: An Animal Person

"I believe she is a divergent flame elementalist." Gerrin corrected.

Unlike regular fire, her flames were white. The flame element didn't have a sub element like the other three. Instead, it had divergent flames.

It was rarely heard of, but it was possible. These flames had different functions. But he didn't know what function Kayda's held.

Dimitri continued to stare at Kayda.

She didn't shy away from his gaze and blatantly stared back. But she couldn't help a chill run down her spine at his icy stare. It was as if this man was made of ice.

After a second, he turned his gaze back to Gerrin.

"We'll leave now then."

Turning away, he walked off.

Clouse sighed. "Why couldn't you have taken longer to learn the spell?"

Gerrin hit him on the back with a slap. "You just want to spend more time with the village girls at the edge of the woods."

Clouse put a foot forward to stabilize himself from Gerrin's forceful slap.

He could feel the area between his shoulders sting.

"You know how they are Gerrin. Girls tend to crave beautiful things." Clouse winked but Kayda just raised a brow at the obvious narcissistism that Clouse portrayed.

As she looked at them, she could feel the obvious wall that separated her from their conversation.

She didn't mind, but she also didn't care to stay and listen to their conversation while she stood like an invisible statue.

With a thought, she silently slipped away while Gerrin and Clouse were bickering, and with a little looking around, she found the stables.

Three large valkmare stood in their cells, silently watching Kayda walk in.

One of the valkmare must have belonged to Gerrin.

Looking at the valkmares, she immediately recognized Clouse's with its rusted color coat and brown scales.

The last time she saw them was when she first arrived here. And because she was riding with Dimitri, she didn't get to see his.

And it didn't take her long to figure out which one was Dimitri's.

It's coat almost resembled the night sky. Black as ink. But somehow, you were still able to see the black eloquent pattern on its fur.

Taking a step closer to it, she also noticed how it stood almost three feet taller than her and was the biggest creature in that barn.

She wasn't at all deterred by its size and continued to go even closer to where she was standing right in front of it, the only thing separating them was a single rope.

With big eyes, she looked up as it raised its head arrogantly.

Pawing at the floor with its front claws, it looked nobly down at Kayda. Her eyes following every one of its movements as it seemed to be showing off.

She had seen valkmares before at a distance. They would usually be used by big time adventures, people who wanted to show off or daring nobles. Since these creatures were known for their wildness.

Like arrogant stallions, they refused to be tamed unless by the right owner. And not to say for the fact that they are omnivores with more than one row of razor teeth, they tend to fight back.

If not for their strength, witts and stamina that was well beyond that of a horse, then people would not even consider using such a dangerous creature unless there was some sure way to keep them under control.

So even if she were to see one in public, it would be a rare sight.

Thinking about it, she silently surveyed the majestic creature's body, looking for any sort of indication of foul play, or just a way to control the creature.

But seeing that there was none, made Kayda have mixed feelings for some reason.

There was a sense of joy knowing that there was nothing forcing this beautiful creature to be a mount. But then, she could feel a bitter emotion rise up in her throat.

Even a mount had it better than she did.

She was jealous of a mount.

As if sensing the foul mood Kayda was emitting, the valkmare lowered its head in caution.

It's large face coming into Kayda's view.

Looking at it, she wasn't at all scared by how close it got.

Fangs peeking out under its mouth. Large golden eyes with double pupils and big long ears that were embroidered by small scales and fur.

She was mesmerized.

As if she couldn't help herself, her hand reached up and hovered an inch before its face. Not wanting to touch it without its permission.

Looking at her hand, there was a second of silence before it lightly pressed its nose forward and Kayda's small hand came to touch it.

She couldn't help but beam.

She couldn't hide the joy she felt, and no one was around so she didn't have a reason to hide her intentions or emotions.

She could remember nights she would cry herself to sleep in a small cage at the Black Sea Arena as a child.

For battles, they would force her to fight against not just people, but a variety of beasts.

When she had first killed those timberwolves on her first fight, she remembered being so sick she would throw up every time she thought about it.

She knew she was an animal person.

It was a weakness of hers.

With a smile on her face, she gently stroked the valkmare's face, tracing lightly along the pattern of its fur and loved the way the soft fur felt on her fingertips.

The valkmare didn't seem to mind her touch which made her a bit more daring.

With a smooth motion, she went under the rope separating her and the valkmare. Now she was inside the stall with it.

With permission, she gently started to move her hands along its broad body. Feeling it's sleek coat. She couldn't reach its back where the scales followed its spine, so she daringly settled with lightly touching its scaly tale lightly as she was afraid of making it annoyed.

It's scales where smooth and cool, that it reminded her of a snake.

As she was petting the scales, she noticed the long tuff of hair at the tip of its tale. It was slightly matted and had a few knots.

Without thinking, she bent down and started brushing it with her fingers, trying to smooth it out.

All the while, she wasn't aware of the pair of cold blue eyes following her movements.