As he traveled the seas, Shulgan tread through new waters to cities and sights he had never seen before. The waters here were different than the Nyella, the life that flowed through the currents held many strange and wonderful things. Creatures that were small in other oceans flourished here, in greater size and numbers. He swam past Basoga and arrived in Fulani, the lake country due to how close it was to the Tuareg Sea. For land-dwellers, crossing the plains through the myriad lakes was a challenge. But for a sea drake like himself, it was only a longer path alternating through walking and swimming. The sights and smells were both different yet familiar to the fishing villages he had visited on the Parvporan shores. Different languages and different faces, yet performing the same tasks. 

He was still getting used to transitioning from different forms, centuries of slumber leaving him out of practice. Unfortunately this meant it took him some time to get the hang of shifting from being scaled to having only legs–leaving him often caught in awkward situations in between. It was quite embarrassing when an unsuspecting fisherman caught sight of him partially transformed, halfway into human shape. When this happened he would pull himself quickly back into the water again to sink down until the boats left. The cold water in the depths below helped cool the burning feeling across his ears and face. Shulgan's several failed attempts to properly enter human form had led to rumors of 'mermaid sightings' in the area, much to the drake's mortification. 

Once he was able to hold human shape, he wandered the city, taking in the sights and smells. As there was plenty of water, he found he couldn't make much exchanging what he caught from the lakes. There were too many fishers who could bring in more at once. A stranger like himself would have to find other means then. Troubling as it was, he did have one reliable method for making money in difficult situations…pawning his scales. In his travels, Shulgan discovered the shorter-lived races saw the old, sloughed-off detritus from his body as valuable. And it wasn't just dragon scales either–mermaid scales, dryad bark, and even lycanthorpe fur were in high demand among those who dabbled in the arcane. For some reason they had the idea that claw clippings, old teeth, and loose scales of dragons had mystical healing properties when ground down into powder. Shulgan was sure that wasn't the case, but he wasn't in the position to correct them as they eagerly handed him handfuls of the local currency for a few pristine scales.

The cuisine was something he still had to get used to, so there were times when he missed eating food fresh. During his dive for a large delicious fish, he saw someone floating underwater, drifting listlessly. Worried that someone was about to drown, swam over and pulled them to the surface. To his surprise, they were just fine! And that was how he met Mira, a local inhabitant of the lakes. Her eyes were bright like a jewel and she had boundless energy. They would talk about the sea and fish for hours, giving Shulgan a sense of warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. The sea was their home, they loved it as much as life itself. It was rare for him to find someone who shared the same thoughts and feelings as he did. 

"Tío, would you like to see my family? I live in a house in the middle of the big lake here." Mira said, pointing at an island in the center of the lake housing Benin. "I would be happy to!" Shulgan replied. He wondered if they were as lively and welcoming as she was. The girl took his hand and began to lead him towards the lake, floating off of the ground. "Come with me!" Before he could reply, the girl was flying high above the lake, with the blue-haired man in tow. From the Terrowin family mansion, a small speck of two individuals were slowly approaching from the air. Shulgan was dangling from Mira's hand like an azure flag in the wind. "First we'll meet my brothers and sisters, and then you can meet mama and papa." Mira explained, while her new friend was trying to maintain his composure by 'swimming' through air. His reaction to the unexpected flight was like a fish being plucked out by an eagle, flailing in the face of high-altitude winds. At last, they arrived at the doorstep.

Shulgan was winded, his hair and clothes looking like he had been put through a storm. Looking up, Mira's house looked more like a small castle. The young girl pushed open the door and let go of his hand, striding in to announce their arrival. "I'm home!"

