She stilled and stared at him.

"No," her mother glared at him. "You cannot demand such a dangerous thing from my daughter." Her mother raised her voice, but July gently silenced her by taking her hands and shaking her head before she could say more.

"I will be fine." She muttered to her mother, who continued glaring at Gin. If a look could kill, then she was certain Gin would be a dead man at this point. July missed over his words for a second underneath Gin's look.

She had read about a dragon's heart before. A few years back, an S Rank dungeon broke out in northern America. Half of the human Territory there was lost now; it was a place where monsters roamed. Hidden behind the idyllic looking forest. The Boss being the only dragon known to humanity, the dragon King Kalairdris, the king of North America. There had been several news articles about it. She had even researched a random scientific article on the topic because her interest was piqued. There existed only a single picture of him. A giant beast sising into the sky, beneath it the green of the forests and the throne of ice that it called it's home.

She stilledy staring at Gin. There was something desperate about his words and his state—something so desperate she couldn't ignore it. She knew desperation, after all. Better then most, she may not feel it but she remembered it. "Alright. I will help you a Dragon heart,"

"Good. That is the price for me teaching you. I need someone as strong as you to succeed."

"Tell me all you know about dragons, then. I...don't stand a chance to beat one without knowing as much as possible," July told him. Except for the news article, she hadn't found a single piece of further information about him.

"That is a given." He gave her another one of his flamboyant bows, completely reversing to his usual ways. "My pretty student."

"July..." Her mother glanced at her and then returned to glaring at Gin. "He is not a good man. He cannot ask you to fight a dragon."

"Mom, I know what I am doing. Gin is trustworthy...I simply know."

"But a dragon." Her mother scolded her, and she hugged her.

"I am a strong Mom—very strong—but I need a teacher, someone who knows their craft, with experience and, more importantly, knowledge. Helping to Slay a Dragon is a price I am willing to pay."

"Madame." Gin interrupted them, taking her mother's hand and kissing it. "Your daughter will not be alone. Do not worry. I am a strong man, not as strong as she is, so sadly, I cannot slay a dragon myself, but I am still formidable. You can be very proud of having raised her; she will bring great glory and honor to her family."

"You," her mother raised a finger. "Are a sly businessman seeking to take her life. I do not like you, Mister. I don't wish for her to bring me anything; I wish her to be alive, happy, fall in love, and live freely."She had tears in her eyes, but Gin stayed unaffected by her words. July wondered if it may have been a mistake to bring her mother. She would worry, wouldn't she? That was what mothers did. Maybe she shouldn't have let her know about it.

"I do not ask you to like me. Few do like me, Madame. Another one who detests me is of no consequence. I have not demanded from your daughter to help me without reason." Gin countered, his voice as calm as the desert sands when there was no wind. "To live freely, she will need to be strong. To be happy and have a family, she must first gain knowledge to protect them. Nothing comes without a price, what you wish for your daughter is what any mother may wish, but it comes with a steep price. Anything in the world demands an exchange."

Her mother ripped her hand out of July, her mouth open to object. Then she closed it and looked around, her hands balling to fists as she bit her lip. "I understand," she said, her voice trembling and hard. But I don't have to like it."

July touched her mother's back to calm her. "Where do I start?" She asked Gin.

"With finding a dragon and then determining its elements." They walked downstairs, and he led them through the bazaar. Many made way for them as they passed, though, despite that, July took her mother's hand, ensuring her mom got through and not lost. Her mother was excited to look around, even though she was damped by what she had just heard. Oohing and Awwing over the many trinkets and the goods being offered. Gin tried to buy her some, but her mother denied the offer vehemently, continuing to glare daggers at him whenever he spoke, making him shut up but not stopping him from trying again and again.
Afterward, when it got late, July sent her home. Excusing herself from Gin as they walked into a hotel, asking where the toilet was, her mother walked through the gate. July thanked the entrance lady and walked back outside alone.

Gin stared into the rising dusk. "Your mother is a fierce woman," he said, and July smiled at him brightly.

"I wouldn't exchange her for anyone else." She merely stated, and Gin seemed to understand.

"So, where do you wish to start about dragons?" he asked, and July sighed.

"How to kill them. For better or worse, I do know where to find one," she told him. He is called Kalairdris."

"You know where to find a dragon; that is unexpected. That being said, you can kill a dragon in two ways: by piercing its heart or by crushing its head."

"Cutting off the head doesn't work?"

"Not really. They can regenerate the limps as long as the brain that circles their magic is intact. You need to completely crush it," he explained. "Of course, the higher a dragon's rank, the more difficult it is."

"A S Rank Dragon?" She asked.

"It's quite the challenge, but then most dragons are either A or S Rank," Gin explained to her. "The dragon, you know, which element does he draw his energy from?"

"He is blue-colored. I don't know which element it represents among dragons, though?"

"Whitish blue or dark blue?"

"Whitish blue."

"Ice," Gin said, his voice dark. "Color is usually the easiest way to identify a dragon's element." He stepped aside and then handed her a coin: "For the room."

"Not necessary," she told him and closed his hand. "My mother does not need it, nor would she accept it."

"That I realized, but I want to do so anyway. I can understand her." He stepped out of the city gates and stared into the sand. July turned towards it and tried to see what he saw, but there was nothing but endless sand dunes and a slowly darkening sky as the sun set behind the horizon.