In a feeble attempt to get ahead in Selini's game, Stellae had taken the two scraps of paper and tried to use his foresight to get a glimpse of the completed scroll. His silver-on-black eyes lit up, then dimmed just as quickly as the spell failed. "It must be guarded against spells. That or it's so large that these scraps aren't enough for me to see the whole thing," he had said before returning the scraps to Aurum, his expression sour at his loss.

"So we have no choice?" Foliis muttered, folding her arms. Her lips pinched in a thoughtful frown.

Aurum sighed. "This could take some time. It's becoming more tedious than anything."

"I don't mind it," Unda cut in, offering a tiny smile. It wavered when everyone looked at him with such disdain, and he swallowed hard against the need clawing up his throat—the chance to be free. It didn't matter how long it took. He would search for the scroll pieces forever if it meant he could wander all of Anticuus.

And if he never had to face Vivian, that would be for the best, too.

Aurum was the only one who softened. "I suppose it isn't so bad," he said, pressing both pieces of old paper into Unda's hands again. "There's no point fighting it. As the goddess wills."

"As the goddess wills," the other three echoed, a low murmur that hardly spoke to their agreement. Their downcast gazes cut away from Aurum with shame, darkened by something lurking in their hearts that Unda couldn't read.

The words crawled onto his tongue too, but he clenched his jaw and forced them back down. Before Aurum could ask, he looked away and stuffed the tattered scroll pieces into his pocket to save them from the frost crystalizing on his fingers again.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, red fading to deep indigo with the light slowly snuffed, Stellae stood a little taller, his scales a little darker and his skin a little paler. Slipping from one shadow to the next, he emerged at Aurum's side. "Perhaps it is best if we keep moving," he said. When Aurum inclined his head towards him, Stellae slipped to his other side, forcing Aurum to follow. "The night will provide cover for us should your spell draw us out of Khaliahstikae. Aside from that, the sooner we collect all the pieces, the sooner we find the unicorn. Our task may be designed to take long, but there's no reason to waste precious time."

For once, Unda nodded in agreement. While some like Ignis and Foliis favored the daytime, Unda had always been fond of the night. The expanse of the dark sky, sprinkled with twinkling stars and adorned by the brilliant face of the moon, had always brought a sense of calm to him. It was exhilarating, like the night gave him a sense of purpose or stirred the magic in his chest to life, the same way the cold season of Sefah did. Just the thought of it sent streaks of deep, indigo blue curling through the ends of his hair.

Aurum pondered Stellae's words, brushing the black dragonborn's pale hands from his shoulders so that he sank back into the shadows. The gold in his eyes brightened as the sky darkened, and it searched Unda's face. Unda could only smile encouragingly. Finally, Aurum sighed. "Alright. We'll continue through the night."

Ignis groaned, the sound dipping off into a whine. "But I'm tired!"

Foliis snorted and rolled her eyes. "You're being immature."

"You're the one who's immature, sneaking away to go see your precious Atticus in the middle of your punishment," Ignis snapped.

Foliis's ears turned red. "That's none of your business!"

Unda touched Foliis's arm, wincing when she drew back sharply. The slightest ache formed in his temples, chasing away his excited indigo blue tips and replacing it with a subdued gray-blue. "Ahkias, please. Stop looking for a fight."

She softened, her green eyes suddenly watery as she searched his face. He pulled away with a jolt, fearing he had said something wrong. Ignis was snickering, too, but Aurum quickly silenced her with a quick whap to the back of her head. Foliis sniffled and wiped her eyes, blond curls hanging in her face. With a half-hearted laugh, she whispered, "It's been a long day, hasn't it? Sorry for being so irrational about things that don't matter."

"I didn't say that," Unda murmured. The cold inside him sharpened like a knife, twisted and always ready to strike. If there was anyone who was irrational about things that didn't matter, it was him. How long before even Coae couldn't humor his pitiful heart anymore and he was cast aside for such weakness?

But Foliis was already smiling brightly again. Her hand was warm when it took his, and she squeezed gently to chase away the chill in his bones. They were still dirty with soil, but she didn't seem to care—she had even smudged the dirt across her face when she tried to stop her tears. "I don't know that I would be able to follow through if you weren't here," she said. "We have to stick together, you and I."

