That was very much a sentiment that was shared by Satoru as well as Commander Yunho when they were finally in the same room together the following day. Somewhat not surprisingly, Chaerin was also in attendance in the Aerie Master’s office though none of her kin were. “None of them saw Tiamat,” the Commander stated when he had to explain his reasoning for her presence. “She did.”

            She flinched as attention settled on her and her gaze settled on Taekwoon, that strange mix of emotions warring on her face again. “Thank you,” she simply said, directing the words at the other young rider in their midst.

            Taekwoon shrugged and nodded once but didn’t respond. It didn’t seem to help his case with the Commander who eyed them both suspiciously. But before he could say anything, Satoru spoke up. “You said that they saw Tiamat in Trance. Can you tell us more about that?” he asked, glancing between the two riders.

            Chaerin immediately shook her head and looked down at her hands. “I only saw her briefly. It’s more about what we felt in Trance.”

            “Go on,” Yunho urged, arms crossed over his chest as he waited impatiently.

            Taekwoon rather thought Hero wasn’t able to give him enough answers to make him understand what had happened and that was making him antsy. It was frustrating. “The dragons saw more than we did. They were with her the whole time. We were just on the outside. Feeling just enough because of… our dragon natures,” he admitted with a slight grimace. Jinki caught his hand and squeezed it supportively, though held his tongue.

            “She was turning our dragons against us, Taekwoon. If you know anything else, I think it’s very important that you say it,” the Commander snapped, a glower on his face.

            He was afraid. That was what it was. Taekwoon blinked in surprise as the realization came to him. It was obvious in his body language. The tension he carried. “I don’t know anything for certain,” he quipped, one hand gesturing in the air in irritation. “I only know what I… felt,” he hiccupped once, pursing his lips. “What I was able to do in Trance.”

            “Oh?” Satoru hummed thoughtfully, hands clasped in his lap as he listened. He glanced at Yunho once, a brow raised to stall the Commander from saying anything, and then focused his attention back on Taekwoon.

            For his part, Taekwoon looked back at Jinki and took a small breath. As best he could, he explained the first sensation he’d experienced of Tiamat’s coming. It was still very jumbled in his head, but the emotions had been pretty clear. He continued with what it was like floating in and out of Trance after that. Then he detailed his connection with Jonghyun and to a degree Jongup. Lastly he spoke of how he’d heard Chaerin and, with a nod in her direction, went into how he tried to help. He couldn’t keep himself from skimming past the painful transformation part and he saw Chaerin noticed, but she held her tongue.

            “And so I managed to challenge Tiamat…” he trailed off, looking at the floor instead of Commander Yunho.

            “What were you thinking?!” the Commander scowled, expression aghast.

            “I wasn’t,” Taekwoon answered before he could think about it. Immediately, he winced and prepared for another tongue lashing.

            “It worked,” Chaerin spoke before Yunho could begin his diatribe.

            “What?” the group asked at nearly the same time, all attention shifting to her again.

            “The challenge,” she answered, gesturing at Taekwoon. “Intentional or not, he pulled Tiamat’s attention away from the dragons and whatever she was trying to do. It… let them… um, Jonghyun,” she floundered for Taekwoon’s dragon’s name, “respond.”

            “Hero did mention that,” Yunho muttered in concession.

            “Chaerin,” Satoru called softly, leaning forward to draw her attention his way.

            “Yes?” she asked uncertainly.

            “How did you know your bond was being tested?” he wondered, voicing what they had all probably thought at one point or another. When she didn’t immediately answer, he added, “From what I understand, your kin weren’t as aware of the shift so what made you realize what was happening?”

            Chaerin wrinkled her nose and glanced at Taekwoon once before looking away quickly. “I don’t know why but… my father seems to think I have one of the strongest bonds among his children. It was… part of the reason…” she hesitated, carefully not looking at Taekwoon this time.

            “Ah,” Satoru murmured, obviously rescuing her from herself, much to Yunho’s silent frustration. “Your experience would seem to support that possibility.”

            “He really did save us,” she added softly, her gaze once more landing on Taekwoon with an expression all too close to admiration – or more – for his liking.

