Ir'alith landed some distance away from Khag Daruhm, marveling once more at the flexibility of the primordial sea god's armor when it shrank along with her body as she shifted from her flight form.

This was not the only marvel of her day, however. She had boasted, perhaps foolishly, to Carl of her victory, and he had been pleased by her triumph. Difficult though it had been, she restrained herself; there had been a human present.

Isemeine Charus was alive once more. By her father's telling, Carl had worked his dragon-magic, triggering countless spells using his key board in order to effect the change—a feat of which only deities were capable. Black lightning of a type she had never seen had cascaded across the blue sky, as though the world itself was attempting to fight his efforts to restore the human's life.

The knowledge that Carl was far more powerful than she had thought had no bearing on her feelings. No, she was past thinking of such unrelated matters as alliances. She had grown fond of him for who he was—for how he caused her to feel.

Still, her most recent meeting had not been the time for such things. Certainly not with a human present, benign and good-hearted though Valgud had said she was. And when her father had begun telling her of the time spent creating a dungeon and their brief encounter with the hero, her thoughts had again turned to her seemingly-impossible task of throwing off the humans' yoke.

Then her father had begun telling her how he had given Carl his approval to court her as well as the ensuing information he had learned, and her thoughts had been tossed into a jumble once more. She had felt a new form of nervousness and embarrassment, fleeing through a portal to the location where their earlier drive had begun in her haste to avoid humiliating herself before a human.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Papa, you are certain this is what he intended?

{Alith, there is no doubt in my mind. He spoke of his devotion to his wife, Annie, and how he would not court another without her consent.}

Ir'alith frowned, and she set her axe down firmly into the ground so she could look into her father's eye as they continued their discussion. Then why did he—

{Alith, we have both been fools. He had no means to know of our customs! He has interest in you, but his request for a short name held no special meaning.}

Ir'alith flicked her tail. Then… She felt a strange, unfamiliar pain in her chest. He does not truly have that interest in me. We are but friends.

{Is that so? He has spoken of you as a friend that he values, yes, but did you not also feel how he desired you when your minds were linked? And what of how he acted on your behalf while we were crafting his dungeon, telling me…}

Ir'alith looked with suspicion at her father's eye. It was unlike him to leave a thought uncompleted. And, as she considered the matter further, it was particularly unlike him to have first asked how she felt and whether she was well upon her return. He had also not attempted to advise her on any topics, which was not like him.

It was somehow related to his time spent with Carl. She was certain of this. Papa, you will tell me of these things if they relate to Carl. Do not hide these memories. I must know.