"I really do not want to leave her alone. Can we not just stay together?" Cynthia asked desperately, as she tried her best to persuade the others.

The thought that the moment when they would step inside the Main City, each one would recognize that they were not Dragonesians, except for Leon, was a matter of deep concern. The reason lied in the certitude that the Main City was crowded with Dragonesians of different classes, here and there. They were literate enough to spot the difference between humans and Dragonesians. Now Leon's invented scent for covering the human smell was not enough as the verity was in the eyes. Those glowing, inhumane eyes.

Fortunately, Leon knew about a special kind of pill known as Mortonarta. When taken in the pill of a particular colour, then the eyeballs' colour would change to that specific hue and the effect would last for at least one week. The information about these pills was controversial, however. It was said that some humans, who were actually revolutionaries, had created such pills to go undercover as Dragonesians while working behind those monsters and plotting against them. It was also rumoured to have been destroyed because the information possibly had gotten out to some Dragonesians, but it was all words and no concrete evidence.

These pills were also apparently found in pharmacies, but not all. That was the tricky part. It was difficult to say whether the workers in a particular pharmacy were Dragonesians or actually humans in disguise. But once the pills were found, which had sparkling, glittering elements over their surfaces (for correct identification), then it could be said that the workers and everybody else in the pharmacy were humans. And if the pills were not found, then with a hundred percent surety one could tell, the workers and customers were no one but Dragonesians.

There was a pharmacy visible from the edge of the plain, they were standing on. And Cora and Lena, who were assigned as the collectors of the group, readily volunteered to go down there and look for the pills. Whereas Alana and Leon were supposed to be keeping their profiles low, and near the pharmacy, while keeping an eye on them so that they could take action in case of an emergency.

Meanwhile, Cynthia and Lucian were purported to look for any possible shelter, even if that meant finding a shabby shack.

However, Cynthia seemed to be not ready to allow her sister to just walk into a pharmacy filled with potential Dragonesians. They did not even know if they were actually humans. Moreover, they had no idea whether Mortonarta even existed.

"Cynthia, I am old enough to at least know how to hide my identity," Cora soothingly began, "Besides, Lena will be with me and Alana and Leon will stay just outside the pharmacy. There is no chance that something will happen to me."

"No," Cynthia shook her head vigorously, once again turning down the idea, "I am not letting you go. It is too dangerous—"

"Lucian will stay with Alana," Leon informed, cutting off Cynthia mid-sentence, "That way the two would be enough to bring Cora and Lena out of the pharmacy in case of an emergency. And I will go with you, in search of a shelter. Would that be alright?"

"But what if you two—" Lucian protested, only to nod understandingly at one glance of Leon.

The concern that Cynthia bore for Cora was only natural. Cora was Cynthia's only family at present and being the older sibling, she would feel immense guilt if anything happened to her. She had sworn to protect Cora till her last breath, with all her might.

Cynthia pondered over the matter for a while. It was true that they needed to do everything faster and for that, she needed to ultimately part ways with Cora. And now, at least Lucian and Alana both were there to stay on guard.

"Fine," Cynthia agreed at last.

"That's decided then," Alana concluded, "Lena and Cora will go on the search for Mortonarta, Lucian and I will stay on guard near the pharmacy and Leon and Cynthia will go on a search for shelter."

"Appears so," Lena nodded her head, as she showed Alana a thumbs up before turning her gaze to Cora who happened to be nervous. Lena smiled when she observed how Cora tried her best to hide the anxiety she was feeling.

Cora was not just strong. She was ready to face danger, without caring for her life. And that was a great thing to express, for a child of her age.

Lena slipped her fingers through Cora's, entwining them in the process. Cora looked up at the older girl only to find her smiling like an angel straight from heaven.

"Are you ready, Cora?" Lena asked.

"Yes," with a breathy exhalation, Cora answered.

"Do not worry. I am with you, alright?"

And at that very moment, Cora smiled, feeling the warmth of protectiveness of Lena surrounding her.

Lena sent a subtle nod towards Alana when the girl motioned them to proceed towards the pharmacy, while hiding behind the bushes.

With parts of thin clothes, the lower parts of their faces were tightly covered, as Lena and Cora walked through the pharmacy door, their gazes towards the floor, as much as possible. If only they possessed things like sunglasses, which existed in the ancient times.

Fortunately, since the pharmacy was located on the outskirts of the Main City, there was a possibility for not many, whether be Dragonesians or humans, to have knowledge about the mere differences between the two species. So far so, as Lena and Cora were searching through the almost empty pharmacy, with only a nonchalant young man sitting behind the front counter, they could not discover a single pill of Mortonarta.

There were pills and bottles of medicines for several other injuries, illnesses, but not the one they were looking for.

Cora, being more petite than Lena, was able to make her way through the pharmacy in a rush, without making anything look unnatural.

"Cora," Lena murmured under her breath to the ten-year-old, "Go check there, the third aisle on your left while I search the drawers here."

Nodding, Cora scurried away. Lena had purposefully sent off Cora to the particular aisle, since there was absolutely no one near or even close to that aisle. Meaning, Cora could look for Mortonarta without being suspiciously watched by anyone.

"Where are you, Mortonarta?" Lena bit her lower lip, as she mumbled under her breath. With each passing second, her anxiousness seemed to intensify, but something was telling her that those pills could be found in the drawer she was currently rummaging through, while she tried to remain silent. The sparkle she had noticed amongst the darkness of the interior of the drawer had not gone unnoticed by Lena.

And finally, similar to the feeling of discovering a treasure box, Lena grasped the small bottle full of glittering, shimmering pills, of different colours.

As she turned around with a smile on her face, she had not expected the grin to fade away so soon.

The boy who was at the counter previously, was staring right through her soul, as he stood with just few distance between them. His golden eyes inhumanely shone under the sunlight penetrating through the glass windows.

And the next words that he spoke, only made Lena gulp down a big lump.

"I reckon you are not a Dragonesian, young lady."