Pryce rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat himself up, and abruptly froze as he came face to face with a dragon, a blue lizard held in her jaws.

"Anvonh?" Pryce whispered involuntarily.

The young dragon froze, a guilty expression in her eyes as her gaze darted over to her still-slumbering father. When neither of them moved, Anvonh silently set the lizard onto the ground, then clamped a talon around her jaws in what was unmistakably a gesture to stay silent.

Pryce nodded hesitantly, mimicking the gesture over the empty space in front of his mouth.

Anvonh returned the nod, then crept away without a sound. Half a minute later Pryce followed her out of the cave, and looked up at the sky to see her flying away. She must have landed some distance away in order to not disturb either of them.

It was very early in the morning, and the still-visible stars reminded Pryce that he'd forgotten to record his latitude last night. He quietly crept past Fathom to retrieve the sextant, then made his way back out of the cave. Normally the dragon was a light sleeper, but it seemed that yesterday's flight had tired him out, and his deep snoring continued uninterrupted.

A quick sighting of the north star showed that his latitude was 18.98 ± 0.05° north. Judging by the nearby coastline his longitude was about 91° west, which meant Fathom had flown over 600 kilometers yesterday, averaging about 60 kilometers per hour.

Satisfied, Pryce returned to the safety of the cave and settled back into his sleeping bag before dozing off.

"Good morning," Fathom yawned as he rose, stretching his wings.

"Good morning," Pryce replied through a mouthful of his canned breakfast.

Fathom looked down and was surprised to see the lizard lying at his feet. "I told you that I can hunt for my own food now, and how did you hunt a blue lizard?" he asked, sounding rather impressed despite his consternation.

Pryce shook his head. "I didn't. It was here when I woke up." It was technically true.

Fathom frowned. "But that means…" he trailed off as he gazed at the lizard, an indecipherable expression on his face. "I should eat it before it becomes bad."

"Of course," Pryce nodded as he finished his breakfast. "I'm done eating, so we can go talk to the others whenever you're finished. What do you think we should start with first? Maybe the camera? Or the microscope?"

"No," Fathom said, shaking his head. "I have something else to do first."

«Hello Jooral-ǂ,» Fathom said as he returned to the elder's home with Pryce on his back. A quick glance showed that she was alone; Ghorrah and Anvonh were nowhere to be seen. The former was likely off hunting, but he'd expected Anvonh to be here by now.

«Ah, there you are,» Jooral replied. «Ghorrah is hunting at the moment – could you do me a favor and ask Pryce for his opinion about these? I want to see if he can guess what they are,» she said, and gestured to an array of clay objects drying out in the sun.

Fathom resisted the urge to flatten his spines in annoyance – he had gotten too used to exaggerating his expressions around Pryce, and breaking that habit was harder than he anticipated. "Pryce, Jooral-ǂ wants you to look at these," he said, glancing down at the strange objects. They looked like hollow sticks made out of clay. «Do you know where Anovnh-ǂ is?»

«She sleeps in a cave north-riseward of here, though she's normally up by now,» Jooral absently replied as she watched Pryce inspect her work. «It is strange though…I expected her to be here bright and early. It's not everyday one gets to speak with a crafter.»

"These are…pipes?" Pryce hesitantly replied. They were quite well made, especially when one considered the size of Jooral's hands, but he wasn't sure what she wanted him to say about them. "Is this something you need to try and make iron?"

«Yes!» Jooral excitedly hissed. «What do you think? Would it work?»

"I…think so?" Pryce replied, scratching his head. "I'm not a metal-making human, but it should work."

«Hrrm. I suppose that's fair,» Jooral shrugged, looking a little disappointed. «But what does he do then, if he doesn't work with metal at all?»

«Pryce studies those tiny creatures I mentioned earlier, and he also specializes in healing other humans,» Fathom offhandedly mentioned as he gestured for Pryce to climb back up.

Jooral was a very respected dragon, and he understood her curiosity, but her endless questions made it difficult for him to look for Anvonh.

«I see…how fascinating,» Jooral murmured as she began to fiddle with some kind of bellows. «I imagine we'll have much to discuss over the next few days. Tell me, what do you have planned for today?»

«Well, we cannot start without the others,» Fathom said, glancing up at the empty sky. «I'll go fetch Anvonh-ǂ, and hopefully Ghorrah-ǂ will be done by the time we're back,» he said, turning to leave.

«Of course. I imagine you two have much to discuss, yes?» Jooral asked, loudly enough for Fathom to freeze mid-turn.

«...What are you saying?» Fathom asked, narrowing his eyes.

Jooral shrugged. «I'm just urging some caution, is all.»

«I don't see how this matter concerns you.»

«Really?» Jooral said, putting down her tools. «Because the way I see it, Ghorrah and I have been raising your daughter for the last fourteen years, all because you could not. I'd say that warrants some interest on our part, wouldn't you?»

