Chapter 2
128.
The current scenario that the group is in resembles the time when they were about to face the Krakquad. The risk is too high, and their success is not guaranteed. Back then, Thirdy could come and save them from the Krakquad. That scenario is no longer applicable once they venture toward the Dragon's habitat.
Going back to the conversation, Thirdy asked Lulu to assess her determination, but he saw something else. There's no firm resolve in Lulu's eyes, what Thirdy saw was the innocence and genuine intention of helping the group. Lulu doesn't even answer the question, she just looks at the group, waiting for the final decision. Thirdy thinks that maybe Lulu can use her character to let the Dragons' guard down. If the Dragons don't see them as a threat, then maybe things might work out.
While the Catgirls are in the middle of the discussion, Thirdy makes up his mind. "The Dragons' lair is in the far north called Terrains in the Clouds. I will take you there, but before meeting the King of the Sky, you must find Darli the Dragonkin." Thirdy said while Pily translated for the group.
"DRAGONKIN? THERE ARE DRAGON DESCENDANT KEMIS?" Kita questioned, shocked by what she heard.
"FeLinE is also not aware of it, this is the first time FeLinE heard their kind," FeLinE:1000X answered, also surprised by the instruction.
"Or maybe nyu just forgot about them? I mean, nyu are missing some parts of your memory," Hana responded.
"That is also possible, though FeLinE feels like it is not a missing memory this time," FeLinE:1000X replied.
"Then I guess we really need to find that Kemi, it could trigger fragments of your memory if we saw them up front," Yuna added.
"FeLinE agrees," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"Quick question, if we manage to find Darli and gain her to our side, then that means the mission will succeed safely?" Raven asked.
"Thirdy said that it won't automatically mean success, but it will guarantee safety. He also said that Darli communicates with Dragons well, that alone will boost our chances." Lulu told the group.
"That's good enough for me! Though I feel like Eve and Rubi are way more excited than me." Kita mentioned as she looked at Eve and Rubi. The scientists are genuinely looking forward to the new data to analyze.
The group decided to bring Maiko with them on this journey, maybe dragons would listen to her since they are classified as Beast Mimis. Unfortunately for Eve and Rubi, they must stay at the camp and monitor the rest of the crew. Not to mention, FeLinE thinks that going there in a large group is dangerous.
To make Eve and Rubi's feelings lighter, Maiko promised that she would try to get some samples so that the scientist could extract new data. Eve and Rubi regained their enthusiasm and optimistically waited for Maiko's promise. Thus Kita, Hana, Yuna, Lulu, FeLinE, Raven, Celeste, and Maiko with Byakko started to voyage, as Thirdy accompanied them on their journey.
Going through a place where it has not yet been fully discovered, the atmosphere slowly changes. Mist comes out and it gradually gets thicker the further the group goes in. Later on, the mist disappears and the next scenery bedazzled everyone. A place where the surface of the sea meets the cumulus while the islands are above them all, welcome to the Terrains in the Clouds, the home of the Dragons.
The group is in awe, it feels like they are in a different realm. Though it may look like they are in Nesuto, the difference between the two is: that the trees in Nesuto are too tall, putting the nests on the clouds and the sea below. Whereas the sea level in the Terrains in the Clouds is too high, and the cumulus is too low, making the surroundings closely exist to each other as the islands float on both the water and the clouds.
"I have so many questions right now…" Kita said.
"Out of all the places that we've been, I personally think that this one is by far the most outstanding scenery…" Hana mentioned.
"I thought knowing that there's a Dragonkin was already mindblowing, but this place surprises me even more," Yuna responded.
"Terrains in the Clouds… Definitely living up to its name." Maiko added.
"If I were a dragon, I'd definitely live in this place!" Lulu commented.
"I'm so glad that I'm your seafarer…" Celeste said while in tears of joy, highly appreciating nature's beauty.
"Is this one of the reasons why you joined the group?" Raven replied.
"Definitely the main reason for what I signed for, not the scary events," Celeste answered.
Eventually, the group landed on the first island. Thirdy wished them the best of luck and then quietly left. He doesn't want to alert the Dragons about his presence, which could make the group's situation worse.
