Jabir stared at the perfectly cooked white fish resting on a bed of greens that shimmered faintly in the sunlight streaming in through the open window. Thin slices of roasted roots curled along the edges of the plate, and something that smelled like citrus and honey wafted up toward him.
His stomach growled loudly.
So did his dragon.
Eat, his dragon urged with delight. Yummy food! Eat now.
Jabir didn’t need convincing. Lately, he was always hungry.
He picked up the carved wooden fork and took a bite. The fish melted on his tongue, buttery and fresh. He moaned softly and took another.
Jack settled in across from him, pawing his own plate with casual precision. “Now, what is your story, young prince?”
Jabir swallowed. He glanced at Cory, who watched him with kind eyes.
“How did you know I was a prince?” he asked, swallowing.
Jack’s expression didn’t change, though he tilted his head slightly and waved his paw. “You have a certain… poise about you. It reminds me of King Orion’s boy, Dolph.”
“King Orion? Dolph? I-I haven’t met them. My dad is Prince Mandra Reykill, of the Valdier royal family. My Uncle Zoran is the King. My friends and I came through a portal. My cousin, Phoenix, made it.” Jabir kept his gaze low, watching his fork. “She’s really powerful. But… something went wrong, and we got separated.”
Cory’s voice was gentle. “Your parents must be worried about you.”
The fish in Jabir’s mouth suddenly turned to lead.
He poked at a roasted root and shrugged. “Maybe. My mom’s off visiting my grandparents with my other aunties and cousins.” He hesitated. “My dad’s… busy. He probably hasn’t even noticed I’m not there anymore; not with everything else going on.”
Jabir glanced up and noticed Jack studying his face. He looked back down at his plate.
“Anyway, they’re used to me being gone most of the time with school and everything,” Jabir added with a shrug.
Cory clicked her tongue and reached across the table, setting her paw gently over Jack’s. The gesture was simple, but it carried a wave of warmth that swept across the room like a blanket fresh from the sun.
“You can stay as long as you want, sweetheart,” she said. “There’s always room at this table.”
Jabir blinked back the burning in his eyes. His throat tightened, thick with emotion.
Jack grunted in agreement. “I can show you around the village after our meal.”
Jabir looked between them. Something shifted inside his chest. A quiet click, like a door he hadn’t known was shut
He smiled. “I’d like that.”
We could stay, his dragon whispered. If no one finds us… we could stay forever.
Jabir didn’t answer.
But for the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel lost.
He felt… like he belonged.
Later that evening, the stars blanketed the night sky like spilled diamonds, their silvery glow mirrored in the gentle ripples of the lake. Jabir strolled through the village, the cool air brushing against his cheeks as he passed a trio of manticores lounging near an open firepit, drinking ale, and laughing.
One lifted a paw in greeting, and Jabir offered a shy smile and murmured, “Good evening,” before continuing on.
He’d spent the afternoon with Jack and Cory, laughing over stories, tasting strange treats, and wandering through the village’s winding paths. The stone huts and hanging lanterns reminded him of something out of a bedtime story—only this wasn’t a dream.
Gabby, Williston, and Mikey had left a few hours ago, bound for their part of the forest. Saying goodbye hadn’t been easy. He’d pressed a few snack bags into their hands—crunchy, gummy, and even some freeze-dried fruit he’d been saving. Mikey had hugged him so hard he thought his ribs might crack. Williston mumbled something about ‘visiting soon’, and Gabby told him to keep his head down but his heart up.
