Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 271.1: Bonus Chapter: The Archfiend Wants To Understand

At first, it starts off boring. The room is large enough that Yaulwembor could sleep inside in her true form and there would still be room for Daniel’s team to do what they came to do. Yaulwembor doesn’t know all of the names of the people present, including the leaf-eared timeless humans that are present, aside from Doephluev, while two of the ones that look like humans are far more powerful. They don’t have a particular smell that Yaulwembor can make sense of, but they are Daniel’s friends, so she doesn’t think they are of any real concern.

That said, they do give off the same kind of energy as the brown-haired human’s golden spell, but much more potently, so if need be, Yaulwembor should attempt to observe them and copy their magic.

She has been told by Hekate through the strange means of magic communication Hekate uses that they’ll be trying to free the leaf-eared man, but at present, she’s not sure how that can happen if Daniel keeps his sword drawn.

This magic is strange, though. I can’t comprehend what Daniel is reading, but once it starts to activate, I can make sense of it. Is he speaking the words without them matching the actual glyphs? If so, what am I copying? I have never needed to speak magic. It has always made sense to me, right?

She idly casts a partial spell from what Hekate casts. It’s always meaningless gibberish that Hekate casts, but for some reason, intent reaches Yaulwembor, and it works as a strangely effective way to communicate with the faormyr.

Though, even Hekate finds it inefficient, since it wastes so much mana. Strange. I wonder what kinds of spells I would have to cast normally to deplete so much mana.

“{I love Daniel! That means he is the most precious thing in the world to me. If you ever try to harm him, you will make enemies of me and everyone around here, and we know how to use Daniel’s powers, too.}”

This warning was given by Hekate through her pseudo-communications, and it makes Yaulwembor smile.

‘Precious’. Yes, I have to agree with you, Hekate. I do not want to part from him, not least of which is before our children are born. Yet… so much plagues him. His body is weak, and it seems to only be growing weaker.

She looks at Daniel as he’s beginning. She can’t understand Daniel’s words, of course, but the way everyone stands at the ready confirms that he must be beginning. He has his hand on the sword that also possesses a person’s being and can negate magic. Though Yaulwembor doesn’t know how the sword was made, she can comprehend the magic keeping the powerful being bound. It’s not something that is ‘cast’ so much as the anchor that keeps her that way.

Regardless, Daniel is about to put her away, and he looks at everyone for confirmation before he does so.

Yaulwembor gives a nod of approval. She’s not sure what he’s so afraid of, but she will protect him no matter what.

That said, she never realized that the person they’re trying to help, the leaf-eared man, is the one that is the greatest threat to them all.

While Daniel is moving into position behind the man, he grimaces a little as the man sheds the cloth to reveal his skin.

A magic circle is there with a complex pattern that binds the will of the bearer to that of the one who cast it originally.

Yaulwembor’s fellow faormyrs, excluding her father, tried to use the same thing on her. She was able to dispel the magic and fight free, which fed into the chaotic spiral that became the unrelenting slaughter of the faormyrs, especially once her father was killed trying to protect her. She had no love for the faormyrs, and they tried to kill her. It wasn’t until afterwards that she realized that she had wiped them all out.

And, she never felt a shred of guilt over them. She only regrets that her father, who was so kind, died as well, which still hurts even this many seasons later.

And, seeing the leaf-eared man’s wounded and healed flesh, she is reminded of the bodies littered and broken in her wake. She does not feel regret for surviving, but she has never liked violence for violence’s sake. It is simply the law of nature; the law of the world she knows.

Yaulwembor can feel the magic start the moment Daniel returns the life-bound sword, and at once, she comprehends it as the power surges. Daniel is speaking quickly and urgently, but the real threat has only just begun.

The leaf-eared man, who she’ll later learn is the one named ‘Serrentuk’, starts to groan and strain, even though Daniel’s touch is gentle. But, the compulsion magic is flaring its power, while Daniel’s spell in progress is intended to sever that bind.

I see… Daniel is freeing this man, but this man is under orders from our enemies… That means I can’t kill either of them, but the enemy isn’t here… The means by which they speak… I must learn it. But…

Many of the females are chattering, but it’s all noise to Yaulwembor. She can tell that there is great danger, but Serrentuk is resisting the control imposed by the spell.

