Within Hydra's hideout, Heirloom was humming down the baron castle halls and walked into a room with a large table in the center and tons of chairs around it. While sliding a finger across the clean dining table, he looked up to see a shining mosaic window above the fireplace on the other end of the room. The mosaic art pictured a pearl-white three-headed dragon that was sitting above a dark purple throne. It was the centerpiece of the painting, making the highly detailed background and foreground pail in comparison. Despite its menacing appearance, Heirloom glared at it with a cunning smile on his face.
Heirloom pridefully: [Ah, great Hydra.]
He lifted up an empty wine glass that was lying on the table.
Heirloom: [It bothers me so that you aren't mine.]
He opened his inventory and within seconds, the glass filled up with a dark brown liquid from the bottom to the top. He continued to stare at the mosaic dragon as he drank his tea. After a sip, he exhaled and a cloud of vapor flew out of his mouth.
Heirloom: [Somewhere in the snow you sleep, a mythical creature that will make me stoop so deep...]
He turned his eyes from the art piece and thought to himself for a moment.
Heirloom confused: [No, that doesn't sound right. It doesn't rhyme. If I were to—]
He suddenly sensed something coming his way and immediately turned around. Within that instant, he had a blood-red polished dagger in hand, and another person standing on the other side. Heirloom's dagger formed a small stab wound through their neck. For a moment, they stood in silence. The auras they were both giving off were tense, like standing in a room with two people that hated each other's guts. It wasn't until Heirloom quickly inspected the person's body that he turned back around and continued sipping on his tea.
Heirloom: [You scared me, Omar.]
Neither of them seemed amused. The wound on Omar's neck quickly healed once he started walking to the other side of the dinner. Omar rolled his eyes while caressing the scar.
Omar: [You're the one that pulled out the knife.]
Heirloom: [Just to be safe.]
He took another sip.
Heirloom: [So, what brings you to the dinner?]
Omar: [I need to tell you something.]
Placing his glass down, he looked at Omar with a curious stare.
Omar: [Leviere. When are we planning on taking them out?]
Heirloom: [With patience, everything comes in due season.]
Omar: [No!]
He shot his piercing scarlet red eyes right at Heirloom. A small burst of wind blew from Omar's body. Dust flew off from the ground around him and onto Heirloom's glass. Upon noticing the drink was contaminated, Heirloom sighed and grew agitated.
Omar: [We do something now, or I'm gonna-]
Heirloom: [Kill me? Maybe Vijan? What do you plan on doing once we're gone, huh? We both know the Demon Lord doesn't want your pitiful ass roaming his halls.]
Omar gripped his teeth and clenched his fists.
Heirloom: [But fine, I've been thinking this through and came up with a somewhat valid game plan.]
He lifted up his glass of tea and stared at the mosaic painting through it. Vijan suddenly walked into the room with a sandwich and drink in hand. While silently munching, he walked towards the two and took a seat away from them.
Heirloom: [We send a spy that will map out the layout of the kingdom, as well as get a hold of any rumors they can get their hands on.]
Vijan chewing: [A spy mission?]
Heirloom and Omar turned his way.
Vijan: [I'm a ninja! That's my thing.]
Heirloom smiled.
Heirloom: [I wanted you to be the one that went out, to begin with. Thanks for volunteering!]
Vijan nodded with his mouth full.
Omar: [The plan isn't bad, but there is a problem with sending Vijan out on a search quest on his own.]
They both shifted their attention to the eager demi-vampire.
Omar: [You might want to send someone with him. To keep him in check.]
Heirloom: [You're aren't wrong... but who?]
Omar pointed to himself with a grin.
Heirloom: [It can't be any of us. We'd stick out like sore thumbs]
Omar lost his smile and sighed in disappointment.
Vijan: [Exactly. Why don't you guys trust me alone?]
The dining room door slightly creaked open but didn't make a sound. Heirloom and Omar just gave him dull glares before continuing.
Heirloom: [At this point, we might have to rely on one of the villagers to lend us a hand.]
Vijan rolled his eyes and took another bite of his sandwich.
Vijan: [I don't understand why you guys can't trust me on my own, but-]
The door opened wide and got the attention of the three. Standing there was the black-haired princess wearing a dark blue leather tunic that reached down to her knees, and long pants that matched. She looked the opposite of a princess, and more like a beginning adventurer. She remained near the door with a smile and her hands behind her back.