"I hope you don't mind if Aurum sticks with me as well," he whispered, holding up his other hand. It still glittered gold where Aurum had brushed it when he handed over the scroll pieces. "He needs support if he's going to keep us together until the end."

"I suppose I can share."

He smiled, mirroring her expression and treasuring the warmth it offered. She gave his hand a quick pat before releasing it and rejoining the others. Aurum had drawn up his magic again, weaving golden threads through the air like one stitching a great tapestry. The threads, bound at one end to his fingers, shot out toward the forests in the distance, lighting the way with shimmering gold flecks. Aurum jerked as they pulled at his fingers. He closed his fist around the threads to rein them in.

"Looks like the next one is in a little town outside our borders, just a few days' walk from here," he said. "It's a small human village, but it has elven guards. Have we paid them a visit before?"

Someone answered, but the conversation faded behind the ringing in Unda's ears. Images of a small village, so close to the border yet so adamantly opposed to the dragonborn's control, resurfaced in Unda's mind. It was one of the many he had watched over in the pool, one of the many Selini was constantly sending generals to suppress. Yet it always rose again like a persistent weed, and they always killed the Draconic soldiers left there. Visions of blood, of countless bodies, of fires ravaging their homes, flashed through his mind.

Aurum and Ignis had been there under order of the goddess not so long ago to quell another rebellion. Success always seemed like it was guaranteed when the power of the dragonborn greatly outweighed that of their enemies, but now the town had taken another stand by hiring the elves to stand guard.

Unda sucked in a breath. Patches of frost bloomed across his hands, crawling up his wrists towards his shoulders. He slapped one hand over the other in an attempt to hide the growing spot of ice, though he could feel his fear slipping into the ends of his sandy hair, dragging out that pale ice blue. If they went, there was sure to be more bloodshed. What if this was also part of the elf queen's plot? To slowly encroach upon Draconic territory until they were forced into another era of war?

Stellae's gaze flicked toward him, sharp enough to pierce his heart. He shuddered and looked away. Anywhere but at Stellae.

This is the cost of your newfound freedom, a small part of him whispered. You must see. You must not run. You must uncover the plot of the elves before you lose everything.

~~

Dark rain clouds gathered in the sky on the day the little village came into sight. Lightning flashed above, followed shortly by the distant rumble of thunder. Unda gazed upward in dismal silence, remembering a time when the thunder was the only thing he feared. He would run to Aurum's room and curl into his brother's arms, trembling as though his world was ending.

Aurum used to tell him to count the seconds between the lightning and the thunder. "It will tell you the distance between us and the storm," he would say with that bright grin and a gleam in his golden eyes. "Then you'll know when it's safe to come out."

"Is there anything to fear from a storm, ahkirel?" Unda had asked, fighting to keep the tremor out of his voice.

Aurum's face had softened, and he had hugged Unda tighter. "Not as long as I'm here."

In the present, Unda found himself falling back into the habit. The seconds between the lightning and thunder stretched long, but the count was ultimately meaningless. Aurum stood beside him at the edge of the forest, his face screwed up in concentration as he watched the guards at the entrance to the town.

"I fear it won't be wise to fight our way in," he said, pressing a fist to his lips. "I can't tell where the scroll piece is, and I don't want it to get lost or damaged in a fight."

Behind them, Ignis struck the trunk of a spindly tree with a growl. Its branches shivered, shedding leaves all around her. Foliis shushed her vehemently. "Don't alert the guards. He just said we don't want a fight!"

"This punishment is the worst!" Ignis hissed back.

"Your chance will come soon, I'm sure," Stellae reasoned. His smile sent shivers down Unda's spine, hollow and corpse-like. Twisted as he was, he only smiled when he was assured of someone else's suffering. His vision at the temple must have promised him something worthwhile.

Unda's stomach churned. He forced the ice to stay down, begging the cold to stay within him. Yet the elf woman flashed through his mind again, bear emblem, silver sword, and all. Bloodshed. War. That was what made Stellae smile. Perhaps their mission was doomed before it began, and their seer was too sick to say so.

