Another month had passed since Sisu's return from her extended family vacation.
The first meeting of the new Council of Five came and went, and the structure was quite a bit different from before. The venue for these meetings was on rotation, held in a different territory each month to maintain balance and ensure that all parties were represented equally in both their people and their provinces. Further, as all five kingdoms (six if you counted the Dragons) were now working towards the same universal goal, and not wanting to see a repeat of the petty squabbles and insignificant differences of opinion that once splintered them, all five leaders agreed to elect a neutral party to weigh everyones input, equally and objectively, and then offer guidance to all on the best course of action.
Given their profound wisdom and their desire to see everyone come together again as they did in the days of old, the idea was pitched that it should be a Dragon sitting in on every council and collectively addressing each leaders concerns and ideas for the future. Unsurprisingly, Pengu, the grand Patriarch of the Dragon tribe, won the popular vote by an avalanche and agreed to it with no reservations, seeing it as both an opportunity for he and his people to forge a deeper connection with all of Kumandra as it was now, and as a way of helping to promote peace and putting everyones mind at ease during these tentative times.
What none of them knew at the time was that Pengu, while indeed a cornerstone of insight and wisdom among his people, was also quite long in the fang, with a tendency to both exaggerate his storytelling and an uncanny talent for burning all the oxygen in a room with his rambling, often about pointless, unrelated topics. Raya only learned of this after her sleepover at Sisu's glittering den a month back, having had the opportunity to meet Sisu's family proper and get to know each of them better. Pranee, Sisu's older sister, was always eager to sit and relish in Pengu's bedtime tales, particularly as it gave her something to listen to while she practiced her needlepoint, but Amba was far more skeptical of Pengu's penchent for hyperbole and simply could not be bothered at times to entertain it with her ADHD and her short attention span, hence why she often kept herself busy as the family cook - and a good one at that, as Raya personally attested to - when she was home.
Jagan was indifferent to it for the most part, simply musing to himself whenever Pengu would start chewing his fangs, 'There he goes again.' But he wasn't even home very often to hear it, being that he was much more of a nomad than his siblings. He spent most of his time treading the far stretches of the world, playing student to its mysteries and learning all that he could about present-day Kumandra and its inhabitants, even if his shyness and his meek personality made it hard for him to interact with people at times. Like all Dragons he was very kind and considerate, but he often had a hard time working up the nerve to even try striking up a conversation with anyone, especially strangers, though he did open up to Raya a lot easier than most people he talked to, as she was someone he looked up to as a role model and even a hero among his people, and despite his timidness the two of them hit it off really well right from the start. He was the brainiac among his brothers and sisters, the scholarly one always seeking to further his knowledge of the world around him, and admittedly it was probably Jagan who should have been nominated for a seat on the council, not Pengu.
Nevertheless, Pengu was scheduled to be sworn in at the next meeting in a months time, to serve as both a representative of his own people and as an impartial official who would hear everyones concerns and then offer the best possible advice he could. Knowing exactly what kind of a blabbering noodle Pengu was behind closed doors, Raya mused over how future meetings would unfold with Pengu sitting at the table and how the others would take to his more yackety-yak moments, but regardless, it was at the very least a step in the right direction, having someone to mediate and make sure that all parties were heard, getting these communities and their leaders to truly trust one another. It all started with good communication.
To that end, both human and Dragon alike were hard at work all across Kumandra on a new project unanimously approved by the entire panel, intended to bring all of its people ever closer to one another:
Bridges.
One colossal network of gargantuan overpasses, forged of iron, quartz, and wood, intended to serve as both a way to connect the Five Lands and formally tie them together as one. It was also conceived as a simplified means of travel between each Kingdom that both shortens voyage time and circumvents the rigors of journeying through a harsh climate or rough terrain, regardless of whether the journey was made by foot, mount, or carriage.
The project was still only in its infancy, just barely out of the conceptual phase, and there was a great many challenges, hurdles, and especially geographical complications to riddle out as this venture unfolded, but there was also much promise in such a monumental undertaking. It promoted universal teamwork and cooperation between each kingdom towards a common goal, a brighter future for all of Kumandra, and it was a great leap forward in Benja's pursuit of a world in complete harmony.
In Raya's specific part of the world, the often quiet and serene palace of Heart became a much more lively and energetic place once Sisu was back in the picture.
Much to Raya's delight, Sisu was not kidding when she made it clear to Raya, prior to her pilgrimage out into the world, that Raya would be seeing a lot more of Sisu when she finally came home. She made good on that promise, as Raya undoubtedly knew she would, and on her return was all too eager to throw her weight behind Raya's charge and assist with her duties as a Guardian and a Protector. Words could not express the joy or the sense of honor Raya felt in having Sisu as a partner once again, and short of Tuk Tuk or her father, there was no one she trusted more to be at her side.
Twice a week Raya and Sisu went on patrol duty, making sweeps around the island of Heart and her neighbouring regions to help keep the peace, and while both parties were enthusiastic and passionate about their responsibilities, it also presented a new challenge for this well-traveled warrior. While Raya had mastered her sense of balance riding Tuk Tuk all throughout her adult life, bestriding a mount grounded on land was not the same as taking to the sky, especially without the reins, saddle, or harness that would make such an endeavor more secure. And there was absolutely no way that Raya was going to strap a saddle on Sisu's back, even if she was okay with it. That would have been disrespectful to the highest level in her eyes.
