To Sugouxxx: I can see why, but setting a background is important. As for the OP harem self-insert, I think we've at least broken away from the OP and self-insert bits. I personally find harems funny if done right, as I love awkward humor. And trust me, sometimes a title for a story is really hard to come up with. Unless it's the character's name followed by something important sounding, it can be pretty hard (Harry Potter, Spyro series, Crash Bandicoot series, ect.) - LyokoDragon15

To M Starr: Um... you're a bit late man. Vote's already closed for that chapter. Feel free to choose this time though. - LyokoDragon15

To Infinity Edge: You're in luck then, friend. - LyokoDragon15

To godly345: You know, now that you mention it, it kind of does. Only the ceilings of the main area are about as high as a chapel's instead of say a manor's room or an average castle hall's. And the city is under the mine. Other than that, I can see it. As for the Reina thing, I have an appropriate punishment in mind for her next chapter. - LyokoDragon15

To Temporal King: Great observations as usual man. Yeah, I foresee silver weapons in Damon's future if people pick their next choice right (or wrong), and I like the little lore ideas for the Dusk and Dawn dragons. We'll be sure to put that in at one point. Sadly we won't be seeing the bounty this chapter, but we might be in the next. - LyokoDragon15


When Damon woke up the next morning, he felt three things. The first was a stabbing pain in his shoulder from where the arrow hit him, telling him the wound was still healing. Second was that his head felt much clearer from when the poison was in him. He'd have to thank Scarlet for the potion again and pay her back somehow. Maybe knock a week off her punishment...? Nah, some other way. The third was a bit disorienting considering he went to bed alone. A pair of dainty arms were wrapped around him, as well as mostly bare flesh against his back save for what felt like a brassiere.

Yͪ͜o͘u'̖̐ll̡͛ ̶̧n͂e̱v͝e̡r͊ͬ͟ ̸̱e̱͘͡s̸͇̒ca̰͟pe ̦̅m̴͋e̔..̋͘.̥̱̚

Damon grit his teeth and shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts from his head. Unfortunately, that meant accidentally headbutting his bedmate. "Ow!" Elise shouted and clutched her head as Damon grabbed where he made contact with her, hissing in pain. "What was that for, big brother?"

The prince turned in his bed to face the blonde princess and blanched. Elise was only in her undergarments, leaving almost all of her pale flesh exposed. "Why are you half naked?!" Damon questioned her. "Hell, why are you in my bed?!"

"Well, someone had to make sure you didn't have another attack!" Elise countered.

"In only your bra and panties?" Damon asked skeptically.

"What's the big deal, you slept like this with Camilla all the time when we were younger." Damon's eye twitched at her coy tone.

"Camilla is- was my older sister! You... I don't even know what you see me as!"

"I see you as my older broth-"

"Stop," Damon ordered, placing a hand to her mouth and interrupting her. "If you really thought that, you would be in pajamas and not blushing so much. Elise... I'm ordering you to tell me what's going on right now, because frankly, I don't want to make any insinuations, end up being wrong and end up ruining our relationship." The moment he removed his hand from her mouth, Elise let out a heavy sigh.

"Fine... I'll explain, I guess." Elise adjusted herself so she was kneeling on the bed and Damon followed her lead. "Alright... where to begin? You know when you were kidnapped by Hoshido, back when I thought you were my brother?" A nod from Damon encouraged her to continue. "Around that time is when I realized that I felt something for you that went... further than the sibling bond. I know Camilla knew she wasn't blood to you and was able to adjust to it better... but me? I thought you were my brother and was in agony over what I felt for you. I mean... I loved my older brother more like a lover than a sibling. And then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized... I didn't care. More than that actually... I... got off on it, a little."

It took Damon a moment to process that before he could respond. "Um... beg pardon?"

"I know, it sounds ridiculous..."

WAIT WHAT?!

"But... It's something I just couldn't explain. I still hated myself for a while and tried to think of you in other ways... All of them ended up... forbidden in one way or another. There were moments where you were a common thug at some points my imagination ran away with me so much. But, time and time again, it ended up with us being siblings."

"…...the hell, Elise... this is not you... where did this person come from?!" Damon freaked out, and rightfully so, seeing this was kind of a shocker for him.

"I questioned that myself for a while," she sighed. "The best I could come up with is that... seeing that fight, all that death and devastation, and then to lose the closest person to my other than my retainers? Something must have... changed inside me and my mind tried to cope, from what I read in the library. Tried to take the trauma off with something a little more... potent."

"You were filling your mind with... Elise!" Damon exclaimed rubbing his scalp in frustration seeing her this way.

