“No thanks are necissary, Lady Kamui. I’m always glad to make time for your company, regardless of the reason.” Kiran says in response, offering a smile to the royal as he takes a seat across from her. While he hadn’t known what it is she intended to discuss with him beforehand, he had percieved from her behavior when she asked that it was a serious matter. How serious it was, he couldn’t say, but regardless of its severity he intended to give the matter his full attention as soon as he could. Kamui had been a great boon to the Order of Heroes ever since he had summoned her - not only as a combtant mind you, but also as an advisor, and even a friend.
So of course he cleared a spot on his schedule, doubling up on some of his duties so he had plenty of time to speak with her and adress her as he was now. What she said to him however, was not something he could have predicted.
“You mean you don’t want to fight anymore?” He asked with obvious surprise. It was not his intent to accuse with that question, for he knew that Kaumui wouldn’t ask for any minor reasons. - and she certainly wouldn’t ask out of cowardice. But it was strange. What could bring her to make such a request? An injury perhaps, but it would almost have to have been something severe or crippling. Though he’d noticed no changes in her posture or movements to suggest such a thing. An illness then? Or maybe there were some new duties that had come to her attention? After all, she may have been a member of the Order but she was still a royal. So perhaps something had come up in her own world then.
She couldn’t help but wince at his surprise. She hadn’t meant for it to come out as blunt as it had, but now that it was out in the air, there was not much she could do. “I promise I would not ask if it was something I could help, but…” Now she’d have to go into detail about something she’d only shared with a few people. Kamui fiddled with her cape nervously. Hopefully, she could word this right--
“...when I was first summoned here, I promised to help in any way I could. But I believe I limited my aid to one of my… skill sets, as it were. Namely…” She reached into the pouch at her hip, removing the dragonstone and placing it on the table. “... with this.” It glowed slightly before going dark as she removed her hand from it. “That was a mistake on my part, it seems. You see, using my dragon form excessively for long periods of time… deteriorates my mental state.”
Well, that was even more blunt than her initial request. Running a finger along the side of her dragonstones edge and not meeting Kirans eyes, she continued, “In my world, dragons would lose their sanity after long periods of time. It may have been because they were given too much power and went mad from it, or something else altogether. All I know is that if I spend too much time in my dragon form I begin to lose myself as well.” Now she looked at him, cocking her head to the side slightly, a frown on her face. “Do you remember after one battle when I had a hard time transforming back into myself? I… growled at everyone and clawed the ground? That was the beginning of my deterioration. I become more like an animal.” Thoughts of her first transformation flashed through her mind and she shook her head to clear it.
“And that brings me back to my request. I am afraid that it’s getting harder to control myself. I would hate to hurt anyone because of it, so I must ask to remain behind come battle time.” It killed her to ask, but if she saved someone’s life because of this choice, then so be it.
