Where am I? What was I doing?

Her voice sounds strange to her. Is it younger? Older? Is it near? Far? Whatever traits it has, it sounds alien to her, even though she knows it’s her own voice. It was even her thoughts.

KABOOM!

She is startled by the suddenness of a terrifying noise, but she quickly calms herself.

I know that sound. Why am I still afraid of it? It’s… Wait… What… What is it?

She looks around, but she can’t make sense of where she is. She feels lost. Trapped.

The air is squeezing in on her. Her breaths are weak and barely able to keep her awake.

Her body is sore, and the bite of hunger chews at her from the inside.

Far away, a flash of light makes it seem like the sun is rising, until a terrifying mushroom larger than the largest trees grows into the sky in an instant, burning with the immense heat of pure fire.

She can’t help but tremble in fear at the unmatchable power of what she’s seeing.

No, wait! I… I don’t have to be afraid. B-Because… Because… I… I know I don’t… But, why?

It’s then that she finally sees him. It all becomes clear again; the strange human from another world.

The Feldrok Sorcerer.

The Harbinger of Calamity.

Daniel Alexander Lawson, a regular human from Earth without a single bit of magic.

Daniel! That’s why! He saved me! Those are his things; his weapons. It’s his power, and he uses it to protect me because he loves me! And, I love him! I never want to be apart from him!

She calls out to him, “Daniel! Daniel, over here!”

When he looks at her, she feels cold in an instant. Rather than recognition, the worst possible expression that could be directed towards her is what he is showing now.

Disgust.

“What are you?” retorts the human as if gazing upon excrement.

“I-It’s me!” Still, her voice sounds different, but she doesn’t know how or why. She only knows that something seems off about it. “We’re friends! Lovers! I-I’m your wife!”

But, his reply feels like a knife to her heart.

“I would never be friends with a disgusting creature like you,” replies Daniel with the coldest tone she has ever heard from him. It is nearly enough to freeze her heart solid, and pain stabs into her chest. She can feel tears forming in her eyes. The end of his thought solidifies the horror of the moment, “... let alone be married to you. You’re the ugliest thing I have ever seen.”

The tears start to flow from her eyes, and she whimpers, “B-B-But, y-y-you said… you loved me. You promised to stay by my side…”

“Apparently, that was before I knew you were this disgusting beast.”

She flinches, stumbling back. Her steps feel strange, and her body feels clumsy. She looks down at her hands to begin crying, and she freezes in terror.

She doesn’t have hands.

She has claws.

Black, furry claws with sharp, obsidian cone-like spikes protruding from her fingers.

When she looks up again at where Daniel should be, she instead sees a shadowy black monster that moves exactly as she moves, and her heart completely stops at the realization that it’s her reflection.

***

Hekate wakes up screaming, startling the handful of people around her. She flails in terror as her heart races and panic sets in. Someone grabs her, only exacerbating her fear as she tries to escape or fight or something -anything- to end the nightmare.

“Hekate! Hekate! Calm down! It’s me! It’s Vaergraes!”

The voice sinks in and strikes all the right chords to be familiar; Vaergraes, the former Queen of Demons. She is very kind and wise. She never speaks an ill-word to Hekate, and it is safe to say that, in spite of her being a woman who poses a threat of stealing Daniel away, she is one of Hekate’s dearly cherished friends.

The young feldrok empress is finally able to calm down a little, though she remains panting for a long time. She looks at her hands with nervous urgency, and she is instantly relieved to find two child-like hands that would belong to a human girl were she fully human.

“Are you alright?” asks Vaergraes gently as the other women look at her with concern. She doesn’t feel any malice or disgust, but simple worry for the sudden outburst from the dangerously powerful young empress.

Hekate finally looks at the Uhl’tall archpriestess who is holding her gently in an embrace, as much to restrain the teenage feldrok as to comfort her. “I… Wh-Where’s Daniel?”

This causes the former Demon Queen to smile and sigh a little in a combination of exasperation and amusement. “Always the first thing on your mind, hmm?”

“P-P-Please tell me,” whimpers Hekate.

Sensing the urgency in the feldrok girl’s voice, Vaergraes finally realizes the gravity of Hekate’s concern. She replies sincerely, “Daniel is safe. He defeated the dragon that ambushed us, and the three dragon consorts have joined him. They should be finishing Geirahoel’s quarters quickly and then they’ll return, from what Xyreko has reported. The Keep will be sealed to be explored at a later time so we can all recover.”