Ultimately, she had to learn to ride all over again, to rediscover her sense of steadiness and equilibrium transitioning from a grounded mount to one soaring through the clouds. It was of no bother to her, she knew it would just take some practice and all would click into place with enough time. The only thing that concerned her was the possibility of accidentally ripping out a patch of Sisu's fur during flight. Even if the pain didn't bother her, Sisu would most certainly not appreciate Raya yanking out divots of her gorgeous mane, even if by complete accident.
Of course, Raya could not forget about her loyal and trusty oversized pillpugdillo Tuk Tuk, and therefore alternated days between Land and Sky. One patrol she would take the high road with Sisu, making broad rounds all across Kumandra, the next she would walk the low road with Tuk Tuk and comb through the entirety of her homeland with hawkeye detail, and Sisu would report back to her at periodic intervals. And when he was not on the clock, Tuk Tuk simply gorged himself on Benja's cooking and slept the afternoons away like any well-established sidekick.
Adding to this, in full sponsorship of Raya's new position as a diplomat and an emissary of peace, Sisu also made it a point to accompany both Raya and Benja to the monthly gatherings of the Council of Five, although she mostly kept to herself when proceedings were underway. Though she was willing to offer whatever advice she could if asked for her opinion, Sisu was actually somewhat uncomfortable with that practice, stating herself that she was not exactly the wisest of dragons (a show of modesty in this case, not self depreciation, as she simply lacked experience in politics of any sort), and therefore was not the best person to be seeking guidance from. Hence, she often let her brother Pengu do most of the speaking and decision making, since that was his job anyway, even if he got carried away with it more often than not. She was strictly there to give Raya moral support and encouragement as Raya began to settle into her new position as an Envoy of Heart, a cheerleader of sorts, just without the pompoms.
But it wasn't just all work and no play for these dull girls. Once a week they had a leisure day to themselves, and there was quite a bit of variety in the rotation.
Sometimes they would take lengthy walks along the shores of Dragon Lake collecting shells, stones and fragments of coral with which to further decorate Sisu's already flashy abode.
Occasionally they would go for a shopping spree in Market Square - with Raya's father completely footing the bill, of course - buying small orders of threads, spools, and embroidered cloth to bring back to Pranee for some artistic Dragon knitting, and letting Sisu try on new hats and shawls that were styling for her but made Raya look like a goofy dweeb.
Once in a while they would go for a hike in the nearby forests or go spelunking in unexplored caverns, looking for Toot'N'Booms to add to Sisu's collection back home. How she was able to keep the volatile little buggers in captivity, or why she even took an interest in them in the first place, was one of Kumandra's greatest wonders.
But more often than not, they simply enjoyed sharing a nice, home-cooked meal by Benja and watching a quiet Kumandra sunset from the main terrace of Heart Palace, bearing witness to the blazing horizon burning out its final wick as the cooling shadows of dusk settled onto the world, all the while taking turns giving lazy boy Tuk Tuk the tummy rub to end all tummy rubs, though even with Sisu's heavy paws they often wore themselves ragged working at his dense undershell. He was worth the effort ten times over, though.
It frankly didn't matter where they were or what they were doing. They simply relished being in each others good company and sharing lifes little happenings together any chance they had.
But Sisu made plenty of time for all of her other friends too, and seeing as he has already been seeking her out for some time now, Boun was the first in line.
Sisu's extended leave of absence since the great unification at Heart made her a slippery little eel to track down. All of her friends, Raya included, had gone a solid month without so much as a whisper of her whereabouts from anyone, so you could imagine the surprise on Boun's face when he saw that giant blueberry iguana in all of her goofy glory waiting for him to step off the boat as he came into port. And as one would expect, that sense of excitement and joy ran both ways, perhaps doubly so for Sisu, as she had quite a soft spot for the young entrepreneur.
Unfortunately for Boun, Sisu was an equal opportunist when it came to her friends, and not even the little ones were safe from the wrath of Sisu's suffocating embrace. No sooner did Boun step off the plank onto Heart's busy piers was he snatched up by eager Dragon claws and hoisted over Sisu's feathered shoulders like a baby in need of a good burping.
Locked tight in the constricting clutches of Sisu's fluffy arms like a teddy bear that had seen years of use, Boun could do little more than kick at the open air in a desperate and futile effort to liberate himself as Sisu slowly and excruciatingly snuggled the life out of him. Nevermind that he was approaching the threshold of unconsciousness from oxygen deprivation, all this mushy, gooey affection, in front of his parents no less (who were surreptitiously notified in advance by Raya, now in on the gag herself, not to interfere and to simply enjoy the 'show'), made young Boun squirm like a tadpole in the mud, but held firm in Sisu's iron embrace, her lithe arms acting like giant fluffy clamps, breaking free was a hopeless effort. There was no escape from Dragon hugs most enthusiastic, and all he could do was endure until Sisu felt like she got her moneys worth and at last relented, gasping and wheezing for that fresh lakewater breeze when she finally did.
In spite of this, it was nice to see Sisu again, to reunite with a close friend that he shared quite a bit in common with, and though he was uncomfortably bashful being on the receiving end of such affection in front of his parents, his cheeks burning like the molten desert sands beneath his feet, he actually didn't completely mind it. After all, Sisu was his favorite customer, even if she was flat broke and did not have a single piece of Jade to her name.
That would change very soon though.
