Somewhere in Heaven — Eros's Room
The room was pink.
Not violently pink.
Tastefully pink.
The pink of someone who had the divine authority to decorate however she wanted and absolutely did.
Eros lay on her stomach on a large cushion, kicking her feet lazily behind her while watching a floating screen she had definitely borrowed without permission.
On the screen:
Kael was walking down a road.
A white dragon sat on his shoulder.
The dragon was too big for the shoulder.
It was doing it anyway.
Kael was walking slightly sideways because of this.
He was pretending he wasn't.
Rael walked three feet to his left.
She was pretending she wasn't watching the dragon watch him.
Eros kicked her feet harder.
"Ahhh—!"
She sat up suddenly.
"Oh they are so close."
She leaned forward.
Three feet.
Exactly three feet.
Eros tapped her chin.
"Veyra won't mind if I meddle a little."
Pause.
"She will mind."
Another pause.
"But she won't notice immediately."
Another pause.
"And by the time she notices, the moment will already exist and you can't undo a moment."
She smiled.
"Perfect."
Eros reached for a small rose-gold jar.
Inside, soft glowing dust drifted like warm light.
"First romantic tension," she said happily.
She opened the jar.
Rose-colored sparks floated upward.
"Just a little push."
She flicked her fingers.
The dust disappeared.
Somewhere Else in Heaven
Veyra froze.
Her eyes narrowed.
Something had shifted in the stream.
Very slightly.
Very suspiciously.
"...Eros."
On screen the road curved.
Kael adjusted the dragon.
Rael stepped slightly closer.
Veyra slowly covered her face with both hands.
"Oh no."
She peeked through her fingers.
"I am going to have words with her."
She did not stop watching.
The Baby Dragon Problem
The problem was the dragon's name.
Not the dragon.
The dragon I had accepted.
Ancient lightning dragon chooses me.
Fine.
That's a Veyra problem.
The name was the problem.
Rael had accidentally named it.
Morning.
Inn doorway.
Dragon sitting there like it paid rent.
Rael walked past it half asleep.
"You again, Rai."
She splashed water on her face.
The dragon looked at me.
I looked at the dragon.
"…Rai?"
"Rai," said the dragon.
Not krrt.
Clearer.
Intentional.
I slowly turned.
"Rael."
"What."
"You named it."
"I did not."
"You said Rai."
"I said you again."
"You said Rai."
"Different words."
"They sound—"
"Different words."
The dragon looked between us.
"Rai," it repeated proudly.
I pointed.
"You see the problem."
Rael grabbed a towel.
"I did not name it."
The dragon wagged its tail.
"Rai."
"…you named it."
"I DID NOT NAME IT."
Breth Marketplace
Breth had procedures for everything.
Stray animals.
Guild damage.
Vein incidents.
Forms.
Multiple forms.
One time someone turned into a chair at sunset.
They had paperwork for that.
What Breth did NOT have paperwork for—
—was a lightning dragon walking through the market.
The market froze.
Sixty people.
Everyone staring.
No one blinking.
Rai walked proudly beside me.
It was now the size of a large dog.
I was not thinking about the growth rate.
Then Rai sneezed.
"ACH-KRRRZT!"
Lightning exploded from its mouth.
ZAP!
It hit a spice stall.
Copper bowl.
Metal rack.
Three bags of spices burst into flames.
"FWOOSH!"
The spice merchant screamed.
"MY SPICES!"
Rai looked at the fire.
Looked at me.
"Krrt…"
Apologetic tone.
"I'VE GOT IT—!" I yelled.
I did not have it.
I grabbed the copper bowl.
Residual lightning.
"BZTTT!"
Electricity shot through my arm.
Through my chest.
Out the other side.
I died.
Right there.
In the spice market.
Sixty people watched.
Fifteen seconds later—
POP.
I respawned.
The merchant stared.
I stared.
The fire was already out.
Rai tilted its head.
"Krrt."
"He died," said a child.
"Yes," said the parent.
"And then he came back."
"Yes."
"Can I do that?"
"No."
I slowly stood up.
"I'll pay for the spices."
The merchant kept staring.
"You died."
"Briefly."
"You came back."
"Yes."
"…why."
"Long story."
He charged me forty percent extra.
I paid it.
I felt negotiating would be inappropriate.
Later — Outside the Guild
I sat on a wall.
Rai sat beside me.
Not near me.
Beside me.
The dragon looked at me.
Then gently rested its head on my knee.
"…oh."
Warm scales.
Soft rumbling.
"Rrrmmm…"
I patted its head.
"You just like me, huh."
The dragon thought something much deeper than that.
But I didn't know that.
The Incident
This was not my fault.
Rael came around the corner.
I was sitting on the wall.
Rai watching birds.
Rael watching birds.
Loose cobblestone.
Her foot caught it.
"—!"
She grabbed my shoulder.
I slipped.
She slipped.
We ended up—
Four inches apart.
Her hand on my shoulder.
My hand catching her elbow.
Four inches.
Her eyes widened.
Just for one second.
Then—
Red.
Starting at her ears.
"Sorry," I said.
"The cobblestone—"
"FIST OF FIRE!"
"WH—"
WHAM!
She punched me.
Flame-Vein punch.
Low setting.
Still strong.
I flew backward off the wall.
"THUD!"
Rai peeked over the edge.
"Krrt?"
"I know."
Rael's Side of the Wall
Ba-dum.
Rael froze.
Ba-dum.
Her hand touched her chest.
"…what."
Ba-dum.
Why was her heart doing that.
She had punched him.
Correct.
Appropriate.
Necessary.
Ba-dum.
Her ears were warm.
She turned.
Kael was on the ground.
Looking at the sky.
Patting Rai casually.
He looked at her.
Opened his mouth.
"Don't," she said.
He closed it.
She pointed at him.
"You better not try that again."
"I fell."
"Don't."
"The cobblestone—"
"Don't."
He looked confused.
Then—
"Fist of fire," he said quietly.
"…correct."
She turned and walked away.
Completely normal pace.
Perfect control.
Ba-dum.
Ba-dum.
She absolutely did not look back.
Back on the Other Side
I sat up.
Rai looked at me.
"Krrt."
"Yeah."
I touched my face.
Warm.
"Fist of fire…"
I looked at the sky.
"Veyra."
Silence.
"I am NOT thinking about that."
Nothing.
"I mean it."
Still nothing.
"Not thinking about it."
Rai blinked.
"Krrt."
"Exactly."
The dragon made a deeper sound.
"Rrrmm."
Then followed me.
Somewhere in Heaven
Eros sealed the glowing dust back into the jar.
She smiled.
"You're welcome."
In another room—
Veyra stared at the screen.
"…I will find you."
She kept watching.
The stream continued.