Andromedus seemed overwhelmed by the turn of events.

Not only was Tania an elite soldier, but a mage capable of opening portals to other worlds. In theory, she could bring creatures, even entire armies, here. She was not to be taken lightly.

Moreover, she was human before. Combining human intelligence, modern knowledge, magic and a dragon body, this made her a more powerful creature than the Demon Lord who exterminated humans.

Adromedus: "And you, Marise? What is your story?"

Tania looked at Marise in a "you say the least" kind of way.

"I was born on Ethernia North of the Great Sea and my parents and I emigrated to the kingdom of Magestia, the land of Queen Unicorn. Their business prospered but after a shipwreck they fell into debt and were murdered.

I was captured by slavers and sent north to Zantar.

On the ship I was starving and let myself die. Then a big bird entered the cage and freed us all. I stayed with Tania."

Tania looked at Marise...

"There was an accident and, like Tania, I became like that. My transformation being very recent, Tania still has to teach me everything".

Tania's face was calm, Marise had said well... Marise knew the slightest expression of the dragon, which Andromedius could not yet distinguish.

Andromedius took a break, which provoked the arrival of servants to bring hot drinks, such as coffee and some honey pastries.

Andromedius: "Extraordinary...

But the sphere? what is it? We have a prophecy of a red star that would ravage our world, and exterminate us. All the races have associated your coming with the prophecy and, without hiding it from you, we are a little terrified.

Tania bowed her head, pensively. She was thinking about those words and the sharp and accurate words of this scholar.

Marise was trembling with fear of Tania, which did not escape neither Isolde nor her master.

Tania: "It's true that I know how to defend myself and I have a lot of experience of medieval and modern warfare.

One can say that I am a master of war and my rank is General, you can see it with my medals and the small squares summarizing each of my exploits. To hide it from you would be useless.

The sphere is the ship of the Hydra, your men and your apprentice had the chance to see it, which is exceptional in a life and especially to survive it".

Mage: "You were crying to enter the sphere, what happened?"

Tania: "Let's just say that I have personal reasons that I don't want to divulge, traumas from the war and terrible experiences that broke me and took my beloved from me. Sniff (Tania shed a tear thinking of Georgie, her nemesis in espionage and then her downcast love, hanging on a butcher's hook during a secret war)".

"So "She" dropped me here and gave me a mission, finally 2 and I cried because I didn't want to be separated from Marise. She is all I have left, I am terrified of loneliness. I was relieved when she appeared on the other side of the sphere."

Andromedius: "So, the sphere is a kind of ship to go from one world to the other... Terrifying. How does it work?"

Tania: "Tiamat has powers that can fold space like a sheet of paper and cross any distance. She is not a goddess for nothing.... The ship obeys her and I don't know anything else. It is indestructible and she is immortal".

"What is your mission?"

Tania:" What I can say is that it is a rescue mission. We have to find the dragons or their descendants who were separated from their families in the great cataclysm and offer them a way home."

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Andromedus: "So the Hydra will return..."

Tania: "Yes, and I fear that day...."

"Ah????"

"If I fail... I'm afraid of being devoured....(Oops... I spoke too fast)".

"How? It will make you get eaten???".

"Her former servant, the demon lord Lord Bhaal was defeated and when he was killed, he was devoured by Tiamat. This is the fate that awaits the losers... It devours them... She is the goddess of absolute evil"

Marise stood up: "It's not true! She's nice to us, you're the one who screwed up and is being punished! Don't denigrate mother like that!" she said in a draconian way...

Tania trembled...

"No, she takes care of her relatives and she even raised orphaned dragons...".

Isolde: "What about humans?"

Tania: "They are insects unless they have proven their worth and courage. She always listens to the brave and courageous."

Isolde: "And after the mission, she will destroy the world and exterminate us?"

Tania: "No, she will reward her allies but her enemies, beware, she will ask for 50% life tax every year. Those who cheat will be exterminated immediately. "She knows how to be terrible as well as generous."

Andromedius: "It is getting late and I invite you to return to your apartments.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. His Highness will certainly want to meet you, but you will understand that certain precautions must be taken with two noble dragons in the immediate vicinity of his majesty."

The guards invited us to follow them and we settled down. Obviously, I put on reinforced invisibility and went out the window reducing my size to that of a pigeon.

