What would a seagull have done against those sharks? Viciously pecked their fins?
The history books say that shape-shifted sorcerers retained their powers.
Hm? Did the history books say how the sorcerers shape-shifted in the first place? Because this hasn’t been covered in my lessons with Sardelle.
Probably because she doesn’t know how to do it. Few ever did. I think it took someone who was a fairly recent descendant of a dragon.
So, I’d need to ask an actual dragon?
Maybe. Or you could wait for one of your little siblings to grow up and figure it out. Maybe one will be smarter than you.
I feel I should be offended by that comment.
And yet, you’re still kissing me.
Trip wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Yes.
27
The castle gardens were impressively green, lush, fragrant, and flower-filled, especially given that less than a week had passed since the dragon attack. The last dragon attack, Trip hoped.
The finishing touches for the weapons platform were still in progress, but it hovered in the sky over the city around the clock, at least for the time being. There had been discussion as to whether a proper landing and storage area should be built for it, but Trip had assured his commanders and the king that it was like a sailing ship and built to withstand existing in its element year round. Also, that the power sources he had created wouldn’t burn out for a long time.
“You’re looking dapper and dashing today, Trip,” came Rysha’s voice from behind him.
Trip had sensed her coming, but she’d been walking and talking with Major Kaika as she strode into the garden, so he hadn’t wanted to interrupt. Now, he turned to smile warmly at her. Rysha and Kaika wore their dress uniforms, both appearing sharp and professional. Kaika continued on, but Rysha stopped in front of Trip.
“Thank you,” he said aloud, though he was tempted to use telepathy. He hadn’t expected the gardens to be so crowded, with dozens of conversations going on all around and a man playing a woodwind instrument in front of a hedgerow. “You look good too.”
Rysha smiled and tucked a deep pink lilac flower into the pocket of Trip’s uniform jacket. The bushes were in bloom all over the garden, an array of purple, blue, white, and pink, and their sweet scent filled the area.
“Did you cut that from one of the king’s lilac bushes?” Trip asked.
Rysha patted Dorfindral’s scabbard, which hung in its usual place on the left side of her belt. The medal recipients weren’t technically supposed to be armed, but when Trip had asked Zirkander about it, he’d said to bring Azarwrath. Rysha must have received the same advice from Kaika about her blade. Trip smirked at the idea of using a sword to cut flowers.
“Is that allowed? It seems like taking the king’s flowers might be deemed a heinous crime, punishable by public flogging or life in prison.” Trip kept waiting to hear whether or not he was going to spend his life in prison. The dragon attack had interrupted his inquest before it could start, but when he’d left that Colonel Srandark glowering, he’d expected he would have to see him again. However, when Trip had reported in for work the next morning, none of his superiors had said anything about it. The whole week had been like that, and now, he was getting a medal. Did they give medals to people before throwing them in jail?
“I was merely pruning the bush,” Rysha said. “Its flower production was overzealous, completely dwarfing that of the neighboring lilacs.”
“So, you’re saying that bushes that outshine the others and don’t fit in should be trimmed back to match the herd?” Trip arched an eyebrow.
“The herd? Trip, do they not garden in Charkolt? Bushes don’t grow in herds.”
“I see you avoided my question.”
“Only because your metaphor distracted me by tripping and falling on its nose.” She stepped closer and patted him on the chest. “You know I’m partial to bushes that stand out.”
“Hm.” He knew they weren’t supposed to display affection while in uniform, but he slipped his arm around her waist, just for a moment.
“On that note, I see you’re not radiating your scylori today.”
“No. I tried letting a little show one day, and everyone kept asking me if I’d gotten my hair cut.”
She snorted. “It’s possible you weren’t doing it right. Dragons just let it all hang out.”
“If I did that in the king’s garden, I’d be in even more trouble than a flower bandit.”
Her next pat was more of a swat. “I mean that I don’t think they try to modulate their auras. It does seem to be naturally diminished when they shape-shift—perhaps that’s part of why they evolved to change into other creatures, as a defense mechanism to hide from other dragons. But even when Shulina Arya is human, you still feel her otherness. And want to gaze at her in an enraptured state. And bring her baked goods.”
“I mostly want to tug on her pigtails and ask how much she would charge to babysit some of my siblings.”
“It’s possible you have some inborn immunity to the effects of dragon auras.”
“Possible.”
She gazed thoughtfully at him, and he could tell she expected a response to her observation.
“I have decided that I don’t want my scylori to affect my friends or family or comrades, so I’ll keep it in check during my day-to-day life, but if there are opportunities when it may prove useful, I won’t hesitate to let it shine through. And I won’t try to hide what I am anymore. I suppose now that I’ve been written up in the newspapers, there isn’t much point of that anyway, but… I’ve spent too much time hiding what I can do out of a fear of rejection, and it shouldn’t have taken me nearly as long as it did to realize that I could build something like that.” He waved toward the weapons platform. Most days, it had been positioned a little north of the city, but today, the corner was in view from the gardens. “I love flying and will happily continue to be a member of Wolf Squadron for as long as they’ll have me, but if I can do more by stepping out of the cockpit, I have to be ready to do so.”
“I do believe you may be maturing, Trip.”
“I have to. Otherwise, this older lady I know might get tired of my youthful antics.”
“She would be more likely to get tired of having sex in a tiny barracks bunk. Perhaps we should pool our resources and rent a small apartment with a large bed.”
“I was going to build a place on the lot across from General Zirkander’s house, but I saw that the for-sale sign disappeared. I hope whoever bought it doesn’t mind dragons sleeping in the yard across the street.”
“Huh. I wonder what crazy person has been real estate shopping in the capital when dragon attacks have been a weekly event of late.” Rysha smiled as she spoke the words.
“What do you know that I don’t know?” Trip was tempted to skim through her surface thoughts, but he tried to respect her privacy. Most of the time.