Standing in the middle of a crowd, now everybody's eyes locked on me, I couldn't help but wander, why is it that Regios and his family make my life so weird. Although Flaer seems to be tame, after spending plenty of time with me. I don't understand what is it about dragons that makes them so eccentric. Standing, I ponder about this life's mysteries, hoping to survive this day to tell the tale.

Only moments ago, half of the building was obliterated by a naked, caped girl with horns, who demanded for my release and threatened to kill everybody. And this is during the meeting to decide whether monsters can be trusted and are peaceful enough to cooperate. 

Then the girl saw me and rushed to me. All while throwing away her helmet toward the gnome representative, knocking him out, and revealing her horns. Her cape also fluttered quickly and turned into a pair of wings. The very same wings the girl used to enveloped me once she got close enough to hug me.

Now I was covered with two big wings, with a naked girl clinging to me smiling and crying, her tail wrapping around me. Right in the middle of many leaders of different factions. With Lady Cerebria right next to me. With five of my six intended glaring daggers at me, trying to burn a hole in my body. If Aedim was here, the attempt might have been a success.

“Master Zern, I was so scared! I found out that you were captured, Regios suddenly stopped talking about you only saying you are ok, so I felt you were not OK, I crushed half his castle until he told me what happened. I took some weapons and came rushing over. I am so glad to see you!..”

The girl was rambling on about some things. Why is it that only Regios and his relatives make me feel like I am in some kind of anime. My fated all seem like real people doing real people things and acting normal. Only the dragons make situations which make me want to die. I mean seriously, has she no common sense?

After a loud sob, the girl tightened her grip on me, making a loud crunching noise and making me cry out in pain. 

“Mercissa! Mercissa stop! I am in more danger now than I've been in for a while!”

“What!? Master Zern who threatens your life? I will crush them!”

“Mercissa! Let go, you are already crushing me!”

“What? Ah, no, please forgive me Master Zern.”

The girl lets go of me and prostrates herself before me on the floor. Released from her dragon grip I take a couple of seconds to pull myself together. I seem to have a number of broken and fractured ribs now. Damn dragons are too strong.

I can feel a giant question mark floating in the air, everybody looking at me curiously. People seem to be unfazed by the sudden disappearance of a wall or a dust cloud that ruined most appetizers and drinks in people's hands. A naked, winged and horned girl sprawling on the ground in front of a newly appointed king, who is also a Fiend is way more interesting.

I take off my coat and use it to cover the girl. I raise her, trying to talk to her.

“Mercissa, it's ok. Stand up. I am fine. You just have a bad sense of timing. I was freed two months ago, I am ok.”

Answering her questions I try to calm her down. It takes a while, but eventually she stops crying and becomes coherent enough to talk properly. 

“My dear Zern, who is this?”

I didn't know Elaya could speak in such manner. Her voice sent shiver down my and many others' spines. I would often imagine her being a little jealous of some girl, but to make her sound like this... It's like icy spears going right through the heart.

“Aha everyone! This is Mercissa, she is Regios' little sister. She was a little sheltered when she grew up, so she is not used to our customs. Please forgive her for this rude entrance.”

Hoping to diffuse this situation I try to apologize in her stead. It doesn't help in the slightest. The leaders are all fine, but it is the five girls that make feel like bells are ringing, summoning me up to the heavens. I don't think I have long left to live.

“Girls! This is Flaer's elder sister. We've met when I went to meet Lord Zil and Flaer for the first time. She is fascinated by humans, so she kind of adores me a little too much...”

“Why is it that we only now learn of another girl, who is so familiar with you? And why is it that you took shape exactly like her?”

Eh? I look at myself as pause for a second. Fuck. I really do look like her, with golden lines through my horns, the golden crowns in my eyes. The only think I am lacking right now are the wings. 

“Elaya, my sweet little lovely girl, there is no reason to be angry. I didn't think that I would meet with Mercissa again, so I didn't think it was important to mention her. We have decided before that we won't be getting married and...”