Vijan: [Crystal?]
When Ruby opened her eyes she saw the three standing there and giving her confused glares. She began to chuckle.
Ruby: [That's me...]
Omar disappointed: [What have you guys got her wearing?]
Heirloom: [It was one of my old clothes. Her clothes got dirty somehow, so she needed replacements.]
Ruby continued to awkwardly giggle as Omar let out a heavy sigh.
Heirmoon: [Other than that, what are you doing walking around?]
Ruby: [I was just looking around. This castle is massive!]
She looked a bit nervous and her laugh seemed shaky.
Ruby: [But since I found you guys... mind showing me the way to the bathroom?]
Vijan raised his head ever so slightly.
Vijan: [Why don't I go with Ruby?]
Omar: [To the bathroom? That's nasty, dude.]
Vijan quickly turned to Omar with a vein poking out his forehead and narrowed ferocious eyes.
Vijan: [I mean to the city, dumbass!]
Omar slammed a palm on the table and shook everything on it.
Omar: [What did you call me?!]
Vijan flinched.
Omar: [Besides, the princess is way too well known to not stick out!]
Ruby remained nervously laughing to herself while the two argued.
Heirloom thinking to himself: [Vijan isn't wrong, though. Since the two are the most human-looking people, it'll only make sense.]
Omar: [You're forgetting the fact that she's PRESUMABLY A DEAD PRINCESS!]
Heirloom: [With a simple spell, she'd be impossible to notice.]
Ruby remained standing at the door.
Ruby nervously: [Sooooo~]
The three turned her way again.
Ruby: [Where's the bathroom?]
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
*
After making it out of the dark treacherous forest, Faith and William finally arrived at the front gates of the Jime capitol. Upon first sight, Faith felt like she was just looking at a mediocre Leviere clone, but when they got closer she realized her assumption was correct. Other than minor detail changes, such as the Kingdom's symbol, the material used for the structures, and the style of the armor worn by the soldiers, everything was exactly the same.
She stared at the entrance gate with a dull glare as William spoke with the guards. She had her arms down and her back arching like an old man without his walking cane.
William: [You seem disappointed.]
Faith sarcastically: [You don't say.]
William walked ahead of Faith which commanded her to follow along.
Faith: [Why does this place look exactly like Leviere?]
William: [Well, I can't see-]
Faith: [Right. It's like Burger King and Hungry Jacks.]
The two of them entered the kingdom and began walking along the sidewalk with other human civilians.
Faith: [The only differences here are the racial privileges and well-being.]
She looked beside the several buildings and alleyways and caught sight of demi-humans wearing baggy clothing and hiding amongst themselves.
William: [I don't know what Burger King or Hungry Jacks are, but Leviere was created long after Jime. What you believe might be backwards.]
Faith sarcastically agreed with him and continued to look around the familiar kingdom.
William: [Everything about this kingdom is amazing, but the discrimination is awful.]
Faith: [Are there any demi-humans in the hierarchy?]
William: [Not at all. It's almost impossible for a demi to make a living in this kingdom. Very few have done it, and those that have gave up their self-worth.]
The two of them continued their journey for a while longer and came to a stop the moment they came across a large building near the central marketplace. The building was tall and wide in length, the color pattern perfectly contrasted with the rest of the kingdom, and had the kingdom's flag plastered all around it. Staring at the white building reminded Faith of the White House - if it were built in another world.
William: [This is the library. I'll be at my shop if you need me for anything.] Faith nodded and watched the short boy walk into a crowd.
Faith: [Okay. Time to learn some magic!]
-
After getting Ruby to the bathroom, Heirloom headed out of the castle to go to the nearby village to buy a wig. Before he left, he took off all his armor and equipped a white hoodie with all the sleeves cut off and a pair of void-black sweatpants. The no-sleeved hoodie revealed deep cuts on his arm that had been poorly healed. Though they stuck out, he thought it was a good idea to give his body some air. He wasn't entirely built of muscle or fat, he was more in between the two, giving him a fairly built body.
The moment he walked out of the castle, the crimson dragon flew in from above and landed on the magma-covered platform laying in the center of the courtyard. With his eyes glowing a bright red, he looked at the dragon with a soft grin.
Heirloom: [Erma!]
The dragon raised its head and moved towards Heirloom's palm. As he softly caressed the scales on its head, he continued.