Fiori had been spending most of the morning fixing up a vest she had been working on for the past couple of days. Over the years her talents in tailoring had grown and she recently started making full outfits instead of little dresses for her dolls. This past month she had dedicated herself to learning how to make vests for men, women, and people with unique body shapes. Whether they had wings or a tail or spikes didn't matter. She would figure out how to make it fabulous! She just finished up sewing a black button onto the vest when she suddenly had a look outside her window, she spotted two figures slowly approaching from the air. Fiori dropped her stuff and ran out of her room, heading downstairs towards the entrance hall. When the door opened, Mira stepped into the hall.

"Mira!" Fiori exclaimed with a bright smile.

The twelve-year-old ran towards her older sister and embraced her sibling. Every time one of the family came home, she would often be the first to greet them and give them a hug. Then she spotted the other person. A weird man. For a moment, Fiori was confused by his presence. Mira wasn't the type to take home men. Her older sister would rather take home whales, fish, and other sea creatures. Then she realized what this man might be.

A suitor.

Suddenly Fiori's cheery happy disposition turned to one of a sneer as she glared daggers at Shulgan. A nuisance would not be tolerated.

"Mira is that suitor bothering you?" She said as her expression returned to a sunshine-filled smile, "You know daddy and mommy can eliminate him in whatever way you want. There are so many options…"

Her voice was cheery and sweet but the venom in her words could not be contained. Other suitors could be dealt with and for some of her siblings, they were welcomed. But for her precious older sister there were very few who would be acceptable. Only the best of the best would be allowed for her family.

He wasn't used to being hoisted up off the ground. It was a strange feeling, like nothing beneath his feet at all while being pulled every which way. In the water, you had something underneath you so you could float–but the entire ordeal was disorienting. Tired and dizzy, Shulgan was recovering as Mira opened the door to be greeted by a young girl with hair like snow and bright ruby-red eyes. That child must be the sister of his new acquaintance, and he was eager to say hello until he saw her glare in his direction. Unlike Mira, her attitude wasn't friendly at all. She went back to smiling as she continued to talk to Mira, but overhearing the words he was starting to think maybe he wasn't being welcomed… The dragon had never experienced such intense hostility before in all his life.

Mira didn't notice her sister's change in expressions, but she went on to explain. "What? No, this is my new friend! I met him today in the lake, and he likes the sea too! We talked a lot about shells, swimming, all kinds of fish." She didn't even see the blue-haired man that way at all. To her, he was just a friend, like an uncle. They had a grandpa and there was the parents of the boy Shaya liked, but it wasn't the same. Papa always would be really serious whenever any of them talked to strangers or if boys talked to them. "He told me about how the sea deep down has fish that have lights on their body, and that the waters get colder. But even though it's cold, the fish there are huge. There are squid as big as a house!" She motioned with her arms as if to show Fiori what a giant squid looked like.  

Fiori was a bit relieved when she learned he wasn't a suitor. Mira was getting older and more and more suitors would come around. The last thing her older sister needed was a bunch of people to annoy her. When Mira told her about the sea, her eyes grow wide in amazement. Her older sister's description of the ocean was beautiful but gave off a sense of danger.

"Woah! As big as a house?! Seriously?" Mira exclaimed, "That's so cool! I wonder what it eats? Anything the size of our house is massive!"

She failed to realize that Mira may be talking about a normal-sized house and not a mansion. The twelve-year-old then looked to Shulgan with a kinder expression. He was not a suitor nor any threat and could be a good friend for her older sister. Mira needed more friends who weren't just fish… Fiori rushed up to Shulgan with a small smile and took a hold of his hand. Her smile was cute and she seemed like a little cherub now.

"I apologize for my behavior earlier. My big sis is super smart and powerful. So I wanna make sure nobody approaches her with ill intentions." Fiori explained, "My sister deserves all the friends in the world. I know you'll strive to become the best friend she could ever have. You won't disappoint me, friend."

Although she was no longer directly hostile, she was going to make certain he understood his duties to her sister and not bother if he had alternative motives. The Terrowins were a powerful family with higher connections than most royalty and enough money to make a small country's combined wealth look impoverished. People flocked to every Terrowin child hoping for a chance to even befriend them. Fiori freed poor Shulgan's hand and returned to her sister's side.

