I slept in peace, snoring lightly, till I heard a tiny sound, something VERY close by. It made my eyes pop wide open to the morning. They scattered around the clearing till I saw what caused it. Turns out it was a squirrel, one second it was standing around and then skittered away. I let out a breath of relief after it left. Normally I'm never this paranoid, but that dragon me and my companions encountered last night, Raziel, got me a bit worked up still. I had a quick feeling when I heard the squirrel that the green drake was coming up to me for a sneak attack. That wouldn't be the first time that sort of thing happened to me.

That wasn't the only thing bothering me. I still thought about the village I also flew away before we met the drake. No thanks to the knowledge of them knowing a dragon 'invaded' their village, I was kinda feeling in my gut that the people of Stonewater were out searching for me when the morning came. It was probably easier for them to search for a dragon in daytime, and that can help see one better than in the darkness.

I guess that trophy head of one such dragon I saw in that tavern still got under my scales and that was why it was making me think that. It was still the most horrible thing to see. If they can proudly display such a thing on their wall, then they might not hesitate having a hunting party for me.

But luckily, least for me and Ly, no other human was around. And no other dragon was around. We were all still safe and sound.

I gazed towards Dart and Alex still asleep on the grass, then threw my eyes up to the morning blue sky through the clearing of the trees. Better have everyone get a move on...Just in case. I slowly rose to my fours, stretching out all my limbs. I glanced downward to my side expecting a hatchling still sleeping at her spot where my wing would be.

But to my utter shock, Ly was gone.

I gasped, facing sharply to that particular spot. What the-? Where'd she go? I was eyeing it directly, lowering my head a bit, wondering if my eyes were kinda groggy and they were playing tricks on me. I was hoping she would just appear out of nowhere, but she didn't. I swung my gaze around the area trying to find her around the clearing, thinking she has gotten a bit braver and moved to sleep at a different spot, but there wasn't a scale of her within sight.

My heart began to race. Oh my god! Where is she?! I went quickly for the humans. I nudged Alex with a paw, yelling, "Guys! Guys, wake up!"

Alex and Dart didn't waste a moment to raised their torsos off the ground. They both stared at me. Dart demanded, his voice in alarm, "What is it?"

I told them, "Ly's disappeared. She's nowhere to be seen."

Dart asked with a frown on his face, "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not joking!" I gestured my paw at our surroundings, "She's not with us, guys, look!"

Alex got up on her feet along with Dart. She said, her eyes full of worry and curiosity, "That's odd. I don't think she would wander off on her own."

I concurred with a growl, "Neither did I." I hollered at the woods, "Ly! Ly!"

Alex joined in, "Ly! Where are you? We're awake now!"

There was no response, just the sounds of birds tweeting.

I added, "Are you playing hide and seek with us? I don't think now's the time for it!"

Dart had a hand beside his mouth when he called too, "Ly! Come out wherever you are! Seriously, if you don't come out, we're leaving your butt behind! Still got an army to gather here! Hello?"

Ly still didn't reply.

I snorted. Dammit, Ly. Dart spoke after a moment, "Maybe she went to the bathroom. It's not the first time."

I replied, "Maybe, but she should've told one of us instead of going off on her own. And don't you think she should've said something by now?"

Dart sighed before he suggested, "Guess we'll have to look for her."

I agreed, "Right, we should. Let me try tracking her scent." I trekked back to the spot me and Ly had lay together. My nose snaked down to the grass. I took in a few whiffs before I found it. Apparently it was still fresh, which meant she was gone not too long ago. I raised my snout and pointed a claw at the direction she took off, "She went that way."

Alex nodded, strolling for that direction, "Alright, let's go." I was leading us away from the clearing out into the woods. The trees were wide enough for me to follow a trail along with the hatchling's scent. I'll be honest, besides worried, I was partially annoyed at this situation. This really isn't the kind of thing I oughta be doing, looking for hatchlings when they wander off. I kinda wanted to kick her little butt for this. I wondered if Ly was playing a dumb joke on all of us, but then I was feeling foolish for thinking that. I don't think she'd do something like that...But then I kinda don't know her all that well either. She probably has many tricks she haven't managed to pull off yet.

I even thought that maybe this was a good thing. With her gone, I wouldn't have to be dealing with her anymore, I wouldn't have to deal with her talk of visions and her jibber jabber she pulls off time and time again. But I knew this isn't right thinking like that. I'd still rather put up with her a lot longer than leave her alone...Until I took her home to her family.

