“Pitahaya,” Kyrae answered easily. She skipped a flat rock out into the pond in front of us, then sat back down between me and our hssen-raised sister. “Alright, Ssiina, what’s your favorite fruit?”

“Hmm… papaya, probably? I’ve had some wonderful confections made with fruits from further south, but I don’t know how much of what I liked was the fruit itself.” Ssiina leaned back and turned her head toward me, her tail tip flicking in the water. “I still don’t get how ‘whatever’s closest’ is a real answer, Issa.”

I flicked some water at her with my own tail tip and stuck my tongue out. “Because it is, that’s why! I don’t like fruit anyway, so whatever we get, I’ll eat.”

“Hssss, fine,”. Ssiina huffed.

Kyrae only offered a shake of her head.

I was, after all, telling the truth. These past few weeks, I’d grown at lot—nearly to Ssiina’s lower body length—and she’d earlier reminded me that “big” sister meant older. Kyrae, meanwhile, was full of subtle shifts and I wasn’t sure how much of her appearance was the herbs’ direct effects, and how much was her brighter moods. She laughed a lot more than I remembered.

The three of us were lounging in our secret spot after a long week of lessons, and I had to admit that I was getting used to this life. The food, the lessons, the regular sleeping and eating. About the only thing uncomfortable these days, aside from Phaeliisthia’s continued magic lessons, were the swollen spots on my chest. Still sore, they felt either weird or painful to sleep on (depending on the night), but I was truly happy for both me and my sister. For once, I wanted to have a say in what I wore.

I seriously doubted anyone would take Kyrae for anything other than a girl these days. Although we also hadn’t left the estate grounds once yet.

“What about your magic, Issa?” Ssiina asked, no doubt trying to change the subject. “You never tell Kyrae and I where you and Phaeliisthia go off to.”

I leaned back on my elbows and stared up into the swaying leaves above. “I just feel like where we go should be a secret. I think the place is to Phaeliisthia what this place is to us.”

“I’d bet it’s really pretty then!” Kyrae cut in.

“It is,” I smirked. “And apparently, I haven’t even seen it at its best yet.”

My elven sister pouted.

“But what about your actual magic?” Ssiina asked again.

I spun my own shadow up into an elongated blob of darkness, kept coherent barely by the shade from above. “I’m getting better, but it’s a lot harder when I’m controlling things directly. Direct light burns, I can’t make it very solid, and I definitely can’t meld with the shadows. Well, not without advancing my curse.”

“That sucks,” Ssiina replied, summoning a ball of fire above her palm with a quickly-traced sigil. “Despite a ‘lack of talent’ as Phaeliisthia told me, my own studies are coming along.” She closed her hand and the fire dissipated. “Though I do wish she’d teach me how to fight and blend in already.”

“I’m getting sick of all this history and language and magic too.” Kyrae heaved a sigh. “And I was the most excited for it out of all of us.”

“What about your magic, Kyrae?” Ssiina asked.

Kyrae shrugged and took two tries to summon a small orb of glowing green light. “Mostly theory, still. Phaeliisthia says I have a knack for actually casting, but I’m struggling to learn the sigils and also the rest of my glyphs at the same time.”

“So you’re opposites?” I offered.

“I suppose so,” Sssina replied. “But what does that make you, Issa?”

“Great at both!” I tried to make my shadow dance, but it strayed too far into the light and burned away, making me wince.

“How about neither?” Kyrae ribbed.

I pouted.

“Maybe she’s middling at both?” Ssiina offered.

Again, I shook my head. “I think it’s an innate sort of thing for me. A different… process is the right word?”

Ssiina nodded. “Oh, I understand now. Cheating.”

“I am not cheating! It’s just different!” I lifted my torso up with my lower body in challenge and my kelaniel sister mirrored the pose.

Between us, Kyrae collapsed in a fit of giggles.

Ssiina backed down, blushing. “Seriously, though. I just want to learn mundane ssen’iir stuff.”

“Maybe it’ll be soon?” I offered, laying back down against the wonderfully cool pebbles by the pond’s edge. “We’re going into town tomorrow instead of having lessons here. Maybe we’ll get weapons or there’ll be some kind of test?”

Ssiina made a face. “I hope there’s no test. Didn’t Phaeliisthia say there was a festival tomorrow? I should certainly know which one, but I’ve lost track of time of late.”

Kyrae nodded. “She did: the Festival of Tuo’Esuzin. The end of the dry season and the beginning of monsoon as dictated by the changing winds.”

“Oh!” I perked up. “I know that one! Ess’Siijiil celebrates it every year before the big rains.”

