The Uhl’tall are a race of beautiful humanoids with dual-color skin, patterned with markings that are often considered the markings of the evil gods or divine specters, but in actuality, are just the natural patterns that form on their skin.

Vaergraes, the ‘Demon Queen’, is actually a Shrine Priestess for the Uhl’tall, a sort of holy woman in tune with the magic of the world. While that doesn’t mean she is a goddess of magic by any means, she is considered among the most powerful in the world, thanks to her carefully curated bloodline.

Her horns are modest and accentuate her silvery-violet hair, and her face is a pretty blend of creamy grey and bronze, looking somewhat like a latte with cream swirls at a glance. Her eyes have pupils shaped like a soft four-pointed star, and bright, amber irises.

She lands her wyvern on the flyway, where moments ago, a dragon’s corpse was lying. Just as suddenly, it has vanished.

She doesn’t dare let her mind wander without cause, though. It was no illusion. She felt every one of the dragons and their respective magic vanish. Not all of them are dead. And, with revival potations… The Queen herself only has a couple at her disposal, so it’ll come down to a choice. But, first, she needs to know who and what she’s up against.

She walks the flyway with the wyvern, and it crawls awkwardly, nervously glancing around. She does her best to calm it without magic, but she is forced to use hypnosis spells to keep it calm. After all, the Citadel is a place of death. It has been for centuries. The only creatures that resided there for the longest time were monsters that unwittingly hid within its structure and small creatures too small to be chased out by the feral Feldrok.

With that, it is eerily quiet. There is almost no mana present, save what is locked within the walls of the Citadel, and what resides in the dragons and one other strange being.

She enters into the dim lighting of the interior, which is lit to a cool blue color that would be difficult for a human to see in, as far as she knows. But, she only heard rumors that the Feldrok Sorcerer is a human.

And, that is when their eyes meet. Sitting casually in a chair in the middle of the massive room, unfitting the relative sizes, is what appears to be nothing more than a human man, cradling his terrible staff across his arms. Behind him stands a girl with big, triangular fox-like ears and a massive bushy black…

Vaergraes nearly stumbles. The girl possesses a massive amount of mana and magic power. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume her own aura is drowning out the human’s. However, she also knows the human emits no presence in the realm of magic.

Vaergraes turns and pets her wyvern, cooing, “{Stay, stay. Good boy.}” She then approaches a little closer to the feldrok girl and the sorcerer she is standing behind. The Demon Queen sinks to a kneel, and then a bow on the ground.

This seems to surprise the human, as it’s audible in his tone. “Excuse me. Do you speak Imperial Common? Uh… Eastern common?”

The Demon Queen confirms with a nod. “Yes. I can speak all shared languages, as well as Higher demon and draconic. I… am afraid I only know words of the Feldrok language, though.”

“Imperial Common is fine. Please, raise your head.”

She looks up at him, lifting only her head, and he sighs. “Alright. I deserve that. Sit or stand up. I just want to talk.”

This surprises Vaergraes. She asks softly as she cautiously rises to sit on her calves, “Do… you know who I am?”

“An Uhl’tall ruler, colloquially known as the Demon Queen, yes?”

She is stunned for a long time.

“Is that not correct?”

“N-No! No, I MEAN YES! Yes, you’re correct, but I’m surprised. Most refer to us as higher demons.”

“I’ll admit, I didn’t know your race until about thirty seconds ago. My name is Daniel. I am the new Master of the Citadel. I kinda like it, so I intend to keep it. Oh, but I did intend to kill the Dragon Lord with or without the Citadel, so I hope you’re not here to bargain for his life specifically.”

She flinches. “D-Daniel? A-... Are you also the one known as the ‘Harbinger of Calamity’?”

The human chuckles. “My regret is how far that name spread. I’m not a true harbinger of calamity, but I called myself that to rattle the dragon I first killed. When I learned it stuck, I kept using it.”

Vaergraes swallows. This is him? A human without magic? This is the one known as the ‘Harbinger of Calamity’ and the Feldrok Sorcerer?

She glances at the girl behind him. Daniel states, “This is Hekate. She’s in my care. She’s the other reason you’re not here to bargain for the Dragon Lord’s life.”

Vaergraes gives a disappointed nod. She knew that the Dragon Lord had a powerful slave, but she had never met the girl. Now that she sees…

“Excuse me… D-Do you know what that girl is?”

“Not a clue. But, I noticed something.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve introduced the two of us, told you a little about ourselves, and you still haven’t even said your name.”

