“No matter what,” Roam rumbled low in agreement.
Amber and Jade grinned in perfect synchronicity, staring at each other with bright, shining eyes before they reached and hugged each other, giggling when the demented symbiot squirmed between them in protest.
Alice wiped a tear from her cheek and nodded fiercely. “You’re damn right. We’re dragonlings, and we stick together.”
Adaline straightened, her shoulders squared with quiet pride. “Forever.”
“Forever,” the group repeated in a chorus of voices.
The wind brushed across Jabir’s wings, soft and warm as it filtered through the tall trees below. He flew low, skimming above the canopy, the forest unfolding beneath him in deep greens and amber-touched gold. Somewhere in the distance, birds called out in lazy harmony, the world below waking to another sun-drenched day.
Then—movement.
A flicker of orange and blue flame.
A tiny campfire crackled in a clearing not far off the main trail. The smoke spiraled upward in lazy coils. Around it sat three familiar shapes: Gabby, Mikey, and Williston, their troll forms unmistakable even from this height.
A moment later, Mikey looked up, his face lighting with joy. He pointed skyward.
“Jabir!”
Even at this distance, Jabir could hear the excitement in his voice.
His dragon grumbled a warm chuckle as Mikey rubbed his round belly like a good-luck charm. Bet he thinks we’re bringing snacks, Jabir muttered fondly, then tipped his wings, gliding downward in a lazy spiral.
At the last second, he shifted mid-air, landing in the clearing with a soft thud and a burst of displaced leaves.
“Jabir!” Gabby called with a grin, standing with a wave.
“’Bout time you dropped in!” Williston added, his toothy smile bright behind a new pair of spectacles.
Before Jabir could answer, Mikey barreled toward him with surprising speed and enthusiasm.
“Whoa—!” was all Jabir managed before two thick arms wrapped around him like steel cables, lifting him off his feet.
His dragon gave a startled huff. Mikey pops us like a sausage if he not careful.
Jabir groaned playfully. “Mikey, I need ribs to fly, you know!”
Mikey laughed, then slapped him on the shoulder with the force of a small landslide. Jabir stumbled forward three steps before catching himself.
“Still the same strength as a troll herd,” he muttered, rubbing his arm.
Mikey beamed. “We missed you!”
Gabby plopped down on a mossy log, gesturing to the baskets beside her. “The village is really different now. You should see it. They’re moving half the huts away from the lake.”
Jabir’s brow furrowed as he sat. “Is everything okay?”
“Better than okay,” Williston said, settling beside Gabby. “The sirens and villagers are actually working together now. Ever since the dam came down, the lake’s full again.”
Mikey pointed proudly to a woven basket overflowing with fish and clams. “We traded some pretty pebbles to the sirens for this! They liked the blue ones best. I like the sirens. They’re funny. And real pretty.”
Gabby snorted. “Especially the part about pretty,” she teased, elbowing Mikey.
Mikey turned pink from chin to ears, trying not to smile.
Williston leaned in conspiratorially. “He’s been trying to hum when they’re around. Sounds like a grumpy goose.”
