Prowling along the perimeter of someones property in broad daylight was typically ill-advised when trying to sneak into an establishment undetected, or just in general for law-abiding citizens, but Sisu was a Dragon on a mission, and besides that, was not often one for common sense, much less a practical approach.
Like a burglar infiltrating a fortified compound, Sisu scaled the outer foundation of the palace beneath the main overlook, clinging to and scrabbling along the structure with her sable claws, looking for all the world like a giant blue lizard taking a sunbath on the side of a wall. Like a submarines periscope, Sisu tentatively peered her snout over the rail to scan the surroundings, praying that no one was there to notice. Nothing made itself immediately obvious, and at least at first glance the coast seemed clear, prompting Sisu to gingerly clamber her way over the rail and into the foyer of Heart Palace proper.
But of course, Sisu didn't have nearly the knack for the Cloak and Dagger as she had hoped. The equilibrium of Heart Palace was easily distorted, and it was a simple matter for its inhabitants to detect when something was off in even the slightest, a kind of extrasensory perception if you will. As Sisu began to tiptoe across the open atrium, none other than Raya's father himself, Chief Benja, emerged from the kitchen doorway, his apparent Dragon senses tingling.
Sisu hadn't exactly readied an explanation for awkward her attempt at breaking and entering, but as it turns out, she didn't need one. Before she could even say a word, Benja simply held a finger up to his lips and warmly greeted his slithery guest with Heart's trademark hand gesture, which a very relieved Sisu promptly reciprocated with glee - now being quite a bit more practiced at it - a scene akin to two love-struck sweethearts exchanging gifts on Valentines Day. Not breaking stride, Benja then beckoned Sisu to follow with a subtle wave of his hand, all without a word spoken; though somewhat puzzled by the veil of secrecy, Sisu obliged.
Padding behind Benja silently on all fours, looking for all the world like a hungry cheetah stalking its next meal (which is probably what it would have seemed like to a stranger who didn't know better), Sisu noted as he led her through the main foyer that the divot in the ceiling from her "accident" was still present. That was a fond and amusing memory for everyone who witnessed it and Benja elected to leave the damage unpatched as a pleasant reminder of good times.
Exiting the foyer, the hallway forked in two directions; Benja and Sisu took a right, followed by a quick left at the corner, bringing a single door into view about halfway down from the corner at the opposite end, an ornate slab of cedar adorned with intricate floral carvings. They stopped about 20 feet from this door and Benja subtly motioned that the one whom Sisu sought was inside, which made clear to Sisu the reason behind the ghostly silence and the skulking about; he knew exactly what Sisu was here for and was playing along with her little gag.
Sisu gave the chief a jolly wink and a thumbs up, signifying that she had now had the matter well in paw, and Benja simply bowed and excused himself with a serene smile, returning to the kitchen to prepare dinner for his guest and leaving Sisu alone with her 'quarry.' The fancy portal leading into Raya's lofty quarters was open just a crack, barely enough for Sisu to silently squeeze her snout through and peek inside.
The decor was exactly what one would expect of a full-fledged 'Dragon Nerd.' Ancient scrolls depicting colorful illustrations of these aquatic salamanders lined the four walls surrounding her spacious quarters, and the oaken bookshelf in the corner beside the door housed nothing but serpent-themed literature and historic accounts of these benevolent creatures in eons past. A pair of petrified wooden Kali Sticks, their hilt and pommel gilded with a serpentine motif, were anchored to the wall above her bed, not surprising considering Raya was a fierce martial artist and always believed in being prepared, even though her bare fists were formidable weapons in themselves.
The bed itself wasn't much more than a mountain of Dragon-themed pillows arranged atop an even bigger pillow, a giant bean-bag of sorts, like some kind of plush fortress surrounding a velvet throne. And of course, there was the balcony, providing one with a magnificent view not only of each of Heart's districts astir with the buzzing of everyday commerce and the laughter of children, but also of Kumandra's shining jewel, the lifeblood of the world, Dragon Lake itself, its crystalline currents connecting all corners of Kumandra and its great kingdoms like some sublime, planetary tether. All of it was an extraordinary sight to behold, and the deck itself allowed every last ray of unfiltered sunlight to seep into the bedroom and even the hallways beyond, bathing the entire room in an almost angelic luminescence.
