I went to bed human that night, and possibly because of that failed to get a good sleep before the morning came. After five days sleeping curled up in the nest, it felt awkward and painful to sleep lying on my back again. The areas where my wings had been jabbed me with shocks all night long.

When I finally woke up, it was well past sunrise, and most of the flight was already gone, while the ones who weren't were waiting in the common room, seemingly for me. I blinked, trying to wash the sleep away as I patted Juniper on the head and stumbled over to the basin in the corner to really wash the sleep away.

While it wasn't much, the basin did have a small, adjustable mirror sitting on the corner of the rim. I rarely looked at it. I knew that I wouldn't be fond of whatever I saw looking back. All I'd used it for since we'd arrived was to confirm Grace's word that my eyes had changed to an unnatural sky-blue colour, and occasional glances to make sure there wasn't any grit in between the scales I kept in this form. This time, though, when I gave that glance, I paused and looked closer.

The scales. They had advanced. Not so much that I wouldn't be able to cover them up with effort and a good hooded cloak, but they had grown further across my face, reaching around my eyes and across my forehead. Now that I noticed them, I could feel them too. There were more, rubbing up against the inside of my robe on my shoulders and across my back. Not only had they spread, but their colour had changed, from a light brown that was within the normal range of skin tones to a pale orange at the centre of each patch.

With a clashing mix of nervous hesitance and terrified urgency, I searched for anything else that might have changed. There was more, but it wasn't as immediately obvious. My teeth had grown a little sharper and my canines were a tiny bit longer, and there were small bumps hidden in my hair at the back of my head that felt like where my horns had been.

I rested my hands on the basin's rim, staring down at a pool of cold water and wanting to cry. I could hardly stand to look at my reflection on the water's surface, and started actually washing my face, if only to disturb the stillness. How long? How long did I have before I couldn't call myself human even in this form? It had only been two weeks; it couldn't possibly be much longer before I wasn't recognisable.

I stopped, listening to the dripping sound of droplets falling from my face. Deep breaths, I reminded myself. The dragoons are working on a cure. Maybe it'll still work, even if the curse gets to where you can't turn back anymore. Who knows?

A sigh escaped from me as I turned, shoving my hands deep into the wide pockets of the robe. It was easier to bring myself back from despair this time. I felt like I was getting used to this whole situation, which was probably good for my ability to keep myself stable, but I still felt like "getting used to it" was just another, more complicated path to "giving in".

I stopped to give Juniper an actual hug before I left. "We're going to be going away today," I whispered. "It'll probably be a while before we get back. I'll make sure they find someone to give you food and water and take you outside every day, okay girl?"

Juniper let out a big breath and flopped over onto her side as soon as I pulled back, presenting her belly for scratches. I couldn't help but smile and give her a few. "I'm glad you're still happy, at least," I said.

It was only Grace and Rosalie in the common room when I entered, both of them sitting across the same table from each other, quietly chatting, probably about past exploits or something. Grace glanced up and stood to give me a hug. "Good morning, Belfry," she said. "Glad to have you back on the human side for an hour, at least."

"Why only an hour?" I asked.

"We've got a mission today," said Grace. "I mean, unless you plan on all of us walking hundreds of miles to wherever it is we'll be going, you'll need your wings."

"Oh. Yeah," I mumbled. I had remembered the mission, but hadn't quite processed yet that that meant I'd be right back to dragon form, probably for multiple days straight. "Where's everyone else?"

"They are probably still at the refectory," said Rosalie. "It's only been about thirty minutes since they left. We are to report to the flight yard once we have finished preparations, so that we can receive a debrief on what exactly it is we will be doing." She leaned around Grace, squinting at my face. "Seems that you have the same issue as Arthur."

I scratched at the expanded patch of scales. "You mean…these?"

"Yes," confirmed Rosalie.

Great. At least that meant it wasn't just an issue with me. "What about Griffin?"

"They haven't turned back yet," said Grace. "At this rate, I doubt they will until after our mission, at least. They seem to like it."

"Good for them," I muttered. I detected a twinge of…maybe it was jealousy in my voice. I flipped the hood of my robe up, staring down at the ground so it fell to the sides and blocked easy view of my face. "Let's go. Don't want to be late."

Grace and Rosalie shared a glance, but followed when I walked out of the room and headed to the refectory. We ate quickly so that we were sure to be on time for the briefing, but it didn't seem like anyone was much in the mood for a lot of chatter anyway. There were a few more commendations for how we did on our test yesterday, but mostly it seemed like people were eager to get the real test underway. Arthur especially seemed gloomy, though I couldn't tell if it was from the events of last evening or the spread of dark bluish scales across his face. At least his arms and hands were still fully human, unlike mine, although for him, it seemed like his teeth had changed completely, and his flexible antennae had grown from his temples and were just hidden, pulled back to rest in his hair.

