“Kassian isn’t as mad as he makes it look, and your Ashen’s not that much of an idiot,” he continued. “He just needs a bit of... toughening up! Do you remember? They used to be super close too. Just leave it to Kassian, alright? He’ll get Ashen back on track. Don’t worry, little sis. We’re here for you!”
Darsan’s warm and comforting words finally made her smile. Cessilia nodded and walked into his embrace, happy to have her older brother there. Because Darsan was so big, she felt like he could wrap all of her in his arms, and it was the most comforting space. She heard him chuckle.
“I missed you too! Hey, next time, take me along, alright? I know Dad and Kassian aren’t all that fun, but you should have at least told me! Escaping to see a boy... Ugh, I don’t want to think about you getting a boyfriend! You’re too young!”
“If I’m t-too young, you’re also t-too young to date Nana...”
“Hey, I’m eleven months older than you. That’s still–!”
“Oh, Sir Dragon!” Naptunie exclaimed, who hadn’t heard any of that. “Good morning! Oh, sorry, I don’t have any beignets for you today... Oh, and Sir Shiny Dragon! Good morning to you too!”
Both Krai and Kian had appeared at the same time, their heads appearing at the end street with their eyes shining in excitement. When those two were next to each other, it was easier to see their differences. Kian’s body was indeed longer, more snake-like, while Krai was bigger, like a bull. Kian’s wings were also thinner and longer, almost like fins, while Krai’s were larger and seemed stronger.
“You should see my dragon!” Darsan said. “Dran’s even bigger than these two!”
“Oh, really? ...He couldn’t come with you?” asked Naptunie, a bit disappointed.
Her question made Darsan grimace, visibly embarrassed.
“Ah... uh, not really. We both made a bit of a mess back home, so we were grounded. Dran’s with my dad, he tends to be a pain when he’s let loose, so...”
“He’s t-too much like you,” said Cessilia, walking up to the dragons to pet them.
“Hey, I’m a free spirit! It can’t be helped that things are so weak next to me! You see these muscles, Nana? I train six hours a day to get this strong! ...You like strong men, right?”
Naptunie nodded, a bit shy, but Darsan kept showing off his biceps proudly, and she was happily being the audience. Cessilia chuckled.
“He b-broke columns of the Imperial P-Palace when we were young,” she told Naptunie. “Our aunt even b-banished Dran t-twice because he made a mess d-during the festival too...”
“What, really?!”
“Cessi!” groaned Darsan. “You’re supposed to help me...”
They joked for a while, but Naptunie was more impressed by Darsan’s antics than scared. They played around with the dragons for a while too, both of them attracted to Cessilia’s pets and the delicious smells on Naptunie. The rain was now a calm drizzle that ran down their scales, but neither seemed bothered by it.
“Good morning.”
They turned around, spotting Aglithia standing there with a faint smile. She was wearing the same outfit as yesterday, and was busy eating one of the familiar beignets.
“Ah!” Nana exclaimed.
“I can’t help but get one when I can,” said Aglithia, amicable. “They truly are delicious.”
Naptunie blushed a bit, proud of her family’s food’s reputation. Meanwhile, Cessilia was surprised by how calm and easy-going that woman was. Next to her, Darsan crossed his arms, visibly doubtful as well.
The dragons also reacted to this woman’s presence. While Kian growled a bit, like a fair warning to a stranger, Krai tilted its large head and approached slowly. Aglithia stared right back at the dragon, completely calm and fearless despite the large size of the beast. It was as if she was perfectly familiar with dragons already. The siblings exchanged a look, and Nana was in awe too. People rarely felt anything other than fear when first meeting a dragon, especially an adult one. The enormous difference in size and the large claws and fangs usually kept even the most curious ones at a safe distance. Aglithia, however, seemed completely fascinated by the dragon and not the slightest bit intimidated.
“They are two beautiful ones,” she said calmly.
“How d-do you...?”
“I am not afraid,” she said. “Moreover, dragons sense fear, don’t they? It excites them.”
Darsan and Cessilia exchanged another intrigued look. That woman did know a thing or two... Soon enough, though, she turned away from the dragons to smile at them.
“Are we ready to go? Are... the others not coming, then?”
“They need t-to rest,” said Cessilia.
Another reason she had refused for Ashen to come was that she didn’t trust the Cheshi just yet. Their arrival had been way too timely, as if they had really waited for something to happen before intervening. Even if Aglithia seemed to have nothing but pacific intentions, she had still placed the triplets by her side from the beginning and had been watching them. Plus, Cessilia had to be doubtful of a woman who didn’t fear dragons. The previous one had turned out to be quite a handful...
“Alright then, let’s get going.”
She turned around, and began walking back toward the Outer Wall. The three of them followed behind, both intrigued and cautious. The dragons followed them for a little while too. The streets were empty at such an early hour, partly because of the poor weather of the past few days. Only a few intrigued eyes that were in the streets at that time curiously followed the strange quartet and the two dragons behind them.
Aglithia seemed familiar with the streets. Twice, she suddenly turned into small alleys that people foreign to the place would have missed. The dragons had to take extra detours and jumps to keep up, Krai even trying to get on the roofs until Cessilia called it down.
“Sorry,” said Aglithia. “I don’t think they will be able to follow us much farther...”
To their surprise, she had taken them to a small building that looked like one of the little shops in the Outer Market. It seemed to have been closed for a while, but Aglithia went in anyway, clearly very familiar with the place. She asked all three of them to come in, and for Darsan to close the door behind them. The space was actually so small that he had to lower his head a couple of times to not hit some pots hanging from the ceiling. Cessilia looked around. It seemed like this place was a simple pottery shop during the day…
Aglithia walked behind the counter and into a small room in the back made for storage. She went directly to a very large chest, taking the things on top of it out of the way, and opening it up with a groan. Cessilia was fascinated. Everything else in the shop had a very thin layer of dust on it, except for this large trunk. Aglithia took some random things out of the safe, like wax candles and pots of paints, then what seemed like a wooden mat, and suddenly stepped inside.
“I hope none of you has an issue with confined spaces,” she said.
Darsan grimaced, but none of them said anything. She grabbed one of the candles, quickly lighting it up with a little stone. Then, Aglithia’s body gradually disappeared downwards. Intrigued, Nana and Cessilia went to the chest, discovering it actually had no bottom. It was probably previously covered by the wooden mat, but there was now a large hole with stairs and Aglithia’s figure leading down.
“Come on. Don’t worry, someone will put everything back once we’re gone.”
