Two years after the Dance…

Aris Cretu was helping Innoch un-crate and sort the latest shipment of books from Lady SiDiabolo. As he unloaded several tomes on genealogy, Aris couldn't help but ask the question on his mind. "Innoch, do you know what race Lady SiDiabolo is? I can't seem to place her features despite working with her for so long."

Innoch took the tome from Aris' hand and kept sorting, "I presume you are referring to Ilelahne SiDiabolo? If I recall correctly..."

"Oh please, we both know you don't forget anything anymore."

"Much as I wish I could sometimes. Ilelahne is a three blood at least, a child of three races, with perhaps a touch of a fourth bloodline. Care to make a guess which?"

Aris scratched Noxxy's head as he thought, "Elf, if her ears are anything to go by. High or wood from her skin color. Silithid eyes, so that's the second. As for the last two, or what proportion of each, I've no idea."

"By proportion from greatest to least: human, elven, silithid, and possibly a bit of dragon from her magical strength and her scales. At least, that is the prevailing accepted theory."

"You mean there are others?"

"There are always others. Open that next crate and we can sort while we speculate."

Aris picked up the crowbar and set to the task, "so what is the less accepted theory then?"

"Pure speculation, not credible theories, and in no particular order: a dragon with a penchant for shape-shifting, the daughter of a god and a demon or devil, or a manifestation of magic given flesh. There is no proven evidence of any of these of course, but such speculation has always surrounded the SiDabolo family."

"why?"

"The SiDabolos are a family of fantastically rich, powerful, enigmatic spellcasters with a known tradition of adopting individuals of all races and commonly exhibiting features belonging to more than one race. Rumors and speculation are the norm."

"A fair point."

"And how is little Hope doing? And Aflia, for that matter? I haven't seen them in a while."

"Probably because you never leave your library! Hope is running about like any other toddler, hooves chewing up the grass, and Aflia is glad to have wings to keep up with her..."