A Core Of Change

I was still cradled in my mother's arms while the dragon Ineer stared at me, inspecting me. 

"Didn't you feel any pain while attempting whatever st-" he paused, looking at my mother's face, and I couldn't see her expression. However, Ineer took whatever it was as a sign. "I-I mean, there should have been a warning signal. Your body should have been rejecting the attempt to channel mana, yet here you are with a cracked mana core."

"Th-there was…" I said sheepishly, quivering in my mother's arms.

He sighed, "yet you continued anyway?" 

I nodded slowly. 

Ineer ran his fingers along the scales on his neck, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Get on with it, Ineer! Or do you want to become a dragon statue!?" Elise grew tired of the dragon's antics. 

My father, for his part, rested his hand on my mother's shoulder. "Calm down, darling. Even though he is like this, he is still an expert on all things in this manner. Besides, we should listen to what he has to say." 

"Fine… No, you are right. I just can't help it when it comes to our daughter," Mom said. Father rubbed her back as she calmed down. 

"At least someone in this family is wise." 

My mother's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, but she allowed the dragon to continue as he turned his attention back to me.

"Now, I am going to ask you a question. Do you know why children under five shouldn't try using their mana core?" 

I shook my head. 

"So you really didn't read the warning?" Ineer asked. 

"No." 

He sighed again, "Since you didn't read it, I must explain it. The second someone is conceived, they start to take in mana from their mother. Slowly, over time, this forms the base of their mana core, but after birth, its development continues. A child will take in small amounts of mana from their surroundings, and their mana core will continue to develop. A mana core will not stop developing throughout a person's life, but it doesn't become usable until they are five. This is the point at which the mana core is structurally stable enough to support use. Do you follow?"

"Yes," I said. I wished I had read the warning even more. 

"What you did was incredibly reckless, and if you hadn't passed out, you could very well have died. I have seen cases where the mana core exploded entirely, instantly ending a child's life." 

The gravity of what he said weighed down on me, and once again, I remembered my promise to read warnings. 

"Now, you are lucky that yours is a simple enough case. The crack can be mended," Ineer said, but the uncertainty was hidden behind his eyes. "It can be mended, but it will be forever changed." 

"What do you mean her mana core will be changed?" Mom asked.

"I will mend her mana core with my spell. Maybe my father could fix it without changing her mana core, but I am not him. It's not that big of a deal. She might grow a propensity towards my family's magic. And as for me… well, that is not important." 

"Wh-"

"It is okay, mother. I trust him." 

"It is not that I don't trust him. I am just worried about your future." Mom said. 

"There is no need to worry," Ineer said, "if anything, this is like a boon to her, and the rest of her mana core will be the same. The only difference will be a small sliver." 

"Well, it isn't like we have a choice. If you do something strange to my daughter…"

"I would never do something that would cause your ire. I learned my lesson last time. Besides, I have a daughter the same age, so I can understand." 

"You have a daughter!? Since when? Why didn't I hear anything about this?" 

"Before that, there are more pressing matters. Wouldn't you agree?" He didn't wait for my mother to answer before placing his large hand on my head, a strange sensation crawling through my body. Eventually, it pooled in my chest. "This might hurt for a second." 

The pain that followed was nothing compared to cracking my mana core. It was more akin to a needle injection. 

The pain disappeared over time, and what replaced it was a soothing sensation that lasted for a while. 

"That should do it," Ineer said, and the pain in my chest disappeared. "There may be temporary side effects as her core adapts to the foreign mana, but she should be clear now.... I will need to get back to my daughter before my wife drags me back by my throat." He turned, transforming into the scary beast he arrived as. 

My mother shouted after him. "Wait! You still need to explain things to us!"

He turned back, making eye contact with her. They stood silently staring at each other's eyes, nodding back and forth. I had no idea what they were doing, but I made some guesses. Telepathy was the primary candidate for the odd exchange. 

Elise ended the silent conversation. "Well, you will still need to tell me about this wife and daughter of yours."

The massive orange dragon grunted, a more profound and raspier voice leaving his unmoving mouth. "Next time." 

He flapped his ginormous wings, taking off, and a massive gust of wind rippled through the knight's training grounds. I had to cover my eyes from the dust cloud. We all watched him flee towards a distant mountain range. 

Once he was far enough away to be a tiny dot in the sky, my mother tightened her embrace and started to kiss my forehead. 

"You will tell me what you two spoke about, right, darling?" My father broke the silence. 

"Of course, dear. Let us head back now. We have plenty to discuss." 

My mother sat me down once we got to my room before turning to Yumi. "Take care of her for a moment. If something happens, call upon us immediately." 

"Yes, Your Majesty," Yumi bowed. 

Mother and father headed out of the room and left me alone with Yumi. 

"Princess, how do you feel?" She asked.

"I dunno...Relieved and guilty." 

"I was not asking about that. We can touch on that later. I was referring to physically. How do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere?" She sat beside me on my bed, her orange eyes looking me over. 

"I feel much better. The pain is practically gone." 

"Then do not frown, Princess. Even though you smile at me, your eyes betray your guilt."

I gasped in shock, "they do?" 

"They do. Do not act surprised, Princess. Who do you think cares for you when the Queen is not around? Now, I don't enjoy that expression you are making." She lifted her tail, rubbing it across my cheek. It was so soft and fluffy. The heavenly sensation slowly calmed my mind. "There, those eyes are much better. What do you say to a painting session, Little Princess?"

"Yes!"