Fuck! This was something I should have not said. Just with that temperature dropped in the entire room. People were looking at us amused.

“Zern. What do you mean married? You have been talking about marriage with some wench behind our backs and now she comes and throws herself at you?”

“Now, now, there is no need for foul language...”

“Master Zern who is this child?”

The one thing that Mercissa could have said that would make things worse was said. Even thought Elaya was growing up nicely and turning into a first-class beauty, compared to Mercissa she was a small girl. It didn't matter that technically we were same age, I looked older and I was and at least a head taller.

Elaya's eyes turn cold, scornful, just like when Eleanor's when she was little. She looked at us slowly, observing every little detail. I was still holding the dragon girl by her shoulders. Realizing this I take a step back. The coat that covered her slips down, as she doesn't bother holding it. With that, Elaya turns and walks away. 

“Zern, you truly are a fiend. Val tribes no longer recognise you as one of their own. Leave and never return.”

Eleanor, knowing how she mistreated me previously and earning for my approval says nothing, but she still walks away following Elaya. They must have misunderstood something.

Damnit. Why is this turning into a real life cliche? I turn to bid farewell to my guests to go chase the two girls.

“Dear guests, there seems to be trouble in my homestead. I have to say my farewells and go chase after my two fiancées. Apologies for the unforeseen turn of events.”

With that I run after the two girls. Meriden watches me depart and then snaps out of it, making an ungodly screech.

“Ze-e-e-ern! How could you!?”

She runs after me, thankfully I am faster. I almost slip out of her grasp, only to find myself on the floor, tripped by some unknown force. Above me are two harpies, one red-haired and other orange-haired, both scary in their own right. I can actually see shadows forming in their eyes. What is it with this situation? Shouldn't they be all scared of hurting me and trying to get on my good side? Technically they didn't hurt me, just stalled me slightly.

While looking at them I receive a critical hit to the back of my head, thankfully remaining conscious. A third contender appears. Three girls with red-ish hair, all wanting my blood, look menacingly at me. I can feel my spirit fleeing. Fucking dragons, why they make my life a living hell. The three girls all communicating on the same wavelength without words. 

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

At that moment dragon girl finally catches up to us.

“You kids, stop bullying Master Zern!”

I thought it was impossible to divert their attention away from me, but Mercissa did it successfully, now three pairs of eyes look at her, preparing to dismember the poor dragon. I try to slip out, only to be hit in the head again. 

“Stop it! What are you doing?!”

“Zern. It seems that you have been bad this time. We have got to punish you.”

“I have done nothing wrong! We are just acquaintances! Why is this happening!?”

“Master Zern, why are these kids bullying you?”

“Mercissa, these lovely girls are my intended. Please be nice?”

“Ah? But they are so young? Is this why you don't want me? Am I too old? Is that why you chose Flaer?”

Three pairs of eyes lock onto me again. This is bad.

“No, absolutely not! I am not going to cheat on my girls! I love them, so I can't be with you!”

“Master Zern doesn't love me?”

The dragon girl starts crying. Oh, come on! She just lumps onto the floor, bawling. Her hands are clutched into small fists, she uses them to wipe away the tears but more come immediately. This would be very cute if this was not a life and death situation. I think I said a good thing, but the killing intent only got thicker. What the hell?

“Ma-ma-master Zern, do-o-o-oesn't like me-e-e-e!”

The dragon girl really acts immature. I don't think the girls ever acted like that. Although I never told them I didn't like them.

“Mercissa, of course I like you, you are a nice girl! But I don't love you like I love my fiancées.”

This doesn't help at all. Lilith rushes to the girl, while Meriden sits on top of me and proceeds to hit me on the head repeatedly. Leah just glares at me. I don't understand women. 

“Please stop crying Mercissa! You know we can't be together, I have my six lovely girls, and you have Regios who wants you to love him! We almost made peace, if you do this here, it was all for naught. He will annihilate us!”

