《The Wolf's Daughter》 Book 1 Prologue She was no stranger to pain. Her scales had been shattered countless times in the past, though as she¡¯d aged it had become rarer and rarer. But this pain was more than just of a physical nature. The chains binding her in place told her more than she was just suffering. They told her she had lost. She had been defeated. That, as one of the few Ascended Dragons, was far more painful. She idly wondered who would take her place. Would they try to fight this war as well? Or would they, like most of her kin, remove themselves from this battle of the lower creatures? Instead watching as a neutral party, never leaving their homes for fear of what may happen? Or would they, like her, offer aid to those who were too weak to fight against this seemingly impossible force? Then again, the war was all but over. With her capture, another one of the handful of remaining forces opposed to the monstrous demons would disappear. Without her aid, she doubted the others would hold out much longer. Perhaps her kin had been right, perhaps she never should have offered such creatures aid. All who had come to her for help were now long dead, having disappeared so quickly it felt as if she blinked and they were gone. May whoever replaced her be wiser. Her self-contemplation was shattered when she heard the shriek of metal against metal. Light entered her dark prison when the cold, metal door opened. Her eyes narrowed on the creature that stood in the doorway. Barely larger than one of her claws now, he looked almost elven in appearance. The large leathery wings and the solid black eyes were the only sign of the incubus he truly was. General Obsius. ¡°I hope you¡¯re finding your accommodations comfortable?¡± he asked. She snarled at him and attempted to lash out, but the chains binding her shimmered with a red light and only coiled tighter around her. ¡°I see,¡± Obsius said. ¡°I do hope you understand why I can¡¯t let you free. It nearly cost me a wing just trying to ground you the first time, I¡¯d rather not have a repeat performance.¡± ¡°You should have killed me when you had the chance,¡± she said venomously. ¡°I will not be your trophy. You--¡± ¡°You will die soon enough,¡± Obsius said, waving a hand dismissively. The chains around her turned purple and she found her words silenced for a moment. ¡°At least, if you will still not relent? It¡¯s such a little thing I ask. Tell me, dragon, what is your name?¡± The chains stopped their glow a moment later. ¡°Few of your ilk hide theirs so closely.¡± She merely growled in response. ¡°As I suspected,¡± Obsius said before he began to pace. ¡°Still you throw your lot in with their alliance? You know the war has long been over, yes? Your great hero perished nearly a century ago.¡± She let out a furious snarl and lunged forward at him. The chains glowed bright red but she refused to stop, even when they tore at her scales. The demon merely chuckled, out of her reach. ¡°Ahhhh, still a touchy subject, is it? Come now, dragon,¡± Obsius said in a mocking tone. ¡°Even had our lord not slain him, he was only human. A pathetic, short-lived species that died out millenia ago. Did you truly believe that such a creature, even one summoned from another realm, could stand against my brother?¡± She opened her mouth and tried to unleash her flame on him, but nothing came. ¡°Ah, right, I always forget. You were there on that day, weren¡¯t you?¡± Obsius asked. ¡°When the body of your ¡®Chosen One¡¯ was thrown from my brother¡¯s throne? Well¡­ at least, what was left of him?¡± She roared and struggled against her chains, though she felt her bones might break. She would have gladly given them in order to get just one claw on him. To plunge a single claw into his chest and rip out his foul, twisted heart. ¡°You told him your name, did you not?¡± Obsius asked. ¡°So why will you not tell me? We won, should we not get the spoils?¡± ¡°You will all PERISH!¡± she yelled, spreading her wings as wide as she could, only to feel the chains digging deeper into her body. ¡°I see,¡± Obsius said. ¡°In due time, I suppose. But not on this day. I suppose it is only fitting you learn of your fate. Celebrate and be joyous, O Ascended Dragon. For your death will herald a new generation of our empire. Your head shall be cleaved and your heart served as tribute in honor of the heir¡¯s own ascension.¡± That, however, made her pause. Slowly her eyes narrowed on him. ¡°What heir?¡± she asked. The demon¡¯s grin grew ever wider. ¡°The greatest secret of our empire, O Great Dragon,¡± Obsius said in a mocking tone. ¡°For you see, his lordship has had a child. A demon who will one day continue the legacy of our lord.¡± That made her blood run cold. The Wolf had a child? One like him? It had to be slain. Immediately. One of him was bad enough, but a second? It-- ¡°Oh, it is far too late for that,¡± Obsius said with a low chuckle. ¡°This celebration isn¡¯t for her birth, you see. Oh no, that has long since passed. This celebration is for her coming of age, as High Queen and future Empress. With your death her ascent will be heralded throughout the land and all will finally understand. This war is over. This world is ours. Soon she will lay claims of her own.¡± She stared at him, despair filling her heart. How could they have hidden such a thing? How did they possibly manage it? What would happen to this world with a second Wolf? ¡°Knowing this, dragon, I ask once more,¡± Obsius said before offering her a hand. ¡°Come, tell me your name. There is no more need for you to fight. Accept your defeat with some dignity.¡± Slowly, she stopped struggling and instead stared at him. She sunk down to the ground, the chains loosening slightly around her. ¡°My name¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Obsius asked, his black eyes seeming to glimmer with a foul light. ¡°Will perish with me,¡± she said. His smile vanished and he shook his head. ¡°Bah. Such a waste, but so be it. When next we meet each other, know you will finally get a chance to meet your precious ¡®Savior¡¯ in the afterlife soon. Know your resistance was as useless as his.¡± He then turned and stormed away, the door slamming shut behind him.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A second Wolf. To imagine that foul demon had spawn. If she truly was grown, if she had even a fraction of her father¡¯s power¡­ Then this truly was over and hopeless. They had all failed. With that despair in her heart, she closed her eyes and rested, giving one final prayer to the gods that she be granted but one chance to try and help those who remained. Even though it would surely cost her her life. Not that she believed she would have one for long. ------ New chains bound her, even more than the last. No cage, however. Not that she could move. In the center of the coliseum she lay bound, each limb held back by half a dozen enchanted chains, head trapped so all she could do was look ahead. To watch helplessly when the Wolf entered. Had she not known exactly what he was, she would have scoffed at the idea that this creature had been the one to slay the hero summoned from another realm. As he was, he towered over most, his body covered in a snow-white fur. His eyes were black, with only a single red dot in the center of each. Even his teeth, while sharp, looked like they were nothing special. A mere werewolf, hardly a threat. But she knew who he truly was. Having adopted the legendary name of Fenrir, his power likely dwarfed all of the other demons in the coliseum. Possibly together. Were he to take his true form, even she doubted she could truly face him without some advantage of her own. He lifted his arms and the crowd erupted in a cheer, as if he was some grand conquering hero. Then again, she supposed that to the demons, he was. Their lord, their emperor. The Wolf. She tried to move, but the chains refused to yield. She could not slay him, but perhaps she could wound him. Give some hope to those who remained. Even the Wolf could be wounded. Perhaps, one day, killed. He had nearly crossed the distance between them when she realized there was someone else besides him. She would have laughed if she didn¡¯t feel a bit of pity for the tiny thing. At first she thought the thing was an elf in a furry robe, perhaps a consort of some kind. However, after a few moments she realized it wasn¡¯t a robe at all, it was wool. A sheep demon. How amusing. It seemed she wasn¡¯t the only sacrifice today. Judging by the look on the demon¡¯s face, it was too frightened to even try to flee. The pair came closer and she saw Obsius walk past her towards the pair, a great black axe in hand. The tool for her execution. So it seemed she would meet her end at the hands of the Wolf himself. How fitting. However, Obsius walked past the Wolf and instead offered the great axe to the sheep. For a moment, she was bewildered. The sheep looked just as bewildered. Then it finally hit. That was the Wolf¡¯s daughter. She looked closer this time, not letting anything escape her notice. At first glance she really did look like another small, weak sheep demon. But when the demon stared at Obsius with her mouth hanging open in alarm, the fangs were clear to see. More than that, her eyes were like the Wolf¡¯s, black with a single red pin-prick. No, whatever that demon was, it wasn¡¯t just a sheep. She was something else, a trick of some kind. If she truly wielded even a fraction of the Wolf¡¯s power¡­ The sheep took the axe and looked to her as the three came ever closer. The crowd was roaring now. They could probably all but taste the blood soon to be spilled. Her blood. She felt her ire rise the moment she could hear what they were saying. ¡°Daddy, you said I can have anything I want! I want the dragon!¡± the sheep said. Daddy? HAVE HER? Did the sheep think her a PET? The Wolf surely had kept his heir quite sheltered if the sheep thought an Ascended Dragon could be tamed. As she was, she could easily tear the sheep apart with but one claw. Her indignant rage was distracted when suddenly the axe lodged into the ground by her head. The sheep had thrown it amidst the three arguing. Pathetic. Did she-- Her eyes went wide when she realized she could move her head. More than that, the magic binding her was disrupted. She could feel her breath returning. She looked to the side to see the axe had cleaved through the chains by her head. Though she had to shrink her form in order to do it, she turned her head and gripped the axe by the handle and lifted it up, only to bring it down once more on the chains further down her body. The magic binding her shattered and she could feel it. She was free. She spread her wings and pushed her legs to the ground, tearing what little bound her from the earth. Screams already surrounded her from those watching¡­ She only had a moment. She would be imprisoned again, soon. But she would make the Wolf hurt. She would give them one last chance. She opened her mouth and unleashed a wave of flame at the Wolf, forcing him and Obsius one way, the sheep the other. Separating them. She then lunged forward, her eyes narrowed on the sheep. She would give them hope, give them but one threat to deal with. Not two. Her jaw snapped shut a moment later. However, to her annoyance and slight panic she felt her mouth filled with wool and only the smallest taste of burning demon¡¯s blood. The sheep stared into her eyes, an arm trapped in her mouth. The sheep smiled at her, a few tears in her eyes. She looked around at the fire surrounding them, before she reached out and lightly pat her on the nose with her other hand. ¡°Yroth, please. Calm down,¡± the sheep said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Trust me.¡± It felt like she¡¯d had a mountain fall on her head. She stared, unable to move. Not even able to breathe. Even when the sheep pulled her hand free, only slightly ragged from the bite. How? How did this creature know her name? Impossible. The sheep reached out and gently stroked her snout, giving it soft strokes. ¡°There there, see?¡± the sheep said. ¡°You can trust me. Please, just sleep. It¡¯ll be okay. I promise. Yroth, sleep...¡± Yroth felt the world around her begin to darken and felt panic rise inside her. No. NO! This was her one chance. Her one opportunity. She¡¯d never be able to-- Those last thoughts were taken from her when consciousness slipped away. ------ Yroth¡¯s eyes opened and she felt everything aching. Still, no chains bound her. But how did she-- Chains surrounded her, scattered on the ground. Had she torn them off? No. She wasn¡¯t in the coliseum anymore. She was inside a strange, large room. The chains surrounding her looked as if they¡¯d been torn off after she¡¯d arrived. She-- Her head whipped around to see the sheep sitting on a massive bed in the middle of the room. Hugging a massive pillow to her chest. Just staring at her. Yroth stared back. After a few moments of staring, the sheep gave a sigh and buried her head in the pillow. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to start¡­¡± ¡°How do¡­ you know my name?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°You told me,¡± the sheep said. ¡°Long, long ago. When I was¡­ well. A different person.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡± the sheep said before glancing up again. ¡°I uhhh¡­ know this is going to sound insane. But I was Ch-- no. I guess you didn¡¯t¡­ really know me as that, huh? Ummmm¡­ right. I was Medon, the hero summoned from another world to, uhhhh¡­ save you all. From the Demon Lord. I kind of¡­ failed. I guess?¡± ¡°What?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°And now, ummm, I guess I¡¯m his daughter, kind of,¡± the sheep said nervously. ¡°You can call me Phaedra. Everyone does. I haven¡¯t really taken a name yet, though. Not like you have. I don¡¯t even know if it would work the same way.