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“Kaiya?”

Kaiya looked up from the brilliant blue-green hide of Mabonth’s back, which was now gleaming with an oily sheen. She put down her oil rag and looked down at her little brother, who was standing next to them. “Yes, Halante?”

Halante stared at Mabonth with a rather confused expression. “Is Mabonth a girl?”

Kaiya raised an eyebrow. “Uh… yeah? Mabonth is definitely a girl.”

Halante’s confused frown grew deeper. “Then why is she blue? I thought girl dragons were green!”

Mabonth’s eyes whirled and she let out an amused hum.

“She’s laughing at me!” Halante said with a moan.

Kaiya sighed. “Stop that!” she said, bopping Mabonth’s snout with the oil rag. Mabonth bumped her snout playfully against Kaiya’s head in return, smearing oil into her hair. Kaiya giggled and stroked Mabonth’s head, then looked back at Halante. 

“It’s hard to tell, isn’t it?” Kaiya said. “Most people can’t tell if she’s blue or green at first glance. Even I thought she was blue when she first Hatched!”

Halante tilted his head in bemusement. “Then how do you know she’s green?”

“Her size. Mabonth’s smaller than most blues. And then…” Kaiya’s expression grew tense. “In the next few months, she’ll rise to mate.” She was silent for a few moments.

“Is something wrong?” Halante asked.

Kaiya gave her head a quick shake and picked up the oil bucket at her feet. “Nothing,” she said quickly, continuing to oil Mabonth’s hide. After several minutes, she finished Mabonth’s back and body, then beckoned Halante to come closer.

“Look closely, where the sunlight hits Mabonth’s hide just so…” Kaiya tilted Halante’s head at a certain angle, and Halante squinted his eyes.

As the light beams blazed against the hide of Mabonth’s back, it shined a deeper green, with only a few hints of blue. The color of seawater under sunlight, from afar, and in shallow waters.

Halante’s eyes widened. “Wow…”

“See?” Kaiya answered with a playful smile. “Definitely green.”

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