Chapter 54: How I Grew Up

Tom and the others had gotten out of the water all dripping wet and with big smiles all around. Even if they were cold enough their legs were wobbling under them. That had been a success beyond his wildest dreams.

Kokashi was doing a lot better when they got back. He still looked rather worn out and was clearly not allowed to leave Esmeralda’s lap yet. He was talking though so that was good.

The girls quickly learned leather may not have been much of a hindrance in the water but it still got waterlogged and hence very cold when they got out, especially with a bit of wind thrown in.

They were getting cold enough at this point they were actually starting to slow down. After standing still in the air dripping wet for a bit Fengi wasn’t even making sense anymore. Him Esmeralda and Dakota helped them quickly strip off the wet leathers leaving them in just undergarments.

Tom let them use his clothes to try and dry themselves off as best they could. Next time they should perhaps bring some towels. In this weather, he could manage with wet clothes for a bit once he had warmed up too, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Sapphire had caught him staring a few times and even posed for him with a grin, despite wobbling and struggling to hold her balance. Much to the amusement of the others who had seemingly also noticed his not so discreet staring. He just looked down a bit ashamedly, it was damn hard not to look though. Besides he was sitting in his underpants as well and it wasn’t like they hadn’t all stared at him.

It was very weird to see girls without breasts at all. Their chests were just smooth, the wide scaly plates continuing down uninterrupted. They were just so definitely feminine though, everything else was there, thin slender neck, thin waist, wider hips. Their chests were deep too, most likely a result of all the extra muscles for the wings. in all, they were all well toned with muscle even if their thick leathery skin did well to hide some of it. That combined with the sleek snout, sharp teeth, claws, and those piercing eyes was all a little disconcerting. A dangerous kind of beauty, but most definitely beauty.

They had sat down in a circle with the others to warm up and actually do a bit of the relaxing they had come down here for. The sun was still fairly high in the sky and the climate was very mild around here. Tom guessed the air temp was around 22 degrees and it wasn’t that windy either which was rare.

“So then, how was the water?” Esmeralda asked delicately, looking at the three, slightly miserable looking dragonettes.

“Cold, Sapphire replied, but not bad actually. It doesn't even hurt when you are thrown around while wrestling, that was great fun.”

“It wasn’t even that hard to swim either” Fengi added.

“I’m surprised you people haven't trained swimming. You're naturals” Tom added in. He had been genuinely surprised there hadn’t been more problems with getting them out swimming. Even if they were clearly scared of it, to begin with.

“Well if you crash in the water that’s usually it. We can't take off from water anyway” Dakota added grimly.

“But you could swim to shore?”

“It’s easier to just avoid going in.” She replied dismissively.

“Not that reliable though”

“No, it isn’t” Dakota looked away “So what. You want to start teaching us all to swim as well?” her tone was starting to sound a little irritated. So he should maybe be a bit more careful. He could definitely understand why Dakota wasn’t a fan of the water after all.

“Not if you don’t want to, but you clearly can do it” he gestured at wet ones. “Might be useful”

“Well I’m not going in”

“Understandable.” Dakota just sighed looking off into the distance. He didn’t really know what to say though. Luckily Sapphire and Jackalope saved them from an awkward silence by breaking into a discussion on who was faster in the water.

Sapphire had apparently won the race, but Jackalope claimed she cheated. Since she herself had just finished Tom’s basic training by then and was obviously faster now that she had mastered the breaststroke.

They had sat around chatting and bickering for a bit, exchanging whatever stories they could come up with. Tom told them about some different water sports, swimming halls and the like. Including some memories of his childhood playing on the beach with his father.

“That's why I thought it was so great to get thrown around. It was just like old times. For us, we only get to experience that when we are kids. So thank you, that was awesome.”

“No problem there big guy, you could just ask next time,” Jackalope replied in a softer than usual tone. “Why couldn’t you try it again back home though? If you have these swimming halls are they only for kids? Surely they can’t keep you from the beach?”

“No, it isn’t that. We get too heavy. Unless I could find some insanely huge dude no one could do it. At least not like that.”

