on?”
“I’m sorry, no offense, but I don’t feel comfortable.”
“Am I not female enough for you?”
“It’s not that—” Sybl was cut off when the vines came for her and caught her clothes, before yanking her out of her nightclothes and undergarments against her protests, until she was left standing completely naked. Now left without any other choice but the water for cover, she waded into it.
“If you truly want my judgement, it lies entirely with your hips.”
“It’s a European thing from the old days on my world.”
“Oh?” Kayla asked in curiosity.
“When women used to have fifteen or more children.”
Kayla didn’t say anything back to it and changed the topic. “The last human here, Serena, was a human beautiful enough to be made into our Queen by Simera. Perhaps somewhere in those uncanny blue eyes you can see a future that has eluded the best of the Novaists here.”
“What happened to her?”
“She died a short while ago. You see, she was a Seer, or what I think you call a fortune teller on your world. I can only assume that a part of her saw that Simera would never return.”
“Humans don’t just die from grief,” Sybl replied.
“Yet that didn’t stop you from trying to take your own life.”
Sybl now had enough of the conversation and slowly backed out of the water.
Lintrance paced worryingly outside the shower room, as his sister had locked herself in with Sybl.
“This is the daorans shower room...” Loki said as he stopped in the hallway, where his brother pondered the door.
“I’m aware of this.”
Loki caught the rest of his brothers thoughts, before looking back to the door. “You think sis will try something?”
“Of all times not have a daoran on our side in this whole mountain...” Lintrance replied in worry.
“If you intend to adopt her, that makes her your daughter. Go and get her out if you’re so worried.”
“After Cirrus’ stunt just now?”
“Well I’m not passing up the chance to meet her—”
“You’re going nowhere,” Lintrance said as he caught his brother’s shoulder and pulled him back.
Sybl didn’t make it far before several vines caught her foot in the water. There was no time to panic and try to get free, as more caught her other foot. Kayla swam behind her to see what Sybl was doing a miserable job of hiding.
She trembled when the daoran’s hand touched the scars on her back. The hand pulled back as the memory of pain surged through her mind and seemed to strike the daoran’s as well.
“They won’t heal...”
She looked back at Kayla as the daoran sounded genuinely concerned for a moment.
“Who did this to you?”
“It’s nothing,” Sybl said in retreat and got out of the water with no more scars to hide, before going for a towel and drying herself off. Hastily getting redressed from where her night clothes had descended to the floor, she then unlocked the room and left.
She stopped in surprise on finding Lintrance standing outside, before looking back to make sure Kayla had dragged her off to the right bathing room.
“Are you alright, Princess?”
“Yeah I’m fine,” Sybl replied, not wanting to talk about anything anymore.
“I’m sorry about Cirrus. I should have told you about his abnormal sleeping habits.”
“You told me that when a dragon falls asleep, they go berserk.”
“Normally, yes, but Cirrus has been every exception in between most of his life. I do know that he wouldn’t purposely do anything to lose your trust in him.”
“I should apologize then. I didn’t give him much of a chance to explain anything.”
“Then it can wait until morning as he headed out for the night.”
Sybl went silently back to her room at that.
19: F I E R Y D I S P O S I T I O N
Sybl regretted not paying attention as she rushed back to
“I’m sorry, no offense, but I don’t feel comfortable.”
“Am I not female enough for you?”
“It’s not that—” Sybl was cut off when the vines came for her and caught her clothes, before yanking her out of her nightclothes and undergarments against her protests, until she was left standing completely naked. Now left without any other choice but the water for cover, she waded into it.
“If you truly want my judgement, it lies entirely with your hips.”
“It’s a European thing from the old days on my world.”
“Oh?” Kayla asked in curiosity.
“When women used to have fifteen or more children.”
Kayla didn’t say anything back to it and changed the topic. “The last human here, Serena, was a human beautiful enough to be made into our Queen by Simera. Perhaps somewhere in those uncanny blue eyes you can see a future that has eluded the best of the Novaists here.”
“What happened to her?”
“She died a short while ago. You see, she was a Seer, or what I think you call a fortune teller on your world. I can only assume that a part of her saw that Simera would never return.”
“Humans don’t just die from grief,” Sybl replied.
“Yet that didn’t stop you from trying to take your own life.”
Sybl now had enough of the conversation and slowly backed out of the water.
Lintrance paced worryingly outside the shower room, as his sister had locked herself in with Sybl.
“This is the daorans shower room...” Loki said as he stopped in the hallway, where his brother pondered the door.
“I’m aware of this.”
Loki caught the rest of his brothers thoughts, before looking back to the door. “You think sis will try something?”
“Of all times not have a daoran on our side in this whole mountain...” Lintrance replied in worry.
“If you intend to adopt her, that makes her your daughter. Go and get her out if you’re so worried.”
“After Cirrus’ stunt just now?”
“Well I’m not passing up the chance to meet her—”
“You’re going nowhere,” Lintrance said as he caught his brother’s shoulder and pulled him back.
Sybl didn’t make it far before several vines caught her foot in the water. There was no time to panic and try to get free, as more caught her other foot. Kayla swam behind her to see what Sybl was doing a miserable job of hiding.
She trembled when the daoran’s hand touched the scars on her back. The hand pulled back as the memory of pain surged through her mind and seemed to strike the daoran’s as well.
“They won’t heal...”
She looked back at Kayla as the daoran sounded genuinely concerned for a moment.
“Who did this to you?”
“It’s nothing,” Sybl said in retreat and got out of the water with no more scars to hide, before going for a towel and drying herself off. Hastily getting redressed from where her night clothes had descended to the floor, she then unlocked the room and left.
She stopped in surprise on finding Lintrance standing outside, before looking back to make sure Kayla had dragged her off to the right bathing room.
“Are you alright, Princess?”
“Yeah I’m fine,” Sybl replied, not wanting to talk about anything anymore.
“I’m sorry about Cirrus. I should have told you about his abnormal sleeping habits.”
“You told me that when a dragon falls asleep, they go berserk.”
“Normally, yes, but Cirrus has been every exception in between most of his life. I do know that he wouldn’t purposely do anything to lose your trust in him.”
“I should apologize then. I didn’t give him much of a chance to explain anything.”
“Then it can wait until morning as he headed out for the night.”
Sybl went silently back to her room at that.
19: F I E R Y D I S P O S I T I O N
Sybl regretted not paying attention as she rushed back to
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