This morning, the sun was fading in and out behind pale clouds, and the breeze carried a hint more water than salt. Already, I was beginning to miss the warmest months, even if Kyrae seemed ecstatic for the “cooler” season. She may be my sister, but there are some things I’ll never understand about elves. Like legs.

“I’m pleased none of you saw fit to attempt to skip your lessons today,” Zinniz said with a smile, motioning for us to join him coiling in the manor’s courtyard. “My grandiloquent mistress would be most disappointed if any of you were to slack in her absence.”

Ssiina and I looked at each other nervously.

“Of course!” Kyrae shot the two of us a pointed glare. “My sisters and I wouldn’t dream of violating Phaeliisthia’s orders.

“I just wanted to sleep in a little,” I hissed under my breath.

Kyrae elbowed me in the side, her thin limb sharp like a wooden stake. I gasped and pressed my lips shut.

Nearby, Ssiina coughed and flushed. “S-shall we begin this lesson?”

“We shall.” Zinniz smirked.

He knows. Oh no, he knows!

Fortunately for Ssiina and I, our near-tardiness wasn’t discussed. In fact, most of what we did was review: easy glyphs, rote history, and simple geography along with a few sigils I still struggled with.

“Why do I need to know these if my magic’s innate anyway?”

Zinniz shook his head. “Mistress told me you would ask this. Again. Just because you have some other being casting the spells for you doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work to understand them. Do you know why that might be?” The head servant’s voice didn’t quite have the confidence of Phaeliisthia, but he mirrored the little pitch-up she used to end her questions with nearly-perfect accuracy.

I felt another elbow slam into my ribs.

“Sorry!” Kyrae apologized sarcastically, shifting her sitting position. “My legs were getting numb.”

Sure they were.

I shot her a glare, and then sighed. Talking back wouldn’t help any with how protective Phaeliisthia seemed of her servants, her garden, her manor, her city, and us. Thankfully, Zinniz let me think, though the jaunty tune Ssiina started humming made me want to whip my tail around and whack her good.

“Is the reason I should know my sigils that I might need to cast these spells myself in the future?”

“Precisely!”

Oh no he sounds just like her now!

“How difficult could they be?”

“Very. Mistress hasn’t given me the details for your own privacy.”

I could only nod. “Okay.”

“Any other questions?”

I shook my head and the lessons resumed.

The next day was the same. And the next.

Soon enough the three of us found ourselves once again in our secret grove, this time the day before Phaeliisthia was due back. Outside the overhang, rain pattered down into the open glade, scattering across the smooth surface of the pool. The three of us still fit in here, but with my growth spurt it was getting tight.

“So,” Ssiina started with a smirk. “Do you have any ideas as to what Phaeliisthia is?”

My breath hitched. I knew I was forgetting something!

“I have a pretty good guess,” Kyrae answered with a shrug, leaning back in the space between Ssiina and I.

“What?” I blurted.

Kyrae stuck her tongue out.

“Come on, Sis!”

“Nuh uh. No way.”

I pouted and Kyrae’s smile faltered.

“Kyrae!” Ssiina said suddenly. “Stay strong! We shouldn’t give Issa a free pass!”

“But you could’ve at least reminded me to search for the answer!”

“We did!” Kyrae laughed. “Well, only once, and you were pretty tired, but that counts!”

I pouted even harder. “That’s it! I’m gonna go to the library and read scrolls.”

Ssiina rolled her eyes and gestured to the wetness outside of our little cave. “And miss all this lovely weather?”

“Hey! I like it!” Kyrae protested. “You have to admit the sound of soft rain is comforting!”

Our hssen-raised sister sucked in a breath to protest, but hissed it back out ineffectually. “…Fair enough.”

“Sssseriously though!” I uncoiled myself and slipped out into the wet afternoon. “I’m almost out of time and I’m gonna find out for sure by curfew! And if you two get it wrong, then I’m not sharing the prize!”

“Okay” Ssiina shrugged.

Kyrae glanced between both her and me and nodded hesitantly.

One of my eyes twitched and I hissed a groan at them before swishing off into the rain. At least I know the route back by heart now.

By the time I got back, I was soaked through. Try as I might, shadows were no good as umbrellas—at least not the ones I could wield personally.

