First Light 'Tears of the Ocean' Drabble

So this is what happens when Amber is a butt and makes me write too many trials. I get bored and drabble. And this time, Tears was my victim. XD
This little piece is set about five years before the beginning of Stolen Tears.
Oh Romsca. My adorable, oblivious child... I love you.
Also writing about Sampetra is so fun <3
== First Light ==
(Romsca's pov)
Romsca snuck behind a table filled with food, snagging a bun. She bit into it, grinning when she found it to be filled with custard. Her favorite.
She munched on it while peering over the table, just able to do so while on her tippaws. Where was dad? He must be somewhere around here, probably with Uncle. And they were probably talking with stuffy great, great aunt Meili. Then again, Romsca wasn’t sure the empress was even her aunt. And she was old enough to be her Ama. 
Well, maybe not quite.
Romsca grabbed several more custard buns, stuffing them in her satchel. That wasn’t lady-like, or proper, and so there. She looked one way, than the other, and snuck out onto one of the palace’s garden terraces. 
Out here, she could see the gleam of lanterns all over the city, answered by the gleam of Astraria’s stars above. It was Astraria’s feast after all, so Romsca imagined she’d want to watch it. 
If she was a goddess, Romsca knew she’d want to be part of her own festival. 
Dad wouldn’t be done talking forever. He liked to talk about boring things like philosophies when he was ashore. And after all the raids he’d been on too! Romsca knew he was holding out on all the actually fun stories. Well. One day she’d make him let her come for the adventures too.
She pulled a slightly squashed custard bun from her fancy satchel and opened her mouth to shove the whole thing in.
“Oh look, it’s the Houseless!”
Romsca froze at the snotty voice from behind her, and she rolled her eyes. 
“Face me, Houseless. You have to.”
Another girlish voice broke in. “We should make her bow.”
Tittering rang out, and Romsca sighed, and turned around. These two. She’d been trying to escape their alleged company. They were sister’s from a prominent strain of the House. And two completely useless snot-faces.
The older one stepped imperiously forward, saying, “Good idea. Well, bow, Houseless.”
Romsca sighed with longsuffering. “I’m a Dragon as much as the two of you. Idiots.”
Pain shot through her leg, and she yelped, staring with actual shock. Had the younger one really kicked her? Her claws clenched around her custard bun from the sudden pain. The imperious snot had sharp shoes too!
The older sister sneered. “You’re as much a Dragon as slime from the brothels. Cause that’s where you were made, weren’t you?”
Both weasels laughed their grindingly tinkling laughs. Romsca clenched her teeth. Now that was a low blow, and they knew it. She thought about punching the older one in the face for her words, and then remembered the squashed custard bun in her paw. And she grinned. 
The two paused their laughing as Romsca sauntered up, stopping before the older sister. “So you want me to bow, then?”
They looked nervous now.
Romsca smacked her squished bun into the older maid’s face, smearing it down her chin and onto her dress. Before either could even squeak from shock, she bolted, yelling, “Nope!”
She laughed as they screamed after her, the one wailing about her party dress. Served her right. Shame about the custard bun, though. Romsca licked the remnants of it from her paw, snickering to herself as she held her skirt off the ground and dashed down the steps to a lower terrace. 
Now that had been funny.
But Romsca supposed it meant she couldn’t go back to the feast in the palace without a serious talking-to.
Well, whatever. Dragons could be so stuffy at times. 
Eat this, don’t eat that, use your chopsticks properly instead of pretending they were darts and using the fine porcelain as targets. What a bore! And to top it off, they didn’t even have good sushi. 
Romsca paused her descent through the garden terraces. 
Sushi.
Lovely, tangy, and wrapped in delicious seaweed. Her favorite, even more than custard buns were her favorite. She needed some, the good kind that the street venders sold, a whole roll of it.
Romsca wiped the last of the custard stuck between her claws on her pale blue skirt and skipped down the final few terraces on the back of the palace to the empty street below. Rich creature’s streets were boring, they were quiet and dull. And they didn’t have sushi venders.
She ran down the empty streets, past the warmly lit houses, laughter and joy just beyond their paper windows. All of Sampetra feasted tonight. It didn’t take long to leave the boring part of the city and reach the fun part. It was all downhill anyway, and that made running faster. Romsca slowed to a trot in a jewel-toned marketplace, grinning as she saw creatures dancing in the square. She should join a round or two… but sushi first. She sniffed at the air, trying to decide which way to turn. Uncle joked that no one could ever hide food from her, which was very astute of him, because it was a fact well known to all the servants. 
Romsca bolted down several streets and through several markets, but she knew where she was headed. The vendor several blocks from her manor had the best sushi, and she was getting some.
It took some time, squeezing through crowds and getting distracted by street performers… one could breathe real fire… but at last she reached the street and the stand she was looking for. Romsca scrambled onto one of the well-worn stools below the counter of the stall, bouncing excitedly. “Hey!”
The ratwife who ran this place jumped, turning around and blinking at Romsca. “Wait… is that ya, lady Romsca?”
“Yep! I want my usual.”
She always felt so grown up when she ordered her own food. And ‘I want my usual’ was what Uncle said when he went to the neighborhood tavern, so it was undoubtedly a very old creature thing to say.
The ratwife stared at her bemusedly, then nodded. “Alright my dear. Alright. But tell me, weren’t ya goin’ to the fancy party at the palace? All the Dragons attend it… right?”
“Yeah.” Romsca pulled out one of her malformed buns and munched on it while waiting for her sushi. “But it’s boring and the old creatures are stiff and dad started talking scholar things, and then I smeared one of my custard buns on someone’s face cause she said I was a Houseless. And I’m not.”
The vender diced a seaweed wrapped roll into coins, but she blinked at Romsca all the same. “I… see.”
Romsca stuffed some of the wonderful sushi coins into her mouth. “Yep, it would have been more fun if Conza was there. But he’s sick.”