Once we were done with a filling but unexciting breakfast of the same trail rations as we'd been having, we headed out into the yard. Arthur and I stepped aside into one of the gardens so we could transform. I went first, stopping to stretch before I did, really doing my best to savour being bipedal before I lost that for the next however-many hours.

Over the sounds of snapping bone and twisting flesh that I had grown alarmingly used to, I heard Arthur repeatedly taking deep, shuddering breaths. When I was done, I poked my head around the corner, seeing that he had huddled up next to a wall.

«Are you okay?» I asked.

His shoulders tensed up, and he hesitantly nodded. "I am," he said, his voice quiet and delicate. "My turn, hm."

I saw a familiar sadness in his eyes. «Hey,» I said, «if you don't want to, I'm sure that Griffin and I can handle an extra person today. Or at least for a few hours, if you change your mind.»

"No," Arthur said more forcefully. "I'll be fine. Go meet the others."

I was absolutely sure he wasn't telling the truth, but I could tell that now wasn't the time to dig any deeper. I hopped back up onto the yard, and ten or so minutes later, Arthur joined us, a dragon once more.

In the time that it had taken us, Commander Cynthia had arrived, though this time, she was alone. She stood at one end of the yard, waiting until Arthur joined and stood beside his partner Rosalie. Once we were all together, she cleared her throat. "Good morning, Ninth Flight," she said. "I'd like to once again congratulate you on passing the initial test. You now only have one more step before you become true members of the corps, full dragoon knights. To achieve this, you must complete a mission on your own, with no safety net and no designed encounters. You will need to rely on yourselves to survive whatever perils lay in front of you. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," the flight echoed all together.

"Good!" said Cynthia, her commanding façade breaking for a tiny smirk. "The mission you have today is very urgent. Lives are on the line if you don't complete your objective in a timely manner, so bear that in mind. It also pertains to your specific situation, so there may be some personal stake in it."

I was already attentive, but my ears pricked up at that.

"The corps has reached out to contacts across the confederation about the appearances of ersatz dragons, and we have found a few experts willing to come and help us research the problem. One of those contacts is royalty from the neighbouring Kingdom of Laimnàch, to the east of the vale. Third Prince Emrys Ô Laimnâch. He agreed to come and share his rather extensive knowledge of dragons and occultism with our scholars in an effort to find a solution.

"However, it seems like he has been delayed. While our other scholars have arrived in dragoon bastions, he has not. We received word from the burgomaster of Shercombe, a town in the western Lake Lands, that he was last seen leaving Shercombe, heading north towards the great mountain known as Aodh's Cairn, four days ago now. Despite the prestige of His Highness, search parties have been unable to venture far up the mountain due to the general dangers of the season—avalanches and rock slides, as well as weather that remains cold enough to kill—as well as the presence of at least one aggressive svarnuli pack.

"Your mission is to go to Aodh's Cairn, find Prince Emrys, and bring him safely here to the keep. A life is on the line; although this mission is a trial, do not think of it in terms of tests and scores. The prince can not be allowed to die. Understand?"

«Yes, sir,» I spoke for the flight this time, while the others chewed on all that information.

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"Good," said Cynthia. "Show me your map."

Grace retrieved a new map of the Vale she'd gotten during our training from her pack, holding it out for Cynthia. The commander circled a mountainous area near the large Fish Hook Lake with a pen. "This is where Aodh's Cairn is. It's over a hundred and fifty miles from here. If you leave now, you can make it by nightfall."

«Seems like a long way,» I remarked, recalling the days-long journey here from Vandermaine.

"The commander is right," said Grace. "As long as we don't get interrupted every hour. You and the others are strong fliers by now, we can soar fast enough."

"Do we know why His Highness may have gone on this expedition alone?" asked Yura. "If he had a destination in mind, it may help us locate him."

"We do not," said Cynthia. "According to the burgomaster, he was very…cagey about it." Her eyes swept over the group, looking at us expectantly. When none of us spoke, she said, "If there are no more questions, then I suggest you get in the air. Despite the summer, it is cold on Aodh's Cairn; keep that in mind."

«Yes, sir, we will,» I said. The other dragons and I leaned down to pick up our partners, before setting off into the sky. From what I had glimpsed on the map, I led us vaguely towards the gulf in the east while Grace got our bearings.

"The mountain is east-southeast of here," she said.

I glanced at Griffin. «Navigator, you should fly at the front, keep us going in a straight line.»

They hummed an affirmative and took the lead as the rest of us got into a loose V-formation, like how we'd practised. It did make me feel a little silly copying the flight patterns of migrating geese, but even without much practise, I could tell the reason that geese did this. The air swirled under my wings, holding me aloft more easily.