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yroth asked. Phaedra gave a soft sigh and then buried her head in the pillow. ¡°This is why I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡± Yroth stared at the sheep, unsure of what to say or do. Did this sheep truly expect her to believe that she was Medon? That after everything they¡¯d been through, suffered through, that somehow this tiny, insignificant sheep hiding behind her pillow like a frightened mouse was the champion they had summoned from another world? But¡­ then how did she know her name? Book 1 Chapter 01 ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth gave a low, rumbling growl and rose to her full height, towering over her and spreading her wings out until they touched both sides of the room. She then glanced around before turning back towards her. ¡°Speak quickly, demon. How did you know my name?¡± ¡° ¡° Phaedra looked up at her once-friend before sighing and resting her head on the pillow. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ know. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m like this. I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m his daughter now. It¡¯s probably because of that stupid spell they called me to this place with.¡± ¡° ¡° Yroth stared at her, turning her head from side to side. ¡°Do you expect me to truly believe this¡­ story?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° He stood a little more at attention, though his eyes were now flicking around a little wildly. Good, she hoped. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra nodded before reaching out to shove him away from the doorway. ¡°Then I trust I won¡¯t need to repeat myself.¡± Before he could object she opened the door and slid back inside, slamming it shut behind herself before all but collapsing against it. She didn¡¯t have the mental energy for this. Not to mention now she was certain her father would hear about her yelling at Yroth. She just-- Phaedra let out a startled bleating shriek when she looked up. Yroth¡¯s head was only a few feet from her, glaring down at her with a fierce rage only an annoyed dragon could wield. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth stared down at her for a few moments before, mercifully, she began to shrink down to a far, far more manageable size. She still towered over her, however. ¡°No, there is not,¡± Yroth said. ¡°I know not how you have this information, but this? It¡¯s just what I would expect of the Wolf. I am no fool and I will not be made one by the likes of you, sheep.¡± ¡° Yroth gave a light snort. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° But Yroth stopped, mere inches from her, glaring intently. ¡°Do you truly believe you are Medon?¡± ¡° Yroth, however, just stared at her. Then, very slowly, she began to shrink down even further and rise up on two legs. Eventually, she stood over her in a bipedal form, her body covered in thin, red scales. Her eyes glowed with a golden light, the most obvious indicator that she was more than just a large kobold. Aside from the wings, of course. ¡°Medon?¡± Phaedra blinked a few times before her cheeks turned red. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re kidding, right? Is that it? Me geeking out over getting a bunch of collectible necklaces? That¡¯s what makes you believe me? I wasn¡¯t that bad, was I?¡± ¡° ¡° Yroth slowly reached out a hand towards her before pulling it back. ¡°No. I am not falling for one of your tricks. I do not understand what game you¡¯re playing at, but I won¡¯t fall for it.¡± Phaedra gave a soft sigh and wondered if it was a dragon thing, an Ascended Dragon thing or just natural that Yroth was always so stubborn. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s all a trick.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° A loud booming filled the room when something pounded on the door. There was only one person she knew who could knock like that. Her father. She looked to Yroth, then down at the chains on the ground. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Before Yroth could object, Phaedra jumped to her hooves and grabbed the blankets. She yanked them off before tossing them on the somewhat manageably sized dragon, then shoved her back to where the chains had been. She cringed at the thump made when they hit the ground, but any concern was quickly washed away when the dragon began to growl. ¡° Phaedra stayed on top of her, trying to think of what magic she knew that could keep a dragon quiet and still for a little bit. ¡°Just please calm down for a second before--¡± The door exploded and all of the air seemed to leave the room in an instance. An icy cold chill filled the room and dust hung in the air. Phaedra trembled, mercifully grateful that Yroth had, at least, stopped struggling. Small miracle it was, she¡¯d happily take it. The Wolf stood in the doorway, his eyes narrowed on her and making her heart nearly stop. Try as she might, she couldn¡¯t even breathe. All she could do was look up at him and quiver while he looked around the room. ¡° Book 1 Chapter 02 The Wolf took a single step into the room, looking around slowly. ¡°I heard yelling,¡± the Wolf said, his voice restrained, barely controlled. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra tried to say no, but with the Wolf¡¯s eyes focused on her like they were, all she could do was give a light little squeak. Just one breath. It was all she needed. Just one. If she could just get one little gasp of air, maybe she could talk again. The Wolf reached down and put a hand on the side of her head. She gave another little whimper and tried not to imagine his fingers wrapping around and then tearing the small horns from her skull. Or crushing her head like a grape. Or just slowly digging a claw into her skull and cutting it open inch by inch while she screamed. Or-- ¡° Phaedra finally managed to inhale. ¡°N-no!¡± she yelled before breaking into a fit of coughing. She lifted a hand up to her mouth, covering it. ¡°No! I had it under control, Daddy! Why did you break my door?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Fenrir blinked a few times before glancing around the room. He then turned to her and crossed his arms. ¡°Is that really the story you¡¯re going with, dear?¡± Phaedra gulped and then looked around. The broken shelving, the torn up bed, the cracks in the wall. She shrunk down a little bit before nervously poking her fingers together. ¡°P-promise not to be mad at me, Daddy?¡± ¡° ¡° Fenrir¡¯s gaze lowered to the blanket. ¡°Phaedra, get up.¡± Phaedra shook her head. ¡°N-no.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra didn¡¯t move aside from closing her eyes and cowering from him, tears beginning to fall down her face. ¡° Phaedra gulped and slowly opened her eyes, looking up at him. ¡°I-I can handle her. Y-you said I could have her. U-uncle Obby b-brought her for me, didn¡¯t he? W-why can¡¯t I d-do what I want with her?¡± Fenrir gave a soft sigh before glancing down at the blanket covering the dragon. ¡°Very well. What did you do?¡± ¡° Fenrir gave a light, amused chuckle. ¡°I see. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice that she was now something you could hide under your blankets?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Fenrir gave a soft sigh before standing and walking over to her shelves. He leaned down to pick up one of the partially shredded stuffed animals, then tossed it aside. ¡°Are you certain you have this handled?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° She cringed when the Wolf¡¯s claw reached out, gripping one of the shelves and crushing it to tinder in his hand. For a moment she wondered if she had gone too far. However, after a moment he took a slow, careful breath before turning to face her. ¡°Very well, my little lamb chop. I trust you will keep everything well in hand.¡± Fenrir then walked back to her before kneeling. She cringed when he reached out to cup the side of her head, gently stroking a thumb under her eyes again. ¡°You are not a laughing stock. You are my daughter. There is nothing wrong with being a sheep. If your mother was still with us, she¡¯d--¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡° Fenrir cringed before, very slowly, giving a nod. ¡°She would have. I¡¯m so very sorry for worrying about my baby girl,¡± he said in a teasing tone before leaning in to kiss her forehead. Phaedra pulled back before he could, however. ¡°Daaaaaad¡­ not in front of the guards,¡± she said, her cheeks burning. ¡°I¡¯m a grown demon now.¡± ¡° ¡° Fenrir just gave a light laugh before getting to his feet. ¡°Fine, fine. No more yelling, though. I¡¯ll¡­ have this door fixed soon.¡± He turned to leave, before pausing. ¡°And dragon. Know this. If you so much as leave a single scratch on my daughter, I will not hesitate to unleash a hell upon--¡± ¡° Fenrir gave another soft sigh before shaking his head. ¡°Very well. I love you, my little lamb chop.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Fenrir gave a frustrated yell, but she didn¡¯t hear him doing anything so she hoped that meant he¡¯d accepted her choice. For now. She let out a sigh of relief¡­ Which was replaced with a grunt when suddenly the blanket under her rose up, sending her head over hooves on the ground. She stared upside down at the dragon, who was still glaring at her. At least she hadn¡¯t grown again. ¡°Pet?¡± Yroth asked, her voice filled with barely contained rage. ¡°¡® ¡° ¡° ¡°¡­ ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°¡­ ¡° ¡° Yroth spread her wings and started to walk towards her. A wicked grin formed on her lips before she lifted up her right hand. ¡°Here, let me sh--¡± She was cut off when Phaedra hit her with her pillow. ¡°Don¡¯t even try that,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll admit it was kind of funny when you did it to me the first time. But no. Bad dragon. Bad.¡± Yroth blinked a few times, her eyes wide and staring at her. For a few moments she thought, finally, the dragon was going to believe her. She then shook her head and hmphed. ¡°I see. Very well. I will tell you, but first, I want to know how.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra sighed and dropped back onto the bed before giving a low groan. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a story. Can I just--¡± ¡° Phaedra gave a low, annoyed groan. It seemed she didn¡¯t have much choice. ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m telling you the abridged version.¡± ¡° ¡° Yroth nodded before turning and sitting down incredibly hard. Hard enough that another leg on the bed crumbled and the bed¡¯s padding shifted, tossing Phaedra off and onto the ground with a shriek. Phaedra just laid there on the ground for a few seconds before giggling. ¡°You did that on purpose,¡± she said. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Well, if nothing else at least her prisoner-slash-only-living-friend would be comfortable during her story. Phaedra just wished she could be. Book 1 Chapter 03 ¡°So, uhhh, how to start,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I guess the obvious. I was born. Lived for a bit. Did you know that apparently demons come out without any fur?¡± ¡°You remember that?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Oh, gosh no,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen a few now. They¡¯re actually kind of cute. When they¡¯re all demon form all the time. I know it might sound arrogant, but I really was the cutest little demon sheep at first. If I hadn¡¯t been me and had instead met me? I would have totally wanted to pick me up and hug me forever. Which likely would have ended poorly. I was apparently a bit of a handful, according to Dad. I bit a lot of people, my uncle says he still has a scar, I don¡¯t know where though.¡± ¡°Uh huh,¡± Yroth said, her voice showing just how little she cared. Phaedra ignored that, because if the dragon was going to toss her out of her own bed and make her go through all of this just so SHE could rescue the dragon, well, she could put up with it. Phaedra couldn¡¯t help it and started giggling. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Oh, nothing, it¡¯s just kind of silly,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I¡¯m just the princess who used to be a knight rescuing the dragon from the castle.¡± Yroth sat up and stared at her with bewilderment. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ get it?¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°It¡¯s just a thing where I¡¯m from. Anyway, right. I didn¡¯t really realize who I was at first. Was¡­ mostly nice, I think. Dad was¡­ protective. I mean, I guess that makes sense. You constantly have people trying to kill you, take your name. Everyone apparently wants to be the next Fenrir. Did you know that he expects ME to do it? ME? What kind of parent wants their kid to one day rise up and kill them and take their name?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Taking your family¡¯s name is an honored tradition.¡± ¡°I mean, it was where I was from too, but it wasn¡¯t exactly the same thing,¡± Phaedra said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. ¡°Sure, sometimes it could be as bloody, but generally the parents didn¡¯t encourage that part.¡± ¡°Sounds strange,¡± Yroth said. ¡°Apparently a few people tried to kill me. I don¡¯t remember that,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Or Mom dying. I don¡¯t¡­ really know how it happened. Apparently Mom was amazing. All I can really remember about her was that she was warm. And kind of smelled like the sun? If that makes sense? Like a big cloud on a sunny day. After that, he took me away. Apparently let most people think I died. Only a few demons even knew I was alive, like Gibs.