Fathom's head drew back in indignation, but the spark of anger in his chest was swiftly doused by a wave of shame. Jooral's statement of truth was impossible to refute, and it cut deeper than any mere verbal attack. «...You're right,» Fathom eventually managed. «I made mistakes. I failed. And that is why I want to apologize to her.»

«Well, that is good to hear,» Jooral hummed. «Anvonh rarely says as much, but the poor girl always seems to feel responsible for everything. I don't know what exactly happened between you two, but I would be glad if you could help heal those old wounds.»

Fathom lowered his head as he processed these words. «I see.»

«Tell me, why didn't you come and visit her?» Jooral asked, tilting her head.

«She was already living with you by the time I learned where she went,» Fathom said, and glanced to the side. «I did not want to give others the impression that she needed help from her father.»

«Hmph. Is that all? You are young to be concerned with such things. Anvonh was such a timid little thing when she first came to us,» Jooral said, a reminiscent look in her eyes. «It was wonderful seeing her come into her own, and the two of us have grown quite fond of her.»

Fathom wasn't sure what to say to that.

«My wings and I have often spoken of you before, you know.» Jooral paused, her gaze hard and unblinking. «We did not have high expectations of you, but I am pleased to see that you do not seem to be an unreasonable sort.»

«...What are you saying?» Fathom warily asked.

«I'm saying I don't care if you're her father, or if you have a crafter with you,» Jooral said, steel coming into her voice. «Circumstance may have us allying together, but should you hurt Anvonh then you will find that you will not be forgiven.»

"What did she say?" Pryce asked, a note of concern in his voice as they flew away. "I couldn't understand much towards the end."

«Nothing important,» Fathom grunted, subdued.

Jooral's directions led them straight to Anvonh's cave, which was well-decorated in a style that seemed to be a fusion of Fathom's home and that of her mentors.

Fathom landed a safe distance away, but Anvonh failed to emerge despite surely being able to hear his approach. Did she not want to talk to him? Or was she merely asleep?

Pryce dismounted before he could voice any concerns, and Fathom hesitated no longer. They were just about to enter when he heard the sound of hurried footsteps, and then Anvonh stumbled out of the cave, having clearly just woken up.

«Hello Anvonh-ǂ,» Fathom reflexively greeted. «...Are you well? It is…not very early.»

«Yes, I am well,» Anvonh said, somewhat drowsily. «I did not sleep much last night,» she added in an attempt to justify her condition.

«I see,» Fathom said awkwardly. «...Someone left a blue lizard in our cave while Pryce and I were both sleeping. Was that you?»

Her eyes flicked to Pryce so quickly that he almost missed it. «Yes, I had thought you would be hungry, and I did not want to wake either of you.»

«Well I appreciate it, but – thank you,» Fathom said, wincing internally at how stilted the conversation was. He glanced down at Pryce, who gave him a pointed look in return, and Fathom steeled himself for what he was about to say. «I wanted to talk to you about what happened all those years ago.»

Anvonh stiffened.

«I'm sorry,» Fathom said, bowing his head. «For everything.»

Anvonh's eyes shot open in surprise. «...I am the one who should be sorry, for being so weak, and for being a terrible burden,» she quietly rumbled, lowering her head. «I thought you would be better off without me..»

«Roc shit!» Fathom vehemently hissed, causing Anvonh to draw her head backwards in surprise. «I was stubborn, and stupid, and I failed you when I valued my own pride over you. I accepted challenges that I knew I couldn't win. You were only six years old; there was nothing you could have done. You were never a burden.» With each word, his voice thickened with emotion, until it nearly cracked. «Why did you ever think otherwise?»

«...That's not what I meant.» Anvonh hung her head in dismay, confusing Fathom. «Your loss to Ighen, mother's death…none of it would have happened if you hadn't broken your wing, if you hadn't gone into that storm to look for me.»

Fathom's pupils dilated as realization dawned upon him. «...You knew?»

Anvonh's eyes darted back to meet his, but only for a moment. «Mother told me.»

The two of them sat in silence, with neither looking the other in the eye.

«What you said is true,» Fathom began, «but I was your parent, and I failed to watch over you, to keep you from going off on your own. It is true that you should have known better, but I was ultimately the one who should have been responsible, not you.»

«But I…I knew,» Anvonh wretchedly replied. «I was five. I was old enough, and I knew I shouldn't have gone off on my own. How can you forgive me, for causing you so much pain?»

Fathom huffed. «Well I can't forgive you, because it's not your fault.»

Anvonh wrinkled her snout, suddenly looking quite indignant. «Then I won't forgive you either, because I don't think you failed me.»

«What?» Fathom stammered. «You can't just do that!»

«Well too bad, I just did,» Anvonh huffed.

«I – you – ugh,» Fathom snorted. «You're just like your mother.»

Anvonh narrowed her eyes in a smile. Slowly, uncertainly, she opened her wings to embrace her father, who hesitated for a moment before returning the gesture, wrapping his wings around her.

