Adrian Heather opened his mouth as they continued trailing the baby salamander.
“I can’t be the only one thinking this, right?”
“Thinking what?”
“That if we keep following this salamander, we’ll end up back at the lava lake we saw at the start.”
Mikhail slowly turned his head to the side.
“Yeah, I thought that too. But… doesn’t it feel too—”
“Too what?”
The prince made a wary expression and was about to elaborate, spurred by Adrian’s response. Yet, they both continued to slowly follow the baby salamander.
“Too deliberate. Like someone planned it all out ahead of time, knowing we’d come this way.”
Adrian paused at Mikhail’s words. From the beginning, the dragon had sensed that same uneasy feeling. From the moment they waited for the prince and the earthquake in the academy’s central garden, to the discovery of this baby salamander. It felt like some unknowable force was irresistibly drawing them toward a certain place.
“……”
Catching the silence from Adrian beside him, Mikhail glanced over. The lack of disagreement only strengthened his suspicion.
And then it happened.
Ssshhh! With a hiss, the baby salamander, which had been squirming ahead and leading the way, suddenly turned around and breathed fire. Then, it reversed direction and scurried back toward the two young men.
“What the hell?”
Mikhail stared hard at the salamander’s behavior. In response to his gaze, the salamander flicked its head, turned away, and marched straight over to Adrian, pressing its claw firmly against the hem of his academy uniform trousers.
Well, aren’t you something? The prince found the salamander almost comically cheeky, as if it understood what they were saying. Unfazed by the prince’s glare, it planted its other foot and began clambering up Adrian’s leg, clawing and grunting like it had every right to do so. Only then did Adrian realize what it wanted and reached out to lift the little creature by the torso. The cool, scaly texture typical of reptiles pressed against his palm. Satisfied, the salamander curled its body into a ball, making itself easier to carry as Adrian held it up.
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
Adrian looked down at the salamander in his arms, then raised his gaze toward the end of the path ahead.
“Ah…”
The gold dragon adjusted his hold on the salamander and muttered. At last, they saw it—a wide river cutting fiercely through the forest trail. The sound of gently flowing water reached their ears, tranquil and steady. To the dragon, it might have seemed like no big deal, but to a salamander born in molten lava and flame, this was probably akin to a sheer cliff face.
“It’s a river. Maybe we should take a break, drink some water?”
Mikhail gave a sullen nod. The road ahead was long, but the prince had an abundance of time—indefinite and unpromised.
***
The river was remarkably clear. Smooth stones were visible beneath the transparent current, and darting between the gaps were fish that only thrived in pristine waters. Swoosh— Adrian scooped a large handful with his palm. The water was refreshingly cold and pure as he gulped it down.
Mikhail also dipped his hands several times to drink from the river. As he did, the thirst he’d momentarily forgotten surged back. Haa— After a few rounds, the prince wiped his lips with his sleeve. While the two quenched their thirst by the water’s edge, the baby salamander sat on a large rock, tapping it impatiently with its tail like it wanted them to hurry up and move on. Despite noticing its disgruntled behavior, the prince turned to Adrian and suggested,
“Wanna wash up a bit? I’ve been feeling grimy—good timing.”
He hadn’t thought much of it when they’d first woken up, but the instant his hand touched the cool river water, Mikhail decided there was no way he was just walking past.
“Sure.”
Adrian glanced briefly at the salamander thumping its tail on the rock before replying. He felt a little bad for the creature urging them forward, but dragons, much like humans, were particular about cleanliness.
Adrian took off his outerwear and folded it neatly on the rock where the salamander was sitting. Then, he undid one of the buttons on his uniform shirt sleeve. Shff— Just as he was about to roll up the sleeve, his fingers froze mid-motion.
He looked toward Mikhail, who stood a little ways off, rolling up the hems of his pants. The prince had already taken off his shirt, laying it aside to avoid getting it wet, and was adjusting the rest of his uniform. Diligent with his training, the prince’s broad frame was lined with defined muscle and balanced strength.
Suddenly, the prince noticed Adrian watching him.
“You gonna move a bit farther off to wash?”
The prince, speaking in his usual prickly tone, laid his shirt atop a rock.
Though they were roommates, their routines rarely aligned, and they didn’t actually spend much time together in the room. Still, Adrian had gotten used to seeing the prince go through his daily morning drills in their dorm, whether he wanted to or not. In other words, he was more than familiar with the prince’s bare upper body by now.
“What, are you shy or something?”
Adrian smirked and looked over at the prince. Then he stopped rolling up his sleeves and casually took off his shirt. His tall frame and well-toned upper body were immediately exposed under the sunlight.
