《Esyr, the First Fae Dragon》 Prologue From a camp on a hill, a group of humans watched as two seas of armored warriors collided with one another. Their jaws were clenched, their brows furrowed. The man at the front and center of the group slammed his fist on the table before him, scattering plans and writing utensils far and wide. ¡°Damn!¡± The man said, furthering the chaos of his table by swiping the surface clean with his arms. ¡°Damn them! Subhuman garbage! Disgusting freaks! Swine!¡± His curses rained out in hordes as he pounded, kicked and threw nearly everything in his sight. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, hope isn¡¯t lost. Although the attempt to surround the demihumans was unsuccessful, our superiority in tactics and swordsmanship should be more than enough to push them from the territory.¡± A calm woman¡¯s voice called out, and the man spun to face her. ¡°But the amount of men we will lose is astronomically larger, Lady Solvenya¡± His voice was much lower, much calmer. In fact, it was eerily calm in comparison to his visibly trembling body, and the veins which protruded from his head and neck like small and winding snakes. ¡°We may lose the men, yes, but the amount of territory gained will be more than worth it. All of that grassland that these foolish demihumans have squandered with their uncivilized and nomadic lifestyle. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, you will have new land to till and grow crop, more mineral to excavate, more forest to raze. The decades of prosperity the Empire shall gain from the sacrifice of a few thousand men¡­ It is a more than adequate exchange. This day will be remembered by mankind until the end of time. This battle will change history.¡± The man¡¯s shaking stopped asLady Solvenya''s soothing voice spoke more and more. His gnashing of teeth turned to a prideful grin as he reveled in self-satisfaction from her praise. He took a few deep breaths and then gestured at the scattered papers, inkwells, and quills, and immediately servants flocked to tidy the mess. ¡°Ah, but what a shame that so many good men shall die, that so many wives will be widowed and children orphaned.¡± The Emperor spoke, his voice rolling lazily, his face still uplifted with self-absorption. ¡°For the good of the rest of the Empire¡¯s population, we¡¯ll simply have to press on, as painful as it may be.¡± TheLady bowed slightly behind the Emperor. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty¡¯s magnanimity is truly praiseworthy. We are unworthy of such kindness from an Emperor of such importance as Your Imperial Majesty.¡± The others in the camp joined her in lavishing empty praise and sweetened words, not to be outdone. Eventually, the Emperor was satisfied with their conduct and raised his hand. ¡°That is enough. Send my command through the ranks, the last push is to begin. I want to see these mongrels out of my new territory by noon.¡± He commanded his servants and guards to attend him, and he began to retreat to the nearby fort. After he left, many people exhaled, slouching slightly. Some of them even wiped sweat from their brow with a nervous chuckle. Others, like Lady Solvenya, were unfazed. ¡­ After another hour, the battle was still raging on. The demihuman warriors were significantly fewer in number, and those that remained standing were either wounded or exhausted. On the other hand, the remaining humans of the Empire were still fighting strong, and although they too had suffered losses, they outnumbered the demihumans by a large margin. ¡°It seems that this battle will be over soon, and with our victory, we will claim a massive territory for our Emperor.¡± A bearded and grizzly man said, his hardened eyes focused on the battle. ¡°Yes, yes, you are right, General.¡± A short and scrawny man said, in a voice soft and feminine, and slightly nasally. ¡°The success here will be most beneficial to the Empire¡¯s economy for the foreseeable future. Congratulations, Lady Solvenya. The Emperor surely will reward you greatly, for your helpful advice.¡± Lady Solvenya laughed. ¡°Thank you, Peter, you¡¯re far too kind. Today¡¯s victory will be one of His Imperial Majesty¡¯s greatest accomplishments thus far.¡± She smiled brightly as she watched more and more demihumans fall. ¡°They are all but doomed, now. There is nothing that can change the course of this battle at this point.¡± Their conversation and even the battle itself was interrupted when an all-too-familiar dialogue box appeared in the vision of every single individual on the battlefield. It was a dark red, and the contents of it sent shivers down the spine.
Warning! A dangerous entity is approaching. Challenge Rating: Calamity. Warning!
The red dialogue box disappeared not long after it appeared, only for a new dialogue box to appear in its place. Unlike the first, however, was the fact that the content was different for some individuals. The humans all received the same dialogue box:
World Event ¡°A Mother¡¯s Rage¡± has begun. Main Objective: Defeat Yrlett or appease her anger. Challenge rating: Calamity
Meanwhile, the demihumans received a different version:
World Event ¡°A Mother¡¯s Rage¡± has begun. Main Objective:Appease Yrlett''s anger. Challenge rating: Calamity
¡°Where is my child?! Who has taken my child from me?!¡± A distant voice roared. The roar was deep, grainy, and filled with rage as it echoed across the grasslands. ¡°Oh Gods, what was that?!¡± Cried Peter as he fell to his knees. The general frowned, his bushy eyebrows furrowing as he stared off into the distance, watching the horizon. On that very horizon, in the direction that the Emperor had left from, a silhouette appeared. His eyes grew wide as he spotted it. The stunned humans and demihumans watched in horror as it quickly grew larger and larger, until eventually the silhouette became clear. However, each of them had long since known what exactly was flying at them. Now, however, they could clearly make out the beautiful and menacing image of the enraged dragon that flew towards them. Its beautiful white scales glowed in the light of the setting sun, looking radiant and pure. ¡°Give me my child!¡± The dragon roared once more. The woman on the hill stepped towards the dragon, who now was hovering over the army, gusts of wind from its wings nearly toppling the warriors and soldiers. Imbuing her voice with mana, she called out to the dragon in an attempt to appease its anger. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Honorable and powerful Dragon, please spare us humble and feeble humans! We have no knowledge of your child, and we beg for your mercy.¡± She knelt, with her head lowered, and her clasped hands raised above her head. ¡°We are but mere warriors, fighting in our trivial and foolish mortal war. We beg for your leniency.¡± The dragon landed near the hill that the human elites were camped upon, causing the entire ground to shake. With a great roar, the dragon spoke again, ¡°Humans?! You damned creatures are nothing but thieves and liars! This horde of foolish mortals are the only creatures both close enough and stupid enough to steal my child! Where have you taken them?! Return him to me!¡± The woman began to tremble. ¡°I beg of you, we know naught of your child. Please, mercy! The child is not here, and we don¡¯t know where they are!¡± Her voice was ragged as tears fell from her face, her lip trembling. ¡°You think I cannot tell if my own child is here?!¡± the dragon roared, causing the woman to prostrate herself even more. ¡°Please, forgive my offense! I am a fool, a feeble-minded mortal!¡± she cried, burying her face in the dirt. ¡°Repulsive human, find my child, or I will burn your lands and kingdoms to the ground!¡± The dragon swiveled its head towards the demihumans and roared at them as well. ¡°Lesser beastmen, if I find that one of you has stolen my child from me, I will extinguish your entire tribe before your very eyes!¡± The demihuman eliteswere stunned, entirely silent as they trembled before the dragon¡¯s wrath. A very old demihuman stepped forward and bowed while speaking with the same technique the human woman used, ¡°Respected Matriarch, we demihumans will assist you in your search. Rest assured, we will spare no effort.¡± The dragon huffed angrily and flew off once more, in its desperate search for its only son, leaving behind clouds of dust, and collapsed humans and demihumans alike, as well as a new dialogue box.
You have left the zone for World Event ¡°A Mother¡¯s Rage¡±. Please return before continuing Event Objectives.