Boun was first and foremost a savvy businessman always looking to expand his ever-growing empire, and at last was able to touch base with Sisu regarding his inquiry a month back. Admittedly, Boun had already resolved the issue involving a new method of transporting goods, the reason why he wanted to speak to Sisu in the first place, so he did not need her assistance for that little hitch anymore.
He did , however, have another position he needed to fill, one in which Sisu was all too enthusiastic about once he proposed the idea.
Sisu was added to the Shrimporium's payroll that same day, and once a week she would assist young Boun on the customer relations front of his franchise at his primary kiosk on the broiling shores of Tail, greeting and seating hungry patrons personally as they arrived. It was a role in which she was surprisingly well suited to since she got along so well with everyone she met, and it gave her a practical use for her gift of shapeshifting, making her more relatable and a little less intimidating while on the clock.
The Shrimporiums reputation was already well on the rise even before Sisu became involved with the company, but the moment she paired up with Boun, its popularity exploded tenfold overnight, and soon there were long lines out the pier wherever and whenever his floating buffet came into port, his customers always leaving with their stomachs full, fat and happy, always with a Five Dragon review to share with their relatives, and always with a fat tip on the table as they left. The future of his family business was looking scintillant, indeed.
All of Boun's friends, including Sisu and her kin, dined for free at his eatery, and yes, even Tong came to appreciate and acquire a taste for Boun's culinary flair over time. With her newfound allowance, Sisu often used her generous stipend (Boun treated his staff well and compensated them handsomely, and even for just one day a week, Sisu's pay was considerable) to spoil her dragon siblings and her human friends with lavish - and very corny - gifts from time to time. Often this included a little extra special something for Captain Pop and Lock himself, which was a clear indication of just how much the young lad meant to Sisu. Her pet name for him might have been a bit on the teasing side, but she cared deeply for the boy, as she did for all of her friends, and his generosity did not go unappreciated to any of his friends, least of all Sisu.
Of course, Benja had not forgotten about Tong's invitation a month prior, and now that Sisu was back in their lives, the time was right for a little getaway.
Raya and Benja came to the first council meeting with their satchels packed and ready for travel, and following the councils adjournment they, along with Sisu and Tuk Tuk, accompanied Tong back to the frigid peaks of Spine for a weekend stay at his cozy little cabin. Though Tong himself was well acclimated to the biting polar winds of his frosty homelands, the journey north was far more taxing on his guests. Sisu's silky cerulean coat gave her some degree of protection against the elements, and Tuk Tuk had the insulation of his massive shell to take refuge under. But Raya and her father, though they had appropriate attire for such adverse environmental conditions, were long accustomed to much warmer weather, and had little choice but to grin and bear it the entire slog, with only the mild heat of a dimly-lit oil lantern to help them stave off the constant shivers and teeth chattering amidst the raging blizzard that assaulted them most of the way, though Sisu was happy to huddle up with them under Raya's shawl for a little extra warmth as needed.
Fortunately there was warm shelter in the form of a stone-lined ring firepit waiting for them in Tong's oaken cabin, somewhat crude in its construction but still standing strong despite its thick logs and splintered boards creaking against the howling winds from years of harsh snowstorms battering its foundations. Everything in Spine, though time had proven it to be anything but, had the look of shoddy and even poor craftsmanship, from their plain, rudimentary shacks of wood and stone to their coarse, pig iron weaponry and rawhide clothing, and this simplistic philosophy was reflected in its people and their beautifully primordial way of life.
Raya could find no suitable terms better than Hardy and Rugged to accurately describe Spine's resilient populace, but even those did the natives no justice. The cruel arctic winds swirling around this humble settlement were proving to be very uncomfortable for Tong's visiting islanders, but it was but a cool summer breeze to the regulars here, to the point where some of the men, Tong included, even chose to go about their daily errands barechest, chopping firewood and hunting local game in sub-zero temperatures with no upper garments whatsoever. Most of Spine's women generally prepared the meals, made clothing and helped to gather provisions each day, but all were fully capable of handling any of the mens duties in times of sickness or other strife, especially the ones trained for combat.
All under Spine's banner were able to pull their own weight and complete their duties on their own, shouldering one anothers burdens at times whenever necessary, but all without so much as asking for assistance from others. That's just how their culture was; independence and self reliance were the hallmarks of one born of Spine's heritage. Spine was effectively cut off from the rest of the world, isolated in its own little cryogenic bubble that, until such a time when the Bridge project was completed, made travel to and from Spine a perilous venture, and though they were at long last working together with their fellow tribes and they now welcomed trade and visitors from their neighboring kingdoms, they were wholly capable of surviving on their own. To be wild, untamed and free-spirited was the Spine way.
Yet despite the robust conditioning of Spine's people, their self sufficiency and their adaptation to the harsh environment, the biting cold that they thrived in had yet to touch their warm, welcoming hearts, and even Raya herself, despite having traveled with him for so long, was astonished by the depth of Tong's caring demeanor among his loved ones. It was no secret to everyone who knew Tong that he was a great big softie beneath that burly exterior, but seeing first-hand how he intermingled with his wife and infant daughter made it clear that Tong, despite his intimidating appearance, really was a devoted family man and a gentle giant in every sense of the word. Tong's family was everything to him, his universe, his entire reason for being, and having them back in his life mended a wound in his soul that he thought would never heal. He was truly a man reborn from ashes, purged in the fires of fellowship and trust, faith in something greater than himself. He was whole again.
