Daniel is kneeling down and laying against Gwenesphia’s back on the end of the tree trunk they’re making use of as her shooting bench. She’s too small to fire the ‘Dragonslayer’ safely, so Daniel’s shoulder will be the back stop as she does her best to aim from an awkward position slightly off to the side and under the stock of the heavy rifle.

She’s trembling a little, since it’s a great deal of pressure on her to be the one to slay Rohgattabor for her family’s honor, which isn’t lacking, but can certainly benefit from the boost. Her brothers, sister, and father are nearby, each still carrying the semi-automatic assault rifles that they’re sub-leasing from Aramellianna. It’s likely that enough ammo expended by them could bring down the ray-like monster, but the Dragonslayer should be able to do it in one shot. Now that he has learned some lessons, Daniel intends to make high explosive rounds a priority, as well as manufacturing more of the Dragonslayers to prevent the current shortage from hindering them again. As he ponders, he also considers making a ‘free sale’ version of his weapons, which can afford to be lost control of. He’d likely go with a break-barrel style of rifle with a single-action hammer. It’d be less convenient for the operators of such weapons, but he’d be a little more comfortable with selling them outside of the Fievegal, particularly in countries like Mattarglos, where they have very dangerous beasts and monsters to contend with. The appropriate blacksmiths will eventually figure out the alloys and tempering methods Daniel has had Xyreko use, meaning that cannons wouldn’t be far behind rifles of any kind. Ancient medieval cannons were large and heavier than their successors because enough metal can resist the forces and heat. Modern barrels were more efficient in mass because of the discoveries of stronger alloys and better techniques.

The Earthling has toyed with the idea of making even lighter and thinner-barreled rifles using mithril or sharmelkolle, but it feels a little wasteful -and extremely dangerous- to have such a valuable weapon when good ol’ steel can do the job plenty well enough.

It hits him that he can solve a couple of problems, potentially, by making a less efficient rifle that can use magical equipment.

And, that idea is to make an electrically-fired rifle.

For now, he is going to act as the backstop for the Dragonslayer’s recoil so that the pregnant gatonine, who isn’t quite starting to show yet, doesn’t take the brunt of the rifle’s kick.

“Y-You know, Daniel… I don’t mind if one of my siblings were the one doing this…”

“You’ll do fine. It’s just a bigger version of the rifle you have been using.”

“Y-Yeah, but this one… It actually… What if I miss?”

“Let’s hope there are no dragons on the other side of the lake then…”

Geirahoel, Reignleif, Ryuogriar, and Hekate all snicker, standing behind Daniel and Gwenesphia to watch over them. Doephluev is seated beside Daniel, staying out of the way but looming around him, as usual. Vaergraes and Senn are also on standby, waiting with Veiranoei, Goelselmo, Treia, and Peiburi. Across from them, relative to Daniel, are Kuboen and Lyrtef, who are protecting their sister.

“Father, when should I attack?” asks a voice that Daniel finds soothing, though it makes some of the gatonines tremble. It’s none other than Arachne, the death knight summoned by Vaergraes and further empowered with Hekate’s mana.

Gwenesphia’s ears pivot slightly to listen, and Daniel replies to the half-spider-like being. “I’d like you to read its movements and intercept any attempts at melee. But, your safety is just as important to me as everyone else, so don’t be reckless.”

“Of course, Father. I shall remain vigilant.”

Daniel looks at the sky over the lake, where Neith is orbiting while watching below. Roeta is under the water, and a large trail of bubbles indicates her movement in the water. Once Daniel revealed the simplistic diving helmet idea, which was easy enough to modify onto the dragon’s helmet, she was excited to begin the mission, since Dragons -especially lesser dragons with minimal mana- have to hold their breath to dive. As a mostly-reptilian species, dragons are well-equipped for long stints of low activity, as well as conserving oxygen. She even demonstrated how she intends to swim with her big wings that could only be seen as drag normally; the pink dragon is able to keep them mostly in their ‘stored’ position at her sides, but then flexes them in a wave-like pattern that creates thrust. It sort of reminds Daniel of how an octopus swims by pulling its body forward with a low profile and then spreading out and using the larger surface area for thrust by pushing backwards. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s fascinating to watch the avian titan swim, which tickled her even more to impress Daniel.

This, of course, means he and the Empresses will be swimming in the lake when they return to the Fievegal. They obviously weren’t jealous or anything. They told him so themselves.

They just want to verify that the lake is safe for their children in the future.

