The Systems Challenge

Jonas wasn't sure what would happen as the dragon headed towards them. He knew he could escape into the shadows if necessary, though he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to stay in them, just that it was an option for him. Although, if he did that, he couldn't say what the chances of the others surviving were, should the dragon turn out to be hostile to them for any reason.

However, while he was mentally preparing to think of a way to escape, should it be necessary, he couldn't shake the feeling that there wasn't a need. He didn't know why he felt that way, just that he remained relaxed as the dragon began to land right by them.

Though, what he didn't expect was to find the scales of the dragon a bright pink and to see something slide off the back of the dragon before it took off and disappeared behind some trees. Jonas wasn't sure what to make of that turn of events, but he felt he could assume that the dragon wasn't hostile. Although, while he knew some lizards and reptiles had rather colorful scales, he couldn't be sure he'd ever heard of one that was entirely a bright pink color.

Still, the movement that he could see once the dragon out of sight looked to him like a person moving from one person to another. Jonas was writing it off as him being so tired that he was starting to see things. He couldn't imagine how someone would be able to get a dragon to let it ride on its back. Or at least not if Aquis was a typical dragon for this world. Especially if the part of mythology with dragons was correct on them being proud creatures.

If that part was correct, Jonas had no doubt that they'd be very offended at the mere idea of what they would consider a 'lesser creature' riding on their back. Yet, here was one such case. All Jonas could reason was that he was starting to lose touch with reality.

Even as he felt someone touching his body, checking his vitals, looking into his eyes and all that, he was confident that he was merely imagining it.

Jonas closed his eyes wondering what would be around him when he woke up. However, as he tried to nod off, he suddenly started to feel energy pouring into him. He wasn't sure where it was coming from, just that he was becoming more and more alert of his surroundings.

When he opened his eyes a moment later, the person was still by him, only now he could recognize her. It was Heather. He wasn't sure where she'd come from, just that she was helping him recover from the sudden emergency exit from the disastrous battle with the stellar bear.

Glancing around, he could see others already getting up, having recovered enough to at last sit up.

"Where'd you come from?" Jonas asked, not sure if he should still feel disoriented or not from Heather healing his fatigue.

He ignored the others moving around them, not caring what they were doing. So long as they didn't interrupt his conversation with Heather, he couldn't really care.

"Sonya dropped me off," Heather replied simply. "She then left to change back."

Jonas felt like he should know what she was talking about, but nothing came to mind. All he could think of was that he hadn't seen Sonya around, though he wouldn't be surprised if she just approached from where he wasn't looking. Yet, what Heather said bugged him. How would Sonya have 'dropped' her off? Sonya was human, just like Heather, and she didn't seem like she had the stamina to carry Heather on her back for that great of a distance.

Not to mention how both had been left in that village a good distance away, which would be- should be too far away for them to have reached this point in that period of time.

"How'd you get here?" Jonas found himself asking, even as he sat up.

"As I said, Sonya gave me a ride," Heather replied. "She'd did a bit of training while I was pregnant and couldn't get around much. Murdock and Tina helped Sonya with her training, so it wasn't like she went out to hunt monsters on her own, but she kept close in case I needed it."

Jonas blinked. He really didn't need to know all of what she'd said. In fact, he couldn't really say that he'd cared that much about what had been said. At least after her first sentence, as the rest didn't have anything to do with what he'd asked.

"Heather, could you get me next?" a voice asked, startling Jonas. It was Thomas.

As Jonas looked around, he realized that he was the last person Heather had treated, aside from Thomas, Stanley, and Frank.

"Where's Elmo and Elin?" Heather asked, pulling her hands back from Jonas. "I thought they'd be with you guys."

Jonas shook his head. "I haven't a clue. We were fighting the stellar bear and were about to die when the blynx pulled us away, apparently making us feel this tired."

Heather nodded as if she either understood or felt like that was an adequate enough explanation. Not that Jonas himself understood what was going through her mind.

"So, they'd be over by the bear that way?" she asked, pointing in what felt like a random direction to the south and west of where they were.

Jonas shrugged. "I have no idea where we are currently. I guess it could be that direction, but we haven't really had much time here to say whether or not it would be in that direction."

Heather nodded, like she didn't expect anything else. "I'll let Sonya know. She should be able to get those two quick enough."

"Actually, Patricia and Patrick should be with them as well," Kim said as she crawled over.

Jonas wasn't sure if she just didn't feel like standing up or if the sensation of feeling full of energy was merely an illusion and they'd been merely filled up with enough energy so they didn't feel so tired, but were still pretty worn out regardless.

Heather merely shrugged like she didn't think it mattered. "Yeah, Sonya'll be able to get them easily enough as well," she said, like doubts had been directly voiced about Sonya's ability to carry them as well.

"Was she that pink dragon?" Kim asked.

"Yeah. She just got that shape drawn before the fire dragon was defeated."

"Wait. Drawn?" Kim asked, echoing the thoughts Jonas had about that point.

"Yeah, apparently when she levels up enough to be able to get a new permanent shape she can change into, it's like a gacha draw. We don't know all that she could have gotten, but I'm pretty sure the dragon was at least one of the rarest of shapes," Heather answered rather enthusiastically. Jonas wasn't sure why Heather seemed so alive when she talked about that, but he could see her enthusiasm about the subject on her face as she spoke.

"I guess it probably should have been expected," Kim mused, though Jonas couldn't help but wonder if Kim really understood what had been said. He certainly didn't. He wasn't sure what a 'gacha' was in the first place.

"If you need someone to explain it further, just ask Sonya when she gets back with the others. She's better at explaining it than I am," Heather added making herself comfortable.

"Uh, aren't you going to heal the others?" Jonas asked, suddenly remembering how Heather seemed to have ignored Thomas' request for her to heal him. "They are also rather worn out from the blynx having brought them here."

Heather looked at them indifferently and shrugged. "They'll be fine," she replied callously. "They left me and Sonya to the goblins, so they should be fine."

Jonas blinked. He hadn't expected that response. While it was true that those three had fled the goblins, he hadn't expected to find Heather holding it against them. He understood her wanting to essentially getting back at them, but he couldn't say that he thought she would be the type to hold a grudge.

"Well, regardless of that, where's Sonya?" Kim asked. "I mean, how long does it take her to change back?"

Heather shrugged. "I really don't know. She won't let me watch," she said, sounding like she'd really like to. Jonas wasn't sure what to make of that detail. It was almost like…

"Did you and Sonya get together?" Jonas asked, suddenly feeling like he should have realized that sooner.

Heather gaped at Jonas for a moment as her face slowly turned a bright red, confirming what Jonas suspected. That they'd either at least started going out, if not sleeping together. Not that it bothered him. Just that it wasn't something he'd seen coming.

"Well, I'm sure she'll eventually let you," Kim said, putting her hand on Heather's shoulder, making her jump as if she'd been electrocuted. "Even if it'll be an emergency sort of thing."

Heather turned to look at Kim and merely sighed. "Maybe. I just want to watch. I think she's self-conscious about it, but I just want to know what it looks like when she shifts her shape," Heather answered, sounding a little dispirited.

"Oh, here she comes now," Jonas said, seeing someone come out from behind the trees in the distance. "She should be here in a few minutes."