“Already?” Ssiina blinked, eyes wide. “I didn’t think the rainy season would come so soon—I hope we do not see any typhoons while we’re this close to the ocean.”

I shuddered, remembering a few terrifying days during our time on the streets of Ess’Sylantziis.

“Didn’t our sire say the mangroves shielded this city?” Kyrae asked rhetorically. “Regardless, Phaeliisthia’ll probably have a test for us anyway. Somehow. There’s no way she’s just giving us an entire day off lessons to wander around Uzh.”

“Yeah,” Ssiina and I both answered.

***

“You’re really giving us the whole day?” Ssiina balked.

Phaeliisthia nodded, checking again the hem of the shirt of her outrageously orange, tight outfit. “I am. Two whole weeks actually, but I’ve left lesson plans for the other days. Zinniz will accompany you today and administer your lessons later, much of which will be self or group study. As for your time in the city, I trust the citizens of Uzh to take good care of my students. Most of them, at any rate.”

I masked a tired yawn with a surprised gasp. Zinniz, Phaeliisthia’s red lania’el head servant, was here with us this morning—and had gotten us up nice and early. Until now, I’d wondered why. At Phaeliisthia’s acknowledgement, the small, stoic servant bowed his head.

Our tutor took a moment to sweep her bright white gaze over the three of us. “And I expect my lovely, imperfect students to do their work without sloth or complaint. Lastly, do remember that you should not reveal familial relations to Tyaniis, Ssiina excepting. Your given names will be fine to use, but you must make it clear you are merely wards of that crass woman. Am I understood?”

We all nodded quickly, though I was a little slower.

“Are you going somewhere?” Kyrae asked while I continued to stare at our tutor, gobsmacked.

“I am indeed—Issa, dear, close your mouth.” I snapped my jaw shut and Phaeliisthia continued, “There, unfortunately, exists information my estate does not hold. As such, I must visit an old friend in Amaranth.”

“Amaranth?” Ssiina asked. “That’s the merfolk city east of the Empire, right?”

“Indeed. Terrible place for scrolls, but the passages their historians memorize are truly astounding. Moreover, I’d like the chance to swim again through their coral gardens.”

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

“Information surrounding the nature of your curse, of course! I have my suspicions where the idol came from. Unfortunately, it appears a certain vengeful hssen got to the importer before I could question them myself. Nevertheless, I do believe I am pursuing a worthwhile avenue.”

Vengeful hssen. Sire Tyaniis?! I didn’t pursue that thought, as a much more important one bubbled up:

“Do you think you can cure me?”

“Issa, dear, if I knew that for certain, would I have to travel half a subcontinent to find out?”

Maybe? “I guess not.”

“Just so.”

“And… subcontinent?” I tilted my head to one side quizzically.

Phaeliisthia sighed. “Do you pay any attention to my geography lessons? I believe you passed that test.”

I thought for a moment. “…Jii’Kalaga is a subcontinent, right? So halfway across the Empire?”

“Yes, now I’d query you as to why it is a subcontinent, but I’ve little time to spare. The answer is the Sekalln Mountains by the way.” Phaeliisthia spun on her heels and then stopped, asking without facing us, “Are there any final questions?”

“How are you traveling?” Kyrae asked.

Phaeliisthia looked over her shoulder, horned head cocked and toothy smile wide. “Why my dear Kyrae, I am flying there.”

I didn’t even have time to process what Phaeliisthia meant before a pair of massive, gold-feathered wings burst from the open back of her outfit. The ends of the longest feathers faded to a silvery-white, as though caught by the sun’s glare. Each wing apex was tipped with a wicked golden claw, and she must have had a wingspan half again as wide as I was long.

By Jaezotl, what—

Without saying another word, Phaeliisthia jumped almost even with the roof of her nearby manor, flapped once hard enough to buffet all of us with wind, and rocketed up into the sky.

“She’s not an elf is she?” I asked into the absolute silence.

“What an outrageous woman Mistress is,” Zinniz mumbled fondly, as if my words had given him permission to make a sound.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“No, Issa,” Ssiina answered, suddenly pale. “Phaeliisthia is very much not an elf.”

“What do you think she is?” Kyrae asked.

“She’s—” Ssiina shook her head and then grinned wickedly. “She’s offered a prize to the first of us to guess, hasn’t she?”

Hesitantly, Kyrae and I nodded.

“It looks like you have two weeks to find out then, sisters! Perhaps you might find answers in Uzh—and I don’t mind splitting the reward if you do.”

“Ssiina!” Kyrae moaned.

“Jerk!” I hissed.

Quickly though, my eyes turned skyward. All I could see of Phaeliisthia was a rapidly fading splotch against the bright morning sun.

