Chapter 2: TAIL (Part 2)

It wasn't the most comfortable journey Namaari had ever been on, but it was thankfully relatively short. It was a little after mid-day by this point, the sun pounding down on them and making Namaari only slightly jealous of Raya's wide-brimmed hat.

The pain in her arm had transformed into a dull throb, so Namaari was relieved when they arrived at the entrance to the Tail chief's hideout, hidden in one of the many barren canyons. TukTuk rolled up the set of steep, hand carved stairs with no issue and Chaiya made short work of them as well with bounding leaps.

Ahead of her, Sisu and Raya reached the landing, hopped off of TukTuk, and prepared to enter the narrow passageway. Namaari followed behind, eyes darting around; she didn't like the look of this entrance. It reminded her of an animal trap, a funnel forcing the prey into a narrow path where it would spring on them when they least expected it.

Raya must have had the same reservations because she slowed her pace to survey any possible danger, however Sisu was completely oblivious.

"Sisu, I don't-," she began to call ahead to the dragon but before she could even finish her sentence Sisu had backed herself into a booby trap, tripping over a rope that sent a deadly-looking spiked column falling towards her.

Namaari was too far away but her instincts sent her flying off her serlot and towards them. Luckily, Raya was just as quick but significantly closer because she dove at the dragon, sending them both past it to safety as it crashed mere feet behind them.

"Are you okay?" she shouted over to them, her heart pounding in her chest as she rushed over towards the fallen column. She could see them picking themselves up and dusting off their clothes.

"Yea... wouldn't have been a day without at least two near-death experiences," Raya replied dryly, but Namaari could see the subtle shakiness in her hands at the close call.

"This doesn't make sense… none of this would stop a Druun," Sisu mused as she glanced further down the passage, seemingly unaffected by almost being crushed to death. As her own heart struggled to return to its normal rhythm, Namaari followed her gaze and saw the tangle of ropes that awaited them, each probably rigged to some other kind of deadly trap.

"It's not to stop Druun, it's to stop people," Raya told her matter-of-factly before glancing back over the column at Namaari.

"Who knows what else is in here. I think you should stay out here until we get back with your arm all…," Raya trailed off gesturing to her injury, unsure of how to word it delicately apparently, so Sisu "helped" her.

"Jacked up," Sisu finished.

Namaari didn't like it. Her arm still worked. The idea of not being able to help them made her feel powerless.

"And if you two get yourselves killed?" she challenged. She didn't really want to think about that.

"Then I guess the dragon gem is yours," Raya shot back, causing a weird ache in Namaari's chest. The look on her face must have given Raya the hint that she was serious because her voice softened, "Look, if we're not back soon then we're probably in trouble and need your help but if your people show up and take us by surprise we'll really need you out here."

As much as she hated this scenario Namaari couldn't argue with that logic, so she merely nodded. She watched just long enough to see the impressive, acrobatic feat of the other woman gracefully and effortlessly glide around and over the ropes, her heart doing funny things in her chest. She couldn't pick that apart right now.

"Be safe," she mumbled to herself, turning to watch the horizon.

Waiting was not really something Namaari was good at it. She was taught from a young age that leading by example was the only way to earn your people's respect. So she had thrown herself into her martial arts training, learning as much as she could, becoming the best warrior she could be so that when the time came she would be able to lead her people into battle and protect her land.

And now she was embarking on probably the most important journey she would ever face, and she was waiting with her serlot and a giant fur bug.

She took the opportunity to look down at her wound and see that she had begun to bleed through the bandages a bit, an angry bright red stain telling her that it was still actively bleeding. It wasn't a large wound but it was deep. Raya was right, of course, she would probably need stitches and sooner rather than later.

After giving her food and water, Chaiya was resting in the sun, purring lightly. TukTuk on the other hand seemed to be staring anxiously into the passage his friend had disappeared into, obediently awaiting her return.