            “So it seems,” Yunho mumbled with a look between them.

            “Have you heard what Gain has to say on the matter?” Satoru asked, looking to the Commander this time. “You mentioned Hero said that she was spearheading the turning attempt under Tiamat’s pressure.”

            The Commander scowled and paced quickly in a circle. “She won’t talk to us.” Taekwoon had to fight very hard not to mutter ‘I wonder why’ under his breath. “Anyone really. Or rather, she says she can’t remember much.” He paced again and scrubbed at the back of his neck with one hand. “Which does actually follow how the majority of the dragons feel.”

            “Jonghyun explained that most of the time was like he was dreaming,” Taekwoon offered, hoping to be helpful to the gold.

            “Fei did too,” Chaerin added, following Taekwoon’s lead without asking.

            “And Hero?” Satoru prompted gently, one hand gesturing towards Yunho.

            “He remembers slightly more,” the Commander huffed with another frustrated shrug. “But the way he tells it, it’s more like he went into a trance of repetition just trying to outlast them.”

            “Do you think Tiamat could have had any effect on their memory?” Jinki asked sincerely.

            “It’s impossible to know what effect she had in total so… yes,” Yunho grumbled, clearly unhappy with their session. “The only thing I know for certain is that she does not care for us and, if given the chance, she will likely attempt to kill any and all humans.”

            “I wonder if that holds true for those in Tiamat’s Aerie as well,” Jinki wondered aloud, his expression clouded by the possibility.

            “It…” Chaerin started to speak, one hand rising up to catch their attention. “Might depend on how powerful my father is.”

            “But he is the Bahamut High Priest,” Yunho reminded her flatly.

            She simply shrugged in response, her eyes fixed on the table in front of her. “It’s possible there’s a Tiamat High Priest like him, but I know I’ve never seen or heard of them.”

            “That is possible, but until we know for sure, we should consider both outcomes as likely,” Satoru instructed, his voice firm and strong but his fingers moved to cover the hidden scars on his left arm.

            “Agreed,” Jinki spoke up, throwing his support quickly behind Satoru before Yunho had a chance to speak.

            “Ugh,” the Commander groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Taekwoon rather thought the pressure of his new position was getting to him. “There is too much we do not know and these sessions are not helping,” he scowled with a shake of his head. “Nor, given this recent debacle,” he added with a toss of his hand as he gestured around the room, “can we trust that everyone is loyal.”

            “Commander Yunho!” Aerie Master Jinki stood up in righteous outrage and then flinched when he got the full brunt of the rider’s glare. It very nearly made Taekwoon get up too, but a quick and subtle hand gesture his way made him stay. It couldn’t stop him from seething internally though.

            “It’s true!” the Commander snapped, leaning towards Jinki. “We’ve had traitors before.” His words cut sharp and it hurt all the more that he looked at Satoru briefly to drive his point. “And to think we’re actually harboring Kevin’s daughter in our midst without wondering why beyond what she has told us.”

            “You don’t trust her,” Jinki murmured in disbelief.

            “Of course I don’t!” Yunho answered without hesitation. “And the fact that you do – you all do – so easily is infuriating!” he railed, both hands rising to gesticulate with frustrated energy. He raked the group with one final and scathing glare and threw his hands up. “I’m done.” Surprising most of them, he his heel and began to storm out.

            “Where are you going?” Jinki demanded even as he shifted to get as far out of his way as possible.

            “To train our Battalion!” he spat over his shoulder. “Let me know if you have actually get any useful information,” he added, voice diminishing quickly as the door cut it off.

            Taekwoon, Jinki, and Chaerin exchanged wide-eyed glances and uncertain shrugs. The only one that seemed unphased by the outburst was Satoru and he simply sighed sadly. “Eric used to have moments like that. He was simply better about containing them,” he admitted with a bittersweet smile.

            “But he’s wrong,” Jinki couldn’t help but speak up, lips firming with his facial expression.

