Nalari’s answering growl reverberated inside me while Hoshiko took a defensive stand in front of Finley and me.
The largest of the dragons, also carrying the red mark of the Elders, roared, and the hairs on my arms rose when a thick charge clung to the air. Sama opened his mouth, and tiny sparks built until a long stream of orange and yellow flames erupted from him. It was bright and loud, hitting the grass only a few feet from the other dragon.
The dragon stood still, either stoic or unimpressed.
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. That laughter only wanted to build when several heads turned to stare at me. I only focused on Hoshiko.
“A lot of help we’re proving to be in your home if we can’t survive a simple greeting,”I told Hoshiko.
Amusement made his eyes brighten.“How do you plan on defusing the situation?”
I winked, grinning when I heard Elias’s huffed laugh.
“Before we decide on the best way to slaughter one another, I’d like to ask you a question, Kassidy.” I waved a hand toward the female. “If I may, that is?”
Her lips tilted in a lazy yet confident smile, and she nodded for me to proceed.
I pointed at the tree that my friends and I had pondered over. “Is that tree a male boasting with rather large and impressive testicles?”
Kassidy’s mouth opened, but nothing came out, so she tried again. She croaked out a strange sound before she shut her mouth. With a shake of her head, she removed a dagger from her ankle and walked toward the tree. While Everly kept her sword ready, I loosened my grip on mine. Kassidy shook her head again, either in disbelief or bewilderment. Likely both. She putthe dagger between her teeth and started to climb the rather slim trunk until she reached the top.
She made it look so simple that I found myself wanting to climb the trunk as well.
Two of the human males stood beneath the tree, and when Kassidy cut the poor tree’s testicles off, she tossed them to the waiting men. My groin panged in sympathy, but I held myself still so I wouldn’t let on the pain I felt on behalf of the unsuspecting tree.
I caught Finley’s grin as she motioned her chin toward my nether regions.
“These humans are savages,” I whispered to her.
She bit her bottom lip and widened her eyes. “Or maybe you’re wrong, and those aren’t testicles,” she said just as low.
“There is no other explanation,” I said.
“I agree with Finley,” Elias said, giving Finley a small nod. “They’re sling-stones and are the trees’ natural defense system.”
Like that made any sense.
When Kassidy had thrown a dozen non-testicles, she made her way down the tree with the same ease she’d used in climbing up. She took one of the dozen she’d picked and handed it to me.
It was far larger than my own testicles, hard with a roughened skin and tangled, wiry hairs. Of course, Kassidy took a bigger one for herself.
I squeezed my legs together when she slammed the back of her dagger against the one she held, and it cracked open. She inclined it toward me, and using her knife, she sliced into what looked like smooth, white film or skin. When she cut off a chunk, she handed it to me.
Not sure what to do with it, I watched her cut off another piece and put it in her mouth, then she motioned for me to do the same.
I hesitated, unsure if this was a more inconspicuous way to kill me. Before I could think too much about it, I took a tentative bite. Sweet flavor burst on my tongue. Eager for the others to try it, I broke it into smaller pieces and handed them to Elias, Finley, Everly, and Javier.
Javier studied his piece.
“I don’t think it’ll kill you,” I told him. “Tastes great, so if it does, it might not be a terrible way to die.”
Kassidy covered her mouth when she laughed.
Javier let out his own laugh. “You’ve never seen a coconut before?”
“Never,” I answered, taking another piece from Kassidy. “Did you have those in Colina Verde?”
“Not growing on trees or anything,” he said. “They grew in tropical places, like the Caribbean Islands, but most grocery stores carried them.”
