For once Stephan was less than graceful as he tried to mount Sven while I retrieve our thrown items. He crashed the ground with a foot snared in the boot straps, groaning face first into the stone. Despite looking like death, the gods still managed to bless him with beauty, leaving me to look like a wild man a troll barfed on. But whatever. At least the sun and spring caught up to this place, kissing everything with green.

Even the tower looked strangely romantic with all the invading flowers soaking up the light it was deprived of.  I started to imagine spending my time here with Stephan--without the murderous dragon, of course. I could play him a song he must've heard in his home town, eating sweet apples. 

"I don't think that's how you get on a horse, Hero."

Having no energy to retort, Steph only sighed in defeat, weighed down by his armor. 

"I don't want to rush a weary man," I say, tapping his arm with my boot, "but there's a beast ready to kill us at any second." 

"Its taking it's sweet ass time in doing so," He mumbled, getting up and trying again.

I secured my other lute and handed him his knife before mounting behind him. "Maybe they're giving us some time to sort out some feelings."

He looked at me, taking the hint. "I rather not, thank you. I'm curious about why you decided to call it 'they'." 

"I mean, calling the dragon an 'it' seems kinda...you know. Since they're intelligent beings after all. Plus, we don't know their gender identity." 

He snorted, "Alright, fine. We wouldn't want to be rude while they try to gobble us up."

I smiled despite how terrified I was about being food, fading it away to ask, "Who was that man you knifed in the head?"

"I told you already, he's an asshole."

"An ordinary ass wouldn't have have pissed you off like that."

Stephan urged Sven with a click of his tongue, running us up the steps. Quiet for a moment, he asked, "What did you mean when you said that you had to kill your father again?"

"Just as it sounds. I didn't get my scar from sword training..." I touched my lip to feel the angry line under my finger tips. "I was a child when I found my mother dead. My father was close by, waiting for me to return from my chores. Most of it is a blur, but I remember the knife slicing me before I got out of there. He was hung three days later after I told the lord there what happened."

"Sorry that you had a crappy dad."

"I had a better one. For a time."

"My own--" He caught himself, then sighed. "My half brother was the closest thing to a parent I can remember. Since I traded my memories for my armor and sword as if they were just coins I could get more of.  He found me after my mother died sometime ago and raised me as his apprentice. The man who appeared in the mist was the one who burned him to death on charges of heresy."  

"What did he do?"

"He started to believe that every monster deserves respect and not immediate cruelty. I was to be burned with him, but I escaped. Sometimes I fear that he's heading for the same kingdom and I don't know what I'll do if we cross paths again. Ruthless in revenge. Or forgive."

I squeezed his arm and he placed a hand over my own.

There was a part of me that wanted to hold him and kiss away all the pain. What stopped me was the look in his eyes. The love for me was different, made obvious with his words. "You're a good friend, Wes."

Stephan:

Wes seemed to deflate and I wondered what I said wrong. I thought he wanted to be friends. 

There was a roar that shook the sky and earth, rumbling murderously. Right, there was a dragon. 

They appeared with a dead bull in their talons and a throat full of fire. The massive wings shadowed us as Sven bolted even faster to the tower without much encouragement. Wes held on for dear life. 

Fire pooled behind us, licking our backs with agonizing heat. The dragon turned for another round, extending their talons to snatch whoever they could, and missed Sven by mere inches. Wes screamed, burying himself against my back.

"Why in the living hells did I let you drag ourselves into this?!" He shrieked in my ear.

 "For a good song?" Fire poured in front of us and I steered Sven around it. The dragon swooped, pick up loose stone to crush us with. 

"This is your reward, Hero!"  Echoed a voice in my head. "Fall like all the others and end your miserably story right here!"

I had to snort, pumped up for a battle. "You're on, bitch."  Moved to draw my long blade, but I realized our disadvantage here on the steps. I had to focus on getting into the tower.

A whistle from an arrow caught me off guard, green light bursting from the arrow tip that plunged into the midnight scales of the dragon. The beast roared again, this time in pain. Another arrow flew and the dragon retreated. 

From the gaping hole stood a hooded archer, aiming once more at the beast who started to return.

