Morning, two days later after screaming into my pillow after getting shamefully caught by Sky. Standing in the kitchen bright and early; I fry up some of the pork belly from that giant boar. Having sliced it into strips, I am busy working on cooking up a small mountain of bacon for the two of us to enjoy as I sip on a boiling hot cup of coffee.

From behind me I can hear as Sky’s door opens. Turning, I watch as she groggily pulls herself out of her room, having been drawn out of the comfort of her giant nest by the smell of melting fat and boiling grease. Her head is a mess of unbrushed hair, and her eyes are heavy with sleep.

“Good morning, Sky. Breakfast will be done in a little bit. Go ahead and take a seat at the counter.”

“Morning…” She slowly responds with a big yawn, pulling herself up onto the stool next to the counter.

Dividing the small mountain of bacon between two plates, I set one in front of her along with a glass of water. Standing in the kitchen on my side of the counter, I eat with her as she slowly munches away at her food. Slowly, with every piece that she eats, she seems to wake up a little bit more from her drowsy state. I simply watch her with a smile as I eat.

“Did you stay up late reading again?”

“Yes, humans have such interesting history. The more I learn, the less I want to stop.” She says as she pops another piece in her mouth.

“I’m glad that you are enjoying it. Just make sure that it doesn’t ruin your sleep by staying up too late.”

“Mhmmm…” She drowsily nods her head.

Eating till I am full, I place the last couple pieces of bacon onto her plate and down the rest of my coffee. Heading over to the sink, I wash my dishes and get them put away. Leaving Sky to sleepily munch on her food, I head into my room and get changed into my army issued workout clothes, minus the boots. Coming back into the main room, Sky is still slowly munching away at her breakfast, so I go over and give her a hug.

“I have to go out for training today. Everyone else is going to be busy with work, so you’re on your own until I get back today. Try not to cause any trouble for the soldiers while I am out; alright?”

“Mhmmm, I’ll be good.” She says as she nuzzles her head into my chest. As she does so, I can’t help but feel something hard poking into my chest.

“Hmm?” Gently, I run my hand over her head and push aside her messy hair. Underneath, I find two little nubs that I don’t recall being on her head, sitting just above her temples.

“Oh? Sky, I think you’re growing horns.” I tell her.

She suddenly chokes on her water and drops her cup, though it thankfully doesn’t break because it is plastic. I rub her back as she coughs and then quickly go and get her a fresh glass of water. She downs it and thankfully stops her coughing fit shortly after with a couple of tears in her eyes.

Rubbing at her throat, she asks me, “Are you certain, I’m growing horns!?”

“Uh, yeah. Here and here, feel for yourself. Though they are basically just little nubs right now. We might need to bring you by Dr. Doe, and you get you another scan soon.”

As I talk, she feels at her head in amazement. Digging through her hair and touching at the nubs.

“Is everything alright?”

“Mmm! Uhm, yes. Everything is fine Lain. I’m growing horns…” saying her last sentence mostly to herself.

Looking to the clock on the wall, I check the time.

“Oh shit, I gotta go Sky. Take care while I am gone. If you get hungry, just head down to the cafeteria.”

Giving her a pat on the head, I grab my sledgehammer from its place by the bookshelf and head on out. I have to go meet my new coworkers and get to know them better before we get sent out in a couple of weeks to kill some baddies.

Closing the front door behind me, I give a greeting to Private Rogers, the other soldier in charge of babysitting us besides Private Lance, and head out.

I wonder what it is that Sky does when I am not around. I doubt that she spends all of her time reading… Eh, I’ll just ask her about her day when I get back.

----------------------------------------

-Sky-

I watch Lain leave home with her weapon as I continue to feel at the bumps on my head.

Am I growing horns? It would be amazing if I were, it would mean that…!

I shake my head, forcing myself to stop before I get too excited. “I need to talk to Dr. Doe. She can make those pictures that show our bones. She’ll know if I am growing horns or not.”

