A Dragon's Curiosity

Thinking off Gabriel and Bael, Nisha allowed Little Lia to lick off the blood on her palm from the spell rebound and buried themselves under the blankets.

She was done with experimenting for the night and had another idea.

Her body fell into a sleeping state together with her contracted beast and the elf shifted her focus to her [Inner Space].

Recalling the goddesses’ mana signature, a golden gate appeared next to her treasure trove besides the small creak.

Nisha had thought of some questions and wanted to talk to her friends, inviting Gabriel and Bael over with the proper etiquette between magicians.

Forcing her way inside their [Inner Space] happened to be incredibly rude and was commonly thought as impossible if the invader was not physically present to the owner at the time of invasion.

Aside from the irregular ability of the dragon, it also made sense to her that the twin goddesses might not always have the time to see her, therefore it was more sensible and polite to invite them with an open portal instead.

The backlash from [Eye of the Obsidian Wolf] breaking twice in a row took its toll not only on the elf’s physical body, but also on her mind.

Fortunately, her strong bloodline and sturdy physical body resisted the influence from the Wolf God legacy.

Anyone else might have gone blind on the eye used to execute the spell, inscribing a change into their heredity and spirit.

For Nisha, however, a dip into her favorite molten metal lake for an extended bath washed away all the fatigue and wolf force.

It did not take long for her call to get answered. The Golden Gate conjured by the dragon opened and a majestic figure, donning a regal ash grey dress and purple lace gloves, strode right into the boiling hellscape.

Bael raised an eyebrow at the girl frolicking in the silver and orange metal lake, yet the ground around her feet forcefully stabilized and turned into a pleasant spring breeze as the goddess crossed her legs under her and dipped a finger into the molten slag.

“A lake filled with iron, silver and a trace of white mithril? How extravagant.”

The single raised eyebrow somehow conveyed amusement, a small amount of teasing and ultimately a vast elegance combining both without becoming mean.

Nisha floated on her back and refrained from covering herself up, there was no point to follow human conventions while conversing with a literal goddess.

“It’s my hidden vice. Who doesn’t enjoy a long and hot bath? You’re welcome to join me, Bael.

How come that you’re alone this time? I thought Gabriel and you were joined at the hips.”

The dragon drifted closer to her visitor and offered her a hand to pull her inside the pool, while she needled her friend a bit.

So far, the two goddesses had always appeared together, never too far apart from each other.

“Am I not welcome until I bring along my other half? I knew it, you always had your eye on Gabriel, I’m just a small bonus that goes along with her.

I’m so hurt, my heart is going to break.”

In a dramatized fashion, the purple haired woman clasped the purple gloved hands above her heart and then faked wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes.

The elf’s laugh tingled even more silvery than the metal in the lake and pulled herself up to the fringe, seating herself next to her visitor.

“Alright, you got me. I only sent an invitation to you for my sweetheart Aunt Gabriel and am so sad that I only got my other favourite Aunt Bael instead.

How will I ever get over this disappointment.”

Nisha matched her tone of voice to act along with the purple haired beauty, falling on her back and dangling her legs into the lake at the same time.

“You little minx, you could just give me a little advantage here and at least pretend to let me win.

I have to say, treat your guests better in the future, otherwise no one will answer your invitations in the future.

There’s this old goat that sends a gate every so often to get us to report to him for some matters, the oldest must have been there for some few thousand turns at least.

Boy, he gets so angry from time to time, running away from his [Tornado Breath] is really troublesome when we’re forced to visit though. He can’t even take a single joke.”

Bael’s finger danced through the air and weaved strings of energy into a form hugging dress that loosely fell around the elf’s body next to her.

Nisha did not mind either way, and declined to recommend on the action.

“Wouldn’t your space get messy that way? I hardly have one gate set up for you, yet you’re telling me that you have a lot of them, some of them thousands of turns old? How do you manage them?”

Regarding the inner workings of her [Inner Space], the dragon had to experiment on her own to figure out the various usages and possible applications.

Undoubtedly, the guidance of a senior that mastered such simple tricks long ago would have vast benefits to her own progress.

“When you reach a higher level of practice and refine your own mana one or two times, the operation of your own space gets easier.

My sister and I generally tend to cordon off a folded space separately for incoming invitations. It does not share a common point or any connection with the core area of our ‘garden’, as we call it between us.

Imagine my surprise when a certain little girl goes against convention time and time again and somehow allows a portal to manifest right next to our garden instead.”

The green haired goddess’ hands never stopped moving and golden and silver flowers budded from the ashes left by the burning lake.

Under her careful handling, the blooms turned into two bracelets, each having a colour dedicated to itself.

Bael felt satisfied with her work and placed them on Nisha’s wrist.

“I’m sorry, I have no idea how that happened. When I opened the portal, I have only concentrated on sending an invitation to you and your sister.

