Daniel meets with Hekate, Aoloan, Kera’tai, Doephluev, and Treia to meet with Yaulwembor. Since they need to speak with her and inform her of everything going on, and find a way to communicate when they need help, they have to organize a whole system just to speak with her.

  Aoloan will be able to connect everyone except Daniel into the dream of Yaulwembor, where she can then use magic to grant Yaulwembor the ability to speak to the group. Unfortunately, Daniel is immune to the direct effects of magic spells, such as healing or hypnosis, while under the affliction of the curse. The hope is that he’ll be able to speak to Aoloan, who will be trying to maintain a sort of floating consciousness connected to the dream and reality as a conduit for Daniel to indirectly speak to Yaulwembor.

  “Can’t we just keep using Hekate’s magic signs?” asks Treia as Yaulwembor looks at them with the equivalent of her blank expression. She’s among the top contenders for the apex predator of Zenkon, and though she has been quite patient, she can be extraordinarily aggressive if she becomes angry or agitated.

  “We need to make sure she’s actually understanding Hekate,” replies Kera’tai. “And ask her if she understands how to determine who she can attack.”

  “Remember to ask her about… uh… her ‘payment’,” adds Daniel. Hekate scowls at him before giving him a serious point.

  “Three times, Daniel… Three times.”

  “If she can be so convinced, I’m fine with her having half-dragon children, since that will diminish their natural abilities less than me.” Hekate’s ears perk up at these words as her expression immediately shifts to approval.

  “I’ll convince her immediately!” declares the feldrok Empress. She begins informing the faormyr as much as possible with her strange magical sign language.

  Doephluev says flirtatiously, “Your state of being is unprecedented, Darling. I expect our babies to be perfect, because they will be ours, and I know I’m perfect…”

  Daniel laughs, and Hekate’s fiery glare returns to the two, while Treia, Keratai, and Aoloan scoff.

  The succubus presses her way in close, “Well, this time, I’m going to have to be the special one, right Daniel? After all…” She presents her hand, which thankfully, has been restored, though with golem-like components on the backs of her hand and fingers. It’s similar to the full arm that Klur accepted at Xyreko’s offer, but with a focus on restoring her tissues with the golem parts acting as physical therapy while she heals. Because of the severity of the injury, the intense amount of magic Vaergraes had to use to ‘switch’ the injuries, and the delay before healing potations or magic would resume effectiveness, it bordered on becoming permanent.

  Daniel’s not entirely sure of the mechanisms of healing magic, and why scars can last in a world where a limb can be regenerated, both of which he has witnessed with Neith. He would be forced to guess that it’s related to the same mechanism that helps determine the humanoid forms of non-humanoid races, like the dragons and feldroks, when they use magic to physically transform.

  Treia calls out Aoloan, though with a gentle ribbing tone, “Yes, yes. Play dirty, Aoloan. But, not all of us are so honorable as to let it slide forever.”

  “You both are brave souls pushing these buttons in front of Hekate,” jokes Doephluev as she gestures at the irritated feldrok girl.

  The ravenette’s fox-like ears perk up in mild surprise and she retorts, “I’m not jealous. But, I am keeping track.” She shoots a wide-eyed, accusing stare at Daniel, and he can only laugh. “Let’s just get this over with. We’ll need to get Hekate to sleep soon, or she’s going to be groggy tomorrow morning when we need to head out with Senn.”

  This causes the amber-eyed teen to gawk at him in betrayal with a gasp, and he turns her around to face Yaulwembor. “Try to tell Yaulwembor that we won’t trap or trick her if she goes along with this.”

  Hekate growls, but she drops it for now. “Fine.”

  Yaulwembor does agree, and they all take positions in a large bedded area that was meant for the faormyr’s true form, but she has remained in her condensed humanoid lizard-woman form since transforming. If she resists the process at all, it’s unlikely that Aoloan will be able to succeed, but since she’s cooperating, it should be easy enough.

  The succubus sits Daniel down in front of the others, who are forming a loose circle with their heads closer together so that his back is closer to the center of the circle, and she plops herself down on Daniel’s lap. Yaulwembor gives a disapproving hum, which Hekate replies to. “Yeah, I agree, Yauly. The absolute gall.”

