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Chapter 3: Flatbread

2017-06-24T12:51:47Z

Kegisak:

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Fantasy]]
{{author tag|Kegisak}}
By: [[User:Kegisak|Ian Sime]]

{{series box|previous=[[Chapter 2: Knitting Needles]]}}

=={{Separator|k|Chapter 3: Flatbread}}==

After careful consideration, Sabrina came to the conclusion that she was, in fact, one gigantic ache.

It certainly didn't seem to be coming from anywhere in particular. The ache was so pervasive that she couldn't make sense of her limbs. She tried to stretch out a leg, but her only reward was a twinge in what she assumed to be her knee.

Sabrina groaned and finally opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of a talon, inches away from her face. She gasped and jolted back, slamming her horns on the wall behind her.

The burning tingle of a sleeping limb flashed through her wing as the jolt took pressure off of it. The sensation sent a wash of panicked confusion through her. It faded quickly, however, as her mind spun to life—or at least, some semblance of it.

She sighed and buried her face in her sleeping mat. She was still exhausted, and still sore. Her ribs and head didn't hurt where they had been kicked the previous day, which was a small mercy, but her joints were stiff, and her muscles weary.

She had curled into a tight ball in her sleep, which she set about undoing. She stretched out one limb at a time, grunting as they snapped and popped back into place, then rolled onto her belly and let her back settle. When that was done she took a deep breath, and stretched a wing experimentally.

It felt—she wasn't quite sure how it felt. She was aware of the limbs, certainly, in the way she had been aware of her ears, or her toes. She could move it, but only in broad and clumsy motions. She could feel the ache from them as well, but it felt vague, as though it were coming from everywhere at once. Each twinge was a feeling of wrongness, a twist in her stomach. She forced herself to fold and unfold her wings anyways, reasoning that, if she didn't do it now, it was just going to be worse later.

After several minutes of grumbling and whimpering, she finally managed to work the worst of the ache out of her shoulders and looked around. It was then that she became aware that a small crowd of dragons had formed around her.

She yelped—or tried, as she still couldn't make any sound beyond a grunt—and scrabbled back. Once again she thumped her horns against the wall, but she hardly noticed.

Many of the dragons were scowling down at her. A few looked curious. Most just looked down on her with disdain. One of the scowling dragons stepped forward, a bright crimson boy about Sabrina's age, and spoke. For a moment Sabrina thought he was simply babbling at her, until she realized that he was speaking Draconic. He spoke astonishingly fast, and used not just words, but entire sounds Sabrina had never heard before. At times he seemed to be saying two words at once. Combined with his raspy voice, Sabrina barely understood him.

"You're so ark arukchu chjuragk all morning. Akgae gngul gulk ago! Well? Arkara gngu my responsibility, ark starve for all I thurulk uldu, I'd get in trouble for it!"

Sabrina stared up at the crowd from her corner, looking between the speaker and the other dragons. They clearly expected her to say something. "Uh," she said slowly, "I'm... sorry?"

After years of being forced to study it, Sabrina had thought herself fluent in draconic. Faced with a native speaker, however, her words seemed as clumsy as her wings. She managed to speak maybe half as fast, and she was almost certain the words she knew were different from the ones he had used. "I'm upright. Purple—I mean, what's, uh..."

The dragon snorted, cutting her off. "Arkara from Kenochsden too? That explains a lot." He reached back into the crowd and was handed a bundle of cloth, which he threw at Sabrina and said, loudly and slowly, "Get dressed and get breakfast. Ko-Kalah will tell you what you're doing today." Then he left, grumbling under his breath and taking most of the other dragons with him. A few lingered to peer at Sabrina or shoot her dirty glances, but even they moved on quickly.

Sabrina, meanwhile, did as she was told. The bundle that had been tossed at her was livery, but it was not the plain robes that the human servants wore. It took Sabrina a few moments just to unbunch it and figure out what it was.

The livery was a single length of deep blue cloth hemmed in scarlet: the colours of Vikaasthan. There was a large hole in the centre and halfway between in and the edge were two straps that stuck out at the sides. On the opposite side of the hole were two buttons, and a split up the centre.

It took Sabrina a few tries to get the livery past her horns, but she found it surprisingly comfortable. The open sides and slit back allowed her to move her wings and tail easily, and with the buttons fastened the cut of the cloth, which had previously seemed random, fit her perfectly. For a brief moment she found herself wishing for a mirror so she could better see how it looked.

The thought was dashed as she caught a glimpse of her arm. Seeing that scraggly creature—seeing herself—was the last thing she wanted. She fought down a shudder and pushed the thought away with a sigh. Besides, the colours would be hideous against her scales.

More importantly, she was still doing as she had been told. As soon as she had settled into the livery her legs had lurched to life, carrying her out of the den and following after the rest of the tribe.

The tribe moved together, in a vague sense of the word. Some bound ahead while others, even more groggy or sore than Sabrina, lagged behind. In spite of the different paces, however, the tribe was careful to stay in sight of one another.

They passed several rooms that were still only half-built, with only tarps between them and the outdoors. Judging from the thin light that filtered through, it was still very early morning. Or perhaps the wet season was brewing up a few final storms on its way out.

Whatever the case, the tribe made it's way back into the finished wings of the palace, remaining in the servant's wing. Sabrina was surprised to realize that they were going down—and even more surprised to realize that she didn't recognize these halls at all. It wasn't a matter of changed perspective, either. Hallway after narrow hallway that she had never once walked down or looked upon.

Their path lead them into a wide open room walled by a series of leaf-shaped arches. A similar row of columns ran down the center, all made from dark-stained wood. Along the eastern side the walls at the tops of the arches had been cut away and replaced with windows, allowing the weak light of morning to filter in and fill the room.

The entrance was on the north wall, beneath a broad banner bearing the crest of Vikaasthan. An identical banner and door were on the south wall as well. The space between was filled with a series of long, low tables and sitting mats. Stacks of bowls were placed at each end of every table, and spaced evenly along the tables were platter upon platter of steaming, freshly cooked breakfast.

Sabrina became suddenly, very acutely aware that she had not eaten since the previous afternoon. She quickly set aside any reservations she had been harbouring and took a seat with the rest of the tribe. Though, just to be safe, she sat on the very end of the tribe.

Even those dragons who had been drowsy were now mostly awake, and a bright mood had spread through the tribe. Twenty pairs of talons worked together, lading bowlfuls of thick fish curry out of the pot in the centre of the table and passing it down in a neat train. The row at which Sabrina sat filled quickly, until the last bowl made it's way down to her. Sabrina reached out eagerly for the bowl.

But it was snatched out of her claws. The dragon beside her glowered at her, and handed the bowl across the table. The train continued in this way, down to the end, then across, until both sides of the table were served. Then, finally, one more bowl came down.

It was filled to the brim, and there was hardly room for the sauce amid all the chunks of fish and vegetables. Sabrina breathed deep, letting the sweet, tangy scent fill her nose. Her mouth watered, and she searched for a plate of bread so she could dig in. She was still searching when the dragon beside her reached in front of her and shoved the bowl to the other side of her.

Sabrina made as much of a noise of indignation as she was able, and reached for the bowl. It was only then that she realized Ko-Kalah had taken a seat beside her.

"Hello, little one," Ko-Kalah said. She spoke Draconic as well, though she at least spoke more slowly than the crimson dragon had. Sabrina was able to make out most of what she was saying. "I believe that was meant for me."

This time Sabrina was able to yelp, and did so with gusto. "How did you do that!?" She demanded.

Ko-Kalah peered down at Sabrina and cocked and eyebrow.

Sabrina blinked, and realized she had spoken in Vikaasthani. She corrected herself back to Draconic and said, "You... surprised me."

"I noticed," Ko-Kalah said. "Quite a bit, it seems. Did you sleep poorly?"

"Uh," Sabrina said. Her sleep had been the sleep of exhaustion, dreamless and timeless. She had simply laid down, and then woken up. At the same time, she was still tired, and still ached, if less so than she had right after she had woken. "Thank you for the nest." She paused for a moment, then corrected herself, "Bed."

Ko-Kalah nodded slowly. She seemed content to leave the conversation at that, and turned to focus on her breakfast.

Sabrina was as well. A bowl had finally been passed down to her, with some reluctance on the part of the tribe. There was less in it than the others, and it was mostly sauce, with only a few scraps of fish. Still, Sabrina was hungry enough not to care. She grabbed a few pieces of flatbread before anyone could take those away from her and pressed her hands together.

She paused. She didn't dare reach out to Vikaasi. Even the most gentle push brought back a ghost of the pain, and even a ghost was enough to make her breath shallow.

Eventually, she prayed without reaching out to the power. The motions felt strange, somehow hollow, but she forced the feeling down. She reminded herself that many people prayed without the power, or even without knowing the gestures, every day. She thanked Vikaasi for her vegetables and herbs, and Salaee for his fish. When she was finished, she added another prayer: she prayed for the strength and wisdom to escape Ko-Kraham's trap.

She didn't know if Vikaasi could hear her or not, but it did make her feel better. She offered one final thanks for the meal, then descended upon it with a starving fervour.

The curry was not fresh as she had initially thought, but rather the previous evening's that had been left to simmer overnight. Even so, whatever the meal lacked, hunger added. The bread was definitely fresh, and a few minutes into the meal a cart was brought out with rolls of steamed rice pressed together with coconut. After Sabrina had spooned up the few chunks of fish with the bread, she used the riced to soak up the sauce. She finished every scrap of the meal, even mopping the sides of the bowl clean with the rice rolls and licking her claws clean after that.

She leaned back and sighed contentedly. The warmth of the meal spread through her, easing away the last of the aches and pains. It was a small pleasure. But it was a pleasure, something Sabrina was desperately in need of.

It was short-lived, however. Not long after Sabrina finished her breakfast the tribe began to shuffle their way up and away from the table. Ko-Kalah stood and said, "Go to the gnaeluhk meeting hall," she said. "The foreman will give out your tasks today."

Sabrina moved to stand as well, but Ko-Kalah stopped her with a claw on the shoulder.

"How is tshakuk?" she asked.

"Uuuuh..." Sabrina said. She frowned, struggling to remember the word Ko-Kalah had used. She knew she had heard it before, or something like it.

Ko-Kalah hummed beneath her breath. "Art," she said. "Craft. Do you cut? Shape?"

"Oh," Sabrina said. "I can, uhhh..." She struggled to find the word. Eventually she gave up, and instead pantomimed knitting.

This earned a raised eyebrow from Ko-Kalah. "Do you do stone work?" she said.

Sabrina could only shake her head. She could see the confusion in Ko-Kalah's gaze. A dragon that didn't work stone might as well have been a dragon without hands. To her surprise though, there was no judgement. Ko-Kalah simply sighed and shook her head.

Somehow, that incensed Sabrina more. She drew herself up and set her shoulders. "I can... clothes," she said. "Make... stitch. And..." She didn't know the word for it in Draconic. As far she knew, there wasn't one. She switched back to Vikaasthani and said, "I can embroider."

"Enough," Ko-Kalah said. Sabrina's jaw clamped shut as Ko-Kalah continued, "If you cannot work with stone, we will have to find somewhere else. Come with me."

Ko-Kalah lead Sabrina back to the wing under construction, and into an enormous room that Sabrina guessed to be the meeting hall. People and dragons swarmed across it in pockets of activity, and piles of lumber and stone were stacked along every wall.

In the centre of the chaos a squat, leathery-faced man moved constantly, shouting orders to anyone who passed him. Ko-Kalah lead Sabrina to him and bowed. "Honoured Foreman," she said in Vikaasthani.

The foreman stopped berating a trio of workers for a moment to bow to Ko-Kalah as well. "Honoured Speaker," he replied. "Good morning. Your tribe already has their assignments. Can't beat them for work ethic." He cuffed a man who was scuttling passed and hollered, "I'd spend another five years with the priests for half my workers to work half that hard!"

He turned back to Ko-Kalah and folded his arms. As he did, Sabrina realized that his hands and forearms were covered in a lattice of small, thin cane scars. "What can I do for you?"

Ko-Kalah stepped aside and gestured to Sabrina.

The foreman blinked and leaned down. "You new?" he asked. "Don't think I've seen you around."

"Um, yes," Sabrina replied. She tapped her sternum and said, "Salaee carry you."

The foreman threw back his head and laughed. "I had enough of that when I was in the church," he said. "Never managed to make a pious man of me." Still, he tapped his sternum and replied, "And also you. What's your name?"

"Bek-Braya," Sabrina replied without thinking. A pang of sadness struck her when she realized, but she pushed it down.

"Bek-Braya joined our tribe last night," Ko-Kalah said.

The foreman nodded. "Won't say no to another worker," he said. He gestured to a reedy woman beside a pile of bricks on the far wall and said, "Saanvi can get let you know what we're working on so you can start carving."

"She doesn't carve," Ko-Kalah said.

"Doesn't—what?" The foreman asked. He frowned and scratched his head. "I didn't know... sorry, I thought you all did."

"Most," Ko-Kalah said. "Not all. Do you have work for her?"

The foreman rubbed his jaw and growled. "Well," he said, "another pair of hands is another pair of hands. We need people moving stone and wood to where it needs to be. That's Farhad." He turned and pointed to an enormous, surly man by an opening in the wall. "Farhad!"

Farhad looked up with death in his eyes. He didn't need to shout back. His every movement was a shout as he stormed over to them.

The foreman pointed to Sabrina. "This one needs work," he said.

"So?" Farhad demanded. "Give it to Saanvi. She's the one with the big picture."

"She doesn't carve," the foreman replied. "Figured you could use an extra pair of hands to move the stone."

"And you give me this?" Farhad demanded, jabbing a finger at Sabrina. "Look at it. It's a rice noodle on legs. I need someone who isn't going to collapse after two stones. Look at it!" He nudged Sabrina with a foot.

Sabrina bristled at the man. She had been silenced again, but she satisfied herself with spreading her wings and frowning with all her might at the Farhad.

For a moment it looked as Farhad would continue prodding at her, but Ko-Kalah stuck her head in between them and snorted loudly. "She is capable," she said. "If she is not, I will take her duties for the rest of the day. You have my word."

Farhad took a step away from Ko-Kalah, but quickly regained his composure and growled. "Fine," he said. "Your word." he pointed to Sabrina said, "Come on, then."

He turned on his heel and stalked away from the foreman and Ko-Kalah, with Sabrina following in his wake. Sabrina spared a glance over her shoulder at Ko-Kalah, just in time to see her turn away.

When the reached the pile of stone Farhad said, "Need more stone for the west court chamber. Nothing fancy, just granite bricks. Know how to get there?"

"No," Sabrina said coolly. "Got a map?"

"Watch it," Farhad growled. He jabbed a thumb in Ko-Kalah's direction. "That one might stick her teeth in when she's around, but don't expect you can go running to her every time you get in trouble for giving lip."

Sabrina snorted. "If she didn't bite you inside of five minutes of meeting you I don't think there's anything I could do to make it happen." She knew it was a bad idea before she said it, but the man rankled her. At the very least, she was ready to duck under Farhad's backhand.

Farhad growled at her and pointed to the stone. "Fifty bricks," he said. "Left out the door, take the first right, end of that hall. I don't care how long it takes, just do it, and keep that beak shut while you do."

Sabrina scowled at the man, but she had no choice but to do as she was told. She took the first brick off the pile and set off for the court chamber.

She passed any number of humans, and even a few dragons, as she worked. All of the dragons were from her tribe, and very deliberately looked away from her as they passed. Even if they hadn't, it was clear they were busy with their own work. They scuttled through the halls with armfuls of carved bricks, all part of a greater image, then quickly hurried back to return to their carving. Sabrina's comparatively slow pace made it easy to see them come and go.

The human were similarly ignorant of her, though less maliciously so. They didn't outright ignore her as the dragons did. Rather, they simply didn't recognize she was there. A supervisor overseeing the court chamber nodded curtly to her when she arrived with bricks, and Farhad growled at her whenever he was nearby when she returned, but beyond that the only people who even acknowledged her existence did so by moving out of her way in the halls.

At first, Sabrina was happy with it. She occupied herself by observing the halls until she had every detail traced in her mind, and was able to use the turnoffs she didn't take to make a general map of the new wing in her mind. By the time the teams were sent back to the meal hall at midday, she was convinced that she would be able to navigate it well.

If she had been able to move freely, at least. She was allowed to rest for barely a moment after delivering a brick before her body marched itself back for the next one. The only break she took was to eat. Even then she was only able to rest for as long as it took to eat her meagre helping of fried fish—for her tribe had, once again, served her last and served her scraps—before she was back to work.

In the afternoon she distracted herself from the frustration by listening to the other workers, in the hopes she might overhear something that would help her. For the most part, they just complained.

They complained about everything! From the weather (It was too hot, or too cold, and definitely too wet), to the materials they were working with (The wood had been soaked by the trip downriver and needed to dry, or it was too old, or too young), to the location of the wing(The island was too small, the palace was large enough already, they could just build this extension as a separate building in the city). More than anything, they complained about each other.

Sabrina was vindicated to hear more than a few complaints about Farhad. She had a few things to say about the man she would have happily added in, if she had been able to. For all that the workers complained about everything to everyone who would listen, none of them ever complained to her. They simply continued to ignore her, leaving her to work in silence.

She finished her load shortly before the sun dipped over the horizon. She didn't realize she had, at first. It wasn't until the supervisor approached her that she realized she had been standing still for several minutes—or rather, leaning against the stack of bricks. Unfortunately, while her body moved of it's own volition, it was still very much her body, and after a day's hard labour it ached so fiercely she could barely hold herself upright.

"Hey," the supervisor said. "What are you doing just standing around? Don't you have anything to do?"

Sabrina looked up at the man dumbly. "What?" she asked. "Oh! Farhad told me to bring fifty bricks—I, uh, guess this was the last one." She stretched her back, and immediately regretted it.

The supervisor nodded. "Don't bother going looking for more work," he said. "That old goat would find something for you, but we're losing light and there's no point killing people to get a bit more done. Just call it an evening." He shrugged and peered at the oil clock on the side of the room. "A... quarter-mark early evening."

Sabrina's mood shifted so quickly she almost hurt her neck. She nearly asked if he was serious, but stopped herself just in time. She was not about to question an opportunity, and she certainly wasn't about to jeopardize it by staring it in the mouth. She darted out of the room before the supervisor had a chance to change his mind, as quick as her shaking legs would carry her.

She aimed for the meal hall. What she wanted now was to get her dinner out of the way and process everything she had learned that day. She was certain that there was something in there that could help her.

Well, that wasn't quite true. What she wanted, more than anything, was to beat the rest of the tribe to the meal hall so she could serve herself for once. She was famished. She trotted down the path to the meal hall, dodging the workers who were still finishing and cleaning up. Just as she approached the meal hall, however, she lost control of her legs. They turned her away from the sweet scents of cooking, and took her in the opposite direction.

Sabrina wasn't certain whether to swear, or panic. There was nobody around to have given her an order. What could be controlling her now? She strained against the control, trying desperately to turn around, but only succeeded in wrenching her back further.

Ko-Kraham's words from the previous night flashed through her mind: "Come to my room tomorrow night. I want to see how you're doing."

At least it made up Sabrina's mind for her. She swore viciously as she walked. With some creativity, and mixing a few languages, she was able to keep up a string all the way to her room without ever repeating a curse. She ran out just as she reached the door, so she settled for throwing it open with as much indignation as she could manage.

She was quite surprised to see Kamalakshi on the other side, almost as much as Kamalakshi was to nearly be struck by the swinging door.

Kamalakshi jumped back, crying out in shock. She dropped the bundle of cloth she had been carrying, and If Astha and Ko-Kraham had not been at her elbows to catch her she would have toppled over backwards.

Kamalakshi's eyes snapped down to Sabrina, and she glared with such intensity that for a moment Sabrina was confused—until she realized what Kamalakshi must be seeing.

"Who are you?" Kamalakshi demanded as Asthan struggled to right her. "And what do you think you're doing, barging into the Yuvrani's chambers?"

Ko-Kraham put a hand on Kamalakshi's shoulder. "Kamalakshi, it's fine," she said. "I invited her here."

Astha finally managed to push Kamalakshi back onto her feet and leaned on her shoulder, huffing. "Since when do you invite dragons to your room?" she asked.

"Since today," Ko-Kraham said. "Of course, I didn't expect her to arrive quite so... quickly." She shot Sabrina a venomous glance, but quickly covered it up with a saccharine smile. "But actually, I'm glad you girls got to meet her!" She stepped over to Sabrina and placed a hand on her head. "This is Bek-Braya."

"Bek?" Astha asked. "I've never heard of a Bek. I thought dragons were always Ko, Tor or Sal?'"

"Well, you haven't exactly gone looking," Ko-Kraham pointed out. Sabrina detected a tinge of dryness to her voice, no doubt bitterness that Astha had managed to successfully worm her way out of any lessons with Harinma. Sabrina smiled at that.

"They're not common," Ko-Kraham continued. "The poor thing had no tribe, so I arranged for the one working on the new wing of the palace to take her in. I asked her to come see me when she was finished for the day, so I could see how she was doing." She patted Sabrina's head sympathetically. "Can you give me a minute with her?"

"It's almost time for dinner," Kamalakshi pointed out. "Esteemed Maharaja will be upset if you're late again." She spared a glance down at Sabrina and said, "Which would be a... poor first lesson in propriety."

Ko-Kalah simple laughed. "I won't be," she said. "I'm just checking up."

She picked the cloth up off the ground and unfolded it. It was a long, silk scarf, the colour of lilacs and embroidered with flowers of gold thread. Sabrina recognized it as one of her own. Ko-Kraham wrapped it around Kamalakshi and Astha's shoulders, playfully tethering them together and pushing them out the door. "Go!" she said. "I'll only be a few minutes."

"Okay, okay," Astha laughed. "Bully." She patted Sabrina's head as she passed and said, "Nice meeting you!"

"Y-yeah," Sabrina stumbled out as soon as she could speak again. She looked at Kamalakshi and added, "And you!"

Kamalakshi didn't respond. She simply strode past Sabrina without so much as looking at her.

"Don't be mean," Astha chided as the pair left. Ko-Kraham closed the door before Sabrina heard Kamalakshi's reply, but she could still hear the dryness in Kamalakshi's tone.

Sabrina sagged. They hadn't recognized her at all—they had barely even looked at her.

Well, of course they hadn't. She looked nothing like herself, and the person they thought was Sabrina had been standing right beside them the entire time. They had no reason to believe she was anything other than what Ko-Kraham said, just as Ko-Kraham had predicted.

Even so...

Sabrina drew herself back up and lifted her chin at Ko-Kraham. "Why did you do that?" she demanded.

"Well, I can't have them eavesdropping," Ko-Kraham said. She returned to the sofa and flopped into it, splaying herself across the arms. "Also, they're insufferable. Honestly, I think you're getting the good end of the deal." She yawned. "Though Kamalakshi has a point, you should really Knock before entering."

Sabrina winced as the command burned itself into her. "Excuse me?" she said. "You know what I meant! Why did you trot me out in front of them like... like..."

"Like a servant?" Ko-Kraham asked. "Like a charity case? I'm just playing the part, dear. It's your own fault for showing up early."

"I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter," Sabrina muttered.

Ko-Kraham laughed. "I guess not!" she said. "Oh, well. How was your day, hmm?"

"Long," Sabrina said. "Exhausting. Boring. A bit like one of your lectures, actually. Except your lectures never made my arms feel like they were going to fall out."

Ko-Kraham tossed a cushion at Sabrina. "I could fix that for you, whelp," she said. "I expected you to be in a better mood!"

"How?" Sabrina asked, throwing up her arms. "I woke up surrounded by angry dragons who bullied any semblance of a meal out of me for—Vikaasi only knows what they think I did—and have been stuck lugging around rocks all day! How could I possibly be in a good mood right now?"

Ko-Kraham put a hand on her chest in mock-surprise. "What, you didn't like seeing your little friends?" she asked.

"That hardly counts as seeing them," Sabrina said. A pang shot through her anger, and all at once it seemed to drain away from her. "They didn't know it was me. I was just... some dragon to them." Just like everyone else. Sabrina rubbed her eyes and growled under her breath. "I may as well have not seen them at all!" she said.

Ko-Kraham considered this. "You have a point," she said. "It's not like they're really your friends anymore, after all... Alright! The least I can do is make things a bit more comfortable for you."

She hauled herself off the sofa and ran a finger along Sabrina's horn. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to be getting to dinner. So, you march right back to your den, and keep being a good little girl. Do as you're told, speak only when spoken to, and remember that you're Bek-Braya now. And come see me again tomorrow night." She opened the door for Sabrina and gestured her through.

"Oh!" Ko-Kraham said as Sabrina passed. "One more thing? Call me Yuvrani. She flashed a toothy grin and added, "Only when other people are around, of course. I'm not a monster." She threw her head back in a laugh, and waved Sabrina away.

Sabrina walked slowly back to the den. She knew she needed the time to think, but she couldn't manage anything faster. She was completely spent, so much so that, when she finally arrived in the den, she didn't notice Ko-Kalah's tail come down in front of her until she walked into it.

Ko-Kalah peered down at Sabrina, her dull expression tinged with annoyance and interest. "Where were you?" she asked. "You weren't at dinner."

"Sorry," Sabrina said quietly. "The—Yuvrani wanted to see me."

"Why?" Ko-Kalah asked.

"To talk?" Sabrina said. "I... don't know." Which was true, mostly. She would have wagered Ko-Kraham just wanted to taunt her more, but she didn't know for certain.

"You should have warned us," Ko-Kalah said. "The tribe eats together. Tonight werghul chaul food. It giol kiun thulte for not warning."

Sabrina wasn't certain if she was unfamiliar with the words, or if she was simply too tired to bother translating. "What?" she asked.

"Punishment," Ko-Kalah said sharply. Sharply enough to jolt Sabrina. "You are being punished." She switched to Vikaasthani and enunciated, "Bed without supper."

"What?" Sabrina shouted. "But—I don't—it wasn't my-"

"Enough!" Ko-Kalah said. "If you join our tribe, you eat with the tribe. No exceptions."

Sabrina opened and closed her mouth several times, but gave up. She didn't have the energy to fight. "She wants to see me tomorrow night, too."

Ko-Kalah snorted and turned away.

Sabrina lingered for a moment, until she decided that she wasn't going to get a formal dismissal. She sighed and returned to her bed mat, which had been shoved so far into the corner that it had bunched up.

She collapsed into her bed, and exhaustion hit her like a stone to the gut. In spite of the hunger that gnawed at her insides, she could already feel sleep creeping in at the corner of her mind.

She welcomed it. She needed time to think, time to plan, but tonight wasn't that time. As tired as she was, there was no way she could come up with a plan coherent enough to be useful. She would rest tonight, and have a plan tomorrow.

{{Seperator|r}}

That was what she told herself every night that week.

Not a day went by that Sabrina wasn't worked to the bone. Every day she awoke, exhausted and aching, to the same dragon—whose name she eventually learned was Ko-Kaddic—barking at her to get a move on. Although he never did anything worse to Sabrina that throwing clothes at her, it was very clear that, if it had not been for Ko-Kalah watching over his shoulder, he would reprimand her much more harshly.

Each day the tribe dragged her to the meal hall and sat her at the end of the tribe, beside Ko-Kalah, and passed her the food last. The food was always delicious, in a simple, homely way. Most days breakfast consisted of stout curries, or flatbreads with sauce for dipping, but one day breakfast was sliced fruit coated with a powder of roasted flour, coconut and spices. The tribe had demolished that so quickly Sabrina was afraid she might lose a hand if she leaned in too far.

Yes, the food was delicious, but there was never enough of it. After she had taken the flatbread her first morning, when Sabrina reached for them the next day she was greeted by a chorus of hisses and scrabbling claws as the plate was snatched away from her. From then on she was doled out bread and rice the same as the rest: As little and as meagre as they could manage.

Between the exhaustion, the ache, and the steadily-growing hunger, Sabrina would scarcely have been able to think of a plan even if she had been given the time to, which she most certainly had not been. As punishment for the crime of not knowing how to carve stone, Sabrina had been handed off to Farhad as a personal whipping girl. Her days were spent running to and fro through the wing under his orders, carting bricks here, or lumber there, or, on a single occasion, fetching him a waterskin. A single time because, as Sabrina learned, the 'water' skin had in fact been filled with wine.

Sabrina had quite a pleasant break, watching from the sidelines as the foreman berated Farhad for all to hear. It had been short lived, unfortunately. Whether because he knew someone, or was good at his job, or he was—though Sabrina doubted it—simply that well liked, the lecture was not enough to be rid of Farhad. It was, however, enough to make him purple in the face with anger, which he took out on Sabrina. She spent the rest of that day carrying granite as far as Farhad could justify.

If there was anything to be said for it, at least the work was getting easier. Her muscles slowly became accustomed to the labour, at least enough so that she didn't take all day to move a few bricks.

Sabrina stretched as far as she was able, rubbing some soreness out of her arms. The air was thick with humidity, but it had cooled off from earlier in the week. Not much, but enough to be pleasant rather than baking.

She had just delivered the final load of bricks to where the tribe was carving when Ko-Kalah announced the day was over. It had taken Sabrina some effort to discern most of the dialect the tribe used—with the exception of a few phrases that, based on how they were used, she decided she was happier not understanding—but she had learned the end of the day very quickly.

It almost seemed foolish to take so much pleasure in something as simple as the end of the day, but Sabrina was willing to take what she could get. She leaned against the wall. She didn't sit, lest her muscles seize up.

Ko-Kalah approached her. "Bek-Braya," she said. Her expression was impenetrable, but Sabrina thought she heard an edge in her voice. "Will you be attending dinner with the tribe tonight?"

Sabrina rubbed her shoulders. Ko-Kalah had asked as much every night, when she could. "Yuvrani wants to see me tonight," she said. "Again." Although she knew what the answer would be, she asked, "Will you save something for me? Please?"

Ko-Kalah hummed and rolled her knuckles on the floor. "I will speak to the Yuvrani," she said. "If she insists on taking you away from the tribe for dinner, she should feed you herself."

Sabrina sighed. She wondered if bed mats were nutritious.

Ko-Kalah waved a claw. "Go, see the Yuvrani," she said. "Tell her I will speak with her tomorrow."

Sabrina nodded and did as she was told, without waiting for the curse to compel her. It was easier to take if she at least pretended that she had some say in the matter.

Beside that, she wanted to. It was difficult to put her finger on why, exactly. Perhaps it was simply that she enjoyed the relative peace on the journey to her room. It was the only time she was unlikely to be ordered around, and left without supervision. Or perhaps, it was Ko-Kraham.

She loathed Ko-Kraham in a way that she had never imagined possible. She had plenty of reason to, of course, but even so. Ko-Kraham seemed to have no purpose in their meetings beyond the chance to taunt her further, and Sabrina missed no opportunity to show what she thought of it.

Oh, she suffered for it in some small way every time, but it was worth it. In a strange way, she almost looked forward to the release that their sniping matches brought. If nothing else it was a chance to finally speak, and vent the frustrations of her day.

By the time she reached Ko-Kraham's door, an ember of irritation was already smouldering inside her. She straightened up and, with some effort, managed to make her knock sound sardonic. She heard Ko-Kraham's voice come from within.

"Oh, perfect," Ko-Kraham said. "That must be her. Come in!"

Sabrina felt her irritation flare at Ko-Kraham's cheery tone. She pushed the door aside and entered.

She froze.

Ko-Kraham was not lounging, as Sabrina had expected. Though her posture was relaxed she was seated upright, with her hands folded gently on her lap. This was because, sitting beside her on the sofa, was Sabrina's father.

The doors to the balcony opposite them had been thrown open, allowing the cool air and the soft evening light in. Surrounded by that light, the brilliant pink and purple hues, he looked like the sun. He smiled, his face filled to bursting with pride. Sabrina's heart ached to see it. But for a moment, just a moment, all of the pain of her week was lost in that light.

Her mouth opened and closed, but she made no sound. It was not the curse. Her words had simply left her.

Marthanda let out a low, warm chuckled. "Well, hello!" he said. He turned to Ko-Kraham and asked, "This is the dragon you were telling me about?"

"The very same," Ko-Kraham said. She beckoned for Sabrina to come closer. "Please, dear: introduce yourself!"

"B-Bek-Braya," she said. A pang shot through Sabrina's heart at how easily it came. She saw Ko-Kraham smirk, sending another pang, and hunched her shoulders against the ache.

Marthanda stood up and held his arms open. "Please," he laughed, smiling at Sabrina. Gods, his smile was more beautiful than gold. "There's no reason to be nervous." He approached her and offered his hand. "I am Maharaja Marthanda, Sabrina's father. She's been telling me about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Sabrina took his hand like a starving woman offered bread. The warmth of his hands felt different than it had against skin, but it was still familiar. Her own hands must have felt so strange—the roughness of her scales, the prick of her claws—but she wondered if he could feel that familiarity as well. She gripped his hand in both of hers and shook, until Ko-Kraham cleared her throat.

"I think that might be enough," Ko-Kraham said. "You can let go now."

Sabrina immediately broke her grip. Marthanda took his hand back and rubbed it, laughing. "You have quite a grip, little one," he said. "So! Sabrina tells me you're a friend of Harinma's? She asked Sabrina to introduce you to the tribe, yes?"

"U-uh," Sabrina said. "I... don't know about friend. She..."

Her eyes met Ko-Kraham's. Although Ko-Kraham had returned to her usual lazy posture, her gaze was razor sharp, cold as ice, and fixed on Sabrina. One of her index fingers twitched idly.

Sabrina looked between her Ko-Kraham and her father. Her heart screamed to tell him it was a lie, to run to him, to beg for his help. Ko-Kraham's curse might bind her lips, but she was his daughter. Surely, we would be able to see. Surely, there was something Sabrina could do.

But Ko-Kraham was there, waiting for Sabrina to set one talon out of line.

"But," Sabrina said eventually, turning away from Ko-Kraham's piercing stare, "s-she did introduce me to the tribe, and ask them to take me in..." She clutched at her arms as Marthanda straightened up and turned away from her. If she had not, she would have reached after him.

"Sabrina," Marthanda said, "That's wonderful!" His voice was overflowing with warmth. He placed his hands on Ko-Kraham's shoulders and pulled her off the sofa, and into a hug.

Ko-Kraham hugged him back. He peered over his shoulder at Sabrina, smirking wickedly. "It's nothing so special," she said.

"Nothing so special?" Marthanda asked. "Sabrina, my dear girl, even when you are responsible, you are obstinate." He took a step back from her and cupped her face in both his hands. "You have stepped forward to help one of our citizens, and one less fortunate at that. And without your studies, you may not have been able to do it. You have taken your responsibilities seriously, and because of it a life has improved. Who could ask for more from a Maharani?"

Ko-Kraham simply chuckled and took Marthanda's hands. "One simple dragon just doesn't seem like that much. But thank you, father."

"Like seeds, one becomes many," Marthanda said. "Never forget that. Yes, it is small, but the small things we do become large later. I am still proud of you." He sighed happily. "We should discuss this more over dinner. You mother will be just as proud as I am."

Sabrina started. He was leaving already? She took a shuddering step forward without realizing it.

"We should," Ko-Kraham agreed. "It's been a long day, and I'm famished." She peered down at Sabrina and smirked again. "But, is it alright if I join you shortly? I just need to discuss a few things with Bek-Braya first."

"Of course," Marthanda said. "Take all the time you need. Dinner will still be waiting."

"Don't worry," Ko-Kraham said. "It won't take long." She leaned over his shoulder and said, "Say goodbye, Bek-Braya."

Sabrina gripped her arms tighter, until she could feel her claws biting into them. She fought to keep her voice steady. "Goodbye, father," she murmured.

There was a moment of profound silence, as though the world itself were holding its breath. Slowly, Sabrina realized what she had said. She looked to Ko-Kraham, and saw an expression of horror overcome her. They stood, transfixed, in the stillness.

"I beg your pardon?" Marthanda asked.

Sabrina's heart leaped into her throat with enough force to send her reeling. Before Ko-Kraham had a chance to react she spurted out, "Father!"

She lunged forward and grabbed Marthanda's hand. "Father!" she said. "It's me, I-!" She stumbled over her tongue in her rush. "P-please, Daddy, please believe me! I need-"

"That's enough!" Ko-Kraham said sharply.

Sabrina's throat seized shut, and she froze.

"I'm sorry, father," Ko-Kraham said. She circled around him and placed a hand on Sabrina's head. "I think her Vikaasthani is still a bit spotty, and she's... excitable. Harinma tells me that can happen to whelps without tribes..."

"I... see," Marthanda said. He still looked quite disturbed, but after a moment to curl his moustache his smile slowly returned. "Well, my draconic is far from perfect. I understand entirely." He reached down and, with some hesitation, patted Sabrina's shoulder. "To you, I am Esteemed Maharaja."

No, he wasn't. But as hard as Sabrina tried, she couldn't fight the curse. She stared up at him, trembling in silence and begging, pleading in her mind. She pleaded for him to hear her. Pleaded for him to see her. Pleaded for him to understand. As he said his goodbyes to Ko-Kraham and left, Sabrina pleaded for him to return.

But he didn't.

"Please," Sabrina murmured. She clutched her arms until she felt her claws bite into them. "Please." She felt empty, and raw, as though he had pulled a chunk out of her when he left.

"Well!" Ko-Kraham said cheerfully, "That was pleasant, don't you think?" She stroked Sabrina's horn with the tips of her fingers.

"Don't touch me!" Sabrina cried, slapping Ko-Kraham's hand away. She didn't want to play Ko-Kraham's games. Not tonight. She wanted to collapse. She wanted to curl up so tight that she disappeared. She wanted her father. "Just... shut up," she muttered.

Ko-Kraham rolled her eyes. "No, please, don't be too excited. And here I thought you would enjoy seeing your father again," she said.

"No you didn't," Sabrina said. "After everything else you've done, at least don't lie to my face. Who could possibly enjoy having their father look... through them, like that?"

Ko-Kraham sighed. "I don't understand you humans," she said. "And I don't understand why you so insist on making me out to be some cackling villain. Believe or not, girl, I don't want you completely miserable. I just want you to get on with your life with a minimum of fighting. And I thought, perhaps a treat!" She threw up a hand and made a noise of disdain.

"I hate you," Sabrina said.

"You don't know the meaning of the word," she replied. "Fine. But whether you like it or not, You are Bek-Braya. Tell no one what happened here, or about your old life. Do as you are told, and speak only when you are spoken to." She waved a hand dismissively. "Now go."

Sabrina turned on her heel and stormed away. She stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder. "Ko-Kalah wants to talk to you tomorrow," she said. "She wants you to stop keeping me from having dinner. Or at least feed me yourself."

Ko-Kraham waved again, but didn't reply. That suited Sabrina just fine.

She was numb as she walked back to the den. At the very least, she felt too sick to be hungry. She just wanted her bed.

She wanted her bed. She wanted her clothes, and her room, and her family. But she would settle for a bed mat.

The tribe had already returned from dinner by the time Sabrina reached the den. They were quieter than usual, save for a commotion near the center of the room. There was a small crowd of dragons, most of them friends—or lackeys—of Ko-Kaddic. The crowd parted as Sabrina passed and Ko-Kaddic himself burst out, almost bowling Sabrina over.

For once, Ko-Kaddic missed an opportunity to sneer at her. He was preoccupied, grappling with another dragon. They flipped across the floor as the dragon tried to struggle his way out of Ko-Kaddic's hold, but Ko-Kaddic countered him at every turn.

Dimly, Sabrina recognized the other dragon as Sal-Sobin. Although she had never spoken to him, she had spotted his jade-coloured scales darting amongst the tribe before. He was one of the younger members of the tribe, still too young for his wings to have started growing in. Even his second set of horns were still nubs on his forehead.

His first set of horns sloped gently inward, forming a diamond shape and giving him a sleek look. Or rather, they would have, if it were not for his blunt snout and the extra weight in his cheeks and middle.

Even for a young dragon he was small, certainly too small to be wrestling Ko-Kaddic. He stood no chance against the older dragon. Even through her numbness Sabrina felt bad for him—but she was too exhausted to step in. Even if she'd had the energy, what could she do? She certainly couldn't speak up, and trying to intervene could easily set the entire tribe on her. She didn't even know if Sal-Sobin would want her help.