Even though I don't want to so much...

But I hope nothing bad has happened to her. I don't want her hurt because I wasn't doing a good job protecting her.

She's gotta be around here somewhere...

After wandering further in the woods and following the trail some more, my ears picked up something from a distance. Laughter. I think that was Ly. She didn't sound like she was in danger whatsoever. I stared at the others, they heard her too. I frowned at the direction the laughter came from. What is she doing? Playing with an animal? The three of us treaded onward. I continued to follow the scent too just in case we wandered off course. But I figured we weren't either cause I can hear Ly talking out loud, like she was having a conversation with someone.

I'm not wrong, I hear another voice too.

A male's. A grown one at that.

Curiosity and suspicion tugged me to where they were at. Each step brought us closer and closer as their tones gotten louder. Then shortly, me and the humans found Ly...

...Alone with Raziel, the green drake from last night.

Apparently the two of them were laying on their stomachs so close together, chatting with each other. And obviously, I put on a glare, not happy to see them together. What? Him again?! What is HE doing with HER?!! I can feel the two humans doing the same thing that I am doing. I yelled out, my tail swishing, "Hey!"

Ly and Raziel both saw us staring at them. Ly beamed and said, "Oh hi! Morning, guys!"

Raziel greeted with a small grin on his snout, "Hi there, everyone." His paw gestured to something in front of them, "Want something to eat?"

I noticed right then that there was a deer carcass in front of them. Ly's face was covered in blood. Apparently he was feeding Ly some food. Dart demanded, "What do you think you're doing?"

Raziel said, "Oh, you know, just hanging out with your hatchling. What are you doing?"

I said, "I thought we told you to get lost."

"You did! I did get myself lost in the forest." The drake's forepaw fondly patted right between Ly's shoulders, "But this little one found me."

She smiled at him. She said, "It's true. He was lost and I found him!"

I was incensed as I blinked my distrustful eyes a few times at this picture. Raziel was kinda joking around, I can tell. Perhaps he was trying to lighten the mood, considering the seriousness of this, but I did not find any of this funny. Raziel went on when he was done patting her back, "I gotta say, your daughter has been chatting a lot. It's morning and she seems like she's already woken up hours before."

Why does everyone keeps saying she's my daughter? We are so NOTHING alike! I told him with a snort, "She's not my daughter."

"Oh." He tilted his head, "So...You're sisters?"

Ly piped up proudly, "Oh I wish we were! But we're best friends."

That's still debatable. And dear ancestors I am SO not her sister, or else I might be crazy as she is. I said, annoyed, "She's right. We're not related. Not by blood anyway."

Raziel chuckled, "That was my next guess. She doesn't get angry like you do."

I growled, "Like I am NOW."

The green scaled drake flinched at my tone. Alex said, mildly angry about this too, "So was we, other than worried. What are you doing out here, Ly? You left without telling us where you were going. We woke up and found you gone and were starting to get worried."

Ly gasped, guilt flashed in her eyes, "Oh no! I'm sorry, guys, I didn't mean to make you worried. I was gonna come back to you guys, but..." She giggled embarassingly, "I KINDA got distracted."

I said with an accusing look, "We thought something bad happened to you. Did this dragon find you?"

Ly shook her head, her little tail tapping on the ground, "No. It's like he said, I was the one that found him. See, I wanted to go pee somewhere, but I didn't wanna wake you up and tell you where I was going cause I thought it'd be pointless and thought it'd be rude. Also, I didn't wanna make you guys cranky when I did, especially YOU cause you get cranky A LOT. Anyway I was out and about, alone, trying to find a spot to pee, then I smelled something was cooking and I was getting hungry too so I followed it, and that's when I found him. He thought I was all alone but I wasn't, then he offered to share me the deer he just killed."

Then she turned her head to Raziel, "Which by the way thanks again for sharing your morning meal. I was getting SUPER hungry and I didn't want to wait for Celine to hunt for me. I'd DIE if I waited any longer! In fact I think I foresaw myself waiting for Celine to wake up, then I try waking her up, but she wouldn't no matter how hard I try and she'd sleep CONSTANTLY and I was standing around starving. Oh thank goodness you gave me something to eat! You just saved my life, Raziel!"