Nodding to myself, I make up my mind and quickly finish the delicious breakfast that Lain made for me. Cleaning my dishes and getting them put away, I rush into my room to brush my hair and get changed. I slept in the same clothes that I wore yesterday, and if I going to be heading out, I need to look good. How I look reflects on Lain and I don’t want the servants to think less of her if I don’t dress up nicely. Regardless of that, all of these clothes are gifts from Lain, so of course I am going to want everyone see me wearing them.

As my outfit for going out to meet the Doctor, I start with wearing the undergarments that the servants brought. They are weird pieces of clothing, especially the one that goes across my chest, called a bra, but everyone insists that I should wear them. Lain’s sister Anna was kind enough to teach me how to put it on. Though she seemed to get way too much enjoyment out of doing so…

Well, I won’t complain too much about the bra. It keeps these lumps of fat growing on my chest from moving around too much, so they clearly have some use. Speaking of those lumps of fat. I learned that they are apparently called ‘breasts.’ I had no idea what they were there for; I’ve never seen another Kobold with them. But when Lain’s mom told me what they are for and how much some people like them, I found myself growing excited. After all, I sometimes find Lain looking at them when she thinks I don’t notice. So, clearly, she likes them.

The undergarments called ‘Panties’ or ‘underwear,’ are honestly pretty nice. Much easier to put on and take off than a loincloth and they even look pretty cute with their little patterns. Though everyone keeps telling me that I can’t just wear underwear as my outfit. It’s considered indecent or something…

So, I put on one of the outfits that they made for me with a button-up black shirt, tucked into my yellow skirt. And finally, since it is getting colder out, what with us approaching fall, I slip on my pink jacket.

Looking in the mirror, I check myself over and brush my hair a bit more to make it flow nicely over my shoulders.

Hmm, I'm still getting used to having all of this hair. It’s like fur, but different… Oh well, I think it looks nice and Lain likes to pet it, so that’s all that matters. Plus, it feels nice when she runs her fingers through my hair. Makes me want to take a nap.

All dressed up and looking amazing, I leave my room, making sure to turn off all the lights like Lain told me to. Don’t want to waste the ‘batteries.’ Still trying to figure those out; are they some kind of magic that turns into light? Still, wouldn’t want to waste it, must be valuable.

Leaving our home and shutting the door behind me, I am greeted by one of our guards, Mr. Rogers. He turns to me and gives a short bow, “Good morning, Missus Sky, you're looking quite well this morning. Dressed up for a stroll?” He says with a warm smile.

“Yes, I intend to go and see Dr. Doe. Would you escort me Mr. Roger?” I say with my chin raised high.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“It would be my honor Missus Sky. If you would follow me.”

“Gladly.” I say, barely holding back my excitement at my successful performance of polite behavior.

He turns and leads the way to the stairs, and I follow behind him with my hands held behind my back, shoulders squared, and chest forward.

Ah, those books I’ve been studying are a gift from the gods. I would never be able to forgive myself if the servants and warriors saw me acting like some country bumpkin. I knew that Lain was special, but to think that I was with nobility. The servants, the guards, to be able to order them around and get whatever we want and living in such a large building. We even have our own personal Doctor. Our home is even located within the center of the human's kingdom, just like in the books! She has to be nobility, certainly not royalty through, she does still take orders from others, but I am not about to look down on her for just being a noble. I would love her even if she was just a farm hand.

My hand goes up to my head and feels at what may be growing horns as I follow our guard.

But to think that soon I will be even more worthy of her. She has already been treating me like the Empress from my mother’s stories, but if I really do grow horns…

A smile naturally grows on my face as I return my hands behind me. I can celebrate our future after I get confirmation from the good Doctor. It would be foolish of me to jump to conclusions and make a fool out of myself.

As we walk, I give waves to the servants and warriors as they pass. Many of them stop to wave and smile at me, to give me compliments about my appearance and wish me a good day. Some even give me gifts of candy and jerky. To which I give a courteous thank you and a curtsy. Oh, those books had so much to teach about human culture, I love them.

Soon we arrive at the building where Dr. Doe works and I am let in with a polite, “Welcome Missus Sky, how can I help you?” from the servant girl behind the counter.

