"Their saliva-thing burns when on fire, but it still works for a moment. And I think the monsters might know something. Their attack was organized."

"Sure. Like I said, not sufficiently human right now to make this kind of decision, so if you wanna decide that for me feel free."

"Okay, then." She looks where the reptoid was. "Well, that one made themself scarce enough that I think it might be a good idea to take to the air again."

Up, up, and away.

The castle is surrounded by gardens. Beautiful and large enough to count as parks.

They spot the light of a lantern at the edge of one. It wasn't there a minute ago and Dayo can tell it's near the dimension's edge.

Well, they can go there slowly.

"Be careful. I am pretty sure it's a reptilian monster."

And as they get closer it does look like a reptoid... actually, two reptoids, except one is apparently unconscious and being dragged by the other. The conscious reptoid spots the massive dragon and yelps and does their best to run away while carrying the other.

The dragon is faster and can knock that reptilian out with a tail then try to pin it down.

Reptilian meets the ground. It doesn't even try to tongue them.

"Please! Please! Don't hurt us." There is a distinct lack of hiss in the voice.

"—wait what?"

"Don't hurt us," says the whimpering reptoid.

"Huh..."

"Okay please correct me if I'm wrong but are you reptoids? Or is this place making it look like you're reptoids?"

"Yess."

"Yes, what?" Vera asks.

"Yess, we are reptoids. Don't hurt uss mighty one." The reptoid is bowing like Dayo is a deity or something.

"Well why not, you were hurting us first."

The reptoid flinches. "Jusst obeying orderss from masster. And not you. We were at the white place looking."

"Your friends for sure hurt us."

The reptoid flinches again.

"What white place? Looking for what?"

"For thingss that the masster might want if there were any."

"I asked two questions," she huffs, exhaling smoke from her nostrils.

Flinch. "We we-were sssent to recon new dimenssionss and one was jussst white before it got thingss. We were sswept away by wavess."

"Wait, what?"

"Sorry?"

"Was—was there anyone there? A girl?"

"Yess. Dark-brown skin." Flinch.

"Well. Fine." She looks at Vera. "I'm not human right now, I don't know what to do, figure it out before I eat it."

The reptoid flinches and trembles.

"Okay, you... do you have a name?" Vera asks.

"S-sissu."

"Sisu? Well, wait a second and don't do anything stupid." Vera turns to Dayo and waves her to get her head closer. "Are you okay? Did something happen in the white place?"