«I…I am glad to see you again, father,» Anvonh said, rumbling happily.

«…Yes,» Fathom managed. It had been a long time since he had heard such a noise coming from another dragon, but eventually he allowed himself to respond in kind. «So am I.»

Pryce stood a short distance away to give Fathom and his daughter some privacy – not that he could give them much; it would have been dangerous to wander too far away, and the voices of dragons carried quite easily over the meager distance Pryce placed between them. It was true that he could hardly understand any of their speech to begin with, but it still felt wrong to stand so close while the two of them shared a heartfelt conversation, especially once it became clear that they were speaking on good terms.

«I should have gone to see you years ago, but I was afraid that you were disappointed in me,» Anvonh said, laughing half-heartedly at her own expense.

«I thought you didn't want to see me,» Fathom said, ducking his head a little shamefully. «I am sorry now that I did not try and see you earlier.»

«It seems that we have both misjudged things,» Anvonh said, weakly shrugging her wings.

«Yes...I should thank Pryce, for giving me a reason to see you. Where did he go?» Fathom asked, and turned to see the human walk back towards them. «When did you leave?» he asked, blinking in surprise.

"Early on, I thought you two needed to be alone," Pryce said.

"But you can't understand much Draconic, and you were standing close enough to hear us anyway," Fathom pointed out. "...Unless human hearing is that bad?"

"I could hear you. I was just being polite."

"Ah. I just wanted to say thank you," Fathom said, bowing his head, "for giving me a reason to speak with Anvonh."

"You're very welcome," Pryce smiled. "I'm glad I could help. What did you two talk about? I could barely understand any of it."

"I'll tell you about it later," Fathom said, and then had to translate this to a curious Anvonh.

«It is still so strange to hear you talk to him,» Anvonh said, looking quite bemused. «Are you going to teach us how to understand their speech?»

«Of course. Imagine if every human and every dragon had to go through me just to understand each other,» Fathom said, shuddering a little. «No, things will be much easier if there are more of us who can speak their words. It shouldn't take long for me to teach you – I expect you will be able to get your point across after a hand of days.»

«That makes sense,» Anvonh nodded thoughtfully. «I was going to wait until I could tell him myself, but could you give him my thanks for me?»

«Of course. What do you want to tell him?»

Anvonh took a moment to consider her words. «Tell him that he has my gratitude for righting my wrong, and that I will do whatever I can to assist him in making peace between dragons and humans.»

Fathom hesitated before translating this to Pryce. "She said she wanted to thank you for fixing her mistake, and that she will do whatever she can to make peace between dragons and humans."

"Mistake? What mistake is she talking about?"

"She thinks it is her fault that I broke my wing," Fathom said, flattening his spines. "I disagree, but she is still grateful that you fixed it."

"How could that be her fault?" Pryce asked, furrowing his brow..

"I'll tell you about it later. Climb up, we should go back to Jooral-ǂ and Ghorrah-ǂ now," Fathom said, and repeated this to Anvonh.

«Sounds good,» Anvonh nodded excitedly. «What are we going to learn about today?»

«Hello, Anvonh...Hironh,» Ghorrah said reservedly upon their landing.

«Hello Ghorrah!» Anvonh replied as she nudged the older dragon affectionately.

Fathom made his much less enthusiastic greeting, though he was privately glad to see that Anvonh was visibly unburdened by their conversation.

«Where is Jooral?» Anvonh asked as she glanced around.

«She'll be right back; she's just organizing her things,» Ghorrah replied. «Things...went well, I take it?» she asked, glancing at Fathom.

«We talked a lot, and yes, it went very well,» Anvonh answered, nodding sharply.

«That is good to hear,» Jooral said as she padded over. «So, what are we going to discuss first?»

«I think we should take turns asking questions. Our conversation yesterday was…messy,» Ghorrah suggested, and the others nodded their heads in agreement. «You can go first, Jooral.»

«Thank you, my wings,» Jooral said cheerfully before turning to Pryce. «Yesterday you showed us those 'photographs'. Could you describe how exactly you were able to send things flying beyond the sky?»

With Fathom as an intermediary Pryce tried his best to explain the concept of rockets, but the dragons simply didn't have the foundation for him to give a satisfying answer. Not even Fathom fared much better, as Pryce had neither the reason nor the tools to teach him rocket science.

«It doesn't…sound as if it should work,» Jooral murmured. «But I suppose I don't see any other way it could be done, and the photographs themselves are proof that it is possible.»

«Where do you expect the other humans to arrive?» Ghorrah asked as she studied the satellite images.

«Here,» Fathom said, pointing to the blue mark. «They'll be here in nineteen days.»

«And they planned for this in case something went wrong?» Ghorrah asked.

«Sort of. They planned for this, but we only received details twenty-one days ago.» Fathom paused as he was met with looks of confusion by all three females. «Ah, the humans have a device called a radio that allows them to communicate across vast distances, using a type of light that we cannot see.»

«What?!» Jooral and Anvonh exclaimed at the same time.

