After the incident at the restaurant, Aeris feared things would get worse. Instead, nothing happened. That woman and her dragon never returned, and while things were tense between the humans and dragons, there were no more incidents.

Peace had returned, but the damage had been done. Now aware of the state of Diamus, she sensed it everywhere she went. On the street, humans and dragons shot each other threatening glares. When they spoke, their words were full of spite and hidden insults.

She wanted to get as far away from it all as possible, but Maxis and Terran refused to leave. They apparently had business here, but they refused to say what.

So she kept her head down and hoped for the best. If Janine was worried, she was excellent at hiding it. The young woman maintained her cheerful demeanor and checked on Aeris regularly. At work, she always had a smile on her face and gave her all. It seemed to be affecting the place. The dragons and humans were less hostile to each other. Once, a dragon even asked Janine to sit with them.

Aeris refused to let her guard down. The last time she got too complacent, she paid dearly and had no intention of repeating that mistake. She listened carefully to the customer’s conversations, and whenever Janine was on the lower floor, she found reasons to stand nearby and look busy. Terran meeting them after work made her feel better, but every morning, she dreaded going back to that place. 

After a week of this, she felt exhausted. 

During their day off, she decided to talk to Janine about it. This couldn't continue. She had lost too much already and losing Janine would only make things worse.

The young woman was in the living room, sweeping the floor. Terran and Maxis weren’t there. That was good. It made things a little easier.

“Um, Janine, can we talk?”

Without looking up from her sweeping, she replied, “Sure, what’s up?”

Before Aeris could continue, there came a knock at the door. She turned a questioning gaze to Janine who shrugged. Aeris approached the door and slowly opened it. 

The Ramscale who was with the human District Lord greeted her. He wore what looked like a leather harness except it was a single strap across his chest  Aeris’s claws scraped the floor. “Yes, can I help you?”

The drake bowed. “Good morning. You’re Snowflake, correct?”

“She is,” Janine said from behind her. “Who’s askin?”

“Forgive my manners, I’m Reban.” He bowed again. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Back at ya. I’m Janine and obviously you know Snowflake.”

“Why are you looking for me?”

Reban straightened up. “My master wishes to speak with you.”

Aeris frowned. “I don’t want to go.”

“A—Snowflake! You have better manners than that.” She turned back to the drake with a comforting smile. “I’m sorry about her. Yes, we’d love to—”

“My master asked for her,” Reban said flatly, motioning to Aeris.

Janine raised a brow and put her hands on her hips. “Well, I’m afraid Snowflake and I are a package deal. Ya want her, ya get me.”

Reban stared at her for a moment. Aeris slowly moved her tail in front of Janine, ready to sweep the young woman out of harm’s way. The drake then nodded and said, “Okay then. You may come along. We should get moving.”

“Wait, you mean right now?” Aeris asked.

“My master sent me to get you because this couldn't wait.”

She didn’t like this but refusal wasn’t possible without anymore. Janine went back inside to grab the keys and leave a note for Terran explaining where they had gone then they followed Reban into the courtyard. 

The drake crouched and spread his wings. “Okay, you have your flight license, correct?”

“Flight license?”

He pulled his wings back. “So you are new then. Dragons in Diamus must have a flight license to fly within city limits.” He stuck out his chest, drawing their eyes to something attached to his harness. Upon closer inspection, Aeris saw it was an ID of some kind. Written on it was his name, species, and rank. 

“Is this really that big a deal?” Janine asked. “How do they plan on checkin it if you’re in the air?”

“An aerial patrol keeps a strict watch on all dragons flying about the city. No license, they ground you, and they aren’t gentle about it.”

“The aerial patrol are dragons?” Aeris asked.

“What, you expect humans to keep dragons in line?” Reban asked, chuckling.

Aeris smiled politely. The differences between here and her hometown were becoming more and more apparent.

“So what’s this ‘rank’ for?” Janine asked.

Reban motioned for the pair to follow him as he headed for the street. “Certain areas are no-fly zones for obvious reasons. You’re rank decides whether or not you’re an exception to that rule.”

“So I’m guessin you’re an exception?”

“I am. I have the highest rank of any dragon in this city. It would be second-highest if…”

“If what?” Aeris asked.

Reban looked around before answering. “If there was a dragon as a District Lord. But we shouldn’t really talk about that out here. My master will tell you more.”

****

Aeris never imaged she would be sitting in the home of another human noble. It wasn’t something she wanted to do again. Unpleasant memories of all the noble parties she had been dragged to over the years filled her mind.

