Donning a golden robe, standing gracefully and quietly was Lucinda!
Lucinda! The member of the cat clan! Never in her wildest dream had Arella imagined that the members of the cat clan, which is infamous for living under seclusion, could be found strolling in one of the busiest places of the beast clan's inhabitance!
In Lucinda's eyes, Arella's stillness and surprise were akin to overreaction! Huh! Why does it feel that this girl has witnessed as if someone came back from death? Lucinda had no idea what an impact her appearance had on poor Arella!
"It is a pleasure meeting you here, Arella." Lucinda took the reigns in her hand and greeted the still girl first.
"Likewise, likewise!" Arella hurriedly walked toward Lucinda and took long breaths to calm her vibrating core!
Inside her mind, she was constantly telling herself to act normal! Nobody knew that Lucinda was from the cat clan, so, she should not act suspiciously! Just act normal, just act normal.
"What brought you here?" Lucinda spoke naturally.
"My friends got married today. What about you? Why are you here?" Arella was calm by now.
A minute in, she realized how silly she was! In the advanced beast era, sharing information regarding their beast forms is prohibited. So, undoubtedly, cat clan members could roam freely, as long as they kept their cat ears and tails hidden! Ahh! Then according to this logic, shouldn't all of them live in society instead of seclusion? Arella's curiosity was piqued!
"I am here to buy some spirit stones. But the quality is degrading day by day. Nothing is worth purchasing. But the calming herbs still hold some value." Lucinda replied while slowly walking with Arella by her side.
"Oh. So, do you live nearby?" Arella asked in a small voice. She wanted to know if they lived in the city. Because the last time, as far as she remembered, didn't they speak of the forest as their home?
"No, no. I came to visit a few of my friends. They live in the city. We can talk in detail later. In fact, I am glad that I found you here. I wanted to speak to you." Lucinda spoke calmly.
"Umm, sure, regarding what?" Arella did not know what else to say. Beasts and tamers had better hearing capabilities. That is why, she was hesitant to ask any further.
"It's about Omar. Lately, he has been wanting to meet you. He said that you were alone. Is it okay if he visits you?" Lucinda turned toward Arella and revealed her mind.
"Yes, he is welcome anytime, and so are you! And umm, Aaron! It would be an absolute pleasure!" Thinking of that lazy black cat, a slight smile appeared on her face. She too, missed him a little.
But then, thinking of something, her smile disappeared, and a glint of shock appeared in her eyes.
"But, how does he know that I am alone?" Arella confusedly questioned.
"Oh. He has his ways. Never mind, now that I have your word, I will send Omar over in a few day's time. It is getting late. I should leave now. Otherwise, by the time I reach home, it will be dark." Before Arella could respond, Lucinda turned back and left.
Arella stared at her disappearing back for a long time. A sigh escaped her mouth.
"Maybe it is time to re-learn the basics!" Arella mumbled under her breath.
She had learned that the cat clan was peculiar, but Lucinda and her family appeared normal to her. She was told that they lived in seclusion. But does it still hold true in today's time?
What else was there, that was fed to her as absolute truth but was nothing but a lie instead?
Hmm, the attributes of the Dragon. Proud? Ruthless? True. Adrian might be ruthless. Who could afford to be kindhearted on the battlefront? But he was kind to her.
Sticking a label and then, ignoring every other attribute, was this how the world worked? Looking at things with prejudice and ignoring everything else, so, is this the world's way?
Arella's eyes unknowingly shifted towards the silent statute of the proud Dragon. And then, she looked at the tamer sitting on its back. She moved her sight and looked at one tamer after another.
The world says that tamers are only good at strategizing and calming the raging beasts. Is that also a fabricated lie? What if tamers are more than that and the world refuses to look at their other aspects? How could anybody be defined by prejudices? No. Just because some things are not apparent, doesn't mean it doesn't exist! It is time to explore the boundaries. It is time to redefine! It is time to re-learn!
Who says that she can not upgrade? Who dares say that she can not become physically stronger just because she was a tamer? Who claimed that she should stay in the background? No! It should be her decision! If she wants to fight, no one can stop her! None could chain her down!
Her eyes started becoming sharper and sharper. The red in her eyes looked akin to burning flames. The ice blue streaks around the edges were losing their flair. But they still remained, shackling the molten lava like heat in her eyes.
The small crack on the smooth surface of the ruby widened an inch.
The faint mark of the flame at the back of her neck was becoming clearer and more distinct with every thought of hers. The defined lines enclosed a flame that was furiously burning.
A burning sensation took over her entire body. She unconsciously clenched her hands. She felt like running, but her legs started feeling heavy. She wanted to shout, but her mouth felt parched. Her breath was becoming hotter and hotter. At one point, she felt as if she could breathe fire.
Before she could register her abnormal temperature, the pain started coursing through her veins like blood. Sensations of being pricked by multiple thorns covered her senses. A gripping sensation was trying to shackle her body, but her body refused to lie low. It wanted to break free.
Cold sweat should be covering her body, but the moment beads of sweat touched her skin, it evaporated into thin air. The grueling torture was taking a toll on her body, but from the outside, everything looked normal. Nobody noticed the anomaly. To them, she appeared just like a girl, intently staring at the giant statues.
In the distance, Lucinda's brisk walk came to a standstill. A silence covered her. Waves of spiritual fluctuation appeared in her proximity. She turned around and walked in the direction of the center of the fluctuations.
Standing a few steps away, she found Arella. She stood calmly, looking at the beast statues, but the fluctuations that covered her body revealed that she was everything but calm!
Lucinda walked toward the still girl. As soon as she raised her hand to touch the calm girl, the girl collapsed.