"Mira! I got a new fabric today." Fiori said excitedly.

She motioned to a servant to bring in a bolt of fabric from the shipment. The maid returned with a golden bolt of silk Fiori had purchased from some exotic place for a fair price. Fiori received the bolt of golden silk and brought it up for her sister to feel. The fabric felt like touching a piece of cloud from the heavens in a golden form.

"It's exotic silk from the Onnen region that was really hard to get. I managed to beat out some high-paying nobles in an auction. They had to go to the hospital afterward." Fiori explained before she moved the silk underneath light pouring in from one of the windows, "See how it sparkles in the light? I wanted something that would have a bit of sparkle. But having too much with this fabric texture and color would make the whole thing look garish. Instead, it's a subtle sparkle that will draw attention to the details without overpowering the composition of the piece I'm working on."

Fiori then noticed Shulgan's expression and realized that he may be a fabric enthusiast as well. His face seemed to light up when she brought in the fabric. But she needed to test her theory.

"Would you like to feel it too?" She asked, holding out the bold of fabric.

While he watched them talk, there was a small relief when the younger sister came towards him and didn't appear to be angry–until her words made him doubt his thoughts again. Rather than hoping he would be a good friend to her sister, it came across as more of an order. Shulgan did his best to smile despite being very uncomfortable. Perhaps the younger races were more protective of their kin? Even so, there was a lot of pressure being put on him by a child. Unfortunately Fiori's worries were unfounded, as Shulgan was the last person in the world to have or care about political connections. The dragon felt he could breathe again once the child bounded back to her sister, and he followed behind as he overheard something that caught his attention. 

Most of the words she was saying went over his head, but like all dragons Shulgan's attention was lured the moment he saw the shiny fabric. It was like gold, but soft! Gold was typically hard and cold, but this bolt of fabric looked so inviting. It wasn't literally made from gold, but he didn't know that. He had never seen silk before. The staring of his bright sea-green eyes was as clear as day to Fiori, and when she asked if he would like to inspect it he gave a nod. "Yes, I would very much like to!" Mira stood aside with a pleased look on her face as she saw her sister get along well with her new friend. She was worried that he would leave or be chased off, but it would seem that wasn't the case. 

The sea dragon approached the bolt of fabric hesitantly, looking at it from the sides. His behavior showed it was unfamiliar to him. As he pressed his hand against it, it was as if he had uncovered one of the world's secrets. "Oh! Oh!! It's so smooth and cool to the touch!" Fabrics he had seen before came in many forms: rough, coarse textured plant fibers, fuzzy wool, smooth yet dry-feeling flax, and soft linen. There were furs as well, but they were just hair. This 'silk' to him was magical. "How is it like that?" He murmured to himself aloud. Then–he took it and rubbed it against his face. He didn't feel the texture of any fibers at all! "What is this?" Shulgan turned, his face beaming.

Fiori was surprised to find the fabric had caught his attention in such a way. He rubbed his face on the silk and murmured a few questions about it. His face was beaming and he reminded Fiori of an innocent child who knew nothing of the world. All of Fiori's previous concerns flew away and she realized she finally had somebody she could talk about fabrics with! At the very least he could understand the complicated world of texture within fabrics. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she motioned for a servant to get another bolt.

"It's called silk!" Fiori explained, "Isn't it just divine? There are all kinds of colors and styles. Some are even woven with magic to ensure their softness. The method for making silk is kept all hush and it's extremely hard to get. You won't find this silk in a natural place. It can only be made by people."

She handed both silks over to the dragon and gave him a smile.

"Take both of these as a gift from one fabric lover to another." She said with a genuine sense of kindness, "I refuse to let a friend go without something like this."

Then she placed her hand on her cheek and let out a small sigh. Her face showed a hint of sadness with a little bit of regret.

