《My Friend and her Family are Dragons》


 Chapter 1 - Surprisingly Early

    My head leaned against the glass.  The warm sunlight shone through the windows on the bus.  The hum of the engine that had lulled me to sleep was still there, still working to get us up the mountain road.  As I awoke from the nap I looked down at my cell phone and saw nothing but a black screen, remembering then that it¡¯s battery had run out even though I was sure I had plugged it in last night.  I lifted my arms towards the roof to help wake my drowsy body from its slumber and looked out the window to admire the scenery that presented itself in the midday sun.


    Before me stood countless small mountains dotting the landscape, all covered in uncountable numbers of trees, some short and round while others taller and steeper like spikes from the earth as well as everything in between.  Rivers and small lakes lay hidden amongst the many mountains and hills, hidden within the valleys that lay between them.  As I admired the scenery it was abruptly taken by the shadow of the tunnel we had just entered.


    The sudden change in view brought me back to my senses and the dilemma that I now faced, how would I contact Hikari and tell her I had arrived?  Simple, once we arrived I would simply ask the officer at the station if I could use the phone to make a quick call, except that upon reflection I had never learned her phone number.


    Ever since the day she added it to my phone herself it had always just said her name, not once had i ever seen the number itself.  A second solution, although one dependent on luck, would be to simply ask if they had heard of Hikaris family.  I recall her on several occasions saying that if I ever got lost in her home city almost anyone would be able to tell you where she lived, which raised many other questions but would have to be saved for another time.


    As I sat there deliberating my options we exited the tunnel we had entered only the scenery i was expecting to see was not there.  Instead I was met with the sight of a small city surrounded by mountains and hills.  It seemed to be laid out in what could be called normal for a city, with the larger buildings at its center and smaller buildings growing out into the outskirts but there were a few things that stood out amongst the city that I could see.


    The first was that at what could be called the center of the city something was emitting a bright flash of light in a rather erratic manner,  as if reflecting the light of the sun from an uneven surface.  The second was that even amongst all the buildings there were clearly 4 that stood out, not because they were large or tall but because they were separated from all the other buildings around them by many trees.  Third was that many Torii, traditional wooden gateways, laid dotted all over the city and its surroundings and in many sizes as well.  Some were so big that buildings lay underneath them, and others small enough that a single bird could walk underneath it.


    It had taken the bus around an hour to weave it¡¯s way down the snaking mountain road and to finally arrive at its destination, my bus stop.  It was as simple as could be, a covered bench that would scarcely fit three people and a pole that had the bus route and simple hand clock at the top.  With this my back up plan of asking a station officer for information disappeared like dust in the wind.  Looking at the route map I could see that this was the last one.


    In front of the bus stop on the other side of the road was a stone staircase that led down the small incline, onto a small bridge that crossed over a small creek and landed onto a smaller road that seemed to lead into the city.  It was then that I noticed a very important detail, the clock hand marked ¡°12:15 p.m.¡±  Upon reading the time I remembered that we had agreed to meet at the bus stop at 3 oclock and yet here I was almost three hours early.


    A slight wave of panic caressed my spine giving me slight shivers.  What should I do now?  Would I wait three hours here?  Would a local walk past and be able to guide me?  Should I venture into the city alone and seek assistance at the first corner store?  Out of the three only the last made any degree of sense and so the decision was made, i would venture into town and ask someone for either a phone or directions


    I arranged my small backpack comfortably on my back, looked both ways, and crossed the road.  The staircase was made of what were clearly very old and large river stones.  They were old enough that they had been smoothed and rounded on the edge from use.  At the bottom the bridge was similar in that it had clearly been made long ago but had been made strong enough to still be standing.


    As I reached the middle of the bridge I was startled by a sudden voice.


    ¡°Aha! Found you!¡±


    In my nervous state my body quickly straightened up, as if standing in front of a drill sergeant.  I looked around to try and find the source of the voice but could see nothing.


    ¡°What do you mean you got lost?¡±


    I was at a loss for words.  How did this voice know that I was essentially lost?  Why was it looking for me in the first place?Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Com on, i¡¯ll take ya home¡±


    It was then that I heard splashing and the realisation hit.  The voice had been below me under the bridge.  As I turned to face the direction the splashing came from the owner of the voice came into view as they emerged from below the bridge and climbed out from the small dyke the creek lay in.


