Aliana struggled to steady her breathing amidst her panic. She held back tears that threatened to flood down her cheeks like water breaking through a dam, and she wanted to scream in terror. But even at her young age, she understood what consequences she would face if she did not stay silent. Though, even if she did manage that, there was no guarantee she would survive anyway.

She pulled herself further underneath the overturned carriage where it lay propped up partly against a large rock. Wet dirt caked her hands and her knees. Beyond the carriage, beyond the damaged crates and sacks of supplies scattered over the ground, she heard rain falling from the grey sky above, along with that thing moving about. Heard its talons scrape against splintered wood and toss shattered jars and pottery aside. Heard its deep, heavy breaths as it sniffed the air in search of more prey. Did it not have enough already?

It had already torn through the guards that Aliana’s parents had hired. Bitten and clawed through their armor and claws with little effort. Moved on from them to Aliana’s father. To her mother.

Aliana pulled her thoughts away from that. She needed to stay calm. Perhaps the guards had made it angry when they had struck back at it, perhaps it would lose interest soon if it did not find any other threats.

Then, Aliana saw talons step along the raised side of the carriage. She recognized the two powerful reptilian legs of the drake that prowled the remains of her family’s carriage, carrying its serpentine body. It still searched. If it looked beneath the carriage, that would be it. Out here alone in the expansive fields and hills of the Emerald Plains, Aliana would have nowhere to run. Not that she would be able to outrun such a creature, but her terrified mind did not make that connection. Silently, she prayed, begging for Opal or for any of the Dragons, for anyone at all to hear her, to save her from this beast.

The drake paused, the sound of its breathing and sniffing continuing. In a flash of movement, it turned to the carriage and ran forward. Before Aliana had time to realize what was happening, the horned and lizard-like head of the drake forced itself under the carriage. Rows of razor-sharp fangs snapped as it tried to reach the little girl hidden beneath, the creature only failing to reach her thanks to the size of its torso and the wings sprouting from its shoulders.

Aliana screamed, loud and shrill, desperately scrambling away from the drake but finding there nowhere to go other than to press herself up the splintered wood inside the carriage. The drake let out a hiss, scratching at the ground with its talons to try to pull itself further underneath the wood and reach her. When that failed it backed away. It stood up on the ground outside and ran towards the carriage, slamming into it shoulder-first in a tackle that rattled the wood. It reared back, preparing to do so again. It was trying to push the carriage over. Aliana’s eyes darted back and forth for any way to escape. She was going to be torn apart. She didn’t want to die here. She didn’t want to die.

Suddenly, the drake stopped. Aliana saw it glance to the side just before a wave of light flew towards the creature, slamming into its side with such force that it was knocked to the ground. The drake flailed about on the ground, rolling with the momentum and Aliana saw the figure of a woman run by after it.

In an instant, both her and the drake were out of sight and Aliana heard the creature hissing and snarling. What was happening? Was it distracted? Gathering up the courage to move, Aliana crawled forward to the edge of the carriage’s wooden frame and peered out, ready to run if the opportunity showed itself.

There, amidst the gloomy grey, Aliana saw a beacon of hope. A woman, tall and strong, stood in front of the drake. Golden hair fell over her shoulders, the waves in her locks only weighed down the slightest bit by the rain. She wore elegant white armor with layers of matching cloth woven in, accented by decorative feathers sprouting like small wings from the pauldrons. In her right hand, she held an ornate sword with a white blade and a hilt that looked as if it may have been carved from marble. Both the sword and the woman’s armor gave off a soft, warm light that fought back against the dark skies. The very sight of the woman and her weapon was nothing short of beautiful, like a knight from the fairy tales Aliana’s mother had always told her.

The drake was wounded, its side seared and burned in a line along where the light from before had hit it. Its gaze was locked on the woman and it hissed once more, spreading out the wings on its back as an intimidation tactic. It leaped forward towards the woman, its single pair of legs propelling its huge snake-like body ahead, fangs ready to snap shut and tear apart anything they could grasp.