Letting myself in quietly, I shook off what I could and slithered through the quiet halls to my room to dry off. Getting Phaeliisthia’s scrolls wet was not something I wanted to risk. Unfortunately for me, dry linens lulled me off into a midday nap and the sun had moved most of the way across the sky by the time I woke up and uncoiled myself.

I slithered quickly over to the library and found Zinniz waiting.

“I almost thought you weren’t going to show up, Hssen Issa.” He gave a sharp smile and bowed.

I blinked at him. “You knew I was going to come here.”

Zinniz laughed, a high-pitched sound. “I had a feeling, that was all. Your competitive nature was the only clue I needed.” He pulled one door open and motioned for me to pass through. “I am pleased you saw fit to dry yourself first.”

My head tilted down to hide my pouting cheeks as I slid past him and into the massive, dry-smelling room. Light faded scrolls, water dissolved them, and fire burned them easily, so the room was dark, dry, and made of bare stone. As such, Phaeliisthia had a small contraption with a glowing rock set by the door.

I took it and slid open the brass window, letting a cone of golden light free. Ahead of me were row after row of scrolls on shelves, all stacked neatly and labeled in both lamian and a strange language I’d not yet learned. The other language had fewer, simpler symbols, but the words were made up of so many symbols I could only guess at their dizzying meanings. It wasn’t elvish either, because I’d seen the weird flowing squiggles of that language enough to know. Puzzlingly, the glyphs next to the long labels were often quite simple.

I scanned the rows as I slithered by, hoping my answer would be at eye level. The top scrolls were out of reach unless I risked pushing myself so high that I might fall over, and the “ladders” that Phaeliisthia had were completely useless.

The first section I checked was entirely about types of plants. So was the second, but it covered a different kind of not-plant? From there, I passed more nature and geography, then a very small, single shelf for deities.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Strange that Phaeliisthia’s such a big figure in Jii’Kalaga, but she has few religious scrolls. Maybe the temple likes to keep them? Scrolls weren’t exactly quick to scribe, and the few bound “tomes” on the shelves were probably worth more than their weight in scales.

And this is just the section of the library Phaeliisthia has given us access to. Still, as I read the sections and topics, I felt keenly the warmth of gratitude I held for this nigh-mythical figure who took so much of her time to tutor us.

And who also poisoned my perfectly-usable vocabulary with verbose nonsense.

I almost looped back around when I stopped myself amid the comparatively modest history section.

“Phaeliisthia’s old, right?” I murmured.

Ignoring the weird language, I looked for things in lamian about Uzh. She’s probably in some of these, right? I pulled several scrolls and held them carefully in both arms as I slithered over to a low table that had chairs for reading, the glowing box held by my tailtip through the ring on its top.

Once I moved aside the offending furniture, I coiled up to read. Very quickly, my limited reading ability hurt me as I struggled slowly through the material.

“Dinner in two hours,” Zinniz’s voice echoed from far away. “Don’t be late—check the dial on the reading table.” I heard the sound of the heavy wooden door draw closed.

Hsssssss. I checked the dial, illuminated by an odd bronze contraption that had to be magic. Two hours.

I looked again at the pile of scrolls. They’d all need to go back, and I hadn’t even grabbed half of what I wanted. Plus, some of them were pretty hefty.

Running a hand through my now-silky hair, I sighed. “I need to speed this up. I just need to find stuff about Phaeliisthia.”

Wait. Phaeliisthia. The Guardian of Uzh.

I knew her name and title. All I had to do was look for the right glyphs and then read the context around them. I slammed my fist against my open palm—perfect!

With renewed vigor, I set about—

Encouraged, I commenced—

I had a good idea and started reading! I will not let her infest—alter—change how I talk in my head, damnit!

Thinking thoughts of simple words, I carefully scanned through the scrolls one by one. Phaeliisthia this, Guardian that: I finished the first pile without any real clues.

Near the top of the second, however, I got my big break.

“The Guardian of Uzh is a most unusual woman. Few… Few…” I turned the scroll sideways. I was sure the next glyphs were the answer, but they blurred when I looked at them. I reached forward with a tendril of shadow and felt a burning sting.