    She was young in appearance, no more than fifteen or sixteen, with red eyes and a light complexion.  Her head was covered in long silver hair that went past her knees.  On the sides of her head, above the ears, sprouted 2 green horns that swept backwards in symmetry with her hair only to make a quick turn upwards at the tip.  Her attire was a mix between a short skirt kimono, a yukata, and a training Gi.  Her torso was covered in a simple gray training Gi style top with black trim and a Obi around her stomach.  Her arms were covered by kimono style sleeves that went down to the base of her fingers.  Below the waist was a short skirt that had deep cuts on the side that went up to the waist.  This gave view of the training shorts she was wearing underneath.  Around the back underneath her skirt a scaled tail that ended in a thin feathered point came down.  Around her legs were a pair of dark gray stockings that reached half way up her thigh and around her feet were some simple Geta.  In her arms she was holding a frog without a care, seemingly not caring if her clothing got stained with a happy smile on her face.


    As she stepped out of the dyke she turned towards my direction so that she had finally spotted me crossing the bridge.  ¡°Hello!¡± She said with a smile that one would have when meeting an old friend while walking to the end of the bridge.


    ¡°Uh, h-hello¡± I responded a bit hesitant. I was still working on getting over my shyness in talking with strangers and being greeted with such energy, even though we were strangers, was a bit baffling to me.  There was something about her that just made you feel like you could talk to her about anything, like someone that you could befriend easily, or rather that would befriend you easily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you, are you new in town?¡±   As she asked this I felt a sense of familiarity in her words even though I had never met this girl before.  It was strange, feeling such familiarity with a stranger was something I had experienced before but could not quite remember when it had happened.


    ¡°Y-yes, my name is Yoko, Yoko Oshita, I was supposed to meet a friend here but i¡¯m very early and she¡¯s not here yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, have you called her to let her know?¡±


    ¡°I would but I forgot to plug my phone in properly and it ran out of battery.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is quite a problem.  No worries though, you can use mine.¡± As she was talking she maneuvered the frog that she had been holding since she climbed out of the dyke and held it in one hand while the other dove into the inside of her clothes around her waist and after rummaging a bit pulled out cell phone and held it in her outstretched hand so that i could grab it.


    ¡°Thanks but I actually don¡¯t know her number either.¡±


    ¡°Mm, makes sense, not many people remember actual phone numbers these days.  What¡¯s your friend''s name? Maybe I know them."


    ¡°Oh, um, her name is Hikari, Hikari Hong.¡±


    ¡°OH! I know her! Gimme a second and I''ll give her a call.¡±


    What luck, not only had I met a very friendly local that I could speak to easily but she also happened to know Hikari.  This made me feel very at ease.  As the tension that had built up over my nervousness in asking strangers for help dissipated I saw her flicking her finger on the screen of her phone, clearly going through a list of contacts.  ¡°Aha¡± she exclaimed as she taped the screen  a couple times and then placed the phone to her ear.  Several seconds went by while we waited for the other side to pick up until ,at last, they did.


    ¡°¡®Sup, it¡¯s me...I know.. I know, I''ll finish up before the end of the day...any way I bumped into your friend Yoko here at the bus stop at the edge of town...yea she said the same thing about being early...yup, hand on a second¡± With that she presented her phone to me, clearly so that Hikari and I could talk to each other.


    ¡°H-hello?¡± I said nervously while holding the phone to my ear.  As soon as I heard Hikari¡¯s voice on the other side all doubts or stress that had lingered from my own self worry vanished.


    ¡°Yoko!¡± Exclaimed the voice on the other side of the conversation. ¡° How did you arrive so early?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure, maybe the driver went faster than normal?¡±


    As I explained what little I could, I heard her breathing as if she were running along with other sounds that sounded like a herd of, something, in the background.


    ¡°I see, well,  you''re here now and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to finish this faster than two hours so we¡¯ll have Shaina guide you downtown and I''ll meet you there later.¡±


    ¡°Shaina?¡± I questioned, as I had not heard that name before.


