~~~

  Veronica had begun to move the moment she saw some of the elves looking at the new distraction. It hadn’t been what she’d planned, but a chance was still a chance and she had proven to herself before that she wasn’t one to miss opportunities.

  Making her way closer to Gloriosa, she directed a thought to Wyrmwood.

  Hide us.

  What? Wyrmwood thought back in confusion.

  The singular spell you learned! Hide us and we’ll grab her as I fly by!

  Oh!

  The transformation had either removed their collars or all the dragons had shrunk out of them. Either way, without the magic dampness, she was hoping to actually be conscious when Wyrmwood finally used magic for once.

  Considering herself close enough for now, she began flying in circles around a tree to pick up a bit of speed. When she felt the magic activate she was surprised and was forced to slow down as instead of it working properly, she felt the mana within them suddenly clog at where they were connected. Like cotton in a drain.

  The effect of this was that she sagged in the air as the mana seemingly backflowed and Wyrmwood grew from a long super thin tail into a long pencil thin tail. At her current size, that made a big difference.

  Ironically, when he did this, he did in fact turn invisible. So when his now slightly bigger head gave her a puzzled look at his spell’s results, she only knew about it because they were still one creature and was thusly intimately connected with him.

  You’re weighing me down now, she accused. Don’t try anything like that again until we’re out of here and free.

  You told me to do it. Wyrmwood griped back.

  As the older sister, Veronica decided not to answer to that and instead continued with;

  Change of plans, I’ll just fly by and you grab her since you’re invisible.

  Wyrmwood’s only response was to ‘hmph’ in annoyed agreement.

  … Actually, I have a good idea. Now that you’re bigger, try grabbing that branch with your mouth and flinging us over. Veronica thought while pointing at said tree branch.

  Wyrmwood looked at the branch she was pointing at, moving close and looking it over for a good area to grip with his jaws on. Settling for a spot near the end of the branch, he chomped down so that his teeth sank in just a tiny bit, yet not enough to shatter the wood. Then, with a concentrated swing of his tail, flung Veronica towards Gloriosa. He nearly didn’t let go in time when Veronica’s pixie form pulled him along with her.

  Even with a distraction as big as a burning baby was, the elves seemingly had enough caution to leave a few peripheral guards around their encirclement. Two of those left were still pretty close to where Gloriosa sat. Her being deemed the most valuable hostage they needed to keep safe.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Already being on such high alert let them see Veronica zipping closer at a speed that’d rival their arrows in flight!

  Both leaped into action near instantly, one shouting, “Halt!” Yet, Veronica simply buzzed right through, buzzing just narrowly around one’s reaching arms before twirling through the air and going right between the other’s legs.

  Wyrmwood however, was being pulled along. Flying backwards meant that he couldn’t really see or react to things like Veronica currently was doing.

  The clothes around the first elf’s armpit were mysteriously ripped up as his currently invisible scales caught on the fabric, causing said elf to shout in surprise. Then the second elf let out a rather high pitched yelp as Wyrmwood accidentally hit his head on the elf’s crotch while being pulled between his legs.

  Wyrmwood’s position did, however, let him see what happened next, as the first elf, a female given the blush and covering of now exposed slight-side-boob, whirled around and started chasing after them. The second elf was on his hands and knees, seemingly taking a moment to try and breath.

  My left! Now! Veronica shouted into his mind as she passed by Gloriosa.

  Confusion! Surprise! Hesitance! Gloriosa, now close enough to them, projected her feelings into them.

  Instead of taking any time to parse through or answer, Wyrmwood instead let his instincts guide him as he wrapped around Gloriosa on his right and pulled her along with them in his still invisible coils.

  “Mrp!” Gloriosa let out a noise in surprise, more of a moment of escaping air than anything purposeful.

  Veronica didn’t stop as she swiveled and zig-zagged between the trees, trying to lose their pursuers.

  Confusion! What’s happening?! Gloriosa asked as she was seemingly flung around in the air behind Veronica.

  “No time to explain!” Veronica replied quickly before re-deciding and giving a very short summary, “I’m Wyrmwood’s sister and we are trying to get out of here right now!”

  Astonishment! Wyrmwood’s sister? Hope! You know a way out? Worry! What about the others? Where is Wyrmwood?

  They burst out of the little grove into the more open enclosure with the female elf still right behind them, the male quickly catching up behind her.

  “We don’t have time! This will be our best chance! It has to be now! Also, Wyrmwood is holding you right now.” She said while turning slightly to angle her flight towards the still open exit way that the ever-cautious elves had left that way.

  Wyrmwood squeezed his transparent coils around her slightly to let Gloriosa know it was indeed him. Her eyes widened as she felt his surprisingly smooth scales beneath her currently fleshy finger.

  Confusion. Wonder. Wyrmwood? She asked.

  Now out in the open, the elves were clearly slower than they’d been while moving between the trees. They shouted in anger and alarm as the gap between them and the ‘runaways’ grew larger and larger.

  “Stop now and you may yet be forgiven!”

  “Accursed mixling! I knew we should’ve let the beastkin take at least you!”

  Veronica ignored their shouts as she zoomed through the stone doorway with Wyrmwood and Gloriosa in tow. As they flew through a long empty corridor Veronica and Gloriosa saw metal bars descending as a sign manifested from the ceiling, reading, No hatchlings beyond this point.

  Thinking fast, Veronica shouted, “fling her forward!” Her words echoing in the long empty corridor.

  Veronica then turned her body into a quick spin, slightly delayed as the inertia gathered and traveled down her tail until Wyrmwood threw a surprised Gloriosa forwards at alarming speed, like a rock flying from a sturdy sling.

  Seeing her zoom past the closing bars before splatting against the adjacent wall, they kept the spin going until they’d done a full 360 degrees while still hurtling forwards.

  Flying for all she was worth, Veronica managed to just barely make it through before the bars hit the floor. Unfortunately, she was violently jerked back to a sudden stop as, still unable to see exactly what was going on in front of them, Wyrmwood hadn’t made it fully through and now his horns were stuck, blocking him from fully slipping through the last bit to freedom!

  A bit dizzy from the whiplash, Veronica got up on wobbly limbs and hobbled over to start manhandling Wyrmwood’s head. It was difficult because he was still invisible, but they both generally knew where he was since they shared the same body.

  “No, it’s forward, twist, and pull! Not just twist and pull you doofus!” She griped.

  I’m trying! My horns have just been growing wider lately! Wyrmwood complained back.

  “Okay, now pull to the left… no, my left!”

  Getting up from the ground with a gentle groan, Gloriosa looked over at the pixie struggling with something unseen, seemingly caught in the bars.

  Hesitance. Is Wyrmwood stuck? She asked.

  “Yes, but not for… long!” She grunted before falling backwards onto her buttwith the accompanying noise of an unsettling snap!

  Worry! What was that! Concern! Is Wyrmwood okay?!

  “Yeah, he’s fine, just um…” reaching back between the bars, she grabbed something that hadn’t been there a moment ago and showed it to Gloriosa. It was a good chunk of a familiarly shaped horn. “Oops?”

  ~~~

  much worse. :)