Over the text, glowing gold glyphs appeared, reading, “Nice try, but I want you to use context clues!”

I screamed.

Not a problem if there’s no one else in here, right?

Shaking, I carefully lowered the ancient and immensely valuable historical artifact. Fine then. See if that stops me!

Still, I found myself hissing under my breath. “How much time did she even take preparing this! Why is she so… so thorough about everything! She doesn’t miss details!”

I read on. The passage talked about the Guardian’s fascination for the open skies and nature. More importantly, it mentioned that Phaeliisthia hoarded information, plants, and even—to a lesser extent—jewels. She was also elementally aligned with sunlight, whatever that meant.

Another passage mentioned scales; yet another great feathered wings.

Does she have scales?

I finished that scroll without finding out for sure. Another look at the pile and I groaned. Then I checked the sundial and cursed. I had minutes. I’d wanted to sleep early, but it was starting to look like I’d spend the evening in the library.

***

Issa skidded into the dining room just as Zinniz was about to go fetch her from the library.

“Sorry I’m late!” she huffed. “Thanks for the food!”

“Do try to be more formal, Hssen Issa.”

Ssiina stifled a giggle. Sister will be so much fun at the Emerald Palace. I can just imagine the looks on everyone’s faces.

Next to her Kyrae laughed politely, one hand over her mouth. Issa was late enough they had started already; the meal was simple, but well-prepared fare of baked fish and stew of seasonal fruits and tubers.

Ssiina made small talk with her sisters, reveling in the warmth of the moment when one of Issa’s jokes nearly made Kyrae spray pink fruit across the table. Friends. Siblings.

Uncharacteristically, however, Issa didn’t go for thirds, or even seconds. A single plate finished, a polite thanks given, and the newly-struck hssen dashed off away through the exit to the lower hall.

“Is…” Ssiina’s voice shook with disbelief. “Is Issa going off to study?”

Kyrae shook her head and giggled. “No, she’s off to win. Ask her anything from whatever she’s reading that isn’t Phaeliisthia’s true form and she’d give you a blank stare.”

Sagely Ssiina nodded. “I see. Truly, I wonder sometimes where she inherited such airheadedness from.”

After a dubious glance, Kyrae burst out laughing.

“Sister?” Ssina tilted her head.

Kyrae laughed even harder.

“Sister!”

***

The magically-lit sundial passed several more hours and well into the night before I finished with what I could read of the history section—at least what Phaeliisthia had that seemed to be about Uzh. An unfortunate side effect of this reading was that I now knew far more than I ever wanted to about how Uzh had been destroyed by storms in the past. Storms that might be coming any day now. I was suddenly very happy for Phaeliisthia’s tall island and her solid stone manor.

After such an exhaustive search, I had a list of habits, and I thought I was pretty well-armed. There couldn’t be many elfoid species with Phaeliisthia’s suite of abilities.

Though some are definitely exaggerated.

Beyond the love of nature, information, and wealth, I had gathered quite a bit more. She was certainly self-obsessed and aloof. Though, I disagreed that she was cold or unkind. She was not only light-aligned, but had her own innate magic, which made total sense… probably.

Moreover, she had horns and talons and massive feathered wings and probably also scales.

Now, I just had to find a species that matched Phaeliisthia’s description.

I set about into the immense nature section more than a little anxious. I didn’t really know the order of species, so I settled in for a long search.

By the time the sundial had edged into the next morning, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Worse than the sweet song of the shadows was that I hadn’t found an answer. Simply put, I was near the end of the list and nothing had matched both Phaeliisthia’s personality and physical description.

Is she altering it with magic? A few things, mostly terrifying, can do that.

Unfortunately, I was too tired to put any of what I’d skimmed together. I also knew I had to be awake the next morning. So begrudgingly admitting defeat, I put the last of the scrolls back, closed the library and slithered upstairs to my bed and collapsed.

Phaeliisthias of all shapes, sizes, and colors danced about in my dreams. Chaotic as they were, I was really just happy to still have dreams.

Unfortunately, my dreams held no answers and I was groggy all through breakfast. While we waited in the courtyard with Zinniz, I had to fight to stay awake until Phaeliisthia arrived through the skies like a shooting star.

