“How are you doing?” Lanni asked, her voice gentle yet curious. Sifa frowned, furrowing her brow. “Fine? Why?” “You’re not used to dragons, and you don’t like magic. I’m a dragon and one of the strongest mages on Torthoc.” Lanni’s tone was soft, but there was a hint of concern in her eyes. Sifa sighed, shifting her weight uncomfortably before meeting Lanni’s gaze. “You’re also my friend. I’ll admit your casting makes me nervous sometimes, but you seem…normal.” She paused, then corrected herself, her voice trailing. “No, not normal. Well, that too. I mean, just like a human. I know you can change shape into some huge, winged lizard, and that might be a little scary then, but right now—right now, you’re still Lanni.” Lanni chuckled. The girl was trying so hard, it was endearing. “Would you like to see me change?” she offered, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Then maybe me being a ‘liz-ard’ won’t seem so scary after all.” “Now?” Sifa’s eyes widened slightly, a mixture of curiosity and nervousness in her voice. Lanni shook her head with a playful smile. “No, not right now. I’m a small drag-on, but I still can’t fit in this room.” “Are you so small because you’re only half dragon?” Sifa asked, leaning forward with interest. Lanni’s expression softened, a touch of nostalgia creeping in. “No. Uncle Ter is one of the biggest dragons ever. There were a number of things that stunted my growth—being born premature, growing up in Lerjao, not eating well when I was a runaway.” She paused, glancing away as memories of hard times flickered across her face. “Plus, my par-ents were both small.” “Captain Ter is a dragon too?” Sifa asked, her voice laced with wonder. “Half-dragon, like me,” Lanni confirmed. “Did Lady Barta know this?” Sifa inquired, a hint of apprehension in her tone. “No,” Lanni replied, her voice tinged with a smirk. “She didn’t know about me until the party. I growled at her the other day when she called me an animal.” Sifa raised her eyebrows in disbelief. “Well, growling won’t help her think other-wise.” “I know.” Lanni looked sheepish. “It was an accident. I don’t normally growl.” “I’ve never heard you growl,” Sifa remarked, tilting her head. “The kids thought it was my stomach rumbling,” Lanni chuckled. “Lady Barta wasn’t so easily convinced.” Sifa’s expression soured. “She called you an animal in front of the kids?” Lanni nodded, her expression distant. “Shri and Gallan were there.” Lanni’s face softened, and she sighed. “Ages ago, when my brother married a Yarb princess, she was terrified of dragons. But after spending time with us, she realized we weren’t bad, despite what her father had told her. I’m hoping that knowing a dragon might help Shri learn what we’re really like.” Sifa’s next words caught Lanni off guard. “I hope our baby grows up understand-ing the difference.” Lanni’s head whipped up, eyes wide. “Baby? Are you expecting?” Sifa’s grin widened mischievously. “Maybe. I haven’t spoken to Loka yet.” Lanni let out a joyous laugh, pulling Sifa into a tight embrace. “Oh, I hope so! You’ll make such a great mom.” The warmth in Lanni’s voice was palpable, and Sifa chuckled. “In times like this, I almost wish I was a healer. It was always my dad’s favorite reading.” “Your dad was a healer?” Sifa asked, intrigued. “My dad was The Healer,” Lanni clarified, her tone proud yet wistful. “He was Thailyn. The strongest, most educated healer ever.” “And you’re not?” Sifa asked, her brows knitting in confusion. Lanni shook her head, her smile fading slightly. “I was born too early for it to de-velop. All the rest of his descendants are healers, and most of them are strong too.” Sifa hesitated before asking softly, “Do you feel left out?” “I’m used to being different,” Lanni said with a small shrug. “Besides, many of them have the same problems Loka does.” She smiled reassuringly. “I’ve never had to worry about that.” Sifa’s face softened as she asked timidly, “If you’re still around, would you help our little one understand that humans aren’t the only people?” Sifa’s voice was so soft, Lanni almost missed it despite her dragon’s heightened hearing. She smiled warmly. “Of course. Even if I’m not still here, I can come up for a visit.” Sifa frowned, then realized what Lanni meant. “That’s right. You can transport.” “Sorry,” Lanni said quickly. “I just want you safe.” Sifa nodded. “I know. You scared Lamin when you did that.” Lanni winced. “Tell him I’m sorry.” “He was happy I wasn’t out alone that late,” Sifa said, her tone lightening. “Good,” Lanni said with a smile. “Tomorrow, Chapado asked me to work with Shan on something. I’ll have everything ready to go into the oven before I leave.” Sifa frowned, concern etching her features. “You’re going to stay up all night again, aren’t you? You’re not supposed to do that.” “I’ll sleep,” Lanni promised, raising a hand in defense. “And use magic to get done,” Sifa accused, narrowing her eyes. Lanni grinned. “What’s the point of being a mage if I can’t cast?” Sifa rolled her eyes. “Just don’t let Lady Barta catch you.” “In the middle of the night? I could transport the whole house to Lerjao and back and she wouldn’t know.” Lanni’s tone was playful, but her eyes sparkled with the idea. Sifa stared at her, wide-eyed. “Wait, can you actually do that?” Lanni laughed, shaking her head. “I’ve never transported a whole building. Plus, Lerjao has a lot of copper—hard to work around that.” Sifa shook her head, her mind racing to catch up. “I’ll never get used to this magic stuff.” #fantasy, #magic, #dragons, #hiddenlands