No, it was none of her business. She just thanked Vikaasi that Ko-Kaddic was distracted with someone else and collapsed onto her bed mat. She retrieved the scrap of cloth from where it had been hidden beneath the mat and held it tight against her chest.

The clamour in the center of the room had gotten louder, but she had grown used to noise. Slowly, bit by bit, she felt her muscles unkink. It was not long before she was able to reach something resembling relaxation, though she still felt a powerful tightness between her wings.

She was used to that too, though. She sank into the mat. The sounds of the tribe grew distant even as they grew more intense, and Sabrina felt sleep creep into the edge of her mind.

Something heavy collapsed on top of her.

Sabrina jolting awake, gasping in shock. Whatever landed on top of her writhed for a moment, then rolled off. "Sorry!" it said. "Sorry!"

Sabrina looked over her shoulder and saw what had landed on her: Sal-Sobin. His fight with Ko-Kaddic had travelled, it seemed. Ko-Kaddic himself stood nearby, wearing a smug grin. No doubt he had aimed Sal-Sobin onto Sabrina deliberately.

Sabrina sighed and rolled onto her side. "It's okay," she grunted. She glowered at Ko-Kaddic and added, "It's not your fault that Ko-Kaddic has to pick on a whelp to feel tough."

Ko-Kaddic's grin vanished. "What did you say to me!?" he demanded.

Sabrina put her arm over her face, hoping to block out his whinging. If she didn't have the energy to fight with Ko-Kraham, she certainly didn't have any to waste on Ko-Kaddic. "I was talking to Sal-Sobin, Ko-Kaddic," she muttered. "I didn't say anything to you."

Ko-Kaddic planted his foot against Sabrina's stomach and shoved. "Sure sounded like you were talking to me!" he barked.

Sabrina fought down her revulsion in her wings enough to cover her head with them, trying her best to drown him out. But a thought struck her, standing out in her mind like a candle in the dark: "It did sound that way, didn't it?" she murmured.

But she couldn't have. She couldn't speak to him before he had spoken to her. She was sure of that. More than any other command, that was the one she had tested the most. Speak only when you are spoken to. If there were any way to speak without it, surely she would have realized it.

Unless...

Ko-Kaddic might not have spoken to her, but Sal-Sobin had.

Sabrina uncovered her head and sat up. "But trust me," she said viciously, "I'd rather speak to anyone but you. Even him!" She pointed to one of Ko-Kaddic's followers. Before he had a chance to reply she added, "I bet you have lots of interesting things to say. How about you tell me why you hang around Ko-Kaddic?"

The dragon spluttered a vaguely complimentary, and entirely obvious, lie. Sabrina didn't hear it. She had learned everything she wanted to when she had been able to speak to him. She had been able to speak to him, because Sal-Sobin and Ko-Kaddic had spoken to her.

Ko-Kraham might have ordered her to speak when spoken to, but she hadn't left any stipulation on who Sabrina had to speak to.

"I've got a theory," Sabrina said. She turned to another dragon, one who she was positive hadn't spoken in all the time Sabrina had known her, much less that evening. "I'll bet it's because when you're at Ko-Kaddic's back, you know you he won't decide you're in his way."

The dragon hunched her shoulders and backed away. Fortunately for her, Ko-Kaddic stepped between her and Sabrina. "What are you talking about!?" he snarled.

Sabrina almost laughed. Her exhaustion was forgotten. She felt near to bursting with excitement. Ko-Kraham's curse had a flaw—a small flaw, but one she could use. It was almost enough to make her forget the pain of the week—almost.

With her energy returned, so had her anger. Sabrina drew herself up to Ko-Kaddic and jabbed a claw at his chest. "What I'm talking about," she said. "is that since I've met you, you've done nothing but throw your weight around just to prove you could! Who are you trying to impress? Because you certainly haven't impressed me."

Ko-Kaddic spluttered for a moment, then clenched his teeth. "Why should I care about impressing you, Bek!?" he spat. "Last time I checked, nobody cared about your opinion!"

"Oh, you've made that abundantly clear," Sabrina said. "Since I've gotten here you've starved me, abused me, and insulted me—thanks for the warm welcome!"

Ko-Kaddic sneered at her, but the sneer became a smirk. "Warm welcome?" he asked. "What makes you think you're welcome here? Your precious little human might have asked Ko-Kalah to let you sleep here, but that doesn't make you a part of us. You'll never be anything more than a Bek, and you'll never be a part of our tribe."

Sabrina gaped. She clenched her fists until her shoulders shook, and regained her composure. "You're wrong," she snarled. "Maybe I'm... just a Bek, but at least I don't have to pick on kids to convince myself I'm big. So what does that make you?"

Ko-Kaddic crossed his arms and smirked wider. "A Ko," he said. "The first, the oldest, and the wisest. I don't need to prove anything to you, or me, or anyone else, because what I say goes." He leaned in and hissed, "So get out of my way."

Sabrina's legs marched her out of the way, exposing Sal-Sobin. He had not slunk away in the commotion as Sabrina might have. He had actually been watching with a look of awe—but as Sabrina stepped away, his expression turned back to one of fear.

Sabrina grimaced. But just because she had to step out of Ko-Kaddic's way, she realized, didn't mean she was finished.

"By all means!" She said, loud enough for the entire tribe to hear, and gave a theatrical flourish of her arms. "Go ahead, Ko-Kaddic, and pick on a child!"

"W-wait!" Sal-Sobin said, bolting behind Sabrina again.

Sabrina placed a hand on his head to soothe him and continued. You're in charge, right? You can do what you want?" She looked up and called out to the tribe again. "He can do what he wants, right? Even beating up a whelp who's too small to stand a chance against him?"

There was a muttering among the tribe. The dragons slowly began to look up, until only those most dedicated to ignoring the situation were still looking away.

Sabrina gestured to Sal-Sobin. "Look at him!" she said. "He's barely half Ko-Kaddic's size! Is that the 'wisdom' of a Ko? Picking a fight with somebody who can't defend themselves?" She jabbed an accusing finger at Ko-Kaddic as she addressed the tribe. "This is your Ko?" she asked. "This is the kind of dragon you want to speak for you? To care for the whelps who come after you?"

Everyone was looking, now. The murmuring was growing louder, and accusatory. Sabrina could see expressions begin to darken in the crowd. For a moment she worried that they were turning against her, but when Ko-Kaddic's friends began to slink away she knew that she had struck her mark.

She hid a smirk behind her hand. When she turned back to Ko-Kaddic, she put on an expression of mock surprise. "Gee, they don't seem that happy. I guess it's a good thing you don't have to convince anyone, because it looks like they all think you're nothing but a thug."

It was interesting, seeing a dragon redden beneath their scales. Ko-Kaddic's face darkened like a storm cloud. "I'm a Ko!" he bellowed.

"You think that gives you the right?" Sabrina snarled back. "Nothing gives you the right to do whatever you want! If someone like you is in charge, then I'd be glad I'm not a part of this tribe. But you're not.

"You're no leader," Sabrina hissed. She jabbed a claw against his chest, hard enough to drive him back a step. "You're not in charge. The only reason anyone here is at your back is because they're afraid to be in your sights. Don't believe me? How come nobody has stepped up to defend you?"

Ko-Kaddic opened and closed his mouth. He looked around, and realized that his erstwhile friends had retreated to a safe distance. The anger began to drain from his expression.

"I know you, Ko-Kaddic. I've known people like you my entire life. People who get one little taste of power, and think that the world revolves around them. You think you can hurt who you want, take what you want, and nobody can ever touch you for it. You don't know the first thing about being a leader. A leader is there for their people. You? You're nothing but a bully. And a bad one, at that."

She continued to jab his chest, driving him back, step by step. "You're pathetic. You don't even have the decency to pick on someone your own size! I'll bet you're afraid that they might fight back, and then what would you do? Tell them you're a Ko? You can spit on me all you want, but at least I never tried to tried to hide behind a name. At the end of the day, Kaddic, if you take away one little word, you're nothing. And you know it."

"BEK-BRAYA!"

Both Sabrina and Ko-Kaddic froze. Ko-Kalah stepped away from the wall and unfurled her wings.

Dragons scrambled out of the way of her feet as she lumbered forward. She cleared the room in a mere handful of earth-shuddering steps, and gazed down on the pair with an expression like the edge of a knife. She snorted, hard, and Sabrina felt a rush of hot air flow over her.

"Is this how you treat a tribe that has taken you in?" Ko-Kalah demanded. "Insult and disrespect them? I had hoped for better from you."

Sabrina had no response. She hunkered down, hunching her shoulders.

Ko-Kaddic quickly regained his composure, wiping the tears from his eyes and grinning at Sabrina. "Yeah," he said. "you should-"

"Enough!" Ko-Kalah barked. She placed a claw against Ko-Kaddic's chest and pushed him back. "Go to your bed, Ko-Kaddic. I will discuss this with you later."

As Ko-Kaddic slunk away, Ko-Kalah turned back to Sabrina. "You, I'll deal with now," She plucked Sabrina off the ground, curling her into a ball that fit in Ko-Kalah's palm. Sabrina yelped in shock, but was helpless as Ko-Kalah carried her off.

Ko-Kalah returned them to her corner. She set Sabrina back down and stood over her, folding her wings into a tent that closed them in and blocked them off from the rest of the tribe. A pillar of light shone down on Sabrina through a gap in Ko-Kalah's wings, the only light inside the tent. Ko-Kalah's face faded into the darkness, leaving only the faint shine of her eyes visible.

Whatever anger Sabrina had left was gone. She pressed her back against the wall and rubbed her arms, staring up at Ko-Kalah. Ko-Kalah, for her part, simply watched Sabrina. It was difficult to make out her expression in the darkness, but Sabrina didn't think she saw anger. It was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

As time went on Sabrina slowly relaxed, until she was able to unclench her shoulders and rub out the ache. Slowly, the tension drained away.

"Well?" Ko-Kalah said finally. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I..." Sabrina said, rubbing her shoulders, "...No, I guess not. I'm sorry, I just... saw how he was treating Sal-Sobin, and..." She sighed and looked away. How could she possibly describe it to Ko-Kalah?

"The week has been unkind to you," Ko-Kalah said. "And seeing how Sal-Sobin was treated reminded you of it all and brought it to the surface again."

"Y...yeah," Sabrina said. It was close enough to being true, at least. It was hard not to see her own situation in how Ko-Kaddic had bullied Sal-Sobin. She peered back up at Ko-Kalah. "I guess so."

Ko-Kalah nodded sadly. "I understand," she said. "It is difficult for the tribe to trust you." Her expression hardened, and she continued, "But that does not give you a right to speak to Ko-Kaddic that way. He was cruel, but he was right: the Yuvrani asking us to take you in does not make you a part of this tribe."

Sabrina winced. If Ko-Kalah noticed, she made not mention of it as she continued, "If you truly wish to join us, then you must accept our customs."

"I know," Sabrina said. "You're right. I just... got so angry, and I..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter." She slumped back against the wall and looked away. "I'm sorry."

Ko-Kalah tucked a claw beneath Sabrina chin and pulled her head up, back to look into Ko-Kalah's eyes. Her expression had softened again, more so even than before. "But just because you had no right to say it, does not mean you were wrong to," she said. "Thank you, Bek-Braya."

Sabrina didn't hear for a moment, lost as she was in the warmth of Ko-Kalah's eyes. She blinked. "W-what?" she asked.

"You were right," Ko-Kalah continued. "Ko-Kaddic is brash, and ill-tempered, and does not consider how others feel when he acts. He is too proud of being a Ko to act how a Ko should." She shook her head. "In the desert, he would likely have left the tribe and found another in a few years, or formed one of his own. But here... I would worry for him. I don't know that he would be able to find another tribe. He would be alone in this place." She looked down at Sabrina. "You understand," she said.

Sabrina nodded. "Yeah," she said softly.

"And you defended Sal-Sobin," Ko-Kalah continued. "Again, you were right. He should not have been wrestling Ko-Kaddic. Sal-Sobin joined our tribe not long before we came to Vikaasthan. He is young, and too trusting and eager to please. He hasn't made real friends yet, and Ko-Kaddic took advantage of that. He needs someone like you to support him—and Ko-Kaddic needed to hear what you said. But you are a guest here, and you must remember that."

She sounded like Sabrina's father. Although the thought renewed the ache in Sabrina's neck, as she rubbed her shoulders she couldn't help but smile, "So you're saying I did the right thing, but I shouldn't have?"

For the first time since Sabrina met her, Ko-Kalah laughed. It was a low, gentle sound, almost a cooing, and Sabrina found herself laughing as well. "Obstinate girl," she said. "I am saying that you did the right thing, but you—"

"Need to be gentle," Sabrina finished. "I know. I'm sorry."

Ko-Kalah smiled. "You are clever enough for that," she said. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out to stroke Sabrina's horns.

Without thinking, Sabrina flinched away from the touch. Ko-Kalah drew back her hand as though she had been shocked. Her expression was indecipherable for a moment, and she was silent. Slowly, her smile faded. When she spoke again, her tone was as impassive as ever. "There can be a place for you here, if you want it," she said. "But you must try." She drew a wing away from the wall, providing a door for Sabrina. "You may go," she said.

Sabrina nodded and shuffled away. On a whim, she paused at Ko-Kalah's wing and looked back. The older dragon had turned away. Sabrina watched her for a moment before stepping out.

The tribe had returned to their business, though a distinct air of awkwardness hung over them, in the way the scent of rain lingers after a storm. A few glanced at Sabrina as she passed. If she had cared to notice, she might have noticed that some of the looks, if they were not approving, were at least not as harsh as they had been.

Sabrina's attention was taken by her bed mat. Or rather, it was taken by the bed mat that had been shoved beside hers while she had been talking to Ko-Kalah.

Sal-Sobin was seated on the second mat, with his knees against his chest and his tail around his feet. He bounced in his seat when he saw her coming and beamed at her with a lopsided smile.

Sabrina slowed down as she approached the bed mats. Sal-Sobin continued to smile at her, but made no other movement. After lingering for a long, awkward moment, Sabrina eventually took a seat on her bed mat.

Sal-Sobin sat as close to Sabrina as he possibly could while still technically remaining on his own mat, but said nothing.

Sabrina wrapped her own tail around her feet as she peered at him. She thought about what Ko-Kalah had said, that Sal-Sobin had no real friends, and nobody to watch out for him. She guessed that she was the first person—or dragon—to have stuck up for him, and he wanted to stay close to her where he was safe.

He had stopped looking at her—most of the time. Every few moments his eyes would dart back to her, then dart away again when he caught her gaze. He fidgeted with his claws nervously, although his smile never faded.

Sabrina felt a smile play at the corners of her mouth. He clearly wanted to talk to her, but didn't want to speak first. He was going to be waiting for a while.

Or maybe not. If Sabrina could get him to say anything—even something small—she could greet him. She looked him up and down, and realized that he had inched just barely onto her mat. Not enough for her to actually care, but enough to be noticeable.

She stared at his seat for a moment, then looked up at him and cleared her throat gently.

Sal-Sobin blinked. He looked down, then gasped and scuttled backwards. "Sorry!" he said. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Sabrina said, holding a hand up to appease him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." she looked down again and added, "you can sit close if you want."

Sal-Sobin's face lit up. "O-okay!" he said. He scurried back to the edge of the mats and reached out, grabbing Sabrina's hand. "I'm Sal-Sobin!" he exclaimed.

"Uh," Sabrina said. She almost pulled her hand away, but stopped herself. Even if she hadn't, she wasn't sure she could have broken Sal-Sobin's grip. "Yeah... I know, Sal-Sobin. Hi."

Somehow, Sal-Sobin managed to grin wider. "You're Bek-Braya, right?"

"Yeah," Sabrina said. She rubbed her shoulder. "Umm... Can... I help you?"

Still grinning, Sal-Sobin shook Sabrina's hand so vigorously he almost pulled her over. "No," he said. "I just... wanted to say thanks! I don't really like wrestling with Ko-Kaddic, but sometimes he makes me anyways, and, well... y-you asked him to stop, even though you didn't have to!"

That was a fairly generous way of describing it. In spite of her misgivings, Sabrina couldn't help but smile as well. She rubbed her muzzle, hiding the smile behind her hand. "Well... you're welcome," she said. "Someone had to."

Sal-Sobin's smile faded. "Nobody else ever really does," he said. His face brightened again and he added, "But after what you said, everybody told him what a jerk he'd been! And Tor-Tomic made him listen to them all. You even got Ko-Kalah to get mad at him!" He looked up at her and gave her a bashful grin. "It was really cool."

Sabrina felt herself smiling wider. She looked away and rubbed her shoulders. "Can't you just ask Ko-Kalah to make him stop?"

Sal-Sobin shook his head. "No," she said. "Ko-Kaddic doesn't like listening to her. And anyways, she gets tired, and doesn't talk to the tribe much unless we're doing something really bad. Ko-Kaddic making me wrestle isn't enough."

"Oh," Sabrina said. She peered at the mass of dragon in the shadows. Ko-Kalah hadn't seemed particularly unsociable to her. She turned back to Sal-Sobin and said, "Well, you shouldn't have to wrestle if you don't want to."

Sal-Sobin didn't respond, but looked down and wiggled happily. Sabrina sat with him for a moment, wondering if she should try to extract her hand from his grip. Eventually she settled for a gentle cough.

"Sal-Sobin?" she asked. "Can I, uh, have my hand back?"

"Oh!" Sal-Sobin said as he released his grip. "Oh yeah!" He said, and spun around.

Sabrina rubbed her hand gently, and watched Sal-Sobin. He was rummaging in a small sack beside his bed mat. He gave a cry of joy as Sabrina settled back into a comfortable seat, and produced a small, lumpy bundle of wax cloth.

"Here!" he said, presenting it to her. "You can have this!"

"Thanks?" Sabrina said as the bundle was thrust upon her. It was soft, and smelled vaguely of butter. She unfolded the cloth, and almost dropped it.

The bundle contained three pieces of flatbread. They were squashed, and cold, and barely holding together, but they were definitely edible.

Sal-Sobin plunked himself down next to Sabrina, as close as he could while still remaining on his mat. "I took a few from dinner in case I got hungry. But you said you were really hungry, and some of the older dragons said you weren't getting served as much, so you can have them instead!"

Sabrina opened and closed her mouth, but couldn't find anything to say. Eventually she muttered "Thank you," and began devouring the bread. They may not have looked appealing, but they were delicious.

The bread was gone too fast, but for the first time in a week Sabrina leaned back with a full stomach. Or at least, one that was not completely empty. She sighed happily and patted her belly. "Thank you," she said again. She looked over at him, and at his bed mat. "Are you... gonna sleep there tonight?" she asked.

Sal-Sobin almost jumped up again. "Can I!?" he asked,

Sabrina covered her mouth to hide a laugh. "I guess?" she said. "It's a free floor. And anyways... thank you for the food, but I'm really exhausted." It was true. After everything that had happened here tiredness had come back with a vengeance, and she was threatening to topple over at any moment. She gently eased herself down and said, "I don't think I'd be able to stay awake long enough to stop you."

"Okay!" Sal-Sobin said. He spared a glance over his shoulder and laid down as well. "Bek-Braya?" he asked.

Sabrina stifled a yawn as she settled into the mat. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Can I... keep on sleeping here?" he asked. "Tomorrow, I mean. And after that."

"Sure," Sabrina said. "As long as you don't snore."

Sal-Sobin frowned slightly. "I don't think I do," he said. "Do I?"

Sabrina stared at him for a moment, and laughed wearily. "I guess we'll find out," she said.

Sal-Sobin laughed as well. "Good night," he said.

In spite of her tiredness, Sabrina found herself watching Sal-Sobin for a while. He curled up on the edge of his mat, with his head at her feet and his tail tucked around himself. For however tired Sabrina was, it seemed that Sal-Sobin was also feeling the exhaustion. It was not long before his breathed slowed and steadied, and he began to gently snore.

Sabrina watched him for a while longer. Then she turned around, until her head was facing his. "Good night," she whispered, and settled down to sleep.

Chapter 2: Knitting Needles

2017-06-24T12:51:02Z

Kegisak:

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Fantasy]]
{{author tag|Kegisak}}
By: [[User:Kegisak|Ian Sime]]

{{series box|previous=[[Chapter 1: Mangoes]]

|next=[[Chapter 3: Flatbread]]}}

=={{Separator|k|Chapter 2: Knitting Needles}}==

Slowly, Sabrina's head stopped swimming, and she was able to think again. She immediately wished she couldn't.

Her head felt as though someone had stuffed it full of cotton. Cotton that had been soaked in wine, then set on fire. It throbbed mercilessly, pounding in her teeth and behind her eyes. She clenched her eyes shut and groaned.

Ko-Kraham laughed. Her voice was Sabrina's own, but it was strange. It was not simply that it was distant, and less resonant. It was tinged with a low, growling glee that pounded through Sabrina's head like a gong.

Ko-Kraham was somewhere in the range of Sabrina's bed, though it was impossible to say exactly where. "Yes, I remember the first time," she said. "I remember my mother had little patience for me, either. You may as well stop your bellyaching. The sooner you get up on your toes and get used to it, the easier it will be."

After that, Ko-Kraham was silent. Though Sabrina could hear the rustling of cloth, she was left to her own recovery. It seemed like an eternity before she could even begin, though in truth it was only a few moments before she attempted to right herself.

Sabrina did not roll over so much as heave herself in a direction, and hope it was the right one. There was a sickening twisting as the world lurched around her, but she quickly felt the cold stone floor press against her belly. It was a meagre encouragement, but it was enough for her to get her hands beneath herself and heave up.

Slowly, shakily, she made it to her feet. Then she collapsed again. She made another attempt, this time attempting to rise on all fours first, and only succeeded in careening into the edge of her bed. Try as she might, she couldn't manage to get her legs beneath herself. Her limbs were still numb from the pain, and her legs felt misshapen and short, as though they didn't quite reach the floor.

She steadied herself on the edge of the bed. The pounding in her skull was finally beginning to subside, enough so that she could open her eyes without being blinded by the pain. She was aching, clumsy, and still half-unconscious, but she was upright.

The door to her closet stood open, the source of the rustling sound. Ko-Kraham called from within, "Don't you have anything a bit less... garish? All these greens and reds, honestly." She emerged with a set of dresses slung over her arm. It was surreal for Sabrina, seeing her own face, her own body, moving around without her. In her half-addled state, it was almost dreamlike. "Just because you can make a dye this bright, doesn't mean you should, you know," Ko-Kraham said.

Sabrina managed to muster up the concentration to speak. "What," she wheezed, "is going on?" Her voice sent a shudder down her spine, but she tried her best to suppress it.

"I'm picking out a dress for dinner, obviously," Ko-Kraham said. "I can hardly go in these." she plucked at the plain, threadbare clothes that she had worn when she was Harinma, mere minutes ago. "You don't have much selection. It wouldn't kill you to have owned something in gold, you know."

Ko-Kraham circled the bed and stood in front of the mirror. She held the dresses in front of herself, one after the other, and sighed. "I suppose they do look good on this complexion." she made a noise of disgust. "You could have at least developed taste at some point. It's going to be months before I can move over to something decent."

Enough murk had cleared from Sabrina's mind that she could feel the red rising behind her eyes. Still using the bed to support herself, she rounded on Ko-Kraham and glared up at her. She had never seen her own face from this angle before. It was smirking and imperious—had she looked like that, or was it simply Ko-Kraham?

Whichever it was, Sabrina set her shoulders and glowered. "That's not... what I meant and you... you know it," she hissed—or at least, she tried to. It was still all she could do to string her thoughts together into something coherent, much less say them, and there was no force in her voice.

"Give it a minute dear, it will come to you," Ko-Kraham said. "Having a new head on your shoulders can be disorienting the first time."

Sabrina blinked hard and stared at Ko-Kraham. The pieces were beginning to click together. "You're... a dragon," she managed.

"Very good," Ko-Kraham said. "Well, perhaps a bit slow, but I've learned not to expect too much from you by this point." She had undressed and begun to wind the red-and-cream sari around herself. "And the next step is..."

"What do you think you're doing?" Sabrina demanded.

"We've been over that one already," Ko-Kraham said. "I'm sure you can do better than that." She slung the end of the saree over her shoulder and turned slightly, inspecting herself.

"Who do you think you're going to fool?" Sabrina asked. She took a careful step away from the bed, and managed to hold herself up, hunched over on shaky legs. "Nobody is going to think you're actually the real Yuvrani..."

Ko-Kraham had leaned into the mirror, and was inspecting her eyes. She picked up a makeup kit "I'd actually be worried you're right, if they had any reason to suspect I might not be," she said. "I'd be impressed if there were anyone paranoid enough to suspect the Yuvrani was secretly a dragon."

"They won't have to," Sabrina said. "Once I tell father, you'll be out of here in ropes, if you leave at all."

Ko-Kraham laughed. "You'll make me ruin my makeup," she chided. "I've seen servants bring no less than five meals to this room in a single day," she said. "I could keep you in this room for years, if I needed to. But why bother? Who would ever believe you?"

"I am the Yuvrani!" Sabrina said.

Ko-Kraham sighed as she applied makeup. "You were doing so well," she said. "I know you have something like a brain in there, whelp. But fine." She placed the end of her brush on Sabrina's forehead and pushed her gaze down to the mirror.

Sabrina blinked. The last of the fog had finally cleared from her mind, but she was still unable to understand what she was seeing.

It was not the lingering pain that had made her body feel foreign and misshapen. It was not her bent posture that made Ko-Krahama seem so impossibly tall. Beside Ko-Kraham, staring back at Sabrina, was a scrawny, miserable-looking dragon whelp.

She was chest high on Ko-Kraham, and even then only just. A pair of freshly-grown wings, still too small to be useful for anything but a stiff breeze, forced her into a slouching posture that made her seem smaller than she already was. Her crocodile-like scales were a pale shade of purple, a far cry from the vibrant colours of most dragons. She was a pathetic thing in all ways but one, and even that was a cruelty: A heavy crest of horn grew out of her brow, gleaming and onyx-black, like the jewels of a crown.

Sabrina gawked at the creature, speechless. She couldn't understand what she was seeing. Her mind raced distantly, searching for an explanation—any explanation—to deny her eyes, but the thoughts left her as quickly as they came, without ever finding purchase. Her eye twitched, and the whelp's did as well. She clenched her fists, and the dragon clenched its fists. She spread her wings.

She vomited.

"Oh, that's interesting," Ko-Kraham said. She took a step away from Sabrina and lifted the hem of her skirt out of the way of the splash. "I've never seen a dragon vomit before. I wasn't even really sure we could."

Sabrina's stomach continued to heave, even after it was empty. It twisted itself into a knot, and her legs shook from the exertion. She toppled backwards into the bed, and onto the floor. Her breath came fast and heavy, but she couldn't seem to get enough air. The room was stifling. Suffocating. She was suffocating.

"H-hhhhhh" she wheezed, through chattering teeth.

Ko-Kraham peered at the pool of vomit, and at Sabrina. She prodded Sabrina with her foot. "Move, please," she said. "I need to get past your mess."

"Wh-huuuuh," Sabrina said. "W-what did you do?"

"Hmm?" Ko-Kraham asked. She took a look in the mirror and gave a small flourish. "My makeup! It looks good, doesn't it?"

"What did you do to me!?" Sabrina cried. She couldn't look away from the mirror, but every movement, every reminder, sent another wash of sickness through her. She clutched desperately at her bare scalp and horns.

Ko-Kraham sighed. She spoke very slowly, and very clearly, in the tone one might reserve for a child. "You are a dragon now too," she said. Her prodding turned into a shove, knocking Sabrina out of the way, and she stepped gingerly through the clean path. "Now, unless you need anything else explained to you, I have a dinner to get to."

Sabrina's breath came fast and ragged. Her eyes darted around the room, unsure of where to focus. Ko-Kraham, the mirror, her arms. "Take it back!" she said. "Change me back!"

Ko-Kraham rolled her eyes. "I think we both know that's not going to happen," she said. She folded her arms and peered down at Sabrina, tapping her forearm.

Sabrina made a desperate, wordless sound. Panic overtook her, followed by instinct, and she slapped her hands together. Somehow, through accident or practice, she found a place of stillness inside her, and felt. She felt the breath in her lungs: the air. She felt the twitching of her muscles: the soil. She felt the moisture on her claws: the rain. The stillness filled with thoughts of Vikaasi, the mother of all that grew, the green woman, and felt the seed of power come to life in her belly.

Then she felt it die.

The power faded as quickly as it came, and in its place was a tugging sensation. The tugging grew and grew, until it felt as though her guts would be ripped straight out of her belly. She let go of the power and gasped for breath as the pain faded away.

Ko-Kraham tutted and knelt down beside Sabrina. She cupped Sabrina's chin, tilting her face up until their eyes met. "Oh no, dear," she said. "I'm afraid not. You leant me your magic, and I'm not finished with it yet. And I think you'll find that I'm just a bit stronger than you."

She grabbed Sabrina by the horns and hauled her to her feet. The pain was just one of many, and they all seemed to blend together into a dull, all-encompassing ache.

Sabrina allowed herself to be dragged around the bed to the closet. She had no strength to resist—she had barely enough left to hold herself upright. When Ko-Kraham opened the closet door and threw her inside, she toppled to the floor like a straw doll.

Ko-Kraham sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "This will be so much easier if I don't have to drag it out of you every time I need something done, you know," she admonished.

Sabrina tried to struggled to her feet, but only made it as far as her knees. "Please," she gasped. "Why are you doing this to me? I... W-what do you want? I could... I could..." She didn't even have the will left to finish the sentence.

"I'm already going to get what I want," Ko-Kraham said. She approached Sabrina, running a finger along her horns and laughing as Sabrina flinched away. "Just think of it as a another lecture. All you need to do is behave."

Sabrina felt Ko-Kraham's expectant gaze. Slowly, on trembling arms and legs, Sabrina crawled backwards.

This seemed to satisfy Ko-Kraham. She nodded, and said, "Good. I'm glad you're finally beginning to understand." She straightened up and brushed some unseen piece of lint off of her skirt. "Now, I have to get to dinner before anyone starts to wonder what's taking so long and comes looking. After that, I have something to take care of. Then I'll return to deal with you." She caught Sabrina's miserable expression and smiled. "Now dear, there's no need to make that face. I'll be back before you know it."

Then she left, shutting the closet door behind her and leaving Sabrina in the dark. A few moments later, Sabrina heard the bedroom door open, then click shut. Sabrina was alone.

She stretched out as much as she could and pressed herself against the floor. She trembled violently, and each time she brushed up against herself, each time she became aware of her body, her stomach lurched to life again.

The cool stones were soothing on her muscles, and after a few minutes the shaking began to subside. As the shaking left, so did the twisting sickness. Before long she was left with nothing but a cold, hollow ache between her shoulders.

Sabrina choked down a sob. Her mind was racing, a million thoughts passing through her head every moment. She didn't understand what was happening. She didn't understand why it was happening.

Images of Harinma—Ko-Kraham—flashed through her mind. The withered, vicious old face, and her own familiar face painted with that callous smirk. She could only imagine Ko-Kraham's true face, but perhaps she had seen it in the change.

A dragon, disguised as a human. Disguised as her tutor! Why? It wasn't as if there were no dragon servants in the first place. Ko-Kraham could have approached the palace in full daylight and asked for work, and it would have been given. If anything, it would have helped.

Was Harinma's entire life, her sixteen years in the palace as Sabrina's tutor, just an excuse? A front, until she had the chance to steal Sabrina's life? The very idea of it was absurd. And yet...

And yet, at that very moment, Ko-Kraham was wearing her face. At that very moment, Ko-Kraham was taking a seat at Sabrina's Father's right hand, preparing to eat. Sabrina could feel the faint twitching of her bones, the desire to mimic Ko-Kraham's movements. Ko-Kraham would spend the evening with Kamalakshi and Astha, and the other girls—and Taurau.

After the afternoon Sabrina and Taurau had spent together, Taurau would almost certainly want to move closer to her at dinner. Not overtly, of course. That would be improper. Even so, remembered how he had looked at her in the city, and how he would look at dinner, centred squarely on Ko-Kraham...

Surely, with that many people around, someone would notice. Someone would realize it was not truly Sabrina.

Wouldn't they?

Ko-Kraham had a point. Even if they suspected something was not right, would any of them imagine that Sabrina had been replaced, and transformed, and locked in a closet? More likely they would just assume that Sabrina was upset, or stressed. That left Sabrina exactly where she was: trapped, and helpless. Her eyes stung with tears, and she felt a lump rise in her throat.

She clenched her eyes shut, and bit back a shivering sob. No! She wasn't helpless. She wasn't some frightened little girl. She was the Yuvrani of Vikaasthan, would be the Maharani some day. She certainly did not cry on the floor.

She pulled herself up to a sitting position and grabbed her shoulders. The sensation made her skin crawl—or rather, her scales. The stiff, rough hide felt perverse beneath her palms; diseased. The bite of her claws on her shoulders sent a wash of instinctive panic through her. Although she shook violently, she forced herself to face it.

She brought her mind back to when she had been a little girl, and broken her leg so badly that the bone had shifted beneath her skin. That feeling of wrongness about it had been worse than any pain. But it had been temporary. This was temporary.

Slowly, the shaking subsided. She took her first steady breath, let go of herself, and opened her eyes.

The closet was not as dark as Sabrina had expected. Certainly it was not well-lit, but where she had expected pitch blackness, she could make out the vague, indistinct shapes of the robes and dresses hanging around her. A thin sliver of light shone through the crack beneath the door; Ko-Kraham had left the lamps in the room lit.

Sabrina stared at the door. It had not been locked--it didn't have a lock at all. Her bedroom door locked from the inside, as well. If she chose, she could walk out at that very moment.

But surely Ko-Kraham had not overlooked that. After sixteen years of lies, Ko-Kraham wouldn't miss something so simple and ordinary. The temptation was immense, but there had to be a catch. Even so...

Sabrina crept towards the door. Nothing impeded her. She reached out with trembling hands, bracing herself for whatever was coming, and touched the handle.

Nothing.

She stood there for a moment, breathing slowly. She still half expected to be burned, or flung away, or--something. But nothing came. Emboldened, she set her shoulders, gripped the latch, and stopped.

She stood, frozen, with her hands on the latch. She felt as though she had been encased in stone. She willed herself forward, straining to do even as little as press down the latch, but to no avail. Her body refused to move, even to tremble.

A feeling of sickness washed over her once more, and in a moment of panic she wrenched back from the door. That, it seemed, she had no problem doing. She sailed over backwards, landing on her tail with a grunt.

Sabrina lay on the floor, panting. She forced herself to keep her breath steady and even. Slowly, the feeling of sickness subsided, and the hammering in her chest slowed. She sat up once again and stared at the door.

So that was Ko-Kraham's lock. Had she not been so wracked by anxiety, Sabrina might have felt insulted. Making something stop was simple, far simpler than making something happen, and it was a prayer that even a child could counteract. If they had magic.

Sabrina was gentle. Even without a seed of power she could feel her connection to Ko-Kraham. She could feel that vague, distant bridge, feel the tugging in her bones as her body tried to imitate Ko-Kraham. If she focused, she could even make out Ko-Kraham's jaw working as she ate. Sabrina breathed deep and went further, praying for a seed.

Even gently, it was like touching a fresh wound. Pain lanced through Sabrina and she gasped, releasing the prayer. Her knees shook, but she forced herself to remain upright. It was a setback. Just a setback. The ragged feeling in the pit of her stomach, the feeling of wrenching in the very depths of her bones—they were no different from the closet door.

She folded her arms tightly around her shoulders. She breathed deeply, repeating the words over and over. It was a setback. It was temporary. She was not helpless, as long as she remained calm. Panic was not going to help her here.

She took stock of herself. The rhythmic tugging in her jaw had stopped, but in turn she could feel a slow swaying in her legs. Ko-Kraham had finished dinner, she surmised. That meant she was now taking care of her 'errand'.

Sabrina had no idea what that errand might be, but it was no huge stretch to assume it was bad news for her. If she was truly trapped, then the only thing she could do was to prepare for Ko-Kraham's return.

As she wracked her mind for how, Sabrina became aware of a lancing pain in her shoulders. She had been gripping them so tightly that her claws had begun to dig into the scales, and her neck ached fiercely. She let go of herself and flexed her fingers.

A thought struck her. She continued to flex her fingers, staring at the claws that tipped them. They grew out of the final knuckle of each of her fingers, perhaps half an inch long and gently curved. Unlike the claws of the craftsdragons in the city, which had been changed sharper for the sake of their work, her claws were stout and blunt, good for little more than gripping. Even so, they gave her an idea.

It was a foolish, desperate idea, and the very thought of it made her sick to her stomach. At that point, however, it was simply one more drop in a flood of sickening anxiety, and with her stomach freshly emptied it didn't trouble her. More importantly, it was the only idea she had.

She took a moment to put herself into that anxious pit, and felt for Ko-Kraham. She was still at the moment, aside from the odd shift in her posture or twitch of her wrist. Sabrina had time.

She turned away from the door and moved deeper into the closet. Dresses hung around every wall, clumping together in the darkness into a single, formless mass. Sabrina plunged into it, careful not to damage the dresses with her claws as she shoved them aside. What she was searching for was behind, and below.

A row of shelves was mounted along the bottom three feet of the wall. Several of them were lined with jewelry boxes and displays, and a few with slippers for different seasons, but the majority were lined with boxes and baskets of various description.

Many of the containers stored seasonal clothing, such as heavier scarves and shoes, or broad shawls. Others were filled with things Sabrina had left behind, but that either she, or her mother and father, could not let go of. Children's books, old dresses, toys, and other things. As she passed them by, Sabrina found herself repressing the urge to dig out one of her old toys for comfort.

What she was looking for was in a tall wicker basket, situated in the very back of the closet. She had put it there in disgust months ago, when the heat of the wet season had reached its peak, and she could not bear to look at anything heavier than gauze and linen. She pulled off the lid, revealing the contents: Dozens of bundles of wool.

Sabrina had to lift herself off her feet and rest on the edge of the basket, but she plunged into it with abandon. She dug through the wool, careful not to spill out any of the wool. In the dark it would be impossible find them all and put them back in, and if Ko-Kraham saw them when she opened the closet, she might be suspicious. Sabrina needed to work fast, though. Ko-Kraham was walking again.

It was not long before she found what she needed: A pair of long, sturdy knitting needles. Sabrina pulled them out of the basket like a sacred relic, savouring the feeling of the sleek wood in her hands. She replaced the lid of the basket and stepped away.

Although there was nobody to see her, Sabrina avoided the open area in the centre of the closet. Instead she slunk beneath the line of the dresses, holding herself low to the ground as she made her way closer to the door.

She did not approach the door itself, nor did she make any attempt to open it. She pressed herself against the wall beside it, on the opening side, beneath the dresses. Even there, her body seemed sluggish and reluctant. Perhaps it was simply her nerves. Whatever the case, she found her place and hunched down, making herself as small and hidden as possible, and clutched the needles tight. She closed her eyes, and waited.

She wasn't sure whether she waiting for only a minute, or for hours. Moments seemed to blend together in the darkness. However long it was, her patience was eventually rewarded by the click of a door opening.

Sabrina's heart leaped into her throat. She hunkered lower, straining her ears. There was only a single set of footsteps, moving at a casual, almost lazy pace. The door closed again, and the footsteps began to approach the closet.

After that, Sabrina could no longer make out the sounds for her heart hammering in her ears. Her whole body shook with every beat, and she was certain her palms were slick with sweat. Was it even possible for her to sweat anymore? She wiped her hands on her sides just in case, and gripped the needles tighter.

The latch on the closet door sank down. Light flooded into the closet as the door swung open, silhouetting Ko-Kraham. Even through the darkness, Sabrina imagined she could see that insufferable expression.

Sabrina took a shuffling, hesitant step forward, then stopped. This was insane. She knew it was insane. What choice did she have, though? Sabrina couldn't count on anyone to see through Ko-Kraham's disguise. For all that she hated Ko-Kraham at that moment, Sabrina knew Ko-Kraham was right: Sabrina needed to be able to fight for her people.

"There's no sense hiding, little whelp," Ko-Kraham said, leaning against the doorway. "I know you haven't gotten out of this closet, and I know you're going to come out here. The only difference is whether you're going to come out on your own, or whether I'm going to have to drag you out." She folded her arms and tapped a finger against her shoulder. "So? Which is it?"