I step forward, specking clearly and concisely I say, “I am here to see Dr. Doe, I would like to have her check something for me.”

“Do you have an appointment?” She asks with a smile.

“No, but it is important. I wouldn’t wish to interrupt her otherwise.”

“I see, I’ll check if she is currently available and let you know. If could just wait over there, I will call for you when she is ready.”

“Very well. Thank you.”

Turning on the spot, I head over to one of the chairs and get comfortable, being sure to keep my legs closed just like Lain told me to. After getting myself seated, my loyal guard approaches with a drink in hand, “Tea, Missus Sky?”

I graciously accept it, “Thank you Mr. Roger. You are to kind.”

Waiting for the Doctor, I sip at my tea and nibble at some jerky. I would love to just simply devour it, but apparently that would be considered crass and unladylike. I have to look proper in front of others. I don’t want them looking down on Lain because of me.

After some time passes, the servant girl returns and comes to get me. “Apologies for the wait, Dr. Doe is ready to see you now Missus Sky. If you will follow me.”

“Certainly.”

Handing my cup to Mr. Roger, I get down from my chair and smooth out my beautiful skirt.

“I’ll be waiting here for you when you return Missus Sky.” Says Mr. Rogers with a short bow and a smile.

I give him a nod and turn to follow the servant girl as she leads me through the building and into Dr. Doe’s office.

“Here we are, Dr. Doe will be by shortly. Please have a good day Missus Sky.” She says with a happy smile.

“I will, thank you very much.”

Thankfully, Dr. Doe is very punctual and arrives in short order. “Well, Missus Sky, I wasn’t planning to be meeting you for at least a couple more days. How can I help you today? I was told that you had something you wanted me to check? And without Lain being here no less. Is something wrong?”

“Yes, sorry that I came by unannounced. But it is very important that I have you show me my bones. You called it an X-ray?”

“Yes? What exactly is it that you are looking for?” She asks, looking curious.

“We think that I might be growing horns. I wanted to have you confirm this for us.”

“Horns? I didn’t think that Kobolds could grow horns. Although, we probably shouldn’t apply such limited thinking when considering you Miss Sky. You certainly aren’t a ‘normal’ Kobold.”

Pride fills me as she calls me different from the other, “Yes, I can certainly say that that is true.” Especially if I am growing horns… Although that thought remains unspoken.

“Would it be alright if I touch your head?”

“You may.”

I've grown a lot more used to Dr. Doe over the course of our last couple of meetings. While I normally would never allow anyone to touch me outside of Lain and her family, Dr. Doe is an exception. I've quickly learned that her touch has no deeper meaning to it other than for checking my health. It also helps that she always asks for permission before touching me.

I’m still a bit uncertain about letting Anna touch me. She gets a bit too much pleasure out of it…

Gently, she places her freshly gloved hands upon my head and slowly feels around until she finds the bumps. Feeling them, she asks me some questions.

“Hmm, feels like you might be growing some. They are mirroring each other and don’t feel like fatty growths. So, they aren’t tumors or cysts. Are you feeling any pain or discomfort? Does touching them hurt?”

“No, they don’t hurt. I guess they itch a little bit now that I am more aware of them?”

“Well, that is good. And if they are horns, I would be expecting some itching as they grow. From what I’ve seen, Lain’s regrowing horn is often itchy for her?”

“Yes, she’ll scratch at it every now and again. Sometimes I will itch it for her while we are cuddling.”

“Oh? Well, isn’t that sweet of you?” She says with a smile, and I find myself blushing.

“Well, how about we go and get an X-ray of your head and see about these growths, shall we?”

“Mhmm, yes, I would like that.” I say with a nod.

Following her to another room, she has me stand still as she adjusts the devise and makes it work its strange magic. After a while we return to her office, and she goes to retrieve the X-rays for me.

After she returns, she heads over to the wall and places the X-rays against a glowing board on the wall.

“Well Miss Sky, it would seem that you were right. You are, in fact, growing horns.”

