"Daybreak"

It seemed as though the dark clouds were coming in fast, and the air grew heavy with moisture as the scent of rain settled over the land. Through the heavy clouds, a dark shape moved gracefully across the sky. A dragon, dark colored and sleek moved through the sky, scanning the land with its sharp eyes. There seemed to be no human activity within the forest it was circling, and it spotted an open area just on the other side of the trees. The dragon landed with no trouble, and neatly folded its wings against its back as it surveyed the land. Closing its eyes, it looked as if it were concentrating on some difficult task, and it slowed its breathing and lowered its head.

A moment later, the almost-black dragon began to glow with a bright white light that grew until it enveloped the dragon's entire body. Within the light, the huge creature began to shrink, drawing into itself until it was about the size of a man. Once it reached this size, the dragon's form itself began to change, pulling and tucking in the appropriate places until the shape of a young man was faintly visible through the light. Simple, yet somewhat refined clothes covered his naked figure, and the light around him disappeared in a flash to reveal a handsome young man in a burgundy and green outfit with a long ponytail of light bluish-green hair standing in the clearing. Placing his hands on his hips, he took a deep breath and smiled contentedly. Valtier loved the scent of rain.

This forest was close to a human village, but as he walked between the trees, Valtier decided that it was fortunate that he had decided to take a rest here. The City of the Ancients was truly beautiful, but there was something about the natural beauty of a forest that made him feel rather peaceful. He walked a little deeper into the trees and discovered, to his surprise, that there was another creature in the forest. From where he was standing, there appeared to be a young woman sitting on a rock near a small pond.

Peacefully watching the leaves blow back and forth on the trees, the woman was smiling pleasantly as her long, light blonde hair blew around her face with the breeze that preceded a gentle rain. Suddenly out of breath, Valtier stepped behind a tree and watched the woman's silent reverie. There was something familiar about her face, and as he stealthily moved behind a tree that was closer to her seat, he realized that she was quite lovely in an almost ethereal way. Moving between the trees, Valtier came closer and closer to the woman as she closed her eyes and let the breeze flow over her cheeks. A circlet lay on her smooth forehead, and a pair of delicate braids on either side of her face blew lightly and fell on her intricately patterned white, blue and lavender garment, weighted by small blue and lavender beads on their ends. Her chest rose and fell with a pleased sigh, and the breeze settled once more in the trees.

So intent was his gaze on the young woman that Valtier did not notice his foot falling towards a small stick, which broke with his weight and caused the woman's eyes to flutter open at the sound. She looked around the forest querulously, but did not seem terribly concerned.

"Who's there?" Her voice was soft, but rang as clearly through the forest as if she had called out. Valtier stopped short, hiding behind a particularly thick tree. "Hello?" The woman spoke again, and her eyes seemed to stop right where he was hiding. Unsure why he was concealing his presence, Valtier stepped out into view.

"Only I," he said, trying to smile at her. The woman stood, her smile returning and growing softer as she approached him. "Forgive me, my lady, I didn't mean to disturb you."

"There was no disturbance," she said, her light voice almost getting lost in the rising breeze. A pair of eyes the color of a robin's eggs fixed on his, and Valtier once again felt that there was something out of the ordinary about this girl, though he couldn't quite say what it was. "Who are you?"

"My name is Valtier. I was walking through the woods when I noticed you sitting alone here." He bowed politely to her, and the woman blushed a bit as she shifted her eyes away from his face.

"Yes. I suppose I was lost in thought again. I do love sitting out here, watching the birds and the trees and such." After a quick glance at the forest, she turned her gaze back to him. "It's nice to meet you, Valtier, I'm Lileina. Do you often walk here?"

"Occasionally, when I feel the need to get out of the City…" Stopping himself suddenly, Valtier smiled as if he were finished with his statement. He couldn't believe he had almost said "City of Ancients." What was it about this woman that made him so ready to drop his guard?

"I understand." Lileina looked around the forest once more, then beyond the treetops into the clouds. "It seems as if it's going to rain very soon. Do you live nearby, Master Valtier?"