Meriden just keeps hitting me on the head. It doesn't hurt much anymore. I'm just getting woozy. 

“But I don't love Regios, I love Master Zern!”

Ah! This is hopeless. What can I do here? 

“Mercissa, I am but one man. There are many others who could make you happy! I already have six future wives, I can't have a seventh. My girls won't allow it!”

“Zern, what did you say to this poor girl? We are not monsters!”

What?! I have to get out pronto. I try to get out from underneath Meriden. I transform my hand, digging my claws into the stone, pulling myself forward. Meriden still remains on top of me, hitting me. Gah!

“Hey! Why are you on top of Zern? Are you mounting him? I want to mount him too after he mounted me!”

What the actual clusterfuck!? Where did Flaer come from? Meriden stops for a moment, then brings her hand up and then plummets it towards my head. This hit is much harder. I start drifting, but I have to remain focused.

“Flaer! Please tell them that we are only friends! We are not getting married or anything!”

“Huh? I didn't think we would, but we don't need to for you to mount me. You can mount me any time you like. And grandpa already gave us his blessing, so it's ok.”

Bam! Critical hit! I barely can remain conscious.

“Girls stop it! I'm not into little girls!”

I'm waiting for you to turn sixteen, was what I wanted to say next, but I was knocked out by Meriden. I don't understand what happened at all. When I wake up, we all are in my private quarters, Flaer running around and happily singing something about being mounted, while five other girls surrounded the dragon girl. Why are a bunch of thirteen year olds are all sitting around a thousand-something year old dragon, trying to calm it down...

“...he is not that bad, he just thought we would be against you.”

“Yeah, he never told us about you. I am sorry I reacted the way I did, I thought he did something bad while he was away from us.”

“Yes! We don't fault you for his actions.”

“But Master Zern didn't do anything.”

“Exactly, he should have told us about you and how you felt.”

I stir, trying to get up. The girls notice me and all fall silent. As I get up, seven pairs of eyes look at me anxiously.

“Zern...”

“You girls calmed out a bit? Thank god. Did you get to talk? You know that this is a misunderstanding?”

“Zern, we talked. We are ok with it.”

Huh?

“Huh?”

“We are ok with Mercissa being your seventh. She says she loves you and she wants to be with you.”

“...”

I just stare at them for a moment, trying to put all my thoughts together.

“Girls, you can't be serious? Why would you suddenly agree to this?”

“She is just like us, she loves you very deeply. She was going to take on a whole kingdom to save you.”

“Yes, two months after I would be dead! Besides, half of the Bloodborn love me, while the other half lusts over me, would you accept them as well?”

The girl fall silent, each one contemplating something. Oh, fuck no! 

“You know what? Fuck this! I need a drink!”

I quickly stand up and rush out of the room. With my shove the door flies off its hinges and turns into a bunch of splinters. I'm too anxious to control myself. Within seconds I find my way to the banquet hall, where most people were still socializing, even though it was past midnight. The place has been cleaned up and looked half decent, although it had a giant hall in one side of the building. 

Seeing a doorway to a side room, I rush in there. There are many casks and barrels of drinks, prepared especially for today. I turn off my drinking protection, hoping to get thoroughly drunk. I pick up a random cask, pop the wooden top off and empty the whole thing into my mouth. It takes me half a minute to gulp it down. It was rum, good old fashioned rum. It burns my throat, although it is nothing special. I'm inhuman after all. Not wanting to give myself any chance to survive, I uncork another barrel and empty that into my mouth. It is a beverage very much like vodka, but slightly sweet. 

I suddenly feel very hot, so I decide it is a good thing to go for a walk. Deciding that a wall is just a door unopened, I walk straight through one. Outside, I assume my ultimate form, drake-bear-wolf-lion, and take off into the nonexistent sunset. Pretty soon I just black out, not remembering anything. 

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Dragons amirite? Anyway, chapter thirty is here. I hope you enjoy reading this, there are much more to come. Ratings and comments are appreciated, I read them every time. Thank you .