"Hey, she'll be okay," she told him softly, placing a comforting hand on his shell. She wasn't sure he could actually feel it nor was she sure who exactly she was supposed to be convincing, but he gave her a sympathetic grumble in response.

Namaari was beginning to develop a soft spot for this giant creature, and not just because he was Raya's trusted friend all these years. She could still remember from that night she met him when he could fit in the palm of Raya's child-sized hand. She could hardly believe it was possible he could have grown from that little thing to this giant one in only six years.

Her thoughts were cut short when she noticed Chaiya's head shoot up, her ears at attention as she stared at something in the distance. Namaari followed her gaze, but she didn't see anything at first. Eventually, she could see the tell-tale dust cloud of someone coming this way. And fast.

Stepping forward and taking a deep breath, Namaari prepared herself to confront the people she had been tasked to lead. Chaiya jumped up from her position as they neared, mirroring her stance, ready to defend Namaari if necessary, even against her own kin as well. Namaari gave her friend an appreciative pat on her head before turning her attention back to the potential threat in front of her.

As they neared Namaari watched as they slowed their pace, approaching cautiously. They stayed on their serlots except for Lieutenant Wahn who hopped down and bowed respectfully, bringing his hands together. She was tempted to do what Raya had done to her earlier and punch him in the face, but she resisted the urge.

"Princess Namaari, please forgive my earlier transgression. I was only trying to save you from Benja's daughter," he spoke clearly, raising his head, his eyes darting to her wound briefly.

She had never liked him. Watching him in training she had seen his disdain for women, something that had become uncommon in Fang after several decades of female leaders. Yet, Namaari could see the resentment in his eyes at having to be subordinate to her and General Atitaya. His prejudice showed by referring only to the Princess of Heart in reference to her father.

"Clearly, I do not need saving," she replied simply, holding her fists at her side, ready if he were to make any kind of move.

Namaari had barely finished her sentence when Wahn insisted, "Then allow us to assist you by taking the dragon and the gem pieces back to Fang. We could-".

"Your assistance is not necessary, nor is your presence," Namaari interrupted him bluntly before continuing, addressing all of them once again, "Return to Fang. Tell Chief Virana that I will be aiding the Princess of Heart in repairing what Fang destroyed. Do no attempt to obstruct our mission or I will have to intervene with force."

Wahn scoffed at her, stepping closer causing Chaiya gave a low growl beside her. To show the seriousness of her threat, Namaari crossed her arms around herself and grasped the handle of her swords. He seemed to hesitate but only momentarily before continuing forward and addressing her once more, "Think of what Fang could do with that kind of power. We could keep our people safe. We could secure our future."

"You dare question my motivations?" Namaari growled back, unsheathing her swords in a flash of light, the sound of the blade sliding against the sheath filling the air. Namaari's wound screamed in protest at the sudden movement but she hoped the gritting of her teeth came across as an attempt at intimidation instead of a grimace of pain. "I am doing this for Fang. Saving the last dragon and reassembling the gem pieces will save Fang and restore all of Kumandra. It will fix what we broke."

The appearance of the weapons had the desired effect of halting his forward approach. So, Namaari repeated herself, enunciating clearly.

"Leave. Now. And do not follow us again. That is a command from your princess."

Lieutenant Wahn seemed to consider whether it was worth continuing down this path, but ultimately he decided to back down. Bowing once more, he turned to go back to his serlot and mounted him with ease before glancing back down at her.

"Very well, Princess Namaari," he emphasized her name with a smug smirk on his face, "We shall relay your message to your mother and inform her of your treachery."

And with that they were gone, leaving Namaari staring after them, her chest constricting. What had she just done? Did she really just betray her people? Her mother and Atitaya would absolutely think so.

And yet… Namaari had never been more sure of anything.

