Alexander placed his last set of socks on the couch that evening and checked off his list. He was as ready as he felt he could make himself for his trip. Water purifiers, MREs, and a compass he had no confidence would work through a portal to another world or dimension. He looked at his neat piles and started placing them in one at a time into his fanny pack, which was secured tightly around his waist. The act of shoving all of this into the fanny pack while he wore it was... humiliating. Flick was staring at him from the arm of the couch. He twisted his head sideways as if trying to understand how the items were disappearing.

  "Could you not look at me while I do this?"

  Chirp.

  "Yes, I am aware that I am weird. I am working on it."

  Squeak.

  The dragon shrugged and left the room so Alexander could wallow in his misery in solace.

  Alexander had gawked at the price to upgrade the fanny pack; it was more expensive than his Encyclopedia. He couldn’t in good conscience move forward with the upgrade, as it would cripple all of his experiments upon his return. His ego could deal with the blow. Again, his desire to experiment and his sense of responsibility to Congo during this transition with the orcs were constantly at war in his mind.

  As he packed his dob kit, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

  Emily: Hey, do you have a minute to talk?

  Alexander’s nerves rattled a bit, but he responded that he was available and invited her over. As he sent the message, he nervously smelled himself before running to the bathroom to freshen up. He took his ridiculous hat and fanny pack off and left them next to the sink. Looking in the mirror as he put on deodorant, he consciously made the decision to remove his glasses.

  It seemed to have a positive effect last time.

  Fixing his shirt buttons, he touched up his hair. Mentally, he berated himself for not finishing the book he had ordered, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'. It had been enlightening on how to interact with others more intentionally. He hated that word, “intentionally.” He did everything with intention obviously, but making others feel comfortable as he conversed with them was no sin.

  The knock at the door interrupted his musings, and he marched to the door. Taking a deep breath, he opened it. What he saw was not the confident neighbor he was used to. A beautiful but nervous and shrunken-into-herself Emily smiled weakly at him.

  “Hey, Alexander. I hope I’m not interrupting your packing.”

  “Of course not! I just finished up.”

  Standing awkwardly at the door, he realized he was blocking the entrance to his apartment.

  “Please come in. Can I offer you a drink?”

  “No! That’s alright,” she replied abruptly.

  They walked into the apartment, and Emily sat herself down on the couch.

  He sat in a chair across from her and tried to smile reassuringly at her, but he was confident in his inability to comfort people.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes… I just…” She thought for a second. “I feel concerned.”

  “About what?”

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  “About you leaving and… I just don’t know.”

  Alexander had nothing. He was adrift in space about how to navigate this situation.

  “Are you worried about this trip?” she asked.

  “I would definitely have preferred more details going into this, but my outdoorsmanship is at a high enough competency. I’m rather well trained from my scouting days.”

  “That’s good,” she said, fidgeting a bit.

  “Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable while I’m away?”

  Emily thought for a moment. “I don’t know… Alexander, when I imagine you gone, I just picture… the world falling apart.”

  Alexander thought back to his book and how Emily might be feeling. She said that the world was going crazy and found it odd how everyone else was handling it. She felt alone in her concerns.

  “I would feel devastated if anything happened to you,” he said in solidarity.

  “Thank you. I know I’ve imposed on you, but it’s as if you alone have the answer to my problem. I know it’s irrational, but that’s how I feel. I’m not normally the type of girl that gets overcome by her emotions, so… forget it. I’m sure this will pass.”

  Alexander felt crushed. He had promised to keep her safe, but he was going away.

  “I have a friend. He is strong, but not a conventional… being.”

  Emily looked up in expectation.

  “Don’t be alarmed. He is friendly, and I trust him completely.”

  Emily nodded.

  “Flick.”

  He heard a shuffling from his room, then Flick glided through the doorway to the floor before leaping to the arm of his chair.

  Emily gasped and choked off a scream before she ducked behind Alexander, clinging to his arm for dear life.

  “It’s okay, it’s okay…” Alexander tried comforting Emily. “This is Flick. He is a demi-dragon and has met you before, though his memories of you might be hazy.”

  Flick squeaked a greeting at Emily.

  “He is… adorable,” Emily said in a low voice, the fright of her situation wearing off. “But… what is he?” she said, still behind Alexander.

  “A demi-dragon… though he used to be a bearded dragon,” Alexander confessed.

  “FAFNIR!?” Emily exclaimed, quickly putting two and two together.

  “He snuck into my house and was setting things on fire. I was able to contain him, but I didn’t feel returning him to Janelle was a good idea. I haven’t found the right moment to tell Janelle about it, but maybe he is ready to reacquaint himself with the two of you.” He turned to the dragon. “Flick. Would you do me a favor and protect Emily and Janelle while I’m gone?”

  Flick looked at Emily hesitantly. He jumped down and approached her, sniffing at her feet. As Emily reached down to pet him, he jumped backward.

  Squeak! Chirp!

  Alexander paused as the dragon felt she smelled weird—which Alexander didn’t convey.

  “Here, Emily, come with me.”

  Emily walked with Alexander to his kitchen. He unlocked his refrigerator, which he had installed when Flick had figured out how to open it. Alexander reached in and grabbed a bowl of cubed steak and handed it to Emily.

  “Toss these in the air for him.”

  Emily walked into the living room and held out a piece for Flick to see before tossing it in the air.

  Flick jumped up and deftly caught the steak before gliding to the couch to gobble it down.

  Emily laughed and visibly relaxed.

  “Janelle is going to throw a fit.”

  “Flick is a fully sentient being,” Alexander said solemnly. “I don’t know that he would appreciate going back into a terrarium.”

  “I think Janelle will grasp that fairly quickly. How about we just be Auntie Janelle and Emily?”

  Flick chirped agreeably, eyeing the bowl of steak. Emily tossed another piece for him.

  “He is also more powerful than he looks. How about we give him the title ‘Guardian of Wind Haven Apartments’?”

  “I think she would agree to that.”

  Alexander shifted and, in a more somber voice, said, “I… I too am more powerful than I appear… and I am not sure I am up to the responsibilities that go with it.”

  Emily turned away from watching Flick devour steak to look thoughtfully at him.

  “Alexander, you are sincere and honest… maybe to a fault, but I for one appreciate it. I think you are fair and careful. Good attributes for someone that is given… powers.”

  Emily had gotten closer than Alexander realized. Before he knew it, Emily leaned in and kissed Alexander on the lips.

  Stepping back from him, Emily’s breath caught, and Alexander stood completely still in a stupor.

  “Goodnight!” Emily squeaked before running out of the apartment.

  Alexander didn’t register her farewell until Flick bit him in the ankle.

  “Ouch!” He yelped, realizing he was standing alone in his living room holding a bowl of steak.

  “What was… what am I doing? I finished packing…” He looked at the bowl. “This is far too much steak for you.” He pulled out a small plate, put a handful of steak on it, and set it out for Flick, who consumed it.

  “I should get some sleep,” he said wistfully.

  Emily ran to her room and buried her head in her pillow. Once again terrified. The red screen in her vision was not disappearing as a hallucination should.

  ^

  You have awakened a bloodline.