Page 33 of Pirate By Parrot

The Guardians grinned, and one woman asked, “Are you really the same species as Kyna?”

“Yeah, though no one will confuse me for a snow bunny.”

They laughed, and with the ice broken, they led them down a path that ended in a lovely little set of buildings with private bathing areas and a wide outer structure that faced an inner courtyard. The sliding doors were beautiful.

Annabelle whispered, “What are you thinking?”

“I am thinking that the Admaryn and Yokai got along really well.”

“What are Yokai?”

“Japanese elves and fairies and the mix.”

“No way.”

“Way. You know that the Admaryn tried to kill humanity, right?”

“Uh, no.”

“Well, they knocked us back down to almost nothing in quite a few regions.”

Annabelle blinked. “How do you know all this stuff?”

“History was played into my brain during my delivery flight.”

A group of women in kimonos walked toward them, and Mel smiled and bowed thirty degrees.

Ageka paused and laughed. “Of course, that is all we would get from a Vedari.”

“That is all you get from a Terran who can’t quite get a grip on her own body. Still growing.”

“Fair enough. So, what would you like to do first? Get changed?”

Mel smiled. “This is Annabelle; she is here to go through therapies. I am merely here dropping her off and to have a chat with Amethyst and Kyna.”

“Yes, they told me. I thought you would like to be properly attired.”

“I don’t think you have my size, and I don’t have the means to pay for anything.”

“We have put something together for you. Can you sit or kneel or something?” Ageka muttered.

“Not in the dirt.”

The woman blinked, and she realized what she had been saying. “Right. Annabelle, please go with these ladies, and they will check you in. Melora, please come with me.”

Mel looked at Annabelle. The smaller woman hugged her. “I want to see you before you leave, Mel. You, too, Marko.”

Marko chittered and bobbed affirmative.

Annabell let Mel go, smiled, and left with the other ladies.

Ageka nodded. “Come with me, Melora.”

“Sure, Ageka.”

They walked down the lane to a teahouse, and there were a few ladies there with folded fabric.

“Lady Amethyst has offered you a memory of Rai. Please kneel at the edge of the deck.”

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