And there she was.
Raya sat in front of the rail overlooking Heart's central plaza, atop a small pillow with her knees folded beneath her. Her long, dusty cocoa locks were bound into a thick ponytail to keep the hair out of her stalwart, hawk-brown eyes while she centered her thoughts in the warmth of the midday light. Given how busy this lady had been as of late, not just acting as sworn Protector of the Dragons, but also moonlighting as an Ambassador of her people, this practice of quiet self-reflection proved to be quite therapeutic during times of stress, when the weight of shouldering so many responsibilities seemed almost unbearable.
Yet Raya always kept her chin up and soldiered on, no matter how rocky the path she walked. She had bent at times, but she had yet to break, one of many traits that Sisu admired so much about dear Raya.
Luckily for Sisu, Raya was completely focused on maintaining her state of inner peace, oblivious to the telltale scents of fresh strawberries and spring rain, the delicate drumming of curved reptilian talons against lacquered floorboards reverberating throughout the palace. Somehow Sisu had the element of surprise and Raya was completely unaware of her presence, unbefitting of a seasoned, disciplined warrior who was taught to always mind her surroundings.
Good. That was how Raya wanted it to be, after all. But this had to be executed properly, for Sisu only had one chance at this, otherwise her advantage would be blown and the surprise spoiled. She wanted this reunion to be the stuff of Sugarplums and Fairies for her human bestie.
From the foot of her bedroom door, Sisu began to sprinkle a splash of magical droplets along the floor, drawing a glossy line behind her as she slowly slinked back to the main hallway, a trail of "bread crumbs" if you will.
Then Sisu came back to Raya's bedroom door, took position on the hinge side, and tapped against it three times with an inky talon.
"Hmm?"
Sisu's fox-like hearing caught that Raya had been aroused from her state of zen, not only catching her perky voice but even the subtle groaning of wooden floorboards giving ever so slightly under the weight of her boots. She was on her feet now, clearly piqued by her suspicion, and Sisu quickly realized that Raya was making her way towards the door.
"Hello?"
The stage now set, Sisu ducked around the opposite corner leading away from the "trap" and lay in wait as the door creaked open.
"Is someone there?"
Raya peered her head out into the hallway, looking in both directions, but it was empty and tomb silent. She almost thought nothing of it and was about to slip back into her room to resume her meditation, until her eyes reported the irregularity beneath her.
A thin streak of condensation was present at her feet, leaving a glassy track that led down the hallway towards the main atrium. Curious as to the source of this moist trail, Raya tentatively followed this shallow stream as it arced the turn at the halls corner, and again at the split leading into the primary vestibule. Sisu cautiously shadowed her along the way, creeping from corner to corner, making sure to stay out of sight incase Raya was attentive enough to look over her shoulder. The trail stopped smack in the center of the daylit antechamber, right beneath Sisu's little "landmark" in the ceiling, ending in what looked like a large rain puddle.
"What is this?"
As Raya knelt down to investigate, Benja emerged from the kitchen again, presumably to see what the commotion was, or so Raya thought, unaware that her own father was in on the prank.
"What is it, Raya?"
Not even turning to make eye contact, Raya simply pointed to the source of her concern, her gaze fixated on this tantalizing sliver of bait that Sisu had lured her to.
"There's a puddle of water here. Did you spill something?"
"No, I would have cleaned it up. Is there a leak in the ceiling?"
While Raya was busy surveying the scene of the crime, Sisu was concealed behind the archway coming from Raya's room, just waiting for the right moment to spring the trap, directly across from where Benja was standing. Without giving anything away, Benja gave off a sly wink in Sisu's direction, which Sisu returned with great enthusiasm, having to cover her mouth with a forepaw to stifle her giggles. Amazingly, Raya was oblivious to all of this, captivated by this strange scenario, and turned her gaze upward again to inspect the damage in greater detail.
"Is it leaking?"
But no, that didn't make any sense either. There was no drip, no moisture pooled around the crack, no sign of erosion. The weather was crystal clear today, not so much as a wisp of cloud cover in the sky, and it hadn't leaked from the last couple of showers either. And even if the crack had shown signs of seepage, why would it specifically trickle down all the way to her bedroom door and nowhere else? What was...