"It's simply Valtier. And I'm afraid I live…rather far from here." The wind began to blow harder, and Lileina looked a bit concerned. "And you? Where do you live?"

"I live…nearby…" Her cheeks colored a little as she continued to gaze at the clouds. A long moment passed between them, and Lileina cleared her throat. "I have never found anyone else out here at the same time as I. You must be an unusual soul." Valtier was silent, unsure what she meant by these words. But before he had a chance to reply, a drop of rain hit Lileina's nose. "Oh! I'd better be going. I hope to see you again, Valtier." She turned to go, and began running towards the other side of the forest.

"Perhaps," he said, watching her hurry off between the trees. Her blonde hair was like a flag signaling her departure, and when it was gone, Valtier turned around and walked to the open area where he had landed. As the rain began to fall gently, he transformed back into his dragon form and took to the air, still wondering what it was about that girl that had seemed so odd.

In another part of the forest, Lileina looked around to make sure she was alone, then held her arms out at her sides. Rivulets of water ran over her cheeks and down her neck as she took a deep breath and concentrated on the breeze around her. Instantly, she began to glow, and her slender body grew larger until her place in the light was occupied by a huge golden dragon. Smiling sweetly, she opened her wings and took flight among the raindrops back to her lair, thinking how nice it would be to meet Valtier again. It was true, seeing someone else in the forest was strange, and for it to be such a handsome young man…perhaps her prayers were being heard after all.

Lileina landed gracefully on the ledge that led to the back entrance of the Fire Dragon Lord's sanctuary, then changed back to her human form, this time wearing the white and lavender robes of a miko. She walked slowly inside, her head bowed reverently. An older man smiled at her as he passed, and Lileina returned his greeting.

"Good day, sir. How does this afternoon find you?"

"Very well, Lileina my dear, very well indeed. Although I could do without this rain." The older man looked her over and smiled as he nodded her way. "Your human form really has become quite beautiful, my dear. "

"Thank you, sir. I really am quite proud of my hair. It's grown quite a bit recently, and I thought the braids would be pretty."

"Good for you. We haven't seen a dragon so young able to transform so effortlessly in a long time. And I do believe that the braids are very pretty." Running a hand through his hair, the old man smiled. "Now, you'd better get along. They'll be needing you in the sanctuary soon."

"Yes, sir." Bowing deeply to him, Lileina hurried down the hall, where she could already hear the council of elders talking. Picking up an ornately patterned jug and dipping it in the great fountain, she walked into the council room with her head bowed low. The elders were involved in a heated argument about threats to the race, and were so agitated that they didn't even notice her come in. Lileina walked around the room, filling glasses with water as she did, then took her place on a chair at the back of the room silently. Council duty was only part of her work.

All the other dragons in the sanctuary were in human form, most with varying shades of blond hair, and most older-looking than Lileina. When in the sanctuary, they kept their human forms as a means of showing their high levels and allowing them into the inner sanctum and smaller space of the elaborate council hall. At that moment, though, they sounded less like humans and more like dragons as they fought. Lileina sat back and listened, as she always did.

"We don't know what they're capable of! Certainly, we tend to underestimate them because they're so much smaller than we, but …" Caiphas, one of the elders was speaking against humans, and as Lileina shifted in her seat a little, Angelus stood up on the other side of the hall, shaking his head.

"The humans really pose no threat to us. They have no real magic, their size isn't even a concern when we assume our dragon form, and they seem basically peaceful." Turning to where Lileina sat, Angelus smiled in her direction. "Please, tell us what you think, Lileina dear."

"Me?" Blushing fiercely, Lileina clutched the water jug that was on her lap and shook her head. "I…I…really don't see what I could add to this discussion…"

"You spend a great deal of time with the humans, child. Tell us how you perceive them in relation to our people." Angelus was one of the dragons who had raised her, and his comforting smile make Lileina feel a bit more at ease. Standing nervously as she clutched her jug, she found her voice somehow.