How that could have possibly pierced through the restricted area in your [Inner Space], I have no idea.

Really, terms like folded space and how to create one are beyond me.”

Despite saying so, the concept alone allowed the elf to form more future plans to explore her space. Additionally, training her mind and refining her mana should also improve the control over the endless lands in her mind.

The goddess mulled over the information she just obtained and silence settled over the volcano opening.

Silver sparks danced on the metal surface. Finally, green hair shook from side to side as well as the beautiful deity shook her head to clear out her thoughts.

“It doesn’t matter, I reckon. Just another mystery to solve, maybe for another day.

Since you likely did not invite me to have a chat, tell me, little one. What do you want to see me for, what can my sister and me help you with?”

Curled around her wrists, the argent and aurous accessories wilted and solidified at the same time, turning from a floral gift into solid metal.

The dragon smiled at the small trick performed by the goddess and admired the sleek elegance by the petal engravings on the rings.

“How do you know I’m not just longing to see my two graceful aunts? Must I only turn to you if I’m in trouble or want something from you?”

Nisha revealed her sharp canines in a cheeky smile, which earned her a playful slap from the green haired goddess on the back.

“Come on, straighten up a bit and become honest. Lying is a bad thing.

As it happens, I also have a request, so maybe we can both profit from a transaction. I can always give you advice and I’m sure Gabriel would also cut you some slack, but for more substantial exchanges, the [Law of the Land] can’t be cheated.”

Nodding in agreement, the elf stood up and took her adopted aunt’s hand. Shimmering in the air, a hole opened in the scenery. Behind the veil, the treasure brook where the dragon stashed her ‘shinies’ appeared and Nisha marched through the opened space with a brisk pace.

Among the scattered items, some furniture made from rare materials or holding enchantments and inscriptions appeared as well. Compared to the weapons, chunks of rare ores and woods and other knick knack, the furnishing happened to be among the most inconspicuous articles.

Bael and Nisha picked the most organized corner with a low table, two mismatched chairs of different make and the heart piece of the entire collection, a chess board carved from [Ivory Quartz]. The late Eldrin left this game board and the pieces to the elf, and she valued it more than any trinket made from gold, silver or other valuables.

Curiously enough, the armor spirit Nisha had contracted from the ‘Empty Egg’ always hovered around the board when it was not roaming the clearing.

Treasures apparently interested it, yet the chess board had most of its attraction.

Bael smiled as she saw the little elemental again and captured it out of the air where it floated.

Of course the metal plated spirit tried to struggle and escape its capture, but against an opponent from a much higher realm, it stood no chance.

“It’s growing well. You should get it some metal related essence, either mana or aura, to supplement its diet.

And since we’re now properly arranged, can we discuss your request? I appreciate your invitation either way, don’t feel shy to talk about it.”

Nisha made no attempt to free her contracted elemental either and produced a can of steaming water and several different jars filled with tea leaves.

Ever since she interacted with Miss Thana at the [Seven Stars Church] the elf picked up an acquired taste for the brewed beverage and spent some money to obtain some stock.

Bael picked up a cup with natural elegance and took a sip, waiting for the dragon to make her request.

Seeing that the pretty deity did not mind, the elf also sampled the tea and thought over what she wanted to request.

“Recently, I have made some advances with my cultivation and have already crossed the first major threshold, the barrier between the third and fourth rank in aura and energy.

With the lessons at the [Royal Academy] that I attend, my expeditions into the Dungeon, swordplay instructions, crafting with the materials I have, constructing my own domain in the capital and planning for it … I can’t even count out everything on my plate right now.

As you can see, there’s much to do and little time.

Since Gabriel and you have already reached a much higher level, I was thinking about consulting you if you have any ideas how I can practice more efficiently or speed up the process.”

Nisha really had worried about this issue recently. Generally, the elf took up topics quite quickly and had moderate success with most skills as well. She would not go so far as claiming herself as an unparalleled genius, but with hard work she managed to accomplish her goals.

The [Imperial Swordplay], on the other hand, felt stiff and unpracticed in her hands, no matter how much she tried to improve.

Additionally, every candle the dragon spent on the sword was one candle less she could allocate towards other projects.

Seeking advice from a senior appeared to be the best way forward, and no one was more qualified to talk about the way of cultivation than the two goddesses, as they had already surpassed the boundary between the mundane and divine.

Bael contemplated the request and went quiet.

Even without movement, the still beauty inspired any observer to view her as a painting come to life rather than an actual person.

This attraction superseded the species boundary, as Nisha contented herself to waiting for an answer while admiring the person next to her rather than her ‘shinies’ and the scenery.

With no way to tell what went through her mind, Bael clapped in the end and seemingly came to a decision.

“I can think of the most suitable way and the most effective way to train for you.

But you need to make another request, I want to ask two favors from you and will only tell you one of the two methods, so ask something else too.”