“While I appreciate the compliment, I’m heavier than you and you managed to chuck me… after a few tries... and not very far.” She did let that last one linger with a smug smile on her face. That was more than fair in Tom’s mind, he knew she was strong but that was beyond what he had thought even her capable of, especially following the intensive flying they had just done.

“Remember everything is heavier where I come from. You can only jump half as high and you fall twice as fast. That is why I use the weights. I’m used to being heavier” He could see the gears turning inside Jackalope's head as she tried to figure it out. This wasn’t his first attempt at explaining it but they clearly struggled with it for some reason “Still you’re a beast of a woman”

She puffed out her chest a bit and straightened her back. “Damn right I am. Keep going like that and I might not even beat your ass for trying to drown me”

“Hey, you put me on the bottom first and I let go. How was I supposed to win otherwise?”

“Fine you got me there, but it wasn’t without reason I put you down there. You sly little bastard.”

“Yeah, I got you good there. I honestly didn't think that was going to work” He laughed a bit at just how well that had actually worked. That was normally the kind of maneuver you got caught performing and punished for by everyone.

Jackalope just shook her head disapprovingly looking at him.

“Ohh come on it was great fun.” She snickered a bit looking off to the others.

“Yeah, that was a good time.”

Tom sat thinking for a bit. He had one more thing he would like to try.

“Now since you were offering. I have another favor to ask. I wanna try and jump” Please that would be so awesome.

“What do you mean, jump?” Esmeralda questioned pulling Kokashi back into her lap as he tried to get up.

“Like, with the parachute?” The guard asked from the forceful safety of her lap.

“You know” Tom made a gesture with his hand going into the water whistling all the way down.

“You wanna crash into the water on purpose? From altitude?” Esmeralda continued, sounding like a disappointed mother.

“Sorta I guess, it’s great fun” Esmeralda didn’t seem convinced and Jackalope just looked like he had just asked her to kick him in the face.

“So I could just have dropped you?” Dakota asked, putting her head in her hands.

“Hey, we didn’t know if there was water there or if it was deep enough, we couldn't see anything. And from that height, I would still have gone splat I think”

“Right” Dakota went, shaking her head still in her hands. “Useful to know for next time I guess. How high can we drop you from?”

Right then, this one was his own fault. Now he really couldn’t blame Fengi for making him a guinea pig earlier. He had done it himself this time.

“Don’t know, my personal best was 30 meters back home, let’s start there.” You could always go higher, after all, lower was a bit more tricky.

Fengi held up her hand. “How high is that?”

“Well, Jackalope is around 2 meters tall so 15 Jackalopes”

“Are you sure? As in absolutely sure? That is one hell of a fall” Sapphire questioned sounding very worried.

“I’m not gonna throw you to your death you know, that and I’m tired as fuck already, not to mention freezing,” Jackalope answered dismissively a little hard on that last point. Fair point, he had already pushed here rather hard today after all.

Tom looked around to the others with a pleading face.

“Don’t look at me, I can’t carry you yet” Sapphire also dismissed him. Dakota didn’t even bother to look at him and Esmeralda just hugged Kokashi with a worried look on her face.

“I’ll do it” Fengi piped up enthusiastically. “But I wanna warm up first” That seemed perfectly reasonable to Tom.

“Awesome” He replied happily.

“Yes,” It came from Fengi as she scooted over in the grass and lay down over his lap looking at Jackalope and Sapphire, who were both clearly not pleased by the turn of events. Right ‘warm-up’ he got it. Back to serving as a water bottle.

“Oh so nice and warm” She let out from her newly found position of superiority. Damn, she was cold though. Uncomfortably so in fact. Tom was almost a little annoyed he didn't have a thermometer, with him to figure out how cold... No, no, he was supposed to relax and he would do just that.

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That had been incredibly good fun in the end. Sapphire had expected it to be an exercise in managing her fear for long enough to claim having learned to swim. The whole going under the water was very unpleasant, but the splashing around had been very good fun. Damn, she was cold though.

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The wind chill really didn’t help, she wished she had thought about that before going in. She wondered if she could get away with going over and hugging Tom for a bit, he was so warm after all.

