CHAPTER 44: SCALES AND COOKIES

Even though Maldie had retired, it didn’t mean the work was over. When she hit another decade of age, she realized it was time to start chasing her dreams. Gari supported her in that, both emotionally and financially. After a few tough first years, they finally made it.

For the past five years, Maldie had her little bakery – a cozy, small stand built next to her own house, and it was pretty popular.

Today was a day off. Midweek always had the fewest customers, so they decided to spend those days with each other or their families.

Gari and Maldie were lying on the old couch, cuddling, kissing, and talking about random things.

Then there was a knock at the door.

"Go get it, I don’t feel like getting up," Maldie said.

"Me neither," Gari replied.

"Come on, go! I promise you, tonight’s going to be awesome," Maldie said, smiling a bit teasingly.

"Eh, alright," the half-dragon replied. The knocking came again. "Okay, I’m coming!" Gari called out.

She opened the door to find Haru standing there with Asahi.

"Auntie Gari!" the boy said cheerfully, then hugged her.

"Oh my god, kid! You’ve grown so much!" she said, ruffling his hair.

Asahi, proud of himself, laughed.

Gari exchanged a knowing glance with Haru. She knew this wasn’t just a casual visit.

After a moment, she invited them inside and told Maldie to get up.

Maldie, happy, went to make tea and put out some homemade cakes and cookies they hadn’t sold over the past few days.

In front of Asahi appeared so many sweet, colorful treats that he didn’t even know where to start. He picked up a round, dark cookie that had a nice crunch.

"Asahi, remember not to eat too much," Haru said.

"I know!" he replied, turning to him with his mouth full and crumbs on his face.

"Geez, you little glutton," Haru said, brushing crumbs off his cheek.

"Mom! Stop!" Asahi said, embarrassed.

Gari, Haru, and Maldie, who had just sat down, all laughed. Maldie brought chairs from the kitchen for herself and Gari.

"So, are looking for a new bodyguard?" Gari asked.

"As long as I’m with my kids, I don’t really need one as long as I’m with my kids. Ever since I got this power... I can handle protecting them myself"

"But who’s going to protect you?" the half-dragon replied.

Haru was caught off guard. For now, he figured as long as he could handle potential threats, they didn’t need a bodyguard. The past ten years had been so peaceful that he hadn’t even questioned what would happen if he, as the only line of defense, failed.

"Maybe we should hire someone. I’ll think about it later."

"Yeah, I guess you didn’t come here for palace management tips," Gari said with a laugh.

"Oh, by the way, how’s Sayaka?" Maldie asked. "She’s the daughter of my best client - I hope she’s doing well."

"To be honest, I’ve never seen a more clumsy girl in my life, but she’s formed a really close, warm bond with our kids."

"Yesss! Sayaka’s sooo awsooome!" Asahi yelled excitedly, in the middle of munching another cookie.

"Don’t talk with your mouth full," Haru reminded him.

"I’m glad. Hopefully she keeps improving," Maldie said. "Anyway, like Gari said, let’s get to the point."

Haru sighed.

"Asahi, show Aunt Gari your arm."

The boy held out his arm toward Gari, showing the scales on the inside of his elbow.

Maldie looked at him, worried and, to some degree, frightened. Gari stayed calm, examining the inside of his elbow carefully

"Whoa, you’ve got some serious skin here," she said, running a long fingernail over one of the scales. "Tell me if this hurts." Gari unexpectedly scratched it.

The boy screamed in pain but kept eating – he choked a bit, but Haru reacted in time.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," Asahi replied weakly, wiping the small tears from the corners of his eyes. He straightened up, previously bent over to help clear his throat. "Aunt Gari, why’d you do that?" he asked in a weak, shaky voice.

"I had to check what kind of scales are growing on you. And I’m afraid it’s the most troublesome type, at least until you hit puberty. From what I remember, it’s the rarest kind... When you’re a little kid, not only do they hurt as they grow because they’re thick, but at first, they’re very sensitive, and the tiniest scratch, like just now, can cause a lot of pain. Luckily, I didn’t have to go through that – mine were thin and tough – but I’ve heard it from other reptile friends," she said, smiling. "Anyways, there’s also a bright side. When you grow up, these scales will turn into armor, hard to break with swords or even magic. So keep your head up, kid! You’re going to grow into a strong, unbeatable dragon."

"R-really?" he asked, hope lighting his eyes. e reached for another cookie, but Haru gave him a shake of his head

Asahi, pouting a little, listened.

"Yeah. You’ll probably get so strong, you could take me down in one hit, haha," she added with a genuine smile.

"I-I’ll be s-strong?" he asked, his voice filled with growing excitement.

He looked at Haru, who smiled at him.

"I’ve told you, Asahi. You won’t just be – you already are. You’re doing a great job dealing with this."

Asahi struggled to hold back tears of joy. His lips trembled, but he turned his head aside.

"Oh-ho, trying to act tough, huh?" Gari said, standing. "You’ve heard so many good things, so why are you whining, huh, boy?" She came over and started tickling him.

"Auntie, stop!" he laughed.

Gari played with him like that for a while, making Haru and Maldie laugh along.

Haru was still thoughtful. Something was still bothering him.

"But if his scales are this sensitive now," he asked after a moment, "isn’t there any way to protect them?"

Gari sighed.

"You could use bandages, but it’s a bit risky. If they’re too tight, the scales won’t grow properly and will stay sensitive for life. They need to be loose, but not too loose, so they don’t fall off."

"I see," he said, sighing. "I’ll figure something out."

"Alright, give him a break from that," Maldie, who had been quiet until now, added. "For sure, it’s tough for him, hearing about all the scale stuff he has to go through. How about we bake a cake together?" she said, smiling at him.

"Yesss, I waaaant to!" Asahi shouted happily.

The rest of the day passed with them cooking together. Haru and Gari sat and talked, while Asahi kept running to Haru every so often, showing what he’d done, covered in flour or with chocolate all over his face.

"A few hours later, Haru apologized a bit, saying it was getting late, so they should head back.

They took the cake Asahi had baked with Maldie with them.

Asahi couldn’t wait to share it with the rest of his family.

Even with those bothersome scales, he really felt happy that day.