Etherno: Rise of the Dragongirl

Chapter 8: What's a Matari, Anyway?

Onin slouched on the couch in his dorm room. Tannin sat next to him. Cerina sat on the floor to their left, and Saija sat in one of the two chairs across from him. Onryo sat in the other. No one had said anything since they got back from the police station.

"Well, this is awkward," Saija said.

"Yeah." Tannin shifted his position on the couch. "So... are you going to burn us alive if we ask what's the deal with you and Kasai?"

"Shut up, Tannin." Onin smacked him. "You don't have to tell us anything if you don't want to Onryo, but we are really concerned about Kasai."

"Really?" Onryo arched an eyebrow. "All of you?"

"Yeah." Saija looked down and twisted the grip on one of her crutches. "Kasai was nice to me even when I was mean to her. I'm kinda new to all this touchy-feely crap, but I think I care about what happens to Kasai. It'd suck to lose a friend before I've even made one."

"Yeah, yeah." Cerina picked at her shoe and didn't make eye contact with anyone. "Me, too. I hated her at first. Growing up in the Northlands, I've heard rumors about her... you... whatever. I've since learned that it's actually the Natas that hunt her... you... both of you... that are the real problem."

"I know what you mean about touchy-feely crap." Onryo looked around the room, and blinked away a tear. "Kasai usually handles this part."

"So what is the relationship between you?" Onin asked.

"Here's what I know." Onryo folded her arms across her chest and took a deep breath. "Anyway, uh, Kasai and I are the same person, sorta."

"Wait, what?" Tannin scratched his head. "Did I hear that right?"

Onin leaned back and blinked rapidly. How was that even possible?

"What'd'ya mean, 'sorta'," Cerina asked.

"From what I've been able to piece together, she's half dragon." Onryo wiggled her tail. "Thus the wings and tail. Apparently she turns into me when she gets angry or threatened, or whatever. I don't really understand it. She's not aware of me, and doesn't even remember that she can transform. I guess a lot of the trauma of being hunted constantly and stuff made me as a defense mechanism, or something."

"Why was she hunted all the time, anyway?" Onin asked.

"I don't know." Onryo shrugged. "I wasn't around for the first several years. I think she transformed at will then. Ever since then, we've been hunted by both humans yelling nonsense like 'kill the half-breed demon' and the Natas. The Natas are the worst of the two." She turned to Saija. "No offense."

"None taken. I'm not a Natas now anyway, and I imagine they want me dead more than you."

"I don't even know what they want me for. Probably a super-powerful host. Or worse," Onryo said.

"Probably worse." Saija shuddered. "It's always 'worse' with the Natas."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence again for a while, until Onin spoke. "So, what can we do for Kasai, and for you now?"
"I don't know. Like I said, Kasai doesn't know about me. She's used to people screaming and running away after a lot less than you've all experienced. I want her to know all this, and heal from the past, but I'm afraid that if I just go away now and everyone starts talking about it, it'll make her worse."

"I think everyone needs some time to digest this. How about we all go to bed, and discuss this tomorrow?" Onin said.

"Okay. But I can't go back to Kasai's dorm like this." Onryo flicked her tail. "Her roommate is rather, ah... excitable."