And he was excited beyond words, beyond body language even, to finally be able to introduce his loved ones to his friends, among them a living, breathing Dragon that, like most, had a real soft spot for children.
As everyone who knew Sisu could attest to, this goofy blue salamander absolutely loved babies, and it showed in spades here. With no hesitancy by either of her parents, Tong placed her little girl squarely in Sisu's eager paws, and as they locked eyes for the first time, the two of them bonded almost immediately. Tong's child reached out and cooed with excitement at the features of Sisu's adorable mug, from her stubby snout and obsidian horns to her violet pupils, and Sisu responded with her patented funny face special, complete with derpy eyes, twisty tongue, and gentle puffs of misty Dragon breath making her shimmering mane poof up like a frogs neck, all while giving the little one a single claw to reach out and hold.
Sisu was hesitant and even terrified to accept a request to babysit Noi under any circumstance, but if ever she was called upon to play nanny for this sweet little angel, she could not say yes fast enough. She hoped there would be such days in her future.
Having finally met Tong's beautiful family, all that remained to be seen was the might of Spine's legendary military force, the primary reason why Tong brought his guests to his homeland in the first place. Only a chosen select few of Spine's populace, both male and female, were bred to be warriors from birth, schooled from an early age in the art of ultra-heavy weaponry and hand to hand combat, and Tong's guests at long last got to see what kind of mettle the prestigious Axe-Bladers of Spine possessed.
They were not disappointed.
The degree of training and raw skill that Tong's legion of first-class myrmidons exhibited was almost demonic, combining a dexterous maelstrom of wild flourishes at blinding speed, a blurry whirlwind of oak and steel, with an almost inhuman display of physical strength, brandishing these cumbersome polearms as though they had no weight to them at all. All of this was blended with uncannily efficient finesse and economy of movement, mixing in side steps, foot sweeps and subtle evasive maneuvers, almost as if they were in some sort of ancient ritualistic dance, each soldier perfectly in unison with his comrades, each wielding his weapon as if it were merely an extension of himself. This stellar exhibit of precision bladework and martial mastery made even the Fang Army's most seasoned veterans seem like newbies who had never held a sword in their entire lives.
While it was indeed a mesmerizing spectacle that left Raya and Sisu's jaws tasting the floor, to the point where Raya herself even sought to incorporate elements of their swordplay into her own, Benja himself felt just a little bit wiser for not allowing these accomplished, battle-hardened juggernauts to accompany Chief Tong to the monthly council meetings, impressed though he was, as he knew such an intimidating escort would have certainly made the other representatives uneasy. Thankfully Tong was as wise as he was strong and completely understood Benja's reservations regarding his brigade of Axe-Bladers, hence why they were all on reserve, only to go into active duty if their services were absolutely necessary.
Nevertheless, seeing first-hand what Tong's personal battalion of fighters were capable of, Benja rested easy knowing that Kumandra's future safety was in capable hands, with such a skilled legion of combatants ready to come to its defense at a moments notice. If ever a new danger arose to threaten Kumandra or its people, if ever there was a need for his forces to organize - and Tong prayed to every deity known to Kumandra that such a day would never come - the Axe-Bladers would always be ready and waiting to meet that threat head-on.
The time had come at last for Raya and Sisu to saddle up and brave the toothy horrors that awaited them in the lakeside port town of Talon, home to the Baddest Baby in the Five Lands. And they would not have backup this time around.
True to his word, Benja still adamantly refused to join Raya and Sisu on their grand adventure to the festive piers of Talon, citing the same reasons as before, because he was not fond of bright lights or loud noises. And to a degree that was true, he was a quiet man at his core.
But there was more to it. The rumors he had heard about Talon's new nightly incendiary extravaganza certainly remained a factor in his mind, but the real truth was that he already got the full experience the last time Noi and the Ongi's were here. Those four intentionally stirred up more vandalism during the great feast than any structural damage Sisu inadvertently caused in her clumsiness, and if they were that much of a handful as visitors, he could only imagine how much worse they would be when defending home turf. And he did not wish to find out. He would always be happy to have them as guests in the future, but he knew exactly what was waiting for him in Talon and was not willing to voluntarily put himself in that position again if he could help it, so, as planned, Dewdrop and Noodle took the journey to Talon alone.
Thankfully, travel time was no longer a concern, as they were planning to take the journey by boat. With just the two of them, however, the sky was wide open for takeoff, reducing transit time considerably. One could always count on the magic of Dragonwest Airlines for an expediated and adrenaline-filled voyage.
There was a strange feeling of Deja Vu when they arrived, in the sense that hardly anything seemed to have changed since the last time Raya and Sisu had come to Talon. Certainly this lively port town had seen a financial windfall since the day Kumandra had come together again, and it was more populated these days as a result of being a mega tourist attraction, largely because of one very special nightly event.
Having said that, business more or less went on as usual in this slovenly lakeside haven, as it always had even before the great unification only two months back. Talon was still raving with nightlife, the city that never slept so to speak, with performers, entertainers and magicians constantly drawing the eyes of passerbys, plying their trade well into the wee hours of the morning. Tourists from all around Kumandra lined these shambly wooden streets to see these wonders first-hand, all the while filling their stomachs with Talon's seaside cuisine and their pockets with hand-woven garments and flashy trinkets to bring home as souvenirs. Like Spine, Talon seemed to be frozen within its own little time capsule, and while big change was happening all across Kumandra, with their help no less, life simply went on as normal here.