¡± ¡°Gibs?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Shark demon,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Though, I guess you probably knew him as uhhhh¡­ Leviathan.¡± Yroth just stared at her, some of the color drained from her face and her wings wilting a little. ¡°I¡­ see.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a few names like that here. Like Fenrir, Loki, Leviathan, Bahamut. We had those names where I was from, but they were entirely different things. Well, sometimes. I think Fenrir was a wolf of some kind that like¡­ did a lot of big things so that¡¯s kind of accurate here. I didn¡¯t exactly study old mythology when I was growing up, though.¡± ¡°What does this have to do with anything?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Though I am beginning to think you may be Medon after all. He often got sidetracked as well. Though he was oddly cute when he did it. You are annoying.¡± ¡°You¡­ thought I was cute?¡± Phaedra asked, unable to keep the smile off her face before she quickly shook her head. ¡°Right, right. Well, I was just wondering if it was whatever like¡­ allows me to understand all of you,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Is Fenrir actually Fenrir or do you hear something else and it just transla--¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had this talk before,¡± Yroth said. ¡°Then you comment on how you had never heard my name before, then I get annoyed because--¡± She paused and stared at her for a few moments before spreading her wings out again. ¡°Move on with the tale.¡± ¡°Right, sorry,¡± Phaedra said sheepishly once more. ¡°So I didn¡¯t exactly get to meet a lot of other demons. Gibs taught me, which was pretty cool. He was a wayyyyyy better instructor than that elf guy who taught me how to fight with a sword. Probably because he actually listened to me sometimes. And didn¡¯t yell at me. And then tell me to stop complaining or crying. And didn¡¯t mock me when he won. Or call me a pathetic excuse for a--¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Yroth said, flapping her wings suddenly. ¡°Demon, cease this mockery. Perhaps you are, somewhat, correct. Medon never asked for any of this and perhaps he was not treated as well as he should have been by those who trained him. Perhaps we even¡­ did not treat him with the care we should have. Perhaps he deserved better. But I fail to see how your mockery is supposed to prove anything.¡± Phaedra stared up at her for a few moments before sitting up. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not¡­ true¡­¡± ¡°What isn¡¯t?¡± Yroth asked. Phaedra nervously hugged her knees to her chest, her wool growing out until she knew she looked more like a big puffy ball than a demon. Even saying these words made her feel embarrassed and want to hide, she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I think you treated me better than I deserved. You, Lilith, Eve and Atlas. Well, okay, Lilith was maybe a bit evil at times, but uhhhh¡­ I think she was just enjoying making me flustered. But none of you had to help like you did. Especially considering I didn¡¯t really know what I was doing.¡± Yroth was silent for a few long moments after that before she heard the bed creak again. ¡°I have not heard those names in¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Since the final battle,¡± Yroth said. ¡°I know,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°How did--¡± Yroth stopped herself, but Phaedra suspected she knew what the dragon wanted to say. ¡°They got me to the Wolf,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°The last I saw of Atlas, she was¡­ enveloped in vines before she collapsed the chamber down on her head. Eve, well¡­ you know Eve. She just had to go out swinging. Those big headless knight demons. A whole army of them. She held them back, I don¡¯t know for how long. Lilith, well, she went out like¡­ she went out with a smile on her face. Like everything else.¡± Phaedra left out the fact that the last thing Lilith said was to leave her. To go before she fell, as she wanted the last thing Medon saw of her to be her smiling. ¡°She made sure that it was just me and the Wolf.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I¡­ see,¡± Yroth said softly. ¡°He tore me apart,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I was strong. But he was stronger. Faster. More powerful than I imagined. He was¡­ well. You fought my uncle. Dad is so much stronger even than him.¡± ¡°Fenrir is an ancient name,¡± Yroth said. ¡°One of the pillars of our world. That was why Medon needed to face him.¡± ¡°Medon wasn¡¯t enough,¡± Phaedra said bitterly. ¡°The whole name thing you people have didn¡¯t work for me. At least, it never felt like it did. I felt like a child. He tore me apart, limb by limb. He didn¡¯t even struggle. He¡­ e-enough. Anyway. Dad hid me away. After Mom died, he was afraid I¡¯d be killed. Gibs kept me safe. Trained me. There were a few hints to who I was. You know? Just a few. I¡¯d always have these just¡­ awful nightmares. Horrible ones. Things I didn¡¯t understand. Dreams about humans, some uhhhh¡­ well. I had a lot of dreams about home. Working in fast food, those ones were the worst. Didn¡¯t make a lot of sense, confused the hell out of Gibs. But then I¡¯d have scary ones about Dad. But he¡¯d never hurt me before. Then the things about humans. Those didn¡¯t make any sense. After all, humans are extinct in this world, I was the first one in centuries and even then it wasn¡¯t my body you all summoned me in, it was that body you¡¯d summoned me into.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Nothing!¡± Phaedra said quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, never mind. It¡¯s¡­ oh, why not?¡± she asked before taking a deep breath. The wool retracted from around her and she dropped onto her back. ¡°You know what? It¡¯s kind of late now, so it¡¯s not like telling you this will do anything. Not that you¡¯ll believe me, anyway. Apparently when they summoned me they thought they¡¯d give me a whole new body. Using an old statue of the last Medon as the basis. Because, apparently, the magic was so weak now that they couldn¡¯t perform the original spell and instead had to improvise. They--¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Yroth said, getting to her hooves and spreading her wings out, towering over her. Her fists were clenched and she was glaring down at her, fists shaking with rage. ¡°Uhhhh¡­ what?¡± Phaedra asked softly. She tried to sit up, only to have the dragon put a claw on her chest and pin her down. ¡°That is not what happened with Medon,¡± Yroth said. ¡°You dare to call him an imposter?¡± ¡°W-what in the world are you talking about?¡± Phaedra asked before lifting her hands up onto the leg. ¡°Y-you¡¯re k-kind of heavy, you know that?¡± ¡°Is this your goal?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°To make me turn against the people I swore to protect? To make me believe these lies?¡± ¡°W-what are you talking a-about?¡± Phaedra asked, cringing when more weight was applied to her chest. ¡°Y-you¡¯re g-going to c-crush me!¡± ¡°You know nothing of the spell to summon Medon,¡± Yroth said before lifting her claw off her. ¡°I think it is becoming quite clear, demon, what you intend.¡± Phaedra groaned and rolled over, clutching her chest. ¡°Ow, ow, ow. Y-you know, crushing the uhhhh¡­ girls like that is not a v-very good way to t-thank me for saving your life. I¡¯m just telling you what they told me when they brought me there.¡± ¡°If that is true, why did Medon never tell me?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°A-aside from the fact I didn¡¯t think it was a big deal?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°They said if people knew the magic they used had become so weak, it would weaken it even further. That it would damage the whole name thing that gave me my power and that I would be responsible for all of the death that followed. But, you know. Considering I died, I figure it¡¯s not really important a-anymore. It--¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t how magic works,¡± Yroth said. ¡°I knew the demons knew little of the summoning ritual, but did you truly believe that Medon could be summoned in such a way?¡± ¡°Considering it was how I was summoned? Yes?¡± Phaedra said. Her chest STILL hurt. Honestly, she¡¯d have preferred the dragon had just bit her. ¡°Do you want me to continue the story or not?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Yroth said. ¡°I will hear no more of your lies.¡± ¡°But--¡± ¡°None,¡± Yroth said. ¡°Call your father, kill me if you so please. But I shall no longer speak with you.¡± ¡°But I--¡± Yroth ignored her and instead fell back onto the bed, spreading her wings out before, after giving one more glance towards her, began to grow again, soon towering over her and shattering what remained of her bed as a great, powerful dragon. Phaedra stared at her for a few moments before laying back and giving a soft, disappointed sigh. How was she supposed to know how that magic worked? It was a spell of the mortal races, not demons. Before she¡¯d been brought to this world she hadn¡¯t even believed in magic. All she wanted was for her old friend to be safe. Was it really too much to ask? But the longer Yroth was here, the more likely she was going to get both of them killed. She needed to get her out of here and fast. More importantly, back with her people. Maybe then she¡¯d believe her. Or at least try and get away safely. Phaedra had an idea on how to do it, but she didn¡¯t like it. She slowly got to her hooves before walking into her closet. ¡°Yroth?¡± she called out. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Yroth said. So much for not talking to her. ¡°I know,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°But I¡¯m going to try and get you out of here and away with your people.¡± ¡°Sure you are,¡± Yroth said. ¡°Can you please, please, please not destroy anything else until I get back?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°And please don¡¯t draw any more attention to us? Just for a little bit?¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Yroth said before reaching up one of her claws and picking at her teeth. ¡°I unchained you, I haven¡¯t laid a hand on you despite the fact you have attacked me twice,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I even protected you from my father. Can you just humor me for a few minutes and not--¡± She cringed when another chunk of the shelves fell to the ground. ¡°Just not destroy anything outside my room? I know you think I¡¯m some evil demon princess trying to trick you, but on the off chance that I¡¯m telling the truth, can you just not get us both killed for a little bit?¡± Yroth sighed and glanced towards her, eyes narrowed and a little flame spouting from her lips. She then gave a small nod. ¡°Very well, demon. I will humor you. Only once. Make it count.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d better,¡± Phaedra said before grumbling under her breath. ¡°Arrogant oversized lizard going to get both of us killed. Lucky I¡¯m such a stupid bleeding heart or I¡¯d just let her.¡± She looked through the amulets for a moment before sighing. As annoyed as she was at Yroth, though, she couldn¡¯t blame her for doubting. If she wasn¡¯t herself, she¡¯d likely assume this was a lie as well. In so many ways it likely felt too good to be true. She didn¡¯t know how this had happened or why. Unfortunately, while she did know how a lot of magic worked now, she still couldn¡¯t begin to understand what magic had made her be reborn into this. Phaedra reached out and grabbed one of the small amulets with a few blue and red markings on it before sliding it on. She felt it after a moment, her wool getting softer, her eyes getting a little larger. Making herself look cuter. More adorable. She¡¯d need every edge she could get, considering that she was going to have to convince her father to let her take Yroth away. She just hoped she could play up being his precious baby girl well enough¡­ and not imagine him tearing into her. She could pull this off. Probably. If not for herself, then for the one friend of hers who was still alive. Even if that person never would believe her. Maybe, someday, she could convince her. Phaedra took a long, slow breath before glancing back at the lounging dragon. Maybe someday she could have her friend back. ¡°Well, wish me luck,¡± she said before turning and walking out of her closet and then to the remains of her door. With a wave of her hand and a small incantation, the stone block lowered and she stepped out, a moment before the stone rose up again. She then gave a silent prayer that Yroth would do as she said. For both their sakes. Book 1 Chapter 04 Phaedra froze in mid step. She could smell it. Blood. However, the few guards she saw in the halls didn¡¯t seem to notice, or mind. She sniffed the air a bit more and sighed. The smell of sweat and wet fur, and some of the blood smelled oddly¡­ sweet. No wonder nobody looked concerned, that was her father¡¯s and uncle¡¯s blood. She soon heard the growls, grunts and thumps coming from the throne room. She paused outside it for a moment before engaging in one of her favorite pastimes ever since she was a little lamb. Eavesdropping. She motioned for the guard to leave. Once she was alone, she opened the door a crack to watch the two. ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this would be the time one of them FINALLY killed each other. She found it unlikely. She could still remember the first time she¡¯d seen them fighting like this. ------ ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° That had knocked the smile off both their faces. Fenrir had reached out and, gently, pet her head. It hadn¡¯t scared her then, but then she hadn¡¯t realized who she was. ¡°My dear, sweet Phaedra. You will never be alone. Should the day come that Obsius takes my heart, I will live on in him. He will love you as I do.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Obsius gave a light chuckle and shook his head. ¡°You know, when she says things like that, I almost wish I had found Hildr first. Half my children are already scheming about how to get my head, and the other half are training to fight me for it.¡± ¡° If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ------ ¡° Obsius disappeared, appearing across the throne room and moving so a pillar was between the two. ¡°Perhaps she is attempting to lower your guard, to strike when you are vulnerable? She is part sheep; striking at such a moment would be ideal.¡± Fenrir charged through the pillar, shattering it. ¡°If only, she -- AGHHH!¡± Electricity enveloped him when he ran into Obsius¡¯ trap. However, he threw his arms out and spikes of stone rose up, piercing the two crystal orbs that were making the electricity. ¡°She hasn¡¯t even attempted to lay claim to any territory of her own. That dragon was the first thing she¡¯s actually argued with me over since her return. But now she¡¯s letting the thing damage her room!¡± ¡° Fenrir growled and reached out a claw, snagging the spear from the air and crushing it. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m too soft on her?¡± He then leaped forward. Obsius smirked and started to pull away. However, his eyes went wide and his features contorted in alarm. His feet were wrapped in stone, trapping him there. A moment later Fenrir was on him, tackling him to the ground and lifting his claws up. ¡°I yield!¡± Obsius yelled. ¡°And probably a bit.¡± Fenrir gave a light chuckle as he stood up, holding out a hand. Phaedra sighed before shoving the door open. The resounding crash made them both look over. If he wanted to have her claim territory, then she supposed she¡¯d make his dream come true. She knew exactly how to do it, too. Especially now. She glanced to her uncle. It was a bit dirty, but she supposed it was his own fault for fighting her father and tiring himself out. Besides, she knew he¡¯d never fight her for real. ¡°Uncle Obby -- I mean, Obsius,¡± Phaedra said, clenching her fists tightly. ¡° ¡° Fenrir paused for a moment, looking between the two. He then gave a small chuckle before moving back. Obsius gave a small smirk and nodded. ¡°Oh? I see. Now what, I wonder, brings this on? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re aiming a little high, my dear little niece?¡± he asked, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. ¡°Though it would break my heart to have to make you cry.¡± Phaedra¡¯s cheeks went red and she reached up, knocking his hand aside. ¡°No. I¡¯m being greedy,¡± she said. ¡°I have the dragon, now I want her territory. Her people, her lands. I want all of it.¡± That made the smile fall off his face. He gently shook his head. ¡°Ah. I see. Well, my dear little niece. I would love to give them to you. But you see, that is not my territory.¡± ¡° ¡° Phaedra took a small, deep breath. ¡°You captured her. Wouldn¡¯t her territory be yours?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° However, after a moment she leaned against it and listened. ¡° Obsius chuckled as well. ¡°Ahhhh, your child¡¯s first conquest. Is there any greater feeling for a parent? You¡¯re not going to let her go on her own, are you? You saw how much she was shaking. Trying to act so tough. Just like little Jasmine when she first went off.¡± ¡° Phaedra pulled away, her cheeks going a little red. Well, it was good to know the person who had torn her limb from limb believed in her. Now if only she could get Yroth to believe in her like that. She was not looking forward to dealing with Carth, though. She¡¯d heard of him from Gibs. Cunning, ruthless, weak but vicious. A true demon. Still, she was Fenrir¡¯s daughter. Kind of. She was certain she could handle one little fox demon. And if she couldn¡¯t? Well¡­ all she had to do was get Yroth there and her people free. She¡¯d figure out what to do afterwards. Phaedra waved her hand, once more opening the makeshift door to allow herself to step into her room, waving back to close it behind herself again. ¡°I¡¯m ba--¡± The words died in her throat when she saw the dragon wasn¡¯t on her bed anymore. In fact, the dragon wasn¡¯t anywhere. ¡°No no no no--¡± A crash made her cringe and draw her eyes towards her closet, where the tip of the dragon¡¯s tail sticking out. Oh. Good. She wasn¡¯t free in the castle. Just going through all of her magic equipment. This was¡­ slightly¡­ less terrible. Even more of her stuff to destroy. Book 1 Chapter 05 ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth had taken her bipedal form again, but unfortunately was still quite a bit larger than her. She stuck a hand out against the sheep¡¯s forehead, holding her back while her other hand held the small black box covered in runes out of reach. ¡°Oh? Is it important?¡± ¡° ¡° Phaedra went entirely still, staring at the box. ¡°P-please. Yroth, I know you don¡¯t trust me. But don¡¯t. Don¡¯t damage that.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth blinked a few times, her eyes narrowing on her before glancing back at the box. ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because of this, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra took the opportunity. Casting a spell to amplify her speed, she was by the dragon in a second. She snatched the box back before turning her back to her and clutching it protectively to herself. She waited, but no attacks came. She slowly glanced back. Yroth stared at her in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a doll?¡± Phaedra gulped before, slowly, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll show you, but only if you promise NOT to touch it or the box ever again. Okay? Just¡­ it¡¯s special to me.¡± ¡° Phaedra nodded. She knelt down on her bed, then gently ran a finger over the side of the box. A quick mending spell repaired the damage where Yroth''s claws had dug into it, and fortunately none of the runes were damaged. She squeezed the box, causing the runes to glow, and the top popped open. To Phaedra''s relief, the box''s contents were also unharmed. She delicately pulled out a small sheep doll. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth stared at her. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why wouldn¡¯t you get it removed if you know about it?¡± ¡° Yroth stared at her and took a small step forward, reaching out a hand to her. Finally, she shook her head. ¡°No. You¡¯re not Medon. You can¡¯t be. Medon was¡­ Medon was calm. Quiet. Reserved. He was--¡± ¡° ¡° ¡°Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡° ¡° Yroth was silent for a few moments before sighing and crossing her arms. ¡°No. That¡­ was a lie. While he was¡­ obviously attracted to her--¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth went entirely rigid, her eyes going wide. ¡°Ex¡­ cuse me? Her? Why?¡± Phaedra squirmed and then shook her head, before finally enveloping herself in a thick ball of wool once more, hugging the box to her chest. ¡°Nope! No! Never mind! We are NOT talking about this!¡± ¡° Phaedra groaned and then, very slowly, the wool retracted. She stared up at her. Another test. Of course it was. Just so Yroth could ignore it like the others. Still, though. She supposed there was one thing she could get out of this. Yroth even seemed to be kind of listening this time. Slowly she put the box on the ground, on the opposite side from Yroth. ¡°If¡­ I do this¡­ will you¡­ let me at least pretend to chain you up so Dad doesn¡¯t try to kill you when I take you away from here? Just long enough so nobody can see before I let you go?¡± Yroth¡¯s eyes narrowed and her fists clenched. A small tuft of flame came out of her mouth before she sighed. ¡°Very well. I suppose¡­ I can agree to play this¡­ farce. For a short while. I will even acknowledge that if you really desired me to be chained, you could have kept me bound. Now, what did you mean by that? Wanting to be Lilith?¡± ¡° After a few seconds she whimpered and buried her face in her pillow. There was no way to not make herself sound stupid. ¡° Yroth blinked a few times, staring at her. ¡°You¡­ know that Lilith--¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra blinked a few times and stared at her. ¡°I¡­ what? Who? Morgana as in like¡­ Arthurian Legends? Or Artemis as in the Greek goddess of the hunt? Annnnd none of these make much sense to you, do they?¡± ¡° Phaedra gave another sigh before shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think I¡¯d heard of it before. I just always told you that it was just some guy, not to worry about it.¡± On the upside, Yroth finally seemed to be taking her seriously. Though she didn¡¯t quite get what she was getting at. ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra blinked a few times and stared at her. She just stared at her. Finally, she took a slow, deep breath. ¡°Did you just say¡­ five¡­ heroes?¡± she asked in as calm a voice as she could manage. ¡°There are¡­ four more heroes from other worlds?¡± ¡° Phaedra blinked a few times before sighing. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯m¡­ pretty sure four of those are Greek. I¡­ think? But I didn¡¯t actually study a lot of Greek mythology. Some of them sound fairly familiar. I think Dionysus was a god of wine and Artemis was a god of hunting. Aphroditus I think¡­ uhhhh¡­ became¡­ Hermaphroditus? They¡¯re kind of the one I know the most about and even then I don¡¯t know much. Morgana I know a lot about, she was supposed to be the sister of King Arthur, depending on which story. Though originally she was Morgan Le Fey¡­ and¡­ why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra stared at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know there were five heroes.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Book 1 Chapter 06 Medon groaned, slowly opening her eyes. Where was she? Why was she-- She let out a shriek and punched the creep standing over her with a strange, glowing stick in his hand. To her surprise, he went flying across the room and slammed into the wall, before crumbling to the ground. ¡°W-what? What happened? Where am I? I-is he okay?¡± There were at least three more of them. She couldn¡¯t lie, they were cute, though they looked like they were a part of some cosplayer group. In weird robes, with pointy ears. She, unfortunately, was lying on a strange stone table in the middle of a bunch of strange runes that she didn¡¯t understand. ¡° The other three stared at her alarm for a few moments. Slowly, one of the three moved to check on the one she had punched. He muttered some strange words and caused a green light to appear over the man. The wounded man groaned, but was alive. ¡° ¡° This wasn¡¯t her body. This was DEFINITELY not her body. She stared down at herself, nervously patting her chest, her hips, her arms. She was¡­ muscular. Toned. Not an ounce of fat on her. She looked more like a body builder than who she had been. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Rendel sighed and motioned the others away. Unlike her, they could leave the circle. ¡°Please, Medon, if you calm yourself all will be explained. This is a trying time for us all. But please understand we will help you however we can. If you will just calm yourself.¡± ¡° For the first time, the man went from calm to alarmed. ¡°Ex¡­ cuse me? Can you say that again?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Rendel stared at her before taking a slow, deep breath. ¡°Medon, dear hero. It is your name. I am sorry to have to do this to you, but it seems calming yourself is not something you will do willingly. There is much I need to explain to you.¡± She still couldn¡¯t move, all she could do was stand there and listen. ¡° Medon felt whatever held her loosen slightly. She gave a nod and he released her from the spell. ¡°O¡­ kay then. Of the what dynasty?¡± ¡° ¡° Rendel paused, staring at her. ¡°You¡­ haven¡¯t? Did¡­ did you not just achieve a great victory?¡± ¡° ------ ¡° ¡° ¡°Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡° ------ ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Then they dropped. She DEFINITELY would have screamed if she could when suddenly monsters surrounded her on all sides, tearing through lines of elves, dwarves, all manner of strange creatures she couldn¡¯t identify. But passing through her, as if she wasn¡¯t even there. She could hear it, see it, even smell the blood. But nothing touched her. A powerful illusion spell. A moment later she was back in the room and she could move again. But she didn¡¯t want to. All she did was sink to the ground and stare at him. ¡°W-what¡­ is this place?¡± she asked. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Rendel stared down at her a few more moments before a smile formed on his lips. Gently, he knelt out and stroked a hand through her hair, making her cringe. His eyes glimmered and, for a moment, she felt her body change. She couldn¡¯t properly explain it. She supposed she was smaller, her hair longer, her body softer. But most of all it was that strange feeling of being right. Not just looking, but feeling like a woman. It was euphoric and it almost made her want to cry. Then it was gone. The illusion snatched away before she could truly appreciate it. ¡°W-what?