Shadow's Advent

Chapter Two

"Tamal." 

He nodded towards her. "What about the other one?" 

"Twyla. Sh-It's exactly like Tamal only gold," she said. She shifted uncomfortably and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She gently ran her fingers across Tamal's handle, caressing the crystal in the pommel. "What about your bow? Does it have a name?" 

Kytheran pondered for a moment. "Lenora, I believe." He shrugged. "I never use the name, so I can't be certain." 

"Pretty name," she said. 

He smiled slightly. He bowed his head, strands of hair covered his eyes. "It's my mother's name." 

Caraka stiffened and felt the warmth come to her cheeks. She cleared her throat. "Were you close to your mother?" 

He shrugged, not lifting his head. "You could say that." 

Caraka looked out into the forest, sensing to stay away from that topic. She watched the red and silver light from the moons filter between the trees. Mist started to appear in between the plants and trees, dazzling like a red and silver specter. Long claw-like pieces crawled up the thick, rough trunks, filling in the deep grooves in the bark. Caraka filled her lungs with the dewy air. She leaned her hair back and exhaled. 

"You know, I've always like the mist. I used to watch it for hours when I was a kid," said Caraka, her eyes closed. 

"Does have a bit of a mysteriously beautiful quality to it, doesn't it?" said Kytheran as he looked out towards the mist. He waved his arm out in front of him, making the mist twist and twirl in its wake. 

Caraka snickered. "I lived near a Magi Tower. Mist use to gather all hours of the day and night. My mother used to tell me that if I kept staring at it, I would start absorbing it." 

Kytheran scanned her hair and eyes, scrutinizing her. "I would say you did. I've never seen someone your age with so much silver." 

She frowned. "What's your excuse? I've never seen hair and eyes like that." 

"My mother had golden hair and eyes in her half form. I don't remember what she looked like as a dragon." 

"And what did you inherit from your father?" She raised her eyebrows.  

"My dashing good looks," he said, grinning. 

Caraka tilted her head and gave a snorting laugh. "You look like you had a roll in the mud to me." 

He glared at her and frowned. "I wouldn't be so pompous, if I were you. It seems as though you haven't seen a proper bath in months." 

She placed her hand on her chest and stuck her bosom out. "Excuse me, but I do bathe. Just not in the ultra-fancy tub with all the exotic bathing salts that you apparently do." 

He rolled his eyes. "Don't I wish." 

"Could have fooled me." 

He furrowed his brow. "You said you lived near a Magi Tower? Did you train there?" he asked, switching the topic back. 

"What is it to you?" she asked, suspicious. 

He shrugged. "Curious." 

"No, I didn't. My mother did. I was sheltered as a child," Caraka explained. She turned her head to stare back at the forest. 

"Could have fooled me." 

She glared sidelong at him. 

"Surely you got tested there, at least to see how your mind is," he said.