Sabrina clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. She lunged out of her hiding spot, leaping at Ko-Kraham before she had a chance to respond, and thrusting forward. The knitting needles slammed into Ko-Kraham's thigh, easily puncturing fabric and flesh. Blood splashed out over Sabrina's arms, hot and wet and brilliant, burning red. It felt like fire on Sabrina's scales.

Sabrina tried to dash past her for the door, but Ko-Kraham screamed and threw a wild backhand that caught her across the muzzle. Sabrina managed to keep a grip on the knitting needles, ripping them out as she staggered away. She caught a glimpse of Ko-Kraham bearing down on her and lashed out. More blood splattered on her face.

Sabrina stumbled back. Her breath came fast and ragged, and if her heartbeats had been loud before, they were deafening now. She could no longer hear Ko-Kraham's panicked gasping. She could still see her, though. The sight of Ko-Kraham--of herself--staggering away, needle protruding from her side and blood pouring down her leg, sent Sabrina's vision swimming. Somehow, she found it in herself to vomit once again.

Ko-Kraham slumped against the doorframe and made a sound somewhere between a hiss and a howl. She held her hands against her side, one clutching her skin as though trying to keep the blood in, and the other wrapped around the needles. Her hiss turned into a burbling scream, and with a vicious, spasming movement, she wrenched the needles out and tossed them aside.

Sabrina forced herself to remain upright, and staggered forward, aiming for the door. She needed to get out. She slipped in her own vomit and crashed to the floor, but struggled upright once more.

Ko-Kraham's foot caught Sabrina in the side, sending her careening into the door frame hard enough to jar her teeth. Before she could recover, Ko-Kraham grabbed her by the horns and threw her to the floor.

Sabrina writhed on the floor for just a moment, then scrabbled forward. Though the edges of her vision were blurred, the image of the knitting needles on the floor in front of her was clear as diamonds. She reached out desperately for her weapon. Ko-Kraham's foot came down on her elbow. Sabrina cried out in pain, then again as Ko-Kraham stomped her back.

"Stupid girl!" Ko-Kraham screamed. "Stupid, filthy, miserable whelp!" She kicked Sabrina in the side, sending her skidding out of the closet. "I liked this sari, and now it's ruined!" She stormed out after Sabrina with death in her eyes.

By some miracle, Sabrina had managed to catch one of the knitting needles as she had slid past. She staggered as upright as she could manage and crawled backwards, brandishing it at Ko-Kraham.

"Enough!" Ko-Kraham shouted. "You will never raise a hand against me again!"

The words crashed through Sabrina like thunder. They echoed through her bones and blasted away her pain, her fear, her panic. All that was left were the words, searing themselves on the inside of her skull.

Sabrina didn't even realize she had dropped the needle until she heard it clatter on the floor. She tried to pick it up again, but her hands refused to work. She tried to raise her fists, but even that was impossible.

Ko-Kraham smiled a savage mockery of a smile, like a wound across her face. She lifted her hand from her side. It was coated in fresh blood, as was her side—but only for a moment. Ko-Kraham's flesh melted and flickered like a flame, and mere moments later was smooth once more. The blood around it was burnt and cracked, and the skin was flawless. Her wounds had healed so perfectly it was as though she had never been hurt at all.

"You see?" Ko-Kraham said. She stomped on Sabrina's ribs, driving the air out of her lungs. "What good did any of this do? This is your fault! This would all be so much easier if you would just! Stop! Fighting!"

Each shout was punctuated by a kick. Sabrina flailed desperately, clutching at Ko-Kraham's skirts, but the blows didn't stop. When she was finally finished, Ko-Kraham grabbed Sabrina's horns and hauled her upright. She dragged her to the mirror and forced her in front of it.

"What was your plan?" Ko-Kraham screamed. "What was going to happen, after you'd killed me? Were you going to run out into the halls, looking like this?"

If Sabrina had looked miserable before, she looked like death itself, now. Shivering, caked in blood and sick, and barely strong enough to hold herself upright. Even she could see the desperate hunger in her eyes.

"Or maybe you were thinking that with me dead, this would all go away?" Ko-Kraham continued. She was no longer shouting, but hissing in Sabrina's ear. "That, somehow, this terrible curse would be broken? Or you would wake up as yourself again? Think, girl. Think! How do you think you got this way? Have you ever known a bridge that could only be crossed one way?" Her voice had softened further until it was almost cloying. "You need me, girl. Just like I need you."

Ko-Kraham finally let go of Sabrina's horns. Sabrina fell to her knees, defeated. A choking, shuddering whimper escaped her lips.

"Do you finally understand?" Ko-Kraham asked.

Sabrina nodded weakly. "Y-yes," she breathed.

"Good!" Ko-Kraham said. The anger was gone from her voice in an instant. "Brace yourself, dear," she added, grabbing Sabrina's horn again.

A wave of fire rushed through Sabrina's body. Though it was by no means as painful as the previous, it still sent her to the floor. The pain passed quickly, however, and when it did Sabrina found she felt strangely better. There was no longer a pain in her side where Ko-Kraham had kicked her, and her headache from knocking against the door frame had vanished as well.

"I have to say, though, I am impressed," Ko-Kraham said. "I was expecting to find you snivelling on the floor, not hiding to murder me with—what was that, a knitting needle? A little bit higher and you might have actually done it!" She flopped down onto the armchair, kicking her legs over the arm. "I guess you were serious about being willing to fight for your country. Good for you. By the way, I got you a bucket." She gestured to the door, where a bucket of soap and water, and a fresh washrag, were sitting.

Sabrina stared at the bucket, blinking slowly. She looked between it, and Ko-Kraham. She half-expected the woman to explode into a rage again at any moment. Instead Ko-Kraham simply rolled her eyes and sighed.

"For the vomit," she said. "I'm certainly not going to sleep with that stink beside me all night. And now there's blood everywhere that I don't want to explain, so you can clean that up, too. And yourself, of course. Can't have your trotting around looking like you just murdered your dinner." She blinked and sat up, checking her side as though she had just remembered she was covered in fresh blood herself. She tutted and got out of the chair. "And throw out these rags. What do you do with dresses you're finished with?"

Sabrina was still staring at the bucket. "You want me to... clean?" she asked.

"Obviously," Ko-Kraham said. "Someone has to, and the Yuvrani isn't the one to do it." She peered over her shoulder at Sabrina. There was a dangerous glint in her eye. "Do I have to order you to do it?"

Sabrina winced, and took a few shuffling steps towards the bucket.

"Good," Ko-Kraham said with a satisfied nod. "You're lucky; I'm in a good mood. The sooner you start listening, the less... unpleasantness, we'll have. I don't enjoy it any more than you do, you know." She began to strip off the dress as she walked into the closet.

Sabrina sincerely doubted that. She picked up the bucket and hauled it to pool of vomit beside the bed. Her arms felt like they were going to fall out of their sockets. She set it down beside the puddle of sick and leaned against the bed, rubbing her aching arms.

"I don't hear cleaning," Ko-Kraham called from inside the closet.

Sabrina sighed, and dunked the cloth in the water. She had never cleaned anything before, and the stink was overpowering, but she was too tired to care. All of her anger, and fear and nausea had washed away. All she felt was numb.

Ko-Kraham emerged from the closet just before Sabrina finished cleaning. She was dressed in a robe of emerald green, belted by a wide yellow sash. She peered over the bed, inspecting Sabrina's work, and nodded. "You can clean the closet, now," she said. "And don't worry about the dress, I'll just burn it. If I get servants to dispose of it they'll only ask awkward questions." She tossed herself back into the armchair and laughed. "Maybe I'd have to turn them into whelps as well! At least you'd have a friend."

Sabrina didn't respond. She simply carried the bucket into the closet and did her best to clean up the vomit as she had been told. The rag had been saturated with blood and bile, though, and she was spreading it around as much as she was mopping it up. By the time she finished cleaning the floor, Sabrina's arms were coated in a film of grime. With the rag useless, she had no choice by to wipe herself down with the remains of the dress that were still clean.

She tried not to think of the ruined mess the sari had become. It hadn't been her favourite dress—she hadn't even particular cared for it—but it had still been hers. Had been.

Cleaning the closet went faster than the floor beside the bed, and before long Sabrina was finished. She poked her head out of the door, wringing her hands and peering at Ko-Kraham. Ko-Kraham was exactly as she had been, slung lazily across the armchair. If anything, she looked as though she had sunk deeper into it.

Ko-Kraham waved sluggishly at Sabrina. "All finished?" she asked.

Sabrina nodded. She stepped out of the closet and wrung her hands. She watched Ko-Kraham as the dragon pulled herself out of the chair and sauntered over to inspect Sabrina's work.

Ko-Kraham hummed and hawed, but it was clear she was satisfied with the work. "Not bad," she said. "For a girl who's never done it before, you obviously know how to clean. That's good."

She turned back to Sabrina and reached out. Sabrina flinched back, but Ko-Kraham simply tutted and cooed to her. She touched Sabrina's horns, gently running a finger down their length. "You see?" she said. "How much easier this all is when you just accept it and do as I ask?"

Sabrina didn't answer. She clenched her fists tighter, and looked away.

Ko-Kraham sighed and knelt down beside Sabrina. She cupped Sabrina's face between her hands, and forced Sabrina to look her in the eye. "I know this all seems unfair," she said. "I didn't want it to be this way either. It will get better, I promise, but right now you've proven that I just can't trust you."

Her grip on Sabrina's face tightened until it was painful. Sabrina tried to struggle away, but Ko-Kraham her tight.

"I can't have you running around telling people I'm an imposter," Ko-Kraham said. "You will listen to me. From this point on, you are Bek-Braya. You will never speak of your old life. You will not speak at all, unless you are spoken to, and you will do as you are told."

Sabrina cringed as the words burned themselves into her, and gasped in shock.

Ko-Kraham simply smiled. She stood up, brushed off, and walked to the door. "Come with me," she said.

Sabrina did as she was told, trotting over to Ko-Kraham and falling in beside her. Ko-Kraham nodded with satisfaction, and lead Sabrina outside. Together they walked through the halls of the palace in silence.

They took back ways and less-used corridors. In the middle hours of the evening, most of the servants and nobles living in the palace had retired to their own quarters, and the halls were almost empty save for the night guards. Even so, it was clear that Ko-Kraham was hurrying them along, avoiding any possibility of conversation or confrontation.

From Sabrina's lower angle, the halls seemed at once nostalgic and unfamiliar. She had been only a child the last time she had seen this view. Barely seven or eight years old, scarcely old enough to navigate the palace by herself. She had always been with her father or mother. She would have given anything to have them with her then.

Soon they had passed into a new portion of the palace on the south wing, one still under construction. Those rooms they passed that were not still open to the air were spartan and threadbare, and even in the hallways, with the exception of the pillars spaced along the walk, the walls were ugly and barren wood that it was clear would be covered by smooth slabs of stone.

The only rooms that seemed to be completed were the servant quarters. Unlike the narrow and utilitarian quarters in the rest of the palace, however, the servant quarters here were wide halls with tall, arching ceilings. Sabrina's heart seized when she realized why. Ko-Kraham lead them around the corner and into a massive, cavernous room, filled with dragons.

An entire tribe of them, almost twenty dragons total. Most were around Sabrina's age and height, though many were younger whelps—twelve, perhaps ten years old at the earliest. They were huddled together in small groups of two or three, chattering happily as they played, or told stories, or made small carvings and trinkets. An older male and female were curled in the corner, watching over the mess. Or rather, they had been. The moment Sabrina and Ko-Kraham entered all activity stopped, and all eyes were on them.

Sabrina shuffled awkwardly in the doorframe. Ko-Kraham, meanwhile, strode confidently forward and turned to the wall beside the door. "Hello, again," she said.

Sabrina blinked and peered between Ko-Kraham and the tribe. None of the other dragons seemed in the least confused, or even interested, that Ko-Kraham was apparently talking to the wall.

"I hope the evening finds you well?" Ko-Kraham continued. One of the older dragons in the rear of the room stirred, but made no move to respond to her. Sabrina craned her neck to stare at Ko-Kraham, and found herself looking into a pair of enormous, gleaming eyes.

Sabrina jumped back as what she had thought was a wall shifted and began to unfold. It was not a wall at all, but another dragon—easily the oldest and largest dragon Sabrina had ever seen. She must have been at least seventy, almost eighty years old, judging from how her knuckles hovered just above the floor. Even bent nearly double, she towered over the rest, and her tail coiled around two walls of the room.

It was no wonder Sabrina had thought she was a wall at first. Even setting aside her deep green scales that blended into the shadows, the dragon was colossal. She lumbered forward, stopping occasionally to dip and balance herself on her hands. She spoke in a rolling, smoky voice that seemed to echo in Sabrina's ears. "Thank you, Honoured Yuvrani. It is good to see you again."

"Yes," Ko-Kraham said. She stepped back and touched Sabrina's horns. "As promised, I brought the whelp I was telling you about earlier this evening."

The dragon nodded and turned to Sabrina. She crouched until her face was level with Sabrina's—which meant nearly laying on the floor. "Good evening, little one," she said. This close, her voice resounded through Sabrina's entire body. "I am Ko-Kalah, the Speaker for our tribe. You wish to join us?"

Sabrina took a shaking step backwards. "U-uh," she stammered.

"She does," Ko-Kraham answered for her. She placed a hand on Sabrina's head. It might have looked affectionate, from an outside view, but the pressure on Sabrina's head made it clear it was to hold her still. "Do you have an initiation?"

Ko-Kalah shook her head. "No," she said. "If the Yuvrani vouches for her, that is enough." She seemed to barely recognize that Ko-Kraham was there. She stared at Sabrina, eyes burning intensely though her dull expression. Sabrina felt as though Ko-Kalah was staring as much through her as at her. "Tell me, little one. If you are to join our tribe, what is your name?"

Sabrina opened her mouth to reply, and said nothing.

Sabrina's shoulders tensed. She tried again, but once more she found herself unable to make a sound. Her throat had seized shut, and refused to move.

She raised a trembling hand to her throat. Her mouth worked, opening and closing, but she still could not speak the words. Sabrina. That was all she needed to say. Sabrina.

"Are you alright, little one?" Ko-Kalah asked.

Sabrina looked up at her. She gripped her shoulders to stop them shaking, and tried again. She pushed with all her might, fighting her throat until her neck and shoulders ached and she could hardly breathe, but all she could manage was a weak, choked stammer. "I-I..." she said.

She caught Ko-Kraham's expression, cold and hard, and felt it. She felt the gaping inside herself, that ragged wound that linked her to Ko-Kraham, and understood. She looked between Ko-Kraham and Ko-Kalah, and slumped.

"B...Bek-Braya," she said.

There was a moment of silence, followed by a murmur through the tribe. Ko-Kalah blinked. She turned to Ko-Kraham and said, "you did not mention she was a Bek."

Ko-Kraham shrugged. "I didn't think it was important," she said. "Does it make a difference?"

Ko-Kalah frowned deeply. She hummed, looking between Sabrina and Ko-Kraham. Finally, she sighed. "I suppose not," she said. She tapped her claws on the ground. "Tor-Tallow, Sal-Sobin. Bring out a mat for Bek-Braya."

As two young whelps leaped to the task, a cry rose up among the tribe. One of the older dragons in the back of the room stood up and unfurled his wings, and several of the whelps slapped their tails angrily on the floor. The shouts and groans mingled together into a wall of singularly unfriendly noise, all of it directed at Sabrina. She took a step away from the tribe, pressing her back to the wall.

Ko-Kalah rounded on her tribe and let out a thunderous roar. The tribe fell silent in an instant—perhaps, like Sabrina, they had been momentarily deafened. When the ringing in Sabrina's ears stopped, Ko-Kalah spoke again. "I understand your concerns," she said. "But the Honoured Yuvrani has vouched for her. This is not Tahrasden. Things are done differently here. If they are to respect us, we must respect them. We must..." She looked over her shoulder at Sabrina, looking her up and down. "We must at least try." She turned back to the tribe and said, "You understand? I want you to at least try."

The tribe looked at one another, shuffled their feet, and muttered a few things that Sabrina could not make out. Still, they seemed to have calmed down. They slowly returned to their business, sparing only a few wary glances for Sabrina.

"There," Ko-Kraham said, patting Sabrina's head once again. "That didn't seem so bad."

"We will see," Ko-Kalah said. "Only time will tell how they adapt. I apologize for their wariness."

"Not at all," Ko-Kraham said. Ko-Kalah was not looking at Ko-Kraham, however. She nodded to Sabrina.

"U-uh," Sabrina said, when she realized. "It's... okay."

Ko-Kalah nodded. Only then did she actually address Ko-Kraham. "Thank you, Honoured Yuvrani," she said. "I will make sure that Bek-Braya is taken care of. Is there anything else I can help you with tonight?"

"No, that's quite fine, thank you," Ko-Kraham said.

Ko-Kalah nodded again, and turned away. She plodded back to her corner, where she lay down, and disappeared into the shadows once more.

Ko-Kraham patted Sabrina's head and rang a finger along her horns. "There we go," she said. "A nice bed mat in the corner, all to yourself. And even a tribe. This isn't so bad, is it?"

Sabrina stared at her feet, clenching her fists to her chest. "Yes it is," she said weakly.

Ko-Kraham simply smiled at Sabrina's miserable expression, and turned away. "Come to my room tomorrow night," she said. "I want to see how you're doing."

Then she was gone, laughing her way down the hall.

Sabrina stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment, then peered over her shoulder. Although the words had rung in her head like a gong, it seemed the rest of the dragons had heard nothing strange. When it became apparent that none of them were going to speak at her—or even so much as look at her—she made her way inside, around the edges of the room.

The bed mat that she assumed was to be hers had been set out, shoved in a corner away from the rest. She crawled onto it, wedged her back into the corner and looked out at the tribe. A few shot her wary looks over their shoulders before returning to their groups, but for the most part they ignored her.

That suited Sabrina fine. She brought her knees up against her chest, curled her tail around her feet, and sighed. Even now, the feeling of her own skin made her stomach flutter. For the first time since she had left her bedroom with Ko-Kraham, she unclenched her fist.

In it was a scrap of fabric, torn from Ko-Kraham's sari during the fight. Bright, vivid scarlet, embroidered with golden thread at the hem. From a distance the embroidery seemed simple, just an ordinary line. Up close, however, she could see the detail. It was the interlacing petals of a swamp lily, the flower of Vikaasthan.

Sabrina was desperately tired. She was weak. She felt hollow and frail, as though the slightest breeze would bring her crashing down around herself. And in her heart of hearts, she knew that she was terrified.

But she was not broken. She was not some helpless, snivelling little girl. She was not Bek-Braya.

She was Sabrina Bunahr, first and only daughter of Maharaja Marthanda Bunahr. She was heir to the throne of Vikaasthan. In the very depths of that hollowness, an ember of fury was burning bright. No matter what Ko-Kraham had planned for her, she would take her life back. No matter what, she would be Maharani one day.

She could fight tomorrow. She would fight tomorrow. But then and there, she was tired. She lay down, clutching the rag to her chest, and let sleep take her.

Chapter 1: Mangoes

2017-06-24T12:50:32Z

Kegisak:

[[Category:Story]] [[Category:Fantasy]]
{{author tag|Kegisak}}
By: [[User:Kegisak|Ian Sime]]

{{series box|next=[[Chapter 2: Knitting Needles]]}}

=={{Separator|k|Chapter 1: Mangoes}}==

In the oldest legends, the Sun was named Star-Mother. It was Star-Mother who, when the heavens were still warm and cherry-red from creation, took the first breath of life. It was Star-Mother who, as the cooling song rang out through all there was, molded the breath in her belly. It was Star Mother who, as the glow faded into darkness, bore the first dragons.

She loved her children as much as the sky is high, and It was because of this that she made for them three gifts: The Stars, so that there would always be light in the darkness; The Moon, so that they would remember her even when she was gone; and the World, so that they would always have a home.

Star-Mother's children grew mighty, and wise, and beautiful with these gifts. And although they no longer need her, each day Star-Mother flies over them, watchful for threats. Each day as she does, Star-Mother looks down on her children, and her children's children, and shines brightly with pride.

"Wait, wasn't there a fourth child?"

Sabrina Bunahr closed her eyes and knit her brow in concentration. She was a stout girl, broad at the shoulder and hip, with dark, warm skin and firm features. She was dressed in a robe of gauzy silk and a dress of sheer cashmere, and her sleek, blue-black hair was tied up with a chain of gold. The chain encircled her hairline and hung down on her forehead, where a single, brilliantly purple amethyst was cradled in her brow.

"Yes," she said. "Definitely something about a fourth child. Bar... something. Or... Bey?"

She dabbed at her forehead with the silken scarf she carried, and as she did she hid a low, soft sigh behind it. The heat wasn't helping her memory in the slightest. The worst rains of the wet season had ended, but the humidity had not, leaving a sticky, stagnant heat in the air. The interior of the palace had been transformed into a single, gigantic oven, so hot that Sabrina could scarcely think without sweating.

The palace gardens offered some small reprieve. The occasional breeze took the edge off the heat, and the cascading fountains offered cooling spray. Even so, the air was oppressive. Sabrina's face and arms were gleaming with sweat, and she didn't dare check the dress beneath her robe to assess the damage.

Astha lounged on the rim of the fountain, flicking idly through the book. "Mm," she said. "Nope. Nothing about a fourth child."

Sabrina frowned. "Really?" she asked. "I could have sworn..." She dipped her fingers into the fountain and rubbed them on the back of her neck.. The sudden coolness sent a refreshing shiver down her spine, and she straightened up once again. "Alright. So no fourth child. Then, where was I?"

Astha continued to flip through the book. "You can probably skip the next part," she said. "It's just lists. Lots and lots of lists. Of titles, and materials, and plants, and animals..." She rubbed her head. "For a species that barely has a written language, they sure are thorough about what they record."

"I believe it's metaphorical," another girl, Kamalakshi, offered. She sat beside Sabrina on the bench, slightly taller and straight as a pole. She was a wispy, stringy girl, as though someone had taken a normal person and stretched them out, although she was far from waifish. "Like Vikaasi's Hundred Thousand Seeds. They just discovered a lot of things."

"If it was a metaphor," Astha countered, "Why wouldn't they just say something simple like that? Instead of..." she flipped back to the beginning of the lists and began to read, "Iron and marble and sandstone; dunes and stones and mountains; Silver and Gold and Tigers-Eye; poppies and hawthorn and stinging pears; thunder and lightning and sandstorms..." She took a deep breath and flipped the page.

"Because," Kamalakshi cut her off, "they live in a desert full of absolutely nothing. They probably needed some way to entertain themselves. And if they do something practical, like... teaching their children what to avoid until they were old enough to deal with it, then all the better." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and said, without even trying to hide her disdain, "Or perhaps whoever was telling the legend to the recorder was enjoying a new form of torment and tedium."

"Kamalakshi," Sabrina chided, laying a hand on the girl's. "That's unkind." Still, she couldn't help but laugh. "They're harmless."

"Peaceful isn't the same as harmless," Kamalakshi snorted. "Just because it pleases them to be now, doesn't mean it always will. I don't trust them."

"For now, then," Sabrina said, very deliberately not rolling her eyes, "You worry too much. The worst thing dragons have done lately is make my afternoons much less relaxing than they should be." She brandished her own copy of the history book. "And even then, Harinma is more to blame for that particular offense."

"I'll say," Astha commented from her bed on the fountain. "I'm surprised you aren't with her, actually. She's probably the only cool place in the city right now."

"Because I'm positive that Harinma has been working up to another test, and is prepared to spring it on me the next time she sees me," Sabrina replied. "She's probably hunting me down as we speak, and I would prefer to be at least a bit prepared for it."

"If it were me," Astha said, "I'd want to jump right in, and get it over with. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Another lecture from Father on taking my studies seriously and respecting Harinma," Sabrina said.

"Oh," Astha said. Both she and Kamalakshi fell silent, considering the possibility. Astha nodded gravely.

"And then he would make me study even harder to make up for it," Sabrina concluded.

"Esteemed Maharaja is a wise and just leader," Kamalakshi said, so neutrally her voice managed to sound gray.

"I wish I could share your faith," Sabrina said. She saw Kamalakshi's expression and added, "It's not that I don't trust Father. I just..." She rolled her shoulders and opened the history book. "I just don't understand what value he sees in all this." Astha had been correct: there were pages of lists of what the first three dragons had discovered when they came to earth, enough to make her eyes cross.

Kamalakshi shifted her jaw back and forth. She opened and closed her mouth several times before finally saying, "Yes, well... it's important for a leader to be knowledgeable."

"Sure, in history, and arithmetic, and literature and law," Astha said. "We all learn those. But all this stuff about dragons?"

"I'm... sure Esteemed Maharaja has a good reason," Kamalakshi said, though her tone lacked conviction.

"I'm sure as well," Sabrina said. "But I wish I knew what it was. Perhaps if I did, this wouldn't all feel like such a waste of time. I just don't understand the point in it."

"Well, whatever Esteemed Maharaja's reason is, if you're right you'll find out before too long," Astha said. "I think Harinma just found you."

"What?" Sabrina asked. Her head snapped up and scanned the garden.

Sure enough, Harinma had entered from the other end. The ancient woman's robe was a shade of green that blended with the transplanted trees and ferns, camouflaging her perfectly. Only her slow, waddling movement and the occasional glint of the gold chain she wore gave her away.

Sabrina swore, then covered her mouth. Harinma had not spotted Sabrina yet, judging from how her gaze swept across the garden, and Sabrina had no intention of helping her along. Even if she were able to sort out the dozens of bizarre and foreign names floating around in her head and arrange them into something concrete, she had no desire to spend her afternoon being scrutinized for every stammer or hesitation.

The more she thought of it, the more she set her jaw and tensed her shoulders. Even if she passed the test Harinma would expect her to redouble her efforts, so as to not 'fall behind'. Even while she excelled in her other studies, she spent hour after hour, day after day, studying the dragons—and for what? It wasn't as if she didn't have other responsibilities. She found herself less watching Harinma approach, and more glowering at the woman. Then, out of the corner of her eye, something else caught her attention.

Harinma, it seemed, was not the only one to have joined them in the garden. She had been so intent on her studies, and on Harinma, that she had not noticed before. An enormous figure was making his way between the plantlife. A young man, not much older than Sabrina, and almost as broad across the shoulder as he was tall.

A thought struck Sabrina. She checked back on Harinma, who still didn't appear to have noticed them.

Sabrina closed her book with a soft clap. "No, I won't," she said.

"What?" Kamalakshi asked, blinking.

"She hasn't seen me yet," Sabrina explained, leaning forward. "So no, I'm not going to find out what her excuse is for all of this."

"But you can't just... run out on your responsibilities!" Kamalakshi objected. "What about your father—" She caught herself. "What about Esteemed Maharaja's lecture?"

"I'm not," Sabrina said. "But I have other responsibilities aside from frivolous tests and lessons."

Astha followed Sabrina's gaze to the young man in the garden and grinned. "And the fact that Tu'i Taurau happens to be your favourite responsibility doesn't hurt," she teased.

"It's not like I'm going to avoid the test forever," Sabrina said. "I just need more time to prepare." She put her hands on Kamalakshi's. "Please, Kamala?" she asked.

Kamalakshi scowled the most regal scowl she could manage. Her expression quickly softened, however, and she sighed. "Fine," she said.

Astha jumped to her feet and hauled Kamalakshi up. "We'll tell her you're up in your room studying," she said.

"Thank you," Sabrina said. She stood as well and quickly threw her arms around the pair of girls. "I love you both."

"Have fun," Astha said. Then she began to pull Kamalakshi in Harinma's direction, coaching her on the lie as they went.

Sabrina darted away before Harinma could notice her. She strode quickly between the plants, but did not run, or stoop. A person that moved suspiciously would only attract Harinma's attention. Instead, she took the route that would keep most of the larger flora between her and Harinma.

It was an obtuse, winding path that took Sabrina behind Taurau. He moved at a dawdling pace, roaming from bed to bed with no sense of purpose. Sabrina was able to reach him quickly, where she wrapped her arms around his. "Hello, Tu'i Taurau," she said, before he had a chance to react. "Rescue me, please."

In spite of his bulk, Sabrina quickly brought Taurau's pace up to match hers. She lead him out of the garden as quickly as she could, and around the corner. Then, just for good measure, she lead him down several hallways.

They were walking for several minutes before Sabrina finally decided they were safe and allowed their pace to slow. She let go of Taurau's arm, somewhat reluctantly, and smiled up at him. It was difficult not to.

Tu'i Taurau was everything his silhouette promised. He wore an open robe made of fine, gauzy silk, fastened around the waist by a broad sash. Unlike most men, however, he wore no shirt underneath. Instead he wore his chest bare, exposing his broad, powerful trunk.

His chest and abdomen were covered in tattoos, jet black lines that swirled in intricate patterns, framing strange symbols and terrifying faces. They disappeared beneath his robe, where they covered his shoulders and upper arms in the same detail. Sabrina had heard him explain that the tattoos were sacred, and that to cover his chest was particularly unthinkable. She had always believed he just liked showing off—not that she was inclined to complain.

A cascade of rich, curly black hair piled around his shoulders and framed his round face. Wide, expressive eyes peered at Sabrina from beneath a heavy brow, filled with worry. He cleared his throat and asked, "Is everything alright, Yuvrani Sabrina?" His voice was surprisingly gentle for his powerful appearance.

"Just perfect," Sabrina said. "That was an excellent rescue, Tu'i Taurau, thank you."

"I'm... glad," Taurau said. He glanced back over his shoulder and asked, "But, ah... what did I rescue you from?"

Sabrina thought about it. "Tedium," she answered eventually. "I simply felt like a pleasant afternoon stroll."

Taurau raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh," he said. "Well... I've always thought of afternoon strolls as being a bit more relaxed, but I guess it was a good cure for tedium."

Sabrina laughed and placed a hand on Taurau's arm. "That was a joke, Tu'i Taurau," she said. "I apologize for ambushing you. I hope I didn't worry you too badly?"

"Well," Taurau said. He looked over his shoulder and ran his fingers through his hair. After a moment he turned back and laughed. "Well, no," he said.

Sabrina smiled back at him, a bit slyly. "Oh?" she asked. "Not even a little?"

A look of concern flashed across Taurau's face for a moment, just long enough for Sabrina to appreciate the way his brow crinkled. Then it passed, and he threw back his head in another laugh. "Alright," he conceded. "A lot, at the time. But if you're fine, then there was nothing to be worried about."

Sabrina smiled wider, and she found herself sharing in Taurau's infectious laugh—though not quite so loudly. "Well, I suppose I can live with that," she said.

She lifted her scarf to her forehead once again, dabbing at the beads of sweat that had formed during their walk, and using it to hide her grin. "Now... am I mistaken, or were you taking a stroll of your own?"

"I was," Taurau said. "The garden is beautiful—flowers like I have never seen before."

"You flatter me," Sabrina said. She held her scarf in front of her face again, although this time she strategically failed to hide her smirk.

Taurau blinked. A moment later an expression of realization spread across his face, followed shortly after by a broad smile. "Ah," he said, laughing. "Well, I meant—Yes, but I meant the..." he waved his hands vaguely.

Sabrina laughed and laid a hand on one of his arms, stilling it. "Would you like some company on your walk?" she asked. "I promise we can take a slower pace."

Taurau's laugh quieted to a simple smile, and and he laid his hand over Sabrina's on his arm. "I would like that very much," he said.

Sabrina began to reply, but was cut off by a dusty, wheezing noise, like the scream of time itself. It came from down a hall they had just passed, a distant echo, and it had called her name. In spite of the heat, Sabrina's blood froze in her veins. Harinma.

Sabrina peered up at Taurau, who was staring over his shoulder in shock. He looked down, and when his eyes met Sabrina's she could see his thoughts racing. Taurau's family had won their throne in battle, but they had kept it through cunning.

"Perhaps," Taurau said, "We could take our walk... elsewhere? At a slightly less leisurely pace, for the time being?"

Sabrina nodded sharply. "Outside," she said. "The city. Harinma hates the city; she'll never follow us down there. She can't sit at the gates for me forever." She was fairly certain, at least. If Sabrina spent long enough in the city, Harinma would probably keel over from old age.

She took his arm again and led him in the direction of the front hall. Although their pace was not the near-run it had been when they left the garden, it was still faster than most people would call a walk. In spite of that, Sabrina could not shake the feeling she heard hurried footsteps behind them, as though Harinma was chasing them down. She told herself it was impossible. Harinma's age made waking at a normal pace a monumental task, to say nothing of keeping up with Sabrina and Taurau. Sabrina walked faster just the same.

They managed to reach the front courtyard without being ambushed or set upon by any aged tutors, and Sabrina let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. Beneath her hand she felt Taurau's arm relax as well. Together they allowed their pace to slow, if only slightly, and approached the massive stone wall that surrounded the palace.

The guards bowed in silent recognition of Sabrina. Each of them wore the same leather armour, boiled and polished to a high sheen, over the same long, leather-studded coats. Each coat had a hood that tucked beneath their helmet and covered their face. Only their eyes were visible, peering through two holes in the hood. They were completely identical, and completing the illusion, none of them made a sound.

One of the guards stepped forward. He still did not speak, although his question was clear.

"We won't need an escort," Sabrina assured him. "We'll only be gone for a couple of hours, and I'm certain we won't find any trouble."

The guard looked between the two of them, and looked Taurau up and down. He seemed satisfied by the explanation. He bowed again and stepped back into line. Taurau bowed to him in return, and Sabrina nodded deeply as they passed the guards and crossed through the main gate.

The main gate was actually five gates: broad, peaked arches arranged side-by-side along the wall. Each arch lead to a different path along the stone bridge that connected the palace to the city below. The paths themselves were open, separated only by the pillars that supported the wooden ceiling.

The four paths along the outside were masterfully made, their pillars decorated with patterns reminiscent of creeping vines and water flowers, but for all their artistry they were put to shame by the central path that Sabrina and Taurau walked.

The central pillars were each as thick around as a man. They were decorated not with flowers and vines, but with detailed murals and stories. Each pillar was different: One might show brave warriors doing battle with terrifying beasts, while the next would show those same figures sharing food and drink. Each pillar was a glimpse into the history of Vikaasthan, and of its crown city: Sangam.

Taurau rubbed his cheek as they stepped off the bridge and into the Royal Square. "Well," he said. "Now that we're away from..." he gestured back to the palace, "whatever that was, what now?"

"We stroll, of course," Sabrina said with a laugh. She looked up at him, and noticed the worried crinkling of his brow. "Have you never been into Sangam?" she asked.

"To the port," Taurau said. "When I first arrived, and to greet the attendants father sent after."

"The ocean ports?" Sabrina asked.

"I suppose?" Taurau replied. "Are there others?"

"One for each island, almost," Sabrina said. "And another in the river mouth. The ocean ports hardly count as being in the city. You should really learn more about the city you're living in, you know!"

Taurau ran his fingers through his hair and laughed. "Yes, I suppose," he replied. "It's just been difficult to find the time, and I don't know where to begin. Even just the port is quite impressive."

"Well, that's just telling of how little you know about Sangam," she said. "But fortunately for you, I know exactly where to start." She held his arm tighter, and added, "But don't worry: I'll make sure you're safe in the city."

As Taurau threw his head back in a laugh, Sabrina lead them across the square and into the streets of Sangam.

In spite of the dizzying heat, Sangam was abuzz with activity. The entire island in front of the palace was a single, enormous bazaar, divided into four smaller marketplaces, places on the points of a compass around a central square. Once the divide had been defined by what the shops sold, but now each market was more colourful and eclectic than the last.

Unlike the palace, the bazaar was constructed entirely from the wood of the mangrove trees that filled and surrounded the city. Although the wood was naturally gray, the buildings had been stained red with dyes and years of dust shaken up from the hard-packed dirt streets.

More colour came from the men and women who filled the bazaar. They wore robes for protection from the sun, and each robe seemed more richly dyed than the last. Fiery reds, lush greens, brilliant yellows and depthless blues all moved in a churning current, turning the bazaar into a kaleidoscopic ocean of bodies.

Sabrina kept Taurau close as they moved through the bazaar. There was little danger of losing him, of course—he stood a head above most of the crowd—but for all that Sabrina had been joking about keeping him safe, she also knew that if they were separated he was liable to be ambushed by aggressive shopkeepers. Their cries could be heard over the rumble of the crowd, advertising their wares and decrying competitors. Some even approached Sabrina and Taurau, offering samples of their wares.

Of course, there were other benefits to sticking close to Taurau. Aside from the obvious, that it gave Sabrina an excuse to enjoy his arm and chest, his enormous frame was perfect for pushing through the crowd. The stretch of the southern and northern bazaars would normally take Sabrina almost half an hour to push through without an escort. With Taurau's assistance, they halved that.

Even with his help, more and more merchants approached them as they moved, until they were hardly able to walk for the throng. Eventually, Sabrina accepted a pair of mangoes that the short, fat man selling them insisted were the juiciest in all of Vikaasthan. After she did, he turned back to the crowd and declared that the Yuvrani, as well as a foreign royal, preferred his produce.

The crowd of merchants parted, their mutterings lost in the ensuing clamour of the crowd, and Sabrina and Taurau were able to make for the broad archway that signalled the end of the bazaar.

They exited into another square, though much smaller than the royal square. On the other end were three bridges, crossing over channels to the other islands of the city.

Taurau laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. There was a wild look in his eyes, and a broad grin on his face. "So!" he said. "The ports definitely weren't anything like that. I hope we aren't going to have merchants hounding us all through the city, now that you've given in to one of them..."

Sabrina laughed, and handed one of the mangoes to Taurau. "I only did it so they'd let us go," she said. "If I hadn't, they would probably bar the exits until I had accepted something." She bit into the mango. It was wonderfully cool, the perfect cure for the still-mounting heat. She made a noise of pleasure and said, "Besides. We do so much work for the good of the country, is it such a terrible thing to accept a simple pleasure now and again?

Taurau looked over his shoulder. Beyond the gates of the bazaar, the very tip of the stone palace was visible in the distance. "If you say so," he said. He took a bite from his mango as well, although he was not familiar enough with the fruit to keep the juice from spilling down his chin.

He and Sabrina shared a laughed as Taurau wiped his face. "You don't have to eat so fast," Sabrina assured him. "It will take us a while yet to reach where we're going."

"Oh?" Taurau asked. "Where, exactly?"

Sabrina very carefully and very pointedly did not reply to that. Instead she smiled impishly and wrapped her arm around Taurau's again. "Secrets, Tu'i Taurau," she said.

Taurau bit into the mango to stifle a laugh.

Beyond the bazaar they crossed to a smaller island, leaving behind the ornately designed squares and bustling crowds. They walked along a simple, cozy street nestled in between the houses and the island's banks.

More mangrove trees grew along the banks, and even sprouted from the channel, at intervals too haphazard and frequent to be designed. Despite many of the trees having been cut down, leaving rows of stumps as impromptu walkways across the river, there was still ample shade. The lazy light that filtered down through the leaves turned the red city green, and if it was not cool, it was at least comfortable.

The houses across from the channel were terraced, ten or twelve homes between each street. Although the fronts were plain, made from the same undecorated mangrove wood that filled Sangam, the rare gap in the houses showed a glimpsed of the colourful, lively squares that the homes surrounded.

Although it was the height of the working day, there were still people in the streets. People worked from their homes here, offering mending, tinkering, and other simple services. They and their customers gossiped and chatted as they worked. Their children ran around their legs and through the streets, immersed in the nameless, rule-less games that children play. They stopped to gawk at Sabrina and Taurau as they passed, or to wave wildly. Their parents waved as well and bowed.

Sabrina felt her smile growing steadily wider as they passed through the people. She only distantly recalled how she had originally planned to spend her afternoon cooped up in a classroom, straining her brain over pointless old legends and traditions. This, this had a point. This was worth something.

She knelt down, breaking the remains of her mango in half and giving the pieces to a pair of young girls that ran by. They thanked her profusely and dashed off, giggling with excitement. As she stood up, Sabrina couldn't help but laugh as well.

"It's wonderful," said Taurau, who had finished his own mango. "I can see why you wanted to show me all of this."

Sabrina smiled and looked around. "It is," she said. "But this isn't what I wanted to show you."

"No?" Taurau asked. He ran his fingers through his hair and furrowed his brow, though he smiled all the while. "Then I can't imagine, what is?"