Zinniz chuckled. “We had best get you sisters ready. Mistress has arranged a fitting today for all three of you for new clothes.”

Ssiina the traitor tilted her head. “But mine still fit?”

“Mistress’s orders.” Zinniz shrugged.

I didn’t miss the small smile he tried to hide, and it sent a shiver down my spine. Fitted for what exactly?

Unfortunately for us, we didn’t find out immediately, even though the fitting was the first place we were led to once we left the estate. The tailor, an aging elf who shared his… unorthodox style with Phaeliisthia, was cagey about the exact clothing our tutor was having made.

One outfit we all were able to have a hand in color and style for, but another was left unsaid. Kyrae and I had to fight for neutral, simple colors, eventually conceding to bright greens and vibrant golds. Ssiina meanwhile, surprised both of us by leaning fully into what the tutor suggested, intent apparently on mimicking the local fashion with vibrant oranges, reds, and pinks.

Then again, she didn’t need new clothes quite the way my elf sister and I did. Really, I was almost embarrassed to go out in what we had.

The once-wide and overlong sleeves came up past my wrists, and the hem that had once nearly dragged on the ground now nearly showed where the thick scales of my lower body faded to finer scales and skin of my upper. Though the outfits Tyaniis had made for us were still pretty—and in wonderful condition—we were outgrowing them quickly.

Adding to that were two distinct lumps in the front of my sleeved cloak, Kyrae insisted that she had her own small bumps as well. Ssiina, meanwhile, was mostly grown and her outfit was clearly designed with breasts in mind: none of the odd tightness or awkward rubbing of fabric on sore spots when arms were lifted or upper bodies twisted.

Mostly grown.

Ssiina had said that kelaniel in particular grew for far longer into their lives than ke’lania or lania’el. How big am I going to get? I don’t want to be a giant.

Thankfully for now, I was still small. Small and hungry. All the prodding and posing and wrapping of bands of silk had been draining, even if not physically. By the time we’d finished with the tailor and Zinniz had fallen back to observe from somewhere within the crowd like a crimson Dyni, we were already through to late morning. The streets were crowded with lamia and elves and shouts and smells, and the three of us dove in with an almost feral eagerness.

I hadn’t realized just how much I missed the city having stayed solely in Phaeliisthia’s estate these past two or so months.

Sunlight’s warmth streamed down from above, bounced around the black stone walls, and soaked through my scales. After months in Phaeliisthia’s garden, the wonderfully sculpted trees and vines of Uzh seemed tame, almost banal.

That didn’t, however, stop the sweet-smelling blooms or the dappled shade or the many, many birds with feathers flashing vibrant, riotous displays of color from dazzling me. The freedom of once more slithering a busy, packed market street with my sisters, now plural, perhaps colored my perception.

Yet more than poignant to my new outlook, I suspected, was the insufferably deep vocabulary Phaeliisthia was forcing upon my mind. I’d better not end my years here talking like she does! I’ll never blend in anywhere and Kyrae will never let me live it down.

Simple thoughts, Issa. Street urchin no more, but this is still your element.

I almost started looking for purses to cut again, even if my own was more than full enough. Likewise, the entire market still had that same overly-clean feeling from when we first passed through Uzh with Sire Tyaniis and Ussyri Noksi. At the height of a festival packing the street so full I had to watch my tail and pull it close, the market seemed more like the creature I knew.

Or maybe I was just out of practice.

One glance at Kyrae, however, showed that she wasn’t. Already, she turned a small trinket—a bird made of discarded green feathers and bits of wood, with two emerald-like glass eyes—over in her hands.

“Did you pay for that?” Ssiina hissed before I could ask.

Kyrae jolted. “Oh, uhm, I…”

As she trailed off, I placed my arm around her shoulders, noting with pride how I was no longer shorter than she was. “Let’s go pay for it, Sis—now that you’ve had a good look.”

Kyrae blushed. “It was so pretty, just hanging there. A-and she’d turned away with another customer.”

I tilted my head. The bird was finely made, and almost looked like it was perched in the palm of my sister’s hand.

“Why’d you take it?” Ssiina asked, finally stopping us by pulling to the side between two stalls.

Kyrae shook her head. “I didn’t mean to. I just thought it looked nice and then it was in my hands.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Ssiina snapped.

My elven sister sucked in a sharp breath and scrunched her eyes. When she opened them, they were wet. “I didn’t mean to, honest! I just…”

“You just—”

“Ssiina,” I cut our third sister off. “Stop. We had to do this to live, remember? Kyrae knows it’s wrong, and she’s already told me—and you too I think—that she sometimes just takes things without thinking. I’m sure I do something like that, too. And you as well.”