After a short while, the commanders of both sides regained their facilities and called for a retreat. ¡°We need to find that dragon¡¯s child immediately,¡± said Lady Solvenya, frowning. ¡°The Empire¡¯s very livelihood may be at risk.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ Do you think the dragon will really hold us accountable even if we aren¡¯t the ones who stole the child?¡± Peter was nearly whispering, as he rose from his knees in a puddle of piss. ¡°Do you?¡± Nobody answered Peter. They didn¡¯t want to say yes, because they all wanted to believe otherwise, and to tell him no would make them little more than a naive fool or a liar. And so, nobody spoke. They merely gave the signal for a full retreat and waited till the army was prepared to march. ¡­ At the demihuman camp, the chaos had just subsided, but they were still fearful, incredibly so. In a large tent, the leaders of the various tribes were gathered. ¡°I say we round up the lot of them and search them all! If even a single idiot has stolen the Matriarch¡¯s child, an entire tribe will be gone!¡± roared one of the tribe leaders. He was the least human-like of the group, with a lion¡¯s mane around his head and his facial features more lion than human, claws and a tail. In comparison, the others were more human, their bestial facial features were not as prevalent as his. ¡°That is unnecessary, Garian. The Matriarch said Herself that the Holy Child is not here. If we are to do anything, we should return to our own respective tribes and search there,¡± said a woman of the Panther Tribe. The Lion Tribe leader simply scoffed in response as he looked away. A wolf-like man opened his mouth and began to talk, ¡°In actuality, there should be no need to search at all. It is clearly the humans who stole the Holy Child. We should band together and finish them off now while they flee!¡± ¡°Finish them off? Haven¡¯t our tribes suffered enough loss and defeat on this day as is? Will you only be content when our warriors have been killed off entirely, and our tribes are left defenseless?¡± The man from the Wolf Tribe frowned. ¡°If we are careful with our tactics, we won¡¯t suffer many losses. The humans are busy retreating, they won¡¯t put up a full defense.¡± ¡°Lucius, that¡¯s enough. We¡¯ve lost too many as it is. The humans are retreating back to their Empire, they won¡¯t return here as long as the Holy Child is missing. Perhaps the Matriarch will truly end up razing their lands,¡± the eldest of the group, an old and wizened male demihuman with wolf-like features, finally spoke up. In response, the other tribe leaders shut up. Lucius lowered his head shamefully, his tail lowering unconsciously with it. ¡°Those who are in favor of returning to their tribes, raise your hands,¡± the elderly demihuman called. A large number of hands went up. ¡°And those in favor of assaulting the humans while they retreat?¡± Thenumber of hands that were raised was significantly fewer, much to the pleasure of the Panther woman. ¡°That settles it. We¡¯ll be returning to search individually. Any suicidal fools who feel the urge to throw themselves at the Empire, feel free to do so on your own.¡± Lucius crossed his arms and grunted, alongside Garian. Although both of them wanted to get back at the human Empire and were both hot-blooded and hard-headed, neither wanted to uselessly throw away the lives of their tribesmen. ¡­ A little child, perhaps five or six years old, sat happily in the back of a cart full of various flowers. He took in the sweet and floral scent that filled the air, something he hadn¡¯t experienced before. The man driving the cart, who had no idea the boy had snuck into the cart, was humming happily as he rode along. The boy in the back swayed his head and shoulders to the tune with a smile plastered on his face. Every time the cart hit a bump, the boy would giggle quietly as he was tossed into the air. The giggling was just barely quiet enough for it to go unnoticed by the driver, mostly thanks to the sound of the horse¡¯s hooves. After hours of this, the man finally saw a town surrounded by a wooden and stone fence in the distance. With a great sigh of relief, he urged the horse to go faster with his reins. Eventually, the man came close enough to see the System¡¯s dialogue box.
Now leaving Wilderness. Now entering Kossuch Village.
The man smiled, relieved at the sense of safety he felt from being out of the wilderness. He came to a stop before the gate, greeting the men who stood guard there, ¡°Hey there, Charles, James. See you two pulled the short stick today, eh?¡± he said with a chuckle and a smile. The two men, who were already displeased before the man arrived, scowled. One of them walked up to the front of the cart to chat with the driver, while the other went around the back. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, old man. You got anything in there we should know about?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°Just some herbs for medicine and some flowers for the festival. No weapons or metals this time.¡± The guard who went out back returned, confusion plainly evident on his face. He came to the driver and gave him a strange look, hesitating for a moment. ¡°Since when have you got a kid, old man?¡± ¡°Hm? Kid? The hell you talking about, James?¡± the driver asked with furrowed brows. ¡°I don¡¯t have any kids.¡± Charles glanced at James before going out around back, the driver joining him as he did so. They moved the sheet out of the way, peering into the dimly lit cart. Between the open crates of herbs and flowers was a young boy, dressed in very beautiful white silk clothing. He was fast asleep, dried drool on his cheek with a happy smile on his face. The two guards looked at the driver, who was one part shocked and two parts confused. ¡°You recognize him from anywhere, old man?¡± Charles asked. After a while, the driver snapped out of his daze. ¡°Where the hell¡­¡± He thought back to his previous stop, but failed to identify any point in time where he saw any children at all, let alone this one specifically. James shook his head with a sigh. ¡°Damn, old man. For your sake, I hope his parents aren¡¯t anyone too important. They¡¯re probably going crazy right about now. Fuck¡¯s sake, just look at his clothing. Must cost a fortune." Chapter 1 The child woke to the boisterous but muffled laughter of a man. Looking around, the boy found himself to be in a small cot in an unfamiliar building. Worst of all, there weren¡¯t any flowers in sight. He sat up and began to listen to the conversation outside of the bedroom, the very conversation that woke him. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you went the entire way from Fort Greidan to here, without realizing you picked up a kid at some point?¡± An unknown man¡¯s voice said through a fit of laughter. ¡°You absolute simpleton, you could¡¯ve been robbed blind and you still would¡¯ve ridden into town with a stupid grin on your face!¡± The boy tilted his head as he listened to the man¡¯s loud voice. He could not understand what the man was speaking. He rose to his feet and exited the bedroom, entering the room the people were in. None of them seemed to notice, though. The boy shut the door quietly behind him as he glanced around the room. There were only a few people inside, only two girls and two men. Both the girls were rather young, one of them in their early teens and the other still a young child. The two men were considerably older, both easily old enough to be their father. The man who was laughing was by far the oldest of the group. The little hair he still had was nearly completely white, and his tanned skin was weathered and wrinkled. ¡°Grandpa, that¡¯s enough, you¡¯re being rude,¡± the oldest of the two girls said, crossing her arms. ¡°Mom said that you lectured him enough last night, and you¡¯ve been doing it all morning still!¡± ¡°Yeah, be nice to Uncle!¡± the younger girl chimed in, mimicking her older sister. ¡°Mommy said so!¡± The little boy quickly lost interest in what was seemingly an ordinary conversation, albeit one in an unfamiliar and unknown language. He lifted his nose and sniffed deeply a few times while glancing around the room. After getting a good sense of direction, he left, wandering out of the house through the side door. He shut the door quietly, so as to not disturb the four inside. He quickly found his way to the garden, and with a smile, he laid himself down on a bed of grass beside some flowers and began to watch the clouds overhead. ¡°Pretty,¡± he said softly. Watching one cloud drift slowly was very relaxing to him, but eventually, he¡¯d grow tired of the shape, and fixate on a new cloud. Thankfully, there was no shortage of clouds in the sky, and so he was free to gaze for as long as he so desired. As he gazed at the beautiful white clouds, he held his hand out, gently touching the flowers. They almost seemed to rub their petals against his hand of their own volition, as if they sought his affection and attention. He obliged them, gently stroking the petals and stems of the flowers absentmindedly. After over an hour, the boy stood up and stretched. He smiled at the flowers, waving goodbye before skipping away. He wandered aimlessly, walking towards anything and everything that caught his eye. After approaching whatever it was, he¡¯d examine it closely before moving on to the next interesting place. Eventually, the boy¡¯s wandering led him into the town. Presumably, the boy would stick out like a sore thumb in his elegant and fanciful silk clothing, and yet nobody seemed to notice him at all. It was almost as if he wasn¡¯t there, weaving his way through the crowd with the grace of a skilled seamstress¡¯s needle. As he walked down the winding road of dirt and stone, his gaze wandered across the many stalls and stores, but he did not approach any of them. Eventually, the boy came to a stop before a tavern, the smell of the cooked meat and the loud voices drawing him in. He came to the door of the tavern, slipping in after a man opened it, drunkenly stumbling out into the street. The boy ducked under the man¡¯s arm, slid through the maze of tables and patrons until he came to the front bar, which was relatively empty. Carefully and slowly, the boy climbed his way onto a very tall stool at the bar. After settling into the stool, the boy couldn''t help but listen to the conversation between the group of men to his right, the only group at the front bar. ¡°Did you hear about the recent World Event? No? Well, when the soldiers were fighting against the demihumans, a massive dragon came and nearly attacked! If not for the beautiful Lady Solvenya, who bravely stood up against the evil beast, it would have destroyed our entire army!¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard about that! Did you hear that His Imperial Majesty gave an Imperial Decree, ordering everyone to keep an eye out for baby dragons? Supposedly, the dragon was on a rampage because its child was taken from them! It''s lucky that the Lady was there to talk reason into the dragon. I heard it planned on killing off all the humans!¡± ¡°Hah, you two really believe that nonsense about Lady Solvenya? I heard that the dragon spared them on a whim and that all Lady Solvenya did was beg and cry. Bravery and reason? Ha! As if there is anything brave about kneeling before a mere beast.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah? And I suppose that a mighty hero yourself would not yield before an elder dragon?¡± ¡°Let''s just say that if I were there that day, you''d be calling me Gregor the Dragon Slayer.¡± The other men started laughing loudly. Perhaps if the boy had understood the language that the men were speaking, the chaotic tavern would be much more hectic. However, since he was still young and did not understand the language, he continued to play on the stool without a care in the world. Swinging his short little legs, he looked around the tavern with wonder and fascination. It was so very lively. He watched the various different people, all leading their own lives. His wide, gleaming eyes were glued to the scene. He watched the scoundrels and drunks try again and again to gain the favor of the female workers, and saw how they would be battered and tossed out if they tried to cross the line. He watched the more respectable and controlled individuals chatting or idling about. He saw fists get thrown and handshakes exchanged. He heard harsh cursing and bellowing laughter. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He laughed along to things he didn¡¯t understand and winced when he watched harsh punishment be dealt out. All the while going unseen by the tavern-goers. ¡­ At the small house, chaos was unfolding. A long, long time after the boy had wandered off, they had discovered that he was missing. The grandfather sat calmly at the table, as though he were completely uninvolved. He watched as his son and grandchildren kicked up a fuss over the matter, chuckling inwardly. He knew that the boy must have snuck out of the house when they weren¡¯t paying attention, which meant that he was very much out of the ordinary. It was likely that the boy was more than capable of taking care of himself. ¡°Seems like he¡¯s from a fairly capable noble family. Hm, I wonder whose kid he is to be so talented at such a young age,¡± the old man muttered. ¡°Or is it that I¡¯m getting too old.¡± He shook his head. Definitely not that. Couldn¡¯t be that, he thought stubbornly. ¡°What, grandpa?¡± the youngest of his two granddaughters called out to him with a puzzled look on her face. So cute, thought the old man as he patted her on the head, causing her to giggle. She didn¡¯t really get why everyone was so worried, but she didn¡¯t want to be left out, so she joined them in their panic. After all, she didn¡¯t understand how dangerous the world was, thanks to her overprotective grandfather. ¡°Nothing, little Dana. Go on and keep playing.¡± He took his hand from her head, and she bounded off to join her older sister in searching for the strange boy.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Father!¡± exclaimed the old man¡¯s son. ¡°Do you truly care that little for my well-being? If this noble¡¯s child gets himself killed, who do you think they¡¯ll blame?¡± With a snort, the old man waved his son¡¯s accusations off. ¡°The kid¡¯ll be fine. You worry too much, like a woman. Be a man for once in your life, Edward,¡± he said, and then gestured at his oldest granddaughter. ¡°Look, your own niece is more composed than you are right now.¡± Edward gave a dissatisfied harrumph. ¡°She¡¯s not the one whose life is at risk, old man. And, how will that child be okay, you delusional old man? Wandering around an unfamiliar village with such fanciful clothing at his age is anything but safe! Any greedy thief would be more than happy to kidnap or even kill him!¡± The old man gave him an impatient glance. ¡°You think that child is intelligent enough to be capable of sneaking past us, but stupid enough to not know that being alone in the village at his age is dangerous? Go back to your meaningless search, leave me be. I¡¯m not throwing my back out to look for some overdressed brat.¡± ¡­ In a manor on a hill, a tall and strangely dressed man gently embraced a woman as tears spewed from her eyes like a rainstorm. He ran his hand down from the crown of her head to her upper back repeatedly as he whispered to her in a gentle tone. ¡°There, there, Yrlett my dear. I¡¯m sure our child will be safe. Their innate abilities will keep them safe from harm. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just exploring somewhere nearby, my love,¡± he said. She sniffled a few times before speaking in a shaky voice, ¡°We just spent so long trying to have a baby, and the instant I step out of the cave he disappears. I just can¡¯t bear it, darling, we didn¡¯t even get to see if we had a son or a daughter! Will they even know that we are their parents? Oh, Eseit, I¡¯m so worried!¡± She burst into tears once more, squeezing herself against her husband even tighter. ¡°They will know, darling. You already imprinted on the egg, so our child will recognize your aura.¡± He continued to gently stroke her hair. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re somewhere nearby, having the time of their life. Now, let¡¯s go and find our child. I¡¯m excited to see who they took after more, you or me.¡± He chuckled slightly. ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s at one of the human villages near here, making a mess.¡± Yrlett nodded and smiled slightly as her husband wiped her tears away. She followed him out of the manor, her hand in his. When they stopped and stood still on the grass out front, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands gently brushing his long and pointed ears, causing him to smile back at her. Eseit clasped one of his arms around her waist and unfurled his great and majestic fae wings. Scooping her legs up with his other arm, he took off into the sky with a beautiful woman in his arms. ¡­ The boy found his way back to the small house with the four strange people after he had his fun at the tavern. In his exhaustion, he had forgotten to be quiet, and so the noise of the door shutting behind him alerted the old man, who still sat calmly at the table. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± called the old man. He glanced over, his eyebrows furrowing when his eyes settled on the young boy. ¡°Well, look who decided to come back. Had your fill of worrying my son and grandchildren, did you?¡± the old man said with a scoff. The boy looked at the old man, confused and tired. Their languages were just far too different. The boy said to the old man, ¡°I am tired, I am going to sleep.¡± He walked past the old man, entering the same room he had found himself in when he awoke. Collapsing onto the bed, the child fell asleep almost instantly, leaving behind a shocked old man. When the boy spoke, to him it had made perfect sense and was a coherent sentence. However, the old man had heard nothing but guttural growls and hissing, sounds which raised the hairs on the back of his neck. ¡°What the hell was that,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°He¡¯s not a demihuman, is he? Do demihumans even talk like that?¡± Edward came back while his father was lost in thought. ¡°You¡¯re still just sitting here, not helping us look, huh old man?¡± he said, frowning. ¡°Looks like you really are getting old, you¡¯re talking to yourself more and more lately.¡± His father put his hand up to silence him, before standing up. He snuck quietly into the room the boy was sleeping in, and gave him a thorough inspection. The boy¡¯s face was very human-like, with no strange animalistic traits for his nose or mouth. As far as the old man could remember, his eyes weren¡¯t like that of a demihuman either. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s back! Thank the Gods, I don¡¯t know what I would have done when his parents came searching for him and found that we had lost him,¡± Edward said, collapsing onto a stool in the dining room. ¡°Finally, I can relax.¡± The old man was not listening, not at all. He was busy, as stared hard at the boy¡¯s ears. While they were still fairly normal in size for a human child, the ends were a little too pointed. They could very well be human ears, but at this point, the man was just looking for any excuse to explain that unearthly language the boy had spoken. After finding his excuse, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Although it wasn¡¯t the most pleasing thing, housing a demihuman was much better than housing a body possessed by a demon. Little did the old man know that not only was the boy a demihuman, he was a very, very important one. More important than he or Edward had ever dreamed that he might be. Very quickly, however, he would come to discover this fact. ¡­ In a village not far from Kossech Village, the people were enjoying a peaceful and beautiful day like any other. The sun was shining down, the crops were healthy and plentiful, and the temperature was neither hot nor cold. It was truly a great day, all the way up until they all received two notifications, the first red and the second blue.
