The Lone Kirin

Back on track

It's been about two hours, and Val hasn't come back yet. I probably shouldn't be worried, should I? Picking out clothes and supplies probably takes a lot of time. But one thing is for sure. It is annoying as all hells, just sitting around. I could've run around a while when she was leaving, but I didn't consider it, as I was too worried. And now, I've continuously been sitting here, and my knees start to hurt. I've done about everything I could've.
Eating grass. Check.
Watching birds. Check.
Watching bugs. Check.
Chasing away an overconfident snake. Check.
Blowing a small hole into the nearby hill in the process, without getting noticed. Check.
At least the wildlife will have a place to cool down at, for quite some time, so that's a positive.
Still. Shouldn't have done that.
The sun is shining. Birds are singing. On days like these, I shouldn't be as bored as I am right now.

I just hope she's alright. That demon is probably able to bite her head off in one swift gulp.
But she wouldn't. Probably. Then that whole thing with the elixir wouldn't have made any sense.

I could try to roll around a little. Loosening my muscles up a bit. Great idea!

"Prophet!"

So much for that.

[Val? Follow my voice!]

"Very funny. I can't feel any directions when you talk to me like that. But I presume you are near that frozen hill."

How insightful she is.

[Turn left at the water covered hill, yes.]

After about a minute of silence, Val looks down at me, in my little pit.

"So what you are saying is that the sudden ice over there has no relation to you, whatsoever?"

[I might have played a small role in the creation of it, but there was a good reason for me to cover it with my gifts.]

"You know, can't you just behave like an average horse, while we are traveling? No elemental shenanigansns, that might end in accidental homicides?"

[But the snake scared me.]

"Ah, yes. A snake scared a dragon. Do you know what they call that? Irony of fate. Erm. Whatever. How do I look? You like the outfit?"

[You look... clothed. Yup, clothed. That's the way I'd put it.]

"Now I don't know what I ]expected, when asking a kirin to evaluate my look, but still. You could have at least tried to compliment me."

Hmm...

[You know. I am kind of running around naked all the time. So I genuinely prefer your more natural look.]

"How lewd of you to say that. But at the same time, thanks. By the way, guess what your very friendly helper just told me."

[I wouldn't know. Wasn't that the main reason, though, that you did this whole stunt?]

"What's up with you today? You're no fun at all. Well. She said that we are supposed to do what we already had in mind. Traveling around, and you meeting some of your relatives. Pretty much the stuff your mother already wanted you to do."

I am glad that this didn't develop into some grueling task for me to overcome.

[That's great then, isn't it? I mean, we can just tour around, live life, the way we want to.]

"Exactly. And as it seems, I have way more freedom moving around the Aranids villages, than I thought. So please prepare yourselves for me making several of those trips, the next weeks."

Great. Exactly what I wanted. But then again. I might be able to secretly hunt a couple beasts when Val goes shopping. It would be a waste of precious food if I did that, but Val said it herself. I have to behave more like a normal horse. I need to kill those bunnies with my physical might alone.
Ugh. I don't want to stare into their dead, glassy eyes again, though.
This is quite the challenge you have presented me with, my dear friend.
No! We already talked about this. She doesn't want me to become an unfeeling killer. That's why it has to be personal. I have to feel for them, but I also have to acknowledge that not every sacrifice can be honored.
Truly magnificent, what stratagem my nymph companion devised.

"Prophet? You do that thing again, where you stare off into the distance without moving at all. Are you thinking about stupid stuff again?"

[Not at all. I fully understand what you meant, and I will take it to heart! I simply needed to process what you said.]

"Don't tell me you were always this slow.
No, you know what? I appreciate you taking my advice to heart. That means a lot. But seriously. We should get going now. I haven't bought these pants for shits and giggles."

She is such an understanding person, if I weren't a horse-shaped dragon, I would marry her.

She hops on, and I instantly feel the change of fabric on my back, which is weird. Why would I feel that through my scales? Is that some sort of dragon ability, and if so, isn't it the most unnecessary power ever?
I can't feel any blows, because I have such a strong armor, coving my body, but watch out: I still do for some reason. Evolution is weird.

[Say, Val. How about we travel slowly for the rest of the day? My legs are a bit sore from all the sitting, and I believe that me galloping right now would do us more harm than good.]

"That's alright with me. I would like to tell you about how this society of spiders works. I can't really tell you any specifics about Rairza, as they seem to run some sort of cultural reform, but the nature of its citizens shouldn't change that fast."

Learning about the people that killed my mom. It is weird. It is not even that long ago, but I don't feel any grief at all. My memories clearly show how my mom grieved for her grandparents for a solid hundred years each.

Was my exposure to her just too short for me to knit a strong bond? Perhaps. Does it have to do with me being more "dragon" than the average Kirin? Don't dragons grief for even their relatives?
Caelus was living in his mother's carcass, so that speaks for that. But he is pretty old, I feel. And he already told me how he thinks about it. He is proud that his mom is some sort of world-swallowing behemoth. Do I remember that, right? It is quite fuzzy.

Welp. Me not feeling bad anymore is a double-edged blade, though.
I shouldn't tap too much into that, as it might make me heartless or amoral. But not feeling bad about it, saves me the pain. Isn't that already a very opportunistic and very unempathetic way of thinking about it?

Whatever the case, I should listen to Val from now on. She has a lot more experience than I do. Also: I should really listen to what Val talks about right now.

"I feel like you aren't even listening to me."

[That might've been the case. I won't tell you, though. But please, if you could repeat yourself, from like... the start. I wouldn't mind that. I kind of didn't get it.]

"You're such a piece of work. And I believe you might just hit puberty soon, with that attitude. And that scares me.

...
...
...

ANYWAYS!"

Yikes! She's pissed. Rightfully so, but I still don't like it.