She Witnesses An Inheritance

Despite them being in the caves, Robin noticed something. They were clean. Too clean. There were some recent knicks in the rocks, showing signs of a recent battle. But there was neither blood nor weapons, not even a broken arrowhead, to indicate who might have been there before them.

There was also not a speck of dust or dirt or mold. It felt as if someone had cleaned the house up before they arrived. Robin frowned as she followed the singing duo. For their sake, she remained vigilant as they continued deeper into the caverns.

---

There WAS someone singing, Briar discovered after listening carefully. The voices were getting louder as they approached the great cavern she stood outside of. The magic circle was beginning to glow slightly in response.

She had been drawn here due to the familiar mana in the magic circle, but that didn't mean that she would reckless approach it. Briar had transcribed the magic circle and inscription on the cavern floor into a sketchbook from where she stood. Once she was finished copying it, Briar understood just what it was.

This was a magic seal.

But of what, Briar couldn't tell. Yet, she had a feeling that the two approaching singers might give her a clue...As the singing got louder, a small breeze blew through the cave. Briar blinked. Why did this breeze have the scent of the ocean in it?

---

As Robin followed the two dragons, she began noticing something. the scale on Chelsea's forehead, and the pearl strung around her neck were beginning to glow. The scale on Liam's neck was also glowing and a blue pearl drifted out of his sleeve, circling about him in the air as he sang.

It was quite the different experience, witnessing this up close and in person, compared to behind a television screen. Robin followed, taking out her camera to record a video of it.

The places where their feet fell were now clearly seen, as mana rose in the area, creating a visible spectrum. while they were not underwater, the surrounding light and mana were such as imitated water. soon enough, small aquatic plants and fish could be seen swimming around in the impressive light display.

But they were still on dry land, breathing only air. There was no need for any other source of light. The surroundings were alight with the strange currents of mana.

Robin felt slightly light-headed as it reminded her vaguely of the atmosphere around the great mana tree. The mana was gathering ahead of them as the surroundings became brighter. Soon enough, they came to the end of the caves, a huge cavern.

Robin and crew stopped in the entranceway as they found they could not move forward any longer. A barrier stretched across the entrance, a thin and impenetrable film. But, Liam and Chelsea had walked through it as if it were not there at all.

"Should I break it?" Robin muttered to herself.

"I suggest you not." A voice came from her left. Leaning against the edge of the opening was Briar. Robin blinked. She didn't recall Briar being there beforehand.

"Friends of yours?" Briar asked, looking at the two who were dancing closer and closer towards the center of the cavern. "In that case, I feel relieved."

"What's going on?" Robin asked, concerned.

"You are about to witness something that not many have in the history of the world." Briar watched the scene before her with interest shining in her eyes. "The inheritance of a dual domain."

"Domain?" Robin asked.

"Ah, right." Briar tilted her head in consideration of her newest sibling. "A domain is an area in which one has full authority over the mana of one specific trait. Areas of unclaimed domains are treacherous and ever-changing. And only dragons undergoing their inheritance can claim a domain for their own."

"Then what is a dual domain?" Robin asked.

"If a domain is a circle, then a dual domain is two circles that touch upon each other." Briar explained. "They are closely related to the point where you cannot inherit one without someone else inheriting the other. There are restrictions for these based upon compatibility, so finding the proper dragon for an unclaimed domain..." Briar paused. "Well, you could say that it is one of the duties we elves are given, in order to maintain the stability of the world."

"So, did you do this?" Robin asked, waving her hand at the barrier.

"There was no need to. My grandmother already ensured that the proper rulers will arrive to inherit their thrones." Briar said, looking fondly upon the magic inscription that now glowed brightly in the cavern. "It has been a long time, but finally the proper rulers have arrived."

"So why the barrier?" Robin poked at the invisible wall before her. "Was she afraid that we would mess up the inheritance?"

"The barrier is for your sake." Briar replied. "Inheritance of a domain, much less a dual domain, involves a dense mana atmosphere that you currently can't handle...she foresaw even this much." Briar sighed with an expression of fond nostalgia.

