I'm sorry for walking into you

It wasn't the implication that the Hooded Hero was weaker than a dragon that drew Lingshi's gaze to the table next to his.

It was the way the human seated at it spoke as if the hero had a good reason to fear the wrath of dragon-kind specifically.

“But why would a hero do that?” asked one of the three. “Heroes only fight to save those who can't save themselves and, even when they do, they usually try not to take a life unless they really have to.”

Is this about the dragon deaths?

Lingshi sipped his lemon tea and listened through the thud of his own heartbeat.

“Why does anyone planning to commit a crimes do good things?” retorted the man who had spoken first. “It's to throw us off his scent.”

“What?”

“Why do you think he's been hiding who he is all this time?” He tapped the side of his head, a mug of something with a sharp scent in his other hand. “It's so that even if they find him at the scene of the crime, he can just disguise himself in as many ways as he wants to escape justice. That way the Wardens will never know who exactly they're looking for.”

“You idiot,” drawled the sole woman at the table. “If he can change his face like that at will, why would he bother wearing a hood?”

“Maybe it's too hard to keep a soul-magic illusion up for that long.” He shrugged. “Or maybe he personally knows someone working under the Wardens.”

“I think you've had enough to drink,” said the second man, reaching for his wooden mug. “You must be the first person to get drunk on a single pint of cactus ale.”

“I'm not drunk!” growled the other, dragging it closer to himself and spilling half of its contents on his hands. “I'm telling you the Hooded Hero is killing the Dark elves and dragons, and he's been at it for decades.”

It might have been just a rumour. Just the foolish ramblings of a human with too much ale in his belly. But the words crawled across the gap between their tables and up Lingshi's back like newly hatched titan spiders. His soup suddenly seemed to lose its saltiness and chewing his bread seemed to cost too much energy.

Inside his sleeve Yokanna pressed one of her horns lightly against his wrist, then peered up at him from beneath the fabric with a question in her big blue eyes. One he couldn't answer as the world loudened all around him.

“Pah! Next you'll be saying the Hooded Hero is secretly Captain Seique and that's why they've been able to kill so many guardians,” said the second man with a harsh laugh. “That's the only other person I know who would be capable of taking one down aside from another guardian.”

“Great dragon,” murmured the drunk man. “I didn't even think of that.”

A sense of déjà vu guided Lingshi back into his body, from which his soul seemed desperate to flee. Swallowing with difficulty, he somehow managed to finish his meal.

As potentially devastating as the rumour could be, it was no excuse to disregard the efforts of the one who had made his breakfast.

*

It had been only a little cooler amongst the stone bookshelves of Tiru-Huoi great library. Even though they bejewelled eyes of the dragon statues seemed to follow him wherever he walked, the company of a thousand books had been more than enough to soothe the painful beats of his troubled heart.

He closed his archiving artefact and slipped it into the void-pocket inside his robe, an enclosed space that had been sewn into it carefully decades ago.

Nothing new here. The other Dark elves must have a reason for leaving no records of the Muzai disaster. Is it because none of them remember it in detail? Or are there just no records of it here in this realm?

He sighed softly and descended the steps, scanning the closest signs. Chi was still nowhere to be found but it wasn't like he had been looking for her in the first place. Whilst he had a feeling that their paths had crossed for a reason, he wasn't sure whether or not that purpose extended beyond the room at the inn where he had last seen her

The Qiu-Tiru Road shouldn't be far from here but I should probably stock up on the basics and have lunch before I leave.

Running through his current inventory in his head, Lingshi soon ended up in the middle of a small but diverse market square. It was more of an oval than a square but the stalls were spread out evenly with just enough room for a large cart or an average size dragon to pass through comfortably.

The wooden beams that held up the fabric tents had a reddish hue and most glowed with bright crimson inscriptions that bolstered their sturdiness and flexibility. The material overhead that protected them from the pitiless stare of the sun were mainly different shades of brown with the occasional dark red, green, yellow, or gray fabric breaking up the mottled roof-like covering.

Lingshi pressed his mask to his nose as often as possible, blocking out the fragrance of the protective perfume that the sheets had been doused in. A common practice of those who lived in the land of a race known for their exceptional sense of smell and ability to wield scents in various ways.

Once he had finished picking up flavour, healing, and crafting-related supplies, Lingshi circled back towards the market entrance, moving with the natural flow of people like a leaf in a river.