"That's only because you haven't seen it yet," Sabrina said, patting his arm. "But don't worry. You will soon."

She was right. By the time they reached the end of the block they could see poles rising over the line of buildings. A block further and they could hear a busy murmur and clatter.

Sabrina frowned, and her steps slowed for a moment. They were approaching the end of the block, and the sounds were becoming more and more clear. It was also becoming clear that it was not the sound of work and conversation that she had expected. There was shouting, and pounding footsteps, and the sound of grinding stone.

Taurau clearly heard it as well. He moved ahead of Sabrina, staring hard at the corner the sounds were coming from. His posture was lowered, ready to spring. "Is something going on?" he asked.

Sabrina wanted to know as well. She picked up her pace again, striding past Taurau and looking around the corner into the wide alley beyond.

If Taurau had not been ready, had not be able to lunge forward and pull her back, she would have lost her head to the dragon's tail.

The tip swung inches away from Sabrina's face, fast enough to make a thrumming noise that rang in her ears. She yelped and jumped back, nearly tripping over her own feet.

Taurau laughed. It was not his usual brassy, sonorous sound. Instead it was high, howling and vicious. It was not a sound of joy, but a warning. He leaped forward, ducking under the swinging tail and slamming his open palm into the dragon's knee.

The dragon roared and staggered forward. It reared up to keep from toppling over, and turned on Taurau.

It was young, perhaps only thirty years old: It stood just shy of seven feet tall. From head to tail it was almost ten feet, with a wingspan to match. Powerful muscles rippled beneath cobalt scales, like those of a crocodile, and a nest of horns as black as pitch sprouted from a bony crest on its forehead. Claws of the same black material tipped each finger and toe, vicious, and caked in dust from where they had scored through earth and stone.

The dragon howled again, showing off a mouth full of fangs, each one as long as Sabrina's fingers. Taurau returned the howl, slapping his thighs for emphasis, and leaped forward again.

"Wait!" the dragon cried, throwing his arms in front of his face. He spoke with a strange, barking accent, but his meaning was clear even if the words were not. "Cut it out!"

Taurau hesitated for just a moment. It was long enough for Sabrina to throw an arm across his chest. "Taurau, stop!" she said.

He did as he was asked, but Taurau looked between Sabrina and the dragon. "He could have hurt you!" he said. He didn't sound as sure.

"It was just an accident," Sabrina said. "He was just turning around and didn't see me." She turned to the dragon and asked, "right?"

"Y-yeah," the dragon replied. He eyed Taurau warily, and took a step away from him. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." He brought in his tail, curling it around his feet.

"It's alright," Sabrina assured him. "What's going on? We heard noises."

In fact, they were still hearing noise. Sabrina leaned to look past the dragon. She couldn't see much, but she caught the occasional glimpse of workers and dragon whelps dancing awkwardly around something she couldn't quite see.

"It's..." the dragon said. He was clearly hesitant to speak to them, or share the issue. Then his eyes locked on the chain on Sabrina's forehead. His bony brow furrowed, and a look of recognition flashed across his face.

"Ah!" he said, pointing at the chain. "You're the, ah..." he patted his tail on the ground, searching for the word. "The, um...! Speaker!"

Sabrina blinked, and frowned. "Esteemed Yuvrani?" she suggested cooly.

"That!" the dragon said. "Can you help? I think we need help."

Sabrina's frown deepened. "Help with what?" she pressed, trying her best to remain patient.

Rather than answering, the dragon gestured for Sabrina to follow. Then he turned again and limped towards the source of the noise. He lead Sabrina and Taurau around the corner and into an open area.

It was a public square—or rather, it would be. At the moment it was a construction site, cordoned off with ropes and stakes that the dragon cleared easily. The dirt beyond the barricade had recently been churned. Cobblestones had been pressed into the earth in some places, but much of the dirt was still soft and loose, and riddled with a history in claw and footprints.

At the centre of the square was the skeleton of an enormous bridge. It rose as high as the rooftop of the surrounding buildings and spanned the main channel of the Salaee River in a gentle, lazy arch. The poles that they had seen before rose up around it, supporting a network of scaffolding that spiralled around the bridge like a creeping, strangling vine. Amid those poles, beneath the bridge, the source of the noise was immediately clear.

Another dragon, a female almost twice as large as the first, was tangled among the scaffolding poles and the false supports of the bridge. She had managed to get a grip on either bank of the river, one with a foot and one with a hand, but her wings were trapped between the poles and it was clear that he balance was beginning to fail. Every so often she would reach out to try and get a grip on the bridge, resulting in a chorus of shouting from the human workers.

"There!" the cobalt dragon said, gesturing to the scene beneath the bridge. "She came in for a landing too fast, and wound up under the bridge."

Sabrina strode past him, searching for the most important looking person. She found a group of men huddled together and asked, "What's going on here?"

One of them men shot her a scowl. Then he started, and looked up fully. "Esteemed Yuvrani!" he said. The other men looked up as well, blinking in shock.

One of them, a clean-shaven man with thinning hair and leathery hands, seemed to be quicker than the rest. He stepped away from the group and bowed to her. "Forgive me, Esteemed Yuvrani. I'm the foreman here, but I'm afraid we're having a bit of a moment—one of the dragons helping with deliveries got trapped under the bridge. The weight must've thrown her off or something like. Either way, we've got to get her out from under there without tearing down everything we've done so far."

"Can't she just go into the river?" Taurau asked as he arrived alongside Sabrina. "It looks like she could swim between the poles."

The foreman shook his head. "Take a look," he said, pointing to the dragon. Her front swung down as she momentarily lost a grip on the bank, showing an enormous bundle on her back.

"Granite," the man explained. "Heavy da—" he eyed Sabrina and coughed. "Heavy stuff, and expensive. If she goes in the river, best case scenario is we lose it all."

"And it'll weigh her down!" the cobalt dragon added. The worry in his voice was clear even through his accent. "The river isn't wide enough for a wingbeat. If she can't adapt in time..."

The foreman nodded gravely.

Sabrina stared at the dragon for a long moment. "Can you get the stone off of her?" she asked.

"We could get some men climb up there, train it down," the Foreman said. "Or maybe get someone down from the bridge, rope it up."

Sabrina crossed her arms, wrapping her scarf over her mouth as she did so. She shifted her jaw back and forth as she considered it. "That would just put more weight on her back," she said, finally. "I don't think she could do it. But..." she turned back to the foreman and asked, "Do any of your men know how to pray to Vikaasi?"

The foreman rubbed his jaw. "None of the men," he said. "I know a few scraps, myself... don't have the knack for it, else I wouldn't be doing this."

"That's alright," Sabrina said. "Get your men's attention, and then let me tell them what we need to do."

The foreman nodded sharply and bellowed to the group. When they were all paying attention, he bowed to Sabrina.

She stepped forward and raised her voice. "Form a line!" she said. "I need people as close to the dragon as possible, ready to ferry stone down!"

The men jumped to work. They climbed the scaffolding like spiders, and in the space of a moment they were ready. Even Taurau had joined them, ready on the edge of the river.

"Follow my movements carefully," Sabrina told the foreman. "Once you're ready, you just need to keep the stone in place. I'll move it one piece at a time."

The foreman gave a grunt of understanding, and watched Sabrina carefully. Together, they fell into the prayer stance: hands pressed together in front of the belly, shoulders loose, knees and elbows slightly bent.

Sabrina breathed deep and let her mind relax. She felt the breath filling her lungs, the air. She felt the subtle switching and tensing of her muscles, the soil. She felt the moisture on her fingertips, the rain. She turned her thoughts to Vikaasi, the mother of all that grew, the green woman, and felt the tiny seed of power thrum to life in her belly.

She parted her hands and made a series of gestures. Each motion was precise, practiced. Her entire body moved, flowing from one pose into the next as she rolled her wrists and arranged her fingers. Each one had a meaning, single and specific, and the gestures had to be exact. Together, they formed her prayer.

The power inside her grew, spreading through her limbs like a vine around her bones. In spite of the circumstance, she could not help but smile, as she did every time she prayed. The power was warm and welcoming. Despite being inside of her, it felt like an embrace.

Soon it had filled her so full she could not longer contain it, and with a final gesture she set it free. It flowed down her arms, through her fingertips, and into the air with a near-invisible shimmer. Beside her, the foreman did the same.

The effect was subtle, at first. The pack on the dragon's back shifted, then slowly came undone. The blocks it had tied began to shift and tumble. For just a moment, the world stood still. Every man and dragon held their breath as the blocks fell.

Then, all at once, they stopped.

Sabrina breathed a sigh of relief. The foreman was struggling, but he had them, and he would not drop them again. She turned back to the scene, and began her own work.

The first block lifted off the pile. It sailed through the air in a tight arc, landing perfectly in the hands of the first man in the train. He, in turn, passed it to the man behind him, who passed it to the man behind him. All along the wall the brick made its way down, until finally Taurau caught it with a grunt of exertion, and laid it on the ground.

There was a rumble of approval from the workers. There was no time for congratulations though, not yet. Sabrina made the next block fly. The moment the first man in the train passed it along, she sent him the third. Soon the workers found a fast, steady rhythm. No hands were ever without stone for longer than the time it took to turn around.

Before long the entire bundle had been shifted, and the dragon's back was clear. Sabrina let the power of the prayer slip away, and dabbed the sweat off of her brow. "Alright!" she called out to the dragon. "You're safe to let go!"

The dragon dropped immediately, crashing into the river and sending up a spray that soaked the men on the wall. They roared with laughter at the splash, and at a job well done. They slapped one another on the shoulder and some began the climb down, while others opted to instead jump into the river after the dragon.

Soon enough everyone was back on the bank. The cobalt dragon, as well as an assortment of whelps, crowded around the sopping wet dragon's feet. She touched their heads and assured them she was alright, then shooed them back.

The surface of her scales rippled and flickered like a candle flame. She looked almost fluid as her scales became skin, and the skin became gleaming duck feathers. The water on her beaded and cascaded to the ground like a waterfall, and in moments she was as dry as her homeland. Then she shimmered again, and was scale once more.

She approached Sabrina, and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Honoured Yuvrani," she said. "I am Tor-Tomae, Speaker for my tribe. You have done me a great service, and I am indebted. If there is anything you might ask of me, please."

Sabrina smiled and waved a hand. "It was nothing, Tor-Tomae," she said. "I just helped where I was needed. But I'm sure if you tried to be more careful landing next time, the foreman would appreciate it."

Tor-Tomae's dark copper scales and heavy crest hid her scowl. Even if they had not, Sabrina likely wouldn't have noticed. She had turned her attention back to the foreman, who was wheezing and leaning with his hands on his knees.

"Whoo!" he said said. "Been years since I tried to do anything that heavy. Reminds me why I don't anymore." He hauled himself back and beamed at Sabrina. "That was some mighty impressive work, Esteemed Yuvrani. We're lucky you came by."

"I was happy to help," Sabrina said with a smile. She put a hand on Taurau's shoulder as he joined them and added, "Though I'll admit it isn't exactly what I expected to see when I brought us down here. Is everything going well?"

The foreman ran a hand over his hair. "Aside from Tor-Tomae getting stuck?" he asked. "Everything's going perfectly, actually. Those fellas can work like nobody's business, when you set them to a task."

Sure enough, the dragons had already returned to their work. The whelps had begun to divvy up the blocks for carving, and some had even started inscribing rough shapes. Those shapes would gradually be whittled down to perfect detail, using nothing more than their claws.

"If we get lucky and don't have any other major issues," the foreman continued, "we'll likely get finished well ahead of time. Only trouble will be keeping the locals from peeking until it's time."

"Time for what?" Taurau asked. "Are you not planning to open the bridge once it's finished?"

The foreman cocked an eyebrow at Taurau. "Pardon," he said. "Suppose you aren't from around here, ah..."

"Honoured Tu'i Taurau," Sabrina introduced him. "And no, he isn't.

"This isn't just any bridge," Sabrina explained to Taurau. "This is the Armistice Bridge. The second Armistice Bridge, actually. The first one is up north, between the lakeshore provinces. It will be the hundredth anniversary this year, so we're going to unveil it for the celebration."

Taurau looked up at the bridge with renewed interest, and he ran his fingers through his hair. "A hundred years?" he asked. "That's..." he laughed. "A fitting tribute, I suppose!"

"The Esteemed Maharaja certainly thought so," the foreman said. "I hope you'll think so too, Esteemed Yuvrani?"

"Definitely," Sabrina said. "I'm sure it will be many more times as beautiful when it's completed. At the peak, you'll be able to see right down the Salaee, for miles into the country." She felt her heart swell with pride.

"Say," the foreman said, rubbing his jaw. "Won't be quite the same, since you wouldn't be seeing it from the bridge, but the scaffolding at the top there has about the same view. Would you like a bit of a sneak peek?"

"Ah," Sabrina said. "Up... there, you mean?" She peered at the scaffolding, and noticed for the first time just how... high it was. "Well, that does sound..." She peered at Taurau.

Unfortunately, Taurau was smiling. "That does sound quite impressive," he said. "Sangam has been beautiful so far, I can only image a view from up high. I'd quite like to see it."

"Perfect!" The foreman declared with a clap of his hands. He lead them to the bridge, and began to climb the scaffolding.

There were no real ladders or steps. The foreman used the supports themselves to climb with almost impossible speed. Taurau followed after, and if he was not as fast as the foreman, his agility was still surprising.

Sabrina, however, found herself climbing with much less agility, and a great deal more shaking. It was difficult to push herself up when her legs felt like rubber, and the desire to keep her eyes shut as tight as possible forced her to grope blindly for the next level of the scaffolding.

Eventually she felt a hand take hers. It drew her up in a gentle, but unhindered movement. Slowly, carefully, she opened one eye to see who it was.

She realized, briefly, that it had been Taurau. A moment later she realized that they were standing on the highest platform of the scaffolding. In particular, she was standing on the very edge of the highest platform.

The river seemed miles below her, far enough to be hard as stone if she fell. Even if it hadn't been, it seemed so thin that she was as likely to land on the hard banks. The longer she stared, the farther away she was—and at the same time, the more precarious it seemed.

Her mind knew that was foolishness, of course. The river could not be more than 10 feet down, and was twice that across. If she fell she would be wet, and no worse. Her stomach, however, was too busy twisting itself in knots to listen to reason, and her knees seemed to have abandoned her entirely. She collapsed against Taurau, throwing her arms around his trunk to steady herself.

She was fortunate that he was so sturdy she was unable to move him at all. Less fortunate was that he apparently found it hilarious. His laughter caused his belly to shake, which in turn caused Sabrina to shake.

"I'm sorry!" he said, putting his hands on her shoulders to keep her steady. "I shouldn't laugh. Are you alright?"

"Yes," Sabrina said. She hoped that her voice sounded even half as confident as she had meant it to. She reigned in her traitorous knees and forced herself to stand up straight. "I'm perfectly fine. I just... slipped, is all." She considered stepping away from him, but decided that wasn't quite wise.

Taurau chuckled and looked out at the river. "Well... the foreman was right," he said. "It's a very impressive view."

With some effort, Sabrina managed to follow his gaze, careful not to look down at all. As she did, she felt her fear beginning to slip away.

The bridge crossed the main channel, which sliced cleanly through the northern half of the city. Sangam rose on a gentle slope, enough that they could see the channels between each individual island. The late afternoon sun glittered on the water, setting the deep greens of city alight with gold and silver.

They could see even beyond the city, where the delta gradually flared out into mainland, and the river disappeared into the trees. Although they could not see, Sabrina knew that it stretched for hundreds of miles north. Mangrove trees would give way to Nutmeg, and Banyan, and White Dammar, all casting their shade over plants and flowers of every description. Vikaasi's splendour, stretching for what seemed like an eternity in all directions.

Sabrina's breath caught in her throat, and her fear was forgotten. Everything was forgotten. She leaned against Taurau's arm, and watched her country. If she listened carefully, she imagined, she could even hear its heartbeat. "It's beautiful," she said.

"It is," Taurau agreed. His voice was low, and softer even than usual. He was quiet for a moment, and then added, "Thank you, Yuvrani Sabrina."

Sabrina blinked up at Taurau. He explained, "For showing me everything today. The city, the bridge—and on the riverbank... that was amazing."

"Oh, that?" Sabrina asked. She began to laugh, but stopped when she saw the earnestness on his face. "The riverbank wasn't anything special. I've just been studying prayer since I was little. If you cared to learn, you could as well."

"Not that," Taurau said. "Although that was impressive, too. No..." he shook his head. "I meant the workers. They listened to you, without even thinking. And before that, in the city, how the people waved to you, and called out to you. Even in the bazaar, they offered you gifts, and wanted your opinion." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You know, I... when you found me in the garden today, I was thinking about a letter from my father."

"Were you?" Sabrina asked, finally recovering from her surprise. "I'm sorry—I hadn't realized I had pulled you away from something important."

"No," Taurau said. "No, it wasn't very important. He was just asking if I was finally beginning to settle in, and what I thought of Vikaasthan."

"Oh?" Sabrina asked. She watched him carefully. His normally open, jovial expressions had taken a distant quality. "And... what were you planning on telling him?"

"That's just it," Taurau said. "I wasn't sure. I didn't know how to explain all of... this," he waved a hand vaguely at the city before them, "without sounding mad. It... may I be honest with you, Yuvrani?"

"Of course," Sabrina said.

"My father thinks that Vikaasthan is frivolous," Taurau said. "That you have too much, and it's gone to your heads. And before I came, I thought so too." He laughed wistfully. "You know, I even fought with him about it. I didn't want to come. But he told me that trade was too important for Kainga-o-Whenua. If I wouldn't go, he said, then he would have another son. And if he sent him the day he was old enough to walk, then he would be just as mature as I was being."

He threw his head back and laughed. Sabrina blinked, too thrown off by his bluntness to do anything else. If it had not been for shock, she would have objected.

"I came, of course," he continued. "For the good of Kainga-o-Whenua. And I'm glad I did. Actually being here made me realize that I had been wrong... but I couldn't say how. But now I can." He looked back over the city, and smiled. "Your people love you, Yuvrani Sabrina."

Sabrina blinked. She had never thought of it before. Even in her earliest memories, that was simply how it had been. "Shouldn't they?" she asked.

"Perhaps," Taurau said. "But in Kainga-o-Whenua, they don't. They respect my father and my brother, and they respect their leadership, but they don't love them. We're a means to an end: someone to rule the nation, because the nation needed someone to rule it. Someone who could do what's best... for the country."

Taurau gestured to the skyline before them. "Parks, statues, reliefs... there's so many things in this city that a country doesn't need. My father would never build those things. But then... he would never walk down people's streets, and offer them pieces of a mango."

For a long moment, the only sound was the rushing of the water below as Sabrina considered this. Slowly, her smile returned. "Shouldn't I?" she asked.

Taurau beamed back at her and took her hands. "You should," he said. "What I saw today wasn't frivolity. What I saw was a young woman who, one day, will do wonderful things for her country."

"I will," Sabrina said. She turned back to the country, and breathed deep. "Soon. I'm ready for it. I know I am."

"Maybe so," Taurau said, chuckling. "Thank you, Yuvrani Sabrina, for helping me to understand. I hope you can forgive my ignorance?"

Sabrina frowned slightly. But it was impish, and it became a smile before too long. It was difficult to frown at the warmth in Taurau's face. "Ignorance you kept to yourself is hardly ignorance worth apologizing over," she said. She gripped his hands tighter. "But of course. I forgive you, Tu'i Tuarau."

Taurau smiled broadly and pressed his hands together over Sabrina's. "Thank you," he said. "And... forgive me, I don't always know what's polite. But if it is acceptable, please... just call me Taurau."

It was strange, how the day seemed to get warmer in the hours approaching evening. Sabrina dipped her head and rolled her shoulders. "I think," she said, "that would be acceptable. In fact... you may call me Sabrina, as well."

Somehow, Taurau managed to smile even wider. "Thank you, Sabrina," he said.

They stood together in silence, for a while. They listened to the murmur of the city around them, and the rush of the water, and the distant giggle of wind in the trees. They enjoyed each other's company, and the coolness of the breeze above the city.

Time passed, however. The shadows grew long and the light turned orange, and they agreed, wordlessly, that it was time to return.

Their trip through the city was also taken in silence, at first. But soon enough the silence was filled with idle conversation and—in Sabrina's case at least—mild flirtation. By the time they reached the palace again, when dusk had well and truly begun, both were enraptured in conversation.

"...and he said," Taurau related, throwing up his hands in a pantomime, "I just wanted some Kiwis!"

Sabrina laughed until she snorted, barely remembering to cover her mouth as she did. "And all of that, just for fruit?" she asked.

"Well, that's the story we tell ourselves," Tautau said. He ran his fingers through his hair and grinned. "I think it just makes us feel better about being pirates."

"Surely not," Sabrina laughed, waving a hand. "Maybe then, but pirates don't collect taxes."

"Having had been, then," Taurau said as they stepped onto the bridge to the palace. "Either way, even when I was young I doubted it captured the actual history of the matter."

"These things rarely do," said a voice that stopped Sabrina in her tracks. It was a moderate, breathy sort of voice, the kind that always seemed patient and reasonable. Sabrina had long ago learned to recognize the subtle edge to it, however.

She winced, and had to fight the urge to hunker down and away from the voice. Her eyes flicked to the guards and the ministers standing along the edge of the brewing storm, before, finally, she had no choice but to look at the speaker. "Honoured Father," she said.

Sabrina's father, Maharaja Marthanda Bunahr, was a stoutly built man. He was by no means muscular, or even particularly large, but he was solid and square, and made all the more so by his rigid posture. He seemed to be made of straight lines and hard edges, with the exception of a full, curling moustache. Even the wrinkles that lined his face, drawn by years of stress, seemed unnaturally straight.

"Sabrina," he said. He turned to Taurau and bowed slightly. "Tu'i Taurau."

Taurau bowed as well, deeper. "Esteemed Maharajah," he said.

Marthanda nodded in acknowledgement, then turned back to his daughter. "So," he said. "This is where you spent your afternoon."

She bit back a comment. Instead she squared her shoulders and tried her best to match her father's posture. She felt more like a condemned woman giving one last show of defiance than the future Maharani, but there was no sense in showing it in front of her father's ministers. "Yes," she said simply.

Sabrina was unsure if it was the humidity making her sweat, or the mounting tension in the air. Her father's frown seemed to deepen with each passing moment. She told herself it was just an illusion created by his moustache, and almost managed to believe it.

Taurau cleared his throat suddenly, and stepped forward. "Esteemed Maharaja," he said. "I would like to thank you. Your daughter was showing me the city today, and helping me to understand your country better."

Marthanda raised an eyebrow at this. He looked between Taurau and Sabrina. "Indeed?" he asked.

"Yes," Taurau said quickly. "I wanted to help my father understand your culture better. With her help, I believe that I can. I have much I wish to tell him, now."

"I see," Marthanda said. He stroked his moustache, curling the end around his finger thoughtfully. "Thank you, Tu'i Taurau. I am glad to hear that my daughter has been helping you. My faith in her was not misplaced." He never took his eyes off of Sabrina. "I won't keep you from your writing. Have a good evening, Tu'i Taurau."

Taurau blinked, and managed a chuckle under his breath. "Ah, thank you, Esteemed Maharaja." He turned back to Sabrina and bowed to her as well. "And you, Sabrina."

Sabrina bowed to him as well. As she did, she mouthed, 'Thank you'. "Good evening, Taurau," she said.

Taurau slipped past the Maharaja and the ministers, sparing a glance over his shoulder before disappearing out of the courtyard.

Marthanda waved a hand limply. "A private moment with my daughter, please," he said. The ministers nodded and left as well, though their reluctance was clear. The guards remained. They gave no indication that they were paying attention, or indeed even existed beneath their armour.

Some of the stiffness drained from Marthanda's posture, and he allowed himself a smile. Suddenly the lines of his face did not look hard, but warm and inviting. "Honestly, Sabrina," he said.

"I really did want to help him," Sabrina objected.

Marthanda laughed and beckoned Sabrina closer. She approached, and he put a hand on her head. "I believe you," he said. "But I also believe that particular responsibility weighs on you less heavily than others."

Sabrina began to retort, but couldn't find one. Eventually she settled on, "It's still important."

"It is," Marthanda agreed. "Kainga-o-Whenua will be a great friend to Vikaasthan." He sighed and shook his head. "My Sabrina," he said, cradling her face in his hands. "You are clever, and beautiful, and responsible, but you are obstinate and young. All of your responsibilities are important. I give them to you because I trust you."

"I... thank you, father," Sabrina said. She could not help but lean into her father's touch.

"But," Marthanda said, "How can I trust you if you run from your duties? Harinma was searching for you all afternoon. She tells me that Kamalakshi and Astha lied to protect you!" He frowned, and his expression became distant. "And while I will admit convincing Kamalakshi to lie is impressive on its own, it is not the behaviour of a Maharani."

Sabrina sighed. "I know," she admitted. "I'm sorry, father. I just... wasn't ready. I knew that Harinma was planning a test, and I wasn't certain I could pass it."

Marthanda nodded. "And there is a wisdom in that," he said. "To hold off, and prepare. But there is also virtue in facing your failures head-on, when they will not hurt you."

Sabrina and her father clearly had a different definition of 'hurt'. The thought of spending every afternoon for the next month trapped in one of Harinma's lectures was torturous. Wisely, however, she simply nodded. "I understand," she said.

"I am glad," Marthanda said. He took a step back and smiled at her. "Vikaasi grew you strong," he said, "And Salaee carried you well. But I am proud of you. I am positive you will be able to pass Harinma's test."

Sabrina smiled at the compliment, but then blinked. "What?" she asked.

Apparently taking that as her cue, Harinma shuffled out of the shadows. "Good evening, Honoured Yuvrani," the old woman said. Although it was unspoken, Sabrina was positive she could hear the addition of, 'Thought you could escape, eh?'

Sabrina's shoulders sagged. "Harinma," she said. Evidently, she had been wrong. Harinma was very capable of waiting for her at the gate all afternoon. "Is it alright for you to be up so late? Your health..."

"Has never been better," Harinma replied, in a tone that was barely more polite than a growl. "I am glad to hear you're more dedicated to your studies, that you wanted extra time to prepare. I will make sure to adjust my expectations."

"I'm sure you will," Sabrina said flatly.

Marthanda patted Sabrina's shoulder firmly. "All of your responsibilities are important, Sabrina," he reminded her. "Take your test, to the best of your abilities." He smiled broadly and kissed her forehead. "Then come for dinner when you are done."

"I imagine this will not take long," Harinma said, bowing to Marthanda. "Thank you, Esteemed Maharaja."

Marthanda nodded to her. "And thank you, Harinma, for your patience," he replied. "Best of luck." Then he turned on his heel, and strode out of the courtyard.

Sabrina and Harinma stared at one another in silence. Sabrina broke it first, with a heavy sigh. "Let's get this over with," she said. She considered asking for death, but she was afraid Harinma might take her seriously.

Harinma nodded sharply. "Come with me," she demanded, and began to hobble into the palace.

"Wait," Sabrina said. "The study room is the other way."

"I had the little whispers in your ears return the study room's text to your room," Harinma said. "I thought it might help you remember what you were supposed to be doing this afternoon. We'll pick it up on the way to the Library." Then she was silent, with an expression that brokered no argument.

Sabrina fell in behind her, matching the woman's agonizing pace. Idly, she reflected that all of this might not be so terrible if there were some way of just getting it over with.

But there was no way to get it over with, and it was terrible. By the time Harinma stopped them, night had fallen.

Sabrina groaned internally. It would take them as long again to reach the library. "We can just take the test in here," she suggested.

Harinma peered over her shoulder an arched her eyebrow at Sabrina, an expression that threatened to crack her stony old face.

"What do we need?" Sabrina asked. "A book, and a place for both of us to sit. It has both."

Harinma muttered under her breath as she considered this. "Fine," she said finally. "I suppose we won't need it for long anyways." She ushered Sabrina inside before the girl had a chance to retort, and shut the door tight behind them.

Sabrina's bedroom was as lavish as any there had ever been, walled with yellow marble inlaid by pillars of dark, red-brown wood. The far wall held a series of glass windows and a door, which lead to a balcony overlooking the gardens.

All the furniture was made from the same wood as the pillars, including the bed that dominated most of the room. It was low and wide, and carved with images of bluebelle vines. A veil hung open around it, a pale lilac colour the same as the silk sheets. The guest furniture, a pair of high back chairs and a long, backless sofa arranged around a low table, were made in the same style and arranged across from the bed.

Finally, beside the bed was a small desk, nestled in between a full-body mirror and another door, which lead to Sabrina's wardrobe. Just as Harinma had said, the history text had been left in the middle of the desk, where it could not possibly be missed.

Sabrina took a seat on the edge of the bed as Harinma shuffled around the room. The old woman retrieved a pack of matches and hobbled to a nearby sconce. She lit it with slow, shaking movements. When it was burning to her satisfaction, she began the journey to the next.

Sabrina groaned. Her patience had finally failed her. She straightened up, put her hands together, and prayed.

The sconces sprung to life as one, just as Harinma reached the second. She let out a cry, followed by a viscous mutter. "That was unnecessary," she said.

Sabrina disagreed. "I'd just prefer to get to the test," she said as she sat back down. Her mood had not improved at all, but she couldn't help but feel more chipper with the warm afterglow of prayer still in her bones.

"Fine," Harinma grunted as she hobbled her way to the front of the room. "I suppose I'm eager to have this finished as well."

Sabrina thought she heard something about 'haughty' and an 'upstart' muttered under Harinma's breath, but she ignored it.

Harinma snatched the history text off the desk. Without bothering to open it she demanded, "How did it begin?"

Sabrina blinked. "What?" she asked.

"How did it begin?" Harinma echoed. "You're the one who wanted to be impatient. How did history begin?"

Sabrina realized that Harinma had begun the test. She sat bolt upright and kicked her mind into motion. "The legend begins with Star-Mother," she said. "'First there was the universe, and it breathed out, and then there was Star-Mother, and she breathed in',"

Harinma grunted. She still hadn't opened the history book, but held it at her hip like a weapon. "And who were her children?"

Sabrina furrowed her brow. "Kenoch, Tahra and... Supin?"

"Ko-Kenoch, Tor-Tahra and Sal-Supin," Harinma wheezed. "And their sacred stones?"

"Sandstone and gold, for their abundance and how easy they are to work," Sabrina replied. Harinma's eyes narrowed, and Sabrina felt a faint smile find its way to her lips. Her mental frenzy had begun to subside, and she found the information coming to her more easily.

"And because they were the gifts Sal-Supin and Tor-Tahra gave one another before they parted," Harinma said. "Enough! I've heard all that I need to. You can drop that smile. You've failed."

"What?" Sabrina asked. She kept her smile, if only out of spite, but managed to scowl at Harinma just the same. "but I answered every question right!"

"Superficially," Harinma said. "At best. You've obviously heard the words I said, but their meaning appears to have escaped you."

"It's only a religion," Sabrina said, her smile finally fading. "You don't expect me to believe it, do you?"

"Whether you believe it or not is up to you," Harinma said. "What isn't up to you is that the dragons believe it, and that it's important to them. And if your esteemed father, bless his reign, saw fit to hire a barren old hag to teach it, then it's clearly important to him as well," she said.

Sabrina did not sigh, and did not slouch, although she very much wanted to. Harinma's threat was clear. "Fine," she said. "You want to know what they believe. I can do that. Ask me another." she very carefully did not roll her eyes at the word 'believe'.

Harinma's expression softened, in the way that wood is softer than stone, and she finally opened her book. She turned a few pages, muttering to herself as she did, until she appeared to find something suitable. "What is the name of Star Mother's fourth child?"

"That's," Sabrina began, and stopped. Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Fourth... I knew there was a fourth!" she said. She shut her eyes and concentrated. "Ben... Bell? No, Bek..."

"Ban-Belii," Harinma said. A wicked smile split her face. "Who was banished into darkness when she tried to take Star Mother's gifts for herself." She shut her book with a clap.

"No," Sabrina said. Her furrow deepened into a scowl. "You never taught me anything about her, I only saw her name in passing. You can't just ask me something I've ever learned and expect me to just know it."

"If you had been studying this afternoon like you had claimed, you might have been able to answer it," Harinma said. "People will ask you questions, whether or not they think you have the answer. Dragons included. The fact that I could ask you a question you don't know the answer to just goes to show how much more you have to learn. Ban-Belii will be your next lesson. We'll start on her tomorrow, after we've seen if you've actually learned anything."

"But that's not--" Sabrina fumed. For a lack of anything better to do, she stood up. "Nobody is going to expect me to know any of this! No dragon is ever going to come to court, so what's the point?"

"Your father certainly thinks there's a point," Harinma said. "Would you like him to explain it?"

Sabrina seethed. Harinma's smile was far too knowing, far too controlling. Tutor or no, the woman delighted in the chance to make demands of the Yuvrani. Worse still, she trotted out Sabrina's father as a trump card at every opportunity. "I know that Father has his reasons," she said. "But for as much faith as I have in him, he can't always be right. We don't need it."

"Not even if you find you've accidentally spit in a dragon's face?" Harinma asked. "Not even if you insult them so badly they want to stop trade? Or go to war again?"

"They can go ahead!"Sabrina said. "They're the ones who asked for a treaty. They knew it was only a matter of time until we could take what we needed, so they made the smart choice. Vikaasthan didn't happen because of legends, or bowing and scraping, it happened because of this." She threw her hands out at the torches. "And that, I know."

Harinma's eyes narrowed dangerously. If Sabrina had not been so furious, she might have heard a faint hiss escape the woman's throat. "So prove it," Harinma demanded.

Sabrina prepared a retort, and stumbled for a moment over the lack of anything to react to. "What?" She asked.

"Prove it," Harinma said. "Prove that you can protect your people, if the dragons decide to stop bowing and scraping. A Maharani needs to protect her people, and if you can't do it through politics, then at least show you can do it with war."

Sabrina's anger had cooled to a low, steady fury. She set her jaw and her shoulders. "My ancestor had other mages," she said. "They were strong because they could share their prayers."

"Exactly," Harinma said. "There's hardly a scrap of power in me. Vikaasi's as likely to answer my prayers as a fish is to sprint. If you can manage to share prayer with someone like me, then maybe, maybe I'll believe you're ready."

Sabrina peered hard at Harinma. "And... that means you'll hold back on the lessons?" she asked.

"I'll convince your father to drop them entirely," she said. "You won't need them anyways."

Angry as she still was, Sabrina considered the offer. It was tempting, but she would hear no end of it from her father.

Then again, Harinma had said she would convince Marthanda. Harinma could tell him that the lessons were complete at any time, that Sabrina had learned all she needed to, and more. If, somehow, Harinma were willing to leave it at that, she would be out of Sabrina's life forever.

"Well?" Harinma barked, slamming her book down on the table.

Sabrina jolted. She folded her arms and turned her shoulder towards Harinma. "I'm thinking!" She said. She frowned deeper, scowled harder. "I've never... actually shared a prayer before."

"So?" Harinma asked. "You've never learned this, you've never done that—if the dragons come calling, are you going to tell them you've never gone to war before? Ask them to go easy on you? Come back in a few years when you're ready?"

"So, don't expect me to be able to carry you through this!" Sabrina growled. Her shoulders were so tightly tensed they were beginning to ache.

"Then what are you for?" Harinma demanded.

"Fine!" Sabrina spat. "Fine. Do you know the motions, or do you need me to walk you through it from the start?"

"Of course I know the movements," Harinma said. "I doubt you'd understand, but when you want something so desperately you're willing to smash against it just to have a chance, you learn a lot about it." She flowed into the same pose Sabrina had, hands together with something that almost resembled grace, despite her frailty.

Sabrina took the pose as well. It was difficult to still her shaking shoulders, to quell the hot anger in her belly, but she breathed deep. Before too long the worst of her fury had subsided, leaving her with hard, steely focus.

They began together. They moved in perfect unison, matching gesture, pose, and even breathing. Vaguely, Sabrina felt the beat of her heart begin to slow as well. She felt the power spreading through her, smothering the last of the anger. Filling her up. For over a minute Sabrina and Harinma moved in perfect time, fifty-five movements.

There was a shuddering feeling as the spell left Sabrina, and her body filled with warmth. To judge from Harinma's expression, she felt it as well. The old woman held up her hands to look at them, and Sabrina felt a faint tugging in her bones. Her body wanted to keep up the dance, to continue to mirror Harinma.

Harinma made another series of quick gestures, and one of the sconces went out. Another set, and the sconce blazed back to life. Each time she did Sabrina felt a faint, strange fluttering from a part of her she couldn't quite place.

"Incredible," Harinma said. "So this is what it's like?" She continued to cast small, simple spells, feeling out the breadth of the power. "It's different, but so... familiar."

"It is," Sabrina said. The warmth inside of her had grown, and was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "There. I've proven that I can help my people, no matter what. Now, are you satisfied?" She dabbed at her forehead with her scarf, but realized that she wasn't sweating.

"Oh, yes," Harinam purred. Her smile widened, until it resembled bared teeth more than happiness. "Thank you, girl. I've been waiting for this moment for sixteen years. Picturing it, over and over, every detail... but honestly, I never imagined I would enjoy it so much."

The warmth in Sabrina exploded into fire. It spread through her in an instant, setting her entire body ablaze. Or so it felt. Her bones ached and screamed as the pain licked across them and sent her reeling. She opened her mouth to cry out, but no sound escaped.

The fire lasted for just a moment. It lasted for eternity. She lost track of time, of the world, of herself. She couldn't feel her limbs. She couldn't feel the impact as she toppled to the floor. She was weightless, bodiless. For an eternal, agonizing moment, she was fire itself.

Then the fire subsided. Her body returned to her, and the fire retreated from her muscles and into her bones. Soon, even that faded. She was left gasping for air, writhing on the ground, consumed by the memory of pain.

"There, there," Harinma said. "That wasn't so bad, was it? It's all over now."

Slowly, Sabrina managed to open her eyes. Her mind was addled from the pain, and her eyes were blurred and unfocused, but she realized Harinma was standing over her. The woman seemed impossibly tall and looming. Sabrina tried to speak, but all that escaped was a thin breath.

Harinma made a soothing noise and knelt down beside Sabrina. Not the rickety motion of an old woman with poor knees, but strong and graceful. Her skin rippled and flickered like a candle flame, and she seemed to become fluid for just a moment. Her features slipped away.

"H-harinma?" Sabrina managed. Her voice was reedy and weak.

"Shh," Harinma said, in a voice of flames. "Not Harinma. Not anymore." Her features solidified once more. The face Sabrina saw staring back at her, wearing a wicked smirk, was her own. "You may call me Ko-Kraham."

Chapter 3: Flatbread

2017-06-24T12:45:26Z

Kegisak: Created page with "{{author tag|Kegisak}} By: Ian Sime {{series box|previous=Chapter 2: Knitting Needles}} =={{Separator|k|Chapter 3: Flatbread}}== After careful consider..."

{{author tag|Kegisak}}
By: [[User:Kegisak|Ian Sime]]

{{series box|previous=[[Chapter 2: Knitting Needles]]}}

=={{Separator|k|Chapter 3: Flatbread}}==

After careful consideration, Sabrina came to the conclusion that she was, in fact, one gigantic ache.

It certainly didn't seem to be coming from anywhere in particular. The ache was so pervasive that she couldn't make sense of her limbs. She tried to stretch out a leg, but her only reward was a twinge in what she assumed to be her knee.

Sabrina groaned and finally opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of a talon, inches away from her face. She gasped and jolted back, slamming her horns on the wall behind her.

The burning tingle of a sleeping limb flashed through her wing as the jolt took pressure off of it. The sensation sent a wash of panicked confusion through her. It faded quickly, however, as her mind spun to life—or at least, some semblance of it.

She sighed and buried her face in her sleeping mat. She was still exhausted, and still sore. Her ribs and head didn't hurt where they had been kicked the previous day, which was a small mercy, but her joints were stiff, and her muscles weary.

She had curled into a tight ball in her sleep, which she set about undoing. She stretched out one limb at a time, grunting as they snapped and popped back into place, then rolled onto her belly and let her back settle. When that was done she took a deep breath, and stretched a wing experimentally.