Attracted by the smell of Isolde, I landed on the window and listened to their conversation.

Someone in fancy clothes was at the table with them and a few other people. Probably an advice.

Prince: "Well, great wizard, how are our guests?"

"Sire, everything we knew about the great cataclism is false. They showed me pictures and documents from the world before.

They come from another world coming out of a war but 10,000 years in our past. Their civilization is much more advanced than ours.

According to my observations, they are Archi-mage class dragons of the seventh circle with an almost infinite reserve of mana. They could cast high level spells without disconcerting. For example, if we had attacked them, regardless of dragon powers, they could have stoned our troops with a meteor shower without stopping until the last of our men were killed.

They are monsters but they are conscious of themselves and do not come a priori with warlike intentions. They are born human and despite its terror, it is close to the Hydra, at least that of its world.

She is a general, which means that she has one or more armies at her disposal".

The prince - pontiff had a dark look and massed his temples.

Prince: "What control do we have over them?"

Mage: "None... perhaps just our hospitality and collaboration."

Then the prince turned to his advisers." The situation in the West, the second fortress?"

"It fell under the Orcs. Since they build flying fortresses, they call for our troops and we are only retreating. At this rate, in 6 months, no, in 3 months they will plant their siege here and the humans will be enslaved or exterminated.

I know that their shamans plan to make circles of teleportation by sacrificing prisoners."

Prince: "And our rituals to call a savior, a hero?"

Andromedius: "It didn't work out, but the prophecy is coming true."

Prince: "Be clearer"

"If our guests are not belligerent and can carry out their rescue mission, they are powerful beyond anything and the goddess who deposited them here is terrifying. But they explained how to appease her wrath, being the goddess of evil and envy. We must cooperate. The others judged to be adversaries will have a terrible fate. And what is certain is that she will come back. The problem is to know then what she is going to do... Like the prophecy? "

The prince imposed a silence before speaking: "This could be an opportunity. To gain their trust and hope... that they will be our hero..."

But as pontiff, I must oppose the cult of evil. Even if they are close to a goddess opposed to our values, do you know what religion they follow?

Apprentice: "Majesty, I know that they follow the Christian rites, the cross".

Pontiff: "Our religion is directly descended from theirs...Oh, my God, Blessed be!!!!".

A big sigh of relief was heard.

Then everyone got up and went to their apartments.

Isolde went up the stairs of her tower to her bedroom and astronomical observatory and student's office.

She could hear small tics following her down the stairs, hidden between her every step.

"Is there anyone there?"

No answer.

She opened her door and looked left and right, the door ajar to let just her head through.

She closed it and turned the key several times in the lock and put a hinge in the form of a sliding iron bar.

She rekindled the fire but did not see the little creature that had crawled between her feet.

She helped herself to a glass of wine in front of the fire that crackled and warmed the room. Many cupboards and books added a perfect layer of insulation to make the room warm and comfortable.

Tania: "Won't you pour me a glass too? Standing behind Isolde's back

"How did you get in here?" There are alarm and defense systems."

Tania "My dearest, I am an elite soldier and my specialty is infiltration of enemy bases. I heard your little conversation".

"But it's impossible, there's a bubble of silence..."

Tania: "A real magician never reveals his tricks"...

Tania's snout was in Isolde's neck and she could feel her breath hot as hell.

Isolde: "What do you want from us? Why do you abuse our hospitality?"

Tania: "What I want. ????"

One of my index claws was under her chin, on the curved side so as not to hurt her.

The magician did not know whether to shout and call for help or to listen.

Me: "Shouting would be a bad idea, but to answer your question, what I want...

is you!"

The apprentice was astonished, taken by surprise and not realizing the situation.

A dragon from another world was courting her...

"Since I saw you, I've been going crazy with desire.... You are beautiful and magnificent and intelligent.

Me, I am all alone, a little bird in a world so big and dangerous..."

I had Isolde's hand, all red, against my cheek and she felt a tear fall on it, real tears."

She calmed down, seeing that my intentions were quite different..:

"If you give me a chance to get to know each other better, I could help you against the Orcs."

And like the wind, I disappeared, leaving only a small feather.

Against all odds, she rubbed the feather against her cheek and turned it around. What solidity, softness and sharpness, a drop of blood dripping from her finger not having taken the measure of the sharp edge.

"Tania....tssss Tania.... what creature are you??"