by Virlyce
Vur snorted. “That’s not all I know about them.”
Tafel raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Really,” Vur said. “I know they’re red. And when they die, they dissolve. That’s five things.”
“We also know they can speak,” Alice said. “That’s six.”
“You stay out of this,” Tafel said, glaring at Alice again.
Vur furrowed his brow. “Are you mad?”
“No, I’m not mad,” Tafel said and crossed her arms over her chest. “What makes you think I’m mad?”
“Well, you sound mad, and you look like you’re mad,” Vur said with a nod.
“She’s upset the sheepmen thought I was your wife too,” Mary said before Tafel could say anything.
Tafel pursed her lips. “Why is everyone ganging up on me?” She frowned at Mary. “I thought you were on my side.”
Mary shrank back, her shoulders hunching. She faced Vur and stuck her tongue out at him. “Tafel’s not mad, dummy. She only looks and acts like she is.”
Vur pointed at Mary. “Seize her.”
The sheepmen rose in unison and rushed Mary from all sides. She yelped, and a few sheepmen went flying, dissolving into puddles of red liquid once they hit the ground. But despite Mary’s best efforts, the sheepmen swarmed and brought her down, grabbing her ankles first to remove her leverage. And once she couldn’t utilize her strength properly, it was only a matter of piling more and more sheepmen on top of her until she couldn’t move. A small mountain of red bodies formed beside Tafel before Mary finally stopped struggling.
“Vur?” Tafel asked, taking a few steps back from the wriggling pile. “What are you doing?”
“I’m testing how strong they are,” Vur said and frowned. “And it seems like they’re stronger than I first thought. I didn’t think they’d pin her that fast.”
“Like we, baaa, said, great leader,” the sheepman with ram-like horns said. “We were, baa, created with a mission to, baaa, kill a dragon. Would we have baaan given such a mission if, baa, that were impossible to carry out? It only makes sense, ba, for our combined strength to baaa greater than or equal to a dragon’s.”
“Who gave you that mission?” Tafel asked. “And let her go. I’m ordering you as the great leader’s wife.”
“Baa, the ageless blood warrior, Zyocuh,” the sheepman said. “He, baaa, was responsible for our, baa, creation.”
The miniature mountain of sheepmen flew into the air as Mary sat up, panting, her face red from exertion. “Uncle Zyocuh?”
“Baa, maybe?” the sheepman asked before shrugging. “Your eyes are the same, baaa, as his.”
“Is it possible for you to speak without bleating?” Tafel asked. “It’s a little confusing.”
The sheepman shook his head. “I, baa, can’t help it. They come out, baa, like hiccoughs.”
“Why would Uncle Zyocuh want to kill a dragon?” Mary asked and shoved aside the sheepmen that were beside her, making room to stand. “That doesn’t make sense. He told me to never provoke the dragons.”
“We can always ask him why,” Tafel said.
Mary flinched, and she spoke in a voice lower than before, “Every time I ever asked Uncle a question, he’d hit me, so I stopped.”
Tafel’s eyes narrowed, and she clenched her hands into fists. “Well, I don’t think he’ll be able to hit you with a few dragons staring him down. Let’s go back to the palace and interrogate him.” She gestured towards the sheepman with the ram-like horns. “Make yourselves useful and secure some genies for us.”
The sheepman turned towards Vur with a questioning expression on his long face. Vur nodded at him. “Do as she says.”
***
Alora hovered in the air, her scales glistening in the rays of sunlight peaking over the horizon. In her front right claw, she was holding a limp man with a green face. She frowned at the man and wiggled her claw, shaking off droplets of vomit from the tips. “Stop puking. It’s gross.”
“I can’t help it,” Zyocuh said through labored breaths. “I get motion sickness.”
“What am I? A carriage?” Alora snorted before squinting down at the landscape below. “This is where you wanted to go? All I see is…, oh. That’s a pretty big person.” Underneath her, there was a meditating red giant, its stomach expanding and deflating with every breath it took.
