“HACHT!”

“Again!”

“YACHT!”

“One more for the day and were done!”

“SOUGHT!”

“No no no!

That form was half assed, do it again!”

“SOUGHT!”

“Alright that was a good enough cool down, you can go!”

(Who cools down with damn stance training?)

A diming evening sun looks over the lively Kabuto district where most of the Bakufu army train and make preparations for their soon coming raid on the dragon occupying Furlheim City

“I’m leaving this here.” Shiryu tells a group fighters leaning up a spear he was practicing with by them

They nod allowing him to do so,

Currently Shiryu is draped in purple ninja wear, with similar effects as the agility armor he had worn that was damaged a bit while fighting and eventually traveling to Bakufu with the chief

As of recent weeks the nation of Bakufu has been in close allegiance with the kingdom of Soterra, gaining access to their unconventional magic tools and armors that was previously exclusive to the kingdom

…..

(If my scales weren’t heat resistance, all this training under the sun would cook me)

Slowly walking up the path from Kabuto to Tonbo, Shiryu contemplates his current situation,

(I’ll try this strength thing like Aki says,

I will get stronger… but

I just can’t put gaining strength over love)

Aki had let Shiryu into her forces under the deal that he would use his power and knowledge of the beasts to help fight them,

For Shiryu, who from conception as a child floating around in a glass tube in Terra,

Being a trained fighter a professional soldier it was mapped onto his dna, going after the dragon was of no consequence him,

(Why challenge something stronger the you?

The supreme leader would not approve of this stupidity)

Still Shiryu will join in, because the answer to his equation has yet to be solved,

More so a new variable called strength has been added to the problem….

….

“Hey don’t think I didn’t notice you wearing that!” a shoulder suddenly rams into Shiryu

“What is it?” he tiredly shoves the person back

“Oh it you, Amelia’s brother…

What was your name again?”

Claude now wearing much less heavy armor than before, frowns turning up nose at the young dragon

“It’s Claude and I know it’s you under that armor creature.”

“My name is Shiryu and I am a human like you, otherwise the chief would not have let me in”

“Then why do you look like that?”

“It’s a rare skin condition I was born with” lies Shiryu

“Damn….” Claude believes in an instant

“Does it hurt to move like that then?”

“It used to actually when I was younger, maybe it still hurts I don’t know because I’ve gotten accustomed to being like this” he says truthfully this time

“You must he especially valiant if you’re here training to be a warrior like me Shiryu”

“I guess.” Yawns Shiryu wanting to go back to his thoughts but now the boy Claude walks with him on the trail to Tonbo,

Like Shiryu and Claude many others trod on the wide dirt trail, on either side of it are wooden fences barring off the wide farm Fields of rice and corn crops,

Besides the training warriors are farmers going to and fro across the lands with carts and carriage of supplies

All the movement of people makes Shiryu a bit reluctant to speak freely, a bit introverted….

“You said you came here from Soterra right?” Claude is still pressing

“I did.”

“..

So, about my sister Amelia,

Is she doing alright?” Claude mumbles out quickly

(He’s definitely been meaning to ask this from start)

“Amelia is crazy and I’m actually surprised you aren’t as violent and threatening as her.” Drawls Shiryu

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“She is isn’t she!?” the young man’s eyes suddenly light up,

“I thought it was just me,

Everyone else sees her as the quiet shy girl, but she does not act like that when we’re alone”

“That woman is a menace.” Shiryu says remembering her sick smile when torturing him

“I wouldn’t go so far, Amelia is just a bit feral at times.”

(Does he know?)

“How did you even manage to see this side of sister Shiryu?

She doesn’t normally open up to strangers,”

“Its umm, we didn’t become friends or anything,

She tried to execute me and I had to basically beg for my life but it’s all good now, we cleared up the misunderstanding of me not being a monster.”

(If only she would love me now)

“Amelia had you begging for your life?”

“Her magic is scary”

“Hmmmm” those words seem to rub Claude the wrong way

“Even Amelia’s getting stronger….” He mutters under his breath

“She says she loves you by the way”

“She did?

When? How?” Claude’s intrigue goes right back up

“I told her I loved her but she didn’t accept it and said she loves her brother,”

“Wait… you to–” Claude stops expecting Shiryu to stop with him but the young dragon keeps on walking leaving him behind

“Hey!” Claude jogs back up, “Why would you say that to my twin sister?”

“I wanted to see how she would react maybe she’d say it back.”

“Bro. Do you understand how love works?”

“Apparently not.” Shiryu sighs

“Apparently no indeed” Claude echoes

“First of all never go around my sister again, and secondly for someone to love you they have to at least like you first.”

“Isn’t that the same thing though?”

“Its not Shiryu,

See right now I am indifferent to you, but if we talk more often we can become friends then I’d like you, and if that relationship builds for years then I’d probably love you”

“Oh….”

(That does make sense…)

“I am adding you to my list Claude.”

“What list?”

“Nothing.”

“Hey what list?” he presses harder

“……” Shiryu simply shrugs him off

…..

…..

At this point they had been walking for some time already reaching into the Tonbo district, the setting sun now looms above and–

“–It is always a pleasure when you visit Chief.”

“I enjoyed it thank you.”

As Claude and Shiryu pass through the streets of Tonbo the hear the familiar voice of Aki as she exists a food parlour, the owner waves her off respectfully

….

Aki’s eyes catch the pair and watches them all over before resting on Shiryu

“What the hell are you wearing?” she asks referring to his get up

“Th–”

However, the chief doesn’t wait for Shiryu to reply leaping past them up and across the roofs

“Who asks someone a question only to dash before they could reply??” frets Shiryu

“That’s how the chief is” Claude says even though he himself barely knows the woman

“She doesn’t really stop to entertain conversations; she is a genuine loner I think”

“As someone who spent the majority of their life alone, I think that’s a foolish think to be,

When I see her next time I am setting the chief straight.”

“Good luck with that” whistles Claude

…..

…..

…..

At the time Shiryu thought he would have gotten another chance to talk to the chief before the raid on Furlheim City, she remained elusive however never stopping to talk when he did catch her

To Shiryu she was a potential love interest but also another puzzle to be solved

And to Aki, Shiryu was just someone good combat potential other than that he was a nobody

The two never did speak again till…

The day came….