Valerie took the small piece of paper from the little girl and looked at the representation of herself. The dragoness grinned, displaying her much softer side to the little girl. She handed the piece of paper back to her.

"Miss dragon?" The little girl asked.

"You may call me Valerie. What is your name?"

"Elena."

"Elena," Bery said. "That's a beautiful name. Do you love drawing?"

"I do!"

Valerie chuckled. "My kitten here is the best artist in this whole world. She could paint you a scene that would leave you with your mouth hanging open. You could even learn from her just by looking at her paintings."

"I wanna see!" Elena squealed.

The little boy next to her jumped and raised his hand. "Me too!"

Bery felt herself becoming red from all of the attention. Even the adults surrounding them became curious of her drawings. They kept getting hassled until a familiar face came over to stop the crowd.

It was a merchant from the Merchant's Guild reception, and he wore a nice brown vest that matched his hair. A pair of glasses adorned his face. "Alright everyone. Can't you see that you're all overwhelming these two?"

"Severin?" Bery asked on seeing him.

"That's right," Severin said with a smile. "I am surprised you were able to remember me, but I am glad you were able to escape safely from the hands of those bandits. Emary had been so worried about what could happen to you."

The man knelt in front of them and crossed an arm over his heart. "From today on wards, I will serve as a steward of this until you have no use of me. That was what the king said. Please, feel free to use me as you see fit. If not, then I shall return to my duties at the guild."

Bery looked at him with raised eyebrows. "It feels weird for you to act this way now after all of these years. Valerie and I will not mind if you act as normal."

The dragoness nodded. "I don't mind one bit. Though, you might be getting replaced sooner rather than later."

Severin stood with a grin. "I do not mind one bit. I was rather popular with the people at the guild, and they would come to me for many matters. If the two of you are able to function without me, that would be great." The man looked over to Bery once more with a small nod. "I would love if you could make more paintings. There was a merchant who came by recently with a work that I believe belongs to you."

The kitten's eyes widened. "My work?"

Severin chuckled. "You haven't heard? Some people are calling you the Kanai'n Paintress."

The kitten gasped, but it was the little girl who jumped in.

"You're that paintress?" Elena asked with eyes like saucers. "I had no idea! I want to see your paintings even more now!"

The steward laughed heartily. "There you have it. We are at a crossroads now. All of these people want two things. They want to see the dragon with their own eyes, and they want to see the paintress."

"Wait a second," Bery said, "what painting are you talking about?"

Severin nodded and pushed up his glasses. "The merchant said he found it by a river. It was the painting of a Kania'n family, and he sold it for a hefty price. Once I found out that it was in our guild hall, I was able to personally inspect it. As you know, I inspected many of the paintings you sold through us to Emary."

Valerie narrowed her eyes. "While we were on our adventure, you mean to tell me that someone was profiting off my kitten's hard work?"

"Please spare me the ashen punishment," Severin said with a wave of his hands. "I didn't really like the prospect of it either, but Bery is the one who left it there, is she not? It would be strange to expect someone to not take it. Besides, the merchant seemed to respect the artist deeply. He took great care of it before selling it to us. He said that he wanted to see the Kanai'n Paintress if he ever got a chance."

"Where is he now?" Bery asked.

Severin shrugged. "He took off towards the south after he arrived here. I was surprised he didn't try to sell it to another guild branch. I am sure he would have made much more from it had he sold it in the capital. Fine arts might be coming back in season."

Valerie nodded and looked around at all of the people watching them. "I guess I should give the people what they want to see." She looked to Bery next and pulled a canvas with paints from her empty space. "Do you want to paint something for them?"

"I would be honored to, darling." Bery performed a clumsy curtsy and grabbed the bottom of her skirt.

Valerie chuckled before she gestured to her hand at everyone in the surroundings. "Move further towards the street if you do not want to get injured. Though, I will take great care not to hurt anyone, I can't do anything if people get too close."

The men and women on standby nodded and started pulling their children away from the tree.

Bery held the hand of the little girl whose parents seemed to be nowhere around. "Don't worry. You will not be harmed if you stand next to me."

The little girl shook her head and smiled. "I am not worried at all. I just want to see dragon lady."

Bery giggled and watched Valerie.

The dragoness performed her transformation in an exaggerated manner, flapping her wings through a plume of black smoke. Fire trailed out of the corner's of her mouth and she took to the air with a spin of her massive red body. She launched streams of fire in a dazzling display.

When Valerie finished her act, she landed beside the tree and wrapped her large body around it.

All of the awestruck people in the surroundings clapped their hands and looked towards the kitten next to see what would happen.

Bery grinned towards her dragoness. "You stay perfectly still like that, and I will make the painting."

The little girl next to the kitten latched onto the side of her skirt with her small hand. "I want to watch!"

"Of course, little one. I will show you how I make paintings."

Bery's eyes widened at herself. Over the course of her life, it would have been normal for her to grow fearful at events like these. The fact that everyone was watching her made her heart throb, but she found strength by looking towards her dragon. A small tear flowed from the kitten's eye.

It seems that all along everyone has been changing me. My father tried to make me strong and ended up creating someone who was cowardly instead. My mother wanted to give me all of the love in this world, but she passed away before she could. My Goddess gave me the ability to grieve and she extended my lifespan. My love, Valerie, has filled me with endless amounts of joy in such a short time, and she's made me feel stronger than ever before.

Bery was slowly embracing all of the flaws that made her weak, and the brush in her hand was like her will to keep going. She wanted to become someone that was even better and braver. Someone that was even more worthy of Valerie's love and attention. The kitten wanted to become someone that deserved to be married by such a dragoness. And the bristles of her brush wanted to paint that future in her heart.

She moved her brush onto the canvas after dipping it in paint. A beautiful blue sky that matched the kitten's eyes started to make itself known. It was through gorgeous blue jewels that she would paint the sky of her everlasting future.

The kitten moved the brush again, and the grass started appearing on the ground below. The rolling sea of green would carry her heart into a brighter future. It would calm her like the wind dancing against each blade of grass.

Bery continued with the tree in the middle of that clearing. It stood upright, giving life to all of her future desires.

The kitten didn't even notice all of the people who'd come to look over her shoulder. No matter how much time passed, she was too entrenched in her art.

Her brush finally found the red of the dragoness, and she bled the scales that would paint her life onto the canvas. The future where the two would be wed started with the flames of their joined hearts. Their love carried the painting all the way until the end, and the scene completed.

Bery hadn't known how much time passed, but several people had gone and left about their days. Those that wanted to watch the Kanai'n Paintress or greet the dragon had already come and went.

But the little girl was still there to see it through. Her parents had eventually come, but she would not be taken away.

"Amazing," Elena said.

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