Soon after Tao flew off, Kris had disappeared and Yixing and Luhan set off on the dusty path again. Calculating lost time, Yixing figures that if they had barely lost half a day’s worth of travel. Manageable, but hopefully no more detours (One dragon scare was enough for a lifetime, Yixing had decided.) Out of the thicker part of the forest, Yixing could see that the clouds had disappeared with Tao. Despite the shining sun and gentle breeze, it was oddly quiet, as if the birds and insects were still anticipating the storm that had not come.

Luhan, too, seemed subdued, although it had taken Yixing quite a while to notice. Somehow, the absence of a constant stream of one-sided conversation from him was even more unsettling. He sneaks glances at Luhan’s face every few steps, taking in the vague, blank gaze resting on the boy’s face.

Yixing finds himself wanting to ask what’s wrong, but he’s not quite sure how to phrase it. Perhaps he shouldn’t have let Luhan come with him after all; he’s had a lifetime to get used to (or as used to as possible) with the idea of magic. In fact, he had swallowed the encounter with the dragons fairly quickly, focusing on reaching Laguardia instead. Luhan’s, on the other hand, barely had a couple days to digest that Yixing was strange, let alone confront magical creatures altogether.

Perhaps, Yixing decides, it was for the best to let Luhan come to terms with what had just happened. Oddly, a sharp stab of disappointment hits him when he realized the other boy might choose to head back home. Somehow or another, Luhan’s presence had turned companionable, a comforting reminder of home while passing nameless face after face on streets and in towns on their journey.

Yixing’s musings were broken by a man veering out of the woods. From a distance, he seems slightly familiar. As they come closer, Yixing gives a start when he recognizes the blond bangs and tailored waistcoat. Despite Tao’s words, Yixing never expected Kris to actually join them.

He does so with little fanfare, as Yixing expects. Kris simply walks alongside them, like a silent black shadow (minus his obvious blond locks.)

His presence jolts Luhan out of his reverie, breaking the awkward silence that had settled over the trio.

“So,” Luhan tentatively asks, “are you from around here?”

Kris nods, thus beginning a new stream of chatter, as Luhan begins questioning Kris. Like Yixing, Kris is fairly taciturn with his responses, but he didn’t seem to mind the questions, and his steady stream of replies only spurred Luhan on. Despite keeping his gaze steady on the road, Yixing strained to hear the responses. Hearing Kris describe hidden lands and faraway seas lulled him, like a dream. Some of these descriptions did seem ethereal, of lands of constant rain and ice and birds that could speak.

“What’s it like being a dragon?”

Kris opens his mouth to speak, but quickly closes it, looking thoughtful.

“It’s hard to explain,” he begins, “Well, I suppose I don’t have anything to compare it to- that’s the problem.”

Yixing glances at him curiously.

“What do you mean by that?” Luhan asks eagerly.

“Dragons don’t live the same way as humans. We can take many forms when the hunt is sparse but retain much of our dragon nature. Many creatures do the same, to conserve energy or resources.” Kris says simply, “Our perception of time and nature are different. We live for hundreds of centuries; I remember before humans even settled here, before any magical creature in the region knew of them.”

Luhan gazes at him inquisitively, and for the first time, a smile sneaks its way onto the corner of Kris’s mouth.

“I suppose you want to hear about it and you have more questions.”

Luhan’s excited nod sparks another quirk of the lips from Kris.

“Humans are so rarely interested in these affairs,” he muses, “But there was a time when elves ruled this land, lived together much like humans do. It’s faded in my memory, but once dragons were far more populated than they are today.” He frowned. “The white plague changed that quickly.”

“White plague?”

“Two centuries ago, it wiped out nearly the entire dragon population of this land. That’s why dragons now are typically only sighted in the Eastern Islands- that’s the only place where the plague didn’t hit. Unlike many creatures, dragons unfortunately do not have magical healing.”

Yixing pauses, trying to imagine a time when dragons populated the land. It’s scary, he thinks, that something like sickness could wipe them all out.

Kris looks up sharply.

“You are on your way to the Languaria palace, correct?”

“Yes.” Yixing replies quietly.

“Why, if I may ask?”

“My father’s in the hospital. I want to find a job.”

Despite his misgivings about revealing his to pretty much a complete stranger, Yixing couldn’t stop himself from adding, “I’m trying to learn about my past.”

Kris his head, and Yixing rushes to explain. He doesn’t know why- maybe because Kris is the first magical creatures he’s actually communicated with, but it all comes out in a rush that he can’t stop.

“I mean, there’s always been something odd about me. Magical creatures, you see, they’ve never shied from me. And sometimes they’ll come near me. I’ve never been quite sure why and-” He pauses for a moment, then add quietly, “it’s been getting a lot worse lately.”

“For the past couple months, creatures will just keep showing up more and more. It’s getting to the point where it’s bordering on ridiculous. Sometimes, it’ll stop when I’m with other people or out in public, even though I have no idea what I’m doing, but it leaves me with a terrible headache. I can’t live like this forever. So leaving was the best option. Maybe someone there can help me since Languardia is known for its scholars.”

“Ah,” Kris nods knowingly, in a way that makes Yixing wonder if Kris knows more about his situation than he lets on. “And your mother?”

“Dead.” He says softly. “She drowned when I was five.”

Kris’s brow creases. “Drowned?”

“Yeah,” Yixing murmurs, eyes downcast. “According to my father, it was a pretty bad storm a few days before, and she went out for whatever reason across the river and the bridge broke-”

His voice cracked, but Yixing ignored it and powered through the rest of the story.

