“So, uhhh, how to start,” Phaedra said. “I guess the obvious. I was born. Lived for a bit. Did you know that apparently demons come out without any fur?”

“You remember that?” Yroth asked.

“Oh, gosh no,” Phaedra said. “But I’ve seen a few now. They’re actually kind of cute. When they’re all demon form all the time. I know it might sound arrogant, but I really was the cutest little demon sheep at first. If I hadn’t been me and had instead met me? I would have totally wanted to pick me up and hug me forever. Which likely would have ended poorly. I was apparently a bit of a handful, according to Dad. I bit a lot of people, my uncle says he still has a scar, I don’t know where though.”

“Uh huh,” Yroth said, her voice showing just how little she cared. Phaedra ignored that, because if the dragon was going to toss her out of her own bed and make her go through all of this just so SHE could rescue the dragon, well, she could put up with it.

Phaedra couldn’t help it and started giggling.

“What’s so funny?” Yroth asked.

“Oh, nothing, it’s just kind of silly,” Phaedra said. “I’m just the princess who used to be a knight rescuing the dragon from the castle.”

Yroth sat up and stared at her with bewilderment. “I don’t… get it?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Phaedra said. “It’s just a thing where I’m from. Anyway, right. I didn’t really realize who I was at first. Was… mostly nice, I think. Dad was… protective. I mean, I guess that makes sense. You constantly have people trying to kill you, take your name. Everyone apparently wants to be the next Fenrir. Did you know that he expects ME to do it? ME? What kind of parent wants their kid to one day rise up and kill them and take their name?” Phaedra asked.

“What’s wrong with that?” Yroth asked. “Taking your family’s name is an honored tradition.”

“I mean, it was where I was from too, but it wasn’t exactly the same thing,” Phaedra said, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “Sure, sometimes it could be as bloody, but generally the parents didn’t encourage that part.”

“Sounds strange,” Yroth said.

“Apparently a few people tried to kill me. I don’t remember that,” Phaedra said. “Or Mom dying. I don’t… really know how it happened. Apparently Mom was amazing. All I can really remember about her was that she was warm. And kind of smelled like the sun? If that makes sense? Like a big cloud on a sunny day. After that, he took me away. Apparently let most people think I died. Only a few demons even knew I was alive, like Gibs.”

“Gibs?” Yroth asked.

“Shark demon,” Phaedra said. “Though, I guess you probably knew him as uhhhh… Leviathan.”

Yroth just stared at her, some of the color drained from her face and her wings wilting a little. “I… see.”

“Yeah,” Phaedra said. “You know, there’s a few names like that here. Like Fenrir, Loki, Leviathan, Bahamut. We had those names where I was from, but they were entirely different things. Well, sometimes. I think Fenrir was a wolf of some kind that like… did a lot of big things so that’s kind of accurate here. I didn’t exactly study old mythology when I was growing up, though.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Yroth asked. “Though I am beginning to think you may be Medon after all. He often got sidetracked as well. Though he was oddly cute when he did it. You are annoying.”

“You… thought I was cute?” Phaedra asked, unable to keep the smile off her face before she quickly shook her head. “Right, right. Well, I was just wondering if it was whatever like… allows me to understand all of you,” Phaedra said. “Is Fenrir actually Fenrir or do you hear something else and it just transla--”

“We’ve had this talk before,” Yroth said. “Then you comment on how you had never heard my name before, then I get annoyed because--” She paused and stared at her for a few moments before spreading her wings out again. “Move on with the tale.”

“Right, sorry,” Phaedra said sheepishly once more. “So I didn’t exactly get to meet a lot of other demons. Gibs taught me, which was pretty cool. He was a wayyyyyy better instructor than that elf guy who taught me how to fight with a sword. Probably because he actually listened to me sometimes. And didn’t yell at me. And then tell me to stop complaining or crying. And didn’t mock me when he won. Or call me a pathetic excuse for a--”

“Enough,” Yroth said, flapping her wings suddenly. “Demon, cease this mockery. Perhaps you are, somewhat, correct. Medon never asked for any of this and perhaps he was not treated as well as he should have been by those who trained him. Perhaps we even… did not treat him with the care we should have. Perhaps he deserved better. But I fail to see how your mockery is supposed to prove anything.”