"Okay, time to find Darli. Based on what Thirdy said, I feel like we might be able to recognize that Kemi at first glance despite the lack of description." Kita said while stretching up.
"We don't know yet if the Dragons will listen to Maiko, so it's better to avoid the Dragons while searching for Darli," Yuna told the group.
"Byakko, don't engage with Dragons," Maiko reminded her pet.
FeLinE leads the way as everyone follows. After a couple of steps, the group reached a small fishpond beside an apple tree. It has been a long trip towards the Terrain in the Clouds, and a delicious meal is always a good answer to fatigue. Having the same goal in their minds, half of the group immediately tries to catch some fish while the rest start a campfire. When everything was finally set, the feast started, enjoying their meal with the cool breeze on a foreign island.
Minutes later, a Kemi comes down from the branch of the tree. Slightly tanned skin, short hair pink hair, orange eyes, 4 feet and 9 inches tall. Her wardrobe is something that the group had never seen. Wearing what looks like a white crop top blouse with short wings, and black shorts, paired with big red gloves that have claws on the tip looking like a dragon's arm, plus shoes imitating the dragon's foot.
"WHAT ARE NYU DOING HERE?" The Kemi madly asked.
"Nyu?" The Catgirls confusedly reacted.
129.
The joyful meal was interrupted when an unknown Kemi suddenly appeared. The group didn't know that there was a Kemi who had been sleeping on the branch of the tree before they even arrived, and was awakened by their noise. That is why the Kemi was pissed off when she went down from the tree. Her wardrobe made the group curious about her, but when the Kemi said "nyu," a speech pattern of a Catgirl, that confused them even more.
"ANSWER MY QUESTION! WHAT ARE NYU DOING HERE? CAN'T NYU SEE I'M SLEEPING!" The Kemi shouted.
"She's angry, right?" Hana asked.
"She's cute even though she's mad," Kita replied.
"It's like putting the chaotic nature of Kita to Lulu's body," Yuna added.
"I like her! Can we keep her?" Lulu asked.
"Chuu~ I like her too," Pily added.
"FeLinE thinks that she's too noisy, Kita is enough," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"Why are nyu all talking like she's a pet or something? Nyu can just pick her up," Raven questioned.
"DON'T IGNORE ME! AND SHE'S RIGHT, I'M NOT A PET!!" The Kemi once again shouted.
"What's your name, sweety?" Maiko asked.
"Oh… Okay, I understand now, nyu don't know me. Fine, I forgive nyu. My name is Darli, the Dragonkin!" Darli said with pride.
". . . Eh?" The rest of them blankly reacted.
An unexpected turn of events unfolds in front of the group. Darli is known as the Dragonkin, but what's in front of them is looking like a Catgirl in a Dragon-inspired tailored costume. The group doesn't know whether to believe the Kemi's statement or not.
"Nyu are a Catgirl, right?" Raven asked.
"Hai," Darli quickly answered.
"But nyu also claimed to be the Dragonkin?" Raven questioned.
"Hai," Darli reiterated her response.
"I'm lost, please someone take it from here," Raven said.
"Anooo… Can nyu tell us more about yourself?" Hana requested.
"Oh, nyu want to hear the story of the great Darli? Sure, I'll grant your wish! Nyu are lucky because I don't do this to everyone!" Darli proudly replied.
The group pretended to be honored as they all listened to Darli's story.
"So here's what happened, I was born as a Catgirl. Padra said that years ago, a ship crashed on an island near here. He found me but unfortunately, I was the only survivor of that crash. Meaning my original family was already gone before I could even recognize them. But that's okay, I'm lucky enough to be raised by Padra, and now the Dragons here are my family!" Darli told her story.
"Wait, is Padra living with the Dragons?" Kita clarified.
"Not just living with them, the Dragons follow him!" Darli answered.
Based on Darli's story, the group thinks that maybe Padra is the original Dragonkin since he's the one who took care of Darli and lives with the Dragons. "Can nyu tell us more about Padra?" Yuna asked.
"Oh, nyu are not going to believe this! Apparently, Celestial Dragons don't have names, so I gave him a name! Padra means Papa Dragon, I called him that when I was little, pretty clever right? Then eventually, I gave names to every Dragon here, so it won't be confusing." Darli said.
