This version of Heishe was no more than eighteen inches long, and her head was about the width of Kaz’s thumb. No hood flared behind her small skull, and when her tongue flickered out, Kaz could make out curved rows of smaller teeth, rather than the menacing fangs that were there before. If Kaz hadn’t been able to see the dense black ki packed into that small body, he would have said she was cute.

  The little snake slithered across the ground toward them, leaving a damp trail in the grass. The humans drew back, and Lianhua’s face went white, causing Yingtao to give her a concerned look. Mei flattened her body in the grass, and Kyla’s flickering shield rose around her and the fuergar.

   Heishe hissed, sounding distinctly amused.

  Raff had stood, and now his hand rested on the hilt of the sword Chi Yincang had returned to him. Anyone looking at him from the outside would have believed that he was vastly overreacting to the presence of such a small serpent, but for those in the group, the pressure of Heishe’s power was such that Kaz was impressed the large human was even able to offer an appearance of threat.

  “I hate to say it,” Raff said, voice hoarse, “but that’s exactly what someone might say right before they tried to eat us.”

  Heishe gave her hissing laugh.

  Raff sat.

  The snake moved without haste, gliding close enough that Kaz could have reached out and touched her before she coiled into a gleaming curve, head raised just enough to look at them all. Not a single one of them, human, kobold, or other, moved. Except Li.

  The dragon opened her eyes, which were no longer covered by white caps. Kaz had been absently picking the loose skin from her body for a while now, and she was nearly back to her usual shining perfection. All sign of her injuries had vanished, and her newly revealed scales had added a subtle gradient of deep red around her front paws.

   Li demanded, a cloud of smoky vapor forming in front of her slender nose. Of course, no one could hear her except Kaz and Heishe, but the dragon’s posture was clearly belligerent.

  Fortunately, Heishe just laughed again, her tongue flicking out to taste the drifting cloud.

  Kaz was still coming to terms with the idea that he was an adult, no matter what his chief might say, and he didn’t really appreciate being called a puppy again. Still, he had a feeling that everyone there, possibly everyone in the city, might well be pups to this being.

  The snake’s head wove slowly back and forth, her dark eyes meeting each of theirs until she finally gave a small nod.

  Raff jumped slightly as the voice entered his mind, then muttered something that might have been, “Of course it’s Pellis-cursed story time again,” but otherwise no one protested. Even Li settled back into Kaz’s lap, and he sensed something through their bond that might have been chagrin.

   the tiny snake said,

  Lianhua let out a soft sigh, and her fingers twitched, but she didn’t take out one of her books.

   Heishe went on,

  She hesitated, as if reluctant to share the rest, but went on at last.

  She released a hissing sigh, her chin coming to rest on the smooth black coils of her body. she said,

   a strident voice screeched. A bird came diving from above, seeming to appear out of the setting sun. It settled clumsily to the ground beside the snake, a few of its bedraggled feathers falling to rest on the grass. It was far from the majestic creature which had nearly destroyed the mage’s college, but Kaz had no doubt it was one and the same, since he could see the red ki that formed its body, feel it pushing against his core in a way that Heishe either couldn’t or chose not to. Probably the latter, from what little he knew of the serpent.

  “A rooster?” Lianhua murmured, her voice full of wonder. When everyone turned to look at her, she flushed a deep red and shook her head, indicating that she was done speaking.

   Heishe sighed.

  The rooster scratched at the dirt, pecking sharply at a blade of grass. he said sharply.

   Heishe asked almost plaintively.

   the rooster, Fengji, snapped.

   Heishe said.

  Fengji let out an annoyed squawk. he said. One beady red-brown eye settled on Li, then Kaz.

  Strutting forward, the bird’s ruffled neck feathers lifted, framing his head in bright oranges and reds. He stretched out both wings, tilting forward in a kind of bow. Toward Li.

   he said.

  Kaz assumed he was the only one who could sense the warm rush of embarrassed pleasure that ran through his dragon. There was no doubt her scales would have turned as pink as Kyla’s former fur if they could have. Rather than melting down into a pleased puddle of scales, however, she lifted her own head, arched her neck just so, and nodded magnanimously.

  Kaz was certain that she had no more idea what she’d done to earn the bird’s thanks than he did, but he was usually the first to tell her what a good job she did anyway. This time, however, watching the way the Divine Beast - if that was what Heishe and Fengji were - was bowing before his dragon, Kaz felt a hint of some hot emotion light in his belly. Not in his core, but in some part of him that was more basic even than that.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The bird turned a wicked eye on Kaz and straightened from his obsequious bow.

  Kaz blinked, the warmth in his gut dissipating into confusion. What had the bird just called him? Or Li, for that matter?

   Heishe said, sounding both amused and annoyed.

  Fengji’s feathers puffed up, but he nodded and strutted back to the serpent’s side. Settling in place, he began to groom his feathers, which were more than a bit patchy and tattered.

   Heishe hissed, though there was no real heat behind it,

  The snake glanced at Kaz as Lianhua almost vibrated with excitement beside him. The human female was barely managing to restrain herself, especially after this tacit acknowledgement that Heishe and Fengji were indeed two of the ancient creatures chosen to protect their world.

   Heishe went on, and both Reina and Jinn nodded, their eyes bright with astonishment and hope.

   the serpent went on.

  The rooster bobbed his head in agreement.

  Kaz frowned a bit, wondering what that meant, and Heishe explained, though he had a feeling she was choosing her words carefully.

  Kaz felt a chill run down his spine as the snake’s eyes came to rest on him. If he still had fur, it would be standing straight up. “Are there…any creatures not created by this Elder?” he asked.

  If reptilian lips could smile, he thought Heishe might have done so.

  “You think kobolds are responsible for-” Kaz choked, looking around to see that everyone was watching him now, though the newer members of the group looked very confused. “Everything?”

  The serpent’s tongue flickered thoughtfully. she said.

  “We’re not strong enough to do this,” Kaz interpreted, and actually felt relieved at the thought. She was right. Compared to the enormous depth of power in the snake and rooster, even he was little more than a clump of moss, clinging to a cavern wall, hoping not to be eaten.

   Heishe confirmed.

  Jinn frowned. “Um, I’m really sorry, Lady Snake, but that’s not right. No one has disappeared except for us.”

  Heishe turned her amusement on the human female.

  The rooster bobbed his head again.