Phaedra stared up at her for a few moments before sitting up. “That’s… not… true…”

“What isn’t?” Yroth asked.

Phaedra nervously hugged her knees to her chest, her wool growing out until she knew she looked more like a big puffy ball than a demon. Even saying these words made her feel embarrassed and want to hide, she couldn’t help it. “I think you treated me better than I deserved. You, Lilith, Eve and Atlas. Well, okay, Lilith was maybe a bit evil at times, but uhhhh… I think she was just enjoying making me flustered. But none of you had to help like you did. Especially considering I didn’t really know what I was doing.”

Yroth was silent for a few long moments after that before she heard the bed creak again. “I have not heard those names in…”

“I know,” Phaedra said.

“Since the final battle,” Yroth said.

“I know,” Phaedra said.

“How did--” Yroth stopped herself, but Phaedra suspected she knew what the dragon wanted to say.

“They got me to the Wolf,” Phaedra said. “The last I saw of Atlas, she was… enveloped in vines before she collapsed the chamber down on her head. Eve, well… you know Eve. She just had to go out swinging. Those big headless knight demons. A whole army of them. She held them back, I don’t know for how long. Lilith, well, she went out like… she went out with a smile on her face. Like everything else.” Phaedra left out the fact that the last thing Lilith said was to leave her. To go before she fell, as she wanted the last thing Medon saw of her to be her smiling. “She made sure that it was just me and the Wolf.”

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“I… see,” Yroth said softly.

“He tore me apart,” Phaedra said. “I was strong. But he was stronger. Faster. More powerful than I imagined. He was… well. You fought my uncle. Dad is so much stronger even than him.”

“Fenrir is an ancient name,” Yroth said. “One of the pillars of our world. That was why Medon needed to face him.”

“Medon wasn’t enough,” Phaedra said bitterly. “The whole name thing you people have didn’t work for me. At least, it never felt like it did. I felt like a child. He tore me apart, limb by limb. He didn’t even struggle. He… e-enough. Anyway. Dad hid me away. After Mom died, he was afraid I’d be killed. Gibs kept me safe. Trained me. There were a few hints to who I was. You know? Just a few. I’d always have these just… awful nightmares. Horrible ones. Things I didn’t understand. Dreams about humans, some uhhhh… well. I had a lot of dreams about home. Working in fast food, those ones were the worst. Didn’t make a lot of sense, confused the hell out of Gibs. But then I’d have scary ones about Dad. But he’d never hurt me before. Then the things about humans. Those didn’t make any sense. After all, humans are extinct in this world, I was the first one in centuries and even then it wasn’t my body you all summoned me in, it was that body you’d summoned me into.”

“Wait, what?” Yroth asked.

“Nothing!” Phaedra said quickly. “Don’t worry about it, never mind. It’s… oh, why not?” she asked before taking a deep breath. The wool retracted from around her and she dropped onto her back. “You know what? It’s kind of late now, so it’s not like telling you this will do anything. Not that you’ll believe me, anyway. Apparently when they summoned me they thought they’d give me a whole new body. Using an old statue of the last Medon as the basis. Because, apparently, the magic was so weak now that they couldn’t perform the original spell and instead had to improvise. They--”

“You’re lying,” Yroth said, getting to her hooves and spreading her wings out, towering over her. Her fists were clenched and she was glaring down at her, fists shaking with rage.

“Uhhhh… what?” Phaedra asked softly. She tried to sit up, only to have the dragon put a claw on her chest and pin her down.

“That is not what happened with Medon,” Yroth said. “You dare to call him an imposter?”

“W-what in the world are you talking about?” Phaedra asked before lifting her hands up onto the leg. “Y-you’re k-kind of heavy, you know that?”

“Is this your goal?” Yroth asked. “To make me turn against the people I swore to protect? To make me believe these lies?”

“W-what are you talking a-about?” Phaedra asked, cringing when more weight was applied to her chest. “Y-you’re g-going to c-crush me!”

“You know nothing of the spell to summon Medon,” Yroth said before lifting her claw off her. “I think it is becoming quite clear, demon, what you intend.”

Phaedra groaned and rolled over, clutching her chest. “Ow, ow, ow. Y-you know, crushing the uhhhh… girls like that is not a v-very good way to t-thank me for saving your life. I’m just telling you what they told me when they brought me there.”