As confusing as it may seem, the group finally understands why Darli was crowned as the Dragonkin even though she's a Catgirl. Darli may not be a direct descendant of the Dragon bloodline, but she was raised by none other than, the King of the Sky himself, let alone being the only Kemi to ever be friends with all the Dragons.
"If nyu grew up with Dragons, how come nyu can speak like a Kemi?" FeLinE:1000X suddenly asked.
"When I was little, I only roar like Dragons, imitating what I heard. Then Padra decided to let me stay at the Tree Tribe for a year, they said it's a secret tribe in Riverania. Also, the tribe members there keep their relationship with Padra a secret, they don't want to let others know about their place." Darli explained.
"There's so much going on beneath our plain sight…" Hana commented.
"Tree Tribe? I was not aware of that tribe even though I united the tribes in Riverania. But I guess since they are hard to find, the Evil Mimis did not reach them." Maiko said.
Kita, Yuna, Hana, and Lulu look away as they pretend that they don't know anything about the place as well. They promised to keep it secret from everyone so they wouldn't get banned from the Tree Tribe. However, the four of them were not aware of the connection between the Tree Tribe and the Celestial Dragon.
"Evil Mimis? What are those?" Darli curiously asked.
"They are lab-made Mimis created by a Kemi to terrorize the UniPaws. But don't worry, we already defeated them, the tribes are safe now." Kita answered.
"I'm not worried, I'm sure Tree Tribe can protect themselves. Plus those Evil Mimis can't reach this place anyway." Darli confidently replied but after saying so, she then remembered something, "Wait a second… NYU HAVEN'T ANSWERED MY QUESTION! WHY ARE NYU HERE? AND HOW DO NYU EVEN REACH THIS PLACE?" Darli shouted once more.
"Aaaand she's angry again, I like her already," Lulu commented.
"Please calm down. To be honest, we are looking for nyu. Maybe nyu can help us with our quest." Hana said.
"Ooooh… What quest?" Darli curiously responded.
The group slowly understands how Darli reacts. Her emotions are extreme, and they change in a blink of an eye. One moment she's mad, and then the next second she's proudly talking about herself. With that precaution in mind, the group carefully chooses the right words to gain Darli on their side. They began to introduce themselves and then tell everything about their mission.
While they are in the middle of their conversation, the group notices how hooked Darli is to the story. It's like a kid watching a magic show, something that makes their eyes wide and sparkling. It was the first time Darli heard about numerous places with different technologies and practices.
Ever since Darli learned how to talk like a Kemi, Darli never left the Terrains in the Clouds. For her, living like a Dragon is the only thing that she ever wanted. But when she heard the stories of the group, Darli realized that she'd been missing a lot of adventures outside of her comfort zone.
130.
Living beneath the public's eye holds a lot of perks, but it also comes with some consequences. It prevents global events from influencing your place which gives peace and safety if it is a catastrophe, though it also means they will miss out on every other aspect. It's like living inside their own bubble, disconnected from everyone.
It was already noon when the long series of conversations ended. The group took turns telling the stories chronologically as per Darli's request, thoroughly explaining what had happened in almost a year span of events. Everyone was exhausted, it was like presenting a movie to Darli.
"Wait, that's it? I have so many questions that are not yet answered!" Darli complained.
"Sorry to break it to nyu, it's an ongoing story," Kita replied while catching her breath.
"And there's a chance for nyu to be part of it!" Lulu added.
"HONTO?" Darli excitedly reacted.
"Oooh, nice segue," Maiko whispered.
"I know right," Raven whispered back.
"Hai! As nyu can see, our next mission is getting the third Mystical Runekey. When we reached Nesuto, they said that only a Dragon can fly to the shrine, that's why we came here to look for nyu!" Lulu replied.
"But I can't fly!" Darli responded.
"Tsk, Bummer," Lulu sarcastically reacted, "Maybe nyu can talk to your Dragon friends and request them to take us there?" She suggested.
"Or better, I'll ask Padra! FOLLOW ME!" Darli said as she immediately sprinted away.
Everything escalated too quickly, stunning everyone at that moment. The group was taking advantage of Darli's interest in adventure, they thought it would all go well from there, but it all backfired before they could even say a word. The group still followed Darli despite fully disagreeing with her plan.