    ¡°Yea, the girl with the long silver¡­hair¡± I could hear her exerting herself physically, as if trying to do so martial art exercises while also talking on the phone which didn¡¯t really make any sense.  ¡°Don¡¯t worry i¡¯ll meet up with you later down town after i¡¯m done here¡±.


    ¡°OK, um, what are you doing right now? It sounds like you''re running with horses or something.¡±


    ¡°Oh I''m just helping herd the Winiums away from the city, I''ll show you a video later, put Shaina on the line so i can explain things to her.¡±  With that I handed the phone back to the girl whose name I finally knew.  As I had been talking to Hikari she had been balancing herself on the pyles of the bridge along with her frog friend.


    ¡°So what''s the plan?...uhu¡­.mhm...ok i¡¯ll take care of it, see you in a bit.¡± With that she finished the call and put her phone away within her clothes again. ¡°Ok so here¡¯s the plan¡± she said as she struck a pose full of confidence and leadership while lifting her frog friend triumphantly aloft with one hand.


    ¡°First we take froggy here back to his pond which is about 5 blocks that way¡± She pointed towards the direction of the small creek ¡°Then we grab the bus and head down town where i¡¯ll give you the tour and help you get your bearings, and finally we¡¯ll wait for Hikari at our favorite cafe, any questions.¡±


    ¡°Not really, at least not yet.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, so let us get to it.¡± With that she turned around and began walking proudly in the direction of the creek.  I adjusted my backpack and followed closely behind.

 Chapter 2 - A City Unlike any Other

    We walked for about 10 minutes. As we walked I looked at the town I would be living in. The suburbs we were at were very similar to what you would find in Tokyo, smaller houses that had clearly been built long ago, simple apartment buildings were one or two floors only had single apartments, and more modern but still modest apartment buildings.


    We didn¡¯t really see anyone walking along the streets but it being the middle of the day it made sense that most would be busy at work or busy with their daily activities.


    ¡°Ok froggy, here you go.¡± She said as she placed the frog into the pond and watched it swim into the flowery shadows.


    We had stopped at a small pond about the size of a small house hidden behind a small grocery store that was fed by the small creek that flowed down from the mountain. From here another creek continued down towards downtown hidden away behind small apartment buildings.


    She walked back to the road where I was waiting, jumped over the simple wire barrier in one swift jump and turned to face me, still brimming with confidence. ¡°Ok time to head downtown, we¡¯ll take the bus in front of this store and it will drop us off right in the center of the city. From there we can get to everywhere we need to go to get you settled.¡± She said leading towards the obvious stop a few meters away.


    The bus stop was very similar to the one I had been dropped off at only a little bit bigger and with one side used for ads and the other for a compact map of the city that also showed the buses route and where it connected with other routes. On it I could see that all the routes converged in the middle of the city, which I assumed is where we were headed.


    "So while we wait for the buss do you have any questions? i''m sure you do because every one always does." Shaina siad as she walk over to the buss stop and sat on the metal bench. I carted my travel bag over and sat next to her as I pondered which of the many questions to start with.


    "I guess my first question would be about how both you and Hikari have horns, tail, and scales? I asked her once about it and she said that it was normal back home, which I assume she meant here in this city?"


    "Thats usually the first thing normal people ask. Our history book says that back when the city was refounded over 3000 years ago by the Dragon Princess, she invited any and all supernatural creatures that wanted a calm and peaceful life to come and live together with her subjects witch were normal humans. As the years past and the humans and creatures kept interacting relationships started to form until eventually offspring of both human and creature started to appear. Today around half of all the residents of the city posses traits from these supernatural creatures or are creatures themselves" she said as if she had memorized the pasage and retold it countless times "Thats what the book says anyway"


    "That...sounds very simple"


    "Of course, I wasn''t about to memorise everything the book said now was I?"


    "I guess not" I said just as we could hear the bus heading in our direction from just up the street. I instinctively reached into my skirt pocket and reached for the bus pass only to realise that it wasn¡¯t there, and even if it was it would not work in this city. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t have a bus pass for this city, how much is it per trip?¡± I asked as I reached for my wallet from the small pocket of my bag.


