Wooden branches and leaves kept falling from the sky, drifting down like embers from some distant fire. The explosion's lingering warmth clung to the air, smoke curling lazily above the splintered remains of the tree.
The kobolds, drawn by the noise, swarmed to the scene.
"Was this done by Big Eggo?" one kobold asked, his voice brimming with awe.
"Perfectly good tree... ruined!" another complained. And yet, despite the destruction, their dismay quickly gave way to chaotic celebration. They leapt and danced around the scorched earth, whooping and cackling like they had just watched fireworks rather than a blast that could have killed them.
Hibana couldn't help but smile. Their playful energy — so wild and chaotic — was strangely comforting.
But not everyone shared his amusement.
Tsu stormed over, her heavy footfalls pounding against the earth. Her face, usually guarded and expressionless, was twisted in a rare display of raw emotion — and none of it was pleasant. She drew her nodachi with a metallic hiss and pointed the tip directly at Solryn's throat.
"What did you just do, mage?!" she snarled.
Solryn paled, his hand twitching toward his spellbook before thinking better of it. "I swear — I didn't… I didn't mean to —"
"It was me!" Hibana cut in, stepping between Solryn and her blade. "It was an accident. Please... put your weapon away."
Tsu's narrowed eyes flicked to Hibana's human form — from his face to his trembling hands, to the dirt clinging to his hastily-made leather clothes. Her expression didn't soften, but after a tense pause, she withdrew her blade with an irritated grunt.
"Pfft... Be more careful," she snapped. "You'll attract the enemy with that much noise." She turned sharply and started walking away.
"You weren't going to kill him, were you?" Hibana called after her, folding his arms.
Tsu stopped mid-stride. For a moment, she lingered there, her shoulders stiff. Then she looked back over her shoulder, her golden eyes sharp and cold.
"If I wanted him dead," she said, her voice low, "he'd be dead."
And with that, she kept walking, vanishing into the trees.
Hibana exhaled and turned to Solryn. "Are you okay?"
Solryn gave a shaky laugh, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I think I prefer her when she's just ignoring me."
Hibana chuckled weakly but said nothing. His gaze drifted back to where Tsu had disappeared, her words echoing in his mind.
If I wanted him dead... he'd be dead.
She wasn't threatening him. That wasn't bravado — it was fact. Tsu didn't make empty promises. If she believed Hibana's magic could get them killed... she'd make sure it didn't have the chance.
Hibana shook his head, but suddenly felt his vision blur. The ground seemed to shift beneath him, and a wave of dizziness swept through his body.
"Whoa..." He steadied himself, gripping his forehead. "That spell took more out of me than I thought."
Solryn approached, frowning. "What spell did you cast?"
"The same one you told me to cast..." Hibana muttered. "Fireball."
Solryn's brow creased. "That... wasn't Fireball." He folded his arms, scrutinizing Hibana. "It looked more like Inferno Blast — a level four spell."
Hibana blinked. "Level four?"
"Yeah." Solryn's voice turned grim. "Most human mages can't even learn that spell. And those who do? They need weeks of practice and a full incantation to pull it off. Yet you just... flung it out like nothing." His eyes narrowed. "Then again… it would appear, despite what your appraisal will tell me about you, that you're still a dragon. Because dragons don't need incantations. That's useful."
"Wait…" Hibana rubbed his temple. "That was normal?"
"For a dragon? Sure," Solryn said with a shrug. "You lot just… shape the magic through instinct. No chanting, no focus words — you just do it. It's supposed to be one of your biggest advantages over human mages. Still..." His gaze hardened. "That didn't look like a Fireball. And even dragons must follow Divine Law, so if your magic's this unstable…"
He gave Hibana a pointed look.
"...it means you're stronger than your appraisal suggests — a lot stronger."
Solryn muttered something under his breath, then cast Appraisal. Hibana felt that dull throb behind his eyes again — like someone scraping at the inside of his skull.
Solryn's expression twisted in disbelief. "Your MP…" He shook his head. "It's flickering — one second it's showing three… then seven... then three again. It's jumping all over the place. So you definitely have more than ten points."
Hibana exhaled sharply. "MP readings can fluctuate?"
"No," Solryn said flatly. "They shouldn't." He scowled. "You are both very interesting... and incredibly aggravating at the same time. What your MP is doing right now is unprecedented."
Hibana stiffened. "I see... So what does that tell you?"