“I…” Vaergraes flinches. She bows her head. “Forgive me. I assumed that you knew my name. I am Vaergraes, unofficial Queen of Demons.”

“Vaergraes. Pretty name.”

She cocks her head, and Daniel shifts a little, but only for comfort in his chair. “I noticed you outside, so I’m sure you saw what was going on before I allowed you to enter. Would you like to start with your business, or should I make my assumptions and send you on your way immediately with empty hands?”

His tone is curt, and he’s being intentionally rude, but it sounds unnatural to his voice.

“I brought my forces here to try to intervene and stop the dragons from attacking the Citadel. When I heard the feral Feldrok had fallen, and that they were on their way here, I… suspected you were the one who was here, waiting for them.”

“Interesting. You were right. Have I really become that notorious?” Daniel glances at Hekate, and she cocks her head in surprise. She blurts out, “Yes.”

Vaergraes nods in agreement. “Yes, certainly. You killed a dragon. Singlehandedly. No one in this world, save an actual Feldrok, should have been able to do that.”

“I see. Well, as you can see, the battle is already over, so if you promise not to return, I’ll allow you to leave, since you arrived with diplomatic intentions.”

“If you’d please… I need the strength of the dragons.”

“I’m a human. Why would I want to give you supersoldiers for your war against my people?”

The Queen flinches and looks away. He has a point, but he has the wrong idea. That said, would he believe the truth?

She swallows. “I accept responsibility for the invasion. But, if you would do me the honor, there is a reason.”

“Everyone has justifications for their actions. Sometimes, they’re even good.”

“The Devourer will consume this whole world.”

This causes Daniel to halt, and he cocks his head. He looks at Hekate, and she shakes her head this time.

After a moment of pondering, Daniel replies, “I’ll bite. Who’s the Devourer?”

“Not a who, but a what. It’s a giant being of unknown origin that grows larger and larger every day. It’s currently the size of three of your kingdoms, and it continues to grow. It’s consuming everything from its origin; the land, the people, the magic. No magic attacks can stop it. No physical attacks can damage it. It simply consumes, and it can’t be destroyed.”

“We’re not talking about a fire, are we?”

“OF COURSE NOT!” Vaergraes flinches and clears her throat. “Please forgive my outburst. I’m not speaking in metaphors. The Devourer is a creature, but one the likes of which no one has ever seen before. It is pitch black and can even attack things that get too close. It prioritizes devouring beings with strong magic.”

“So, how does this Devourer explain your invasion?”

“We’ve tried to petition evacuations from the easterners for decades, but every time, we are met with hostility. Finally forced in hand, we had no choice to but to wage war and push the eastern empire back. As you surely know, we’ve been at a stalemate for a few years. That is not an accident. We’re surviving for now, and still trying to petition aid while trying to find anything to defeat the Devourer.”

“I see.” Daniel rubs his chin in thought. He asks as he thinks, “What use are the dragons, then? I assume you’ve already tried to get them to burn this thing, and they couldn’t, right?”

Vaergraes nods reluctantly. “Regardless, they are the only other comparable sources of magic to myself, and if we find a way to harm the Devourer…” She bows down again. “Please, Daniel, Lord of the Citadel, great Feldrok Sorcerer, and the Harbinger of Calamity… Please…”

“Hang on… Did you call me what I think you did?”

“M-My Lord?”

“Yeah, hold on. Scrub all of that. Just ‘Daniel’. That’s it. I KNOW I didn’t introduce myself as… that second nickname.”

“Feldrok Sorcerer?”

Daniel palms his forehead. “Damn it… I knew they couldn’t keep quiet.”

“M-My L-...”

“NO! No. Just Daniel, please. I’m not trying to leave a profound mark on this world. But, I guess I can’t stop that now, can I? Anyways, what did you want? No titles. Just tell me.”

Vaergraes hesitates, and she murmurs, “The dragons… please return them to me. I need them.”

“If you can accept that the Dragon Lord himself is off the table, I’m open to negotiate.”

She hesitates, but ultimately agrees. “I am willing to negotiate as well. But also… Lord Daniel… The Devourer…”

“You’re going to ask me to help kill it, right?”

She nods gently.

“And, if I do, the war will be over, right?”

“There will likely be lingering embers, but we will no longer be forced to invade eastward. My desire is to end the war and hold the borders as they are until the destroyed land can be restored.”

Daniel nods as he digests the information. “And, have you asked yourself why your hypnosis isn’t taking effect?”