“Anyways, they found her body soon after, and that was that. She lived a quiet life and when she passed on, there was no one to contact. She was of the Northern lands, you see, and her mother and father had been smuggled here by traders. No family whatsoever, and didn’t leave much behind either.”

They stay quiet for a while longer. It had gotten dark, Yixing realizes suddenly, while they were talking. The sun was sinking beneath the mountains already. Now that he had considered it, they hadn’t stopped for supper either and his feet were aching.

He opens his mouth to suggest stopping, when Kris speaks up again.

“And you?” He turns his steely eyes towards Luhan. “What are you doing here?”

Luhan makes to speak, but nothing comes out. Instead, he looks away, not meeting anyone’s eyes, but Yixing catches a glimpse of the same unsteady look from earlier. He clears his throat.

“I think it’s about time we stopped for the night.” He interrupts. “Will you be staying with us tonight, Kris?”

“No, I’ll be off and join you in the morning.” Kris said gruffly. He retreated into the dark woods, leaving the two of them to guess how he would spend his eyes.

Come to think of it, Yixing realized. Kris never did explain exactly why he was accompanying them. Whenever the conversation had come to it, he led it away with some smoothly timed comment about foreign lands that would redirect Luhan’s curiosity.

When Kris disappears, Luhan still looks unsettled, refusing to meet Yixing’s eyes as he gathers firewood.

With the fire blazing, it’s much warmer and secure. Yixing steams up a kettle as he tosses dried meats and herbs into a pot.

“Tea?” He asks softly, settling next to Luhan. Luhan looks up at him through his long lashes from the fire, and Yixing is startled to find his eyes tear-stained.

He finally finds it in himself to ask what had been bothering him all afternoon.

“Are you okay?” He whispers. Luhan doesn’t respond, looking back into the fire.

“I mean, I know I’m not good at this talking stuff,” Yixing rambles, “but you can tell me.”

"It's just," Luhan stares intently at the fire. "I can already see my life planned out in front of me. I'm from a big family. I've already had brothers who've gone off and done what I'll do. Get married to some nice girl, move to the farmplot a couple houses or the next town over. Have children, visit everyone every now and then, get old, and die. It's all been said and done.”

"I'm afraid, you see." He voice breaks a bit and he glances up at Yixing, face jaudiced by the warm orange glow. "I'm afraid I'll be the book that no one reads. The music that no one listens to. I'm afraid my life will be abandoned like those old storybooks on the shelf because everyone knows the story already."

“Even here, what am I doing? Kris is right to wonder-”

“You’ve done a lot.” Yixing interrupts, “You got Tao out. Could you imagine Kris and me traveling together? It would be horrible. Maybe you started out without a purpose, but you’re a part of this now.”

Luhan looks surprised for a moment, but his expression quickly falls.

“I just wanted to be different, to do different things than everyone else.” Luhan pauses and bites his lips. He looks so vulnerable and Yixing just wants to hug him and soothe him. "It's selfish. But that's why I came. That’s why I’m here"

Yixing finally decides to screw his inhibitions. He scoots over and pulls Luhan into a hug.

"It's okay." he whispers in his year, as Luhan clings to him. "It's not selfish. If anything, what I’m doing is selfish. But it’s okay to do something for yourself too, you know.”

The grateful smile Luhan shoots him makes Yixing himself grin and, blushing, he gives Luhan another quick squeeze before letting his arms go.

“Thank you.” Luhan whispers. Yixing just smiles.

The next few days pass much the same way. Kris joins them soon after they start down the road, tactfully deflecting any inquiries about his own personal life or activities. He does become less stiff, joining Luhan in meaningless discussions about the weather and topics they’ve covered in school, and Yixing finds it in himself to join as well.

The days fly by quickly, until one afternoon, Kris glances at the line of trees on the horizon and states, “We’re only a few hours until we reach Languardia.”

Yixing finds those hours pass in the blink of an eye; soon they’re at the gate to the city, a towering entrance of twisted silver and gold.

The guards nod at Kris and prompty open the gates.

“You come here often?” Yixing questions.

“Often enough.” Kris mutters, as they stroll through the passage into what appears to be a town square. Vendors line a large open square, where a clocktower etched with fanciful designs looms over the city. It’s nothing like anything Yixing’s ever seen before. It’s absolutely thrilling.

“Oh, Kris!” A lilting, fluttering laugh breaks through the crowd, and a lithe young lady adorned in a flowing green dress emerges. She immediately attaches herself to Kris’s side, despite his uncomfortable expression, and Yixing has to hide his laughter. He wonders if she knows about his dragon side.

“You must be on your way to the palace. I’ll you.” She offers.

“We’re fine-” Kris starts.

“Don’t be silly, I can take you. You probably want to see my uncle, but he’s out until tomorrow morning,” she says. “So you’ll need me to let you in.”

She laughs again, with Kris remaining stoic beside her. As her laugh dies down, for the first time, she seems to take notice of Yixing and Luhan.

“Are these your friends?”

When Kris remains silent, she plows on.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lili of the Park Family.” She extends a gloved hand, giving each of them a firm shake as they introduced themselves, taken back by lack of feminine curtsying. Giving them each a forceful look, she suddenly breaks into a smile before giggling again. “You must be tired after your rest. Do follow me- We should head to the castle immediately.”

Yixing and Luhan obediently step behind her, as she glues herself to Kris’s arm and led them to the castle. Yixing wasn’t quite sure to make of her, but the idea of actually visiting the castle sends an electrifying thrill through him.

The palace- a place he’s only seen through stories, a place of extravagance fanciful mystique. And, Yixing hopes, a place where he’ll find his answers.