            “This time perhaps,” Satoru nodded in concession, hands lightly clasped in his lap again. “And maybe the next time too. And possibly every time, but the High Dragon Commander’s job is to keep everyone safe and if that means trusting no one implicitly, then he is probably doing his job well. No matter how poorly that makes him appear in our eyes,” he explained with a gentle spread of his hands.

            “But Commander Eric was-”

            “Far more practiced,” Satoru interrupted, holding Jinki’s eyes as his protégé struggled to come to terms with everything. “You had a rough start but I’m still here,” he explained with a small nod. “Yunho has no one to lean on. And these times are very different from what we had to deal with in our prime,” he added with a look that screamed this was all madness.

            “But-” Jinki started to speak before he was cut off once more.

            “Now it has been a long meeting and I am tired, so why don’t you all go about your day while you let me take a nap,” Satoru instructed, moving to slowly get to his feet.

            Taekwoon watched as Jinki’s expression shifted automatically from concerned Aerie Master to concerned friend. “Of course. You do look a little worn,” he conceded, earning a raised brow from Satoru. “You do,” was the younger man’s quick and easy response. “Do you need-”

            “I can make it to my bed, Jinki. Thank you,” he practically laughed and waved off his mentee’s concern. “Why don’t you see your friends out, right?”

            “Ah. Yes, sir,” Jinki bowed, standing where he was with his hands nervously clasped in front of him. When Satoru didn’t move and glanced at Taekwoon and Chaerin, only then did Jinki seem to snap out of it enough to respond. “Right! Let’s go. Master Satoru needs his privacy,” he urged, turning to propel both riders out before him.

            It amused Taekwoon but Chaerin seemed a bit down about the whole endeavor. She stayed just outside the door and stared at the revealed mural in the foyer. “I’m not like my father,” she promised quietly, eyes seemingly fixated on the image of a priest.

            “We know that,” Jinki promised, moving close enough to rest a hand on her shoulder consolingly. “Things are just very tense right now. For everyone,” he consoled her with a gentle voice and a soft expression.

            She nodded as if she heard him but then turned her attention to Taekwoon and he felt a tickle of nervousness in his belly. “I was so ready to not like you,” she exhaled with a laugh, shaking her head as if to herself. “And yet… you’ve done more for me than… well, anyone,” she admitted with a shrug, her lips quickly. “So thank you,” she whispered breathily, closing the distance between them with quick steps.

            Taekwoon had a sudden inclination of what she was going to do but a very tiny part of him – probably his dragon part – wanted to know, so he didn’t immediately react when she grabbed his head in her hands and kissed him. He heard Jinki’s surprised gasp and it registered that this was not just a friendly chaste kiss. With a muted gasp, he grabbed her shoulders and abruptly stepped back to put her at arm’s length, eyes wide. “No,” he pointed with one hand, stepping back again to put further distance between them.

            Surprisingly, it seemed as if she may not have meant to do that if the embarrassed flush and reactive cringe were any indication. “Sorry!” she laugh yelped, flailing in place as if she didn’t know how to react before she turned to flee.

            They both watched her leave and then Taekwoon turned to Jinki with his hands up and shaking his head. “I didn’t-”

            A finger on his lips stopped him and Jinki shook his head. “I know. Just… hmm,” he exhaled, laughing once with a very confused expression on his face. “Tensions are very high right now,” he reiterated as if to convince himself.

            “Yes,” Taekwoon hesitantly agreed as he lowered his hands but kept a watchful eye on his other half.

            “Okay,” Jinki forced out after inhaling once. “Back to work then!” He gave Taekwoon no choice about it as he grabbed the rider’s hand and tugged him along.

            Their group meeting and the incident with Taekwoon and Chaerin notwithstanding, none of their feelings or thoughts about anything that might happen had any immediate effect on the happenings in the Aerie. Under Commander Yunho’s watch, the dragons and riders continued to train as they’d been doing, sessions lasting longer and becoming more intense with the progressing thaw. Under Satoru, Jinki, and Seunghyun’s tutelage, residents continued to practice and prepare for whatever might come to pass as they helped to fortify the walls and defenses of the Aerie. Every other day, they saw another straggler or two seeking sanctuary amongst their walls and it was all Jinki could do especially to not feel bad about what might be coming. He’d warned everyone to the best of his ability and they had seen a handful of departures, but most had opted to stay, come what may. It was just difficult to toe the line of not enough, just enough or overwhelming information that might create a panic.

