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Indel watched as Nala crossed the room, agitated. The root of Nala’s upset was easy enough to guess: Indel’s stage had come without warning. Their time together had been tepid at best; Nala going off into the woods at night and returning.

Each time she’d gone Idsel had watched the door. He knew he could have gone, too, but hadn’t for months. Now he was Indel and Nala refused to acknowledge him.

When Nala passed by, Indel caught her by the arm and pulled her to sit beside him.

Outside the boys set about their mischief.

It was rare that they were ever alone inside the barn.

Instead of Nala pulling away—as Indel feared—the Summoner slipped her hand into Indel’s grip.

It was as Indel suspected; Nala favored this form above all others. The way her body warmed, the way Nala’s breathing shortened, even the way her body darkened.

Indel rubbed his main finger along Nala’s hand to find it slick; Nala was secreting.

“Are you no longer cross with me?” Nala asked.

Shaking his head, Indel kept his eyes on the shine forming as he spread the oil of Nala’s skin.

“I was never cross. You gave me a strange look, and you know how impatient and irritable I am in this stage.” When he pressed their cheeks together, Nala’s body dripped from the secretions. This was the most oil to come after all these seasons.

“Mana,” Nala gasped. “Not here.”

Unlike Nala, Indel was still in full control of his body. “I know. I can wait until the night. But I wish to partake of you long. Far longer than we’ve had.” Cheeks still touching, he whispered. “Long and deep.”

A shriek from the ino erupted through the stillness, rousing them to take notice.

Indel stood, his hearts pumping out of rhythm. “What now?”

It was a warning cry and it only intensified.

He considered it luck and misfortune that he was in this stage. He could reach the first easier in the face of true danger, but it would take a great deal of fear to overcome his hunger for mating instead.

He held Nala back as the Summoner stood with the intention of intervening.

“You are unfamiliar with this stage,” Nala said, stepping past him. “I will protect you.”

Indel watched her go. When he remembered himself, he hurried to overtake Nala and swung open the door.

Boon, his body littered with far less armor than his brother, sat atop Crane’s belly, striking him again and again in the face.

Each strike made the scales on Crane grow.

Eventually, Crane shoved him off and reversed their positioning, allowing him to strike Boon in the chest and throat with all his might.

“It’s mine! It’s mine! You cannot have it! It’s mine!” Crane hit him again and again.

Taking a stone shovel from the side of the barn, Indel moved swiftly toward them. He struck without hesitation, catching Crane in the shoulder.

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The boys finally separated, Indel growled between them, letting off a shriek.

Upon hearing his words in the old language, Crane obeyed, kneeling with his head hung.

Boon took a running start as he rammed his shoulder into his brothers back. Indel watched them, confused by Boon’s actions. He gave the same command again. Only Crane held true, not moving a muscle even with the strikes.

With a great deal of sorrow, Indel hefted the shovel and turned on Boon instead.

“No!” Nala called out.

Indel struck. He’d aimed for Boon’s shoulder as well but caught the boy in the head.

All fell silent.

Some blood dripped from Crane’s face and chest, no doubt his brother’s claw marks.

Boon wasn’t as fortunate; Indel had cracked his newly formed helmet.

Nala hurried to them, trying to take it off.

“Don’t remove it,” Indel warned. “I will find gamali leaves and force him to shift. He’ll need to repair it on his own. If you remove it now, I fear parts of him might come with it.”

Nala made a hard choice of leaving Boon there as she hurried past Indel. “I know where to find some! I know where to find many! I will go.”

“We have some here,” Indel protested, but it was too late.

Nala was gone.

Indel gathered up the few that they’d planted a season ago. He ordered Crane to sit in the dirt while he positioned Boon’s head in his lap.

Defiant as ever, Boon still managed to scratch at Crane.

The thought occurred to command him to stop in the old tongue again, but it seemed to have no effect.

“One more strike from you, and it’s your hide,” Indel growled.

Both boys calmed and Indel crushed the leaves and tucked some under Boon’s arms and knees. The last bit he put in both of Boon’s fists.

“Close your eyes and listen to my words.” Indel chanted each clicking noise growing. He hoped it would work even though Boon did not obey the old tongue.

Little by little Boon’s scales receded until he was nearly bare once more, like a child instead of a half grown adult.

Indel checked the wound, pleased to see it closed up.

“My scales,” Boon moaned. “Where are my scales?”

“You will have to grow them again,” Indel said. “Your disobedience of my words is why you lost them.”

“What words?” Boon asked. “You only made a strange noise!”

Indel froze. “What?” He stared at his son for some time then tried to give him a command in the old tongue. When Crane raised his right hand, obeying, while Boon only stared at him, Indel gasped. “You cannot speak? You cannot speak with your second tongue?”

Nala raced out of the woods, her arms overfull with leaves. “I have so many. I have so many.” She panted.

She gasped a shallow breath when she caught sight of Boon, no doubt because of his bare skin.

“Boon!”

The expression on Nala’s face caused Boon to turn his head, unwilling to meet her gaze.

Indel wore a scowl. “Stop with this panicked reaction. He is not ill nor dying; he’s healed. If he must roam with no scales, it is his own fault.” He waited for Crane to stand before asking, “What has caused this quarrel?”

Crane, head hung, muttered, “It is nothing.”

“It is not nothing,” Boon called. “He refuses to let me ride her.”

Indel looked between them and groaned. “Blast this ino. I have told you, you both cannot ride the same animal. One of you must get another.”

Crane said, “It is my ino.”

“It was mine first and I gave it to you,” Boon countered.

“Enough!” Indel bellowed.

Nala stepped between them, her hands raised. She said to Crane finally, “Crane, you must find a new one.”

Crane’s mouth fell open. “But, Aza, that is my ino. I am the one to care for her. I feed her. Boon barely remembers to give her solvent!”

Glare stern, Nala said. “You will have to find a new one.”

“But she’s well trained.”

“And you will have to find a new one!” Nala said through gritted teeth. “That is final.”

As she crouched down to help Boon sit up, Crane met Indel’s gaze, asking for help.

Indel had none to give. “I warned you, you cannot leave one for the other. You are a king and you must find a good argument all your own. Whatever you decide today, the consequences lay to you alone. That is what it is to rule. Be very certain you are prepared for the results.”

They stared each other down for some time before the boy turned to walk away. Crane flicked his tail once.

That rude gesture made Indel sigh but Nala ran to strike Crane in the back of his head, shouting all the while.

Even though Crane’s action deemed a harsh response, Indel felt uncomfortable with Nala’s zeal for making Crane upset.

In time Crane walked back, shamefaced and bowing is head as he apologized in the old tongue.

Nala wouldn’t look at their son.

Boon watched on, too, a smug smile in place. “That’s what you get for being rude! I told you I’d get it if I asked.”