A few minutes later, Armin got another bite. He quickly reeled it in this time, revealing another Golden Jewel Fish.

'Woah, these things are swarming today...' he said. 'It looks about the same size as yours.'

He pulled out his phone, holding the fish while he took a picture of himself with it.

{Dianne leaned away from it, eyeing him with amusement.}

Dianne: "They must be starving today."

'Better get rid of it.' Armin tossed the fish away, smirking. 'You don't want to have to cancel our dinner tonight, telling Ardens that you can't come because you got KO'd by a fish.'

{Dianne just chuckles at that.}

Dianne: "I doubt a fish has enough power to debilitate me. It would probably hurt like hell, though..."

'I don't fancy it, either. That kind of bright flash wouldn't be pleasant on the eyes.'

'Alright, you three, we gotta start headin' back,' Kelp announced. 'Time's almost up and we've drifted a fair ways from the dock.'

Dianne: "Very well. We should probably get ready for our reservation anyway, maybe get a light snack before hand?"

{Standing, she reels in her line.}

'If you like.' Armin pulled his rod up onto the boat, then checked his phone. 'We've still got quite a bit of time to kill before we have to drive to the restaurant.'

Kelp turned the boat around and started to head back to shore. The sun was sinking into the western horizon, off to their left.

Dianne: "Yeah, let's just get like a couple of hot dogs, or a side of fries, something to tide us over. What do you think, Esme?"

{She asks, picking her up.}

Esme pricked up her ears, looked at Dianne and squeaked brightly.

'We can probably stop at a fast food place and get that,' said Armin. As they chugged along, he leaned over the side and absently trailed his fingers through the water, watching it lapping against the boat.

Dianne: "Yeah, just a small snack. nothing that might spoil our appetite."

The motor boat pulled up to the dock shortly afterwards, allowing them to hop out.

'Look after yourselves,' said Kelp. ''Twas nice to meet you both, after hearing so much about you. You don't need no hunters coming after you while you're just tryin' to live your lives in peace.'

{After disembarking, Dianne turns to address Kelp.}

Dianne: "Thank you, Kelp. It was nice to meet you as well. Have a good evening."

'Arh, you too.' Kelp watched them beginning to walk away. 'An' hurry up and get married!' he called out after them mischievously.

{Dianne just smiles at this, eyeing him as they walked away.}

Dianne: "He seems like a nice boy..."

'Boy? He seems kind of old,' said Armin absently. 'But yes, I suppose so.'

He unlocked the truck once they reached it, beginning to climb inside.

{Dianne gets in, buckles in, then hugs Esme tightly.}

Dianne: "When you're as old as I am, everyone seems like a boy. Well, that was fun. After I got over the fear of drowning, that is."

Esme gave a small, high-pitched squeak, sounding like a squeaky dog toy.

'So does that make /me/ a boy too?' Armin said with amusement. 'Yes, it was nice. I'm glad you weren't scared stiff the whole time.'

{Dianne gives a mischievous smirk.}

Dianne: "Yes. Yes it does."

Armin set off, looking for a fast food joint where he could take out something.

'In that case, ma'am, I don't think I have any choice but to call you an old lady.'

Dianne: "Alright, fair enough."

{She says, laughing.}

Dianne: "Age really does have no bearing when you physically can't change."

'It's pretty meaningless in a lot of respects.'

Armin turned briefly to eye her before looking back at the road.

'I'm guessing you were pretty young at the time you were made immortal. Though, I don't know if your species ages like a human...'

Dianne: "By human standards, I was the equivalent of my early thirties. I don't recall how old I was when it all happened. Something around eighty."

'Vampires aren't great at remembering things from a long time ago. Most of my early memories are already patchy. You're quite fortunate for being able to remember anything that far back at all.'

Dianne: "Perhaps, perhaps not. My mind is like a steel trap. I remember everything. Every person I met, everyone I killed, every win, and every mistake. You may eventually forget, but I never will."

'True. But it goes both ways. You'll never forget the good moments. In a few decades' time, you'll always remember Esme growing up and how cute she was. And you'll always remember how I saved you in Agamidae and made you fall for me,' he added slyly.

{At that, Dianne chuckles.}

Dianne: "Oh, come now, we both know you fell for /me/ first. But, you have a point. I am happy to be making good memories for a change..."

Armin smiled faintly and lapsed into silence. Spotting a fast food place with a drive-thru, he slowed to approach it, rolling down his window.

