It's night... I don't have a good sense of time, since I'm always indoors.
— Please wait just a minute, Mitsurugi. I'll call a dragon to get us home.
— Are you serious? You're talking to a half-dragon right now.
— I-I know, but... it's too far from here, and... it's actually in the sky.
— In the sky? Does your family live in a star?
— N-No, the stars are much further than that... We kind of live in a cloud.
— A cloud? Oh, those white puffy things that float everywhere?
— Yes! My house is in a floating island, that is on top of a cloud.
— Your family is surely rich. I'll take us there in no time.
— Really?! But how?
— I'm a half-dragon, remember? I have wings.
I spread my wings in front of her in a graceful way. It still hurts, but I'm getting used to it.
— Wow!
— Have I left you speechless? This is only one of my abilities.
I hug her, jump towards the sky and start flying.
— What direction?
— T-That way!
Wow, her skin is so soft and delicate. If I press her body a little more, her bones will break. But I don't want to eat a crybaby, so I won't hurt her this early.
— M-Mitsurugi, this is amazing! And scary, too!
— Everything is scary to you, geez. You should learn some abilites as well. Humans can use magic.
— I'm learning magic, that's why I'm wearing a wizard costume. But I guess I'll have to rely on you for now, hehe...
— Keep dreaming, brat. I can release you from here and you'll not survive the fall.
— P-Please don't do that!
— I won't, for now. You haven't said your name yet.
— A-Ah, I forgot, sorry! I'm Nocus!
— Weird ass name. Mine's better.
— T-Thank you, I guess...
After a very long and tiring trip, we land on the floating island. I fall to the ground, because I'm not used to landing yet.
— Mitsurugi, are you okay?!
— This is just a training, of course I'm okay. Next time we fly, it'll be easier for us both.
— Here, let me take a look!
— No, leave me alone... I just need a break.
She still approaches me and grabs a book that was strapped to her cloak. She turns the pages quickly and finds something.
— I think this is the one! Let me see... "As long I as I live, no one shall suffer".
She points the palm of her hand towards me and a green magic comes out. What is this? I'm already feeling refreshed...
— Are you feeling better, Mitsurugi?
— Y-Yeah, I am... th... thank you, I guess...
She smiles warmly. I've never seen anyone smile at me. Maybe she's different... maybe she was right about humans...
— You're welcome, Mitsurugi! I told you I was training my magic. And it paid off!
— Yeah, whatever. Let's just get inside and sleep.
— A-Ah, wait! Don't leave me here...
— This is our bed, Mitsurugi!
— It's big... wait, "our" bed?
— Yes, we'll be sleeping together!
— Really? I thought...
— I told you, you're not my pet. You're my friend, right?
— ...
— There's something wrong?
— No, I just... I'm not used to this kind of living. One of my powers is adaptability, so I'll get used to it.
— I'm glad to hear that, Mitsurugi! Are you happy to be here?
— Happy is a strong word... But it isn't as bad as I thought it would be.
What is wrong with me? I've never had a friend before... why is she different? Humans are all the same...
— That is sufficient for now, Mitsurugi. If you're feeling better, that's all I could ask for.
— Yeah, whatever... Let's sleep already.
— I hope you have the best dreams ever, my friend!
— ...
Argh, it's morning, I think... I can't really tell yet. But I'll get used to the time in a few days.
— Good morning, Mitsurugi!
— You're awake, Nocus... what time is it?
— It's noon, where the sun is at it's peak!
— So there's still half the day left?
— Exactly! But at around 18 hours it'll become dark.
— Alright, let's go. What do you want me to do?
— It's lunch time, so why don't we go straight to the dining room?
— What is that?
— Lunch is a time when we eat a lot of food to fill our stomach! And dining room is where that happens!
— Really? Is the food poisoned?
— Of course not, Mitsurugi! Here we have the best quality food, thanks to our family. It's so tasty that you'll never forget it!
— Take me there. But only because I need nutrients, okay? It's not because...
— No need to hide it, I know you want to meet our family.
— No, I don't want that! Wait, will your family be there?
— Of course they will! Everyone eats in the same table.
— This... you can't be serious...
— Why would I lie to you? Let's go, they're amazing people!
— W-Wait, don't...
She grabs my hand and drags me there.
Wow, this room is so big... the table is bigger than my cell. There are too many people! Not only humans, but also dwarves, elves, dragons... wait, dragons?! But they're not too big... they're like real dragon cubs, not half ones.
— Here, take a seat, Mitsurugi!
I sit at the corner of the table. Wait, did you do that on purpose?! Now they can all see me!
— Oh, so you're Mitsurugi, the half-dragon. It's a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for taking care of our daughter.
An old man is talking to me. He has grey hair and blue eyes. The woman next to him looks too young to be his wife. She has pink hair, like her daughter, but it's short and messy. Her eyes are also pink.
— How old are you?
What, can't I ask someone's age? Why are the monsters looking at me like I did something wrong? At least the humans are okay with it.
— I'm 55 years old. Nice to meet you, I'm Nefina.
— Hah, pathetic. I'm centuries older than you.
— I can imagine... You look good for your age!
— I say the same. Like, how are you even his wife? You look like a child, but taller.
— Everyone says that to me. I think that's a good sign!
— Yeah, whatever. Humans age differently, so you're fine. About you...
— I'm Albert, nice to meet you.
— You look old, but majestic. You're fine too.
— Oh, thank you, Mitsurugi. You look very good too!
— T-That's not true...
Nocus smiles at me and says:
— I think that is true!
Another human walks towards me. He has orange short hair, looking like his mother. He also has blue eyes and look a lot younger than everyone else, except Nocus.
— I agree with my sister. Welcome home, Mitsurugi. I heard you're strong, would you want to train with us later?
— T-Train with you? That would be unfair. I'm way stronger than you.
— I know. But I want to know how stronger. My name's Sun.
He extends his hand to me.
— What?
Nocus notices it:
— It's a handshake, Mitsurugi. Humans use it to greet each other. It shows respect.
— Oh, really? I don't respect you, get lost.
— H-He's just trying to be nice... he's a maniac for battles, so he loves training with strong people like you.
— Interesting... We'll see how much pain you can endure.
— Thank you so much! I'll not disappoint you!
— H-Hey, don't agree to that so easily, brother...