    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about it¡± she said once again brimming with unnatural confidence. Once more she rummaged inside of her outfit and pulled out a small metal casing that clearly held numerous cards. She popped them out from one side, selected one, and presented it to me in the same way she had her frog friend. ¡°My pass lets me pay for guests as well.¡±


    The pass she was showing me seemed like an aluminum card with a 3d emboss of a symbol that seemed familiar but I just couldn¡¯t pinpoint at the moment. As I pondered on the symbol the bus pulled up to the stop and the doors opened inviting us to board. As the bus lowered itself, Shaina stepped up the stairs and presented her pass to the reader that instead of doing a usual ting or beep it went ¡° Welcome aboard Lady Shaina¡± and as it said so the driver turned slightly to face her and tilted his drivers cap before returning to his original position. While not exactly normal behaviour for just getting on a bus i simply assumed it was due to her special pass.


    As I followed her onto the bus we headed to the middle seats, I placed my wheeled bag in the railings above, and sat next to her. Once we were seated the bus hummed and began its trek into the city. As we did, I could not avoid looking out of the windows and admiring the city as we drove past it as well as at many of the unique citizens that lived in it. Many appeared mostly human but with small details like horns, tails, or different skins, much like Shaina, but others were very different.


    Amongst some of the more unique citizens that we drove past were a lady that instead of legs had a thick and scaly body many meters long trailing behind her, another had skin that was blue in color but also transparent so that you could almost see through her exposed arms, and yet another that had no legs at all and instead was the very image of a ghost floating as she moved. I was so amazed by the immense number of unique appearances of the people living in this town that we quickly arrived at the bus terminal downtown.


    The terminal was at ground level with multiple stairs and platforms that lead to the public plaza above which was filled with many people going about their day. Once again I was amazed at the great amount of variety in people''s appearance but even more than that was seeing many of them take flight and land in what were clearly designated zones to do so. The plaza was easily the size of a large city block with trees and shaded areas providing places to sit and escape the sun.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    At the center of the plaza was the one thing you could never not notice, a giant blue crystal floating at the center of the plaza right above a small monument. The crystal had a very uneven surface with jagged but not sharp edges, almost like it had been chiseled using another one like it. I realised this was the intermittent flash I had seen when I had first arrived back up at the mountain pass. The monument at its base was a 3d collage of innumerable races all facing outward but extending their hands, or extremities, upwards as if to catch the giant crystal.


    I was so lost in my amazement that it wasn¡¯t till we were almost at the bottom of one of the ramps that lead to this plaza that I came back to my senses with Shaina having a smug face that showed that my reaction was exactly what she expected.


    ¡°So what did you think?¡± she asked, still wearing a smug smile.


    ¡°Amazing, just...amazing¡± was all I was able to express my shock and curiosity at this city''s denizens. ¡°It''s like being placed in a world from a fantasy book.¡±


    ¡°Well this is going to be the new normal for you, but come, we need to get you registered.¡±


    Shaina guided me to a nearby building that oversaw the central plaza with a large but not ostentatious symbol on its front and guided me to it¡¯s lobby.


    ¡°Ok so just head to the front desk and tell them you''re here visiting and they''ll guide you through the process, it should only take about 30 minutes.  I¡¯ll be outside on one of the benches.¡±


    I nodded and headed to the front desk which had a clear sign reading Registration. Behind it was a lady who would almost appear normal if not for her shiny grey skin that seemed to reflect its surroundings in a metallic way.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here to register.¡±


    ¡°Welcome esteemed guest to our our humble city¡± she said as she stood up and took a small bow ¡°Will you be registering as a resident or guest?¡±\


    ¡°Um, guest, I''ll only be here for about a month.¡±


    ¡°Understood, would you like a particular style of form or will the standard paper one suffice?¡±


    ¡°Um....normal i guess?¡±


    The lady typed something onto the keyboard that was on the other side of the counter that I could clearly hear but not see before gently signaling with her right hand at the end of the counter to my left.


    ¡°Please use the computer over there to fill out the form at your leisure and come back to me when you''re done.¡±


    I did as I was instructed and walked over to the computer at the end of the counter which was lit up with the message Guest Registration.  I touched the screen as it was presented with a pretty normal form, much like you would find when signing up on a website or forum.