"I figured you'd react this way... it's why I tried to keep on like nothing had happened when we found you again. And then, when I almost lost you again... I couldn't just sit there like last time..." Tears started to fill her eyes again. "But... the thoughts wouldn't leave, and I've slipped on more than one occasion. But throughout it all, only one thing was going through my mind..." A few tears fell from her eyes and onto the sheets. "I just... Didn't want you to hate me..."

Gods why didn't I notice this?! After teasing her in the bath, where she thought she was ready...

Elise wiped the tears away and composed herself before continuing. "So, I grit my teeth and bore through it. Knowing we weren't really blood helped a bit, but... a part of me wanted to go back. Before that day you left us, where you came home safe with us... and not all of it was innocent either. I've tried to fight it... gods, I have tried. But... I just can't anymore!" Her gazed snapped up to meet his, sending her drills swinging. "I love you, Damon. Both as a woman and as your sister, and I just... don't know what to do." After a moment's hesitation, she pecked the man before her on the lips. "So... I've bore my heart to you, big brother... what do you have to say in return?"

Damon paused blinking his eyes she kissed him more deeply in that back when they were on the run... "I refuse to believe that peck was all that you kept in you..." Damon stated, seeing as he felt like she was keeping more in.

Elise couldn't help but giggle. "You got me... I just didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. If you don't want to take me on after this, I'll understand. I'll just bear through it like I have been... but it's up to you to make that call, Damon, because I don't want to force you into anything. Not after all you've been through."

"….. Elise, why didn't you tell me sooner? " Damon asked her seeing he would've understood it, even back at the Northern Fortress.

"Like I said before," she sighed. "I... didn't want to make you hate me... to ruin what we had."

"Elise, I could never hate you, you're that shimmering light that I chose to keep by me so I would never forget who I was or am... do you remember me telling you that?" He asked Elise, seeing that was what he needed at the time.

"Of course I did," the young princess giggled. "It made me so happy to hear that... I almost confessed right then and there. I've always looked up to you, and to hear you needed me that much made me feel like I was the queen of the world!"

Damon gripped her shoulders, looking right in to her violet eyes, his crimson eyes just staring at hers. "Elise, I'm no better than what you're thinking... do you want to hear my secret... when you had secret feelings for me when I thought you were my half-sister?" He asked Elise, close to revealing one of his secrets.

"...Yes," she answered, her eyes lighting up with hope. "I think I'd like that."

"…. I had secret feelings for Camilla back then, even wrote her a love letter and hid it away revealing my true feelings for her, I was scared of the exact same thing you felt, rejection... even though I thought she was my sister, I still loved her." Damon confessed to Elise.

While the light dimmed a fair bit at hearing Camilla's name, it was back with a vengeance when she finished processing her 'brother's' words. "So... you know how I feel then?" She asked cautiously.

"Elise... I loved you too." He said to her moving his right hand under her chin.

A pink dust covered her cheeks and she let out a smile that almost lit up the whole room. "Re-really, big brother?" She couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "You-you really mean it? Please, don't be mean and tell me you were just kidding because I really can't take that right now! You... loved me? Like big sister and the twins?"

"Yes... I just didn't want to hurt you, knowing you were the bastion of innocence..." Damon confessed, not wanting to corrupt her.

"Big... no, Damon," Elise shook her head. "You'll always be my big brother to me, but for now... Damon will do. I... I'm so happy to hear that."

Damon smiled leaning in... "Elise, if we're going to do this... can I ask you this? ...Please hold off on calling me big brother... because that might make me seem like a monster... " Damon chuckled a bit, knowing what others would see him as.

"Hm... how about a compromise?" She suggested. "I'll only call you big brother when we're alone or when we're... doing it. Outside of that, I promise to call you anything else. Deal?" Instead of sticking out her hand, she pursed her lips and leaned in, closing her eyes.

Damon sighed. "….. Well... I'm guessing you're not going to budge on that are you?" He asked, almost sounding defeated.

"Nope!" She answered playfully, not moving from or changing her position in front of him. "One kiss... that will be our seal... not papers, not a handshake... just this... ok? We don't even need to do anything after if you don't want to..." She closed the gap and planted her lips on his, relishing in the feeling.

Feeling her kiss Damon, gripped her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "Fine... I'm just going to have to punish you for this though, keeping this for so long..." Damon said to Elise.

Elise sighed and pulled away. "Fiiine... I figured you'd do something like that anyway, being the leader and all... Just name it and I'll do it, no questions," she vowed.

