I felt the souls of the fallen touch me, and opened my eyes to life one again….

Only to gaze directly into the amber eyes of a drake.

I edged away slowly, for slow was as fast as I could go. I called softly to Warfrost, but the young wyrm was engaged in a battle of her own.

I’m flustered to admit the number and types of curses that rang through my mind as the drake bit into my new, unprotected body. Although I felt little pain as my soul was freed from its shell once again, I felt a twinge of worry for my foundling fledgling. I called upon the souls again, but they were tired… worn out, and would not help me a second time.

I might have cringed as I saw her; cornered, crouched in warning against the dragon that could have been a distant relative. Not much I could help her with as I was, so I ran for help.

The bounty hunters I had seen earlier seemed to have left, and I ran until I noticed how circular my progress was. I’d seen this part of the outer wall before. Three times, in fact. Realizing this, I ran outwards through the jungle.

The dragon screamed, and I felt my teeth sink into the tender skin connecting her wing to her body. I don’t know how long I kept hold, but from this angle she had trouble freeing herself from me. But her friend wasn’t as hindered. The drake tore into my leg, and I screamed, too.

I bit at the dragon again, my mark landing her neck this time. I held on tighter, through the drake’s assault, and felt her massive body fall beneath my smaller weight.

I turned and snapped at the drake, and felt the magic well up in me. He burned to death.

I didn’t know what to do after that. I smelt for Lady, and limped to where she was. She didn’t move; I think she was mad at me again, like when I bit Other Lady.

Someone growled behind me; I turned to face a large dragon. He was larger than the others, and looked much angrier. I lowered my head and stretched my wings far as they could go. He wasn’t very intimidated.

Why did we have to come here?

I ran; cursing the healer I left behind me despite his kindness. He brought me to my… well, nigh uncountable how many deaths and rebirths I’ve had from the first, (though that I remember quite well); yet he wouldn’t step foot near the Temple, and warned me against the place.

But I had to go back. I swallowed my fear as I rushed, quite carelessly, into a wandering demon. They were on the move, searching for something… or maybe someone, in the jungle outside their macabre home.

I ducked around him, continuing my attempt at slightly more cautious pace.

I dashed into the open space that was the temple of some forsaken worship probably long forgotten. Exactly like my original mission there – Forgotten.

There was a dragon there, blocking my path. I bit my lip and ducked beneath him, surprising him I’m sure. He was only half interested in me; more interested in the sounds from within the pyramid. But he made his decision, and chased me.

I ducked through the doors, closing them fast behind me. I turned to see my baby wyrm, or so I still thought of her as, doing her best to live against the onslaught of a dragon; not one I’d seen before. She fought valiantly, but her strength was giving, and it was only a matter of time before her body would yield to the fight.

"Warfrost!" I called, gaining the attention of both. I opened the book I held to a random page, and touched the symbol there. I practically squealed the words of power, as well as another oath as I realized my mistake. The aether reacted, but nothing happened.

The battle raged again, Warfrost dragging herself between me and the dragon. Outside, I heard the infuriated calls of the other dragon attempting to claw through the iron doors.

I tried the book procedure again, this time trying to keep calm and composed as a drake roused from his nest and eyed me hungrily. I was surprised how fluidic the words ran off my tongue, and the magic whisked us away to a safer place.