Useless Dragon

Topaz's last two days had been agonizing.

Escape from the island was all too close at hand, only to be torn away by kobolds. That day remained a blur of frustration and attempts to train both combat and swimming, but with few monsters worth fighting her chances and her sanity were limited indeed. However, not all hope was lost for her. Topaz had fallen asleep at level 9 and woken up at level 10, with a notification that her pet had slain not one but two named creatures, and new options to choose.

[Your pet has slain: Zyradon, black dragon (IV) and Marazel, black dragon (IV). Level has risen to 10. Class change available.]

A panel opened up below it, not unlike the class choice that led her to ranger, but this was more so. The variety of basic options spread out along the azure panel, in addition to several new ones, marked below a banner

[-Tier 2-]

Only five in all. Survivalist read like an advancement to everything a base ranger was intended to do, Sniper leaned heavily into pre-emptive combat via bow and arrow, duelist for faced-paced melee...

Beastmaster looked promising, but it was right out. That class focused on controlling pets via mind magic rather than cooperating with them, a big red flag to our contemplating ranger.

The middle one, skipped over, she read again.

[Aeromancer. Control the four winds for combat and movement]

Seasick without even the need for a boat, Topaz chose her new class. [Air magic] lit up her skill list, and lifted her spirits- almost as much as it was ready to lift her physical form. The feelings of freedom and vertigo danced in her head, culminating to stability before a ship's sail smacked her. She slid southward, landing in a heap on a dwarven ship.

" 's that her?" one asked, taking a swig of his iron flask.

"I think so. Her hair's unmistakable." his swabbing-mate answered. Topaz stood up awkwardly, healed her limb with her limited supply of magic, and greeted the dwarves

"Her? Valerie the dragon?"

"Tha very one. She's got two heads now, but who names a dragon something so..." The dwarf started, but a dirty look from Topaz cut her off. " 'pologies."

The captain turned around, trusting his crew to assess the situation. "We're on a tradin' run to Minas Malboor. Do ya think you could speak for us? The bastards barely trade with us"

"I could! Consider it payment for picking me up" Topaz ventured, but the dwarven captain revealed only a bronze smile. "Your pickup's payment for dealing with a kobold problem. We'll give you a new... Whatever kind o' weapon or tool you use. We'll probably make more than that as is!" he laughed, peg-walking back to his wheel.

While on the trip, topaz helped where she could- putting her new magic to the test by placing wind in the sails of her ship. Air magic became Advanced air magic as night fell, and Topaz left to recharge both energy and mana.

The next morning was more of the same, but the damaged wall on one side of Malboor gave the dwarven crew pause. They approached with caution, pulling up to the port cannons-first, but when the familiar-looking trader approached, the dwarven crew went from relaxed to curious.

The captain supplied words of shrewdness through Topaz's mental connection, integrating interrogation into negotiation. 

"The kobolds attacked us," the trader answered when pressed. "Lost too many good men. Sir William managed to repel this weird purple drake with his words alone."

Topaz nodded along, question interrupted by a system notification.

[Your Pet has returned to effective range. Partner effects restored.]

"I have business with that drake." Topaz stated in false intimidation.

"You'll be keeping us safe if you deal with it!" the trader added sheepishly, before returning to negotiations. Topaz struck where it hurt, missing a few cues but nailing others, earning the dwarves a tidy profit on their trades- but her mind was elsewhere. The aeromancer noticed her steps quicker as she navigated the city, steps longer even as those steps crossed blood and debris. A battlefield of broken weapons and a ruined ballista quickly went from ahead Topaz to behind her, [Beast lore] providing a clearer and clearer signal to where her beast companion was.

[You've returned] A stronger voice sounded over a mental connection Topaz didn't even know she had.

[Valerie? You're alive! I heard you defeated a pair of dragons, and worried I was going insane]

A purple scaly head almost the length of Topaz's arm rose over a nearby hill. She instinctively reached for her bow as a claw rose too, but stopped as soon as she saw the movement. The drake was waving, rather than threatening. Topaz nearly flew over the hill, almost landing on a kobold in the descent, when the others beheld the new human. Valerie said something in draconic to calm them, as Topaz beheld the last of their scaly meal

"Good that you're well-fed at least?" she asked before changing the subject. "We've got a way back to Gaham if you're interested. And since Gaham wanted the kobolds dealt with, I think we can get you a reward"

[That would be lovely!] Said the mana drake, lowering her head. [Now get on.]

Topaz was not prepared for this speed. Her quadruped mount was already fast, but that oft-ignored "Pet speed" Skill let her and her and her kobold riders thunder across the ground. The last ten meters were cleared with a single jump, nearly bowling over a minotaur-like creature. Topaz sported a dozen kobolds when she left, but Topaz counted a total of thirteen- smaller, amethyst-scaled one standing out among the varied red and dull blue.

"Is this one of yours?" 

[It's Cilgris! She slipped out of the nearby jail, too small for the bars]

Topaz laughed as she realized the silliness, kobold doing a flip as the bovine porter snorted in exertion. The duo was back together.

As the afternoon wore on and the dwarves returned to Gaham, Valerie and Topaz discussed their respective last few days, reacting warmly to eachothers' stories. Kobolds mostly hid, as to not trip up the dwarves. When the ship pulled back in, Topaz headed right to Baldemar's forge.

"This is the dragon who saved your mine. She killed its lord."

[Is this true?] Baldemar asked over the mental bridge.

[How else could I reach rank three?]

[I'm finding it difficult to believe you did it before.]

[I... had help. Two dragons wanted eachother dead, and I managed to last-hit both of them]

[Smart. Now that the mine's ours-]

[Ours?] Valerie challenged, draconic pride shining through the cracks. [Calling it yours is unfair when you did next to nothing to free it. I'd like a third of everything the dwarves mine, as a protection fee.]

[That's not my call to make. However, I can get you a tenth without problem]

[A fifth. And not a chunk of ore less.] The drake snorted. [And remember, this is far more than the nothing you were getting before]

[You have a point, drake.] Baldermar said in dismay. [I'll bring that news to the dwarves. Where will you be?]

[The mines, of course]

Baldemar sighed in defeat. He knew he had no way to put up a fight.