Without warning, Damon placed Elise on her stomach on his lap. "You had this coming a long time Elise..." He warned her, seeing her act this way.

"Um... big brother?" Elise whimpered, starting to feel a bit excited. "What are you do- EEP!"

Damon's right hand smacked right up against Elise's ass, causing her to shake from the experience. "Bad girl!" He declared as he punished Elise.

"P-please, big brother," she panted. "I promise not to do it again... have a little mercy, please?" She turned her head and gave him a pout. "Or at least... don't be so rough about it?"

Another spank came around, hitting her skin through the fabric of her undergarments. "You're lucky I don't pull these off you right now..."

"Ah! Of course, big brother!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry for being so selfish! I should be a better little sister to you!"

Another slap met her cheeks, this one a bit harder. "Wrong! Better woman, not little sister!" Damon scolded Elise.

"Of course, Damon," she squirmed, feeling a dampness in her nether regions. "I promise... outside of this, I'll be a proper woman for you, worthy of your love."

Damon moved his hands around the fabric of her underwear pausing for a moment, thinking his next move through. "Alright, I'll let you off easy," he told her, sliding the cloth down her thin legs. "But in exchange... I know. You have to promise to learn to fight before the week is out."

"I promise, big brother," the diminutive princess panted, spinning around so her back was on Damon's back and wrapped her arms around his neck, then pulled herself up for a kiss. "I was thinking of learning to become a maid like the twins anyway. Taking your orders, striking from afar, protecting my beloved... what better way to become a better wife for you than to learn from the feet of two to be?" She pressed her lips to his again and shifted so she was sitting on his lap. Elise then pushed him on his back, letting him fall right up against the bed and shaking the bed frame. "But that's in another time... what's happening between us now is what's important... big brother."

She pulled down Damon's drawers and smiled at the towering appendage. "Wow... I did this? Maybe you're a good bit naughtier than I thought, Damon," she teased. She wrapped a dainty hand around it, gasping as it twitched. "Gods... I've never even seen one before... well, except that one time." Elise let out a perverse giggle. "As long as we're being honest... that kept me up at night for a while... honey will work for now." She squeezed her and giggled as Damon's cock throbbed.

"I prefer that... Heh..." Damon chuckled seeing that word over big-brother, would've been preferable.

"Too bad," Elise sang and released him. "You already promised, big brother. I choose when to stop calling you that in private. Honey is what I'll call you outside of these... moments between us if you wish though." She lifted herself over Damon's rod and whimpered as the tip kissed her drenched lips.

"Oh boy... You're just... just terrible..." Damon complained seeing how she made him fall for that little detail.

"Well," Elise giggled nervously, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do, "it is a little sister's duty to tease her brothers, no?" She drove herself on Damon's sword and screamed as it tore through her hymn, blood dripping on the sheets.

Damon quickly moved Elise's head towards his kissing her to muffle it out, seeing as that scream would be loud enough to attract passersby. "Not so loud... little sister," the man sighed, deciding to indulge her. "You wouldn't want me to give you another spanking for getting us caught now, would you?"

Elise's eyes glazed over with lust and her vehemently shook her head no, yanking her head from her lover's grasp and kissing him deeply, invading his mouth with her tongue. She forced Damon's hands to her petite breasts while he was in shock and let out a moan of pleasure. "Big brother..." She started to bounce up and down on Damon's shaft in her excitement. "I love you... so much..."

Damon sighed as he hugged her body, moving his left hand on top of her ass and the other around her back. "I love you too..." He replied, nearly biting her right ear.

"Feels... so good..." Elise panted, her drills going wild with her movements. "I never thought... being with you- OOO! Could feel so great..." She pressed her body to Damon's, continuing to buck her hips against him. "I think I see why big sister got addicted to this feeling now... it feels like I'm in heaven!" She dug her nails into the man's back as she had her first release, taking care not to his healing wound.

F-ffufuffufuuuccck...

Damon's eyes began to dilate into a reptilian shape, though he shook his head seeing he didn't want to lose himself with Elise. This was her moment, not his for his carnal desires. "Elise..." He groaned as he felt himself near his climax. "T-take yourself off me... I don't want to give you my child yet. Not while you're still so new to all of this"

"D-Damon, I want this ple-please," She begged, biting his neck feeling herself tighten around him.

*Thump* *Thump*

Demon growled and flipped her around so she was on the bottom, feeling his instincts beginning to take over. He was about to start teasing and start pounding into her when he recalled his mental vow. A few deep breathes saw himself calm down enough to turn back to Damon. "Alright, Elise," he whispered into the blonde's ear. "If that's what you want..." A grin tugged at his lips as he started to slowly pull out. "Maybe after you've learned to take care of yourself..."