Raziel laughed a bit, "I don't know what to say to that but you're welcome."

Ly said, "Hey, being polite to someone that feeds you is what friends would do." She shot up her head in proudness, "Politeness is my specialty!"

"LY." Raziel stopped grinning at Ly, she did too, as I bounded to where they were with a swishing tail. Then I managed to usher the yellow hatchling with a wing. A 'hey' escaped her mouth as I guided her away from him, but I didn't care. I said when we were near the two human companions, "He's not our friend, Ly."

Ly whined, "Aw, come on, don't be rude."

Raziel didn't seem to take offense to that. Rather, he just quipped, "Yeah, that hurt my feelings."

Dart said with an angry look on his face, "Nobody cares what you think."

Ly shouted, "I DO!"

Raziel made a wide face, "Wow." Then after a moment, he mumbled, "I think that stung even harder."

The silver haired human female ordered the dragon bigger than her, "Hush up. It's your fault for keeping her from us."

Ly contradicted, "No it wasn't, Alex. It was mine."

Alex replied to Ly, "Well either way, it's good you're safe and sound. We're relieved. Anyway, I think we should get going now."

Raziel plainly asked, "Without saying goodbye to me?" I wrinkled my brow. I thought that was a stupid question, but I could've swore that his voice sounded a bit like he was saddened by what we're about to do. What did he expect?

Dart answered with scorn in his voice, "That was the plan."

Raziel asked a bit playfully, "Really? We meet again and you're now going to leave me after a few minutes? We merely started to catch up on things."

I said in a serious tone, "There's nothing to catch up on. We're leaving, so goodbye."

"Wait, no, guys!" Ly said, shaking her head, "I don't wanna leave him. I know what you're thinking, but he is our friend."

The human male shot her down, "No, he's not, Ly. He's likely our enemy."

Ly protested, "But he wasn't doing anything bad to me! He was being kind, like I would be kind to you."

Raziel denied on his part, standing on his fours, "She's right, I didn't do anything wrong to her. We were only talking and eating and you guys are getting angry about it."

I glared at him, "Or more like you're GROOMING her into liking you."

Raziel responded with, I think, a sincere smile, "Honestly, gorgeous, there isn't any deviousness behind my actions. I wouldn't dare hurt her. I like hatchlings."

I was turning my whole body to face him, hearing Dart and Alex yelp thanks to my tail before they ducked. I snapped, "I ain't gorgeous."

Raziel frowned playfully, "Do my eyes deceive me? You look it to me."

"Looks are not important in this conversation." I certainly don't care what I look like. I reminded with a warning tone, "Don't change the subject. You were supposed to leave us alone and never speak to us again and you now failed that. Now I think you're up to something. You're lucky I'm not running over there killing you right now."

Raziel commented, his smile melting off his face, "I guess I am. I don't want you kicking my scaly butt again...Nor killing me."

Ly said, "Maybe not actually do that. You know, the killing him part. I would feel so guilty if you did." I rolled my eyes. Not freakin now, little one. Wish you would leave us be and let the adults handle this...AGAIN.

Alex demanded, planting her hands on her hips, "So what do you think you're accomplishing by talking to Ly after we told you to leave us alone, huh?"

Raziel deflected, "I told you guys, I'm not up to anything."

I accused, "And yet here you are refusing our compromise and ignoring my threat."

He insisted, "I remember our deal last night, but I was just talking to her, I swear. I mean, I hardly have someone to talk to, let alone a hatchling, and it felt kinda refreshing. I did TRY to tell her to go back to you guys and leave me be and not say a word of our meeting, but I wasn't exactly tough enough to push her away. I offered her the deer cause she's a hatchling and she said she was hungry, and we started talking."

Dart interrogated, "You expect us to believe that's what you were doing? Nothing else?"

Ly cried, "YES!"

Raziel swore too, "Of course." Then he added with a shrug, "Although I won't deny that I haven't been at the very least curious about you guys since last night. Already established that. I mean, really, how are you guys, human and dragon, together in the same spot without sparring?"

I said, "That's none of your concern. Go bother someone else."

Ly whined again, "Celine."

Raziel said with a frown, "Well I kinda don't want to. And quite frankly I am SORTA concerned about you. From the little bit I know about you, mentioning that you probably made a dragon queen angry, still find it odd that our kind is going by royal terms now, it sounds like you guys are in trouble and running away from something. I don't know what kind of trouble you are in, but maybe...Maybe you might need my help."