It felt—she wasn't quite sure how it felt. She was aware of the limbs, certainly, in the way she had been aware of her ears, or her toes. She could move it, but only in broad and clumsy motions. She could feel the ache from them as well, but it felt vague, as though it were coming from everywhere at once. Each twinge was a feeling of wrongness, a twist in her stomach. She forced herself to fold and unfold her wings anyways, reasoning that, if she didn't do it now, it was just going to be worse later.

After several minutes of grumbling and whimpering, she finally managed to work the worst of the ache out of her shoulders and looked around. It was then that she became aware that a small crowd of dragons had formed around her.

She yelped—or tried, as she still couldn't make any sound beyond a grunt—and scrabbled back. Once again she thumped her horns against the wall, but she hardly noticed.

Many of the dragons were scowling down at her. A few looked curious. Most just looked down on her with disdain. One of the scowling dragons stepped forward, a bright crimson boy about Sabrina's age, and spoke. For a moment Sabrina thought he was simply babbling at her, until she realized that he was speaking Draconic. He spoke astonishingly fast, and used not just words, but entire sounds Sabrina had never heard before. At times he seemed to be saying two words at once. Combined with his raspy voice, Sabrina barely understood him.

"You're so ark arukchu chjuragk all morning. Akgae gngul gulk ago! Well? Arkara gngu my responsibility, ark starve for all I thurulk uldu, I'd get in trouble for it!"

Sabrina stared up at the crowd from her corner, looking between the speaker and the other dragons. They clearly expected her to say something. "Uh," she said slowly, "I'm... sorry?"

After years of being forced to study it, Sabrina had thought herself fluent in draconic. Faced with a native speaker, however, her words seemed as clumsy as her wings. She managed to speak maybe half as fast, and she was almost certain the words she knew were different from the ones he had used. "I'm upright. Purple—I mean, what's, uh..."

The dragon snorted, cutting her off. "Arkara from Kenochsden too? That explains a lot." He reached back into the crowd and was handed a bundle of cloth, which he threw at Sabrina and said, loudly and slowly, "Get dressed and get breakfast. Ko-Kalah will tell you what you're doing today." Then he left, grumbling under his breath and taking most of the other dragons with him. A few lingered to peer at Sabrina or shoot her dirty glances, but even they moved on quickly.

Sabrina, meanwhile, did as she was told. The bundle that had been tossed at her was livery, but it was not the plain robes that the human servants wore. It took Sabrina a few moments just to unbunch it and figure out what it was.

The livery was a single length of deep blue cloth hemmed in scarlet: the colours of Vikaasthan. There was a large hole in the centre and halfway between in and the edge were two straps that stuck out at the sides. On the opposite side of the hole were two buttons, and a split up the centre.

It took Sabrina a few tries to get the livery past her horns, but she found it surprisingly comfortable. The open sides and slit back allowed her to move her wings and tail easily, and with the buttons fastened the cut of the cloth, which had previously seemed random, fit her perfectly. For a brief moment she found herself wishing for a mirror so she could better see how it looked.

The thought was dashed as she caught a glimpse of her arm. Seeing that scraggly creature—seeing herself—was the last thing she wanted. She fought down a shudder and pushed the thought away with a sigh. Besides, the colours would be hideous against her scales.

More importantly, she was still doing as she had been told. As soon as she had settled into the livery her legs had lurched to life, carrying her out of the den and following after the rest of the tribe.

The tribe moved together, in a vague sense of the word. Some bound ahead while others, even more groggy or sore than Sabrina, lagged behind. In spite of the different paces, however, the tribe was careful to stay in sight of one another.

They passed several rooms that were still only half-built, with only tarps between them and the outdoors. Judging from the thin light that filtered through, it was still very early morning. Or perhaps the wet season was brewing up a few final storms on its way out.

Whatever the case, the tribe made it's way back into the finished wings of the palace, remaining in the servant's wing. Sabrina was surprised to realize that they were going down—and even more surprised to realize that she didn't recognize these halls at all. It wasn't a matter of changed perspective, either. Hallway after narrow hallway that she had never once walked down or looked upon.

Their path lead them into a wide open room walled by a series of leaf-shaped arches. A similar row of columns ran down the center, all made from dark-stained wood. Along the eastern side the walls at the tops of the arches had been cut away and replaced with windows, allowing the weak light of morning to filter in and fill the room.

The entrance was on the north wall, beneath a broad banner bearing the crest of Vikaasthan. An identical banner and door were on the south wall as well. The space between was filled with a series of long, low tables and sitting mats. Stacks of bowls were placed at each end of every table, and spaced evenly along the tables were platter upon platter of steaming, freshly cooked breakfast.

Sabrina became suddenly, very acutely aware that she had not eaten since the previous afternoon. She quickly set aside any reservations she had been harbouring and took a seat with the rest of the tribe. Though, just to be safe, she sat on the very end of the tribe.

Even those dragons who had been drowsy were now mostly awake, and a bright mood had spread through the tribe. Twenty pairs of talons worked together, lading bowlfuls of thick fish curry out of the pot in the centre of the table and passing it down in a neat train. The row at which Sabrina sat filled quickly, until the last bowl made it's way down to her. Sabrina reached out eagerly for the bowl.

But it was snatched out of her claws. The dragon beside her glowered at her, and handed the bowl across the table. The train continued in this way, down to the end, then across, until both sides of the table were served. Then, finally, one more bowl came down.

It was filled to the brim, and there was hardly room for the sauce amid all the chunks of fish and vegetables. Sabrina breathed deep, letting the sweet, tangy scent fill her nose. Her mouth watered, and she searched for a plate of bread so she could dig in. She was still searching when the dragon beside her reached in front of her and shoved the bowl to the other side of her.

Sabrina made as much of a noise of indignation as she was able, and reached for the bowl. It was only then that she realized Ko-Kalah had taken a seat beside her.

"Hello, little one," Ko-Kalah said. She spoke Draconic as well, though she at least spoke more slowly than the crimson dragon had. Sabrina was able to make out most of what she was saying. "I believe that was meant for me."

This time Sabrina was able to yelp, and did so with gusto. "How did you do that!?" She demanded.

Ko-Kalah peered down at Sabrina and cocked and eyebrow.

Sabrina blinked, and realized she had spoken in Vikaasthani. She corrected herself back to Draconic and said, "You... surprised me."

"I noticed," Ko-Kalah said. "Quite a bit, it seems. Did you sleep poorly?"

"Uh," Sabrina said. Her sleep had been the sleep of exhaustion, dreamless and timeless. She had simply laid down, and then woken up. At the same time, she was still tired, and still ached, if less so than she had right after she had woken. "Thank you for the nest." She paused for a moment, then corrected herself, "Bed."

Ko-Kalah nodded slowly. She seemed content to leave the conversation at that, and turned to focus on her breakfast.

Sabrina was as well. A bowl had finally been passed down to her, with some reluctance on the part of the tribe. There was less in it than the others, and it was mostly sauce, with only a few scraps of fish. Still, Sabrina was hungry enough not to care. She grabbed a few pieces of flatbread before anyone could take those away from her and pressed her hands together.

She paused. She didn't dare reach out to Vikaasi. Even the most gentle push brought back a ghost of the pain, and even a ghost was enough to make her breath shallow.

Eventually, she prayed without reaching out to the power. The motions felt strange, somehow hollow, but she forced the feeling down. She reminded herself that many people prayed without the power, or even without knowing the gestures, every day. She thanked Vikaasi for her vegetables and herbs, and Salaee for his fish. When she was finished, she added another prayer: she prayed for the strength and wisdom to escape Ko-Kraham's trap.

She didn't know if Vikaasi could hear her or not, but it did make her feel better. She offered one final thanks for the meal, then descended upon it with a starving fervour.

The curry was not fresh as she had initially thought, but rather the previous evening's that had been left to simmer overnight. Even so, whatever the meal lacked, hunger added. The bread was definitely fresh, and a few minutes into the meal a cart was brought out with rolls of steamed rice pressed together with coconut. After Sabrina had spooned up the few chunks of fish with the bread, she used the riced to soak up the sauce. She finished every scrap of the meal, even mopping the sides of the bowl clean with the rice rolls and licking her claws clean after that.

She leaned back and sighed contentedly. The warmth of the meal spread through her, easing away the last of the aches and pains. It was a small pleasure. But it was a pleasure, something Sabrina was desperately in need of.

It was short-lived, however. Not long after Sabrina finished her breakfast the tribe began to shuffle their way up and away from the table. Ko-Kalah stood and said, "Go to the gnaeluhk meeting hall," she said. "The foreman will give out your tasks today."

Sabrina moved to stand as well, but Ko-Kalah stopped her with a claw on the shoulder.

"How is tshakuk?" she asked.

"Uuuuh..." Sabrina said. She frowned, struggling to remember the word Ko-Kalah had used. She knew she had heard it before, or something like it.

Ko-Kalah hummed beneath her breath. "Art," she said. "Craft. Do you cut? Shape?"

"Oh," Sabrina said. "I can, uhhh..." She struggled to find the word. Eventually she gave up, and instead pantomimed knitting.

This earned a raised eyebrow from Ko-Kalah. "Do you do stone work?" she said.

Sabrina could only shake her head. She could see the confusion in Ko-Kalah's gaze. A dragon that didn't work stone might as well have been a dragon without hands. To her surprise though, there was no judgement. Ko-Kalah simply sighed and shook her head.

Somehow, that incensed Sabrina more. She drew herself up and set her shoulders. "I can... clothes," she said. "Make... stitch. And..." She didn't know the word for it in Draconic. As far she knew, there wasn't one. She switched back to Vikaasthani and said, "I can embroider."

"Enough," Ko-Kalah said. Sabrina's jaw clamped shut as Ko-Kalah continued, "If you cannot work with stone, we will have to find somewhere else. Come with me."

Ko-Kalah lead Sabrina back to the wing under construction, and into an enormous room that Sabrina guessed to be the meeting hall. People and dragons swarmed across it in pockets of activity, and piles of lumber and stone were stacked along every wall.

In the centre of the chaos a squat, leathery-faced man moved constantly, shouting orders to anyone who passed him. Ko-Kalah lead Sabrina to him and bowed. "Honoured Foreman," she said in Vikaasthani.

The foreman stopped berating a trio of workers for a moment to bow to Ko-Kalah as well. "Honoured Speaker," he replied. "Good morning. Your tribe already has their assignments. Can't beat them for work ethic." He cuffed a man who was scuttling passed and hollered, "I'd spend another five years with the priests for half my workers to work half that hard!"

He turned back to Ko-Kalah and folded his arms. As he did, Sabrina realized that his hands and forearms were covered in a lattice of small, thin cane scars. "What can I do for you?"

Ko-Kalah stepped aside and gestured to Sabrina.

The foreman blinked and leaned down. "You new?" he asked. "Don't think I've seen you around."

"Um, yes," Sabrina replied. She tapped her sternum and said, "Salaee carry you."

The foreman threw back his head and laughed. "I had enough of that when I was in the church," he said. "Never managed to make a pious man of me." Still, he tapped his sternum and replied, "And also you. What's your name?"

"Bek-Braya," Sabrina replied without thinking. A pang of sadness struck her when she realized, but she pushed it down.

"Bek-Braya joined our tribe last night," Ko-Kalah said.

The foreman nodded. "Won't say no to another worker," he said. He gestured to a reedy woman beside a pile of bricks on the far wall and said, "Saanvi can get let you know what we're working on so you can start carving."

"She doesn't carve," Ko-Kalah said.

"Doesn't—what?" The foreman asked. He frowned and scratched his head. "I didn't know... sorry, I thought you all did."

"Most," Ko-Kalah said. "Not all. Do you have work for her?"

The foreman rubbed his jaw and growled. "Well," he said, "another pair of hands is another pair of hands. We need people moving stone and wood to where it needs to be. That's Farhad." He turned and pointed to an enormous, surly man by an opening in the wall. "Farhad!"

Farhad looked up with death in his eyes. He didn't need to shout back. His every movement was a shout as he stormed over to them.

The foreman pointed to Sabrina. "This one needs work," he said.

"So?" Farhad demanded. "Give it to Saanvi. She's the one with the big picture."

"She doesn't carve," the foreman replied. "Figured you could use an extra pair of hands to move the stone."

"And you give me this?" Farhad demanded, jabbing a finger at Sabrina. "Look at it. It's a rice noodle on legs. I need someone who isn't going to collapse after two stones. Look at it!" He nudged Sabrina with a foot.

Sabrina bristled at the man. She had been silenced again, but she satisfied herself with spreading her wings and frowning with all her might at the Farhad.

For a moment it looked as Farhad would continue prodding at her, but Ko-Kalah stuck her head in between them and snorted loudly. "She is capable," she said. "If she is not, I will take her duties for the rest of the day. You have my word."

Farhad took a step away from Ko-Kalah, but quickly regained his composure and growled. "Fine," he said. "Your word." he pointed to Sabrina said, "Come on, then."

He turned on his heel and stalked away from the foreman and Ko-Kalah, with Sabrina following in his wake. Sabrina spared a glance over her shoulder at Ko-Kalah, just in time to see her turn away.

When the reached the pile of stone Farhad said, "Need more stone for the west court chamber. Nothing fancy, just granite bricks. Know how to get there?"

"No," Sabrina said coolly. "Got a map?"

"Watch it," Farhad growled. He jabbed a thumb in Ko-Kalah's direction. "That one might stick her teeth in when she's around, but don't expect you can go running to her every time you get in trouble for giving lip."

Sabrina snorted. "If she didn't bite you inside of five minutes of meeting you I don't think there's anything I could do to make it happen." She knew it was a bad idea before she said it, but the man rankled her. At the very least, she was ready to duck under Farhad's backhand.

Farhad growled at her and pointed to the stone. "Fifty bricks," he said. "Left out the door, take the first right, end of that hall. I don't care how long it takes, just do it, and keep that beak shut while you do."

Sabrina scowled at the man, but she had no choice but to do as she was told. She took the first brick off the pile and set off for the court chamber.

She passed any number of humans, and even a few dragons, as she worked. All of the dragons were from her tribe, and very deliberately looked away from her as they passed. Even if they hadn't, it was clear they were busy with their own work. They scuttled through the halls with armfuls of carved bricks, all part of a greater image, then quickly hurried back to return to their carving. Sabrina's comparatively slow pace made it easy to see them come and go.

The human were similarly ignorant of her, though less maliciously so. They didn't outright ignore her as the dragons did. Rather, they simply didn't recognize she was there. A supervisor overseeing the court chamber nodded curtly to her when she arrived with bricks, and Farhad growled at her whenever he was nearby when she returned, but beyond that the only people who even acknowledged her existence did so by moving out of her way in the halls.

At first, Sabrina was happy with it. She occupied herself by observing the halls until she had every detail traced in her mind, and was able to use the turnoffs she didn't take to make a general map of the new wing in her mind. By the time the teams were sent back to the meal hall at midday, she was convinced that she would be able to navigate it well.

If she had been able to move freely, at least. She was allowed to rest for barely a moment after delivering a brick before her body marched itself back for the next one. The only break she took was to eat. Even then she was only able to rest for as long as it took to eat her meagre helping of fried fish—for her tribe had, once again, served her last and served her scraps—before she was back to work.

In the afternoon she distracted herself from the frustration by listening to the other workers, in the hopes she might overhear something that would help her. For the most part, they just complained.

They complained about everything! From the weather (It was too hot, or too cold, and definitely too wet), to the materials they were working with (The wood had been soaked by the trip downriver and needed to dry, or it was too old, or too young), to the location of the wing(The island was too small, the palace was large enough already, they could just build this extension as a separate building in the city). More than anything, they complained about each other.

Sabrina was vindicated to hear more than a few complaints about Farhad. She had a few things to say about the man she would have happily added in, if she had been able to. For all that the workers complained about everything to everyone who would listen, none of them ever complained to her. They simply continued to ignore her, leaving her to work in silence.

She finished her load shortly before the sun dipped over the horizon. She didn't realize she had, at first. It wasn't until the supervisor approached her that she realized she had been standing still for several minutes—or rather, leaning against the stack of bricks. Unfortunately, while her body moved of it's own volition, it was still very much her body, and after a day's hard labour it ached so fiercely she could barely hold herself upright.

"Hey," the supervisor said. "What are you doing just standing around? Don't you have anything to do?"

Sabrina looked up at the man dumbly. "What?" she asked. "Oh! Farhad told me to bring fifty bricks—I, uh, guess this was the last one." She stretched her back, and immediately regretted it.

The supervisor nodded. "Don't bother going looking for more work," he said. "That old goat would find something for you, but we're losing light and there's no point killing people to get a bit more done. Just call it an evening." He shrugged and peered at the oil clock on the side of the room. "A... quarter-mark early evening."

Sabrina's mood shifted so quickly she almost hurt her neck. She nearly asked if he was serious, but stopped herself just in time. She was not about to question an opportunity, and she certainly wasn't about to jeopardize it by staring it in the mouth. She darted out of the room before the supervisor had a chance to change his mind, as quick as her shaking legs would carry her.

She aimed for the meal hall. What she wanted now was to get her dinner out of the way and process everything she had learned that day. She was certain that there was something in there that could help her.

Well, that wasn't quite true. What she wanted, more than anything, was to beat the rest of the tribe to the meal hall so she could serve herself for once. She was famished. She trotted down the path to the meal hall, dodging the workers who were still finishing and cleaning up. Just as she approached the meal hall, however, she lost control of her legs. They turned her away from the sweet scents of cooking, and took her in the opposite direction.

Sabrina wasn't certain whether to swear, or panic. There was nobody around to have given her an order. What could be controlling her now? She strained against the control, trying desperately to turn around, but only succeeded in wrenching her back further.

Ko-Kraham's words from the previous night flashed through her mind: "Come to my room tomorrow night. I want to see how you're doing."

At least it made up Sabrina's mind for her. She swore viciously as she walked. With some creativity, and mixing a few languages, she was able to keep up a string all the way to her room without ever repeating a curse. She ran out just as she reached the door, so she settled for throwing it open with as much indignation as she could manage.

She was quite surprised to see Kamalakshi on the other side, almost as much as Kamalakshi was to nearly be struck by the swinging door.

Kamalakshi jumped back, crying out in shock. She dropped the bundle of cloth she had been carrying, and If Astha and Ko-Kraham had not been at her elbows to catch her she would have toppled over backwards.

Kamalakshi's eyes snapped down to Sabrina, and she glared with such intensity that for a moment Sabrina was confused—until she realized what Kamalakshi must be seeing.

"Who are you?" Kamalakshi demanded as Asthan struggled to right her. "And what do you think you're doing, barging into the Yuvrani's chambers?"

Ko-Kraham put a hand on Kamalakshi's shoulder. "Kamalakshi, it's fine," she said. "I invited her here."

Astha finally managed to push Kamalakshi back onto her feet and leaned on her shoulder, huffing. "Since when do you invite dragons to your room?" she asked.

"Since today," Ko-Kraham said. "Of course, I didn't expect her to arrive quite so... quickly." She shot Sabrina a venomous glance, but quickly covered it up with a saccharine smile. "But actually, I'm glad you girls got to meet her!" She stepped over to Sabrina and placed a hand on her head. "This is Bek-Braya."

"Bek?" Astha asked. "I've never heard of a Bek. I thought dragons were always Ko, Tor or Sal?'"

"Well, you haven't exactly gone looking," Ko-Kraham pointed out. Sabrina detected a tinge of dryness to her voice, no doubt bitterness that Astha had managed to successfully worm her way out of any lessons with Harinma. Sabrina smiled at that.

"They're not common," Ko-Kraham continued. "The poor thing had no tribe, so I arranged for the one working on the new wing of the palace to take her in. I asked her to come see me when she was finished for the day, so I could see how she was doing." She patted Sabrina's head sympathetically. "Can you give me a minute with her?"

"It's almost time for dinner," Kamalakshi pointed out. "Esteemed Maharaja will be upset if you're late again." She spared a glance down at Sabrina and said, "Which would be a... poor first lesson in propriety."

Ko-Kalah simple laughed. "I won't be," she said. "I'm just checking up."

She picked the cloth up off the ground and unfolded it. It was a long, silk scarf, the colour of lilacs and embroidered with flowers of gold thread. Sabrina recognized it as one of her own. Ko-Kraham wrapped it around Kamalakshi and Astha's shoulders, playfully tethering them together and pushing them out the door. "Go!" she said. "I'll only be a few minutes."

"Okay, okay," Astha laughed. "Bully." She patted Sabrina's head as she passed and said, "Nice meeting you!"

"Y-yeah," Sabrina stumbled out as soon as she could speak again. She looked at Kamalakshi and added, "And you!"

Kamalakshi didn't respond. She simply strode past Sabrina without so much as looking at her.

"Don't be mean," Astha chided as the pair left. Ko-Kraham closed the door before Sabrina heard Kamalakshi's reply, but she could still hear the dryness in Kamalakshi's tone.

Sabrina sagged. They hadn't recognized her at all—they had barely even looked at her.

Well, of course they hadn't. She looked nothing like herself, and the person they thought was Sabrina had been standing right beside them the entire time. They had no reason to believe she was anything other than what Ko-Kraham said, just as Ko-Kraham had predicted.

Even so...

Sabrina drew herself back up and lifted her chin at Ko-Kraham. "Why did you do that?" she demanded.

"Well, I can't have them eavesdropping," Ko-Kraham said. She returned to the sofa and flopped into it, splaying herself across the arms. "Also, they're insufferable. Honestly, I think you're getting the good end of the deal." She yawned. "Though Kamalakshi has a point, you should really Knock before entering."

Sabrina winced as the command burned itself into her. "Excuse me?" she said. "You know what I meant! Why did you trot me out in front of them like... like..."

"Like a servant?" Ko-Kraham asked. "Like a charity case? I'm just playing the part, dear. It's your own fault for showing up early."

"I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter," Sabrina muttered.

Ko-Kraham laughed. "I guess not!" she said. "Oh, well. How was your day, hmm?"

"Long," Sabrina said. "Exhausting. Boring. A bit like one of your lectures, actually. Except your lectures never made my arms feel like they were going to fall out."

Ko-Kraham tossed a cushion at Sabrina. "I could fix that for you, whelp," she said. "I expected you to be in a better mood!"

"How?" Sabrina asked, throwing up her arms. "I woke up surrounded by angry dragons who bullied any semblance of a meal out of me for—Vikaasi only knows what they think I did—and have been stuck lugging around rocks all day! How could I possibly be in a good mood right now?"

Ko-Kraham put a hand on her chest in mock-surprise. "What, you didn't like seeing your little friends?" she asked.

"That hardly counts as seeing them," Sabrina said. A pang shot through her anger, and all at once it seemed to drain away from her. "They didn't know it was me. I was just... some dragon to them." Just like everyone else. Sabrina rubbed her eyes and growled under her breath. "I may as well have not seen them at all!" she said.

Ko-Kraham considered this. "You have a point," she said. "It's not like they're really your friends anymore, after all... Alright! The least I can do is make things a bit more comfortable for you."

She hauled herself off the sofa and ran a finger along Sabrina's horn. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to be getting to dinner. So, you march right back to your den, and keep being a good little girl. Do as you're told, speak only when spoken to, and remember that you're Bek-Braya now. And come see me again tomorrow night." She opened the door for Sabrina and gestured her through.

"Oh!" Ko-Kraham said as Sabrina passed. "One more thing? Call me Yuvrani. She flashed a toothy grin and added, "Only when other people are around, of course. I'm not a monster." She threw her head back in a laugh, and waved Sabrina away.

Sabrina walked slowly back to the den. She knew she needed the time to think, but she couldn't manage anything faster. She was completely spent, so much so that, when she finally arrived in the den, she didn't notice Ko-Kalah's tail come down in front of her until she walked into it.

Ko-Kalah peered down at Sabrina, her dull expression tinged with annoyance and interest. "Where were you?" she asked. "You weren't at dinner."

"Sorry," Sabrina said quietly. "The—Yuvrani wanted to see me."

"Why?" Ko-Kalah asked.

"To talk?" Sabrina said. "I... don't know." Which was true, mostly. She would have wagered Ko-Kraham just wanted to taunt her more, but she didn't know for certain.

"You should have warned us," Ko-Kalah said. "The tribe eats together. Tonight werghul chaul food. It giol kiun thulte for not warning."

Sabrina wasn't certain if she was unfamiliar with the words, or if she was simply too tired to bother translating. "What?" she asked.

"Punishment," Ko-Kalah said sharply. Sharply enough to jolt Sabrina. "You are being punished." She switched to Vikaasthani and enunciated, "Bed without supper."

"What?" Sabrina shouted. "But—I don't—it wasn't my-"

"Enough!" Ko-Kalah said. "If you join our tribe, you eat with the tribe. No exceptions."

Sabrina opened and closed her mouth several times, but gave up. She didn't have the energy to fight. "She wants to see me tomorrow night, too."

Ko-Kalah snorted and turned away.

Sabrina lingered for a moment, until she decided that she wasn't going to get a formal dismissal. She sighed and returned to her bed mat, which had been shoved so far into the corner that it had bunched up.

She collapsed into her bed, and exhaustion hit her like a stone to the gut. In spite of the hunger that gnawed at her insides, she could already feel sleep creeping in at the corner of her mind.

She welcomed it. She needed time to think, time to plan, but tonight wasn't that time. As tired as she was, there was no way she could come up with a plan coherent enough to be useful. She would rest tonight, and have a plan tomorrow.

{{Seperator|r}}

That was what she told herself every night that week.

Not a day went by that Sabrina wasn't worked to the bone. Every day she awoke, exhausted and aching, to the same dragon—whose name she eventually learned was Ko-Kaddic—barking at her to get a move on. Although he never did anything worse to Sabrina that throwing clothes at her, it was very clear that, if it had not been for Ko-Kalah watching over his shoulder, he would reprimand her much more harshly.

Each day the tribe dragged her to the meal hall and sat her at the end of the tribe, beside Ko-Kalah, and passed her the food last. The food was always delicious, in a simple, homely way. Most days breakfast consisted of stout curries, or flatbreads with sauce for dipping, but one day breakfast was sliced fruit coated with a powder of roasted flour, coconut and spices. The tribe had demolished that so quickly Sabrina was afraid she might lose a hand if she leaned in too far.

Yes, the food was delicious, but there was never enough of it. After she had taken the flatbread her first morning, when Sabrina reached for them the next day she was greeted by a chorus of hisses and scrabbling claws as the plate was snatched away from her. From then on she was doled out bread and rice the same as the rest: As little and as meagre as they could manage.

Between the exhaustion, the ache, and the steadily-growing hunger, Sabrina would scarcely have been able to think of a plan even if she had been given the time to, which she most certainly had not been. As punishment for the crime of not knowing how to carve stone, Sabrina had been handed off to Farhad as a personal whipping girl. Her days were spent running to and fro through the wing under his orders, carting bricks here, or lumber there, or, on a single occasion, fetching him a waterskin. A single time because, as Sabrina learned, the 'water' skin had in fact been filled with wine.

Sabrina had quite a pleasant break, watching from the sidelines as the foreman berated Farhad for all to hear. It had been short lived, unfortunately. Whether because he knew someone, or was good at his job, or he was—though Sabrina doubted it—simply that well liked, the lecture was not enough to be rid of Farhad. It was, however, enough to make him purple in the face with anger, which he took out on Sabrina. She spent the rest of that day carrying granite as far as Farhad could justify.

If there was anything to be said for it, at least the work was getting easier. Her muscles slowly became accustomed to the labour, at least enough so that she didn't take all day to move a few bricks.

Sabrina stretched as far as she was able, rubbing some soreness out of her arms. The air was thick with humidity, but it had cooled off from earlier in the week. Not much, but enough to be pleasant rather than baking.

She had just delivered the final load of bricks to where the tribe was carving when Ko-Kalah announced the day was over. It had taken Sabrina some effort to discern most of the dialect the tribe used—with the exception of a few phrases that, based on how they were used, she decided she was happier not understanding—but she had learned the end of the day very quickly.

It almost seemed foolish to take so much pleasure in something as simple as the end of the day, but Sabrina was willing to take what she could get. She leaned against the wall. She didn't sit, lest her muscles seize up.

Ko-Kalah approached her. "Bek-Braya," she said. Her expression was impenetrable, but Sabrina thought she heard an edge in her voice. "Will you be attending dinner with the tribe tonight?"

Sabrina rubbed her shoulders. Ko-Kalah had asked as much every night, when she could. "Yuvrani wants to see me tonight," she said. "Again." Although she knew what the answer would be, she asked, "Will you save something for me? Please?"

Ko-Kalah hummed and rolled her knuckles on the floor. "I will speak to the Yuvrani," she said. "If she insists on taking you away from the tribe for dinner, she should feed you herself."

Sabrina sighed. She wondered if bed mats were nutritious.

Ko-Kalah waved a claw. "Go, see the Yuvrani," she said. "Tell her I will speak with her tomorrow."

Sabrina nodded and did as she was told, without waiting for the curse to compel her. It was easier to take if she at least pretended that she had some say in the matter.

Beside that, she wanted to. It was difficult to put her finger on why, exactly. Perhaps it was simply that she enjoyed the relative peace on the journey to her room. It was the only time she was unlikely to be ordered around, and left without supervision. Or perhaps, it was Ko-Kraham.

She loathed Ko-Kraham in a way that she had never imagined possible. She had plenty of reason to, of course, but even so. Ko-Kraham seemed to have no purpose in their meetings beyond the chance to taunt her further, and Sabrina missed no opportunity to show what she thought of it.

Oh, she suffered for it in some small way every time, but it was worth it. In a strange way, she almost looked forward to the release that their sniping matches brought. If nothing else it was a chance to finally speak, and vent the frustrations of her day.

By the time she reached Ko-Kraham's door, an ember of irritation was already smouldering inside her. She straightened up and, with some effort, managed to make her knock sound sardonic. She heard Ko-Kraham's voice come from within.

"Oh, perfect," Ko-Kraham said. "That must be her. Come in!"

Sabrina felt her irritation flare at Ko-Kraham's cheery tone. She pushed the door aside and entered.

She froze.

Ko-Kraham was not lounging, as Sabrina had expected. Though her posture was relaxed she was seated upright, with her hands folded gently on her lap. This was because, sitting beside her on the sofa, was Sabrina's father.

The doors to the balcony opposite them had been thrown open, allowing the cool air and the soft evening light in. Surrounded by that light, the brilliant pink and purple hues, he looked like the sun. He smiled, his face filled to bursting with pride. Sabrina's heart ached to see it. But for a moment, just a moment, all of the pain of her week was lost in that light.

Her mouth opened and closed, but she made no sound. It was not the curse. Her words had simply left her.

Marthanda let out a low, warm chuckled. "Well, hello!" he said. He turned to Ko-Kraham and asked, "This is the dragon you were telling me about?"

"The very same," Ko-Kraham said. She beckoned for Sabrina to come closer. "Please, dear: introduce yourself!"

"B-Bek-Braya," she said. A pang shot through Sabrina's heart at how easily it came. She saw Ko-Kraham smirk, sending another pang, and hunched her shoulders against the ache.

Marthanda stood up and held his arms open. "Please," he laughed, smiling at Sabrina. Gods, his smile was more beautiful than gold. "There's no reason to be nervous." He approached her and offered his hand. "I am Maharaja Marthanda, Sabrina's father. She's been telling me about you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Sabrina took his hand like a starving woman offered bread. The warmth of his hands felt different than it had against skin, but it was still familiar. Her own hands must have felt so strange—the roughness of her scales, the prick of her claws—but she wondered if he could feel that familiarity as well. She gripped his hand in both of hers and shook, until Ko-Kraham cleared her throat.

"I think that might be enough," Ko-Kraham said. "You can let go now."

Sabrina immediately broke her grip. Marthanda took his hand back and rubbed it, laughing. "You have quite a grip, little one," he said. "So! Sabrina tells me you're a friend of Harinma's? She asked Sabrina to introduce you to the tribe, yes?"

"U-uh," Sabrina said. "I... don't know about friend. She..."

Her eyes met Ko-Kraham's. Although Ko-Kraham had returned to her usual lazy posture, her gaze was razor sharp, cold as ice, and fixed on Sabrina. One of her index fingers twitched idly.

Sabrina looked between her Ko-Kraham and her father. Her heart screamed to tell him it was a lie, to run to him, to beg for his help. Ko-Kraham's curse might bind her lips, but she was his daughter. Surely, we would be able to see. Surely, there was something Sabrina could do.

But Ko-Kraham was there, waiting for Sabrina to set one talon out of line.

"But," Sabrina said eventually, turning away from Ko-Kraham's piercing stare, "s-she did introduce me to the tribe, and ask them to take me in..." She clutched at her arms as Marthanda straightened up and turned away from her. If she had not, she would have reached after him.

"Sabrina," Marthanda said, "That's wonderful!" His voice was overflowing with warmth. He placed his hands on Ko-Kraham's shoulders and pulled her off the sofa, and into a hug.

Ko-Kraham hugged him back. He peered over his shoulder at Sabrina, smirking wickedly. "It's nothing so special," she said.

"Nothing so special?" Marthanda asked. "Sabrina, my dear girl, even when you are responsible, you are obstinate." He took a step back from her and cupped her face in both his hands. "You have stepped forward to help one of our citizens, and one less fortunate at that. And without your studies, you may not have been able to do it. You have taken your responsibilities seriously, and because of it a life has improved. Who could ask for more from a Maharani?"

Ko-Kraham simply chuckled and took Marthanda's hands. "One simple dragon just doesn't seem like that much. But thank you, father."

"Like seeds, one becomes many," Marthanda said. "Never forget that. Yes, it is small, but the small things we do become large later. I am still proud of you." He sighed happily. "We should discuss this more over dinner. You mother will be just as proud as I am."

Sabrina started. He was leaving already? She took a shuddering step forward without realizing it.

"We should," Ko-Kraham agreed. "It's been a long day, and I'm famished." She peered down at Sabrina and smirked again. "But, is it alright if I join you shortly? I just need to discuss a few things with Bek-Braya first."

"Of course," Marthanda said. "Take all the time you need. Dinner will still be waiting."

"Don't worry," Ko-Kraham said. "It won't take long." She leaned over his shoulder and said, "Say goodbye, Bek-Braya."

Sabrina gripped her arms tighter, until she could feel her claws biting into them. She fought to keep her voice steady. "Goodbye, father," she murmured.

There was a moment of profound silence, as though the world itself were holding its breath. Slowly, Sabrina realized what she had said. She looked to Ko-Kraham, and saw an expression of horror overcome her. They stood, transfixed, in the stillness.

"I beg your pardon?" Marthanda asked.

Sabrina's heart leaped into her throat with enough force to send her reeling. Before Ko-Kraham had a chance to react she spurted out, "Father!"

She lunged forward and grabbed Marthanda's hand. "Father!" she said. "It's me, I-!" She stumbled over her tongue in her rush. "P-please, Daddy, please believe me! I need-"

"That's enough!" Ko-Kraham said sharply.

Sabrina's throat seized shut, and she froze.

"I'm sorry, father," Ko-Kraham said. She circled around him and placed a hand on Sabrina's head. "I think her Vikaasthani is still a bit spotty, and she's... excitable. Harinma tells me that can happen to whelps without tribes..."

"I... see," Marthanda said. He still looked quite disturbed, but after a moment to curl his moustache his smile slowly returned. "Well, my draconic is far from perfect. I understand entirely." He reached down and, with some hesitation, patted Sabrina's shoulder. "To you, I am Esteemed Maharaja."

No, he wasn't. But as hard as Sabrina tried, she couldn't fight the curse. She stared up at him, trembling in silence and begging, pleading in her mind. She pleaded for him to hear her. Pleaded for him to see her. Pleaded for him to understand. As he said his goodbyes to Ko-Kraham and left, Sabrina pleaded for him to return.

But he didn't.

"Please," Sabrina murmured. She clutched her arms until she felt her claws bite into them. "Please." She felt empty, and raw, as though he had pulled a chunk out of her when he left.

"Well!" Ko-Kraham said cheerfully, "That was pleasant, don't you think?" She stroked Sabrina's horn with the tips of her fingers.

"Don't touch me!" Sabrina cried, slapping Ko-Kraham's hand away. She didn't want to play Ko-Kraham's games. Not tonight. She wanted to collapse. She wanted to curl up so tight that she disappeared. She wanted her father. "Just... shut up," she muttered.

Ko-Kraham rolled her eyes. "No, please, don't be too excited. And here I thought you would enjoy seeing your father again," she said.

"No you didn't," Sabrina said. "After everything else you've done, at least don't lie to my face. Who could possibly enjoy having their father look... through them, like that?"

Ko-Kraham sighed. "I don't understand you humans," she said. "And I don't understand why you so insist on making me out to be some cackling villain. Believe or not, girl, I don't want you completely miserable. I just want you to get on with your life with a minimum of fighting. And I thought, perhaps a treat!" She threw up a hand and made a noise of disdain.

"I hate you," Sabrina said.

"You don't know the meaning of the word," she replied. "Fine. But whether you like it or not, You are Bek-Braya. Tell no one what happened here, or about your old life. Do as you are told, and speak only when you are spoken to." She waved a hand dismissively. "Now go."

Sabrina turned on her heel and stormed away. She stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder. "Ko-Kalah wants to talk to you tomorrow," she said. "She wants you to stop keeping me from having dinner. Or at least feed me yourself."

Ko-Kraham waved again, but didn't reply. That suited Sabrina just fine.

She was numb as she walked back to the den. At the very least, she felt too sick to be hungry. She just wanted her bed.

She wanted her bed. She wanted her clothes, and her room, and her family. But she would settle for a bed mat.

The tribe had already returned from dinner by the time Sabrina reached the den. They were quieter than usual, save for a commotion near the center of the room. There was a small crowd of dragons, most of them friends—or lackeys—of Ko-Kaddic. The crowd parted as Sabrina passed and Ko-Kaddic himself burst out, almost bowling Sabrina over.

For once, Ko-Kaddic missed an opportunity to sneer at her. He was preoccupied, grappling with another dragon. They flipped across the floor as the dragon tried to struggle his way out of Ko-Kaddic's hold, but Ko-Kaddic countered him at every turn.

Dimly, Sabrina recognized the other dragon as Sal-Sobin. Although she had never spoken to him, she had spotted his jade-coloured scales darting amongst the tribe before. He was one of the younger members of the tribe, still too young for his wings to have started growing in. Even his second set of horns were still nubs on his forehead.

His first set of horns sloped gently inward, forming a diamond shape and giving him a sleek look. Or rather, they would have, if it were not for his blunt snout and the extra weight in his cheeks and middle.

Even for a young dragon he was small, certainly too small to be wrestling Ko-Kaddic. He stood no chance against the older dragon. Even through her numbness Sabrina felt bad for him—but she was too exhausted to step in. Even if she'd had the energy, what could she do? She certainly couldn't speak up, and trying to intervene could easily set the entire tribe on her. She didn't even know if Sal-Sobin would want her help.

No, it was none of her business. She just thanked Vikaasi that Ko-Kaddic was distracted with someone else and collapsed onto her bed mat. She retrieved the scrap of cloth from where it had been hidden beneath the mat and held it tight against her chest.

The clamour in the center of the room had gotten louder, but she had grown used to noise. Slowly, bit by bit, she felt her muscles unkink. It was not long before she was able to reach something resembling relaxation, though she still felt a powerful tightness between her wings.

She was used to that too, though. She sank into the mat. The sounds of the tribe grew distant even as they grew more intense, and Sabrina felt sleep creep into the edge of her mind.

Something heavy collapsed on top of her.

Sabrina jolting awake, gasping in shock. Whatever landed on top of her writhed for a moment, then rolled off. "Sorry!" it said. "Sorry!"

Sabrina looked over her shoulder and saw what had landed on her: Sal-Sobin. His fight with Ko-Kaddic had travelled, it seemed. Ko-Kaddic himself stood nearby, wearing a smug grin. No doubt he had aimed Sal-Sobin onto Sabrina deliberately.

Sabrina sighed and rolled onto her side. "It's okay," she grunted. She glowered at Ko-Kaddic and added, "It's not your fault that Ko-Kaddic has to pick on a whelp to feel tough."

Ko-Kaddic's grin vanished. "What did you say to me!?" he demanded.

Sabrina put her arm over her face, hoping to block out his whinging. If she didn't have the energy to fight with Ko-Kraham, she certainly didn't have any to waste on Ko-Kaddic. "I was talking to Sal-Sobin, Ko-Kaddic," she muttered. "I didn't say anything to you."