Or something.

Still, he’s happy to oblige. His family is quirky in their own ways, but it’s never not interesting to him.

The human mechanic notices Gwenesphia trembling under his chest, and he gently kisses her cheek. “Relax, Gwen. You’ll do fine.”

She blushes, glancing over her shoulder at him. “I… Thanks, Daniel… Um… Can I make a request after this?”

“Always.”

“Good. I’ll hold you to that, then.”

“Wellll, whether or not I grant your request…”

She scowls at him playfully, and he laughs. He kisses her lips this time, adding warmly, “For luck.”

She squeaks a bashful hum, facing forward suddenly. She whines softly, “That’s not fair… And, isn’t a maiden supposed to do that? F-F-For her lover?”

“Well if so, you’ve been neglecting your duties to me, haven’t you, wife?”

She hums, now even more embarrassed. She was trying to counter-tease him, but it has only made the hole she’s digging for herself even deeper.

She takes a deep breath and calms herself, ready to go. “Someone tell Dame Roeta to hurry up before my heart bursts!”

“Done!” calls out Hekate. “And I know your pain!”

The young feldrok girl glares at Daniel for a moment, repeating, “I said, ‘I know your pain’! Daniel! You butt!”

“Whaaat? I didn’t hear you,” replies Daniel loudly, causing several of the others to laugh. They’re not holding back at all this time, so he’s trying to lighten the mood.

“I SAID-...!”

“Wait!” calls out Reignleif. “Look! The bubbles are headed this way.”

“Got it! Thank you Reina-Mukori.”

Hekate stares with her mouth agape. Reignleif’s volume was half of what the young empress’s was just prior, and though the teen knows he was being a tease, she can’t help but display her utter disbelief.

“Daniel, I swear you will rue this day!”

He laughs, which prompts the little feldrok girl to growl and draw her ice blaster. “If I kill this thing before Gwen does, then I officially beat Doephluev. Right?”

The archoneldwyn in question flinches, turning a little pale and glancing at Daniel nervously. He’s her only protection from Hekate if she tries to change the rules.

And, Daniel plays right along. “If you do that, then it’s only fair for Doephluev to have a chance to strike as well, isn’t it, Sweetpea? Or, better yet, does that make Gwenesphia a part of your little bet, now?”

Both young women who wagered during the earlier parts of the mission flinch. They glance at each other, and Hekate huffs. She grumbles, “Fine. I’ll just freeze it in place if it gets too rowdy.”

Daniel grins deviously. He had every intention of ensuring Gwenesphia defeated Yaulwembor before the other two could finish their attacks, since the rifle should be able to finish it instantly.

And, as the bubbles denoting Roeta’s position get closer, Daniel urges gently, “Follow the line formed by the bubbles to a little ways ahead. In this case, we know the bubbles are behind where Roeta actually is. But, you also don’t want to hit Roeta, so make sure you check your target carefully.”

“I-I will.” The gatonine empress in his arms swallows hard, nervous about defeating a legendary monster on her own.

“It’s just like the rifle you’ve been using. You’ll be fine.”

“G-Got it…”

She flexes her shoulders and legs a little. Her tail flops against Daniel’s thigh, flicking back and forth as she tries to steady her nerves. Her expressive ears, much like Hekate’s, twitch and turn, listening to the world around them.

The bubbles are almost to the shoreline, meaning Roeta should appear any moment.

***

Shortly before, Roeta puts her modified helmet on. She can feel air rushing around her muzzle continuously. It’s a somewhat stale air, lacking the normal scents and taste of what fills the world. However, she can tell it is fresh and clean air, particularly because it lacks all but the necessities of air, compressed into a mana state when charging special crystals.

She takes a few deep breaths and crawls into the water, instinctively refusing to breathe out. However, she can feel the air continuing to run in her helmet. It’s noisy, and the water flutters around her jaw, but her vision is protected and the air remains around her nostrils.

She lets a little bit of her air out and inhales again just as quickly. She is able to breathe.

She exchanges a little more liberal of a breath, feeling relief that the crystal keeps up with her breathing.

And, she’s underwater.

Roeta, a mere lesser dragon, is breathing underwater.

She can’t help but laugh, and the crystal still keeps up, causing her to laugh even more. She lifts her head out of the water, where Neith is observing her, using his magic to hover without flapping his wings. “It works, General! I can breathe underwater! I can’t believe it!”