Dart spat, "We knew it! You are up to something!"

Raziel argued while also confused, "What does that even mean? Look, I don't mind sticking around and looking out for anyone. I've got nothing better to do anyway."

Dart rejected, "No. Absolutely no way. You're not weaseling your way in this."

I agreed, "I agree. We don't trust you. We don't need your help."

Raziel plainly said, "Oh, I think you might. You might come to regret it later."

Wonder if that's an actual threat. I can't tell if it is or not. I growled, "We can manage."

Alex said, trying to sound a bit polite that time, "Look, we'll be fine. Besides, we don't wanna involve you in our matters."

Raziel's forepaw made a dismissive wave, "Ah, there's no trouble with me, little lady. As I said, I got nothing better to do."

I threatened, "There will be trouble for you NOW if you keep on chatting with us and not doing what we're telling you to do."

Ly begged, "No, Celine, don't hurt him."

Raziel shrugged with his shoulders, "Well, then you'll have to kill me then. Look, I think you guys are in trouble from something bad, and I don't want to leave you guys. I wanna help you, and I wanna find out what's going on here."

I said, "If you won't leave us, then we'll leave you. And you better not try to follow us or I SWEAR upon our ancestors I will kill you myself, and I MEAN it this time."

Raziel cocked his head, "Whoa, whoa, wait a second...You never meant what you said before? So the last few threats you said were empty?"

He's trying to joke again. I retorted, "Get mounted. I never make empty threats." I turned from him a bit, "Call this your last chance at living. We're going, you're staying. Oh, and thanks for feeding Ly by the way, saves me the effort."

Dart urged Ly, "Come on, Ly, let's go."

"NO!" She scurried a bit till she was a standing fine line between us and Raziel. She yelled defiantly with a flare of her wings, "We're not leaving Raziel!"

My eyes went wide at her attitude. Gosh, she's attached to him. How can she be so attached to him so quickly?

Well she has gotten attached to all of us rather quickly but still!

Alex said in a calm tone, "We've got to go now, honey. We need to leave the strange dragon behind, alright?"

Raziel brought up with a chuckle, "Strange? Not as strange as this hatchling. You should hear some of the things she says out of her mouth."

Dart ignored that statement and just nodded in agreement, "She's right, now let's go. We're already wasting time with this crap."

The hatchling shook her head, stomping her paw, "NO! I'm not going and you can't make me!"

Dart cried, "Are you insane?!"

"Nope." She insisted with a tiny snort, "I'm not, not even one bit."

Alex said, "Ly, we can't stay with him, we've got to get going."

"Well, I mean what I said. I'm not going."

I narrowed my eyes, "If you won't move, then I'll carry you in my paws and fly away with you if I have to. Forgotten that? You're still small."

She, surprisingly, made a threat, "Then I'll BITE you! Which by the way I kinda don't want to cause I have a vision that's showing me that if I did then I'd REALLY make you mad, and I don't want to mention what happens next. I will say there will be a bit of blood. Oh, and I will also say that you won't kill me cause I think that's a bit extreme to think that way about you cause I know you will NEVER kill me. But my point is I will do it if I have to! Either he's staying with us or we're not leaving at all!" She planted her haunches to the ground, "SO THERE!"

"You can't be serious." I said irritantingly, "Ly, I'm not going to argue with you. I will do what I have to do to protect you." I snapped my eyes at the green drake behind her, "Like from HIM."

Ly said, "But there's no reason to protect me from him. We already know he's not working for Messina, he's a nice dragon, so why should you be so protectful of me? He's not doing anything."

I brought up, "Little one, we've been over this. He can still be a bad dragon even when he's not working for her."

Alex concurred, "She's right, we can't trust him."

Raziel asked a dumb question, "So, feeding a hatchling means I'm doing something bad?"

I roared, "Shut up!" He bowed his head submissively.

The yellow hatchling softened her gaze with pleading eyes, "Please don't turn your backs on him. I know he's not...Whatever kind of dragon you might think he is. I know it from another vision. I'm serious, he's not a bad dragon. He's very nice. He won't hurt me...He won't hurt any of us."

