Dhennos Whitevayne thanked the gods. At long last he'd found somewhere to break his fast.

The previous night had been the worst. Chronic pain had chosen to reassert its hateful dominance, thus keeping the former warrior up for veritable hours at an end.

(Translated from Greek). "{Barely three hours of sleep, two pulled muscles, including a hamstring, and the gods-damned fatigue...}.

The coffee shop was small by city standards. Unlike similar establishments, there wasn't much of a queue this early in the morning.

"{It shouldn't take long to order something light before starting the day in earnest.
Thank God for small mercies, I suppose...}."

Barely six or seven minutes went by before Dhennos reached the counter. No sooner did he make to speak when he noticed something amiss about the employees.

"{The auras around them... the scent of their blood...}."

He had to investigate. Nevertheless, the confrontation would have to wait till after the breakfast rush. Determined to keep up appearances, Whitevayne ordered a triple chai latte and a ham, cheese and egg sandwich. Having paid for his order, the former warrior addressed one of the employees nearby.

"Excuse me... I would like to speak with the owner."

"Is something wrong, Sir?"

"No, it has nothing to do with my order. He's a friend of mine from back in the day, and I'd like to swing by and catch up on old times."

"Then I guess you're in luck. Mr. Halarios should be coming by tonight after closing time."

"Good to know; I'll be back later, then...

With that, Dhennos broke his fast and headed out...

Later that night...

The moment of truth had arrived. As soon as the last customers stepped out, Whitevayne reentered the shop through the front door. Much to his relief, the one he sought happened to be right in front of him.

"{It's him, alright: olive skin, African hair, brown eyes... flawless disguise, if I say so myself}."

"We're closed for the night. Come back tomorrow."

The man had spoken with a slight Greek accent similar to that of Dhennos. The former warrior didn't budge. The younger male carried on with cleaning for some four or five minutes before a stern Whitevayne spoke.

"That won't work, boy. You can't scare me away with the silent treatment."

The owner wasn't amused in the slightest.

"Boy!? I'm as old as you!"

"Give or take a coupla thousand years, Mr. Halarios..."

"Is there a purpose behind your visit, or did you just come here to bend my ear out of shape?"

"You already know the answer to that... Asclepios."

The owner stopped what he was doing. Having called on another employee and instructed her to continue, Asclepios signaled for Dhennos to join him at an alleyway outside. Once they were alone, the owner turned to the former warrior.

"Why are you here? Are you keeping tabs on me, making sure I won't misbehave?"

"Not at all. I came by this morning and noticed something odd about your employees. Good to know these senses of mine are just as keen now as they were over six-thousand years ago."

"You sensed they were sang maudits, didn't you?"

"Don't be too hard on them. They're young, still learning. You know it's impossible to give me the slip for long."

"You still haven't answered my question. Why have you come here?"

Dhennos sighed.

"Are we alone? May we speak in our true guise, uninterrupted?"

Asclepios nodded. In less than a breath, the pair shed their human disguises, revealing their true forms as anthropomorphic dragons. Though Asclepios stood a rough seven feet, Whitevayne still towered above him.

"Four luminous reptile eyes, the color of sapphire and amber... it's you, alright, new body notwithstanding."

"You are really testing my patience, Aristion. Why did you seek me out?"

Aristion sighed.

"There it is... that same old hostility. I don't blame you for feeling that way, though.
Look... I've been thinking long and hard since our latest encounter. I have come to realize I owe you an apology... several, as a matter of fact."

"You, apologize? What for, pray? Which one among your countless sins is keeping you up at night?"

"Don't be like that. Asclepios... I have wronged you... I have sinned against you in the worst possible way. I... I blamed you for what happened to Alexandros. You were telling the truth all along: his death was not your doing. The Dread Emperor and his forces are to blame. I sort of knew it already, yet I was much too angry and bitter to admit I'd been wrong."

"And what's your point? You want my forgiveness?"

"That would be nice... but I don't deserve it. I'm well aware of that. Asclepios... I blamed you for so many things you didn't do, things that were beyond your control. I... I made your life a living hell for so long, all for nothing."

Asclepios scowled.

"Don't give me that. I was far from innocent myself. I performed dark magic, needlessly slaughtered countless fellow sang maudits for all the wrong reasons... the Dark Holy Sword was right to forsake me. All this time... I thought the lad hated me. ... he did it... to save me... so I wouldn't follow in the fiend's steps. I can still see it, Aristion: the mangled bodies, reeking of blood, already dead or about to breathe their last. beloved... she bought him some time, but it wasn't enough. And then I found him... near-death. He told me I was the world's last hope, that I had to complete the ritual lest all should be lost. The way he looked upon me, the way he spoke: 'You have to, Papa. Please... don't let him hurt anyone else.' He... he was so scared, yet he still... and I... I..."

Asclepios wept. Aristion seized his opportunity.

"I know it hurts. You still carry guilt over it. We both know what it's like to lose a son, to lose someone we love. Asclepios... you mustn't blame yourself. Ibrahim was right: if you hadn't completed the sword, there would have been no way to stop him. The nations of the world would all have fallen; billions would have perished. Your son realized that. I... I am as much to blame as the Emperor, if not more so. He... he used me, and I... I blamed you for it."

"None of that; that is his sin to bear, not ours. Defeating him, killing him again and again... that was my life for millennia. I... I stole the lives, the futures of so many, reduced them to pawns to fight an endless war. My rage, my revenge... I nearly lost everything to it."

"You and the Enclave have saved this world countless times. What's more, he saved you. The boy is good... just like his father..."

Asclepios sighed.

"There's still lots of work to be done before we close. I don't have to come in tomorrow night. What say you we continue our talk over supper? I wish to introduce you to my beloved and our hatchlings."

Dhennos smiled.

"That would be wonderful."

"Good; you already know where I live."

"Same here."

The pair shook hands.

"Until tomorrow, Manuel Galerios."

"Until tomorrow, Asclepios Mavrós."