A Demon and a Dragon

by Virlyce

  “You know he’s my husband, right?”

  “And he’s my house, so what?” Stella asked back. “Vur let me stay here when he chose to accept my birthflower.”

  Tafel looked at Vur. “And what are your thoughts on being turned into a mobile home?”

  Vur scrunched up his forehead. “…Is it possible to live inside of myself?”

  Tafel sighed, but before she could respond, Mervin spoke up, “It’s possible!”

  “For him to live inside of himself?” Alice asked, her eyes widening. She glanced at Mr. Skelly’s helmeted face, but all the armored skeleton did was shrug.

  “Not that,” Mervin said. “I meant your wish is possible, Vur. I can increase your mana regeneration.”

  “Can I change my wish to being able to live inside of myself?”

  “No, that’s impossible.”

  “Hm. Fine,” Vur said. “Then I wish my mana regeneration was faster.”

  A white light flashed as Mervin exited Vur’s body, reappearing in the air in front of his chest. “Alright,” the genie king said. “Let’s get started.” He rubbed his hands together, and a fairy-sized spear sprang out of his palms. The tip of the spear rotated like a drill, making a small whining sound. “You ready?”

  Vur and Tafel stared at the spear. Tafel raised an eyebrow and bit her lower lip as she crouched down to get a better look at the genie’s weapon. “You’re increasing his mana regeneration, right…?”

  “That’s right,” Mervin said.

  Tafel pointed at the spear, which had smoke coming out of its tip due to the friction between the spearhead and the shaft. “And you’re going to use that.”

  “Uh-huh,” Mervin said with a nod, his face completely serious.

  “How?”

  “I’ll use this special mana-regeneration-increasing spear and poke some holes in him,” Mervin said, his eyes lighting up. “You see, mana is everywhere around us, right? And if you want to increase the rate at which mana enters your body, all you have to do is poke a few holes for the mana to flow through, see?” He gestured towards one side with his spear. “Skin and muscles block mana flow.” He gestured towards the other side. “Removing skin and muscles unblocks mana flow.”

  Tafel resisted the urge to swat the genie king and gritted her teeth. “Doesn’t that mean the mana will flow out of him if there’s more mana inside of him than his surroundings?”

  “But it also means he’ll never run out of mana unless the world runs out of mana,” Mervin said, tilting his head to the side. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “This operation can’t fail?” Tafel asked.

  Mervin snorted. “Trust me; I’m a doctor.”

  “Are you really?” Alora asked, butting into the conversation.

  “No,” Mervin said. “I just wanted to say that at least once.”

  “Surely Vur can’t be the first person to make a wish like increasing his mana regeneration,” Tafel said, stopping Mervin from stabbing the spear into Vur’s chest. “How come I’ve never heard about anyone with a body like this?”

  “Oh, that’s because they bleed to death unless they patch the holes. Or sometimes things crawl inside of the holes and lay eggs or feast on their innards,” Mervin said, “but if they patch the holes, then they don’t have the increased mana regeneration anymore.”

  Tafel’s face darkened as she snapped the spear with her fingers. “You were right,” she said to Alora. “You really do have to be careful about what you wish for.”

  “Then we’re not poking holes in my body?” Vur asked.

  “Don’t sound so disappointed!” Tafel said. “You should be angry at the genie instead!”

  5

  A man wearing a suit of armor pushed aside a heavy wooden door. He stepped into a room, his boots leaving deep impressions on the plush carpet behind himself. Ahead of him, a woman was sitting on a throne-like chair, a cup of tea in her hands. A saucer lay on the table in front of her, on top of a pile of documents. She raised an eyebrow at the approaching knight as she placed her cup of tea onto the saucer, folding her hands in her lap, smoothing out the wrinkles in her noble dress. “Well?”

  “Everything you’ve asked for has been secured, Grand Duchess,” the knight said, dropping down to one knee. “The magicians are ready to proceed with the summoning ritual at any time.”

  The woman, Apollonia, nodded, her golden hair falling in front of her face. She swept it back with her hand and leaned into her seat. “And what of the other dukes? Have they responded?”

