Neither Attacking, Nor Defending
[☁︎☁︎☁︎]
"Did you hear? The Grand Sorceress is taking some...some dragon born to the Council Ball!"
Rumors were flying back and forth that she had decided to take that troublesome sorcerer to the Council Ball. It...it was true. She sighed as she looked down at her feet.
He had turned out to be a dragon born on the run. She felt a deep pang of pity in her chest every time she thought of the things he had told her that day. He had told her everything without saying much at all. She could read it on the way he had carried himself. He...he probably didn't need her help, but who knows what could've happened if that wretched cult had caught up with him?
"Old habits are hard to break, unless you've got someone beside you."
Wasn't she the one who had told him that? What was she even thinking? Honestly...!
Her ballgown was elegant as it had been every time she had gone to this ball, a stunning baby pink with pale gray trimming. A gown fit for The Grand Sorceress. She was wondering what he would wear. A nice suit...? Maybe a cape. It'd suit him, with that whole mysterious air.
Catching herself thinking these....these strange thoughts, she blinked twice, pushing them to the back of her mind. She finished her makeup in silence. She hadn't yet realized this would be the first time in 12 years that she had taken someone to the Council Ball.
The best of the best magic users would be at this ball. The Grand Council of Magic Beings would be there (of course), and the winners of all the tournaments this year and their guests. Hell, the Queen of Babale would be there!
Could she really risk bringing down her reputation for having her plus one be a dragon born? ...oh what in the world was she thinking! She knew what the drawbacks would be once she invited him. She was prepared to face them.
Once upon a time, she had even feared the dragon borns. They were unpredictable. They had the worst personality traits of dragons and the death powers of the strongest necromancer.
But even so...a friend had once told her that she trusted way too little. She had to put her faith more in others.
She had respected him. She had respected him a lot, despite him being naive. And now she had put her trust in a dragon born.
There was a rap at her door, and The Grand Sorceress looked up, finishing her makeup finally. "...yes?"
"It's me, Kagu!" She frowned at that stupid nickname he had given her, but she opened the door.
"Don't call me 'Kagu'. Kaguya shall suffice."
"Eeeh? Okay..."
Kaguya sharply assessed him. He was dressed a million times nicer than when she had first met him. He cleaned up well.
"Nagisa, are you ready?" She asked, smiling softly.
"Kagu is actually serious about bringing me to the ball?" He asked. She couldn't tell if he was joking, but somehow she felt like she'd never fully understand him.
"Of course I am." Kaguya took his hands into her petite, gloved ones. She closed her eyes as she held his hands and murmured something unintelligible to Nagisa. However, when she finally released his hands, he felt something small and round in them. He opened his hands and stared at the object in them. It was a small rock, no bigger than his palm. It was a perfect oval and perfectly smooth. It was pure white and shimmered when he held it up to the light. "It's...it's a Dragon Egg Stone. You probably have thousands of them, but I..." Kaguya took in a deep breath. "I'm not quite good with presents, you see."
Nagisa laughed cheerily. "It's really pretty Kagu! I really like it." He smiled at her, and she smiled softly back. "I'll treasure it as a memory of my first ball," he began, and took Kaguya's hand. "...and as a memory of when I was happy...!"
Kaguya laughed. She could never understand the depth of those words and she knew it.
"Let's go, Nagisa. I'm the Grand Sorceress. I can't keep the ball waiting, now can I?"
"Ehh, I guess not!"
The two departed without any afterthoughts.
