Dragon Aster Trilogy

25: DRESSINGS



Sybl felt like she was being fitted for an execution. The corset that Ishtar dressed her in was tight enough to squeeze out any air that she might need for running later. And the ayame was anything but gentle about it.

“Do humans not have parties on Earth?” Ishtar asked, then tightened another string to the corset.

Sybl gasped in answer, having no air left to give a reply beyond that. She looked in the mirror, as she thought about Loki. He would have found out about what happened to his brother by now, and she had to speak to him.

“Good grief ayame, stop suffocating her.”

Ishtar’s red eyes glowed dangerously at Gwa, as she looked to unleash a psi barrage of yelling at him.

Gwa winced, before opening his eyes again. “No disrespect, but I only answer to Kas and the Caelestis.” Then he continued to eat his apple as he looked at Sybl.

“He can help me with the rest,” Sybl insisted.

“A male should not be dressing a female unless they are their Bond,” Ishtar replied.

“He is of my Pack—I can do whatever I want with him.”

Ishtar straightened her own dress down, and lifted her chin higher. She brushed past Gwa and left the room.

“Help!” Sybl squeaked.

Gwa hesitated. “Anything you want with me, eh? I don’t know… Maybe it is safer to keep you in that thing….”

“Gwa!”

“Just kidding!” He gripped the apple with his front teeth and began to loosen the strings to her suffocation.

“Thank you.” Sybl breathed.

“I think it was her intention to make sure you had no air to runaway.” Gwa laughed, and finished off his apple before tossing it in her wastebasket.

“Yeah, no kidding.”

He went over to the bed and studied the blue dress. “It’s not that bad.”

“I can’t wear that.”

“Why not?”

“Sentimental reasons.”

“Fair enough,” Gwa said, and bunched it up in his arms. Then he went over to the closet and stuffed it in as if it were an old blanket. Then he looked over the other choices. “I can’t help but get the feeling your brother doesn’t want anyone looking at you at this party.”

“Oh just great. Well, I have to wear something,” Sybl said. “By choice, it would be entirely black.”

Gwa turned around as an idea came to his mind. “Well, you’re the same size as my mother. I know she has a good fashion sense.”

“I can’t wear your mother’s clothes. You’re crazy.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I was still brilliant last time I checked. I’ll be crazy when I become too brilliant for myself to handle. Slip something over you, and let this mastermind lead the way.”

Sybl gulped. She pulled over her head a casual beige dress, and then followed after him. They snuck down the halls to where she guessed Celia’s laboratory was. But on hearing a conversation inside, they both stopped outside the door and listened.

“Jru, I already made it clear that I won’t have you sacrificing what you love to do, for me.”

“I’ve served this temple since its founding days, Celia. I will take you for myself.”

Sybl looked at Gwa as he gulped. You didn’t tell me this…

“What’s there to tell?” Gwa replied, surprising Sybl with how well and clearly he could use psi, despite being a chimera. “He’s been after her since he found her running from the Fall’s forces. But they’re both as stubborn as kyrie.”

“This is about the goddess kidnapping incident, isn’t it? There isn’t a single phelan in this whole temple who would pass up the chance to kidnap her for an impression, Jru. You’re overreacting. Gwa is fine, I am fine. He’s half human, so of course he’s going to be a bit lost in his teen years. Most human teenagers are.”

“They are?” Gwa asked Sybl by psi.

Eh, I guess?

Celia went to her test tube rack, and picked one of the samples up.

“Stubborn woman,” Jru said, and took the glass from her, setting it back in the rack. Then he pulled her next to him and kissed her.

Sybl forced her head to stay on straight, as a memory of Cirrus passed through her mind. She stopped breathing when she tried to figure out how and when she had forgotten him after the nightmares.

“Sybl. Sybl!” Gwa hissed at her. “Do something!”

What you want me to do? Sybl replied, shaking her head out of the clouds so she could fall back to the present. It’s not like I can just walk in there and fire him.

“He can be ‘fired’ if you catch him in the act—Custos aren’t allowed to have a woman while they serve the Sanctus.”

I’m not going to humiliate— But before she could finish, Gwa grabbed her and shoved her into the room without a warning. Sybl stood frozen for a moment, as Jru quickly pulled away from Celia and tried to regain his composure. They looked to debate between themselves what she may or may not know about the rules, before leaving their eyes on her. “Um, hi. Sorry to intrude…but I need to speak to Celia about something.”

Jru stood up straighter, as his first fear of what she would say didn’t hit him. “I’ll be on my way then. Excuse me, my Lady,” he said with a small bow and started to leave.

“Oh, and Jru,” Sybl called after him.

The dark-skinned phelan somnus stopped in his tracks, and then turned slowly to face her again.

“You are retiring.”

Jru looked at Celia, before looking back at Sybl. “Effective when, my Lady?”

“Immediately.”

Jru nodded briefly. “Thank you, Sybl.” He turned and left then, looking more relaxed.

“You wanted to speak to me about something?” Celia asked, turning Sybl’s attention to her and away from the controversial topic of her relationship with Jru.

“Mom, you gotta help her,” Gwa said, entering the laboratory from the back door that he had snuck around to. “Kas is trying to humiliate her by using dresses.”

“Dresses? You would think the High Priest could spend some gold on something decent for his own soultwin… No offense, Sybl,” Celia added.

“I think it’s more of a dilemma of different perspectives.” Sybl looked at Gwa.

“Well, I am in your debt now, and I don’t like to carry those around. I don’t have many, but you’re welcome to any dress you like in my closet,” Celia offered. “I don’t wear any of them anymore.”

“Thanks mom,” Gwa said and kissed her cheek. Then he quickly retreated with Sybl in tow.