  The others, including Daniel and Aoloan, scoff and roll their eyes. Daniel is fortunate that it functions as well as it does, though Doephluev and Ryuogriar haven’t spoken much since their major argument. He doesn’t like that the same thing could worsen and fester, but he barely knows how to keep everyone happy with his own behavior, let alone how to help them settle their differences.

  I’ll have to talk to Treia, Gwen, or Aramellianna about it… thinks Daniel to himself.

  “Alright, Daniel. Keep me cozy and safe, alright?” requests Aoloan flirtatiously. She teasingly pets his arm with her prehensile tail.

  Daniel gently lifts the arrow-like tip of her tail to his mouth and kisses it gently. “Remember that we still have to go over as much as you can remember about Thymeria.”

  She frowns softly, adding with a fair amount of disappointment. “I know… But, I have nothing to hide. To prove it, I’ll even let Senn or Vae reveal my past with Dawnseeing, or Doephluev can do whatever she does to question people.”

  “I’ll have you know I haven’t ‘questioned’ anyone since meeting my Darling.”

  “Focus on the mission, ladies,” replies Daniel before it spirals out of control. “I’ll be right here until you come out of it.”

  They collectively nod, and Aoloan clears her throat. She starts softly chanting the spell, and the various mana-formed streamers of energy swirl around the group. A slight haze of mystical blue energy connects everyone together, though it has no effect on Daniel. If it were, he would be getting drowsy and feeling a faint silky grasp in his thoughts inviting him into fantastical visions.

  While everyone is drifting off, Daniel makes eye contact with Yaulwembor. She’s lying across her belly with her elbows holding her torso up, and though her eyes are looking heavy, she seems to be studying Daniel.

  “I’m sorry, Yaulwembor. Magic doesn’t work on me right now. I know you don’t…”

  The faormyr magical savant doesn’t understand him, and as such, doesn’t care about what he’s saying. She also doesn’t seem to have been informed at all that Daniel is virtually her polar opposite in terms of magic. She can weave complex spells as easily as Daniel can walk. Her own magical resistance, even without actually resisting, has her conscious longer than the caster, Aoloan.

  And yet, she casts her own spells.

  Before he knows it, Daniel is somewhere else. His instincts kick in, ramping up his heart and adrenaline as he looks around. His surroundings are dark, and it takes a moment for his vision and then his attention to adjust.

  He’s standing on a secondary flyway of the Citadel that isn’t used often, since it extends out towards the lake, and the surface is significantly smaller than the main flyway, which also grants easy access to the control center. It’s more like a basking platform, or, given Daniel’s constant ponderings about the future of the dragons and the feldroks, it is a safer location from which younglings can learn to fly with the relative safety of water to catch them.

  Yaulwembor is standing nearby in her humanoid form, also studying their nighttime surroundings. She seems content with their environment, and she looks at Daniel contentedly.

  The faormyr has spent most of her time in Daniel’s proximity, regardless of what’s going on, since the payment she was promised will specifically be an extension of her perspective that Daniel spared her life, and so, he can be relatively trusted. He knows it’s more layered and complicated than the logic Kera’tai used when he first met her, but Yaulwembor has a fairly limited understanding of why she was attacked in her youth, and ever since, became a solitary apex predator waiting for her instincts to be solved.

  At the moment, her apparent choice of location includes a simple pile of bedding, including a bunch of randomly assorted pillows, blankets, and the magical heaters, since she knows what they are now, but has limited experience with them. A simple glance would be enough to suggest that this is her new ‘nest’, since she’s used to the outside, but she seems to like more modern comforts as well.

  He didn’t know she had built a nest already, and he’ll have to pursue weather-proof materials sooner than later if this is her decision.

  “Your nest is nice, Yaulwembor, but I don’t know why you teleported us outside.” He starts to gesture for her to follow him back inside, and he asks, “Xyreko? Can you take us back to Yaulwembor’s quarters?” Nothing happens, and the notoriously attentive golem never appears.

  “Xyreko?”

  Still no response.

  When he does get an answer, it’s from a female voice he doesn’t recognize.

  “Human Daniel, you understand, yes?”

  The mechanic turns towards the source of the sound, which is none other than his strange formerly-mute new companion.

  “Yaulwembor?”