    ¡°Lets see, Name, Age¡­..Race? Human I guess¡­¡±


    I worked my way through the form, filling out everything as properly as I could until I got to Place of Residence During Stay.  I brought out the email I had printed out where Hikari had sent this information along with some other minor details. ¡°Let¡¯s see...Dragon Road...#0000¡­¡±.  After several minutes I finished filling out the digital form and pressed the Submit button at the bottom which then led me back to the front desk.


    ¡°Welcome back, allow me to check the information you submitted.¡± The lady went back to looking at her screen while occasionally typing things herself before turning back to me. ¡°Everything appears to be in order.¡± As she said so she stood up and brought out what looked like an old paper scroll from the feudal era but just as I was expecting her to unroll it and present something written, instead you grabbed what would have been the edge of the paper and drew out a screen that was clearly rolled up inside the scroll like casing.  It was something I was not prepared for, a screen capable of being rolled into a small casing.  I had read articles that it was being developed but did not expect it to be used in such a way.  ¡°Please place your hand on the screen.¡± she said as she presented the scroll-like device to me so i could do so.


    As I placed my hand on it a clear digital imprint of my fingerprints appeared under where my hand lay.  After a few seconds the text Biometric Data Registered appeared and the screen turned off.  ¡°We are almost done.¡± the lady behind the counter said in her calm voice ¡°We just need to take your picture and you¡¯ll be set.¡±  As she said that the sound of a small motor and a small white screen rolled down from the room above me at the same time that the lady brought out a camera and stood to get a good angle of me.


    Just as Shaina had said it had only taken around 30 minutes for the registration process.  I walked out the same doors I had entered and saw Shaina sitting on a nearby bench dabbling on her phone so I headed in her direction.  She turned to my direction as I got close and hopped off the bench.


    ¡°So are you all set?¡± she asked as she hid her phone away within her clothes.


    ¡°Seems so, the lady said that i could get a bus pass at the terminal if i wanted one but that was it.¡±


    ¡°OK, we still have at least an hour before Hikari meets up with us so how about some lunch?¡±


    As she mentioned lunch, my stomach, which seemed to have been asleep since I got here, suddenly awoke, making the indistinguishable sound of hunger loud and clear for both Shaina and me to hear.  ¡°I guess that''s a yes.¡± Shaina said with a small chuckle and her ever present confidence. ¡°So any preference in food?  We can find pretty much anything you want around here.¡±


    ¡°Something light I guess, Hikari said her mom was preparing a welcome home dinner so something like a sandwich or a light soup I guess.¡±


    ¡°Sandwich huh, so more like a cafe than an actual restaurant¡­..¡± Shaina went into thought with her arms crossed and her head tilting from side to side clearly pondering from many options till her eyes opened up as if full of inspiration and got a smile on her face. ¡°I think I have the perfect place,  I just need to make a call first.¡± As she said so she once again drew her phone out from within her clothes and started searching for a particular contact.   Once she found it she quickly tapped on it and put the phone to her ear.  After a couple of seconds someone on the other side answered.


    ¡°Hi Eva it¡¯s me...yea i¡¯ve been busy with boring town stuff...she called you too huh...anyway are you busy?...really? Well actually i have a guest with me and we were looking for a place to eat a light lunch...It¡¯s Hikaris friend from out of town...yea the one she tells us about when she comes back from her summer trips...great, so we¡¯ll go in through the back...excellent, see you in a bit¡­¡±

 Chapter 3 - Lunch and More

    Once more Shaina led our way through the city leading us to the cafe she mentioned her friend managed. She led us once again to the central plaza, across it to the opposite side, and down another ramp to the nearby streets. As we were approaching I could already smell the unmistakable aroma of food nearby. I expected it to look very similar to what you would see in any big city with restaurants competing for your attention with waitresses outside inviting you to go in and big signs bombarding you with light and to an extent it was like that, but also more.


    As I looked into the street I saw the same variety of people as I had in the plaza but also how many of the restaurants on this street had catered to their special needs. The ground floor of some buildings consisted of the first couple floors so that those that were overly large could enter. Others had signs like Raw Options Available or Elemental Food Here. As I looked up I could also see that many buildings had open sides or balconies to allow those that could fly to land directly at them and not have to use the central plaza.