Janine touched Aeris’s side, snapping her out of her thoughts. “You okay?”

“Yes, thank you.”

This house felt different than the others. The owner had it remodeled to accommodate dragons--something very few homes she visited ever did. There was more space between the furniture, large plush cushions beside the chairs, and any breakable objects were placed on high shelves. 

The door behind them opened. Aeris spun around to see the woman from the restaurant entering the room. The woman seemed shorter than she remembered but she also wasn’t paying much attention during their first meeting. Now that she had time to examine her, she could tell this woman took great pride in her appearance from her well-brushed brown hair to her neat, tailored clothing. The District Lord moved across the room with authority making Aeris and Janine straighten up in their seats. “Sorry for the wait,” the woman said. She sat in the chair behind the large desk. “Do you want anything before we begin? Food? Drink?”

“No, thank you,” Aeris said. “I’m fine.”

“I'm good,” Janine added.

The woman nodded and folded her hands on the desk. “Then let’s start with introductions. I am Lady Teresa Blackwell, but you can call me Teresa.”

“Nice to meet ya. I’m Janine and this is Snowflake.”

Teresa studied Aeris for a moment. Her brown eyes showed no animosity but seemed to dig into Aeris’s body straight through to her core. “That’s not your real name is it?”

Janine stood up, glaring daggers at the woman. “Hey, where do ya get off—”

“Please, don’t treat me as a fool. After what I saw in the Dragon’s Den anyone with a brain could tell she’s hiding something.” She steepled her fingers underneath her chin. “You can’t be a wanted criminal. A dragon as rare as you would stand out far too much. So what are you afraid of?”

“Nothing,” Aeris said.

Teresa raised a brow and straightened up in her seat. “Now that you said with conviction. But it still doesn’t change that I don’t know your name.”

“I told you her name,” Janine said, her voice rising. “It’s—"

“My name is…Aeris.” It surprised her how easily she replied. Maybe it had something to do with Teresa’s calm yet authoritative voice or her relaxed posture. Despite sitting in front of the District Lord, Aeris didn’t feel threatened, but her only thought was to deescalate things before Janine dug herself into another hole. She didn’t dare look at Janine, but in her peripheral, she caught the young woman’s movement as she sat down.

“That’s such a lovely name. Why would you want to hide it?”

“Someone may be looking for me.”

Teresa leaned forward again. “And that someone is?”

“None of your business.” If there was one thing she learned watching humans negotiate it was that certain details needed to be safeguarded fiercely. The less anyone knew of her past, the better. 

A smile appeared on the woman’s face. “You’re an interesting one. But you are right. It is none of my business. For now. But back to the real reason you’re here. I want to work with you.”

Aeris was so caught off-guard by the request she could only stare with mouth open. She turned to Janine who looked shocked as well.

 
“You’re speechless. I know it’s a bit unorthodox, but you resolved a hostile situation without bloodshed. I hear even Matriarchs have a hard time doing that.”

But I’m not a Matriarch, Aeris thought. I’m too weak to be one. “I just got lucky.”

“Or maybe you’re more powerful than you realize.”

Aeris said nothing.

“I’m not sure what it is you think Aeris can do for you,” Janine said. “But she just wants to be left alone.”

“Really? She could’ve just stayed out of it. She stopped it because it was the right thing to do, or maybe the matriarch in her couldn’t stand seeing her fellow dragons acting like animals.”

“The humans weren’t making a better example,” Aeris mumbled.

Teresa sighed and sagged in her seat. “You’re not wrong. Both sides need a lesson in etiquette. Which is where you come in. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that I’m the acting District Lord until a replacement is chosen. The dragons are…less than happy about it.”

“The District Lord commands all the dragons in the dragon district,” Janine said. “Of course they ain’t happy takin orders from a human.”

“Why would they make you the District Lord, knowing it would anger the dragons?” Aeris asked.

Teresa reached under the desk and pulled out a large glass decanter filled with a dark liquid Aeris assumed was wine. She placed the decanter on the desk along with three glasses. As she filled the glasses, she explained. “Put simply: they hoped to avoid a disaster. The previous District Lord was murdered before she chose her replacement. This means every dragon lusting for power will be after her position.” She set the decanter down and offered Janine and Aeris a glass each. Aeris refused hers.

“I’m 16,” Janine said.

“As if that’s stopped you before.”

A slight pink tinge entered the young woman’s cheeks. “Ya got me there.” She took the glass but didn’t drink it.

Teresa set the second glass down in front of Aeris anyway then took a sip from her own. “I don’t know how things work where you two are from, but here the title of District Lord carries significant weight. Not only are they in charge of all the non-domesticated dragons, they have a say in decisions that affect the humans and dragons of this city.”

