<strong>Zain</strong><br/><br/>The dragon king blinked a few times when Crow tried to address him.   He’d experienced telepathy before, but with those beings he’d not had to ‘let them in’, as it were.  He relaxed, but cautiously, and soon found he could hear the stealthy one’s communication.  He turned, regarding shadow with strangely human purple eyes.  “When you do this, can you hear my silent speech as well?” he inquired.<br/><br/>Turning to regard the newcomer’s entrance—and unfortunately not noting the honeyed barb—the dragon king gave a delighted chuff.  He rose to take Inari’s hand and bowed to kiss it gently.  “Lady Imara, it is a pleasure to see you again.”  He turned to the man with eyes as dark as any corvid.  “Witness, a pleasure to see you as well.”  He took the bulky man’s wrist.<br/><br/>Turning to the newcomer, he gave small bow, “And you sir.  Are you kin to Lady Imara?  I am called Zain Akadian, Most Luminous Dignitary of Botanicus Noctus.”    Though the dialect was odd, Botanicus Noctus seemed to mean simply, “the Night Garden.”<br/>