[Somewhere in Frojnholm—Leif’s POV]

I looked around—snow. Just snow. Mountains. Snow. And more damn snow.

I stood there, boots sinking ankle-deep, wind slapping my face, my crimson pup at my side, both of us staring into the endless white abyss like two idiots in a bad survival drama.

"...We’re freaking lost, aren’t we?"

My pup tilted his head and gave me a small, pitiful howl.

"Yeah. Thought so." I sighed, dragging my hand down my frozen face. "We followed the trail you came from, and yet—boom! Still lost. I swear this place loops like some cursed video game map."

My pup just blinked at me, unimpressed.

"Don’t look at me like that, murder baby," I muttered. "At least we’re safe from those kidnappers. Probably freezing, starving, and doomed—but safe."

I glanced around the endless white. "Let’s find a place to hide before the weather decides to bury us alive, yeah?"

He gave a low "Howl," then started walking. Smart one, that dog.

My boots crunched through the snow with every step. The world around us had no shape—just frozen wind, whirling flakes, and the occasional thought of my impending death. My head throbbed. My fingers were numb even inside my gloves. I could barely tell if I was walking uphill, downhill, or straight toward my own funeral.

Then—finally—something broke the monotony.

A dark slash across the snow.

"...Is that a cave?"

I squinted. Yep. A narrow opening, half-buried behind a wall of frost and rocks. My legs don’t care if it’s a cave or a monster’s den. They’re going in.

"Come on, baby," I told the pup. "Let’s check it out. Maybe it’s cozy, maybe we die. Fifty-fifty."

He gave a low growl of agreement, and together we trudged toward it. The cave swallowed us the moment we stepped in—dark, silent, and way too quiet for comfort.

"...Do you think there’s a ghost in here, baby?" I whispered.

He blinked once, then nudged my leg firmly. My eyes lit up. "Awwww, are you saying you’ll protect me from the ghost?"

He straightened proudly, puffing out his chest like the little hero he was.

I grinned and kissed his head. "My brave, murderous baby. Alright, soldier, move out!"

We stepped deeper into the darkness, and almost immediately, I felt it—warmth. Not the faint kind that sneaks in from torches. No. This was unnaturally warm, like something big and alive was breathing somewhere inside the stone.

"...Don’t you think it’s weirdly warm in here?" I muttered. "It’s supposed to be freezing. Like, ice-on-your-eyelashes cold. Not... sauna warm."

The pup sniffed the air, uneasy.

I lifted the burning stick I carried as a torch. The light flickered across the walls—ice crystals glinting like tiny diamonds. It was strangely beautiful, if you ignored the part where it felt like we were walking straight into a monster movie.

Then—

PLOP.

Something wet and heavy landed on my head.

. . .

. . .

I blinked. "Did...something just fall on me?"

My pup tilted his head and gave me a very unhelpful nod.

"Okay, calm down, Leif," I muttered, reaching up slowly. "It’s probably just snow. Or maybe a leaf. Or—"

My fingers closed around something slimy .

"...Oh god, please be snow."

I pulled it off my head and stared at it.

It was... a giant blue lizard with golden eyes.

. . .

. . .

. . .

We blinked at each other.

Once.

Twice.

Then, with a voice that was way too calm for the situation, the lizard smiled —actually smiled —and said, "Finally, we meet, Master—"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

I shrieked like a banshee, pure instinct taking over as I yeeted that thing across the cave wall.

It hit the rock with a wet THUNK.

"WHAT IN THE HOLY MOTHER OF FROZEN NIGHTMARES WAS THAT?!" I gasped, clutching my torch like a weapon.

The lizard slid down the wall, groaning. "Ow... okay... not the warm welcome I expected..."

"IT TALKS!!!" I yelled, stumbling back behind my crimson pup. He growled, fur bristling, tail a wagging barricade. "THE—FREAKING—UGLY LIZARD TALKS!!!"

The pup’s little stance was all: I’ve got this, master, don’t even think about it.

The lizard blinked, offended. " Excuse me?! Master? Ugly? Look at me—do I look ugly to you?" It puffed up its chest, stretched its neck skyward, practically glowing with indignation. " I am the most majestic divine being in this world!"

. . .

My brain took a full three seconds to load. "A... divine being?"

It huffed, nostrils flaring like two angry little kettles. "Yes. I am the legendary Divine Dragon, master. You may call me—" it paused dramatically, eyes glittering, "—Zyphorion."

. . .

I said flatly. "...Still a lizard."

Zyphorion gasped so loudly the sound echoed in the cave. "Master! It’s called concealment! Do you have any idea how hard it is to hide my true form in this pathetic mortal realm? If you wish, I could reveal my true self right now."

"Me? Master?" I blinked at him.

He nodded proudly, chin high. "Yes. You should be grateful, Master. I, the Divine, Legendary, Unmatched, Absolutely-Not-Ugly Dragon Zyphorion, chose you as my master."

I stared flatly at him. "...I never asked for that."

