Boots and dresses

Cloudy day, dust slams into eyes thanks to the strong wind. Karaza inhales smoke from her pipe, looking aimlessly at somewhere in the horizon. All of her pink curls slams into her face as she exhales the smoke, not bothered at all, she looks at the ground, falling asleep until she hear footsteps on the grass.

- Not a nice day to be outside.

She stands up as soon as she hears the duke speaks, bowing in her big dress. He looks at her for a second before letting out a small, little sad sigh.

- I suppose today is the last day.

- I will be coming with the last elixir today, your grace.

- Then you still have more hours before you give me your final answer. Everyone hope you will join our family.

- I am afraid that I am past my prime as a mercenary.

- Then you can train the new knights.

- I don't think I am useful outside a fight but above all, Thank you for the last ten years, I will be forever grateful for you and the Duchess, you didn't need to but you took me in.

He looked at the ruffles of the brown dress, a look of someone recalling many memories.

- Just know you can come back anytime or if you need me to recommend you for a job.

She bows again then proceed to make her way out of the garden. The duke waits for a long moment before asking.

- Where will you go tomorrow? He almost shouts.

She turns back to face him, and shrug her shoulders with a smile. She faces forward, walking to her last mission, with a gash in her leg under the pretty big dress.

In a different land the weather was nice the sun rose beautifully in the sky, and the gentle breeze pushed the paper planes to their destinations. Roxanne was looking at the trees in the corner of the park, at the people starting their morning runs and at the sky, with a faint amused smile.

- Good morning Roxy. Already finished running? The older woman asked

- Morn'n. Yes I did, It's a little wet from yesterday's rain so be careful.

- Thanks.

On the way back she greeted the greengrocer, the restaurant lady and two neighbors in the building. She entered her apartment, her normal human pupils turns into a disjointed shape. She greets the plants near the window before heading to the bathroom. The small apartment was filled with exotic plants, embroidery works, small boxes and trinkets and a huge plush of a garlic in sunglasses and cowboy boots.

In the furthest corner from the window laid a suitcase next to a pair of prosthetic legs. A gray blob was sleeping on a fancy pillow. He opens his eyes, thin and narrow pupils.

Roxy gets out of the bathroom to a guy laying on the ground of the small apartment. Snake like pupils looking at the ceiling.

- Dude...

- I forgot how to move my limps.

- Yeah, that's why you shouldn't stay in your human form for too long. She chuckles.

- I hope this still funny when you need my help. He sighs.

- My greatest apologies. She says holding back a laugher.

Gray tendrils are cooking eggs on the stove, others cutting the bread. While he puts on the prosthetic legs. He proceed to eat while staring uncomfortably at the huge pair of googly eyes on the fridge while she struggle to pick what earrings to wear.

- What do you think Mr. Garlic? she asked the plush.

- Sweetie don't you have a final exam in half hour?

- Yeah, nothing better than a place close to the academy!

- ...okay?

- oh, also be prepared. Jacob said the auction committee might come to art academy today, you finished your sculpture right? she asks while choosing a necklace

- not yet, it still missing something, wait since when you know Jacob?

- turns out he is Nancy's cousin.

He furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

- Is my conversation skill getting worse?

She stops combing her bang and looks at him for a second, before continuing.

- You were always more proficient in other skills.

A mental shockwave disturbed them, He looked at the clear sky.

- What is that ?

Nothing was there to be seen for the human eye.

- Something radioactive coming in our direction. She said casually.

- oh, well I got to go, good luck on the exam. He said, about to open the door.

- dude your veins.

The gray veins under pale skin disappear, and the narrow pupils turns circular again.

In a desert where the sand is colored red Karaza was walking out of a scorpions' den blue blood drenching her hair, staining her dress. Many scorpions deceased behind her and a last one ahead. Keeping cold eyes on the target she pluck out the scorpion's golden stinger which stabbed her arm, puts the valuable drops in a bottle puts it in her pocket and tighten her grip on her axe. The scorpion takes a step back.

Happy shouts filled the agriculture academy's landscape as last year students finished the last exam. Roxy made her way out of the academy as students were hugging each other and their teachers. A teacher handed her a donut.

- My, thank you Mr. frank.

- Young lady, this is not a party. You can't wear these sparkly boots in the academy. The other teacher commented.

- But teacher, life itself is a party.

- Cut her some slack, this is her last day. Mr. frank explained.

- But you're a second year! ARE you dropping out??

- No, I am graduating.

- She went fast track.

- Oh, why though?

- I got bored. I have to go now, Thank you for the donut.

- That girl is weird.

- Smart people are like that sometimes.

She looks at the clear sky while biting the pastry.

"I should try to use this"

High in the sky, she was flying on her broom, Heading toward a faint, far, slightly purple point in the horizon.

"It still quite far, it's not even in the red zone yet"

Some bloodlust from below steal her attention. Blue blood on the red sand, the trained eye can see the red blood too.

- Oooo, it's a fight! she whispers in amusement. Broom flies lower.

In a last effort the injured scorpion throws itself on the smaller human, attempting to suffocate it to death. Much to its effort. The small axe pierce through it, dropping it dead on the sand. A pool of blood mix with the sand, forming a mud that is slightly purple. Karaza bleeding leg does not have any effect on her unfazed expression. She walks toward the stinger, Cuts it and puts the precious drops in the bottle. Her guards drops for a second before it rise again. On the sight of a human girl being relatively close.

- Can I help you? Parasite. Karaza stated, pointing her axe at Roxy.

- Just watch'n. She puts her hand in the air, palms open.

- Oh, don't do that, I can tell you're strong. I could use another opponent right now. She takes steps towards her.

- Please Please Please. I worked hard on this outfit! She says, looking at her bloody hands.

In a split second the axe was about to hug Roxy's neck. She dodged, moving her whole body to her opponent's left side. Karaza raised her arm up, not expecting that her would give her a light flick on her shoulder. Her vision flipped on its axis, falling to the ground she realized that she is paralyzed. Eyes closing as she passes out.

-Fweh. Roxi said in relief, until she sees a blue drop on her overalls.

A high pitched scream of a damsel in distress fills the desert.

Karaza wakes up in terror. Looking around to see Roxy wiping her clothes in panic. Barely manages to sit down. Her heart beats violently fast when the disjointed pupils settles on her.

-Post fight adrenaline? Happens to the best of us.

She looks at the battle scene, at her wounded leg and the bottle and the bottle she clutches on.

A mental shock hits them. Karaza looks at the sky behind her.

-This is big. Her voice trumbled.

-desho?

A close fear replace the far one. Roxy looked at the elixir.

-This loses its effectiveness quickly by the way.

- Well, that’s what I get from forgetting my mission.

-Wanna a ride? She hops on the broom.

-Why would you do that?

Roxy’s eye wondered a bit, then settling on her again.

-Do you know who benefits the most from good deeds? She asks, faint polite smile like she doesn’t know the answer.

-The one who do them.

Roxy chuckles.

In a cabin in the art academy a dragon of stained glass was surrounded in colorful, melting flames of glass. Ryu was looking at his work, head tilted in dissatisfaction. He gets up to stretch. He picked the glass clipper, looking at the sculpture like a hunter looking at a prey.

The teachers and the auction committee judge entered the cabin to a headless dragon.