    The food on display was also large in variety ranging from familiar things like yakitori, steamed buns, steak and fish dinners, and other normal things to other more exotic things like meat right on the bone, jelly blobs, raw fish and meat, and dessert with with more flavors than i could identify.


    We kept walking down the busy street until we reached a building that looked like something you would see in a small town in the west rather than a big modern city. The 4 floors above all had balconies where I could see customers eating and drinking. In front there was a long line of people stretched around the corner of the building into its adjacent alley. Shaina led us down this alley where I saw a lady with big cat paws and feet, fuzzy ears on top of her head and wearing a very cliche maid outfit holding a sign that said Line Starts Here. As we walked down towards the end of the line Shaina waved towards the maid who also waved back with an abundance of energy as she waited for us to reach her.


    ¡°Welcome back Shaina-sama, it¡¯s been a while.¡± the maid said with a big smile.


    ¡°Hey Kat, busy as always I see.¡±


    ¡°You bet, someone has to keep the line nice and orderly.¡± She said while pawing at the air like a cat chasing a flying bug. ¡°By the way, who is your friend? She smells new.¡± She got closer to me and smelled me from various angles like a curious dog would.


    ¡°She''s Hikaris friend from out of town. The bus dropped her off super early so I''m showing her around while Hikari finishes her extra curricular activities.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello there, I¡¯m Katherine but everyone calls me Kat, nice ta meetcha.¡± she said as she extended her big fuzzy paw to me. As I extended my hand and shook hers it was quickly enveloped in her large fuzzy paw that was also very soft as I was also drawn into a big and warm hug as she also rubbed my cheek with hers.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yoko Oshita, nice to meet you.¡± I stammered as I was taken by surprise by the sudden hug.


    ¡°So are you gonna join the line?¡± She asked, finally releasing me from the warmth of her hug.


    ¡°Eva is waiting for us so we¡¯re using the side entrance.¡± Shaina said as she walked over to a nearby steel door with no obvious way to open it.


    ¡°Gotcha, lemme tell ¡®em to let ya in.¡± She said as pulled out a simple radio from one of the pockets on her apron. Kat pressed the obvious big red button on the front of it and it beeped to life. ¡°Hey it¡¯s Kat, I got Lady Evas guests here at the side entrance.¡± With that short sentence the side door made a soft clang and opened.


    Once opened another maid stood in the doorway welcoming us inside. The maid wore a more conservative maid outfit with a long skirt and an apron with small frills on the shoulder straps. Her hair was silver and straight and she also had animal earl on her head although smaller than Kats. Her personality was also calmer and more refined with a soft spoken but clear sounding voice. ¡°This way please, lady Eva is waiting.¡± She motioned us to go in through the door and Shaina led the way clearly very familiar with the inside.


    As we walked through the inside of the cafe it was filled with numerous employees in maid and butler garb, each with their own unique look to the cliche clothing, attending customers. The decor was modern while keeping the feel of an old cafe. The bottom floor where we entered was filled with small tables with numerous customers drinking a large variety of hold and cold drinks. At the back was the large drink bar where all the drinks were prepared being staffed by several of the maid and butlers. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    We went up a staircase that was located on the opposite side of the building from where we entered and reached the second floor. There were less tables here but they were also larger and able to accommodate food instead of just drinks. At the back was clearly the entrance to the kitchen where numerous chefs in white garb could be seen preparing food. The next floor was very similar but the kitchen area was replaced with more seating and a smaller ladder where the servers would bring the food from.


    As I looked around the third floor I noticed we were led up a staircase that was roped off with a simple sign that read Staff Only. As we walked up the atmosphere slowly but surely changed. The light jazz music that could be heard on the lower levels was replaced with classical piano, the noise of all the people faded to a gentle silence, all the tables and chairs were replaced with more comfortable furniture like sofas and loungers, and the coolness of the air conditioning was replaced with a gentle breeze that came from the balcony.