"Excuse me..." Christian waved a hand, seeing that Robin's conversation with this elf was finally over. He had at first felt alarmed at the sudden presence. But, seeing that Robin somehow seemed to know this elf allayed half his fears. And now, he was feeling guardedly jealous against the elf who was getting along so well with his treasured Robin. He couldn't hold back his pointed question.

"Fascinating explanation, I'm sure, but...who are you?" Christian's question hung in the air only for a moment before Skye meowed and pointed at Briar.

'The Traveller!' It exclaimed. Usually, all that Robin's crew could hear was cat noises. Yet this time, everyone there clearly heard Skye's words.

Briar glanced at the flying cat and smiled merrily. "Indeed I am." She replied with a nod.

"Ah, that's right." Robin realized that Briar hadn't met her friends yet. "This is Briar Rose Moonbow, the traveller that I mentioned earlier. She is also my adoptive older sister, currently."

"What?" Christian asked, dumbfounded.

Briar winked merrily. "Jealous?" She asked.

"No!" Christian blustered immediately. Robin smiled. Christian currently looked like a kid who had been caught stealing candy by an adult.

Briar glanced between Robin and Christian, and suddenly understanding came to her. She smiled knowingly at Robin.

"You must have it hard." She said with a smirk, before turning her head to watch the show before them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Christian scowled.

"Shhh!" Robin hushed Christian as her attention also turned towards the two in the cavern. Liam and Chelsea had reached the center of the magic circle.

The pearls hovering about the two figures grew brighter and brighter, shining like a star, as the two sang their ephemeral duet. As the stars shone, the two figures loosened their control on their humanoid forms. Wings, tails and horns sprouted behind them as the shining pearls suddenly spun around each other before shooting into the reverse scale on Chelsea's forehead and Liam's throat.

Not much visibly changed in the two after that, but Chelsea's voice changed, carrying within it the depths of the ocean, and the lightness of the waves. Liam's voice too, took on its own transformation. In that it had both the whispers of the wind and the howling of the storm within. the two sang out one last drawn out note, and then fell into silence as the light began to dim and the mana density to fall.

The horns, tail, and wings were once again retracted and hidden. They were once again the Chelsea and Liam that the party were familiar with. However, small changes, and details hinted that they were more now than they were earlier.

Liam bent over and murmured something into Chelsea's ear. Briar's ear twitched. Chelsea laughed, and nodded in agreement. She lifted her hand up to her face and slowly removed the blindfold that she had worn from the start.

Liam's eyes widened in surprise, before they narrowed into a rare doting smile. He brushed a strand of hair out of Chelsea's face.Then, wordlessly, the two began to make their way back towards the group at an unhurried, measured pace.

Once the two dragons approached, the barrier across the entrance faded before finally dispersing into the air.

"It seems congratulations are in order." Briar said to the two of them. Liam and Chelsea looked away from each other in surprise, finally realizing that others were present. Chelsea blushed. "Yes..." She said in a small voice.

"Your eyes are so pretty, Chelsea." Robin smiled. "Why did you wear that blindfold all this time?"

Chelsea glanced at Liam, before looking down. Her response was soft, like the fluttering wing of a butterfly. "Because....brother said....that my soulmate would find me better without them...I was not to take it off before..."

"What she means is," Liam interjected. "That she has agreed to marry me." His gaze twinkled merrily upon Chelsea's rare shy appearance. She was usually so confident about things.

"Oh, congratulations ARE in order then!" Robin realized the meaning in Briar's words. Her eyes narrowed into a smile. "I am glad." Robin placed a hand upon the entwined hands of Chelsea and Liam. "I had suspected this would happen, but I never thought it would happen so soon. It's nice to see you together."

'Since I will be leaving soon...' were the words that Robin stopped herself from saying. This was a joyous occasion, not to be marred by words of ending.

"Jealous?" Chelsea snickered. Robin chuckled, and shook her head.