«How does it work?» Jooral asked, eyes wide.

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«So we can talk to the other humans right now?» Anvonh added, before Fathom could continue.

«Wait,» Ghorrah sternly interrupted. «You said you wanted our help because you wanted to prevent any violent misunderstandings. Why do you need our help for this if Pryce can communicate with the humans whenever he wants?»

«The radio only works one way – at least, it only works one way across the ocean,» Fathom explained, answering all three questions. «In simple terms a radio can use certain types of invisible light to send messages for another radio to 'hear'. The problem is that this type of light is hard to make, and the device that makes it is too large to move across the ocean – even for the ship. This means that the humans are able to send messages from their land to ours, but not the other way around. You can think of it like a roar,» he added, seeing their still-confused expressions. «It takes effort to roar as loud as you can, but listening takes none at all.»

«And you saw this 'radio' working?» Jooral pressed, clearly hungry for more details.

«Of course,» Fathom nodded. «It sounds fantastical, but I've seen it work with my very own eyes.»

«...I see,» Ghorrah murmured, her eyes narrowed in thought. «I suppose that makes sense, though I would like to see this radio sometime. Did you bring it with you?»

«Sort of, but it's…complicated,» Fathom said, tossing his head. «Some of it requires the ship, so we could show you how it works once Pryce brings it here.»

Anvonh cocked her head at this. «I thought you said you didn't want to move the ship more than you had to?»

«Our destination is further north anyway, so it wouldn't be out of the way to make a stop here…though we do risk someone else discovering the ship,» Fathom rumbled. «The ship is currently hidden over the horizon, but if Jooral-ǂ wants to see it then we'd need to bring it onto the beach.»

Ghorrah and Jooral shared a glance, which was apparently enough to know what the other was thinking.

«We'll think about it,» Jooral said, though she had a wistful look in her eyes, clearly wishing to see the ship herself. «We can always refine our plans later; let us first learn how to speak with the human.»

«Of course,» Fathom nodded. «Though you should know; it's going to take quite a bit of effort before you can really talk to him.»

«I expected nothing else,» Jooral said, completely undissuaded by Fathom's warning, while Anvonh emphatically nodded her head in agreement.

«We're going to need to learn this sooner or later,» Ghorrah huffed, with markedly less enthusiasm. «No point in contemplating what's necessary.»

«Alright,» Fathom nodded. «Let's start with greetings…»

«I think that's enough for today,» Fathom sighed, his throat dry from long hours of conversation. He hadn't spoken so much in one day in a long time, not even with Pryce. Their conversations with the human had largely been limited by the lack of a shared vocabulary between them, but there was no such limit between him and the three females, and they had all rapidly absorbed what he had to teach.

Pryce, on the other hand, had hardly spoken at all. It was through no fault of his own, as his Draconic – improved though it may have been – still wasn't quite understandable, and any sentence of his could often be interpreted in several very different ways. Still, he had helped by operating the select few tools they'd brought along with them, and these demonstrations served as welcome breaks throughout the eventful day.

«About time,» Ghorrah grunted as she rubbed her eyes with her wing-thumbs. «Skies, my head hurts. I don't think I've ever had to learn so much in a single day since…» she trailed off, apparently unable to recall any examples. «Well, ever.»

«Yes, today has been quite productive…human words are so fascinating,» Jooral said, looking ready to go on a little longer.

«Wait!» Anvonh suddenly exclaimed. «Weren't you going to show us the human tool that lets you see tiny animals?»

«Yes, I can't believe I almost forgot about that,» Jooral said as the two of them looked expectantly towards Fathom, who wished only to lie down and rest.

"Pryce, can you bring out the microscope?" Fathom asked, bracing himself for another half hour of discussions.

"Of course, just give me a minute to set it up," Pryce replied.

As expected, Anvonh and Jooral were especially fascinated by the device, which was far less esoteric than something like the instant camera. After all, they were all familiar with how ice and other transparent crystals could bend light, and the microscope was merely an extremely refined application of that familiar effect.

Ghorrah was less enthusiastic about playing with the device, but she took very little convincing from Jooral to peer into the lenses and observe whatever sample the dragons had decided to observe.

"Pryce," Jooral said, getting his attention. "Do you know…how…humans make no color glass?" she asked, slowly recalling the proper words to use.

"...Vam," Pryce said, shaking his head in the negative. He was quite certain that glass became transparent at a sufficient purity, but he had no idea how purification was achieved.

«...He said 'no', right?» Jooral asked, glancing at Fathom. «His voice is so very strange. It almost sounds like a sickly dragonet,» she noted, chuffing in amusement.

«That is what he said, yes,» Fathom nodded, his eyes narrowing in amusement at the oddly accurate description.

«I see…that's a shame, but I suppose it can't be helped,» Jooral sighed, turning her attention back to the microscope. «This device is very impressive, though I imagine it would only really be useful to a select few individuals…Helsha-ǂ for one would certainly be interested in using this for his research.»