Daniel… What should I do? You are the most fragile among us, yet you are the one in the most danger. I know it’s because you know the steps that must be taken, but what am I to do? Would it not be easier to kill him and remove this spell? No… I suppose if that was an option, you would have left him dead when he arrived. Yet, you wasted powerful resurrection magic on him.

This thought is a bit bitter to her.

Resurrection magic… if only such things existed when I was a child. Though, I don’t know why I can’t copy the liquid itself. Perhaps I should have one used on me. Then, at least, if anything happens to Daniel, I might be able to save his life, and it would be most useful for our children…

Serrentuk cries out, and from the way his noise is being made, he’s specifically saying something. Even if it’s all noise to her, she can at least recognize that much at this point.

And, these words portend the slipping loss of control the leaf-eared man is succumbing to.

Yaulwembor sparks her teeth together as her fire-spit flows freely. She can feel the pressure and heat skyrocket in her mouth as a dull roar fills her ears. There are only two other species in the world that can breathe fire as devastatingly hot as she can, and those are the black-furred creatures that Hekate and the tiny, dangerous found hatchling belongs to, and who are similarly nearly extinct, and the dragons. Crawling reptiles can breathe fire with the same liquid, but it doesn’t nearly get as hot or have the range, especially when magic is used in conjunction with the flames.

Serrentuk’s magic starts to coalesce into his hands, even as he seems to be trying to resist, and a stick appears. Many of the smaller species use embellished sticks to cast magic, since it does help focus their power into the spells, rather than the wasteful stray mana that leaks out.

All the while, pain oozes from Daniel. Something about the spell is hurting him, yet he persists.

Why, Daniel? Why go through this with someone who is your enemy? Even if it is against his will,... But then, why did you spare me? Yes. That is why I chose you as my mate. Perhaps, if I understand Hekate well, I may even love you. So, let us conquer this foe together.

That said, Yaulwembor has many instant-death attacks meant to leave her enemies destroyed as fast as possible. She held back for a time against Daniel’s team upon their meeting because she was only trying to incapacitate the dragons to fulfill her needs. And, instead, she gained something even more precious.

Vaergraes, a female with two skin tones swirled together and powerful magic that resonates with the mana of the world itself, quickly casts a barrier before anyone else can react. Without warning, a powerful blast of mana streaks out of a sudden magic circle from Serrentuk, all while Daniel is continuing to cast his spell.

Vaergraes is skilled to have managed a barrier so quickly, but it shatters from the powerful mana impact, and Yaulwembor can feel it. She gained both spells, but only one of them is useful to her right now, since she can’t kill Serrentuk as long as Daniel is trying to free him.

The faormyr snaps her hands up, and an identical barrier appears, intercepting a second shot without delay.

The magic barrage only ramps up from there, with Serrentuk expending an immense amount of mana to create blast after blast of streaking light, each slamming Yaulwembor’s barriers all over the room. She has to pay attention to where each of his shots is going to come from and where it’s aimed at

But, she also understands how he is operating right now. They are all his enemies, and he must survive.

So, Yaulwembor marches fearlessly forward towards him. Serrentuk is probably one of the few who might, under the right circumstances, be able to defeat her in a battle of pure magic. He doesn’t just have raw talent and imposing mana, like she does. He has experience fighting all kinds of creatures, much of which she has avoided for a very long time.

And, as expected, Serrentuk focuses his barrage on her, hammering her barriers. But, she is able to restore new ones as fast as he can destroy them, which take two or three shots from his mana blasts to break, compared to Vaergraes’ one. If they continue like this, it will only be a matter of time, and she will outlast him in terms of mana.

But of course, even Yaulwembor would switch strategies once one method is proven ineffective. So, the leaf-aired sorcerer is no exception.

She knows it now, but virtually everyone else in the world has to actually study magic and figure out how to cast it over time. What Yaulwembor can do after seeing a spell cast once can take months or years in some cases, and Serrentuk has many seasons dedicated to each and every spell he has. He likely knows as many powerful spells as Yaulwembor has forgotten weak ones, meaning he is undeniably a source of rapid learning for the faormyr.