And then it hit her, an example of Occam's Razor at its finest. This was all a ruse. Her leg was being pulled. Either someone was having a laugh at her expense, or she was being set up for an even bigger prank, and in either case, the evidence made it clear that there was only one possible culprit.
And before that thought could even finish itself...
"Hey, girl! Long time no see!"
Sisu's hoarse, raspy voice shattered the silence like a Toot'N'Boom approaching critical mass in an enclosed space, and suddenly everything clicked for Raya. She knew the score now, being able to immediately identify that oh-so-familiar husky tone on the spot, and wheeled about double-quick to face its source, beaming from ear to ear once she had visual confirmation.
"Sisu! It is you!"
Yes, there Sisu stood in the archway, nearly four times Raya's height when propped up on her hindpaws, bending her elastic upper body ever so slightly downward to avoid bonking her head on the ceiling again. Everything about Sisu was striking to the human eye. Her form. Her posture. Her amethyst irises shining with tenderness and glee. Her refractive mane of azure and lavender catching every last glint of afternoon sunlight filtering through the open balcony. So beautiful. So majestic. Even her goofy fanged smile gave off pulsing vibes of warmth and familiarity, as if they had known each other their entire lives. In a way, they had.
Raya just stood staring at the prone water dragon merely a dozen feet away, eyes locked with one another, completely frozen in disbelief, knowing exactly what the proper response was but unable to will her body into action. Thankfully Sisu was always happy to provide a little nudge and playfully coaxed Raya out of her shock by outstretching her plumed, cyan-magenta tinged arms towards Raya, pristine claws repeatedly clenching inward, making her intentions clear.
"Well? Get over here!"
The seal had finally cracked, and Raya pounced at the waiting Sisu like a starving cougar, wrapping her arms around the dragons neck as far as they would reach and burying her now tear-ridden face into Sisu's prismatic mane. In turn, Sisu's lithe arms clamped around Rayas midsection with blinding speed, squeezing her like a fluffy vice grip and lifting her a clean eight feet off the ground. Sisu was well aware of her own strength as an aquatic beast of legend, how she could pulverize bone and sinew into a fine powder with almost no effort expended on her part, and knew she had to be cautious because of this, but her silly nature often let her antics get the better of her, and in this case the force of Sisu's iron embrace was enough to put significant strain on Rayas spine and even made drawing breath a considerable challenge.
Still, Raya welcomed it and took it all in stride with no protest. "Love hurts.", as the old adage goes.
"I can't believe it! You're really here!"
"This must be what a teddy bear feels like." Raya briefly thought to herself as her lungs flattened and her spinal column caved in from the pressure. Though it had only been a few weeks since these two last saw each other, it was like being reunited with a long lost friend from childhood, a testament to just how close these two had become in their time together. Benja cracked a warm grin as this tear-jerking reunion played itself out, clearly touched by such a heartfelt display of sisterly rapport and remaining stone silent so as to not interfere with it.
"Of course I'm here! I promised I wouldn't be a stranger, didn't I?"
"I know!" Raya found it somewhat difficult to string her words together at this point, being deprived of much-needed oxygen by the overwhelming force of Sisu's breath-taking embrace. Literally. "But I still missed you!"
"I missed you too, girl!" And after one last suffocating squeeze for good measure, Sisu relented and allowed Raya's booted feet to find solid ground again, taking a few deep breaths to recover as she was finally granted a reprieve from cuddles most aggressive. "And let me tell you, I am starving right now."
Raya was quick to catch her second wind, and, hearing this, couldn't resist the urge to stick in a little needling of her own.
"Well, how about some jerky then?"
Obviously there was far more than dried poultry to feast on in the Benja household - surely there was a pantry full of fresh produce and ripe fruit in the kitchen for Sisu to get her claws on - but the joke was not lost on her, and sarcasm was her only retort.
"On second thought...not so hungry anymore."
At least until Benja rang the metaphorical chow bell.
"Oh, that's a shame. I had prepared such a nice lunch too..."
Of course Sisu could never turn down a good banquet, especially one free of charge, and her appetite came surging back with exponential returns.
"On third thought, starving again! Bring on the feast!"
A chorus of hearty giggles broke out between all three of them as Benja escorted them to the dining area. That was the Sisu they knew and loved.
"This way, please."