Hekate nods, absorbing her words as she reflects on the nightmare she just had.

Daniel has never seen Hekate’s true form, and if it’s up to her, he never will. She knows how hideous she is. And, as she gets older, it’ll only get more and more disgusting and horrifying to look at. She knows this because she witnessed the Feral Feldrok.

Though, she didn’t really know what he was at the time. And, now that she thinks about it, she never really got a very good look at him…

Either way, Daniel will never see me like that. He says I’m cute as I am, and if I never turn into THAT, then there’s nothing to worry about.

She swallows hard, finally sitting up. Vaergraes stays close to ensure Hekate doesn’t collapse again. “Are you sure you’re alright, Hekate? You took a pretty hard impact and used a lot of magic while you’re still inexperienced.”

The ravenette nods her head, still deep in thought, but aware enough of what Vaergraes is saying to respond. “I’m fine… I… I just had my belt strung…”

“Belt… strung?” repeats the Uhl’tall woman.

“I-It’s an Earth phrase… I think…”

“I see.” She smiles and does her best to reassure Hekate again, “In any case, our companions should return shortly, and Xyreko is refusing to transport anyone in on Daniel’s order.

Hekate starts to stand up, “Then I’ll…” She feels weak and nearly falls back down to her hands and knees, caught by Vaergraes.

“Rest, Hekate. The dragon has allied himself with Daniel, and the three dragon consorts are present to keep him out-matched if he tries anything. Xyreko is also with Daniel to withdraw him if need be, but from what she reported, the dragon has almost no mana remaining.”

Hekate sighs, slumping back down to sit on her knees. “F-Fine…”

“Did… you have a nightmare, Hekate?” asks Wenlianna gently.

“I…” The feldrok girl swallows hard, trying to think of a deflection. She can’t risk it getting back to Daniel, or he might start to lose faith or trust in her. Wenlianna seems kind and caring, but Hekate barely knows her. Even if it’s in good faith and well-meaning, Wenlianna could tell Daniel whatever Hekate confesses now.

When the teen tries to speak, her mouth feels dry suddenly, and she almost flubs her words. “I wath-ull… Um… I was… still worried that the fight was still going on. That’s all…”

“Oh, that makes sense… I’m… honestly surprised to have seen how strong you are, though.”

“What do you mean?” asks Hekate, a little skeptical. When her ear tries to move, something itchy seems to restrain it, and she touches her head to find bandages. She doesn’t need an explanation to know why they’re there.

The magic artisan clarifies, “Well, I was certain you’re very strong, since you have enough mana that it’s easy to feel intimidated by you, which is rare for humans to be able to sense, but when the dragon crushed you… I… I was briefly afraid… But, you recovered, and you escaped any grievous injuries, even fighting him off enough to allow me to escape.” The brunette woman bows her head, adding gratefully, “Thank you, Hekate, for keeping your promise to protect me.”

Though she’s quite sore, Hekate’s mood is improving, and she blushes a little. “Y-You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re safe. D-Did anyone get hurt?” She looks around.

Everyone but Daniel, Xyreko, and the three dragons close to Daniel are present, recuperating together as they monitor Daniel’s status through the golem reporting on their movements and a clairvoyance spell that is showing them what Xyreko sees in order to reassure them even more.

Treia explains, “I think you took the brunt of it, your Greatness. And Daniel…” She halts herself, laying her own feline ears down apologetically.

When Hekate ponders on why, she flinches. The feldrok empress, one of the strongest beings in the world, used a great deal of her strength to snap-react to the armored dragon’s ambush and shoved Daniel out of the way with great force.

That he’s still alive might be a small miracle.

Hekate realizes she didn’t think things through and could have killed him as easily as the dragon would have, which would have made it all amount to nothing. She feels sick to her stomach, and the terror she felt in her nightmare and upon waking starts to creep back into her.

Wenlianna, sensing something wrong, urgently adds, “H-He’s alright, y-your, um, Hekate! I mean, he’s a little hurt, but… You undoubtedly saved his life. S-So, you did the right thing.”

The young empress squeezes her hands together, disappointed in herself. She hopes she was only having a nightmare, and not a premonition. It would be reasonable for Daniel to be upset at her for risking his life because she wasn’t careful.

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She has a lot of power, but she doesn’t have the skill or wisdom to use it properly. She is ashamed of her inadequacy.

