After the beating she took at the hands of Ascalon, Crystal Salt had woken up in Indigo City General with severe pain in the left side of her head. Since she had last been in a foundry in the Iron Circle, and didn't know the details between then and now, she feigned memory loss while she tried to figure out what was going on. It was the memory loss with no apparent cause that made the medical staff decide to hold her for twenty-four hour observation, just to rule out concussions or brain damage.

She had asked how she had gotten to the hospital, and she was informed that a man with a Middle Eastern accent of some kind had carried her into the ER. Seeing her badge on her belt, they started work on her immediately, and when a nurse returned to have the man fill out the admissions paperwork, he was gone. They had found her medical card in her wallet, and taken care of the paperwork themselves. The Secret Service had been contacted and apprised of her condition, but they had not yet been able to reach her partner, Agent Heironymous.

All said and done her jaw was bruised well into the bone, with a possible hairline fracture. It left her with a massive, nasty-looking dark bruise from her chin to the top of her left cheekbone, and the swelling to go with it. The doctor had informed her that it might give her a glass jaw until it healed up, and that the glass jaw might become permanent if her jaw should be broken before it could heal. They told her she didn't have a concussion, and advised medical leave with bed rest until she was completely recovered.

Released from the hospital at the end of the second day, Salt was mad as hell, and went back to the hotel to see if she could find Heironymous. When she arrived, she found Heironymous laid out shirtless on the far bed, his shoulder bandaged, and him sleeping or unconscious. On the closer bed, a man sat with his back turned to the door, looking over his shoulder at her. His hair was pulled back in a pony tail with a severe widow's peak, he appeared to be in fighting trim, and was dressed in an impeccable suit by Don Wenauer.

Drawing her weapon and pointing it at the man as she kicked the door closed behind her, she winced as she said, "Who are you?"

The man stood slowly, his hands held out in front of him. Speaking in a slight accent, he answered, "I am the Prince of Dragons in human form."

"Prove it," demanded Crystal.

Pointing to a slight cut across his throat, he said, "The samurai gave me this at the foundry." When Salt still looked doubtful, he gave a low, animalistic growl which she had only heard before from Heironymous.

Relaxing her aim, and then holstering her weapon, she said, "Another dragon. How come you're not as old as Heironymous?"

The Prince of Dragons smiled at that. "We can choose whatever human form we wish. He could look younger if he desired."

"Hm. Then why doesn't he?" she said with curiosity.

"Age has its advantages," he said plainly. "It lends an air of wisdom, experience, and leadership, but belies his true power. That causes enemies to underestimate him."

Crystal nodded slowly, closing her eyes for a moment as swallowing made her jaw ache. "Fair enough," she said finally. "I take it you were the one who carried me into the hospital?"

"What makes you say that?" asked the Prince.

"Your accent is Turkish," said Salt, "and the nurse told me the man who brought me in had a Middle Eastern accent. You also haven't asked who I am. So you must know me from somewhere. In Indigo, that can only be from the foundry. So you must be the one who brought me to the hospital."

The Prince nodded once. "You are very good," he said quietly. "I see what he likes about you. If you knew who I was though, then why did you doubt me when I told you the truth?"

"It's always good to get as much information as possible so that you're sure," she said with a painful smile. "And now I know how they got a dragon into Indigo without raising any eyebrows. What about the foundry? Where are all of the trolls?" she asked.

Shifting slightly to a more relaxed stance, the Prince smoothed the edge of his lapel with one hand. Pointing to Heironymous, he said, "I did what he asked of me. They're gone, and I made sure there were no traces of us left in the foundry. Indigo City will never know we were here."

Standing silently for a moment, Crystal pointed to the empty bed and asked, "Do you mind?"

"Please," said the Prince, sweeping a hand towards the bed as he stood aside. "I only met him here to help with his wounds, and let him know the situation at the foundry. I've been watching over him while he slept, waiting on you to return. Now that you are here, I can take my leave." He nodded once more as she sat down on the end of the bed, and then he headed to the door. Before exiting, he said, "Do not take this unkindly, Agent Salt, but you look as if you could use some rest as well."

A tired breath escaping through her nostrils in place of a laugh, Crystal said, "You have no idea. Thank you for getting me to the hospital, and for helping my partner."

"Heironymous looked after me for many years. It was the least I could do. Good day, Ms. Salt." He smiled briefly, and then left, closing the door softly behind him.

She leaned out gingerly to twist the thumb lock on the door, and then laid back tiredly on the bed. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, taking a few deep breaths, then turned her head towards her sleeping partner on the other bed. "Lucy," she said softly, "you got some 'splaining to do." Then she fell asleep.

Story and characters owned by Chris Bishop, copyright 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.

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The Origins Behind the Origins (or how some of these characters got their names):

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Added to the 5th Column Comics Library. :)