There was, however, one thing that was very different from before, and that was Noi's newly extended family tree. Even before the cataclysm of the Druun's return had set in, an apocalyptic calamity that left Noi an orphan, Noi was still an only child. She was not necessarily lonely under the care of her mother and grandmother, but she had little in the way of friends or companionship, even after the carnage of the Druun had completely robbed her of her family. Graciously the Ongi's were there to take a grieving Noi under their wing, but in reality they were a lonely bunch too, cast out and shunned by their fellow Talon neighbors, which is partially what drove them as career pickpockets.
That changed on the day that Noi finally came home, after Kumandra had at long last been washed clean of the Druun's butchery. Noi had met a rather rich cast of characters in her grand journey across Kumandra, a real life Dragon certainly not the least among them, but none as colorful as Dyan, Pan and Uka, the three rascally monkeys that accompanied her back to her homeland. On the surface it seemed like the most unlikely of friendships, a human toddler rubbing elbows with a trio of impish baboons, and Noi's mother and grandmother were not without their reservations at first, but it soon became crystal clear that, despite their collective misbehavior, Noi and the Ongi's had grown very close in their time together, a happy little family all their own, and Noi's mother saw no reason why they could not, or should not, be a part of theirs.
Long story short, Noi went in one night from being an only child to having three adopted siblings, no questions asked. And indeed, while the Ongi's loved their new parents and their little sister dearly, their behavior was often as delinquent and environmentally menacing as Noi herself.
That is what was waiting for these two when they arrived, and as predicted, while Raya and Sisu were indeed happy to see Noi and the Ongi's again, they were not quite as enthusiastic about the reunion as one would expect, largely because these two knew exactly what they were about to walk into.
No sooner did Raya and Sisu step through the front door of Noi's modest little shanty on the edge of the pier, were they ambushed by four hyperactive scamps that materialized seemingly out of thin air. The Ongi's themselves leapt onto Raya's shoulders and clung to her like the knapsack around her waist, while Noi herself made a flying swan dive straight for Sisu's face, hugging it with all the force her tiny arms could muster.
It took more effort than it should have to pry little Noi free from her snout, but once she did, Sisu returned the affectionate cuddles with steep interest, wrapping Noi snug in her noodly arms and holding Noi close against her brilliant mane, much like a bookworm cradling their favorite hardcover. This reunion was already off to a rowdy start, but it was nice to see these troublesome tykes again.
The charm wore off quickly, however, as their fears gradually began to take shape the longer they stayed. It was an all but impossible task to keep up with the mess of ruin these little jawbreakers left in their wake, from flinging about well-worn wooden bowls and cups off the kitchen shelves to knocking over chairs and tables as they chased each other around the house for hours at a time, and by each days end, the inside of their humble abode had the look of a hurricanes aftermath, with the devastation being all but total. It was no wonder Noi's mother was asking for a babysitter in her last letter to Raya. How she even found the time to sleep with these four destructive baboons terrorizing her at all hours of the day was was one of Kumandra'a greatest mysteries.
But mercifully, Raya and Sisu were no longer on the hook for that assignment. As it turned out, prior to Amba returning home from seeing Noi's Big Top performance herself, she got the chance to meet with Noi and her family backstage. Almost everyone who knew Noi and the Ongi's could personally attest to what an unruly, misbehaving bunch of orangutan's those four could be, but Sisu's hyperactive younger sister, already sharing much in common with them from a characteristic perspective, got along quite well with those four and had no trouble whatsoever in taming the beast, largely because she, for lack of better terms, swam with the current rather than against it. In many respects it was a mutually beneficial arrangement; Noi's parents had an opportunity to get away and unwind whenever the need arose, and Amba got a chance to get out of the 'house' and spend time with friends and people she cared about outside of her immediate family circle.
It was a match made in heaven, so to speak, and if nothing else it gave Raya and Sisu an indefinite reprieve from something they had been dreading for some time now. They loved those fearsome little jellybeans, but they were relieved that the responsibility of having to look after them at a moments notice no longer fell on them.
They still wanted to see the coveted Dragon's Breath finale before returning home though, the crown jewel among Talon's rotational lineup of talent. And courtesy of Noi herself, these two had front-row seats to the show.
They expected to be dazzled, they expected to be blown away, and they got exactly what they were expecting, in the most literal sense. The breathtaking ringleader act leading up to the encore, the torch juggling, the acrobatics, the tightrope walking, all of that was impressive all its own, but the Dragon's Breath finale was the pearl in the oyster, what everybody came back to see time and time again. It was the textbook definition of High-Explosive, packing enough festive ordinance to launch the entirety of Talon into another solar system lightyears away. Where all of this firepower even came from was a wonder in itself.
When the curtain call finally came, a combination of sparklers, firecracker belts, smoke pots and bottle rockets, ignited in sequence like a chain of dominoes, bathed the obsidian night sky in a glittery inferno of rainbow starfire and turned Talon's harbor into an ashy cloud of acrid smoke that was so syrup thick, the tourists and thrill seekers could not see their own fingers three inches from their face. Needless to say, Raya and Sisu were blinded and deafened until sunrise the next morning, and, as expected, both of them came home with ash-matted faces and missing eyebrows, and in Sisu's case had even lost a few divots worth of fur from her charred mane.