Namaari sheathed her swords slowly, her arm protesting as she did so. She glanced down at her wound, the bandage completely soaked through with blood now to the point it had begun to trickle down her arm and was now dripping off her elbow into the sand below. Lifting her left hand to cover the wound, she tried to put pressure on the wound to stem the flow.

"Did you mean that? About Kumandra?"

Namaari followed the source of the familiar voice to see Raya stepping out of the shadows of the cave. Her dark hair framed her face, accentuating the soft curve of her high cheekbones and flyaway hairs cut across eyes that were looking at her with an intensity that Namaari had not been expecting. Her breath hitched for a moment and she swallowed thickly.

"I did," Namaari replied simply, her tone even, trying not to get her hopes up that she was starting to earn the Heart princess's trust. Raya held her gaze and Namaari wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a flicker of something there. But she also didn't get the chance to pick it apart.

"Namaari! Look! I'm people!" Sisu's gravelly voice called to her in excitement.

Namaari somehow managed to tear her eyes from Raya to Sisu, surprised to see not the blue dragon from before but a fair skinned woman with bright blue and purple hair instead. Raya must have recognized Namaari's confusion because she attempted to explain.

"We got the gem piece. Apparently, each one gives Sisu different powers. Mine made her glow and this one gave her the ability to shape change," Raya gestured to Sisu who was currently counting her human fingers in delight.

"That's… that's incredible," she said in awe, eliciting an even bigger grin from the dragon-person.

"Wait until you see me swim," Sisu winked at her, eliciting a small awkward laugh from Namaari.

Not only was she still reeling from Raya's eyes on her but Namaari was also unsure how to respond to the informality from the legendary dragon. She had dreamed her whole life what it would be like to meet her, but she was nothing how she imagined. Deciding to change the subject, Namaari turned back to the Heart princess.

"And the Tail Chief?"

Raya seemed to shift a uncomfortably at the question but shrugged a little. "The Tail chief is…uh," Raya seemed to be searching for the words before continuing, "not going to be a problem."

Namaari could read into the words she did not say. The Tail chief was dead.

"Oh toi…," Raya's voice had gone quiet, her brow furrowing as her eyes shifted down.

Namaari followed her line of sight to the blood trailing down her arm. Raya then seemed to leap into action, heading to her TukTuk's saddle bag to retrieve more clean bandages. She watched as the other woman approached her quickly. Her closeness caused the now familiar rush of emotions in Namaari and when Raya's eyes met her own, she still expected the hate she had seen earlier, but once again she found none. Instead, Raya's eyes seemed to be asking permission to which Namaari nodded slightly, unable to speak around the lump in her throat.

Namaari allowed Raya to cover the blood-soaked bandages with the clean ones, stemming the flow once again temporarily.

"We really need to take care of this," Raya spoke softly, finishing the knot on the bandage, "Let's head down to the water. Maybe we can get a boat to Talon and I can stitch this up on the way."

After some minor preparations, Raya and Sisu mounted TukTuk and Namaari hopped up onto Chaiya and made their way slowly towards the water in the hopes that they could find a boat. It was a tedious, painful trip for Namaari, much more so than the trip from the river's end, because this terrain was much more uneven, requiring several leaps from Chaiya that jostled her arm.

Eventually, they had made it down to water level and approached the docks. There really weren't a whole lot of people milling about or boats docked but one stood out immediately. It was a fairly large boat but that wasn't what caught their attention; it was the huge shrimp sculpture on its roof.

"Let me handle this," Raya said assertively as she and Sisu dismounted TukTuk, "Stay here."

Namaari was in no place to argue. The pain in her arm was searing while her fingers had begun to go numb, probably from the blood loss. She slid off her serlot, gritting her teeth as the motion bumped her arm. She could see Raya vault herself onto the boat effortlessly from the dock and look around for the captain. A young boy with short, ruffled dark hair and wearing the traditional yellow of Tail appeared. From their spot at the end of the dock Namaari and Sisu could catch some of their conversation and while at first the young boy seemed amiable, things quickly turned.

