Bel nodded. “Just so. Your mind is not trained to be capable of conceiving of more than one reality at any given time. Surprisingly, in spite of this, you didn’t black out. It seems your mind has been filling in the gaps with the images of this world as it needed to for you to accept what was really happening.
“Dragon minds, however, are able to hold these concepts within a single conscious thought. This gives us the power to see the different aspects of and to act upon this world in a variety of ways.”
“Such as spotting the trap,” Kitalia murmured, unhappy that such a thing could exist that she had no chance of noticing. Still, she noted that as careful as Bel was with her words, she specifically stated that these powers might be something one could train to attain.
“Just so,” Bel responded. “I don’t know who laid it, or what would have happened had we set it off, but any creature that has the power to interact with this world in such a way as to lay a ward like that is certainly someone to be reckoned with.” She rubbed at her forehead, the exhaustion beginning to show in the lines that creased her brow. “The truly odd part though is that normally a tripwire like that would be very well hidden in order to be effective. Why this one seemed to be blazing brightly… I haven’t the foggiest idea.”
“Clearly visible to you, but impossible to view for one such as me.” She pondered that for a bit before she sighed and offered, “Another thing my father used to say was that sometimes it is not enough to set the mirrors to keep evil at bay, but to keep the fire well-lit so they know not to come close in the first place.”
Bel gave a soft chuckle and nodded, “Your father’s wisdom continues to impress. I think I should have liked to have known him.”
“Ha!” Kitalia exclaimed with a slight snort. “That would have been quite the sight. My father always expressed a hatred for your kind… though he never explained why.”
“It is not uncommon,” Bel replied, her eyes showing the hint of a painful memory for the briefest of moments before her serene mask returned, “sad though it may be. This is why we rarely reveal ourselves to be that which we really are. I think, perhaps, that is something that you know a little about, yes?”
Kitalia shrugged, not liking how the conversation had suddenly shifted to focus on her, “I have never lied about who or what I am.”
“Whether speaking a lie or withholding the truth,” Bel sighed, leaning back and sending her gaze off into the distance, “it is still a deception and an unkind thing to do to those we care for.”
She watched Bel’s eyes slowly close, and her breathing grow slow and even. The dragon must have been more exhausted than she realized to pass out mid-conversation. Kitalia was tired as well, but that last bit about withholding the truth had struck a nerve with her and given her a jolt that meant she’d likely be up for a while trying to settle back down.
It was probably just as well though given that someone needed to stand watch and it seemed that the dragon had nearly reached the end of her energy reserves. She stoked the fire a bit more and poured herself another cup of tea. Bel certainly had given her a lot to think about, whether or not she had been fully aware of doing so.