And like everyone else, they couldn't wait to come back and see it again.
There was still one last person for Raya and Sisu to reconnect with, perhaps the biggest key player of all in Kumandra's rebirth, and her case as it stood now was a heartbreakingly grim one.
Little had changed in the month that had passed since learning of Namaari's plight. When Namaari disbanded the Fang army and abdicated the throne, leaving the power of Fang's governing body in its peoples hands, Raya and her father, while they felt the decision to be a hasty one, also saw much promise in this play, placing governmental power in the hands of Fang's citizens rather than its leaders. Democracy was a foreign concept among Kumandra's people, whose individual lands had always been reigned over by an appointed Chieftain or Chieftess, directing everything from its laws to its political interests, and with Fang of all kingdoms being the first to try moving away from the tried and true Monarchy system in favor of something more relaxed towards the people, something that encouraged free thinking and individuality in an otherwise sovereign state, it could only be beneficial to Kumandra's future as a whole.
But it was done for all the wrong reasons. Certainly Namaari had her peoples best interests at heart when she chose this path, but it was fear that ultimately governed her actions. A fear that one day the power she wielded might corrupt her and lead her to abuse it. A fear that one day she would repeat the same mistake that pushed Kumandra to the brink of ruin and destroy all that she held dear in this world. Regardless of the circumstances behind her folly, she held for herself nothing but abhorrence, condemnation and vitriol, and that fear and sense of guilt was so all-consuming that it drove her to push away everyone and anyone that cared about her or tried to console her, even her childhood pal Raya, who had reached out to her several times in the months that passed and got nothing back but self contempt and disgust in herself.
Namaari's situation was very precarious and, sadly, beyond any of her friends capabilities to help her, save one. It required a very delicate touch from someone with a personal stake in the matter, and Sisu, the one who was killed at Namaari's hand mere moments before the Druun were at long last vanquished from the realm, was the only one qualified for the job. Though Raya wanted desperately to be a part of the intervention, having already tried to reach out to Namaari several times before, she understood that there was not much she could do in this situation, and that ultimately it was a task that Sisu had to undertake alone.
As expected, Namaari was a very touch and go case from the offset, and her relationship with Sisu was very slow-going and tentative to start. There was no animosity on Sisu's part, no bitterness in relation to Namaari's former sins, it was simply because Namaari continued to carry a lingering, overwhelming sense of guilt and deep regret for how she grievously she wronged Sisu, literally driving an arrow through her heart and sending her careening off the bluffs overlooking Fang's shores. Granted, there were some rather glaring extenuating circumstances behind Namaari's actions, namely her mother, whom had already openly avowed that she was egregiously in the wrong and stepped down from her position of power, ready to accept whatever punishment the remaining tribes deemed appropriate, but none of this justified or excused Namaari's crimes, and she knew it. Though she loved having Sisu's company, even now she kept Sisu at arms length, terrified of what Sisu must have thought of her after all was said and done.
Unbeknownst to Namaari, however, Sisu was already privy to this information, and not just because of Benja's revelation weeks back. Namaari lost her nerve at the last moment and was subsequently absent for the first tribal meeting, leaving her mother Virana to fill in for her as a substitute. Before proceedings even went underway, Virana made a full confession openly in front of the other tribal leaders, including Pengu the Dragon Patriarch himself, taking full responsibility for Namaari's actions and willing to accept whatever punishment was deemed appropriate for her transgressions, only asking for clemency on Namaari's behalf. Though she had already made such a confession in her missives to the other leaders, openly and formally addressing it among all parties present made it truly official, and she swore everyone present to hear this confession never to tell Namaari herself, as Namaari made absolutely no excuses for her role in carrying out Virana's will, no matter what extenuating circumstances drove her to commit such vile deeds. They were her sins to bear, and hers alone.
And unsurprisingly, this only made it easier for the kind and charitable Sisu to show goodwill and benevolence to poor Namari, for Virana's public admission of guilt really put Namaari's situation into context, that Namaari was as much a victim of her own actions as the ones she wronged. Sisu's compassion knew absolutely no bounds, and she never gave up hope on Namaari, always so warm and inviting, always welcoming Namaari with open arms, always encouraging Namaari to speak her mind, always offering comfort whenever Namaari needed it, and slowly but surely Sisu began to draw the meek and reserved Namaari out of her timid shell.
Eventually Sisu's unwavering sense of altruism won the day, and Namaari confessed the truth of her sins to Sisu herself, albeit in slightly different words. She knew the potential consequences for this act were grave, and the simple thought of it terrified Namaari to the point where she was sure her knees would buckle and give out, but nonetheless she was ready to stand and face whatever condemnation she thought Sisu had to cast on her. Even if it meant incurring Sisu's everlasting hatred and unbridled scorn, even though it was sure to break her spirit and rip her heart in two, she was willing to accept it. In her mind she deserved no better.
Yet to her susprise, all Sisu did was pull Namaari into her waiting arms, held Namaari tight (but not to the almost strangling Python degree that Raya was usually subjected to, just comfortably snug), and softly whispered into her ear:
"It's all right, Namaari. There is nothing to forgive. There never was. What's important is, now we really are best friends forever, right?"