“Yes, we’re here,” Zyocuh said. He was suspended facedown, his legs and head dangling while his torso was supported by Alora’s claws. “That’s one of my creations. There should be three of them.”
“And how is this going to let me get back at my uncle?” Alora asked, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s simple,” Zyocuh said. “Throw me into it.”
“Huh?” Alora tilted her head and brought Zyocuh close to her face. Her nostrils wrinkled, and she moved him a bit further away. “You want me to what?”
“Throw me into it,” Zyocuh said again.
Alora furrowed her brow. “Are you sure…?”
“Yes.”
“Won’t it be dangerous?”
“I promise I won’t hurt you.”
“What?” Alora reared her head back. “Hurt me? Won’t the one getting hurt be you if I throw you inside? What do you mean hurt me?”
Zyocuh blinked. “Why would you care about my well-being?”
Alora blinked back. “Because I’m a nice dragon?”
“You stabbed me with your tail regularly to prevent my healing process,” Zyocuh said. “I don’t believe that for one second.”
“Hey. Do you want me to help you or not?” Alora asked. “I’m doing you a favor right now; shouldn’t you at least pretend to act more grateful?”
“Please, drop me into that giant,” Zyocuh said. “But don’t get too close, or it’ll start attacking you.”
Alora squinted at the bald man in her claw. “What happens when I drop you inside? If you don’t tell me the truth, I’m not going to do it.” She nodded. “And though I may look like a young dragon who’s gullible and easily fooled, I’m not, okay? Telling the difference between the truth and a lie is even easier than telling apart my annoying triplet siblings when they stay quiet.”
Zyocuh sighed. “Alright,” he said. “Once you drop me inside, I’ll absorb it and forge a new body for myself. If I can absorb the other three as well, then I’ll be strong enough to defeat that evil dragon.”
Alora tilted her head. “If that’s the case, then why haven’t you done it already?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, became strong enough to defeat an evil dragon by absorbing these things.” Alora gestured at the giant with the claw she was holding Zyocuh in, causing a green hue to appear on his cheeks. “Oops. Anyways, why wait until now to do that? If you did it before, then my aunt wouldn’t have nearly killed you.”
Zyocuh swallowed down his urge to vomit. “It’s complicated.”
“I won’t drop you in unless you spill,” Alora said, beating her wings a little harder. The giant seemed to be getting further away with every pump.
“Alright, alright,” Zyocuh said and sighed again. “My blood magic relies heavily on the blood of relatives. It took an extremely long time to create three empires filled with people who’re closely related to me. If your aunt came just a day later, I wouldn’t have been trampled by her. I was going to take over my niece’s body, but then I saw that dragon-boy and wanted his instead since he was stronger. And once that was done, I’d come back and absorb the three giants to become the strongest person in the world.”
Alora blinked. “And then what?”
Zyocuh furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
“Let’s say you become the strongest person in the world,” Alora said. “Then what?”
“…Then I get revenge on the black dragon who subjected me to torture for several decades.”
“Okay.” Alora nodded. “Let’s say you do that too. Then what?”
“Then I….” Zyocuh’s brow furrowe
d. “You know, I never really thought about it. After I get my revenge, I’ll figure it out from there. I told you what would happen if you dropped me inside and explained why I didn’t do it earlier, so will you please drop me in now?”
“Um, I don’t want to.” Alora shook her head. “You see, dragons have this complex, you know? We don’t like it when there are things stronger than us out there. Knowing that there’s something out there that can kill you really ruins your sleep. And if we can’t sleep for decades at a time, then what’s the point of living?”
“…What if I swear to never harm you once I become the strongest person in the world?”
Alora grinned at Zyocuh. “How about this? Tell me how to absorb that giant, and I’ll become the strongest dragon in the world. Then I’ll punish my uncle appropriately for you. Sounds like a good deal, yeah?”
“That’s not possible,” Zyocuh said. “Weren’t you listening earlier? My blood magic can only tie people who are closely related together. Your body will reject the blood, and you’ll die instead.”
Alora shrugged. “Then I guess neither of us are getting stronger and my uncle wins.”