"The Shrimporium is not a water taxi," she heard the boy dismiss her, crossing his arms. She could not quite make out what Raya was saying as she held out some jade and pointed over to them. The boy followed her gesture and narrowed his eyes, their eyes meeting briefly before he whipped his attention back to Raya. He was now whispering incredulously and Namaari wasn't sure but she was fairly certain she heard the words, "Fang" and "binturi."

Raya looked over at her this time, her eyes shaded under her wide brimmed hat, so Namaari couldn't discern what she was feeling. Namaari watched as she turned back to the boy once more, her shoulders sagging for a moment. Then she replied just as quietly so that Namaari couldn't hear.

Whatever she said worked. The boy seemed to relent and Raya grinned, motioning for them to come over.

The Shrimporium was a large boat but it wasn't THAT large. Once all three of them (plus Captain Boun, as he referred to himself) and Chaiya and TukTuk had all boarded, the boat didn't seem as spacious as before. Namaari couldn't complain though. This would be a much smoother, safer way for them to avoid the Druun and get to Talon quickly. Captain Boun predicted they would get there before nightfall. When Namaari saw his method of moving the boat however…

Slowly, painfully slowly, the young boy pushed the boat away from the docks with a long bamboo pole.

"Don't you dare," Raya's voice was low in warning. Namaari turned to see her pointing a threatening finger at Sisu who, in turn, leaned over the side of the boat, eyeing the water longingly.

"But I'm a water dragon," she whined, "this is literally my thing."

"You have to stay hidden! People would lose their minds if they saw a real, live dragon!" Raya yell-whispered back at her, looking around them nervously to see if Boun was nearby but the boy was still at the back of the boat.

"No one would see me. I swear," she promised, leaning even further over the edge.

"Don't do it."

"I'm doing it."

"No! Sisu!"

"It's done."

And with that Sisu flung herself off the boat and into the water, landing with a loud splash.

Namaari didn't have time to process what that meant when all of a sudden the boat lurched forward roughly, throwing everyone towards the back of the boat from the momentum. At the time, Boun and Namaari had been the closest people to the rear. Boun caught himself on one of the supports for the awning and, while Namaari didn't slide far, her lower back still hit the wood painfully and her hands shot out behind to steady herself, aggravating her arm even further. She didn't have time to dwell on it though because in the next second Raya came falling towards her, hat flying off and backpedaling as she tried to regain her balance. When she came within reach, Namaari threw her hands around the other woman's waist, halting her momentum and cushioning her from the force of hitting the wood as she had.

Once they got used to the motion, Namaari became hyper aware of the fact that Raya's back was flush against her chest. She was certain that the other woman would be able to feel the pounding of her heart there. The wisps of Raya's dark hair tickled her cheek and through her heaving breaths she could catch the scent of sandalwood which did nothing to calm her racing pulse. The bare skin of her arms fully pressed against Raya's own, the warmth there making it difficult for Namaari to regain her focus.

"What was that?!"

The sound of Boun's voice finally drew her out of the trance she had been in. Namaari cleared her throat, not trusting her voice at first before she set Raya back on her feet.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly, concerned when Raya seemed to freeze in place.

"Uh, yeah. I'm good. Totally. Mhmm Mm," Raya turned to her with an odd look on her face, planting her feet as the boat was still moving fairly quickly, while Namaari's hands hovered around her just in case she lost her footing again.

After a few minutes, the boat slowed suddenly, still moving forward from the momentum of the extra help from Sisu but not actively being propelled like before. The abrupt change in speed threw them all forward and this time, Namaari stumbled into Raya's arms.

With deceiving strength, Raya grasped her hips, halting her fall and searing Namaari's skin through her tunic. And their faces were close, so very close. Namaari could feel Raya's warm breath on her cheek.