Daniel returns soon enough with Ryuogriar, Reignleif, Geirahoel, and Xyreko, as well as a new man with grey hair, the distinctive silvery horns and tail of a dragon, and fancy sharmelkolle armor. Hekate wants to run to Daniel, but she hesitates.

Do I have a right to? Is he angry with me? W-Will he forgive me?

Before she can decide what to do, he is swarmed by his companions who were sent back to the Citadel ahead of him. They scold him for his recklessness, since he stayed behind to fight the dragon, whose name is apparently Choul. Everyone was worried sick, since Daniel has a great deal of attack power with his weapons, and he continues to add versatility with new ones, but he doesn’t have any means to actually defend himself if the dragon were to have successfully landed an attack on him. The best defense he has against superhuman powers is Nemaisol. And, he normally doesn’t have Nemaisol drawn so that others around him can use magic.

Once he can extract himself, Daniel makes his way directly to Hekate, kneeling to check on her. “Hey, Hekate. How are you? Are you alright?”

She nods with watering eyes, and she can’t help but hug him, which surprises him a little. He grunts from the pain in his body, but he doesn’t shove her off or yell. Instead, he hugs her, and she can’t help but cry.

I’ll give anything, do anything, if you’ll only stay by my side, Daniel. Please… Don’t ever leave me…

Hekate sobs in his embrace for a long time.

***

A couple days after the mission to the Dragon’s Keep, Hekate goes looking for Daniel. In order to hide why she was sobbing the moment he acknowledged her, she scolded him like the others for being reckless with his already-discomfitingly short lifespan, especially because he promised to stay with her. It was easy to do, since she does feel that way, and she doesn’t want him to know what she fears most.

She doesn’t know if she would be able to live if she ever heard those horrible words from Daniel.

Thankfully, for now, everything seems to be back to normal. Daniel hugged her and comforted her, and he let her sleep in his bed with him, since he was too exhausted and injured to do anything strenuous like he normally does. Now, according to Xyreko, he’s participating in some light gardening with Ryuogriar, Reignleif, and Geirahoel. The orange dragon is the resident expert, surprisingly enough, since her hobby was to grow flowers and other plants and hide in a small jungle of her own making.

While Geirahoel wasn’t especially kind to Hekate during their mutual time under Morthybargaron, she also rarely crossed paths with Hekate. Knowing what she knows now, Morthybargaron was quite disliked by most, if not all, of the other dragons in Shaiulvalgarro’s Hoard. They only tolerated him as long as they did because he was a vicious tyrant, so it was easier to hide within their own little sanctums, rather than to present themselves for threats or usage by the former dragon lord.

Now, though she can be a bit fiery, Geirahoel is another person Hekate would consider a friend. She’s envious that the dragons are old enough to be with Daniel in more special ways, but she has all the time in the world, and in the grand scheme of things, Daniel isn’t planning to make her wait that long.

She finds the four she expects as they work on planting seedlings and transplants taken from Geirahoel’s personal quarters in the dragon’s keep. Thanks to void bags, the plants are as healthy as the day they were taken, but only time will tell if they’ll take to the new planting location on the roof of the Citadel. Given Geirahoel’s apparent talent for gardening and horticulture, though, it should be a rather easy transition.

Reignleif spots Hekate approaching, with the young feldrok girl wringing her hands gently. It’s obvious something is on her mind, and it has been bothering her since Ryuogriar came to speak to her privately prior to the mission.

Reignleif’s voice has always been soft and gentle, and as she thinks back, Hekate isn’t even sure that she has ever seen the blue dragon angry. “Hekate? Did you want to join us?”

All four of them are rather dirty, but they look like they were absolutely enjoying themselves.

The ravenette nods bashfully, but she has something else of higher priority right now. It won’t stop bothering her until she deals with it.

“I-I do, but… I… Um… Daniel?”

Daniel turns to face her, giving her his full and undivided attention when he realizes she’s about to ask something serious. “Yes, Hekate? What is it?”

“I… I want to go back to the Dragon’s Keep. There’s… something I want to retrieve.”

This surprises the three dragons more than Daniel, and he asks gently, “Did you drop something?”

“N-No, not that… It’s…” She looks down. “I just… want to…. go. Please?”

Daniel nods. He shifts from a seated position on the surface of the Citadel’s rooftop tower to a kneel. Without hesitation or even any clarifying questions, he asks, “Did you want to go right away?”

She can’t help but smile in adoration. While he has a lot of people to care about now, Daniel does his best to ensure they know how much they’re cared for. That goes even for Hekate, who gives him nothing but trouble. She could and would fall in love with him all over again every single day just to enjoy the tumble of emotions.

