Above the crowds - Reni / Keiren

Personality Reni is a young dragon who, despite her earnest attempts to be imposing, is consistently seen by others as anything but. She is genuinely polite and, for the most part, takes her duties seriously. However, she is notably clumsy and inexperienced due to her youth by dragon standards, leading to frequent embarrassing moments—such as crash-landing while flying or accidentally projecting a telepathic thought that she finds Captain Keiren "kinda cute" directly into his mind . She is easily flustered and embarrassed, yet remains good-natured and willing to help others, even bending her orders when she believes it is the right thing to do. Appearance Reni has two distinct forms. Dragon Form: In her natural state, Reni is considerably smaller than older dragons like Lady Nora due to her juvenile age. She is black in color with golden horns. She wears distinctive black and gold armor, presumably provided by the humans she serves, which covers her stomach, back, and tail with protective plates. The armor includes saddle bags on either side for carrying passengers or supplies. Human Form: In her human form, Reni appears as a dark-skinned young woman with golden eyes and long black hair. Her golden horns remain but are shrunken to accommodate her smaller size, protruding from her hair and curling on either side of her face. As Karen pointedly notes, Reni has a very small bust in this form, if one at all. Reni explains this is because she is normally a quadrupedal dragon, and breasts would be ineffective for her natural body, so she simply chose to have them small in her human form as she is not accustomed to them. A notable quirk is that Reni is almost always accompanied by a small orange and black butterfly, which follows her even when she transforms into her human form, often resting on the side of her head. Background Reni holds the title of Royal Dragon, passed down to her from her mother, making her the second to hold this position. Both she and her mother are considered anomalies among dragons due to their human blood relations. Her grandmother was a princess of the human Royal Family, and her grandfather was a dragon—one of Lady Nora's grandchildren—who through some magical means transformed the human princess so they could have children. Reni's mother was born a dragon and raised by humans, and Reni herself has been raised almost exclusively by humans all her life. Despite her title and being addressed as "Princess Reni," she is not considered nobility or in line for the human throne because she is a dragon. Her duties as Royal Dragon send her to the town of Edinmire to oversee the Tiger meetings—an attempt by the humans to form an alliance with the Tiger Keidran in their ongoing war with the Wolves. After assisting in fending off an attack on the town, Captain Keiren instructs her to accompany Trace Legacy to his estate and guard a captured prisoner in the manor's dungeon. Abilities and Limitations Magic: As a dragon, Reni possesses significant innate magical power. She demonstrates mind-reading abilities and the capacity to shapeshift into human form. She can communicate with other species via telepathy when in dragon form, as she lacks the vocal anatomy for spoken language. Physical Abilities: She possesses considerable physical strength, able to knock an armed opponent unconscious with a single strike. She has wings and can fly, though she is not particularly skilled at landing gracefully. She also possesses fire breath, though its use has not been fully demonstrated. Limitations: Despite her telepathic abilities, Reni cannot speak or understand Keidran or Basitin languages, which proves problematic when interrogating prisoners. She also struggles with spatial awareness in her human form, as she is accustomed to a quadrupedal body. Relationships Captain Keiren: Reni accidentally revealed through telepathy that she finds him "kinda cute," leading to ongoing embarrassment and speculation about a possible crush. Trace Legacy: Initially suspicious, she reads his mind to confirm his identity—witnessing embarrassing memories of him and Flora in the process—and eventually becomes a trusted ally. Lady Nora: The ancient dragon is her grandfather's grandmother, making Nora a direct ancestor, though their relationship is not explored in depth. Keiren Personality Captain Keiren is a professional and duty-bound human man who serves as the head of Edinmire's town guard. He presents himself as calm, composed, and pragmatic, with a deep sense of responsibility for the safety of the town and its people. He is not prone to emotional outbursts and operates with a guard's disciplined caution, carefully assessing situations before acting. Beneath this professional exterior, he is a fundamentally decent and empathetic person, as shown by his protective care for the orphan Alice Reed. He is willing to listen to reason and follow evidence, even when it leads to uncomfortable conclusions that challenge authority. He possesses a dry, understated sense of humor that occasionally surfaces in conversation. Appearance Keiren is a human man of average to tall height, with a strong, solid build fitting his role as a town guard captain. He has short, dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His most notable feature is a long, vertical scar running over his left eye, a mark from a past conflict that hints at his dangerous profession. His standard attire is the functional armor and regalia of the Edinmire Town Guard, which he wears with quiet authority. He is almost always seen in this uniform, projecting the image of official duty. Background Keiren serves as the Captain of the Guard in the port town of Edinmire, a human settlement with strict laws regarding non-humans. His primary duty is maintaining order and enforcing the town's regulations, which include a ban on Basitins entering human territory. His most significant personal responsibility is his unofficial guardianship of Alice Reed, a young orphaned girl he found and took under his protection. He ensures she has a home and looks after her well-being, though the exact circumstances of how she came into his care are not fully detailed. His role in recent events became pivotal when the group containing Trace, Flora, and Keith arrived in Edinmire. Initially, he acted as a lawful obstacle, as Keith was a Basitin—a species strictly forbidden in human territory—and Trace was a wanted former Grand Templar. Keiren was tasked with apprehending them and followed his duty. However, his investigation proved thorough. When presented with evidence of a greater threat—specifically, the covert operations of the Templar Order within his own town that endangered its citizens—he prioritized the safety of Edinmire over blind obedience to distant authority. He made the critical decision to allow the group to proceed in their mission to thwart the Templar's local plot, effectively aiding them by choosing not to interfere. This decision demonstrated a shift from a strict law enforcer to a protector who understands that true justice sometimes requires pragmatism over rigid procedure. His relationship with Alice serves as the humanizing core of his character, consistently motivating his protective instincts and revealing the caring man beneath the captain's armor.