"No!" Elise shouted and tightened her hold on her 'brother', the force of his cock driving into her so hard driving her to another climax. "Ple- plea- please..." She begged, wrapping her legs around his hips. "I-I-I-I need this, honey! See, I even called you honey instead of big brother!"

"F-fine promise me, though if we do this, you'll lay off of calling me big brother for a while, except if you really want to!" Damon offered Elise a counter proposal.

"Fi-fine!" She agreed, trying to drive Damon deeper.

"Promise?!" He asked her holding her still for a moment.

"I promise!" She almost screamed, biting on her lip to keep herself from being too loud and drawing some blood. "Honey, I can't take this anymore! I want to have your babies, please!" She squeezed herself around him, trying to force him to cum despite his hold on her.

Damon's mind blanked and the dam broke, the rod inside Elise painting her womb and walls white. "There," he panted and kissed the princess underneath him. "I'm not making any promises you'll have a child from this... it's up to chance whether you do or don't."

"Big... Honey?" Elise wheezed, catching herself before she called him big brother again. "Thank you... for accepting me... weird thoughts and all." She shuddered as Damon removed himself from her.

"Thank you for being there for me..." Damon said kissing Elise on the lips.

"I always will be, as long as you'll have me," she joked, knowing he would never get rid of her. "And... can we keep how... rowdy I was under wraps please?" A blush rose on the troubadour's cheeks as memories flooded back. "I don't even want to think about how much big sister would tease me for this..."

"…. For now..." Damon joked, seeing as he could use that to tease her later.

"Meanie," she pouted before laughing. "Alright, let's clean up and see what I can do about your injury." She started to put on her bra and panties, a smile on her face as she then went about finding her clothes. "One more rod use should close it up fully."

Damon's heart beat soared seeing her bend down, revealing her small but perky rump stretching her smallclothes. He smirked tempting himself to give her one last spank, but he restrained himself seeing how he shouldn't give in to his temptations.

I really shouldn't... ```Elise would never let that one go...```

"Um... enjoying the view, bi- honey?" Elise asked nervously as she finished picking up her skirt.

Would it hurt to say yes?

"mmmm you could say that..." Damon murmured, looking for his trousers.

"Well..." She blushed and put her skirt on, followed by her blouse. "Maybe I'll give you a peak every now and again... if you like it that much..." She sighed in relief when she found her rod. "There you are! Now, hold still, honey." She put the crystal of the healing apparatus to the wound and started to cast her spell.

Damon winced feeling the injury in his shoulder. "damn it... " He groaned moving his hand left hand on the wrapping. The wound may have been knitting itself back together, but that didn't mean it was painless. "Did you guys sterilize this?" Damon asked seeing the wrapping up around his arm.

"Best we could with what we had," Elise confirmed. "Why do you..." Elise's eyes widened seeing Damon remove the bandages taking out his knife. "Woah, big broth- honey, what are you doing?"

With his right hand, he ignited the blade in fire, moving it towards his skin. "Closing it faster," he grunted and pressed the hot metal to his flesh. A foul stench filled the air as the metal cooked his skin and closed the wound. The fire did not hurt him though, which shocked Elise as he kept the blade on it to let the wound seal up. "There," he sighed. "Should make it a bit easier on you."

"… I have multiple questions," she deadpanned. "Many of which involve how you can be burned yet don't feel the pain of fire."

Damon moved his hands over the cleaning alcohol pouring it on his skin. "-Don't know, maybe because I'm not fully human," Damon stated, seeing the alcohol was sizzling on his skin.

"If I was a royal healer- and don't be cheeky, I mean the position not my rank as princess!- I'd be testing this for weeks," Elise told him.

"Do you know what it's like to have your life just inches away from death?" Damon asked Elise, as he put the knife down.

"… Once," she confessed. "During the liberation of the city, I was almost killed saving big sister. She was so reckless when she found out what happened... I think it was the baby that kept her from going on a suicide run."

"…..." Damon looked at Elise. Seeing her like this hurt him a bit, and not also that he heard about Camilla... "It was almost peaceful... The feeling of drifting away looking at my body suffer, while my mind began to find peace... then I wake up and see I'm still alive..." Damon said in a very dark like tone, knowing his death was near now four times.

"… Well," Elise started, putting her rod down as the wound finished closing. "For all of our sakes... I hope we go out together."

