Ep 193. Get Used To It. (5) + Notice

 

“Ah, gimme a break…she really just disappears as soon as I can walk? Should’ve just followed after her.”

“…Um…then, maybe you really should just go…”

As Aymeia hesitantly stammered her answer on their walk, Raizel shot the former deity another look. The youngling was smiling, but it was far from a comforting one; if anything, it was pressuring.

“Why? ‘Cuz you hate being with me?”

“No no no no no! I’m totally fine!”

Raizel snorted at the response. Whether that was a lie or not – and it most likely was – she had no intention of letting the former deity go free anytime soon.

“Well, that redhead did say I need to take it easy…I guess I can take a break. And I can’t leave you at Ilias’ place forever, either. It’s already full enough having Eline and Theo around.”

“Then…where’re we going?”

“My nest. Where else?”

Aymeia quizzically frowned at the youngling’s answer. She wasn’t even aware that Raizel had a home of her own.

In fact, hardly anyone knew that the steel dragon had her own nest. Even the dragons had grown used to seeing Raizel living with Ilias.

Alas, after a lengthy walk towards the valley’s outskirts, Raizel and Aymeia came to an eventual stop.

“Your…nest?”

The location itself was quite noteworthy – the two seemingly stood at the border between Dragon’s Valley, and the fog-filled forest that surrounded it. The mountains’ rocky surfaces came to an end, and Aymeia could practically see the fog of Mire Forest from where they stood. They were at the furthest outskirts of the valley.

Though, as notable as the location was in itself, Aymeia never would’ve guessed that someone would live here.

Unfortunately, Raizel was gesturing to a towering stone surface nearby, signalling that this was indeed their destination: a surface that was probably a door, though if not for Raizel’s explicit pointing and the black gap running through the middle, Aymeia never would’ve guessed what it was.

In all fairness, the place just looked like someone had brought a pair of giant, thin stones and smashed them together in front of a cavern’s entrance: the surface was decorated with gigantic claw marks, layers of moss, and a coat of webs every then and there. Its height towered at least three times above Aymeia, and she could swear there were bloodstains in certain parts.

“…This place looks haunted.”

“Well, no one’s lived here for like, a hundred years. I’m not surprised.”

Grinning, Raizel then handed the former deity the broom she’d taken from Ilias’ place.

Apparently, serving as a cane was not all it was for.

Aymeia received the broomstick in vivid confusion. Her eyes darted between it and Raizel a couple times.

“…Why’re you giving this to me?”

“What do you mean why? The place isn’t gonna clean itself.”

“But didn’t you say this is your own house? Why are you making me-“

As the steel dragon’s balled hand slowly rose into the air, Aymeia quickly rephrased her answer after a hiccup.

“I mean, I love cleaning! I’ll start right now!”

Raizel’s hand lowered itself as she watched Aymeia pace over towards the small gap between the sheets of stone.

‘Huh. This ain’t too bad.’

Aether had always told the youngling not to abuse other dragons. But she’d never said anything about abusing non-dragons.

With a mischievous smile, Raizel followed after Aymeia – she could help out a little, at least.

…Only a little though.

“Oh, by the way…”

“Huh? Yes?”

“If lord comes back here and doesn’t like how this place looks, you’re dead.”

“…”

Frankly, Aymeia was already dying. On the inside, that is.

Oh well…

Better get used to it.

 

✧   ✧   ✧

 

Sniffle…

“…”

After chopping up what she could, Aether worriedly looked to her husband.

Unfortunately, Bruton’s peeling speed was nowhere near his partner’s chopping speed. Ilias was helping, but Bruton may as well not have been there altogether.

“…Dear? Just give them to Ilias.”

“A, absolutely not! This is…sniffle…nothing…”

While Bruton continued with teary eyes at a snail’s pace, Ilias finished peeing another to hand over to Aether.

The youngling then turned to Bruton, her lips curved in a teasing smile.

“Wow, dad…you’re REALLY not good with these, huh? With all the fire you breathe, I thought you’d be better at this…”

At this point, Bruton could hardly keep his eyes open – but he nonetheless looked to his daughter to answer.

