Phoenix

"Phoenix?" the dragon pondered, his golden eyes gleaming in the glow of the distant flames. Then he nodded approvingly, a satisfied hum vibrating in his chest. "That's a beautiful name! Thank you so much!"

Tobias snorted and crossed his arms. "Phoenix, huh? Sounds better than 'Schuppi,' I'll admit. But now that you finally have a name, what's next?"

Phoenix straightened up, his wings spreading wide, darkening the sky above us. "First? I'll help you find your friend. You freed me, and now it's time I return the favor."

"Really?" Tobias asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, not that I'm ungrateful, but how do you plan to help us? The humans probably took her far away, and we don't even know where to start."

Phoenix snorted, amused, a small cloud of smoke rising from his nostrils. "I have my wings back, little wolf. That means I can fly—and see what you can't from the ground."

I couldn't help but smile. "That sounds like a plan! Finally, a bit of an advantage on our side. But we have to be careful. The people who kept you captive won't just let us go. They'll come after us."

"Let them come," grumbled Phoenix, his voice low and threatening. "I'm not the same dragon I was before. I'm free now, and I won't let them harm me or my new friends again."

Tobias eyed Phoenix skeptically. "Friends? We've known each other for a few minutes, and you're already calling us friends?"

"Have you ever heard that you shouldn't underestimate a dragon?" Phoenix grinned widely, his sharp teeth flashing in the dim light. Tobias swallowed, but I could tell that the dragon was only half serious.

"Alright, Phoenix," I said, my voice resolute. "If you really want to help, let's not stay here any longer. The smoke, the chaos—the guards will get reinforcements, and we don't have time to lose."

Phoenix nodded. "Get on my back. I'll carry you."

"Uh... what?" Tobias took a step back. "I'm not climbing onto a dragon. I'm afraid of heights!"

"You never told me that," I replied, grinning.

"Because it was never relevant!" Tobias flailed his arms. "Look at this! These aren't little hills; these are cloud heights!"

Phoenix laughed, a deep, rumbling sound. "Don't worry, little Tobias. I promise I'll carry you safely. Just trust me."

"Just trust me," he says, murmured Tobias, shaking his head. But I could see that he knew there was no other choice.

Together, we carefully climbed onto Phoenix's broad back. His scales were surprisingly warm, almost comforting, and his wings fluttered lightly with excitement.

"Hold on tight," Phoenix warned, spreading his mighty wings.

"If I fall, I'm haunting you, Sly!" Tobias yelled, his claws digging into the dragon's scales.

"I'm sure you'll love it!" I replied, laughing, as the dragon powerfully pushed off the ground and we soared into the night sky.

The world below us grew smaller, the burning torches of the guards fading into the darkness. The wind whipped at our faces, but I felt a freedom I had never experienced before.

"This is... incredible," Tobias whispered, his grip loosening a bit as he looked down.

"So," Phoenix started after a while, "where exactly is your friend?"

"In Newhurst," I answered, pointing at the ever-shrinking city. "I'm supposed to sneak in and scout the school!"

"In Newhurst?" Phoenix repeated, glancing at the city, which remained a small glowing spot in the distance. "That doesn't sound like a place where dragons are welcome. Or wolves, for that matter."

"You can say that again," Tobias muttered, still clinging to Phoenix's scales like a drowning man. "I'm nervous enough already, and now we're flying straight into the lion's den."

"The school there is guarded by humans," I continued, keeping my eyes on the horizon. "I'm not sure how they're using my friend, but it can't be anything good." I pulled the mask from my bag and held it out to him. "This is called the Mask of Transformation. With this mask, you can turn into a human for a while!"

Phoenix gave a thoughtful rumble as he glided over the clouds. "A mask, huh. That makes it easier to sneak in unnoticed..."

"We have to try, and we need to be careful," Tobias warned. "We don't want to lose you too." Tobias nudged me. "It's already hard enough to stay undetected without a giant flying fire dragon drawing attention to us."

"I can camouflage," Phoenix said casually, as though it were no big deal.

"Excuse me?" Tobias and I said at the same time, and I leaned forward to look at him more closely.

"Camouflage," Phoenix repeated with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I'm a dragon, remember? We have more tricks up our sleeves than most people know. Just watch."

And with those words, Phoenix suddenly changed. His shimmering red scales began to shift, as if absorbing the light around him. His glow faded, his contours blurred, and before we knew it, the dragon was almost invisible—only a faint shimmer in the air betrayed that he was still there.

"How... how do you do that?" Tobias stammered, visibly impressed.

"One of the gifts from my ancestors," Phoenix explained, his voice now deep, almost like a whisper in the wind. "Humans know little about our true nature. When I want to, I can move around them without them noticing."

"That's incredible!" I grinned widely. "This could really help us. Getting us into the city."

"Hm, you're right," Phoenix mused. "Maybe we should come up with a plan for how you get in before I get too close to the school. If I just drop you off at the gates, the guards might be alerted."

"I could sneak in," I suggested. "I'm a wolf. If I use my animal form, they might just think I'm a regular animal. No one would pay attention to a wolf creeping through the streets at night. And once inside, I'll put on the mask."

Tobias rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure. And I'm supposed to wait here? Alone? I'm a great guy and all, but I'm not as good at sneaking around as you, Sly!"

"Don't worry, little Tobias," Phoenix said with a grin. "I'll stay with you. I can hide us both while Sly explores the school."

"Oh, great," muttered Tobias, not sounding the least bit reassured. "I love being the decoy."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're not the decoy. You're Plan B. If something goes wrong, we'll need you and Phoenix to save us."

"That's not exactly comforting," Tobias grumbled, but he left it at that.