“Does eating count?” Kyrae sniffled. “Because I think I know what yours is, but I don’t want to think about it.”

I winced, remembering the power trip I went on when I was under Nyss’s thumb. “I’m sorry, Kyrae.”

“S’okay. Just remember that you have me… and Ssiina.” Kyrae looked up at our sister and smiled through the budding tears.

Ssiina set her jaw and sighed. “I’m sorry Kyrae. It’s just… Sire would have punished me severely for stealing something and—”

Kyrae shook her head. “No, Hssen Tyaniis is right. Let’s just go give it back. I think I can slip it in without anyone noticing.”

I placed my hand under hers, lifting it up. “I think it’s pretty though! It matches your eyes, so we should pay for it and keep it.”

Kyrae nodded shallowly, mumbling, “I noticed it because it matches your eyes.”

Ssiina cooed, then slapped a hand over her mouth and coughed. “Right then! Let us go and pay for the bird. There’s a vendor selling sun hats up ahead and I wish to try several on before Issa drags us to the food stalls and orders me fried something-I-don’t-want-to-eat.”

I couldn’t help it; I giggled at Ssiina’s board-straight posture. “The best is when you don’t even know what you’ve eaten when you’re done with it!”

My hssen-raised sister turned even more green than usual and quickly darted back the way we came, a giggling, teary-eyed Kyrae in tow. I dashed after the pair, already thinking of excuses we could give to the vendor.

When we arrived, I noticed Zinniz hovering nearby, pretending to be interested in several newly-sprouted plants for sale. Or maybe actually interested, given the estate’s gardens and his hand in tending them.

Ssiina shoved Kyrae forward. I tried to move in front, but my big sister blocked me with an arm, whispering, “Let her do this.”

I bit my lip nervously, barely remembering to keep my loose fang from slipping down, and nodded.

“Uhm, hi,” Kyrae squeaked, placing the bird on the table, and drawing the vendor’s attention away from the pleased-looking woman who’d just left with a red bird. “I thought this was really pretty and I accidentally took it without paying, so I want to pay you now!” She bowed low enough that her head almost bonked into the edge of the cloth-covered table strewn with trinkets.

The vendor, a rather large ke’lania woman with green-brown scales and a round face, narrowed her eyes.

Kyrae stiffened and quickly drew her coinpurse out. “How much?” Her voice shook.

“So that’s where that one went,” the vendor whispered. “I’m happy you brought it back. It takes guts to do that.” Her eyes traveled to me and Ssiina. “Though I have a guess those guts might not be yours.”

Kyrae shook her head. “Not completely. I’m really sorry—I am. I didn’t mean to take it, honest. My hands just sometimes get away from me.”

The vendor looked at the bird and then Kyrae’s bulging coinpurse. She held up a single finger. “One fang.”

Hurriedly, Kyrae dug through her coinpurse and pulled out a single silver coin, handing it over. “I’m really sorry, miss.”

Taking the coin, the vendor looked at Kyrae and sighed. “Just try to keep your hands to yourself, young lady.”

Kyrae relaxed a little, and when she straightened up from her bow, she wore a big smile. “I will!”

“Good.” A smile broke across the trinket vendor’s broad face. “At least you have good taste—I’m rather proud of that one.”

Putting away her coinpurse, Kyrae blinked away the last of her tears and picked up the small faux-bird almost reverently. “I really do like it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” With a final nod, the vendor turned to another potential customer and greeted them with a smile.

Kyrae rushed back over to us, cradling the bird in both hands. In the background, Zinniz had disappeared again. I hope we did right by Phaeliisthia.

“Thanks, you two. Now I don’t feel so heavy.”

Ssiina smiled and nodded, her eyes on the lovely little bird.

“Sure thing, Sis!” I beamed, pulling Kyrae into a careful hug. “Now let’s go eat!”

“Hats first!” Ssiina insisted, moving ahead of me toward the other stall. “I deserve a reward for making sure we did the right thing.”

I pouted, but Kyrae shook her head and I bowed mine. Fine. Food later.

“That was so much money!” I whispered as Ssiina approached the hat-covered stall.

“Have you seen what Phaeliisthia gave us?”

I shook my head.

“Look.”

I looked. Inside the coinpurse was a pile of tails and fangs, and I even saw the golden shine of a few scales sticking out. Sucking in a breath, I hissed instead of whistling. “Is… can we spend this? Do we need this to last all three or five or whatever years?”

“Zinniz said this was for today only.”

“Today only?! Can we keep what we don’t spend?”

“Were you paying any attention, Issa?”