Janine snorted. “So that’s how it is? They chose a human to help keep an eye on the dragons and make sure one they can control takes the job?”

Teresa smiled wryly. Aeris didn't like that smile. “You're a smart one. There is no official evidence but yes, many believe that is the case. But I have no intention of playing the Governor’s game. I want peace between humans and dragons, and that can’t happen so long as one plots behind the other’s back.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Aeris said. “But I don’t know the first thing about politics, and I’m an outsider. The dragons will never listen to me.” 

“It’s funny how that thought didn’t cross your mind when you stood in front of that crowd, and they listened to you.”

“I don’t want the job.”

“You say that now, but you two have already taken it.” She reached under the desk again, this time pulling out a notepad and pen. “My door will still be open when you come back. In the meantime, I understand you don’t have a flying license?”

“Wow, tryin to bribe us already?” Janine asked, rolling her eyes.

“Of course. Call it what you want: bribery, coercion, flattery, it’s all a part of the negotiation process. I just need to know your species and you’ll have clearance to fly wherever, whenever.”

“I don’t know,” Aeris said, looking the woman in the eye. The last thing she wanted was to make her species known. Not after learning the dragons were the ones who drove her kind to extinction.

“Well, that complicates things.” She scratched out some lines then scribbled something else on the paper before handing it to Janine. “Take that to the registration offices, and they’ll grant ‘Snowflake’ with her new license. Also, I have something else for you.” She scribbled on the notepad again and tore off the sheet. “This is the address to Logan Jackman. He's close to one of the most respected dracologists in Geolga. He should be able to help you identify your species.”

Janine took the paper with a frown. “You really don’t know how to take ‘no’ for an answer, do you?”

“That is a gift. It cannot be easy to not know your origins. I hope you find the answers you’re looking for, but I do look forward to our partnership.”

“Thank you for your help,” Aeris said although she had no intention of ever meeting this man.

Neither she nor Janine spoke as they left. Once they were outside, Janine, broke the silence. “I can’t believe the nerve of that woman. She just thinks we’re gonna turn around and help her? I hate those stuffy confident nobles.”

“It doesn’t matter now. We just have to keep our heads down.”

“So whaddya say to gettin your flying license? It would make things a lot easier if you could fly about.”

“I guess, but isn’t that the same as accepting? What about not wanting anything to do with her?”

“I don’t like it any more than you do, but how else are we gonna get you a license?”

“I guess. It could come in handy later.”

****

Aeris wasn’t sure how she felt about her new license. The moment they handed over the piece of paper, they went in the back then returned with a card detailing her name and rank on it and sent her on her way. The rank read "District Lord" which went surprisingly ignored by the other human. Under “species”, she was listed as a hybrid. She was fairly certain she was full-blooded, but there was no way of proving it and she was in no position to complain.

It was no secret to the other dragons in that place she had pulled some strings either and it made her uncomfortable. From what she gleaned listening in on their mumblings, there was a long wait involved and an exam before one was licensed.

She nearly bumped into another drake they left. Immediately, the drake’s rancid stench made her reel. It was rude and would likely cause a big commotion. To avoid any incidents, she quickly looked away and mumbled, “Oh, excuse me,” as she stepped around the drake.

“A-Aeris?” the drake asked.

She froze as she recognized that voice. It tugged at her chest while making her jaw clench. She knew she was better off not turning around. She knew she needed to keep walking. But another part of her wanted to turn around and face the drake which was exactly what she did.

Just as Aeris suspected, Windor stood before her, but he wasn’t the drake she remembered. For starters, his right eye was cloudy and a deep scar ran down the same side of his face. His entire body was covered in scars, most of them coated in something dried and crusted. The rest of his body was so filthy his evergreen scales were a shade of brown. Aeris sincerely prayed that it was mud, but judging from his stench, she doubted it. 

He moved closer to Aeris who backed away more due to his stench than that she never wanted to see him again. The way he stared at her like something he had never seen before was unsettling. 

“Windor?!” Janine asked. “What are you doing here?” She covered her nose with her hand and looked the drake over. “And what happened to you?”

Windor scratched his head, and Aeris noted that one of his horns was broken at the tip. A large crack had begun to snake down the rest of it.  “Hey, Janine. I never expected to see you here.” He turned back to Aeris, his eyes wide. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”

“No thanks to you,” Aeris responded coldly. 

