Alexei snatched the irate bird from the sky and held it against his chest. “But it was worth it!" He crowed in excitment. "I had planned on just getting the dragon to go away. I had never expected it to tell us all the secrets of the chest!”

The firebird blinked up at him. “You knew the chest was there?”

Alexei laughed and twirled, making the firebird squawk. “I knew that Libertine must have had a reason for wanting the dragon under that tree. Why else would she be so angry that the dragon had been in the eastern forest? She couldn’t have been angry at it hunting. Dragons hunt, they need to, and Yala has been picking away at the deer herds for months now. Why be angry at the dragon and not the wolf?”

Wolf and firebird glanced at each other and Alexei set the firebird on his shoulder as he had seen his father do.

“How will you get the key from Libertine?” Yala asked.

Alexei smiled secretly. “The same way I got the key from my father.”

They two animals glanced at each other in worry but kept their peace.

Alexei spent the next few weeks lurking about the palace. He spent more and more time in Libertine’s presence, studying her as she dealt with those that lived on her island. Alexei was surprised to notice that she had indeed changed. No longer were her eyes warm or filled with mischief. Now they were cold and there was a strange cruelness in her.

She no longer looked at him fondly or curiously. When her gaze did fall on him it was on of suspicion and intense dislike. A few times she even chased him from her court, screaming that his very presence tainted all things fae and that she would not suffer it. Always he would steal some trinket from the piles of gold and return to her court to offer it to her.

To his intense relief she never seemed to notice his deception for she always took the proffered trinket with a half smile and a look of intense greed. He expounded on her beauty and when she seemed to tire of that he began to weave pretty words of awe about her power.

Winter turned to spring and he was grateful to find that the Libertine in spring was like any other young woman. She loved his pretty speeches and often sought him out for more. It was through these words that he was able to discover where she kept the key that held the dragon prisoner.

One day while whispering words of flattery he had begged to be shown the dragon. He had implied that he did not believe even one so powerful as her could keep such a creature prisoner. It had been a tricky dance for if he was too disdainful she would turn against him. However he managed to pull it off for she took him out on her steed and together they approached the chained dragon.

Alexei prayed that the dragon would keep silent and he was rewarded as the dragon proved its intelligence by pretended not to know him. It hissed and snarled at them, pulling at its chain in its attempt to reach them. When it moved to breath its fire Libertine used her power and the dragon dropped to the ground, trapped in sleep.

Alexei approached the dragon hesitantly, fearful that the creature would waken suddenly. He was aware of Libertine’s suddenly hesitant manner and he let words of her greatness fall from his lips to keep her from worry that he had seen the chest. To have her move the pendant would ruin everything.

He fingered the collar about the dragon’s neck and inquired about it.

“Surely this lock is too weak to hold such a creature.” He exclaimed, glancing back at the rusalki.

Libertine sniffed delicately and from a hidden pocket sewn into the side of her dress produced a small silver key. “Only this can cause that lock to open.” She replied smugly.

Alexei smiled and drifted to her side, gallantly taking her arm in his. “How clever you are!”

Libertine preened, as she always did when such words were spoken and allowed Alexei to escort her back to the fae steed. The key disappeared back in the pocket and Alexei forced it from his mind. Though it was hard he pretended as though the key did not exist for he could tell in the days after their visit to the dragon Libertine had realized how foolish it had been to take him to the dragon.

To sooth her mind Alexei began to hint that he would like to stay on her island forever. She seemed taken with the idea and he repeated his desire as often as he could. Spring was rapidly turning to summer and he knew their days were numbered. Soon the firebird would be released for its three months of freedom and his uncle would have to go lest Libertine realize something was wrong. But he needed the firebird to take down the falcon that the dragon had spoken of.

He disliked cutting his plans so close but they could not act until the final day lest Libertine use her power to drag the firebird back for leaving before their yearly contract had ended.

“What do humans have compared to this?” He asked one day, lamenting of his last day in Libertine’s kingdom as he knelt at her feet. “I do not understand why the firebird would want to keep returning to that world. I have never known my uncle to be a foolish man, until now.” He peered up at the rusalki coyly, receiving a warm smile in return.

 “Humans are a stupid race,” Libertine replied simply, “they cannot understand perfection or how little they mean in the scheme of the world.”

Alexei nodded sagely. “You speak true, my lady. I can only curse my fate that I was born to such creatures. Thank you for allowing me to grasp even the smallest bit of your perfection.”

Before Libertine could reply, however, the firebird came shrieking into the hall. A grey form lunged at it and dragged it to the ground. Libertine sat forward in her throne, emerald eyes wide with surprise as the firebird managed to escape the wolf’s grasp before being dragged back to the ground.

Alexei had only just managed to slip his hand out of her pocket when she rose, her voice loud with anger. Jumping before the rusalki he rushed down to the fighting creatures, shoving the wolf off the hysterical bird. Yala whirled upon him, her sharp teething closing about his outstretched hand.