Gods, she's a bit hopeless. I warned, "You can't believe what everyone says and you can't trust your visions either. They could be wrong." I honestly can't believe I said that. Her 'visions' aren't even real!

She said, "Maybe you're right, but I don't think so. They were never wrong that I was gonna have cellmates, remember? I think he can be a great help to us. Think about it, Celine. What if there was more than one dragon that you have to fight off? Like the two dummies we saw yesterday? I kinda don't think that you could've fought both of them at the same time. Imagine if they found us if you haven't hidden us in time. Heck, what if there were...FIVE of them? Do you think you can protect us from that many? Think about it, Celine, I wouldn't do well, cause I don't like violence, and Dart and Alex wouldn't do so well either cause they're small like me, but with ANOTHER big dragon standing with us...Maybe we might have a chance to live. I don't think I need to see a vision to know that's true."

She...Does make an excellent point. I glanced toward Raziel. But I'm still not sure. Can I actually trust him in a battle with me?

Dart said, "I get what you're saying, but we're doing alright so far."

Ly replied worriedly, "Sure, but for how long, Dart? Thinking about it now is getting me worried. I think we should have some more help from another dragon, don't you? That can probably help us three smaller things out a whole lot, you think?"

I looked at Dart and Alex. The male human wasn't convinced of the idea, I can see it on his face. As for Alex...She does seem hesitant, but I can see in her eyes that maybe she was sorta agreeing with it. Perhaps she thought back to that conversation with Dart a couple mornings ago, after the night I saved them from those humans, about having a big dragon stay with them to ensure they're well protected from people like that. Maybe she thought their odds would be much bigger if we got another dragon like Raziel to bring along.

Who knows, with her attitude towards me and Ly, maybe she was also thinking that maybe she'd thought wrongly of this dragon too. I'm still wondering of that.

Ly continued, "And besides...I am getting kinda bored of talking to just one dragon. I want to have another one to keep me company. I know you're probably still thinking we shouldn't trust him, but what's the point of turning back on another dragon if we don't know him? I still think it's a bit rude. Come on, guys, let's let him stay with us. We can use his help...And I can use another dragon friend. If he says he doesn't mind helping us, and if I CERTAINLY believe that he won't try anything dumb and bad with any of us, then let him stay."

She stood up on her four feet when she said this, "Think about this too. If he's not bad, and if Messina's dragons met him while he was alone after we told him to go away...How would you feel if you were wrong about him all along and he got kidnapped like they did to all of us and he's trapped there like everyone else?"

Raziel's eyes went wide, "Really? Are you saying dragons are kidnapping dragons? That's nuts."

Ly foretold, "I can picture that happening, and then if we somehow found it out, we'll probably feel terrible for leaving him and not helping him out at all. I don't want that to happen to him. I don't want him living in that giant pile of smoke where you can hardly see the sky."

Raziel let out shocked words, "What? There's a place like that? What the hell am I not knowing?"

The hatchling begged, "Please, everyone? Please, Celine? I really promise he's not bad. I know it, I can PREDICT it. Can we let him stay with us? Pretty please?"

I honestly had the first thought of just snatching her with my paws and fly away with Dart and Alex riding on my back. I still didn't trust Raziel that much. I still find him wandering around at night near our sleeping spot awfully suspicious. He could've been spying on us and planning a dangerous move against us. I also wasn't so compelled to having another dragon around me either, cause I thought dealing with one dragon, who is little, and two humans was enough for me. I don't really want to add something else that'll get on my nerves. Be more company to deal with.

But...Ly has made a very serious point. Not that I totally trust him, but what if this was another misunderstanding, and we were wrong about him, and he was just an innocent dragon all along, with no dark intentions hidden inside him, and he gets into a fight with a few dragons that are out looking for us and then get taken away and held prisoner too just for going against their queen? If we were wrong about him...Then I don't want him to go through what we went through. That would be wrong. No innocent dragon should have their freedom taken away.

And she also did make another good point, and that was the most important one...I am just one big dragon compared to everyone else before Raziel showed up. What if those two dragon that almost found us yesterday did catch whiff of our scents and found us? I was worried they would. Who knows if I would've won the battle by myself?

Despite how I feel, with Raziel at our side...Maybe that might raise a chance for our survival.

She is right...I can't fight so many dragons at once. That's how I ended up in a dungeon at Messina's fortress in the first place.

