It met her

Cerulean did it!

Elizabeth landed on her arse for the third time. She had allowed herself to cry and succumb to her weakness for long enough before pulling herself together to check on her sister. She hadn't lied to Asmodi when she said she was use to climbing but she was quickly learning that climbing trees and climbing a mountain were two different experiences. She got up and dusted her skirt, looking up to meet the mocking faces of her audience."Cerulean!" she chastised only him."Try a fourth time, maybe you'll make it." She could hear the laughter and didn't appreciate it one bit. The twins didn't even bother hiding theirs at this point, their giggles filled the air as they peered over the ledge."Ellie!" Sylvia yelled down at her"You can do it!" Sonnet continued."Cerulean, I swear to the heavens..." She began, flushing with embarrassment, but held back the curses she was going to spew. "Y'know what. You two seem perfectly fine. I guess I don't need to check on you." She began stomping off but the twins' shouts of protest drew her back."Come on, uncle C" 'Uncle C???' "Pull her up." Sylvia demanded with a childish kick to his hand.Cerulean grunted lazily but complied. Slowly turning, he let his tail hang over the ledge. She was going to climb up it but his tail suddenly wrapped around her and lifted her to their level. Once released she was immediately tackled by the two girls who were way too happy to see her. It made her feel guilty about all the years she showed nothing but indifference towards the two. Had they loved her just as much back then? When all she did was ignore them as much as possible? She gave them both an awkward hug in return before turning to inspect the space they had spent so much time in. The exposed ledge had her a bit worried about the kid's safety but that was immediately forgotten when she saw the rest. It was absolutely breathtaking. It was larger than she had expected, about 5 times larger. She couldn't even begin to imagine how the humans had accomplished it but the inside was shaved and sleeked down to look like a half dome while the top still held the naturally formed rocky state. It looked like it was big enough to comfortably home three Asmodis. It lacked the man-made wall carvings on the wall that the lower section had but like below the stalactites and stalagmites were more than enough to complement the space. The space also, like the lower section, had piles of precious stones littering the place though it was far less. What truly topped it off was the inclusion of greenery; mostly vines and shrubbery. Vines hung across the opening and clung to the walls. Among them were tiny, leafy, sky blue flower. It was all arranged in a way that made the place seem inviting.The girls must've noticed the way Elizabeth stared because they both puffed up their chests with pride and announced."We did it!"She looked at Cerulean who shrugged. "Every time I took them out they came back with plants. They're the ones that arranged it all and replace what inevitably dies." He informed her. It was then she noticed his voice; it was less... Cerulean.She bowed her head and looked guilty. "You already know, don't you?" She met his eyes. "About Leviathan, Listen, Cerulean, I'm-""It's fine. It was inevitable. We're dragons, Elizabeth. Male dragons. We should've left long ago. I don't know why we hadn't." He half shrugged."But you're more human than dragon so-.""That changes nothing." He cut her off."Umm, hello." Sonnet brought the attention back to her and her sister. "You haven't given us enough compliments on our decorations."Elizabeth rolled her eyes and Cerulean went off to lay on a bed of bush and jewels. "It looks nice and I'll make sure to tell mother to let you guys decorate your room more.""Yesssss." Both girls cheered."Wait..." Sylvia suddenly said. "You're coming home with us?""Of course, why wouldn't I?" She asked, confused."Cerulean said you and the black dragon were married so I thought you'd be staying here forever." Sonnet answered.When she turned angry eyes to Cerulean he defended himself by saying."Don't look at me like that! Leviathan was the one that said it!""Oh yea," Sylvia said. "You were the one that said." She deepened her voice to imitate him. "And may Titania save us from whatever hellish abdimations they spawn.""The word is abdominition." Sonnet falsely corrected her.This time when Elizabeth turned angry eyes to him he rolled onto his side, successfully turning his back to her, and pretended to fall asleep. She tsked and turned her attention to the girls. Amid Cerulean's fake snoring she told them."I am not getting married to Asmodi. Cerulean and Leviathan are just liars who love to spread rumors like bored housewives. Elizabeth ignored his muffled snickers. "Nothing has changed. When the water goes down, we'll return home and things will be just as they were.""But without daddy." Sonnet mumbled.Elizabeth looked down at her sister, she looked sad but she wasn't crying. That was something she was grateful for, she doubts even the current Elizabeth knew much about consoling a crying child... or anyone for that matter. For two young girls who recently lost their father, they were handling it well. Cerulean and Leviathan must've really been there for them during the hard times. That only made her feel guiltier about Leviathan's departure. She never even thanked him, or Cerulean for that matter. They had both done so much for the twins and asked for nothing in return."We'll manage, Sonnet." Elizabeth said as she pats her head."Of course we will, mommy is pretty, she'll snag a man in no