"W…well," she stammered, looking at her fingers, hoping she wasn't blushing too much. She had never been asked to speak before, had always assumed that a miko wasn't of a high enough rank to speak at a council meeting, yet here she was, standing before many of the ones who had raised her. She hoped desperately that she could make them proud. "It's true, I have spent a great deal of time with the humans, especially the ones of Karal, and for the most part, I believe they pose no threat to us. Karal, the city beside the Wakeful forest, is a peaceful town and the people are much too involved in their own lives and hardships to bother our people."

"But what is their opinion of us?" Another of the elders asked, raising a hand. "Do you know? Have they said?"

"Well, you see, I don't make my self known as a dragon when I visit…but few of the humans have seen one of our race, and those who have write stories about us, even carve idols and the like. In short, great ones, we are either revered by the humans as a mystery or held up as deities." Her blue eyes shone as she scanned the faces of the elders, taking in the different shakes and nods of their heads that went around the room in regards to her statements. "That is all I have to say on this topic, great ones. I thank you for your attention and hope I have pleased your ears." Suddenly shy again, she sat down quickly with her water jug.

"Very well said, Lileina," the chief elder said, nodding his assent. "We thank you for your contribution. Has anyone anything to add to Lileina's opinion?"

"What she says is no doubt true, for who knows humans better than our dear miko? Still, I maintain that our biggest threat comes from the Ancient Dragons. As long as they have that…thing, there is always a threat from them." Another voice rang out to agree with the elder that had spoken against the Ancient dragons, and Lileina looked into her lap. She didn't understand why there always had to be so much fighting.

"Myriall makes a good point. The Ancient dragons have always been our rival for the favor of the Fire Dragon Lord, and their foolish pride at having the thing of which you speak makes it ever more insulting. It is only a matter of time before they use their power against us." The old man shook his head. "Who knows what they could be plotting at this very moment?"

* * *

"Hey, Valtier," a young man with short black hair walked past the guard who was casually leaning on the side of the Dome of the Ancients. "Asleep on the job?"

"Hardly. I was just thinking." Standing up straight, he smiled at his friend. "How are you, Artemis?"

"Well. Any idea what they're talking about in there?" He motioned towards the Dome, whose doors had been locked while the elders and mikos held council within. Valtier shook his head, his long hair loose around his shoulders.

"No, but it's probably the same thing as always, trying to stay within the favor of the Fire Dragon Lord, keeping the temples safe, you know." Going back to his comfortable position leaning on the wall, he looked over at his friend. "Have you ever met a human, Artemis?"

"Never. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering." Thoughtfully, Valtier looked at the dome again and put an ear to the wall. "Sounds like they'll be done soon. Want to get a drink?"

"Sure." Artemis sat on a nearby rock, looking up at Valtier. "It must be great being a sentinel. You always get the best food, the best clothes…"

"It's boring as hell." Just as he spoke, the sound of the elders exiting the inner dome came to his ears, and he stood up straight. "They're coming out."

The doors opened, and a group of older men walked out of the dome, talking and laughing, followed by about half a dozen young women in miko robes. As they passed Valtier, they giggled and smiled at him, hoping to attract his attention. Valtier, on the other hand, tried to ignore them.

"Good day to you, Valtier," they chorused, and he bowed perfunctorily towards them with his usual smile. They all reacted in the same manner, by giggling even more and blushing a little. After all, he was a good-looking man.

"Good day to you, ladies. I trust the council finds you well this day?" Affecting his most sincere smile, he fought off a sigh. Mikos were always such an annoyance to him. They were either completely childish, having become mikos just to hold a prestigious position in the city, or unbearably dull. The giggles from those particular mikos told him that they were a young group, and he straightened quickly.

"Yes, thank you!" Still giggling, they hurried off down the street in pairs as Artemis looked after them, wishing he had made eye contact.

"Couple of cute ones in that bunch."

"They aren't worth my energy." Closing the doors of the temple, Valtier started down the road with Artemis as his friend stared at him.

"So what is worth your energy?"

"Now I haven't quite figured that out yet," Valtier said, smirking a little at Artemis. The grass was always greener, he supposed. "But I do know that it's not one of those mikos."

* * *

"Good afternoon, Lady Lily!" A woman with two small children smiled over at Lileina as she walked through the human city of Karal, her home near the Wakeful forest. Bowing to her, Lileina smiled sweetly at the woman, then reached out to the children.