“I’m sure there’s some kind of compromise we can work out,” Zyocuh said and swallowed. “How about—”
“Dragons don’t compromise,” Alora said and shook her claw up and down. “You can help me and we both get what we want, or you can not help me and we both lose. The choice is really obvious if you’re not dumb.”
“It’s not a matter of whether I want to or not, it’s a matter of whether I can,” Zyocuh said, a pained expression on his face. “Please stop shaking me.” His green face turned even greener, and a stream of liquid came out of his mouth. “Okay, I yield! I’ll help you become stronger!”
***
Vur scratched his head and looked around. “Where did everyone go?”
“Don’t they normally leave a message behind when they disappear like this?” Tafel asked. She was standing beside Vur, frowning at the empty courtyard. The only evidence that any dragon had been there were the staves lying around on the ground. And the massive fissure that Sera had left behind while taking out her anger on Zyocuh.
“I can ask,” Mary said. Her head moved from side to side, looking for something. A boulder caught her eye, and she walked up to it before tapping her foot into its shadow. “Come out.”
A man dressed in black crawled out from underneath the boulder and knelt in front of Mary, one arm pressed across his chest while keeping his head lowered. “My liege.”
“Where’d the dragons go?” Mary asked. “And what happened to … Zyocuh?”
“The dragons grouped up and flew north to the ritual site of the Treva Empire,” the Shadows member said. “And Sir Zyocuh was taken away by one of the sky-blue dragons that split off from the group; I’m not sure to where.”
“Are these magic staves?” Tafel asked and crouched down. She picked up one of the charred pieces of wood and furrowed her brow at it. “I feel like this would help my fire magic.”
“Those are the staves that the dragons were creating,” the Shadows member said. “We dare not touch them in fear of drawing their ire.”
“Smart,” Tafel said and nodded. “I’m keeping this one.” She tucked the black staff away into a portal and nodded. “I doubt they’ll notice anyway if they left them behind like this.”
Vur tilted his head. “But when I offer to give you equipment from Grimmy’s hoard, you don’t want them?”
“This is different,” Tafel said. “I found it, and I’m taking a risk by keeping it.”
Vur blinked. “What risk?”
“Well, they might get mad,” Tafel said. “Acquiring great equipment has to come with equally challenging ordeals. Like this leviathan armor”—she plucked at the scaled armor pressed tight against her body—“was obtained after slaying a leviathan. And this staff is obtained from stealing from a dragon. See?”
Vur rubbed his chin. “Oh. Then why don’t you just steal from Grimmy?”
Tafel cleared her throat and avoided her husband’s gaze. “You see,” she said and looked up at the brightening sky. “There’s risks, and there’s rewards. Sometimes, the rewards aren’t worth the risk. There’s nothing in the world that you can offer me that’ll make me get on Grimmy’s bad side.” She nodded and tilted her chin down to meet Vur’s eyes. “And with that being said, why don’t you take a staff too?”
Vur shook his head. “I don’t like carrying things.”
“Didn’t you wish for extra arms to carry more things?” Stella asked, popping her head out of Vur’s chest. “Where are they anyway? Why do you keep them retracted all the time?”
“Tafel doesn’t like them,” Vur said and shrugged. “How is Mervin’s beansprout doing?”
“Oh, I planted him in the dirt,” Stella said. “He’ll be fine. There’s nothing inside of your soul that wants to eat him anyway.”
“Didn’t you want him to leave Vur’s soul?” Sheryl asked from the runes on Vur’s shoulder.
“I did for a while,” Stella said and hummed. “But it turns out he’s a really useful guard. You saw how he delayed that army. It’d be a waste to let him go free when I can work him to the bone instead.”
“Is that the only reason?” Only Sheryl’s voice could be heard, but the image of a red boulder smirking came into the minds of the people who heard her.
“What’s that supposed to mean, Sheryl?” Stella asked with narrowed eyes. She flew out of Vur’s chest and landed on his head, placing her hands on her hips as she glared over the edge at the runes on his shoulder.