"There was a small part of me that screamed to get back up, fight... survive... struggle... then there was another part of me reminding me how weak I am, how many mistakes I made, the choices I chose.. It's a haunting reminder." Damon explained to Elise what he was going through.

"Stop right there, big brother," Elise ordered with ice in her voice. Damon turned to Elise, his crimson eyes looking at her face. "Listen to me, and listen well. You... I never thought you died that day. You know why? Because you're the strongest person I know, including Xander and father! Them may be stronger than you physically now... but you've stayed positive and kept going where others would have either killed themselves or gave up a long time ago."

A red aura formed over Damon. "Then I had to adapt to my situation, see the world for what it truly was, and know what my path was before me..." Demon spoke almost like an emotionless husk.

Elise hugged the man, tears running down her face. "You said I was the one keeping you from changing, right?"

"I said you were the light to my darkest hour... I will keep fighting everything that is in front of me to keep you and everyone safe, I want everyone to come out of this alive... Don't you see? I want us to go back to that day at the beach, all of us... so we can have the biggest celebration of all." Demon tried to get to see Elise through his point of view.

"I don't care if that's what you said or not, I'm not letting you turn into father over this! If you become him, what'll happen to the three kingdoms? I don't think you see just how much sway you'll have over things by the end of this, darling. You'll have an army, a following, hell even the heirs to both kingdoms by you! If anything, you'll be the king of all of them when this is over!"

"…..." Demon got up from the bed stepping away from Elise, hearing that from her. "You have no faith in me... you think I'll lose myself and become something... Something else that fails the convictions of what I believe in..." Demon said to Elise, his paranoia feeding his thoughts.

Elise shook the pain from her heart and spun him around, kissing him. "I do believe in you," she whispered. "It's why I'm so scared that... That you'll forget about us if you change... I lost you two times too many... I never want to lose you again." Demon remained silent, looking at her as his mind became hollowed out. He waved his hand and the discarded armor reformed, re equipping him with red like smoke steam sizzling around him. "Damn it, big brother, listen to me! You're getting too scared because you don't want to lose us too, right? Then I'll train hard, become the strongest in Nohr if you-"

"FUCK MY FEAR!" Demon snapped at Elise. "I'd rather die a thousand times, then watch everything I accomplished get torn to shreds, my friends dead, my family dead, this world destroyed, if I have to jump into the fire and pull everything back in to place, so be it... I'm not afraid of the flames, I'm not afraid of my own fears... "

"Then why are you doing this?!" Elise sobbed, pressing her head against his chest. "Please, help me understand so I can help you! I don't want to see you turn into father! I don't want to lose you to this war! And I sure as hell don't want to see you die for this and it all being for nothing!" She completely broke down into tears, having to use Demon as a support so she wouldn't collapse."

Demon gripped her hands."…. I won't die.. " He said as he loomed over her.

"… You've danced with death more times in the past year than you have in your life," Elise whimpered. "If it weren't for me, Lilith and the twins, you'd be dead a dozen times over. And I'm scared one of those times... We won't be there to save you."

"Enough... Where are the others, we're still at war Elise, and you're still in danger." Demon asked Elise seeing her run to the door attempting to block him off.

"NO!" She shrieked, rushing to the door and blocking it with her body. "NOT after what happened between us! I'm not letting you throw yourself into another fight when you just got better! I... I..." Her eyes seemed to lose their color and she slumped to the floor, defeated. "I... Can't let you do this to yourself..."

Demon moved his left hand around Elise's waist gripping her towards his body picking her up, as he punched the door down startling both Beruka and Selena. "I'M UP!" Demon declared as he placed Elise with Selena.

"… You're a sick bastard, you know that?" Selena spat. "After all you two just did, you're putting her through this?!" Demon's eyes looked at Selena leaning down, his eyes were practically glowing as the white in his eyes were blood shot. "You don't scare me," she growled. "And I'm not backing down because you disagree with me."

"I don't want you to fear me, Selena... Watch her." Demon ordered as he lifted his helmet up kissing Selena on the forehead.

Her mind was shot for a moment before she shook it off. "No, you watch her!" She place Elise on the ground.

"That's an order..." Demon said as he turned around looking at his surroundings.

"To hell with your orders! You caused this, you fix it!" Selena stormed off, unshed tears filling her eyes.

"Beruka, where are the others?" Demon asked her, seeing as he tried to get a clear picture of where he was in Volkern.

"The first recruitment party just came back," she deadpanned. "You can figure the rest out yourself, if Elise wakes up from this." She jumped into the rafters and sped away, leaving Elise on the floor and Demon in the hall.