¡± Medon asked, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°T-turn me--¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Medon froze, staring up at him. Very slowly, she nodded. ¡°And¡­ you want me to save your world? If I agree, then you¡¯ll turn me into a woman?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Medon gulped and slowly lowered her eyes. ¡°But¡­ if I do this¡­ you will make me a woman?¡± ¡° Medon took a deep breath before, very softly, speaking up. ¡°My name is Medon and¡­ I¡¯m¡­ a warrior from¡­ another world.¡± ¡° ------ ¡° Phaedra glanced up and let out a startled bleat, her wool growing out around her in a thick ball again. Yroth looked furious, small flakes of ash and flame popping out from between her fangs with every breath. Her eyes were glowing a brilliant gold and her claws had gouged deep holes into the bed. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t--¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra gulped and lifted a hand to her throat while her wool retracted. She was quite thankful she knew she wasn¡¯t lying, because she would certainly NOT want to be the target of Yroth¡¯s ire right now. ¡°I¡­ uhhhh¡­ guess I should start packing for the journey, huh? We can take my airship.¡± Yroth stared at her for a moment. ¡°Your¡­ airship?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Even if she was a lot angrier now than ever. She just hoped the dragon would stay mad NOT at her. Book 1 Chapter 07 ¡° The dragon just stared at her for a moment before reaching up to tug at the enchanted collar around her throat. ¡°It looks¡­ small. And unstable. If I transformed into my full size it would crumble.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra gave a light groan and shook her head. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth gave a sigh of her own. ¡°You¡¯re pouting. I can tell. Your wool is very expressive.¡± ¡° Yroth paused before glancing around to make sure nobody was nearby. She then leaned in and whispered to her. ¡°What about the Indomitable?¡± ¡° Yroth gave a low growl, but didn¡¯t say anything back. She suspected that was because a small gecko demon had started to make his way towards them. He gave the dragon an annoyed glare before turning to Phaedra and bowing his head. ¡°My lady? The Transportation Pride is ready to depart. Once you and your pet are secured, we¡¯ll take off.¡± Yroth gave another growl and snapped at him, making the demon quickly back away. Phaedra reached out and gripped her by the collar, yanking her back. ¡°Behave,¡± she said harshly. ¡°Or you¡¯ll be disciplined.¡± The dragon¡¯s eyes narrowed, but she didn¡¯t growl again. Phaedra then looked towards the demon. ¡°Captain Xenaris, I trust you¡¯ll inform me if there¡¯s any problems?¡± His eyes went wide for a moment and he stared at her in stunned silence. Then, finally, he nodded. ¡°Of course, my lady. Would you like an escort to help you secure your pet?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth reached a single arm in and came out with at least a dozen amulets on her wrist. ¡°Who needs this many enchanted amulets?¡± ¡° ¡° Phaedra took a slow, deep breath. She never liked this part. She was grateful to not get airsick anymore, but there was always that small part of her that screamed she was going up and if she fell, she¡¯d die. She knew it wasn¡¯t true, in fact she¡¯d been in at least one airship crash already. But there was always that lingering reminder that she had once been a human. Up they rose into the sky, the world falling away below them. Yroth didn¡¯t move from her position, still clutching the wardrobe until, finally, they stopped rising and just went forward. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra gave a light groan. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. I swear I can still taste that cactus jam. Even now just the smell makes me want to throw up. Some things stick with you across different lives.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra gave a light snort and, after a few moments, all of the bindings were off her and neatly piled on the bed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t call me Morgana, though.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth¡¯s eyes narrowed for a few moments before she gave a curt nod. ¡°I see. Very well¡­ Phaedra.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra groaned and felt her cheeks getting even hotter. ¡°Well¡­ not entirely. I mean, I guess I¡¯m scared I¡¯d like it too much and it¡¯ll make letting you go even harder. But honestly? You¡¯re still a dragon. All it takes is one bad dream and I¡¯ll be airing out my cabin for a week to get rid of the scent of singed wool.¡± That knocked the smile off her lips. ¡°I do NOT breathe flame in my sleep,¡± Yroth said indignantly. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra gave a soft sigh before nodding. ¡°Well¡­ back home, there would be a few people who did that. Would call you him, then try and switch it to her when they realized you were a girl. But, well, they were sometimes the minority. A lot of people would just¡­ call you him. And keep calling you him. Even when you corrected them. Sometimes they didn¡¯t care. Sometimes they did it to deny you from being, well, you. To try and hurt you. As a kind of¡­ refusal to acknowledge you as a girl. Usually by people who wanted to take away your right to even exist.¡± Yroth just stared at her for a few more moments, her head cocked to the side. ¡°I¡­ do not¡­ understand. Is there power in those words in your world?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth gave a light snicker, a hand covering her mouth. ¡°A-ah. I see. So you are quite dense as well.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth gave an indignant huff before scowling at her. ¡°I am an Ascended Dragon. Do not doubt the resources I can pull on. While I was not alive when humans still walked this world, there were Ascended Dragons who were. When I discovered that the creature summoned from another world was a human, I merely asked about them.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra nodded, though she didn¡¯t entirely understand it. She didn¡¯t feel like her memory was any better. It more felt like her memories didn¡¯t fade like they used to when she was a human. She could already barely remember what she¡¯d had to eat a few days ago unless she really thought about it, but so many memories of her life as a human were so clear and vivid as if they had just happened. She wondered if that was part of why she still felt so much like the person she had been, rather than feeling like just another demon with a short lifetime of memories. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth stared at her for a long, long time after that. Finally, she shook her head. ¡°Morgana, you are a strange one. You truly do know so little of our world even now, do you?¡± ¡° ¡° Phaedra shook her head. ¡°I guess like¡­ there¡¯s some magic, right?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra nodded, though she got to her hooves and walked towards the corner of the room. ¡° ¡° Yroth stared at her for a moment before laying down on the bed. ¡°I¡­ see. Very well. Rest well, Morgana.¡± ¡° She felt guilty. She¡¯d really only thought that Yroth was still alive. Was it possible the others were as well? Had she really spent nearly a century frittering her time away, while her friends were trapped somewhere? She didn¡¯t deserve to be near Yroth right now. She felt like she didn¡¯t deserve to be near anyone. She deserved to be buried in a deep, dark pit and left to suffer alone for millennia. Phaedra once more gave a silent prayer to the gods of this world that she would have the chance to make it up to them, to try and undo what her laziness and fear had caused. Even if she had to be the one to suffer for it. Book 1 Chapter 08 Phaedra was awoken by a loud, shrill shriek. Drearily, her eyes opened and she let out a low, gentle yawn before stretching. A moment later the ship dropped a few feet and she let out a terrified bleat, flailing her arms around while her wool instinctively expanded. She quickly shrunk it back down so she could stand. At least she didn¡¯t have to wait about waking up again. She wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to sleep for the next hour with all that adrenaline pumping through her veins. ¡° ¡° Yroth gave a light shrug before covering her head with the covers again, and soon a little smoke came out from under the edge. Phaedra rolled her eyes. Dragons. She ran to the door, barely having her hand on the handle before the ship jumped again. She was going to be sick at this rate, she knew it. She yanked the door open and stepped outside, quickly closing it behind herself. ¡°What¡¯s going on out here?¡± ¡° Phaedra shook her head and walked to the edge of the ship, peering over the side to look down below. Fortunately, she could see rather well in the dark due to her demonic heritage. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t see anyone down there. They were so high up she could only barely make out some trees. ¡°Someone is launching rocks at us? Where are they?¡± ¡° Phaedra looked up in time to see something made of feathers and anger descend on her. She was barely able to lift her arms and extend her wool in a makeshift barrier before whatever it was slammed into her. She let out a startled shriek, which turned to a pained one a moment later when a savage beak plunged through her wool and clamped down on her right arm. The scent of her blood filled the air and the beak pulled back, trying to rip her arm from its socket. She let out an agonized, vicious howl and her vision turned red. Her left arm shot out, gripping the massive bird¡¯s neck. The roc seemed to be stunned, unmoving. She lunged her head forward and her teeth clamped down around the beak, digging in deep. She then rolled herself to the right, dragging the roc with her and slamming it down onto the deck with such force the ship shook. It let out a startled caw, flapping its wings and kicking out with its legs. She didn¡¯t let go, feeling the beak crack under her jaws. She released its throat and lifted her left hand, the ends of her fingers shifting into vicious claws. She slashed down, gouging the claws deep into her prey¡¯s head and blinding its right eye. Her right arm was released when the roc let out an agonized, terrified cry. Her right hand plunged forward, digging under the feathers of the bird¡¯s chest. She could feel it, her prey¡¯s heart. Pounding. She could smell the creature¡¯s fear when claws formed on her hand, readying to pierce through flesh and bone to tear out its heart. A sudden flurry of feathers on her left was the only warning she had before something slammed into her. She was thrown off the bird, tumbling back before something long and sharp hit her in the face, sending her rolling back. Phaedra dug her claws into the deck, her hooves growing into claws as well before digging all four into the wood to slow her skid. She narrowly came to a stop, her back left claw against the deck railing and having left deep gouges in the deck. She stood there on all fours for a moment, looking around wildly to see what hit her. A second roc. The first scrambled to its talons and gracelessly flew off the side of the ship. The second was readying itself, head low, wings spread, eyeing her. Phaedra let out a low growl before licking her lips. Blood. Not just the bird¡¯s, but her own. She shook her head and the blood red of the world seemed to fade. Slowly she retracted her claws and her hands turned back to their softer, delicate form. She stood up and took a slow, deep breath. ¡°Go,¡± she told the roc. ¡°Bother my voyage again and you will die.¡± She didn¡¯t know if the roc understood her, but it at least seemed to understand she wasn¡¯t intending to kill it. It flapped its wings and dove over the side of the ship. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Xenaris stared at her for a few moments in bewilderment. ¡°As¡­ you wish?¡± Phaedra just gave another sigh before walking into her room. Of course. She was willing to bet roc and rock didn¡¯t sound anything alike in their language. She slammed the door behind herself before glancing towards the bed. ¡°Yroth?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth just gave a soft sigh before shaking her head. ¡°Did you truly believe you were a burden to us?¡± ¡° Yroth went entirely still for a few moments before pulling back. ¡°That¡­ isn¡¯t why they didn¡¯t aid you.¡± Phaedra blinked a few times staring at her. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it, though? I mean¡­ I wasn¡¯t the hero they wanted, so--¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra gulped and slowly shook her head. ¡°N-no. Not really. I¡­ I just thought¡­ I thought they were being tortured or¡­ who knew what? That they were suffering. That every day they were trapped was another day of¡­ torment.¡± Yroth gave a soft sigh before shaking her head. ¡°No. Again, I suppose I should have been more clear. I never imagined so much would have been hidden from you. The Wolf is cunning. He¡¯d know better than to do such a thing, especially considering the number of names he has taken. Even weakened by torture, escape would be a possibility. Getting a message out as well. As far as I know, none have ever escaped him.¡± ¡° ¡° Phaedra nodded before glancing towards her again. ¡°Hey¡­ Yroth?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth went entirely still then and, for a few moments, she thought she had gone too far. However, when the dragon spoke again her voice was soft and gentle. ¡°Yroth is¡­ the name of an Ascended Dragon unlike many others of my kind. It is special. Possibly why you had never heard of it, even in your home, as it follows a unique path.