I tried to pull Kliss back into the dreamscape of Moscow but her Syntropic magic simply tore through my negatively-charged spell like tissue paper.

  She swiftly leapt off the bed, her crystalline mane sparking with orange coronas.

  "Kliss, wait!" I hissed, scrambling after her. "We can't just—"

  "Yes, we can," she interrupted, her eyes glowing violet-gold from within, burning away the green. [That sleigh is the most incredible thing I've ever seen. More incredible than gold, more incredible than anything! And it's right there, Slava! I can get so much stronger if I claim it, do anything… fly without your glider!]

  [Fly without the glider?] I asked.

  [Yes,] Kliss insisted. [I’m certain that the sleigh is exactly what I need!]

  [It's also incredibly well-guarded,] I pointed out, trying to be the voice of reason. [Remember the invisible man in the sky? The wards? The fact that Ciaori is clearly more than she appears?]

  "I don't care," Kliss declared, already moving towards the door. [I need that sleigh in my hoard. Now! You are my kobold. Kobolds obey their Dragon! Obey me, back me up, follow!]

  I groaned. She had that look in her eyes. There seemed to be no talking her out of this. The dragon part of her had completely taken over, driven by an overwhelming desire to claim the magical artifact, her dragonheart driving all of her actions, blinding her to my rationality and words.

  "Fine," I sighed. "But we do this smart." [Let me scan the building first.]

  Kliss nodded impatiently as I deployed my Infoscopes throughout the hotel, mapping guard positions and magical wards. The building was actually fairly empty, most of the rooms vacant. A few sleeping forms registered here and there, but nothing too concerning.

  The sleigh was parked in a private courtyard behind the hotel. There was… nobody guarding it.

  “Perfect,” Kliss read my thoughts through our connections. “Let’s go.”

  [Kliss, this might be a trap,] I sent.

  [If it is, I’ll plow through it with dragonfire,] she fired back [With that sleigh my hoard item I’ll be unstoppable!]

  [Kliss, you're not thinking clearly,] I protested as we crept down the hotel's ornate hallway. [This is too easy.]

  [Easy is good,] she replied, her eyes fixed ahead with predatory focus. [The sleigh wants to be claimed. I can feel it calling to me!]

  We descended the stairs silently, Kliss moving with inhuman grace despite her growing excitement. I kept my Infoscopes spread wide, searching for any sign of guards or magical alarms. The hotel remained eerily quiet.

  The courtyard door wasn't even locked. It swung open soundlessly as we stepped into the cool night air. The sleigh sat before us, bathed in moonlight, its moonwood surface gleaming with an ethereal radiance.

  [This is definitely a trap,] I sent urgently.

  [Don't care,] Kliss replied, practically vibrating with anticipation. She approached the sleigh like a moth drawn to flame.

  As Kliss reached for the sleigh, a tremendous bolt of lightning erupted from its surface with a deafening crack. The electrical discharge struck her crystalline mane directly, but instead of harming her, the energy scattered and rebounded, setting a nearby decorative tree ablaze.

  [Ha!] Kliss crowed mentally. [See? My mane repels lightning!]

  [That was just the first defense!] I warned, scanning frantically for other threats. [There's no way that's all—]

  Before I could finish the thought, the air around us warped. The moonwood surface of the sleigh began to glow with an intense inner light, pulsing with waves of force that made my teeth ache. My Infoscopes detected a massive surge of magical energy building up.

  "Ha!" Came Ciaori's amused voice from above. "Couldn't resist it, could you?"

  The foxgirl stood on a balcony overhead, her orange fur practically glowing in the moonlight. Her Champion materialized beside her, a towering figure with far too many muscles.

  Kliss froze as if she had her hand caught in a cookie jar.

  "Consider me impressed," Ciaori laughed. "An Arcanicx that can just bounce the Thunderward off her mane? Go on, try it again."

  "What?" Kliss blinked, clearly thrown off by Ciaori's casual response to our attempted theft.

  "The sleigh," Ciaori gestured expansively. "Try to get inside it. I saw you staring at it. Clearly you desire it."

  [Told you it's a trap,] I sent.

  [But... she's giving us permission?]

  "Why?" Kliss asked aloud, suspicion clear in her voice.