“Our Liege has told me of one of his hobbies on Earth called ‘scuba diving’, where humans use air in tanks on their backs to see deeper in the ocean than they could without.”

“Hahaha! This is so exciting! I wonder if his Grace will allow me to accompany him when he decides to do this scuba diving once more.”

“I will certainly express your interest to him, if you do not do so yourself. Now go, Dame Roeta.”

He can’t see it because of her helmet, but she grins happily. “I shall not fail!”

Just as she starts to dive, she pokes her head back up. “Um, General… please ensure they do not shoot me with the Dragonslayer. I… I remember what it did to Magnir…”

“I will defend you personally if her Grace, Gwenesphia, is careless.”

“Thank you.”

Roeta dives into the water, fluttering her wings in small, quick movements to give her thrust through the water. It’s easy to scan when she’s moving through the water, not needing to resurface to breathe. She talks out loud, though no one can hear her.

“This is so very fascinating. Fish! Oooo… I see you, trapdoor lobster. Mmm, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. Oh, mantaroucks. Wrong ones… I’ll be back for you later. Tell me where your boss is, and I’ll be on my way.”

She swiftly avoids the aquatic predators, racing away from them as she continues her search. She feels like she’s merely flying, though the pressure and drag are clear reminders that she is deep within a lake. There is also the relative darkness from the tannins and other debris in the water filtering the sun.

“Let’s see… if I was a big, magically powered monster, where would I hide?” She scoffs. “I suppose to my Liege, that’s exactly what I appeared as, huh? So… a cave? No… There’s too much silt for this lake to have much of a cave, I would guess… A fair amount of plant life, I see… Her Grace, Gwenesphia, huh? I hope… She wouldn’t attack me, right? I mean… She wants ‘honor’ for her family, and I may be a lesser dragon…”

Stolen novel; please report.

She shakes her head as she swims. “No. That would be insane. Daniel would never allow it. He’d have just let her finish Yaulwembor.”

The pink dragon nods, and just as she’s satisfied with her conclusion, she spots a cloud of red in the water. It’s not very thick, so it’s not a great deal of blood, but the red coloring stands out, sending a flash of fear momentarily through the Valkyrie.

“He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead… calm down…” murmurs the dragon, looking more directly at the crimson coloring in the water. It’s thankfully not a cruel and spiteful dragon lord, nor a selfish and violent knight. Instead, it’s little more than a blood trail.

She smiles, though her heart is beating quickly. She does her best to steady herself, and she follows the trail of red, which is now mixing with stirred up silt.

Daniel mentioned that he wounded Rohgattabor after being pulled into the water by the beast, confirming that he is supremely dangerous, even if he truly does have so little mana.

He also survived under the water by himself. He truly is a crafty individual. Roeta is in love with Magnir, and is so thankful that Morthybargaron and his brother are gone. Daniel called for a vote among the dragons, which also included Hekate, determining whether or not to revive the red knight or the green sage, who were still in storage bags.

Not a single dragon voted for Mulmonbargarnaed to be revived, and only a couple of the female dragons voted for Zophtyarloscrahm, the green sage. Roeta never liked the latter, but she had very few interactions with him, and he was mostly just smug.

Regardless, in the present, Roeta is deeply thankful for her new lord and emperor, since he lets the dragons be as monogamous or polygamous as they choose to be, and it’s easy to understand why the Empresses adore him so. He treats his subordinates with respect, spares no secrets or expenses to give them the best protection they can be provided, and will be the first on the line to defend his companions.

The rose pink dragon finds Rohgattabor as it tries to disguise itself by fluttering its pectoral fins to bury itself in the silt and mud. Of course, this creates a very noticeable swirl of mud, even if she didn’t have the trail of blood to follow, which is a wound that likely opened due to the monster having to flee her the first time.

Roeta flexes her claws. She’s not much larger than Rohgattabor, even in her dragon form, and if she’s not careful, he’ll be able to generate a lot more thrust in the water than she can. The Valkyrie is an avian being, meant to fly through the skies. Her ancestors evolved the ability to swim in order to become one of the apex predators of the world. She could probably kill Rohgattabor herself, but he’ll put up a fight.

Thankfully, she has an effectively endless air supply, meaning she can drag the graetcheth mantarouck out of the water if she has to walk across the floor of the lake.

Which is exactly what happens.

