Dragon Queen: Book One-Scarlet Reign

Chapter Nineteen- Midnight Waltz

((Keep in mind this story will be going through major edits in the future))

The Koanan encampment had a large marketplace on the north end, filled with open air shops and restaurants while a shimmering pond fed by the waterfall's winding stream acted as the centerpiece.

Aelwen had asked for directions from a few children, two being Koanan twins while the other was a tiny panther centaur (the torso of a blonde-haired girl with her lower body being that of a yellow Panther). While initially Aelwen thought the trio of kids would simply guide her to her destination, they instead followed her the whole way. Now they were virtually inseparable from their new friend. They talked and squealed among one another as they led Aelwen from store to store, showing her the various things they liked and wanted to buy.

Aelwen had a wonderful time browsing through the plethora of items. She bought a brush and comb first, making sure to duck behind a tent to fix her hair. She ended up putting the unruly mess into a nice looking side braid, one of the children offering a piece of string with which to tie the end.

The two Koanan children, despite being only five years of age, already possessed Shifter ears, streaks, and jewelry. They tumbled amongst each other in dragon form, biting at their ears when they got into a petty argument, while trotting around the pond on stubby paws. Their centaur friend followed them in fits of giggles, watching in amusement as they fought. Aelwen managed to calm everyone down by buying them candy sweets.

The attitude many of the people of the area had toward Aelwen varied greatly from person to person. Some welcomed her with open arms, even giving her welcome gifts. Others simply stared in disgust. One Koanan dragon tending to a woodcarving stand was so angry upon seeing her he looked about ready to blow fire in her direction. Aelwen quickly led herself and the kids away.

By the time night had fully enveloped itself over the land, Aelwen had purchased a dress, a flower vase, a set of utensils, a shoulder purse, a pair of shoes for her bare feet, a sun hat, a couple of interesting novels, and a comfortable pillow and blanket set.

However, there was one last shop, hanging at the edge of the clearing, that caught her eye. It was a circular tent propped up against a particularly thick redwood tree, the flaps wide open with magical holograms projecting sparkles into the air like fireworks. The outside was painted with random splatters, as if the artist simply flung the paint here and there without a care in the world.

The interior was even more interesting, as Aewen soon found out. It was a little art shop bursting with personality. Jars of paint lined the back wall, organized into stacked towers separated by kind and color. Several flower vases bloomed with bristly paintbrushes, while glues and crafting materials burst from velvet-lined chests. Each object the store sold was displayed as if they were the greatest treasure in the land. Even the interior walls were lavishly painted with royal, lush scenes of palace gardens and famous artists of old.

Aelwen brushed her hand against the brushes' tips. The store owner was the old man Sphinx she had seen a few times before. He gave a fanged smile and padded toward her from behind his low desk.

"In the market for art supplies, Ms. Liriel-Spawn?" He asked.

Aelwen was confused by what he called her at first, until she remembered the tendency of sphinxes to address others by their parent's names. In this case, while it may have sounded like an insult to the normal Shifter, in reality it was simply a formality in the Sphinx culture.

"I suppose. You have such a lovely shop here, that I could not help but to take a look within," Aelwen said, regaining her formal wording. "By what name shall I address you by?"

The Sphinx gave a happy chortle. "I am called Renos-Father, Parent of Three Cubs. You may address me Renos. We are having a sale today, if you have interest. Drawing pencils are half off if a book of sketching papers is bought with them."