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth started laughing, covering her eyes and flapping her wings as her laughter shook her entire body. Phaedra just stood there and stared, her face burning. Finally, the dragon calmed enough to speak. ¡°Y-y-you truly are a gullible creature, aren¡¯t you? Such a mewling lamb. The form suits you, Morgana.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra glared at her. ¡°You know, maybe I should have just kept you in chains.¡± ¡° ¡° To her surprise, Yroth was blushing as well. Even through her scales and in the dark the redness in her cheeks was apparent. She gave a sigh before laying back down, pulling the blanket over herself. ¡°Go to sleep, little lamb. By morning we will likely reach the edges of my territory. You¡¯d best be prepared for what may come.¡± Phaedra hmphed before stomping back off to her corner. Her arm didn¡¯t hurt anymore, at least. The amulet did its job well. She just wished she could get her stomach to not twist into knots whenever Yroth said things like that. It felt so pathetic knowing she could be made so happy by such tiny, simple comments. She still couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling, though. Yroth thought she was endearing and cute. Book 1 Chapter 09 Phaedra gave a soft, whimpering bleat. Agony. Misery. This? This was torture. She was beginning to understand just how well her father had protected her from the dangers of the world and just how vulnerable she truly was. Perhaps it was her reward for past failures, for being lazy. For allowing her father to pamper her. Perhaps it was what she deserved. If she were lucky, she would perish before the day was out. She-- ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit melodramatic?¡± Yroth asked before nudging her with a foot. ¡°It¡¯s too hoooooooooot,¡± Phaedra whined. ¡°We¡¯re not even in the heart of my territory yet,¡± Yroth said. ¡°Just wait. Pools of magma everywhere, the temperature so high that only my kin can survive it for long. Your ship might not even be able to make the journey. We may have to walk.¡± Phaedra gave a light whine and curled up into a small, pathetic ball. Even her wool didn¡¯t extend. Instead it was so damp it was practically molded to her body. ¡°Has it always been this hot?¡± ¡°It probably won¡¯t be so bad once we¡¯re out of this region,¡± Yroth said. ¡°But the heat is quite high in most places. There are only a few locations where those who weren¡¯t kobolds could survive.¡± She nudged her again with her foot. ¡°I hear the hot springs are quite nice for demons like yourself. And those who can endure it.¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m wet enough without going in them,¡± Phaedra said with another groan before rolling onto her back with a light squishing sound. ¡°Maybe you should just ¡®escape¡¯ now and then I can go home. Away from this hell.¡± ¡°Giving up so soon?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Do you not want to learn about why this happened? Do you truly believe that it would all be over so easily?¡± ¡°Noooooo,¡± Phaedra said with a light whine. She groaned when Yroth rested a foot on her. ¡°Whyyyyyy?¡± ¡°Because you are amusing like this,¡± Yroth said with a light chuckle before gently kneading her claw into the wool. ¡°Very good for my scales.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not,¡± Phaedra said before groaning. ¡°Don¡¯t you have an amulet for this?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°No, it--¡± Phaedra blinked a few times before staring up at her. ¡°You do, don¡¯t you?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°¡­ Can you please get it?¡± Phaedra said sheepishly before giving a soft, pathetic little baa. Yroth stared at her before nodding. ¡°Very well,¡± she said before getting to her hooves, standing directly on Phaedra¡¯s stomach so she emitted a startled bleat, and walking to the wardrobe. ¡°Which one is it?¡± ¡°T-the silver one with blue symbols,¡± Phaedra said with a groan. ¡°The symbols look kind of like a few mountains.¡± ¡°Found it,¡± Yroth said before tossing it to her. Phaedra put it on before groaning and collapsing back on the ground. At least the wood flooring was slightly cooler than the bed. Even with the amulet she still felt terrible and humid, but at least she didn¡¯t feel quite as overheated. ¡°Why would anyone want to live like this?¡± Yroth gave a light snort before walking back to sit on the bed. ¡°I suppose sheep demons are just bad at coping with heat. You look as if you¡¯re on death¡¯s door.¡± ¡°I feel like it,¡± Phaedra said with another low groan. ¡°How much longer?¡± ¡°Not much longer,¡± Yroth said in a soothing tone. Slowly the dragon¡¯s tail moved over and began to coil around the overheated sheep. ¡°Here, this may hurt a little bit. But perhaps it will help.¡± ¡°Hurt?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°What are you --¡± Suddenly she was jerked up by the tail and yanked over in front of the dragon. She gave a low yelp, staring up at her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Close your eyes and trust me,¡± Yroth said. ¡°F-fine,¡± Phaedra said before, nervously, closing her eyes. A moment later a wave of icy chill washed over her entire body, from her head to her toes. So powerful she couldn¡¯t even breathe for a moment and, admittedly, it even hurt. She could feel her wool freezing over and she started to shiver. ¡°Better?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Y-y-yes,¡± Phaedra said before the tail unwrapped around her. She lifted her arms up and hugged herself lightly. She was aching in an entirely different way and some ice had frozen over her wool, but it was still considerably better than the heat had been. Far, far better. ¡°Good,¡± Yroth said. ¡°I tried to do it as softly as I could, but it can still be quite powerful.¡± ¡°T-thank you,¡± Phaedra said before she glanced up at the dragon. ¡°Have I t-told you how h-happy I am you¡¯re an A-Ascended Dragon?¡± she asked. ¡°Mmmm, not recently,¡± Yroth said. ¡°But you could stand to praise me more, little sheep.¡± Phaedra resisted the urge to make a snarky comeback. Instead, she laid her head against the dragon¡¯s knees, making the other girl give a startled jump. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Yroth didn¡¯t give a response, instead merely reaching a hand out to gently stroke her head. Phaedra couldn¡¯t wait to be out of here. Or at least somewhere less miserable. ------ ¡°My lady? Lord Carth has sent a welcome gift,¡± Xenaris¡¯ called from outside her room. ¡°Shall we send it in?¡± ¡°Yeah, just a minute,¡± Phaedra called back to him before whispering. ¡°Come on, we need to keep up appearances for now.¡± Yroth gave a low growl, but slowly held her wrists out. ¡°Very well. But I do not want to wear these bindings for long.¡± ¡°My lady?¡± Xenaris called out again. ¡°I said give me a minute!¡± Phaedra yelled. She rolled her eyes and grabbed one of the wrist binds, clamping it shut over Yroth¡¯s wrist. There was a heavy pounding on the door. ¡°Lady Phaedra!¡± Xenaris yelled. ¡°I said -- oh,¡± Phaedra said before lifting up her hand and casting a quick incantation. The white glow from her earlier spell appeared again before shrinking and disappearing. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready in a minute, I¡¯m occupied!¡± ¡°As you wish, my lady,¡± Xenaris called back. ¡°Really?¡± Yroth asked with a knowing smirk. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t even start, pet,¡± Phaedra said before sticking her tongue out at her. She was rewarded a moment later by one of Yroth¡¯s claws snapping out and gripping the tip of her tongue. ¡°Mggg!¡± ¡°You know,¡± Yroth said in a slow, soothing voice. ¡°Just because these bindings suppress much of my power doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not still quick.¡± ¡°Leggo!¡± Phaedra said, giving a soft whine. Yroth smirked before, after a few moments, letting her go once more. ¡°Did you learn your lesson?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°You¡¯re very rude to people who are helping you.¡± ¡°And?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Don¡¯t stick my tongue out at you when I¡¯m within arm¡¯s reach.¡± ¡°Good lamb,¡± Yroth said before lightly patting her head. She scowled when a moment later the collar snapped around her neck. ¡°I despise this thing¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I probably wouldn¡¯t like it either. Maybe we can get ones that look the same, but don¡¯t actually impede your abilities. Then¡­ I¡­ uhhhh¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± Yroth said. ¡°I guess there wouldn¡¯t be much point of that, would there?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°You¡¯ll probably ¡®escape¡¯ soon and be safe. Somewhere else. Anywhere else. At that point, it won¡¯t matter.¡± Yroth gave a soft sigh before, very gently, she reached out and stroked her cheek. ¡°For now, this deceit aids both our causes. If these binds did not restrict my abilities and were merely a disguise, they would not be so distasteful. So there is wisdom in such a decision. Especially if we decide to extend this farce.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just me being selfish, though?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t¡­ want to lose you again. I can¡¯t just ask you to stay my pretend prisoner.¡± ¡°So long as you do not treat me as your prisoner,¡± Yroth said in a soft, soothing tone. ¡°I will not object to this deceit. Once we discover the full truth of your condition? Perhaps I will feel differently.¡± ¡°Promise not to destroy my room anymore?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°No,¡± Yroth said. ¡°If I discover you have been lying to me with this elaborate story¡­ then your suffering shall be severe.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be scared, except I¡¯m not lying,¡± Phaedra said before leaning her head forward against Yroth¡¯s stomach and just relaxing there for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ still way too hot. But it is really, really nice to be able to be me around someone without being scared they¡¯ll find out. It¡­ huh. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever actually had that before.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°When I was a human, I had to hide what I was half the time or I could get in trouble, fired, who knew what else,¡± Phaedra said softly. ¡°I kept having to pretend to be Medon when I was her. Even as Phaedra, I haven¡¯t really been able to be me around anybody until¡­ you¡­ came¡­¡± She gently reached up and hugged her around the waist. ¡°Thank you for being here¡­¡± Yroth, very gently, stroked her face again. ¡°You poor thing,¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t intend to just abandon you. So long as you are who you claim to be.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Phaedra said again before giving her another gentle hug. ¡°We should probably go put on the act again.¡± ¡°Likely,¡± Yroth said. ¡°Just a few more seconds?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°Very well, O needy sheep,¡± Yroth said in a playful tone. The moment was ruined by more knocking on the door. ¡°My lady?¡± Phaedra gave a sigh before slowly pulling back. ¡°I should get out there and see what Carth wants to give as a gift.¡± Yroth gave a light growl. ¡°When the time comes, I would love an opportunity to get my claws on him.¡± ¡°Depends on how he reacts to my challenge,¡± Phaedra said before getting to her hooves. ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me to answer that,¡± Yroth said. ¡°The heat truly does not agree with you.¡± Phaedra sighed and looked down. Her wool was a matted mess, her clothes were sticking to her and she¡¯d probably cry if she looked in a mirror. At least the amulet was making her not quite as miserable. Hopefully she could get a bath or something before she had to meet Carth. Then again, maybe she¡¯d get lucky and wouldn¡¯t even have to fight him. If he just surrendered the territory without a fight when she challenged him, it would make everything so much easier. She walked to the door and pulled it open. Xenaris stood outside the door, his arms crossed and he looked almost annoyed. Behind him were a few more of the crew, more gecko demons. However, there was one more person she didn¡¯t recognize. A kobold with blue scales. Either young, very small or both. He had chains around his neck and wrists. His head was low and he was holding something in his hands, though she couldn¡¯t see it through the captain. ¡°My lady,¡± Xenaris said. ¡°Lord Carth has sent¡­ this¡­ as a gift.¡± He motioned towards the kobold. Phaedra blinked a few times and cocked her head to the side. ¡°A¡­ prisoner?¡± she asked. ¡°Apparently a meal,¡± Xenaris said before giving a very soft hiss. Phaedra stared when Xenaris moved aside. Now she could see what the kobold was holding. A large, metal platter. On which¡­ something had been prepared. It would have been generous to call it a meal. She stepped forward and picked up something off it. Some kind of meat, though how it managed to be burnt on the outside and yet seemingly raw on the inside was quite impressive. On top of that, she was pretty sure it had been dropped on the ground. She dropped it on the platter before picking up what she thought might possibly be a mushroom. Or large worm. She sighed before looking up at the trembling kobold. ¡°Is there a message with this¡­ gift?¡± The kobold nodded, though he was shaking so badly she thought he might drop the platter. ¡°Well?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°When Lady Phaedra asks you a question, you answer!