Warning! A dangerous entity is approaching. Challenge Rating: Calamity. Warning!
You have entered the zone of World Event ¡°A Mother¡¯s Rage¡±. Main Objective: Defeat Yrlett or appease her anger. Challenge rating: Calamity
Warning! A second Calamity rated entity has joined Yrlett for the World Event. Warning!
After processing what the notifications meant, the populace burst into hysteria. Women and children were evacuated to the safest location, which happened to be the Mmayor¡¯s home at the center of the town. Meanwhile, any men or boys old enough to handle a blade were sent to back the Mayor up, as he waited at the edge of town, prepared to give in to any reasonable demands the dragon might have. Thanks to the Mayor''s foresight, when Yrlett and her husband landed in the town that was all but deserted, they went entirely unnoticed. Yrlett quickly went to work, searching for her child¡¯s scent. ¡°I don¡¯t smell our child, Eseit. Quickly, let¡¯s go to the next town!¡± Eseit was exasperated. ¡°That quickly? We just arrived, how can you be sure that our child isn¡¯t here?¡± He glanced around the small and empty village. ¡°It¡¯s possible that he¡¯s hiding in that crowd of humans. Hm? Oh, there¡¯s another group that way. Perhaps he¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°He?¡± Yrlett quickly interrupted Eseit, annoyed. ¡°Who said our child is a boy, huh? I don¡¯t recall that you knew that. Our child could just as easily be a beautiful dragoness, just like her mama.¡± She placed her hands on her hips, staring up at her husband angrily. ¡°You demihumans and your priority for males, hmph. You better hope that our child is a boy, otherwise, you¡¯re going to be in trouble after she shows her domineering side when she comes of age.¡± Her lips twitched as she maintained her angry pout, suppressing the smile that threatened to manifest as she thought of their child bullying him. ¡°Yes, yes, my dear,¡± Eseit said in a placating and humbling tone. ¡°As usual, you¡¯re right. But, I still think I¡¯m right. Our child is most definitely a boy. Only a Fae boy would be so mischievous.¡± Yrlett shook her head and ignored him. ¡°Anyway, our daughter is most definitely not with those humans. I would be able to find her scent, even with that many smelly humans around. Hurry up, before I take flight on my own.¡± Just like that, they flew off to the next human village, where they proceeded to frighten the populace just as much. Then, they left for the next one, and then the next one. They proceeded to search the villages one by one, and only after quite a few searches did they finally proceed to Kossech Village. Chapter 2 The villagers in Kossech Village were caught off guard by the bombardment of dialogue boxes appearing in their vision. One would appear and stay for a moment, only to be replaced in an instant by another. The villagers, who very rarely saw the messages from the System, were overcome with shock as they were blasted with information.
Warning! A dangerous entity is approaching. Challenge Rating: Calamity. Warning!
You have entered the zone of World Event ¡°A Mother¡¯s Rage¡±. Main Objective: Defeat Yrlett or appease her anger. Challenge rating: Calamity
Warning! A second Calamity rated entity has joined Yrlett for the World Event. Warning!
Yrlett has discovered the presence of her child! New Objective: Return the child, kill the child, or escape with the child. Challenge rating: Calamity
¡°Oh Gods, please grant us mercy!¡± A chorus of heartbroken and devastated cries came out in response to the dialogue boxes. Some villager men, some villager women, and many frightened children. ¡°Spare me! I beg of you! I don¡¯t have the child!¡± Even the most masculine of men lost all decorum, dropping what they were doing and fleeing in terror, or cowering beneath any sort of shelter. In a particular tavern, a man named Gregor proved his bravery and courage, by holding back the piss that threatened to force its way out of him and into his trousers. He didn¡¯t, however, manage to stop his trembling as he threw himself beneath a table and sobbed loudly. His friends, as sarcastic and witty as they were, would likely have torn into him and mocked him, had they not been there alongside him, shaking with terror. The once lively and happy atmosphere of the tavern had turned dreary and anxious, filled with the sound of muffled and fearful crying. Of course, there were one or two fools so drunk that they believed themselves to be capable of actually felling Yrlett, but they were more likely to stumble and knock themselves out than anything. In fact, not a single one of them made their way out of the hectic and chaotic tavern, either tripping over themselves or being knocked aside as patrons fled for their lives. ¡­ In a small house, where a little boy slept soundly on a bed that didn¡¯t belong to him, three people were trembling with panic, one drastically more fearful than the others, while another looked on in confusion. The old man was wide-eyed, stunned into a fearful silence. He already came to the conclusion that the boy was a demihuman of sorts, but he had not anticipated for him to be the dragon¡¯s child that his son had heard about earlier that day. It wasn¡¯t hard for him to piece it together. He was rather knowledgeable, considering that he was once an accomplished knight of the empire, and was quite well educated. Many would not have known that dragonkin were fully capable of shapeshifting into a human form, but he was aware of this ability they possessed. When you look at the time frame, it made sense that the stray child his son found was the missing dragonkin. After all, his son traveled relatively close to the battlefield. What¡¯s more was the strange inhuman language the boy spoke. All in all, it was virtually undeniable. ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± the old man stammered as he spoke. ¡°He¡¯s actually the¡­ the dragon¡¯s child¡­¡± The revelation floored the other two, before setting them into a panic equal to the old man¡¯s. ¡°What?! How do you know? Are you sure?!¡± Edward cried out in fear. Not only had he picked up a child of importance on accident, it just so happened to be the very child that had nearly caused the human empire to be destroyed. Edward¡¯s knees were shaking so hard that they nearly gave out from under him. ¡°We have to bring him to the dragon! Before she finds her way here and kills us all!¡± A sudden and low growl caught them all off guard, followed by the voice of a woman. ¡°Too late, little human. So¡­ You¡¯re the thieves who stole my child¡­ Good, good. I was worried that I would only end up finding my child here, and not the filthy human thieves. It seems,¡± she paused, as she appeared the doorway, entering into the view of the four. She had a menacing, almost sadistic grin on her flawless and beautiful face as she continued, ¡°It seems that my worries were for naught.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± the old man stuttered. ¡°Please, we didn¡¯t take your child! He slipped into my cart without us knowing!¡± He clasped his hands together and begged, his voice shaking as much as his hands. ¡°Please, we did the boy no harm!¡± The old man¡¯s shaking only grew worse when he watched as the crease between the woman¡¯s eyebrows deepened, and her grin turned into a scowl. He saw a tall man appear behind her in the doorway, smiling deeply, but without the malice and viciousness that the woman had. He was abnormally handsome, his face smooth and without blemish, almost feminine in appearance. The old man was suddenly reminded of the second red dialogue box when he spotted Yrlett¡¯s companion. He already had known that Yrlett had been coming, and knew her to be the Queen of the Dragonkin. As such, he had completely overlooked the notification about a companion in his panic. He had never seen the man before, but he had an inkling of an idea of who it was. When he was a knight, he had heard many stories of the powerful figures of the other races. He had heard of a demihuman man who was renowned for his beauty and power alike, one with wings strikingly similar to the ones the man had: Fae King Eseit, the leader of the fair folk, and the strongest of the demihumans. Not to be compared with a mere tribe leader of one of the demihuman tribes of the plains, but stronger than the powerhouses of the real demihuman kingdom far to the south of the Empire. All of the stories about Yrlett and Eseit were so ridiculous that some fresh recruits believed them to be overly exaggerated. Stories of impossibly powerful figures were always seen as unrealistic to the average man, after all. However, the old man had been a staunch believer in those stories, as he had first heard them from his father when he was but a child. Thus, when he saw not one, but two of such figures appear at the doorway of his son¡¯s house, he nearly collapsed then and there. All that kept him on his feet was a determination to keep his grandchildren and son alive. ¡°So, I was right!