“Nothing,” Sheryl said. “I was just wondering if you got more attached to Mervin or not after he gallantly sacrificed himself for you.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Stella said and pursed her lips. “Fairies don’t feel attachment except to their families.”
“Wouldn’t he be your family if you married him?” Sheryl asked, the runes on Vur’s shoulder flashing twice.
Stella’s face turned pink, but she spoke with a hardened voice, “I’m going to have one of the prisoners shoot you in the butt with an arrow again. If you want to tease someone, then tease Deedee. He still has lots of love troubles.”
A deep sigh came out of the brown runes on Vur’s forearm.
“I don’t think Mistle and Zilphy will like that very much if I do that,” Sheryl said in a small voice.
“Hey! How come you said Mistle’s name first, huh?” Zilphy asked. “I’m the one that’s married to Deedee. I’m the one who should be first in the not liking that very much!”
“Obviously, the stronger elemental should be named first,” Mistle said with a sniff. “You’re just a gust elemental, not even greater than a strong breeze. I embody the ocean. We’re in vastly different leagues, with yours not even being able to dream of reaching mine. What makes you think you deserve a mountain elemental like Diamant? You should’ve aimed for someone on your own level, like a pebble elemental.”
“Say that to my face, octopus legs!”
“Shouldn’t you do something about your elementals?” Tafel asked Vur. “It can’t be good for them to hate each other, right?”
Vur shrugged. “It’s Deedee’s fault, so Deedee should fix it.”
“Excuse me?” Diamant asked. “How is this my fault? You’re the one who forcibly wed me to Zilphy as a representative of your church. If the blame must lie on one of us instead of one of them, then it’s your fault, not mine.”
“What do you mean forcibly wed?” Zilphy asked, her green rune turning red. “It was a consensual marriage! A matrimony between two loving elementals! Which part of you was forced?”
Tafel furrowed her brow at Vur. “I think you just made things worse.”
“Sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better,” Vur said and nodded.
“Alright.” Tafel placed her hands on her hips. “Who’s teaching you all these sayings? First it was that thing about someone’s character, and now it
’s a profound statement about life.”
Vur pointed at the bag on Alice’s waist. “I heard it from the genie that Alice keeps in the jam jar.”
“Really?” Tafel raised an eyebrow. “What else has it said?”
Vur cleared his throat. “Please, let me out to use the bathroom. I’m begging you. Have mercy.”
29
“So? What are we waiting for?” Grimmy asked and rested his chin on his paws, peering over the edge of a large cliff. In the distance, a red giant was sleeping next to a hole in the fetal position. It had gashes on its limbs and missing digits on its hand, but those were healing and regenerating with every passing breath. “Let’s get it over with before breakfast.”
“We’re waiting for Bonnie to come back with my sister and her mate,” Sera said. “I don’t want to take any chances.”
“I’m right here…,” Bonnie said in a small voice. “Eldest was the one who went.”
Grimmy raised an eyebrow and shifted his gaze onto Lindyss. “Why don’t you summon the rest of your dragon skeletons?”
Lindyss pursed her lips. “They’re hard to control if I summon more than one at a time without any sacrifices to help.”
“Let me control them,” Grimmy said and held out his paw, lifting his chin a little to let it free. His claws wiggled as he held his paw face up as if he were asking to be handed something. “Besides, who’s the one who taught you the spell to control them anyway?”
“The elder lich’s soul,” Lindyss said in a flat voice, staring at his palm but not moving.
“And who put that soul in you?” Grimmy asked, wiggling his eyebrows. “That’s what I thought.”
Lindyss sighed and stepped back. Her shadow elongated, stretching towards Grimmy. Before it touched him, it stopped and widened, opening up a fissure leading into the earth. Bony claws tapped the edges of the fissure. Moments later, the front half of a dragon’s skeleton emerged. Grimmy reached forward and grabbed it with both paws, hooking his claws into its eye sockets. He tugged it out of the portal and stood on his hind legs. The grass and rocks rippled as mana surged around him and into the skeleton, causing its bones and joints to creak. Grimmy grunted and placed the skeleton to the side, a faint blue fire glowing inside of its eye sockets.