“So ya didn’t find friends there, sweet lady?” The vender rat gave her a pair of sticks.
“Nah.” Romsca made herself chew slowly, so she could really taste all the flavors. “But I have Conza. I don’t need more friends.”
Dad had said something about her making a friendship with some maids her age, but maids were annoying anyway. Dad wouldn’t know anything about how weird they were. Not just because they liked dresses and braiding up their hair like grownup ladies. But cause they thought weird. 
The vendor smiled fondly at her. “Perhaps more than one freind wouldn’t hurt, milady. That way when the young fox is sick, ya would still have someone to play with.”
Romsca paused, sushi coin inches from her mouth, in her sticks. Then she chomped on it, and chewed thoughtfully. She’d never thought of that. She grinned, speaking around her food. “That’s genius! Like… a backup friend!”
Why had she never thought of that? That was a marvelous idea, and tonight was the perfect time to find one, when all of Sampetra praised Astraria’s guidance by dancing in the streets. Or at least, the interesting creatures did. The boring ones stuffed their faces at home.
“Um… well, another one at least, milady.” Said the vendor rat.
Romsca nodded, digging around the sticky buns in her satchel and pulling some sticky coins out. “Here you go!”
She ate her last sushi as the ratwife gave her more coins back with a smirk. Romsca stuffed them in her satchel. She’d never quite understood the idea of giving coins and getting more of them back, but it was fun to do. She grinned at the vendor. “Thanks! I’m off to find my new friend.”
She hopped off the stool, gazing around the street. There must be a new friend here somewhere.
Romsca skipped along to the nearest market, looking at the creatures she passed for potential recruits. An elderly stoat holding her tiny grandkit’s paw… too old and too little. Vendors selling lanterns, or soup… too employed. A couple kissing in the shadow of a house… too gross. Still, she wasn’t about to go home without her new friend. They had to be out here somewhere. 
The nearby market yielded no better results. All the kits her age already seemed to be in friendships. She knew about friendships, and they were good for two, but not three. Not usually, anyway. Conza and her were like that.
Some kits played in groups, but those were even harder to infiltrate. Those were probably neighbors or siblings. She continued from the market, down a less lit road. It must be nice to have siblings, because then they had to be your friends. 
She paused in one of the city gardens, empty in the moonlight. And Romsca sat on a stone bench, near some ornamental bamboo.
Conza had said something, the other day. That his dad might take him on raids soon. If that happened, he’d be gone all summer, and she’d be all alone. And Romsca’s residual smile began to droop. She didn’t want to be all alone. Dad and Uncle would leave too, and all she’d have would be dad’s servants. 
And mean comments were so much harder to take when she was alone.
Romsca gazed up at the stars, considering eating her final custard bun, but deciding that for once, she wasn’t so hungry.
Maybe she should go up to the temple and ask Astraria for a friend.
It was her festival, right? Surely she’d be watching. 
Romsca leapt up. That was right. That was the answer! Dad said Astraria was the nicest goddess. Nicer than Atlas anyway. And everyone was nicer than Fora, even if he wasn’t a goddess, since he wasn’t a maid.
Romsca ran through the streets, weaving in and out of festival happenings. Thankfully, there were more temples than the great one, the one that housed the fabled violet pearl. Or it was claimed to, though the high priest only showed it once a year at Rayith’s festival of the sun, and then only for mere seconds. Which was quite unfair, in Romsca’s opinion. How could anyone see anything in the time it took to draw a single breath?
Conza said it was because the pearl wasn’t real and it was all made up, but he was boring about magic stuff. He was fun in other aspects, just boring in that regard. Because Romsca knew that magic was so cool it had to be real. 
She turned a corner, and saw the small temple for the lower citydwellers. It’s paper windows glowed invitingly, and Romsca took a deep breath. Astraria like the earnest at heart.
I really, really want a friend for when Conza’s gone. More than sushi, even.
Yes. She was earnest, then. Romsca walked up to the shrine, feeling fairly confident. She stepped onto the porch, taking a moment to gaze down the long drop into the slums. The temple sat on a really steep cliff, which gave a great view of the bay, and the imperial fleet. 
Or it should, if it wasn’t so foggy on the water tonight. That was a disappointment. No… she couldn’t care about that. She needed to find her friend. 
She trotted to the door of the temple, remembering to bow and remove her shoes before sliding it open. Then she stepped inside, pawsteps soft on the rich red flooring. She didn’t see the priests anywhere. They should be here, but maybe they were out enjoying Astraria’s light like everyone else. That was fair.
The statues here weren’t as big or cool as the ones in the great temple, but she couldn’t walk all the way up there tonight. Well. Not without scaring dad a lot. She’d have to go home after this.
Astraria’s statue was the tallest, aside from Rayith’s Romsca knelt before the statue of the black-winged cat with her dangling star lantern, and tried to remember what words to pray and in what order. 
“Oh Astraria, lady of night.” Romsca breathed the words out, and gazed up at the statue, carved with demurely closed eyes and hair so long it coiled about Astraria’s paws. “I come to beg your mercy, that you may grant my prayer.”
There. The fancy part had been said. So she clasped her paws together and said, “Please give me a friend! If Conza leaves I’ll be all alone. And they make fun of me so, it’d be hard ta smile without anyone. I know you are here tonight, so please, grant me this one thing.”
The temple smelled of spices and cedar, as always. Romsca breathed it in, then said, “Thank you, great spirit of the stars.”
It was done. Maybe she should leave on offering? But somehow, Romsca felt Astraria was the sort of fancy creature who’d be above eating a partly flattened custard bun. 
She stood, bowed, and made her way for the door. She stepped out into a night growing ever more misty, fog rolling into the slums far below the temple off the bay. Odd, she hadn’t seen a priest yet. Maybe they’d gone off for the night to have a good time at the festival, but if so, they hadn’t locked up. 