Ko-Kaddic planted his foot against Sabrina's stomach and shoved. "Sure sounded like you were talking to me!" he barked.

Sabrina fought down her revulsion in her wings enough to cover her head with them, trying her best to drown him out. But a thought struck her, standing out in her mind like a candle in the dark: "It did sound that way, didn't it?" she murmured.

But she couldn't have. She couldn't speak to him before he had spoken to her. She was sure of that. More than any other command, that was the one she had tested the most. Speak only when you are spoken to. If there were any way to speak without it, surely she would have realized it.

Unless...

Ko-Kaddic might not have spoken to her, but Sal-Sobin had.

Sabrina uncovered her head and sat up. "But trust me," she said viciously, "I'd rather speak to anyone but you. Even him!" She pointed to one of Ko-Kaddic's followers. Before he had a chance to reply she added, "I bet you have lots of interesting things to say. How about you tell me why you hang around Ko-Kaddic?"

The dragon spluttered a vaguely complimentary, and entirely obvious, lie. Sabrina didn't hear it. She had learned everything she wanted to when she had been able to speak to him. She had been able to speak to him, because Sal-Sobin and Ko-Kaddic had spoken to her.

Ko-Kraham might have ordered her to speak when spoken to, but she hadn't left any stipulation on who Sabrina had to speak to.

"I've got a theory," Sabrina said. She turned to another dragon, one who she was positive hadn't spoken in all the time Sabrina had known her, much less that evening. "I'll bet it's because when you're at Ko-Kaddic's back, you know you he won't decide you're in his way."

The dragon hunched her shoulders and backed away. Fortunately for her, Ko-Kaddic stepped between her and Sabrina. "What are you talking about!?" he snarled.

Sabrina almost laughed. Her exhaustion was forgotten. She felt near to bursting with excitement. Ko-Kraham's curse had a flaw—a small flaw, but one she could use. It was almost enough to make her forget the pain of the week—almost.

With her energy returned, so had her anger. Sabrina drew herself up to Ko-Kaddic and jabbed a claw at his chest. "What I'm talking about," she said. "is that since I've met you, you've done nothing but throw your weight around just to prove you could! Who are you trying to impress? Because you certainly haven't impressed me."

Ko-Kaddic spluttered for a moment, then clenched his teeth. "Why should I care about impressing you, Bek!?" he spat. "Last time I checked, nobody cared about your opinion!"

"Oh, you've made that abundantly clear," Sabrina said. "Since I've gotten here you've starved me, abused me, and insulted me—thanks for the warm welcome!"

Ko-Kaddic sneered at her, but the sneer became a smirk. "Warm welcome?" he asked. "What makes you think you're welcome here? Your precious little human might have asked Ko-Kalah to let you sleep here, but that doesn't make you a part of us. You'll never be anything more than a Bek, and you'll never be a part of our tribe."

Sabrina gaped. She clenched her fists until her shoulders shook, and regained her composure. "You're wrong," she snarled. "Maybe I'm... just a Bek, but at least I don't have to pick on kids to convince myself I'm big. So what does that make you?"

Ko-Kaddic crossed his arms and smirked wider. "A Ko," he said. "The first, the oldest, and the wisest. I don't need to prove anything to you, or me, or anyone else, because what I say goes." He leaned in and hissed, "So get out of my way."

Sabrina's legs marched her out of the way, exposing Sal-Sobin. He had not slunk away in the commotion as Sabrina might have. He had actually been watching with a look of awe—but as Sabrina stepped away, his expression turned back to one of fear.

Sabrina grimaced. But just because she had to step out of Ko-Kaddic's way, she realized, didn't mean she was finished.

"By all means!" She said, loud enough for the entire tribe to hear, and gave a theatrical flourish of her arms. "Go ahead, Ko-Kaddic, and pick on a child!"

"W-wait!" Sal-Sobin said, bolting behind Sabrina again.

Sabrina placed a hand on his head to soothe him and continued. You're in charge, right? You can do what you want?" She looked up and called out to the tribe again. "He can do what he wants, right? Even beating up a whelp who's too small to stand a chance against him?"

There was a muttering among the tribe. The dragons slowly began to look up, until only those most dedicated to ignoring the situation were still looking away.

Sabrina gestured to Sal-Sobin. "Look at him!" she said. "He's barely half Ko-Kaddic's size! Is that the 'wisdom' of a Ko? Picking a fight with somebody who can't defend themselves?" She jabbed an accusing finger at Ko-Kaddic as she addressed the tribe. "This is your Ko?" she asked. "This is the kind of dragon you want to speak for you? To care for the whelps who come after you?"

Everyone was looking, now. The murmuring was growing louder, and accusatory. Sabrina could see expressions begin to darken in the crowd. For a moment she worried that they were turning against her, but when Ko-Kaddic's friends began to slink away she knew that she had struck her mark.

She hid a smirk behind her hand. When she turned back to Ko-Kaddic, she put on an expression of mock surprise. "Gee, they don't seem that happy. I guess it's a good thing you don't have to convince anyone, because it looks like they all think you're nothing but a thug."

It was interesting, seeing a dragon redden beneath their scales. Ko-Kaddic's face darkened like a storm cloud. "I'm a Ko!" he bellowed.

"You think that gives you the right?" Sabrina snarled back. "Nothing gives you the right to do whatever you want! If someone like you is in charge, then I'd be glad I'm not a part of this tribe. But you're not.

"You're no leader," Sabrina hissed. She jabbed a claw against his chest, hard enough to drive him back a step. "You're not in charge. The only reason anyone here is at your back is because they're afraid to be in your sights. Don't believe me? How come nobody has stepped up to defend you?"

Ko-Kaddic opened and closed his mouth. He looked around, and realized that his erstwhile friends had retreated to a safe distance. The anger began to drain from his expression.

"I know you, Ko-Kaddic. I've known people like you my entire life. People who get one little taste of power, and think that the world revolves around them. You think you can hurt who you want, take what you want, and nobody can ever touch you for it. You don't know the first thing about being a leader. A leader is there for their people. You? You're nothing but a bully. And a bad one, at that."

She continued to jab his chest, driving him back, step by step. "You're pathetic. You don't even have the decency to pick on someone your own size! I'll bet you're afraid that they might fight back, and then what would you do? Tell them you're a Ko? You can spit on me all you want, but at least I never tried to tried to hide behind a name. At the end of the day, Kaddic, if you take away one little word, you're nothing. And you know it."

"BEK-BRAYA!"

Both Sabrina and Ko-Kaddic froze. Ko-Kalah stepped away from the wall and unfurled her wings.

Dragons scrambled out of the way of her feet as she lumbered forward. She cleared the room in a mere handful of earth-shuddering steps, and gazed down on the pair with an expression like the edge of a knife. She snorted, hard, and Sabrina felt a rush of hot air flow over her.

"Is this how you treat a tribe that has taken you in?" Ko-Kalah demanded. "Insult and disrespect them? I had hoped for better from you."

Sabrina had no response. She hunkered down, hunching her shoulders.

Ko-Kaddic quickly regained his composure, wiping the tears from his eyes and grinning at Sabrina. "Yeah," he said. "you should-"

"Enough!" Ko-Kalah barked. She placed a claw against Ko-Kaddic's chest and pushed him back. "Go to your bed, Ko-Kaddic. I will discuss this with you later."

As Ko-Kaddic slunk away, Ko-Kalah turned back to Sabrina. "You, I'll deal with now," She plucked Sabrina off the ground, curling her into a ball that fit in Ko-Kalah's palm. Sabrina yelped in shock, but was helpless as Ko-Kalah carried her off.

Ko-Kalah returned them to her corner. She set Sabrina back down and stood over her, folding her wings into a tent that closed them in and blocked them off from the rest of the tribe. A pillar of light shone down on Sabrina through a gap in Ko-Kalah's wings, the only light inside the tent. Ko-Kalah's face faded into the darkness, leaving only the faint shine of her eyes visible.

Whatever anger Sabrina had left was gone. She pressed her back against the wall and rubbed her arms, staring up at Ko-Kalah. Ko-Kalah, for her part, simply watched Sabrina. It was difficult to make out her expression in the darkness, but Sabrina didn't think she saw anger. It was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

As time went on Sabrina slowly relaxed, until she was able to unclench her shoulders and rub out the ache. Slowly, the tension drained away.

"Well?" Ko-Kalah said finally. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I..." Sabrina said, rubbing her shoulders, "...No, I guess not. I'm sorry, I just... saw how he was treating Sal-Sobin, and..." She sighed and looked away. How could she possibly describe it to Ko-Kalah?

"The week has been unkind to you," Ko-Kalah said. "And seeing how Sal-Sobin was treated reminded you of it all and brought it to the surface again."

"Y...yeah," Sabrina said. It was close enough to being true, at least. It was hard not to see her own situation in how Ko-Kaddic had bullied Sal-Sobin. She peered back up at Ko-Kalah. "I guess so."

Ko-Kalah nodded sadly. "I understand," she said. "It is difficult for the tribe to trust you." Her expression hardened, and she continued, "But that does not give you a right to speak to Ko-Kaddic that way. He was cruel, but he was right: the Yuvrani asking us to take you in does not make you a part of this tribe."

Sabrina winced. If Ko-Kalah noticed, she made not mention of it as she continued, "If you truly wish to join us, then you must accept our customs."

"I know," Sabrina said. "You're right. I just... got so angry, and I..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter." She slumped back against the wall and looked away. "I'm sorry."

Ko-Kalah tucked a claw beneath Sabrina chin and pulled her head up, back to look into Ko-Kalah's eyes. Her expression had softened again, more so even than before. "But just because you had no right to say it, does not mean you were wrong to," she said. "Thank you, Bek-Braya."

Sabrina didn't hear for a moment, lost as she was in the warmth of Ko-Kalah's eyes. She blinked. "W-what?" she asked.

"You were right," Ko-Kalah continued. "Ko-Kaddic is brash, and ill-tempered, and does not consider how others feel when he acts. He is too proud of being a Ko to act how a Ko should." She shook her head. "In the desert, he would likely have left the tribe and found another in a few years, or formed one of his own. But here... I would worry for him. I don't know that he would be able to find another tribe. He would be alone in this place." She looked down at Sabrina. "You understand," she said.

Sabrina nodded. "Yeah," she said softly.

"And you defended Sal-Sobin," Ko-Kalah continued. "Again, you were right. He should not have been wrestling Ko-Kaddic. Sal-Sobin joined our tribe not long before we came to Vikaasthan. He is young, and too trusting and eager to please. He hasn't made real friends yet, and Ko-Kaddic took advantage of that. He needs someone like you to support him—and Ko-Kaddic needed to hear what you said. But you are a guest here, and you must remember that."

She sounded like Sabrina's father. Although the thought renewed the ache in Sabrina's neck, as she rubbed her shoulders she couldn't help but smile, "So you're saying I did the right thing, but I shouldn't have?"

For the first time since Sabrina met her, Ko-Kalah laughed. It was a low, gentle sound, almost a cooing, and Sabrina found herself laughing as well. "Obstinate girl," she said. "I am saying that you did the right thing, but you—"

"Need to be gentle," Sabrina finished. "I know. I'm sorry."

Ko-Kalah smiled. "You are clever enough for that," she said. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out to stroke Sabrina's horns.

Without thinking, Sabrina flinched away from the touch. Ko-Kalah drew back her hand as though she had been shocked. Her expression was indecipherable for a moment, and she was silent. Slowly, her smile faded. When she spoke again, her tone was as impassive as ever. "There can be a place for you here, if you want it," she said. "But you must try." She drew a wing away from the wall, providing a door for Sabrina. "You may go," she said.

Sabrina nodded and shuffled away. On a whim, she paused at Ko-Kalah's wing and looked back. The older dragon had turned away. Sabrina watched her for a moment before stepping out.

The tribe had returned to their business, though a distinct air of awkwardness hung over them, in the way the scent of rain lingers after a storm. A few glanced at Sabrina as she passed. If she had cared to notice, she might have noticed that some of the looks, if they were not approving, were at least not as harsh as they had been.

Sabrina's attention was taken by her bed mat. Or rather, it was taken by the bed mat that had been shoved beside hers while she had been talking to Ko-Kalah.

Sal-Sobin was seated on the second mat, with his knees against his chest and his tail around his feet. He bounced in his seat when he saw her coming and beamed at her with a lopsided smile.

Sabrina slowed down as she approached the bed mats. Sal-Sobin continued to smile at her, but made no other movement. After lingering for a long, awkward moment, Sabrina eventually took a seat on her bed mat.

Sal-Sobin sat as close to Sabrina as he possibly could while still technically remaining on his own mat, but said nothing.

Sabrina wrapped her own tail around her feet as she peered at him. She thought about what Ko-Kalah had said, that Sal-Sobin had no real friends, and nobody to watch out for him. She guessed that she was the first person—or dragon—to have stuck up for him, and he wanted to stay close to her where he was safe.

He had stopped looking at her—most of the time. Every few moments his eyes would dart back to her, then dart away again when he caught her gaze. He fidgeted with his claws nervously, although his smile never faded.

Sabrina felt a smile play at the corners of her mouth. He clearly wanted to talk to her, but didn't want to speak first. He was going to be waiting for a while.

Or maybe not. If Sabrina could get him to say anything—even something small—she could greet him. She looked him up and down, and realized that he had inched just barely onto her mat. Not enough for her to actually care, but enough to be noticeable.

She stared at his seat for a moment, then looked up at him and cleared her throat gently.

Sal-Sobin blinked. He looked down, then gasped and scuttled backwards. "Sorry!" he said. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Sabrina said, holding a hand up to appease him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." she looked down again and added, "you can sit close if you want."

Sal-Sobin's face lit up. "O-okay!" he said. He scurried back to the edge of the mats and reached out, grabbing Sabrina's hand. "I'm Sal-Sobin!" he exclaimed.

"Uh," Sabrina said. She almost pulled her hand away, but stopped herself. Even if she hadn't, she wasn't sure she could have broken Sal-Sobin's grip. "Yeah... I know, Sal-Sobin. Hi."

Somehow, Sal-Sobin managed to grin wider. "You're Bek-Braya, right?"

"Yeah," Sabrina said. She rubbed her shoulder. "Umm... Can... I help you?"

Still grinning, Sal-Sobin shook Sabrina's hand so vigorously he almost pulled her over. "No," he said. "I just... wanted to say thanks! I don't really like wrestling with Ko-Kaddic, but sometimes he makes me anyways, and, well... y-you asked him to stop, even though you didn't have to!"

That was a fairly generous way of describing it. In spite of her misgivings, Sabrina couldn't help but smile as well. She rubbed her muzzle, hiding the smile behind her hand. "Well... you're welcome," she said. "Someone had to."

Sal-Sobin's smile faded. "Nobody else ever really does," he said. His face brightened again and he added, "But after what you said, everybody told him what a jerk he'd been! And Tor-Tomic made him listen to them all. You even got Ko-Kalah to get mad at him!" He looked up at her and gave her a bashful grin. "It was really cool."

Sabrina felt herself smiling wider. She looked away and rubbed her shoulders. "Can't you just ask Ko-Kalah to make him stop?"

Sal-Sobin shook his head. "No," she said. "Ko-Kaddic doesn't like listening to her. And anyways, she gets tired, and doesn't talk to the tribe much unless we're doing something really bad. Ko-Kaddic making me wrestle isn't enough."

"Oh," Sabrina said. She peered at the mass of dragon in the shadows. Ko-Kalah hadn't seemed particularly unsociable to her. She turned back to Sal-Sobin and said, "Well, you shouldn't have to wrestle if you don't want to."

Sal-Sobin didn't respond, but looked down and wiggled happily. Sabrina sat with him for a moment, wondering if she should try to extract her hand from his grip. Eventually she settled for a gentle cough.

"Sal-Sobin?" she asked. "Can I, uh, have my hand back?"

"Oh!" Sal-Sobin said as he released his grip. "Oh yeah!" He said, and spun around.

Sabrina rubbed her hand gently, and watched Sal-Sobin. He was rummaging in a small sack beside his bed mat. He gave a cry of joy as Sabrina settled back into a comfortable seat, and produced a small, lumpy bundle of wax cloth.

"Here!" he said, presenting it to her. "You can have this!"

"Thanks?" Sabrina said as the bundle was thrust upon her. It was soft, and smelled vaguely of butter. She unfolded the cloth, and almost dropped it.

The bundle contained three pieces of flatbread. They were squashed, and cold, and barely holding together, but they were definitely edible.

Sal-Sobin plunked himself down next to Sabrina, as close as he could while still remaining on his mat. "I took a few from dinner in case I got hungry. But you said you were really hungry, and some of the older dragons said you weren't getting served as much, so you can have them instead!"

Sabrina opened and closed her mouth, but couldn't find anything to say. Eventually she muttered "Thank you," and began devouring the bread. They may not have looked appealing, but they were delicious.

The bread was gone too fast, but for the first time in a week Sabrina leaned back with a full stomach. Or at least, one that was not completely empty. She sighed happily and patted her belly. "Thank you," she said again. She looked over at him, and at his bed mat. "Are you... gonna sleep there tonight?" she asked.

Sal-Sobin almost jumped up again. "Can I!?" he asked,

Sabrina covered her mouth to hide a laugh. "I guess?" she said. "It's a free floor. And anyways... thank you for the food, but I'm really exhausted." It was true. After everything that had happened here tiredness had come back with a vengeance, and she was threatening to topple over at any moment. She gently eased herself down and said, "I don't think I'd be able to stay awake long enough to stop you."

"Okay!" Sal-Sobin said. He spared a glance over his shoulder and laid down as well. "Bek-Braya?" he asked.

Sabrina stifled a yawn as she settled into the mat. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Can I... keep on sleeping here?" he asked. "Tomorrow, I mean. And after that."

"Sure," Sabrina said. "As long as you don't snore."

Sal-Sobin frowned slightly. "I don't think I do," he said. "Do I?"

Sabrina stared at him for a moment, and laughed wearily. "I guess we'll find out," she said.

Sal-Sobin laughed as well. "Good night," he said.

In spite of her tiredness, Sabrina found herself watching Sal-Sobin for a while. He curled up on the edge of his mat, with his head at her feet and his tail tucked around himself. For however tired Sabrina was, it seemed that Sal-Sobin was also feeling the exhaustion. It was not long before his breathed slowed and steadied, and he began to gently snore.

Sabrina watched him for a while longer. Then she turned around, until her head was facing his. "Good night," she whispered, and settled down to sleep.

Chapter 2: Knitting Needles

2017-06-24T12:38:05Z

Kegisak: Created page with "{{author tag|Kegisak}} By: Ian Sime {{series box|previous=Chapter 1: Mangoes |next=Chapter 3: Flatbread}} =={{Separator|k|Chapter 2: Knitting Needl..."

{{author tag|Kegisak}}
By: [[User:Kegisak|Ian Sime]]

{{series box|previous=[[Chapter 1: Mangoes]]

|next=[[Chapter 3: Flatbread]]}}

=={{Separator|k|Chapter 2: Knitting Needles}}==

Slowly, Sabrina's head stopped swimming, and she was able to think again. She immediately wished she couldn't.

Her head felt as though someone had stuffed it full of cotton. Cotton that had been soaked in wine, then set on fire. It throbbed mercilessly, pounding in her teeth and behind her eyes. She clenched her eyes shut and groaned.

Ko-Kraham laughed. Her voice was Sabrina's own, but it was strange. It was not simply that it was distant, and less resonant. It was tinged with a low, growling glee that pounded through Sabrina's head like a gong.

Ko-Kraham was somewhere in the range of Sabrina's bed, though it was impossible to say exactly where. "Yes, I remember the first time," she said. "I remember my mother had little patience for me, either. You may as well stop your bellyaching. The sooner you get up on your toes and get used to it, the easier it will be."

After that, Ko-Kraham was silent. Though Sabrina could hear the rustling of cloth, she was left to her own recovery. It seemed like an eternity before she could even begin, though in truth it was only a few moments before she attempted to right herself.

Sabrina did not roll over so much as heave herself in a direction, and hope it was the right one. There was a sickening twisting as the world lurched around her, but she quickly felt the cold stone floor press against her belly. It was a meagre encouragement, but it was enough for her to get her hands beneath herself and heave up.

Slowly, shakily, she made it to her feet. Then she collapsed again. She made another attempt, this time attempting to rise on all fours first, and only succeeded in careening into the edge of her bed. Try as she might, she couldn't manage to get her legs beneath herself. Her limbs were still numb from the pain, and her legs felt misshapen and short, as though they didn't quite reach the floor.

She steadied herself on the edge of the bed. The pounding in her skull was finally beginning to subside, enough so that she could open her eyes without being blinded by the pain. She was aching, clumsy, and still half-unconscious, but she was upright.

The door to her closet stood open, the source of the rustling sound. Ko-Kraham called from within, "Don't you have anything a bit less... garish? All these greens and reds, honestly." She emerged with a set of dresses slung over her arm. It was surreal for Sabrina, seeing her own face, her own body, moving around without her. In her half-addled state, it was almost dreamlike. "Just because you can make a dye this bright, doesn't mean you should, you know," Ko-Kraham said.

Sabrina managed to muster up the concentration to speak. "What," she wheezed, "is going on?" Her voice sent a shudder down her spine, but she tried her best to suppress it.

"I'm picking out a dress for dinner, obviously," Ko-Kraham said. "I can hardly go in these." she plucked at the plain, threadbare clothes that she had worn when she was Harinma, mere minutes ago. "You don't have much selection. It wouldn't kill you to have owned something in gold, you know."

Ko-Kraham circled the bed and stood in front of the mirror. She held the dresses in front of herself, one after the other, and sighed. "I suppose they do look good on this complexion." she made a noise of disgust. "You could have at least developed taste at some point. It's going to be months before I can move over to something decent."

Enough murk had cleared from Sabrina's mind that she could feel the red rising behind her eyes. Still using the bed to support herself, she rounded on Ko-Kraham and glared up at her. She had never seen her own face from this angle before. It was smirking and imperious—had she looked like that, or was it simply Ko-Kraham?

Whichever it was, Sabrina set her shoulders and glowered. "That's not... what I meant and you... you know it," she hissed—or at least, she tried to. It was still all she could do to string her thoughts together into something coherent, much less say them, and there was no force in her voice.

"Give it a minute dear, it will come to you," Ko-Kraham said. "Having a new head on your shoulders can be disorienting the first time."

Sabrina blinked hard and stared at Ko-Kraham. The pieces were beginning to click together. "You're... a dragon," she managed.

"Very good," Ko-Kraham said. "Well, perhaps a bit slow, but I've learned not to expect too much from you by this point." She had undressed and begun to wind the red-and-cream sari around herself. "And the next step is..."

"What do you think you're doing?" Sabrina demanded.

"We've been over that one already," Ko-Kraham said. "I'm sure you can do better than that." She slung the end of the saree over her shoulder and turned slightly, inspecting herself.

"Who do you think you're going to fool?" Sabrina asked. She took a careful step away from the bed, and managed to hold herself up, hunched over on shaky legs. "Nobody is going to think you're actually the real Yuvrani..."

Ko-Kraham had leaned into the mirror, and was inspecting her eyes. She picked up a makeup kit "I'd actually be worried you're right, if they had any reason to suspect I might not be," she said. "I'd be impressed if there were anyone paranoid enough to suspect the Yuvrani was secretly a dragon."

"They won't have to," Sabrina said. "Once I tell father, you'll be out of here in ropes, if you leave at all."

Ko-Kraham laughed. "You'll make me ruin my makeup," she chided. "I've seen servants bring no less than five meals to this room in a single day," she said. "I could keep you in this room for years, if I needed to. But why bother? Who would ever believe you?"

"I am the Yuvrani!" Sabrina said.

Ko-Kraham sighed as she applied makeup. "You were doing so well," she said. "I know you have something like a brain in there, whelp. But fine." She placed the end of her brush on Sabrina's forehead and pushed her gaze down to the mirror.

Sabrina blinked. The last of the fog had finally cleared from her mind, but she was still unable to understand what she was seeing.

It was not the lingering pain that had made her body feel foreign and misshapen. It was not her bent posture that made Ko-Krahama seem so impossibly tall. Beside Ko-Kraham, staring back at Sabrina, was a scrawny, miserable-looking dragon whelp.

She was chest high on Ko-Kraham, and even then only just. A pair of freshly-grown wings, still too small to be useful for anything but a stiff breeze, forced her into a slouching posture that made her seem smaller than she already was. Her crocodile-like scales were a pale shade of purple, a far cry from the vibrant colours of most dragons. She was a pathetic thing in all ways but one, and even that was a cruelty: A heavy crest of horn grew out of her brow, gleaming and onyx-black, like the jewels of a crown.

Sabrina gawked at the creature, speechless. She couldn't understand what she was seeing. Her mind raced distantly, searching for an explanation—any explanation—to deny her eyes, but the thoughts left her as quickly as they came, without ever finding purchase. Her eye twitched, and the whelp's did as well. She clenched her fists, and the dragon clenched its fists. She spread her wings.

She vomited.

"Oh, that's interesting," Ko-Kraham said. She took a step away from Sabrina and lifted the hem of her skirt out of the way of the splash. "I've never seen a dragon vomit before. I wasn't even really sure we could."

Sabrina's stomach continued to heave, even after it was empty. It twisted itself into a knot, and her legs shook from the exertion. She toppled backwards into the bed, and onto the floor. Her breath came fast and heavy, but she couldn't seem to get enough air. The room was stifling. Suffocating. She was suffocating.

"H-hhhhhh" she wheezed, through chattering teeth.

Ko-Kraham peered at the pool of vomit, and at Sabrina. She prodded Sabrina with her foot. "Move, please," she said. "I need to get past your mess."

"Wh-huuuuh," Sabrina said. "W-what did you do?"

"Hmm?" Ko-Kraham asked. She took a look in the mirror and gave a small flourish. "My makeup! It looks good, doesn't it?"

"What did you do to me!?" Sabrina cried. She couldn't look away from the mirror, but every movement, every reminder, sent another wash of sickness through her. She clutched desperately at her bare scalp and horns.

Ko-Kraham sighed. She spoke very slowly, and very clearly, in the tone one might reserve for a child. "You are a dragon now too," she said. Her prodding turned into a shove, knocking Sabrina out of the way, and she stepped gingerly through the clean path. "Now, unless you need anything else explained to you, I have a dinner to get to."

Sabrina's breath came fast and ragged. Her eyes darted around the room, unsure of where to focus. Ko-Kraham, the mirror, her arms. "Take it back!" she said. "Change me back!"

Ko-Kraham rolled her eyes. "I think we both know that's not going to happen," she said. She folded her arms and peered down at Sabrina, tapping her forearm.

Sabrina made a desperate, wordless sound. Panic overtook her, followed by instinct, and she slapped her hands together. Somehow, through accident or practice, she found a place of stillness inside her, and felt. She felt the breath in her lungs: the air. She felt the twitching of her muscles: the soil. She felt the moisture on her claws: the rain. The stillness filled with thoughts of Vikaasi, the mother of all that grew, the green woman, and felt the seed of power come to life in her belly.

Then she felt it die.

The power faded as quickly as it came, and in its place was a tugging sensation. The tugging grew and grew, until it felt as though her guts would be ripped straight out of her belly. She let go of the power and gasped for breath as the pain faded away.

Ko-Kraham tutted and knelt down beside Sabrina. She cupped Sabrina's chin, tilting her face up until their eyes met. "Oh no, dear," she said. "I'm afraid not. You leant me your magic, and I'm not finished with it yet. And I think you'll find that I'm just a bit stronger than you."

She grabbed Sabrina by the horns and hauled her to her feet. The pain was just one of many, and they all seemed to blend together into a dull, all-encompassing ache.

Sabrina allowed herself to be dragged around the bed to the closet. She had no strength to resist—she had barely enough left to hold herself upright. When Ko-Kraham opened the closet door and threw her inside, she toppled to the floor like a straw doll.

Ko-Kraham sighed and leaned against the doorframe. "This will be so much easier if I don't have to drag it out of you every time I need something done, you know," she admonished.

Sabrina tried to struggled to her feet, but only made it as far as her knees. "Please," she gasped. "Why are you doing this to me? I... W-what do you want? I could... I could..." She didn't even have the will left to finish the sentence.

"I'm already going to get what I want," Ko-Kraham said. She approached Sabrina, running a finger along her horns and laughing as Sabrina flinched away. "Just think of it as a another lecture. All you need to do is behave."

Sabrina felt Ko-Kraham's expectant gaze. Slowly, on trembling arms and legs, Sabrina crawled backwards.

This seemed to satisfy Ko-Kraham. She nodded, and said, "Good. I'm glad you're finally beginning to understand." She straightened up and brushed some unseen piece of lint off of her skirt. "Now, I have to get to dinner before anyone starts to wonder what's taking so long and comes looking. After that, I have something to take care of. Then I'll return to deal with you." She caught Sabrina's miserable expression and smiled. "Now dear, there's no need to make that face. I'll be back before you know it."

Then she left, shutting the closet door behind her and leaving Sabrina in the dark. A few moments later, Sabrina heard the bedroom door open, then click shut. Sabrina was alone.

She stretched out as much as she could and pressed herself against the floor. She trembled violently, and each time she brushed up against herself, each time she became aware of her body, her stomach lurched to life again.

The cool stones were soothing on her muscles, and after a few minutes the shaking began to subside. As the shaking left, so did the twisting sickness. Before long she was left with nothing but a cold, hollow ache between her shoulders.

Sabrina choked down a sob. Her mind was racing, a million thoughts passing through her head every moment. She didn't understand what was happening. She didn't understand why it was happening.

Images of Harinma—Ko-Kraham—flashed through her mind. The withered, vicious old face, and her own familiar face painted with that callous smirk. She could only imagine Ko-Kraham's true face, but perhaps she had seen it in the change.

A dragon, disguised as a human. Disguised as her tutor! Why? It wasn't as if there were no dragon servants in the first place. Ko-Kraham could have approached the palace in full daylight and asked for work, and it would have been given. If anything, it would have helped.

Was Harinma's entire life, her sixteen years in the palace as Sabrina's tutor, just an excuse? A front, until she had the chance to steal Sabrina's life? The very idea of it was absurd. And yet...

And yet, at that very moment, Ko-Kraham was wearing her face. At that very moment, Ko-Kraham was taking a seat at Sabrina's Father's right hand, preparing to eat. Sabrina could feel the faint twitching of her bones, the desire to mimic Ko-Kraham's movements. Ko-Kraham would spend the evening with Kamalakshi and Astha, and the other girls—and Taurau.

After the afternoon Sabrina and Taurau had spent together, Taurau would almost certainly want to move closer to her at dinner. Not overtly, of course. That would be improper. Even so, remembered how he had looked at her in the city, and how he would look at dinner, centred squarely on Ko-Kraham...

Surely, with that many people around, someone would notice. Someone would realize it was not truly Sabrina.

Wouldn't they?

Ko-Kraham had a point. Even if they suspected something was not right, would any of them imagine that Sabrina had been replaced, and transformed, and locked in a closet? More likely they would just assume that Sabrina was upset, or stressed. That left Sabrina exactly where she was: trapped, and helpless. Her eyes stung with tears, and she felt a lump rise in her throat.

She clenched her eyes shut, and bit back a shivering sob. No! She wasn't helpless. She wasn't some frightened little girl. She was the Yuvrani of Vikaasthan, would be the Maharani some day. She certainly did not cry on the floor.

She pulled herself up to a sitting position and grabbed her shoulders. The sensation made her skin crawl—or rather, her scales. The stiff, rough hide felt perverse beneath her palms; diseased. The bite of her claws on her shoulders sent a wash of instinctive panic through her. Although she shook violently, she forced herself to face it.

She brought her mind back to when she had been a little girl, and broken her leg so badly that the bone had shifted beneath her skin. That feeling of wrongness about it had been worse than any pain. But it had been temporary. This was temporary.

Slowly, the shaking subsided. She took her first steady breath, let go of herself, and opened her eyes.

The closet was not as dark as Sabrina had expected. Certainly it was not well-lit, but where she had expected pitch blackness, she could make out the vague, indistinct shapes of the robes and dresses hanging around her. A thin sliver of light shone through the crack beneath the door; Ko-Kraham had left the lamps in the room lit.

Sabrina stared at the door. It had not been locked--it didn't have a lock at all. Her bedroom door locked from the inside, as well. If she chose, she could walk out at that very moment.

But surely Ko-Kraham had not overlooked that. After sixteen years of lies, Ko-Kraham wouldn't miss something so simple and ordinary. The temptation was immense, but there had to be a catch. Even so...

Sabrina crept towards the door. Nothing impeded her. She reached out with trembling hands, bracing herself for whatever was coming, and touched the handle.

Nothing.

She stood there for a moment, breathing slowly. She still half expected to be burned, or flung away, or--something. But nothing came. Emboldened, she set her shoulders, gripped the latch, and stopped.

She stood, frozen, with her hands on the latch. She felt as though she had been encased in stone. She willed herself forward, straining to do even as little as press down the latch, but to no avail. Her body refused to move, even to tremble.

A feeling of sickness washed over her once more, and in a moment of panic she wrenched back from the door. That, it seemed, she had no problem doing. She sailed over backwards, landing on her tail with a grunt.

Sabrina lay on the floor, panting. She forced herself to keep her breath steady and even. Slowly, the feeling of sickness subsided, and the hammering in her chest slowed. She sat up once again and stared at the door.

So that was Ko-Kraham's lock. Had she not been so wracked by anxiety, Sabrina might have felt insulted. Making something stop was simple, far simpler than making something happen, and it was a prayer that even a child could counteract. If they had magic.

Sabrina was gentle. Even without a seed of power she could feel her connection to Ko-Kraham. She could feel that vague, distant bridge, feel the tugging in her bones as her body tried to imitate Ko-Kraham. If she focused, she could even make out Ko-Kraham's jaw working as she ate. Sabrina breathed deep and went further, praying for a seed.

Even gently, it was like touching a fresh wound. Pain lanced through Sabrina and she gasped, releasing the prayer. Her knees shook, but she forced herself to remain upright. It was a setback. Just a setback. The ragged feeling in the pit of her stomach, the feeling of wrenching in the very depths of her bones—they were no different from the closet door.

She folded her arms tightly around her shoulders. She breathed deeply, repeating the words over and over. It was a setback. It was temporary. She was not helpless, as long as she remained calm. Panic was not going to help her here.

She took stock of herself. The rhythmic tugging in her jaw had stopped, but in turn she could feel a slow swaying in her legs. Ko-Kraham had finished dinner, she surmised. That meant she was now taking care of her 'errand'.

Sabrina had no idea what that errand might be, but it was no huge stretch to assume it was bad news for her. If she was truly trapped, then the only thing she could do was to prepare for Ko-Kraham's return.

As she wracked her mind for how, Sabrina became aware of a lancing pain in her shoulders. She had been gripping them so tightly that her claws had begun to dig into the scales, and her neck ached fiercely. She let go of herself and flexed her fingers.

A thought struck her. She continued to flex her fingers, staring at the claws that tipped them. They grew out of the final knuckle of each of her fingers, perhaps half an inch long and gently curved. Unlike the claws of the craftsdragons in the city, which had been changed sharper for the sake of their work, her claws were stout and blunt, good for little more than gripping. Even so, they gave her an idea.

It was a foolish, desperate idea, and the very thought of it made her sick to her stomach. At that point, however, it was simply one more drop in a flood of sickening anxiety, and with her stomach freshly emptied it didn't trouble her. More importantly, it was the only idea she had.

She took a moment to put herself into that anxious pit, and felt for Ko-Kraham. She was still at the moment, aside from the odd shift in her posture or twitch of her wrist. Sabrina had time.

She turned away from the door and moved deeper into the closet. Dresses hung around every wall, clumping together in the darkness into a single, formless mass. Sabrina plunged into it, careful not to damage the dresses with her claws as she shoved them aside. What she was searching for was behind, and below.

A row of shelves was mounted along the bottom three feet of the wall. Several of them were lined with jewelry boxes and displays, and a few with slippers for different seasons, but the majority were lined with boxes and baskets of various description.

Many of the containers stored seasonal clothing, such as heavier scarves and shoes, or broad shawls. Others were filled with things Sabrina had left behind, but that either she, or her mother and father, could not let go of. Children's books, old dresses, toys, and other things. As she passed them by, Sabrina found herself repressing the urge to dig out one of her old toys for comfort.

What she was looking for was in a tall wicker basket, situated in the very back of the closet. She had put it there in disgust months ago, when the heat of the wet season had reached its peak, and she could not bear to look at anything heavier than gauze and linen. She pulled off the lid, revealing the contents: Dozens of bundles of wool.

Sabrina had to lift herself off her feet and rest on the edge of the basket, but she plunged into it with abandon. She dug through the wool, careful not to spill out any of the wool. In the dark it would be impossible find them all and put them back in, and if Ko-Kraham saw them when she opened the closet, she might be suspicious. Sabrina needed to work fast, though. Ko-Kraham was walking again.

It was not long before she found what she needed: A pair of long, sturdy knitting needles. Sabrina pulled them out of the basket like a sacred relic, savouring the feeling of the sleek wood in her hands. She replaced the lid of the basket and stepped away.

Although there was nobody to see her, Sabrina avoided the open area in the centre of the closet. Instead she slunk beneath the line of the dresses, holding herself low to the ground as she made her way closer to the door.

She did not approach the door itself, nor did she make any attempt to open it. She pressed herself against the wall beside it, on the opening side, beneath the dresses. Even there, her body seemed sluggish and reluctant. Perhaps it was simply her nerves. Whatever the case, she found her place and hunched down, making herself as small and hidden as possible, and clutched the needles tight. She closed her eyes, and waited.

She wasn't sure whether she waiting for only a minute, or for hours. Moments seemed to blend together in the darkness. However long it was, her patience was eventually rewarded by the click of a door opening.

Sabrina's heart leaped into her throat. She hunkered lower, straining her ears. There was only a single set of footsteps, moving at a casual, almost lazy pace. The door closed again, and the footsteps began to approach the closet.

After that, Sabrina could no longer make out the sounds for her heart hammering in her ears. Her whole body shook with every beat, and she was certain her palms were slick with sweat. Was it even possible for her to sweat anymore? She wiped her hands on her sides just in case, and gripped the needles tighter.

The latch on the closet door sank down. Light flooded into the closet as the door swung open, silhouetting Ko-Kraham. Even through the darkness, Sabrina imagined she could see that insufferable expression.

Sabrina took a shuffling, hesitant step forward, then stopped. This was insane. She knew it was insane. What choice did she have, though? Sabrina couldn't count on anyone to see through Ko-Kraham's disguise. For all that she hated Ko-Kraham at that moment, Sabrina knew Ko-Kraham was right: Sabrina needed to be able to fight for her people.

"There's no sense hiding, little whelp," Ko-Kraham said, leaning against the doorway. "I know you haven't gotten out of this closet, and I know you're going to come out here. The only difference is whether you're going to come out on your own, or whether I'm going to have to drag you out." She folded her arms and tapped a finger against her shoulder. "So? Which is it?"

Sabrina clenched her teeth and took a deep breath. She lunged out of her hiding spot, leaping at Ko-Kraham before she had a chance to respond, and thrusting forward. The knitting needles slammed into Ko-Kraham's thigh, easily puncturing fabric and flesh. Blood splashed out over Sabrina's arms, hot and wet and brilliant, burning red. It felt like fire on Sabrina's scales.

Sabrina tried to dash past her for the door, but Ko-Kraham screamed and threw a wild backhand that caught her across the muzzle. Sabrina managed to keep a grip on the knitting needles, ripping them out as she staggered away. She caught a glimpse of Ko-Kraham bearing down on her and lashed out. More blood splattered on her face.

Sabrina stumbled back. Her breath came fast and ragged, and if her heartbeats had been loud before, they were deafening now. She could no longer hear Ko-Kraham's panicked gasping. She could still see her, though. The sight of Ko-Kraham--of herself--staggering away, needle protruding from her side and blood pouring down her leg, sent Sabrina's vision swimming. Somehow, she found it in herself to vomit once again.

Ko-Kraham slumped against the doorframe and made a sound somewhere between a hiss and a howl. She held her hands against her side, one clutching her skin as though trying to keep the blood in, and the other wrapped around the needles. Her hiss turned into a burbling scream, and with a vicious, spasming movement, she wrenched the needles out and tossed them aside.