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She flinches. “I…”

“Hekate has been replaced with an illusion once my associate detected it. However, I should inform you, I am immune to magic.”

Vaergraes’s eyes widen.

“Yep. Sorry to disappoint you. It’s a little disappointing that you would try…”

“PLEASE WAIT!” Vaergraes jumps to her feet, exclaiming, “I’m afraid! I admit it! I tried to test you, but I shouldn’t have! I’m sorry! If I couldn’t…” She looks down. “I just want to save my people. The world is in danger, but the Uhl’tall were the first affected. I am truly sorry. I’m desperate.”

She begins stripping her outer clothes, saying, “I offer you everything if you will help destroy the Devourer! This I swear to you! I will sign any contract and gift to you my very mind, body, and soul. You may have your way with me. My children will only be yours. My heart will only belong to-...”

“Please calm down. There’s no need for such dramatic gestures. I have means to verify your story, and I will make my decision then. What do you wish to offer for the dragons?”

Vaergraes hesitates. “Please don’t misunderstand when I say, I am prepared to offer myself as prisoner of war in exchange for all of the dragons.”

“Excluding the Dragon Lord, right?”

She reluctantly agrees after a moment of hesitation. “If I have no choice…”

“Then, let me ask you; who is supposed to keep them in check while you’re a prisoner?”

She twitches.

Daniel explains his reasoning. “The Dragon Lord is a war monger, and his brother was aggressive and selfish. Thankfully, that worked against him. The Green Dragon was a vile being extorting poor villages. Those are the three I have personal experience with. Judging by their behavior, the white dragon and the cobalt dragon are each mature and level headed, but they’re both female, right? I specifically didn’t kill those two because they look like they can be reasoned with. Unfortunately, the others…”

“What you speak is true. The dragons are a haughty and proud race. But, if they were to follow the fate of the Feldroks…” Vaergraes glances once more at Hekate, whose illusion still stands with Daniel. Wherever her actual body is, she’s still part of the conversation, even if she doesn’t have much to say. Regardless, she doesn’t flinch. Does she not even know? In fact, the only thing that seemed to rattle the young girl was when the demon queen offered him her body and to bear his children.

Just then, though, she has an idea. “Lord Daniel;” “Just Daniel…” “There is a way for you to ensure your will holds, even reviving all of the dragons. Just as Hekate was bound by a slave contract to the Dragon Lord, you could bind the dragons to your will through magic contract.”

“Oh? That’s a thing here?”

Surprised by his strange response, she nods. “Yes, indeed. Did you already know about it?”

“Not exactly, but it’s convenient. Hmm… Then, still excluding the Dragon Lord, I will look into this option. How long until the Devourer becomes a problem directly?”

“Months, by our current estimates.”

“Good. Then return here in two weeks, and I will report on the results of my research. If the dragons excepting the Dragon Lord can be controlled in the manner you speak of, I will release them to your custody.”

“If… I may, Lord Daniel; I happily accept these terms, but I have a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“What has the Dragon Lord done to earn your undying wrath?”

“I’ll answer you, but are you telling me you really don’t know?”

She remains silent, averting her eyes. True, the Dragon Lord was a rather aggressive and wicked being, but…

“He is a war monger, for one. He is the one that wanted to invade the day that he sent his brother to attack the fortress I was at. I was laying low, but he intended to slaughter people I came to care about. Whether you understood or not, I’m intending to give you his brother, assuming I can contract him as you claim. It was the lord’s order, after all. Then, there’s Hekate. I can’t let him be revived if his enslavement of Hekate will continue.” Hekate’s eyes glimmer in shock as she looks at Daniel with surprise. Daniel adds, “He also ordered the extortion of the Dattakoriens, the goblins, the ogres, the Chi’rinnis, and all of the other races that you claim to care about. If that is the kind of queen you are, then I don’t have much hope for your judgment of your fellow nobility.”

“I… I’m not actually a queen.”

“You mentioned that. Otherwise, I’d call you ‘your majesty’ and probably be more inclined to listen to you. But, as the Dragon Lord proved, your authority only matters when they want you to carry the blame. When those in power wish to do things that bring wrath upon them, you wish to defend them. I never wanted power, but I also can’t turn a blind eye to the suffering of normal people.”

She stammers for a moment, before bowing. “Y-... You’re right. I have no business leading. But… I… I have to. I have to try.”