Romsca pulled on her slippers, yawning. She hoped dad wasn’t too worried.
She paused as she heard a scuffling, from just around the corner of the temple porch, on the side that faced the cliff.
One of the priests, maybe?
She walked to the corner and looked around it. There, in the moonlight, was a ragged kit, paws on the railing. His clothing was in tatters, what looked like bloodstained pieces of his shirt were wrapped around his thin arms and legs. But his hair was black as the night sky, and his eyes were the purest crystal blue Romsca had ever seen. Weren’t pale eyes what everyone fawned over?
As she watched, he tried to scramble onto the rail, something that really seemed inadvisable. But his arms were too weak, and the railing of the porch too high. Eventually, he just slumped down beside it, wrapping his paws around himself as he began to cry.
“Hey.” Romsca asked. “Do you need help?”
He started horribly, scrambling back and gazing up at her in terror. Romsca pointed at the railing. “You know, with that. I like looking at the sea mist too.”
Though if he was smart, he could just stand against the temple wall to do that. But to each their own.
“Wha… What?” He asked, voice very soft, almost a whisper. 
Romsca paused, then plopped down beside him, frowning as he scooted back. He was so horribly thin, up close. Far thinner than the slaves the empress owned, or even the ones that rowed Conza’s dad’s ship. His arms looked like twigs, ready to snap.
“Are you…” Romsca paused. “Hungry?”
He certainly looked hungry.
He paused, then whispered, “Yes.”
Romsca dug a flattened custard bun from her silken satchel, offering it. After a moment, he took it, and licked it.
“Yeah.” Romsca said. “Sorry it’s a mess, but I think they’re good anyway.”
The ragged ferret wolfed it down in a few bites. He licked every crumb from his paws. Romsca took her last… and most squashed… bun out and gave it to him. He ate that one just as quickly.
“Thank ya.” He whispered, once it was gone.
Astraria’s light, but… was he crying? He looked so alone too.
And then Romsca gasped. Of course! He was alone, unlike what seemed every other kit on Sampetra… and outside a temple no less. This was her friend she’d asked for, sent straight from Astraria!
He looked fearfully at her, and even more so as she jumped up. “You’re my new friend! I asked Astraria for one, and here you are!”
She grabbed his boney paw, pulling him upright with little difficulty. “And you look like you need my help. Do you like sushi?”
He was shaking, and staring at her, but he just whispered confusedly. “What… is that?”
“You’ve never had sushi?” 
That was horrible. Terrible. Truly a disaster. She tightened her grip on his paw and dragged him along the porch. “Well, we’re going to fix that right away.”
He didn’t say a word as she pulled him along, in fact it seemed he didn’t say much. Or at the least, he didn’t say it loudly. Romsca led him back around the temple and out onto the street, back toward her favorite sushi stall. It should still be open, on the festival of Stars.
She glanced at her new friend, noting he was shorter than her. Was he younger, perhaps? 
“What’s your name?” She asked.
He didn’t give a real reply. Maybe he was shy. Romsca had heard about being shy but never understood it. Or maybe he was just disoriented after Astraria sent him from the heavens to be her friend.
“Is it bright, up in the stars?” Romsca asked as she led him along streets, keeping a tight grip on his clammy paw. “Are they really the spirits of Rayith’s court that dance all night?”
“I…” He stammered. “I dunno.”
Romsca nodded. The fall from heaven probably made him forget lots of stuff. Sushi should help with that.
The front of the sushi stall was empty when she got there, but Romsca didn’t let that stop her. She scrambled onto a stool, and indicated her new friend should do the same when he hesitated. “You too, silly.”
Slowly, he climbed onto the stool beside. Here in the lantern light, he looked even thinner and more ragged than he had in the mere starlight. 
“It must take lots of energy to fall from the stars.” Romsca said matter-of-factly. “How much would you like to eat?”
“How… much?” He whispered, like that was a completely forigen concept. “How… ever much ya’d give me.”
“Ok.” Romsca grinned. That wasn’t a problem. She leaned forward on the counter, calling, “Mrs. vendor lady!”
There was a clang from inside the stall, then a scuffle and the rat appeared, looking confused. “Lady… Romsca? Yer back?”
“I found my friend!” Romsca pointed to the ragged kit beside her. He’d shrunk down. Romsca grinned. “I thought about what you said and I prayed to Astraria and she sent him straight down from heaven just for me. But he’s hungry now, so we’d like all the sushi.”
The vendor just gaped at the kit for a moment, probably awed by seeing one from the stars themselves.
After a bit of sputtering, she said, “I was jist closin’ up… but fer me best customer, alright. Does your dad know where ya are?”
“No, but he’ll understand.” Romsca promised. “You can have the rest of my coins, we just need lots and lots of food.”
She dumped her satchel out on the counter with a tinkle of coins, and a few pencils too. She picked those up, and as she did, she noticed the wonder-filled gaze of the kit from the stars. He gaped at those coins like he’d never even imagined so many. Maybe they didn’t have money in heaven?
The vendor brought some rolls, and began dicing them up. The ragged kit hesitated. Romsca had to hold herself back from stuffing the sushi into her own mouth. “Well, hurry up and eat it!”
He paused a moment longer, and then began scarfing. 
And stars, could he eat. He ate three whole logs of sushi before even slowing down. The ratwife vendor was nice enough to give them both cups of water, and the kit slurped that up too. 
It really must take a lot to come down from the sky. That was probably why he was so dirty.
“Young master.” The vendor said gravely. “When did ya last eat?”
He just shook his head and kept munching like he’d not eaten in weeks. The ratwife sighed, and looked to Romsca. “I think ya should take yer new friend to see your dad, sweet lady.”
The kit from the stars paused, mouth full. His crystal eyes widened. 
Those eyes were even more proof he was from heaven, they were like bits of the summer sky, but even paler. Like sparkly gems. Those just had to be the eyes of a star creature.