  “Yes. That is the name the small black one gave me. Hekate, yes?”

  “Y… Yeah.”

  “Mm,” hums the draconic woman approvingly as she approaches. “Now that we speak, we understand each other.”

  “H-... How are we speaking?” asks Daniel.

  “I copy. The pink haired one, Aoloan. She used magic to let us communicate. I did the same.”

  “They explained your ability to me. It’s quite unique. Truly, I’m am regularly in awe of your power.”

  “Awe?” asks Yaulwembor as she stalks in close to Daniel. “What is awe?”

  “Uh… Wonder? Amazement? I feel a sort of… happy fear towards you.”

  “Happy fear?” repeats the faormyr as she comes directly into Daniel’s proximity, lifting her reptilian face to directly in front of his.

  “Yes. We could easily kill each other, and to acknowledge that is the true meaning of respect and admiration. Our lives are in each other’s hands.”

  Daniel takes a gamble, gingerly touching her jawline. Yaulwembor is similar to Ryuogriar, if the platinum dragon maintained a reptilian appearance even in a humanoid size and digitigrade form.

  Yaulwembor purrs in a gentle, deep tone, like the sound an alligator makes, but more tender and affectionate.

  “This is why I approve of you, Daniel. The world is full of noise and death. I did not wish to die, but I see now what it is that I destroyed.”

  “What is that?”

  “My kind. I am the last for as far as I could fly in any direction. Only the ones you call dragons have sounds similar to mine.”

  Daniel prides himself in being no great fool. He may not be the smartest, bravest, sigma-est person that ever lived, but he has always done well for himself piecing together the clues around him to avoid being dragged too deeply into trouble. Or at least, he developed this skill over his thirty-plus years of life. He knows now that Yaulwembor somehow pulled him into an isolated dream, though he’s not sure if it’s his own dream or hers. Regardless, she is speaking to him effectively telepathically, the way the ladies described it from the first time.

  “So, when we speak outside of dreams, you hear nothing but noise?”

  She nods. “Noise and the tones of that noise.” She smiles as she presses herself closer to him, mimicking Ryuogriar or Doephluev, who are often the most aggressive with their affection. “When you began the sound to calm the small black one, so too, was I put at peace. It was just as when you lulled me to sleep. I wish for you to do so again.”

  “Happily,” replies Daniel. “But, we have many other things to discuss, if that’s alright.”

  She grins deviously, revealing her jawline full of spiky and leaf-shaped teeth. “My payment, yes?”

  Daniel scoffs. “Among other things, yes. As you can probably tell…”

  “I choose you.”

  “At least hear me out. A dragon would probably…”

  “I choose you,” repeats the dangerous apex predator as she stalks in a circle around Daniel, cornering him.

  He clears his throat. Am I cursed with some sort of harem magnet in this world? thinks the human dryly.

  “I’m honored and flattered, but you have to know that our children will be weaker for it if you choose me. At best, they will have half your strength.”

  “At worst they will be strong enough to kill me,” retorts the faormyr. “Perhaps you favor a certain appearance? Should I take a form more like the others?” She snaps her fingers, casting the transformation spell, and before Daniel’s eyes, she becomes Ryuogriar.

  “How is this? Does this form please you greater?” She seems to realize something, quickly changing forms again. “No, this one is more accurate.”

  Daniel’s heart skips a beat this time. A combination of affection and anger twists in his heart for a moment; affection because he has become instinctively attached, and he is unable to hide it effectively, and anger because of someone impersonating her. The form Yaulwembor has chosen and seems to have gotten her answer is that of Geirahoel.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “Mmm… I see. You do show a great deal of affection towards this woman. I do not mind. I shall take this form…”

  “No,” growls Daniel softly, and Yaulwembor flinches back a small amount.

  The mechanic sighs and continues, “Please don’t. I don’t fully understand how the transformation spells work, and this world has very different rules from mine, since there was only one definitively sapient species on the world I come from, us humans. This world has many sapient species and races, so the rules are different. Blurrier. With all of the logic of my world, it shouldn’t be possible for me to… The… children… should be… impossible…” It hurts Daniel’s heart to even think such a thing, since he loves them dearly, even if he has been recklessly busy trying to stall out the opposing forces constantly trying to close in on the perceived power vacuum that is the Citadel. “I’m still learning every day more and more of the capabilities of magic. For instance, I don’t know how you managed to bring me into the dream world, since I should be immune to mana.”