  “Everyone you’ve sent the invitation to has accepted,” the knight said. He added after a short pause, “Including the demon lord.”

  Apollonia’s hand that was reaching for her cup of tea froze in midair. “Her? She accepted an invitation? She is personally coming to attend my autumn banquet?”

  The knight nodded, and Apollonia collapsed back into her chair. “Unbelievable,” she said, deep wrinkles appearing on her forehead. “She turned down every single invitation ever sent by any noble. For what reason is she attending the banquet? Could she have found out?”

  “Anything is possible, Grand Duchess,” the knight said, his knee still on the floor. “While I was outside, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of a pair of eyes watching me. I wasn’t able to find anyone, but I was highly uncomfortable.” He paused as Apollonia’s green eyes narrowed into slits. “I don’t mean to alarm you, and it’s possible my paranoia was acting up again. But as an insurance, may I suggest relocating the position of the summoning portal? The fortress by the dragons is relatively empty, and no one will travel that far north during the banquet.”

  “Very well, Daniel. I leave it to you,” Apollonia said. “Remember, you’re my most trustworthy retainer. Don’t betray my expectations.”

  “If all goes well, you’ll be empress before the flowers bloom next spring,” the knight said, lowering his head even further.

  A faint smile appeared on Apollonia’s lips. “And if things don’t go well?”

  “They won’t. Nothing short of a natural disaster will stop your plans from coming to fruition,” the knight said and raised his head, meeting his master’s gaze through his visor. “Even if it costs me my life, I will accomplish anything you ask of me.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Daniel,” Apollonia said. “The last thing I want you to do is die. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Grand Duchess!”

  ***

  “Excuse me.” A man with a mustache leapt onto the driver’s seat of the wagon that Vur’s party was in. He nodded at the five people before facing Tafel. “We’re about to enter Grand Duchess Apollonia’s territory.”

  “About time,” Alora said as she stretched her arms and legs out. “It was getting too cramped in here.” Her gaze drifted about before landing on Stella and Mervin. “Especially with these two annoying things talking up a storm.”

  “It’s not my fault!” Stella wailed. “This stupid genie is too persistent! Hurry up and make a wish, Vur. I can’t stand this anymore! He’s so annoying that he makes me want to destroy the whole world to get him to be quiet!”

  The man with the mustache cleared his throat. “Our leader says we’ll have to part ways soon. We’ve brought you to the nearest human fortress according to our original agreement.” He flinched as Stella glared at him. “I’ll be seeing you then. It was nice traveling with you.” Before Vur or Tafel could respond, the mustached man leapt off of the driver’s seat and entered a different wagon in the convoy.

  Tafel poked Mervin’s side. “You should really take a hint. Women don’t like men who are too persistent despite stories saying otherwise.”

  Mervin shook his head. “I’m sure I can sway Stella’s heart with enough time.” A flower blossomed in his palm, and he flew up to Stella, holding it out towards her. “Please, accept this small token of my love. Even if you won’t accept me, this—”

  “Vur! Hurry up and wish!” Stella tugged on Vur’s hairs, interrupting Mervin’s speech. “Y
ou trust me, right? Right? I was the one that told you to become an elementalist dragon to grow up faster. And I wasn’t wrong; you really became a full-fledged dragon, didn’t you?” Stella bobbed her head up and down, speaking again instead of letting Vur open his mouth. “Then you can trust me again. Your best interests are in my best interests, and you won’t regret listening to my advice. Okay? Tafel wants you to become more independent and develop your own hobbies and likings, but this dumb genie will drive me insane before that happens! So I’ll tell you what to wish for, got it? Actually, I’ll give you a whole list of things you can wish for, and then you can pick one of those items.”

  Vur nodded. “That sounds a lot easier than finding out what I want by myself.”

  “You’re being used by Stella again,” Tafel said with a sigh.