Solryn folded his arms, still watching him carefully. "Remarkably little... and that's driving me insane." He exhaled in frustration. "If you're willing, I'd like to keep figuring this out."
Hibana clenched his fists. His muscles ached, and his vision blurred. He could feel the last of his MP draining from him — a cold, hollow emptiness creeping through his limbs.
His breath caught.
"Oh no..." he muttered. "Already? But I just changed!"
Hibana's body shuddered — his muscles tightening beneath his skin. The dull ache swelled into something sharper. His fingers twitched, and a surge of heat flared from within. He recognized this feeling — the unraveling sensation of his form giving way to scales, wings, and claws.
But he could still hold it back. For now.
"I can control this... just long enough."
"I need to get out of these clothes... or I'll rip them!" he muttered urgently.
"Turn around, Solryn!" Hibana barked. "I need to —"
But before he could finish, a sharp laugh rang out.
One of the kobolds, still dancing around the charred remains of the tree, jabbed a clawed finger at him.
"Naked! Ha ha ha!" the kobold cackled. "Look! Big dragon wanna be BIGGER dragon!"
The rest of the kobolds joined in, yipping and howling with chaotic laughter. Some hopped in circles, while others banged their spears on the ground like drums, chanting:"Na-ked! Na-ked! Na-ked!"
Hibana groaned, clutching his forehead. "I should've known..."
"This day just keeps getting better..." he muttered.
After Hibana threw his clothing aside, he let the transformation happen. His body twisted and stretched, scales replacing skin, bones popping and shifting until he stood once more in his dragon form.
His muscles ached — more than before. His limbs felt stiff and heavy, like he'd spent hours running without rest. He groaned and staggered upright, shaking out his wings with a few sluggish flaps.
"Damn it..." Hibana muttered, grimacing. "That wasn't even five minutes... I was able to keep my human form up for hours before!"
"Six hours," Solryn corrected. "Give or take. I measured it." His voice was unusually serious. "I've been watching you."
Hibana turned his head, raising a brow ridge. "And?"
"And I've noticed something else as well," Solryn continued. "I thought I was just seeing things before, but now I'm certain."
He stepped closer, raising a hand. "May I?"
Hibana hesitated, then nodded. Solryn ran his fingers over the base of Hibana's horns. The instant they touched, Hibana hissed through his teeth. "That hurts!"
Solryn withdrew his hand with a knowing nod. "Because they're growing."
Hibana blinked. "Growing?"
"Last night, before you changed into a human, your horns were shorter — about the length of my index finger." Solryn gestured with his hand for emphasis. "Afterward, they were noticeably longer. And now... even in that short time you were transformed, they've grown again. The base is red and tender — like a bruise. That's not normal."
Hibana lowered his head, pressing a clawed hand to his horns. "I'm aging?" His voice was quiet, uncertain.
Solryn nodded. "Far more rapidly than any dragon normally would." His voice softened slightly. "I couldn't even begin to tell you why... but I'd bet anything it's tied to that spell that lets you transform."
Hibana's expression darkened. "So you're saying... if I keep using this, I'm going to die?"
Solryn shook his head. "Fortunately for you, you're a dragon. Dragons are effectively immortal. When they reach adulthood — which usually takes about fifty years — they stop aging altogether. From that point on, they can live forever."
He paused, then added dryly, "Not that they ever do, of course."
Hibana squinted. "Never do? Why not?"
Solryn let out a dry chuckle, folding his arms. "Well, seeing as how you were kicked out of your nest so young, you probably didn't have time to notice that all dragons... present company excluded... are about as dumb as bricks."
Hibana's tail twitched. "Gee, thanks."
"It's true," Solryn continued. "They practically throw themselves at danger — convinced they're invincible and incapable of being killed by us 'mere weaklings' of the world." He snapped his fingers. "Inevitably proven wrong every single time."
His gaze flicked to the kobolds. "Dragons rarely see three hundred years. The longest living dragon in recorded history? No one even knew how old she was. But she died trying to siege an entire kingdom by herself... all because someone insulted her pride."
Hibana shook his head. "So what you're saying is... dragons are just powerful idiots with death wishes?"
Solryn shrugged. "Pretty much."
For a long moment, Hibana sat in silence, wings partially unfurled. His eyes drifted toward the sky — not with longing, but with quiet thought.
"...Then I guess I can't afford to be like them," he muttered.
"Wise choice," Solryn said with a smirk. "It'd be a shame to die before we figure out what you actually are."