            Since the riders that had been afflicted were still under observation, per Yunho and Hyesung and Mimi’s orders, even though they were awake and feeling better, they mostly tried to stay out of the way and build their strength up again. Unfortunately, they did notice one particular change, though it wasn’t just among their group. The other dragons, the ones that were practicing and whose riders had no general issues with the Tiamat event, appeared to have at least a small problem with a notable handful of their peers. Most obviously, the dragons from Chaerin’s group as well as the newest ones. By extension, their riders also showed some… hesitation in regards to speaking with the recovering riders, though Insoo did remain as personable and professional as always when he did come to check on his wing members.

            It took Taekwoon a moment to remember, but he realized they were generally the dragons that had experienced a temporary shift in loyalty during Trance. He couldn’t help but wonder if Yunho and Hero might have had something to do with the shift. But as soon as he made that connection between dragons, another thought occurred to him. “I wonder how Gain is doing.”

            Angry and frustrated, was Jonghyun’s almost immediate reply, rather like he’d been waiting for the thought.

            Oh? Taekwoon wondered further, pausing in his restless pacing.

            I wouldn’t wish to see her, the dragon admitted almost flippantly.

            Taekwoon’s eyes narrowed and he snorted once. That almost sounds like a suggestion.

            He got the distinct impression his dragon shrugged in response. She likes you.

            She tolerates and teaches me, he corrected automatically, though his gaze did drift in the direction of the Paramour’s quarters. He recalled the conversation he’d been privy to a few days ago and he had to wonder if she had remembered anything else from her time in Trance with Tiamat.

            Same difference. It was a laughable phrase coming from his dragon, but he couldn’t deny that he had been curious about how she was lately. The other dragons seemed to be just fine overall, bonding strongly with their riders, but Gain had no rider with which to connect. Not like they did. Not anymore.

            Fine, Taekwoon grumbled, no real heat in the response. He was of the mind that Jonghyun was rightfully intimidated by the gold dragon, but also that he was at least somewhat worried about her. I’ve got nothing better to do anyway, he added in an offhand manner. Truly he didn’t and it was better than simply biding his time, especially since Jinki was busy with his duties as well.

            The Paramour’s quarters were unusually busy when Taekwoon arrived. It wasn’t hard to understand why – when things got crazy, people sought reassurance in many ways – but he was surprised that Gain was immediately free. It was Heechul and Hyosung whose schedules were full.

            “She’s been a bit on edge since she woke up,” the resident at the desk explained quietly, casting a quick glance in either direction. “Seems like the dragons don’t know what to think of her either,” the young woman added with a helpless shrug, obviously at a loss.

            “Thank you,” Taekwoon murmured, not sure what else to say. She nodded once and then gestured for him to go inside. Even before he could see her, he could feel Gain’s conflicted energy. It oozed into the hallway and created a sort of invisible warding wall. Had he merely been wandering, Taekwoon might well have turned around, but since he was actively seeking her out, he pressed past it and stepped into her domain.

            Her attention was on him immediately, all dragon and very prickly. Golden eyes blinked once, nictitating lenses peeling back like opening a blurry curtain. In her dragon form, he couldn’t hear her but he could read the body language just fine. Her “What?” was abundantly obvious.

            Taekwoon knew he probably should have been unnerved by her. Part of him was, but in comparison to Tiamat, whose presence undeniably overshadowed Gain’s, she was almost like an irritated kitten. Not that he’d ever say it out loud. “We should talk,” he spoke instead, drawing a bit closer but keeping his weight on his toes, just in case.

            Gain’s lips peeled back showing long fangs, but there was no accompanying growl. It was more of a grimace than anything else. The gold dragon pushed up from her lying position and paced around the room, making a tight circle with her tail swinging so close that it almost hit Taekwoon. Almost. Circle complete, she sat down on her haunches and wrapped her tail around her front claws, wings pulled tightly against her body. Another question there. “Why?”

