“We’re here,” Lindyss said, stepping on the brakes, causing the car to screech to a stop while leaving behind black streaks on the road. A few dwarves turned their heads at the sound, but Lindyss ignored them as she hopped out of her seat and onto the ground. She looked behind herself and frowned at the fairy sitting in the passenger seat. “What? Not going to get out?”

“You call that driving!?” Erin shouted. “I’m tiny; I can fly; I’m most likely not going to be injured in a car crash, but I nearly pooped myself because of you!”

“If you died, you would’ve came back from your flower anyway,” Lindyss said and rolled her eyes. She squinted at the dwarven prison. “What’s there to be scared of?”

“Dying is unpleasant!” Erin said, stamping her feet on the seat. She huffed and flew into the air, leaving the car. She frowned and looked up at the same time as Lindyss. A silver light flashed, and a person fell from the sky, landing on Erin. “Gack! What the hell!?”

“Tafel?” Lindyss asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is that you?”

“Auntie!” Tafel said, raising her head. She shifted her weight around before tilting her head. “What am I sitting on?”

“A fairy,” Emile said as he arched his back while lowering his head to inspect the pair of tiny legs sticking out from underneath Tafel’s butt. Erin’s legs thrashed up and down. “She’s still alive.”

Tafel jumped up and stared at the ground. Erin raised her head and glared at Tafel while pointing with her tiny hand. “Polymorph!”

“Redirect!” Tafel said, waving her hand. The air in front of her shimmered, and Emile squawked as he turned into a pig. Tafel’s face paled as Erin blinked and turned her head to the side. “S-sorry, Emile. You were the first person I saw to redirect the spell towards.”

“Why not her!?” Emile asked, pointing at Erin with his hoof.

Erin stared at Emile. “You can talk like that?” Her anger disappeared as she flew up and inspected Emile, tugging on his ears and tail. “Say something else.”

“Turn me back!” Emile said, snapping at Erin. “I’ll tell my mother!”

“Didn’t your mother tell you to never bother Erin Koller?” Erin asked, raising an eyebrow as she hovered just out of Emile’s reach. He stood on his hind legs, trying to bite Erin’s legs.

“It wasn’t even me,” Emile said. “It was her.”

“That’s right,” Erin said, turning her attention onto Tafel. The demon was talking with Lindyss. A strange expression appeared on Erin’s face as she flew forwards, ignoring the whining pig beneath her. “Who is she? Do you know her? Did you purposely tell her to fall onto me?”

“This is Vur’s wife, Tafel,” Lindyss said, clapping her hands on Tafel’s shoulders and spinning her around to face the fairy. She pointed at Erin. “That’s an insignificant bug. Feel free to ignore her.”

“Hey!” Erin said, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m actually Lindyss’ bestest friend.”

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Tafel blinked and raised an eyebrow at Lindyss. “I thought you hated fairies. Does Grimmy know about her? I’m not sure how’d he feel about his bestest friend position being taken away.”

“Who’s Grimmy?” Erin asked, leaning back and raising her chin into the air. “I’ll show him why I’m a better friend. He can back off that bestest friend position.”

A crooked smile appeared on Tafel’s face. “He’s—”

Lindyss covered the demon’s mouth before she could say anything else. “Don’t tell her. I want to see her reaction when she meets him.”

Tafel pulled Lindyss’ hand down off her mouth. “You’re evil.”

Lindyss smiled. “Why, thank you. Anyway, what are you doing here? Where’s Vur?”

“I went to find Vur at the palace, but he’s chasing a wind elemental or something,” Tafel said. She bit her lower lip. “Then … I got challenged by a dragon. A dragon! I distracted her and managed to teleport over to you, but still, what the hell am I supposed to do? How did Vur attract a dragon!?”

“Mm, by dragon standards, Vur’s a very handsome dragon when he transforms,” Lindyss said with a nod. “Lulu describes him as an eleven out of ten in looks and a twelve out of ten in personality. Ah, Lulu’s the dragon that you met at the palace.”

“Auntie.”

“Yes?”

“Whose side are you on?” Tafel asked, pursing her lips.

“Don’t be stupid,” Lindyss said, flicking Tafel’s forehead. “Of course, I’m on yours.”

Tafel exhaled. She hugged Lindyss, causing the cursed elf to yelp and stiffen. “Thanks, Auntie. You’re the best,” Tafel said. She pulled back and lowered her head. “You wouldn’t happen to, you know, have a way to fight a dragon and win?”

“Are you stupid?” Erin asked before Lindyss could respond. “You can’t win against a dragon, you fake fairy. Why do you have horns like mine?”

Tafel squinted at Erin before nodding at Lindyss. “You’re right. She’s an insignificant bug.”

“Wow!” Erin said, shaking her fist at Tafel. “If it weren’t for your husband being such a freak, I’d teach you a lesson you wouldn’t forget.”

Tafel snorted. “I don’t need to hide behind Vur,” she said and glared at Erin. “Try teaching me that lesson.” Her forehead blazed with a blood-red light as her imprint appeared. “I might have to run from a dragon, but I’m more than enough to deal with you.”

“Oh, a phoenix imprint?” Lindyss asked, raising an eyebrow. “Not bad, squirt.”

Erin’s eye twitched as she retreated back by a foot. She wrinkled her nose at Lindyss. “Why are all the people you know so … violent and aggressive?”

“Anyone would be violent and aggressive towards an annoying fairy,” Lindyss said and smiled. She patted Tafel’s shoulder. “Keep her occupied here. I have to perform some sacrificial rituals inside of that dungeon.”

“Huh?” Tafel asked, the light on her forehead dimming. “Sacrificial rituals?”

“Yeah, Vur wants to increase his mana regeneration,” Lindyss said. “I can make a necklace out of souls to help him with that. He needs all the help he can get. I have a feeling he won’t get along very well with the dragon matriarch of this land; they’re probably going to fight.”

“You said the human sacrifice was a joke!” Erin shouted.

“Did I say something that you made you think I wasn’t joking?” Lindyss asked, raising an eyebrow. “Calm down. It’s just a prank to rile you up.” She patted Tafel’s shoulder again. “Anyway, keep her occupied, yeah? Don’t let her enter the dungeon.”

Tafel and Erin stared at Lindyss back as she sauntered into the dwarven dungeon, opening the gates with the key E had given her. Emile made grunting noises as he repeatedly leapt and fell, trying to bite Erin. Erin ignored the jumping pig, turning her attention onto Tafel. “She’s joking, right?”

“In the twelve years I’ve known her, I’ve never heard her tell a joke,” Tafel said. “But there’s a first time for everything, right?”

Erin flew towards the dungeon but entered a portal that appeared in front of her. She reappeared back in front of Tafel and frowned. “The heck?”

Tafel shrugged. “Auntie didn’t want you entering the dungeon, so why don’t you play with me for a bit?”

Erin narrowed her eyes. “Sure, I’ll play with you.”

“Great,” Tafel said and sat down. “I have cards, a few board games, and golem chess. Which one do you pick?”

“H-huh?” Erin asked. She scratched her head. “Um, cards, I guess?”

“Alright,” Tafel said and patted the ground beside her. A set of cards appeared in her hand. “Emile, come here and stop trying to eat her. We’re going to play cards.”