Raya quickly released her as the boat steadied, looking away so Namaari couldn't see her face behind the curtain of her hair. She felt compelled to say something, but she didn't know what. Was the Heart princess feeling any of the things Namaari felt?

While Raya nervously strode away, first righting her TukTuk and then trying to convince Sisu to get out of the water and back into her human form, Namaari took a seat on one of the elevated pieces of wood at the stern of the boat, allowing her senses to return to normal. Now that they were safe on the water where the Druun couldn't get to them she could take a second to process the situation she had gotten herself into.

One thing was certain: despite her earnest belief in Kumandra and that helping Raya and Sisu collect and reassemble the gem pieces would help Fang, her mother and her people were going to see her aiding the Princess of Heart as a betrayal.

Namaari didn't take that lightly. Even though her mother had used her all those years ago and they had a less-than-warm relationship, Namaari still wanted to make her proud. She also thought of General Atitaya and the respect she would lose from the fierce woman who she considered a friend. Then there was the children. The ones who looked up to her and watched her every move. What would they think? She only hoped they would survive this journey and Namaari would have the chance to explain it all to each of them.

"Okay, let's see this," Raya's voice cut through her thoughts, starting her a bit. She usually prided herself on her sharp senses, but the other woman had somehow distracted her in more ways than one.

The Heart princess sat down on her right side with a bowl of water, some bandages, a jar of salve, and suturing supplies. Namaari's body both wanted to shy away from the incoming pain but was also drawn to the other woman resulting in her sitting stiffly, frozen in place by the opposing forces. Namaari watched her movements, relishing the now familiar feeling of her heart skipping when the Heart princess was near.

Carefully, Raya used her lithe fingers to begin to peel the blood-soaked bandage off the damaged skin. Just as the last of the bandage was removed, it had stuck a little to the wound when the blood had started to dry, causing the motion to tear at the edge of the wound.

Namaari could not prevent the sharp intake of breath at the sudden shock of pain. Raya's hands immediately stilled, biting her bottom lip anxiously as she glanced up into Namaari's eyes. Despite the loathing that had been there mere hours ago all Namaari could see was concern.

"I'm sorry…. Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Namaari said softly, her mouth dry. As she finished removing the old bandages, Raya moved on to cleaning the residual dried blood with some clean fabric she had found, dipping it into the bowl of water. She held it for a moment, hovering over her skin before hesitantly washing away the blood, starting in the areas furthest away from the wound and moving closer.

By this point Namaari had completely forgotten about the pain, so focused was she on Raya and her careful, practiced motions. At this distance- or lack thereof- Namaari could see the way the fading light reflected in her dark eyes and made her skin almost glow. Her face was creased with concentration on the task in front of her, moving onto the sutures.

"Where'd you learn how to do this?" Namaari spoke up after a long silence between them, keeping her breathing steady as Raya stitched her up as gently as she could.

Raya looked away and Namaari noticed that a troubled crease had appeared on the usually smooth skin between those eyes. Without looking up she set aside the bowl of water and began applying the salve to the wound and re-wrapping it with fresh gauze.

"You learn a few things when you're alone on the run from Druun for six years," Raya said it matter-of-factly, no trace of the bitterness that Namaari was certain she must feel. The bitterness that she had more than earned.

As Raya finished tying the bandage, Namaari covered her hand with her own, the motion drawing Raya's gaze to her questioningly. She knew she might not get another chance, so took a calming breath.

"Raya…-," she began, her words failing her. She had spent night after night imagining what she would say to the Heart princess if she ever got the opportunity and now she couldn't even string more than three words together.

"Whooooooo's hungry?"

Captain Boun's voice shattered the moment and Raya hopped up quickly to join him and Sisu at the table near the middle of the boat.

Namaari's heart sank at the interruption. What if she had lost her chance? Glumly, she dragged herself up and slowly made her way to the table as well.

"Ooh I am!" Sisu replied excitedly as the captain placed two bowls in front of them. TukTuk and Chaiya were already sharing a bowl of congee which impressed her. Chaiya usually wasn't one to share.