Because you're here, that small voice whispered, the one that forced him to look at Stellae's corpse-like face again. He never did like you.

"... only here for the scroll piece," Aurum was saying when the world finally rushed back into focus, spurred by the roll of thunder. Fixing his cloak, Aurum rejoined the group as they retreated farther into the woods, sweeping his golden gaze across their faces. "Avoid unnecessary conflict if you can."

Foliis twirled a lock of her blonde hair between her fingers. "Forgive the interjection, Aurum, but it's not as if that's going to be easy. Those hired guards at the gate are there to keep dragonborn out, and they'll try to kill us before we even get close. How do you intend to get past them?"

Aurum laughed and conjured up his magic again. A golden flame danced on the tip of his extended pointer finger, swaying in the wind. "Dear tenias, have you forgotten what being a dragonborn truly means?"

Her eyes widened. "You don't mean—"

In the blink of an eye, he was toe to toe with her, the golden flame pressed against her forehead. She straightened, sucking in a quick breath as she squeezed her eyes shut. The flame vanished along with Foliis's scales and horns, shrinking back into her flesh as her shape changed. The point of her ears rounded, her fangs shrank, and her powerful magic aura dispersed. What stood in the place of Head Dragonborn Foliis was decidedly human, brilliant emerald scales and jewels gone. Even her complexion and the shine of her luscious blond hair seemed to dull.

It sent a shiver down Unda's spine. Normally, Foliis oozed power in both magic and authority. Now, in this form, she was small and insignificant. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he realized why dragonborn never used their human forms anymore. It had once been a gift from Selini, the ability to change shape and blend with both dragons and humans. Now, it was taboo. Humans were below the dragonborn.

Foliis narrowed her eyes, no longer bearing the predatory slit down the middle, and touched her forehead where her scales normally sat. "You could have warned me. I don't need your help."

"It's been awhile, hasn't it? I thought it might be easier this way." Aurum gave her shoulder a quick pat before stepping away. All it took was the wave of his hand and his own golden scales disappeared. Black hair hung wild and loose in his eyes, but his grin was as self-assured as ever. "Come on. I'll help you, too."

Ignis snorted. "No thanks."

Both she and Stellae shifted themselves, only to stare at their now-human hands in wonder, confusion, or even disgust. Stellae's appearance was the most jarring; his eyes had morphed into a dull gray against a white sclera. A little more color had flushed his skin, removing the look of death that had always haunted him. Ignis's bright red hair remained and spilled down her back like liquid fire, certain to draw attention their way even without her draconic traits. There was nothing to be done about that unless Aurum were to cast illusion magic. Since that wasn't his first approach, Unda assumed it was out of the question.

Aurum's hand landed on Unda's shoulder. He startled, swinging to face his brother. Aurum smiled reassuringly, fingers alight with flecks of gold as he pressed them to Unda's forehead. "Your turn. Stay still."

Unda's breath hitched and pushed his shoulders back. "I've never transformed," he whispered. Selini had never let him leave, so there was never a reason. More than that, however, she had always dodged the question when he asked. Even Coae shrank away from it, muttering non-answers about the art. It's not something you need to learn, she had said.

Overhead, the lightning flashed somewhere within the clouds. Instinctively, a small part of Unda began to count the seconds, holding his breath as Aurum's warm magic sank into his skin. It wasn't long this time before the thunder cracked the silence. He flinched and squeezed his eyes shut, ice on his fingers and crawling up his arms.

I trust Aurum, he told himself, over and over until it rang within him and smothered the creeping fear. He has and will always take care of me. I have nothing to fear. The goddess may have tried to steer him away from this facet of magic, but she also instructed Aurum to use his magic however he saw fit. It couldn't be wrong if this was well within the bounds of her instructions, right?

But some part of him suddenly itched to run away, choked by a forgotten fear he could not suppress.

Aurum clicked his tongue against his teeth and shifted so that his palm pressed flat against Unda's forehead. His skin was scorching, and magic hung heavy in the air. "Your blood is resistant. Hold on, I think I know a work around to whatever this barrier is."

"Maybe you should le—"

Like fire, Aurum's magic surged through him, tearing him apart from the inside out and burning away his blood, destroying even the scream that crawled up his throat. Something tugged at his chest, a burst of his own power that shoved Aurum back with a blast of ice. Instantly, the searing pain withdrew.