Doephluev, the evil elf, as Yaulwembor knows her, tries to cast a spell to restrict Serrentuk’s body, and probably his magic, if she had the chance to finish. However, a gossamer, transparent version of his body appears next to his real body. They seem to be straining to avoid eye contact with Daniel, who is still behind the ancient elf. Two more of these ghostly images appear, giving Yaulwembor pause.

She can comprehend the spell, of course. But, she doesn’t really understand the application of it. It splits a person apart, in a sense, and her instincts are afraid that a copy of her will be a threat to her.

Yaulwembor leaps back. Senn, the female leaf-eared person, is rapidly firing off various spells that automatically get added to Yaulwembor’s mental grimoire. These include nullification, inversal, dispel, and various kinds of barriers or resistance spells to counter the new, varied barrage Serrentuk and his copies are casting.

That said, Daniel’s voice has become noticeably pained, and it momentarily distracts Yaulwembor. She wants to rush to his side. She can rush to his side. She refuses to lose Daniel, and if that means Daniel loses Serrentuk, then it might just have to be that way…

But then, three of Serrentuk’s four selves stack their magic on top of each other, casting a complex spell that freezes Yaulwembor in terror. It is aimed in three directions, but every fiber of Yaulwembor’s mind, body, and soul are screaming at her for her to run.

She hasn’t felt this kind of fear prior to Daniel since she was a child, and the faormyrs first started trying to kill her. Once she understood what death was, and that she had quickly become an apex predator, she stopped feeling fear, even in the face of the black-furred beings or the dragons.

But, this; this spell is cruelty incarnate. It is unavoidable, unstoppable, and utterly devoid of mercy.

It alone has sent Yaulwembor back to her days as a mere child, confused and frightened by all of the angry shouts and roars around her, before they tried to enslave and kill her.

She can’t even flee. She can’t even think of anything but her father.

And, she watches as he disintegrates into ash before her eyes.

As if sensing this from her, Daniel moves swiftly. The spell is just about to discharge, but Daniel flings his arms and legs around Serrentuk, pulling backwards with all of his body weight while he continues to scream out words.

The spell flickers out of existence as the two men topple to the floor, and a sudden wave hits Yaulwembor. She drops to her hands and knees, panting heavily as she realizes she was holding her breath, and she coughs on the smoke from the flame-out of her fire spit. She didn’t have to use it offensively, but she never extinguished it herself, and the searing heat and smoke now irritate her lungs after the fact.

That said, Daniel is not out of harm’s way yet. Serrentuk isn’t defeated. Daniel only disrupted that terrible spell, and now, he’s grappling Serrentuk as he continues to shout the spell he has been casting. Yaulwembor can sense the pieces slotting together; he is almost finished.

Startled by Daniel’s desperate attack, Yaulwembor lets out a yelping-sound. She can’t say what she wants, but she is worried for Daniel’s safety. He’s obviously in pain, but he keeps speaking the spell through gritted teeth. That’s the only thing she can assume he’s doing, since it continues to gather power before her eyes.

It all goes wrong shortly after, though. Serrentuk finishes a new spell as well, this time, aimed directly at Daniel in spite of the leaf-eared sorcerer needing to aim over his own shoulder. The spell flashes, and Yaulwembor roars in futility as she tries to launch herself forward.

Though not as terrible as that last spell would have been, this one has the same final result, and is much faster to cast and faster to take full effect.

The spell Serrentuk just cast is an instant death spell, but Daniel’s spell pieces together in that moment, and powerful magic unleashes upon Serrentuk. Shackles of mana break before Yaulwembor’s eyes as she lands on her stomach, losing the will to continue the attack. For a moment, she is stunned.

All of it.

It’s all gone in an instant.

The good feelings, the notion of a protective mate who is gentle with the children.

Everything she had finally allowed herself to hope for is snuffed out.

Daniel’s body slumps to the floor, seemingly lifeless while Serrentuk coughs and flops down.

Treia, the feline girl, has been launched across the ground, all but skating on her belly armor at surprising speed, and Yaulwembor scrambles forward after her. Treia acrobatically flips off of the ground, snatching Serrentuk’s staff away from him, and Yaulwembor snarls as she grips Serrentuk by the neck.

She yanks Serrentuk up off of Daniel, ready to vaporize the leaf-eared man, but his hands come up near his face as he struggles to stay calm. He isn’t casting magic against her. He is surrendering.