'What would you like to order?'

'We'll just get two sides of fries.'

Armin handed some change through the window, then settled back and waited for the car in front to move along.

'This Grond's place isn't a formal restaurant, is it?' he asked.

Dianne: "Oh, no. It's more of a family restaurant that specifically caters to dragons. There's no dress code or anything."

'Oh. Well, that's better.'

Trundling on to the next window, he accepted the two boxes of fries, then left the drive-thru, handing them over to Dianne. He then started on his way back to the hotel.

{Dianne began to eat them, and offer some to Esme.}

Dianne: "I guess we should head back to the hotel until it's time to go?"

Esme willingly snapped up the offered fries.

'Yes, I'm going back to chill for a while. We'll probably have to go quite soon, so let's just relax until then.'

Dianne: "Ok, let's go back. We got a few hours to relax, maybe watch tv or something?"

Armin gave a hum of contented agreement. A few minutes later, they arrived back at the hotel, and he jumped out of the car.

{Taking the empty fry boats and bag in one hand, and Esme in the other, Dianne follows Armin in.}

Dianne: "Hey, do I smell like fish or anything? I don't want to show up like that."

Armin sniffed the air as they got into the elevator.

'Mmm... faintly... along with a sort of lake smell. I doubt anyone except me could smell it.'

Dianne: "Ick. I'm still going to shower before we leave..."

{Getting to the room, Dianne lets Esme down and takes off her coat and shoes.}

Dianne: "Hey, see what's on tv."

Esme scurried off to play with her ball. Armin followed suit in taking off his jacket and shoes, then flopped down onto the bed, leaning against the headboard.

'I'm not sure what'll be on at this time of day... Magical animal documentary... cartoons... heh, there's your weird anime thing...'

Dianne: "It's terrible, don't watch it. Look, there's a documentary about my species and how they're in imminent peril, watch that instead."

{She then sat down next to him, leaning against the headboard.}

Armin left it on that channel, putting the remote down.

'Poor guys,' he said as he watched the dragons. 'Though, I guess their 'imminent peril' doesn't mean much to you.'

Dianne: "Why should it? They were never any family to me. My own parents threw me to the wolves."

Narrator: "...the inhabitants of this isolated colony face a much different danger than araneos and Giganoto Coleoptera. Poachers are a real and ever growing threat. The horns of the Ferrosian Marbled Dragons are worth millions on the black market for their potent magical properties..."

Armin whistled. 'Forget about hunters; you're probably going to have poachers coming after you next. You're worth millions in illegal goods.'

Dianne: "Let them try. I will track down everyone involved and tear them apart. Besides, if I'm in human form, they can't get my horns."

Narrator: "Let's talk with the chief of this tribe, Corvo."

Corvo: "The poachers are beginning to drastically affect the tribe. They attack anyone who ventures out alone, generally to knock them out and cut off their horns. While no one dies, no female wants a male with cut horns, and no male finds a hornless female attractive. They may not be killing us directly, but their affecting our survival as a species."

{The chief's dialogue was translated, but his actual language sounded similar to Dianne's ancient Ferrosian.}

Armin gave a half-amused, half-scornful snort at the chief's words.

'So, they're dying out because being hornless is too much of a turn-off for them to breed? Sounds more like narrow-mindedness to me. They'd be fine if they could just look past the fact that some dragons don't have horns.'

Dianne: "And you wonder why I'm in no rush to help them."

Narrator: "In this tribe, losing your horns is a sign of weakness. Members not only become physically unattractive, but metaphorically as well. No one wants a weak partner."

Armin was just gazing at the screen with a kind of disgusted fascination.

'OK, so, what if a hornless male encounters a hornless female? Are they both repulsed by each other, even though they've been through the same thing?'

Dianne: "I couldn't tell you. They're very proud, stubborn, and opinionated. I wouldn't be surprised if they were."

Narrator: "Nearly a thousand miles from here, on the Glittering Coast, this tribe faces a much different problem. Here, on the edge of the Tethys Sea, a battle is being waged, between the Ferrosian Marbled Dragons, and the he sea dwelling Novari. These aquatic dragons are vicious as they are venomous. They fight with the Marbled Dragons for control of the coastline and prey rich forests that border the sea."

'Not sure who I'd root for in a battle like that,' Armin mused. 'I guess I'd just leave them to get on with it. Damn, those sea dragons are kind of scary.'

