As Ebruhan returned from another council meeting, he spotted a familiar white-haired fox sneaking across the palace courtyard.
The dragon immediately narrowed his eyes.
Iyas froze.
Two glass orbs were visible in his hands.
Ebruhan folded his arms.
"Explain."
The fox immediately straightened.
"Sir?"
"Are you attempting to contact Selene?"
The question landed like a hammer.
Iyas nearly dropped the orbs.
"W-What? No!"
He quickly held them up.
"These are for contacting you!"
Ebruhan stared at him.
"I have no need for them."
The answer came instantly.
Iyas groaned.
"Sir, not everyone can fly across kingdoms in a day."
The fox pointed at the orb.
"What if I discover something important?"
"What if I receive reports?"
"What if I need to contact you urgently?"
Ebruhan remained silent.
The argument was annoyingly reasonable.
With a sigh, the dragon took one of the orbs.
A blue light flashed as it disappeared into his inventory.
Iyas immediately relaxed.
At least Ebruhan hadn't thrown it away.
The dragon's gaze drifted downward.
Toward the small bag hanging from the fox's shoulder.
The same bag.
The one that somehow held far more items than its size suggested.
"Hm."
Ebruhan pointed at it.
"That bag."
Iyas blinked.
"My bag?"
"Do you think you could make another one?"
The fox immediately shook his head.
"No chance."
Ebruhan frowned.
"No?"
Iyas lifted the bag.
"Princess Selene bought this from a traveling merchant years ago."
"I don't know how it works."
"I don't even know who made it."
Ebruhan sighed.
"Wonderful."
The sarcasm was obvious.
Iyas tilted his head.
"But..."
He pointed toward Ebruhan.
"You already have an inventory."
"Why do you want a bag like this?"
The dragon was quiet for a moment.
Then his answer came.
"For someone who cannot do what I can."
Iyas blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Oh."
The answer actually surprised him.
Because Ebruhan wasn't thinking about himself.
He was thinking about somebody else.
A soldier.
A scout.
A messenger.
Perhaps even...
Mia.
The fox hesitated.
Then slowly removed the bag.
"Sir..."
He held it out.
"If you need one that badly..."
"You can take mine."
Ebruhan looked at the offered bag.
Then at the fox.
Then back at the bag.
"No."
The answer was immediate.
"Keep it."
Iyas paused.
"Really?"
"You use it."
The dragon turned and began walking again.
"It suits your work better than mine."
For a few moments, the fox simply stood there.
Holding the bag.
A strange feeling settling in his chest.
Back in his days as a spy, almost everything he owned had been considered expendable.
Tools.
Equipment.
Assets.
Replaceable things.
Yet Ebruhan had spared him.
Given him a home.
And now refused to take something valuable from him even when offered.
The fox quickly jogged after him.
Trying very hard not to smile.
"Sir?"
"What?"
"You're actually kind of nice."
Ebruhan stopped walking.
Slowly turned.
And gave him a look that could freeze lava.
Iyas immediately raised both hands.
"Never mind."
"Forget I said anything."
"Absolutely terrifying."
The dragon continued walking.
The fox followed.
And for just a brief moment...
Ebruhan almost smiled.
-----
As Ebruhan returned to his outskirts residence with Iyas, he immediately noticed something was different.
The house felt...
Warmer.
More alive.
A few flower pots now sat beside the windows.
Small trimmed plants decorated corners that had previously been empty.
The furniture had been rearranged slightly.
Nothing excessive.
Nothing extravagant.
Just enough to make the house feel lived in.
Even the dining table had been moved closer to the window where sunlight would reach it during the day.
Ebruhan stopped in the doorway.
His golden eyes slowly scanned the room.
"Hm."
A voice came from nearby.
"You like it?"
The dragon turned.
The fox looked unusually proud of himself.
"I made some adjustments today."
He gestured around the room.
"The place felt a little..."
He searched for the right word.
"Empty."
Ebruhan looked around again.
The changes were subtle.
Yet somehow the house felt completely different.
Less like a temporary shelter.
More like a home.
The dragon folded his arms.
"You did all this?"
Iyas nodded.
"Yep."
Then he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
A small smile appeared.
"I kind of made it like my dream house."
Ebruhan raised an eyebrow.
"Dream house?"
The fox looked away.
Slightly embarrassed.
"If I ever got one."
The words came out quietly.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Because Ebruhan suddenly remembered something.
Iyas had spent most of his life moving.
Hiding.
Running.
Sleeping wherever he could.
The fox had never really had a place to call his own.
Iyas quickly pointed toward one of the plants.
"Look!"
The mood immediately shifted.
"I found that one in the market."
Then another.
"And that one."
"And that one."
Ebruhan glanced at the collection.
"You bought all of these?"
"Some."
The fox grinned.
"Others were gifts."
"Gifts?"
"Apparently old ladies really like fox ears."
Silence.
Ebruhan nodded.
"That sounds believable."
The fox looked offended.
"It wasn't manipulation!"
The dragon stared.
The fox stared back.
A pause.
"...Mostly."
Ebruhan sighed.
Of course.
Iyas looked around the room again.
His smile softened.
"You know..."
He sat on a nearby chair.
"I always imagined something like this."
The fox's tail swayed lazily behind him.
"A small house."
"Some plants."
"A place where I don't have to hide."
For a brief moment, the usually energetic fox seemed much younger.
Not a spy.
Not an informant.
Just a kid talking about a dream.
Ebruhan silently listened.
Then looked around the room once more.
The flower pots.
The rearranged furniture.
The little touches that had transformed the building.
Finally, he nodded.
"It is better."
Iyas froze.
His ears perked up.
"What?"
"It looks better."
The dragon looked away.
"As long as you don't clutter it further."
The fox's eyes widened.
Because that was basically a compliment.
From Ebruhan.
A genuine compliment.
A huge grin immediately appeared on his face.
"You actually like it!"
Ebruhan instantly regretted speaking.
The fox pointed triumphantly.
"You do!"
"I said it was acceptable."
"You like it."
"Acceptable."
"You like it."
The dragon closed his eyes.
A mistake.
A terrible mistake.
Meanwhile, Iyas was already planning where to put another flower pot.
And for the first time in years...
The house no longer felt empty.