Chapter 5: Pyra
Running with Tarif to the outskirts of town, I scan the area for any sign of the Divine League that the elder told me was here. But I don't notice anyone out of the ordinary milling around; did they leave? Groaning to myself, I realize that anyone with any sort of authority probably wouldn't be hanging around in one place too long, especially if they have any special business to attend to.
But then, I notice the man sitting behind the tree.
He's the same man I saw when I just arrived in Arcadia.
"Tarif," I ask my new friend, "do you know that man over there?"
Tarif squints his eyes to get a better look, but he doesn't seem to recognize the man either. "Sorry Roy... I have no idea... is he someone important?"
"I'm not sure... but I saw him when I first got here today. Doesn't matter, I guess. I'll probably see him later on if he keeps appearing like this."
Deciding it best to take a break from searching now, I sit down on a log as Tarif gingerly deposits himself beside me. I flip open my book on the Divine League, and I can feel Tarif trying to poke his head to see what I'm reading without disturbing me. He is quite a passive fellow, I assume, but I don't mind; it demonstrates that he shows respect for others and their personal space, and that is very admirable.
However, should I get too close to him? Judging by his personality and the few things he's told me, his presence may not be completely welcomed here. But I can tell that he is in need of a friend, so I shove my selfish doubts aside and decide that I will be that friend for him.
"Come on," I tell him, "you don't have to be so shy. You can just ask if you want to see what I'm doing."
"Sorry... I can't help it." His expression suggests that he's considering his next words carefully. "I get my personality and physique... from my mother. She's really small and petite... as well as very shy and reserved. In many ways, though... I'm even shyer than she is... and it doesn't help that I have my father's height... in fact, I'm even taller than he is! That combination of traits... it's unnatural."
He might be right; if it weren't for his slight appearance and shy personality, I'd normally be afraid of him. He's almost a head taller than I am, and again, my eyes wander towards the large brown cloak he covers himself with. If he had any sort of muscle frame to him at all, I'd be fearful to see what he was like without it, but now, I'm just curious as to what he's trying to hide.
"Why do you wear the cloak, Tarif?"
His eyes widen at the question, and he self-consciously pulls the cloak even tighter around himself before turning his head away in embarrassment. It must be a really touchy subject for him, because before long his cheeks start turning red again. I would probably laugh at the situation if it was anybody else, but Tarif's clearly upset that I asked about it, and now I only feel regret for asking him.
"Oh... I didn't realize that question would affect you so much..." Putting my arm on his shoulder reassuringly, I continue, "that was rude of me."
Tarif merely shakes his head. "No, it's all right... it's just that the cloak, it, um..." He hesitates for a moment. "It hides... my wings."
His wings? Now that I think about it, the only dragons I've seen with their wings exposed were the War Dragons manufactured from Bern. Nobody here in Arcadia has their wings out in the open for everyone to see unless it is absolutely necessary. Is it taboo to reveal them? There's another question to ask Sophia later. Dragonkind is really starting to confuse me. I know Fa sometimes would keep hers out during the war to get around easier, but she never displays them here.
"Dragons here in Elibe... never show their wings, unless they're Fire Dragons... and don't forget that I wasn't born here either... I only came a couple years ago... and my wings are different from everyone else's... I can't hide them like the others... so only one person in Elibe has ever seen them..." He tugs uncomfortably at the cloak again. "Although... it's really annoying to keep holding this stupid cloak."
All of the manufactured dragons from Bern were Fire Dragons, so I guess that explains the wings. "We don't all have to be the same, Tarif. You said your name means 'unique', right?"
He seems to weigh his options in his head, and then, for the first time since meeting him, I see determination blaze through his eyes, and he tosses his cloak to the side, allowing his wings to expand to their full glory.
And I must say, they are unique... and impressive. They're very similar to those of a bat, with long finger-like protrusions running down the front and sides. The protrusions and the entire back-end of the wings are an eerie darkish yellow, while the leathery skin in-between is a luminescent greenish turquoise. Long and sleek, they are clearly made for precision flight; however, they look quite fast as well. They are quite different from the wings of the dragons I've seen before, though.
"Well, Roy..." Tarif says hesitantly, "that's it, I guess... at least I don't have to lug that cloak around anymore..."
Suddenly, without warning, Tarif is tackled by a speedy flash of red, ending up with him flat on the ground and pinned down by an attractive redheaded woman. Their faces are only about six inches apart, and I can see Tarif trying his best to focus his eyes on the mystery woman's smiling face; the way both of them are positioned, Tarif is in prime position to stare down the woman's shirt, who herself is clearly oblivious to the awkwardness of the situation.