The woman did not flinch. She swung the blade before the drake even closed in on her. That same wave of light flew forth from the blade and struck the creature with the same force as before, knocking it out of the air and burning it across its shoulder and chest. This time, as the drake fell to the ground and scrambled to get back up, the woman moved it. Being closer to the drake now, she slashed at it. With that one swift movement, the blade severed the drake’s head from its body with no sign of resistance, as if it were a knife cutting through a soft fruit.

The drake fell dead to the ground. Aliana could not move her eyes away from the scene, mesmerized still by the grace and beauty of the woman and her gear. It was then that the woman sheathed the glowing sword. The light faded, and so did the intricate armor that she wore, replaced instead by simple armor made of silver metal and chain. Had that been an illusion of some sort, then? Yet the woman herself was still just as beautiful, her deep blue eyes turning a gentle gaze upon Aliana.

“Are you alright?” the woman asked, her voice confident, yet gentle.

Aliana did not know how to answer that. She was safe, the woman’s presence made that clear. But her family was gone. She was alone now. She climbed up from the ground, gripping the overturned carriage to steady herself.

The woman walked towards her. “Were your family here?” she asked.

Aliana nodded. The tears finally began to fall from her eyes, though she almost did not notice them mixed in with the rain drops.

“Poor dear,” the woman said, her words almost a whisper as if speaking to herself more than directly to Aliana. She reached out, gently patting Aliana atop the head with one hand. “You’re going to be alright now.”

---

Twelve years later, Aliana stepped outside the canvas tent she’d spent the night in. Outside, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and had climbed high enough that it must have already been late morning. Music and merriment drifted through the air, coming from beyond the encampment’s dozen or so other tents.

Aliana stretched and began walking towards the sounds. Her footsteps were accompanied by the sounds of her metal armor shuffling about as she moved. The sword sheathed at her hip tapped against the faulds that protected her waist. Those sounds were quickly drowned out, however, as Aliana approached the origin of the camp’s music. A number of the encampment’s residents–a population that consisted entirely of harpies, save for Aliana’s presence at the moment–were enjoying their morning with music and song. A large bonfire burned in the center of the camp which was spaced out to keep any tents a safe distance away. The meats of various animals were skewered and propped up on rocks by the fire to cook for breakfast. Some of the harpy folk tended to the food, knelt by the fire to check whether the meats were ready.

As a child, Aliana had thought the harpy people to be almost frightening. Their bodies were like those of birds of prey from the waist down, with feathers coating their hips and legs before revealing sharp talons that could cut skin with ease. Yet despite that, they had always been a courteous people to Aliana with responsibilities and duties just like any human or other folk. Once Aliana had met enough to realize that, she had come to admire how sleek and smooth their feathers looked.

Around the fire, others had gathered on rocks and wooden logs that they used as makeshift chairs while others sat directly on the dirt and grass of the ground. Some were talking to each other, engaged in cheerful conversation and early-morning gossip, while a few others played stringed instruments or small hand drums. Aliana watched a man pluck at the strings of a lire, seeing how his long fingers slid gracefully over the instrument. A harpy’s arms doubled as their wings–the very wings that many of their kind took pride in, allowing them to soar through the air. From wrist to shoulder were even more feathers, but the hands were left mostly bare, visible where the wing folded up like a perched bird’s wings to stay out of the way when not in use. Aliana would have thought such a combination of arm and wing would have been cumbersome with feathers getting in the way, but the harpies she had met in her life had proved otherwise. Many of them had been quite skilled with their hands, which did make sense. Most had been nomadic like this tribe, so practical skills like craftsmanship were likely valuable.

“Awake at last, eh, Aliana?”

The words were spoken by a tall harpy woman in a sleeveless tunic of colorful cloth who approached the fire as well. She stood no less than a head taller than Aliana herself, which was quite common for harpies. The woman grinned, showing off sharp teeth and bringing out a playful sparkle in the bright yellow eyes that contrasted her dark skin and brown feathers.

“’At last?’” Aliana repeated with a pout. “I’m pretty sure you’re the one who said I should stay up and enjoy the fire last night, Swift. And the music. Hardly seems like I would have missed out on anything, though. The music never stopped, did it?”

Swift shrugged in a nonchalant manner. “We follow Citrine, of course it doesn’t.”