¡± the handsome stranger laughed. ¡°A boy! It seems that someone has lost a bet, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He leaned in and whispered something into the woman¡¯s ear, causing her to blush furiously. ¡°Enough!¡± she said in a harsh tone, which only served to contrast with the red tinge that stained her face. After clearing her throat, she turned to face the old man. ¡°If my child confirms what you said to be true, then perhaps I¡¯ll spare you and this filthy town. Otherwise¡­¡± she growled low once again. Yrlett walked past the shaking and kneeling old man and his family, entering the room that her beloved son was in, fast asleep.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. As soon as she entered, the boy woke up, feeling a strange and familiar presence. He looked around, his eyes barely open, and his hair a mess. He looked over Yrlett once, before looking back at her, a slight confusion visible in his eyes. After determining that the presence that he felt belonged to her, he rubbed his weary eyes and got out of the bed. He walked over to her slowly and stopped right before her, his head tilted back so he could look at her face. She stared down at him, her eyes filling with tears as her lips quivered silently. He continued to look up at her for a moment, and then wrapped his little arms around her leg, shutting his eyes and resting his head against her stomach. As soon as he touched her, she began to quietly sob. She crouched down and hugged her son tightly, pressing her cheek against his as she gently stroked his head. ¡°Mama¡¯s here, baby,¡± she whispered softly in Draconic. He gripped her tighter, burying his face into her presence. After embracing for a while, she pulled away from him, holding him in front of her with one hand while she wiped her tears away with the other. Yrlett stared at his little face for a moment, before scolding him, ¡°Don¡¯t you go running off like that again!¡± The little boy looked down, crestfallen and silent. He nodded, a sad little bob of his head, causing mixed feelings to well up within Yrlett. ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh on him, my love,¡± called another voice unfamiliar to the boy. Eseit walked up from behind Yrlett and joined her in crouching in front of their son. ¡°Hello, my son. My mischievous little boy. I knew you were going to be a boy, as soon as I heard that you ran off.¡± Eseit gently patted the boy¡¯s head, an unmistakable glimmer of affection in his eyes. The little boy looked questioningly at his father, before running into his mother¡¯s embrace once more. He began to whisper into her ear in Draconic, causing Yrlett to burst into laughter. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± grumbled Eseit, his happy smile slowly disappearing after watching his son ditch him. ¡°He may be a boy,¡± Yrlett started, only to burst once more into a fit of laughter. ¡°He may be a boy, and he may have your looks¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but start to laugh once more. ¡°But, he doesn¡¯t understand a word you¡¯re saying!¡± Eseit frowned. ¡°Then, how does he understand you? This is simply not fair.¡± ¡°That¡¯s obviously because of his inherited knowledge. He¡¯s the son of a dragon, it is only right that he inherited the same knowledge that I did. That¡¯s why he already knows Draconic. It looks like I¡¯ve won this round, dear husband.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s only because of a cheat, then,¡± said Eseit as he turned his head. ¡°That¡¯s fine, eventually he¡¯ll learn to speak Common¡­ No, instead, I¡¯ll teach him Faespeak! After all, one day I¡¯ll be passing my seat to him.¡± ¡°Hmph. As if he¡¯ll want to play around in your little forest,¡± Yrlett said with a snort. She and Eseit both rose to their feet and faced one another with crossed arms. ¡°Oh, is that how it is? And you think that he¡¯s better fitted to lead your bird colony, holing up in mountains and caves all his life?¡± ¡°Bird colony? I don¡¯t want to hear such blasphemy coming from an overgrown pixie!¡± Each launched into a tirade against the other, bickering and hollering as their child and the human family watched on. The child, who was unable to understand what they were saying, quickly lost interest in the loud noises and began exploring the house lazily, scavenging for something to eat. On the other hand, the family of four were confused and frightened. Yrlett and Eseit were loud and the insults they threw could be very offensive to any dragon or fae, yet their tones were playful and mischievous. If not for the threat of death still looming over his head, the old man might have even chuckled at some of the jokes that were made. It wasn¡¯t long before the two stopped their bantering, returning their attention back to their child, who happened to be rifling through the belongings of the family. ¡°Hey, get your hands out of there,¡± called Eseit. ¡°That¡¯s not yours.¡± ¡°Oh, you poor thing, you must be so hungry!¡± Yrlett quickly pulled him from Eseit, crouching down to her son¡¯s eye level. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll go home and get you something yummy,¡± she said as she smiled endearingly at him. ¡°But first, tell Mommy, did these little humans do anything bad to you?¡± Her tone grew lower and colder and although the old man couldn¡¯t understand Draconic, a powerful shiver coursed through him. Thankfully for the old man and his family, the little boy thought for a second before shaking his head. His eyes lit up as he suddenly had a thought, and a large smile blossomed on his face. ¡°They have pretty flowers,¡± he said excitedly. Yrlett chuckled quietly. ¡°Darling, he likes their flowers,¡± she said to Eseit in Common. ¡°Do we have any pretty flowers at home?¡± Eseit shook his head. ¡°Flowers? I don¡¯t believe so.¡± He began to speak under his breath, ¡°But we would, had you not made us move away from Faerest.¡± He paused, making sure she didn¡¯t hear his remark. After a moment, she showed no signs of having heard him, and so he relaxed. He cleared his throat and continued to speak to her with a grin, ¡°But flowers, huh? Looks like he takes after me more and more. He might speak Draconic now, but with his love for flowers I¡¯ll have him speaking Faespeak in no time.¡± Yrlett harrumphed. ¡°We¡¯ll see. Let¡¯s go home, already. We¡¯ve already spent more than enough time in the human territory than I like.¡± ¡°Leaving so soon, are you?¡± called a loud and elderly voice from outside the home. ¡°Do you truly believe that you can freely trample your way in and out of our territory as you please, without consequence?¡± ¡°No warning? Damn it, damn it.¡± Upon hearing the voice, Eseit began to mutter under his breath, ¡°Damn it, we¡¯re in their territory, of course, there was no warning.¡± The two quickly swiveled to face the newcomer, instantly on guard. Yrlett gave a low and throaty growl, ¡°I knew it was you, old thing. Just what are you doing here? Shouldn¡¯t you be babysitting your grandchildren, or punishing your inept Boy King?¡± Stepping into the room was an old and haggard figure, dressed from head to toe in spotless and tidy robes. They were the deepest of purple, giving him an aura of absolute and pure nobility. ¡°I took a break from my matters, to instead punish some trespassers of the younger generation. It seems that ever since you replaced the former Matriarch, you¡¯ve become more and more rambunctious. I overlooked you terrorizing my people once since you let my foppish son go first. However, your gallivanting has gone too far. And for what, to find your child who went on a little walk? How absurd.¡± Eseit stepped forward, his eyes narrow under his creased brow. ¡°What is it that you want, Former Human Emperor William the Fifth? We all know you won¡¯t risk a fight in these circumstances, not over such a matter.¡± ¡°Ah, Fae King Eseit, always so straightforward. I remember back when you were the Fae Child, how mischievous you once were. Whatever happened to that childish novelty of yours? Ah, it¡¯s no matter. What do I want, you ask? That¡¯s simple. I want your son.¡± Yrlett¡¯s eyes seemed to change as her voice roared out in her menacing draconic tone, ¡°My child?! You dare, old dog?! See if I do not risk my life to tear you limb from limb, you old decrepit thing!¡± She barely managed to withstand the urge to attack him at once, knowing that it would only put her child in danger. William began to laugh slightly and spoke once more, ¡°Would you relax? You misunderstand, you misunderstand. I don¡¯t want to take your child from you. I want your boy to marry my granddaughter, Elizabeth. They are quite similar in age, well, if you count how long your boy was in the egg.¡± He paused, letting that sink in for a moment. ¡°What do you think? You had a boy, after all, so he cannot take the place of Matriarch, and the Fae have long since pulled away from the Kingdom. It¡¯s of nothing but benefits to both sides, you get a beautiful and gentle daughter-in-law, and I get an interesting and intelligent grandson-in-law. Not to mention, we can put the violation of the treaty I made with the Former Matriarch behind us. You do remember that little agreement, don¡¯t you?