  “Immune?” asks Yaulwembor. She pokes Daniel’s chest and ‘pinches’, though he feels virtually nothing, in spite of how real the dream world is. There’s a sort of tingling ‘pull’ feel, like the ‘invisible string pulling trick’ that kids in Daniel’s elementary school class would do.

  To his surprise, though, a true dark film of energy emerges from beneath his shirt. He is speechless, but he recognizes the ‘texture’ of the energy. She’s directly interacting with the energy of the curse beast.

  “Magic can affect you, but most of the time, this absorbs it.”

  “A-... Absorbs it?” asks Daniel.

  “Yes. Whenever I touch you, I can feel it absorbing some of my magic.”

  “If… you can interact with it in here…”

  “Do not worry. The creature’s gaze cannot observe us in this place. I am employing the magic of that gold-haired human woman that was able to drive it back.”

  “You mean… Lady Byleathea’s?”

  “Yes.” Yaulwembor transforms herself into Byleathea, and she creates a sort of thin, golden layer over herself. “The spell was much more intense than this, but this is enough to keep us isolated.”

  “Can… you tell if she is cursed, then?”

  “I am not familiar with curses, but she wears a permanent skin like this.” She tugs a little on the representative ‘film’ of Daniel’s curse. “A permanent layer like this lingers over several within this mountain, though most of them are in the cages.” She scowls at Daniel, adding, “Like the cage you kept me in until I awoke.”

  “I always wanted to make you our ally,” replies Daniel sincerely. “We just… needed to find a way to figure out what your intentions are.”

  She hums with a skeptical tone, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. His expression is bashful and cautious.

  Yaulwembor finally smirks, and she reappears as her lizard-woman form. She kisses Daniel’s nose, saying, “There are two who have tried to protect me for nothing in exchange. The one who raised me and you, Daniel. I will attempt to kill you if you attempt to kill me. But, if you continue to protect me, then I will protect you and our brood.”

  “I’m thankful that your terms are so black and white. I won’t make you fight, but, I would be a fool not to at least request your aid. Are you willing to help us fight? We’ll need you to be more mindful than… what happened with the void artillery.”

  She cocks her head, and he gestures with his hands as he explains, “The, uh, dark magic sphere.”

  “Mm… That. I was simply returning the spell they cast on me. I must insist, those that try to kill me or my brood shall die.”

  “I want you to start using measured retaliation from now on. Not everyone that will try to kill us can succeed. We were about to escape. Returning the void artillery spell wasn’t necessary.”

  “If they are not killed, they will attempt to kill us again. This is all I have ever known before you.”

  “I know. And, I only want you to be more mindful simply because most of the people involved with that had no desire to kill us. They were just following the orders of someone who did. The spell you used has a large collateral damage area. Lots of people, animals, and even the terrain are instantly destroyed by it.”

  She pouts a little, but the faormyr replies softly, “If you insist, I will restrain myself more. But, if I must, I will not hold back.”

  “That’s fine. Just give me some chance to determine if it needs done in situations where there is time.”

  She nods, laying her head on his shoulder. “I think I understand the change in noise tones from your other mates. You complicate what needs no complication.”

  Daniel laughs. “Yeah, they do in fact tell me that rather regularly.” The mechanic then returns to task for the moment. “Now then, it’s obvious that you’re not unintelligent, even if you are naive to the ways of society. Do you have any ideas on how to communicate outside of the dream realm like we are now?”

  “I did not know that noise was communication,” replies Yaulwembor sadly. “The one who raised me tried, but I could not learn. Yet, he always smiled for me. It is strange. Hekate is able to convey meaning to me, though even I know it comes from my innate talent for magic.”

  “Yes, that’s what we’ve pieced together. Do… you mind if we try an experiment?”

  “Experiment?”

  “Yes. In my world, we didn’t have magic, but the condition you have could be managed in at least some cases. It required different teaching methods, but, to my knowledge, those with communicative disorders could still be helped to learn to communicate. We just have to find a way around the disconnect in your brain.” Daniel points to his head to clarify.