  “I never used Vur in the first place,” Stella said, sticking her tongue out at Tafel. She flicked her wrist, and a fireball flew out of Vur’s shoulder, striking towards Mervin, who had flown even closer to Stella. “Okay, let me brainstorm some ideas for you.” She put her fingers on her temples, below her horns, and closed her eyes. A high-pitched hum echoed from her throat as her forehead entered a cycle of scrunching up and relaxing. “Okay! These are my wish suggestions: Wish for the ability to take on a second subclass. Wish for all the gold that Mervin’s capable of making. Wish for a never-ending jug of alcohol. Wish for a plate that can duplicate food infinitely. Wish for a larger mana pool. Wish for more physical strength. Wish for the ability to speak two sentences at once. Wish for the ability to think about two different things with a hundred percent of your thinking ability at once. Wish for more stamina. Wish for an aura of charisma that makes people automatically trust you. Wish for faster reflexes. Wish for the ability to go to sleep instantly without tossing and turning for thirty minutes. Wish for Tafel to be more affectionate—”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Wish for Alice to be less grumpy.”

  “The hell?”

  “Wish for your elementals to become stronger. Wish for Mervin to become mute. Wish for Mervin to fall in love with his own reflection. Wish for Mervin to fall in love with a rock. Wish for Mervin to leave your cute, adorable fairy-queen daughter alone. Wish for Mervin to go away. Wish for”—Stella paused and took in a deep breath, her face bright red from speaking nonstop—“the ability to never have to use the bathroom again. Wish for a wallet that always has money inside of it. Wish for all the mosquitoes in the world to die. Wish for more wishes. Actually, no, don’t. If you wish for more wishes, he’ll never leave. Wish for anything, please, just make a wish soon! There had to be something you liked in all my suggestions, right?”

  Vur scratched his nose. “You spoke too fast. Can you repeat them?”

  Stella’s face darkened. She flew down to the sun-like rune on Vur’s shoulder and patted the pattern. “Sheryl, it’s clear Vur doesn’t want to make a wish. Help me burn Mervin to ashes, okay?”

  “I really think you should give up on Stella,” Tafel said to Mervin. “Fairies don’t feel love. She’ll really make you disappear, you know?”

  “I don’t believe you,” Mervin said. “Stella’s so beautiful. I’m sure she’s even more of a beautiful person on the inside. She’s just saying those mean things because she’s shy.”

  ***

  On top of a fortress wall, a man was dressed in a full suit of armor that had a crest of two intertwined tigers emblazoned on its chest. He raised his helmet’s visor, a deep frown visible on his face. A line of wagons was approaching the fortress walls from the north, riding on a road that hadn’t seen much maintenance. He nudged the guard standing next to him with his sword’s sheath. “Who are they?”

  “Sir Daniel,” the guard said. “That’s the Spring Ferret Merchants convoy. They usually pass through around this time after picking up goods from the tribes located within the wilderness.”

  Apollonia’s trusted retainer raised his eyebrow before lowering his visor. “I see,” he said as the convoy stopped by the fortress gates. “To travel through the wilderness, they must be pretty strong. How long do they usually stay before departing?”

  “Only a day,” the guard said as the people below them searched through the wagons. “There aren’t very many people here to trade with. After exchanging some goods, they move south to Bergia. I don’t know where they go after that.”

  “A single day,” Daniel said. “There should be no issues then.”

  “Captain!” a voice shouted from below. “There’s an issue!”

  Daniel didn’t say a word as he stepped to the edge of the wall and leaned over, looking down on the guard who had just spoken. The guard beside Daniel frowned and leaned over as well. “What is it?” he asked, scowling at his subordinate. A group of five strange-looking people were standing behind the man on the ground. “Haven’t you processed a group of merchants before, James?”

  “Do you remember the orders we received two days ago, Captain?” James asked in reply. “These people are undocumented. They have no form of identification.”

  “Then refuse their entry,” the guard captain said. “Orders are orders.”

  “But, Captain, they’re coming from the north. If we don’t allow them in, they’ll die to the beasts. Can’t we make an exception this one time? We can even hold them in the cells until those orders are lifted.”

  Beads of sweat formed on the guard captain’s brow as his irises shifted to the corner of his eyes, sneaking a peek at the knight that had given them the orders to prevent all undocumented people from entering the fortress. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell what Daniel was thinking due to the visor covering his face. The guard captain’s lips spread into an awkward smile as he turned towards the knight. “What do you think? They really will die if you turn them away here.”