Phoenix began to descend, and the city slowly came into view again. The lights of the school were clearly visible—a large, dark building complex that stood out from the rest of the city.

"Alright," I said, my voice determined. "We sneak in, find my friend, and get her out. Without making a scene."

"Sounds easy," Tobias said dryly. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"We'll find out," I replied.

Phoenix went into a dive, and we neared a clearing west of the Western City Gate.

Phoenix landed gently, as quietly as a giant dragon could. The ground trembled lightly beneath his weight, and Tobias quickly jumped off his back, as if afraid the dragon might change his mind and take off again.

"Okay, this is close enough," Tobias muttered, brushing the dust off his clothes. "Now we should be quiet and inconspicuous... which hopefully means neither of us has to fly anymore."

I ignored his comment and looked toward the western city gate. It was well-lit, with guards patrolling back and forth. The massive wooden gates looked imposing, and I knew we couldn't just walk through them.

"What's your plan?" Phoenix asked, retreating into the darkness, his scales almost invisible again. Only his glowing eyes briefly flashed before they too disappeared.

"We need to distract the guards," I began. "If I sneak through the underbrush in my wolf form, I might be able to lead them in the wrong direction. Tobias, you stay here with Phoenix until the coast is clear."

"Why am I always the one who waits?" Tobias complained, but he accepted it when I gave him a warning glance.

I focused, letting my inner wolf take control. A familiar tingling spread through my body as I transformed. My paws touched the soft forest floor, my senses sharpened, and the sounds of the city and the forest merged into a lively tapestry of noise.

"Wow," Tobias whispered as he looked at me in my wolf form. "Impressive as always. I mean, you're a wolf who walks on two legs."

I just snorted and set off, staying as low to the ground as possible. My ears twitched at every sound as I neared the city wall. The guards seemed bored, which worked in our favor.

A low growl escaped my throat, and I jumped near the gate, just causing a few dry branches to break under my paws. The guards heard it immediately.

"What was that?" One of them turned toward my direction.

Perfect. I jumped into the underbrush and began to move slowly to lure them.

"Over there! Something's moving!" the other guard shouted.

I heard them draw their weapons and follow me. Once they were far enough from their position, I turned and stealthily made my way back to the clearing.

Tobias was waiting there, arms crossed. "That was quicker than I expected."

"The plan's working," I barked in my wolf form, and Tobias jumped. "Now, we need to hurry."

"Be careful," Phoenix's voice came from the darkness. "I'll stay close, in case you need me. But if you get into trouble, let me know."

"Will do," I said, nodding at Tobias. Together, we headed toward the city while Phoenix watched us from afar.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tobias whispered behind me. "We could just go in tomorrow morning when there are fewer guards."

"And risk them taking her away?" I threw a glance over my shoulder before continuing. "No, Tobias, this is our chance. They won't expect an attack in the middle of the night."

"Great. Surprise tactic. The best option when you have no idea what you're doing," Tobias muttered, but he still followed me.

The city was surprisingly quiet, only occasionally interrupted by the crunch of our steps on the cobblestones. The school, our target, was at the far end of the city, an imposing building that stood out from the rest of the houses. From afar, you could see the large windows and the stone towers that seemed like watchful eyes over Newhurst.

"What exactly is this school supposed to be?" Tobias finally asked, his voice a little louder than necessary.

"An academy," I replied shortly, keeping my eyes on the road ahead. "For the elite of humanity. Mages, alchemists, warriors. But it's more than that. I've heard they conduct dark experiments, hold creatures captive. Maybe even my friend."

Tobias furrowed his brow. "Great. So we're breaking into a place crawling with dangerous people. Why am I here again?"

"Because you're my friend," I said with a crooked grin.

"Great argument." Tobias shook his head but couldn't suppress a small smile.

We continued sneaking through the city, past sleeping houses and the occasional patrolling guard. Fortunately, in my wolf form, I still had a sharp sense of smell and could detect them in time before they spotted us.

Finally, we stood before the school. The building was even more impressive than I had imagined. Dark stone walls reached into the night sky, and the large windows reflected the faint moonlight. Two guards stood before the entrance, their armor gleaming in the light of the torches they carried.

"Okay, and now?" Tobias whispered, leaning toward me. "Please tell me you have a plan."

"I thought you were the one with the clever ideas?" I shot back.

"Oh, great. So we're improvising again," Tobias sighed, but his eyes were already scanning the surroundings. "Maybe we can somehow..."

He stopped as we both heard a faint, high-pitched whistle. It came from behind us, and I turned around.

"Phoenix?" I whispered, but nothing moved.

The whistling grew louder, and then—there was a crash. Something slammed into the ground behind the guards, sending them flying into the air and making us jump in shock. As the dust settled, we saw what had happened: a massive boulder lay directly in front of the school entrance, and the guards were dazed beside it.

I blinked. "Did Phoenix just throw a rock at the school?!"

"That was... effective?" Tobias sounded more confused than impressed.

"Whatever, it's our chance!" I grabbed Tobias's arm and dragged him toward the entrance. The guards were unconscious, and we slipped past them into the school.

Inside, it was dark, with only a few magical lanterns faintly illuminating the walls. The smell of old books and metal hung in the air, and every step echoed through the empty hallways.

"This feels wrong," muttered Tobias, looking around. "Way too quiet."

"Stay alert," I responded, my ears twitching. "We'll find her. And then we get out as fast as possible."

But deep down, I had this strange feeling that we were being watched.

Then a sharp whistle sliced through the air, and an arrow struck me in the flank. I collapsed immediately, but I couldn't hear anything anymore. Just before I closed my eyes, I saw Tobias collapse in front of me as well. Then, everything went dark.