“Y-Yes. I’d like to go as soon as possible.”

“Alright, then, Ladies, we’ll pick this up…”

“No,” replies Hekate, stopping Daniel dead in mid-thought.

Confused, the human asks gently, “No?”

Hekate nods to confirm. “That’s right… I… I want to go… without you.”

This surprises all four of the others present, especially Ryuogriar, who regularly preys on Hekate’s almost obsessive love of Daniel to tease the young teen.

Not understanding, Daniel asks a little worriedly, “If I’ve done something to hurt you, Hekate, I…”

She instantly feels guilty and hurt, particularly when it looks like she hurt Daniel. She runs to him and hugs him with watering eyes. “No! No! That’s not it at all! I’m sorry! I just… It’s… You… always… protect me…” She whimpers into his shoulder, clinging to his neck as she tries to find the right words.

Daniel’s arms wrapped around her give her all of the comfort in the world. She could reside here, in this moment, for the rest of her days and be perfectly happy.

But, it’s also the root of the problem.

She can’t stand on her own without Daniel.

She murmurs softly, “I… I want… to be stronger… Strong enough to protect you…”

Still not fully understanding, Daniel pets her back with his hand, once again making her feel wholly safe and comfortable, even as she struggles to say what it is that she needs to say. “You’ve already protected me plenty, Hekate. I’d be a stain on the floor of that place if not for you.”

She shakes her head. “B-But… I just… I want… to face that place. W-W-Without you.”

She can feel Daniel shift, and she would guess that he’s looking to the dragons for help. Hekate doesn’t want to admit that she was terrified the whole time, not least of which because Ryuogriar might use it against her.

However, to her surprise, it is Geirahoel that comes to Hekate’s aid. “Daniel, I’ll go with her. I have many things I wish to destroy.”

“Destroy?” asks Daniel, a little surprised.

The orange dragon confirms haughtily, “Yes. Morthybargaron’s legacy still remains, since we were interrupted. It is our right to erase that evil from the world.”

“Closure?” asks Daniel gently, shifting so he can see Hekate’s face.

The feldrok girl nods gingerly. Daniel knows almost everything. He doesn’t need to know the entire ‘why’, so long as he accepts the answer that works.

“I… understand.” He thinks for a moment. Hekate can tell that, in everything he says and does, he trusts her completely. If anything, he’s worried for her. But, he also knows enough. There may not be a soul that has ever existed who suffered more under Morthybargaron, and to no foreseeable end, than Hekate did.

She didn’t even have a name under him. That is how lowly he thought of and treated her.

Daniel has mentioned something called ‘Karma’, denoting a sort of balancing act to the world between good and evil deeds. Hekate doesn’t fully understand, but now, more than ever, it feels like Daniel is a gift bestowed upon the little feldrok girl as an apology for what she had to suffer for her entire childhood.

For, in stark contrast to how Morthybargaron treated Hekate like less than a tool, Daniel makes her feel like the center of the world with how much he trusts her and shows her kindness.

“Alright. I’m still pretty battered anyways. If this is truly something you have to do, I definitely won’t stop you.” He hugs her, saying gently, “I just ask you to be cautious and safe, alright? It’s alright to run away.”

Hekate smiles, clutching him firmly. His words find every corner of her heart without any trouble, ensuring that she feels loved. It was overwhelming at first when it was just the two of them. She didn’t know how to feel, and she could only express her love for him in words he didn’t understand. And, still, he knew.

That was when he and she were conquering the Citadel together, slowly moving through the dark hallways, fighting monsters, sleeping together in a cramped little camp, and sharing stories as he told her tales she could scarcely believe -only to find out that some were fiction, while others were about a completely different world-.

And, on more than one occasion, Daniel would blurt something out in his Earth language in a panic, scoop Hekate up under his arm, and bolt back the way they came in order to gain distance on something he wasn’t prepared for. It even seems funny now.

She nods against his shoulder, replying warmly, “I will. Don’t worry.”

“Good. He -or she- who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.”

Hekate nods. She feels better about her personal mission already. Maybe it defeats the purpose, having talked to Daniel about it, but he understands that there is something deeper. He didn’t try to pressure her into bringing him along. He didn’t scold her or doubt her.

The only thing he does ask is meant with the best of intentions. “Would you like to take the equipment I usually bring? You might not know how to use all of it, but it could help you out in a pinch.”