A nervous smile appeared on his face, but with the filth covering his scales it looked more like a grimace. “And, um, what about…the, the e—”

“They’re gone,” Aeris said quickly in a tone so icy, it sent chills through her body. Her claws scraped the floor as she glared at him. Did he dare to bring up my eggs after throwing me out on the street?

Windor recoiled at her response, making Aeris feel a slight tug of pity. The once proud, almost feral look in the eyes that she fell in love with was gone. Instead, he looked the same way Aeris did when she lived with Aaron: broken and fearful of everything. 

“What are you doing here?” Janine asked. “Why aren’t you in Rubellum?”

“Does it matter?” Aeris asked.

Windor looked around, his tail curling about his body. “I, uh, I got kicked out of Rubellum. It’s a long story.”

“And I don’t have time to hear it,” Aeris said. She stepped around Windor and left the building.

It didn't take long before Janine jogged up alongside her. “Hey, you okay?”

“No.” Her tail slapped the ground with a resounding crack drawing the attention of several passersby. “Of all the dragons to run into, why’d it have to be him?”

“I’m sorry. But he looks terrible. Whaddya think happened to him?”

“I don’t care. So far I’m concerned, he got what he deserved.”

“But—”

She whirled on the young woman. Janine stumbled backward. Aeris’s anger vanished at the fear in Janine’s eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“No, no. I obviously crossed a line. I can’t even imagine what you’re goin through right now.” She stepped forward and gently held Aeris’s head. “But maybe you should use this chance to get some closure.”

Aeris snorted and pulled away. “I don’t need closure.”

Before Janine could object, a shout came from behind, “I told you to get out of here you damn lizard!”

Aeris looked over Janine’s shoulder to see Windor being “escorted” out of the registration offices by two large ravagers. The dragons released his legs once they had dragged him into the sun then headed back inside. “We won’t tell you again not to come back,” one of the ravagers said. “If we see you around here again, we’ll just kill you and be done with it.”

Janine hurried to Windor’s side. The dragons entering the registration office gave him a wide berth while wearing looks of disgust. Aeris sighed and moved closer to keep an eye on Janine.

“Hey, you okay?” Janine asked.

Windor struggled to stand. It was then Aeris saw the blood leaking from the bite marks around his legs. “I’m fine. Looks like I’m on the no-fly list here, too.”

“I wanna ask why you’re on any list, but we need to clean those cuts. With as dirty as you are, they’ll get infected fast.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“He’s right, we don’t,” Aeris said. “Why are you helping him?”

Janine ‘helped’ Windor stand--he easily outweighed her, so she didn’t do much. “I know how you feel about him, but I’ve known him longer. He’s always been a loyal customer and nice to me. I can’t stand to see him like this.”

“It’s okay,” Windor said. “I deserve this.”

“Maybe, but it ain’t my place to decide that. Now come on.”

Aeris walked behind them at a distance as they headed back to the safehouse. Janine stayed alongside a limping Windor, her hands on his side. Everyone they passed avoided them and covered their faces. Aeris didn’t blame them, she stood downwind from him, but she’d rather endure his smell than walk beside him.

“So what happened to you?” Janine asked. 

“Well, um, I was attacked by Cutter. Word is Aeris was killed after attacking her master.”

“What?! She did no such thing! I wish she had attacked him, that asshole—”

“Janine,” Aeris warned. The shouting was drawing more attention than they already had. 

The young woman fell silent and Windor continued. “Cutter came to talk to me and found out what happened. She…well, you see the result.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t kill you,” Aeris said.

“She said it would be better if I lived with my shame. She kicked me out of the dragon district and no other dragon would talk to me.” He looked over his shoulder at Aeris. “If it’s okay, may I ask what happened after I saw you last?”

Aeris clenched her jaw and didn’t answer. 
 

“Aeris?”

 
“I really wouldn’t push the issue,” Janine said quickly. “It wasn’t…Sorry, it’s better if Aeris tells you.” 

“It’s none of his business,” Aeris snapped.
 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—” Windor began.
 

“I know what you meant. You mean to fill the awkward silence between us. Well, I’ll save you the trouble: nothing happened that you want to hear.”

Windor faced forward again and fell silent. Aeris couldn’t stand looking at him, so she focused on watching the surrounding buildings. Every fiber of her being screamed to finish what Cutter started. To leap onto his back and put him out of his misery, but Maggie’s words echoed in the back of her mind: “Hatred is like a disease, Aeris. It takes away your will to live and slowly destroys you from the inside. The only cure is not to give in when it takes hold.” The words chased away her dark thoughts. She wondered where Maggie was now and if they would ever see each other again.

