Diplomat

Mikki looked at the portal. He hadn't visited another world in ages, not since his parents had moved back to Arbalednac with him. But it seemed like now was the time. He stepped through it, curious where it'd lead—the other Seldnac had only told him it'd be a "surprise". Oh well.

He closed his eyes as he felt Arbalednac fade from his senses, and only opened them again when he'd arrived on the other side. Things certainly looked different here. Trees with green leaves all around, and no path as far as he could see. Mikki wondered whether anyone lived in this area at all. The world must have some inhabitants, but did it have inhabitants here??

A river babbled in the distance. Well, that was as good a direction as any. Mikki trotted towards the sound, always looking around for any signs of life. Here and there he heard rustling in the leaves, and he was sure he spotted some furry creatures occasionally, but they always disappeared before he could get a good look.

Near the river, though, he smelled... Something. It was hard to explain the scent, though. It was like water, but far stronger than water should be able to smell.

"Anyone there?" Mikki called out. There was something here, some sort of powerful presence. For a moment, Mikki considered turning back, but his curiosity won, so he followed the smell cautiously.

He walked close by the river, and the further he went, the wider and deeper it got. Mikki just hoped he wouldn't have to cross it to get to the source of the scent.

Every step he took, the smell and the presence continuously strengthened. If it was this strong here, how overwhelming would it be by the time he'd reached its source?

Something broke out from under the water's surface, thoroughly soaking Mikki's fur and making him jump back. He wouldn't call himself a coward, but at the sight of the creature, his first instinct was to run. It looked like a gigantic snake, only that it had four legs—and huge, razor-sharp teeth.

It landed on the ground right in front of Mikki and looked him over.

For a few heartbeats, Mikki was frozen in fear, but the other creature made no move to attack him. Finally, he found it in himself to take a step towards it. "Hey there," he said. "I'm Mikki." His grin was only slightly forced.

The other creature tilted its head to the side, the sun reflecting off its blue scales and making them glitter. It answered, Mikki could tell as much, but he couldn't understand what it said. Now it was his turn to tilt his head. Hm.

Well, at least the fact that it answered meant he was safe. Probably. He took a closer look at the creature. Now that he was a bit calmer, he had to admit it actually looked quite pretty, its movements surprisingly graceful, given its size. But how could he talk to it?

"Mikki," he repeated. "I'm Mikki."

This time, the other creature seemed to understand. "Lung," it replied. Its voice sounded like water splashing over some rocks—no, the whole creature reminded him of water, in a way. Lung's scales glittered like a waterhole when the sun hit it just right, its voice was like a river, and it was also the source of the watery scent. Even the elegance of its movements mimicked the way a brook flowed in its bed.

Mikki took another step forward and sat down. He still wasn't sure how to talk to Lung, but he was even more curious now than he'd been before. "Can you control water?" Personally, he preferred other types, but he'd smelled water on some Seldnacs with that magic.

Lung's long tail twitched, but it didn't reply.

Mikki took off his tail ring and lay down to hold it between his paws. His flames flickered a bit higher, and his rose gold spots glowed more brightly as the ring changed its shape. Mikki would have to form it back at some point, but that was an easy task. "I can do that," he explained, first laying a paw on his chest and then laying it down on the ring. "Can you," he pointed towards Lung, "Do that with water?" He pointed towards the river.