  "Mmmm," Ciaori tapped her chin. "I've been looking for quality muscle for a while now, someone who could do my bidding without it being traced back to me. Go on. Lets see how long you can stand up to the Thunderward."

  Kliss hesitated, glancing between the sleigh and Ciaori. The foxgirl's casual demeanor was unsettling.

  [She wants to hire us?] Kliss sent uncertainly.

  [Seems like it,] I replied.

  Kliss approached the sleigh again. This time, multiple bolts of lightning erupted from its surface, far more powerful than before. The electrical discharge wrapped around her crystalline form like writhing serpents of light, but once again scattered harmlessly off her mane.

  "Magnificent!" Ciaori clapped her hands in delight. "Simply magnificent! Your craftsmanship is truly remarkable. Not even my Champion can withstand the Thunderward so easily. Touch the handle. I wish to see if you will be able to stand up to the repulsor too."

  The foxgirl's Champion grunted in agreement, his massive arms crossed over his chest.

  Kliss reached for the sleigh's ornate handle. As her fingers made contact, a wave of force exploded outward like a thunderclap. The repulsion ward activated with a deafening boom, sending Kliss flying backwards across the courtyard through several decorative bushes and trees, her body plowing through stone parapets and pots.

  She got up, blinking and ribbing her head.

  [Ouch,] she whined. [That sort of hurt.]

  "Most impressive!" Ciaori called down. "You're even stronger than I anticipated. You're not even knocked out. Someone like me would be paste by now. Yet here you are, still standing. Truly remarkable engineering. Tell me, who is your Primo-mother?"

  Kliss squinted at the foxgirl.

  "Not allowed to say, hum?" Ciaori contemplated. "Fine. It doesn't matter. You'll work for me now."

  "Work for you?" Kliss asked, brushing debris from her crystalline mane with a wince as her dragonheart worked to repair the internal damage.

  "Indeed," Ciaori nodded. "I have several jobs that require someone of your... unique capabilities. Elimination of certain... undesirable elements, devious human wizards that hide behind powerful wards. Nothing too strenuous for someone who can shrug off a Thunderbolt to the head."

  "What's in it for me?" Kliss asked, her eyes fixed on the sleigh.

  "I hold a certain degree of power in Stormfall," Cioari smiled. "Serve me well and I could have a sleigh made for you of a similar design. Not as high level mind you, but still... I could put in a good word for you."

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Kliss's eyes lit up at the mention of her own sleigh, but I could feel her skepticism through our connection.

  "What sort of... jobs did you have in mind?" she asked carefully.

  Ciaori's tail swished lazily. "Oh, nothing too demanding. A few overly ambitious human mages who need to disappear, some Imperial artifacts that need collecting, perhaps a skyship or two that needs to have an... accident."

  "And you'd reward me with a sleigh like yours?" Kliss pressed.

  "I'll certainly ask my Corvix Enclave to make something nice for you," Ciaori replied.

  "Can I go into your sleigh?" Kliss asked blatantly.

  "You're curious about the size of my Star Shard?" Cioari tilted her head.

  "Yeees," the dragon-girl let out, rubbing the kinks out of the back of her head.

  "Of course you are," Ciaori laughed. "Sign the contract to work for me and I'll show you."

  She gestured, and her Champion disappeared, reappearing instantly beside the sleigh holding a contract on a wooden slate and an inkwell.

  I sent my infoscopes through the contract. It was perfectly mundane paper with perfectly mundane ink.

  [Seems clean,] I sent to Kliss. [No magical binding, just regular paper and ink.]

  "Just sign here," the Champion rumbled, his voice deep and resonant.

  Kliss glanced at me uncertainly. [What do you think?]

  [Could be useful to have an ally like her,] I replied thoughtfully. [Especially if what Sasha said about the Arcanicx is true. Plus, we might learn more about these Star Shards. Ask her what the contract is actually enforced by.]

  "What's enforcing this contract?" Kliss asked.

  "My word," Ciaori replied simply. "Nothing magical, of course. Vows and magical bindings... are distasteful between Arcanicx. Just a simple agreement between professionals. If you don't kill the targets I point you to, you don't get your own sleigh and I will be sending a report about you to the Ring about your lack of cooperation, simple as that. I can see that this is your first mission out in human-lands, love."

  Kliss took the quill and signed her false name - Elly Koperi - with a flourish.

