Just like Papa!

Python, look what I can do!

Kanna’s words stirred fond memories – memories of skipping stones in the river, of climbing trees and inching his way out to the furthest branches. On more than one occasion he’d fallen, and one particular tumble left him bedbound for a week. Making grass whistles was certainly safer, at least.

“Indeed,” he laughed. “Most impressive, Kanna.”

He turned to his right, and as if in response, a low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. The white, fluffy clouds had turned dark and ominous, and nearby a flock of birds flew past, their cries anxious and foreboding. One thing was certain – they could not stay here, exposed to the elements.

“Oh dear,” he said, frowning. “It seems a storm is building, and I suppose I should soon be on my way.” Pressing a hand against the grass, he got to his feet and dusted himself off. “Have you somewhere to shelter?”

Hearing Python’s praise set Kanna’s face aglow with a expression that spoke to her boundless excitement, as well as how deeply appreciate she was to be receiving someone’s attention, even if only for a short while. It was difficult being a lonely child and her lack of maturity caused her to constantly seek out attention through action rather than simply request it in words. With a smile, she placed the blade of grass into her pocket for safekeeping, before she stood up and stretched. Gazing towards the sky, she too could tell that it would rain shortly.

“Oh boy, rain!! Rain is so much fun! I like when it pours down really hard, because then afterwards, you can play in the puddles!” She exclaimed, clenching her fists eagerly. Then, she drew herself from her thought, nodding in confirmation to Forsyth’s question.

“Yep! After the village burnt up, the villagers and I found a big stone building to stay in. It’s full of people in weird white dresses and there’s lots and lots of benches! I can sleep wherever I want, it’s really fun!” She explained, feeling a raindrop dampen her head. She reached for it, as if she could hold it like a solid object, before letting her hand fall to her side.

Azura huffed hard, how was climbing a tree this difficult!? She reached for the branch and pulled herself up. She was determined to climb this now to see Kanna happy. She smiled up as she kept up with the girl then. Eventually she patted Kanna’s head. Staying close to the tree trunk, to not disturb anything.

“Kanna, if you keep your voice quiet, the animals won’t run away either. Loud noises scare them. When we get back on the ground, feel free to scream and shout all you want okay?” Azura ruffled the girls hair. Azura wasn’t scared for the animals. She was scared that if Kanna screamed, Azura would get spooked and fall.

“But, if I can ask, what kinda animals do you wanna see when we get higher? Do you wanna see the chipmunks? The birds? Maybe a bug?” Azura wanted to play with the girl’s curiosity. It was absolutely wonderful to be able to be around this ball of sunshine.

“Be quiet? B-but, animals aren’t very quiet! They make all sorts of sounds! Like caw, and oink, and peep peep, and all kinds of stuff. You’d think that they wouldn’t mind me just talking.” Kanna replied with a pout, crossing her arms loosely. Despite her stubborn response, she had noticeably lowered her voice, as she truly did not wish to startle the animals around her. Like any child, she was determined to be accepted by the party that captured her attention, and would undertake what was necessary to do so...even if she didn’t agree with it.

“The birds of course! There’s a lot of really pretty ones up there!” The girl exclaimed before covering her mouth when she realized how loud she had raised her voice. Swallowing, she clasped her hands behind her back and continued her response.

“Hm?” Forsyth sat up, following her gaze to the cloud-filled skies. “O-oh, well…” He paused. It was a little concerning that her father had left her all alone with no means to defend herself. His was quite the opposite – at times the man had followed him like a shadow, and the rare moments he could get away were the ones he treasured the most.

“I am sure he will be back soon,” he said with a smile.

(He hoped he would. She seemed to miss him, at least).

“I am sorry to hear about your village,” he added. “And in truth, I know all too well how it feels to be lonely.” He plucked a blade of grass and began to wrap it around his finger. “But when you are older, I’m certain you will go on all sorts of adventures!” It was something his father would never had said – something he would have dismissed as a childhood fantasy.

But his father was wrong, wasn’t he?

At the older man’s words of encouragement, Kanna’s face illuminated once again with the same cherubic energy she always seemed to display whenever she felt content. There was something in Forsyth’s enthusiasm that tickled her, causing her to sprout a wide grin, followed by a sincere laugh. It was light, as the weight of her anxiety had been lifted, high-pitched and perfectly suited to her personality. When she laughed, her entire frame trembled as a result of her petite build, but it tremors that reflected excitement rather than that of fear. 

“Yep, yep, yep! I will! I want to go all over the place with my Papa!” The girl replied with enthusiasm, imagining all the places she could venture with her father in a matter of seconds. She glanced down at Forsyth’s hands, watching as he wrapped a blade of grass around his finger gingerly as to not tear its thin form. Then, her eyes lit up in recognition of an idea, and she searched the grass for the perfect blade of grass. She selected one that was thick and long, carefully plucking it from the earth in a single piece. 

Julius took a step back, then another, stopping when his heel crunched on a twig from their meager pile of firewood. He could feel the heat of the flames at his back, begging for a taste of his robes, but his eyes remained transfixed on the monster approaching him from the shadows. Kanna, not a monster, he tried to convince himself, but fear had a tight hold on his rationality.