She had caught him looking when she got off most of her wet clothes, leaving the underwear obviously. She hadn’t quite figured out if he just found the sight strange or appealing though. He had looked quizzical even if that quickly switched to ashamed when he was noticed. Such a lovable idiot. She wasn’t naked or anything like that. He was sitting in his underwear himself crying out loud.

She did wonder if she in any way looked like a human woman, perhaps that was the reason he looked so quizzical. Did she look strange to him? That was a stupid question actually. Of course she did, she was likely just as strange to him he was to her. She hadn’t seen a human woman yet, but surely he had a picture of one. She would have to ask to see one at some point. Maybe that would clear things up.

Besides she was certain she looked way better than them. From what Tom had told they stayed at home, well at least they had done. Now for some reason they didn’t do that. He also said they were generally small like the male dragonettes. Sapphire imagined Jackalope scaled down to Unkai’s height and gave a chuckle. That would be hilarious.

She had listened to Toms’ stories of his home, even if she had a hard time imagining most of what he was talking about, it was still interesting. The notion they made big buildings just to have pools of water to swim in was amazing. So much work just to have some fun. They apparently also had a fair few sports in the water, from racing to dance. Water must be incredibly important to them since they put such great effort into it.

He had then gone into his childhood a bit, it was a very different story from what she was used to. One mother, one father, and kids, that was a family. They lived in their own house rather than together with others. It did sound a little lonely, but apparently, he spent time with other kids in school and they would visit each other regularly. That part did sound like what she had picked up about life in the cities.

It sounded like a good childhood, the memory about playing at what he called a beach with his father, was clearly a happy one for him. She could see him smile even as a tear left his eye. She knew he didn't have his parents anymore. She hadn’t seen hers for over a decade. They should still be alive though, at least she hadn’t heard any different. With the kind of money Tom was talking about, she might even be able to visit sometime.

She was starting to grasp the notion of how it worked with things being heavier where he was from, it sounded odd though. She couldn't understand why that would be and Tom didn't seem to either. Or at least he wasn’t willing to launch into a lengthy explanation about it. That alone brought a smile to her face. The mission had been successful, he wasn't worrying about work right now. He was just enjoying life.

Then he had come up with what sounded like the worst idea ever. He wanted to crash willingly, into the water from a considerable height. Sure it hadn’t hurt to be thrown around a bit in the water, but this was something completely different. It was complete madness in fact.

Even Jackalope wasn’t willing to help him with that one. And she wouldn’t risk trying to carry him into the sky on a freshly healed wing. She was damn cold though, she wondered if he was still warm after being in the water that long.

That was when Fengi saw her chance to secure the hot stone making sure to let them know that yes he was indeed still nice and warm. Sapphire had looked to Jackalope who returned the gesture with a scowl. Clearly having had the same idea.

If being this cold was going to become a regular thing, Sapphire might just risk asking Tom if he could make something to help keep warm. So Fengi better not hurt him too badly either.

As they sat sunbathing continuing to warm back up, they all had in turn shared a few stories of where they had all grown up.

Jackalope had spent the first 5 calm years of her life at Furlong Keep. It had been a smaller keep much like the one here. She claimed she couldn't remember much, but Sapphire knew that wasn’t entirely true. When the keep was ruined by Rashan, she had lost both her siblings and her father in the attack. So it was rather painful to think back on. Following that she had moved with here her mother. It had been a rather rough start, but she did have her mother and some of Dakota’s younger siblings when growing up here.

Esmeralda was born here back in the day, her parents both having died of old age by now. She did have an older sister in the capitol though she made potions and herbal meds for a living. She had quite a few happy memories of playing around the keep, including a few good ones of when Dakota was little.

Dakota for her part was obviously born here. She and her brother Rachuck and two younger siblings who were still alive and two that weren't.

Tom hadn’t pushed further on the fate of the others and Sapphire just looked at the lake. Maybe this wasn't the best place to have this conversation.

Tom had luckily picked up on her discomfort turning to Sapphire instead.

“What about you? You said you went to the capitol right?”

“Well, I was born in Vultcha Keep, one hell of a place you should see it one day. It’s easily five times the size of ours. Still, they had too many mouths to feed and not enough for us to do. So I was sent on my way along with two of my siblings Haiko and viper. It wasn’t a bad place growing up though, even if my parents were looked down at a bit for having ten kids when we were already too many.

