"With sufficient training and mana capacity, constructing a solid-state shadow construct in the shape of a wyvern is entirely feasible. As for the consumption of hostile targets... yes. That could be arranged."
"Yes!" Seraphina cheered, stabbing a piece of cake with her silver fork. "I'm going to make a shadow dragon, and I'll name him Fluffy, and he will eat all the bad people with the gray fog!"
She was babbling nonsense, mixing horrific dark magic theory with childish whimsy, and Kaelus found himself responding with absolute, deadpan seriousness.
It was bizarre, awkward, and incredibly comforting.
'He really cares,' Seraphina thought, a warm, fuzzy feeling expanding in her chest that had nothing to do with the sugar rush.
She watched him carefully wipe a spot of spilled water from the table with his napkin.
He was so big, so intimidating, yet he was sitting here listening to her talk about imaginary shadow pets.
