Atlas slowly sat up, reaching out with his left hand. His scarred, burned fingers scratched at his stubbled chin as he looked up toward the moon while they soared through the clouds.
Seris raised an eyebrow. "Bad dream?"
"No," Atlas replied. "It wasn't that bad. One of the better dreams I've had."
Seris smiled softly at the calm expression on his face. They both sat at the edge of the dragon's back, their feet dangling near Bithorn's scales while the night air rushed past them. Seris gently swayed her legs against the cold wind.
"What kind of dream was it?"
Atlas grunted. "Why do you want to know?"
"Sorry, sorry," she chuckled. "We're all going to be on this long journey together until we get our Requiem Seals lifted. I just think… we should know each other."
"Good thought," Atlas said flatly. "But leave me out of it. Don't need it."
Seris frowned slightly and turned her gaze upward to the stars.
"Well," she said after a moment, "you can ask me a question then. I won't ask you one in return."
Atlas thought for a brief moment. With a sigh, he patted the scales of Bithorn beneath them. "Okay… dragons. Why dragons? Why tame them?"
Seris laughed, her voice smooth and light. "That's what you ask me? Not where I'm from, or why I'm here in the first place?"
Atlas kept a straight face as she giggled. "I already know you were a princess of the Umberspire State. You said I could ask any question. That's my question—so answer it."
"Okay, okay!" Her laughter faded, though the soft smile stayed. "When I was younger, I had expectations placed on me. I had to be proper, stoic, ladylike. But I wasn't. I loved stories of heroes and wars. I was supposed to be learning how to drink tea correctly or dance with etiquette—but I wanted to explore the forests, climb trees, and practice archery."
"How does this answer my question?" Atlas interrupted.
"You're so impatient," she laughed. "It's going somewhere, I promise."
She continued. "One day, I ran away from my bodyguards to play in the woods and practice archery. I went too far. I got lost—stranded for days. I was starving, parched. Eventually, I collapsed. When I woke up, I was in a cave."
Atlas glanced at her. "Let me guess."
She nodded. "Umberspire borders the Demon Territories. The forests are full of cliffs and caves. Including—"
"Dragons," Atlas said.
"Exactly." Seris smiled faintly. "I woke up beside one. She was massive, and I was terrified. But then I realized—I was in her home. She dragged me into safety."
"Her feeding ground," Atlas said flatly.
"No," Seris replied gently. "She wasn't trying to eat me. Dragons are very sensitive creatures. Intelligent. She cracked open a stone to collect rainwater for me. Made a bowl. She dragged in a small rodent—enough for me to cook over a fire. She cared for me."
Atlas didn't respond, he just listened.
"Dragons are smart," Seris continued. "Smarter than people give them credit for. But the world has expectations. They were expected to be monsters. I was expected to be perfect. I understood that."
She paused before continuing.
"After two days, I was healthy again. I tried to leave—but I was still lost, far from home. You know what she did?"
Atlas shrugged.
"She lowered herself, let me climb onto her back, and flew me home. She landed in the courtyard. My parents, the Royal Guard—they were all there. I was laughing, shouting, 'Look! Look at my dragon!'"
Her voice tightened.
"They tore me away from her. And instead of thanking her for bringing me home… they killed her."
Atlas's expression softened—just for a moment.
"That's when I learned the world was cruel," Seris said quietly. "Dragons were kind. Gentle. But they carried the same curse as I did."
"Which is?" Atlas asked.
"The curse of expectation," she replied. "I was expected to be all good. They were expected to be all evil. So I wanted to change that. I snuck out more. Learned more. I realized it wasn't just dragons—entire peoples lived under that same weight. I wanted to bridge that gap. To change the Coalition's ideology."
She sighed, then smiled again, patting Bithorn's scales. He responded with a low huff.
"So," Seris said softly, "that's why dragons. I love them because they're me. Reflections of what should be right with the world."
Atlas nodded slowly. "I see."
She leaned forward, studying his face. "So? Was that answer good enough?"
"Ran a little long," Atlas replied. "Got boring."
"You're awful," she laughed, punching his shoulder. "Humans don't have hearts."
Atlas watched her laugh, and for just a moment, something tugged at the corner of his mouth—almost a smile.
'Weird... my face twitched.'
"I'll get the others ready," he said, standing and walking down Bithorn's massive back.
Seris remained seated, a small smile lingering. Bithorn released another quiet huff as he soared through the clouds.
"You heard me talking about your mother? Didn't you," Seris murmured, patting his scales. "Yeah… I miss her too, buddy."