"Is no one, listening to what I have to say? I've been out for a day and my entire group seems to reject my orders..." Demon sighed picking Elise up.

"… If I may," Azura sighed, stepping around the corner. "Maybe it's because you're being so callous towards them."

"….. CALLOUS?! …. I'm sorry, I nearly died infiltrating, and I somehow offended everyone..." Demon exclaimed, seeing he believed himself the victim in all this.

"If what Selena implied is true, you showed Elise the best time of her life and then tore her down," Azura explained. "We were worried for you yesterday, and then you do this? It's no wonder why they'd think you as such."

"…. She got too close... " Demon said, fearing the repercussions of letting her in. "Yes, a woman who's heart screamed for me, somehow made it past you all, by ignorance or choice? What if she was an assassin? Ever think about that?" Demon asked Azura.

"You'd think that about your own sister?" Azura questioned, shocked at what he just implied. "Someone you lived with your whole life?" Demon's temper began to rise, hearing that it looked like his entire armor was shaking and rattling about to steam of anger, knowing that wasn't the point he was trying to make.

F̟ȩ̜̀ar̲ͯ ̵̨̳͚̘͈͈͚ͩ͜i̢̫͎͖͕̮̓̓̓͑͞s̻̰̈͋ͥ̀ ̧̛̭͌̈́͘P̎̅͠ow͎ͪe͔͈̳͖̣͎̍̍̓̅rͯ

"Oh would you shut the ever loving fuck up?!" Demon shouted at the voice in his head. "I am sick and tired of you whispering all this nonsense into my head about how I grow stronger with my fear and to doubt the people I love! Just shut up and leave me the hell alone!"

"...wait, what was that?" Demon asked seeing where that came from.

"… Maybe that arrow held more than poison," Azura sighed and guided Demon back to his room, forcing him down on the bed.

Demon's eyes traveled to his shadow, as he saw it flicker with red eyes. "Or maybe I'm just going crazy..." Demon turned his head towards the shadow.

"Regardless, you clearly need this," Azura persisted, preparing to sing.

A shadow like blade came out nearly stabbing the two. Demon moved her out of the way and taking the blade in the chest. Out of the shadow appeared a copy of him. "S̃͡a̢̟͐c̀̕red ̢ͨ͟Coͯ͝r̶͝r̻up͈͎̣t͉́ͅi̝oͦn̙͆҉"

"What... what in the gods name?!" Azura shrieked, bringing Kaze and Beruka into the room in a flash.

"Azura, did... my lord!" Kaze cried and moved to attack.

Demon's eyes glared at the shadow as he moved forward into the blade, gripping the shadow by the neck and raising him with his right hand. "No, no, shadows copy me... "

A loud metallic crunch echoed out the room as the shadow collapsed and disintegrated. Demon's shadow was returned, as some sort of sorcery or hex was involved. Demon coughed out blood as the sword faded away, letting blood pour onto the ground and on Elise.

Demon just stood in the room, with the blood leaking out. "I'm fine..." He told them. "It went clean through... missing my lungs and heart." He reassured them.

"Big... brother...?" Elise came to her senses and fear filled her as she stared at the gaping hole in Demon's chest. "Oh... oh gods!" She immediately had her rod out, overpowering the spell in a desperate attempt to close the wound. "I am not losing you!" The hole sealed on either side, but the crystal of the staff shattered. Though Demon's own aura supplemented with healing, helping it seal faster.

"Did anyone ever check what I was shot with?" Demon asked them.

"It wasn't anything we recognized," Azura informed him. "I assumed it was a new Vallan arrowhead with poison loaded inside it."

A shocking realization, came to Demon. "Flora, Felicia!" Demon snapped to remembering that he heard them sucking the poison out. "Where are they?!" He demanded panicking.

"We're right here," Felicia said as she rushed into the room, a black dust on her hands. "We realized the same thing you must have and came running. One of them attacked us but the other escaped. Flora's looking for it right now."

A chain was above Demon's head as it wrapped around his neck, pulling him up. "F-FFUCK!" The metallic brute in the shadows pulled up Demon very fast the chains were strangling him as he moved his hands around the chain, pulling it roughly down bringing down the brute. When the metallic brute fell to the ground in made a loud thud shaking the room. The plating cracked and shook from the force of the blow.

The metallic brute got up making some sort of growling noise as it brought a blade out of the neck of its armor, it's left hand swinging the chain with a small blade at the end of it. "A kusarigama," Kaze identified the weapon. "Not many are able to use it effectively, but it's a devastating weapon when one can." He pushed Demon out of the way as the creature swung the blade, striking the stone wall.