Janine's voice broke the silence once more. “So what brought you here?”

“I had to leave Rubellum, but Cutter has influence everywhere. I’ve been told by three other District Lords that if I tried to settle down, they would kill me. Diamus is the only place that hasn’t turned me away, but you see Cutter’s reach extends here, too.”

His stomach growled and he dropped his head. “I wanted to get my flying license so I could find work. I haven’t eaten in days.”

“Well, after we get you cleaned up—” Janine began.

“We?” Aeris asked.

“--I get you cleaned up, I’ll make you something to eat.”

“No, you don’t have to—”

“No ‘buts.’ You know me. I ain’t lettin you go hungry.” She looked back at Aeris. “I know how you feel about him, but I can’t turn away someone who’s starvin. Just let me feed him and I’ll send him on his way.”

Aeris frowned but said nothing. She knew Janine wouldn’t let this go and there was little point in arguing it. And the sooner this was done, the sooner she could go back to forgetting Windor ever existed.

 
When they reached the safe house, Aeris thrust open the front door and barked at Windor to go inside. He kept his head down and obliged. She followed closely behind him, almost slamming the door on his tail. 

“Get him fed and cleaned up,” Aeris snapped. “I’m going to my room.” She left before Janine could say anything. 

Once back in her room, she paced while thinking up as many reasons as possible why she should have left Windor on the street until her paws were sore. Then she lay on the mattress and stared out the window. There wasn’t much of a view except the wall of the neighboring building but it was better than nothing.

Memories of all the time she spent with Windor crept into her thoughts. She growled and shook her head, determined to chase the irritating memories away. She looked down at her paws. There was a pink tinge on her scales. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm down.

“It’s not him,” she said to herself. “He’s not the one you want.” Even as she said it, her claws dug into the mattress. She imagined it was his flesh giving way under her claws. Then she imagined it was her former master. She could almost feel their blood soaking in her scales, hear their screams filling her ears.

Then it wasn't her former master's screams, but the pleas of young dragons. The blood on her paws itched and burned.

There came a knock at the door. Aeris opened her eyes and relaxed then said, “Who is it?”

The door opened and Terran poked his head through. “Hey. Janine told me you were in here.”

“I didn't know you were home. Is something wrong?”

“Uh, yeah. I've been back for a few hours now. But, no, Nothing’s wrong. Just wanted to tell you dinner’s ready.”

Aeris frowned. “I’m not hungry.”

Terran pushed the door open further revealing a large serving tray in his arms. On it was a large bowl of what Aeris assumed to be stew judging from the smell. Her body had no reaction as it usually did. But she knew her stomach would punish her later so it wouldn't hurt to eat now. “Yeah, Janine told me you don’t like our new guest much.”

 
“That’s an understatement.”

Terran set the bowl down in front of Aeris then sat on the mattress beside her. “Well, in case you’re wondering, we got him cleaned up—it took a lot of water—then we tended to his wounds. There were, surprisingly, no infections that I could tell. Whoever attacked him definitely wasn’t trying to kill him.”

I wish she had, Aeris thought as she ate her stew. She imagined Maggie scolding her for thinking such a thing.

“I placed an iron band around his broken horn to prevent it from splitting even more than it already has. I’m afraid there was nothing we could do for his eye. We gave him a patch to cover it.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Well, Janine said you knew him. He was a friend or something.”

Aeris turned to Terran. “Yes. Was a friend.”

 
Terran nodded. “Ah. So, you’re really gonna like what I have to say next.”

“What?”

Terran rubbed the back of his neck and shrank away from her. If the situation wasn’t so serious, she would have found it humorous to see someone his size acting this way. “He’s…gonna be…staying with us for a few days?”

“I must have heard you wrong.”

“No, you heard me.” Terran stood and backed towards the far wall. “Look, I don’t know what happened between you two—neither he or Janine would say, but what I do know is that he’s in bad shape and I can’t send him out there in that condition.”

Aeris remained where she was, but she glared at the human. “How kind of you. I didn’t think we were running a sanctuary.”

“He’s a friend of Janine, and honestly, I feel bad for the guy.”

“You feel bad?!” Aeris jumped to her feet. Terran backed towards the door. “Do you have any idea what he did to me!?”

She heard Maxis’s heavy steps just before the nightstalker appeared in the doorway. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes, apparently my feelings don’t matter much.”

“Snowflake—” Terran began.

“I don’t want to hear it! Get out!”

Terran and Maxis left without another word. Aeris sat down on the mattress and pushed the rest of her stew away. She suddenly lost her appetite.