Heirloom: [Can you take me to the village?]
The dragon let out a silent exhale through its nose.
Heirloom: [Thanks.]
On his way to the village, Heirloom and his dragon, Erma, were soaring through the clouds as the wind pressed against their faces and blew on Heirloom's clothes. He was seated on the back of the crimson dragon — in between a couple of spikes and without a saddle. The air was quite chilly, some would say it was in the negatives, but that didn't seem to bother Heirloom. The color of his skin slightly changed, turning pale, and a hard to notice the scaly texture. This was to help him adapt to changing temperatures as dragons are cold-blooded and don't really notice this change.
Heirloom lifted his hand and noticed the scales. After a disappointed sigh, he turned back and noticed a small village up ahead. Commanding the dragon to rest someplace far from the village, they zoomed down to the green grass away from the village, casting a huge shadow above it. The village was around a square mile using Earth's measurements and had a roughly estimated population of three thousand. With the temperature ranging from 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, Heirloom knew he was going to find what he came for.
After hopping off his dragon, his skin reverted to its original state and he made his way to the village. Walking on a stone path, past a couple of stone pillars, he found himself walking through the cemented main road in the village. There was no gate nor guards at the entrance. The people of the village walked around like he was a civilian and those that did notice him smiled and waved. The roads were mostly filled with demi-human men and boys, with the occasional little girl wandering around with her father. Everyone seemed happy, but they were giving off this weird feeling to Heirloom, and not the same one people get when talking to an NPC.
Walking into an NPC's dye shop and looking around at the multiple options, Heirloom had to choose one that fit the princess's head and body. The options varied from multi-colored hairstyles to simplistic ones designed off other royalties such as Princess Hilda and the Ranger of the West. None of the options given fit Ruby in Heirloom's vision, so after snooping around for another moment, he saw a navy blue headscarf that would potentially cover Ruby from her head to her shoulders. Not only that, but the scarf had the added magic perk called "Disguise". With a smile, he walked up to the shopkeeper and scrolled through the multiple different wigs and dyes until he found that scarf.
With a price of 73 silver, Heirloom walked out of the shop with the scarf in his inventory.
Before he could leave the village, he was stopped by a few guards and told to follow them somewhere. With his hands in the air, Heirloom got the feeling that something shady was about to happen. The guards pulled Heirloom towards the side of a house and surrounded him with their long spears. Heirloom let out a sigh and radiated some heat from his body.
Heirloom: [What exactly is going on here? Do you know who I am?]
He noticed the guards were beginning to sweat and lose their grip. One of the guards pushed their blades closer to Heirloom's neck. There was hateful intent on their faces.
Village Guard 1: [Lord Luong, master of the remains of Zandaka.]
Heirloom grinned.
[Heirloom: If you know me so well, what prompts you all to do this?]
Village Guard 2: [We can't stand your dictatorship! We'll kill you now and elect a new lord!]
Heirloom lost his grin and looked at the talking guard with a narrow glare. The iron tip of the guard's spear began melting and dropped like honey.
Heirloom: [I'd like to see you try.]
The first guard thrusted his spear towards Heirloom's head, which missed as Heirloom ducked out of the way. The dragon tamer stood up and grabbed the guard's head with a single hand, and stared at him with a maniacal grin as a burst of flames suddenly engulfed the guard's face. All of it happened so suddenly that the second guard still hadn't caught up. Once he did, he swung a fist that hit Heirloom in the cheek and pushed him back against the wall. The guard took a look at his partner and nearly barfed at the skinless, burnt muscles where a face was supposed to be. The first guard collapsed and laid there like a dead body.
Village Guard 2: [I'LL KILL YOU–!]
A long black sword suddenly appeared in Heirloom's hand and had a red liquid dripping down its long neck. The guard stared at the sword as his eyes turned red and he fell to the ground. Heirloom touched the newly formed bruise under his eyes as he watched the guard's blood puddle around his corpse.
Heirloom agitated: [Tell your friends that turning against me will only get them killed.]
The sword pixelated into nothingness as he walked away from the scene.
When he appeared beside Erma, she had her eyes open as if she expected him. With a simple smile, Heirloom hopped on her back and they flew off into the sky back to the hideout. Returning to the hideout, Erma sat down on the large magma-covered platform laying in the center of the courtyard and allowed Heirloom to hop off. He made his way to the castle as his scales faded away and was greeted at the front door by the princess eating some soup. When she noticed Heirloom hanging his hoodie on a hanger, she smiled with a stuffed mouth.
