“Hmm, fascinating. So you are the creature that has been trying to access my hoard.”

Addie’s body locked up, leaving only a bit of wiggle room for her hands and toes and she started floating up towards the massive dragon’s head. This caused Addie to yelp in surprise, as her body moved without her control.

The dragon was even bigger in person. He was even bigger than the fillow. It made Addie think of what would happen if her manor suddenly got up and started talking to her. Except, the dragon was even bigger than that, too.

Then, Addie’s body started rotating in midair, and whatever magic had a hold of her started turning her upside down. Addie yelped again and used what little ability to move she had left to hold her skirt up so it wouldn’t go flailing.

“A truly fascinating specimen. Some kind of hairless monkey?” The dragon wondered aloud.

“Hey!” Addie shouted, indignantly. She felt her face go red as she got mad, “I’m not a monkey!”

“Oh!” The dragon seemed abashed by that, and the spell holding Addie aloft slowly brought her back down onto the ground.

She stumbled for a moment, dizzy from the unwanted acrobatics.

“My apologies, I assumed you were no smarter than a common ape. It appears you have evolved some level of intelligence.”

Quietly, just barely above a telepathic whisper, Squishy said, “See, monkey-like.”

Addie turned her head sharply over to Squishy with a harsh look.

“And you have figured out magical bonds as well? And with one of mine own experiments? Interesting.”

“Squishy was an experiment?” The duo both sent nearly identical messages to one another at the dragon’s offhanded comment.

“And perhaps the source of growing disturbance in mine own domain as well.” The dragon observed again. It was strange, Addie couldn’t see his mouth moving at all, but she heard him all the same.

Well, now that Addie was here, she didn’t really know what to do, and she ended up just kind of awkwardly staring up at the gigantic creature. He similarly stared back, and the vast room sat in silence for a while.

“Are you going to force a magic bond on me?” Addie spoke out her fears. It was harder than she thought it would be.

“Of course not. What magic have you to offer me?”

Addie let out a breath of relief she didn’t realize she had been holding.

“Well, I don’t need random creatures wandering through my nest. It must be time for you to leave.”

The dragon lifted up his tail and gently tried to usher Addie out of the doorway with the end of his tail. It pushed against Addie but not even enough to make her stumble. Then he curled his tail back over to the side of himself.

He said he wanted Addie to leave, but it didn’t seem like he actually intended to force the issue. Instead, he just curled up into one massive black oceanic ball and pretended to ignore Addie. She knew he was still looking at her, though, since every few moments she saw him glance back at where she stood near the entrance.

Addie glanced over at Squishy with a confused expression, but he just did the four-legged equivalent of a shrug.

The booming voice of the dragon sounded again, “It’s not like I want your company or anything.” Why did his eyes look so hopeful, then, if he really wanted Addie to leave?

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Addie spoke up again, “Um, Mr. Dragon,” She paused, to wait and see if he would respond. After he took another glance toward Addie, she continued speaking, “Do you know what those green pigling creatures are wandering around here?” She wasn’t ready yet to ask if he could help Nettal.

“Ah, the Piglings. A failed experiment of mine from a few millennia ago. They’ve been resilient enough to not get wiped out in the many years since. Ultimately harmless creatures, if slightly annoying when they disturb me.”

“They aren’t harmless!” Addie shouted, “They hurt my friend...” Addie trailed off at the end as she cast her eyes downward.

The dragon snorted, “I highly doubt that. Those things run in terror at the drop of a hat.” The dragon rolled his eyes.

“Maybe to a big scary dragon like you!” Addie screamed, “But one of them did hurt my friend Nettal! You aren’t listening.” Almost without realizing it, tears had started dripping down Addie’s cheeks. This dragon wasn’t listening! At all! He seemed so flippant it made Addie so angry. So angry at the dragon. Angry at herself.

Addie fell to her knees. Were the Piglings really such cowards that they would run at a moment’s notice? If so, that meant they hadn’t thought of Addie as a threat in even the slightest. She hadn’t been even the bare minimum enough to protect Nettal.

The dragon looked so awkward, with a crying girl at his feet.

He uncurled from his position, and slowly moved a giant clawed hand up over to Addie. Somehow, against anything that should have been possible, one of his person-sized claws trailed up against Addie’s cheek gently and wiped away a tear.

Addie took a moment to glance over at Squishy, but he seemed to just be sitting on his haunches and watching over the interaction.

“Tell me your name, girl.”

“Addeline Lomain! But you have to call me Ms. Lomain!” Addie half shouted half grumbled. She was never one much for ‘manners’ but Addie decided that this dragon had to talk to her with the utmost respect and the highest title from now on.

At her introduction, the dragon rose up to his full height and towered over her. Then he swished his head down and swung it outwards and sideways. He held the awkward position momentarily, and Addie realized he was bowing in some weird dragon-looking way.

“Senefex Immortalis, the Heart of Flame,” he intoned with formality, “You may address me as Sen, but let it not dilute the reverence due to one of my stature.”