Aliana laughed. “I can’t argue with that. I like the music anyway.”

“Good. Now, what are you doing in that armor of yours already? It seems heavy to wear when there’s a meal to be had.”

“I’m just used to wearing it. Besides, this saves me time if you need me to help hunt for more food.” None of the harpies in the camp wore such protective gear, valuing their light clothing of choise. Anything that got in the way of their wings was considered a nuisance, even for the tribe’s hunters, as Aliana had learned. But, given that Aliana did not have the gift of flight to protect herself from any large predators that roamed the plains, she hardly minded standing out in that manner.

That aside, she felt she would look stranger if she simply walked around in casual dress and a sword on her belt. She had no interest in leaving the weapon unattended, after all, and glanced at its hilt. She decided to shift the conversation away from her equipment, though. “When did you wake up, then?”

“Oh, I’d still be asleep too if I weren’t starving,” Swift answered with a chuckle, then called out to a young woman by the fire, “Sparrow! How’s the food?”

“Ready soon, don’t rush me,” Sparrow replied, her tone casual. “If you woke up earlier, you’d get to join most of us for the first helping.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Swift said, exaggerating a strong and dignified tone in her voice, “I’m only doing my duty as chieftain, I’m ensuring the other members of the tribe eat before I do.”

Sparrow only rolled her eyes with an expression that seemed equally endeared, yet wholly accustomed to that sort of excuse. Swift smiled to Aliana. “Let’s sit and enjoy what’s left of the morning, shall we?”

Despite being the chieftain of this tribe, Swift had proven herself to be incredibly easy-going and playful in the short time Aliana had known her, something Aliana had liked about her. Most of the tribe’s people had been a joy to be around, fully welcoming Aliana for the few nights she’d been staying in their camp. It was a shame she would be departing from them so soon, Aliana thought as she munched on a skewer of rabbit meat, but that was all the more reason to enjoy her time here while it lasted.

“Is your hair natural, by the way?” Swift asked at one point during their meal.

“Hm?” Aliana looked up from her food at the taller woman, then glanced at some of her long hair that had fallen over her shoulder. It had once been a brighter pink than it was now, as the magic that colored it had begun to fade over time and allow Aliana’s natural brown hair color to show through, just enough for her to notice. “No, it’s a glamour spell I had someone do the last time I was in Indervel. My eyes, too.” She was certain those had begun to shift back from pink to deep blue as well, soon to leave them as a sort of in-between shade of purple. She grinned and added, “Next time I’m in the city, though, I’m thinking of coloring my hair with stripes.”

“Stripes.” Swift raised an eyebrow, clearly holding back a laugh. “You’ll look like a snake, darling.”

“First off, it’ll be great, and I like some snakes. Second,” Aliana leaned in closer to Swift in the traditional manner in which one pretends to be discreet while sharing gossip, “if you want to hear a genuine bad choice, I’ve seen someone who decided to have their hair colored like a rainbow.”

Swift gasped in a mixture of horror and delight. “A rainbow. I can’t tell if that’s gaudy or fantastic. Not even the most colorful feathers in our tribe are that extravagant. Though, I had originally thought you might have harpy blood in you, maybe a grandparent with bright colors like a hummingbird.”

Aliana leaned back, stretching her shoulders a bit as she did. “No, my family’s been mostly human, actually.”

“The pure-blooded kind?” Swift asked, and when Aliana nodded, she continued, “Well, now there’s a rarity out in these plains. We mostly have harpies here after all. The occasional alrachni too, I think.”

“Well, my parents actually used to live closer to the coast. It’s been years since I was there, so I can’t remember a whole lot about it. But I think it’s humans make up a lot of the people there. Anyway, we just traveled for business back then. Sometimes I went with them since I was too young to be left alone. And I’m basically a mercenary these days, so the traveling never really changed. What about you, does your tribe move around often?”

Swift bit the last of her meal off its stick and leaned back, arms behind her to support herself. “As often as we need to with Emerald around.” She stared off into the distance, and Aliana followed her gaze.

There, lying on the horizon beyond the hills of the plains, was a shape that may as well have been a mountain for how large it was. The shape was clearly not a mountain, however, but a creature. A powerful body like that of a gargantuan clawed reptile lay basking in the sunlight, wings tucked neatly to its sides.