¡± Xenaris yelled, making the kobold jump and nearly drop the platter. ¡°Y-y-y-your l-ladyship,¡± the kobold said weakly. ¡°L-L-Lord Carth bids w-w-w-welcome you to his t-territory. H-h-he has had t-this s-servant prepare a¡­ a meal t-t-t-to the best of h-h-h-his abilities and if¡­ if it is¡­ u-u-unsatisfactory¡­¡± The kobold trailed off then, the color draining from his face. ¡°I¡¯d hardly call this satisfactory,¡± Phaedra said before picking up the mushroom. ¡°Let me guess, he¡¯d like me to come for a proper meal then?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± the kobold said. ¡°Answer her!¡± Xenaris yelled before raising a hand. ¡°Do not strike him,¡± Phaedra said before she could stop herself. The surprise on the gecko¡¯s face was clear, but she scrambled for an answer. ¡°He is but a pawn in whatever game Carth is playing. Now then, kobold, what is it?¡± ¡°If¡­ the meal is u-unsatisfactory¡­ he offer¡¯s t-t-this servant¡¯s¡­ h-heart¡­¡± the kobold said softly. Fearfully. Phaedra stared at him. ¡°Could you please repeat that? Wait, no, don¡¯t. For all that is¡­¡± She lifted a hand to her forehead and started massaging her scalp. No wonder the food was so awful. She wondered if Carth had even given the kobold anything to cook with or just told him to prepare a meal or he would be the meal. Had it been someone other than her, he likely would have become the meal. As it was, she had no interest in dining on some poor kobold¡¯s heart. Especially since he was one of Yroth¡¯s servants. She didn¡¯t even feel like eating, as hot as it was. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Phaedra said before looking the kobold up and down. Slowly a smile formed on her lips. Well, this was all showboating, wasn¡¯t it? She supposed she¡¯d play along for now. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t e-earned a name y-yet,¡± the kobold said. ¡°Not a taken name,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Your given name.¡± ¡°K-Kun,¡± the kobold said, his eyes still lowered. ¡°Right,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I was fifty-three as of last summer,¡± the kobold said. Phaedra gave another soft sigh. A child. Of course. ¡°Did you serve the Ascended Dragon who once resided here?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Lady Phaedra,¡± Kun said, keeping his head down. ¡°She was my mother.¡± Phaedra barely managed to keep the smile on her lips. ¡°I see. Have many other children of the dragon been offered in such a way?¡± Kun nervously shook his head. ¡°Then do you know why you were chosen?¡± Phaedra asked. Kun shook his head again. ¡°My lady,¡± Xenaris said. ¡°This creature isn¡¯t worthy of your time. Please, allow me to dispose of it and send the body back to Lord Carth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what he would expect, isn¡¯t it?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°But no. For now, take him below deck. Have him fed and what have you.¡± ¡°Fed?¡± Xenaris asked, staring at her in bewilderment. ¡°Fed,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Lord Carth obviously expects me to kill and possibly devour the heart of this ¡®Kun¡¯. I¡¯m not going to give him the satisfaction.¡± ¡°But¡­ my lady,¡± Xenaris said, looking between her and the kobold. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± He trailed off, staring at the kobold. ¡°Captain,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Is this, or is this not my ship?¡± ¡°It¡­ is, my lady,¡± Xenaris said slowly. ¡°And are you the captain of it?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°I am,¡± Xenaris said, though she could hear the nervousness in his voice now. ¡°I see,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I suppose the question I must ask, then, is how loyal are you to me? I had believed that, as my captain, if I gave you an order I could trust you to find out how to get it done. Now, I generally do try to put quite a bit of trust and faith in my servants to inform me when they see a fault in my commands. So, please. Tell me. Why do you hesitate? Do you see this child as a threat? Or is there something else?¡± ¡°He is unworthy, my lady,¡± Xenaris said. ¡°He is an enemy, he --¡± ¡°He is unworthy,¡± Phaedra said, cutting him off. ¡°And he was an enemy. Now? He is but a prisoner. Possibly a servant. Is there any reason you have other than his origins?¡± Xenaris¡¯ narrowed his eyes on the kobold, before slowly shaking his head. ¡°No, my lady.¡± ¡°Then I will trust you, as my loyal captain, to do as I commanded and ensure no harm comes to him,¡± Phaedra said before sighing. ¡°Once you have finished with that, see what you can do about procuring a bath of some kind for me. Then send a message to Lord Carth. I¡¯d enjoy meeting with him before sunset.¡± She turned to head back into her room, before pausing. ¡°Oh, one more thing?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Xenaris asked. ¡°Have that collar removed. Nobody off this ship is to know Kun is still alive, if anyone asks? His heart was¡­ a passable tribute,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I see, my lady,¡± Xenaris said before giving an amused chuckle. Phaedra doubted he really understood, but she¡¯d be happy to let him imagine any schemes or machinations he liked, so long as he followed her orders. She stepped back into her cabin before closing the door behind herself again. She then leaned back against it and slowly sank to the ground before lifting her hand and casting her incantation to silence any noises from leaving the room. ¡°You look even worse now,¡± Yroth said. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Carth tried to feed me your son,¡± Phaedra said before leaning her head back. ¡°I hate demons sometimes.¡± ¡°My¡­ son?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Kun,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Well, kind of. He said you were his mother. I don¡¯t suppose that¡¯s¡­ not true? Kobold? Blue scales? Kind of scrawny?¡± Yroth paused for a moment and seemed to be considering it. Finally, she nodded. ¡°Oh! Yes, I remember him. A talented scribe-in-training.¡± ¡°Truly you are mother of the year,¡± Phaedra said with a light groan. ¡°I have many children,¡± Yroth said, her voice a little huffy. ¡°Most within my territory would call me their mother. But he is born of my fire, surrendering himself in my flames to be reborn as one of my own. While not hatched from one of my eggs, he is no less mine. Admittedly, it is rare for one to take the rite when they are so young, but I rarely deny such a request.¡± ¡°Just how many children do you have?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡°¡­ Do you really desire an answer? I do not believe anyone has asked me that before,¡± Yroth said, looking thoughtful. ¡°Those I still believe to be alive or all I have had?¡± ¡°Forget I asked,¡± Phaedra said quickly. ¡°I think Carth expected me to eat his heart. I¡¯d really rather not. That¡¯s not some insult to dragons, is it? Or kobolds? Whichever he is? Something else?¡± Yroth just stared at her with a look that screamed she was insane. ¡°I was just asking,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°Your world truly must have been strange,¡± Yroth said softly. ¡°The answer is no, it is not an insult. However, please do not eat the hearts of my children. Any of them. I have many and while I cannot always remember them immediately, it does not mean I do not care for them. I will add this transgression to the list of Carth¡¯s many others. Is Kun¡­ well? You didn¡¯t¡­? Did you? I don¡¯t smell any blood on you.¡± Phaedra let out a soft sigh of relief. Despite the dragon¡¯s confusion and seeming lack of concern, she did seem to be somewhat worried that he had met a grisly fate. ¡°He¡¯s safe,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s being kept on the ship and everyone else will think he¡¯s dead. I wanted to talk with you before I did anything. Good to know you¡¯re not the worst mother ever.¡± ¡°I am a fine mother,¡± Yroth said indignantly, her wings spreading out. ¡°Those of my--¡± ¡°It was a joke,¡± Phaedra said quickly. ¡°Honest. I was teasing.¡± ¡°You should not mock that which you do not understand,¡± Yroth said, her eyes narrowed on her. Phaedra tried to come up with a comeback to that, but she couldn¡¯t. After a few moments she sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re entirely right. Please forgive my rudeness.¡± Yroth glared at her for a few more moments before finally she relented and gave a small nod. ¡°Very well. You are forgiven this time. For now, what is the plan?¡± ¡°Waiting on a bath, and then for Carth¡¯s response,¡± Phaedra said with a low groan. ¡°Then, well. I guess it¡¯ll be time to meet with him and see if I can avoid causing¡­ too much of an incident. If we¡¯re lucky, he¡¯ll back down. If not¡­¡± ¡°If not?¡± Yroth asked. Phaedra groaned and rubbed her amulet. ¡°If not¡­ if not, I¡¯ll need to fight him.¡± ¡°Do you think you can defeat him?¡± Yroth asked. ¡°Maybe?¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I¡­ hope so. I¡¯ve never really met him before, though. He might be strong. Or he might be pathetic. Most of it is just trying to look like I can defeat him, though I doubt I would now. Have you fought him?¡± Yroth shook her head. ¡°No. He was a cunning, slippery demon. If you do fight him, do not expect it to be anything¡­ straightforward. I came close a few times, but he always slipped through my claws before I could grab him. Were we to fight, however, I doubt he would have been more than a brief distraction.¡± Phaedra gave a light groan and rested her head against her knees. She didn¡¯t want a complex, tricky fight if it came to that. It was toooooo hoooooooot to try and outthink someone. Even coming up with her plan to keep from having to eat Kun had been exhausting and all she¡¯d done was shove it aside until later. A light knock on her door made her look up. ¡°Lady Phaedra?¡± one of the crewmen called in. ¡°Your bath will be arriving shortly.¡± That, at least, was some good news. Maybe she could just soak for a few hours and come up with a plan. Book 1 Chapter 10 ¡° Phaedra stared at the fox demon and tried to keep herself from slouching, or even collapsing. She was exhausted. The bath had helped for a little bit. But then she¡¯d had to walk from the airship to his throne room in that oppressive heat. Annoyingly, Yroth walked by her side and didn¡¯t look the slightest bit fazed by the incredible heat. Then again, she was a dragon. At least Phaedra¡¯s wool was only a bit damp and not entirely compressed down from sweat. She didn¡¯t want to think about how sick she looked. She had a job to do. She was liking this idea less and less, though. Carth didn¡¯t look the slightest bit fazed by this heat. If anything, he seemed to be reveling in it. As a fox demon, he had one normal red tail and then two more tails, one seemingly made of flame and the other of lava. She doubted they actually were, as the amount of magic wasted from using fire and lava constantly would be exhausting for little benefit. It likely meant he had a fire or lava demon in his ancestry. She wished that she did, right now. ¡° ¡° Phaedra eyed him. She would have sworn for a moment his eyes flickered towards Yroth. Was it her imagination? Was he worried about her? Well, this had been her territory until recently. Perhaps he was just surprised to see her bound and collared in such a form. She wondered if he could even recognize her, she doubted he¡¯d ever seen her in the form of a kobold. ¡°His heart was satisfactory, it--¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra froze, staring at him. ¡°I¡­ what? Did you¡­ not¡­ send him with that message? To devour his heart if his meal was poor?¡± ¡° Phaedra blinked a few times. Wait, he had? But Kun had seemed terrified. She glanced towards Yroth, who appeared to be¡­ fuming. Her tail was occasionally flickering, her eyes were narrowed and her wings were partially opened and only barely stopped from going into an aggressive stance. ¡°That was not what he told me,¡± she said before turning towards him again. ¡°He said that he was told to offer his heart if that paltry meal was insufficient.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° There was DEFINITELY something going on here. Phaedra narrowed her eyes slightly before glancing between him and Yroth. She wished she could figure out what it was, what he was planning. Was there something she was missing? ¡°Indeed,¡± Phaedra said. ¡°I¡¯ve come here for a simple reason. To challenge you in a Rite of Conquest. I desire the territory that my pet once held.¡± Carth froze, though for a moment she swore she saw the corners of his lips twitch. ¡°The Rite of Conquest. I see. You desire my territory, interesting. Very well then. What do you offer in opposition?¡± ¡°Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ------ Phaedra sighed and stared at the roof of her room. Something was up, she just didn¡¯t know what. Carth was giving into her demands with such ease. He was polite, kind. She¡¯d been shown all over the local territory and things seemed¡­ nice. Nothing like she would have expected under his rule. She¡¯d heard that Carth was anything but generous. Gibs¡¯ descriptions of him had been far from kind. Perhaps there was another Carth? Then again, he was one of the rising demons, gaining a reputation. Perhaps it was all slander from the jealous. He¡¯d even had a second bed brought to her room when she mentioned her pet would be staying with her. ¡°He¡¯s nicer than I thought he¡¯d be,¡± Phaedra said. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth just stared at her incredulously. ¡°You are far too naive to survive.