“I hate this…” I grumbled, heaving my feet through the swamp. The constant drizzle was irritating. No matter how many heat spells I used to warm myself or dry out my clothing, the mist would undo it all.

“You look as dark as the clouds above,” mused my older brother, Christian.

I shot him a glare. “Shut up, you.” He had the enchanted cloak, gifted by the master who loved him oh so much—his father. The cloak kept him dry, and he refused to share.

He scoffed. “Quit whinging. I didn’t drag you out here.”

I sighed, unsure if he or the rain pissed me off more. While this may have been my idea, it was a chance for us to catch up after all his years away training while I settled on joining the Daggarford guard—only one of us was blessed with a father who shared an interest with them, and was captain of the guard in a far better city.

I walked over to him, under his makeshift tent—made with another waterproof-enchanted fabric. I kicked him. “Move your fat ass,” I frowned at him, arms akimbo. Christian muttered and shifted aside. I plopped down beside him and rested my head on his shoulder. It felt firm, it always had.

I glanced up at him and sighed softly, listening to the rain fall on the tent. “I’m sorry I dragged you out here…” I mumbled.

He smirked and cupped his ear. “What was that?”

I hit his stomach, rock-solid like the rest of him. “You heard me!” He must have been built entirely of muscle.

Christian hummed. “Forever a secret.” I saw a smile crack on his lips, and he looked out at the falling rain. “What do you want with this dragon?”

“Voaraghamanthar is the most elusive dragon ever. Anyone who battles him can’t outdo him! He’s just too fast or teleports a bunch or something. No one knows.” I shrugged.

“I’m not letting you get killed. Mother would hate if her beloved (Y/N) were to perish so young.” He frowned sternly.

Sighing, I said: “I won’t go searching for him. I just want to see him. Some say he’s quite talkative too, loves to learn about what’s going on in the world. Others say he collects books to learn. So, I brought some.” I pointed to the sack I’d brought in the corner of the tent to stay dry.

Christian stared at me. “And what if he decides to do his thing of being too quick or whatever? The two of us won’t be enough.”

I looked at him. “Most who pass through don’t get harmed. Not even other dragons coming into the territory.”

He didn’t seem satisfied. “Alright,” he sighed and stood up. “I’ll go have a snoop around or something, before I pick up your insanity.” He shook his open hands by his head.

I rolled my eyes again. “Whatever.” I shuffled to the middle of the tent to stay dry. I heard Christian trudge through the soggy swamp, belting his sword and holding his shield. “Good luck.” He gave a dismissive grunt and walked away, leaving me listening to the rain.

I sighed softly and looked at my sword, ensuring it was sharp and ready in case something happened. I doubted it would, but I knew Christian would manage to provoke something. “He’s so stubborn and dumb sometimes! Being daddy’s golden boy.” I muttered, swiping the whetstone over the steel blade.

“I know the feeling,” came a voice from behind the tent. I stood up immediately, blade drawn.

A sleek black dragon loomed over the tent, eyes, teeth, and curled horns facing me. “V- Voaraghamanthar?” I stared up at him, my entire body cold to the bone, and not because of the rain.

He hummed. “That’s me.” He slinked around the tent and stepped over some dead trees. “Troubles with your brother?”

I blinked and shrugged. “No worse than usual. Sibling stuff.” I watched him carefully, unsure if Voaraghamanthar wanted to talk to me or kill me.

He nodded. “Brothers can be something else.” He sat in front of me, tail curled around his talons. “I’ve the same problem.”

I tilted my head, sword lowering. “What do y—?” I was cut off by a bellow, it was Christian. I turned to run for him, but Voaraghamanthar picked me up. I shrieked, kicking my legs in the wind when the ground was no longer touching my boots.

“Put me down!” I gripped his talon and beat Voaraghamanthar’s wrist with the pommel of my sword.

He bared his teeth and wretched my sword from my hand, holding me by one arm. I gripped his claw. “Shut up! I won’t kill you.” He swooped low, he knew where he was going.

A second pair of wings sounded behind us, and I twisted myself to look. A second dragon, the splitting image of the first, was flying after Voaraghamanthar. In its claws was Christian, unconscious, and limp. My breath hitched and my heart grew cold, how could it defeat him? “N-no!” I wriggled and lurched in Voaraghamanthar’s hold.

He huffed and held me with both claws, putting my sword between his teeth. Any attempt at escaping was futile.

“Wulzour!” called the dragon from behind. “What are you doing?!”

“Shuth upth, Westhlum!” hissed Voaraghamanthar through the blade. The other dragon caught up with him and bared his teeth.

Both dragons flew in the same direction, turning and flapping in sync. It was strange to watch. They flew to a sunken keep in the middle of the Mere and flung Christian and I onto the floor. I rolled for a moment and got to my hands and knees, scurrying over to my brother. The chill and wet getting to me.

“Why did you have to show yourself, Wulzour?! I told you I planned on scaring them!” The second dragon bared his teeth at Voaraghamanthar, or Wulzour apparently.