Hibana huffed softly, a thin curl of smoke rising from his nostrils. "Yeah... I'd hate to ruin the mystery."
Solryn walked back to his makeshift desk, flipping through his notes with a thoughtful frown.
"I believe that... Inferno Blast... you cast is the reason you couldn't stay transformed for very long," he said, pausing to scribble something down.
Hibana's wings twitched. "It was just Fireball," he muttered under his breath.
Solryn didn't hear him. He tapped his quill against the parchment and looked up. "Your form of polymorph — whatever it is — is a sustained spell. Meaning the longer you maintain it, the more magic it drains."
Hibana's brow furrowed, then a flicker of understanding crossed his face. "Ohhh... I think I know what you're getting at!"
Solryn nodded sharply, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. "Exactly. That huge blast — whatever it actually was — must've burned through most of your MP. With barely anything left in your reserves, there wasn't enough magic left to maintain your human form for much longer."
Hibana's expression darkened. "But I was able to stay transformed for hours before..."
"Because you didn't cast any spells before," Solryn reminded him. "This time, you spent everything in one go. Next thing you know — poof — you're back to scales and wings."
Solryn leaned back against his desk, flipping through one of his books. "We'll need to test this again — after you've had some rest, of course. I'd like to confirm just how fast your magic drains under different conditions."
He paused, then added thoughtfully, "And... to absolutely confirm the rate of your growth."
Hibana's wings flexed uneasily. "You're really that sure I'm aging faster?"
Solryn tapped the book with his finger. "I brought a few books on dragons with me. I don't know as much as a dragon would know about you — obviously — but I know enough to get a solid estimate. If we test this properly, I can measure roughly how much you're aging each time you use that spell."
"So," Solryn said, dusting off his hands. "With all that out of the way, there are two things that require our attention right now."
He placed both hands firmly on his makeshift desk, his expression unusually serious.
"First — we need to name that transformation spell of yours," he said. "And I've just the name for it: True Polymorph."
Hibana tilted his head. "Why True Polymorph?"
"Because," Solryn explained, "it's not just a disguise. You don't just look human — you become human. That spell changes your body entirely, right down to the bones and blood. That's what makes it different — and dangerous."
Hibana mulled the name over for a moment, then nodded. "True Polymorph... Yeah... I like it. I'll use it. It makes sense."
"Of course it does," Solryn said with a half-hearted shrug. "I came up with it."
He shifted his weight and leaned forward, his fingers steepled. "Now, the second thing — and this one's important. We need proper supplies for this settlement of ours. Food, tools, maybe even some proper shelter if we want this place to last."
Hibana frowned. "The kobolds can build just fine. They've got shelter, and they know how to hunt."
"Sure," Solryn said with a dismissive wave. "But that's bare minimum survival. What happens if someone gets sick? What happens when you need proper weapons — or armor? The Fae wild's protection doesn't go forever."
Hibana shifted uneasily, but Solryn continued before he could argue.
"And," Solryn added, "unless you're planning to trade leaves and sticks with humans, you're going to need gold. That means we need to visit a village."
Hibana's expression softened. "...That's fair."
"And while we're there," Solryn said, tone sharpening, "you can start getting a feel for the human kingdom. Don't pretend you're not curious."
Hibana's face betrayed him with a faint smile. "I am," he admitted. "I want to know how they live... what they're like..."
"They're like those four idiots that you said tried to kill you," Solryn shot back. "Well... most of them are." He exhaled heavily. "But if we're smart, we can get in, grab what we need, and leave before anyone notices we're out of place."
"Even if they do notice us," Hibana countered, "we'll be fine. We just have to act natural."
Solryn barked a dry laugh. "Natural? You? You're an F-tier." He shook his head. "I'm telling you, this isn't going to go well."
"But we have to try," Hibana said firmly. "The kobolds can survive on their own, but if I want to make things better — if I want to protect them properly — I need more than just their trust. I need tools, medicine... and gold."
Solryn rubbed his temples, frustration bleeding through his voice. "I'm telling you, this isn't going to go well. But then...I can't believe I'm actually talking strategy with a dragon."
Hibana gave a small, determined smile. "Yeah… but we can pull it off. And that's what matters."
Solryn stared at him for a long moment — that same calculating look he always had when trying to predict how badly things were about to go wrong.
Finally, he exhaled through his nose and muttered, "I feel like I'm about to regret this."
"You won't," Hibana said confidently.
Solryn smirked, but it lacked any real warmth. "Yeah... well, let's hope you're right."