Dianne: "After the fall of the Ferrosian Empire, the Novari rose to power, seizing control of the coastlines. The majority of the humanoid species had to go the the edge of the great forest and settle in the badlands or the desert. When Oracles stopped being born, the beetles became the massive killing machines everyone once feared, so the forest had to be abandoned. Now, the once great empire was swallowed up by the forest, and never again did civilization return to its former glory on that continent."

'So, not a very nice place to go on vacation,' said Armin. 'I'm all for adventure, but let's not take Esme to the country full of sea monsters, giant beetles and giant spiders.'

Dianne: "Definitely not. I really just go to visit my daughter's grave..."

Narrator: "These aquatic dragons are so combative, that they even attacked our camera crew. Luckily, no one was harmed, but their civilization isn't open to visitation. The Ferrosian Marbled Dragons, on the other hand, seemed eager to talk, hoping we could help them with their conflict. Here, we spoke to a warrior named Xicha."

Xicha: "We were here, along the coast first. So many years ago. Then, these over grown fish appeared and tried to take what was ours. We can't pursue them into the ocean, because we can't swim well. And they can't venture too far inland because they're outclassed by the natural predators. If there are any people out there looking for a home, and are good at aquatic combat, we would offer you a place among us, if you would only wipe them out of the ocean."

'I don't feel like many people are going to volunteer for that,' Armin remarked. 'There can't be many who would leap at the chance to live in Ferros, let alone help dragons who think you're ugly if you break a bit off your horn off.'

Dianne: "Doubtful."

{Getting up and stretching, Dianne walks over to her duffel bag and rummages through it.}

Dianne: "I'm going to shower."

Armin glanced over at her while the documentary continued in the background.

'If you smell of fish and lake water, then I probably do too... How much time have we got before we need to leave?' He checked the time on his phone.

Dianne: "It's about 6 pm. We got some time..."

Armin grunted and leaned back again. 'Alright, you go shower, and I'll try to fit in a quick one myself afterwards, if you're not too long.'

Dianne: "Ok, I'll make it as quick as I can."

(Skip?)

(Alright, skip to later.)

___________________

{About an hour and a half later, Dianne was getting ready to go. She had her hair tied back and was wearing jeans and her ferret shirt. Grabbing up purse and coat, she looks to Armin.}

Dianne: "Ready?"

Armin was sitting on the bed to wait. He had damp, frizzy hair, and was wearing a blue sweater, jeans and jacket.

'Yep.' Spotting Esme, he seized her - eliciting a surprised squawk - then started to head down to the car outside. //Let's see if we can beat Ardens to the restaurant,// he thought.

{Dianne walked with him to the car.}

Dianne: "Ok, the address is 20215 Richard lane."

Once they were in the car, Armin pulled out his phone and typed the address to check where it was. After that, they were off, driving through the dark streets.

'I hope Biceras agreed to this,' he said. 'I don't want her being resentful because Ardens dragged her off to spend more time with us.'

Dianne: "So do I. I don't want any more bad blood between us. I'm ready to move on, I only hope that she is too."

'I'd much rather have her as a friend than an enemy. I think she'd be pretty scary to get on the wrong side of. Her dragon form's /twice/ as big as you.'

Dianne: "I know. She's got a lot of earth dragon blood in her. I'll just be civil with her, as usual. "

Armin continued to drive in contemplative silence, waiting for their destination to come into view.

{Eventually, the restaurant came into view. It was a rather large property with two sections. One for dragon forms and one for human forms. There were dragons sitting in a vacant lot, being brought whole roasted animals by the staff.}

Dianne: "Here it is. the normal restaurant part is the one we want. Boy, that's a big fish..."

Armin hopped out of the truck. Both he and Esme looked over at the dragons for a moment. 'Huh. I guess that section is for dragons who can't shapeshift, maybe.'

He headed over to the normal entrance and went inside, gazing around attentively.

{Once they got inside, Dianne stood to the side, texting Ardens.}

Dianne: "They say to wait for them, they're really close. They're the reservation holders."

'Alright.' Armin stood beside her, with Esme on his shoulder, watching the doors for any sign of Ardens's arrival.

{After a few minutes, Ardens appears with Biceras in tow. Ardens was dressed a bit more casually than last time, sporting a black dress shirt and dark slacks. Biceras had a dark, open back dress. This choice of garb really showed just how muscular she was, looking like a body builder.}

Ardens: "Hello again. Hungry?"

