Tate was exhausted. They had been walking for over a day towards this "nest." He remembered Wyen had said two days in human form so Tate assumed they were over halfway there. They had entered the forest a long time ago and had even stopped to rest once.
He knew he'd fallen asleep but he didn't know how long he'd been out. Wyla had kicked his foot to wake him and then she'd helped him to his feet before pushing him towards Lou. Lou had put his arm over his shoulders and on they had walked.
Tate felt terrible, he was sweating and thirsty. His body ached but he could say with confidence that he'd had worse injuries. The only difference was that those injuries had usually been addressed within a day of receiving them. He'd never had to just endure for this long before.
"So what really happened, big brother?" Lou asked the question Tate had been waiting for since the day before.
"What-what were you told?" He asked trying to catch his breath. "Why were the shadows sent?"
"We were told that you were missing. We were ordered to pick you up and bring you back to the capitol unharmed."
"Oh, really, that's it? But why did the Shadows come?"
"Because the Emperor said you'd be the most comfortable with us."
Tate halted suddenly and burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. It was horribly painful so he doubled over and groaned clutching his ribs, but he couldn't stop laughing.
"Tate, stop! You're hurting yourself, why are you laughing?" Lou sounded panicked.
Tate was looking at the ground trying to get himself together so he didn't see or hear her approach. She grabbed his arm and stood him upright. She was so close to him that he stopped laughing immediately. He realized suddenly that he was just a tiny bit shorter than her. This fact distracted him enough that he was able to stop laughing.
Her look was almost one of worry but she snapped at him instead. "Stop messing around, we don't have time for this. Like I said before, keep up or be dragged." She turned around on her heel and rejoined her bother in the lead. Wyen looked back with a sneer before setting off again.
Lou resumed their previous position and continued. "Why in the realm were you laughing?" He hissed.
"It's just so funny," he said chuckling despite himself, "that man thinks he knows everything."
Lou looked up and shook his head. "What are you talking about? You are not making sense."
"We talked about this yesterday, what is the main purpose of the Shadows?"
Lou looked at the two in front nervously.
Tate inclined his chin towards them. "Don't overthink it, you can say it even with them here. What can they going to do with that information?"
Lou nodded in understanding. "The Shadow's main objective is to eliminate traitors of the empire or high-value enemy targets."
Tate just gave him an expectant look. When Lou still looked confused.
"A unit specializing in assassination was sent to fetch me, Lou. Yes, a unit I know well but because I know it well I know better than anyone what kind of tasks they do and do not do." He said all of this very slowly. "Why on earth would I know or assume that this time was any different."
Lou's mouth formed an "oh" as the information Tate was trying to convey finally sunk in.
"Wow, I really am an idiot. Why didn't I think of it like that? You really thought we were there to kill you? Why would we do that if you were not a traitor?"
"Is that what the Emperor believes?"
Lou opened his mouth to affirm then stopped himself. "Well, actually I don't know. We were only told to bring you back. How were you kidnapped anyway? You were so vague about it before."
Tate looked ahead at the two dragons leading them. He could tell that they were listening even though they were pretending not to. He sighed. He really didn't want to go into detail because it was embarrassing, especially admitting it in front of strangers, and dragons at that.
"I uh," He struggled to find words that wouldn't make him sound so pathetic. "I went out drinking a few nights ago, I don't know how many nights at this point I wasn't conscious for much of it."
"It was five nights ago." Lou supplied confidently, "We were dispatched the day before yesterday. Go on."
"You've gotten bossy," Tate observed. Lou glared at him. Tate continued. "I decided to go to a popular tavern and the last thing I really remember is Lord Gillian buying me drinks. I don't know what they were and at the time I didn't care. We may have gone somewhere else but everything is pretty fuzzy. After that the next thing I remember is waking up and realizing I'd been tied up, a bag was over my head, and I was strapped to a horse. Anytime I tried to speak or struggle something was put over my nose and mouth and I passed out again. The only reason I was able to move from the spot they dumped me off the horse was because I stopped trying to speak or struggle so they didn't drug me again."