  "Excellent!" Ciaori clapped her hands together. "Now, would you like to see inside?"

  "Yes!" Kliss practically bounced with excitement.

  Ciaori snapped her fingers and her champion flew to her, picked her up bridal-style and then carried the fox in his arms towards the sleigh.

  "Come," she beckoned, disembarking and opening the ornate door. "Let me show you the wonders of my Corvix."

  Kliss practically pranced forward, her eyes wide with wonder. I stayed outside, sending my Infoscopes after her.

  The interior of the sleigh was far larger than its exterior dimensions suggested. Moonwood panels lined the walls, each carved with intricate scenes that seemed to move in the corner of my vision. But what drew my attention immediately was the pulsing violet crystal mounted in the center of the cabin.

  It was about 27 inches long, and 8 inches wide, held in an elaborate metallic framework. Waves of energy rippled across its surface like the aurora borealis.

  "The Star Shard," Ciaori announced proudly. "The heart my lovely vessel."

  My Infoscopes couldn't make heads or tails of it. The crystal seemed to exist in multiple dimensions simultaneously, partially folding into itself and bending space and time around itself in ways that made my head hurt. As far as I could tell, it was Entropic magic of incredibly high order that was potent enough to plow right through Syntropic heart of my human-dragon girl.

  Kliss stared at it, entranced. I could feel her dragon-self practically singing with desire to nom the gem.

  [Do not lick the shard,] I sent.

  [But... but... it's so tasty looking,] she sent back. [Just one lick.]

  [Her champion will snap you in half,] I pointed out. [You're still a young newborn dragon, not an unstoppable thing like Aradria.]

  [Maybe she won't mind if I ask nicely,] Kliss insisted.

  I facepalmed internally.

  "Can I... touch it?" Kliss asked hesitantly.

  Ciaori burst out laughing. "Oh honey, no. It's aligned to my dynasty, bond to me by blood. It cannot be wielded by another. The door repulser is but a swat of a fly's wings compared to what this shard could do up close."

  "Oh," Kliss said, trying to hide her disappointment.

  "Don't look so glum," Ciaori patted her shoulder. "Once you've proven yourself useful, I'll help you get your own shard, one you can bind to yourself and your kin. They're quite rare, but not impossible to obtain with the right connections."

  [And the right amount of murder,] I sent to Kliss sarcastically.

  [Shush,] she replied. [I'm learning about shiny things.]

  "How does one usually obtain a Star Shard... like that?" Kliss asked innocently.

  "I can reward you with a small one for your services," Ciaori waved her hand airily. "Bigger ones are harder to come by, you'd have to slay a leviathan to attain one. Without it the sleigh is just pretty moonwood carvings, magically inert, useless. It powers the space expansion runes and the ward."

  "How do you slay a leviathan?" Kliss asked eagerly.

  "Very carefully and slowly," Ciaori grinned, showing off sharp canines. "And with a lot of help. The beasts are immense, dwelling in the deepest parts of magogenic faults. Most who try end up as snacks."

  "But it can be done?" Kliss pressed.

  "With proper planning, yes," Ciaori nodded. "The Ring sends hunting parties occasionally when we need more shards. It's quite the operation - takes dozens of our best nix' wielding large parties of champions. Many valuable champions perish during such hunts, alas."

  [We should totally hunt a leviathan,] Kliss sent to me excitedly.

  [M-hmm,] I replied. [One potentially fatal endeavor at a time, yeah?]

  "Speaking of missions," Ciaori continued, "Here's your first target. A particularly troublesome human mage who's been interfering with my operations in the outer districts. Nothing too challenging for someone of your... capabilities."

  She produced a small crystal from her sleeve and her Champion passed it out to Kliss. As my Infoscopes examined it, I could see stored images within - a man's face, location details, daily routines.

  "Eliminate him at your leisure," Ciaori said. "He lives in a mage tower citadel 20 clicks from the city. The Citadel is armed with about fifty high level guard golems."

  Kliss tried to reach out towards the comet shard. The air between her claws and the crystal warped and twisted with brilliant shimmers, pushing her hand back and vaporizing the makeup on her hand, exposing the gold-coated orange dragonscales underneath.

  "See?" Ciaori commented. "The core does not wish to be touched. If you persist, your hand will come apart."