Namaari doubted the captain had any food for her. She had seen his suspicious- almost outright hostile- glares when he thought she wasn't looking. She wasn't surprised. From what she had heard, none of the other lands trusted anyone from Fang. She was surprised when he brought over three bowls.

"Three house specials! How spicy would you like it? Hot, hotter, or BOUN goes the dynamite!"

"Bring on the heat!" Sisu cheered emphatically but before she could grab her bowl, Raya sat next to Sisu and took her bowl from her, bringing it closer to her face and eyeing it suspiciously.

"Uhhh, what are you doing?"

"We don't know him. It could be poison," she whispered to Sisu.

"Why would he poison us?" Sisu shout-whispered back loudly enough for them all to hear.

"Yea, why would I poison you?" Boun asked, flipping his empty bowl and heading back to his cooking station. Raya seemed to watch him closely thinking. Namaari had a suspicion that someone had perhaps tried to poison her before...

"First, to get my jade purse, second to steal my sword and third, I don't know, kidnap my TukTuk," she listed but Namaari thought the last one was a bit of a stretch.

"All good points but if this is poison then you're gonna die happy," he said eating a spoonful of the concoction and kissing his fingertips in satisfaction.

"Yea, thanks but we've got our own eats," Raya insisted, struggling to bite through some of the jackfruit jerky she produced, a laugh bubbling from Namaari at her face as she did so.

"He really didn't poison it, you know," she said, taking her bowl, pouring some of the hottest sauce on it, and taking a bite. Raya's jaw seemed to drop in disbelief.

"And how do you know that, Princess Undercut?" she asked, resting her elbow on the table and looking up at her.

"I watched him make it. He stuck that spoon in there and tasted it about twenty times," Namaari shrugged, relishing the spiciness. Fang was known for their chili peppers so heat was not a problem and this reminded her of home. "So, I question his food safety standards but it's not poisoned."

"This is delicious! And yea, by the way, definitely not poison," Sisu piped up as well between mouthfuls. "But it's h-hot, it's hot, it's h-hoooooooot. It's really hot! Water! Boun! Captain Boun! We need water, water on deck please!" Sisu shouted, panic setting in.

Namaari just shook her head in amusement leaning against one of the beams as she continued eating, listening to the sound of Raya's laughter.

The sun had set which meant the Druun had come out, appearing to drift aimlessly on the banks of the river as they floated slowly by. TukTuk and Chaiya were anxious of their presence, reflecting the rest of their moods.

Namaari had settled herself on the back of the boat where she was able to see Boun who continued to use the long bamboo stick to steadily push them along, but her eyes were on the Heart princess. Raya was comforting her TukTuk, staring out at the monsters, eyes set with hatred, her body on edge by their presence so close.

Namaari was used to seeing them across the canal back home in Fang but rarely this close. When on her journey to locate Raya, she and her warriors had had a couple close calls but had avoided them for the most part.

"During the day you can almost forget they're here, but at night…," Boun commented looking sullenly over at the banks. "This is why I never leave the boat."

"You're a smart kid," Raya replied from her place, now sharpening her sword. Her gaze drifted over to Namaari's briefly before going back to her task.

"What are Druun anyways?" he asked quietly. Her heart ached for him. He reminded her so much of the kids back in Fang… except they were blissfully sheltered from the Druun, protected by Fang's man-made canal.

"A plague. Born from human discord. They've always been here waiting for a moment of weakness to attack. They're like the opposite of dragons. Instead of bringing water and life to the world they're like a relentless fire that consumes everything in its wake until there's nothing left but ash and stone." Namaari had yet to see Sisu so somber. Her eyes were turned towards the Druun, a look of pure disdain.

"They took my family," Boun admitted quietly.

