Scarcely five hours later, I was standing in the shade of a large tree where the Verdant Grove had once lorded over the forest. The massive trees fared better than they had in my vision when the ninth-level mana cannon had fired upon them, but they were still scorched and torn, with considerable gaps in the canopy from errant magical arts and spells. Much to my embarrassment, Elise had succeeded in persuading me to dress in Blacksand Style, in a pure white dress with crimson embroidery. A perfect fit, she said, for the occasion.
"Traitor," I mumbled, glancing at her beside me. She'd gotten away with wearing a relatively chaste dress from her home country, with long, ruffled sleeves and a small keyhole slit that barely reached the hollow between her clavicles.
She giggled, patting my arm. "Oh, relax. You look beautiful. But I think it's your aura that's got everyone staring. Aren't you going to rein it in a bit?"
"I can't," I mumbled, tail curling self-consciously.