Wulzour dropped my sword with a clatter. “I thought I had time! Plus, they seemed great! They had books. You like books!” He gestured a wing towards the stacks of books, making a mini-library on what seemed to be the driest floor of the keep—yet it was damp anyways.

I nudged Christian, trying to wake him. He somehow had his sword and shield still on him but was out cold, a red bump forming on his head. “Wake up!” I hissed.

Wulzour crossed his arms. “I was just trying to help, not that you ever appreciate it, Weszlum, oh sorry, Voaraghamanthar.” He jerked his head away from Weszlum.

The other dragon sighed. “Well now we have two prisoners to deal with! Who now know our secret!”

I blinked at them. Their bickering sounded familiar. “Is Voaraghamanthar a pair of… brothers?”

They snapped their heads at me and Weszlum stepped closer, a crown clinking on the ground as he wore it as a toe-ring. He bared his teeth. “Well, aren’t you a clever one? Shut up!” he snapped his maw a centimetre from my face.

I wrinkled my nose as the stench and spluttered. “You need a new diet,” I croaked, fanning the smell away from my face, unfazed by his threatening stature and tone. “Your breath smells like farts. The worst kind, too.”

His eyes snapped open and shut a few times as Wulzour cackled from the other side of the room. His entire body shook as he laughed. “Oh, I like that one!” he wiped a tear from his eye and came over.

Weszlum looked at him and rolled his eyes. “I see why you picked this one up and jeopardised everything!” he snorted aggressively. “You’re so much alike.”

I sat by Christian and tried to nudge him awake, as if the bickering wasn’t enough to rouse him already.

“Typical! Jealous of my people skills!” Wulzour turned his back to his brother and lashed his tail.

Weszlum rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine. I’ll deal with your guests.” He started towards us, head low and wings wide.

I grabbed Christian’s sword, and Wulzour scowled. “Don’t! Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone other than the Cult around? People not trying to manipulate us?” Weszlum swung his head around to his brother. Wulzour stepped closer. “I mean, look at them. They were useless against us both? The little one couldn’t even hurt me.” He pointed ta me.

I blinked, unsure whether to be offended or relieved.

Weszlum was silent for a moment and looked at him. “That’s… the smartest thing you’ve ever said.” Wulzour looked like he felt the same way I did.

“Thank you?”

Weszlum nodded and looked at me. “What books to you have? And what can you get?”

I stared at him. “Uh, some new-ish novels from Waterdeep and Silverymoon? Copies of recent reports from Long Road and the Dessarin River. There’s other stuff too, fighting styles and such?”

Weszlum hummed. “A nice selection, I suppose. We’ll collect it later.” His gaze moved to Christian as he groaned awake. “Now that he’s up, tell us about yourselves.”

*~*~*~*

“Christian, fuck off!” I kicked at his thigh as he snatched my latest gatherings of reports for Weszlum.

“I want to know what the guards of Daggerford get up to!” he whined and waved his hand at the bag.

I groaned and wrapped my arm around his neck and jammed my foot into the back of his knee. He was forced to the ground. “I said, fuck off.” I held my wrist to keep my hold on him tight.

Christian coughed and tapped my arm. “Aw! Come on, (Y/N)!”

I looked down at him and into his eyes, the one physical thing we had in common. “Fine!” I was so over his bullshit. I let go of him and smacked him on the back of the head. “Shut up for once. You never share your reports with me.” I huffed and picked up the bag of books and reports that I’d dropped. By now, Christian had gotten me a waterproof bag for both these journeys and whatever else I liked.

Christian got to his feet. “I know you love me lil sib/bro/sis,” he taunted.

I glanced at him and sighed. “Unfortunately, I do, Golden Balls.” We were back in the Mere, avoiding the lizards and liches.

He gasped, acting wounded. “Unfortunately?! Golden Balls?!”

I sighed. “Shut up! Lich ahead.” I crouched behind some reeds, and he followed suit we managed to sneak passed and get to the sunken keep. One of the dragons was laying on top and he perked up at seeing us. He spread his wings and hopped down, grinning.

“Hi, Wulzour!” I waved.

He landed close to us. “You two are back sooner than usual?” he stood beside me.

“Neither of us will be able to pass by for a while,” Christian said, a twinge of jealousy in his voice. “Roads will freeze over, and food is tight so agro is high. We’ll be busy probably.”

I nodded, feeling bad at his jealousy. “But lots of juicy reports after.” I smiled at Wulzour and offered him the sack.

He nodded and took the bag. “Sounds great. I’ll let Weszlum know you’re here.” He took off to the keep.

I turned to Christian and nudged him. “You should be more appreciative if you’re so jealous.”

He huffed. “You could be kinder.”

“Only because you’re an asshole to me! But fine, I’ll try be nicer. Listening to these two opens up my ears a lot.”

“How mother kept us alive, I’ll never know.” Christian held my hand. “I hate being here too.”