We entered Detlas in the early hours.

"So, you want to be a General?" Adrian asked me. The sunrise reflected on the pavement, and stained the sparse houses of the suburbs with reds and oranges.

"Yeah," I yawned, stretching my arms out. We were in Detlas to register for the General contest. If you get into the top twenty they give you a title, a cool nickname and free healthcare as long as you agree to fight for your country a hundred days a year. It's pretty neat: I only have the rank of commander and I get a discount at crystal stores, and with inflation it's coming in handy.

"This is where we part," Meda said drowsily, in her normal dramatic manner. "Me and Scalia have a quest. We've got to help someone with their hunt for the perfect thanksgiving turkey, so they would like some rare grook meat from by Troms."

"Troms?" I gagged. "But that's almost impossible to reach alive!"

"Maybe you should go there one day," I heard Alistair mumble.

"Yeah and I'd kill any monster that stood in the way!" I grinned, puffing my chest out. Leo looked up.

"He was sarcastic."

"She was sarcastic," Al replied.

"Was not!"

"Was too."

"Was not!"

"Was too."

"WAS NOT!"

"Was to-"

Alistair found that a large portion of my tail had found a way to crush him to the floor, and now he looked like he'd eaten a lemon.

"My arm just broke," he said weakly, a painful grimace on his face.

"Won't be the only thing that breaks next time!" I yelled, as Adrian dragged him off to the healers.

Leo looked at me sternly, before whacking me around the back of the head.

"Ow!" I exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"You just broke Alistair's arm," he replied.

"So?"

"You can't just break people's arms!"

"But wasn't that what I just did?" I stated, crossing my arms.

"Yes," he replied, his face dark. "and you shouldn't have."

My face sagged. I'd rather be eaten alive than be scolded by Leonard: he's good at making you feel ashamed.

Leo flapped his wings, hovering slightly above the ground. Detlas was a small town, but the city centre was a booming marketplace. We came up to a small fort- the entrance unguarded. The moment we walked in, a large spire loomed above head, surrounded by a bustling market that was packed, even at this time of day. The outer ring consisted of shops selling everything you could imagine- armour, weapons, pets, powders- you name it. We slipped out of the market square, and ended up outside a large building, the Detlas banner hanging outside.

We quickly entered the military guild hall, which was surprisingly busy for that time of day. There were several lines, people queuing for whatever warrior class they were looking for.  I followed Leo, as he seemed to know where he was going, through the large room.

In a spare moment, I muttered a transformation spell. Magic wrapped around me like a skin-tight suit, my long snake tail morphing into a pair of scale-plated legs and a red and black lizard tail that licked the floor. Bravely, I tagged after Leonard as we joined the crowd.

"Name," the old lady who was registering the generals asked.

"Erm... Rinire Elrund," I replied. Several hours had passed while we waited in line.

"Curse?" she said, adjusting her librarian glasses.

"Sun curse," I replied awkwardly. She raised an eyebrow.

"Can you show me it?" she interrogated, clearly not taking my word for it. I had seen the people in front of me take off their clothes to show their curses. They always need proof, and they dont care what part of your body bears your curse. It's all trivial. I yanked my sleeve down to show a black scorch mark, like a tattoo over my scales.

"Yes, yes," she sighed. "God weapon?"

"Wait what?" I asked. You needed a god weapon? "Shoot," I cursed under my breath. "Does this count?" I asked, lifting up my wriggling spirit swine as he yelled about not being objectified.

"I'll take that as a no. Come back when you're actually fit to become a general," the lady said, shooing me off with her arm. My ears drooped as I let the magic I cast sag, and allowed my tail to roll out in the busy hall toppling several people, which made me feel slightly better.