After everyone was introduced, they began to move.
The main delegation separated from their crew, leaving the guards and attendants behind to handle the logistics. The pressure around them eased slightly as they moved away from the Dragon Boat, but the dragons themselves still drew a lot of attention wherever they went. This was unavoidable, not only because of their unique appearances, but also because their mere existence demanded attention.
As they walked, Rotell began her explanation of the Hellion Empire.
She spoke about its structure, its history, its rules, general systems, and the laws that governed the southern region as a whole, as well as the Cross Continent, keeping her tone formal and steady.
She welcomed questions, though most of them came from Popo, who seemed to have an unending curiosity, or Trili, who asked some extremely specific questions meant to clarify their expectations. As for the other three, Rifrit didn't seem to care at all, no, he was more interested in the surrounding women. As for Lilit and Atllin, they seemed slightly distracted.
Then, without warning—
Arthur took an uncharacteristic step back…
—Causing Rotell to look back at him in confusion.
Arthur met her eyes, reflecting a sort of 'sorry in advance' kinda look…
Before Rotell could ask…
Rifrit leaned over, his body far too close, and 'smiled'. A lazy grin stretched across his face, as his gaze slowly dragged over her body. It was slow and deliberate, that disgusting kind of gaze, the kind that could be described as 'very slimy' or 'serpentine' in nature.
Rotell felt goosebumps.
The proximity alone made her skin crawl, and she instinctively leaned away, frowning. Whether it was intentional or not, she moved towards Trili… instead of Arthur.
Unfortunately, this was far from enough to make the red dragon back down!
"Well now," he hummed in a low voice, amused as he reached out with his claws, "the southern empire certainly knows how to dress its princesses! How about I show you how a real dragon treats a princess back in the dragon clan?" His words ended in a growl.
Popo looked up strangely, her eyes widening as she realized her brother was causing trouble again...
His hand barely made it halfway, when—
Smack!
The sound cracked across the docks!
Rotell's 'palm' struck his 'wrist' aside, her expression flat and emotionless.
Her eyes were cold.
"Don't touch me," she said in an icy voice, "or 'diplomacy' will be the last of your concerns."
There was silence...
Rifrit stared at his hand, then slowly, very slowly, he lifted his slitted eyes. He laughed with a low and humorless echo, stepping back as his smile slowly thinned.
His eyes twisted to Atllin, who silently shook his head, then sneered to himself.
"Tch! Fine, fine, have it your way," he muttered.
As he turned away, he flexed his claws.
Rotell didn't see it, but the other dragons did, and all of their eyes flashed at the same time.
Suddenly, they all pitied Rotell.
Rifrit remembered faces very well, and he was extremely vengeful. For unreasonable lunatics like him, it was better to just not interact with him at all—
But now…
Trili just smiled awkwardly.
Rotell continued as if nothing had happened, slipping her hands into her sleeves and quietly rubbing her wrist. Despite her tough attitude, the force behind that single motion, 'stretching out his hand', had been terrifyingly hard to stop.
After just knocking it away—
Her hand throbbed, and it was definitely fractured!
She frowned.
Since he was going to be a problem, then why not try—
Clap! She clapped her hands, her expression changing in a flash! "Before we get down to business," she said, lighting her tone, "would any of you like to sit down and eat something?"
Trili blinked, then suddenly smiled. "That's a good idea! Sounds good to me!" She turned towards the others. "Any objections?"
Rifrit snorted, looking away. "That sounds better than just walking around like an idiot!"
The pink petal dragon's eyes lit up. "Food~? Aha! Fa-fa-food~food~food! Fa-food—! Hum-hm-hum!"
Atllin looked at Lilit, then gave a small nod.
Rotell relaxed her shoulders...
"Good! The empire has already prepared several places suitable for guests of your standing!"
She stepped forward. "Let's go, I'll show you the way." She walked ahead.
Trili, seeing this, laughed softly to herself.
"I think we'll get along just fine..." She said, leisurely following Rotell, with the others not far behind…
* * *
After Rotell and the dragons departed, something odd happened…
Suddenly—
One final figure 'emerged' from the Dragon Boat.
They were wrapped in a dull gray cloak, the fabric too loose to reveal anything important. There were no insignias marking their clothing, no unique ornaments, no, there wasn't even a patch of skin that peeked out. They were impossible to identify, but it was immediately clear that they weren't a member of the Dragon Clan, nor a part of the crew that had already disembarked!
They were a stowaway...
Their face remained hidden as they descended the boarding ramp, their head lowered in silence.
The wind whistled as they slowly appeared.
Each step was placed with an uncanny precision, so light it barely seemed to register at all! There was no creak, no echo, no tap, not even the sound of rustling clothes.
No one announced them...
No guard stopped them...
They were…
Simply there—
Like a ghost…
It was as if the space around them subtly shifted, sliding away perception without anyone realizing it. The cloaked figure reached the docks and paused, just long enough to take a single breath and look towards Rotell and the dragons' departing figures.
Then—
They moved on…
They slipped into the flow of the harbor with an unnatural ease, blending into the crowd, into the streets, into the vast capital of the Hellion Empire, then disappeared! One moment they were there, a quiet anomaly near the edge of perception, and the next, they were gone.
