Lost Change

Chapter 73

It was late in the afternoon when Minna called the quits to the training, and I was a little tired from all the exploring and seeking, so I sprawled out on her shoulder and took in the city as she walked. We passed other Kymari along the way, and a few waved or greeted Minna, but for the most part they didn't bother us.

I kept a close watch on the cleaning robots that we passed, but they stayed well away from us. Good.

The scents of various foods began to tickle my nose as we walked. I perked up when I smelled the faint scent of shia fruit in the mix, and sat up to sniff the air to be sure.

Minna noticed my sudden alertness and stopped walking. "Stay..." Her hand came up to rest on my back. I fidgeted in place and leaned towards the smell... but I didn't leave Minna's shoulder.

After several long seconds I grew used enough to the scent to relax. Minna took her hand away and passed me an entire sunburst berry. I felt a bit of pride at overcoming the powerful hunger instinct that drove me to go after the delicious fruits, and rewarded myself by tearing into the delicious berry.

It still counted as progress.

Minna started walking again. She stopped every few minutes to repeat the 'stay' command and rest her hand on my back, countering the growing urge to seek out the scent that was becoming clearer with each step. It helped. By the time the market came into sight I had convinced myself that I was the master of these frustratingly strong dragonet instincts, and that I would be able to sit calmly on Minna's shoulder for as long as it took her to wander through the marketplace.

Then I caught sight of the stall with the shia fruits. Dozens of them, arranged in a bin on the side of the table, as if they were an afterthought to the other bins of fruit more prominently displayed on the table. Sunlight shown down on them, a spotlight causing their smooth surfaces to gleam alluringly. Beads of water dotted the blue and peach skin and seemed to suggest exactly where my teeth should sink in. A choir began singing from somewhere in the background as the plump, juicy treats filled my vision. I could taste the rich nectar on my tongue, and could feel my teeth sinking into the tender flesh that was all that separated me from the pure, undiluted deliciousness that was inside...

I felt the leash snap me back through the air as I ran out of slack.

I flapped my wings a few times in surprise and determination, but the leash tethered me to Minna and kept me from getting any closer. I dropped to the ground and hissed in frustration as I folded my wings against my back. I couldn't even remember jumping off Minna's shoulder. One minute I was sitting there, well behaved and obedient, and the next I was being held back by this stupid leash that was keeping me away from the delicious treats that were begging for a dragonet to come along and devour them.

Stupid leash. Stupid harness. Stupid instincts.

I turned back and chewed on the leash, but that was still just as useless, and was a poor replacement to taste buds that had been yearning for a shia fruit. I tugged on it, but Minna had wrapped some of the leash around her arm and it refused to budge. The harness applied pressure against my chest and made sure I was unable to take a single step closer to the source of that irresistible scent.

I stared longingly at the stand that held the blue fruits on the far side of the market plaza for several long seconds before I realized there were other Kymari around. I doubted they would have much influence on Minna's decision to keep me away from the treats... but it wasn't like anything else was working. I angled towards one of the strangers and then went completely limp, collapsing to the side. "Haaaaaaalllllllppppppp...."