Hearing this, the dam walls finally gave way to a tidal wave of saline tears, streaming down her bawling face like morning dew on a leaf, and it was all Namaari could do to contain her choke-ridden sobs, clutching at the cerulean fur on Sisu's noodly arms and burying her face into Sisu's glistening mane like a silky towel. Though she was hesitant at first to believe whether or not that true, if Sisu herself said they were BFF's, then by golly it meant something, and ultimately Namaari finally took it to heart and gently cooed in response.
"...hehe, right!"
And then Sisu made some throwaway quip about being hungry and wanting to get something to eat, because it was Sisu. She wouldn't be Sisu without a never-ending rumbly in her tumbly.
Nonetheless, it was not long after that before the two of them were skipping hand in paw like childhood pals, which was all that Sisu wanted from the beginning, and when they were together they enjoyed simply taking a stroll along the bluffs of Fang overlooking the waters, all the while being caressed by the gentle ebb of the waves washing over the sandy coast below, the refreshing kiss of a cliffside breeze dancing along their cheeks.
Namaari still had a great deal of inner turmoil to sift through and a rocky path to tread moving forward, but she also had the full support of Sisu, Raya, and all of her friends, whom finally saw that she did indeed have a noble heart and reassured her that would always be there for her, just as Sisu would, to walk that uncertain future alongside her and face it together.
Of course, after all of this elbow rubbing was said and done with, these reunions needed to be both consolidated and made into a routine and consistent event. After all, though it was great to finally see everybody again and catch up after months of being apart, none of it would mean anything if they did not stay in touch with each other, if they did not see each other on the regular, as most friends and family do.
Enter Girl's Night, a once-a-month sleepover hosted at Heart Palace between Raya, Sisu, Namaari, Noi, Dyan, and even Tong's little girl whom he brought to the palace personally, with Sisu's sisters, Pranee and Amba, making the odd appearance from time to time as well. Namaari, of course, was hesitant to be around Raya and her friends even after making amends, and it took a little strongarming by Sisu to convince her to come, but before long even she was having a good time with the festivities. Namaari was finally at the point where she could look herself in the mirror and not be afraid to face the day, and thankfully it did not take much now for Sisu and company to draw her out of her timid little shell and get her to start smiling and enjoying life again.
Captain Pop and Lock himself provided the refreshments at no expense, utilizing an expedited "delivery" system courtesy of Sisu's brother Jagan, who was also on the Shrimporium's payroll and was well compensated for his services. They took the flight from Tail together so Boun could make the delivery in person and have a chance to visit with everyone. It did not seem like these two would make a good pair given their contrasting personalities, a shy, quiet and reserved Dragon who did not talk much, and a charismatic, energetic boy who did nothing but talk, but much like with Raya and Sisu, these two completed each other in a unique and uncanny way, and they really hit it off right from the start. While initially their relationship had a large employer/employee element to it, they were destined to become great friends in the future, and perhaps even business partners one day.
Chief Benja, seeing everyone together like this and being the gracious host that he was, saw no reason why they could not have a little fraternity group of their own. Though a quiet man by nature, he too enjoyed the occasional evening hangout among friends with relatively common interests. So he broke out some refreshments of his own and set up a modest little court in the main foyer of the palace, and the boys had themselves a makeshift man-cave of their own. They called their little offshoot Game Night in contrast.
Like any well-organized Princess slumber party, Girl's Night involved a varied assortment of frilly activities. It began innocently enough with a hair braiding contest, with all participants using Raya's long acorn locks as the mold to express their creativity. This was followed by a full-on makeover for Sisu, brushing her gorgeous mane to silky perfection and painting each one of her claws a vibrant shade of Lilac, her favorite color. Eventually this shindig degenerated into a violent brawl, with all parties present (except for Tong's little girl, for obvious reasons) taking up arms in the form of one of Raya's many pillows and letting loose on one another. Try though they might, Noi was an unstoppable monster on the field of battle, and none could best her in one-on-one plush combat.
Meanwhile, the boys were hard at play in the main atrium on the other side of the palace, locked in a four-way game of Tail Poker, a glorified three-card hybrid of Hold'em and Omaha. As this was a home game for savvy little Boun, well coached in the sport by his father, he cleaned his opposition out to the point where they had to stop the carnage prematurely because there was nothing left to play for, barring maybe the clothing on Tong's back, or perhaps the bugs crawling around in Pan and Uka's cream-colored fur.
Alas, even having taken Tong and the Ongi's for all the change in their pockets, Boun could not sink his teeth into the one person who truly had a fat wallet to his name, for Benja was a far wiser man than that to gamble his vast personal fortunes away. Instead, Heart's Chief was deep in an intense session of Dragon's Chess against Pengu, Lord of the Noodles himself, both evenly matched going into a Brute and Whelp endgame with level material, which was almost certain to fizzle out into a draw. Pengu's younger brother Jagan acted as their arbiter, fascinated by the beauty of this intricate board game that was both so simple and so complicated at the same time, but was more content to watch and analyze than to play the game himself. Yet another form of modern contemporary art that Jagan sought to study and appreciate, as befitting an aspiring scholar of Kumandra.
As this rowdy pajama party winded down into the cold, twilit hours of the early morning, energy began to wane among its participants, and this sorority eventually dissolved into counting stars amid the twinkling night sky, as it slowly began to catch the first rays of morning light. Stargazing with her older sister was one of Sisu's favorite hobbies, learning about the constellations and the vast, infinite cosmos from Professor Pranee, Ph.D in Astrology, and Sisu was all too enthusiastic to impart her newfound knowledge with the rest of her crew. Eventually, Chief Benja had a telescope mounted on the rail of Raya's balcony for just that purpose, for all of Raya's friends to share whenever they fancied.
