The third sun bled into the horizon as I came back to my senses.

"He's awake!" said someone, causing the sound to ring in my ears.

As I moved my gaze aimlessly, I spotted the endless moving towers of Krayevus soaring above the pits of the mountains, piercing through the green smog. My head ached at my temples as I jolted upwards to get a grasp of the situation.

"Easy there, fella'," I heard, and a heavy palm was placed on my shoulder. "Those pesky branches hit you pretty roughly, you may want to take things slow for now."

I rubbed my forehead and turned around to look at the person who addressed me. One of the hallowmorians, the giant from before, took a seat next to me. His pale green skin was smeared with some ash marks.

"The boy..." I finally uttered.

"He is just fine!" intervened the spitfire. He walked towards us, and as he scratched one of his wings, he threw me an intrigued look. "You on the other hand..." he insinuated and pointed in the direction of my tail that peeked on my left side from under my garment.

I stiffened up, and retracted my form, and looked quickly back a t him and then at the giant.

"You-"

"Only a few are aware, for now," the giant reassured me, "But you know..."

"What our friend over here is trying to say is that you are lucky." He paused as a group of passengers crossed the Harpies deck over to the other side. "If any of the Vencrow guards were to find out, things wouldn't look to good for you. A lykan out and about on his own... a white one no less," he paused, stretching his wings. "Do you not know the Inquisitor has given out bounties for your head?"

"We mean you no harm..." added the giant. "It's not safe beyond the borders of Vencross. You should return the moment this Harpie docks."

"But he saved my life, Smurg!" declared Eris, pushing the spitfire aside. "I say we help him!"

"Your highness," pleaded the spitfire, curling his wings on his back at the sight of the boy. "You know he meant no harm to your companion. He is lucky there were no guards in Krayevus, but in Vespera..."

The hairs on my back stood up at the utterance of a noble rank, and my eyes shifted to the young boy who made himself at home in our small circle.

"Wait till my mother hears of this!" pouted Eris, crossing his arms. "I had no intention of having a babysitter with me, in the first place! I am going to be SO humiliated when everyone at the academy sees me walking around with...with..." he paused, and looked the spitfire up and down, "with YOU!"

Eris complained for a little while, refusing to reason with the older helldornian. Slouching his back, he contorted his face in an expression of disgust at every attempt of reasoning.

"As we were saying," continued Smurg, the giant, seeing as there was no end to the child's tantrum. "There is nothing important enough for you to put your life in danger, my men and we will help you cross the borders of Vespera unnoticed through an alternate route, and you will be back in your lands by a fortnight in the safest manner."

"But there is..." I told them.

Much a greater burden rested on my shoulders than the notion of sparing my own life.

Snowflakes fell upon us as the day turned into night. White engulfed the surroundings in the Harpie's way, with wide mountain peaks covered in snow. Shimmering pale light filled the night sky as the Mother of the sky graced the land of Vespera with its glow.

Eris rubbed his hands quickly against one another and blew warm air in his palms.

"Oh, we must come to a deal soon, or I shall freeze to death..."

"Patience, your highness," reasoned the spitfire. "As much as we want to repay him, we can't do much if his heart is set on the endeavor."

"Nonsense!" declared the boy. "Nonsense!"

He pranced around stomping his fit up and down the deck, and finally stopped in front of me, placing both his hands on his hips.

"I shall give him a row of my scales!" he announced with eagerness in his voice, which made the spitfire jolt upward to face him immediately.

"BUT YOUR HIGHNESS!"

"I will hear none of your chatter, Melix!" he frowned, "You won't change my mind once I've set it on something."

"B-but, your scales! Your highness...there are so many implications!" he tried to reason. "You can't vow yourself to a nobody." He turned to me briefly, with a pleading glance.

"Eris," I began, and Melix frowned at my use of an appellative for his royal blood, "There is no need for such formalities...I merely did what I thought was right."

"Nonsense!" insisted Eris. "You saved the life of the sole heir to the Helldornian throne, is my life not reason enough for such an act?"

The boy reached out to the back of his head, and after growling and twitching his nose, he pulled forward a row of vermilion scales. He exhaled with relief, and after smoothing out his garments and straightening his posture, he handed them in my direction.

"Take them, son of Nix, I am in your debt."

A loud stretching noise and a brutal shift of the deck halted all on board, letting us know that the Harpie had reached its destination.

I bowed my head to the child as I grabbed his gift and placed it in the inner pockets of my garments. I didn't think much of his offering, but his eagerness was a thank you enough.

Everyone rushed to get off board, with no time for the undecided to make up their minds. The people, small and big, all pushed to reach the mountain gate.

"You must make haste, the harshness of Vespera will eat at you if you don't. And keep safe," said Smurg, and walked back to his men. "Don't let them get to you."

The snow fell viciously at that time, and I recall the wind blowing harshly against my back as I got off the Harpie, my feet sinking into the thick white layer. I could hardly see in front of my eyes, and I prayed to the Mother of the sky that my journey would lead me to what she had destined. I paused one more time, and turned around to glance at the Harpie which then begun to float upwards for departure. Between the white that blocked most of my vision, I could make out the silhouette of my young companion.

"Helldorn leaves no debts unpaid, Rexsus Nix," he reminded me, waving as the Harpie distanced into the unknown. "Call for my name on the fire of my scales, and all the legions of Helldorn will be at your aid."