Page 48 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
Auslin’s heart fluttered. “Is that so?” It secretly made him happy to hear such a thing from Kitaro.
“I have never smelled sunlight flush with embarrassment, so you are truly one of a kind.”
It was hard to accept compliments, so Auslin switched subjects. “What do you smell like?”
“Icicles at the midnight hour.”
Auslin hummed with surprise. “Huh, I figured it would be something more…”
“Masculine?” Kitaro guessed when the mage trailed off into silence.
“Well, yeah. I mean, you’re an all-powerful shifter, so…”
“It is evidence of my arctic heritage from my mother,” Kitaro explained. “By comparison, my father smells like a raging fire. Mitsuki’s scent is more like smoke from burning embers. Kisano, unsurprisingly, is the embodiment of the books he surrounds himself with in the library.”
It was all fascinating to Auslin. “What about your sister?”
The shifter made an indecisive noise. “It is almost impossible to describe. Kizoshi smells like unknown mystery.”
“And what doesthatsmell like?” Auslin asked with a laugh, unable to fathom what such a scent would be.
“Uniquely Kizoshi,” Kitaro replied with a chuckle. “I do not really know how to explain it.”
“Doesn’t it get exhausting having to smell everything all the time?”
“It is not as if you are unfamiliar with scent,”Kitaro pointed out to Auslin. “Most humans smell bad enough that even your weaker sense can detect it.”
He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the memory of the unwashed masses he had come across during his many travels. “It’s an unfortunate consequence of poverty.”
“Indeed. And you can smell the surrounding forest, yes?”
“I can, but not like you. I’m sure the rain I can smell is nothing like what you can discern.”
“Is it bothersome to you to smell such things?”
Auslin grinned. “Only when I’m near farms or cities.”
Kitaro chuckled again. “Thus, I try to avoid them when at all possible.”
“It’s impossible to avoid in my travels, sadly.” He had spent more than his fair share of time in both kinds of places.
“Do you travel often?”
He nodded. “More often than not, I’m on the road. I go all over to help heal anyone wherever I can, whether it’s humans, shifters, half-shifters, and even animals sometimes.”
“Is it unusual for shifters to accept help from a human mage in your time?”
Auslin rubbed the back of his neck. “A lot of times, they’re too proud to accept my help. I’m relieved I didn’t offend your uncle when I offered.”
“I wish I had been present to witness such a miracle.Is healing Divine injuries something you do often?”
Auslin chuckled to himself. “I’ve had some practice over the years. Especially whenever I go to Barlatan in Zinnia. I’ve become friends with a lot of the dog shifters there.”
“Dog shifters?” One of Kitaro’s delicate eyebrows arched in surprise.
“They’re the friendliest type of shifters I’ve come across in my travels. There’s a married couple I’ve become close to over the years. They’ve been together forever, but the husband’s eye wanders, so his wife has gotten rathercreativewith her retribution.”
Kitaro’s expression remained puzzled. “Meaning?”
