Jia huffed, shoving another handful of berries into her woven basket. These woods were getting on her nerves—too quiet, too green, and too full of bugs that had decided she was today's all-you-can-eat buffet. To top it off, Armin's earlier 'helpful advice' was replaying in her mind on an endless loop.
"Focus your Qi flow, Jia. If you can't tame a squirrel, how will you handle a beast?" he had said, in that maddeningly calm, stoic way of his. Sure, it sounded profound, but he conveniently forgot to mention that taming a squirrel wasn't exactly on her career bucket list, but taming a dragon was -- Quite the ambition she had.
"Who needs a squirrel anyway? I'll start with something practical, like a rabbit… or maybe a house cat," she muttered under her breath, plucking another berry off the bush and stuffing it into her basket. But her mind wandered to Kai—her boyfriend/dragon/certified mama's boy. She hadn't seen him in a while. Did he think she was avoiding him? Would he care?
Jia sighed, brushing her dark hair out of her face. "Next time I head to the Dragon Palace, I'll make it up to him. Maybe with a kiss. Or… ten."
A sudden rustling in the bushes snapped her out of her thoughts. Her hand instinctively went to the dagger strapped to her thigh, but instead of a hungry predator, she found herself face-to-face with someone—peculiar and quite familiar.
"Ah, if it isn't the palace girl!" cackled the Old Tamer, the same ancient, half-crazed man she'd bumped into on the streets last week. Today, he was sitting cross-legged on the forest floor, his gnarled hands tearing the fur off a hare with all the grace of a drunk butcher. Raw chunks of meat dangled from his mouth as he chewed with enthusiasm that bordered on disturbing.
Jia wrinkled her nose. "You… uh, what are you-?"
The Old Tamer looked up, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Don't mind me, lass. Just enjoying nature's bounty! Care for a bite?"
"Nah, I'll pass," she said, holding out a small vessel of water instead. "Here."
He grinned toothily, snatching the vessel from her hand and downing its contents with the urgency of someone who hadn't had water in weeks—or manners in centuries. Water dribbled down his chin, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.
"Ah, much better," he said, handing the vessel back to her with a wink. "You've got a good heart, palace girl. And some impressive Qi energy for a human. It's grown since we last met."
Jia stiffened slightly. "You can sense that? and It's Jia by the way."
"Of course I can! I've been taming beasts since before your great-grandparents were born," he said, puffing out his chest. "You've got talent, lass. An innate taming ability. A gift."
She shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, well, talent doesn't mean much if you don't know how to use it."
"Wise words for someone still green behind the ears," he said with a chuckle. "Tell me, palace girl— Uh Jia, what's your story? Who are your parents?"
Jia's indifferent mask slipped into place. "No one important. And it's none of your business."
The Old Tamer raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she turned on her heel and walked away, her basket of berries swinging at her side. She didn't need some crusty old man poking around in her past. She had enough on her plate.
When Jia emerged from the forest, she spotted Kai standing near the entrance, his broad frame practically blocking out the sun. He was scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, his azure scales glinting faintly in the light. As soon as he saw her, his face lit up like a puppy seeing its owner return home.
"Jia!" he called, waving a little too enthusiastically.
She raised an eyebrow but smiled anyway. "Kai."
They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging between them. Finally, Kai broke it, his voice hesitant but earnest. "I, uh… I know Armin's not actually your brother."
Jia blinked. "What?"
Kai shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, it's obvious, right? You don't look alike, and he's too serious to be your sibling. But it's okay. I get it. You're learning to tame, and he's helping you."
She stared at him, unsure whether to be impressed by his insight or exasperated by his obliviousness. "Kai, you—"
"And also," he interrupted, "I found out Mother brought him in on this whole 'finding the elemental beast tamer' thing. It is important. So, uh, yeah."
Jia's expression softened. Of course, Yui Zhou—the cold, calculating Dragon Matriarch—had a hand in this. She would never bring in a human without a purpose.
"Did your mother ever told you about the fifth elemental beast?" Jia asked, her tone casual but probing. "The one with water-bending abilities?"
Kai's face scrunched up in confusion. "The what now?"
Jia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Never mind."
For all his physical prowess and draconic heritage, Kai wasn't exactly the sharpest blade in the armory. But at least she knew he wasn't hiding anything from her. He was as transparent as a crystal-clear lake—albeit one with a few too many ripples.
As they stood there, the first snow of the year began to fall. Fluffy white flakes drifted down from the sky, landing softly on Jia's hair and Kai's scales on his cheeks. She shivered slightly, pulling her cloak tighter around her slender frame.
Kai grinned, holding out a hand to catch a snowflake. "Hey, look! Snow!"
"Yeah," Jia said quietly, her gaze distant. "It's going to be a long winter."
Kai frowned, sensing the shift in her mood. "What's wrong?"
She hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. "Most humans in the dragon province don't survive winters like this. It's too harsh. Too cold."
Kai's expression darkened, and for once, he seemed at a loss for words. Instead, he reached out and took her hand, his touch warm and steady.
"Come to the palace with me," he said suddenly.
Jia blinked, startled. "What?"
"To the Dragon Palace," Kai repeated. "I'll talk to my mom about you. About… us."
Her heart skipped a beat, though she wasn't sure if it was from excitement or dread. Meeting Yui Zhou wasn't exactly on her to-do list—especially since the Dragon Matriarch wasn't known for her fondness of humans. But the sincerity in Kai's eyes made it hard to say no. But she knew deep down she was in for another trouble.