Unda's knees buckled and he slumped forward with a gasp as his vision was swallowed by flecks of white. Around him, the muffled voices of the others bickered again. Someone's hand touched his back, another took him by the arm and hauled him back on his feet.

"What were you thinking, purging spells like that while he's conscious? You could have killed him!" Foliis came into focus first. She was supporting him, her face scrunched as she glared up at Aurum who had taken a step back, hands raised in innocence.

"Don't be unreasonable, Foliis. Look, he's fine."

"He can't even stand!"

Stellae cleared his throat, lurking at the edge of the forest where Unda and Aurum had been before, where they could see the town only a short walk away—and definitely within earshot. "If you don't keep quiet, we'll have company soon. They're looking this way."

Uselessness scratched at Unda's chest, piercing his throat with thousands of tiny thorns and scraping when he swallowed. He shoved out of Foliis's grasp. The world rocked, and his sister lurched to catch him before he steadied himself on shaky legs. "I'm fine," he murmured. Please don't let me be a burden.

For once, the shame in Aurum's face was palpable, and he looked away with an awkwardness that was uncharacteristic of his bright personality. "Sorry," he said, so softly the wind could have snatched his words away. "I had no idea it would hurt you like that. Someone had... sealed your ability to transform, and I'm not sure why. Are you okay?"

Unda pressed a hand to his temples until the world stopped tilting. No pain lingered, and his ice crawled across his knuckles as usual. Stiffly, he nodded. "Did it work at least?"

Foliis folded her arms and shifted her weight to one side. "Almost."

Cautiously, his fear and pain fading beneath a newfound curiosity, he touched his face. Smooth, ice-cold skin was all he felt there—gone were his tiny patches of scales. The weight of his horns had vanished, leaving his head feeling strangely light when he lifted it. A smile broke across his lips as he went to touch his ears, searching for the round shell of a human form. Instead, he touched the same pointed tips as always, still elf-life. His heart sank just a little. Even with Aurum's help, he couldn't change. It was yet another hole that opened up between him and the others, between him and every other dragonborn.

Was this why he wasn't allowed to learn the shapeshifting art and why it was blocked from him? But if that were true, why was it different?

Ignis grabbed him by the ear and tugged. He flinched, but she didn't let go, her face impassive for once. "He's going to draw too much attention like this, and it didn't make his ice go away either. He needs to stay here."

"What?" Unda wrestled out of her grip and flattened his ears back as if he could hide them.

Ignis's eyes narrowed, now a dull brown as opposed to their usual red. "Even his hair still changes colors. His magic really does run wild."

Flustered, Unda covered the ends of his curls with both hands. "No, I want to go, too. The goddess agreed to let me go for a reason, and I won't find that by staying behind."

Ignis and Foliis shared a look, something they hardly ever did and yet it seemed an understanding passed between them. The thunder rolled ever closer with the threat of a storm, and Unda was hard pressed to stay rooted as the heavy wind swept over him. Thankfully, Stellae was still watching the guards, and Unda was free of his suffocating stares. Scraping together his courage, he swung to face Aurum. "Please, ahkirel. Let me come with you."

Aurum frowned, but it was all soft edges as he pressed a fist to his chin in thought. "It's not as if they will recognize him as a dragonborn. He looks more like an elf, and having an elf escort may do us some good in a town like this," he reasoned, more with himself than the others. Finally, he nodded. "He should go with us. It could be a useful experience for him. Besides, he's hardly ever been outside the temple grounds, but he knows more about humans than the rest of us. Maybe we should be relying on him."

Foolish though it was, home bloomed within Unda's chest, and he couldn't keep himself from smiling. It melted even the ice on his knuckles, turning the sandy ends of his hair from an anxious cobalt to a bright sky blue. He dipped his head quickly, the ends of his scarf sweeping forward. "Thank you. I won't disappoint you."

"Of course not." Aurum ruffled Unda's hair again—rougher this time without his two azure horns in the way. He laughed then and gave Unda's thin shoulder a quick pat. "I just hope this storm doesn't get in the way."

~<>~