“…Some.”

Kyrae sighed. “We can keep what we don’t spend, but Zinniz reminded us that there’s nothing for us to buy in the estate and that we’ll get more later based on what we have spent.”

“But we didn’t earn this!”

Kyrae shrugged. “We didn’t.”

I looked down at the pile of wealth again. “Okay, I guess.”

Don’t look a gift silak in the mouth, Issa.

“I want a hat too, then!” I declared.

Kyrae giggled. “Me too actually. It’s really hot out today.”

“Yesss,” I hissed, feeling again the smooth warm stone under me. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

“For you, maybe. It’s almost too hot for me, and the air’s thick with moisture.” Kyrae skipped up to the hat stand and started looking through several wide-brimmed ones made with reeds, strips of bark forming bands that kept their shape.

I slithered after her and poked through the selection, listening to Ssiina prattle on with the vendor. Most of the hats had loose bands, and I guessed the vendor would tighten them for the customer. Ssiina was already trying a reed hat on: a relatively small one with a brim in the shape of a scale, its broad point forward and slightly to one side.

Kyrae eyed the ones with the biggest rims. As for me, one that wouldn’t block out too much wondrous sun, and also had gold, green, and white feathers stuck in it, caught my eye.

After I got fitted, I tried not to balk at the insane cost of what was now the most expensive piece of clothing I’d ever purchased myself. With my new hat on, I thankfully wasn’t blocking too much of the sun, but the short brim stopped enough of the glare that I could see clearer without squinting. Better yet, the fluffy feathers stuck to one side swished cutely whenever a light breeze kicked up between the tall stone buildings.

“Food now?” I asked, my hunger deciding to make itself known via a series of grumbles.

“Food now,” Ssiina nodded, pushing herself up higher to see through the crowd. When she lowered back down, she continued, “I’m happy no one’s recognized me yet—not that I think anyone would. It seems like there are a lot of people in the city for Tuo’Esuzin.”

“Mhm.” Kyrae nodded. “Ess’Siijiil gets a lot of people for Tuo’Esuzin too. There’s a lot more music and dancing there. It seems pretty laid-back here in Uzh, though: a packed market, canal races, and some games in the squares are all I’ve seen.”

Ssiina shrugged. “Ess’Sylantziis is a lot like this as well—at least the area around the Emerald Palace.”

Hazily, I remembered warm days, ill-guarded ussen, and—unfortunately—wonderful meals. “Don’t forget good food! Let’s go already!” I slithered ahead as fast as I could, one hand holding my hat on.

“Wait up!” Kyrae shouted, half-laughing.

“You’d better not order for me!” Ssiina whined, slithering quickly after me.

Order for you? No way, Ssiina, this is all for me. After all, I’m still a growing girl.

One immense meal later, the three of us, sated, warm, and happy, roamed around the city. Away from the bustle of the main market, we found quieter streets, lovely small gardens, and scenic slitherways alongside placid canals. We shared jokes and traded stories until the sun started to sink.

Unfortunately, no one was willing to tell me or Kyrae exactly what Phaeliisthia—more commonly referred to by the people in the city as the Guardian of Uzh—was. At least I have two weeks to find out!

After one last pass through the market, I came away with a small, ornamental bronze blade, the hilt set with half-orbs of polished dark red wood. Ssiina had declined purchasing anything of that sort, disappointed by the lack of practical weaponry. I just wanted mine to peel fruit and slice river fish.

Tuo’Esuzin was a festival representing the turning of the seasons after all, heralding the end of the dry season and the approach of the wet—monsoon season. Uzh was a peaceful city, I’d learned, and few here had use for weapons. So despite a new hat; several bottles of oils for scales, skin, and hair (many of which Ssiina also purchased for me and Kyrae); and the promise of new clothing, Ssiina came away missing one of the things she’d sought in the first place.

If anything, she didn’t seem unhappy in the slightest. On the way back, she told us that today she’d gotten to experience life outside of the insular restrictions of hssen. She’d simply been Ssiina. Just Ssiina: a wealthy daughter of some unnamed kss’kaa, mingler of the laypeople, and haver of two “cute” younger siblings.

I didn’t mind, for Kyrae and I got to be the same: a step up from what we’d both known, but without the unreal mysticism of hssen or ussen.

We returned to the estate with Zinniz piloting the small, unadorned aazh up through a winding river that was now almost choked with fallen red petals. That night, Kyrae, Ssiina, and I slept in a warm pile in Ssiina’s room after a wonderful-smelling bath. From the scribing desk, a small, cute bird of fallen emerald feathers and rich mahogany wood watched over us with emerald-colored glass eyes.