Sabrina forced herself to remain upright, and staggered forward, aiming for the door. She needed to get out. She slipped in her own vomit and crashed to the floor, but struggled upright once more.

Ko-Kraham's foot caught Sabrina in the side, sending her careening into the door frame hard enough to jar her teeth. Before she could recover, Ko-Kraham grabbed her by the horns and threw her to the floor.

Sabrina writhed on the floor for just a moment, then scrabbled forward. Though the edges of her vision were blurred, the image of the knitting needles on the floor in front of her was clear as diamonds. She reached out desperately for her weapon. Ko-Kraham's foot came down on her elbow. Sabrina cried out in pain, then again as Ko-Kraham stomped her back.

"Stupid girl!" Ko-Kraham screamed. "Stupid, filthy, miserable whelp!" She kicked Sabrina in the side, sending her skidding out of the closet. "I liked this sari, and now it's ruined!" She stormed out after Sabrina with death in her eyes.

By some miracle, Sabrina had managed to catch one of the knitting needles as she had slid past. She staggered as upright as she could manage and crawled backwards, brandishing it at Ko-Kraham.

"Enough!" Ko-Kraham shouted. "You will never raise a hand against me again!"

The words crashed through Sabrina like thunder. They echoed through her bones and blasted away her pain, her fear, her panic. All that was left were the words, searing themselves on the inside of her skull.

Sabrina didn't even realize she had dropped the needle until she heard it clatter on the floor. She tried to pick it up again, but her hands refused to work. She tried to raise her fists, but even that was impossible.

Ko-Kraham smiled a savage mockery of a smile, like a wound across her face. She lifted her hand from her side. It was coated in fresh blood, as was her side—but only for a moment. Ko-Kraham's flesh melted and flickered like a flame, and mere moments later was smooth once more. The blood around it was burnt and cracked, and the skin was flawless. Her wounds had healed so perfectly it was as though she had never been hurt at all.

"You see?" Ko-Kraham said. She stomped on Sabrina's ribs, driving the air out of her lungs. "What good did any of this do? This is your fault! This would all be so much easier if you would just! Stop! Fighting!"

Each shout was punctuated by a kick. Sabrina flailed desperately, clutching at Ko-Kraham's skirts, but the blows didn't stop. When she was finally finished, Ko-Kraham grabbed Sabrina's horns and hauled her upright. She dragged her to the mirror and forced her in front of it.

"What was your plan?" Ko-Kraham screamed. "What was going to happen, after you'd killed me? Were you going to run out into the halls, looking like this?"

If Sabrina had looked miserable before, she looked like death itself, now. Shivering, caked in blood and sick, and barely strong enough to hold herself upright. Even she could see the desperate hunger in her eyes.

"Or maybe you were thinking that with me dead, this would all go away?" Ko-Kraham continued. She was no longer shouting, but hissing in Sabrina's ear. "That, somehow, this terrible curse would be broken? Or you would wake up as yourself again? Think, girl. Think! How do you think you got this way? Have you ever known a bridge that could only be crossed one way?" Her voice had softened further until it was almost cloying. "You need me, girl. Just like I need you."

Ko-Kraham finally let go of Sabrina's horns. Sabrina fell to her knees, defeated. A choking, shuddering whimper escaped her lips.

"Do you finally understand?" Ko-Kraham asked.

Sabrina nodded weakly. "Y-yes," she breathed.

"Good!" Ko-Kraham said. The anger was gone from her voice in an instant. "Brace yourself, dear," she added, grabbing Sabrina's horn again.

A wave of fire rushed through Sabrina's body. Though it was by no means as painful as the previous, it still sent her to the floor. The pain passed quickly, however, and when it did Sabrina found she felt strangely better. There was no longer a pain in her side where Ko-Kraham had kicked her, and her headache from knocking against the door frame had vanished as well.

"I have to say, though, I am impressed," Ko-Kraham said. "I was expecting to find you snivelling on the floor, not hiding to murder me with—what was that, a knitting needle? A little bit higher and you might have actually done it!" She flopped down onto the armchair, kicking her legs over the arm. "I guess you were serious about being willing to fight for your country. Good for you. By the way, I got you a bucket." She gestured to the door, where a bucket of soap and water, and a fresh washrag, were sitting.

Sabrina stared at the bucket, blinking slowly. She looked between it, and Ko-Kraham. She half-expected the woman to explode into a rage again at any moment. Instead Ko-Kraham simply rolled her eyes and sighed.

"For the vomit," she said. "I'm certainly not going to sleep with that stink beside me all night. And now there's blood everywhere that I don't want to explain, so you can clean that up, too. And yourself, of course. Can't have your trotting around looking like you just murdered your dinner." She blinked and sat up, checking her side as though she had just remembered she was covered in fresh blood herself. She tutted and got out of the chair. "And throw out these rags. What do you do with dresses you're finished with?"

Sabrina was still staring at the bucket. "You want me to... clean?" she asked.

"Obviously," Ko-Kraham said. "Someone has to, and the Yuvrani isn't the one to do it." She peered over her shoulder at Sabrina. There was a dangerous glint in her eye. "Do I have to order you to do it?"

Sabrina winced, and took a few shuffling steps towards the bucket.

"Good," Ko-Kraham said with a satisfied nod. "You're lucky; I'm in a good mood. The sooner you start listening, the less... unpleasantness, we'll have. I don't enjoy it any more than you do, you know." She began to strip off the dress as she walked into the closet.

Sabrina sincerely doubted that. She picked up the bucket and hauled it to pool of vomit beside the bed. Her arms felt like they were going to fall out of their sockets. She set it down beside the puddle of sick and leaned against the bed, rubbing her aching arms.

"I don't hear cleaning," Ko-Kraham called from inside the closet.

Sabrina sighed, and dunked the cloth in the water. She had never cleaned anything before, and the stink was overpowering, but she was too tired to care. All of her anger, and fear and nausea had washed away. All she felt was numb.

Ko-Kraham emerged from the closet just before Sabrina finished cleaning. She was dressed in a robe of emerald green, belted by a wide yellow sash. She peered over the bed, inspecting Sabrina's work, and nodded. "You can clean the closet, now," she said. "And don't worry about the dress, I'll just burn it. If I get servants to dispose of it they'll only ask awkward questions." She tossed herself back into the armchair and laughed. "Maybe I'd have to turn them into whelps as well! At least you'd have a friend."

Sabrina didn't respond. She simply carried the bucket into the closet and did her best to clean up the vomit as she had been told. The rag had been saturated with blood and bile, though, and she was spreading it around as much as she was mopping it up. By the time she finished cleaning the floor, Sabrina's arms were coated in a film of grime. With the rag useless, she had no choice by to wipe herself down with the remains of the dress that were still clean.

She tried not to think of the ruined mess the sari had become. It hadn't been her favourite dress—she hadn't even particular cared for it—but it had still been hers. Had been.

Cleaning the closet went faster than the floor beside the bed, and before long Sabrina was finished. She poked her head out of the door, wringing her hands and peering at Ko-Kraham. Ko-Kraham was exactly as she had been, slung lazily across the armchair. If anything, she looked as though she had sunk deeper into it.

Ko-Kraham waved sluggishly at Sabrina. "All finished?" she asked.

Sabrina nodded. She stepped out of the closet and wrung her hands. She watched Ko-Kraham as the dragon pulled herself out of the chair and sauntered over to inspect Sabrina's work.

Ko-Kraham hummed and hawed, but it was clear she was satisfied with the work. "Not bad," she said. "For a girl who's never done it before, you obviously know how to clean. That's good."

She turned back to Sabrina and reached out. Sabrina flinched back, but Ko-Kraham simply tutted and cooed to her. She touched Sabrina's horns, gently running a finger down their length. "You see?" she said. "How much easier this all is when you just accept it and do as I ask?"

Sabrina didn't answer. She clenched her fists tighter, and looked away.

Ko-Kraham sighed and knelt down beside Sabrina. She cupped Sabrina's face between her hands, and forced Sabrina to look her in the eye. "I know this all seems unfair," she said. "I didn't want it to be this way either. It will get better, I promise, but right now you've proven that I just can't trust you."

Her grip on Sabrina's face tightened until it was painful. Sabrina tried to struggle away, but Ko-Kraham her tight.

"I can't have you running around telling people I'm an imposter," Ko-Kraham said. "You will listen to me. From this point on, you are Bek-Braya. You will never speak of your old life. You will not speak at all, unless you are spoken to, and you will do as you are told."

Sabrina cringed as the words burned themselves into her, and gasped in shock.

Ko-Kraham simply smiled. She stood up, brushed off, and walked to the door. "Come with me," she said.

Sabrina did as she was told, trotting over to Ko-Kraham and falling in beside her. Ko-Kraham nodded with satisfaction, and lead Sabrina outside. Together they walked through the halls of the palace in silence.

They took back ways and less-used corridors. In the middle hours of the evening, most of the servants and nobles living in the palace had retired to their own quarters, and the halls were almost empty save for the night guards. Even so, it was clear that Ko-Kraham was hurrying them along, avoiding any possibility of conversation or confrontation.

From Sabrina's lower angle, the halls seemed at once nostalgic and unfamiliar. She had been only a child the last time she had seen this view. Barely seven or eight years old, scarcely old enough to navigate the palace by herself. She had always been with her father or mother. She would have given anything to have them with her then.

Soon they had passed into a new portion of the palace on the south wing, one still under construction. Those rooms they passed that were not still open to the air were spartan and threadbare, and even in the hallways, with the exception of the pillars spaced along the walk, the walls were ugly and barren wood that it was clear would be covered by smooth slabs of stone.

The only rooms that seemed to be completed were the servant quarters. Unlike the narrow and utilitarian quarters in the rest of the palace, however, the servant quarters here were wide halls with tall, arching ceilings. Sabrina's heart seized when she realized why. Ko-Kraham lead them around the corner and into a massive, cavernous room, filled with dragons.

An entire tribe of them, almost twenty dragons total. Most were around Sabrina's age and height, though many were younger whelps—twelve, perhaps ten years old at the earliest. They were huddled together in small groups of two or three, chattering happily as they played, or told stories, or made small carvings and trinkets. An older male and female were curled in the corner, watching over the mess. Or rather, they had been. The moment Sabrina and Ko-Kraham entered all activity stopped, and all eyes were on them.

Sabrina shuffled awkwardly in the doorframe. Ko-Kraham, meanwhile, strode confidently forward and turned to the wall beside the door. "Hello, again," she said.

Sabrina blinked and peered between Ko-Kraham and the tribe. None of the other dragons seemed in the least confused, or even interested, that Ko-Kraham was apparently talking to the wall.

"I hope the evening finds you well?" Ko-Kraham continued. One of the older dragons in the rear of the room stirred, but made no move to respond to her. Sabrina craned her neck to stare at Ko-Kraham, and found herself looking into a pair of enormous, gleaming eyes.

Sabrina jumped back as what she had thought was a wall shifted and began to unfold. It was not a wall at all, but another dragon—easily the oldest and largest dragon Sabrina had ever seen. She must have been at least seventy, almost eighty years old, judging from how her knuckles hovered just above the floor. Even bent nearly double, she towered over the rest, and her tail coiled around two walls of the room.

It was no wonder Sabrina had thought she was a wall at first. Even setting aside her deep green scales that blended into the shadows, the dragon was colossal. She lumbered forward, stopping occasionally to dip and balance herself on her hands. She spoke in a rolling, smoky voice that seemed to echo in Sabrina's ears. "Thank you, Honoured Yuvrani. It is good to see you again."

"Yes," Ko-Kraham said. She stepped back and touched Sabrina's horns. "As promised, I brought the whelp I was telling you about earlier this evening."

The dragon nodded and turned to Sabrina. She crouched until her face was level with Sabrina's—which meant nearly laying on the floor. "Good evening, little one," she said. This close, her voice resounded through Sabrina's entire body. "I am Ko-Kalah, the Speaker for our tribe. You wish to join us?"

Sabrina took a shaking step backwards. "U-uh," she stammered.

"She does," Ko-Kraham answered for her. She placed a hand on Sabrina's head. It might have looked affectionate, from an outside view, but the pressure on Sabrina's head made it clear it was to hold her still. "Do you have an initiation?"

Ko-Kalah shook her head. "No," she said. "If the Yuvrani vouches for her, that is enough." She seemed to barely recognize that Ko-Kraham was there. She stared at Sabrina, eyes burning intensely though her dull expression. Sabrina felt as though Ko-Kalah was staring as much through her as at her. "Tell me, little one. If you are to join our tribe, what is your name?"

Sabrina opened her mouth to reply, and said nothing.

Sabrina's shoulders tensed. She tried again, but once more she found herself unable to make a sound. Her throat had seized shut, and refused to move.

She raised a trembling hand to her throat. Her mouth worked, opening and closing, but she still could not speak the words. Sabrina. That was all she needed to say. Sabrina.

"Are you alright, little one?" Ko-Kalah asked.

Sabrina looked up at her. She gripped her shoulders to stop them shaking, and tried again. She pushed with all her might, fighting her throat until her neck and shoulders ached and she could hardly breathe, but all she could manage was a weak, choked stammer. "I-I..." she said.

She caught Ko-Kraham's expression, cold and hard, and felt it. She felt the gaping inside herself, that ragged wound that linked her to Ko-Kraham, and understood. She looked between Ko-Kraham and Ko-Kalah, and slumped.

"B...Bek-Braya," she said.

There was a moment of silence, followed by a murmur through the tribe. Ko-Kalah blinked. She turned to Ko-Kraham and said, "you did not mention she was a Bek."

Ko-Kraham shrugged. "I didn't think it was important," she said. "Does it make a difference?"

Ko-Kalah frowned deeply. She hummed, looking between Sabrina and Ko-Kraham. Finally, she sighed. "I suppose not," she said. She tapped her claws on the ground. "Tor-Tallow, Sal-Sobin. Bring out a mat for Bek-Braya."

As two young whelps leaped to the task, a cry rose up among the tribe. One of the older dragons in the back of the room stood up and unfurled his wings, and several of the whelps slapped their tails angrily on the floor. The shouts and groans mingled together into a wall of singularly unfriendly noise, all of it directed at Sabrina. She took a step away from the tribe, pressing her back to the wall.

Ko-Kalah rounded on her tribe and let out a thunderous roar. The tribe fell silent in an instant—perhaps, like Sabrina, they had been momentarily deafened. When the ringing in Sabrina's ears stopped, Ko-Kalah spoke again. "I understand your concerns," she said. "But the Honoured Yuvrani has vouched for her. This is not Tahrasden. Things are done differently here. If they are to respect us, we must respect them. We must..." She looked over her shoulder at Sabrina, looking her up and down. "We must at least try." She turned back to the tribe and said, "You understand? I want you to at least try."

The tribe looked at one another, shuffled their feet, and muttered a few things that Sabrina could not make out. Still, they seemed to have calmed down. They slowly returned to their business, sparing only a few wary glances for Sabrina.

"There," Ko-Kraham said, patting Sabrina's head once again. "That didn't seem so bad."

"We will see," Ko-Kalah said. "Only time will tell how they adapt. I apologize for their wariness."

"Not at all," Ko-Kraham said. Ko-Kalah was not looking at Ko-Kraham, however. She nodded to Sabrina.

"U-uh," Sabrina said, when she realized. "It's... okay."

Ko-Kalah nodded. Only then did she actually address Ko-Kraham. "Thank you, Honoured Yuvrani," she said. "I will make sure that Bek-Braya is taken care of. Is there anything else I can help you with tonight?"

"No, that's quite fine, thank you," Ko-Kraham said.

Ko-Kalah nodded again, and turned away. She plodded back to her corner, where she lay down, and disappeared into the shadows once more.

Ko-Kraham patted Sabrina's head and rang a finger along her horns. "There we go," she said. "A nice bed mat in the corner, all to yourself. And even a tribe. This isn't so bad, is it?"

Sabrina stared at her feet, clenching her fists to her chest. "Yes it is," she said weakly.

Ko-Kraham simply smiled at Sabrina's miserable expression, and turned away. "Come to my room tomorrow night," she said. "I want to see how you're doing."

Then she was gone, laughing her way down the hall.

Sabrina stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment, then peered over her shoulder. Although the words had rung in her head like a gong, it seemed the rest of the dragons had heard nothing strange. When it became apparent that none of them were going to speak at her—or even so much as look at her—she made her way inside, around the edges of the room.

The bed mat that she assumed was to be hers had been set out, shoved in a corner away from the rest. She crawled onto it, wedged her back into the corner and looked out at the tribe. A few shot her wary looks over their shoulders before returning to their groups, but for the most part they ignored her.

That suited Sabrina fine. She brought her knees up against her chest, curled her tail around her feet, and sighed. Even now, the feeling of her own skin made her stomach flutter. For the first time since she had left her bedroom with Ko-Kraham, she unclenched her fist.

In it was a scrap of fabric, torn from Ko-Kraham's sari during the fight. Bright, vivid scarlet, embroidered with golden thread at the hem. From a distance the embroidery seemed simple, just an ordinary line. Up close, however, she could see the detail. It was the interlacing petals of a swamp lily, the flower of Vikaasthan.

Sabrina was desperately tired. She was weak. She felt hollow and frail, as though the slightest breeze would bring her crashing down around herself. And in her heart of hearts, she knew that she was terrified.

But she was not broken. She was not some helpless, snivelling little girl. She was not Bek-Braya.

She was Sabrina Bunahr, first and only daughter of Maharaja Marthanda Bunahr. She was heir to the throne of Vikaasthan. In the very depths of that hollowness, an ember of fury was burning bright. No matter what Ko-Kraham had planned for her, she would take her life back. No matter what, she would be Maharani one day.

She could fight tomorrow. She would fight tomorrow. But then and there, she was tired. She lay down, clutching the rag to her chest, and let sleep take her.

Chapter 1: Mangoes

2017-06-24T12:34:14Z

Kegisak: Created page with "{{author tag|Kegisak}} By: Ian Sime {{series box|next=Chapter 2: Knitting Needles}} =={{Separator|k|Chapter 1: Mangoes}}== In the oldest legends, the S..."

{{author tag|Kegisak}}
By: [[User:Kegisak|Ian Sime]]

{{series box|next=[[Chapter 2: Knitting Needles]]}}

=={{Separator|k|Chapter 1: Mangoes}}==

In the oldest legends, the Sun was named Star-Mother. It was Star-Mother who, when the heavens were still warm and cherry-red from creation, took the first breath of life. It was Star-Mother who, as the cooling song rang out through all there was, molded the breath in her belly. It was Star Mother who, as the glow faded into darkness, bore the first dragons.

She loved her children as much as the sky is high, and It was because of this that she made for them three gifts: The Stars, so that there would always be light in the darkness; The Moon, so that they would remember her even when she was gone; and the World, so that they would always have a home.

Star-Mother's children grew mighty, and wise, and beautiful with these gifts. And although they no longer need her, each day Star-Mother flies over them, watchful for threats. Each day as she does, Star-Mother looks down on her children, and her children's children, and shines brightly with pride.

"Wait, wasn't there a fourth child?"

Sabrina Bunahr closed her eyes and knit her brow in concentration. She was a stout girl, broad at the shoulder and hip, with dark, warm skin and firm features. She was dressed in a robe of gauzy silk and a dress of sheer cashmere, and her sleek, blue-black hair was tied up with a chain of gold. The chain encircled her hairline and hung down on her forehead, where a single, brilliantly purple amethyst was cradled in her brow.

"Yes," she said. "Definitely something about a fourth child. Bar... something. Or... Bey?"

She dabbed at her forehead with the silken scarf she carried, and as she did she hid a low, soft sigh behind it. The heat wasn't helping her memory in the slightest. The worst rains of the wet season had ended, but the humidity had not, leaving a sticky, stagnant heat in the air. The interior of the palace had been transformed into a single, gigantic oven, so hot that Sabrina could scarcely think without sweating.

The palace gardens offered some small reprieve. The occasional breeze took the edge off the heat, and the cascading fountains offered cooling spray. Even so, the air was oppressive. Sabrina's face and arms were gleaming with sweat, and she didn't dare check the dress beneath her robe to assess the damage.

Astha lounged on the rim of the fountain, flicking idly through the book. "Mm," she said. "Nope. Nothing about a fourth child."

Sabrina frowned. "Really?" she asked. "I could have sworn..." She dipped her fingers into the fountain and rubbed them on the back of her neck.. The sudden coolness sent a refreshing shiver down her spine, and she straightened up once again. "Alright. So no fourth child. Then, where was I?"

Astha continued to flip through the book. "You can probably skip the next part," she said. "It's just lists. Lots and lots of lists. Of titles, and materials, and plants, and animals..." She rubbed her head. "For a species that barely has a written language, they sure are thorough about what they record."

"I believe it's metaphorical," another girl, Kamalakshi, offered. She sat beside Sabrina on the bench, slightly taller and straight as a pole. She was a wispy, stringy girl, as though someone had taken a normal person and stretched them out, although she was far from waifish. "Like Vikaasi's Hundred Thousand Seeds. They just discovered a lot of things."

"If it was a metaphor," Astha countered, "Why wouldn't they just say something simple like that? Instead of..." she flipped back to the beginning of the lists and began to read, "Iron and marble and sandstone; dunes and stones and mountains; Silver and Gold and Tigers-Eye; poppies and hawthorn and stinging pears; thunder and lightning and sandstorms..." She took a deep breath and flipped the page.

"Because," Kamalakshi cut her off, "they live in a desert full of absolutely nothing. They probably needed some way to entertain themselves. And if they do something practical, like... teaching their children what to avoid until they were old enough to deal with it, then all the better." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and said, without even trying to hide her disdain, "Or perhaps whoever was telling the legend to the recorder was enjoying a new form of torment and tedium."

"Kamalakshi," Sabrina chided, laying a hand on the girl's. "That's unkind." Still, she couldn't help but laugh. "They're harmless."

"Peaceful isn't the same as harmless," Kamalakshi snorted. "Just because it pleases them to be now, doesn't mean it always will. I don't trust them."

"For now, then," Sabrina said, very deliberately not rolling her eyes, "You worry too much. The worst thing dragons have done lately is make my afternoons much less relaxing than they should be." She brandished her own copy of the history book. "And even then, Harinma is more to blame for that particular offense."

"I'll say," Astha commented from her bed on the fountain. "I'm surprised you aren't with her, actually. She's probably the only cool place in the city right now."

"Because I'm positive that Harinma has been working up to another test, and is prepared to spring it on me the next time she sees me," Sabrina replied. "She's probably hunting me down as we speak, and I would prefer to be at least a bit prepared for it."

"If it were me," Astha said, "I'd want to jump right in, and get it over with. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Another lecture from Father on taking my studies seriously and respecting Harinma," Sabrina said.

"Oh," Astha said. Both she and Kamalakshi fell silent, considering the possibility. Astha nodded gravely.

"And then he would make me study even harder to make up for it," Sabrina concluded.

"Esteemed Maharaja is a wise and just leader," Kamalakshi said, so neutrally her voice managed to sound gray.

"I wish I could share your faith," Sabrina said. She saw Kamalakshi's expression and added, "It's not that I don't trust Father. I just..." She rolled her shoulders and opened the history book. "I just don't understand what value he sees in all this." Astha had been correct: there were pages of lists of what the first three dragons had discovered when they came to earth, enough to make her eyes cross.

Kamalakshi shifted her jaw back and forth. She opened and closed her mouth several times before finally saying, "Yes, well... it's important for a leader to be knowledgeable."

"Sure, in history, and arithmetic, and literature and law," Astha said. "We all learn those. But all this stuff about dragons?"

"I'm... sure Esteemed Maharaja has a good reason," Kamalakshi said, though her tone lacked conviction.

"I'm sure as well," Sabrina said. "But I wish I knew what it was. Perhaps if I did, this wouldn't all feel like such a waste of time. I just don't understand the point in it."

"Well, whatever Esteemed Maharaja's reason is, if you're right you'll find out before too long," Astha said. "I think Harinma just found you."

"What?" Sabrina asked. Her head snapped up and scanned the garden.

Sure enough, Harinma had entered from the other end. The ancient woman's robe was a shade of green that blended with the transplanted trees and ferns, camouflaging her perfectly. Only her slow, waddling movement and the occasional glint of the gold chain she wore gave her away.

Sabrina swore, then covered her mouth. Harinma had not spotted Sabrina yet, judging from how her gaze swept across the garden, and Sabrina had no intention of helping her along. Even if she were able to sort out the dozens of bizarre and foreign names floating around in her head and arrange them into something concrete, she had no desire to spend her afternoon being scrutinized for every stammer or hesitation.

The more she thought of it, the more she set her jaw and tensed her shoulders. Even if she passed the test Harinma would expect her to redouble her efforts, so as to not 'fall behind'. Even while she excelled in her other studies, she spent hour after hour, day after day, studying the dragons—and for what? It wasn't as if she didn't have other responsibilities. She found herself less watching Harinma approach, and more glowering at the woman. Then, out of the corner of her eye, something else caught her attention.

Harinma, it seemed, was not the only one to have joined them in the garden. She had been so intent on her studies, and on Harinma, that she had not noticed before. An enormous figure was making his way between the plantlife. A young man, not much older than Sabrina, and almost as broad across the shoulder as he was tall.

A thought struck Sabrina. She checked back on Harinma, who still didn't appear to have noticed them.

Sabrina closed her book with a soft clap. "No, I won't," she said.

"What?" Kamalakshi asked, blinking.

"She hasn't seen me yet," Sabrina explained, leaning forward. "So no, I'm not going to find out what her excuse is for all of this."

"But you can't just... run out on your responsibilities!" Kamalakshi objected. "What about your father—" She caught herself. "What about Esteemed Maharaja's lecture?"

"I'm not," Sabrina said. "But I have other responsibilities aside from frivolous tests and lessons."

Astha followed Sabrina's gaze to the young man in the garden and grinned. "And the fact that Tu'i Taurau happens to be your favourite responsibility doesn't hurt," she teased.

"It's not like I'm going to avoid the test forever," Sabrina said. "I just need more time to prepare." She put her hands on Kamalakshi's. "Please, Kamala?" she asked.

Kamalakshi scowled the most regal scowl she could manage. Her expression quickly softened, however, and she sighed. "Fine," she said.

Astha jumped to her feet and hauled Kamalakshi up. "We'll tell her you're up in your room studying," she said.

"Thank you," Sabrina said. She stood as well and quickly threw her arms around the pair of girls. "I love you both."

"Have fun," Astha said. Then she began to pull Kamalakshi in Harinma's direction, coaching her on the lie as they went.

Sabrina darted away before Harinma could notice her. She strode quickly between the plants, but did not run, or stoop. A person that moved suspiciously would only attract Harinma's attention. Instead, she took the route that would keep most of the larger flora between her and Harinma.

It was an obtuse, winding path that took Sabrina behind Taurau. He moved at a dawdling pace, roaming from bed to bed with no sense of purpose. Sabrina was able to reach him quickly, where she wrapped her arms around his. "Hello, Tu'i Taurau," she said, before he had a chance to react. "Rescue me, please."

In spite of his bulk, Sabrina quickly brought Taurau's pace up to match hers. She lead him out of the garden as quickly as she could, and around the corner. Then, just for good measure, she lead him down several hallways.

They were walking for several minutes before Sabrina finally decided they were safe and allowed their pace to slow. She let go of Taurau's arm, somewhat reluctantly, and smiled up at him. It was difficult not to.

Tu'i Taurau was everything his silhouette promised. He wore an open robe made of fine, gauzy silk, fastened around the waist by a broad sash. Unlike most men, however, he wore no shirt underneath. Instead he wore his chest bare, exposing his broad, powerful trunk.

His chest and abdomen were covered in tattoos, jet black lines that swirled in intricate patterns, framing strange symbols and terrifying faces. They disappeared beneath his robe, where they covered his shoulders and upper arms in the same detail. Sabrina had heard him explain that the tattoos were sacred, and that to cover his chest was particularly unthinkable. She had always believed he just liked showing off—not that she was inclined to complain.

A cascade of rich, curly black hair piled around his shoulders and framed his round face. Wide, expressive eyes peered at Sabrina from beneath a heavy brow, filled with worry. He cleared his throat and asked, "Is everything alright, Yuvrani Sabrina?" His voice was surprisingly gentle for his powerful appearance.

"Just perfect," Sabrina said. "That was an excellent rescue, Tu'i Taurau, thank you."

"I'm... glad," Taurau said. He glanced back over his shoulder and asked, "But, ah... what did I rescue you from?"

Sabrina thought about it. "Tedium," she answered eventually. "I simply felt like a pleasant afternoon stroll."

Taurau raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh," he said. "Well... I've always thought of afternoon strolls as being a bit more relaxed, but I guess it was a good cure for tedium."

Sabrina laughed and placed a hand on Taurau's arm. "That was a joke, Tu'i Taurau," she said. "I apologize for ambushing you. I hope I didn't worry you too badly?"

"Well," Taurau said. He looked over his shoulder and ran his fingers through his hair. After a moment he turned back and laughed. "Well, no," he said.

Sabrina smiled back at him, a bit slyly. "Oh?" she asked. "Not even a little?"

A look of concern flashed across Taurau's face for a moment, just long enough for Sabrina to appreciate the way his brow crinkled. Then it passed, and he threw back his head in another laugh. "Alright," he conceded. "A lot, at the time. But if you're fine, then there was nothing to be worried about."

Sabrina smiled wider, and she found herself sharing in Taurau's infectious laugh—though not quite so loudly. "Well, I suppose I can live with that," she said.

She lifted her scarf to her forehead once again, dabbing at the beads of sweat that had formed during their walk, and using it to hide her grin. "Now... am I mistaken, or were you taking a stroll of your own?"

"I was," Taurau said. "The garden is beautiful—flowers like I have never seen before."

"You flatter me," Sabrina said. She held her scarf in front of her face again, although this time she strategically failed to hide her smirk.

Taurau blinked. A moment later an expression of realization spread across his face, followed shortly after by a broad smile. "Ah," he said, laughing. "Well, I meant—Yes, but I meant the..." he waved his hands vaguely.

Sabrina laughed and laid a hand on one of his arms, stilling it. "Would you like some company on your walk?" she asked. "I promise we can take a slower pace."

Taurau's laugh quieted to a simple smile, and and he laid his hand over Sabrina's on his arm. "I would like that very much," he said.

Sabrina began to reply, but was cut off by a dusty, wheezing noise, like the scream of time itself. It came from down a hall they had just passed, a distant echo, and it had called her name. In spite of the heat, Sabrina's blood froze in her veins. Harinma.

Sabrina peered up at Taurau, who was staring over his shoulder in shock. He looked down, and when his eyes met Sabrina's she could see his thoughts racing. Taurau's family had won their throne in battle, but they had kept it through cunning.

"Perhaps," Taurau said, "We could take our walk... elsewhere? At a slightly less leisurely pace, for the time being?"

Sabrina nodded sharply. "Outside," she said. "The city. Harinma hates the city; she'll never follow us down there. She can't sit at the gates for me forever." She was fairly certain, at least. If Sabrina spent long enough in the city, Harinma would probably keel over from old age.

She took his arm again and led him in the direction of the front hall. Although their pace was not the near-run it had been when they left the garden, it was still faster than most people would call a walk. In spite of that, Sabrina could not shake the feeling she heard hurried footsteps behind them, as though Harinma was chasing them down. She told herself it was impossible. Harinma's age made waking at a normal pace a monumental task, to say nothing of keeping up with Sabrina and Taurau. Sabrina walked faster just the same.

They managed to reach the front courtyard without being ambushed or set upon by any aged tutors, and Sabrina let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. Beneath her hand she felt Taurau's arm relax as well. Together they allowed their pace to slow, if only slightly, and approached the massive stone wall that surrounded the palace.

The guards bowed in silent recognition of Sabrina. Each of them wore the same leather armour, boiled and polished to a high sheen, over the same long, leather-studded coats. Each coat had a hood that tucked beneath their helmet and covered their face. Only their eyes were visible, peering through two holes in the hood. They were completely identical, and completing the illusion, none of them made a sound.

One of the guards stepped forward. He still did not speak, although his question was clear.

"We won't need an escort," Sabrina assured him. "We'll only be gone for a couple of hours, and I'm certain we won't find any trouble."

The guard looked between the two of them, and looked Taurau up and down. He seemed satisfied by the explanation. He bowed again and stepped back into line. Taurau bowed to him in return, and Sabrina nodded deeply as they passed the guards and crossed through the main gate.

The main gate was actually five gates: broad, peaked arches arranged side-by-side along the wall. Each arch lead to a different path along the stone bridge that connected the palace to the city below. The paths themselves were open, separated only by the pillars that supported the wooden ceiling.

The four paths along the outside were masterfully made, their pillars decorated with patterns reminiscent of creeping vines and water flowers, but for all their artistry they were put to shame by the central path that Sabrina and Taurau walked.

The central pillars were each as thick around as a man. They were decorated not with flowers and vines, but with detailed murals and stories. Each pillar was different: One might show brave warriors doing battle with terrifying beasts, while the next would show those same figures sharing food and drink. Each pillar was a glimpse into the history of Vikaasthan, and of its crown city: Sangam.

Taurau rubbed his cheek as they stepped off the bridge and into the Royal Square. "Well," he said. "Now that we're away from..." he gestured back to the palace, "whatever that was, what now?"

"We stroll, of course," Sabrina said with a laugh. She looked up at him, and noticed the worried crinkling of his brow. "Have you never been into Sangam?" she asked.

"To the port," Taurau said. "When I first arrived, and to greet the attendants father sent after."

"The ocean ports?" Sabrina asked.

"I suppose?" Taurau replied. "Are there others?"

"One for each island, almost," Sabrina said. "And another in the river mouth. The ocean ports hardly count as being in the city. You should really learn more about the city you're living in, you know!"

Taurau ran his fingers through his hair and laughed. "Yes, I suppose," he replied. "It's just been difficult to find the time, and I don't know where to begin. Even just the port is quite impressive."

"Well, that's just telling of how little you know about Sangam," she said. "But fortunately for you, I know exactly where to start." She held his arm tighter, and added, "But don't worry: I'll make sure you're safe in the city."

As Taurau threw his head back in a laugh, Sabrina lead them across the square and into the streets of Sangam.

In spite of the dizzying heat, Sangam was abuzz with activity. The entire island in front of the palace was a single, enormous bazaar, divided into four smaller marketplaces, places on the points of a compass around a central square. Once the divide had been defined by what the shops sold, but now each market was more colourful and eclectic than the last.

Unlike the palace, the bazaar was constructed entirely from the wood of the mangrove trees that filled and surrounded the city. Although the wood was naturally gray, the buildings had been stained red with dyes and years of dust shaken up from the hard-packed dirt streets.

More colour came from the men and women who filled the bazaar. They wore robes for protection from the sun, and each robe seemed more richly dyed than the last. Fiery reds, lush greens, brilliant yellows and depthless blues all moved in a churning current, turning the bazaar into a kaleidoscopic ocean of bodies.

Sabrina kept Taurau close as they moved through the bazaar. There was little danger of losing him, of course—he stood a head above most of the crowd—but for all that Sabrina had been joking about keeping him safe, she also knew that if they were separated he was liable to be ambushed by aggressive shopkeepers. Their cries could be heard over the rumble of the crowd, advertising their wares and decrying competitors. Some even approached Sabrina and Taurau, offering samples of their wares.

Of course, there were other benefits to sticking close to Taurau. Aside from the obvious, that it gave Sabrina an excuse to enjoy his arm and chest, his enormous frame was perfect for pushing through the crowd. The stretch of the southern and northern bazaars would normally take Sabrina almost half an hour to push through without an escort. With Taurau's assistance, they halved that.

Even with his help, more and more merchants approached them as they moved, until they were hardly able to walk for the throng. Eventually, Sabrina accepted a pair of mangoes that the short, fat man selling them insisted were the juiciest in all of Vikaasthan. After she did, he turned back to the crowd and declared that the Yuvrani, as well as a foreign royal, preferred his produce.

The crowd of merchants parted, their mutterings lost in the ensuing clamour of the crowd, and Sabrina and Taurau were able to make for the broad archway that signalled the end of the bazaar.

They exited into another square, though much smaller than the royal square. On the other end were three bridges, crossing over channels to the other islands of the city.

Taurau laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. There was a wild look in his eyes, and a broad grin on his face. "So!" he said. "The ports definitely weren't anything like that. I hope we aren't going to have merchants hounding us all through the city, now that you've given in to one of them..."

Sabrina laughed, and handed one of the mangoes to Taurau. "I only did it so they'd let us go," she said. "If I hadn't, they would probably bar the exits until I had accepted something." She bit into the mango. It was wonderfully cool, the perfect cure for the still-mounting heat. She made a noise of pleasure and said, "Besides. We do so much work for the good of the country, is it such a terrible thing to accept a simple pleasure now and again?

Taurau looked over his shoulder. Beyond the gates of the bazaar, the very tip of the stone palace was visible in the distance. "If you say so," he said. He took a bite from his mango as well, although he was not familiar enough with the fruit to keep the juice from spilling down his chin.

He and Sabrina shared a laughed as Taurau wiped his face. "You don't have to eat so fast," Sabrina assured him. "It will take us a while yet to reach where we're going."

"Oh?" Taurau asked. "Where, exactly?"

Sabrina very carefully and very pointedly did not reply to that. Instead she smiled impishly and wrapped her arm around Taurau's again. "Secrets, Tu'i Taurau," she said.

Taurau bit into the mango to stifle a laugh.

Beyond the bazaar they crossed to a smaller island, leaving behind the ornately designed squares and bustling crowds. They walked along a simple, cozy street nestled in between the houses and the island's banks.

More mangrove trees grew along the banks, and even sprouted from the channel, at intervals too haphazard and frequent to be designed. Despite many of the trees having been cut down, leaving rows of stumps as impromptu walkways across the river, there was still ample shade. The lazy light that filtered down through the leaves turned the red city green, and if it was not cool, it was at least comfortable.

The houses across from the channel were terraced, ten or twelve homes between each street. Although the fronts were plain, made from the same undecorated mangrove wood that filled Sangam, the rare gap in the houses showed a glimpsed of the colourful, lively squares that the homes surrounded.

Although it was the height of the working day, there were still people in the streets. People worked from their homes here, offering mending, tinkering, and other simple services. They and their customers gossiped and chatted as they worked. Their children ran around their legs and through the streets, immersed in the nameless, rule-less games that children play. They stopped to gawk at Sabrina and Taurau as they passed, or to wave wildly. Their parents waved as well and bowed.

Sabrina felt her smile growing steadily wider as they passed through the people. She only distantly recalled how she had originally planned to spend her afternoon cooped up in a classroom, straining her brain over pointless old legends and traditions. This, this had a point. This was worth something.

She knelt down, breaking the remains of her mango in half and giving the pieces to a pair of young girls that ran by. They thanked her profusely and dashed off, giggling with excitement. As she stood up, Sabrina couldn't help but laugh as well.

"It's wonderful," said Taurau, who had finished his own mango. "I can see why you wanted to show me all of this."

Sabrina smiled and looked around. "It is," she said. "But this isn't what I wanted to show you."

"No?" Taurau asked. He ran his fingers through his hair and furrowed his brow, though he smiled all the while. "Then I can't imagine, what is?"

"That's only because you haven't seen it yet," Sabrina said, patting his arm. "But don't worry. You will soon."

She was right. By the time they reached the end of the block they could see poles rising over the line of buildings. A block further and they could hear a busy murmur and clatter.

Sabrina frowned, and her steps slowed for a moment. They were approaching the end of the block, and the sounds were becoming more and more clear. It was also becoming clear that it was not the sound of work and conversation that she had expected. There was shouting, and pounding footsteps, and the sound of grinding stone.

Taurau clearly heard it as well. He moved ahead of Sabrina, staring hard at the corner the sounds were coming from. His posture was lowered, ready to spring. "Is something going on?" he asked.

Sabrina wanted to know as well. She picked up her pace again, striding past Taurau and looking around the corner into the wide alley beyond.

If Taurau had not been ready, had not be able to lunge forward and pull her back, she would have lost her head to the dragon's tail.

The tip swung inches away from Sabrina's face, fast enough to make a thrumming noise that rang in her ears. She yelped and jumped back, nearly tripping over her own feet.