«We were planning on reaching out to him next,» Fathom noted. «Are you very familiar with him?»

«Only a little,» Jooral shrugged. «He comes by from time to time to ask for various tools, and in return he trades fruits and herbs with Ghorrah. I remember how a few decades ago Helsha-ǂ complained to me about mushrooms, and how they seemed to grow from nothing…I imagine a microscope would have been quite useful at the time.»

«Pryce says they grow from tiny seeds that are too small to be seen,» Fathom replied.

«That was what Helsha-ǂ assumed too,» Jooral said, and peered down at the microscope. «I wonder, how long would I have to live to be able to make something like this?»

«I'm not sure if it's even possible, though I don't know how humans do it either,» Fathom huffed.

"Pryce," Anvonh said, interrupting their conversation. "What is number of humans make microscope?"

"That is a hard question to answer," Pryce said, furrowing his brow. "It is hard to describe, but most humans only do one thing, so to make something like the microscope you'd need the help of hundreds or thousands of humans."

Anvonh narrowed her eyes in thought as Fathom translated Pryce's answer. «I see…and would you happen to know how many humans live on the Mainland?»

«Ah, I asked him this before,» Fathom said, and scratched his jaw. Seeing no way to break the news gently, he decided to just out and say it. «According to Pryce, there are over one hundred thousand thousand humans on the Mainland.»

«One hundred thousand…thousand humans?» Ghorrah hissed incredulously as she glared at Fathom. «Are you saying that there are over ten thousand of them for every one of us?»

«That is a very large number,» Jooral said warily. «Is he certain about that number?»

Fathom shrugged. «They counted themselves, so it should be accurate.»

«How under the sun can there be so many of them?» Ghorrah demanded. «If even a fraction of them decide to come here-»

«That is something we have to consider, yes,» Fathom admitted, «but that's why we need to negotiate with them.»

Ghorrah shared a look with Jooral, and for a moment none of them spoke.

«It is getting late. How about we all have something to eat and continue this tomorrow morning?» Anvonh asked, sounding a little apprehensive.

«Good idea,» Jooral agreed, tossing Ghorrah a significant look. «We'll see you three tomorrow then.»

«Of course,» Fathom nodded. «Anvonh-ǂ, did you want to go hunting with me?» he asked.

«Oh, certainly,» Anvonh said, sounding a bit surprised. She turned to glance around, then settled her gaze to the west. «Let's go…there, I know a lake where animals like to gather.»

Fathom nodded, and took a step back. «Lead the way.»

"Are you okay?" Fathom asked as they landed at Anvonh's home, with freshly caught prey in hand.

"I'm fine," Pryce managed as he stumbled and knelt onto the ground. "I think. Give me a few minutes."

«Maybe we should have hunted some lizards instead,» Fathom rumbled to Anvonh.

«Perhaps we should have,» Anvonh agreed, looking down at Pryce in concern. «I didn't think flying would hurt him, but I suppose humans wouldn't be used to it…»

«Let's start making dinner,» Fathom said as he picked up a few pieces of firewood. «What kind of oven do you have?»

«Well I do have a normal pit oven, but I prefer to use something else. Wait here,» Anvonh said, and went to retrieve something from her cave.

Once Pryce recovered he took a moment to examine Anvonh's home, which was quite well decorated. It superficially resembled Fathom's dwelling, though it was markedly more colorful and refined – evidently incorporating the knowledge and skills she'd learned from her mentors.

Pryce wasn't sure what the inside looked like, but various tools, implements, and half-finished projects littered the ground outside.

«You have a metal pan?» Fathom asked in surprise as Anvonh came back out, carrying the cooking implement with both her wing-thumbs. «Did Jooral-ǂ lend this to you?»

«Actually, it's mine,» Anvonh said, puffing her chest out pridefully. «I assist Jooral-ǂ with whatever she needs help with, and in return she gives me things. I spent years collecting enough scrap iron to make this, and then I helped her forge it.»

«Years?» Fathom asked, glancing at the cast iron pan. «I'm surprised it only took so long. A dragon five times your age would be lucky to have something like this.»

Anvonh glanced away. «Jooral-ǂ has been…kind to me. I try my best to ensure that her generosity is repaid in kind.»

«I see…» Fathom rumbled. «Well, if you're going to be on cooking duty then I suppose I'll start preparing the stags.»

«Sounds good,» Anvonh replied as she laid a stack of lumber into a firepit.

Pryce watched them work with some interest as he recovered from his ordeal. Fathom swiftly butchered and carved the stags into manageable cuts of meat before placing them on ceramic dishes provided by his daughter. While he worked, Anvonh tended to the flame by using a wing to waft the smoke away from their position.

"Pryce, can you give me the seasonings?"

"Oh, sure. Actually, I think it's easier if I season the meat."

"I only added too much one time," Fathom grumbled, which Pryce ignored as he retrieved a few jars from his backpacks.