Hmm... now that I think about it, this reminds me of the time when a dancer from our army, Lalum, accidentally (so she says...) tripped on me and crashed right on top of me. Boy, I was so embarrassed; I'm not that kind of a person... my head was squished between some rocks, so I couldn't turn away... although, it was an... exciting view...
I shake my head to clear out my thoughts and turn my attention back to Tarif, blushing away as usual, but the woman only seems to smile brighter at his reaction.
"Tomato? Is that you? I've missed you!" She gives him a kiss on the cheek and hugs him tight. "You finally took that cloak off! I'm so proud of you!"
Her compliment only seems to redden Tarif's cheeks even more, causing the woman to laugh and say, "hee hee, you're so sweet. You're going to make a lucky girl very happy one day, I just know it."
The two of them finally collect themselves off the ground, and as Tarif dusts himself off from the impact, the woman turns to face me, and I immediately recognize her as Pyra from the Elemental Trio of the Divine League. She is even more gorgeous in person; I can tell that her cheeks are softer, her smile is warmer, and she's definitely more endowed than most women I've met before, even though she's skinny and perfectly proportioned in every way. I also notice her elegant wings sticking out behind her back from her flowing red dress, apparently allowed to show them because she's a Fire Dragon.
I'm starting to get the feeling that dragons have some sort of special power that makes them look like angels. It's entirely possible; every female dragon I've met is absolutely beautiful, and Pyra is no exception. Idoun, Sophia, my mother... all beautiful. Once again, something else to ask Sophia. She's so nice; I hope she doesn't get upset or frustrated when I ask her all this.
However, there are some things I need to ask Pyra first.
"Are you Prince Roy?" Pyra asks me, walking closer. "My name's Pyra! It's great to finally meet you!"
How does she know who I am? "Er, yes I am. I'm sorry, but... how do you know me?"
The question only causes her to laugh. "Well, that's the job of Mr. Grumpy Face over there under that tree!" she replies, pointing behind me at the enigmatic man under the tree I've been noticing lately. "He told me that you were reading the book about the Divine League, and I came to seek you out. His name is Oscar, an Earth Dragon who's in the Observation Unit of the Elemental Trio. He's a bit of a hermit I'm afraid, but he does his job well. ISN'T THAT RIGHT, OSCAR?"
Pyra's yelling seems to catch Oscar's attention quite easily, and he makes a big "SHHHHH!" sound in response before hiding behind the tree and barely peeking out to continue watching. He's quite far away, so I can't really tell what he looks like; there aren't any Earth Dragons in Elibe, so I'm curious if he'll transform sometime, but Oscar doesn't seem like the best person to approach.
"Seriously though, Oscar's such a grouch. Now, I hear you need to ask me some things? I need to know your whole story before I can help you, beginning with the war, but that's okay, I have the time!"
She quickly sits down on the log and excitedly pats the spots beside her, prompting Tarif and I to join her there. Tarif sits to her right, and I to her left, and as she turns to my direction and leans against Tarif, I begin my story. The two of them are rapt with attention; Tarif for his lack of experience in Elibe, Pyra for her genuine interest, and she eagerly asks questions and makes statements throughout to get a better sense of things. It is clear to me that what the book said about Pyra's personality is definitely not an exaggeration.
"All those poor people on the Western Isles! I'll have to visit them on my next assignment!"
"Why was Etruria corrupt?"
"How come I didn't see you if you travelled around the continent?"
I'm not too sure about that one. Trying to think of an answer, I think I figure out the reason. "Well," I reply, "Where were you last?"
"I was in Sacae! Such a beautiful place!" Her eyes begin to glow as she says, "The air was so fresh there, and I met some really nice people. There was this one woman; eyes full of determination and a love for the plains, living happily together with her husband, oh! He was such a gentleman. They both used to live in Lycia. Ah..." she sighs, "good times. Sorry... continue!"
Makes sense. I didn't travel through Sacae; I traveled through Ilia instead. You know, I think I'm beginning to like Pyra already. She's very happy and lighthearted; something Elibe needs more of, personally. I know Tarif's taken a liking to her; they've apparently known each other before, and he certainly doesn't seem as unsure about himself when she's around, although it could be a coincidence. I'll find out later if need be.