"Good day, Mrs. Terrana." The girls hugged Lileina's legs as she gently stroked their auburn hair and looked at their mother. "I trust that your dear girls are well today?" Two laughing pairs of eyes gazed up at Lileina in wonder, as most of the men and women in that village had dark hair and her soft golden locks were a rarity.

"Oh yes! The herbs you brought for Alicia took her fever down immediately. You're a wonderful healer, Lady Lily."

"It was nothing. But I am glad for your girls. They are such wonderful children, and I do dislike seeing them ill. How are you feeling, madame? I know when we spoke yesterday you said you felt rather ill yourself."

"Oh, I don't think it's anything. Just a little bug, I'm sure." The two women talked a moment longer as the girls played around Lileina's feet, raising up the edge of her skirts to look at her lavender boots. Parting with the family, Lileina walked to the bookseller, hoping that he would have something to amuse her as she sat in the forest. She did love being with the humans. They didn't always seem to be fighting about this and that…not like her true home, where it seemed that all she was hearing lately was talk about the Mazoku and the Ancient dragons. It was enough to make her ears ring. But here, there was nothing to worry about. Here, she was known only as…

"Lady Lily!" The bookseller's face lit up as she walked up to his cart, and he reached underneath for something he had been saving as she bowed to him "Such a pleasure to see you! I have quite a rare book for you today, one only you could get any enjoyment out of."

"Thank you, sir. You're always so kind to me." Taking a purse from somewhere on her body, Lileina handed him a handful of gold pieces, much more than the book was worth, despite the fact that it was an ancient book.

"My dear, this is much too much money!" Shaking his head, the man looked at her, but she shook her head firmly.

"Where else could I find such rare books in such good condition? No, I think the price is just right. Use it to buy your wife something pretty, hm?" Her eyes were smiling, and the man nodded slowly.

"Only for you, my lady." Laughing a little, he looked at her. "I'm glad to sell you these books at any price. Even I don't understand what language they're in, and I know quite a few. You must be quite a scholar, my dear."

"Yes…" Blushing, Lileina took her leave of the man and walked through the town to the edge of the Wakeful forest and entered with her new book. Few townspeople entered the forest, afraid of what might live within that they couldn't handle. Lileina, however, had no fear of nature and enjoyed her almost daily walks into the woods.

It was so beautiful in the forest, and in her opinion, even better than her home or the sanctuary. She never had to worry about arguing in the forest, or other problems that were presenting themselves as of late. So beautiful that she didn't mind flying a bit farther to visit, rather than simply resting in the Sleeping forest that was closer to the Fire Dragon Lord's sanctuary.

Lileina preferred the soft twittering of the birds and the gentle whisper of the breeze here to the silence of the Sleeping forest, anyhow. It reminded her that she was, at heart, a creature of the earth and belonged to the trees and water more than the city or the human village. It was easy to forget, since she spent so much time in her human form.

As she walked into the forest, she thought she saw someone near the pond. Cautiously, Lileina hugged her new book to her chest and ventured further into the woods through the trees. As she moved closer, she realized that it was only a shadow playing tricks on her eyes, and she laughed at herself a little as she went to the pond and looked in at her reflection. Human…but not.

Sitting on the rock that was her usual perch, Lileina opened her new book and ran her eyes over it. It was a book of poetry in a language that had long since been forgotten by all but beings of light and darkness, and her dragon's eyes read it easily. As she sank into the words, she smiled to herself a bit. The bookseller knew her so well.

Behind the trees, Valtier smiled as well. He had decided that morning to take a chance and see if the girl he had met the day before had returned to her place by the pond in the forest. Obviously a creature of habit, she had done just that, and he was pleased to see her again. Sitting on the same rock, reading a book this time, she peacefully toyed with a braid as she leaned a little over her book. Her circlet of light blue and lavender gems lay like a garland over her lovely forehead, and he wondered if it was possible that she had grown even lovelier since the day before. Somehow, her smile today seemed to light up the forest, and Valtier leaned on the tree a bit. He had never seen anyone like this woman before, anyone who had her ability to brighten the leaves on the trees with her very presence. Why, he wondered, was he so fascinated with this human?