"MATTEEE!" The group shouted, trying to stop Darli as they chased her.
As they approach a cliff, the group wonders why Darli is not slowing down. Upon reaching the end of the path, Darli jumps off the edge, everyone runs faster to check if she's alright. When they peek through the cliff, the group sees Darli riding a green Wyvern Dragon, alongside nine more Dragons of the same type but different colors. The Dragons flew back and landed on the cliff where the group was watching, waiting for Darli's next command.
"They are huge, slightly bigger than Byakko," Kita said.
"Anooo… Mind if I try talking to them?" Maiko asked Darli.
"Sure, go ahead! They won't bite, I think." Darli answered.
Maiko approaches the Dragon while Byakko follows her. The gray Wyvern named Gili notices Byakko, and the two of them start to exchange some words, "What do we have here? A bunch of Kitties," Gili told Byakko.
"Watch your scaly mouth lizard," Byakko replied.
"Ho, I like this one," Gili responded.
"I… I can understand them…" Maiko said while stuttering.
"What are they talking about?" Raven asked.
"I think it's better to not intervene in their conversation," Maiko answered as she chuckled.
"We got one Dragon each, even for the Tiger. Let's all ride and meet Padra!" Darli said.
"Can't we just ride these Dragons to the shrine instead of communicating with Padra?" Celeste suggested.
"These Wyverns are too slow. Besides, I also need permission from Padra, so we are still going there regardless." Darli replied.
The majority of the group was hesitant to approach the Dragons, meanwhile, FeLinE just casually walked closer and hopped on the blue Wyvern. "Don't waste our time, nyu all know what to do," FeLinE:1000X said.
"I guess we really are doing this," Yuna told the rest of the group.
Even with hesitations, the group does what FeLinE said. It was the first time that they'd be riding a Dragon and everyone was terrified, except FeLinE. Everyone wanted to ride close to Yuna so she could catch them when they fell, in that sense, Yuna ended up in the middle of the flock due to the request of the majority.
"I didn't see this coming…" Yuna said.
"One more question, is your talent talking to Dragons?" Hana asked.
"Talent? What talent?" Darli responded.
"It's a skill that nyu unlock after fusing with a Runecrystal," Hana explained.
"Nah, I don't have anything like that. I just grew up with them!" Darli said.
"I see, it's not like how Maiko can communicate with every Beast Mimis," Raven commented.
"What matters to me is we can still come out of here alive…" Celeste mentioned.
"Well looks like everyone is set, Wyverns, let's go!" Darli instructed and the Dragons took off in that instant.
From cruising through the ocean to flying in the sky, the endless adventure holds a never-ending thrill and surprise. At first, the group was intimidated and frightened by the Dragons, but it all wore off as they enjoyed and flew around the mesmerizing scenery of the place.
Eventually, they landed on the highest terrain where the King of Sky slumbers. As large as Badi, and as scaly as Thirdy, combined with wings that can cover its whole body plus the bloody-red skin, a Celestial Dragon that can make anyone tremble by its presence. The group finally meets Padra, the King of the Sky.
"Padra! I'm back! Look, I met new friends!" Darli greeted. Meanwhile, astonished by the Celestial Dragon, the group was frozen, none of them could even move a muscle.
"I see, where do you meet them?" Padra responded as his voice echoed through the clouds. Only Darli, Lulu, and Pily can understand him this time.
"They intruded on the island where I was sleeping and woke me up," Darli answered.
The group nervously gulped, the lack of details made her statement easy to misinterpret. Darli is right, but her point is leading to a grave state for the group.
"Anooo… I think nyu are forgetting some parts." Kita nervously told Darli, trying to imply that Darli needed to phrase her words better.
"Oh, nyu are right. I heard their dangerous stories and now I want to go with them outside!" Darli added, her statement made the group look like a bad influence, making the situation even worse.
"We're doomed…" Yuna said.
"It was nice meeting nyu all…" Hana added, fully accepting their faith.
The King of the Sky madly roared his lungs out. The group felt like their souls left their bodies for a second, even the Dragons nearby flinched.
"Aaa… w-why did he roar?" Maiko asked while trembling in fear.
"He shouted 'outside?', and yes, he is definitely angry right now…" Lulu answered.
End of Chapter 2