Eira was simultaneously relieved and disappointed by Kaida's admission. She had known that fact well enough, and though she'd mostly only offered out of politeness, part of her had truly meant it, too. She didn't know if she would have been able to get on well with Kaida, either way - but she felt like there was someone new in her sister, someone she wouldn't mind knowing, now that the poisonous influence of their power-hungry sister had been lessened, if not cleansed away entirely.
"I thought as much. But I thought I'd offer, anyways." There was no guile nor shame in her smile; it was a simple one, half-tinged with regret that they had lived lives so separate as to be unable to continue on together. But perhaps all families went through just that - at least, the ones that weren't spent in back-breaking labor, toiling on the family farm to eke out a meager living. As much as Eira wished to be human herself, she was infinitely grateful for the lot she'd pulled in life - at least, compared to that existence.
"And I'm glad to hear that you've changed your diet. You already know my views on hunting humans." She shrugged, her face shuttering slightly at the topic. That had been such a constant spot of contention with her relations over the years; while she wasn't sure of Aeizith's own preferences, it was heartening to know that someone who had once been so thoroughly a fan of sentient prey was lessening in that respect. "And while I can't - and have no desire - to control your life, I do wish you'd be pickier with your, ah, choices in entertainment." She paused a moment, not wanting Kaida to think that she was being nit-picky or nagging too much, but if the opportunity to steer her sister from boundless cruelty was available, she was compelled to take it.
"If you are still going to, ah, prey on humans, at least do it to the ones who really do deserve it. There are criminals out there, Kaida, and I'm not such a human-lover as to think that their idea of law is fully functional. If you're going to prey on people, do it to those who hurt other people." She took a deep breath, biting her lower lip, then continued, "I know that you must feel some sort of guilt for what you did in the past. You have to, or you wouldn't have changed now. We may never be able to atone for our past wrongs, and you may not particularly like people at all. But I think that in taking steps to protect them from the evil ones in their midst... I think that will help, somehow. Lessen the guilt maybe, or try to make up for your past sins.." She frowned intensely at the grass beneath her legs, then looked up again. "I'm not judging you. Not anymore. But I think it would be better if you acted that way, instead of taking good lives simply for the sake of boredom." Another shrug, a moment of silence. "But I don't want to control you. I can only tell you what I think. I won't ever compel you to follow my ideals." Not like Emilia. The words hung unspoken on the air, but palpable, shimmering like a ghost between them.
Relieved to step back from the dangerous precipice of morals, Eira latched onto the new subject with alacrity. "Oh, quite well. You wouldn't think that there'd be much more to learn about humans - after all, I've been among them for.. what, nearly ten thousand years now?" She paused for a moment, delight softening the expression on her face, so that she looked even more warm and inviting than she normally did. "But I've come across a new book that I've been dying to get my hands on for what feels like centuries. That's what I was doing; I've heard rumors that it's in Cerenis." She tactfully neglected to mention any of the events that had transpired on the road, giving Kaida time to either gather her self-possession or let the memory fade to dust.
"And it's not all just about humans. I'm trying to learn more about magic. My affinity for earth - I don't think that can necessarily be learned. Earth magic can, but obviously I was born with it, like you were born with all of your, ah, tricks." For a moment, a look of avarice glittered in her eyes; Kaida's abilities were quite unique from most of the magic she'd learned about, and she wanted desperately to understand it better, to know if it was something that could be learned, or only gifted through that freak chance of nature that had created her. Dismissing the thought, she shrugged. "There's still so much more to learn about magic. I think I've got humans mostly understood - well, that's a lie," Her laughter was bright and infectious, as buttery and golden as the sunshine itself. "Sometimes I think I'll never understand them. They have such odd ways. And I really don't understand why they constantly kill each other, and for things like gold, or ideals." She shook her head, a rueful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. For all of the deficiencies she had found in her own kind, at least they left each other relatively well enough alone. Wars amongst dragons were so rare as to be nothing but legends now, and from what she knew, even murder for reasons beyond self defense were exceedingly uncommon.
"But I know you're not much interested in my studies, little Kaida." She tilted the stone jug back to her mouth, hazel-gold eyes bright on her paler younger sister. "Why are you in Cerenis? And besides losing one of the great terrors of our world, what have you been doing recently?"