"If only I could get more to share with you. I sometimes have to prioritize getting gemstones over silks. The value of the gems never matters, only the colors and the way it looks. But I have been running out lately and can only choose one or the other." She sighed for a moment, "If only somebody would be willing to hand over any gemstones they find. I would be able to buy more silks and share it with whoever I liked."

This silk truly was a mysterious thing! It was only made by people, yet not everyone was able to obtain it. It was what diamonds were to humans, in Shulgan's eyes. When he was allowed to have the magical cloth, Shulgan was overjoyed. Living beneath the waves in darker, colder waters; warmth and softness was something rare and hard to come by. Few creatures of the sea fit those two categories. Otters did, for example–but they would swim away due to seeing a sea dragon approach. Hence his desire to obtain and keep cloth in his hoard. This was the same feeling he experienced upon learning one could obtain wool–the hair of sheep–without harming the animal. However wool was averse to water, so even a large bag would lose volume after being put through a deep-sea dive. "Thank you so much!" His appreciation was genuine. Silk might seem odd as a gift to a dragon, but to him it was what he wanted.

Mira's sister then was somewhat dejected. As silk was such a rare thing, it was not easy to obtain. Gemstones were also another thing she liked, but as they too were highly valued, obtaining both would be costly. Though he cared not for gold or gems, he did know that humans would pay a great deal in exchange for them. Things that glittered were always appealing to dragons, and amassing a great hoard was a sign of one's prowess. He personally wanted things he found interesting and a comfortable abode, but his kin always chastised him for fawning over baubles and trinkets. After a while all jewels looked the same and metal was unappealing if left in the same shape. They were cold and hard, only good to look at and not to eat. A bed of fur and cloth was nicer than a bed of metal and pebbles. 

The kin of his friends were also his friends. As she was Mira's sister, that made her a friend too. "I can search for those stones and any other objects that people fancy. If color is what matters most, then that won't be difficult." He was still a dragon after all, and he was eager to see if she would discover more wondrous things to share with him. Those who often sought him out for his old scales would know where to find gems in large quantity. Even if they wanted the biggest and most costly, they would be able to find out. It was his gift to a friend's kin, the way Shulgan saw it. Giving gifts was something not unfamiliar among dragons when establishing ties and alliances. "I will come by here again when I have found some." With her quick thinking, Fiori now had a willing supplier for low-grade jewels.

When he suggested searching for stones and any other fancy objects, Fiori's face lit up with delight.

"That's a wonderful idea! Since you have access to oceans, look for pearls and shiny treasures and any colorful shells or coral." She said quickly.

Low-grade jewels were certainly fine but it was the ocean treasures that were more valuable. Although she had no idea he was a dragon, she did know he had a deep connection to the sea due to the expansive knowledge that Mira mentioned earlier. Access to those valuables was difficult and only mermaids or creatures of the sea could access everything. If he had such a strong desire for those silks, then he would bring her what she wanted.

"You're so kind to me." She said with a smile, "Even though we don't know each other that well you're offering to help me so much. I have to repay your kindness!"

Fiori motioned towards a servant to bring her measuring tape. The maid gave Shulgan a pitying look before leaving the room.

"I will make you the finest silk garments!" Fiori declared, "And I'll make certain it works above water and in water. You'll be wrapped in luxury and the softest of clothes. Of course, that means you'll have to visit us more so I can do proper measurements and fitting sessions. But that's alright. You'll get more time to talk with Mira!"

At the core of everything, her sister's needs and wants were always there. Fiori approved of Mira's new friend which was almost as dangerous as her disapproval. Now that Mira had a new friend, Fiori certainly wouldn't let him get away. The girl gave her sister a confident smile and a thumbs up while Shulgan wasn't looking. As for the fitting session, every member of the family understood what that truly meant.