"What…is this?" Anvonh asked, not having understood their conversation.

«Salt, herbs, and spices,» Fathom candidly explained.

«Oooh, is that entire glass jar is full of salt?» Anvonh asked, eyes widening in surprise. «...I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, considering what else crafters – er, humans can make.»

«Yes, apparently making pure salt is easy, so humans have a lot of it.»

«I see…these spices have a strange smell, do they taste good?» Anvonh said as she sniffed at the other jars.

«Oh yes, they do,» Fathom said with obvious relish, and Anvonh backed away to let Pryce rub salt into the slabs of meat.

He had only used a modest amount, though the young dragon seemed to think the quantity to be quite lavish.

Soon afterward, Anvonh deemed the flames suitable for her iron pan. While a human may have used butter or vegetable oil, she simply spat some incendiary oil into the pan before laying a few steaks onto the searing-hot surface. Every few minutes she would give them a flip, and when they were done she would take them out and add them to the finished pile.

«Oh, this is delicious,» Anvonh rumbled past the steak in her mouth.

«Told you so,» Fathom said, chewing on his own slab.

Pryce remained silent as he cut up his own smaller steak into bite-sized pieces; it was rather overcooked by the standards of most humans, but it was safer this way, so he couldn't complain. He had some reservations about eating something cooked in a dragon's oils, but any harmful bacteria would have been killed by the high temperatures. Still, he only ate a little, just in case the oil was somehow poisonous to humans.

"Why you…use tool?" Anvonh asked, peering curiously at his knife and fork.

"It's easier this way," Pryce said.

«Human teeth are small and weak,» Fathom translated, and ignored Pryce's indignant punch to his forearm. «They prefer to use tools to help them chew, and their hide is very thin, so they get burnt easily.»

«...How strange,» Anvonh civilly commented, then tossed another steak into her mouth.

The three of them continued to converse as they ate, and the pile of raw meat rapidly shrunk until there was nothing left.

«Now that was satisfying,» Anvonh said, licking her talons. «I wouldn't mind having a little more…maybe we should hunt two, next time.»

«Well, I'm glad to hear that you're not too full,» Fathom said, standing up to stretch.

Anvonh blinked. «And why's that? Is there something you wanted to do?»

«You've been learning from Ghorrah-ǂ, right? I want to see how much you've grown,» Fathom said as he rolled his shoulders. «It's a little belated, but it is tradition to spar with your dragonet once they reach adulthood.»

Anvonh's eyes widened as she leapt to her feet. «You mean…?»

«Yes,» Fathom grinned. «I challenge you, my daughter, to a sparring match.»

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Pryce asked, once Fathom had made himself clear.

"Calm down, we aren't going to hurt each other," Fathom reassured, then paused. "Not much," he amended.

"Okay, but-"

"Pryce," Fathom said, lowering his head. "I need to do this."

"Oh…alright," Pryce sighed. "Just be careful."

"I will."

«What are you two talking about?» Anvonh asked, «Are we doing this or not?»

«Don't worry about it,» Fathom snorted, tossing his head. «Just focus on the fight, and give me your all!»

«Oh, I intend to,» Anvonh growled, lowering her stance.

The two dragons began to circle one another in their chosen field of battle – a tranquil clearing at the base of the mountain.

Despite Anvonh's bravado her footsteps were cautious, though well paced and disciplined. Her eyes, red like his, drilled into him, searching for any weakness or mistake she could capitalize on.

Soon it became evident that neither would falter, and so Fathom leapt forward with a quick strike which Anvonh cleanly evaded. He pressed his advance, lunging after her with rapid swipes. Anvonh dodged the first, then countered the second – or tried to. She'd fallen for Fathom's feint, but in an instant she pivoted to strike her father in the chest with the back of her hand, just as he landed the same blow on her.

Both dragons grunted as they reeled from the impact, but their talons dug deep into the soft soil beneath them, anchoring them in place for their next exchange of blows. Fathom's skill and speed allowed him to land more strikes, but Anvonh wasn't far behind either, and her greater physical strength meant that even the slightest misstep could lose him the match.

Fathom gritted his teeth as he managed to block a heavy blow from Anvonh before countering it, knocking her arm down and leaving her wide open for an elbow strike to the base of her throat.

Anvonh coughed as she reeled from the impact and backpedalled in an attempt to gain some distance. Fathom left her no time to recuperate and leapt after her to press his advantage – only to dart backwards as Anvonh suddenly dashed forth to lash out at him with both foreclaws. Fathom's eyes narrowed in an involuntary smile as he kicked backwards, just barely dodging the dangerous strike, but Anvonh seemed to have predicted that – without missing a beat she curled her neck inwards, kicked off the ground, and whipped her head upwards, ramming her curled horns into Fathom's gut.

Fathom wheezed as the air was driven out of his lungs, but the damage had been mitigated by his leap backwards, and he managed to flip through the air and land on his feet to meet Anvonh's charge head-on.

