Approximately three hours from the end of the last chapter
Mercy smiled as she looked at her Larith. The little queen was barely a day old, but she was still flying around, making loops in the air like she had been doing it for a long time. The fire lizard seemed to love the sea as much as Mercy did, and she often dived beneath the waves, just to shoot up from the water again with a small fish whenever she got hungry. Mercy was very thankful for that, if Larith hadn't helped with catching food she would have had to fish all day to keep the little golden reptile full.
Mercy laughed as Larith did another crazy loop in the air and almost hit the surface of the sea, seemingly not meaning to. A wave splashed the little queen with cool water and the small reptile showed what a temperament she could have, screeching and scolding the sea like an old lady would reprimand a very annoying child.
But when Mercy began to laugh, the golden creature flew back and sat on her shoulder, rubbing her head against Mercy's hair and wrapping the thin, scaly tail around her neck. Not in a way that kept the girl from breathing normally, just a gesture to say 'You're my human'. Mercy laughed again, causing her shoulder to shake lightly and the little queen to protest, though she did not fly away.
Then, as sudden as a dragon appearing after being between, rainclouds formed above them, blocking the light and warmth from the sun. Mercy looked up with a frown as heavy drops of rain began to fall from the grey clouds. Larith protested loudly as the unfamiliar drops of water began to hit her snout, her wings and her back.
To begin with, the little queen tried to attack the drops by biting after them, but as she soon realized that there where way too many, she hid her head under Mercy's long, sun-bleached hair and let out a small chirp, requesting to be brought somewhere the rain wouldn't soak her.
Mercy smiled again and looked around, hoping to spot a cave near the beach. Luckily, they hadn't gone far that day, mainly because Mercy had been busy looking after her new responsibility, and she knew that she would be able to run back to the cave they had slept in. So she turned around and began running, grinning broadly as she felt the wind against her face, cooling her down and blowing her long hair away from her face.
The little queen screeched in protest at the sudden speed and uneven movement, but she only tightened her tail slightly around Mercy's neck to keep herself in place. Mercy ran with glee, keeping her pace, getting completely soaked all the while, but she knew that her clothes would dry quickly as soon as the sun pierced the clouds again, and it was good to get all the salt washed off her gear and herself for once.
Soon she reached the cave and, completely soaked to the bone, walked in. The little queen immediately flew from her shoulder and landed on a small perch of rock. She immediately began cleaning her wings and toes from the salt and the rain. Mercy smiled lightly at her queen's need of beautifying herself for no apparent reason.
Then she began chuckling at the thought of what would happen when she came back to Toric, not only with the seaweed he had requested, but also with a golden fire lizard. She could almost see his face, the gruff lord holder was rarely surprised, but this would definitely surprise him. The little queen looked up at her with a confused expression and she let out a little, annoyed chirp as if requesting for a little silence, which only made Mercy laugh more.
Larith finished her beautifying and stretched thoroughly before circling a few times and lying down, her first pair of eyelids closed. Mercy smiled and looked at her little queen fondly, sitting down next to the perch so she was at eye level with the small creature. The small, golden reptile looked at her sleepily and tilted her head a little. Then Mercy began singing one of her favorite songs, a song that she thought the little queen would love:
"The little queen, all golden Flew hissing at the sea. To keep it back, To turn it back She flew forth bravely.
As she attacked the sea in rage A holderman came nigh Along the sand Fishnet in hand And saw the queen midsky.
He stared at her in wonder For often he'd been told That such as she Could never be Who hovered there, bright gold.
He saw her plight and quickly He looked up the cliff he faced And saw a cave Above the wave In which her eggs he placed.
The little queen all golden Upon his shoulder stood Her eyes all blue Glowed of her true Undying gratitude."