The morning fog collapsed into cold, raining mist that lasted throughout the day. Between my new shifting robe and thick hide, I was comfortable enough in the temperature, but I could feel the weight I was carrying gradually increase as the robe and Grace's gear soaked up water from the air.

Without any monsters chasing after us or nasty storms getting in our way, though, it was actually surprisingly relaxing flying a long distance. The training and alchemical enhancements had certainly paid off in the realm of endurance, and keeping up a steady soaring pace was easy enough that I felt like I could do this until the sun rose tomorrow without trouble.

Though the land below us was shrouded with the falling mist, I spent most of my time in the air watching the ground roll by. We spent a long time over the Gulf of Pendain, nearly two hours, and the sounds of the deep sea sending waves crashing into each other and spray flying up into the air was pleasant background noise. Every now and then, there would be a school of large fish that would jump out of the water, searching for some food on the surface or in the air. Every now and then, a small chunk of an iceberg would come floating southward as the warm, violent waters of the gulf tore it apart. Every now and then, I would see a great and dark shape moving under the water as a sea monster made its way northward. Every now and then, I could swear that I saw a shape outlined in the foam that rested on the surface; a runic symbol, or perhaps a moon, that would swiftly vanish.

But eventually, we made it over land. We stopped for an hour or so on the shore to rest. It was a beautiful spot, a beach made of pebbles instead of sand sitting at the bottom of a tall seaside cliff, with bleached driftwood littering the shore from trees of the dense forest crowded up against the cliff's edge that had fallen off into the sea. Tall, fat spires of rock rose from the seabed less than a mile offshore, like the crumbling ruins of temple pillars.

We didn't stay long, only just long enough to make a small fire to warm up a little and heat a quick ration break. Even though we weren't terribly tired, the other dragons and I were hungry and thirsty, but the food that Ingo had taken the time to pack this morning during breakfast was enough to get my energy back for the next several hours.

Rest done and hunger satiated, we stamped out the fire and got back into the air. The land here almost felt more empty than the sea, since the ocean of trees that we were now flying over had the same uniform appearance throughout, but it wasn't in constant, dynamic motion like the waves were. While mist fell down from the sky, it also rose up from the trees, making the air opaque past a couple hundred feet away.

"Oh, not this again…" Grace muttered.

But despite the worry, Griffin seemed confident in the direction they took us. Once, we had to land in a small grove while they "got the way". They sat at the centre of the clearing, keeping Ingo on the ground away from them instead of on their back. The slits in their neck flexed, and the hard, sharp violet scales that lined the edge of each one faintly glowed until Griffin's eyes snapped open again and they pointed a claw.

«Got it,» they said. «That way. Let's go.»

Soon, the land was no longer level, and shortly after that, it surged upwards. We had to angle back and soar higher to keep our distance above the ground as we were met with a high escarpment that divided the forest in half. The mist surging up from the trees grew in density, and the ground up at the top of this high shelf was much more mountainous than below, with sharp hills and peaks jutting up everywhere, and a number of high flat-topped mountains looming in the distant fog, where I could hear streams of water tumbling down their sides into large ponds and small lakes below.

«This is the Lake Lands,» said Griffin. «We're on the Rosanloc Shelf, now. We're going to be getting higher until we reach the mountain. Don't strain yourselves too much flying.»

Griffin's words rang true, as the land gradually rose up and up with great shoulders of earth marking each step, pockmarked by sharper terrain that provided ample room for deep pools of water to form at the bottoms of valleys and pits in the ground.

It wasn't long before we reached Fish Hook Lake, where the rounded cliffs gave way to a steep valley filled with deep, deep water. Once on the other side, our destination loomed out of the fog like a foreboding omen. A single mountain, set apart from the cliffs and shallow-sloped peaks around it, jutted up into the sky, its vast bulk rising far, far higher than the land around it, to the point that its highest regions were dusted in snow still. It was miles away, and it still seemed so tall, as tall as the peaks in the Fountainheads, if not higher, a mile or more between its summit and its foot on the Shelf.

The rain was just starting to clear up as we neared the massive mountain, and the colours of sunset had begun to stain the sky. I angled down towards a hole in the forest, near to a pond that filled a sinkhole in the foothills of the cairn. «There is no way that we are going to be able to climb that thing tonight,» I said. «We should stop and camp here. That gives us all day tomorrow to search.»

With everyone agreeing to that, we all tilted down and landed in the clearing. Although it wasn't nearly big enough for our entire camp to be set up around the pond, it was surrounded by small ledges and shelves in the mountainsides that those collectively had enough room. Practically as soon as Grace was off my back, I shifted back into human form, immediately draining the rest of my water and feeling the bite of the cold air for the first time that day.

