I hummed an unknown an rythym as i walk along the shore. Im on my way to check on Queen Dara if she's doing fine. 

That kid can be a trouble at times, I tell you. 

While i was walking, i heard continous splashes of water. As a curious animal that I am, I made my way where the noise is coming from.

From my place, I can clearly see a figure walking on the middle part of the water. Playing with the clear water beneath her feet. Making some splashes of water with her toes. Her head tilted upward, looking at the almost orange skies. 

Lately, she's been staring from a far, her talking lessened and always in deep thoughts. 

Unconciously, I made my way towards her quietly. She haven't noticed my presence yet, not until I began choking. I started flapping my paws like a bird and desperately trying to go back to the shore.

Wrong move, Aleser. Wrong move. 

Im drowning. I can't breathe anymore. My life started to flash before my eyes. I can already see the light. Im dying. 

Then i heard a giggle. "come on, Aleser" the next thing i knew, i felt myself being lifted up in the air. "Oh... Thank------" strong wing whacked my face as she helped me dry my fur. 

"gently please!" i cried in the air.

"sorry!" she laughed and slowly brought me down. i just saw my paws floating on water next to her feet and with her help, of coarse. I let out a sigh seeing I survived. Im alive. 

"what are you doing here, Its getting dark" i spoke. She shrugged and sat down beside me as if she is not standing on moving water. 

"just thinking about...... things" we are both facing the sun, watching it setting down. She wrapped her short arms around my furry neck and place the top of her head at the back of my ear. 

"Aleser" she cleared . "what do you.... what do you think about mortals?" she asked. It took me minutes to reply. There was a long silence between the two of us as she waited for me to answer.

"well... there is a big difference between mortals and us... and you especially. There are good mortals but there are also bad mortals. Some of them are strong... the others are weak. Some knows reality while some are just waiting for something to happen. What im saying is not all mortals are the same. Not all of them will think the same about you. Some might me scared, amazed, shocked, while some will take advantage. They are complicated creatures." 

She always ask the same thing over and over again but she still doesn't get tired of hearing the same answer from me over and over again. 

"how about their world? the world outside of this place?" though Im nt facing her, I can't help but to look away. 

I know what she's thinking. I know that one day she would be curious and would want to mingle with mortals. "no dara... you wont go anywhere" 

I wanted to move and walk away from her but I can't. Who knows what this woman can do. She might drown me and leave me choking on water to death. 

She removed her hands around my neck and faced me. "Aleser, please" but i firmly shook my head. 

"i know its dangerous but I'll be careful.. please... " she begged me. "you will promise nothing dara cause I wont let you leave." 

Before her parents died, they entrusted her to me and I promised to myself to protect her and be at her side always. I wont let her leave. Not now. Not ever. 

"Aleser, i know i grew up with you and your like my father--" 

I cut her off "Brother. Im just like your brother Dara. Im young as you are" 

She smiled. "Okay.. your like my brother who wants what the best for me but i know what i want. I promise I'll be careful and I'll come back safe and whole.. please"  she clasped her hands and placed it on her chest while narrowing her eyes cutely. 

"why do you want to go there badly?" she sighed and started to fidget on her place. 

"I.... I want to have friends. Dont take it wrong. Your enough as my friend, all of you are enough but i also want to experience different things with people" i sighed and lowered my head. I know she's right. Even though she's different, she's still a girl who deserves to have friends with humans, the same like her and not just some talking lion and talking creatures. 

But i still wont let her leave. I wont. I really wont. "aleser, please" 

__________________________________________________________

"Im sorry Mr. Kwon.. I'll fix..."

"How can you fix this?! All you needed to do was to finish and submit me the file before or on the due date but you aren't even half of finishing the file!" 

"Mr. Kwon, please.... y-you cant fire me...thi--" 

"Oh yes, I can" A knock on the door came, saving my secretary from bursting into tears infront of me. 

"you can leave now" Seungri barged inside right after banging my door. 

"wassup hyung!" Yura, my secretary ran out of my office and slammed the door behind seungri. I rolled my eyes. 

"another one hyung?" he said as he sat down on the couch inside my office. "you need to be easy with your workers hyung. Just relax. You're too serious with your work. For all we know, you might be practicing some nina moves when your alone" 

i stopped massaging the bridge of my nose and looked at him. "how did you know?" 

"Duhh... its your childhood dream to be a ninja someda--" he paused and out of the blue, he bursted with a boisterous laughter. 

"so you do? huh?" i shook my head and threw him the pen that was the nearest my reach and threw it at him. 

"shut up seungri"