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Kera’tai and Aoloan rush in close to Yaulwembor, and they desperately try to keep her calm with their tones level and their hands gently resting on her forearm. Her anger is swelling, and she could easily slaughter everyone present if she were to go on the attack.

Some part of her no longer cares what happens.

But then, he coughs.

Daniel’s body lets out a little noise that causes her to look. The women are all chattering, but Daniel isn’t dead. She can feel it. Even the lingering darkness around Daniel is still there, looming with its gaze always watching.

Serrentuk has surrendered, and Daniel is still alive for the moment. Yaulwembor looks at the two women trying to calm her down, and she relaxes. She drops the leaf-eared man without any further delay, and he falls backwards into the arms of the woman that often accompanies Vaergraes.

She watches as they bicker. As they try to wake Daniel. As they start to argue. The chatter is getting on her nerves, and Daniel remains nearly lifeless.

He is still alive, but they should be using magic on him. So, why aren’t they?

No… Now that I look closely, he is drifting away… What spells can I use? Ah… Yes. That human woman… That was a powerful spell.

Yaulwembor pushes in through the crowd a little roughly. She doesn’t have time, and they’re not making progress as they chatter. She has no idea that they’re worried about distant battles to come immediately after, nor does she care. Daniel promised her a payment that only he can give, and she intends to collect.

I will have to ask Hekate if this is what she, too, means, since this is a dreadful thought. But, if I can protect him, I will.

Yaulwembor presses her mouth to his. She knows he does this same thing with the ladies he has mated with, and it makes them both really happy. But, for this case, it isn’t about intimacy or mating.

It is about drawing out the spell that is driving away his breath.

If she could so readily drive away the dark energy around him, she would. But, for now, she focuses on the instant death spell that Serrentuk cast at the last moment. It may have been dampened by Daniel’s strange nature, but it will claim his life if nothing happens.

While she’s doing this, Yaulwembor uses a silent version of the copy spell Serrentuk used. Rather than fracture her whole self, she is merely focusing it on her magic, creating separate ‘channels’ for each spell as she casts them as fast as she can recall them. Healing spells used in every era of her life, targeting different modes of healing. Some target the spirit, others target only the flesh, and still others can restore a damaged soul. She even uses all of the spells meant to work on herself, but also pairs them with a target-changing spell to try to make them work on Daniel. Lastly, in the absence of a favorable response from any of the other options, she uses the spell that belongs to the woman who Yaulwembor will come to know as Byleathea. She doesn’t know about the requirement of a sacrifice; the price to be paid. After all, she’s not casting the trigger to summon the power from beyond. Yaulwembor is casting the spell itself.

And, she can feel it crush in on her. Her mana is being drained all at once as the golden circle forms around her. She can feel the darkness retreat for now, and she focuses her energy on the instant death spell’s energy, purging it away from Daniel’s body as everyone else watches.

She can feel it and backs away as Daniel starts coughing more vigorously. He groans out a cry, and the others all around him, men and women, chatter excitedly.

Yaulwembor hears a sound quite frequently when she’s around Daniel. And, though she’s not sure yet, she believes it must be the constant usage of a name she wishes she could say: ‘Daniel’.

After some more talk, where the others are worried about Daniel, he slowly climbs to his feet. Yaulwembor does the same, though she can feel a great deal of weakness in herself after having used so much magic. She probably didn’t even use this much when fighting Daniel and his team herself.

I wish I could understand what you and everyone else are saying. It’s clear something still isn’t right, but…

Daniel’s hand approaches and lands on her head, and Yaulwembor halts for a moment. She stares into his eyes as he gently rubs the top of her scales, between her horns. He speaks at her softly, and she can tell it is full of affection and approval for her recent actions. She relaxes with a smile, cooing gently.

Yes, Daniel. You are precious to me, just as I hope I am precious to you. I don’t know what all we’ll face with this terrible foe we’ll be facing, but I swear I will collect my payment from you. Hekate promised me as well.

***

A short time after the battle with Serrentuk, and Daniel’s near-death experience, Yaulwembor is resting at her ‘nest’ on the lower flyway of the Citadel. She’s watching a magic image as the four female dragons cling to Daniel, their eggs cracking open. It should be a joyous day for them, being the day of their first children being allowed to see the light of day. Yet, they are sobbing uncontrollably, such as with the golden one ‘Jeavana’, or trembling like a leaf, as it is with the blue one ‘Reignleif’.