I know I shouldn't take a chance on a dragon that we don't know so much...But I can't take chances that we'll end up being thrown back in our dungeon again.

Or worse.

I have to get Ly home, and keep Alex and Dart safe.

I hate to say it, but...I could use his help.

I took a deep breath with my nose, then let it out as my wings fluttered on my back. I finally spoke, "...Fine." Ly perked her head in attention. I shortly finished, "...He can come with us."

Dart exclaimed, "WHAT?!"

Ly cheered, hopping a few times, "YAAAY!" She ran towards me and nuzzled against me, "Thanks, Celine!" I rolled my eyes. Ugh.

Dart asked, "Uh...What just happened?"

Alex answered, about almost as surprised as he is, "Apparently she changed her mind, and said he's coming with us."

Raziel chuckled, his tail swishing behind him, "Guess we'll be catching up on things after all."

"That's right!" Ly rushed back till she was right near Raziel, looking up at him happily with a swishing tail, "I get to have another friend traveling with me! This is awesome!"

Raziel looked directly at me and said with a smile, "Thanks. You look like you need my help."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Don't get too happy about it, Raziel. I haven't set any ground rules yet."

"Are you freakin kidding me?!" I snapped my eyes down towards Dart. He continued to shout disapprovingly, "You're gonna let this guy stay with us, even though we don't want him?! What's wrong with you?!"

I shot back, "What's wrong with me? Apparently you didn't see how defiant Ly was. I warned you about her before. Can't you see how arrogant she can be when her mind is set on something?"

He said, "Who cares? If she acts like a brat about it, carry her off. She would've gotten over it eventually."

I sighed, "Quite frankly, Dart, I don't think she would've. I'd imagine she would've got on my case about it for hours...Or days, till I gave in. Did you forget that she knows how to annoyingly pester someone to death till they cave? Think I mentioned that before."

Ly confirmed it, "That's true! I would never give up on having a new friend till I get what I want!"

Alex giggled nervously, "I can see that too...Sort of...As bad as this can be."

"Bullcrap!" Dart argued, "Who says you get to decide that he gets to come? Cause you're a dragon and we're not? It's not just you that gets to decide on things."

Oh, this stupid bias towards dragons again. Wish someone would bite him so he'd shut up. I said, "I wasn't looking for permission."

He waved a hand, "Well I say he's not coming! I let having two dragons join beside me on a potentially long journey slide, but THREE of them! That is too much!"

I scoffed, "Give me a break. Nobody's tearing you apart yet. Besides, what's ONE more dragon? I'll protect you if something happens."

But he didn't believe that, as usual, "That doesn't bring me comfort."

"Fine, then I'll ask permission." I directly asked Alex, "You mind he comes with us?"

Alex hesitated, "Well..." Her face apparently was thinking about it.

I told her, "Look, he's coming whether you like it or not. I don't, but I guess I'll put up with it. I put up with all of you haven't I? You got a problem with that, well deal with it. So what's your answer?"

Dart begged, "C'mon, Alex, please back me up on this one. You don't trust him either, do you? Can we put up the argument till we win?"

I growled, "There's no winning, the decision stands."

Dart glared at me, "YOUR decision, not ours."

I heatedly stated, "I don't care what yours is. You're not the boss of me."

Raziel stated in surprise, "Well this isn't what I imagined between you guys."

Me and Dart both snapped at him, "Will you stay out of this?"

That got him lowering his snout in surrender. Ly thought we were gonna get into another fight so she said, "Hey, please don't fight because of me. I'm just celebrating having a new friend in our friend group and you're making it very tense."

Alex held out one hand in front of me, and the other out towards Dart. She spoke to diffuse this rising war we were about to have, "Guys. Stop." She turned towards Dart, "Look...Maybe we're wrong about him. Maybe I am. He seems...Odd, but his actions so far haven't been...Dangerous."

"Really, Alex?" He fought with her, "Last night you thought he was being suspicious and now you're letting that go? What kind of logic is that? He was sneaking around during the night, supposedly looking for a place to nap, and you're disregarding that fact? I don't understand you."

Alex denied that, "I'm not saying I trust him full heartedly. I still find him oddly suspicious."

Raziel said, "It's ok. I'm new here. I'm not offended. I know you'll get used to me."

Alex glanced at him and hollered, "Do you mind?"

The green scaled dragon said, gesturing a paw at her, "Sorry. Carry on."