Romsca grinned. “That’s a great idea! Dad’s going to love him!”
Dad was always philosophizing about lost magic and technical stuff like that. He would love to meet a real creature from heaven. 
The kit seemed unsure. He swallowed the last food in his mouth, murmuring. “I… did have… somethin’ ta do…”
“I know.” Said Romsca. “Being my friend, that’s your job. Wait til Conza meets you!”
She jumped up. “Hah! And Conza says magic isn’t real. He’s a slow-brain sometimes.” 
The vendor rat, leaned forward, gentleness in her tone. “Little kit, do ya have a home?”
The kit from the stars stared at her, then swallowed, even if Romsca was sure there wasn’t any food in his mouth. Tears filled his eyes, and then he whispered, “No.”
The ratwife nodded. “Lady Romsca, I think ya should take him home.”
She smiled at the kit from the stars, and then slipped a starched cookie into his thin paw. “For luck, young master. An’ do not fear so much. The lady’s father has always been fair an’ kind in the dealin’s I’ve had with him.”
Romsca gripped the counter, focused on the cookie. “Heeeeey I want one too!”
The ratwife chuckled, then gave her the crisp, folded wafer. “Run on home, Lady Romsca.”
Romsca grinned, and grabbed her new freind’s paw. “Come on!”
He slid from his stool, and she waved to the vendor lady. “I’ll see you soon. For my usual!”
It was very grown up to have a usual food like that. The rat laughed softly, and she waved. Romsca skipped along, holding tight to the paw of the kit from the stars. He was a lot slower than her. Well, he must still be weak from his journey. He also smelled kind of bad, come to think of it.
“You need a bath.” Romsca said, munching on her cookie. “And some fancy new clothes, to show everyone how special you are. I guess your regalia got all burnt up when you came to earth, huh?”
“I…” He stammered. “I…”
“You haven’t told me your name.” Romsca pointed out. “I’m Romsca. But you can call me Rom if you want, since you’re my friend. Conza does, and his name isn’t Conza really, that’s a friend name.”
“Xzaris.” He said, in his soft voice.
Romsca glanced at him as she skipped. “Huh?”
“That’s… me name.” He murmured. “Xzaris.”
“Oh!” Romsca grinned. “Cool! What’s your favorite game? Do they have games in heaven? What’s your favorite snack? Snacks are important and sushi is mine. Do you like boats, I like boats. There are one hundred and fifty ships in the imperial fleet right now but empress Meilli is all stuffy and so I can’t go on one.” 
She leaned toward him conspiratorially, whispering, “Don’t tell her I said that.”
“I…” Xzaris stammered.
He was good at stammering, and not very good at talking. But that was fine because Romsca was great at talking and creatures who talked too much weren’t always great at listening. Xzaris was really good at listening.
In fact he didn’t say anything more, until they reached Romsca’s manor. The gates in the white-washed walls were cracked open, one of dad’s hired guards sitting on a stool outside them. 
He leapt up the moment he saw Romsca. “Lady! Where have you been, your father is worried.”
Romsca rolled her eyes. Dad did that, sometimes. 
The guard looked at Xzaris, and tensed. “What in all the sun lands is that?”
“He’s my friend.” Romsca said, defensively.
“Did you go to the slums, milady?” The guard sounded horrified. 
Romsca sighed. “He’s not from the slums, he’s Astraria’s gift to me. He comes from the stars themselves, you should apologize.”
“It’s… fine.” Xzaris kept his head ducked, hiding mostly behind her. 
Romsca pulled him past the doors, into the manor courtyard, asking the guard, “Where’s dad?”
“The sitting room, milady.”
Romsca nodded, skipping toward the front porch. Xzaris’s paws dragged, making her glance back at him. His eyes were wide, and he gaped around at everything. Like the stable with the horses and the servant’s house. And the main house of course, but Romsca was confused. None of this was the least bit cool.
“Are you ok?”
He shook his head. At last he whispered, “No.”
Romsca frowned, then pulled him toward the house. “You just need a bath, then you will be.”
“Bath?” He sounded baffled. 
Romsca shoved the door open, kicking her slippers off at the door, into her pile of other paw-wear. “Yeah, I hate them too, but dad says they’re important. Leave your shoes here…”
She paused as she glanced at his paws, noting that he didn’t have shoes. “Oh, well that’s easy. Come on!”
Xzaris stumbled after her, and she pulled him down the mahogany hallway, their paws skittering along the thick, cushy rug. Romsca liked that rug, her bare paws sank in it a bit. 
She pulled Xzaris into the sitting room, grinning when she saw her dad. “Dad! I met a new friend!”
Dad started up, dropped his tea, and barely looked at Xzaris as he lunged for her, tackling her in one of his massive, tight hugs. Romsca let that continue for a moment, before poking him in the shoulder. “Daaad.”
“Romsca! Where did you go, why did you leave the palace like that?”
“Aimi said I had to bow to her because I was Houseless and I smeared a custard bun in her face.” Romsca said, informatively.
Her father groaned, setting her down as he did so. “Love, what did I say about making friends?”
“I did make a friend!” Romsca turned around to show her dad Xzaris, the kit from the stars. 
He wasn’t there. She found him a moment later, trembling behind door between hallway and sitting room. He flinched when she grabbed his paw, pulling him out. “Come on, you have to say hi! Dad, this is Xzaris. Astraria sent him to me!”
Dad just stared. He must have been very impressed with Astraria’s gift, because he stared for a long time.
“Where… did you go, Romsca?” He at last asked.
“The sushi stand, my favorite one. And then the nearest temple to ask for a friend.” She grinned at Xzaris, who was actually holding her paw back now, like he wanted something to hang onto. “And that’s where I met Xzaris, he came down from the stars.”
Dad raised an eyebrow. “Oh, did he tell you that?”
