Lanni sat quietly, watching over her uncle as he slept. She knew both of them shared a history that had left them with burdens of trauma. Their mixed heritage often brought nightmares that lingered like shadows, stirred up by their pasts. Things had improved for her, especially since she had bonded with Jahree, whose presence brought her a measure of peace even when her memories threatened to overtake her. But Tercala hadn’t been so lucky—his mate had been gone for centuries, and those memories never seemed to fade. It didn’t help that their magic leaked through their dreams. Lanni had a tendency to cast lightning bolts in her sleep. Tercala, on the other hand, would sometimes cause the ground to shake if his nightmares took a dark turn. If he cast in his sleep, he could easily incapacitate himself for days. Lanni wasn’t sure if he’d recover as quickly as he once did, so she remained vigilant, ready to wake him if needed. She knew they couldn’t sustain these late nights much longer. The longer they went without using their magic, the more sleep they seemed to need. They’d managed to get by on just two hours so far, but Lanni knew that wouldn’t last. Once he stirred and began to awaken, she let herself curl up beside Jahree, grateful for even a few hours of rest. *** They were on the road before dawn, hoping to outpace the storm rolling in behind them. There was no time to delay; word had come that Areen’s father was sending men to retrieve her and Marn, and none of them wanted to be around when they arrived. The storm would cover their tracks, making it difficult for anyone to follow, and the harsh weather felt like an old ally. Marn joked as they hurried away, “Guess I’m the bait this time like Jahree was before.” Lanni smirked. “I doubt it’ll come to that. But if it does, we’ll try to give you a heads-up first.” Snow was already blanketing the ground, and as they pushed on, it grew deeper, slowing their pace. They had hoped to reach the next town by nightfall, but the worsening conditions cast doubt on that goal. Everyone huddled together for warmth, trudging along in the tracks left by the wagon. Shri rode inside, alternating between sitting in the front and the back, talking with whoever was closest. Her curiosity was unquenchable as she asked about Menthanla, her new home. Though Lanni admired her enthusiasm, it broke her heart to hear how easily Shri had cast aside thoughts of Chrevil and her family, as though she had already accepted she might never see them again. By midday, the weight of the journey was apparent. They didn’t stop to eat but took quick bites as they walked, keeping their pace steady. After their meal, Lanni suggested Tercala ride in the wagon to rest. “I’ll shift and clear a path for the horses,” she said, readying herself for the change. “It’ll give me a chance to carry a few of you, and once Ter’s rested, he can join me.” Jahree nodded. “Carrying more people while walking is far easier than flying. We’ll rotate so everyone gets a chance to rest.” As Lanni shifted into dragon form, she took two riders with her, blazing a path through the snow. When Tercala had rested, he joined her, taking four people on his back and hitching himself to the wagon to give the horses a break. Shri, who was nervous at first, rode with Jahree on Lanni’s back. Soon enough, she relaxed and even began to enjoy the experience. It was well past dark by the time they reached the next town. With a tired sigh, Lanni and Tercala shifted back into human form as they approached the lights. Marn and Lamin went ahead to secure rooms, using Lamin’s and Marn’s local accents. Because of the storm, the inn was nearly full, but they managed to secure two rooms. Though cramped, it was warm, and it meant they could save money for when they needed it most. As they crammed into the rooms to sleep, Keltis observed, “At least, packed in like this, we’ll stay warm.” *** They continued south for the next few days, rarely encountering other travelers in the worsening weather. They did what they could to keep their spirits high, even as the cold seeped through their bones. Lanni and Tercala took the opportunity to train Shan, teaching him to fly and communicate through telepathy when he was in roc form, as he couldn’t speak in his human voice then. Shri watched with wide eyes; her fears melted away, and the journey became an adventure for her. She delighted in the lessons the others shared, soaking up their stories as eagerly as she had devoured the tales of her new home. Evenings were spent huddled in their tents, gathered around braziers for warmth. It wasn’t as cozy as the inns, but the small fires kept them from freezing as they planned their next moves. “We might reach the next town tomorrow,” Keltis said, studying the map spread out on his knees. Morina nodded. “Good. We need more provisions, and Lamin mentioned we should consider replacing the horses—they’ve been through a lot these past few weeks.” Tercala agreed, though he added, “We’ll need to make sure any new horses are accustomed to dragons. That means one of us will have to go and check.” Lanni sighed. “How much further do we have?” Morina replied, “Several more weeks, at least. A couple of months, depending on the storms.” “I hate winter,” Lanni muttered, blowing on her hands to warm them. Jahree put an arm around her. “We’ll make it through. You’re tougher than the weather.” He’d learned through the bond that it took them longer to warm up, like injuries that either didn’t heal or healed slower if a dragon changed shape. Their bellyfires were a big help to keep them warm, but their wings, hands, and feet would get cold, especially creating a path through the snow. They had talked about getting something to rap their hands and feet in but needed to figure out how to dry them overnight. Samar, who had been watching the discussion, leaned forward. “With Shan flying now, can you three lift the wagon?” Lanni shook her head. “Shan’s smaller than me. I think we could lift an empty wagon, but not with all of us.” Kritalla frowned. “That won’t help us much.” Lanni, remembering a time they had robbed a black market shipment, suggested, “You could levitate it. I’ve seen it done before.” Kritalla shook his head. “That was with a flight spell I don’t have. If I could cast, I’d transport us, probably down to Sen-gan and the heat.” “Probably not hot down there at this time of year, but it’ll be warmer than this.” “If you could cast, would you be able to transport all of us?” Sifa asked. “No. With Morina’s help, I can do eight.” “I can do everyone,” Lanni said. “But no one trusts me to do that many.” “That’s because your aim is bad,” Ter explained. “The more people she does, the worse she gets with her aim, and with this many, we’d end up in Ertonia.” “At least it would be warm,” Lanni pointed out, shrugging. Kritalla laughed. “Tempting, but it’s not home.” Lamin raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? You’re Ertonian.” Kritalla’s expression turned serious. “I am, but I haven’t lived there in ages. Cross-breeds like me aren’t always treated as equals. Even with my augmenter abilities, they see me as inferior.” Tercala nodded. “Menthanla is better. You won’t be treated as anything less there.” “Then why did you work so hard to get rid of your accent?” Kritalla challenged. “Because of who I grew up with and why.” “What happened? “Jahree asked. “His childhood was almost as bad as yours,” Chapado explained. “He was taken from his mother by our brother, who raised him in secret and lied to him about everything, treated him like a prisoner, abused him, and let him get experimented on by the most sadistic monster in history, Drepal included.” “I got tired of all the questions about why I was the only one in the family with an Er-tonian accent. So I worked to change how I talked and let everyone think my dad’s mate was my mom. She adopted me anyhow,” Ter added. Lanni chuckled. “Grandpa wasn’t thrilled when Ter started dyeing his hair.” Ter laughed, looking down at his hands. “And I’m back doing it.” “You’ve got family now,” Lanni said softly. “This is for a reason, Grandpa would understand.” The warmth from the braziers reflected in the group’s silence, each of them reflecting on the homes they had left behind. #fantasy #magic #dragons #hiddenlands If anyone's wondering, I'm not planning on switching to AI for this. I just needed a break after rendering the video from the last chapter.