She was aware that she should love her family, but they didn't accept her. She didn't have friends, she only had neighbours, her parents' friends and her parents' friends' children.

And she had one, only one, best friend.

She decided to go look for Ayame Kessho and ask the flower to either change her appearance or point of view of her family.

Ryoku had just crossed the border between Midomori and Ginyama, when she heard a voice.

"Look, a pixie" said a man, grabbing Ryoku's shoulders and turning her towards himself.

He looked like a human, but he had red eyes, so he wasn't one. His thinning, messy and greasy hair was brown.

"Yoshiri, it has violet eyes" noticed second man.

He was a human for sure. He had black eyes, only humans have black eyes. And sometimes chimeras, but Ryoku heard in his voice something which only humans have.

"Violet?" Yoshiri laughed, pushing Ryoku to the ground. "Look, Bakei! Broken elf!"

"Or broken altmer" added Bakei.

Ryoku stood up, dusted off her coat and sighed.

"I'm an elf" she said, straightening the bangs that fell over her eyes. "And you?"

"A fallen and a human" replied Bakei.

Yoshiri smacked his head.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"Because you're a blabbler" growled Yoshiki. "And this chubby thing is an elf, do you understand this?"

"You know, I think that you shouldn't laugh about my weight" said Ryoku, looking at Yoshiri, who could win in the competition for the fattest fallen, who elf met in her life. "And now let me go."

"Where? To Ginyama? The dragons will have a feast!" called Yoshiri behind her back.

He put his arm around Bakei's shoulders and they both disappeared in the forest.

Ryoku sped up. She was angry that in the end someone was laughing at her, but what could she do?

In Ginyama lived dragons and chimeras. The first were famous for their carnivorous taste that weren't limited to animals. For them, anything that wasn't a dragon was edible. They tolerated chimeras, because they couldn't bite through their skin, but treated other species and hybrids like a free dinner.

Because of this Ryoku jumped in fear, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned back, holding a penknife, because she didn't had time to grab her bow.

"Easy, it's only me" said a little taller than her, slim man with golden eyes and reddish brown hair.

He was smiling friendly, showing his fangs.

"I didn't scratch you, I hope."

"No, you didn't" Ryoku shook her head and hid a penknife in the pocket. "You scared me, Noburo."

"I'm sorry" Noburo scratched his head.

He was purebloodied dragon, commonly known as fire dragon. His parents were killed by humans. And a reason, why he wanted to go for Ayame Kessho, was a desire to revive them.

"Have you been waiting for long here?" asked Ryoku, when they jumped over the stones across the river.

"For a few minutes" replied Noburo. "Something stopped you?"

"Some jerk and his human booty" Ryoku snorted. "Who do you have to be to associate with people?"

"I have no idea" said Noburo.

"How did Aiko react to your news about the expedition?" Ryoku asked. "Was she angry?"

"More like worried" Noburo smiled slightly. "You know how little sisters are."

"I don't. I'm an only child" Ryoku sat under a coniferous tree, probably pine. "Nobu?"

"Yes?"

"What do we do when we'll find this artifact?" Ryoku asked. "Both of us won't be able to use it."

"That's right" Noburo stretched and laid down on the sand. "But we have to find it first."

"Don't fall asleep or you'll get your tail wet" Ryoku said, smacking Noburo on the shoulder.

Dragon just laughed in response.