Yet, for once, Yaulwembor feels no animosity towards them. She knows that the white, orange, and blue dragons are Daniel’s mates, and she knows that they effortlessly command his attention whenever they are present. In every way that her instincts once warned her, those three are a threat to Yaulwembor and her future offspring.

She has never been without conscious thought, but it was only when Daniel, Hekate, and their friends made a risky effort to communicate with her and explain how to communicate so they can understand her thoughts better that she was able to make those thoughts known, and to assign to them actual ‘words’.

Now that Daniel has been spending time with her to do so, she knows that her ‘father’ was always trying to teach her words as well. But, no matter how carefully or slowly he repeated what he said, Yaulwembor couldn’t understand.

‘Yaulwembor’… thinks the ancient Faormyr to herself. This… is the name they gave to me. But,... Did I have another name?

The baby dragons all survive their hatching, and now all four adult dragons are weeping, defenseless if they were to be attacked, yet…

Yes… That. I want that. Daniel, how long must I wait?

The hatchlings are adorable. They are small and fragile, yet Yaulwembor can feel the true preciousness they represent; greater than the shiniest treasures or the most comfortable home. All else is meaningless in the absence of hatchlings. That’s something she has known and believed for a long time, and she only defended her territory because she had nothing else.

“Among other things, yes. As you can probably tell…”

“I choose you.”

“At least hear me out. A dragon would probably…”

“I choose you.”

This was the conversation Daniel and Yaulwembor had very recently, where they discussed her ‘payment’. She probably should have demanded it right then and there, but Daniel has been focused on a great many chaotic things. She does understand why he was concerned about it, though.

She is no great fool, even if she is illiterate and mute by their standards.

But, Yaulwembor knows that Daniel is worried about the fact that she is the last of the Faormyrs; that his blood is especially weak because he is a human from a world where magic did not exist. She can hardly imagine another world, but as he explained it to her, she was enraptured by the idea.

Father… Why did you never think to force your thoughts to become known, the way these people have? I can use all of the needed spells now. That’s all it would have taken… Now, I know of the future, of other worlds, and of friends. All because I can properly convey to them that I am not an enemy.

Instead, the other Faormyrs became terrified of her. The harder they tried to kill her, the more powerful she grew, because she can understand and use any spell she witnesses. She has admittedly forgotten spells over the ages, but it does not matter. By the time she no longer needed to kill anything, she had already lost the one guiding hand that never knew how to properly guide her.

The faormyr places her hand on the magic panel, warbling her voice softly. She still doesn’t quite know how to form words audibly. It all sounds like noise to her. It seems so simple when she is speaking with Daniel or the others in the dreamscape, but as soon as they leave, even Daniel’s gentle voice is little more than droning sounds, like cicadas buzzing or livestock lowing.

She likes Daniel’s voice, since he always makes an effort to be kind to her. He has the ability to harm her, and she can’t replicate it. But, rather than exterminate her, he has welcomed her into his home.

Yaulwembor can easily copy the magic spell that is projecting the images from the hatching room, and she idly does so as she’s pondering these things. She can even make it closer as she watches the smiles on everyone’s faces, and Daniel’s gentle expression as he grins and laughs along.

She chose Daniel as her mate because of exactly what she’s seeing now.

Even if her hatchlings come out different than expected, or dangerous, he will make efforts to protect them and everyone around them. And, if they come out weak and powerless, he will make them fangs that can strike down any foe without magic.

Yaulwembor is strong, so she doesn’t truly need a strong mate.

You just need to continue being kind, Daniel… She strokes his face on her holographic image floating in the air. I will be patient for now, but only because you have earned that much. But, do not make me too envious. I am not as attached to your enemies as you are.

The next thing they’re going to work on is apparently to cast some sort of magic on the golden dragon, whose egg just produced a pair of children, which is genuinely stunning

But, just like with Serrentuk, yet different all the same, Yaulwembor is needed at Daniel’s side as much as she needs him.

And, she is not even his most powerful ally.

