Giselle’s fist was flying toward my face at quite a dangerous velocity. I only raised my chin proudly, awaiting what was coming next. I knew what you want to ask me. Zari?! Why are you such an idiot? You could just tell her what was going on and avoid this mess!

Listen, punks! Of course, I could! The thing is – she would not believe me and then she would actually lose her shit. Right now she is just annoyed, knowing that I am making fun of her so she is actually holding her blows. Last time she lost her shit I lost my arm. It re-grew, but I would prefer to avoid leaving my body parts left and right, otherwise someone like professor Kleir would pick it up and create more little Kims.

She would punch me now, she would yell, I would explain to her what actually happened and then, once her blood would actually calm down she would start apologizing to me – which I could use later during some bargains.

Pluuus! It doesn’t hurt so much, Giselle will never know, but each time she is about to him me like that I am strengthening bones of my skull and shift and harden my tissue. In the end it’s a win-win situation! What now? Feeling dumb yet? Like in chess, I am trying to be two or three steps ahead of my enemy…

… shame I sucked in this game. Seriously, I was really terrible..., but where was I? Ah, yes – a punch.

But just as I was expecting the blow to hit, something unexpected happened. Kim’s eyes widened, yet pupils narrowed. His whole body tensed and flexed, like a cat before pouncing at its prey. Then, he jumped off the barrel, moved past Gis taking spot between two of us and turned around rising his crossed arms in a defensive stance.

“DON’T TOUCH HIM!” he yelled while taking the blow. The impact pushed him about forty centimeters back, but he didn’t flinch nor fall.

Giselle lowered her fist .

“What the…”

She was taken aback, in front of her the very same child stood his ground, but his frontal limbs were now some weird cluster of muscles and scales so heavy, that he barely managed to keep them up.

“He really is…” she was left speechless. “Now, now, it’s ok. Turn back to normal, Kim.” I patted his head. “No! She will try hurting you again!” “Ha, wait till you would found your own woman, she will let you know that life is misery. But seriously, turn back. She is a friend.” “Friends don’t hurt each other! Even I know that!” “I told you to…” I raised my hand up “… turn back!” I lightly karate-chopped him in the head.

The pressure of the blow was more than enough to make his huge arms drop freely down. Now, he had no other way but to change them, otherwise they would only slow him down.

“Let me introduce the two of you again. Kim, this is Giselle, she is a crazy, violent maniac that acts before thinking which is causing, mostly for me, lots of trouble. She is also my…” I hesitated how to describe him such complex philosophical matter as love “.. my partner and mate. She punches me often, but not strong enough to cause any harm, so I guess it’s fine.” “Why?” he blinked quickly like a confused kid he was “Because she cannot control her emotions.” “Ah! So she is just dumb!” he made that expression “HEY!” Giselle reacted “You hit the mark. Now, Gis, this is Kim. I met him a few hours ago. I am as confused about him as you are, maybe even more… but apparently just as you saw, he is what I am. Literally. He smells like me, his aura is same as mine. Even if you would pick a hair off his head and compared it with mine, it’s structure would be the same. He. Is. Me.” “But… if he is you… then who are you!?”

… no sarcasm, Zari, no sarcasm, she is just confused.

“What I mean is – he appears to be some imitation of me. Most likely a clone, but I will still have to check that. For now, I decided to keep him close.” “… why?” it was her turn to ask childish questions. “Giselle. Focus. He is just like me. Huge, unbound potential. Also carries my genotype. If some bad people would take him they could either use him as a weapon of mass destruction or dissect him and use knowledge about his existence against me… also. Giselle. I...”

My voice stopped for a moment in my throat.

“… I am no longer alone.” I smiled “You were never alone! You had me! And Marika! And Mrogul! And papa Jericho, Loki, Nyx, Miroslav and literally everyone in the guild!” “That’s now that I meant, and you know it. Have you ever meet another dragonian?” “… I did. Thrice. They all were hella strong, but total assholes too! We would train and talk a little before going our ways…” “How was it? Meeting your kin?” “Quite refreshing, actually. It’s good to know that…” she stopped. “… that somewhere out there, there is someone just as crazy and twisted as you? The distanced relative you share blood with?”

She nodded.

“Gis. I was alone. Since the day I decided to take the power to save the people that cared for me… and later casted me aside… I was alone. Today, for the first time, I truly HAVE someone!”

I took a step closer to Kim and hugged him around his shoulders from behind.

“I am not alone.” I smiled

Gis only measured Kim from tip to toes. She didn’t like him, I could tell, probably because I showed so much affection toward him. Her little... pardon me, HUGE! COLOSSAL! GIGANTIC EGO couldn’t stand such act toward anybody else, but her. I knew that she already was thinking about a way to show little Kim that for me she is number one, it was only a matter of time before she would…

“Fine! But he sleeps on the floor!”

… display her dominant nature.