Book 2: Chapter 128 (1/2)

Prika hummed while lying on her belly. She flipped to the next page of the book that was the size of a food stand and giggled. Nova peered over her shoulder, paint smears on his face and snout. “You seem awfully happy,” Nova said and blinked. “Whatcha reading?”

“The Godking’s Legacy,” Prika said with a nod. “It’s a romance between a squirrel and a sword. One of my prisoners finished it the other day.”

Nova scratched his snout, spreading more paint on his scales. “One of those people you imprisoned for not wearing pink?”

“No,” Prika said and rolled her eyes. “This one broke Prika Appreciation Monday. He didn’t create a sculpture of me and offer it to the skeletons, so what was I supposed to do? Not imprison him for breaking the law? Society would fall apart!” She laughed and flipped to the next page of the book. “I wonder how many people I’ll catch with today’s Rainbow Panties Wednesdays. Oh! That reminds me.” She placed a leaf in her book and closed it before facing Nova. “I caught this really weird blue thing. She could transform into different shapes: fishes, octopuses, birds; I had to evaporate her and store the vapor in a bottle to prevent her from escaping.” She reached behind her wing and pulled out a bottle with an unfortunate water elemental named Mistle inside of it. “Any idea what it is?”

“That’s a water elemental,” Nova said, taking one glance at Mistle.

Prika stared at the bottle in her paw. She blinked and met Nova’s gaze. “Think she can write romance novels?” She tapped the glass, but Mistle didn’t respond. Prika snorted and gripped the bottle, scratching the surface with the tips of her claws. She grunted and shook the bottle up and down and side to side.

Mistle screamed as she bounced off the walls of her glass prison. “Stop! Stop!” She sobbed as the bottle stopped shaking. “How can you be like this!? Who arrests someone for not wearing a hat!?”

“Fancy Hat Saturdays are a serious thing around here,” Prika said and flicked the bottle. It shattered, but Mistle remained crouched, hugging her legs. Her body was in the shape of a droplet of water, but once the glass broke, she solidified into a blue rock. “You broke the law, so I arrested you.”

“Who made that stupid law!?” Mistle shouted, tears dripping from her sapphire eyes. “I’ll beat him up!”

“I did,” Prika said. “Like I made Animal Tail Sundays, Prika Appreciation Mondays, Three Coat Tuesdays, Rainbow Panties Wednesdays, Socks and Sandals Thursdays, and Pink Robe Fridays.”

Mistle glared at Prika. “There’s something wrong with your head.”

Prika’s lips drew together into an O, and she blew out a steady stream of fire right onto Mistle’s body. The water elemental screamed as steam rose out of the cracks on her surface. “What did you say?” Prika asked, tilting her head. “I couldn’t hear you over someone screaming.”

“You’re a monster!”

Another jet of flames washed over Mistle. Prika swatted the vapor down and rubbed it into Mistle’s body, re-solidifying the screaming, watery rock. “Pardon?” Prika asked. “Someone screamed again, so I couldn’t hear you properly.”

“…”

Mistle shrieked as Prika puffed another breath of flames into her blue face. Prika tilted and lowered her head, bringing her ear next to Mistle. “What was that? It’s rude to ignore someone when they’re talking to you, you know?”

Mistle sniffled. “What do you want from me?”

“Romance novels.”

Mistle’s sobbing stopped. “Romance … novels?”

“Yup.”

Mistle’s rocky surface crinkled as she furrowed her brow. “Like Domeo and Duliet?”