The two dragons clashed again, this time grappling with arms and wings as each tried to overwhelm the other. For a moment it was a contest of strength, but it soon became apparent that Fathom was losing. Unsurprised, he abruptly leaned backwards, catching Anvonh off guard as he threw her beneath him, spreading his wings as he pinned her to the-

Suddenly things shifted, and Fathom found their positions reversed. He panicked as he kicked, and after a struggle managed to throw Anvonh off before she could end the fight.

«What in the skies was that?» Fathom hissed, breathing deeply. He hadn't ever seen a move like it before, not in all his years.

«Something Ghorrah-ǂ taught me,» Anvonh said, panting as well. «It usually works better than that. Looks like I still need more practice.»

«I see,» Fathom growled, without any heat. «In that case, let's see if there's not anything left for me to teach you.»

Fathom charged towards Anvonh, who braced herself for another attack – but this time he pivoted at the last moment and lashed out with his hind legs. Anvonh may have been a bit larger and stronger than he was, but even with her guard up she was knocked tail over head by the powerful impact.

«Shit!» Anvonh hissed as she landed. She winced as she put weight on her forearms, and had to put her guard up once more as Fathom continued his attack, bowling her over and pinning her to the ground.

From there a messy struggle ensued, with Fathom attempting to subdue Anvonh while she tried her best to throw him off. Victory was a mere a scale's breadth away, but then Anvonh grabbed a hold of his forearms and twisted her body, flipping the both of them over in one fluid motion.

The two dragons panted heavily as Anvonh held her talons over Fathom's throat, pinning him down with her greater weight and technique.

«Hah…hah…» Fathom gasped between breaths. «Haha…hahaha! That was amazing! Did Ghorrah-ǂ teach you that too?»

«Er…no, that was Jooral-ǂ, actually,» Anvonh panted, looking quite confused. «Are…we still fighting?»

«No, no,» Fathom said, tossing his head. «You win. I yield.»

For a moment Anvonh did not respond, and she only continued to pant over as she processed those words. «I…win…?» she echoed blankly, her pupils dilating in surprise as she stumbled off of him. «I won,» she repeated as the words began to settle in. «I really won!»

«Yes! You did!» Fathom laughed, his eyes beaming with joy. «It was an excellent fight. You should be proud; you've grown up so much, Anvonh-ǂ.»

«I won!» Anvonh exclaimed, nearly bouncing with triumph.

Fathom chuffed in amusement as she all but roared her victory to the skies.

"Wow, she really beat you," Pryce said, walking up to Fathom.

"Of course. She is female, so I was expecting her to win a ground fight…but she did even better than I hoped," Fathom said, his eyes smiling as he nursed his bruised torso. "Ghorrah-ǂ and Jooral-ǂ have taught her well. It is…good to see."

"Hmm," Pryce hummed. He could sympathize with that desire despite the foreign circumstances. "Well, I'm glad you're happy, and neither of you were hurt, so that's good too."

"Yes, now we can do the second half of the spar."

Pryce blinked. "Second half?"

"Yes?" Fathom asked, tilting his head in confusion. "Of course, a sparring match is not complete without flying. Once she is done celebrating then we will have a real match in the sky."

"...Oh."

"Don't worry, we will be safe. The first to hit the other five times wins, and you just need to touch the other to count it as a hit," Fathom explained, reassuring Pryce. «Anvonh-ǂ, are you ready for our next match?»

«Hm? Oh, yes, of course!» Anvonh exclaimed, though she was still panting from her exertions. «Er, maybe give me a few beats first,» she swiftly amended.

«Ready?» Fathom called out as he leveled with Anvonh in the sky. The two dragons circled each other in a great arc, as was standard when beginning aerial fight.

«Ready!» Anvonh confirmed, signaling the start of the match. Both dragons adjusted the angle of their wings, tightening their circle for a gradual approach. A more serious match would warrant more caution, but where was the fun in that?

Anvonh's eyes widened as Fathom cut sharply towards her, and in the next moment she mirrored his maneuver to meet him head on. Just before they collided Fathom twisted about in the air, pivoting sharply to strike at Anvonh, who moved to evade, but failed to dodge in time as Fathom pivoted again, feinting twice in rapid succession before clouting her over the head with a wing.

«One!» Fathom called out as he dove away. It was hardly a practical move in a real fight, but quite useful when the goal was to merely strike an opponent a certain number of times.

Anvonh growled at her blunder and shot forward to chase after her father. Fathom entertained the chase for a few seconds, but once they had built up enough speed he abruptly flared out his wings to bring them crashing together.

«Two! Three!» he called out, kicking both feet against Anvonh's chest, even as she managed to catch him with a grazing swipe.

«One!» Anvonh hissed as she swiftly beat her wings. Fathom did the same, and for a few beats they warily surveyed each other as they regained some of their lost altitude.

The fight resumed at some unspoken signal between the two, this time at a slower pace. Anvonh was visibly reluctant to engage her more agile father, but she seemed to have realized it was just as bad of an idea to wait for him to engage on his own terms.