It was a picture of perfection that paired beautifully with his bright blond hair. The blue river, the dense forest, and the clear sky behind him—anyone stumbling upon the scene would’ve been tempted to commission a painting on the spot. Mikhail was no exception. His eyes were drawn to Adrian, who was lightly rinsing his hands, his pale shoulders and nape now bare without the school uniform covering them. As Mikhail’s gaze slowly drifted downward, more of Adrian’s lean, firm physique came into view—far from what you’d expect of a student who spent his time quietly tending plants.
And just as the prince’s eyes began to drop even lower—
“Hm?”
Adrian tilted his head and met Mikhail’s gaze, saying nothing. Caught in the act, Mikhail snapped out of it and quickly opened his mouth. What was it Adrian had said earlier?
“…Are you crazy? Not even close.”
Mikhail dunked both hands into the cold water and scooped it up to splash his face, pretending to have heard something ridiculous. It was just a shirtless guy walking around—nothing to get flustered over. Especially not another guy. Annoyed, Mikhail flicked the water from his hands.
What’s his deal?
The gold dragon shrugged and bent down to splash his face with the icy river water. For the two of them, who’d been walking through the forest for a while, this river had shown up at just the right time for a break.
Then it happened. The baby salamander’s tail gave a wide flick—and in that motion, it dragged the nearby pile of clothes with it. Mikhail, who had just finished rinsing his face and was lifting his head, caught sight of it.
The prince immediately stormed over to the rock the salamander was perched on.
“HEY!!”
He reached out.
Mikhail shouted, and the baby salamander blinked its shiny eyes at the yelling prince. Then, with a slow and deliberate motion, it gradually lowered its tail.
Splash.
The two Basamiel Academy uniforms that had been set atop the rock slid right into the clear river.
“Damn it.”
Adrian quickly reached down and snatched the drifting uniforms from the water.
“Guess our break’s gonna be a little longer than expected.”
Drip, drip. Water streamed from the clothing in his hands.
“You little—!”
The prince grabbed the salamander by the scruff of the neck for daring to dump their clothes in the river. Ssshhh! The salamander, as if scoffing at him, let out a puff of flame from its mouth in response to the prince’s gritted teeth.
“I knew you were gonna pull something.” Haa…
Mikhail glared at the unrepentant salamander and then at Adrian.
“So what now?”
Squelch. The gold dragon silently twisted the wet clothes in an attempt to wring out as much water as possible.
“…At least the weather’s good. They’ll dry quickly.”
“Do we look like we’re on a picnic to you?”
“Still, we can’t just wear soaked clothes.”
Squelch, squelch. Adrian picked up the wet clothes and extended his arm toward Mikhail. With a sigh of frustration, Mikhail shoved the salamander into Adrian’s arms. The creature clearly preferred being carried over being dangled by the neck; as soon as it was cradled in Adrian’s arms, it let out a small puff of warm breath in Mikhail’s direction, like it was mocking him.
Squish, squish. Adrian waded through the river, holding both the salamander and the dripping clothes. The rolled-up hems of his pants were dampened as they brushed the flowing water.
“Huh? What’s that?”
Mikhail, who had been walking steadily even through the stronger currents, pointed at something ahead. Then, without hesitation, he quickly walked toward it, creating a massive splash in the process. Splash, splash! Each of Mikhail’s heavy strides sent waves rippling outward, and the water splashed up onto Adrian’s pants, soaking them further. The prince’s own pants weren’t faring much better.
“Hey, slow down. I said slo—ugh…”
The gold dragon winced, helplessly checking his now thoroughly soaked uniform. In the end, even the last dry bits of both Adrian’s and Mikhail’s pants were drenched.
And then—
Waaagh! With a startled yell, Mikhail suddenly plunged into the river. He must’ve stepped on a slippery rock. Whatever the case, he disappeared completely beneath the surface and didn’t come up for a while, suggesting the water was deeper than expected.
What a mess. Adrian scowled and dove in, quickly grabbing Mikhail’s arm and yanking him up.
Puhahh! Gasping for air, Mikhail surfaced and inhaled deeply, clutching Adrian’s arm.
“The water’s so clear you can’t tell how deep it is. Be careful.”
Ignoring Adrian’s advice, Mikhail excitedly held something up.
“Look at this! It’s a marker!”
It was a large wooden plank with carved writing. Adrian’s brown eyes gleamed sharply.
“Dohenia.”
He brushed his palm over the engraved letters. The chiseling of a master artisan felt razor-sharp beneath his skin.
No way…
The two stared in stunned silence, unable to believe what they were seeing.