Arthur changed back with me, and we got to setting up camp before we lost the light, which would happen early here, with the peaks to the west in the way of the sun. This time, we were equipped with real camping gear. Tents and bedrolls were laid out, while the rest of us worked on gathering wood for a fire and taking some of the pond water in a pot to boil to replenish our supply. Although the limbs we found were soaked with moisture, Griffin, who had elected to stay in their dragon shape, was able to heat them with a gentle stream of fire until the water had all been turned to steam, and then they and Brand could light them for a real fire.

Once we were all seated around the fire, eating the last of the day's rations, we finally were able to relax. Yura leaned back against the stone cliff surrounding the pond, running his hand through the ferns that reached down from their tiny perches on the rock.

"These lands are beautiful," he said. "I can see why they are the subject of so many Valish paintings. The forest feels like it has a breath of its own."

«It's not all pretty,» Griffin said with a huff. «I'm glad we can fly. Walking through the Shelf is exhausting. And there's lots of venomous animals. Big snakes. Spiders. You know.»

Ingo started itching his arm. "What kind of spiders?" he asked.

«Big ones,» said Griffin. «There's one they call the "water lily spider" because it's as big as a giant water lily pad. About…this big.» They held their hands about two feet away from each other. «They're not the most venomous, but they're big enough to eat rats. Their bite still makes you real sick.»

Ingo's anxious scratching intensified. "I see," he said darkly.

"Oh, saints, are you scared of spiders?" I asked, a grin crossing my face. Grace shot me a look that seemed strangely angry for my reaction.

"Yes," Ingo admitted without hesitation. "If you see one, tell me, and I'll get rid of it."

«If we see one tonight, we can have it for breakfast tomorrow,» Griffin said idly. «They're crunchy.»

Now it was everyone else's turn to be repulsed, all except for Arthur and Yura. "Okay, whether or not we'll be eating spiders aside," I said, "we should get to sleep. It's best we wake up as early as possible tomorrow so we have as much light and as much time to find this prince as we can get."

"Good," said Ingo. "We need to set up watches in case of danger."

"We have eight people," said Grace. "We can probably divide that pretty nicely."

"We can," I agreed. "We can do eight hours total, with rider-dragon partners each taking a two-hour shift on watch. That way we each get six hours of sleep and have two pairs of eyes on lookout the whole night."

There weren't any objections to that, and soon the others had all clambered into their tents or curled up wherever there was space, leaving Grace and me alone by the pond for the first shift. I leaned up against the cliff, content to just watch and listen all night. Nature had a heavy presence here. Just like the swamp, this forest was loud at night, alive with the sounds of insects, frogs, birds, and numerous tiny creatures traipsing through the ferns and low shrubs. Grace had out her notebook, happily writing away all night long.

"Have you been here before?" I asked.

"Only once," she said. "And who knows when we'll be back. I want to make sure I capture everything we see."

I nodded, letting her write and draw as she pleased. I leaned over her shoulder a few times to see extensive notes and quite detailed illustrations of the plants around us, and she had even caught what birds were making which noises. I was impressed. When she noticed me looking, she excitedly started explaining everything, telling me about how the plants here compared to the plants in the swamp and how they dug their roots into the stone to anchor themselves on steep cliffs. It was distracting, but thankfully the night seemed quiet enough, and I was glad to have some human time with my sister.

After the hours passed, we woke up Arthur and Rosalie. As I settled down into our tent, my pointed ears twitched. I could hear them talking over the night time sounds.

"Have you told them?" whispered Rosalie.

"No," answered Arthur. "I've been writing letters, but I didn't get to send them. I…I don't know how I can tell them now." He sniffled like he was crying. "Maybe it's best they just think I'm missing for good. Or dead."

"Do you want to inflict that kind of pain on your mother?" asked Rosalie.

"Do you think she'd rather hear about how I'm this close to losing control and becoming a monster?" Arthur snapped. "At this rate, I'm going to have to leave the room whenever we get paid for our work, or I'll kill someone."

"You're stronger than that, Arthur," said Rosalie. "I know you are."

"Fighting it just makes it worse," Arthur murmured. "It's always more than me. I can't beat it. I feel like I'm losing ground every day."

"You can beat it," argued Rosalie.

"I can't. And I don't know about you, but if I had a son, I'd rather he be dead than a mindless lizard that kills people to sit on their gold." Arthur let out a sigh heavy with grief. "I'm sure Mother feels the same."

There was a long silence. Something, a rock maybe, splashed into the pond. "Arthur, you're a hero to your village," said Rosalie. "You have a hero's spirit, empowered with a lifetime of experience and alchemical magic. I know you have it in you."

Another splash. "Sorry to let you down, then," said Arthur.

I rolled over, pressing my blanket over my ears. Their conversation tainted my dreams that night, sending me visions of Mr. Lawcrest and Gordon to taunt me and judge my sins until the sun broke over the mountains the next morning.

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