[Death by Mirrors]

Day 4
Today Taivo asked if we could fly a bit lower over the ocean so they get a chance to catch some fresh seafood for dinner. I told him we would have to switch from sails to the hot air balloon to do that, a maneuver which just can't be performed safely while still up in the air. Taivo didn't complain, but nevertheless looked disappointed when returning to the kitchen.
In the afternoon a zeppelin aircraft appeared on the horizon, three silver stars with black lining painted on its side. Knowing the ship belongs to a trade company we had bought fuel from earlier, I decided to rendezvous. Maybe they could be convinced to take Taivo on a short fishing trip. However, once Taivo saw the zeppelin approaching, the dragon turned pale and hid in the bilge.
It took me almost an hour to convince Taivo to return on deck. I tried to bribe them with the promise of a fishing trip after we reached our destined port, as long as the dragon told me who they're hiding from and why. Taivo offered to tell once we anchor at our destination. I harshly replied I would not endanger the rest of the crew by hiding a possible criminal. At first Taivo looked ready to fight, but then sighed and told me they had been working on the Golden Sun - a trader airship that lost its goods in a fire. Apparently dragon puberty comes with uncontrollable flame bursts, and Taivo had lied about their age when enlisting with the trade company.
"Will you throw me overboard now?", the dragon asked nervously.
"No", I decided. "But you have to face consequences and retrieve your error. My crew is a honorable squad."
Taivo blinked. "D-Does that mean I'm part of your crew?"
"Yes. Unless you'd rather go back and work with the traders, of course."
To this day I have never been hugged by a dragon before, but it certainly was an interesting experience.