            There were dozens of answers he could have given. Strangely, the one that surfaced first was not the one he intended to lead with. “Why did you look different in Trance?”

            The Paramour blinked and her posture relaxed just a touch. She hadn’t been expecting such a question and her gaze turned introspective as she immediately mulled it over in her mind. Taekwoon let her. Now that he’d asked, he wanted to know himself and he knew she would come around in her own time.

            He was not disappointed. Focusing on him once more, she lowered her head near his and huffed. “Come.” Even without the word, the intent was obvious.

            Taekwoon fell into Trance with reckless abandon. Maybe she was out of sorts about any number of things, but regardless of what had happened, he realized he still trusted the gold almost implicitly. Despite that, the space he fell into was different from the last time he had been there. It was lighter. Literally as well as figuratively. Gray space had become washed out, like clouds before a gentle rain. And the air itself… tingled? He looked at his hand and saw only a human’s, but it really did feel changed. More akin to when the weather changed between seasons.

            “I’m not sure.” Her hesitant words broke his focus and Taekwoon looked up to see Gain in her human form. Physically, she hadn’t changed, but gone was her usual attire. Likewise for her typically teasing demeanor. What remained was a strangely covered woman – loose white robes didn’t match her persona – who seemed… lost for lack of a better word.

            “Okay,” Taekwoon answered reflexively, acknowledging her response but not sure what else to say. He turned to face her more fully and held her gaze, ignoring the fact that he himself was embarrassingly unclothed. Trance was certainly being strange lately. “So… what happened?” he asked next, gesturing towards the space around them.

            He couldn’t quite help the flush that splashed his neck when she clothed him with a minute gesture – robes like hers – and then folded her arms across her chest. Anger burned in her eyes and she focused it away from him. Taekwoon knew it wasn’t directed at him, but he couldn’t tell if she was angry at herself or someone else. Whatever it was, she didn’t seem like she particularly wanted to talk. He knew that couldn’t be entirely true. She wouldn’t have let him in if she wished for no contact.

            Taekwoon opened his mouth to speak but all of the starts seemed to fall short of what he needed to ask. “When the Group Trance meeting turned strange, I didn’t immediately know something was wrong,” he began to explain, taking a step to the side as he worked carefully to choose the right words. He saw Gain turn her head to listen so he continued. “My bond with Jonghyun was fine. Quiet but whole.”

            “Forced loyalty,” Gain almost hissed, the words angry and bitter and sad.

            “Huh?” he chirped, not sure he’d heard her right.

            Gain took a breath and exhaled slowly, loosing some of the tension in her shoulders as she did so. “Forced loyalty,” she repeated, turning to look at him directly. “The bond you and most of the riders share is a magical trapping. Just like the bond I used to share.” Her voice was flat and pained. The bitterness was still there, but it was threaded with old hurts.

            “Symbiosis?” Taekwoon asked for clarification. Gain nodded. “I don’t deny that it’s forced, but isn’t it also helpful?”

            Her scorn was real when she scoffed at the question. But again, the pain surfaced with it. “And why is it helpful?”

            Obviously, she knew the answer to that. He was about to say as much before she glared at him. Equally obviously she wanted him to say it. “Because it gives dragons intelligence.”

            “And why do we need intelligence?” Pained bitter anger again.

            “Because the dragons lost it after the Dragon Wars.” Her eye twitched at the name and he flinched.

            “Why?” she growled, hands balling into fists as she uncrossed her arms.

            Again, Taekwoon knew the anger wasn’t directed at him, but it burned all the same. “I don’t know,” he admitted after a long pause. He tried to think of why but… it just was.

            She did though. He could see it in her furious golden eyes. “Because the dragon gods were bound.” The sentence was all the more chilling because it had a curious lack of heat in it, like a dead thing being laid out before him. “The dragon gods were bound and we lost what it meant to be a dragon. We became… less.” There it was. The tortured anguish. Her expression broke and she lowered her head as she hugged herself tight.