Emerald, the Green Dragon, lay still where she was. From her head, a pair of ivory-white antlers stretched upwards into the sky like the branches of some exceptionally large tree. The sunlight reflected off her brilliant green scales, and she kept her eyes closed as if sleeping despite the fact that her head was raised up. Her posture reminded Aliana of a lounging cat, in a way.

“She’s been there for the better part of a few months, hasn’t she?” Aliana commented. “I think since the weather warmed up.”

“So, you noticed it too. It’s definitely the weather, she’ll probably move once the autumn arrives in full swing and that spot isn’t as good for sun-bathing. That’s when we may have to move.”

“At least she’s not on any of the major trade routes this time.” Aliana watched the great Dragon for a moment longer. “Is she alright with your tribe worshipping Citrine instead of her? These are the Emerald Plains, after all.”

“Every now and then she sends a few messengers around to try to convert us. I’m sure you must have run into that once or twice if you’ve been out here long enough.”

Aliana shook her head. “No, never.”

“Oh?” Swift’s eyebrows raised. “That’s surprising. Well, she doesn’t try very hard anyway. She asks someone to wander around spreading word about why she’s fantastic and deserves praise, and how she’s the best Dragon because she can give us blessings that make crops grow strong and tasty. Her messengers phrase it more eloquently than I do.

“But, we can’t rely on crops when we have to move several times a year. What help do Emerald’s blessings give us? Citrine is the reason harpies can fly, though. She created us, she gave us our flight, and all she asks is that we give her plenty of wonderful music to listen to.”

“Wait…” Aliana looked up at the sky, seeing nothing but clouds above. “Is that what she said? Has she spoken to you?”

Swift shrugged. “Well, no. She doesn’t speak to us anymore than she does to you or to anyone in the cities or anywhere else. But her desire has been passed down through the generations, so she surely told one of her priests at some point. Her only want is music and art, so we’ll give her that.”

“Ahh.” That made more sense, Aliana had never heard of Citrine speaking a word to anyone, even the most of devout of followers. “Well, I’m sure she appreciates it.”

With her meal finished, Aliana stood from the ground. “Anyway, Swift, I think I’m going to be heading out in the morning tomorrow.”

“If you’re awake in the morning,” Swift said with a sly grin.

Aliana laughed. “Alright, fine, once I’m up I’ll be leaving.” She had never been the punctual sort anyway. “Is there anything I can help with around the camp while I’m here?”

“Well, if you insist, I can put you to work with a few errands.”

By the time evening arrived that day, Aliana could tell clearly that summer was about gone for the year. The breeze in the air had grown cool and refreshing enough to notice even without many trees and falling leaves in the area to mark the year’s passage. She wondered if she would have the chance to see leaves change color this year. She had spent last fall further south, where there was more open land than greenery, and she’d missed the colors of the northern forests.

People of the tribe bustled about the camp with their own errands, some transporting food that was to be cooked for dinner and others checking over tents for any tears that would need to be mended or any stakes that would need to be re-secured into the ground lest risking any sort of collapse. Their colorful clothes swayed about in the breeze and, amidst their activity, many still found time for idle and joyful chatter.

As Aliana finished hefting a burlap sack of wheat into one of the tents for storage, she couldn’t help but think that she’d soon be missing out on that joy once again.

She sighed. She never liked traveling alone. She would have preferred to stay here with the harpies a while longer and enjoy their cheerful attitudes, or to return to Liessa and travel with her once more. But she could hardly do that right now, so here she was. Alone.

‘I want to taste the meals they cook, Aliana,’ a whispering voice spoke.

Aliana rolled her eyes. There was her reminder that she was not truly alone. Though when she considered that, she would prefer to be. “Good morning, Moonlight,” she said flatly. “And Swift says I’m a late sleeper, imagine if she knew about you.”

’I have explained, Aliana. I awaken when the moon shines above–‘

“It was a joke,” Aliana said, cutting off the voice. The voice was a soft, echoing sound, one that did not speak aloud but directly into her mind. She had found it eerie for the first while she had known Moonlight, but now mostly found it to be a nuisance. “Anyway, I’m sure you’d enjoy their cooking. It’s mostly meat but they use plenty of herbs to season it.”