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° That, at least, seemed to give the dragon pause. ¡°I¡­ do not know. I don¡¯t believe he knows what you are. If anything, I believe he expects you to be crueler than you are. But¡­ I don¡¯t know why. Do demons not normally see mercy such as yours as a weakness?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra took a deep breath before jumping to her hooves and walking to the door. She pulled it open to see one of Carth¡¯s guards standing there, a nervous look on his face. ¡°Lady Phaedra,¡± he said. ¡°Lord Carth has asked for you and your pet to join him in the main courtyard. He has prepared the Rite of Conquest.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth got to her feet and let out a low growl before walking after her. Well, here was hoping whatever Carth had planned, she truly was ready to deal with it. Book 1 Chapter 11 Phaedra stumbled slightly when she stepped out into the main courtyard. A small table was in the middle, where Carth was sitting. A chair was pulled out across from him which she presumed was for her. Aside from that, the courtyard appeared to be empty. No guards. No crowd. Even her escort was leaving now. She glanced back at Yroth, who merely shrugged. It was good to know the dragon had no more idea than her. She motioned for Yroth to wait behind before she slowly walked forward, glancing around nervously. It wasn¡¯t often a demon wanted to hide such a ritual. Most demons she knew loved putting on a big show. ¡°So you¡¯ve made your decision? What you desire?¡± ¡° Phaedra sat down and cringed. The chair was wooden and, to her embarrassment, her fleece made a little squishy sound when she sat. She hated this place. She was so, so tired of being sweaty and sticky and feeling overheated. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra sighed before nodding. He really seemed to be taking this a bit too simply. Did he think she was really that harmless? ¡°Very well? I guess? So, what is it you desire, should you win?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra only barely managed to suppress the urge to squeal when she saw his ¡®pet¡¯. A mouse demon. She was so CUTE! While mouse demons tended to be incredibly small, this one was likely a runt even amongst them. The tiny little mouse crawled up onto the table, hidden from view before, and then took a small bow. ¡°Your ladyship,¡± the girl said. Phaedra had to dig her fingers into her knees to suppress the desire to snag the tiny thing up and hug her. Her voice was so cute and tiny and the little maid outfit she had was so precious. She even had a little pink bow in her hair. Where had they FOUND a bow that small? Even standing on two feet the mouse likely wouldn¡¯t have come up to her waist. ¡°You want to fight me and a dragon, with a mouse? Are you sure?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡° Phaedra dug her nails into her knee when the little mouse girl cringed at that point. She didn¡¯t know what he had done to frighten her like that, but every instinct she had told her to grab the mouse and hug her tight before tearing the Carth in half. ¡°Very well, I see no reason to object,¡± Phaedra said. A moment later the mouse was gone. It took her a moment to realize the mouse had run off, now sitting back under the table. She was fast. Incredibly fast. Was this why Carth wanted her? ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Phaedra¡¯s eyes narrowed and she let out a low growl. Once again she saw the world begin to turn red and she struggled to suppress it. ¡°I see. Very¡­ well. I accept your challenge.¡± ¡°If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Fortunately, Phaedra had dug her nails so deeply into her legs she had managed to draw blood. She took the goblet, dripped the blood in and swirled it around, before taking a single drink from it. A moment later she felt the magic washing over her. She held the goblet out to him. Carth chuckled and took it. ¡°You really are a naive little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°I just want you to know you¡¯ve played into my desires from the beginning.¡± She heard a heavy thump behind her a moment before he drank from it. Phaedra glanced behind herself to see Yroth was unbound, the collar and bindings on the ground. The mouse demon on her shoulder, a small lockpick in hand. What? ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡°¡­ ¡° Phaedra couldn¡¯t help it. She tried to suppress it, but she couldn¡¯t. She covered her mouth with her hand, shaking her head. ¡°N-no, please. Go on.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Carth stared at her with confusion and fear. Yroth stared at her like she was an idiot. ¡° Yroth sighed before dropping the mouse demon in her lap. Before the poor thing could run off, she gave her a tight little hug. ¡°Awww. You¡¯re a widdle fuzzy thing, aren¡¯t ya?¡± Phaedra asked. ¡° ¡° Carth gulped, backing away ever further while the dragon towered over him. ¡°I-I offer you your freedom, I--¡± ¡° Carth gulped before he started to grow as well. Phaedra almost felt bad for him when he rose up. As fox demons went, he was fairly large. Nearly two stories tall, with half his body made of glowing red stone, the other half seemingly of flame. From the stone lava leaked down, dripping on the ground. With his three tails behind him, swaying lightly in the night, he would have looked quite intimidating. If not for the fact Yroth was already nearly twice his size, Phaedra would have worried. As it was, she quickly turned her back to what she was certain would be a grisly display and focused on the mouse. ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth stared down at her, eyes narrowed to slits. ¡°Who?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth just gave a light snort. ¡° Yroth gave a low growl before beginning to shrink back down. ¡°Very well.¡± She didn¡¯t shrink down to her kobold form, however, instead remaining a full, albeit smaller, dragon. She grudgingly allowed her to put the bindings back on. Phaedra sighed before turning to walk out from the courtyard. Cringing when she passed one of the tails, still wreathed in flames. Well, her dad would at least be proud. So long as he didn¡¯t find out why Yroth had done the fighting for her. Now all she had to do was convince everyone she, still, somehow had Yroth under control. Also, she needed to find out how that mouse knew how to make a cute lil¡¯ maid outfit. She¡¯d never even seen a maid outfit like that in this world! Maybe she could get one. Maybe she could get Yroth one, too! On second thought, Yroth might kill her if she suggested it. So maybe just one for her. Book 1 Chapter 12 Phaedra took a slow, deep breath. She could do this. She WOULD do this. ¡°How do I look?¡± ¡° Phaedra sighed before glancing down to Emma. ¡°Okay, how do you think I look?¡± ¡° For a moment, Phaedra felt proud. At least one person thought she looked good. Then she paused and glanced down at herself. Her fleece was all sweaty, matted and dusty. How she wished she could take another cooling bath. Even she had to admit she looked anything but radiant. ¡°I won¡¯t punish you for telling me the truth,¡± Phaedra said. ¡° Yroth was still in her dragon form, just barely small enough to fit through the door of the throne room. Honestly, Phaedra was just grateful Yroth had let her put the collar back on. The mouse was currently being held between the dragon¡¯s claws, obviously nervous about the whole thing. ¡°She means it,¡± Yroth said. ¡°Despite how insane it may sound.¡± ¡° Phaedra gave a light groan. ¡°This is your fault, you know,¡± she said before giving an accusing look at Yroth. ¡°You just haaaaaad to live in somewhere all hot and muggy.¡± ¡° A resounding thumping on the door made Phaedra sigh. It seemed that some of them had finally worked up the courage to face her. Yroth towering over everything and then tearing apart Carth wasn¡¯t exactly something she could hide. Not to mention the territory was hers now, every demon in it could probably feel that she owned it. After her victory the keep had seemed all but abandoned for so long, she¡¯d begun to wonder if they were just going to accept her rule without question. But they were going to want answers. And that meant facing her. It also meant she had to pretend to be strong and powerful when she just wanted to collapse on the ground and pant from the heat. A part of her wanted to ask Emma to start fanning her, but she wasn¡¯t sure the mouse was handling this heat much better than her. Not to mention she wasn¡¯t sure hot, humid air was any worse than slightly moving hot, humid air. Phaedra waited, but the door didn¡¯t open. Finally, after her frustration grew enough, she called out. ¡°Come in!¡± Within a few moments, the door swung open and nearly a dozen demons came barging into the room. She made herself sit as tall as she could on Carth¡¯s throne, staring down at the approaching figures. None of them were her crew. She wondered if that was good or bad. The demons approaching her glanced between her and Yroth for a moment before their approach began to slow. She began to lightly tap her fingers on the armrest, wishing they¡¯d hurry it up. Maybe letting them make the first move was a mistake. Perhaps she should have gone to them, rather than letting them come to her. Finally, one of them stepped forward ahead of the pack. ¡°Where is Lord Carth?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° At the very least, they looked even more disoriented now. She waited a few moments before sighing. ¡°Spread the word through all of Carth¡¯s forces. The throne shall be moved. I¡¯ll be looking through my territory soon to decide where to. I will accept any challengers who desire to try and take these lands before then. After that they will need to earn the right.¡± She got to her hooves. ¡°But ensure any who do so understand it will be a fight to the death. This territory is now mine and I have no time, nor patience, for those who wish to oppose my rule.¡± She began to walk down the stairs towards the demons. Slowly, a smile formed on her lips when she took the final step and continued to walk towards the demons. All of them were taller than her. Larger than her. Yet they looked afraid. She wondered if it was because she wasn¡¯t scared or if it was because of Yroth. Likely the latter, she doubted she made much of an imposing view as disheveled as she was. ¡° For a moment she wondered if he was going to lash out. He was staring down at her, possibly measuring if he could take her. She wondered if he could, too. She hadn¡¯t even known how she¡¯d fare against Carth if he hadn¡¯t made his mistake. So long as his lackeys were weaker than him, physically, she could probably handle any challenges that came.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. But she admittedly knew very little about his forces or how strong they were. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for demons to have servants who were technically more powerful than them. She at least had the advantage that, while they had seen Yroth fight, they hadn¡¯t seen her. What she was capable of was still an unknown, even if she was a sheep. Not to mention she doubted many of them wanted to risk actually killing her and earning the ire of her father. ¡° She watched them leave, heard them mutter amongst themselves, before shutting the door. Phaedra groaned and muttered a quick incantation, sealing the door behind them. She then walked over towards Yroth and reached up, unlatching the collar and dropping it onto the ground with a clatter. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth sighed and picked her up by her fleece, lifting her into the air. ¡°How are you¡­ anything? Little sheep?¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth gave a sigh before nudging her head towards Emma. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should deal with her, first?¡± ¡° Emma gulped and started to inch away, but Yroth shifted a claw around behind her, stopping her escape. ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° ¡° Yroth growled, her eyes narrowed. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. And if things go poorly thanks to her?¡± Phaedra sighed and gave the little mouse a small squeeze. ¡°If she betrays us, I¡¯ll let you kill her. Or I will, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± She could feel the mouse tense up, but she just smiled. ¡°But until then, I¡¯m going to give her the same trust I would any of my subjects.¡± She then looked down. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell anyone that you saw Yroth let me put her collar back on, now are you?¡± ¡° ¡° Yroth growled, a little smoke billowing from her nose. ¡° Yroth hesitated for a few moments before giving a sigh. ¡°Very well, soft little sheep.¡± She began to shrink once more, rising up onto two feet again before taking the form of a kobold. Even like this she still towered over both of them. ¡°You have kept your word.¡± She reached out with her foot and nudged the disconnected collar. ¡°Mostly. Mouse, if you ever think to betray the sheep or myself, know I will ensure that even if I perish, you will as well. Are we clear?¡± ¡° Phaedra gave a chuckle before slowly placing the mouse down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. She¡¯s always just a bit¡­ grouchy and murdery. She¡¯s a real big softy once you get to know her.¡± ¡° ¡° ¡° It took all Phaedra had to resist the urge to hug her. Once she was somewhere where she felt less sweaty, she¡¯d need to figure out how exactly she knew to make a maid outfit like that. She wondered if there were more things like that? Had the elves hidden them from her? Ohhhhh. As if she didn¡¯t have enough reasons to be mad at them.