            Taken aback by the news, Taekwoon flinched first and then asked hesitantly, “How do you-”

            “She told me,” the gold answered, her voice curiously soft this time. It was little more than a whisper, like she was sharing a secret, but oh so pained in its utterance.

            “How can we trust-”

            Again, she interrupted him. “She did not lie!” Gold eyes rose up and met his, holding firm this time. “That is why this is so hard.” Taekwoon didn’t ask, but she continued anyway. “Tiamat is my mother. All dragons’ mother. Her words…” She trailed off and looked away, out into the distance where another dragon had been at one point. “They were right, Taekwoon. And that pull… that desire to not be alone. To go home…” she sighed, one hand reaching towards the distance.

            Even as he watched her, Taekwoon saw a tear trickle down her face. “But you’re not alone,” he whispered, knowing it to be true. She had an entire Aerie behind her.

            Gain laughed once, a broken sound, and her head dipped forward again. “As a dragon, I didn’t know any different.” She took a breath and looked up. “As a rider’s dragon, I was forced to accept her presence. Her intelligence.” She took another breath. “But she gave me her love. Without question. Without limit. Without ever asking for it in return. And so I gave her mine. But then she died.” The dragon turned to look at Taekwoon, her eyes haunted. “She died and left me with a hole in my heart. She didn’t mean to but she took a part of me with her that she couldn’t give back and I have spent my life trying to replace it. To fill it with something else. And you think you do until you know you haven’t because when Tiamat was here… I became whole.”

            “Oh.” Taekwoon had no words. He didn’t even know how to respond to what she’d said. All he had was the fear of losing his dragon. The fear of not being whole. But Gain had lived it. For quite some time. He couldn’t even imagine what it would feel like for her. “Gain. I…” he whispered, one hand raising up as if to reach for her.

            Gain didn’t respond but she did something she’d never done with him before. She walked over and hugged him. Pressed herself so hard against him it was like she was trying to become one and her arms trembled. He awkwardly wrapped his arms around her in turn and waited to hear what she might have to say. “Yes. I wanted that existence. That wholeness,” she whispered against his chest, the top of her head resting against his shoulder. “And it will forever be my shame that is why I wanted to go with her for even a moment. That is why I was willing to try and turn the others to her.” She moved her head to rest her chin on his chest and look up at Taekwoon, gold eyes meeting brown ones. “Tiamat loves us. Still. Always. Her children. She wants us to come home. To be safe and whole and loved. But,” she sighed, turning her head to rest her ear against his chest again.

            “She hates humans,” Taekwoon finished for her.

            “Yes. She blames you for our fall. For her imprisonment. For everything bad that has happened,” she almost laughed, pressing her face against his chest then.

            “She’s not entirely wrong.” He hated to say it, but she was right. Humans had been the ones to bind the dragon gods. They’d been the ones to start Symbiosis.

            “No. But she’s not entirely right either.” Gain took a breath and finally peeled herself away so that she could look at Taekwoon evenly once again. “Humans may be to blame, but not you. Not your riders. Not mine. And as much as I might have wanted what she was offering, I cannot forgive that she was willing to force us all to come back to her.” Gain stepped forward and gently clasped Taekwoon’s face in her hands. “That is almost as bad as what the humans did, once upon a time.”

            As she spoke, Taekwoon felt an invisible caress over his body. It teased at his skin and tugged gently, almost playful in its presence. The sensation was so soft and benign, he didn’t even suspect the change that overtook him swiftly. His breath caught in his throat as he fell almost seamlessly into his bronze dragon form with a surprised gasp. With the sudden change, he didn’t even know whether to be scared or angry. They’d skipped right past the fear and panic stage…

            Gain caressed his lower jaw and smiled, the expression finally closer to what it should be. “Jonghyun told me about what you experienced last time. I wanted to remind you it can be an easy change,” she winked. “And this way I get to see your new form,” she added with a thoughtful raise of her brow.

            Taekwoon looked down, freeing himself from her hands, but couldn’t see what she was talking about immediately. At least not until she conjured a large mirror directly in front of him. He started when he came face to face with his reflection. Pronounced markings around his eyes made him look like he was automatically glaring. His horns reminded him of curved daggers with two smaller prongs near his skull looking like the hilt. And his color was darker with mottled shades of bronze, not so bright and shiny like Gunwoo was.