  Kliss withdrew her hand reluctantly, pain throbbing through her nerves. "Right. Of course. When do you need this done by?"

  "Take your time," Ciaori shrugged. "This will after all be your first mission of taking on a human mage. They can be quite devious."

  "Understood," Kliss nodded, backing out of the sleigh with visible effort. I could feel how much it pained her to leave the delicious-looking Star Shard behind.

  As we walked back to our suite, Kliss was practically vibrating with excitement.

  [Did you see that shard?!] she sent mentally. [It was amazing! And she's going to help us get one!]

  [After we murder someone for her,] I pointed out dryly.

  [Yes, but...] Kliss hesitated. [Maybe he's... a bad person?]

  The Aradria part of her soul clearly didn't give a damn about squishing pesky mages.

  [We don't know that,] I replied. [For all we know, he could be trying to protect people from the Arcanicx takeover.]

  Kliss deflated slightly. [Oh. Right.]

  [We should investigate this mage first,] I suggested as we re-entered our suite. [Maybe I can approach him as an artificer looking for work, see if he'll work with us against the Arcanicx. Find out what he's actually doing before deciding anything.]

  [Yeah,] Kliss nodded, flopping onto the bed. [Though I really want that Star Shard... Ughhhh.]

  [We need to focus on our original mission,] I reminded her. [Saving Skyisle.]

  [But what if we could do both?] Kliss sat up, her eyes gleaming. [Think about it - if we had a Star Shard powered sleigh, dealing with the legions would be so much easier!]

  [It'll melt your face off,] I reminded her. [As tough as you are, it's a very powerful artifact.]

  Ideas danced in my head. Dangerous, devious ideas. Stray thoughts that...

  [You,] She caught onto my transient thoughts. [You know how to get it. Of course you do, you clever, clever bean! Yes. Yes. I like this plan. We blow everyone up. Ciaori doesn't know about chemical reactions, she's a mage.]

  [I didn't even share a plan yet!] I protested.

  [You thought about it,] Kliss grinned with sharp chompers.

  [You're gonna be the death of me, woman,] I flopped onto the bed. [Get outta my head, you pest. Shoo.]

  [Never,] she rolled over onto me. [Never, ever, ever. You're mine. From now on and forever.]

  I sighed, looking up at her eager, predatory grin and glowing eyes. Like Dr. Frankenstein I had created a dangerous monster, one that I had no idea how to control.

  [I heard that,] Kliss growled playfully, poking my chest. [Rude! Just for that, I'm going to bite your face off.]

  [Your mouth ain't big enough,] I shot back.

  Before I could think anything else she flashed down and kissed me fiercely.

  The world dissolved into violet starlight of the In-Between.

  An infinite expanse of violet-silver pinpricks of light stretched out in every direction. We were no longer merely ourselves, but vast constellations of consciousness stretching across an endless cosmic ocean. Each star around us was a memory, a thought, a feeling, all interconnected in intricate patterns that defied normal, finite human perception.

  Each one was... a different time and place. Another us. Another dream.

  Another life.

  A single violet-blue star appealed to me, caught my attention. It was circled by a constellation of three others. I examined it.

  It felt like us... but also not us? Sort of a flipped version of us put through a blender and then spread out across a weird, sheared canvas. As I watched it, it began to move madly, erratically flashing all over the place.

  [Do you want to see this one?] Kliss purred from everywhere and nowhere. [Live out this curious... dream while we sleep?]

  [Sure, why not,] I replied.

  [Then lets dive in. Together.]

  [Together,] I replied.

  We did.

  Darkness.

  I clenched the cracked leather steering wheel of the ancient delivery van, my knuckles white with tension as sweat trickled down my spine in uncomfortable rivulets. There was no Kliss here.

  Kliss? Who was Kliss?

  I really should get some rest, starting to hallucinate shit.

  I blinked sweat out of my eyes, wiping my forehead. The road ahead was clear.

  "42 Miles to Omnithornia/Acadia border crossing bridge" a fading sign declared.

  Soon I would cross into enemy territory and then.... then I would get my revenge on all of them. Make the immortal bastards pay for their crimes.

  I killed them all and yet they all returned, good as new. Bloody Wendigos, they could never stay dead, never learn their lesson.

  There was only one way to defeat them. To pretend to be one of them. To invade the heart of their hive.

  To become one of them, and then to