Poppy slips from Vael’s side and guides him into a mossy hollow beneath twisted roots. The forest hushes around them, green light dim under the canopy.
Vael sinks against the earth, trembling hard. Heat shivers under his skin in brief, flickering bands, then fades, then surges again.
Poppy braces a hand to his shoulder and keeps him tucked low against the stone. Her steadying touch gives his breathing somewhere to land.
Vael
It burns hotter when I stop moving.
A breath of wind stirs the leaves above them. No horns, no boots, only the long quiet of the far forest and the faint ache of distance left behind.
Vael
Stay close a little longer. If I let it rise unchecked, it will take the shape of me.
The flicker under his scales softens as Poppy stays with him in the hollow, the two of them sharing the hush until his shaking eases.
✓ Quest Accepted
Help Vael steady his shifting form
“Is it easier to stay in your human form or dragon form? And, have you ever tried using a firm tjats partway between the two?”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled +0)
Poppy keeps her hand on Vael’s shoulder and asks the question plainly, low enough for the hollow to hold it.
Vael
Human is easier to wear. Dragon is easier to trust. The middle shape... it is the hardest to keep.
His fingers flex against the moss, then settle when Poppy does not pull away.
Vael
I have tried it, yes. A half-step between. Too much fire in the bones, not enough room for it.
A faint shimmer ripples under his skin, like heat seen through water, then stills at her touch.
Vael
When I am with you, the human shape holds longer. Your steadiness helps.
Poppy
So it is not just strength. It is control.
Vael lifts his gaze to her, quieter now, the tremor in his shoulders easing into a careful stillness.
Quest Complete
Help Vael steady his shifting form
“I move closer and offer my hand, telling him to slow his breathing and focus on the form that is healthiest for him to be in”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -2)
Poppy slides closer across the moss and lays her hand over Vael’s, guiding it to rest on the flat stone between them. The hollow seems to listen.
Poppy
Slow your breathing. Pick the shape that is healthiest for you, and hold to that one.
Vael draws in a careful breath, then another. The shimmer under his skin settles in thin, bright threads instead of flaring.
Vael
Then I choose the shape that can stay beside you longest.
He lets out the next breath slowly. His shoulders lower, but the effort makes his fingers tremble once before they still.
Vael
It costs less when I stop forcing the wrong answer. I forget that.
A little heat escapes anyway, warm enough to dry the damp moss under their hands. The cost is small, but it leaves a faint singe on the stone.
Vael
Stay a moment longer. While it holds, I can remember what steady feels like.
✓ Quest Accepted
Stay beside Vael while he steadies
“I hold Vael close, resting my head on his chest so i can listen to his heartbeat and help him steady it”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +2)
Poppy shifts in close and folds herself against Vael’s chest. His breath catches, then steadies under her ear.
She settles there, listening. His heartbeat stutters once, then finds a slower, even rhythm.
Vael
That helps. More than I expected.
Vael’s hand lifts, careful and warm, and rests against her back. The tremor in his fingers fades.
Vael
Stay like this a little longer. When you are near, I do not feel the heat hunting for its shape.
A faint amber glow slips through his skin, soft instead of wild, and then sinks back down.
Vael
If I lose hold again, I want it to be you who notices first.
Quest Complete
Stay beside Vael while he steadies