As soon as she tackles the monster from above, it tries to take off, and she forces it down to the lake floor, keeping her claws, arms, head, and body out of its strike zone for the deadly claws it has. It immediately begins thrashing and flapping its massive pectoral fins like underwater wings, trying to get free. Roeta digs her claws in, growling and grunting as she struggles to stay on the monster’s back. She can feel water sloshing around her helmet, some of which splashes the transparent visor Daniel added to make it a mostly-sealed container for the air.

Still, she has a good grip on Rohgattabor, and she shifts her claws to where she is gripping the edges of its pectorals, which gives her a great deal of control over its ability to flee.

From there, she shifts, prying the monster from the lake floor so she can stand up, and it wriggles and twists as violently as it can, trying everything it can to fight free or get its claws aimed at her to strike.

“Alright, Roeta. One step at a time. I’m sure Sir Neith will alert everyone we’re coming.” She grunts and strains, forcefully walking through the water at a slow pace as Rohgattabor ferociously fights to get free. Its strength is impressive, and more than once, the monster nearly pulls free. The pink Valkyrie nearly loses her footing, and the strain causes her to hold her breath more than once, only to remind herself that she can keep breathing.

It’s a little slower-going than she had planned for, but thanks to Daniel, Roeta has all the time in the world to make her way to shore under the water. She looks up a few times to confirm that she’s going the right way. Neith is floating in the air with his wings spread, using his body as a compass to direct the pink dragon towards the engagement area.

Roeta’s breathing increases in fervor from the exertion, which is usually pretty rare for dragons. Now that exerting effort underwater is an option, she’ll definitely be inviting anyone who wants to join her in exercising and training under the Citadel Lake to improve their fitness. Dragons can remain powerful warriors even with long periods of hibernation, but -for lesser dragons especially-, training the body can have many beneficial effects to make up for the reduced mana they possess.

The surface of the lake gets closer and closer as Roeta trudges through the soft mud, stirring up thick clouds of silt as she powers through. She comes to a stop briefly as Rohgattabor gets a particularly spunky second or third wind, bursting a great variety of thrashes and tenses of its muscles and nearly escaping. The pink dragon wrestles it to the ground again, which minimizes its actual leverage against her, even though it can also use its crab-like legs underneath. Thanks to the silt and mud, though, it has no chance of gaining enough traction to actually overcome Roeta’s draconic strength.

As such, she manages to outlast the monstrous mantarouck’s strength, and she pries it from the mud once more. Its huge surface area does give it some suction against the lake floor, but it’s still not enough to defeat the Valkyrie.

“Nice try, Rohgattabor. But, I am Dame Roeta the Fourth Valkyrie, Warrior Dragon in service to the Fievegal! Hahahaha!”

Once the monster is free of the bottom, she resumes her march towards the surface. Her head is nearly breaching the water, so she slouches to keep her own drag in the water higher, so that Rohgattabor doesn’t have as easy of a time off-balancing her.

Roeta is panting now, and when she can tell that she’s less than two body-lengths from the lakeshore, she lifts her head cautiously above the water. From the stories, Daniel could pick off a dragon’s head from range like an archer hitting a mouse. Roeta was one of the lucky few to be suffocated into unconsciousness during the attempted capture of the Citadel, and Geirahoel was wounded at range and nearly perished, from what she heard. Thankfully, it's Gwenesphia this time, so the odds of an instant kill are lower.

She spots Daniel and Gwenesphia laying together against a staged tree trunk with the rifle laid out across it. She feels another momentary sense of dread seeing the muzzle of the rifle, knowing what it can do, but Gwenesphia waves her hand, signaling that she sees the pink dragon.

Before Roeta can respond, she is yanked back into the water by Rohgattabor getting one more burst of strength, and the water violently splashes from the graetcheth mantarouck trying to break free in one last desperate attempt to escape from the pink Valkyrie.

She strains, dragging the monster back towards the shore and hefting her head above the water. She shouts, “To my left, my Liege!”

She sees Daniel wave his left hand in a big arc ending to the left, confirming which side she’ll be pivoting to throw the deadly menace onto shore to present it to Gwenesphia for the finish.

Once she has enough of her body out of the water, Roeta throws the graetcheth mantarouck prowling the lake out onto the shore. It flails and flops in the air, trying to regain control of it’s fall, and Roeta scrambles up out of the water and partially away from the monster, in case Gwenesphia misses. Daniel improved the Dragonslayer after capturing the Citadel, so even a direct shot against a dragon’s scales has a very high chance of lethality.