Xzaris shook his head almost frantically. “I… I didn’t…”
“Nah, but he didn’t have to.” Romsca said, dismissively. “It was real obvious. Anyway, he needs a bath, and he’ll have to stay with us now.”
“Really?” Dad ran a paw down his face. He must be tired from all that boring talking. “Well, I would very much like to hear his side of the story. Where is your home, kit?”
Xzaris pulled his paw from Romsca’s as he wrapped his arms around himself, and then shook his head.
Dad sighed. “I see. Well, I suppose he is free to have a bath, and stay tonight, though tomorrow I plan to find his parents. Do you have parents, kit?”
Xzaris gnawed at his lip, at last muttering. “A mom. I guess.”
Romsca rolled her eyes. Dad was so skeptical at times, for all his talk of the gods. After a long pause, dad nodded. “Well. I won’t turn you out onto the street. You seem tired, I think you should probably go to bed… you too Romsca, it’s far past your bedtime.”
“It’s the festival of Stars!” Romsca whined. 
“It was the festival of Stars.” Dad corrected. “But I think you’ll find most respectable creatures abed.”
There was a soft thud, and Romsca turned to see Xzaris had knelt before her father, shaking. “Th… thank ya, sire.”
Dad smiled faintly, rather sadly, though Romsca wasn’t sure what that was all about. He leaned down a bit, holding out his paw. “Come, young one. No need for that. My daughter clearly has taken a shine to you…”
Xzaris had frozen still, gaping at dad’s right paw, at the golden rings adorning it. Dad used those to seal letters… Romsca wanted one. 
Xzaris’s voice wavered more than ever before. “Ya… ya…”
He looked at Romsca, total awe in his eyes. “Yer a Dragon.”
Then he collapsed.
Romsca stared a moment, then scrambled to his side, poking him a bit. “Are you ok? Xzaris?”
Dad gently pulled her away, before leaning down and after a moment, picking Xzaris up without the slightest effort. “Romsca, I think your friend is tired.”
Romsca cocked her head. Coming from the stars must be totally exhausting if it made you fall asleep on the spot. “Is he ok?”
“He will be, if we let him rest.” Dad promised. “Come now.”
Romsca followed, feeling a little more subdued. Maybe she was a bit sleepy after all. She held onto dad’s red silken sleeve and they walked past the kitchen, up the stairs. 
“Ena!” He called as they started up the stairs, and the stoat housekeeper appeared in the kitchen doorway moments later. “Please take this kit to the guest quarters. And dress his wounds. He’s to have a thorough bath and a good meal when he wakes, understand?”
Ena just blankly nodded as dad placed the sleeping Xzaris in her arms. She carried him down the hallway beside the staircase, and Romsca decided she’d need to wake up early so they could play games.
Dad picked her up, despite the fact she was perfectly capable of walking herself. He carried her up the stairs, saying, “I think you should let your new friend rest tomorrow. He seems quite… tired.”
“But can we keep him?” 
Dad smiled tiredly. “We’ll see.”
Romsca nodded, because ‘we’ll see’ almost certainly meant yes. “Where’s Uncle?”
“Looking for you.” Dad said as he set her outside her room. “Get ready for bed, I’ll see if he’s returned.”
Romsca went through her door as Dad walked away down the hall. She pulled her dress off, leaving it on the floor, and slid into her nightgown, before pouncing into her bed. She snuggled down in her sheets, staring up at the stars of Astraria sparkling through her open window.
And she grinned, because all was right in the world.
(Conva's pov)
Disclaimer: I wasn't actually going to post this, because it goes more in depth into dark matters and themes of abuse and suicide. You see, Romsca is the perfect pov for this drabble, since she is very innocent and doesn't take us into the deeper story here. You get small clues, but nothing is defined. Unfortunately Conva.... isn't so oblivious and takes us on a behind the scenes journey of /exactly/ what was going on here and it's.... mmm. Sometimes I just want to give my poor baby Xzaris all the happy things in the world... but I can't. So. That being said. While Romsca's pov is fairly sweet and funny, this one is less so. If you do not want to read the darker side of things, I would recommend skipping this second part and sticking with our heartwarming tale of a silly little girl who makes a peasant boy her friend. Because in this one, we learn why that little boy was at the temple in the first place. And all is not so simple as you might have thought.
 
Romsca’s urchin of the streets slept for two full days, and Conva had all he could do to keep her away from him. She was still somehow under the impression he’d come down from the stars. Conva smiled to himself, despite everything. What a pure soul she was.
Unbeknownst to her, he’d called a healer to look at the boy in the time she’d gone to visit Rasconza. 
Acute malnutrition was most of it, though the healer raised concerns of abuse with the amount of bruises and lacerations coating him from head to toe. Conva had initially assumed he was a street orphan who’d fallen on hard times, but then, he’d said he had a mother. And with the healer’s words, a rather different picture began to form in Conva’s mind.
He wasn’t sure what to feel about Romsca keeping a creature like she might a gecko she found in the garden, but then, her kindness had likely saved the kit’s life.
And she did need more friends. Rasconza was likely to leave on raids with his father in the next two years. Of course, he’d been trying to convince her to make friends among the imperial house, but they treated her like scum, just as he had been treated.
Conva tightened his grip on his teacup, and bared his teeth.
Romsca was the sweetest kit to live on this island, and they couldn’t overcome even a scrap of their hideous prejudice.
He sat on the swing of the porch, looking out into the misty pre-dawn. The stars of Astraria still shone faintly in the sky, and Conva whispered a prayer to the goddess. “Please, queen of the night. Do not take the boy from us.”
How would he explain that to Romsca? She’d cried for days when her pet lizard had died. And that was a lizard.
At that moment, the door slid open, and Ena stepped out. “Sir?”
Conva looked up, a dread settling in his gut. “What is it, Ena?”
“The kit has awoken.”
Conva breathed out pure relief, and stood. “Is my daughter awake?”