“You have nine siblings?” Tom asked seeming very surprised

“Eleven actually. I was one of four. Haiko and viper are my big brother and sister and I have six younger siblings three of which I haven't met, they came after I left”

“Damn... I’m an only child”

“That’s rather rare” It happened for sure, but still most couples would have two or three litters of one to three kids. Though four and even five did happen every now and again.

“Not to my people it isn’t, we usually only get one at a time. Twins happen but it’s rare”

“Huh… Then how are there so many of you?” Tom had talked about millions of people after all.

“We got really good at not dying I guess” Well that would do it she guessed.

“So do you like, live forever?” Fengi questioned. Tom chuckled a bit at that. Sapphire knew he was thirty-seven, but she had no clue how old that was for a human.

“No, not even close, I think you live longer actually. I’m lucky if I reach ninety of our years and it isn't summer yet, so years do seem similar.”

There was a bit of silence following that.

“That is rather sad” Jackalope went doing her best to sound sincere and falling at it.

“Oh come on, it’s a lot better than when we used to live like you do. Then I would be at death's door already” Tom said jokingly. The smile faded from him though as he looked around at them.

“Is that why you are in such a hurry, you're afraid you're gonna die before you're done?” Sapphire did her best to sound sincere, hopefully doing better than Jackalope. That was such a short life.

“How long do you have then, now that you're here?” Esmeralda added sounding very worried.

“No, No, relax. I have many good years left if something doesn't get me first. Remember we didn’t have healing and our medicine was” Tom did a sort of hand wave to indicate uncertainty. “Not the best. Most of us died of illness or bloody battle of course.”

“There are Illnesses we can’t cure. Or well, most healers can’t at least” Esmeralda clarified “still we can take care of most things.

“Then where do you all go?” Tom asked curiously

“Battle or corruption mostly” Dakota added coldly.

“Darklings then?”

“Unfortunately yes” It was a well-known fact their fight to keep the islands pure was far from a safe job. Even if their little rock in the middle of nowhere did seem very good at escaping attention. Most of the time at least, considering the latest set of calamities to have befallen them.

Tom didn’t seem to like the slightly dark turn the conversation had taken and began asking Sapphire about her siblings. It had been a while since she had last reminisced about them. It brought back many good memories of running around the huge keep playing with the others. She had quite a few stories, even if most of the good parts concerned her siblings or and parents.

Kokashi had eventually interrupted launching into his life story. Of how he was the son of a respectable clerk and a not so respectable mercenary. That had been a rather odd union. In Sapphire's mind, it had also resulted in a rather odd child. He didn't much appreciate that particular comment. Esmeralda had a good laugh at it though, so she must be onto something.

He had retorted by listing off some of his siblings and what they were doing, which to Sapphire’s eternal annoyance included his big brother who served in the royal guard. He knew damn well that was just because of his father’s connections and had nothing to do with how skilled he was. As Kokashi went on Tom had eventually asked Fengi how she had managed life in the capitol.

Fengi didn’t answer immediately, Sapphire knew she was rather ashamed of her childhood. Eventually, she let out a sigh and began her story though.

“Well, I don’t know either of my parents, not really. I was told my mother tried to raise me alone but, she was killed before I could even remember her. At least that’s what they told me. I grew up in an orphanage. It wasn’t too bad, we all played together in the orphanage. Even if other kids didn’t really want to.” Her ears dropped quite a bit at that last part.

Tom just grabbed her shoulder and gave her a bit of a jostle “And look at what those kids missed out on. Idiots every last one of them.” He got a sad chuckle for that one.

“Yeah… Sadly we didn't learn much there. It didn’t help that I wanted to fly either so I didn’t care much for Leika’s blackboard, that and it was so damn funny when she tried to chase os in that wheelchair” Fengi just shook her head almost cry laughing. It was more sad than hysterical though.

She eventually kicked me out after she got too tired of me.

