Chapter 152

Renko was the first one home from school. Sensei wanted to speak to her, but she pretended not to notice and ducked out quickly, hurrying up the hill. She stayed a girl because in some places she didn't really have room to become a dragon, and flying itself took a lot of room when you were her. Oh, she could pop from place to place, but when the distance was so short, it took less time to walk and she still needed room to change, in the air if not on the ground. She wasn't entirely sure how it all worked, just that it did. Azuki and Shota, smaller, would be flying, though, and would arrive shortly.

She entered the workroom, crossing to the mechanical loom she had, with Shota's help, improved to run on steam power, eliminating the need for a human to power it by pushing pedals. Shota had helped with that, his innovative ideas more than compensating for his small size, something Renko rarely noticed. Shota, bird or boy, was simply himself, and her very best friend.