"I don't really care what technique or weapon it uses, I want this thing dead!" Demon growled bringing his blade through the chest of the metallic brute. No blood came out of it, as it tilted its head grabbing Demon by the neck with its right gauntlet. Demon bashed it on the head multiple times, lifting up the flap of the helmet what shocked everyone was it was just a black smoke with in the helmet with two glowing red eyes. "The Hell is this thing?!" Demon snapped punching it in the helmet turning it all the way around causing the brute to drop Demon.

"It's either off world or new from Nohr or Valla," Azura clarified and tried hit the crack. While it grew larger, it didn't break yet.

"Go for the armor, we don't know if there's anyone in there!" Kaze shouted, striking the crack with a suriken.

"Did you not see the smokey black like face it had, it's obviously some sort of possessed spirit or something!" Demon snapped bringing his sword on the armor shaking the armored brute. The crack grew marginally bigger.

"What the hell is..." Maximus stopped seeing the creature try to decapitate Elise, only to be stopped by an irate Demon. "Oh, to hell with this." He lit himself up and drew his blade. "We are not dealing with this today!" The spell sword lunged and slammed his blade into the armor, shattering the torso and cut off the arm holding the weight. The chains began to link together, reattaching the severed limb as it growled looking at Maximus. "Well... crap." A metal fist sent him flying before picking up the weighted end of the weapon again.

"MAX!" Demon snapped as he growled looking at the hulking brute, yelling as he slammed right into the beast, charging it through a wall, breaking it through several stacked furniture and slamming him onto the ground. "You are NOT taking my son away from me!"

Demon tore off the helmet and threw it far away, seeing it would be unable to see him as it was acting as the head to the creature. "Die already!" Several small blades attached to the chains and shot up to his neck, stabbing him on the right side. Demon's eyes widened as he coughed up blood his eyes shot a murderous look at the headless opponent.

Demon brought his hands down on the creature slamming it with all his strength, then grabbed its arms, tearing them right off and throwing them behind him. However, the creature kept going kicking Demon off, who was already stabbed in the neck losing blood. "For fruruuusck saekzzz. DIE JUST DIE!" Demon screamed at the husk, blood pooling in his mouth. Two more powerful blows blasted apart the legs and the creature finally halted. The chains let out a haunting rattle before the entire thing fell apart.

"Staissszz that way!" Demon yelled out as he fell against the wall, moving his right hand to lessen the fall as a blood streak went across the granite material. A green glow covered the wound and the bleeding stopped. Felicia looked at Demon in fear as she lowered her staff.

"What... just what was that?" She asked. Elise and the others behind her, including a slightly shaken Maximus.

Demon spat out a mouthful of blood. "I don't know... Someone get me some wine or something, I've tasted enough of my blood for one day..." Demon groaned out, leaning against the wall.

"This work?" Selena asked softly, handing him a glass. "I... heard what was going on. If that thing and the shadow creatures were making you go one edge, well... Look, I'm trying to say I'm sorry, alright!"

Demon took a swig of it resting his head against the wall as he took his helmet off throwing it to the side, his face was covered in blood as his nose, ears, mouth and eyes leaked of it.. "Next time I throw up something like that, or get poisoned, make sure I'm baptized..." He joked as he spat out some more blood.

"Oh, shut the hell up and get back to bed," Selena grumbled and hefted him up.

"I can't sleep now, because of that was allowed to sneak in here..." He stated putting down the glass.

Kaze sighed and loaded a dart into a blowgun, shooting it at an exposed spot on Demon. The dart sank in and injected its contents into the man, knocking him out in moments. "Thank gods Scarlet gave me some of that sedative," he sighed.

Demon shot back up, looking at them. "Drugzzz and Alcohol don't mizxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxzzz..." He fell back down onto the bed, rolling off and hitting the floor with a loud thud.

"Well... he's still out," Maximus sighed. "I don't see him walking like that for at least a few hours. Until then, Azura and Elise, I

Without warning, one last attempt was made by a shadow stalker to take the man's life. It jumped from the rafters as Demon started to fall asleep, landing on him wielding a spear aimed for his heart. None of them were close enough to Demon to rescue him as the shadow plunged his spear down. However, it was stopped when a cloaked figure jumped on the shadow warrior's back and snapped its neck, leaving the dark assassin to disintegrate into ashes.

"… Not that I mind, since you save my dad and all," Maximus stated as he slowly went for his sword. "But who the hell are you?