    On the balcony, sitting under the shade of a large parasol, sat a young looking girl, younger looking than shaina, sipping tea in a rather dignified manner. Her long golden hair stood out in the shade she sat in drawing your eye to it. Her clothing seemed to be a school uniform but it¡¯s design clearly showed that it was for a more advanced school year than her young appearance would suggest. As we approached she turned her gaze towards us and her red eyes seemed to reflect the sunlight around us making them seem to glow. She gently stood up and made a simple but elegant bow.


    ¡°Shaina, Yoko, welcome to my humble cafe.¡±


    ¡°Hi Eva. Yoko, this is Eva Scarlet, we¡¯ve been friends for a really long time. Eva, this is Yoko, Hikaris friend from out of town.¡±


    ¡°Hello, nice to meet you Eva.¡± This was all I could really say as I was still trying to understand the situation. Not only did she look far younger than Shaina, but she was also the owner of what was clearly a very successful cafe.


    ¡°Please have a seat¡± Eva spoke as she invited us to sit at her table. ¡°Today''s tea is perfect for the season.¡± We sat at the table and she promptly served us the tea she mentioned.


    ¡°Thanks Eva, it¡¯s been a while since we had tea together.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t really be helped since you¡¯re busy with City Council matters and I''m the advisor for multiple clubs. Speaking of which, I''m sure Chie is frustrated running around town looking for you by now.¡±


    ¡°Probably, leme give her a quick call while you get us lunch.¡±


    With that, Shaina took her cell phone out once more and went a few steps away from the table while making the call. I was still trying to piece together information I had just heard about my two hosts. Aside from her horns and tail, which seemed rather common in this city, Shaina was friends with the owner of what is clearly a very successful cafe in the center of the city, something that although not impossible would be very rare for someone who looked 15 or less. Add her special pass that had warranted a courteous bow from the bus driver and a custom welcome message when she used it and she was clearly no ordinary girl


    Then there was Eva. Her manner of speaking, calm and composed persona, and the fact that she owned the cafe we were in were already special enough. Add to that that she appeared even younger than Shaina and the only thing I could conclude was that both of them were far from ordinary, even in this city. I don¡¯t know how long I had been lost in my thoughts while holding the cup of tea before I was awakened by my guide''s return to the table.


    ¡°All set, seemes the rest of the council was looking for me for some approvals and all four were ready to join in searching.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, you really don¡¯t make poor Chies life easy do you?¡± Eva said in what was clearly a playful voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not THAT bad, besides the paperwork gets done in the end so there is no reason to worry anyway.¡±


    ¡°I must agree that paperwork IS rather dull but we should probably change the subject as we seem to have left your guest out of the conversation with such a boring topic.¡± She turned to me clearly expecting some type of remark. In the past being put in the spotlight so suddenly would have made me feel embarrassed but with them that didn¡¯t seem to happen.


    ¡°Um, well..¡±I muttered. ¡°How is it that both of you seem to have such important things to do even though you are so young?¡±


    My question seemed to have been rather unexpected since both of them froze as they sipped their tea. What followed was what could only be described as giggling fit as both proceeded to giggle amongst themselves for almost a minute. As I sat there thinking back on what I had just asked and trying to understand what part of my question would have prompted such a giggling fit.


    Eva drew a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and cleaned up her tears while Shaina used the abundant sleeves of her top to do the same. ¡°Oh, sorry my dear, it¡¯s just been so long since we¡¯ve been called young that it caught us by surprise.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hehe, normally people who know us are overly reverent and cordial and that gets boring after a while.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, so let''s get that question that is now at the tip of your tongue out of the way shall we?¡±


    I sat there with a blank expression on my face that matched what was going on in my mind. There were so many questions that were trying to formulate at the same time that none were able to reach my voice in a coherent manner. My two hosts were clearly enjoying my confused expression as they went on to answer the most obvious question that I should have been able to ask but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°You see my dear both Shaina and I are well over 3,000 years old and we have known each other for the great majority of that time.¡± Both Eva and Shaina seemed to have a confident expression on them as Eva said these words while all I could do was sit there and just let that bombshell of information slowly land into my mind. My first reaction was to assume that it was a simple prank but seeing their calm expression slowly but surely led to me to accept what I was told as the truth.