"Hurry!" He yelled at us. "My magic isn't strong enough to keep it at bay much longer!"

Sven plowed in and almost ran over our aid, the end of his tail sheered off from the rush of fire that tried to follow. Red light acted as a shield, chocking the flames out before damage could be done. The beast flew upwards, disappearing for now.

"Don't worry, the barrier should keep the monster away for a while!" The archer's companion came into view, dressed in every color known to man. He looked to be a wizard with the classic white beard. The weathered eyes studied us and decided that we weren't much of a threat, even if I was armed. "Dismount. We won't bite ya."

I slid off of Sven harder than my body would've liked, feeling my rib flare once my boots touched ground. I helped Wes down and saw him shaken up but unharmed. 

The archer pushed down his hood to reveal vibrant red hair and green eyes. He had to be around our age, perhaps a year or two older than Wes. Slinging his bow over his shoulder, he extended his hand to me, "The name's Robin. My friend here is Aster." 

I shook it. "I'm Stephan. This is Wesley. How did you manage to get up here?"

"Well, you see...I bet you already saw the burnt bodies," Robin's eyes caught the runic lute on Sven. "We were part of the group, Aster and I. Someway or another, we escaped the slaughter and camped. Aster is the court wizard, so he knows a thing or two about spells." 

Aster clasped his hands together, drawing close to get a good reading, "Not from these woods, are you? I sense no magical ties in you."

"Just passing through, actually. After we slay the dragon."

Robin clicked his tongue, "Not to be rude and all, but you two look worse than our buddies below. And we watched them melt."

"It's a simple case of exhaustion!" Aster exclaimed. "Of course they look horrible, they messed with runes without proper training!" He noticed Wes, adding, "Perhaps his case has additives. With good rest, they'll be fit."

"And a healing spell or two," Robin saw my discomfort and motioned us to follow. "Come to the campfire and eat, we have extra."

Wesley:

Stephan propped himself against one of the stone debris surrounding the small camp, taking off his armor piece by piece and piled it beside him. His head fell back as he allowed Aster to examine his ribs.

"Definitely broken," said the old wizard, pushing up Stephan's shirt. The discoloration across the ribs were highlighted in the firelight. "Was this from the dragon?"

"My horse. He's basically a building."

The wizard ran his fingers along the discoloration with a frown. "I'm surprised that your lung hasn't collapsed. I can only spare some magic, so I can't heal it all the way. It'll be sore."

Stephan nodded, closing his eyes, "Maybe a warn--"

Red light appeared under Aster's fingers and Steph's words turn into yelps over cracking of bone.  Minutes passed before the wizard stopped the light, removing his fingers from Stephan's now clammy skin. 

The hero started to breathe with relief in his face. 

Robin handed me a bowl of stew which I scarfed down quicker than any food I had before. He watched, amused. "Don't choke."

I forced myself to slow when he refilled my bowl. "Sorry, it's been a day."

"I imagine. Especially for those who aren't from here. Who did that to you, a troll?" He motioned to my messy state.

"We thought it was large due to a spell until it started to melt in the most horrific way possible."

"Magic use to be so faded that something so large can't be sustained. Then the dragon came around and all that has changed. Things from the past started to come around."

"Do you know why?"

"We have theories," Aster left Steph to rest, joining us by the fire. "Nothing too grand yet. Though the thought of magic returning is both exciting and terrifying. It's great to have the ability to do spells again. But not all the power is given to the good spell casters. Young Wesley, do you know anything about this world?"

"No," I say truthfully. 

"Long ago, it was brimming with magic. Even on your lands, magic was in everything. There was no escape of it. Eldric was our king, balancing all forces with his talents, and gave all creatures living chance. It ended when people's minds were corrupted by fear of the unknown, tearing down everything Eldric built, and imprisoned his soul in a stone. We believe that stone is what the monster is guarding."

"The monster works for our adversaries who wish for things to remain the same," said Robin, "They ignore the fact that the magic we have now is not balanced is stolen by aggressors. Without Eldric's influence, good will be outmatched."

"Who sent you?"

"Eldric's ancestor, the current king of these woods. Once this is over, we can take you two to meet him."