“Oh, forgive me,” he murmured hastily as he bumped into something and smiled self-consciously.

That's a bit of a strange place for a tree –

“Are you okay?” asked the tree as it turned to face him properly.

He almost forgot to answer as he looked up at the giant, who pushed back the long blond hair from his eyes and squinted into the crowd.

“I am,” he said, raising his voice a little. “I'm sorry for walking into you like that.”

“That's quite alright, sir” said the giant. “Easily done.”

He smiled and Lingshi did too before continuing through the crowd.

Wearing green and brown clothes when you're that tall is certainly a choice, though I suppose his beautiful hair clears up most misunderstandings fast enough.

The number of people around him increased as the sun reached its zenith and those who had been working all morning flooded the enclosed space in search of food and shelter. The gap between him and them warmed up, and Lingshi pulled his hood further down over his upper face as he made a beeline for the exit.

“Forgive me,” he muttered again as he stumbled into someone else who was closer to his own height.

“Why?” The lady grabbed his elbow and mirrored his movements as he twisted to face her. Her smile was as alarming as a blood-stained blade. “Did you do something wrong?”

The tip of her claws dug uncomfortably into his arm. The silver embroidery along the hem and cuffs of his robe lit up like enhanced moonlight. Lingshi's eyes widened but he pulled away from her, clutching his right arm. Although she hadn't been able to draw blood, the glow had been blinding and she had torn through the sleeve easily.

“I'm very sorry for bumping into you, my lady,” he said. “But please believe me when I tell you it wasn't on purpose.”

“Oh, I know.” Amusement danced with a darker emotion behind her stare. “If anything, I was the one hoping to bump into you.”

“Me?” He stepped back and searched for her face in his memories, sure he would have remembered such vivid turquoise eyes accompanied by a voice keen enough to stop his heart. “Why?”

“You really don't know?” she asked, moving closer. “Or did you think this innocent act would work on every dragon you meet?”

The black star-like markings peeking out over the high collar of her under-shirt were not tattoos, as he had initially suspected, but scales.

I knew she wasn't a human, at least not entirely, but her being of dragon blood didn't even cross my mind. Is that why she's so angry?

“I don't believe we've met before,” he said, raising his hands. “But if I've offended you in some way –”

Yokanna growled by his right ear, most likely still concealed by the darkness of both his hood and hair, right before a sickly-sweet scent smothered his senses.

“Wait, are you –?” He pressed his mask over his face and the spell sewn into its inner lining activated, filtering the dragon lady's sleep inducing pheromones from the air. “There are humans here.”

“I noticed,” she replied, reaching for him as he backed away. “Don't worry. A little nap won't kill them.”

“But that poison you're hiding underneath your scent might,” he said sharply. “You have to stop. This place is too enclosed.”

Humans generally weren't able to pick up on the special scents used by dragons unless they were concentrated in a single area or overpowering in consistency. Mixed bloods, those born of human and creature, were slightly more sensitive to them. However guardian blooded individuals could both smell and see such scents most of the time, although not always right away.

Lingshi blinked and the red vapour-like substance drifting all around them became visible. It was especially dense around him and the one slowly releasing it into the air from various glands in her body.

“It seems I've underestimated you,” she said as he darted back to avoid her extended hand. “Aren't you going to do anything to save these harmless people, hero?”

“Hero?” He froze. “What are you talking about?”

“I thought you would have called your dragon friend by now.” Despite her light-hearted drawl, her smile stiffened. “Or do you call it your pet instead?”

Understanding of her quiet fury waged war on his desired protect the villagers as well as his need to stay hidden. Yokanna was more than capable of tearing a hole through the fabric overhead and allowing the poison to disperse safely into the fresh air.

If I do that, she'll know who I am. But if I run, who knows what will happen to these people. I could use an artefact to throw her off but which one would work best?

A child started coughing suddenly next to a toy stall.

“What's wrong?” asked his mother as she patted him on the back but she, too, covered her nose with a hand.

As did several other humans and mixed bloods all around them. Some were already clutching at their throats, mild confusion in their eyes as they sought the cause of their discomfort.

I need to hurry before they –

Lingshi reached into his robes under the dragon lady's intense stare but a strong gust of wind nearly knocked them both to the ground, along with the rest of the non-guardian bloods. It took most of the red vapour along with it, out through the market entrance, and a huge body moved to stand between him and her.

“That's enough,” said the giant, half folding his huge fan.