Two hours later, Al' Kaar returned to the tent, his body drenched. His right hand tightly held the reins that bound Kamal's head.

The camel struggled, asking to be released. However, Al' Kaar ignored her and pulled the rope in his grasp even stronger, gritting his teeth. Maybe he should've let Tamil cut the neck of this annoying creature.

Suddenly, Al' Kaar's steps halted. He stared at the tent, a few dozen meters ahead of them, with suspicion. Something had intruded during his absence.

Al' Kaar tugged the reins, causing the camel's head to bow, and whispered, "Quiet..."

Kamal spat. A clear, viscous, and odorous liquid splashed onto Al' Kaar's face. The male argon froze briefly before wiping his face and grumbling, trying to control his anger. "I am... the master of myself..."

The movement inside the tent made Al' Kaar ignore the female camel's action, which was trying to free herself. The male argon squinted to see better and slowly approached, dragging his mount.

*****

The distance grew shorter. Al' Kaar stood in front of the cloth door, looking surprised. He saw a female argon trying to open a box inside his tent.

The girl was a wild argon as she uncovered her body with anything. Al' Kaar's jaw dropped as he gulped down. He hadn't seen the smooth skin of a female argon in a long time. The women in the settlement had learned the concept of modesty, but not the one before him.

The female argon had tucked her long dark brown hair to the left side, tilting her head. Her face wrinkled in confusion as she looked at the simple lock on the box.

Al' Kaar's pulse quickened as his gaze lingered on the girl, her graceful form bending over to grasp the wooden lid with both hands, revealing her twin's uncovered charm.

The man unintentionally pulled Kamal's reins too hard and was rewarded with a bite on his ear.

"Ow! What are you doing?!" exclaimed Al' Kaar spontaneously, pushing Kamal.

Al' Kaar held his ear, then realized the presence of the female again. He turned slowly to the girl and smiled. "Hello..."

*****

The girl rose at her feet. She took a few steps back, slightly hunched. Her hands stretched out, and her yellow eyes looked warily at Al' Kaar.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," said Al' Kaar as the girl stood with a defensive stance.

The female argon's wary gaze shifted from suspicion to confusion as she studied Al' Kaar's appearance. Even the tension in her body eased as she looked at the camel as if it was playing with its thick eyelashes.

Al' Kaar let out a relieved sigh; it would be challenging if the female argon panicked and set his tent on fire. "I'm Al' Kaar... What's your name?"

However, his question was unanswered as the female argon observed Al' Kaar from head to toe before asking him, "What is that thing?"

"This?" Al' Kaar asked, pointing to the white robe he was wearing. "This is clothing...."

"Why are you covering your skin?" The female argon furrowed her brows in confusion. "Are you deformed?"

Al' Kaar paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. He even held his stomach.

"Why are you laughing?! What's funny?" The female argon widened her stance, showing a defensive posture. Scales resembling snakes crawled over her blue skin.

Al' Kaar's laughter stopped abruptly. He raised his hands in surrender, letting Kamal walk away. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to offend you...."

The female argon narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She still crouched in a guarded position, but her scales gradually softened.

Al' Kaar let out a relieved breath while he lowered his hands. "I am part of civilized regions... It's time we advance our culture."

"Cu-cul-ture?" The female argon tilted her head, showing a puzzled expression. "What's that?"

Al' Kaar's smile widened. He pointed to his robe and said, "This is culture..."

Then Al' Kaar pointed to the box near the girl. "That's culture."

The female argon's gaze followed Al' Kaar's finger before she blinked her eyes.

Al' Kaar shrugged. "We live in a settlement where argon can have a better life than in the wild."

"Set-tle-ment?" The female argon looked back, still wearing a confused expression.

"Houses, just like humans have..." Al' Kaar used both hands to try and explain better.

However, the female argon just stared blankly. Slowly, the girl walked towards the tent door.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Al' Kaar, who stood outside the tent. He felt curious. "Why is your face turning pale?"

They got closer. Al' Kaar could even smell the distinctive female scent of the argon across him before the girl suddenly ran away.

"Hey!" exclaimed a surprised Al' Kaar. "Why are you running?! I don't mean any harm!"

"Wait!" Al' Kaar immediately stomped to catch up with the girl. "At least let me give you my robe!"

The female argon screamed in fear as Al' Kaar almost caught up with her. A pair of wings resembling giant bats appeared on her back, along with scales covering her skin.

Before long, the female argon shapeshifted. A pair of dragon wings appeared on her back. Blue hard-scaled covered her skin. She kicked her left barefoot and soared into the sky.

Al' Kaar stopped to chase her. He rested his hands on his bent knees while catching his breath.

A man glanced at Kamal as the female camel swayed her hips and fluttered her long eyelashes at her owner. Al' Kaar took a deep breath to ease himself. He walked toward his camel and started to whistle, imitating one of the humans he had seen.

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Copyright Luna S.Winterheart