Daniel sighs. “Go. Return in two weeks. If you were telling the truth, we’ll work together to a mutually beneficial goal. If you aren’t telling the truth,... Well, let’s just say, you’ll be leaving empty handed or not at all.”

“I-... I am telling the truth.”

“Good. Then, I look forward to returning your dragons to you. All but the Dragon Lord.”

She bows. “Th-Thank you very much.”

Just as she turns around, Daniel calls out, “Lady Vaergraes, one moment.”

She turns back, saying nothing but looking directly at him.

“I’ll offer you an olive branch of trust. Do you know the spell for comprehend and speak languages, off hand? I’d like for Hekate to be able to use it.”

She cocks her head, as does Hekate, emphasized by her big foxy ears, which cock to the side as well.

“I… I do.”

“Good. Please write it down.” Daniel extracts a quill pen and a scroll from his magic bag, and he finally stands up to walk it to the demon Queen. She had thought that he had magical defenses in place, but he shows no fear when he approaches her. He’s especially tall for a human, and he looks down at her when they’re standing close to each other. He hands the pen and scroll to her. “If you would, please.”

She nods in agreement, taking the scroll. He presents a table for her, and she quickly walks to it, writing down the spell for granting the user the ability to speak languages. She thought only briefly about writing something else, however, she pushes her tactical instincts out of her mind. Daniel is offering a chance to earn his trust. It’s a long way to go, but this is the first step. And, she wants his trust. He showed that he can be noble and trustworthy, and if he intends to return the dragons, then he must be storing the deceased in magic bags. They won’t rot or age, meaning as soon as revival potations can be used, they’ll recover right away without issues.

She hands the scroll to Daniel, saying, “This will last indefinitely, but only works on languages that can be spoken, not just read. It translates the most recently heard language after casting.”

That satisfies Daniel. “Thank you. I look forward to our next meeting.”

The way he said that sends a little tremor through her body. She doesn’t realize she forgets to let go of the scroll as she stares into his eyes. It’s now that she sees what she heard earlier; his voice isn’t cruel by nature. He sounds rather… kind. He’s rather attractive for a human, now that she thinks about it, and he is clearly strong, even without magic. Especially if he’s immune to magic.

Wait! What would that do to our children? Would they be immune to magic and unable to use it? Or, would they possess both traits?

Daniel clears his throat, and she flinches, releasing the scroll. “S-Sorry! I’ll be going now! Until we meet again!” The Priestess bows quickly and scurries back to her wyvern, guiding it out by the reins to take off and join her comrades.

Her heart is racing and her cheeks are full of color.

Wh-What is this!?

***

Daniel watches the Demon Queen fly away, and Hekate reappears, thanks to Xyreko, who also appears nearby. The Citadel’s ability to teleport individuals is quite handy, especially considering it is miles across and tall. Daniel presents the scroll to Xyreko. “Can you verify this is a proper spell and its effects, Xyreko?”

“Of course. One moment.” She takes the scroll and disappears for a moment. She reappears with the scroll a moment later. “It is as you requested of the Shrine Priestess. It is a spell designed simply to grant the user language comprehension and speech.”

“Good. Please give it to Hekate.”

She nods obediently, handing the scroll to Hekate. The young girl glances between them, and then the scroll in her hands. Xyreko explains, “You simply need to pronounce it phonetically, Lady Hekate. Then, nod, and either myself or Daniel can produce words in the Imperial Common language.”

Hekate nods her head in understanding. She takes the scroll and reads it aloud. After, she can feel the spell’s magic well up inside her, just like using her other attack spells. She nods again, this time for the signal, and Daniel asks, “I know you can understand me, Hekate, but can you speak to me now?”

Hekate waits a moment, feeling the spell dissipate and a swirl of something in her brain. She clears her throat, cautiously saying, “Daniel… Did the… Did the spell work?” She gasps. “I spoke! I spoke your language!”

“You did! Great job, Hekate! OOF!” Daniel coughs as Hekate pounces and hugs him, exclaiming, “DANIEL! DANIEL! I can talk to you! Listen! Listen! I have to tell you something!”

“Calm down! What is it, Hekate? Tell me.”

Hekate tenses, squeaking. “I… I can talk to you now.”

Daniel chuckles as she dangles from his shoulders, hugging his waist with her legs. He pets her head. “Good job, Hekate. You worked hard.”

Her ears flatten down, and she asks softly, “You aren’t angry with me?”

“Angry with you?”

“I… I brought the dragons here…”

“Yeah, and…?”