“I-Is that… alright?” asks Hekate nervously. She notices Geirahoel perk up at Daniel’s words, indicating that the orange dragon is going to insist on the same treatment if Hekate doesn’t refuse.

Daniel nods. “Of course. You are the Empress of the Fievegal. Everything that belongs to us belongs to you first and foremost. That includes all of the technology I’ve brought over to this world. Will… that be a problem?”

Hekate realizes quickly what he means. He’s asking if it defies the same reason she doesn’t want him to accompany her.

Hekate smiles, standing tall in front of him while he continues to kneel. She puts her hand over her heart, feeling the warmth radiating out from her center. “You are an irreplaceable part of me now, Daniel. You’ve taught me many things, and showed me that even the weakest person in the world can be strong.” Her cheeks fill with color, and she quickly adds urgently, “Th-That’s not how I meant that! I…!”

Daniel simply laughs, petting her head gently. “I know what you meant.”

The feldrok empress continues blushing as she smiles happily. She finishes her thought tenderly. “I want to try using the strength you’ve helped me gain by myself for once. W-Without… you there to protect me…”

“I understand, Hekate. I’ll only remind you that you don’t need to force yourself to grow up.”

“I know.” She leans forward and kisses his forehead. Once she straightens back up, she sways back and forth in a cute pivoting motion, amplified by her big tail swishing back and forth behind her. “I’m not forcing myself to grow up, though. I just need to go back there… I want… closure.”

The human from Earth bows his head in approval. “As I said, I won’t stop you if you feel you have to do it. And, I’ll be more comfortable if you allow Geirahoel to accompany you.”

“I-I never said I’m accompanying her,” retorts Geirahoel, suddenly embarrassed. “W-W-We’re just going the same way. I’m not doing a favor or anything.”

Daniel and Hekate both scoff and snicker softly, joined by Ryuogriar and Reignleif, which only causes the orange dragon to huff in exasperation.

Ryuogriar adds gently, “Hekate, Geira, I would ask that you at least take a golem with you, in case something unexpected happens and you need to relay a message to us.”

Hekate nods in agreement. “Only if it gets out of control, though. I don’t want you trying to fly to our rescue at every little thing.”

The white dragon teases mercilessly, “Why would I? With you gone, the position of Empress and first wife will fall to me.”

The feldrok empress stares at her elder with her mouth agape, appalled at the declaration. She looks at Daniel with the same expression, unable to form words or anything, while Geirahoel and Reignleif laugh quietly. Hekate finally asks, “Daniel!? Didn’t you hear that!? She’s going to assassinate me!”

“Don’t you mean ‘kidnassinate’, Hekate?” retorts Daniel playfully.

“Grrraaaahhhh!” Hekate pounces onto Daniel, wrestling him to his back on the ground as he and the three dragons begin to laugh. She tries to pinch his cheeks, but he expertly grapples with her and starts tickling her, overwhelming the feldrok empress when his fingers find her sensitive spots along her ribcage.

Hekate quickly loses control of the skirmish, now fighting to get away from Daniel as he continues his counterattack. She has fallen into uncontrollable laughter as she flails and kicks. She has to be mindful of her magic-enhanced strength, which Daniel seems to have no regard for as he continues playfully attacking her. He asks teasingly, “Where do you think you’re going, your Greatness!? Huh!? You started it!”

“S-S-Stop! Daniel-haha! Stop-ha! I-I ca-can’t-haha-breathe!” She wheezes and gasps, still laughing uncontrollably, while the dragons watch curiously.

Hekate can feel more of her strength starting to slip out, and Daniel seems to notice, taking the hint to back it down. He finally hugs her firmly in a big hug, pinning her down partially as they both pant to catch their breath. Her tail flops back and forth, betraying her humor and improved mood.

Geirahoel bursts into the moment by saying, “Do me next, Daniel!” Just as she’s crowding in, and before Daniel even has time to respond, he and Hekate are all but buried under a pile of bodies when Ryuogriar exclaims, “Not so fast, Geira! Not alone you won’t!” And, Reignleif, without saying anything, piles in for the same.

Now, Daniel and Hekate are temporary allies in the tickling war, fending off and counter-attacking three envious dragons.

All five of them laugh hysterically as they trade brutal and unrelenting tickle attacks. Mutually Assured Mirth comes for them all.

Hekate is certain she can handle her personal mission, now. She is no longer the little slave girl bound to a tyrant.

She is a well-loved young woman with wonderful friends and family all around her.

***