"Lileina?" Valtier was surprised to hear his voice speaking her name all of a sudden and she looked up from her book, startled in mid-sentence. Her eyes darted around the forest, and he was relieved to see the smile remain on her face as they did.

"Hello? Is that you, Valtier?"

"You remember my name," he said, walking out from behind the tree. Brushing a stray piece of hair back into his thick ponytail, he smiled at her. Lileina stood up hurriedly, tucking her book into her dress beneath her sash as she did.

"Of course. It's quite a nice name." Bowing as he approached, she realized that she was starting to blush a little. "And…and a bit unusual as well."

"So is Lileina," remarked Valtier as he returned her deep bow. "But, a lovely name nonetheless."

"Oh…" Lileina blushed brightly, looking at the ground. Were all humans so flattering? Certainly, the people in Karal told her that she was pretty, but why did this man's compliments make her feel so shy all of a sudden? "Thank you."

"You're most welcome." His golden eyes sparkled at her, and she smiled up at him. "Why don't we sit down? It's such a nice day." Valtier motioned to her seat by the pond, and Lileina nodded as they sat on a pair of rocks by the water's edge. "I was hoping to find you here."

"Oh…I'm here almost every day. Why…why were you hoping I was here?" Breathless, Lileina looked down into her hands.

"I'm not sure, myself. But it's something quite pleasant, whatever it may be." Another smile crossed his face, and Valtier looked around the forest. "It certainly is quiet out here."

"Yes. I like it very much. It's so very green beneath the trees with the light shining down, and so peaceful with all the little birds singing out. It's the perfect place to read my books or simply listen to nature." Leaning her head back, Lileina closed her eyes and let her long blonde hair fall back until it almost brushed the pond's surface. "It's…magical. That's the only way I can think to describe it. Perfectly magical." She let the breeze flow over her face for a moment before looking up at Valtier, who was watching her face. "What is it?"

"Your face. It seems so peaceful, just like the forest." Leaning back on a tree that grew near his rock, Valtier smiled at her as he folded his arms behind his head. "It's as if you belong here, with nature."

"Thank…you…" Again shy, Lileina glanced over at him. "You're too kind to me. Never before has anyone said such things about me." Her eyes were sincere, their blueness like the endless sky.

"Now that seems impossible to me." Before he realized that he was speaking out loud, the words had already left his lips, and Lileina pretended to be fascinated with one of her braids. Sensing that he had just said exactly the wrong thing, Valtier looked over at her. "I'm sorry, did I embarrass you?" He was used to saying things like that to the girls in the City of Ancients, just to amuse himself on duty and getting no more response than a giggle. Was this shyness because she was human?

"W-well, a little. I mean…I'm not used to…" What, she wondered? Sincere compliments? The quickening of her own heart because someone like this Valtier sat by her pond and smiled at her and told her she was lovely? "Tell me something about yourself. We…we can't just talk about me all day, can we?"

"About myself?" Now it was Valtier's turn to not know what to say. He didn't know much about the jobs humans had, and didn't want to say anything that might sound too out of the ordinary. "I'm a soldier. There is a sacred…a temple in the center of my town, and I am one of the guards that protects it." At once, he saw Lileina's eyes light up when he said 'temple.'

"Really? I'm a temple guardian as well! I mean…I'm a miko. A priestess of the sacred temple in our town." Knowing that there were priestesses in human temples, she wasn't worried about him finding out that she wasn't quite who she said. To her surprise, Valtier seemed to look at her in disbelief.

"You? A miko?" This was difficult for him to believe, since all the mikos he knew were completely unlike Lileina. "Forgive me, it's just a bit hard to believe." Not understanding his confusion, she tilted her head at him.

"Why?"

"It's difficult to explain." Valtier was afraid that this answer would only cause her to ask more questions, but she left it at that, choosing instead to ask another question about a different topic.

"Where are you from?" Her eyes and voice were so gentle as she spoke to him that he wished that he could tell her the truth. But he knew that it would be impossible for her to believe, much less comprehend, and tried to smile at her.