¡± William smiled wide at the mention of the treaty, causing Yrlett to frown. A brief moment of silence passed, before Eseit began to speak, ¡°So, you only want to wed your granddaughter to my son, then? No promises to defend your Empire, nothing else?¡± After seeing William nod, Eseit thought for a moment before continuing. ¡°Let us see your granddaughter first before we decide. With Fae in his blood, our son is destined to be handsome, and only a true beauty could be his match.¡± William¡¯s smile grew wider and more enigmatic. ¡°I think that you¡¯ll find her to be quite the match indeed. I hope you don¡¯t mind riding in a carriage, not all of us are capable of flight.¡± Although Yrlett and Eseit were unhappy, their son was quite satisfied after William discovered that he could easily be enticed with flowers. Thus, their long adventure began by carriage, as Yrlett and Eseit reluctantly agreed to consider the proposal in an attempt to avoid the consequences of breaking the treaty. Chapter 3 On a wooden carriage led by horses, a strange group of individuals journeyed towards the Empire¡¯s capital. The atmosphere of the carriage was awkward and tense, as a few of the occupants were not particularly enthused to be in such a clumsy contraption. ¡°We could have been there by now,¡± Yrlett muttered. ¡°You humans are just far too slow.¡± The wizened old human chuckled lightly and retorted, ¡°Perhaps we are slow, but I caught up to you just fine. It seems that you have some reevaluating to do, Matriarch, if you¡¯re able to be caught by a slow, old human such as me.¡± He paused for a moment, before getting a sudden thought and saying, ¡°It won¡¯t do to have you having such disregard and hate for humans since your daughter-in-law will be one.¡± His eyes became crescents as he broke out into a grin, eliciting a frown from Yrlett. She harrumphed before speaking coldly, ¡°We¡¯ve yet to see if your granddaughter is suited for my baby boy. Not that it¡¯s even worth a trip. A mere human girl trying to measure up to be the wife of my son?¡± Yrlett crossed her arms and cast her gaze angrily out the window of the carriage, unwilling to look at the old man. Eseit merely ignored their conversation as he watched his son carefully. He was greatly interested in his son¡¯s fascination with flora, like any Fae child. It was generally indicative of their magic alignment, as the Fae were born with innate nature magic, never anything else. However, Eseit knew that his son had inherited knowledge from his draconic lineage. It raised many concerns in his mind. After mulling over his worries for some time, he shelved them in the back of his mind with great effort. He knew that stressing himself out over it would be of no use and that he should seek answers to his questions once William was out of the picture. He glanced over at his wife. ¡°Dear,¡± he said as he cleared his throat. ¡°We have yet to name our son.¡± Yrlett¡¯s face drained of color almost immediately, causing much concern with Eseit and great amusement to William. ¡°Oh no, oh no! How could we forget something so important! Oh, Eseit, we are already off to such a horrible start! Our son is going to end up hating us, I can already feel it!¡± Her eyes grew misty with tears as she continued to fret and panic. ¡°Oh, would you snap out of it already?¡± Snapped William after a while of listening to her moping. ¡°The boy¡¯s just been born, you think it matters if you¡¯ve named him yet? Just hurry up and get it out of the way before we get there. How am I supposed to introduce my granddaughter to her future husband in these kinds of circumstances, damn it?!¡± He scoffed. ¡°What am I to do if she asks what his name is? You¡¯ve got a few hours yet, go on!¡± A long discussion began between Yrlett and Eseit, spanning much longer than William had hoped. By the time they had decided, the capital was already in sight, and he had long since begun to grow as frustrated and worried as the couple. The nameless boy, however, was completely unbothered and was perfectly content to just continue playing with his flowers in peace. ¡°His name will be Yrit! It¡¯s strong, fiery, and powerful! All the things a dragon as gifted and intelligent as my son will be!¡± Yrlett was practically shouting in the carriage at this point, her face stern and on the verge of turning red. ¡°His name will be Yrit!¡± ¡°Yrit? You want to name our boy Yrit?¡± Eseit¡¯s voice was a virtual mirror of his wife¡¯s, and his usual calm and collected appearance was completely abandoned in the heat of the moment. ¡°He¡¯s a boy! We can¡¯t go and break naming conventions just because you like the name! His name should be Esyr! It has all the strength and power of Yrit, but with the cunning and charm that a proper Fae boy should have! Not to mention, it¡¯s not a girl¡¯s name!¡± ¡°I can break whatever I want! Who¡¯s going to stop me from naming my son Yrit?! I¡¯ll name him whatever I want, see what they do to stop me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop you, that¡¯s who!¡± ¡°Oh?! Let¡¯s see it, then! Come on, you overgrown butterfly!¡± Thus, their bickering began once more, continuing for a long while, consuming the rest of their ride. By the time they had arrived at the capital, though, the name had been decided, entirely thanks to William¡¯s intervention. In the end, they resorted to flipping a coin, resulting in the boy being named Esyr, much to Yrlett¡¯s dismay. Esyr did not react much to having a name. It was of little importance to the young boy, who was much more inclined to continue to inspect his flowers. It was difficult to pay close attention to the details of the flower with the bouncing of the carriage, but he was determined and focused. Eventually, they rode the carriage on into the capital city with Esyr none the wiser. After all, there weren¡¯t many flowers out and about in such busy streets, so he was disinterested. ¡­ ¡°Your Imperial Majesty,¡± called a kneeling servant in a throne room. ¡°The guardsmen have reported that His Former Imperial Majesty has returned, riding in a strange and small carriage. He was spotted with several strange companions, their identities uncertain.¡± The servant continued to kneel, as silence spread out throughout the room. Only after several minutes did the Emperor reply, ¡°That is all.¡± With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the servant from the room, leaving the room empty barring himself and the several silent figures clad in the Imperial Guard armor. With a great sigh, the Emperor slumped in his seat, his graceful and imposing posture vanishing. ¡°Dear Father, where have you gone to in such a hurry? To even go as far as to use a Port Crystal¡­¡± he said, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the armrest of the throne. ¡°You must be hiding something from me. By the System, when will this old man give up on this feud? Those two were an eyesore anyway, what does it matter if I removed them? Oh, what lamentable fortune I must have. What a detestable thing it is to be bound to others by blood, to share that which makes me myself with glorified strangers. Oh, cruel Fate.¡± He breathed out yet another heavy sigh. ¡°To have power, but to be constrained as such¡­ Truly a horrid torment.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The sound of heavy wooden doors being opened quickly interrupted the Emperor¡¯s monologue, followed by the call of an old voice, ¡°I hope that I am not interrupting anything important, boy.¡± The voice was all but dripping in a venomous hate, and was cold enough to burn. ¡°I¡¯ve just come by on my way to fetch the Little Lady to inform you that I will be arranging her marriage on your behalf. Do feel free to tag along to see your son-in-law, if you so desire. That is, if you aren¡¯t preoccupied.¡± The door, which was only open enough for the voice to come through, closed almost immediately after. The Emperor waited a while after the door closed, silently fuming. His face reddened slightly at first, before growing more and more intense as time went on. Eventually, after he felt sufficient time had passed for the old man to leave earshot, he burst. ¡°Accursed old bastard! Setting up my only daughter with some vagabond, no doubt. She is an innocent child, you old fiend! And to think that I had just begun to believe you harbored even a morsel of emotion in your decrepit old body! To think I believed you to care for her even in the slightest! How could you use your own granddaughter as a tool to inflict me with more hurt! You sadist old bastard, just go and croak already! ¡°You didn¡¯t get enough enjoyment this week?! It wasn¡¯t enough to ship me off to the frontlines to ¡®encourage the troops¡¯, to ¡®boost morale¡¯? You old coot, leave my daughter out of this! Old bastard! Decrepit monster! Beast! Thing!