That Vikram might have felt, even if for a moment, the turmoil of emotions rolling about the maiden unsettled her even more. For an instant she was scared, terrified of being unveiled as the unstable creature she truly was, and she even felt a twinge of anger at Akaith for revealing her inner self so intimately with another being, without warning. But that was the old, selfish thoughts of Mirage who reacted without thought or care for consequences – this mare had grown in her many years wandering the Earth, and through Akaith, she realised that she did indeed care for the mahogany steed lying before them, and that was enough to quell any nerves that might have sprung up from the brief touch of their minds. It was a comfort to her to know that her own dragon orchestrated the entire thing, and that she would not have performed the act without due thought and consideration, not wanting to put Mirage nor herself in that kind of danger.

My façade is broken to him, and him alone; it is likely now that he would be able to read me even when I try to hide myself. Akaith, it is you who has instilled this weakness in me-
It is not weakness.
To break my composure is a weakness-
Not to him.
I long to believe you, dear heart.

The dragon was sharp with her interjections on Mirage’s thoughts, her eyes flashing violently red as she glanced at her bonded, warning her not to question the choice she had made. The mare already aware that she held a deep loving fondness for the stallion, but her feelings were conflicted, a platter of complete disarray; she wondered just how much Vikram might have gleamed from their momentary mental caress, or whether he might have simply put it down to being Akaith’s foreign, draconic mind, or perhaps even his own emotions resettling after being encased by Akaith’s gleaming soul. Fear was a natural reaction for the mare to have at being uncovered for her innermost feelings, for they were what she hid from the outside world, locked away behind many layers of hardened expressions and defensive actions. But her dragon was unfazed, rather she seemed more concerned that Vikram feel comfortable than her bonded’s reaction to being so revealing, even if only for a heartbeat.

“I am fortunate in my bond with Akaith –I am rarely without help.” The mare replied quietly to him, wanting to wipe the amusement from his face, but feeling it too difficult a task – she could not strike him while he was down, even if his strength was returning, as evidenced by the slow steadiness of his voice growing. She could hardly imagine the pain he would have suffered as those stones slid down his throat, she didn’t think she had ever experienced anything like it, nor did she ever want to. Akaith, who was a dragon capable of breathing fire could only provide a handful of thoughts and feelings on the matter. My first flame hurt, the insides of my cheeks ached and my tongue hated the taste of charcoal – but that flame came from inside, from my fire-belly that has always been there. Vikram did not have one until now, I cannot imagine what it must have been like. Mirage was surprised, as she constantly seems to be around this stallion and her dragon, at the insight Akaith was willing to go into. Normally she couldn’t care less about those who weren’t her bonded.

“It seems you will rarely be without help now, too.” Allowing a twinkle of amusement to add a charming glitter to her gilded eyes, a hint of a smirk darkened the corner of her mouth. Already the mare knew what it was her devious little dragon friend had been thinking, as the golden Akaith then promptly shot the thought both towards Mirage and Vikram;
I will teach how to control your flame.
The golden queen had all the while been sitting by the crown of the steed, mulling over the implications of his new ability and growing excited and determined the more she pondered it. Yes, it would make sense for her to help him, he was her friend, and she wanted him to become the best he could – who better than to learn from, than herself? She thought without missing a beat. The mare had to smile at the vanity of her dragon – a token of their personalities they probably shared. Certainly, Mirage was not against the idea of spending more time with Vikram, whether it be under the guise of helping him learn his magic or not.