Walking out, into the castle courtyard, Lumia stopped beside me.

"I've missed seeing you," she said quietly, " I'm glad you're back now."

"Me too." I replied, “I’m glad you’re safe.”

A pair of guards that had been trailing behind us passed by. Then Lumia grabbed my arm and ran, yanking me along behind her. We ran around to the back of the castle, then through a bush maze in the rear garden. There was a stream which provided water to all the plants, behind the maze, it deepened into a river.

The river ran down the hill, through a sparsely populated section of Avantia, and out into the wider forest of the realm. Lumia pushed me into it then jumped in after.

We were well outside of Avantia by the time the current slowed down. We climbed out of the water and followed a trail of aidelberry bushes to a wall of shimmergloss trees. Hanging from their branches like thousands of tentacles, were long vines covered with glowing leaves. They were clustered together so thickly that it was impossible to see beyond them. It felt kind of like looking at an environmental wall in a modern video game, only I knew this was real and I’d been beyond the wall with Lumia before.

Most wouldn’t dare cross through shimmergloss because the leaves were covered in a glowing oil that rubbed off easily, coating anything that touched them in gloss. As kids, Lumia and I didn’t care about that, we just wanted to get away from the adults, so we pushed through the thick brush and found a midsized lake hidden on the other side.

Lumia smiled at me as we approached. When I stopped next to the glowing plants, she grabbed my arm again and pulled me through.

“That was fun,” she giggled as she spun around and fell into the grass on the other side.

“What are you talking about, that was exhausting,” I said, “and we’re all gross now too.”

She sat up, looking at me with sad eyes and a slight frown. “You don’t remember, do you?”

I did remember, a few yards ahead there was the spring where we used to catch billfrogs and a field where we’d bury silly trinkets we called treasures. Beyond all that, another line of trees and boxing it all in on both sides, there were huge rock formations covered in moss and all kinds of other plants.

As children we weren’t allowed to leave the palace grounds let alone Avantia, but Lumia had spotted this place as she was flying over the forest with her father. We had to trick our guards and chaperones, which got harder every time, but we made a break for it every chance we got.

We called this our secret place and it was. In all the years before I was sent to Earth, no one ever found us here.

“I do,” I said as a smile spread across my lips.

“Then come on,” She said, getting up from the grass. “Into the water.” We were covered in the glowing gloss now, but it wasn’t the same as when we were kids. Now she had boobs…we both had hormones—well, maybe she didn’t, but I certainly did. I would’ve refused, but she didn’t give me the chance.

She giggled the whole way to the lake, her clothes dissolving away as she walked. I’d forgotten she could do that, but seeing it happen, I recalled her explanation. Dragons didn’t wear clothes; it would interfere with their transformation. Instead, they learned to conjure them as soon as they learned to shift into human form. The conjured clothes were as real as anything I’d wear, but the dragon could dismiss or resummon them at will.

A similar effect was achievable for other races, but it required the use of a magical device called a wardrobe collar.

Fortunately for me, Lumia left herself covered in a white bikin—something she didn’t do when we were younger.

I felt a mix of relief and disappointment, as I struggled to hide my…excitement.

When we reached the waters edge, she let go of my arm and continued on alone. Looking back at me as she floated away, she asked, “are you planning to come in like that?”

I realized she expected me to undress as well. I wasn’t so sure that was a good idea at the moment.

“Don’t worry, I won’t peek,” She said as she turned around.

I slid out of my shirt and pants as quickly as I could then dove into the water.

It was cold…I regretted the dive immediately.

We splashed around in the water until neither of us was glowing anymore, then we got out and laid together in the tall grass. For several minutes, we just watched the clouds roll by. After that, Lumia moved closer, pressing herself against me. I looked to see what she was doing and our lips touched softly, but the sensation was brief. Lumia turned away almost immediately as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Why are you crying? Did I hurt your feelings or something?” I asked.

She wiped her eyes, then took my face in her hands. Looking deeply into my eyes, she spoke softly.

“I know you didn’t do anything, but when I saw you with that elf in your bed…”

My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond, or if I should respond at all—probably, but I was concerned that whatever I said would only make things worse.

As I tried to think of what to say, she spoke again, “Silvon, I—”

“Shh.” I pressed my hand over her lips and pointed behind her.

Near the spring, but several yards from us, there was a human woman. She was covered in gloss and getting into the water, or… I thought she was. I blinked and she was gone.

Closing my eyes and I tried to sense her through mana—for her to have made this far into the woods, she’d have had to be a strong mage, otherwise the fog would’ve led her in a small circle, or back out of the woods.

The only other mana signature I could feel was Lumia’s. Still, something didn’t feel right. “Let’s go back.” I said, getting back to my feet then extending a hand to help Lumia.

She looked disappointed, but she took my hand and we returned to Avantia.