Our mysterious tutor landed fast enough to make me jump. Surprisingly, she didn’t crack the stone under her, and she dismissed her wings with a roll of her shoulders. The typically-pale Phaeliisthia now sported a light tan and a big, big smile. She also carried a small, leatherbound tome of unevenly-leafed parchment under one arm. Surreptitiously, she handed it to Zinniz, who quickly retreated back to the sideline.

“My lovely students!” she crooned in her musical voice. “I trust you’ve studied well?”

Snapping to attention, we all nodded. What is she? My mind raced. Somewhere in there was the answer.

Phaeliisthia clapped. “Now then, students, I believe I have a question for you all! When I call you, please come forward and whisper to me your answer.” She bowed with a flourish and came up wearing a sharp-toothed smile. “What am I?”

I took a breath. Elf, no. Half-elf, half something, no. Hse’aazh, definitely not. What is she?

“Ssiina!” Phaeliisthia called our eldest sister first.

Ssiina slithered forward confidently and our tutor bent down to hear her answer.

She has wings, but not all the time. Scales too, maybe. What can do that?! I rubbed my chin frantically.

All too soon, Ssiina had retreated.

“I’ll reveal who’s right at the end, dears. Kyrae!”

My elven sister stepped forward and quietly gave her answer. I watched Phaeliisthia’s elf-like face for any signs. She displayed no emotion other than unrestrained glee.

Elf-like face. Takes an elf-like form. Horns. Talons. Innate magic. Possessive.

“Issa?”

I jolted.

“Child, did you sleep last night?” Phaeliisthia chided.

“Yes!” I yipped.

“Then come forward. I look forward to your answer.”

Taking a deep breath, I slithered forward nervously. She’s powerful enough to defy the Temple and Hssen both.

That was it.

I’d only read a few things that could do that, and only one matched everything else, rare though it was.

Phaeliisthia leaned down and I tilted toward her ear.

“Great Feathered Serpent Dragon, Sun-Aligned,” I whispered confidently.

Unlike with my sisters, a broad smile split Phaeliisthia’s face wide. And then she laughed, a hissing laugh so unlike her normal voice. Her forked tongue slipped out between sharp teeth and thin lips.

For a long, tense moment, the three of us and Zinniz watched our tutor cackle madly in glee. I caught the servant discreetly rolling his eyes at his mistress’s display.

Am… am I right?

Nervously, I held my arms by the elbows under my chest. In the bright morning sun, I coiled a little closer around myself and shivered. The legends I read last night…

Eventually Phaeliisthia calmed enough to speak. With an exaggerated motion, she wiped a tear from the corner of one bright white eye. “Marvelous! Truly marvelous!”

Ssiina tried to speak, but only a soft hiccupping noise escaped her lips. I didn’t even try; my jaw was set tightly enough that it hurt, my eyes were stuck open, and I had to try hard to keep breathing evenly.

She can’t be, can she?

I started shaking. That… a legend—what I said she was, I thought was only a legend. I remembered that scroll where I found the name. Covetous, empire-ruining. Worshiped as gods were the few that lived when that scroll was written. Who knows when that was, but still! Filled with sudden apprehension, I watched Phaeliisthia with my breath held.

She locked her eyes onto mine and stepped dramatically back several paces. And then several more. From across the ring of columns, she gave another bow.

“Issa!” Phaeliisthia announced, “is correct!”

“What?” Ssiina hissed reflexively, and mercifully quietly.

Kyrae gave a sharp intake of breath.

I gulped, and then a surge of accomplishment rushed through me like a wave of heat. Both of my sisters looked my way and, somehow, through the terror that still gripped me and a jaw that barely budged, I gave them the biggest, smuggest grin I could manage. The action seemed to free me from my fear, and after a moment, I winked and stuck my tongue out all the way.

“I…” Phaeliisthia’s voice clawed back our attention with a single syllable. “…am Phaeliisthia, Guardian of Uzh, and the last Sun-Aligned Great Feathered Serpent Dragon in the whole of Jii’Kalaga.”

For a moment, only the echo of her words persisted in the otherwise-silent courtyard. The world, even the wind, seemed to hang in time. And then, in a blinding flash of golden light, Phaeliisthia took on her true form.