***

Mere hours after a great miracle occurred, a terrible monster came forth during the spell being cast on Jeavana, the golden dragon. It carried the same dark energy as the spell lingering on Daniel, sapping what little mana he has ever had. A terrible creature that resides outside of the world Yaulwembor knows sent the form of a dragon, long robbed of its soul and fraught with decay and a kind of energy that absolutely oozed malice. Emotions can ‘flavor’ mana when it’s being used, but it’s usually secondary to the spell itself to the point of being insignificant.

But, the creature that sent forth the rot-dragon carried with it an immense amount of hatred for that dragon. Whatever the goal was sending it through to attack Daniel and the others, it means Yaulwembor has enemies that she cannot directly attack, because they are beyond her reach.

In the aftermath of that chaos, though, Ryuogriar, the white dragon approaches her. Yaulwembor needed one last rest before they can make their way out to help in a far away land, something about a ‘mana fire’, which started the day the black orbs nearly annihilated everyone Yaulwembor has come to care about. Her nest is suited to her true form, but she is getting more comfortable in her humanoid form. She isn’t quite as physically strong, but she was able to condense her power into a sort of defensive layering of her flesh, making her almost indestructible.

Unlike her, though, Ryuogriar’s form seems to be as close to human as possible, while retaining much of the balance of power her true form could wield.

But, that’s not what’s odd. The dragons simply use the transformation spell as it is, rather than tailoring it to suit their needs and desires. That is common, and there are others that she has witnessed do the same.

Instead, what stands out to Yaulwembor isn’t the white dragon or the fact that she came all the way to meet with Yaulwembor.

It’s the fact that she brought a tiny little red being, nestled in a blanket in her arms.

Ryuogriar approaches slowly, and Yaulwembor watches her suspiciously. She knows the dragons are interested in keeping her on Daniel’s side, because Yaulwembor is a powerful ally to have. It’s not arrogance, but simply facts. Yaulwembor knows she is stronger than most of Daniel’s mates and the non-mates he keeps close. But, Daniel himself was able to defeat her in battle and frighten her. She has forgiven him, but she must still remain cautious that the dragons do not chase her away, as they have claim to Daniel as a mate, but they have no right to deny Yaulwembor what was promised to her.

Instead, Ryuogriar stops in front of Yaulwembor, who is sitting up now, and the dragon slowly eases herself down onto her hip, her tail balancing her as she curls it around the side she’s leaning in.

Ryuogriar lets out a soft sound that isn’t quite words. It vibrates her throat a little, and it sounds like a soft, warbling sound. It is an extremely gentle sound, even though it could be interpreted as a kind of growl.

But, even Yaulwembor understands the tone, and she lets her guard down as she sits up, adjusting her posture in the same way as Ryuogriar. The dragon smiles softly, and she speaks a word gently, but of course, Yaulwembor can’t understand it.

I don’t know what you want, but… Your hatchling is quite… pleasant to see…

These are her genuine thoughts. She looks down at the tiny red dragon. He is in his true form, of course, since there’s not much point in transforming the dragons when they’re so young, and there’s probably some risk involved as well. But, just as she’s looking at him, Ryuogriar’s weight shifts forward, and her arms outstretch.

The faormyr flinches slightly, locking her yes onto Ryuogriar’s ruby-reds. The dragon smiles sincerely, nodding her head softly.

Yaulwembor hesitates for a moment.

In a way, she should want to destroy the dragons and their children, because they are competition for her offspring. But, the Fievegal never has a shortage of food or water, and her father never harmed the women or children of other species of any kind.

Is this why, Father? Did you hope to be friends with them, even if they could someday threaten you?

Yaulwembor manages to smile softly, and she carefully reaches over to hold the baby dragon. The white dragon gingerly eases him down into Yaulwembor’s arms, and her instincts seem to kick in with relative ease. She carefully holds him to support his body and head, careful of his wings and tail, and she simply cradles him, rather than clutches him.

The baby dragon looks up at her with what could be seen as fear, but Ryuogriar touches his belly to reassure him, sliding closer as she warbles softly.

Yaulwembor hesitates, but she also lets out her softest warbling sound from deep within her throat. It seems to reassure Daniel when she does it, and the dragons make a similar sound, as far as she can tell. They aren’t words, but a gentleness is conveyed with relative ease, just as her laughs and igniter sparks work to communicate simple things with Daniel, which he does his best to emulate in turn.