  “I do not fully understand, but I have no reason not to trust your intentions.” She nuzzles the size of his neck, and he is mindful of her horn being dangerously close to his eyes, though it is easy to forget that it’s a dream world. “I know Hekate, Treia, Aoloan, Doephluev, and Kera’tai now. I know the dragons that accompany you. I smell you on several others. They shall be my guides in your absence. If they cower, I shall defend. If they attack, I will attack. But, I will await the clarification of our enemies before I act wherever possible. If I make mistakes, please correct me before attempting to kill me.”

  “Understood. But, anyone who is our allies absolutely cannot be harmed ‘accidentally’ by you, do you understand this? Even if it’s a genuine accident, I won’t forgive you.”

  She nods. “If you would like, I can mark them with a spell that is capable of showing location.” She pokes Daniel’s chest, though he’s wearing simple clothing in the dream. “You usually have one right here, when you are wearing your shell.”

  “Ah, so you can even copy spells that aren’t directed at you. Good to know. Then, we will ask for their permission, since that spell serves to track at range, but that’s a good idea.”

  She hums in approval, and Daniel does his best to try to conjure a notebook. “Can… you create a pen and paper for me? We should start with the experiment while we have time in the spell.”

  “Hmm?” The faormyr cocks her head.

  Yeah, that tracks. The mechanic looks around. He asks, “May I rearrange some of these materials?”

  “Yes,” replies the reptilian superpredator. Daniel steps towards the pillows and other nest materials, focusing on the blankets.

  “It’ll be a little sloppy, but bear with me. We’ll start with the alphabet and go from there.”

  Yaulwembor is patient and attentive as Daniel starts laying out letters and explaining them. He starts with Eastern Imperial Trade, since it’ll be easier for her to communicate with virtually everyone on the continent.

  Fortunately, while she is an impatient learner, since it isn’t as easy as her innate talent for mimicking spells, Yaulwembor does make rather quick progress at learning to recognize and copy letters. It wouldn’t be this easy without magic, but since they have to basically dive deep into dreamland, they do have to go out of their way to do it.

  This is confirmed when Daniel finally drifts awake to voices shouting at each other. “...-ake him up right now, or I’ll stuff you in a cell alongside Thymeria!”

  “I’m telling you I didn’t do this! Please believe me! I’m trying, but…”

  “Hekate, Aoloan…” murmurs Daniel.

  Everyone flinches, and Daniel finds himself being held by Kera’tai as she hugs Daniel’s head. She was trying to use her own magic to wake him up, and she relaxes as she squeezes him more affectionately. “Daniel! I’m so thankful you’re alright.”

  “O-... Sorry about that,” replies Daniel. “Yaulwembor noticed that I wasn’t affected by the spell and took things into her own hands.”

  “But, you wouldn’t wake up, even when we tried counterspells and dispelling magic!” complains Kera’tai.

  Daniel notices Doephluev and Hekate holding Aoloan at metaphorical gun point; Doephluev has a pair of daggers scissored across the succubus’s neck, while Hekate has magic charged to her palm to restrain the demoness.

  “Let Aoloan go, please.”

  “But, Daniel-...!”

  “I’m serious. She did nothing wrong. Yaulwembor is the one who acted, and she refused to take the answer ‘magic doesn’t work on me’ as fact.”

  Doephluev and Hekate relax, and Aoloan sighs, gingerly nursing her neck. Daniel sits up and waves everyone over. “Everyone, come sit down. I have a lot to explain.”

  Treia sighs and sinks down next to Daniel and Kera’tai, while Yaulwembor lies casually on the bedding, watching calmly, but without understanding.

  The feldrok and archoneldwyn both bound over with warm expressions, but Daniel holds up a hand. “First, you two will apologize. Aoloan, I’m sorry as well. I was supposed to protect and keep you comfortable, but instead, my weakness got you into hot water with our friends.”

  Aoloan flinches and blushes. “I… No, Daniel, I…”

  “I’m sorry, Aoloan” mumbles Hekate, her ears laid flat. She fidgets with her skirt bashfully, “But, with everything that’s been happening…” She glances at Daniel, whose expression is softer. Hekate’s ears perk up, and she realizes at once what she needs to say. “I’m sorry. Excuses don’t make it better.”