When Fiori went to work on outfits, she would become a perfectionistic workaholic. The fitting session victims would stand for hours trying on a series of dresses, then trying them on with shoes, then without the shoes, then with accessories. One dress could take an hour to figure out how to accessorize and pair up with makeup and hair and anything else. Symptoms of a Fiori fitting session were aching backs, sore feet, exhaustion, and the desire for a long nap. Hence why when new friends came near the family, she would ask to do a fitting session with them. For her family had the knowledge to turn the offer down. New friends did not.

Fiori clasped her hands together and looked at Shulgan with the biggest most beautiful puppy dog eyes that any child had ever given.

"You will accept my gift, won't you? I promise I'll do my best for you. So please give me this chance!" Fiori begged.

Shulgan didn't mind when it came to pearl and coral collecting. Finding them wasn't difficult, and he knew how much to gather. Other treasures from the sea would be harder to acquire, especially from the ruins of ships. Those places were often overgrown and occupied, rather tight places where he would need to resort to shifting into a smaller form. Mira's sister was happy with his agreement to offer whatever he found, and the dragon was wondering if she had another gift. "Oh? Alright then." Little did he know what he was getting himself into…

Having clothing made for him was a surprise. Shulgan never really thought of it, as he simply wore what was comfortable and convenient for him. The clothes he had from ages before had seen better days, so he wasn't opposed to it. If she wanted him to visit more often, then was she not welcoming him? "I see! Hmm, I've never had clothes made for me before. So this is how people made clothing?" Mira was starting to feel bad for her new friend as she saw Fiori give her the thumbs up. It had been a while since she brought a friend that could talk and wasn't a fish, so the thought slipped her mind. "Fiori don't push him too much, ok?" She was worried her sister would go overboard on their first meeting. 

Shulgan endured an experience like no other that day. At first he was instructed to stand, which wasn't difficult. But then he had to hold his arms out. He then put on clothes, then took them off–put on a new set, then wore a pair of shoes. This cycle alternated and underwent a multitude of variations to the point where his head was spinning, no longer able to keep track of how many times. Although he didn't do very much, somehow the lengthy process was exhausting. Shulgan had found himself a place to sit as he leaned his back and head against the wall, looking like a wilted plant. At this point he was ready to hibernate for another thousand years. Wearily he looked up to see if Fiori had more garments for him to try on. It had been only a few hours, but it felt so much longer than that. During the fitting process, Mira checked in every so often to see how he was holding up. She did feel bad for not warning him. 

"I forgot to warn you how my sister gets when she meets new people she likes. Sorry…" She said, with an apologetic look. The dragon wheezed as he propped himself up. "It's…it's alright." People forget and make mistakes. And besides, he could tell she didn't mean to leave him in the dark. At this rate he might not be able to visit for a few weeks thanks to today.

The second Shulgan accepted her request, she got to work. The measuring tape was brought by one of the maids and Fiori began measuring Shulgan's arms, legs, hips, waist, chest, ankles, neck, head, and even his wrists. She quickly wrote down all the numbers then beckoned for one of the servants to retrieve some of the stored up silk. There was a glint of excitement in Fiori's eyes as she looked at the measurements. Mira then requested for her to not push him too much. 

"I won't push him too hard." Fiori responded. 

Her first client from outside of the family would have one of the best garments in the world. They would be comfortable robes that were still elegant and would make Shulgan shine. The silks brought in were in a variety of shades and patterns. Fiori spectated the silks for a moment with a serious gaze, as if she was judging each and every one of them. Suddenly, she plucked a pastel bluish green and brought it over to Shulgan. 

"This is mulberry silk and is one of the more popular silks among nobility. It's easiest to access while still keeping its refined quality." She explained. 

Fiori wrapped the silk around him to see whether or not the color would look good with his complexion. The green silk looked great but she wanted to try out some different colors and patterns to see what she could try. She pulled back the silk and grabbed a more yellow and white shade to see how it would appear. The yellow was pretty on him as well so she tried another silk and wrapped it around his shoulders. Fiori began a series of changing out silks and pairing them with other colors and fabrics. By the time she was done, several hours had past.