"It's far from here. But most of the time, it's very peaceful. I think you would like it there." As he spoke, he realized that Lileina looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Very far away?"

"I suppose you could say so." He wondered what made her ask this, and Lileina's face suddenly crumpled in distress as she looked up at him as if she were on the verge of tears. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry…you walked all this way to see me…" Tears welled up in her eyes, and she shook her head. "I'm not deserving of so much of your kindness…" She bowed her head, unable to believe that Valtier had walked from a faraway village just on the chance that she might be in the forest and sad that she couldn't tell him who she really was. Tears started to run down her face and drip from her slender nose, but a moment later she felt a hand resting on hers. Looking up, she saw Valtier smiling at her, his hand a warm weight on her own.

"Don't cry, Lileina. The journey here was a pleasure because you were waiting for me at the end. You shouldn't worry about me, I'm strong. But you are kind to do so, and I thank you. It just makes me understand what a treasure you really are." His words made Lileina's cheeks burn with shyness, and her tears stopped at once. "No more tears for now?" Wiping the moisture from her nose with his thumb, he smiled, and Lileina made an effort to nod.

"Valtier, I…" Noticing a shadow crossing the forest floor, Lileina looked into the sky and gasped as she saw where the sun was sitting. At once she realized that she was late for her duties at the shrine. "Oh, no!" Jumping up, she looked around the forest for her exit to the valley where she transformed. "I'm late! I've got to go! I'm sorry!"

"Late for what?" Standing slowly up to join her, Valtier looked around and tried to see what she was searching for. Unexpectedly, Lileina grabbed his hand and brought it to the level of her chest, looking into his eyes as she did.

"Forgive me for asking such a thing of you, but can you meet me again? Here, in the same place?" Her eyes were frantic, and as he nodded, Valtier wondered what she could be so worried about missing.

"Of course. Is tomorrow too soon?"

"Tomorrow is wonderful!" Squeezing his hand with a grip that Valtier wouldn't have imagined her capable of, Lileina smiled brightly at him. Though she still looked rushed, her face seemed to be shining with a light that could only be coming from within her. "Shall I see you then?"

"Yes, by all means!" Her touch sent a strange warmth spreading through Valtier's chest, and as she let go of his hand and ran through the trees waving back to him, he watched after her eagerly. "Until tomorrow, then," he called after her, and Lileina turned to smile at him one final time before disappearing.

Once she was gone, Valtier sat on his rock and looked at the pond thoughtfully. She was so kind, worrying about him before she really even knew him at all, and he felt a pang of guilt pass through him. How could he tell her that he hadn't really traveled that far, or that he had flown most of the way? It had seemed to hurt her so much to think that he would walk a great distance to see her, and he wanted terribly to tell her not to worry, that he would be fine as long as he could get a simple glimpse of her face, but somehow that sounded wrong too. There was no way he could tell her how he really felt.

Glancing down at the dirt by the pond, Valtier noticed a small, leather-bound book lying next to the rocks. Remembering the book Lileina had been reading when he found her, he decided that this book must be the one she had earlier, that she had dropped it in her hurry to leave. The thick leather still held her scent, which his sharp nose was able to detect at once. Holding it closer to his face, Valtier thought he smelled something strange, almost familiar in the book's cover, and he opened it to find out what it was.

Much to his surprise, the book was written in an ancient language that he had thought was no longer even readable, especially by humans. The words were only discernible to his eyes because the language of the book was still imbedded in the memories of gods, dragons and demons. How could she be reading this, even understand the words? It couldn't be because she was a miko, could it? Even the oldest human priests weren't yet born when this language was written. Was she really reading it, or just trying to figure out what was in a rare book?

Slipping the small book into his vest, Valtier patted it lightly. He would take care of it for her and return it when they met again. Perhaps by the next day he would be able to think of a tactful way to as her about the book's contents.

In spite of the questions running rampant through his mind, Valtier smiled to himself and walked out of the arms of the Wakeful forest and into the wide clearing where he knew he could transform into his dragon form undetected by human eyes. As his human figure began to glow and reshape itself, he thought again about Lileina. She was definitely becoming more and more interesting.