When I opened my eyes, I was met with the sight of a familiar ceiling. I was in the room I shared with Luci in the foxkin vilge.

  It took a moment, but my memories started coming back to me. I had left the vilge on a leisurely trip to hunt dragons with Luci. We spent one day walking before setting up camp for the night and being surprised with our first dragon encounter. In the morning, we traveled for about half an hour before encountering… Ah!

  I shot up in bed, taking my first real look around the room since I regained consciousness. I was alone in here. However, I was here. That means someone - likely Luci - managed to either get help, or find me and bring me back fast enough for someone to heal me.

  While I'd like to know how I got back here, what happened to the dragon calling itself ‘Artoh Mirka’? Did that spell, Hell on Earth, manage to kill it?

  [No. However, that spell was enough to buy time until help arrived.]

  Oh. I forgot you can kinda hear my thoughts. What do you mean by help, though?

  [While I'd like to tell you, and I'm sure you'll learn ter, he asked me not to tell you. I owe a debt to him for saving my master, so I pn to do what he asked of me.]

  So this guy was the one who brought me back here?

  [Yes. Luci could tell you more about him. She was with him on the way back to the vilge.]

  Right. Where is she now?

  [She should be meeting with your old party right now to tell them what happened this morning.]

  Ah she's with those four, okay. And I'm guessing since you said ‘this morning’ that means I haven't been out for several days.

  [Nope, not this time. You should get going if you want to join their talk. Luci just left a few minutes ago for that diner you ate at a couple days ago.]

  Right.

  I crawled out of bed, noticing for the first time that I was in a clean change of clothes, and that I didn't seem to be injured beneath them. I put on my sword belt, put my telepathic sword on it, and left.

  As I walked to the restaurant, I realized it was only around noon, which means I was only really out for a couple hours. More importantly though, it means it's lunch time, and I'm starving.

  Once I arrived, I wasted no time in going inside. As soon as I entered, I saw the other girls occupying the six-seat table we were at st time. The only distance was that Setsuna was in the seat I had st time. She, as well as Kino and Luci, were facing away from me when I entered. There was one more seat open on the other side though, across from Luci and next to Ina, who seemed to have noticed me, as her eyes had quickly met mine.

  As I approached the table, she seemed to have said something to the others, and they all turned to look at me. Luci especially nearly fell out of her seat when she tried to jump up and run to meet me.

  “Mira?!” When she got over to me, she quickly wrapped me in a hug, only pulling away a little bit before bombarding me with questions. “How are you up so soon? A-and why'd you know to come here? What was that explosion? Wh-”

  “That's too many questions, jeez! Let's sit down and then you can ask me one at a time.”

  “A-alright…” I guess she really wanted to know as soon as possible.

  She finally let go of me, and we started walking back to the table. I noticed Shimo elbow Ina in the side before leaning in and whispering something to her, in which Ina responded by rolling her eyes. I sat down right after I noticed that, and as soon as I did, Setsuna started talking.

  “So… What were you saying before, Luci? Something about a guy with purple hair?”

  “Yes. He told me his name was Anyu. Based on what I was telling you before about the… other dragon,” she gnced at me as she said that st part. “...I have some reason - though only some - to believe that he is of simir origins to the one Mira fought.”

  “Anyu? Yeah, I think that should be the Haze Dragon's name.”

  “Really? I thought I would have to at least wait until next time we met to ask him… Wait! How do you know that?! Have you met him before?!”

  “No…?” Setsuna tilted her head, confused. “I thought that the elven royalty, if not anybody else, would be taught basic history…”

  Ina interjected to correct Setsuna. “No. That part of history is only known to us Kitsune. And even then, not all of us would have learned it. The rest of the world only has The Legend of Arnagir, and everyone outside of the humans believe it's only a fairytale to tell children before bed.”

  “A-ah…” Setsuna looked pretty embarrassed.

  “Hah… That's why you have me as your advisor… Anyway! Yes Luci. You were right to assume that Anyu is the name of the Haze Dragon. It's very likely that the Anyu you met is the very same.”

  “So, it's safe to assume that the other one was the Shadow Dragon?”

  “Perhaps. Did it ever say its name?”

  “I'm not sure…”

  “Ah!” I decided it was time to add my own input. “I believe he said he was ‘Artoh Mirka’, if that counts.”

  “That… counts. According to the history the Kitsune are taught, Mirka is the name of the Shadow Dragon. ‘Artoh’ must be how his title of Shadow Dragon is addressed in the dragon nguage.”

  “So I fought the Shadow Dragon…” I paused for a second before continuing. “I have no idea what the implications of that are.”

  “...I'll just have to give you a bit of a history lesson ter. Luci, I might as well teach you too. Do you have anything else to add, Setsuna?”

  “Hey! What about me?” Shimo finally said something, leaving Kino as the only one who has stayed silent so far.

  “As much as I like you, I do not like the type of input I can guarantee you'll add. I was asking the chief of the vilge what she had to add on the topic of dangerous, mythical beings being spotted near our vilge.”

  “Right… I'll keep quiet.”

  “Thank you. Now, Setsuna?”

  “I don't have much to add. What about Mira though? We still haven't heard her side of the story.”

  “Right. I should tell you all exactly what happened.”

  With that said, I began recounting the day's events with the rest of the group.

  Alpy376