"So if where we found you wasn't where you were dropped, why did you crawl to the misty veil?"
Tate thought about not replying but decided it didn't matter now. Why not just tell him the truth?
"It's not the first time I've been into the veil."
His pronouncement made everyone stop. The two dragons weren't even pretending not to listen anymore. They had turned around and were staring at him expectantly. Lou was looking at him in shock.
"When did you..."
"So you've been here before?" Wyen snapped in a harsh tone. Those claws came out again and he took a step towards Tate. For some reason, Tate was unphased by the threat.
"No," he calmly replied. "I think I saw this land the first time, but only through the mist. The last time I put my hand on the barrier and it let me in. It let me pass my whole body into it, but I was within the veil the whole time."
"Why?" Wyla asked. "Why would a human go into the barrier, how were you even able to do it? None but the most powerful of mages would be able to manipulate the barrier so why could you do it?"
Tate shrugged. "I wasn't really thinking at the time. It was just very pleasant in there. I don't know how I did it, or even if I did or if it was just a fluke."
"It was pleasant?" She repeated his words slowly and incredulously.
He nodded. "I didn't want to leave to be honest."
"Why did you, how do I know you didn't come through this other time and then go back?" Wyen asked suspiciously.
"Well, I can't prove it. I don't really know how long I was inside the veil but eventually, it pushed me out and I went on my way. I have no proof of any of this happening. You can believe me or don't" He looked at Lou. "As for this time, since I was already so close to it I just wanted to go back inside the veil. Being in that mist was the best I have felt in a long time. I had originally planned to return soon after returning to our capitol, but the Emperor's plans for me killed that idea."
Tate was tired of talking so much, his body told him to stop. Stop everything, stop walking, talking, laughing, everything, so he did.
He dropped his weight and Lou had no choice but to let him go. He sat on the ground and then laid back. "I'm stopping here for a rest." He glanced at Wyla from his prone position. "Drag me if you wish, I don't care anymore."
She looked at him for a long moment and he looked right back. She sighed, "Fine, we'll rest here for a few hours."
"But-" Wyen started to protest, but she cut him off with a glare.
"A few hours won't make any difference now."
Lou sat down next to Tate who had already closed his eyes and was concentrating on breathing as gently as possible.
The two dragons remained standing for a while, and then they too sat down. Tate only heard this happen, he couldn't have opened his eyes if he tried.
"Young master, what would you like to do today?" He opened his eyes and smiled.
"Aquana, I've missed you."
She chuckled in that husky way that only dragons could. She was right next to him, her head curled around to lay next to his own. The warmth of fire in her breath chased away the chill he'd been feeling.
"How could you miss me, young master, I'm right here."
Tate sat up and looked around. He stretched his arms above his head, lengthening his spine as far as possible. "Well...I guess you are. Aquana I had such a bad dream. You had died and I was all alone."
"Don't sound so dramatic, young master. You are not a child to be letting dreams influence you so much."
"I can't help it you died."
He saw her smile and he was filled with happiness and sadness as he saw it. She was right in front of him so why did he still feel such loss?
"Where are we?" She asked.
"The other side of the veil, the dragon's territory."
"Really?" She sounded mildly interested. "I wonder what it's like."
He stroked her nose. "What a silly question, look around you and see for yourself. Tomorrow we will go look for the ancient nest of your people, Aqua."
She grumbled a sound that usually indicated she was unsure about something. "Do you think they will like me? I don't know any wild dragons."
"What's not to like, you're the perfect dragon."
Something very sad and dark came into her eyes, "Oh, young master, I am far from perfect, you don't know..." She trailed off.
"Know what?"
She didn't answer or finish that thought. "Tate."
The use of his given name startled him.
"You are never alone. Even when I'm gone, you are never completely alone. They will take care of you I promise. You can go home now."