  “It’s all right, Hekate,” replies Aoloan gingerly.

  Doephluev’s apology is a little colder, but she does add, “My apologies, Aoloan. I don’t regret acting with caution, but we could have been more measured, I suppose…”

  “Thank you, Doephluev,” replies Aoloan sincerely.

  “Good. Aoloan, I’ll keep my promise,” replies Daniel, patting his lap.

  The succubus smiles, and she jogs close to take a seat on his thighs, leaning back against the mechanic as he hugs her gently. “Now then, Yaulwembor helped me learn a great many things.”

  “Will she be able to communicate?” asks Kera’tai.

  “Yes. She seems to be able to recognize letters, and writing, so I’m going to spend some time with her each night that we can to teach her reading and writing. Volunteers are welcome as well.”

  “I’ll do it,” replies Treia. “I’m not a teacher or anything, but I did teach my siblings. A-As long as she promises not to eat me.”

  “You’ll be fine,” replies Daniel with a chuckle. “And, thank you. We’ll also ask Kalegrynten and Aramellianna if they have any tutors they can spare. She copied your spells, so the tricky part is handled.”

  “Shouldn’t the dragons handle her?” asks Hekate sincerely. “They will be remaining in the Citadel for the foreseeable future with the eggs, won’t they? Not to mention Ryuo and Fal.”

  Daniel shakes his head. “Yaulwembor promises to cooperate, but she doesn’t trust other draconid females. She asked for drakes and wyverns to be forbidden from entering the Citadel.”

  “Why only them?” asks Doephluev, glancing at the patient faormyr watching them speak.

  “She claims they are all a threat to each other, and… I upset her a little.”

  The women scowl at him and the human sighs. “She… questioned my tastes in appearances, and I let my emotions slip.”

  “When?” asks Doephluev a little sharply.

  “Pardon?”

  “When exactly did your emotions slip? When she impersonated Ryuo? Or perhaps Gold. Or maybe…”

  “Please drop it,” replies Daniel softly with a tone of defeat. It’s not a pleasing response, but it is the one they joke about regularly.

  The archoneldwyn sighs with exasperation. “If Yaulwembor gets upset at you for spending time with them or any of us, what will you do? Should I tell you that it upsets me that you spend the most time with those reptilian harpies? I might just snap and go on a rampage…”

  “Thank you, Doephluev, for reminding me that I’m in over my head. Let’s do it, then. We’ll make it fair. We’ll hold a lottery, and whoever wins will be my one and only wife from then on.”

  All five of the women who can understand him immediately gasp in unison, and Aoloan twists in his arms to look at him.

  While any one of them would like to be the one and only, they have a meager one in fourteen or more chance of winning, depending on who all participates.

  The archoneldwyn who pressed the issues sucks her teeth and plops down with her arms crossed. “I’m sorry, Darling. Please change nothing. I am not so foolish as to gamble on those odds.”

  “I apologize that this is messy, and that I’ve reeled you all in. I don’t deserve it. But, come what may, I will always do what I can to be fair and loving, at least, if not truly impartial.”

  “Forget about it, Daniel,” retorts Treia. There’s a slight edge to her tone, but she takes his side nonetheless. “Doephluev brought it on herself. More importantly, what happens next?”

  “Next, I’m escorting Senn to the fortress to try and find Sayrdarralouche’s body, and to survey the fire. Hekate will be our backup. Doephluev, where are we with the shuttle?”

  “Ready and waiting,” replies the archoneldwyn, returning to normal. “The shuttle flies more heavily, so we won’t be able to out-maneuver any anti-air or airborne attacks.”

  Daniel nods. “Understood. Thank you.”

  “Do you still have to go?” asks Aoloan. “I thought Lord Serrentuk was the reason Senn wanted to go.”

  “True, but we also need to survey the fire as well. If we can find Sayrdarralouche’s body, I’d like to destroy it ourselves to ensure he can’t be revived. Senn will be doing Senn-things for the fire while we direct the sensors at the flames to try to determine the mana radiation rate. Hekate, if we say go, you have to teleport us as quickly as possible.”

  The feldrok girl nods. “Mm-hmm! You can count on me!”