time." Sylvia said. That was followed by Cerulean fake snoring even louder. The bastard.Rune watched the large man stalk into her pub. Well it was a pub/inn/theatre on Sunday nights because who was she to stomp on her best friend's outrageous dream of becoming a famous playwright. The man had barely managed to fit through the front door without bending; a few inches taller and he'd smash through frame. He had to be at least 7 feet tall, there was no way he could be human, not with that size and aura. She swallowed and tried not to look intimidated. Plastering on her award-winning smile, she continued to wipe down the shot glasses but kept eye contact with him."Welcome, stranger, how can I help you? It's not often I get to see new people around here." That was a lie but whatever it took to start pleasant conversation. New 'people' sauntered in and out of this town on the regular. Thrantipi, the town renown for being one of the few places magical and non-magical creatures- aka humans- could settle in peacefully. Humans usually came for the openness and possibility to mingle with the magical. Sometimes that would be the case for the non humans but more often than not it's to get away from the claustrophobia that came with their clans... or kin...or troops... or schools... or covens... or whatever their kind call themselves. Rune had been one of the first and nothing made her smile wider than knowing she had gotten the privilege of watching the tiny little village grow into a bustling town that she had gotten to name all those years ago."Aunty, Rune, I see you've hardly changed." The man said taking the seat directly in front of her at the bar.It wasn't the fact that he knew her name that caught her off guard, she's involved enough that anyone could've mentioned her to him and she takes care to commit every face she sees to memory but it wouldn't be unreasonable to forget one or two. No, it was the 'Aunty' part that had her raising both brows. She had many many God children but no nieces nor nephews. Especially none that were descendants of Giants, because that had to be the case for this man. She lowered her brows and put down the small glass she had been shining. Laying her palms flat on the table she leaned closer to inspect his face. He had the slightly toned skin of a creature that enjoying basking in sunlight and no imperfections anywhere on it. Not even a pimple, the lucky bastard. His chiseled jaw had the greyish hues of a beard trying to settle in. His long hair was pulled back into a half bun behind his head, the other half ran down his back in large ringlets. Was that a tint of purple in his locks? He dressed plainly in a white cotton blouse, black pocket less trousers and leather boots. No tattoos, no markings, no bags nor jewelry. No gills of a water dweller, markings of a witch, rock of a golem; nothing on him to give any hints of what he was or why he was here. It's a rarity in itself to see someone plain in this town, not with all the colorful characters that called Thrantipi home. She brought her attention back to his face, his eyes were a liquid like shade of brown with reds mixed into it. The colors swam around his black pupils and reflected her face. It was in those eyes that Rune found the slightest hint of recognition but she just couldn't quite put her finger on it."Where do I know you from?" She asked him, flailing her arms in frustration, ashamed that her usually perfect memory was failing.He gave a snort as if he thought she was joking, then tilted his head and looked at her. Realizing she wasn't joking, he seemed genuinely surprised she had forgotten him. A look of understanding then quickly shrouded the brief look of hurt."I guess it was a long time ago... and we were just younglings." He mumbled to himself before meeting her eyes. "Do you remember Asai and Matthew? They were... are my mother and father.""Asai..." She repeated softly then gasped loudly when realization hit her. She looked at him again then moved her arm out as if to touch him but then quickly pulled them back. She could see it now, the only similarity hidden in the bone structure around his eyes and the red that burned behind his pupil. Sadly, this one had taken most of his looks from his father, though he did have his mother's height. That woman had towered almost every other female in the village. She knew the sensible thing to do was to ask for proof but she trusted her gut; he wasn't lying. Rune reached out again, putting both hands on either side of his cheek. He looked sheepish and awkward but he didn't stop her. The last time she had seen him he was a dingy boy who still hid behind his mother skirt any time he was forced to meet someone new. This one was Leviathan, she could also tell that by his eyes. His brother's were brown as well but held a hint of gold that made him look more like a cat creature than a dragon. Dragon. That's what this man was, not a Giant but a gargantuan fire breathing lizard with wings."Leviathan." She smiled down at him, joy written in every crevice of her face but like the flick of a match it disappeared. "Leviathan." She pulled back her hands and laid them at her sides. "Leviathan!" This time she put her hands to her hips and glared at him. Then the wench had the audacity to reach over and pull on his ears. "Leviathan, you dirty little prat, you threw ink on my favorite skirt as a child!" she bellowed and as she did the entire bar turned their attention to the couple and Leviathan briefly wondered what the hell he'd gotten himself into.Trying to get his ear free of her fingers her he bellowed back. "Cerulean did it!"