            “It suits you,” Gain hummed with a nod before she stepped back and let her own form flow into her dragon shape.

            She made it look graceful, like art. And as she changed, Taekwoon could see her alterations too. Larger eyes with a spaced out row of particularly bright scales just above and below. Horns that curved outward and then back with an additional crescent rising at the front not unlike a halo and crown combined. Her skin gleamed like true gold and her wings shared the same color but faded to almost gossamer at the tips.

            Oh, she blinked, actually seeing herself for the first time in the mirror she’d created. I look…

            Beautiful. Taekwoon flushed as soon as the word left his mouth. He hadn’t meant to say it out loud but it fit.

            Her expressive eyes turned coy and lidded as she looked at him. Are you starting to find me attractive, Taekwoon? she teased, though she remained where she was.

            No, he retorted instinctively. I mean yes! I mean… he stammered, more than a little flustered.

            Relax, she laughed delightedly, hitting him softly with her tail. You’re right. Beautiful, she preened once, looking at herself in the mirror again. She took a breath and turned around to face Taekwoon, finally back to her usual self. More or less. My guess is that when Tiamat was freed, her power was also freed. That could explain why Trance has changed and why it feels different. She looked different too. Perhaps… this is what we would have looked like if they had not been bound.

            I wonder, Taekwoon whispered, thinking back to the changes he’d seen in the other dragons when Tiamat had been present. The fact they still looked different now did seem to point that something big had changed. Her guess was as good as any.

            Gain was speculative for a moment longer before she looked at Taekwoon. Like really looked at him and she smiled. As much as a dragon could anyway. Okay. That helped. Getting the thoughts out of my head, she explained with a nod. Now… I’ve another dragon to speak with, she admitted, her smile fading as a wry twist took over instead.

            Oh? Taekwoon prompted, not sure who she was referring to. It couldn’t be his dragons.

            She understood his confusion and laughed. Hero. Much like his rider, he was… too much the last time we tried to speak.

            Why didn’t you speak to anyone else? he wondered in genuine confusion. He was glad he could help but it felt strange that he, of all people, was the one she might speak with first.

            Her laugh was bittersweet. Most of the dragons wouldn’t speak with me so freely. Fei did come, she conceded with a nod, and some of her peers, but they all needed listening ears. Like Jong, she teased gently. And bless Heechul. He wanted to help but… he just wouldn’t understand. He wasn’t there, she shrugged, wings shifting under the motion. Plus, I know all of your secrets so it only seemed right you know one of mine, she winked, her usual humor shining through quickly.

            Okay, he shifted in place uncertainly, but ultimately accepting of the answer. At least you didn’t try to kiss me, he muttered, thinking of the last time he was one on one with a woman.

            Oh? she hummed curiously before understanding dawned of its own accord. Oh, she repeated with a knowing grin. That’s what she was talking about, she chuckled to herself, declining to fill him in about who she was talking about. He thought he knew anyway but it would have been nice for confirmation. Well, come along then.

            Huh? he blinked in confusion.

            You’re coming with me.

            Where?

            To speak to Hero.

            I am?

            Yep, she grinned, shoving him out of Trance and coming back to herself with a new vibrancy that belied how she’d been when he first saw her. ‘Come along,’ she ‘said’ as the gold padded for the entrance.

            “Why me?” Taekwoon groaned, shaking his head with a muted laugh. It was annoying but… also kind of nice. At least it was something else to do in the meantime. If he was lucky, maybe he’d see Hero get knocked down a peg or two. Who knew?

            That would be fun, his dragon interjected mirthfully.

            You’re terrible.

            You thought it first.

            In my mind, he defended himself, but couldn’t deny the accusation. If nothing else, it was something to focus on besides the uncertain future. He knew he was trying to find ways to pretend it wasn’t coming, but it was enough for the time being. At least until he could resume training again. If nothing else, maybe it would get them back on more trustworthy terms. Or not. Baham- heavens only knew.