Addie’s breath hitched from her crying, and then she sighed. She wiped the tears off her cheek. After a deep breath, she straightened her back, and then dipped into a proper curtsy, exactly the way Christena had taught her, “You can just call me Addie, I guess.” So much for manners.

“And this is Squishy,” She pointed at her small black panther-like friend.

“Yes, I am familiar with this ‘Squishy’ as you have named him.” The dragon’s vast pupil constricted as he focused on Squishy. A moment later, his eye turned back to Addie.

“What do you know about him?” Addie could feel Squishy was just as curious as she was. “None of the books on magical creatures I found said anything about him.”

“It’s no wonder. He is the only specimen of his kind. An experiment I had a while back.” The dragon didn’t seem to want to say anything more on the subject, but it was obvious he was holding something back from Addie. He surely knew more than that.

“Whatever,” Addie rolled her eyes at this strange old dragon, “Can you help me?” Addie’s tone was sincere.

“Many mortals would have waited many moons and paid blood tithes just to have the slightest opportunity for my help.”

“That sounds awful! I’ll just leave if you need my blood or something.” Addie turned around, she was just about ready to be done with this frustrating dragon.

“Wait!” His voice came out panicked. For some reason, he then decided to make the sound of clearing his throat, even though his voice seemed to come from some magical source rather than his actual body, “Um yes, no need to be so hasty. What is it you need help with?” Sen looked at her desperately.

For a second, Addie just looked at him confused. She had no idea what Sen wanted. One second, he seemed dismissive and the next second he seemed desperate for Addie’s attention.

“Oh,” Addie realized to herself, “I forgot! He’s lonely.”

Now it made a bit more sense. During her dream, this dragon had seemed terribly old and alone. Maybe he just needed a friend?

“I need you to help my friend, Nettal. Her soul was hurt by one of your Piglings, so you have to heal her!” Addie demanded.

Sen scoffed, “Well, I highly doubt the Piglings inflicted soul damage on your friend, I am willing to at least take a look. Let’s negotiate over price” Sen’s huge lips curled up around his teeth into a smile that revealed jagged monstrous teeth. “A dragon is never cheap.”

“How about, if you heal Nettal, I’ll be your friend?”

“Be my friend! Preposterous, I’ll have you know there are legions of mortals who desire to be my friend. I’m the famous Heart of Flame!”

Addie looked around the entirely empty room. She certainly didn’t see any legions of friends around here. She also had never heard of this ‘famous heart of flame’ in her life.

“Take it or leave it.” Addie crossed her arms.

Sen rested his head down against his front arms, causing a cascade of air to displace and slightly buffet Addie.

“You are a curious little mortal, aren’t you? And an expert negotiator. Very well. Bring me your friend Nettal.”

“Well, it’s not like she’s right here. I’ll have to come back later.”

That had been both easier and harder than Addie thought it would be.

“Don’t worry about coming back fast. I only have an eternity of patience.”

Somehow, that sounded strange to Addie but she nodded her head anyway.

“Do you know how to get out of here?” Glancing behind her, it seemed the doorframe from earlier had disappeared, and the only thing behind her was more hoard.

“Where do you wish to go? This entire place is my Area, and I, its lord. I have full control, just tell me where to place you.”

Addie had to stop and think for a second. She didn’t remember where she first entered Realmspace from. Her sense of direction had been scrambled since she entered Sen’s hoard. Not to mention all the running she had done earlier.

“Can you just bring me back out to the big pit?”

Sen scrunched his face, “That giant scar is still there? I keep meaning to fix it. Very well, to the giant ‘pit’ as you described it.”

Addie felt Sen build up the most intense concentrated magic she had seen in her entire life, and it washed over her like an ocean. It scrambled her senses and left her spatial sense blinded by the torrential onslaught of magic.

Just as the draconic magic was washing over her Addie remembered something he had said earlier. Realmspace was his Area, he had mentioned.

“Wait!” Addie shouted out, but her voice was pushed away by the magic flowing over her.

The next moment, she was surrounded again by the jagged spikes all throughout the walls of the pit.

“Squishy?” Addie called out.

“Yes, my lady?”

“Oh! Good, you’re fine, too. I was worried for a second.” Addie paused, “Do you remember what he said about this being his Area?” Addie prompted Squishy.

He nodded his head.

“Maybe he can help us stay in Realmspace for longer. I tried to ask him but he just whooshed us away before I could finish speaking!”

Sen was a frustrating dragon, Addie decided.

The walk back to Auntie’s manor was uneventful, in comparison to the hurried run through Realmspace Addie had done earlier. It was morning now, back outside in reality. Which meant Addie and Squishy had probably missed breakfast. Auntie was going to be mad, Addie just knew it. Addie’s mom always got upset when she went out all night long.

There was one other minor problem, too. They might have been slightly lost. Addie thought she might recognize that swamp tree or this swamp rock, but it was hard to say.

Addie rubbed the back of her head and shamelessly asked Squishy, “Do you know where Auntie’s mansion is?”

“Follow me.”