The baby dragon relaxes a little, and Ryuogriar holds up a note. It has letters in English that Yaulwembor can somewhat read, but it’s not a word Daniel has taught her yet. At best, she can ‘sound it out’, but only in her head from how Daniel speaks to her in the dreamscape, which requires layers of magic to filter his words from his consciousness to hers. The letters on the sheet spell out “[Samael is his name.]” Yaulwembor watches as Ryuogriar adds several more lines to it. “[Daniel is Daniel’s name. My name is Ryuogriar. Your name is Yaulwembor. This child’s name is Samael.]”

Yaulwembor nods. She doesn’t know how to pronounce it yet, for certain, but she can ask the next time she is learning from someone. She understands it well enough, though; the child’s name is Samael, and he is Ryuogriar’s precious treasure.

A precious treasure that the dragon has let Yaulwembor share in for even just a moment; something that she would have thought unthinkable less than a single season ago.

Remembering something Daniel did, Yaulwembor carefully lifts Samael up, and she leans closer to kiss the baby dragon’s forehead. She’s not sure if it works the same way for dragons as it does with Daniel, but when she looks at Ryuogriar, the dragon is stunned, staring at her with wide eyes that are watering at the edges.

Yaulwembor feels a little sad at this, but Ryuogriar quickly places her hands on Yaulwembor’s forearms, not trying to snatch Samael back, but instead, to simply touch the faormyr, who halts and stares at her.

Ryuogriar is smiling happily as tears stream down her cheeks, and she quickly tries to write another note, though her handwriting suffers a little from the tears, apparently.

“[Yaulwembor, thank you. Please be our family for a long time.]”

Yaulwembor cocks her head, but she manages to smile. She’s not entirely sure what the letter says, since ‘family’ is a new word to her, at least seeing it in writing. But, she’s certain Ryuogriar can be trusted. She shared her most precious treasure after all.

Yaulwembor carefully hands Samael back, and she takes the note. She first writes, “[Yes.]” The faormyr shows it to her dragon counterpart, and Ryuogriar smiles happily, cuddling Samael to her soft-looking chest. She nods happily, warbling with a gleeful face.

It makes Yaulwembor feel rather happy, so she wonders if Ryuogriar would help her with one more thing.

“[Please say Daniel’s name.]”

Ryuogriar studies the note, which is probably spelled wrong, but the message is obviously conveyed.

Ryuogriar straightens her posture. She moves her lips, and a sound comes out. Yaulwembor does everything she possibly can to really hear it for what it is.

She knows what it ‘sounds’ like in her subconscious. She knows how it is spelled now.

So, why can’t I make sense of the pronunciation? Why do these sounds carry so little of what I know it should be?

She writes on the note, “[Again.]”

Ryuogriar smiles, and she carefully and slowly repeats the sound. Yaulwembor smiles. She can mostly recognize her own name now, since Daniel repeats it, and it’s like recognizing the distinct tongue-clicking sound he makes to try to emulate the sparking. So, if she hears it enough times, she might be able to truly understand it.

And, if she can get that far, maybe she can try to say it.

Yaulwembor taps on ‘Again’ once more, and Ryuogriar smiles patiently, repeating it. Strangely, when Samael starts to fuss, she nurses him like a mammal, but it’s an interesting fact that her own body is producing food for the child. And, during that, Yaulwembor taps ‘Again’.

She can hear the sameness each time Ryuogriar says it. It is short and sweet, broken into two distinct sounds, and the way her tongue and lips move forms the words themselves, it seems.

Yaulwembor doesn’t really have much sense of time, so she gets Ryuogriar to say it many, many more times, and the dragon cleverly says it in different ways and in different tones of voice, which Yaulwembor is thankful for.

It may not be much, but Ryuogriar has extended a hand of peace, just like Daniel, and it is making the faormyr feel like she can finally let her guard down just a little more.

She trusts Daniel will keep his promise, and soon enough, she will enjoy treasures of her own, and they will hopefully cherish the many friends they will have to grow up with.

That alone is enough to give Yaulwembor the strength and focus to face down any threat.

Though, she will also be reminded of just how terribly powerful her chosen mate can be with things that he makes, rather than magic that he casts.

***