I got some friends I used to fly around with after that. Most of them the not so wanted variety. Not the nicest people either. A few of them even became mercenaries I think. I didn't want to kill people though. I just loved flying with friends, and for fun. That and we sometimes took something tasty.” She smiled a bit at the end there. “Never got caught either. Well not until I tried for that damn apple” She looked to Esmeralda.

“Yeah, that wasn’t the best idea you ever had” The older huntress responded “You’re damn lucky I didn’t decide I needed that apple. Being quite possibly the thinnest girl I had ever seen might have helped a little though. I honestly thought you were a boy at first” Esmeralda looked around at the others as if to emphasize her point. There was a bit of a shared chuckle at that. They all knew the story after all. Well, all except Tom.

“Raised on the streets by mercenaries and still sweet as a pie. That’s impressive” He went with a smile. She just pushed his head away with a hand, rolling her eyes.

“Just don’t let her innocence fool you,” Jackalope added. “She can be just as tricky as you sometimes” Fengi stuck her tongue out at Jackalope at that little comment, before redoubling her smug face at where she was lying.

“Also I gotta ask” Tom went looking down at Fengi “I have figured out most of you, but what kind of magic can you do?” They all looked around at each other a bit at that comment. Had they really been that obvious? Sapphire thought she at least had done a very good job of hiding her particular talent. Okay maybe not that good of a job, but Esmeralda had been singing all the time.

“I don’t know yet actually,” Fengi admitted

“I see…” Tom went clearly thinking on that one for a bit. “Is it like an age thing?”

“Well either that or I just suck at it,” Fengi replied, trying to sound optimistic. Sapphire had been around her age when she started to figure it out. Still, she had been a little late to notice so it wasn’t common to not have at least figured it out before you turned twenty.

Tom clearly continued to ponder that one, as they tried to stealthily look to Dakota. Sapphire guessed they didn’t have to follow Nunuk’s order about magic anymore considering how things had been going. Still, she wasn’t sure and they hadn’t been told otherwise.

Dakota also seemed to be pondering the proposition, finally shrugging and turning to him.

“Well, what can we do then?”

“Easy you can heal, Esmeralda can change her voice, Jackalope can use it to get stronger I think” Jackalope hit her thigh at that one.

“Dammit, I knew I shouldn’t have thrown you that far”

Tom just gave a chuckle continuing. “And you Sapphire can control arrows. That last shot was just impossible” So she had been found out. At least he only thought she could do it with arrows though, not to mention he was only half right on Dakota.

“What can I do?” Kokashi had asked trying once again to get up and once again being denied. “Oh come on!”

“Don’t know either, magically bad jokes?” Tom replied in a poorly disguised snicker. being joined by most of them. Sapphire had to admit that was a good one.

“I would have you know I can hear just about anything in fact. And yes that includes what you are saying to yourself down in the workshop late at night. I do hope the kids weren't in there for that?”

They all turned to a mortified looking Tom as he stared at Kokashi. “They were all soundly asleep and in another room”

“Including Kiran?”

“Definitely asleep”

“Good, I don't think my beautiful wife here would appreciate them learning those particular words. I might not know what it meant but it didn’t sound child friendly” Esmeralda looked to Tom with very narrow eyes clearly trying to decide if this was something she needed to do something about.

Tom just laughed nervously looking away scratching his neck. “Yeah, I think I would agree with that.”

Then most of them just started laughing at the poor guy’s misfortune. Sapphire knew damn well, you couldn’t say a thing while Kokashi was awake without the risk of him hearing it if he wanted to. Perhaps Tom shouldn’t have learned that one just yet.

“Så må jeg jo hellere holde mig til noget i ikke forstår”

They looked a bit strangely at him following that particular set of noises.

“If you can’t understand me you can't spy on me. At least not too much.” Tom then went pointing his fingers at Kokashi with the thumbs in the air.

“I hardly understand you in draconic most of the time,” Kokashi responded. Sparking laughter all around. Tom just raised his hands and shoulders pulling a face as if he had been greatly offended.

“Still it is rather draining to do, so it’s not all the time if that is what you’re worried about” Kokashi went with a wink. Sapphire just wished she knew how much he usually did it and for how long he could. Esmeralda did often seem to know more than she should about people.