Zyphorion’s eyes went wide, his little claws clutching at his chest like I’d just stabbed him with my words. "Master... do you know how many mortals have died trying to be chosen by me? Entire kingdoms! Bloodshed! Screaming contests of devotion! And I—I—descend upon you of my own will and this is how you greet me?!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, tragic. Listen, I’m lost in the middle of a snowstorm with my baby, no map, no food, and now a talkative lizard—this isn’t exactly on my bucket list."

His tail lashed like an offended cat’s. " You don’t understand. We are now bonded! You cannot refuse me!"

"Alright, alright," I sighed, rubbing my temple. "I’ll take you with me, fine. But... why me? Why am I the chosen one?"

He blinked, dramatic pause included. "Because you have an enormous amount of divine energy inside you, Master. It was obvious."

I blinked. "...Divine energy? In me? but....i don’t have any such powers."

. . .

. . .

He titled his head, looking towards my chest. "But... I can see it, right there, blazing in your chest..."

I waved him off. "You’re definitely sensing wrong. Tata, bye, have fun finding another master—"

"NOOOOOOO!" he screeched, launching himself at the back of my shirt like a furry toddler. His claws latched onto my coat, and he wailed, "You have to take me with you!!! Take me, Master!!! Take me!!! TAAAAAAKE MEEEEEEE!!!"

The cave echoed with his banshee cries. My crimson pup flinched, ears flat, growling at the noise.

I rubbed my ears. "Gosh... you’re so loud. Fine! Fine! I’ll take you with me!"

His eyes sparkled instantly, tears gone as if they’d never existed. "Really?!"

"Yes. But can you at least change your form? Your lizard form is... frankly disgusting."

Zyphorion’s smirk returned, smug and radiant. "Of course. I can change into a cat form if you wish, Master."

"Yes, do that."

POOF!!!

A burst of blue light flashed in the cave like someone had detonated a glitter bomb. When the haze cleared, sitting on the icy ground was... a blue kitten with golden eyes so bright they looked like tiny suns. His fur shimmered faintly like starlight caught in water.

I blinked, jaw hanging. "...Oh. My. Gods. I’ve never seen a blue kitten in my life."

I scooped him up automatically. He fit perfectly in my arms—soft, warm, and absurdly gorgeous. "You’re... so cute," I whispered like I was under a spell.

My crimson pup immediately shoved his head against my thigh with an offended grunt.

I blinked down at him. "Oh—don’t worry. You’re my first love."

Crimson baby smirked (actually smirked), eyes narrowing at Zyphorion like a jealous older brother planning murder.

Zyphorion flicked his tiny tail and looked at him with a knowing glint. "I can’t believe you tamed a Crimson Pack, Master. Those beasts usually bite first and think later. Hmph. I guess I really did pick the right Master this time."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, Zephyy—"

"It’s Zyphorion, Master." His ears twitched indignantly.

"That’s too long. I’m calling you Zephyy."

He blinked, then sighed with the weight of a thousand divine dragons. "Fine. I will tolerate it."

I smirked. "Good. So, Zephyy... you said you’re a dragon, right? Then you can take me back to my estate?"

He puffed out his kitten chest, tail flicking dramatically. " Take you back? That’s a piece of cake for me, Master. I’ve flown across worlds, swum through stars, and carried armies on my back! This is nothing!"

I grinned. "Then... take me back."

Zephyy huffed, eyes glowing gold. "Prepare yourself, Master. When I take flight, mortals tremble, mountains bow, and the skies—"

My crimson pup gave a single unimpressed howl.

Zephyy hissed like a kettle. " Don’t interrupt my monologue, wolf! "

The two of them glared at each other like rival warlords about to duel. Sparks practically flew between crimson fur and blue fluff.

I raised a hand between them. "Okay, okay, testosterone contest over. We’re not hosting a staring competition in a cave. We should leave; I miss my warm blanket."

Both of them snapped their heads toward me at the same time— fwip!

And we stepped out of the cave and the blizzard opened up before us like a pale ocean. Then— POOF! —the air around Zephyy shimmered and cracked with streaks of blue lightning.

In the next heartbeat, the little kitten exploded upward into an enormous dragon—scales like liquid sapphire, horns curling like frozen lightning, wings so wide they darkened the snow beneath them. The ground trembled as he landed, his tail curling toward me like a bridge.

"Let’s get going, Master," his voice rolled now, deeper, like thunder echoing in the mountains.

I blinked, holding my crimson pup tighter against my chest. "Wow... so you’re actually a dragon. Not just a mouthy lizard with good PR."

"Climb on," he rumbled. "And hold tight, Master. The skies are not kind to the unprepared."

I swung one leg over, hauling my huge crimson baby into my arms, feeling the dragon’s scales warm and smooth beneath my gloves.

Zephyy’s wings unfurled with a shuddering crack—each feathered edge catching the stormlight.

And just like that, the kidnapping incident had bound me—Leif Thorenvald—to an enormous, legendary, divine dragon... a dragon I had never asked for.

The wind roared. The dragon leapt.We took to the sky.