‘Seasoning.’

The flat tone in which Moonlight said that made it difficult to tell if that had been a question, but Aliana chose to ignore it either way. “Anyway, I told Swift that we’ll be moving again tomorrow. Don’t interrupt my sleep tonight, alright?” She turned and walked out of the storage tent, back out into the cool air and the blue sky of evening.

‘I will not. The scent of blood may.’

Aliana halted in her steps. With other people present outside, she spoke softly so as not to be overheard. “What do you mean?”

‘The camp’s edge, a creature approaches.’

Well, that was an unhelpful statement. Aliana’s eyes flickered over the camp, looking for Swift. Was there time to find her and warn her?

Aliana heard a commotion in the air, the sounds of voices arguing. Several other people turned their heads to follow the sound as well, curious as to what was the cause of an argument so loud as to be heard over other conversations and the evening’s music. “Over there?” Aliana asked Moonlight. She did not hear an answer, but instead felt the impression of a confirmation. She looked down at the sword on her hip and she took off into a sprint.

It was the camp’s edge, just as Moonlight had said. Two men, warriors and hunters on patrol duty judging by the plentiful daggers of carved stone tied to their waists, glared at newcomers outside the camp with arms crossed.

The newcomers in question consisted of two other harpies that Aliana had not seen around the camp, a woman with dark skin and black feathers, and the other a muscular man with brown and red feathers and a wide jaw.

“Let us through!” the unfamiliar man was shouting, both his tone and expression furious with sharp teeth fully visible as he yelled. “This is our camp as well, you bastards! I’ve come to speak with Swift, not either of you low lives!”

One of the warrior men sighed and shook his head, the other retorting, “Swift already made her decision, Hawk. The three of you are never to approach out tribe’s tents again, and nothing has changed that thus far.”

Three? Aliana questioned who the third individual had been with them, seeing only the angered man and the woman who accompanied him, her attitude being contrastingly nonchalant as she observed Hawk’s outburst. If this was all the threat was, a few people outraged over their exile, Aliana saw no reason to step in. Neither seemed like a threat the tribe’s own people could not handle. Still, she rested a hand on her sword and watched the scene from a distance just to be certain.

‘Aliana,’ Moonlight said, and Aliana suddenly felt as if it were directing her to turn her gaze elsewhere. It was not this pair that the sword wanted her to see. At first, Aliana was unsure what she was looking for, seeing only a white-feathered harpy flying out of the camp. Another hunter, perhaps?

Then Aliana’s eyes fell on something else. Another pair of shapes flew overhead, these ones heading in the camp’s direction. They were large, their wingspans dwarfing that of the harpies and their long body trailing along after them in the air.

Aliana’s grip tightened on the sword’s hilt, her eyes widening at the sight of the creatures. She had not been the only one to spot the things, as a voice from further down the camp’s perimeter shouted out, “Drakes! Drakes!”

Aliana tried to gauge where the beasts were flying to and saw them dropping down to the ground before the camp. Hoping to intercept them, she began running at full speed.

By the time Aliana arrived on the scene, she could smell blood on the air, carried by the wind. From this side of the camp, the moon could be seen clearly rising in the distance beyond the hills. Harpies fought for their lives with vicious beasts. Six men and women had arrived before Aliana. One of the women lay on the ground, blood seeping from torn flesh on her chest and shoulder and coating her front. One winged arm was wounded as well, with feathers torn from the forearm where claws had sliced through the skin. One of the warrior men rushed to her side. The woman’s arm had been sliced deep enough for Aliana to see bone as she ran past.

Aliana gripped the hilt of her sword. “Moonlight. I need you,” she said. In immediate answer, she could feel the weapon’s power flow into her. It was familiar at this point and felt like cold water rushing through her sword arm before spreading out into the rest of her body.

Aliana drew the weapon from its sheathe, revealing the blade of clear crystal that shone in the light of the rising moon.

‘Per our agreement,’ Moonlight said, ‘I lend you my power. Use it as you see fit.’

---