Continuing where I left off, I finally get to the part about Idoun, which is where I wanted to end up in the first place. I finish my story, telling Pyra and Tarif about my resolve to help Idoun, and Pyra's eyes light up once more once she understands. "That's wonderful! Idoun is one of my best friends, but I couldn't leave my duties to help her until I got assigned here today." She pauses for a brief moment. "She... didn't remember me..." she whispers, her face drooping, "but... she mentioned you."
"Me?"
Almost immediately, her face brightens at my response. "Yes, she did! Didn't say much after that... guess she needs more time. You want my advice?"
I lean forward to hear what she has to say, excitement evident in my face. She's one of Idoun's best friends! She'll know exactly what I need to do. Hopefully it's something I'm capable of doing...
"Hugs!"
Hugs?
Honestly, I was expecting something a little more profound than that.
"I'm sorry?"
"Hugs!" she repeats, louder. "Idoun needs hugs. Anytime you see her, give her a tender hug. That is the best thing for her, I promise."
After hearing those words, I'm tapped on the shoulder, and I turn around to Sophia, smiling warmly, and after saying our hellos to each other, the two of us embrace. It is refreshing to see her; I've only seen her briefly since the war, and we haven't sat and talked for a long time. I miss those times we'd sometimes just sit and talk for hours during the war. Besides, I need to ask her all those questions about dragons.
"Sophia! I haven't seen you for a while!" Pyra says, creating a group hug by joining the two of us. "We have to catch up soon."
"Yes... we do," Sophia replies. "I'm sorry, but... I actually need to talk to you, Tarif."
Tarif's been so quiet, I almost forgot about him. Completely surprised that Sophia needs to talk to him of all people, he begins to blush, and Pyra simply chuckles in amusement. "Oh Tomato!" she giggles, "you're so cute! Always blushing like that!"
"Tarif..." Sophia starts, "I need some help reaching something. Can you help me?"
He merely gives a sheepish nod before getting up and following her as she walks away, and Pyra playfully jabs my side with a huge grin on her face. "He is clearly smitten for her."
"Yes, that's for sure."
The two of us burst out laughing at the thought as we watch the two of them go. Sophia stands pretty far under Tarif's shoulder, making him look like a giant, albeit a skinny one. Like father like son, I guess, judging by Tarif's description of his parents.
As we continue to snicker, I notice Oscar waving in the corner of my eye, trying to get Pyra's attention, and soon she notices as well. "Well, I guess Mr. Grumpy Face needs me. I'll see you soon!"
Before leaving, she gives me a kiss on the cheek and murmurs to me, "seriously, though, from the bottom of my heart... thank you for helping Idoun."
Hugging me and giving a playful wave, Pyra begins to hum and cheerfully skip towards Oscar to see what he wants, and I simply watch in awe. I cannot even begin to understand how someone like Pyra can even exist, but it's certainly not a bad thing. It's too bad I didn't learn much about Idoun, though.
Maybe I'll go find her and give her a hug.
Author's Notes
Back after vacation! Yay! Time for more story!
During my vacation, I read six books, and just by dumb luck, four of them were written in first person. And now, I noticed that my writing style has changed dramatically due to that influence. I'd like some guidance as to whether it is a good change or not; I don't know if I'll ever write first person the original way again. :/ Oh yeah, I'm no longer doing the 'third-person to first-person' thing I was attempting to describe in earlier chapters. Too much work. Not that anyone would notice.
When I tried describing Tarif's wings, I eventually noticed they are almost identical to bat wings. I love bats, but it was coincidence that they were so similar. Look it up on Wikipedia if you want to actually understand what the heck I'm trying to say. And on a related note, more dragon mysteries! What is going on? Well, we'll see!
The memory about Lalum is slight homage to my fic 'You Really Like Me?' Believe it or not, there's actually a point to these awkward memories, so expect more later. :p
Pyra's a fun character to write for. She's just so HAPPY all the time. She gives good advice too. :D By the way, she was describing Kent and Lyn when she was talking about Sacae. And if you've never heard of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street as far as "Mr. Grumpy Face" is concerned... you had no childhood. :p Boy, I feel old saying that. I'm only 20 as of the end of June, but still.
Well, according to the schedule I recited in chapter 4, time for a crack pairing! I haven't written much fluffy stuff for a long time, so the change is much appreciated on my part. After that, more of this story, but I will no longer say what I'm doing, basically because I don't want to plan that far ahead. I will never write two one-shots in a row, though.