She points to the board on a side view of my skull and again on the sides of a frontal view, “As you can see right here and here, you have the start of what I assume will soon become a pair of horns. Be expecting some discomfort as they break through your skin, some pain and a bit of bleeding. But if it isn’t hurting you that much so far, then I imagine that it shouldn’t be too bad. In the case that it does, please seek medical attention so that we can take care of you. We wouldn’t want any complications or to risk infections…”

As she talks, I can’t help but stare awestruck at the x-rays. I am going to grow horns…

A smile blooms across my face and I can’t help as joy floods through me.

“Is it safe to assume that this is good news Miss Sky? You seem quite excited.”

“Yes, this is very good news!”

“Oh? Do you mind telling me why?”

I nod my head, unable to remove my eyes from the image of my growing horns.

“When I was still a pup, my mother would tell me stories of our people, of our history. Fantastic stories of wonder, but also those of sorrow; passed down from mothers to daughters for generations. One of her stories, one known by all of my kind, Kobolds as you call us, was of that of our Empress, She who Sings with Thunder. She lived in the most wonderful castle and slept in the grandest of nests, ate the best food and wielded power greater than any chieftain. She was our Ruler and our Goddess, and there has only even been one Empress. One individual to lead and unite my people.”

I look away from the X-rays and into Dr. Does eyes, a tear running down my face.

“She was also the only Kobold in history to ever have horns. A crown that only she could wear for it was her own blood and bone.”

I look away from the Doctor and back to the X-rays as she takes notes, a look of mild shock on her face as she works.

“So, you're saying that because you are growing horns now… that that makes you the next Empress of the Kobolds? What would that mean for you and your species?”

“It means. It means that I have a duty to my people. I must gather our scattered tribes and build an empire. It means that the time for my people to finally become more than prey for the monsters has finally come.” I answer, pride filling me like warm water.

Tears run down my face, and I do not try to stop them, happiness swelling in my chest until it is almost unbearable, “It also means that meeting Lain was the greatest mistake that I have ever made. It was her that made me like this. Her caring and gentle love, her gifts, her blood, her everything. She treated me like an Empress, and now I shall become one. Because of her. She is more than I could possibly deserve!”

I break down and cry into my hands, hot tears running over my fingers and making my shirt wet. On my back, I can feel as Dr. Doe softly rubs my back to help me calm down.

I takes a short while, but I eventually get myself under control. “Apologies Dr. Doe. I was overcome with emotions.”

I wipe away a wayward tear, “This is the first time I have ever cried. It is new to me…”

“I guess that congratulations are in order then. I’m sure that you are excited to tell Lain.” She says softly.

“Yes, but not yet!" I say with a smile, " I want it to be part of the surprise. For after I am finished growing. Then I will tell her. I would like to ask that you keep this a secret from her for now. She doesn’t know the importance of these horns yet.”

“Seeing as you are my patient, I am sworn to keep your secrets. Though, do know that I will have to tell some of this to my higher-ups.”

“That is fine. In the future, I intend for our peoples to work together and be allies. If I could receive their assistance at that time, I would be grateful.”

“I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime… would you be ok with telling me some of these stories from your… people?”

I look at her curiously.

“I apologize if this comes off as rude, but the general consensus for most humans is that Kobolds aren’t people, but just small, all be it, very intelligent monsters. It was assumed that you were something of an exception. A special case caused by a mutation. But from what Lain has told us from her experiences, and if you have a history… a history from before the apocalypse…”

“The apocalypse?” I ask, tilting my head.

“When the //World Tree appeared on our world.”

“Oh, that thing…” I say apathetically.

Honestly, it would be nice if someone burned that damn tree to the ground. Nothing but a giant parasite…

“Are you willing to tell me your history Miss Sky? We would all appreciate it greatly.”

“I can tell you. But the custom is that they must be told over a meal.”

She smiles, “That sounds wonderful, how about we have lunch? I’ll have some food brought over to my main office and we can talk there.”

“Very well, as long as I am home before Lain gets back from training. I don’t want her worrying about me.”