Seeing the Snakes getting ready to lunge at her she was scared and confused. Weren’t she protected by the cage, why did it turn into a snake's den all of a sudden?

Is she going to die in the Vision as a reminder to not accept any offer Drak might make? But then she is already dead, she made herself ready to die on the chopping block for the betterment of the Empire, but not like this!

Before the Snakes could launch an attack crows came down and heavily attacked the snakes. While most snakes were distracted some still attacked and bit Eleonora in the bird form into the throat, ripping it out.

‘If I had stood a bit more right it would have missed… me?’

Noticing suddenly herself standing in the place she was talking about, the Eleonora which was bitten by the snake and close to dying suddenly vanished, startling the snake into a stupor. Crows came down and killed the snake before it could even understand what was going on. Eleonora herself finally opened her wings and escaped this deathtrap which was now open thanks to the crows.

“Those crows are without rings. They are definitely not from the Behemoth, but from where do they hail?”

Killing the last of the snakes from the far side an infinite chessboard manifested and something hovering over it was slowly noticing the chaos, when the crows started to change into golden bars themselves and imitated the cage. One of the Crows even transformed with a *poof* in a crudely made doll barely resembling Eleonora and was taking her place inside the cage. The Look from the Chessboard was intense but lost interest after a while and resumed what sounded like placing different pieces on the board, moving them or removing debris from destroyed ones.

“I do not understand anything anymore, but… am I free? Can I now mingle with the other birds?”

Not even realizing she already saw herself like the other birds. Flying around she saw the place they called home and the grassy fields. Everything was rather beautiful, when she noticed the Behemoth finally waking up and starting to move.

On his head was a small golden piece of paper with a key printed on it. A rather silly look, as for what does something that grand need a key, but she did not question it and followed the Behemoth.

—

She did not know how long she already was in the Vision, and does not even know if this was the real World or not. Everything was so vivid. Dancing in the air, when exhausted perching on one of the horns and even sometimes helping with finding vermin to exterminate. It was rather blissful and especially peaceful.

She saw the Behemoth do silly things and was always amused while marveling at the World they were wandering around in. Once the Behemoth suddenly stopped with one of his legs up as if frozen. When looking at the reason they saw a small wildflower under the foot nearly trampled and he pulled the leg back. As the Behemoth was looking at the wildflower he inhaled through the nose as if to smell it. A petal got loose and flew into the cave-like nostril making the Behemoth do an adorable careful sneeze to not further disturb the Flower. Afterwards he carefully walked around it.

But there were also scary times. Once the birds found an Ants nest. Those ants were all diseased and came in hordes. The birds could not stop them and one got even heavily injured. The cry for help was heard by the Behemoth and came directly over stomping on the Nest, not only destroying it but creating a crater, a gigantic ravine and an earthquake.

“So much power for such a small problem. That is not only overkill, it changed the topography!”

After a long long time, the bird named Eleonora perched again on one of the horns and closed her eyes. It was a strange Life, but also an adventurous and fulfilling life. Closing the eyes like she often did, she opened her eyes to a totally strange place, she was having a hard time remembering from long time ago.

—

“Finished?”

“How… How long was I away? It felt like years. Decades maybe.”

“Only five seconds. Had a Vision?”

“She did, Master. It was the one with the Birds again~”

“Um, Alice? Could you please not read my Mind?”

“I do not, as you are warded against it~”

“Then how do you know… Nevermind. I was also a bird and we traveled… far. I can not understand the dream right now, but I will do my best to understand it and will tell you my conjectures.”

“So you trust me that much, you will tell me your Visions?”

Drak was a bit surprised. He knew Eleonora trusted him a bit, but her giving him Information like that could even be seen as treasonous in the eyes of the Empire. She is a Seer of the Empire after all.

“I am already on death row, what are they gonna do? Execute me twice?”

Hearing her words not only Drak but the Maids made a rather pained expression. She was collaborating with them and did hide Information, but how can the Empire be so cruel and kill someone just for such small reasons, if they were made to benefit the Empire itself?

Eleonora did not notice the looks of the others and her Maids did not even notice them talking but interestingly watching the Theater show, Eleonora’s attention was still on the realization she had no feathers or a beak anymore and was fully human again.

“Elly?”

“What is it Drak?”

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Just asking, but when do you want to stop holding my Hand? The Vision is over, isn’t it?”

“Huh? … Ah!”

Finally looking down on her own hand she was holding the back of Drak’s with her own. Feeling the rough skin and the small chains rubbing gently against her palm she began to get red as a tomato and pulled her hand away lightning fast.

“Ah, I, I wasn’t… I just forgot to notice… It was not my… Drak do not make me so embarrassed and just forget it!”

“Sure Elly. Just wanted to make you aware of it. Ah, the soon to be King has beaten the Dragon.”

“Huh? Oh! Yes, Theater! The Dragon is beaten, but why does he not kill it? Oh! It was protecting an Egg!”

“While I can not fathom why he would duel it fair and square I can approve of the leniency. It is just a Mother protecting her child. … So he lets the Dragon live and even tell everyone the Dragon is slain to protect it from further Dragonslayers for it to have time to hatch her Egg? Nice one!”

“But it is rather dangerous, don’t you think?”

“Dragons are intelligent beings, not Monsters. They should be treated as such and not seen with hostility to begin with.”