As soon as Rohgattabor slams to the ground, it tries to scramble up on its crab-like legs to flee, but a chaotic staccato of thunderous reports from the rifles wielded by the gatonines fills the air with cacophonous noise. They fire quickly, hitting various parts of the monster and causing it to buck and flinch. At least one shot hits the Mantarouck’s legs, dropping it with a deep slam against the ground.

It tries to use its massive striking claws to push itself backwards, failing to gain purchase with its feet due to the heavy mess of mud caused by the battle earlier in the day.

The bursts of rifle fire continue, making it hard to think for Roeta, since it does startle her with every single shot. Some of the bullets ricochet off of Rohgattabor’s claws, and the injuries appearing on its thick skin are miniscule.

The pink Valkyrie is ready to pursue the monster back into the water if need be. She can feel the air continuing to flow out of the bottom of her helmet, ready to provide her breathing if she has to dive in again. Her heart is pounding and she can feel the exertion it took to bring Rohgattabor this far, but she’ll uphold her duty.

KABOOOM!

The rose dragon flinches at the terrifying shout of the Dragonslayer, one of the few things in the world that can bring down the mightiest of beings in a single attack. A massive column of fire and smoke is projected by the barrel, while all of the gatonines and Hekate recoil from the painfully loud clap of thunder.

Blood sprays from Rohgattabor’s head, and the pectoral fins suddenly curl upwards as if the monster intends to take flight, while the striking claws stretch out, lifting the monster’s head. It holds this strange pose for a long time, even as its legs start to twitch and claw at nothing. Its humongous mouth hangs open as it looks up to the sky.

And, all at once, Rohgattabor collapses like a marionette whose strings have been cut. The massive beast flattens out, losing the luster in its eyes. Even its skin seems to dull as pinpoints of red appear all across its massive body.

Roeta relaxes a little, though she’s mindful of the water. Just because Rohgattabor was defeated doesn’t mean there aren’t other mantaroucks in the lake ready to pounce on inattentive prey. They might even attack her if they don’t realize she’s a dragon.

Once it sinks in, Baron Goelselmo and his family, as well as Treia, Gwenesphia, and Hekate all cheer. A whistle pierces through the sounds, and Roeta scans the group for the source; Daniel. He’s signalling everyone to fall in, and the pink Valkyrie lowers to all fours to trot towards the human Emperor, since her low mana isn’t enough that she can be liberal with it, even for taking off into flight. She can make herself weightless for an emergency take off, but now isn’t an emergency.

It’s a celebration.

Naturally, Neith is the first one to arrive and land, and he inspects the fallen graetcheth mantarouck carefully. He prods it and flexes its pectorals and mouth, attempting to provoke it. He also takes his massive custom-fitted helmet off to listen to its back, obviously listening for something like a heartbeat or other signs of life.

As she reaches the group, Neith nods at Daniel, declaring, “It’s dead, my Liege. Excellent shot, your Grace Gwenesphia.”

She goes weak in the knees as Daniel walks with her, and the human mechanic supports her. She stammers, “I… I really… Was this really… me?”

Everyone laughs warmly, and Daniel reassures her. “Of course, Gwen. You did this.”

Ryuogriar teases, “‘Empress Gwenesphia the Titansbane’ has a modest ring to it, yes? That is the human-kin way of naming their heroes?”

“‘Fiendslayer’,” adds Hekate cheekily. These two nicknames cause the gatonine woman to blush and become embarrassed. She stammers helplessly as the teasing continues.

“‘Gwen the Giant Crusher’,” declares Reignleif with a soft voice possessing a mischievous edge.

“Oooo! That’s a good one, Reina!” replies Hekate excitedly.

“Gwen the… the…” starts Geirahoel quickly, trying to join in, but she embarrasses herself when she can’t think of anything, and she whines. She finally blurts out, “Gwen the genius?”

A handful of the people present laugh, particularly Daniel, which prompts the orange dragon to storm over to him and grip his collar at the front, whining as she shakes him.

Roeta watches from above with a smile, since she and Neith currently tower over their humanoid forms. Geirahoel, and really any of the dragons, could snap Daniel into pieces with the force of strength they could generate. Even Hekate could likely kill him with a mere flick if she really wanted to.

Daniel is weak. And yet, he is powerful.

And, as she watches Geirahoel impotently express frustration on him, Roeta can’t help but let out a little laugh. Daniel’s real power isn’t from magic, but from how he surrounds himself with people who care about him as much as he cares about them.