"They took mine too," Sisu replied, gently taking four of the pink flowers she had collected while floating past and had on a wooden tray. She brought her joined hands to her forehead and released them with a silent prayer.

Boun paused his task of guiding the boat, laying the pole down, and approaching Sisu. He, too, took several flowers, mirroring her gesture in remembrance of his family.

After a moment, Raya stood from her place and scooped up a single flower. Namaari could only assume that it represented her father as she watched the Heart princess release it into the river. Hurt creased her features and Namaari couldn't take it anymore. She had to try and explain again. She needed Raya to know that she would never had intentionally caused her such pain.

As Boun moved back to his place on the other side of the boat and Sisu looked longingly down at the water, Namaari made her way over to the dark haired woman.

"Raya?"

The Heart princess turned her head to look over at her, her long hair sliding over her shoulder at the motion. Her face held no anger or annoyance, just lost in thought. Namaari felt awkward all of a sudden, reaching up a hand to brush her hair behind her ear. She slowly matched Raya's posture, leaning her forearms against railing, before taking a deep breath.

"That day…," she began once more, praying she wasn't about to lose this tenuous thing between them.

"Namaari, It's okay. It's in the past-," Raya shook her head, no longer meeting her eyes as she straightened up in preparation to walk away. Throwing caution to the wind, Namaari stood up as well and reached out to cover Raya's hand that rested on the wooden railing. It was light enough that Raya could easily slide out of her grasp, but she hoped the gesture would get her attention and make her want to stay and listen.

"No. Please, I've waited six years," Namaari pleaded, unashamed of what she was sure was a desperate look on her face as she turned her body more fully to face the other woman.

Raya glanced down at their hands but remained silent and made no move to leave. Namaari took that as permission to continue.

"I didn't betray you," she said in one breath, the words she had practiced so long finally able to be spoken out loud. The crease had returned to Raya's forehead, the intensity of her stare making it difficult to continue, but Namaari held her gaze. She needed Raya to see the sincerity and truth in her eyes.

"I didn't know that my mother had us followed," she continued, feeling braver with each word. Raya hadn't punched her again so that felt like a good sign. "I only learned later of her intent.

"She knew of my love for the legend of Sisu. She also knew Chief Benja had a daughter the same age as her own... She had our warriors watch us during the dinner… they followed us believing- correctly- that we would bond over our mutual love of dragons and you would take me to the dragon gem."

Namaari shook her head bitterly, having a hard time meeting Raya's eyes now. The years of guilt causing a burning behind her own eyes that she fought, swallowing thickly before continuing.

"I had never met anyone like you before… everything I said to you… giving you my necklace… it was all real… and my mother took advantage of it." The words were flowing out of Namaari like a flood and she wouldn't have been able to stop them at this point even if she wanted to.

"When I heard that someone had stolen Fang's dragon scroll, I prayed it was you," she revealed, her chest tightening at the memory of the hope that had filled her knowing there was even the smallest possibility that Raya was alive. "For years I thought my mother's actions had led to you being turned to stone. I was being torn apart by guilt. Playing that day over and over in my head. Wishing I could've recognized some sort of sign of what my mother was planning."

She hadn't realized she'd still been holding Raya's hand until she felt the slight squeeze around her fingers. Namaari glanced down at their joined hands, confused before looking up searchingly into Raya's expressive brown eyes. Somehow, Namaari found the ability to say one last thing.

"I swear to you, Raya. I would never have hurt you. Not then and not now."

Despite everything that happened… that was still one of the best days of my life. Those were the words Namaari left unsaid. She didn't think she was ready to say them and she was sure that Raya wasn't ready to hear them, especially since it had been the day her father was turned to stone, leaving her alone.

Namaari held her breath has Raya's lips parted slightly as if she was about to say something Before she could hear what Raya had to say in response, another voice cut through the air disrupting the moment again.

"Looks like we're here," Boun called to them.

They both followed his line of sight to the town lit up in the darkness. Talon.