  Daniel didn’t respond as he turned around and walked down the stairs leading towards the ground. He stepped outside the gate, stopping in front of James and the group of five. He lifted his visor and crossed his arms over his chest. Before he could say anything, a bald merchant came up to him, rubbing his greasy hands together. “They’re not with my group,” he said as he reached towards his waist, his hand disappearing into a sash. A small brown pouch appeared in his palm, which he offered towards the knight. “I hope my Spring Ferret Merchants convoy won’t be affected by their arrival.”

  The knight slapped away the pouch, glaring at the merchant. He pointed at the half-naked man with brown hair and golden eyes who seemed to be the leader of the group. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Vur,” Vur said. He paused for a moment before adding, “Hi.”

  The girl with purple hair ornaments that resembled horns sighed as she stepped forward. “We’re adventurers,” she said. “Is there a problem? What kind of city doesn’t allow people to enter even with a small fee?”

  “This is a fortress, ma’am,” Daniel said. “It’s not meant for civilians. What do you mean by you’re adventurers? Are you seeking death in the wilderness for the thrill of adventure?” He frowned at the knight dressed in a full suit of plate armor. “Which noble do you serve? Taking noble ladies outside to uncharted lands to impress them is highly irresponsible. If your liege found out, what would he say?”

  “I guess there aren’t any adventurers on this continent,” Tafel muttered. She touched her horns. “At least there are demons.”

  “Oh-ho?” Mr. Skelly asked. “It seems like I’m the one with the highest authority here?” He placed his armored hand on Vur’s shoulder before walking past him. He stopped right in front of Daniel and crossed his arms. “Don’t be such a stickler. Haven’t you ever wooed any women while in uniform? Honestly, between us knights, we shouldn’t have to abide by so many rules, don’t you agree?”

  “Don’t lump me together with scum like you,” Daniel said, his face contorting.

  Mr. Skelly clacked his teeth, creating a sound like someone clicking their tongue. “Are you sure that’s how you want to be treating me? You don’t ev
en know who my liege is while I know exactly who yours is.” He reached forward and poked the intertwined-tigers crest on Daniel’s breastplate. “If I complain to my liege, do you believe he won’t be able to cause trouble for your master? I’m certain he can.”

  Daniel gritted his teeth as his eyes flicked downwards, searching for a symbol to identify the noble behind the knight in front of him, but there wasn’t any. If this knight was sent by someone allying with the Grand Duchess, then he couldn’t afford to offend him now. But if he belonged to a faction loyal to the empress…. Daniel took a step back, turning his head towards the guard captain, who was still on top of the fortress walls. “Escort these group of thrill seekers to the guest lodgings. Make sure people accompany them at all times for their safety.” He narrowed his eyes at the knight standing before him. “The streets of a fortress this close to the wilderness can be dangerous. It’d be best if you didn’t wander lest an accident occurs.”

  Mr. Skelly chuckled. “If anything happens to us, your master will be the first to hear about it.”

  The two knights glared at each other, unmoving.

  “Why would the streets be dangerous?” Vur asked, breaking the tension. “What’s the point of having guards if they can’t do their jobs?”

  “Vur, let’s not antagonize them further,” Tafel said, grabbing onto Vur’s hand. “You can’t just call people weak like that.”

  Vur tilted his head. “Because the truth hurts?”

  “Alright, just stop talking,” Tafel said, ignoring the glowers of the guards surrounding them. “Let’s not start a war in the very first week that we’re here.”

  ***

  “It’s strange to be on a continent where adventurers aren’t a thing,” Tafel said with a sigh as she pulled towels and other miscellaneous items out of a portal. The group had been given two rooms: one for Mr. Skelly and Vur, and the other for Tafel, Alice, and Alora. But Tafel had switched with Mr. Skelly, and Alora tagged along because she thought Alice smelled funny. It didn’t matter though because everyone gathered in Vur’s room anyway to discuss their next course of action. “I wonder how their society is set up.”