Providence, Somewhere

Night of the Were-Dragon

Crickets chirped throughout the forest, now turning vibrant shades of red and yellow. It was rather difficult to see in the dark, but the lights of the town beyond were minimal compared to the vastness of the forest.

Tara stared out into the night. She really wasn't expecting much, but seeing the dim streetlights from the watchtower gave a slight bit of comfort compared to her main job. She moved away from the town to the other side of the tower, watching the rest of the dark forest. Meters and meters away, a dim greenish hue emanated from beyond the perimeter, separating the pine trees from what lay beyond. No one had gone beyond it, and if they did, they'd easily get disoriented before meeting the glowing green slime. From this high up, it didn't look so bad.

Behind her, she heard footsteps on the wood balcony, and turned around. Danny was here, but she didn't see him arrive. Maybe she was too distracted, or maybe...

"You took the stealthy way to visit me?" she asked.

"Glad you noticed," he replied, leaning forward on the balcony next to her. "I just wanted to see the stars."

"As usual."

He took out a notebook from his pocket, unclipping the pen from its holder. "You know, I kinda noticed that there's a star for every resident. Or maybe it's because I don't have a telescope."

"Jenny can become a telescope, or you can ask her to zoom in on the stars, or something."

"Yeah, but I like to see it on my own terms, you know?"

Tara nodded, silent, staring up at the sky. "You know, you could do this more often if you joined the Rangers. You get the solace you like, and you get to watch the stars—"

"Thanks, but I work alone," he said, promptly interrupting her.

She glanced at him. "And why's that?"

"Being part of groups like that makes me feel... off." He shrugged. "I dunno, it feels like I'm becoming allergic to people, in a way. I don't wanna isolate myself, but I don't wanna deal with a team. Acht has been nice to work with— keeps to themself, lets me joke around if I wanna— but I just don't wanna stress myself beyond just giving what needs to be given. I've worked alone as a Phantom— or rather, mostly alone— but working alongside a team for long? It isn't something I'm too keen on doing for however long I'm here."

"It's okay to be comfortable with that." She motioned for him to follow, walking back to the other side, the one that faced the town. "I've been a lone wolf for most of my life— a wanderer, if you could believe it."

Danny looked inside the cabin. Most of the items strewn about were wilderness-related: fishing gear, a backpack, hiking boots. "Well, you know a lot about the forest and whatnot when you first got here."

"It's why I joined the Rangers: I just wanna be in my own little wild world. Wish I could see some deer, though. We need some venison— my ex would probably hate me for eating meat."

"Really, now?" Danny leaned on the balcony again, shortly after she did.

Tara paused, scratching at the wood banister. There was a rumble in her ears— short, low, and droning. She looked towards the apartments, seeing a light that certainly didn't belong. She pointed. "Danny, look!"

The light grew larger, but it only grew to a certain point, engulfing a tree or two.

Tara ran inside, grabbing her radio while Danny looked on at the bizarre phenomenon. "Calling all units," she said. "This is Southwest Tower, reporting. A strange light just appeared in my quadrant, over."

"You might wanna take a look at this," Danny called.

Tara ran back outside. The light orb was now replaced with a snakelike dragon, bright as the moon that shone above, with a blonde mane and teal horns.