¡± The Emperor cursed and cursed, his anger flooding the room like water from a burst dam. After ranting for a while, the Emperor¡¯s face returned to its natural color, and he regained his calm bearing. ¡°Let us see what sort of little beast my grandfather has decided is fit to marry my daughter,¡± he called out in a lazy manner. ¡°Attend me.¡± ... ¡°Mother, Mother!¡± called out the voice of a young girl as she peered out a window in her bedroom. ¡°I can see Grandfather coming down the pathway! Do you think he has come to visit?¡± She spoke in a very educated manner for her age, but even still she retained that childish and girlish charm to her tone. ¡°I hope that he came to see me. I never get to see Grandfather anymore.¡± Her happy smile drifted away, forming a slight frown as she began to fall into doubt. ¡°Oh? Let me see, my dear,¡± said a young woman from another room. She scurried over to her daughter¡¯s window before continuing, ¡°Would you look at that, you¡¯re right! I wonder what His Former Imperial Majesty has come to see us about?¡± Her voice was similar to the young girls, but more refined and womanly, lacking the childish innocence that her daughter still retained. ¡°I hope he¡¯s brought me a toy, he promised he would! Do you think he kept his promise, Mother?¡± Mixed feelings fluttered within the young girl, as she was torn between hope and doubt. She looked away from her mother, returning to look out the window. ¡°Wait, Mother, who are all those people with Grandfather?¡± ¡°Dear, what did I say about questioning your grandfather?¡± said the mother, a slight frown on her face when she glanced towards her daughter. When the little girl only mumbled in response, her frown grew and she repeated herself. ¡°What did I tell you about questioning His Former Imperial Majesty?¡± ¡°That it was not appropriate¡­¡± the girl said, still muttering slightly. ¡°That is right. Now, if your grandfather has come to visit, I expect you to be on your best behavior. Let¡¯s go wait by the door, shall we?¡± After a moment, the little girl nodded and the mother smiled and took her hand, heading towards the door. It wasn¡¯t long before the Former Emperor and his group reached their home, and the mother opened the door to welcome them. ¡°Greetings, Your Former Imperial Majesty. Greetings, everyone.¡± She said with a curtsey. Beside her, the little girl mimicked her every movement, just with slightly less grace. ¡°Now, Meredith, I told you already. Just call me father-in-law, there¡¯s no need to be so distant. Especially from you, Little Lady.¡± William reached out and patted the little girl¡¯s head as he spoke, smiling down at her happily. ¡°I¡¯ve got a surprise for the both of you, and I hope that you both appreciate it.¡± He glanced over his shoulders, back to Eseit and Yrlett, who were carrying a sleeping Esyr. ¡°May we come in, Meredith?¡± Meredith, who was staring at the three strangers in a daze, shook herself awake after William spoke to her. ¡°Ah, of course! I¡¯m so sorry! To have made you stand outside¡­¡± she said, as she ushered them into the house, directing them through the fancy home to a place where they might sit and chat. ¡°Shall I make some tea?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s quite alright. Let¡¯s see, I think I¡¯ll first make some introductions¡­¡± William said, tapping his chin in thought. He turned to Eseit and Yrlett, gesturing to Meredith. ¡°This is my daughter-in-law, Meredith, the current Empress. And this little lady is her daughter, my only granddaughter, Elizabeth.¡± He grinned happily at the little girl. He turned to face Meredith now, gesturing instead at Eseit and Yrlett. ¡°Now, for this loving couple. This one here is Fae King Eseit, and this is Yrlett, Matriarch of the dragons. You undoubtedly have heard of her latest exploits throughout our territory. This little boy is the child she was looking for. As you can see, he has been reunited with his parents. They named his Esyr on the journey here, after much deliberation,¡± he said, stopping to let it sink in for a moment. He was right to do so. Meredith was very much shocked, to have two such important visitors. She was unaccustomed to having such important guests in her household, typically only ever having people who were below her husband in status. However, the two of these visitors were far above the Emperor in status, especially due to the restrictions imposed upon him. ¡°Ah, oh, that is¡­¡± Meredith stuttered before clearing her throat. ¡°Greetings, Fae King and Matriarch. Thank you for gracing my household with your visit. I am glad to see that you have recovered your child.¡± She stood up and said, curtseying slightly. ¡°Hello, Human Empress, Little Lady,¡± said Eseit, nodding at each of them as he spoke before continuing, ¡°We are glad that we could get him back, as well. Thank you for your hospitality.¡± In contrast with him, Yrlett simply nodded in response. ¡°With that out of the way, let¡¯s get to the point of our visit, shall we?¡± He patted his lap with both his hands. ¡°Oh, and while I¡¯m at it¡­¡± he said, turning his head towards the door before saying, ¡°Francis, now that you¡¯ve come, you might as well come in.¡± After a moment, the door opened and in walked an angered Emperor. He glanced at the sleeping boy and scoffed, ¡°This lethargic little thing is to marry my Elizabeth? What a joke.¡± Meredith gasped, her eyes wide. ¡°Marry?¡± She looked towards her father-in-law. ¡°Father-in-law, is this true? You¡¯re here to betroth Elizabeth to Esyr?¡± Elizabeth was confused but didn¡¯t speak out. She looked at the sleeping boy¡¯s face for a while, before noticing that her grandfather was grinning and watching her. With a blush, she looked away. ¡°Oh? You think that my child isn¡¯t good enough, Little Francis?¡± growled Yrlett. Her eyes slanted while she glared at him. The atmosphere grew tense. Francis looked at Yrlett, before growing shocked. ¡°Y-you¡­¡± He stuttered, shooting a shocked glance at his father, who was glaring back at him. ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Enough, Francis.¡± William turned to look at Yrlett. ¡°Ignore him, he¡¯s just a blind fool. After all, he did completely overlook the very woman who bullied him back when he still attended the Institute with his brothers.¡± William snorted. ¡°Now, since Francis seems to have no more objections, shall we begin?¡± Chapter 4 In a decorated and cozy room of a rather splendor mansion, two young children sat silently across from one another, listening to the yelling that originated from further down the hall. Of the two children, one was a girl, with a face that all but guaranteed that she would be a beautiful woman in her future. She seemed especially delicate, her skin unblemished by sun nor labor. Her face was practically glowing as she blushed, listening to the heated argument that would decide whether or not she and the boy across from her would be joined in bonds of marriage. She gazed at the boy over her flushed cheeks, her eyelashes tickling her as they fluttered repeatedly. She found him to be rather cute. He had a fairly girly appearance, but after seeing his father and mother, she knew it was virtually impossible for him to not be an attractive man when he grew up. She couldn¡¯t help but have rose-tinted thoughts. They were alone now, separate from the adults. They were to be engaged, that much was almost certain by now. They still had not spoken much. After he woke up, one of the Court Mages had cast a spell on him so that he could understand and speak Common, but so far he had been distracted by anything and everything in the room. She didn¡¯t really mind at first, because she could get a good look at him without him really paying any mind to her curious gaze. Now, however, she simply felt awkward. They were alone now. She was still young, and had no knowledge of the mature activities of husband and wife, only knowing of sharing a kiss, hugging, and holding hands. Thus, when they were sent off to be separate from the adults, she had many expectations in her little head. She thought that they might hold each other¡¯s hands, or even exchange a kiss. However, thus far she had felt only awkward, as she sat silently across from him. ¡°Umm¡­¡± she said, breaking the silence that had been stifling her. She took a deep breath and rose to her feet, giving a curtsey. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, my name is Elizabeth Redmont.¡± She paused mid-curtsey, glancing up at him embarrassedly. She saw that he was looking at her with curious eyes, causing her face to heat up even more. She sat down on the seat once again timidly, barely putting any of her weight on the cushion, as though it was covered in pins and needles. Elizabeth coughed lightly before speaking in a quiet voice, ¡°Um, now it¡¯s your turn¡­¡± She silently berated herself for still being embarrassed about the sudden engagement before she finally forced the thoughts out of her mind. The little boy looked at her for a moment longer before copying her actions. He stood and attempted to curtsey, just as Elizabeth had done. ¡°My name is¡­ Esyr? Or was it Yrit¡­¡± He let go of his clothes and rubbed his chin and lips lightly as he thought. ¡°I think Dad won, so it should be Esyr¡­ But they might have changed it when I was sleeping,¡± he mumbled. He looked at Elizabeth, who was covering her mouth as she held back her laughter. ¡°Which do you like more, Esyr or Yrit?