And he had never been a fearful sort. There was nothing in Jugdral that could scare him when he ruled the entire Grannvalean Empire with the Cult of Loptous - arguably the most terrifying, twisted beings in all of Jugdral - at his side. Kanna did not scare him either, and as long as he told himself that it was that hyperactive little girl in this beast’s body, he could keep the tremble from his voice and hands.

Another blinding light before he could speak forced him to shut his eyes despite all of his effort to keep them open (was she going to attack? he couldn’t let down his guard), but her voice - less distorted now - urged him to look again.

“You’re only part dragon… and can do this?” he asked, no amount of posturing capable of hiding the amazement in his voice. It was Kanna who stood before him again now, albeit disfigured, and Julius approached with no little hesitance, eyes held by the horns from her forehead.

“Is this common here?”

“Uh-huh!” Kanna replied, grinning in triumph, the joy on her face gleaming far brighter than even the full moon that hung in the sky above them. Though the girl was quite capable for her age and able to complete a multitude of tasks with skill, there was nothing she was more proud of than her ability to transform into a dragon. It was a power unique to her father and herself, a capability that others could only dream of being able to do. With a dull light, the horns on her head seemed to evaporate into the air like water, only leaving behind a mere few bubbles in its place.

“Nope! Only me and my Papa can do it! He said that it’s something really special.” She explained, the expression of pride slowly fading from her features. With a tinge of anxiety, she wrung her hands together with a thoughtful expression.

“It’s kinda spooky too,” She admitted with sincerity, “without my dragonstone, I can’t control what I do. The first time I ever transformed, my head began to pound, like someone had hit me. Then, all I could hear was a really loud roaring. It was so loud! Then I don’t really remember much after that...but when I woke up again, I just felt...like I did something bad.”

Fire Emblem Heroes - Chibi Kana 

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Azura smiled at the young dragon, she sure was always full of energy. Azura reached up for the branch. she had the longer limbs and some height. So reaching wasn’t an issue, pulling herself up with little to no upper body strength though..

She hoisted herself up on the branch, staying close to the tree trunk didn’t shake the branch as much. No creaking which was also a good sign, she huffed some and placed both of her feet on the branch, steadying herself on the trunk. She looked down, and quickly back upwards. This height had freaked her out a little. Because she knew if she fell she would be hurt.

Azura had grabbed the next branch and looked up along the tree trunk, there were some animals towards the top, she could see them. “Hey.. Kanna, there are some birds up there! I can see them all the way up there!” She smiled and looked to the cheerful gal.

“Yeah! Aren’t they neat? That’s why I like climbing up here so much. I climb up just like a squirrel or a chipmunk can!” Kanna exclaimed, her voice causing practically all of the animals but a couple to scatter in fear. She managed to pull herself up onto another branch, her body limber due to her youth. Once on the higher branch, she mounted it as one would a horse, her legs dangling down towards the earth below. Despite the possibility of her falling, she demonstrated no fear, as she truly lacked a sense of danger. Perhaps it was her ability to transform into a dragon that gave her such confidence.

Woeful gods, Innes bit the inside of his lips. Out of many paintings in this castle and she had to choose THAT? Innes stood behind Kanna, suddenly feeling the air tightened around him. They were facing a magnificent portrait of a serene woman in regal clothing, a portrait he had been avoiding to look at unconsciously by always coming home from the front gate although it earned him unknowing people’s sneer. “That’s my mother,” he replied sternly. He gently ushered Kanna away from the painting, stretching his neck to see if the maids were done with their cakes.

"And no, I am not a scaredy cat. Normally no,” Innes mused, sparing a polite smile as he tailed behind her. Which is why—the thoughts of the possibility of people getting assaulted on board or scattered by the Frelian shores again made him uneasy, but he decided it was best to keep his composure as to not ruin Kanna’s mood. “But sure. Protect me,” he used the same tone he would to his melee soldiers. “And I shall cover you back. I’m an archer, and nobody will touch you while I’m there.”

Nobody. And I am here.

“Huh? That’s your Mama?" Kanna tilted her head towards the painting as Innes unceremoniously attempted to shift her attention elsewhere. Despite the older man’s intentions, the girl had managed to stare at the woman long enough to admire her regal presence, as well as the ornate clothing she had been dressed in for the portrait. Unable to sense Innes’s sensitivity towards the subject, the dragon girl’s grin spread wide with excitement, mentally comparing his mother to other princesses her senior back in her own home. 

“She’s so pretty, just like a princess! I could never be so princess-y and nice and all polite all the time. I mean, some people are just rude and it’s boring to sit in a gown all day! I like to play and jump and run without my shoes.” She explained with excitement, though Innes hadn’t requested an explanation. Before she could comment further she became immersed in the treasures lined along the walls as they continued. She was nearly positive that they had been placed to decorate the hallway, completely overlooking the possibility of them holding some sort of significant meaning. 

There was a bounce in her step when Innes mentioned that he wasn’t a coward and in fact, was an archer. She turned towards him, continuing to walk backwards despite being completely unfamiliar with the area she was traversing upon.