“I… D… Don’t you feel… Aren’t you…?”

“You were enslaved, right? I had guessed that, but I never truly heard it, I guess.”

She nods with disappointment. “Y-Yes… But, I still…”

“I misled you intentionally. I relied on you telling them how to get in. I was worried the dragons would kill you, but I’d have come to get you if that happened. Instead, they marched right into my trap. It couldn’t have gone better. And, judging by the Demon Queen’s arrival, we got most if not all of them. Particularly the Dragon Lord. Screw that guy.”

Hekate sniffles as she begins to cry. “D-Daniel!” She sobs as she buries her face in his collar, and Daniel pets her back as she continues to hang from him. Fortunately, she’s pretty small compared to him. He ignores her weight, looking at Xyreko as he comforts her. “Is there any truth to Vaergraes’s words about the contract magic?”

“Yes, though it is admittedly an Uhl’tall specialty. However…” Xyreko trails off with a smug sounding tone in her voice.

Daniel plays along with a smirk, “However…?”

“My former masters ensured to catalog ALL available knowledge, including magic specialties of the Uhl’tall.”

“I probably could’ve guessed that.”

“Mm-hmm. But you didn’t, Master. So, I’ve had units searching the archives since your discussion. I’ll alert you as soon as I find the associated information.”

“Thank you. I couldn’t do this without you, Xyreko.”

“Yes, well, you reached the control panel under your own power, and you’ve devised strategies that are less direct than I would expect. It is a genuine honor and pleasure to have you for a master, Master.”

Daniel acknowledges with a nod. “Let me know when the dragons awaken, and keep them isolated.

Telepathy included, if possible.”

“Don’t worry, Master. I have just the plan.”

“I’ll leave it to you. But, keep the living ones alive, please. Including the ones that I only wounded. It’ll be inconvenient to burn a bunch of revival potations, since they’ll all likely hate us anyways.”

“As you wish, Master. I understand why you’d want to lay claim to the Shrine Priestess.”

“I have no intention on collecting on her offer. By the sounds of it, there won’t be anything I can do about this ‘Devourer’ anyways.”

“About that… Physical attacks are the only thing that damages it, apparently.”

“You knew about it?”

“Yes. Its skin is durable, but with your weapons…”

“She said it’s the size of a country. My rifle’s not going to cut it.”

“Did you not mention that your rifle could be upscaled, Master?”

Daniel scoffs. “Pfft! Yeah, but unless we’re firing a tungsten rod from orbit…” He trails off.

“Orbit, Master?”

“I don’t have the know-how to make a rocket reach orbit, so forget about that. However…”

There’s a pause, and Xyreko eagerly asks, “However…?”

He chuckles. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do what you did.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Master?”

“Exactly what I said. I did have an idea. Any… Any chance you know what Uranium is?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Daniel sighs. “That would be too easy. Of course, what about dead spots in the mountains?”

“Hmm? Of course. It’s a material that produces a field that negates magic. In fact, just being in its presence for too long is deadly to most living beings.”

“You don’t say…”

“The Feldroks had no use for it, and it killed many civilians, unfortunately.”

“If I told you that I wanted exactly that material, and as much as I could get, would your golems be able to retrieve it?”

“I… suppose, Master. But, they won’t be able to get close, due to our magic power source.”

“Hmm…”

Hekate leans from Daniel’s shoulder finally, asking, “Wh-What if I get it for you?”

He chuckles, petting her head. “I appreciate the thought, but it’d be harmful for you, so I’d rather not. I suspect that material might be close enough or similar to what I need. And, if we can get what I need, I… might actually be able to deal with the Devourer. Failing that, we’ll build a rocket. Maybe.”

Xyreko eagerly says, “Master… If you will leave it to me, I shall get you that material.”

Daniel cocks his head. “Oh?”

She nods confidently. “Leave it to me. I’ll figure something out. I want to see what you come up with.”

Daniel agrees, a little curious about what she’ll do. “Very well. Please do. But, if you know about the Devourer, I’d like you to tell me all you know about it.”

“Given its size and appearance, Master, as well as it’s massive mana presence, I believe there is only one possible answer in this world.”

Daniel cocks his head, but he notices Xyreko’s head shift, her gaze changing to another target; Hekate.

“A Feldrok… That was one of the first things you told me, wasn’t it… There were three Feldroks you acknowledged.”

“That is my belief, Master.”

Daniel sighs. “Well… I hate to admit it, then, but… There probably is only one person that can defeat it, huh?”

***