The girl was so startled she could not speak.
The waterfall roared like thunder, stirring up a vast haze of spray. A beautiful woman with jet-black hair and a white dress stood suspended in the air, half-veiled by mist. Branch-like dragon horns, majestic yet not lacking in divine grace, rose from her head; pointed ears and a long dragon tail behind her flicked lazily as she tilted her head, curiously watching the Half-Dragon People on the shore.
"Gra... Grandpa... huff huff..."
The elderly Half-Dragon People clan elder, still kneeling devoutly on the ground, frowned.
He glanced back at his granddaughter and inwardly sighed. Though his granddaughter was exceptionally talented, her temperament was not yet steady enough. She was still too young. Back in his day, he had long since been able to stand alone.
"Huff..."
The delicate girl trembled in panic and raised her hand, pointing toward the waterfall.
The old man's heart skipped a beat. His aged eyes widened round, and a certain suspicion faintly surfaced in his heart.
His body shook, his lips quivered, and he slowly turned his head.
The waterfall was mighty, its vapor dense, the mist surging and billowing. When the white expanse fell away to reveal a mysterious figure, the pressure from her bloodline nearly suffocated the elder. Perhaps it had been too long since he had seen a divine dragon; the old clan chief did not even know how to speak to her, and could only stare blankly.
The other Half-Dragon People, who had been kneeling with their heads bowed, gradually raised their heads as well.
The entire group turned to stone in stunned silence...
The waterfall rumbled.
An eerie, awkward silence filled the scene. In the lake, an otter floated past on its back, cradling a sleeping pup.
They had imagined meeting