“Easy for you to say, those beings are close to ruling this Continent if they would procreate faster.”

The talk was again about the Theater, which showed the dramatic twists of life before them. Eleonora was carefully putting on her glove again, but still felt the warmth of Drak’s Hand on her own. While slightly pink in the face she tried to play it off as well as she could by talking about the scene being played out right now.

—

“Thank you for inviting me Elly. It was a fun day.”

“Don’t mention it. I was likewise entertained with the meal and your company. We should do this again someday. I am very interested in seeing this new perspective the day opened up for me.”

Drak could not decipher, if she meant the food lower class Nobles eat or the Vision, she saw through his help. Either way she would pester him again for a meetup, maybe even in the near future.

“Shall I bring you home, or do you want to ask someone here in the Theater to drive you?”

“What a silly question, you brought me here, you will bring me back, no?”

It was a bit awkward for Drak to tell what he was thinking, but tried to explain as delicately as possible.

“Yes, this is obvious common courtesy, but I feel the Image of me being with you would tarnish your reputation, so I thought you might ask someone who we met to maybe bring you to a nice night meal before ending the day.”

“You think my reputation would be damaged by being seen too much with you? I never cared about that. While I was originally only interested in doing my job, I am rather fond of you, as you unlike most others are genuine and truthful. You do not scheme and use the most direct ways, if something does not work.”

“...Is that a compliment or a rebuke?”

“Why not both? I am rather glad to not need to scheme or need to fake anything, it feels refreshing to be relaxed. While it is entertaining I also feel scared to see what happens next with you.”

“Still not seeing if it is a compliment or a rebuke.”

“It is both, dummy! I mean you are too direct in your approaches while I like to not have to play games of deceptions around you!”

Eleonora became exasperated while getting ready to exit the balcony. She bided her time as she knew people would be waiting for her cousins and her. The more time she took the less of the other Nobles would stick around for her to visit.

The Maids had already cleaned the tables and everything was spotless. They were just waiting for their respective Masters to stop bickering.

While the etiquette of Nobles needs to be held in public, all were glad to see those two who were still young act their age once in a while.

“And now I ORDER you to bring me safely home! Do not think you can just throw me at those scheming piranhas outside!”

“I never thought that!”

“But I do! Do you know how many of them stick to me like leeches, while you are not around? Those people really only see my Status and nothing else. You, who is a high Noble, looking like a discarded heir, having a deadly battle Maid, living close to the outskirts of the Noble district, dressing your Maids like Elites and then even eating with them at the same table confuse the hell out of those ‘my nose is higher than the clouds’ brats who want to ride my coattail as some kind of yes ma'am Minion wannabes! Only when I am with you can I feel secure and at ease… wait, did I say that out loud?! FORGET THAT!”

Drak was never so confused in his life, as he had no Idea what was Eleonora even saying right now, but it seems like she felt more safe with him around, as the most would not go too far if there is someone they can not accept but is accepted by herself.

“Okay, okay! Geez, Elly if you talk even more we are here until deep in the night. I will bring you home safe and sound.”

While Eleonora was again getting red in the face Drak just scratched his head exasperated. The Maid of Drak were holding their laughter as best as they could about that strange quarrel and even the Maids of Eleonora were shaking a slight bit and forced their facial muscles to not respond inappropriately.

Taking a deep breath Eleonora calmed down and got her serious face back. Drak himself became also the non perturbed looking waste he was with no emotions being seen. Noticing the two taking on their serious faces, the Maids got ready. One Maid of each party got to the door and opened one of the double doors simultaneously like already trained together a thousand times in the past. Walking out were one of the most elegant princesses the World has seen and next to her a waste of a Duke’s Son which, while could be mocked and ignored, was still dangerous as he was an oddity no one could read through fully.

—

Exiting the Theater most Nobles were already gone or began orbiting two other places not noticing Eleonora and Partner. Eleonora was albeit elated but also sad it was only ‘most’ Nobles and not all. Some still came to her and tried to tangle her up into a conversation. Drak was now aware of his role and noticed all the boys and girls rebound on Eleonora’s shield which was being right now walking with Drak. While being hard pressed on short notice to engage Drak in something even after the long Theater session they all still could not come up with anything to talk with Drak and made them stop without it being awkward or insulting.

Shall they ask about his Maids? Which one? The one looking like a jigsaw, the one looking like a manifested mute Ghost, the cheery one which does not seem to know what ‘Maid’ even means or the most mysterious one which does not even show her face to anyone?

Shall they ask about fashion? He doesn't even look like he would know the Cities mentioned in that aspect.

Jewelry? He has his totally ugly iron Rings, could he tell them which dumpster he foraged them out?

Cuisine? Seriously, there might not be one thing that this fat pig would not eat, including human flesh.

Insult him? That would be inadvisable as everyone knows how Eleonora liked him somehow and would not want to become the duel's hattrick by sacrificing a Warrior to his crazy Maids.

The best thing would be not even saying a word to him and just ignoring his existence, but Eleonora pointed alway on him being right here and made their try totally moot.

Being restrained by this chaotic ward named Drak, they came directly to the black Carriage waiting already like called beforehand magically. Entering the Carriage most could only click their tongue and would try their best next time they saw each other in the School.