Ruby: [Welcome back! I haven't seen you without your armor before. Where did you get those scars?]
Heirloom: [Don't worry about me.]
He opened his inventory and pulled out the scarf he bought.
Heirloom: [I got the scarf for you]
Vijan: [Scarf?]
He suddenly walked into the living room empty-handed.
Vijan: [I thought you were getting a disguise wig.]
Heirloom: [Eh, slight change of plans. The wigs there were terrible.]
Ruby awkwardly: [I forgot that you guys wanted me to go to Leviere with Vijan.]
Heirloom nodded as he equipped his armor piece-by-piece.
Ruby: [What will we be doing there anyway?]
Vijan: [Heirloom needs something from there but can't risk getting himself caught. He wants us to do his dirty work.]
Ruby confused: [But you're sending me? I thought they think I'm dead.]
Heirloom: [Hence the scarf! It has a magical perk that'll grant unrecognizability once equipped.]
Ruby: [Is unrecognizability a word?]
Heirloom chuckling: [I mean, it sounds like it is.]
Vijan excited: [Let's try on the scarf and see if it actually works!]
Heirloom nodded and handed Ruby the scarf. She took it and walked into the nearest room. The boys stood in awkward silence for a moment as Ruby tried the scarf on. Seconds turned into minutes, and the moment the door creaked open, the two got on their toes. Unexpectedly, it was Omar who walked through the door with a smile on his face.
Omar: [Sorry ladies, I'm taken.]
Both Heirloom and Vijan lost their excitement as another being peered over Omar's shoulder. Heirloom caught a glimpse of the figure for a moment while Vijan argued with Omar. It took Vijan a moment to notice her, but when he did,
Vijan coldly: [Omar, why are you inviting your hoes into the castle?!]
Heirloom flinched while Omar turned around.
Vijan: [I didn't know you were into frogs.]
Omar sneeringly: [Who's this ugly ass?!]
The frog-like demi-human began to nervously laugh and scratch the back of its slimy head.
Frog Ruby: [Wow, you guys don't have to be so rude about it...]
Vijan realizing: [Oh shit... that's Crystal?]
The frog continued to laugh.
Heirloom: [I had my doubts, but apparently so.]
Standing in front of Omar was a triple-chinned, wide-eyed, green-haired human frog. With a stomach three feet wide and crusty orange teeth, Heirloom's stomach couldn't take looking at her anymore. Omar stuck out his hand right in front of the camouflaged Ruby and a black magic circle appeared between his palm and Ruby's flat nose.
Omar coldly: [I'll kill this abomination.]
Heirloom [No!]
Heirloom jumped in between them and grabbed Omar's arm.
Heirloom: [You can't kill her.]
Slowly lowering Omar's arm, his eyes shimmered a bright red as he gave Omar an imitating gaze. Omar quickly stole his arm back and walked out of the room.
Vijan concerned: [You can change her, right? No offense, but I'm not walking around the capitol with that.]
Holding onto his chest, Heirloom took a big sharp breath. Heirloom took a moment to respond but apparently, he had a method.
He had been studying alchemy for the last few years and managed to learn how to change the perks and design of certain items. Though he can't control what perks he adds, he had to give it a chance.
He raised his hands directly onto Ruby's flat check and a green magic circle appeared that had a hammer carved into it. He shut his eyes and stood silently while Ruby looked at the magic circle in awe. The green light illuminated the room and left an aura all around Heirloom like it was a power-up or he was being healed. The aura slowly moved onto Heirloom's arm and around Ruby's scarf. As the bright light began to dim, the magic circle shrunk and flew into Ruby's scarf. A bright light flashed and once everything returned to normal, so did Ruby... in a way.
The final result was Ruby but with blonde hair and blue eyes. After caressing her hair over her shoulder to get a better view, she giggled. Every time someone used magic around her, she seemed to get excited to the point that she becomes incapable of holding back a laugh.
Ruby smiling: [How do I look?]
She did a twirl. Vijan shut his eyes and nodded with a smile.
Heirloom: [Though I prefer your old look, you don't look half bad.]
He put his hands in his pocket and smiled.
Heirloom: [We need to get you two ready by tomorrow morning.]
Nodding, Ruby took off her scarf and returned to her original state.