Crying out in mock pain, Alexei fell back, gripping his hand as the wolf whirled on its heels and fled.

“Stop it!” Libertine screamed.

Alexei whirled, falling at her feet. “Please, lady! Leave it be!”

Libertine stared down at him in confusion.

“It is my fault!” He pleaded, “In my human impudence I thought to make a wild creature obedient. The wolf only follows her instincts. If someone must be punished for this, let it be this foolish human.”

The firebird cried out and limped to his side, flinging itself into his arms. He clung to the shaking bird. After a long moment Libertine whirled and returned to her throne.

“You will find that wolf and kill it. A creature dirtied by humans in such a manner can never return to the creature it once was. Since it was your sin, human, you will correct it.”

“I shall not return until it is done, my lady.” Bowing deeply Alexei lifted the firebird and fled from Libertine’s presence.

“Are you alright?” He asked, holding the firebird’s wings out so he could inspect them.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine!” The firebird snapped, freeing itself from his hold.

Alexei smiled and patted the bird’s crest. “You did well! See? I told you she wouldn’t hurt you.”

The firebird hissed, a testament to how much it had hated the ruse.

“So . . . did you get it?” The firebird asked, peering at his hands.

Alexei laughed and held out his empty hands. “Yala has it now. I passed it to her when she bit at me. You see? People only see what they want to see. Give them a bit of glitz and glamour and they’ll never notice you picking their pockets clean. Come on, let’s get on with this before Libertine realizes it is missing.”

Gathering what clothes he needed and the bag of supplies as well as Yala’s harness he and the firebird left the palace. Together they followed Yala’s tracks southward until they were hidden by the trees. Yala appeared and Alexei took the silver key from her mouth. Together they made for the glade where the dragon awaited them.

Dropping the bags and harness on the ground he turned towards the wolf and firebird.

“Are you two ready?” He asked.

Both nodded. As he moved towards the tethered dragon he saw Yala crouch down among some nearby bushes while the firebird positioned itself up in the tree. Nodding to himself Alexei smiled as he neared the dragon.

“I have come as I have promised.” He said, holding up the key, “Now I would remind you of yours.”

The dragon lowered its head. “I remember mine, human child.”

Alexei fitted the key to the lock and the collar fell away. With a roar of delight the dragon spread its massive wings and took flight. Alexei watched nervously as it scaled the tree and, with a flick of its tail, sent the chest tumbling down from the tree. It crashed into the ground and as the dragon had said a brown hare leapt from the wreckage. It sped towards the cover of the nearby bushes where it meet its death in Yala’s jaws.

As sharp teeth tore into the hare’s hide a falcon slipped free. Alexei felt his heart clench as it shot into the air. It was met by a streak of red and the two birds tumbled through the air. The falcon was impossibly fast but the firebird was faster and the firebird’s black talons caught the falcon. Using its greater weight the firebird dragged it from the sky and Alexei ran to the two birds, using the knife Byely had given him to end the creature’s life. From within it he pulled the golden pendant and the firebird trilled in pleasure.

They were suddenly cast in shadow and Alexei whirled. The dragon dropped from the sky next to them.

“Hurry human child! She is coming!” It warned. 

“Yala!” Alexei cried and the wolf appeared, his bags clenched tightly in her jaws.

Alexei fumbled with the harness and the dragon growled in fear and annoyance.

“There is no time for that! Come! Get on my back. I shall carry you to safety!”

Alexei hesitated, glancing at the wolf. “I cannot leave her!”

The dragon growled and snatched the surprised wolf in one massive hand. “Get on!” It snarled.

Clamoring onto the dragon’s back Alexei held on tightly as large wings came down, lifting them into the air. The firebird followed them and Alexei closed his eyes tightly as the ground dropped away beneath them. When the firebird cried out, however, he turned to stare behind them.

A great storm was gathering behind them and he gasped at the sheer power that was flung at them. The magic wind wrapped about them and the dragon and firebird struggled against its pull. Reaching out Alexei called to the struggling bird, pulling it down into his arms when it veered close enough. 

The dragon snarled in rage, twisting its way out of the magical grasp. They dived from the sky towards the water and Alexei felt his heart leap into his heart. At the last minute the dragon banked and they shot forward impossibly fast. They reached dry land and the storm suddenly ceased around them.

Frowning Alexei turned to peer behind him where the storm swirled, as though waiting for something.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

The firebird shivered. “She’s waiting. In three days it will be summer and her power will be at its height. She won’t venture after us until then.”

Clutching the golden necklace in one hand and the firebird in the other Alexei turned away from the rusalki’s island.

“Thank you for your help, great one.” He said, “I do not know how to repay you for your kindness.”

The dragon snorted. “The only repayment for freedom is freedom. You gave me mine and I am honor bound to give you yours. I will take you home and then I shall go on my way, human child.”

Alexei smiled. “Thank you, dragon. Come on, uncle,” he whispered, peering down at the bird in his arms, “Let’s go home.

The firebird trilled in agreement.