«Four!» Fathom called out, clipping Anvonh's shoulder.

«Two! Three!» Anvonh grunted, scratching Fathom's chest with two quick swipes.

«Five!» Fathom exclaimed, tapping Anvonh on the head and ending the fight.

«Argh! How did you get so fast?» Anvonh groused, clenching her talons in frustration as they landed back down upon the ground. «Was this how you fought before you broke your wing?»

«Not quite,» Fathom smugly replied. «Fighting with a broken wing taught me to make the most out of my limitations, and now that it's fixed I'm even better than I was before.»

«I see…» Anvonh replied, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

«Even so, I'm very impressed. I wouldn't have been able to win so easily if this weren't a sparring match – those light grazes wouldn't do anything in a real fight.»

Anvonh tossed her head. «I don't think so. I could only hit you at all because of my reckless strategy. In a real fight I'd have to be more cautious, and that means it would be even harder to catch you.»

«Also true,» Fathom acknowledged.

The two of them discussed their match for some time, exchanging insights and pointers, and before Fathom knew it the sun was already setting.

«Oh, it's quite late. I suppose I should head back to our cave,» Fathom rumbled.

«Well…you can stay here for the night. If you want,» Anvonh said, a little awkwardly. «There's plenty of room, and it's not as if it really matters if you sleep here or there.»

«Oh. That's true,» Fathom acknowledged, though he was surprised by the offer. «Alright, we'll sleep here for the night.» He was quite exhausted by their sparring match, and he didn't really feel like flying that short distance back to their cave.

«Great!» Anvonh cheerfully replied. «Follow me – I'll show you around.»

Fathom and Anvonh continued their conversation for some time afterwards, with Anvonh regalling him with tales of Ghorrah's tutelage and Jooral's apprenticeship. She spoke energetically and fondly of the two late into the night, but when Fathom returned from getting a drink of water he found her curled upon her bed, having apparently fallen asleep in the short amount of time that he was gone.

"I think she just wanted to rest for a little bit, but she started snoring very quickly," Pryce quietly noted as Fathom returned.

"Mmm," Fathom rumbled as he stared at his slumbering daughter. "She was almost two heads shorter than me when she left. It is…strange to see her so large now."

Pryce glanced away. "They grow up so fast."

Fathom tilted his head. "'They'? Is that a human expression?"

"Yeah."

"There is the same expression in Draconic," Fathom rumbled quietly. "It sounds like the experience of a human parent is not very different."

Fathom gave Pryce a glance when he didn't respond, but he remained silent as he belatedly realized that this line of questioning was rather insensitive of him. He abashedly turned his gaze back to Anvonh, and wondered how easily she could have died without him ever having seen her again.

Fathom extended a wing as he silently sat beside his daughter, gently draping it over her back so as to not rouse her. She didn't quite fit like she used to, but his flame flickered with warmth all the same as he drifted off to sleep.

«A hundred thousand thousand humans…what are we even supposed to do?» Ghorrah groused.

«We are at a disadvantage in nearly all regards. I don't think there's much we can do, aside from playing nice,» Jooral shrugged. «At least things have gone quite well for us, relatively speaking. If it weren't for that disaster on their ship, we wouldn't be in a position to place them in our debt…Assuming that is something that matters among their kind.»

«That is true,» Ghorrah rumbled, though she didn't sound reassured at all.

«You seem distracted,» Jooral noted. «Something's bothering you, and it's not just the humans.»

«Mmph,» Ghorrah huffed, knowing how futile denial was. «Have you noticed Hironh's wing?»

Jooral paused. «I did.»

«Doesn't look very broken, does it?»

«Where are you going with this?» Jooral asked, narrowing her eyes.

«I spoke with Anvonh this morning,» Ghorrah said. «She says that Pryce fixed Hironh's broken wing.»

«Well, that's good for him, but that doesn't mean he can help me,» Jooral huffed, a note of tension in her words.

«I suppose that's true,» Ghorrah sighed, giving up before she rekindled that old argument. «Perhaps we should ask about human medicine tomorrow.»

«Perhaps,» Jooral rumbled, her enthusiasm for once marred by hesitation. «Goodnight, my wings.»

«Goodnight, Joor.»

[JOURNAL ENTRY EXCERPTS]

Day 81,

Communicating with Ghorrah and Jooral continues to be a bumpy process, but at least they remain open to reason.

I admit that if the roles were reversed, I would be just as concerned as either of them, if not more so. The average dragon may be far smarter and stronger than the average human, but that matters little in the face of human technology.

In short, I must proceed with caution. I need to be honest, but not so much that I scare them into thinking that humans are too dangerous to work with. Whether or not I disclose a piece of information is just as important as how I do it.

Strange thought: I've been thinking of certain draconic behaviors as 'human-like', but their species could very well be older than humanity, which means it may very well be more accurate to say certain human behaviors are 'dragon-like'.

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