And Ilias was struggling not to laugh, because Bruton was making one of the messiest expressions she’d ever seen her father make.

“Ilias…are you…sure…that this is food?”

“Of course! Lots of dishes use onions. I’ll make you some soup out of these later, I’m sure you’ll like them if you give it a try! Lord Serenis said we don’t have to stick to tradition so much, so…we can start with trying new foods!”

“…Where did you…even get these…? You’ve been home all week…”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, but I planted a couple years ago. Just over the cliff here.”

Upon hearing her daughter’s revelation, Aether clapped her hands together as realization dawned over her.

“See, dear? I told you those weren’t just tall grass!”

“Uh huh. They’re called onions!”

“…”

Technically, the upper portions were green onions, but…

Truth be told, Bruton couldn’t care less what these strange roots were called.

What he cared more about was that his daughter had just said ‘foods,’ not ‘food.’

That was plural.

“Wait, so…there’s…other things too?”

“Of course! I think I’ll try bringing back some rare seasonings and spices next time, we hardly use any here. Some of them are even spicier than onions!”

“…”

After another sniffle, Bruton turned to look at the half-peeled onion in his hand.

‘And just when I thought I’d come to understand humans…’

Despite his sullen expression, his daughter seemed happier than ever: she was no longer the weird kin who involved herself with humans too much. Instead, she was now the only kin who knew enough to go shopping in a human city.

Giggling in anticipation, Ilias then gently took away the onion in her father’s hand, peeling the rest herself.

No elder was going to scorn her for doing odd things anymore.

‘Yep, I could get used to this!’

 

✧   ✧   ✧

 

“…”

As Serenis drifted off to sleep, she soon found herself in the middle of an endless white plane.

It was a dream, yes – but in a way, it was also reality.

Because soon, a familiar blue-haired figure would appear to join the dragonlord – a figure she’d once seen in the mirror.

“Serenis! You’re back.”

“…Zion.”

The boy soon sat himself beside the dragonlord. A pair of keen eyes studied her expression with a mix of curiosity and worry.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright?”

“…I am. Nothing’s amiss.”

“Really? Then why’d you come to see me again?”

“I merely fell asleep. For what reason do you think I came to see you?”

“Huh? Uh, that’s…uh…”

As the boy trailed off in his answer, the dragonlord returned a soft smile.

“You can read my thoughts when I am awake. Is that not so?”

“…Um…”

As the boy once again failed to respond, Serenis brushed the topic aside with a wide grin. She had no intention of questioning him.

Instead, she began what she should’ve a long time ago.

“…I’m sorry. I’ve…taken away your life for my own.”

“Oh, pssh. Don’t worry about it! I’m fine.”

“’I’m fine’? After having your life stolen from you?”

“Well…you’re a dragonlord, you can use this life much better than I can. I’m just a human; seems only right that I should yield.”

“…”

After a short pause, the dragonlord’s smile faded away.

“…If you’ve read my thoughts before, then you should already know the question I came to ask.”

“Yep. And to cut to the chase, sorry, I can’t tell you the answer.”

“Is that because you don’t know the answer yourself? Or is it because the answer I have in mind is correct?”

“…Who knows?’

As Zion shrugged at her, Serenis let out an amused snort, making a resigned smile afterwards.

‘Perhaps it doesn’t matter.’

Whether the boy knew the answer or not, what she’d say next wasn’t going to change.

“…Thank you.”

“…”

“For saving me…and saving Raizel.”

“…My pleasure. But I do hope you two don’t go hurting yourselves again.”

“…”

Truthfully, there were lots of things Serenis wanted to say – none of which she felt appropriate in the given moment.

But then again, neither of them were going anywhere. At least not until this body would wither to dust.

They had the rest of their lives to chat, and this pprobably wasn’t going to be their last one.

In fact, it definitely wasn’t going to be their last one.

“…I’ll try to come by more often.”

“Really? But you don’t like sleeping anymore.”

“You sound as if you remember a time when I did?”

“…”

As Zion quietly pursed his lips and looked away, Serenis let out a nostalgic laughter.

Their world had changed so much. Both of them had changed quite a bit as well.

But, when it came to each other…

Perhaps neither of them had changed very much.