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, uh¡­¡± Chaos erupted within the young girl¡¯s mind once more. It truly wasn¡¯t her fault this time. After all, the implications of the young boy¡¯s question were just too great. For him to ask her which name he should have was both unexpected and suggestive of a bond greater than that of parent and child. In her panic, she hardly spent any time thinking about which she liked greater. ¡°Uh, I¡­ The first one!¡± Her voice came out in a stammer once more, causing the pink blush to flare up across her cheeks once more. ¡°Oh, okay. Then I guess it¡¯s Esyr.¡± He sat back down on the seat. Because he was shorter than Elizabeth, his feet lifted from the ground, allowing him to easily swing them gently as he looked around the room some more. To him, there was nothing really going on. In his few days of life so far, he¡¯d only ever seen the loud and noisy side of people. From the very beginning, he was accustomed to the yelling and shouting of villagers as they prepared for their festival. To him, the yelling down the hall was not especially unordinary. ¡°Do you like flowers?¡± he asked suddenly. He looked at her, his expression strangely serious for a boy his height. His legs had even stopped swinging as he focused on her, as though the answer was very much important to him. ¡°Flowers? Mm, Mother and I have a little flower garden outside that I take care of. Why?¡± The distraction from her racing thoughts and pounding heart was very much welcome to Elizabeth, as it gave her blushing face a chance to cool off some more. ¡°Are flowers important to you?¡± He nodded very seriously. ¡°Yes.¡± For some reason, Elizabeth felt that he looked much more relaxed with her now that she had told him that she likes flowers. It felt as though a wall between them had melted. ¡°Flowers are special,¡± he said. ¡­ Down the hall from a room where the atmosphere had blossomed like a field of pink roses was a room full of tension and aggression. In it, five adults had been gathered around, two of which were particularly tense and aggressive. Yrlette clenched her fists, growling through her teeth at Francis. ¡°You think your daughter is too good for my son, do you?! I¡¯ll have you know that the only reason I¡¯m even a little bit willing to give this engagement a chance is due to the fact that the girl seems to be nothing like you, little Boyking! If she resembled you even remotely, in either appearance or personality, I would not consider it for even a moment! In fact, I just pity the poor girl for having such an inept and stupid father!¡± ¡°You think your son is so special and great, do you?! He¡¯s just a lazy wyrm! Look at how long it took for him to come out of his shell, and yet he was still sleeping in the middle of the day! He¡¯s lethargic, he¡¯s girly, and he¡¯s some System-forsaken half-breed of lizard and pixie!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Yrlette lunged towards Francis, who cowered back in feared instantly. Thankfully, Eseit had a firm handle on the situation, managing to keep Yrlette from pouncing upon Francis and tearing him apart.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Embarrassed, Francis turned his attention elsewhere and began to target his father instead of Yrlette. ¡°How can you even suggest something like this?! Where is your familial love?! I may have erred in my life, but my daughter is innocent! To use her as a means to punish me¡­ There are some lines that should not be crossed! ¡°You would sell your own granddaughter, and to the Demihumans of all things?! What kind of man are you?!¡± Francis shouted, his bearded face red as it boiled with rage. ¡°This must be some kind of sick joke. After you just had me attack the Demihumans on the plains, you¡¯re having my own daughter marry a Demihuman who lives near the plains? Why don¡¯t you just give them my wife while you¡¯re at it?! Do you truly think they won¡¯t try to use her as a weapon against us?! They will try to kill her, just to get back at me! Those beastmen on the plains are savages!¡± Yrlette snorted at him. ¡°Comparing us to those lesser beasts that roam the plains in tribes, now? Your offenses have no limit, it seems. Do you not value your life at all, Boyking?¡± Francis trembled slightly, not daring to look her way. He continued to stare at his father, although his anger had mostly given way under the taunts and threats of Yrlette. ¡°Sell my granddaughter? Would you rather I let you give her some foppish noble boy as a husband? Do you want to see her marry some miscreant who has no power, no capability? Do you want to wed her to a man who leaves her side, to pursue nightly ventures with some whore?! I am giving her a future, you useless mule of a man!¡± After hours of bickering between Francis and Yrlette, William¡¯s anger had finally reared its head, pouring into his voice like water bursting through a broken dam. The room went quiet after the old man began to shout. It was unknown whether this silence was born out of respect for the older generation, or fear of William¡¯s strength. For some, like Meredith, it was both. After a moment, William regained his calm and began to speak once more, ¡°We will see Esyr¡¯s Status, and if the boy seems to have inherited the prowess of his parents, then the two will be engaged. You will not get in the way of this, Francis. If I see even a hint of your intervention in anything, you can forget about having to worry about being watched over like a Boyking. I¡¯ll take back that seat, and you can return to being a mere Prince.¡± Yrlette crossed her arms. ¡°Of course he has inherited our prowess. He¡¯s a true miracle, after all.¡± She looked very stern, but at the same time, a proud light twinkled in her eye. ¡°He is special.¡± ¡­ A few days had gone by since. They had passed rather peacefully, particularly peaceful in comparison to the fighting that occurred that evening. Most of the time, Esyr had spent with his parents, although he had spent some time with Elizabeth and her mother as well. He would join them when they worked in the flower garden, and he ate with them on a few occasions. Francis kept his distance from Yrlette and her family, mostly because he was afraid that she might truly snap this time. The time had come for the two families to see Esyr¡¯s Status, and see whether or not the two children would be engaged. William had contacted the Pope, as the first viewing of one¡¯s Status was a rather important event in Human society. Yrlette and Eseit didn¡¯t feel it was particularly important to have it be a religious occasion, but they were willing to do so if it meant that their violation of the treaty behind them. Thus, the two families had gathered at the church. The viewing was private, with the only outsiders being those who belonged to the church. The two families sat in the front row, while the Pope began the ceremony. ¡°Oh glorious System, we cleanse this boy in Your name, with blessed waters,¡± the Pope chanted as he poured warm water onto Esyr¡¯s head from a ladle. The water trickled down his head and shoulders, wetting his spotless white robes. ¡°We ask that Your blessings upon this boy be bountiful and true and that his Status is befitting of the paths that lie before him.¡± The Pope continued to gently pour the water on Esyr as he spoke. Eventually, he placed the ladle down and held a strange stone over Esyr''s head. ¡°With Your grace, we shall witness this boy¡¯s Status for the first time. Thank you, oh heavenly System.¡± ¡°Thank you, oh heavenly System,¡± called out Elizabeth¡¯s family. Yrlette and Eseit said it after them, still unfamiliar with Human rituals. The Pope then crushed the stone he held over Esyr, turning it into a strange, multi-colored dust that slowly drifted downwards, as though it were just barely affected by gravity. As it fell, it swirled around in a spiral, enclosing Esyr in it. The Pope continued to recite a prayer quietly, as though he were encouraging the dust to fulfill its role. After a while, the dust picked up speed, falling rapidly as it began to completely obscure everyone¡¯s vision of Esyr. A moment later, the dust fell to the ground all at once, revealing Esyr and a blue panel that floated before him. The Pope made a few gestures, and that same blue panel appeared in front of all of the family members.
Name: Esyr
Race: Fae Dragon
Attributes Stats Titles Class: N/A
Strength 11 Phys. Offense 5 The Blessed
Agility 10 Phys. Defense 3 First of His Kind
Intellect 13 Mag. Offense 9
Wisdom 14 Mag. Defense 3
Charisma 16
Constitution 13