Ena shook her head. “No sir.”
Well, he would have been surprised if she was. But still, it was best to check. “Thank you, Ena.”
He stood and walked past her into the house, toward the guest rooms. When he reached them, Conva set his half-empty teacup on a chest in the hallway, and slid the kit’s door open. 
He was sitting up in bed and drinking a bowl of soup. 
Bless Romsca’s angelic soul, but sushi was not the best food for a severely malnourished creature.
The kit stared at him with worry, and Conva pulled up a chair. 
“It’s good to see you awake, young one.”
“I…” The kit’s voice was so soft, like he feared repercussions for speaking any louder. “I kin leave sire.”
“No, I don’t think you’ll need to do that right now. I would be surprised if you could even stand up.” Conva said it as soothingly as possible, like he did to Romsca when she was sick and unable to sleep.
The kit relaxed a tiny bit. And he took another drink of his soup.
Conva folded his paws. “However, little kit, you need to tell me your story. If I’m to trust you around my daughter.”
The kit nodded, finishing his soup. “What… do ya wanna know?”
“Well, I think you could first tell me your name… Xzaris, wasn’t it? And how old are you?” 
The kit frowned, looking confused. “How… old? I donno… really.”
Conva just nodded. “Alright. And I believe you said you have a mother?”
The kit’s timid expression twisted to somewhere between terror and loathing. Then he ducked his head. “Sir, don’t send me ta her. Jist kill me rather’n that.”
His eyes filled with tears, and when Conva reached a paw out to calm him, he flinched away. Conva shook his head. “She has harmed you, I see.”
The kit just nodded, light eyes watery. 
Stars. His dark hair and pale eyes would have been the envy of all the court had he been born to a high or noble house. But again, Conva felt the prejudice of the Dragons nip at another aspect of his existence, and he sighed.
“Alright. Why don’t you tell me why you were at the temple last night?”
The kit said nothing.
Conva let him sit in silence for a few minutes, and then gently asked, “Xzaris?”
He started, like he’d been lost in his own mind. Then he shook his head, and he tried to speak, but instead he began to weep even more. Several times, he attempted to answer, but he only sobbed harder. At last he collapsed, curling into himself as quiet sobs wracked his skeletal frame.
Conva sighed, and slowly laid a paw on the kit’s forhead, wanting to see if he had a fever. And from the warmth he felt, Conva would not be at all surprised.
“Why?” The kit whispered at last. 
Conva drew his paw back, careful of sudden movements. “Why what, young one?”
The kit stared blankly past him, at the wall. “Why didn’t they let me?”
Xzaris clenched his eyes shut, whimpering, “I thought they hated me. Nobodied ever been kind ta me. So why’d they stop me?”
Conva brushed the kit’s messy black hair away from his face, feeling a sickness settle in his stomach. “What did they stop you from doing?”
They kit said nothing more, and Conva didn’t really need him to. After a long moment of silence, he said, “Once, years ago, the gods stopped me too.”
The kit’s eyes snapped open, and he stared up at Conva. “But… yer… a dragon.”
“I lost my wife.” Conva said, softly, honestly. “I wanted to join her. But they did not let me, not then. I have a daughter to protect.”
“Mom was gonna… let…” The kit’s words caught in his throat. “She was gonna…”
He started crying again, his little sobs painful to watch. 
“It’s alright. It’s alright.” Conva carefully stroked his shoulder, a reflex from caring for Romsca. It was honestly hard not to hug this poor, broken kit, a kit who had no one. “Who is your mother?”
“‘Er names Kia.” The kit sniffed. “Runs a tavern on the docks.”
“I’m going to speak with her, Xzaris.” Conva said, and the kit’s eyes widened. Conva shook his head. “And not to make you go back. I need to understand this story, and you are not in any condition to tell me. It’s painful, and some things are like that.”
“She lies.” Xzaris whispered. “Always.”
Conva sighed. “I’m sure. And your state is hard to deny. For now, rest here. I’ll have Ena bring you some medicine for your fever… are you still hungry?”
The kit nodded, then murmured, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Conva said. “Try and relax for awhile.”
He slipped from the room, sliding the door half closed. As he walked down the hall, he clenched his paw until his claws bit into his skin. He found Ena and gave her instructions about what to do for the kit, before walking into the courtyard. He found his head guard at his post by the gates. “Kawn!”
The weasel saluted. “Yes sir?”
“Have a horse saddled for each of us.” Conva glared at the gates of his manor in the lightening morning. “We’re going to confront a rat.”
Kawn didn’t question him, and soon, Conva rode his palomino along the streets toward the slums. His guard rode a dapple just slightly behind him. Conva glanced over his shoulder, asking, “Tell me, do you know the taverns on the docks?”
“I wouldn’t go to ‘em, sir.” Kawn shook his head. “I’m not Crab or Houseless rif-raff.”
“But do you know of one run by a matron named Kia?” Conva asked. 
There was silence for a moment, then Kawn asked, “That old wench is still kickin’?”
“So you do.”
Kawn sighed. “Listen sir, it’s not cause I go ta her fer me relaxation. She’s just infamous in the lower class. ‘Cure yer ills an’ take yer soul’ type, see?”
Wonderful. 
Conva could see his morning was going to be a complete delight.
Arashi had always said he was potent in sarcasm.
“Well, take me there.” He told Kawn. 
Kawn stared at him, saying, “Sir… if yer in need of company, there are plenty better places. Fer instance, there’s Ashi up at…”
“Kawn. I’m not interested in relations with the… lady. Or any lady. I simply have completely unrelated business with her.” Conva ran a paw down his face. 
Kawn just nodded, before saying, “This has somethin’ ta do with that street kit, don’t it?”
“Ever the genius, Kawn.” Conva said.
The guard sighed, and motioned down a dingy street. “This way, sir.”