Taurau laughed. It was not his usual brassy, sonorous sound. Instead it was high, howling and vicious. It was not a sound of joy, but a warning. He leaped forward, ducking under the swinging tail and slamming his open palm into the dragon's knee.

The dragon roared and staggered forward. It reared up to keep from toppling over, and turned on Taurau.

It was young, perhaps only thirty years old: It stood just shy of seven feet tall. From head to tail it was almost ten feet, with a wingspan to match. Powerful muscles rippled beneath cobalt scales, like those of a crocodile, and a nest of horns as black as pitch sprouted from a bony crest on its forehead. Claws of the same black material tipped each finger and toe, vicious, and caked in dust from where they had scored through earth and stone.

The dragon howled again, showing off a mouth full of fangs, each one as long as Sabrina's fingers. Taurau returned the howl, slapping his thighs for emphasis, and leaped forward again.

"Wait!" the dragon cried, throwing his arms in front of his face. He spoke with a strange, barking accent, but his meaning was clear even if the words were not. "Cut it out!"

Taurau hesitated for just a moment. It was long enough for Sabrina to throw an arm across his chest. "Taurau, stop!" she said.

He did as he was asked, but Taurau looked between Sabrina and the dragon. "He could have hurt you!" he said. He didn't sound as sure.

"It was just an accident," Sabrina said. "He was just turning around and didn't see me." She turned to the dragon and asked, "right?"

"Y-yeah," the dragon replied. He eyed Taurau warily, and took a step away from him. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." He brought in his tail, curling it around his feet.

"It's alright," Sabrina assured him. "What's going on? We heard noises."

In fact, they were still hearing noise. Sabrina leaned to look past the dragon. She couldn't see much, but she caught the occasional glimpse of workers and dragon whelps dancing awkwardly around something she couldn't quite see.

"It's..." the dragon said. He was clearly hesitant to speak to them, or share the issue. Then his eyes locked on the chain on Sabrina's forehead. His bony brow furrowed, and a look of recognition flashed across his face.

"Ah!" he said, pointing at the chain. "You're the, ah..." he patted his tail on the ground, searching for the word. "The, um...! Speaker!"

Sabrina blinked, and frowned. "Esteemed Yuvrani?" she suggested cooly.

"That!" the dragon said. "Can you help? I think we need help."

Sabrina's frown deepened. "Help with what?" she pressed, trying her best to remain patient.

Rather than answering, the dragon gestured for Sabrina to follow. Then he turned again and limped towards the source of the noise. He lead Sabrina and Taurau around the corner and into an open area.

It was a public square—or rather, it would be. At the moment it was a construction site, cordoned off with ropes and stakes that the dragon cleared easily. The dirt beyond the barricade had recently been churned. Cobblestones had been pressed into the earth in some places, but much of the dirt was still soft and loose, and riddled with a history in claw and footprints.

At the centre of the square was the skeleton of an enormous bridge. It rose as high as the rooftop of the surrounding buildings and spanned the main channel of the Salaee River in a gentle, lazy arch. The poles that they had seen before rose up around it, supporting a network of scaffolding that spiralled around the bridge like a creeping, strangling vine. Amid those poles, beneath the bridge, the source of the noise was immediately clear.

Another dragon, a female almost twice as large as the first, was tangled among the scaffolding poles and the false supports of the bridge. She had managed to get a grip on either bank of the river, one with a foot and one with a hand, but her wings were trapped between the poles and it was clear that he balance was beginning to fail. Every so often she would reach out to try and get a grip on the bridge, resulting in a chorus of shouting from the human workers.

"There!" the cobalt dragon said, gesturing to the scene beneath the bridge. "She came in for a landing too fast, and wound up under the bridge."

Sabrina strode past him, searching for the most important looking person. She found a group of men huddled together and asked, "What's going on here?"

One of them men shot her a scowl. Then he started, and looked up fully. "Esteemed Yuvrani!" he said. The other men looked up as well, blinking in shock.

One of them, a clean-shaven man with thinning hair and leathery hands, seemed to be quicker than the rest. He stepped away from the group and bowed to her. "Forgive me, Esteemed Yuvrani. I'm the foreman here, but I'm afraid we're having a bit of a moment—one of the dragons helping with deliveries got trapped under the bridge. The weight must've thrown her off or something like. Either way, we've got to get her out from under there without tearing down everything we've done so far."

"Can't she just go into the river?" Taurau asked as he arrived alongside Sabrina. "It looks like she could swim between the poles."

The foreman shook his head. "Take a look," he said, pointing to the dragon. Her front swung down as she momentarily lost a grip on the bank, showing an enormous bundle on her back.

"Granite," the man explained. "Heavy da—" he eyed Sabrina and coughed. "Heavy stuff, and expensive. If she goes in the river, best case scenario is we lose it all."

"And it'll weigh her down!" the cobalt dragon added. The worry in his voice was clear even through his accent. "The river isn't wide enough for a wingbeat. If she can't adapt in time..."

The foreman nodded gravely.

Sabrina stared at the dragon for a long moment. "Can you get the stone off of her?" she asked.

"We could get some men climb up there, train it down," the Foreman said. "Or maybe get someone down from the bridge, rope it up."

Sabrina crossed her arms, wrapping her scarf over her mouth as she did so. She shifted her jaw back and forth as she considered it. "That would just put more weight on her back," she said, finally. "I don't think she could do it. But..." she turned back to the foreman and asked, "Do any of your men know how to pray to Vikaasi?"

The foreman rubbed his jaw. "None of the men," he said. "I know a few scraps, myself... don't have the knack for it, else I wouldn't be doing this."

"That's alright," Sabrina said. "Get your men's attention, and then let me tell them what we need to do."

The foreman nodded sharply and bellowed to the group. When they were all paying attention, he bowed to Sabrina.

She stepped forward and raised her voice. "Form a line!" she said. "I need people as close to the dragon as possible, ready to ferry stone down!"

The men jumped to work. They climbed the scaffolding like spiders, and in the space of a moment they were ready. Even Taurau had joined them, ready on the edge of the river.

"Follow my movements carefully," Sabrina told the foreman. "Once you're ready, you just need to keep the stone in place. I'll move it one piece at a time."

The foreman gave a grunt of understanding, and watched Sabrina carefully. Together, they fell into the prayer stance: hands pressed together in front of the belly, shoulders loose, knees and elbows slightly bent.

Sabrina breathed deep and let her mind relax. She felt the breath filling her lungs, the air. She felt the subtle switching and tensing of her muscles, the soil. She felt the moisture on her fingertips, the rain. She turned her thoughts to Vikaasi, the mother of all that grew, the green woman, and felt the tiny seed of power thrum to life in her belly.

She parted her hands and made a series of gestures. Each motion was precise, practiced. Her entire body moved, flowing from one pose into the next as she rolled her wrists and arranged her fingers. Each one had a meaning, single and specific, and the gestures had to be exact. Together, they formed her prayer.

The power inside her grew, spreading through her limbs like a vine around her bones. In spite of the circumstance, she could not help but smile, as she did every time she prayed. The power was warm and welcoming. Despite being inside of her, it felt like an embrace.

Soon it had filled her so full she could not longer contain it, and with a final gesture she set it free. It flowed down her arms, through her fingertips, and into the air with a near-invisible shimmer. Beside her, the foreman did the same.

The effect was subtle, at first. The pack on the dragon's back shifted, then slowly came undone. The blocks it had tied began to shift and tumble. For just a moment, the world stood still. Every man and dragon held their breath as the blocks fell.

Then, all at once, they stopped.

Sabrina breathed a sigh of relief. The foreman was struggling, but he had them, and he would not drop them again. She turned back to the scene, and began her own work.

The first block lifted off the pile. It sailed through the air in a tight arc, landing perfectly in the hands of the first man in the train. He, in turn, passed it to the man behind him, who passed it to the man behind him. All along the wall the brick made its way down, until finally Taurau caught it with a grunt of exertion, and laid it on the ground.

There was a rumble of approval from the workers. There was no time for congratulations though, not yet. Sabrina made the next block fly. The moment the first man in the train passed it along, she sent him the third. Soon the workers found a fast, steady rhythm. No hands were ever without stone for longer than the time it took to turn around.

Before long the entire bundle had been shifted, and the dragon's back was clear. Sabrina let the power of the prayer slip away, and dabbed the sweat off of her brow. "Alright!" she called out to the dragon. "You're safe to let go!"

The dragon dropped immediately, crashing into the river and sending up a spray that soaked the men on the wall. They roared with laughter at the splash, and at a job well done. They slapped one another on the shoulder and some began the climb down, while others opted to instead jump into the river after the dragon.

Soon enough everyone was back on the bank. The cobalt dragon, as well as an assortment of whelps, crowded around the sopping wet dragon's feet. She touched their heads and assured them she was alright, then shooed them back.

The surface of her scales rippled and flickered like a candle flame. She looked almost fluid as her scales became skin, and the skin became gleaming duck feathers. The water on her beaded and cascaded to the ground like a waterfall, and in moments she was as dry as her homeland. Then she shimmered again, and was scale once more.

She approached Sabrina, and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Honoured Yuvrani," she said. "I am Tor-Tomae, Speaker for my tribe. You have done me a great service, and I am indebted. If there is anything you might ask of me, please."

Sabrina smiled and waved a hand. "It was nothing, Tor-Tomae," she said. "I just helped where I was needed. But I'm sure if you tried to be more careful landing next time, the foreman would appreciate it."

Tor-Tomae's dark copper scales and heavy crest hid her scowl. Even if they had not, Sabrina likely wouldn't have noticed. She had turned her attention back to the foreman, who was wheezing and leaning with his hands on his knees.

"Whoo!" he said said. "Been years since I tried to do anything that heavy. Reminds me why I don't anymore." He hauled himself back and beamed at Sabrina. "That was some mighty impressive work, Esteemed Yuvrani. We're lucky you came by."

"I was happy to help," Sabrina said with a smile. She put a hand on Taurau's shoulder as he joined them and added, "Though I'll admit it isn't exactly what I expected to see when I brought us down here. Is everything going well?"

The foreman ran a hand over his hair. "Aside from Tor-Tomae getting stuck?" he asked. "Everything's going perfectly, actually. Those fellas can work like nobody's business, when you set them to a task."

Sure enough, the dragons had already returned to their work. The whelps had begun to divvy up the blocks for carving, and some had even started inscribing rough shapes. Those shapes would gradually be whittled down to perfect detail, using nothing more than their claws.

"If we get lucky and don't have any other major issues," the foreman continued, "we'll likely get finished well ahead of time. Only trouble will be keeping the locals from peeking until it's time."

"Time for what?" Taurau asked. "Are you not planning to open the bridge once it's finished?"

The foreman cocked an eyebrow at Taurau. "Pardon," he said. "Suppose you aren't from around here, ah..."

"Honoured Tu'i Taurau," Sabrina introduced him. "And no, he isn't.

"This isn't just any bridge," Sabrina explained to Taurau. "This is the Armistice Bridge. The second Armistice Bridge, actually. The first one is up north, between the lakeshore provinces. It will be the hundredth anniversary this year, so we're going to unveil it for the celebration."

Taurau looked up at the bridge with renewed interest, and he ran his fingers through his hair. "A hundred years?" he asked. "That's..." he laughed. "A fitting tribute, I suppose!"

"The Esteemed Maharaja certainly thought so," the foreman said. "I hope you'll think so too, Esteemed Yuvrani?"

"Definitely," Sabrina said. "I'm sure it will be many more times as beautiful when it's completed. At the peak, you'll be able to see right down the Salaee, for miles into the country." She felt her heart swell with pride.

"Say," the foreman said, rubbing his jaw. "Won't be quite the same, since you wouldn't be seeing it from the bridge, but the scaffolding at the top there has about the same view. Would you like a bit of a sneak peek?"

"Ah," Sabrina said. "Up... there, you mean?" She peered at the scaffolding, and noticed for the first time just how... high it was. "Well, that does sound..." She peered at Taurau.

Unfortunately, Taurau was smiling. "That does sound quite impressive," he said. "Sangam has been beautiful so far, I can only image a view from up high. I'd quite like to see it."

"Perfect!" The foreman declared with a clap of his hands. He lead them to the bridge, and began to climb the scaffolding.

There were no real ladders or steps. The foreman used the supports themselves to climb with almost impossible speed. Taurau followed after, and if he was not as fast as the foreman, his agility was still surprising.

Sabrina, however, found herself climbing with much less agility, and a great deal more shaking. It was difficult to push herself up when her legs felt like rubber, and the desire to keep her eyes shut as tight as possible forced her to grope blindly for the next level of the scaffolding.

Eventually she felt a hand take hers. It drew her up in a gentle, but unhindered movement. Slowly, carefully, she opened one eye to see who it was.

She realized, briefly, that it had been Taurau. A moment later she realized that they were standing on the highest platform of the scaffolding. In particular, she was standing on the very edge of the highest platform.

The river seemed miles below her, far enough to be hard as stone if she fell. Even if it hadn't been, it seemed so thin that she was as likely to land on the hard banks. The longer she stared, the farther away she was—and at the same time, the more precarious it seemed.

Her mind knew that was foolishness, of course. The river could not be more than 10 feet down, and was twice that across. If she fell she would be wet, and no worse. Her stomach, however, was too busy twisting itself in knots to listen to reason, and her knees seemed to have abandoned her entirely. She collapsed against Taurau, throwing her arms around his trunk to steady herself.

She was fortunate that he was so sturdy she was unable to move him at all. Less fortunate was that he apparently found it hilarious. His laughter caused his belly to shake, which in turn caused Sabrina to shake.

"I'm sorry!" he said, putting his hands on her shoulders to keep her steady. "I shouldn't laugh. Are you alright?"

"Yes," Sabrina said. She hoped that her voice sounded even half as confident as she had meant it to. She reigned in her traitorous knees and forced herself to stand up straight. "I'm perfectly fine. I just... slipped, is all." She considered stepping away from him, but decided that wasn't quite wise.

Taurau chuckled and looked out at the river. "Well... the foreman was right," he said. "It's a very impressive view."

With some effort, Sabrina managed to follow his gaze, careful not to look down at all. As she did, she felt her fear beginning to slip away.

The bridge crossed the main channel, which sliced cleanly through the northern half of the city. Sangam rose on a gentle slope, enough that they could see the channels between each individual island. The late afternoon sun glittered on the water, setting the deep greens of city alight with gold and silver.

They could see even beyond the city, where the delta gradually flared out into mainland, and the river disappeared into the trees. Although they could not see, Sabrina knew that it stretched for hundreds of miles north. Mangrove trees would give way to Nutmeg, and Banyan, and White Dammar, all casting their shade over plants and flowers of every description. Vikaasi's splendour, stretching for what seemed like an eternity in all directions.

Sabrina's breath caught in her throat, and her fear was forgotten. Everything was forgotten. She leaned against Taurau's arm, and watched her country. If she listened carefully, she imagined, she could even hear its heartbeat. "It's beautiful," she said.

"It is," Taurau agreed. His voice was low, and softer even than usual. He was quiet for a moment, and then added, "Thank you, Yuvrani Sabrina."

Sabrina blinked up at Taurau. He explained, "For showing me everything today. The city, the bridge—and on the riverbank... that was amazing."

"Oh, that?" Sabrina asked. She began to laugh, but stopped when she saw the earnestness on his face. "The riverbank wasn't anything special. I've just been studying prayer since I was little. If you cared to learn, you could as well."

"Not that," Taurau said. "Although that was impressive, too. No..." he shook his head. "I meant the workers. They listened to you, without even thinking. And before that, in the city, how the people waved to you, and called out to you. Even in the bazaar, they offered you gifts, and wanted your opinion." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You know, I... when you found me in the garden today, I was thinking about a letter from my father."

"Were you?" Sabrina asked, finally recovering from her surprise. "I'm sorry—I hadn't realized I had pulled you away from something important."

"No," Taurau said. "No, it wasn't very important. He was just asking if I was finally beginning to settle in, and what I thought of Vikaasthan."

"Oh?" Sabrina asked. She watched him carefully. His normally open, jovial expressions had taken a distant quality. "And... what were you planning on telling him?"

"That's just it," Taurau said. "I wasn't sure. I didn't know how to explain all of... this," he waved a hand vaguely at the city before them, "without sounding mad. It... may I be honest with you, Yuvrani?"

"Of course," Sabrina said.

"My father thinks that Vikaasthan is frivolous," Taurau said. "That you have too much, and it's gone to your heads. And before I came, I thought so too." He laughed wistfully. "You know, I even fought with him about it. I didn't want to come. But he told me that trade was too important for Kainga-o-Whenua. If I wouldn't go, he said, then he would have another son. And if he sent him the day he was old enough to walk, then he would be just as mature as I was being."

He threw his head back and laughed. Sabrina blinked, too thrown off by his bluntness to do anything else. If it had not been for shock, she would have objected.

"I came, of course," he continued. "For the good of Kainga-o-Whenua. And I'm glad I did. Actually being here made me realize that I had been wrong... but I couldn't say how. But now I can." He looked back over the city, and smiled. "Your people love you, Yuvrani Sabrina."

Sabrina blinked. She had never thought of it before. Even in her earliest memories, that was simply how it had been. "Shouldn't they?" she asked.

"Perhaps," Taurau said. "But in Kainga-o-Whenua, they don't. They respect my father and my brother, and they respect their leadership, but they don't love them. We're a means to an end: someone to rule the nation, because the nation needed someone to rule it. Someone who could do what's best... for the country."

Taurau gestured to the skyline before them. "Parks, statues, reliefs... there's so many things in this city that a country doesn't need. My father would never build those things. But then... he would never walk down people's streets, and offer them pieces of a mango."

For a long moment, the only sound was the rushing of the water below as Sabrina considered this. Slowly, her smile returned. "Shouldn't I?" she asked.

Taurau beamed back at her and took her hands. "You should," he said. "What I saw today wasn't frivolity. What I saw was a young woman who, one day, will do wonderful things for her country."

"I will," Sabrina said. She turned back to the country, and breathed deep. "Soon. I'm ready for it. I know I am."

"Maybe so," Taurau said, chuckling. "Thank you, Yuvrani Sabrina, for helping me to understand. I hope you can forgive my ignorance?"

Sabrina frowned slightly. But it was impish, and it became a smile before too long. It was difficult to frown at the warmth in Taurau's face. "Ignorance you kept to yourself is hardly ignorance worth apologizing over," she said. She gripped his hands tighter. "But of course. I forgive you, Tu'i Tuarau."

Taurau smiled broadly and pressed his hands together over Sabrina's. "Thank you," he said. "And... forgive me, I don't always know what's polite. But if it is acceptable, please... just call me Taurau."

It was strange, how the day seemed to get warmer in the hours approaching evening. Sabrina dipped her head and rolled her shoulders. "I think," she said, "that would be acceptable. In fact... you may call me Sabrina, as well."

Somehow, Taurau managed to smile even wider. "Thank you, Sabrina," he said.

They stood together in silence, for a while. They listened to the murmur of the city around them, and the rush of the water, and the distant giggle of wind in the trees. They enjoyed each other's company, and the coolness of the breeze above the city.

Time passed, however. The shadows grew long and the light turned orange, and they agreed, wordlessly, that it was time to return.

Their trip through the city was also taken in silence, at first. But soon enough the silence was filled with idle conversation and—in Sabrina's case at least—mild flirtation. By the time they reached the palace again, when dusk had well and truly begun, both were enraptured in conversation.

"...and he said," Taurau related, throwing up his hands in a pantomime, "I just wanted some Kiwis!"

Sabrina laughed until she snorted, barely remembering to cover her mouth as she did. "And all of that, just for fruit?" she asked.

"Well, that's the story we tell ourselves," Tautau said. He ran his fingers through his hair and grinned. "I think it just makes us feel better about being pirates."

"Surely not," Sabrina laughed, waving a hand. "Maybe then, but pirates don't collect taxes."

"Having had been, then," Taurau said as they stepped onto the bridge to the palace. "Either way, even when I was young I doubted it captured the actual history of the matter."

"These things rarely do," said a voice that stopped Sabrina in her tracks. It was a moderate, breathy sort of voice, the kind that always seemed patient and reasonable. Sabrina had long ago learned to recognize the subtle edge to it, however.

She winced, and had to fight the urge to hunker down and away from the voice. Her eyes flicked to the guards and the ministers standing along the edge of the brewing storm, before, finally, she had no choice but to look at the speaker. "Honoured Father," she said.

Sabrina's father, Maharaja Marthanda Bunahr, was a stoutly built man. He was by no means muscular, or even particularly large, but he was solid and square, and made all the more so by his rigid posture. He seemed to be made of straight lines and hard edges, with the exception of a full, curling moustache. Even the wrinkles that lined his face, drawn by years of stress, seemed unnaturally straight.

"Sabrina," he said. He turned to Taurau and bowed slightly. "Tu'i Taurau."

Taurau bowed as well, deeper. "Esteemed Maharajah," he said.

Marthanda nodded in acknowledgement, then turned back to his daughter. "So," he said. "This is where you spent your afternoon."

She bit back a comment. Instead she squared her shoulders and tried her best to match her father's posture. She felt more like a condemned woman giving one last show of defiance than the future Maharani, but there was no sense in showing it in front of her father's ministers. "Yes," she said simply.

Sabrina was unsure if it was the humidity making her sweat, or the mounting tension in the air. Her father's frown seemed to deepen with each passing moment. She told herself it was just an illusion created by his moustache, and almost managed to believe it.

Taurau cleared his throat suddenly, and stepped forward. "Esteemed Maharaja," he said. "I would like to thank you. Your daughter was showing me the city today, and helping me to understand your country better."

Marthanda raised an eyebrow at this. He looked between Taurau and Sabrina. "Indeed?" he asked.

"Yes," Taurau said quickly. "I wanted to help my father understand your culture better. With her help, I believe that I can. I have much I wish to tell him, now."

"I see," Marthanda said. He stroked his moustache, curling the end around his finger thoughtfully. "Thank you, Tu'i Taurau. I am glad to hear that my daughter has been helping you. My faith in her was not misplaced." He never took his eyes off of Sabrina. "I won't keep you from your writing. Have a good evening, Tu'i Taurau."

Taurau blinked, and managed a chuckle under his breath. "Ah, thank you, Esteemed Maharaja." He turned back to Sabrina and bowed to her as well. "And you, Sabrina."

Sabrina bowed to him as well. As she did, she mouthed, 'Thank you'. "Good evening, Taurau," she said.

Taurau slipped past the Maharaja and the ministers, sparing a glance over his shoulder before disappearing out of the courtyard.

Marthanda waved a hand limply. "A private moment with my daughter, please," he said. The ministers nodded and left as well, though their reluctance was clear. The guards remained. They gave no indication that they were paying attention, or indeed even existed beneath their armour.

Some of the stiffness drained from Marthanda's posture, and he allowed himself a smile. Suddenly the lines of his face did not look hard, but warm and inviting. "Honestly, Sabrina," he said.

"I really did want to help him," Sabrina objected.

Marthanda laughed and beckoned Sabrina closer. She approached, and he put a hand on her head. "I believe you," he said. "But I also believe that particular responsibility weighs on you less heavily than others."

Sabrina began to retort, but couldn't find one. Eventually she settled on, "It's still important."

"It is," Marthanda agreed. "Kainga-o-Whenua will be a great friend to Vikaasthan." He sighed and shook his head. "My Sabrina," he said, cradling her face in his hands. "You are clever, and beautiful, and responsible, but you are obstinate and young. All of your responsibilities are important. I give them to you because I trust you."

"I... thank you, father," Sabrina said. She could not help but lean into her father's touch.

"But," Marthanda said, "How can I trust you if you run from your duties? Harinma was searching for you all afternoon. She tells me that Kamalakshi and Astha lied to protect you!" He frowned, and his expression became distant. "And while I will admit convincing Kamalakshi to lie is impressive on its own, it is not the behaviour of a Maharani."

Sabrina sighed. "I know," she admitted. "I'm sorry, father. I just... wasn't ready. I knew that Harinma was planning a test, and I wasn't certain I could pass it."

Marthanda nodded. "And there is a wisdom in that," he said. "To hold off, and prepare. But there is also virtue in facing your failures head-on, when they will not hurt you."

Sabrina and her father clearly had a different definition of 'hurt'. The thought of spending every afternoon for the next month trapped in one of Harinma's lectures was torturous. Wisely, however, she simply nodded. "I understand," she said.

"I am glad," Marthanda said. He took a step back and smiled at her. "Vikaasi grew you strong," he said, "And Salaee carried you well. But I am proud of you. I am positive you will be able to pass Harinma's test."

Sabrina smiled at the compliment, but then blinked. "What?" she asked.

Apparently taking that as her cue, Harinma shuffled out of the shadows. "Good evening, Honoured Yuvrani," the old woman said. Although it was unspoken, Sabrina was positive she could hear the addition of, 'Thought you could escape, eh?'

Sabrina's shoulders sagged. "Harinma," she said. Evidently, she had been wrong. Harinma was very capable of waiting for her at the gate all afternoon. "Is it alright for you to be up so late? Your health..."

"Has never been better," Harinma replied, in a tone that was barely more polite than a growl. "I am glad to hear you're more dedicated to your studies, that you wanted extra time to prepare. I will make sure to adjust my expectations."

"I'm sure you will," Sabrina said flatly.

Marthanda patted Sabrina's shoulder firmly. "All of your responsibilities are important, Sabrina," he reminded her. "Take your test, to the best of your abilities." He smiled broadly and kissed her forehead. "Then come for dinner when you are done."

"I imagine this will not take long," Harinma said, bowing to Marthanda. "Thank you, Esteemed Maharaja."

Marthanda nodded to her. "And thank you, Harinma, for your patience," he replied. "Best of luck." Then he turned on his heel, and strode out of the courtyard.

Sabrina and Harinma stared at one another in silence. Sabrina broke it first, with a heavy sigh. "Let's get this over with," she said. She considered asking for death, but she was afraid Harinma might take her seriously.

Harinma nodded sharply. "Come with me," she demanded, and began to hobble into the palace.

"Wait," Sabrina said. "The study room is the other way."

"I had the little whispers in your ears return the study room's text to your room," Harinma said. "I thought it might help you remember what you were supposed to be doing this afternoon. We'll pick it up on the way to the Library." Then she was silent, with an expression that brokered no argument.

Sabrina fell in behind her, matching the woman's agonizing pace. Idly, she reflected that all of this might not be so terrible if there were some way of just getting it over with.

But there was no way to get it over with, and it was terrible. By the time Harinma stopped them, night had fallen.

Sabrina groaned internally. It would take them as long again to reach the library. "We can just take the test in here," she suggested.

Harinma peered over her shoulder an arched her eyebrow at Sabrina, an expression that threatened to crack her stony old face.

"What do we need?" Sabrina asked. "A book, and a place for both of us to sit. It has both."

Harinma muttered under her breath as she considered this. "Fine," she said finally. "I suppose we won't need it for long anyways." She ushered Sabrina inside before the girl had a chance to retort, and shut the door tight behind them.

Sabrina's bedroom was as lavish as any there had ever been, walled with yellow marble inlaid by pillars of dark, red-brown wood. The far wall held a series of glass windows and a door, which lead to a balcony overlooking the gardens.

All the furniture was made from the same wood as the pillars, including the bed that dominated most of the room. It was low and wide, and carved with images of bluebelle vines. A veil hung open around it, a pale lilac colour the same as the silk sheets. The guest furniture, a pair of high back chairs and a long, backless sofa arranged around a low table, were made in the same style and arranged across from the bed.

Finally, beside the bed was a small desk, nestled in between a full-body mirror and another door, which lead to Sabrina's wardrobe. Just as Harinma had said, the history text had been left in the middle of the desk, where it could not possibly be missed.

Sabrina took a seat on the edge of the bed as Harinma shuffled around the room. The old woman retrieved a pack of matches and hobbled to a nearby sconce. She lit it with slow, shaking movements. When it was burning to her satisfaction, she began the journey to the next.

Sabrina groaned. Her patience had finally failed her. She straightened up, put her hands together, and prayed.

The sconces sprung to life as one, just as Harinma reached the second. She let out a cry, followed by a viscous mutter. "That was unnecessary," she said.

Sabrina disagreed. "I'd just prefer to get to the test," she said as she sat back down. Her mood had not improved at all, but she couldn't help but feel more chipper with the warm afterglow of prayer still in her bones.

"Fine," Harinma grunted as she hobbled her way to the front of the room. "I suppose I'm eager to have this finished as well."

Sabrina thought she heard something about 'haughty' and an 'upstart' muttered under Harinma's breath, but she ignored it.

Harinma snatched the history text off the desk. Without bothering to open it she demanded, "How did it begin?"

Sabrina blinked. "What?" she asked.

"How did it begin?" Harinma echoed. "You're the one who wanted to be impatient. How did history begin?"

Sabrina realized that Harinma had begun the test. She sat bolt upright and kicked her mind into motion. "The legend begins with Star-Mother," she said. "'First there was the universe, and it breathed out, and then there was Star-Mother, and she breathed in',"

Harinma grunted. She still hadn't opened the history book, but held it at her hip like a weapon. "And who were her children?"

Sabrina furrowed her brow. "Kenoch, Tahra and... Supin?"

"Ko-Kenoch, Tor-Tahra and Sal-Supin," Harinma wheezed. "And their sacred stones?"

"Sandstone and gold, for their abundance and how easy they are to work," Sabrina replied. Harinma's eyes narrowed, and Sabrina felt a faint smile find its way to her lips. Her mental frenzy had begun to subside, and she found the information coming to her more easily.

"And because they were the gifts Sal-Supin and Tor-Tahra gave one another before they parted," Harinma said. "Enough! I've heard all that I need to. You can drop that smile. You've failed."

"What?" Sabrina asked. She kept her smile, if only out of spite, but managed to scowl at Harinma just the same. "but I answered every question right!"

"Superficially," Harinma said. "At best. You've obviously heard the words I said, but their meaning appears to have escaped you."

"It's only a religion," Sabrina said, her smile finally fading. "You don't expect me to believe it, do you?"

"Whether you believe it or not is up to you," Harinma said. "What isn't up to you is that the dragons believe it, and that it's important to them. And if your esteemed father, bless his reign, saw fit to hire a barren old hag to teach it, then it's clearly important to him as well," she said.

Sabrina did not sigh, and did not slouch, although she very much wanted to. Harinma's threat was clear. "Fine," she said. "You want to know what they believe. I can do that. Ask me another." she very carefully did not roll her eyes at the word 'believe'.

Harinma's expression softened, in the way that wood is softer than stone, and she finally opened her book. She turned a few pages, muttering to herself as she did, until she appeared to find something suitable. "What is the name of Star Mother's fourth child?"

"That's," Sabrina began, and stopped. Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Fourth... I knew there was a fourth!" she said. She shut her eyes and concentrated. "Ben... Bell? No, Bek..."

"Ban-Belii," Harinma said. A wicked smile split her face. "Who was banished into darkness when she tried to take Star Mother's gifts for herself." She shut her book with a clap.

"No," Sabrina said. Her furrow deepened into a scowl. "You never taught me anything about her, I only saw her name in passing. You can't just ask me something I've ever learned and expect me to just know it."

"If you had been studying this afternoon like you had claimed, you might have been able to answer it," Harinma said. "People will ask you questions, whether or not they think you have the answer. Dragons included. The fact that I could ask you a question you don't know the answer to just goes to show how much more you have to learn. Ban-Belii will be your next lesson. We'll start on her tomorrow, after we've seen if you've actually learned anything."

"But that's not--" Sabrina fumed. For a lack of anything better to do, she stood up. "Nobody is going to expect me to know any of this! No dragon is ever going to come to court, so what's the point?"

"Your father certainly thinks there's a point," Harinma said. "Would you like him to explain it?"

Sabrina seethed. Harinma's smile was far too knowing, far too controlling. Tutor or no, the woman delighted in the chance to make demands of the Yuvrani. Worse still, she trotted out Sabrina's father as a trump card at every opportunity. "I know that Father has his reasons," she said. "But for as much faith as I have in him, he can't always be right. We don't need it."

"Not even if you find you've accidentally spit in a dragon's face?" Harinma asked. "Not even if you insult them so badly they want to stop trade? Or go to war again?"

"They can go ahead!"Sabrina said. "They're the ones who asked for a treaty. They knew it was only a matter of time until we could take what we needed, so they made the smart choice. Vikaasthan didn't happen because of legends, or bowing and scraping, it happened because of this." She threw her hands out at the torches. "And that, I know."

Harinma's eyes narrowed dangerously. If Sabrina had not been so furious, she might have heard a faint hiss escape the woman's throat. "So prove it," Harinma demanded.

Sabrina prepared a retort, and stumbled for a moment over the lack of anything to react to. "What?" She asked.

"Prove it," Harinma said. "Prove that you can protect your people, if the dragons decide to stop bowing and scraping. A Maharani needs to protect her people, and if you can't do it through politics, then at least show you can do it with war."

Sabrina's anger had cooled to a low, steady fury. She set her jaw and her shoulders. "My ancestor had other mages," she said. "They were strong because they could share their prayers."

"Exactly," Harinma said. "There's hardly a scrap of power in me. Vikaasi's as likely to answer my prayers as a fish is to sprint. If you can manage to share prayer with someone like me, then maybe, maybe I'll believe you're ready."

Sabrina peered hard at Harinma. "And... that means you'll hold back on the lessons?" she asked.

"I'll convince your father to drop them entirely," she said. "You won't need them anyways."

Angry as she still was, Sabrina considered the offer. It was tempting, but she would hear no end of it from her father.

Then again, Harinma had said she would convince Marthanda. Harinma could tell him that the lessons were complete at any time, that Sabrina had learned all she needed to, and more. If, somehow, Harinma were willing to leave it at that, she would be out of Sabrina's life forever.

"Well?" Harinma barked, slamming her book down on the table.

Sabrina jolted. She folded her arms and turned her shoulder towards Harinma. "I'm thinking!" She said. She frowned deeper, scowled harder. "I've never... actually shared a prayer before."

"So?" Harinma asked. "You've never learned this, you've never done that—if the dragons come calling, are you going to tell them you've never gone to war before? Ask them to go easy on you? Come back in a few years when you're ready?"

"So, don't expect me to be able to carry you through this!" Sabrina growled. Her shoulders were so tightly tensed they were beginning to ache.

"Then what are you for?" Harinma demanded.

"Fine!" Sabrina spat. "Fine. Do you know the motions, or do you need me to walk you through it from the start?"

"Of course I know the movements," Harinma said. "I doubt you'd understand, but when you want something so desperately you're willing to smash against it just to have a chance, you learn a lot about it." She flowed into the same pose Sabrina had, hands together with something that almost resembled grace, despite her frailty.

Sabrina took the pose as well. It was difficult to still her shaking shoulders, to quell the hot anger in her belly, but she breathed deep. Before too long the worst of her fury had subsided, leaving her with hard, steely focus.

They began together. They moved in perfect unison, matching gesture, pose, and even breathing. Vaguely, Sabrina felt the beat of her heart begin to slow as well. She felt the power spreading through her, smothering the last of the anger. Filling her up. For over a minute Sabrina and Harinma moved in perfect time, fifty-five movements.

There was a shuddering feeling as the spell left Sabrina, and her body filled with warmth. To judge from Harinma's expression, she felt it as well. The old woman held up her hands to look at them, and Sabrina felt a faint tugging in her bones. Her body wanted to keep up the dance, to continue to mirror Harinma.

Harinma made another series of quick gestures, and one of the sconces went out. Another set, and the sconce blazed back to life. Each time she did Sabrina felt a faint, strange fluttering from a part of her she couldn't quite place.

"Incredible," Harinma said. "So this is what it's like?" She continued to cast small, simple spells, feeling out the breadth of the power. "It's different, but so... familiar."

"It is," Sabrina said. The warmth inside of her had grown, and was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "There. I've proven that I can help my people, no matter what. Now, are you satisfied?" She dabbed at her forehead with her scarf, but realized that she wasn't sweating.

"Oh, yes," Harinam purred. Her smile widened, until it resembled bared teeth more than happiness. "Thank you, girl. I've been waiting for this moment for sixteen years. Picturing it, over and over, every detail... but honestly, I never imagined I would enjoy it so much."

The warmth in Sabrina exploded into fire. It spread through her in an instant, setting her entire body ablaze. Or so it felt. Her bones ached and screamed as the pain licked across them and sent her reeling. She opened her mouth to cry out, but no sound escaped.

The fire lasted for just a moment. It lasted for eternity. She lost track of time, of the world, of herself. She couldn't feel her limbs. She couldn't feel the impact as she toppled to the floor. She was weightless, bodiless. For an eternal, agonizing moment, she was fire itself.

Then the fire subsided. Her body returned to her, and the fire retreated from her muscles and into her bones. Soon, even that faded. She was left gasping for air, writhing on the ground, consumed by the memory of pain.

"There, there," Harinma said. "That wasn't so bad, was it? It's all over now."

Slowly, Sabrina managed to open her eyes. Her mind was addled from the pain, and her eyes were blurred and unfocused, but she realized Harinma was standing over her. The woman seemed impossibly tall and looming. Sabrina tried to speak, but all that escaped was a thin breath.

Harinma made a soothing noise and knelt down beside Sabrina. Not the rickety motion of an old woman with poor knees, but strong and graceful. Her skin rippled and flickered like a candle flame, and she seemed to become fluid for just a moment. Her features slipped away.

"H-harinma?" Sabrina managed. Her voice was reedy and weak.

"Shh," Harinma said, in a voice of flames. "Not Harinma. Not anymore." Her features solidified once more. The face Sabrina saw staring back at her, wearing a wicked smirk, was her own. "You may call me Ko-Kraham."

User:Kegisak

2017-06-24T12:33:08Z

Kegisak: corrected an error with linking

=Kegisak=
__NOTOC__

Kegisak, real name Ian Sime, is a writer from the depths of Canada. He has been writing for most of his literate life, but has been giving it a solid, dedicated go for the last six years.

==Birthright==

Birthright is my main project, an Ongoing Serial Web novel.

''For one hundred years, the nation of Vikaasthan has experienced a golden age of wealth, prosperity and culture. For a hundred years it has been the crown jewel of the world. Sabrina Bunahr, first and only daughter of Esteemed Maharaja Marthanda Bunahr and heir to the throne, is honoured to call it hers.''

''But when she is tricked by the dragon Ko-Kraham, it is stolen from her. Her kingdom, her family, even her name and face are stripped away by a cruel curse, and she is left helpless as Ko-Kraham impersonates her. Unable to tell anyone what has happened, or who she truly is.''

''Trapped in her own home, a prisoner of avarice and envy, Sabrina must find a way to win back her life. She must find a way to break the dragon’s curse, and expose the impostor who has stolen her birthright.''

#[[Chapter 1: Mangoes|Mangoes]]
#[[Chapter 2: Knitting Needles|Knitting Needles]]
#[[Chapter 3: Flatbread|Flatbread]]

Template:Chapter 1: Mangoes

2017-06-24T12:29:58Z

Kegisak: Chapter 1 of the Birthright series.

User:Kegisak

2017-06-24T12:10:25Z

Kegisak: Created page with "=Kegisak= __NOTOC__ Kegisak, real name Ian Sime, is a writer from the depths of Canada. He has been writing for most of his literate life, but has been giving it a solid, ded..."

=Kegisak=
__NOTOC__

Kegisak, real name Ian Sime, is a writer from the depths of Canada. He has been writing for most of his literate life, but has been giving it a solid, dedicated go for the last six years.

==Birthright==

Birthright is my main project, an Ongoing Serial Web novel.

''For one hundred years, the nation of Vikaasthan has experienced a golden age of wealth, prosperity and culture. For a hundred years it has been the crown jewel of the world. Sabrina Bunahr, first and only daughter of Esteemed Maharaja Marthanda Bunahr and heir to the throne, is honoured to call it hers.''

''But when she is tricked by the dragon Ko-Kraham, it is stolen from her. Her kingdom, her family, even her name and face are stripped away by a cruel curse, and she is left helpless as Ko-Kraham impersonates her. Unable to tell anyone what has happened, or who she truly is.''

''Trapped in her own home, a prisoner of avarice and envy, Sabrina must find a way to win back her life. She must find a way to break the dragon’s curse, and expose the impostor who has stolen her birthright.''

*{{Chapter 1: Mangoes}}
*{{Chapter 2: Knitting Needles}}
*{{Chapter 3: Flatbread}}