'Hey, Ardens. And Biceras.'

Armin greeted them casually as he looked them both over. Esme chirped at Ardens in a seemingly friendly manner, but paid little attention to his wife. It seemed that she was still uncertain of Biceras after seeing the previous hostility between her and Dianne.

Dianne: "Hey. It's good to see you again."

Ardens: "Likewise. Come, let's get our table."

{Ardens walks up to the front desk, getting their reservations. Biceras remains silent the whole time, with a subtle air of discontentment. The waiter leads the group to a table in the middle of the restaurant.}

Waiter: "Here are your menus. I'll be back in a bit to take your orders."

Armin settled down beside Dianne, sitting Esme down on his other side, and absently pursued his menu. He was hoping there might be something with fish.

'You two doing alright, then?' he said. 'No more hunter ambushes or other trouble to speak of?'

He did not acknowledge Biceras's discontent, though he was aware of it.

Ardens: "No, no trouble on our end. It has been a very peaceful vacation. How about you?"

Dianne: "About the same for us. Nice, peaceful days with my family. I wouldn't have it any other way."

'We finished our Christmas shopping, and went fishing,' said Armin. 'Which I recommend; it's very peaceful. We took a boat out onto the lake and caught some fish.'

Ardens: "Hmm, perhaps we should give that a try."

Biceras: "Sitting on a rickety tub waiting hours for fish to bite? Pass."

Dianne: "Actually, they were quite ravenous. We didn't have to wait long at all."

'That might not always be the case. Sometimes nothing bites at all. But yes, it's not for everyone.
Armin was still idly flipping through his menu.

{Lucky for Armin, they were advertising the whole salmon as the day's special along with offering a wide variety of fish dishes.}

Waiter: "Ready to order?"

Dianne: "I'll have the Hog Side and Leg."

Ardens: "I'll take the rib rack."

Biceras: "Half-deer, please."

Dianne: "Also, the kid's salmon strips and a side of mashed potatoes, for the little one."

Ardens: "And a bottle of red wine, Vineyard Classic, 1864, for the table."

'I'll have the grilled salmon and potatoes,' said Armin. He glanced up from the menu at Esme. 'And add on a bowl of apple juice for the kid, if possible.'

Waiter: "Alright, that'll be out soon."

{Taking the menus, the waiter walks away. Once he left, the table fell silent. Biceras was boredly resting her chin on her hand, drumming her fingers on the table. Dianne didn't really want to engage her, as she figured the best way to keep things civil would be to not provoke her aggressor. As such, she turned her attention to anything else. Esme, Armin, the rest of the room. Anything but Biceras.}

Esme was gazing around the room, quietly taking everything in as usual. Armin could feel the faint underlying tension at the table, and didn't like the silence.

'I saw on the TV earlier that they expected snow in some provinces within the next few days,' he said, directing it mostly towards Dianne. 'Might be some in Vallis by the time we get back.'

Dianne: "Oh? Well, glad I got my coats. Now I won't have to stay inside all day."

Ardens: "Still don't like the cold, eh, Dianne? Heheh, I remember that winter after the war. You were shivering so much, you practically begged me to give you a coat."

Dianne: "Heh, yeah. I still don't understand where my winter stuff went. Could have sworn I brought it..."

{At this, Biceras stifles a snicker.}

Armin smirked. Then his gaze flickered towards Biceras for a split second, wondering if he'd just imagined her concealing a laugh.

'Something funny?' he said mildly.

Biceras: "Huh? Oh, it's nothing..."

{Dianne just kind of gives her a side glance before continuing.}

Dianne: "Well, Ardens, I'm thankful you gave me that coat. Not all of us can just give themselves a flame cloak to keep warm."

'A flame cloak? I guess he never needs to worry about the cold then... Meanwhile, you're probably going to spend this whole winter complaining about it, not wanting to go outside,' he said with a bit of amusement.

Dianne: "That's accurate."

Ardens: "Yeah, I'm a much better fire mage than I am a necromancer. She's much better at the dark magic stuff."

'Everyone's got their flaws and strengths. We're all good at some things and suck at others.'

Ardens: "True enough. Can't be the best at everything."

Dianne: "I wonder what Esme will be good at. She could be anything she wants."

'Hard to know; she's too young to be showing any skill in anything,' said Armin. 'Judging by the way she acts now, though, she might always lack common sense.'

(New room)