As the horses plodded along, Conva felt his senses attuned to his surroundings acutely. Fog from the bay was thick here, and the bay so close Conva could hear it. This kind of place was no place for a noble, let alone an imperial. And especially so early. But it was best Romsca was part of none of this, and if routine was any indication, she wouldn’t wake for another two or three hours.
“Here ya are sir.” Kawn said, voice tense. 
Conva dismounted before the door of a ramshackle building. How it even stood so near the water’s edge… on it in fact… was a mystery to him. A stiff sea breeze should bring this faded, eroded mess crashing down.
“Stay with the horses, Kawn.”
Atlas knew he didn’t need those being stolen, what with the finances and Meili… he shook his head. Now wasn’t the time. 
Conva walked up the steps to the porch,then tried the ramshackle door. It was locked, so he pounded his fist on it, loath to stand here longer than he must. After a minute or two, the bolt was drawn, and the door cracked open, along with a sour voice. “Ain’t open yet, scram!”
“Is that how you speak to a Dragon?” Conva snarled, sticking his boot in the crack of the door so it couldn’t be closed. “I have a matter to discuss with a ferret named Kia.”
The silence lasted for a moment, before the door opened. A gray ferret stood in the doorway, brown hair piled atop her head in buns, though curls hung scandalously about her shoulders. Her clothes of red and burgundy were no better, and left far less to the imagination than Conva would have liked. 
“What do ya want with me, Dragon?” Kia sounded skeptical, until Conva showed her his cloak pin, a gold dragon twisting over itself. 
Then her crystal blue eyes lit up. Well, at least Conva knew where Xzaris got those, even if his mother’s were far more devious. “Sorry milord, never kin be ta careful. Wull, what do ya want with me?”
She leaned suggestively against the doorframe. “See anythin’ ya like?”
“No.” Conva said, cutting her last words short. He rubbed his forehead. “Do you have a son?”
Kia scowled, righting herself “Yeah. Little brat ran away two nights past. He couldn’t survive a day on ‘is own, why?”
“I happen to have found him. Now tell me, what have you been doing to him? He looks like he’s not eaten in weeks, and he’s covered in untreated injuries.” Conva knew his voice must sound grim.
Kia tossed her head. “He’s mine, I’ll do what I want with him. Bring him back, I’ll take ‘im off yer paws.”
Conva curled his lip. “I don’t think so.”
“You would dare kidnap my son?” Kia asked. “I kin make good money off him, sure ‘nough owes it ta me after wastin’ space and eating me food.”
“And how, pray tell, do you plan to do that?” Conva honestly found himself confused.
Kia shrugged. “Look, he’s a purty kit. Some a me customers rather like those eyes a his, an’ he’s old ‘nough. Not every’ne likes maids. Now give me property back… yer that halfblood Dragon, ain’t ya? Bet the other’sd be fine convictin’ ya with anythin’ they could find.”
Conva had to stare, he truly did. Fora take this wench.
“You are debase scum of the earth, I want you to know. And I won’t be giving him back, because I’ll buy him from you.”
Kia seemed momentarily taken aback, before she smirked. “Want him all fer yerself, eh?”
Conva had all he could do not to break her neck in that moment. And grabbing her by the leather collar before slamming her into a wall was just as tempting. “Do not include me in your debauchery, witch. That is a kit, a little kit, no older than my daughter. What I want with him is not your concern. Now. Twenty-five gold.”
She lifted her chin. “Thirty. I could make that much off’a him.”
“Would he really survive? He’s so weak he collapsed on my floor. Could he honestly withstand more than a day of what you suggest?” Conva felt his nostrils flare. “Twenty gold, and don’t tempt me to lower my offer. That’s a fortune compared to what you could get in the markets too.”
Kia scowled, but she did seem to be at least seeing reason. At last she snapped, “Fine. Twenty.”
Conva slid a parchment from his coat pocket, growling, “Sign it.”
“I don’t got a…”
Kia began, but Conva cut her off as he pulled a filled quill from another pocket, and shoved it into her paws. “Now you do.”
Kia muttered to herself as she signed messily. Conva folded the writ of purchase, and pocketed it once more. He pulled a pouch from his waist, and counted twenty gold out, which she overlooked carefully to ensure it was all there. Conva tied his pouch in place and spun on his heel. “Fora take you and Atlas leave your soul.”
He spit on her floor, he couldn’t help it. Then he walked down her porch to where Kawn stood with the horses, swung into his saddle, and galloped away toward his manor. 
Curse her. Curse her!
The very idea of any touching… or even looking at his precious kit in that way made fire burn in his very soul. And she would sell her son, her flesh and blood, her charge… into such a vile life?
Conva knew why Xzaris had planned what he had.
Poor little one.
Thoughts rushed through his mind as Conva settled upon a dreadful one. 
That could have been me, if father had not cared. If he had not claimed me.
Conva set his gaze and his jaw, and he urged his horse homeward. He could hear the clatter of hooves behind him, and glanced back to ensure it was Kawn. It was. With that affirmed, Conva turned his horse down a more affluent street and kept Summer in a gallop. 
He knew it was unwise, with the cobblestones, and the growing number of creatures walking about.
But if he didn’t have some sort of distraction, Conva feared he’d lose his mind.
It lasted until Summer thundered into the manor courtyard, then Conva leapt off the horse and left him for Kawn to deal with. The sun was rising, and Conva shut it out as he stormed into his house, only just keeping himself from slamming the door. 
He forced himself to take deep breaths.
He should take some time to meditate. Perhaps he should even go to the temple to pray for guidance. 
But no.
Conva pulled the writ of purchase from his pocket, then walked to his office and stuffed it in the locking drawer of his desk. He had done what he had done, and there was no going back now. 
He locked the drawer, then walked toward the kit’s room. Ena was sweeping the hallway outside the guest room, and she looked up as Conva asked, “Is he asleep?”
“Not the last I checked.” She said. “He’s so terribly jumpy. I think he likes you better.”