The cosmic observation carried on for what remained of the night, long after the boys had already clocked out, until exhaustion finally took hold of Raya and her guests and they too punched their tickets to dreamland.
Most people began their day to the warm, beaming rays of the rising sun, but these ladies took their sunrises as they were finally turning in for the long nap. Boun did not have that luxury, being a businessman with day-to-day operations to oversee, but the girls were thankfully free of such obligations from their lives. Furthermore, Sisu's downy fur and flexible body, from her long, feathered arms to the finned tip of her tail, doubled as both a blanket and a headrest that could be shared among all parties, and it was not hard for the lot of them to catch Z's when huddled together, even in the late morning light.
After all, it's not as if any of them had anywhere better to be the next day, even as they snored it away.
The days turned to weeks, the weeks to months, as the flow of time always seems to do, slipping by unnoticed and unhindered like sand pouring through ones fingers. As planned since their inception, Girl's Night and Game Night became a regular thing, a once a month get-together to reconnect with and stay in touch with one another, and it was good tidings all around as the months sailed by. The demand for Boun's Shrimp Congee was bringing in Jade by the boatload day after day, smashing sales records left and right. Noi's pyrotechnic cirque du soleil began going on tour, performing globally and starting brushfires in a forest near you. Select recruits among Tong's elite Axe-Bladers, notably the ones who wanted to see the world beyond Spine, were recruited by other kingdoms - with his blessing of course - serving as personal bodyguards to their leaders and watchmen stationed sparingly throughout the major cities to help keep the peace, though he still retained the bulk of his force and kept them on reserve.
Sisu of course was living life to the fullest in all her silly splendor, from her sightseeing patrols with Raya to rubbing elbows with the Shrimporiums habitual regulars, and even babysitting Tong's little girl as needed. She always came home from every sleepover with glittering ribbons tied to her horns, amethyst paint coating her talons, and butterfly pigtails in her mane, much to the rising eyebrows and subtle giggles of her teasing brothers.
Things were even going well on Namaari's side of the world. Namaari's efforts at political reformations to Fang's government, hasty though they initially may have been, were inspiring subtle but positive change among the other four kingdoms, who were now experimenting with similar modifications to their own governing bodies, and only a few months later most were slowly transitioning from a long-standing Monarch to full-on Democracy after seeing how beneficial it has been to the overall health of Fang's community and economy.
It really was a stroke of genius on her part, and the praise she received for her innovations and her breakaway from the once widely-accepted norm of the world, not just from her own people but from the leaders of neighboring nations as well, was a great morale boost to her character and her sense of self worth, encouraging her and reinforcing that she she was actually doing something right with the power she wielded. Happy endings are not a common thing in the real world, and Kumandra's people have seen a fair deal of anguish since the day that the Druun had first emerged, but the world was well on the road to a bountiful harvest now, and everyone who helped to make it happen had futures that were so bright, it made their eyes tear.
Except for one.
All was not quite as it should be for Raya herself, the one who pulled Kumandra from the edge of utter annihilation and restored it to its full glory. Given her accomplishments and the gold-paved path set before her, Raya should have felt more upbeat about her life as it stood. The five great nations had finally come together in harmony, after centuries of friction and aversion of one another, all collectively working towards a brighter Kumandra that each of them could share in the days of peace. The Druun had at long last been wiped clean from the face of Kumandra. The Dragons, having been all but extinct for the last five hundred years, have at last been reborn and were once more here to stay for a long, long time, and none of it would have been possible if not for Raya's efforts and the bonds of friendship and love she had forged on her journey to make the world whole again.
And yet, despite all of this, Raya still could not shake that gut-wrenching feeling that afflicted her ever since Sisu took a leave of absence to see the world. Even now, that single, persistent fear from before still haunted her, the possibility that Sisu, her best friend, someone whom she looked up to like a sister, would one day just disappear from her life, and Raya would never see or hear from her again. To a degree she felt that same twinge of consternation for all of her friends, particularly her father, whom she had already lost once before and never wanted to experience such an event again, but given her bond with this precious fluffy noodle in her life, it was a special case with Sisu. Even if Sisu herself would never outright abandon Raya, the world of Kumandra was still fraught with peril, with the next great danger only a stones skip down the road. In her mind, the possibility was always there that someone or something could threaten to once more take from her everything and everyone that she held dear in her life. After all, disaster had struck Kumandra more than once in its chronicled history; it could certainly happen again.
That was the pessimistic side of Raya taking command, being allowed to give rise to these negative, fatalistic viewpoints, and she hated how much emotional ground that side of her was allowed to take at times, even though it was partially what drove her to take her responsibilities so seriously. She knew that she was being completely and utterly ridiculous, she knew the likelihood of such a thing happening, at least in her lifetime, was essentially zero, but nevertheless, it continued to plague poor Raya, buried deep within her heart like some dark, poisonous thorn that she could not purge, no matter how hard she tried.
Unknown to Raya, however, Sisu had a little present stashed away for the occasion, something that would dispel and put to rest at least some of these niggling worries of hers and put her mind at ease once and for all.
And with the holiday season right around the bend, the time was just right for a little gift giving.