“If that is true, why did Medon never tell me?” Yroth asked.

“A-aside from the fact I didn’t think it was a big deal?” Phaedra asked. “They said if people knew the magic they used had become so weak, it would weaken it even further. That it would damage the whole name thing that gave me my power and that I would be responsible for all of the death that followed. But, you know. Considering I died, I figure it’s not really important a-anymore. It--”

“That isn’t how magic works,” Yroth said. “I knew the demons knew little of the summoning ritual, but did you truly believe that Medon could be summoned in such a way?”

“Considering it was how I was summoned? Yes?” Phaedra said. Her chest STILL hurt. Honestly, she’d have preferred the dragon had just bit her. “Do you want me to continue the story or not?”

“No, I don’t,” Yroth said. “I will hear no more of your lies.”

“But--”

“None,” Yroth said. “Call your father, kill me if you so please. But I shall no longer speak with you.”

“But I--”

Yroth ignored her and instead fell back onto the bed, spreading her wings out before, after giving one more glance towards her, began to grow again, soon towering over her and shattering what remained of her bed as a great, powerful dragon.

Phaedra stared at her for a few moments before laying back and giving a soft, disappointed sigh. How was she supposed to know how that magic worked? It was a spell of the mortal races, not demons. Before she’d been brought to this world she hadn’t even believed in magic. All she wanted was for her old friend to be safe. Was it really too much to ask?

But the longer Yroth was here, the more likely she was going to get both of them killed. She needed to get her out of here and fast. More importantly, back with her people. Maybe then she’d believe her. Or at least try and get away safely.

Phaedra had an idea on how to do it, but she didn’t like it. She slowly got to her hooves before walking into her closet. “Yroth?” she called out.

“I don’t care,” Yroth said. So much for not talking to her.

“I know,” Phaedra said. “But I’m going to try and get you out of here and away with your people.”

“Sure you are,” Yroth said.

“Can you please, please, please not destroy anything else until I get back?” Phaedra asked. “And please don’t draw any more attention to us? Just for a little bit?”

“Hmph,” Yroth said before reaching up one of her claws and picking at her teeth.

“I unchained you, I haven’t laid a hand on you despite the fact you have attacked me twice,” Phaedra said. “I even protected you from my father. Can you just humor me for a few minutes and not--” She cringed when another chunk of the shelves fell to the ground. “Just not destroy anything outside my room? I know you think I’m some evil demon princess trying to trick you, but on the off chance that I’m telling the truth, can you just not get us both killed for a little bit?”

Yroth sighed and glanced towards her, eyes narrowed and a little flame spouting from her lips. She then gave a small nod. “Very well, demon. I will humor you. Only once. Make it count.”

“Yeah, I’d better,” Phaedra said before grumbling under her breath. “Arrogant oversized lizard going to get both of us killed. Lucky I’m such a stupid bleeding heart or I’d just let her.” She looked through the amulets for a moment before sighing. As annoyed as she was at Yroth, though, she couldn’t blame her for doubting. If she wasn’t herself, she’d likely assume this was a lie as well. In so many ways it likely felt too good to be true. She didn’t know how this had happened or why. Unfortunately, while she did know how a lot of magic worked now, she still couldn’t begin to understand what magic had made her be reborn into this.

Phaedra reached out and grabbed one of the small amulets with a few blue and red markings on it before sliding it on. She felt it after a moment, her wool getting softer, her eyes getting a little larger. Making herself look cuter. More adorable.

She’d need every edge she could get, considering that she was going to have to convince her father to let her take Yroth away. She just hoped she could play up being his precious baby girl well enough… and not imagine him tearing into her. She could pull this off. Probably.

If not for herself, then for the one friend of hers who was still alive. Even if that person never would believe her. Maybe, someday, she could convince her.

Phaedra took a long, slow breath before glancing back at the lounging dragon. Maybe someday she could have her friend back. “Well, wish me luck,” she said before turning and walking out of her closet and then to the remains of her door. With a wave of her hand and a small incantation, the stone block lowered and she stepped out, a moment before the stone rose up again.

She then gave a silent prayer that Yroth would do as she said. For both their sakes.