Conva just nodded. He could imagine that might be the case.
“Be patient with him.” Was all he said. Then he carefully slid the door open, and slipped in.
The kit was laying on his pillows, hugging another one. Conva sat on the chair beside his bed, still where he’d left it. He just stared for awhile, before whispering, “Do I gotta go back?”
Conva shook his head. “I’ve dealt with your mother. She doesn’t expect you to go back, ever.”
The kit hugged his pillow tighter, though complete relief didn’t shine in his eyes just yet.
“Then… where will I go?” He whispered.
“You’ll be staying with us.” Conva ran his claws through his shorn hair. “You will rest and heal, and when you are strong enough you’ll be trained to care for my horses. When your work is done, you’ll accompany Romsca if she so wishes.”
He just nodded. Conva sighed. “And you will not be telling her anything about your past.”
“She thinks… I came from’a stars.” Xzaris murmured. 
“I will do the explaining.” Conva said. “But I don’t want her knowing how twisted this world is. Not yet. If you feel the need to talk about it, come to me.”
The kit nodded again.
Conva gave him a weak smile. “Let Romsca teach you how to be a kit, young one.”
He stood. “I’ll let you rest.”
The kit said nothing as Conva left the room, wracking his brain for a way to explain this to his hyper-active daughter. He went up the stairs, and he knocked on her door.
“Come in!” She chirped.
Conva smiled to himself as he pushed the door open, to find Romsca digging through her toy chest. She’d made quite the mess of the floor; Eva would not be pleased. “Dad, what would Xzaris like best to pay with? I like my ships, but do you think he would?”
She was too adorable to scold about the mess. 
“I think he would like them.”
“Great!” She grinned, and began stacking her many wooden toys into her arms. 
She probably shouldn’t have so many, but she always pointed them out to him in the market, and Conva just couldn’t refuse those pleading green eyes.
“Wait just a moment. Can I talk with my little pirate?”
Romsca set the toys down with a bit of a clatter. “Over tea? Like grown ups?”
Conva smirked. Lately she’d been a bit obsessed with growing up, even if he wished she wouldn’t be. “Yes, we can do that.”
“Yay!” She bounced, then calmed herself and placed her paws behind her. “I would speak with you then.”
“Well, let us go.” Conva offered her his paw, but she grabbed his sleeve like she always had. They walked down to the kitchen, and Romsca hopped up onto a stool by the wooden counter, rocking back and forth while Conva heated the water for tea on the fire Eva had going in the oven.
“Love, if you keep doing that, you’re going to fall over.”
“I won’t.” Romsca promised, and continued her rocking. And Conva let her. She was a kit, he supposed the best way she could learn about tipping the chair was to actually do so.
She sang while he made their tea, and Conva listened to her chirpy voice for a moment, before asking, “Did Raf teach you that?”
“Yep!” She paused her sea shanty. 
Conva rolled his eyes as she continued singing. But she skipped the verse about sleeping with the captain’s daughter, so bless his first mate for having the taste to not sing that one in her presence.
He poured out two cups of tea, and sat next to Romsca at the counter. 
She licked at her hot tea, before asking in the most grown-up way she could, “So, what is this meeting about?”
She paused, then blurted, “I didn’t mean to eat all the rice cakes, it just happened!”
“You ate all the…” Conva chuckled to himself, rubbing his forehead. “No, listen Romsca, that’s not what this is about. It’s about your Xzaris.”
“Oh.” She relaxed a bit, then stiffened again. “Can’t we keep him?”
Conva shrugged. “Well, yes, we actually are.”
She bounced, nearly spilling hot tea on herself. “Yes! We’re going to have so much fun! I already picked out lots of fun games to play and found all my toys and told Conza…”
“Romsca, love, let me speak.” Conva said, trying to get her to focus.
She settled down a bit, as Conva sighed. “I hate to dash your imagination, but he isn’t from the stars.”
Romsca frowned. “What? Of course he is, he…”
Conva held up a paw. “He is something even better.”
Romsca stared. “Better than being from the stars?”
“Yes. You see, the gods don’t send souls from the stars, not that I’ve seen. But at times they make something impossible and wonderful happen, even when it doesn’t seem like something that even could happen.”
Romsca leaned forward, taking a sip of tea.
Conva smiled softly. “Xzaris has had a very unkind life, until now.”
“He didn’t have any friends?” Romsca interrupted.
“No.” Conva shook his head. “He didn’t have any friends, or anything to eat, or any parents that loved him. So he went to ask the gods…”
Conva paused, and then said, “What he should do.”
He nodded to Romsca. “You went to Astraria to ask for a friend, and she saw that there was already a friend for you on earth, just waiting to be found. So she had you meet him.”
Romsca stared with big eyes, and took a gulp of her apparently cooling tea. “That’s cool! So he asked for a friend too?”
“Er…” Conva said. “Yes.”
Even if that was a lie.
“So he is kind of from the stars.” Romsca deduced.
“I suppose you could think of it that way.” 
“So cool… Conza is dumb to not beleive me.” Romsca said, finishing her tea.
Conva held up a paw. “Listen, Xzaris doesn’t want to think about his past, because it’s sad. So can you promise me you’ll talk about other things?”
Romsca nodded. “I won’t make him sad. Can I go see him now? Is he better?”
Conva paused, and then nodded. “Try to be a little… more low key.”
He took a drink of his tea, which he’d forgotten. “But yes. You may go visit.”
“Thanks dad!” 
Conva nearly dropped his tea as she hugged him, pressing a kiss on his cheek. “Love you!”
Then she hopped off her stool, and scurried from the kitchen.
Conva sipped his tea, and smiled. Arashi would be so proud of her. If only his wife were here to see how kind their daughter had grown to be.
He stood, and collected the cups, putting them in the wash basin.
Now he just needed to find out what to sell to make up for that twenty gold.
Category:Sayna's Stories