Page 22 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
“Am I supposed to turn around to give you the illusion of privacy?” Kitaro asked in amusement.
“It would help.” Auslin’s cheeks flushed at the thought of having to get naked again in front of the dragon shifter.
Kitaro chuckled. “Very well. I shall allow you to preserve your modesty.” He turned his back to him.
Mumbling his thanks, Auslin changed as quickly as he could. When he finished, he asked, “What should I do with these?”
“Am I allowed to turn around now?”
“Yes, thank you.” Auslin gestured with the folded pile of clothes in his hand. He already felt better wearing his old outfit. It helped him feel more like himself.
Accepting the proffered clothing, Kitaro used the magic gifted to him by his dragon shifter heritage to surround them with curling silver smoke before making them disappear before Auslin’s eyes.
Auslin stared in awe. “That’s amazing!”
“It is rather useful.”
“Where did it go?”
“The armoire in our room. It is enchanted, so I can summon anything from it I can picture.”
It amazed Auslin. He reflexively smoothed his shirt. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”
“I shall take the scenic route,” Kitaro joked, making Auslin laugh despite his nerves.
Kitaro disappeared before Auslin’s eyes, leaving him to marvel at shifter speed once more. Taking a steadying breath, he walked down the stairs and tried not to get too disappointed when Fate’s Gate once again failed to let him return to his time.
The dragon shifter waited for Auslin on the other side of Fate’s Gate. They headed toward the main temple area. It came as a surprise that Kitaro seemed so at ease on the holy grounds when Kio had always been so uncomfortable.
They drew closer to the temple, passing several acolytes, who stared at Kitaro with disbelief as they stopped what they were working on when the dragon prince walked by them.
The two of them waited in the temple's entryway until a young mage approached them. He stared fearfully at the shifter before dropping to his knee to bow to Kitaro. His voice shook with nervousness. “Your Highness, we are honored that you have blessed us with your presence on this day. My name is Roltan. I am at your service.”
“I have brought with me a friend who seeks an audience with an elder who is knowledgeable about Fate’s Gate,” Kitaro informed the mage. “We would be most appreciative if you could assist us with this matter.”
Roltan bowed evenlower. “It would be an honor to serve you, Your Highness. I will make arrangements at once.”
After Kitaro thanked him, the acolyte wasted no time in scrambling away to find someone to talk with Auslin.
“He was terrified of you,” Auslin whispered once the man was out of earshot.
“Yes, I noticed,” Kitaro replied in amusement. “In his defense, my presence here is a bit unorthodox.”
Thinking back to his own time, Auslin couldn’t think of a single time Kitsuki or any shifter had ever come onto the temple property before. Kio was the sole exception, but even he had never dared enter a building on the sacred grounds. He had claimed it was too uncomfortable because of the Divine energy. But had that been an excuse? Kitaro certainly seemed to have no problems with being there.
“Meaning you’re probably the first shifter in centuries who has entered one of our buildings?” Auslin guessed.
“Precisely. Although this temple is in Tiora, my father leaves them undisturbed in return for them keeping their congregation from causing any troubles for shifters.”
“You being here won’t cause a problem, will it?”
Kitaro shrugged. “I cannot see how this will do anything other than bring our kind closer. Do not trouble yourself with such worries.”
Before Auslin could say something else, Roltanreappeared with another formal bow. “Elder Varski will see you now.”
“Elder Varski?” Auslin repeated in surprise as they followed him deeper into the temple. He was a famous mage who had been a prolific writer and one of the first to preach about the wisdom of humans and shifters strengthening their bonds through mutual respect instead of fear. His philosophies had been deeply influential for Auslin in his younger years, and his mindset of being so accepting of shifters had largely originated from coming across Varski’s teachings so early in his training. But he had been dead for centuries in Auslin’s era.
“Yes, he is the wisest mage of our temple.” Roltan led them through the hallways, which filled Auslin with pangs of homesickness. He kept expecting to see Sephen, which made his heart hurt at the realization that it would be a long time before he saw his brother again.
