huge disappointment for me, so I'm gonna go."

"Have you learnt what they were trying to do here?"

"No."

"But you have theories?"

"Based on a few of your hints and the information I already had. There is very little chance I'm wrong."

"So you are not the true villain, but you'd come here hoping to steal the fruits of their villainy?"

"I don't know about not being a villain. I feel pretty much like shit now that I know the means through which they hoped to achieve their ends."

"I see."

"Cool. I guess our agreement has been fulfilled. I'll leave you to it then."

'Wait, you're going to leave me here?' The dragon's mental voice sounded incredulous. 'With another dragon I'm not related to?'

"Sure. I mean what's the harm? I told you it was him who sent me for the egg. And you seem to be bound to the egg. I don't want to be carrying around that stinky ass thing."

'But. But I...I thought you'd taken me to... You know, own me.'

The big red chuckled. "Don't worry, little one. He apparently has no interest in riding dragons. I already offered."

'But I can't stay with you! You know why.'

"Yes, well, I'm going to unbind you from the egg. Then you can move on to the afterlife."

'But I don't want to move on. Hey, human, this egg, it's the all that was left of me?'

"Yes," Solas answered even as James considered snapping something like 'how should I know!' in response.

"You died soon after hatching."

"Oh."

"Probably killed by some sort of greedy human," James commented even as he turned away.

"Wait, human hero. If you won't let me be your mount, then what gift would you adk of me?"

"I already told you, I'm no hero. Besides, I did this with only selfish motives in mind, I don't think I deserve anything."

He floated away without another word. He was so tired, and he needed the privy, and he needed some pain killers.

He didn't notice the two dragons, one physical and one phantasmal share a look, nor did he hear Solas's promise on the wind.

"Till we meet again, little hero."