🐉 🐉 🐉
THE sunlight was blindingly bright, but Lushera actually felt cool riding on Kaphal’s back, being struck by the merciless wind. She was at a point where she could sleep perfectly comfortably in a sauna or exposed to the harsh winter of a mountain, though, so this was nothing more than moderately uncomfortable.
Kaphal was helping the city recover by drying it out. The sun grew stronger, its rays striking the earth, whisking water away, cleansing with heat.
Lushera clung tightly to Kaphal’s mane as she looked down at the ground, the people down there having stopped cleaning to cheer Kaphal on.
“They’re all making a big fuss. Well…that’s not surprising,” Lushera said, smiling awkwardly. This was her first time basking in cheers like this. Obviously, everyone was looking at Kaphal, not her. They probably didn’t even see her riding on Kaphal’s back.
When Julian went forward with his plan of destroying the shackles that held the entire kingdom’s lands in a calm state, Kaphal tried to stop the effects, buying time until the battle was over. Many people saw her raging against the heavens when the rains of destruction fell on Kugut’hulm.
Thankfully, the battle ended quickly, and Viola was able to stop the damage the water did when she took back the dracovitae. Without Kaphal’s fierce battle, though, the city of Kugut’hulm would have been washed away, wiped clean from the map.
Kaphal only did what she did as part of military tactics. The alliance with Setrayu was beneficial to her too. If the kingdom was harmed, it would make it more difficult to protect her mountain.
But even so, the people of the city already saw her as a hero for putting herself at risk to protect them.
“Bad to overdo it,” said Lushera. “If too hot, humans collapse.”
“Okay,” said Kaphal and she stopped firing her breath into the sky.
The people down below returned to the task of cleaning.
The wind and sound of wingbeats rushed around her. The birds didn’t even dare come close, making this a time just for Kaphal and Lushera, floating together in the sky.
Lushera put on Giselle’s Ring. Her Draconic skills weren’t yet good enough that she could understand everything and fully express herself, so she made sure to use the ring for the important conversations.
“Hey, Mom,” she said.
“Hey, Lushera,” said Kaphal at exactly the same time. They laughed.
“…Ahaha.”
“Hmhm.”
Kaphal’s wingbeats slipped out of sync, though there was no way she’d let the wind cause that.
Feeling a little awkward, Lushera held on tightly to Kaphal’s mane as she rolled over on Kaphal’s back. “So, I know that no matter how strong I get, I’ll never be a real dragon… That’s…okay…right? Being together…”
“Of course it’s okay!”
Of course. Lushera was certain Kaphal would answer that way, but she was still happy to hear it. “Okay, then promise me you’ll actually talk to me about the important things. You saw how if you don’t, you don’t even know what I might be able to do.”
“…You’re right. I promise I will.”
Kaphal did seem to have an idea of what Lushera was talking about.
Lushera couldn’t let Kaphal just decide everything when it came to her, especially if it meant Kaphal was going to sacrifice herself. She wanted to stand beside her, moving forward together… That wasn’t just pride anymore, saying that. She now had the confidence that she could, and that she should. Lushera believed that Kaphal also believed in her now, and that was why she gave her a true name.
Even if Lushera wasn’t quite human, she wasn’t a dragon either. She wanted to be equal to Kaphal, but she understood she wasn’t. That was fine. The important thing was being together. She would do everything in her power for that.
But she also didn’t want to make Kaphal worry because of that. Which was why she thought of one other promise that should be made.
“And don’t worry, Mom, I promise I’ll ask for your help when I need it!”
“Oh my… Looks like I might be busy then.”
The sun shone gently, warming Lushera and Kaphal’s backs. Lushera felt like she could still hear the voices of the townspeople, having gone back to work.
“I wonder how long it will take this city to go back to how it was,” said Kaphal.
“…It won’t ever go back to the way it was. People died. Buildings were destroyed that can’t be rebuilt.”
“Yeah… You’re right,” murmured Kaphal. She seemed to regret being unable to protect everyone, though she tried, even if she wasn’t concerned with the lives and deaths of humans.
“But even if it doesn’t go back to the way it was, it’ll come back alive. The people who survived will carry on the memories of what was,” said Lushera, trying to sound as cheery as she could. She didn’t see despair in the people below them, which meant it was going to be okay. Even if they lost something, something new could grow from what was left. “So, once it’s full of energy again, let’s go get some ice cream!”
“Agreed!”
Lushera was pretty sure she remembered a specialty ice cream parlor in Kugut’hulm.
Setrayu was only going to get hotter. Ice cream would definitely hit the spot.