Surprisingly, it wasn't Atllin who turned in confusion, no, it was Lilit, who turned with a furrowed brow.
He looked at the empty space for a mere moment, then turned back, silently following Rotell…
* * *
Harbor, Private Room—
When Petra finished eating, it was finally time to play!
She slipped out of the private room with the girls, Lilly and Luna, and butlers behind, and poked her head out the door like a naughty little imp. After squinting her eyes and confirming that the way ahead was safe, she hopped out into the hall and began moving!
Click!
Luna closed the door softly behind them.
The corridor was narrow and a bit busy, unlike the quiet room she had stolen from some sucker that didn't make it up, er—wait, no!
That's not an admittance that she climbed through the window or anything! Absolutely not! Dummy!
Cough cough cough! Where was I, ah, yes…
The wooden floor creaked faintly beneath her boots as she skipped down the hall.
Paper lanterns cut into the shapes of mythical beasts lined the walls, their warm light spilling out across the floor. Doors, some closed and others half-opened, passed on either side of the hall, leaking the faintest scent of grilled seafood and wine.
Petra made her way towards the stairwell and began descending with a playful slide~
With each 'step', the noise from the first floor grew clearer. Cutlery clinked against plates, voices overlapped in festive conversations, and laughter rose and fell in brightened bursts! This was the public face of the restaurant, loud, crowded, and full of energy, perfect for celebrations, especially for times like today, when the capital was immersed in a festive light!
The air was dense with the smell of butter, garlic, and fish.
Halfway down, the view from a small window caught her eye.
A whisp of cool air spilled inside from the cracked window, brushing against her face, and swaying her twin tails. Petra, distracted, glanced out through the glass, and caught a glimpse of the distant Dragon Boat that was anchored just beyond the pier.
She frowned.
Besides the 'completely normal' feeling of wanting to loot it—
Suddenly, an 'odd feeling' stirred in her chest. It was vague and uncomfortable, but she couldn't put it into words. After a brief pause, she shook her head and continued down the stairs. She threw that strange impulse to the back of her brain.
Moments later, she stepped onto the main floor and headed straight for the front door.
The festival was waiting!
-* * *
At the same time—
As Petra stepped outside, another group just happened to enter...
They passed one another without exchanging a word, their paths crossing as naturally as two figures in the crowd. For most, it was a completely unremarkable moment, the kind that was forgotten before the foot even landed, but—
Shockingly, there were three oddities that broke the illusion…!
The white dragon, Lilit, slowed down his steps.
His expression barely changed, but his brow twitched faintly, as he instinctively turned his head towards Petra. A moment later, he was shocked when he realized that he had acted unconsciously. His pale, unreadable eyes followed Petra as she passed, committing her face to memory. Then, just as calmly, he looked away and continued inside.
Next—
There was the hungry Popo!
The small pink dragon girl abruptly sniffed the air, her head turning toward the passing Petra. Instantly, her eyes lit up, her pupils widening as she locked onto the lingering scent that clung to Petra's clothes.
Her feet slowed down, then stopped altogether...
"Hey—!"
Trili grimaced as Popo had to be forcefully tugged forward, her small frame resolutely protesting as she leaned back like an excited puppy, needing to be dragged away by the confused girl! As she was pulled along, her gaze fixed longingly on Petra, until the door finally closed, separating them…
The final of the three was Rotell, who had recognised Petra, a realization that only Atllin caught.
After the door closed…
Petra quickly looked back over her shoulder, tilting her head.
She frowned, then moved on.
This interaction was quickly forgotten.
-* * *
Petra left the restaurant and walked down the pier, past the wharf, and straight into the fairgrounds!
Noise washed over them in waves.
The girls walked slowly, taking in all the sights.
For a start to their stay in the southern region, this was a particularly good start! Especially for our lovable little lolita, who had eaten more today than she had in the past week alone! She drifted from stall to stall with big, bright eyes. A skewer of dried fish flashed into her mouth, followed by a cup of something cold and sweet, then an assortment of random things!
Nom-nom-nom!
The girls watched a street performer, clapped enthusiastically, then wandered around without a plan.
Time passed, until—
A strange old man with three bells braided into his hair tried to sell her a charm that was 'guaranteed to bring fortune'. Petra squinted at it and nodded 'very seriously', then traded three copper coins and a dried shrimp with the kind old man.
A minute later, she forgot she owned it…
Then—!
Levy took it and promptly 'lost it!'
It was unimportant!
Moving on…
Petra ducked down and weaved through the crowd, then hopped up onto a short stone wall to get a better look at the surroundings, before dropping back down and laughing like a child! Mm! That was followed by a burst of confetti exploding from a confetti cannon she had found somewhere.
Then—!
She tripped an old woman, pickpocketed a random guy's dagger, and hugged a pretty big sister who had no idea what was going on!
All around her…
Children ran past, adults shouted, and somewhere, a drumbeat picked up speed, followed by some strange tribal chants from some distant continent.
There was no rush! After all, Petra was having a lot of 'fun!'
She smiled to herself and kept walking, letting the festival leisurely pull her along to play.
Like this, the day began to pass…
-