Alex went on, gazing back towards Dart, "Anyway. It's not just that. Considering the fact that having another big dragon around might benefit us...I don't think I can say no to that. I..." She looked towards Raziel once more, "I guess we can have him come. He might be an ally. The more scales, the better."

Raziel promised, "Still have no clue what's troubling all of you, but I will do what I can."

Alex didn't take notice of the drake's words that time and just told Dart, "And in the meantime, I'll watch what he does."

I stated adamantly, "We'll all keep watch."

Dart started, "But we shouldn't-"

"Dart." I interjected, "Just give it up. It's you against three. You're on the losing side. Just let it go and put up with it for now. And quit complaining about it."

Dart stared at us for a long time, till he lowered his head, grumbling in defeat under his breath, "Fine...Damn it." I let out a breath. I'm sure he's going to be whining about this for a while anyway, but I don't care. It might do all of us some good. Which I hope.

Ly bounded to Alex, nuzzling against the human's arm. She said in gratitude, "Thank you, Alex." Alex formed a small smile for her. Then she pulled back and turned her attention to Dart, "I think you're gonna like him, Dart. We all will."

Dart muttered, "Yeah, yeah..."

I threw my serious eyes towards Raziel, "Okay, Raziel, you better listen to me, and listen good. I won't be repeating myself after this." Raziel nodded without question. I started laying things out, "Except Ly, we don't trust you. Pretty sure you realize that by now. You're gonna have to earn it. That means in the meantime, you better behave. If I find out you're up to something strange, you better not be, and you better be honest when I question you. That goes the same for the others. And if I find out you're trying to betray us behind our backs, I will not hold any qualms of killing you. When something bad happens, say Ly, or the humans, or me, when one of us is alone, got mysteriously hurt, and we find out it was you, then you will know what it feels like when you get beaten up by a dragoness...If you haven't fought one before. Believe me, I can do far worse than last night."

Raziel nodded in agreement, "Oh, I think I can believe that. You're tough, I'll give you that."

You better, you bastard. I finished things off, my tail flicking behind me as my wings fluttered on my back, "You got it? Trust is earned, not given, so when we ask for your help, ANY help, you better not try to get out of it. And one last thing, if you're really tagging along, STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY."

Raziel responded with a hum, "That simple huh? Alright, I got it. No betraying, no schemes, no murdering, and no standing in your way. Done."

I warned, "Good. I won't say it again after this. I told you last night, I don't like repeating myself...And that's NOT an empty threat."

"Then in that case..." He said, standing up on his fours, "Let's do the introductions."

I quirked a confusing brow, "Excuse me?"

The green drake explained, "I know I know your names already, and you know mine, but let's make it official. I think the other night wasn't really the subletest way of passing around proper introductions." He shot his head up proudly, "My name is Raziel."

Oh my god. Give me a break. I sighed, "Fine, whatever, if it'll make you shut up about it. I'm Celine."

Ly giggled cutely, "Don't have to tell you my name, silly. Heh heh. But I don't mind saying it again...Unlike Celine. I'm Ly."

Alex nodded with a shrug, "Alex."

Dart was up next, letting out words filled with sarcasm, "Dart...Good to meet you."

"Ha!" Raziel said, "Dart...Like a speedy little hatchling. Amusing."

"Yeah..." The human rolled his eyes away from the drake's, "Amusing..."

Then I told the new companion, pointing a claw to the direction of that clearing, "Alright...Raziel, you can take that deer to the clearing. You and Ly can finish eating up there if you haven't already. If you are then leave it and wait there. Dart and Alex can go with you. I'll go and hunt something for me and the humans. We haven't ate yet." I looked towards Ly and the two humans as I turned my body a bit away, "And then when I get back...We'll think up of what to do next. Ok? I'll be back in a bit."

I finally padded off after they nodded. After a few steps I can hear Ly chatting happily in excitement while my scaled form moved away from the group. As her voice was growing distant, my mind raced after everything that happened while I tried to focus on hunting as I trekked through the trees.

Well...Not what I expected. Got myself another annoying traveling companion. More crap to put up with.

What did I ever do to deserve this?

Well, I hope I made the right decision. Hope Raziel doesn't make me regret it.

Ah, Ly...I wish you didn't make me do this...

I hope you're right about him, and the rest of us were wrong initially.

I really am.