I take extra care tucking my dear friend into his comfortable bed, arranging pillows and blankets with the same tenderness I’ve shown our children over the years. The sight of his blissful expression fills me with profound satisfaction—another dream fulfilled, another heart made complete.
Drawing in a slow, deep breath, I acknowledge just how exhausting this day has been. Every phase, every careful stalking mission, every moment of orchestrated romance has drained my energy reserves more than I initially realized. And I still have one more person to hunt, one more crucial capture to complete.
Stifling a yawn that threatens to overwhelm me, I step out into the hallway of our mountain home. Every step feels like my shoes are made of solid lead, my body protesting the continued demands I’m placing on my depleted system.
One more mate. One more opportunity to phase him to where Mina needs him. One more chance to complete the beautiful expansion of our family.
Before I can take another step, I suddenly find myself flying through the air, suspended off the ground by a grip that’s both familiar and unexpected. I look down into the protective lenses of Balor’s glasses, my best friend’s expression mixing concern with barely contained amusement.
“You’ve been even more secretive than usual lately,” he observes with a knowing tone that suggests he’s been watching my activities more closely than I realized. “What exactly are you up to?”
I look away for a moment and close my eyes, too exhausted to maintain elaborate deceptions with someone who knows me as well as Balor does. “Mina is having her next clutch. Vaughn is the last one I need to collect for her.”
A yawn escapes me despite my efforts to suppress it, and I fight just to keep my eyes open. The accumulated fatigue of orchestrating this complex romantic conspiracy is finally catching up with me.
“You’ve overdone it, Ziggy,” Balor states with the frank concern that only comes from decades of friendship. He sets me down gently and then reaches into his inner jacket pocket, producing one of his specialized energy shots. “Here, let me help you.”
He offers the small bottle with a smile that speaks to his willingness to support my romantic mission despite not being fully briefed on the details. “I know exactly where Vaughn is.”
I down the offered drink without hesitation, trusting my oldest friend completely. The effect is immediate and dramatic—energy courses through my system like liquid lightning, making my exhaustion retreat and sharpening my focus to razor intensity.
“What in the world is in that thing?” I stare at the empty bottle in amazement, blinking as my vision clears and my body responds with renewed vitality.
“Worry about the ingredients later,” Balor says with characteristic pragmatism. “Right now, I’m going to shift and get us to Vaughn’s location.”
He backs up with a smirk that tells me exactly how unprecedented this offer is. The only other person who has ever been allowed to ride his basilisk form is Mina herself—this gesture represents trust and friendship of the highest order.
I watch him shift up close for the first time in years, and the transformation takes my breath away. “Your scales look more like Mina’s now,” I observe with fascination, noting the subtle serrations along the edges that definitely weren’t there in previous years.
Balor turns his massive head to examine his own body, nodding acknowledgment of the changes before lowering himself flat to allow me to mount. I climb onto his back behind his head and grip the protective spikes positioned there, marveling at the trust required for this form of transportation.
He takes off faster than I thought physically possible, his powerful form moving with fluid grace that defies his massive size. The rasping sound of his scales against stone creates an almost musical rhythm as we shoot through the front entrance onto the upper courtyard.
Balor banks left and carries us up into the dramatic crags that surround our nest like natural fortifications. We move past the dragon glass installations that Klauth crafted, and the favored sunning spot where Thauglor often relaxes during peaceful afternoons.
We slither over the edge of a precipice and down a narrow path that seems impossibly treacherous for something of Balor’s size. Yet he navigates it with absolute confidence, his body flowing like liquid mercury over terrain that would challenge even experienced mountain climbers.
We reach a hidden cave positioned midway down the mountain face, and Balor turns into its depths without hesitation. The tunnels wind left and right through passages carved by centuries of water flow until we eventually reach ground level and emerge into the forest below.
Here, Balor increases his pace even further, and I wonder if he’s somehow tapping into Mina’s iron dragon time-bending abilities. The landscape blurs past us as we race toward our destination with purpose and precision.
There, in a large clearing ahead of us, I spot Vaughn surrounded by a group of other gargoyles, all shifted into their stone forms and engaged in sparring practice with wooden weapons. The sight of him finally within reach fills me with relief and renewed determination.
Balor stops at the edge of the clearing, and I take the hint immediately, sliding off his back as he shifts back to human form. The energy drink continues coursing through my system, making me feel jittery and hyper alert.
“Let’s get this done,” Balor says with a supportive clap to my shoulder as I follow him onto the training field.
I keep forgetting exactly how imposing gargoyles are in their shifted forms. Vaughn is already an enormous man in human shape, but his stone form is absolutely massive—easily twice the size of some smaller dragon kin and radiating power that speaks to his true nature as a creature of protection and strength.
“Hey Vaughn, can I steal you for a bit?” I call out, hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, he’ll simply cooperate without requiring elaborate explanations.
“What’s up, guys?” Vaughn responds with characteristic friendliness, shaking both our hands while looking between us with obvious curiosity about our unexpected appearance.
“I’m on an urgent mission, and I need you like yesterday,” I explain, my skin crawling with anxiety as I think about the possibility of Mina shifting into her dragon form before I can complete the last delivery.
“Um, okay?” His eyes dart between me and Balor with growing confusion. “Where exactly are we going?”
Before Vaughn can develop second thoughts or ask more detailed questions, I grab his wrist and phase us both toward the hidden chamber. I move faster than usual, driven by fear that’s riding me harder than a barrel racer pushing for a championship time.