  Daniel nods, adding, “Yaulwembor will be staying here to defend the Citadel. She knows who not to attack, and will aggressively defend from anyone that threatens her or any of our allies.” The mechanic then adds, “Treia, if you would, I’d like you to continue the firearms training with the Stalvaltans, especially Wenlianna and Aramellianna. We were vulnerable for too long with the barrier down, and between the berserker and the enemies that were keeping Fal as a tool, I’m not foolish enough to believe there are no infiltrators. I know Xyreko is searching, but we have a lot of high-value targets, not least of which are our prisoners. We still need information from them, but our highest priority is keeping Thymeria alive.”

  “I’ll work on a watch rotation with Roetta, Magnir, and the Dragonslayers,” replies Treia with a nod. “Do we have any suspicions of anyone remaining?” The gatonine tries to avoid it, but she can’t help briefly glancing at Aoloan. Daniel can feel the succubus shift in his arms, deflating a little in sadness. He reassures her by hugging her, since he is fairly confident that she’s not a knowing enemy, and the curse that Thymeria had on them as a ‘kill-switch’, similar to a geas, has been dealt with.

  Geez… When am I going to get a break? thinks the mechanic to himself. He stretches for a moment, saying, “Alright, Hekate, let’s get you to bed so your mana recovers as much as possible.”

  The feldrok teen nods in agreement, and he suddenly flinches when her hair catches his eye. “Ah… Uh… I have one last request, though.”

  “Request?” asks the raven-haired teen as she cocks her head. Her big ears flop to the side in time with the motion and her big puffy tail sways back and forth with her curiosity.

  Daniel clears his throat awkwardly, realizing how absurd it’s going to sound. “I… uh… I’m working on a theory regarding the material Grendel Six retrieved from the site of Kernuules…”

  Hekate nods, since she’s up to date on that information as well.

  “And… uh… ahem…” The mechanic is struggling, because he definitely should have asked everyone to leave, but because it sounds official, it will definitely be even more suspicious if he asks everyone else to leave now.

  “Wenlianna and I believe your hair or fur might be related…”

  This drains all of the expressions of everyone, with exception of Yaulwembor, who notices this and glances at everyone. She perks up, seeming to sense danger.

  “You… want my hair?” asks Hekate warily.

  “J-Just a lock or so. A-Assuming we can even cut it. It will help us understand…” Daniel winces as Aoloan’s right hand grips his forearm firmly while he holds her waist.

  “Danielll…” growls the succubus, while Doephluev sits forward with her hands folded like an evil mob boss, her expression cold in spite of the smile she’s sporting. Treia and Kera’tai can only chuckle with exasperation as they share a glance, and Yaulwembor sits up to observe the situation.

  Strangely, Hekate is still stunned by the request. She lifts a lock of her own hair finally to study it, and at present, she has very dark-colored black hair because the glow that is normally present has faded with her depleted mana. She recovers her vast mana pool rather quickly, but she’ll need a lot of rest before they leave for the fortress of Centerhold. Her ears flick a couple of times while she thinks, but she still hasn’t really changed expressions since hearing it.

  And then, Daniel’s blood runs cold.

  An evil grin spreads across the feldrok Empress’s face, and her amber colored eyes lock onto Daniel with a devious spark behind them. “You can have as much as you want, Daniel. On. One. Condition.” She leans close to him, and Aoloan shifts so that she can simultaneously give the teen extra room and observe while the ravenette closes in on the trapped mechanic.

  Hekate adds with a tone that blends ‘threatening’ with ‘cute’, “You, dear, sweet, foolish Daniel, have to give me the cutest hairstyle that you like.”

  Again, mere words seem to stop time, and Daniel’s eyes glance around him at the predatory stares he is now receiving. While the ladies don’t merely copy any one thing Daniel likes, being the first to realize Daniel probably has a preference about something that he otherwise didn’t go out of the way to mention is like a declaration of war amongst them.

  Hekate has lost such wars already. But, today, she gets to set the terms for a change.

  She pulls her tail forward and pets the fluffy fur with the same evil smile revealing her sharp, shark-like teeth. “And, if you want some of my tail fur as well,...” She trails off ominously, knowing that Daniel is smart enough to figure it out.

  Normally, it’s called the Hekate Game.

  Today, it has become the Daniel Game.

  ***