Peiburi climbs onto the monster’s body, standing triumphantly as she cheers, “Hahahaha! This is incredible! Three of Mattarglos’s worst monsters, all in the span of a week! Gwen! Good job!” The younger sister makes a gesture with both hands in front of her close together. It looks like she’s repeatedly squeezing or kneading the air, a little playful gesture gatonines sometimes do called ‘scrunching’, which is sort of like an excited thumbs up.

Baron Goelselmo approaches and hugs Gwenesphia firmly. He begins laughing and crying at the same time, and the pink Valkyrie watches all of it with a warm expression hidden by her helmet. Before long, Gwenesphia joins her father in crying happy tears, and her brothers hug her and pat her on the back proudly.

Daniel steps away for a moment to approach Roeta, and she lowers her head so that she is as close to his level as she can get, which is effectively laying on the ground for her. But, she doesn’t mind.

She could easily defeat Daniel here and now, but she has no desire to. If anything, she would consider him a friend, now that she’s learning more about him. She wouldn’t object if she didn’t have Magnir and he asked her again to be one of his consorts. She doesn’t love him yet, but she admires him enough to get there if things were different.

Daniel bows his head respectfully, “Dame Roeta, you have performed your role perfectly. Excellent work, and thank you.”

“Th-Thank you, my Liege! This helmet worked perfectly. Your strange wisdom never ceases to impress me, even after my long life.”

“And, your bravery has continued to impress me. You’re in the inner circle though. I know there’s not an abundance of things I can give you off hand yet, but…”

“Speak no more of it, your Grace. It is my honor to live as I have been, and to finally serve a lord who…” She scoffs and smiles tenderly. “... Who simply thanks me for what I do.”

Daniel smirks. He adds, “I’m glad, but I will be compensating you fairly as well. Please continue to take care of us.”

“And, I ask the same of you, my Emperor.”

The Honeydip family of gatonines all approach to share their own gratitude with the pink Valkyrie, and she feels a little bashful, but graciously accepts the thanks. She glances at the Dragon Empresses, who are now standing with Daniel and Hekate towards the back, and Ryuogriar smiles warmly. “[Excellent work, my loyal sister. You do us dragons proud.]”

Pride flows through Roeta’s body, and it all feels worth it. Strength comes from many parts of a whole. If anything is to be learned from an otherworlder with no magic, it has to be that; the sum of the parts is what defines an outcome. Roeta was born with far less mana than any of the other dragons around her by orders of magnitude. And yet, she feels truly like a dragon for once; a being celebrated and respected by all, but because of what she can do, rather than hated for what she can’t.

Daniel looks at the water, and he says calmly, “Baron Goelselmo, if I may…”

The gatonine baron is still quite jovial from the defeat of one of the major plagues of the Honeydip domain. “Please, my boy! After all of this, you would honor me to call me ‘Father’.”

Daniel smiles warmly and dips his head approvingly. “I’m honored, then, Father, though please grant me leeway to get used to it.”

“Of course. You outrank me after all.” The friendly gatonine father, still with damp cheeks from crying in joy, laughs as he elbows Daniel warmly.

The mechanic, for his part, asks his desired question. “Will the ecosystem of the lake be irrevocably destroyed by a sharp decline in mantarouck population.”

This finally prompts everyone else to look at the lake, where alligator-like eyes are peeking above the water to observe the shoreline.

The baron turns serious, growling softly, “No. The world will not suffer if there are fewer mantaroucks. Many indigenous species have disappeared from these lands, thanks to the mantaroucks headed by Rohgattabor, but certainly not him alone.”

“That’s good, since it looks like they’re still hungry.” Daniel gestures to the water, and the others go on defense. Daniel requests, “Neith, Mukoris, please reduce yours and Dame Roeta’s size. Everyone else, ready for another round of battle.”

“Can we have the knights join us, Daniel?” asks Hekate.

“They should be able to handle it,” offers Vaergraes. “I’ve only witnessed a little of the Grand Duchess’s illustrious soldiers, but they are formidable warriors.”

“You don’t have to sell me. Signal them to join us in the fray. Avoid damaging the lake or shoreline any more than we have if you can. Whenever you’re ready.”

Neith nods, and begins the spell on himself, and Ryuogriar steps forward, casting the spell on Roeta to conserve the pink Valkyrie’s limited mana for emergencies.

Without the gigantic dragons present, it’s a smorgasbord of bite-sized prey for the giant-mouthed ambush predators lurking in the lake.

And, there’s still quite a few of them.

***