This morning, I slept like a log on Oum's bed, at her feet, on the blanket. And, for a long time, I'd been good and not stressed when I woke up.

I clutched the shape of her foot between my paws through the blanket, afraid that it was all a bad dream and that I'd end up in a nightmare again.

Tok came in with a bang and leapt onto the bed, threatening to crush me with his webbed paws, and his sea-lion howls and fishy smell now forbade any sleeping in. We got up, not happily, but in a way it was fun.

Milo's head still in the cushion and the sea lion licking his nose and ears made it all worthwhile. His face against the herring halibut when he woke up. There are no words to describe the situation.

Then Ikki came in, a little girl of 4, her mom working as a helper at the marina. She was chasing Tok, the sea lion, and she was a little chubby, swarthy like all the kids in the area, long black hair tied back with an elastic band to make a bun, her face a little flat, and a one-piece blue dress with white flowers made her very cute.

"Oh... Oum... do you have a new stuffed animal? Ah... no, a new reptile.?? Does it bite?" Milo shouted into the next room, and the smell of fresh bread, eggs and bacon wafted into the room. "Breakfast is served!"

Ikki looked at me and hugged me, but I was the same size as her. She ended up falling backwards, hitting her head on the bedside table and slicing open the corner of her cheek. It would scar her for the rest of her life. It was a tragedy!

Oum: "Ikki!! no!!!! Not that!" Ikki screamed and cried, his hands full of blood "MAMAAAAAN!!!"

Milo rushed from the kitchen to the bedroom, saw the gash and then glared at me and my claws. His eyes boiled with anger.

Oum: "Dad, it was an accident! It fell on the nightstand, on the corner!" Then he looked at the corner and there was a thread of skin hanging from it.

Immediately, he took her to his wife, who took the little girl and exclaimed, "My God, it's a nasty cut, but it'll do. In fact, it wasn't fine, but she reassured the little girl. She took a wet sheet to wipe away the blood.

"Milo, hold her! and squeeze the sheet to stop the blood, I'm going to the infirmary."

A minute passed, Milo trying to calm the little girl. "Oum, go tell his mom that Ikki hurt himself"

I stayed close to Ikki, and watched as Dad held the sheet. I grabbed another sheet and jumped onto the worktop and rinsed the other sheet with tap water then handed it to Milo, who realized I wanted to help. His gaze softened and he handed me back the blood-soaked sheet. If I'd been an animal or a monster, I'd have sucked all that blood, but I took the sheet, rinsed it and twisted it. Maya saw that I was twisting the cloth and washed it. "Thanks AArh."

Then she took the wet sheet from me and dabbed the wound. Ikki screamed and she applied an alum stone to stop the bleeding. Then she looked at Milo: "We're going to have to suture!!!" This meant a scar and a gash for a child. Not a good look for a young girl.

I held out my arms and Ikki wanted to take my paw to calm down. Immediately, I cast a minor heal on his hand and the cut glowed and closed, leaving no trace... Milo and Maya were stunned. "ARRh? Did you do that? But Ikki jumped up onto the worktop and gave me a big hug. "Thank you, thank you, my beautiful lizard." I let myself go. The next thing I knew, I was covered in kisses.

Then Maya picked up a sheet and wiped away all traces of blood when her mom arrived and jumped into her arms. Oum entered the room, following Ikki's mom, and took me in her arms. "What? It's healed?" Milo and Maya looked at me and then at Oum. They saw magic for the first time and Dad dropped to his knees, followed by Maya. I nodded, jumped down and got them to their feet, all the while giving them a hug. The four of us stayed together, followed by Ikki. "Me too, I want my hug!" Then she pulled her mom towards the toilet mirror "look... the lizard removed the ugly cut... Later, I'll marry the lizard." I opened my mouth in astonishment when I heard this, then everyone started laughing.

Maya called me into her room and brought out some of Oum's old clothes, but it looked ridiculous. I did, however, accept a colorful scarf which she tied around my neck. She also gave me a small handbag made of fabric, which was very pretty.

Then, with my emotions behind me, we warmed up the bacon, but I was more interested in the chocolate crepes, and before long, my lips and muzzle were all plastered. I loved chocolate. It drove me crazy. I didn't know it yet, but I suspected I must be a female dragon, but at my age, that didn't mean anything.

Milo, Maya: "Thank you, little Aaarh!