The hooded figure leaned her head up, her face shrouded in the shade of the cloak. But, what stood out was her left eye was crimson red, and her right was hazel yellow. "No one important," she said softly and walked to the window. "Though if I must... someone who wants him to live through this. Just don't expect my help too often." What also stood out was the red aura that formed over her body as she gripped the window. "However, you can expect to see me again." She opened the window and jumped, disappearing in a flash of red light.

"… I'm not going to question the deus ex machina and be glad that Damon survived this," Elise sighed.

"I wantzz to ride the wyvern..." Demon slurred in his slumber.

"Must be dreaming about that time he watched big sister train," the blonde healer giggled and started to unstrap his armor. "Kaze, I want you to guard us while I patch up any wounds we might have missed. Do you mind if I borrow your staff, Felicia?"

"Felicia... your turnzz.." Demon slurred in his sleep again, causing Felcia to cover her face to hide her blush.

"Umm... sure, why not," she responded and tossed the staff to the young princess.

"…..Perhaps it was bad to give him that dart when he drank..." Beruka said to Kaze.

"I realize that now and will learn from this," he retorted, taking a spot on the rafters to look out for the two as the others left.

"Well maybe we should tie him down making sure he doesn't walk off again?" Selena suggested to the group.

"Assuming he's back to his senses... probably," Maximus agreed.

"Assuming we took our eyes off of him... look." Beruka pointed to the bed and it was empty.

"At least he took Elise with him," Kaze sighed.

Kaze felt the staff hit his head."…..I'm right here you dunce... He pushed me off and disappeared."

"Great, he's probably in the Dragon Realms then," Maximus groaned. "Well, I'm going to head the next recruitment group. I was going to take you and Elise, aunt Felicia, but I think I'll just take mom with me and see if Scarlet or Aunt Camilla wants to go back out for another round. You guys just rest for now."

"Max, you were hit really hard back there," Felicia reminded him. "Are you sure you'll be fine."

"It's nothing a dragon like dad and I can't shake off," the spell sword chuckled. "If anything, I'll just need Aunt Camilla to readjust my back for me. I definitely wasn't moving right after that impact..." A sickening series of cracks filled the room when he twisted his back. "Yep... definitely getting some work done before going out again." He walked out of the room, rubbing the sore spot on his back.

"… He takes after his father more than he thinks," Beruka commented. "He shoulders more than he can bear sometimes and somehow comes out relatively fine. But he also risks buckling under the strain."

"True," Azura agreed, "but while Maximus has been through some rough times, Damon has literally developed a mental disorder because of it."

"We're having a long talk when he gets back," Elise frowned, remembering what lead up to the attack. "He's... he's not being himself. I mean, yeah he's a bit more distant and is way more ruthless than before this war... but he's never actively tried to hurt us or push us away like that until now."

"We can attest to that," Selena scowled. "I'd expect it towards the Hoshidans or someone new, but it goes against Damon to do something like that, mental disorder or not."

"So... You think, my Sweet Prince... has a mental disorder...?" Camilla moved into the room, looking at the others. She had a very... emotionless expression on her face, leaving the others unable to read her.

"I don't think, I know," Azura replied, a somber expression on her face. "Yes, he's fundamentally the same person in terms of what's precious and important to him... but there's definitely points where his entire outlook changes at the drop of a hat. You need only look into his eyes to see it."

Camilla swayed her hips side to side as she moved closer to Azura. "Let me tell you something, Azura." Camilla moved her claw like gauntlets to both sides of Azura's face, smiling as they cut her cheeks slightly. "If you should ever say that in front of me again... or Damon... I'll break your pretty little neck. You have no idea what he's gone through, and I... Selena... or Beruka would not hesitate to do it, to protect him... Understand?" She asked smiling.

"Both Scarlet and I have brought it up multiple times," she retorted, not perturbed by the threat. "Scarlet even caught him talking to himself at the lake once, before he was kidnapped. Arguing, no less. What would you call that?"

"Gifted, is what I call it. My Sweet Damon is none like any other, perhaps Scarlet was there at the wrong time... I'm not going to afflict him with such harsh statements, when his reality is breaking before him." She argued with Azura.

"Big sister, normally I'd agree with you..." Elise mumbled. "But... I think this is becoming a real problem. He... he actually hurt me earlier-"

"Enough, Elise!" The older princess snapped, startling everyone in the room. "This... this is something Damon needs to overcome himself. I'm sorry to snap at you, little sister," she held Elise to her in a tight hug, "but we mustn't bother him with such trivialities when he has an army to lead." She glared at everyone in the room sans the girl in her arms and her retainers. "If I find out any of you tried to bring this up with him, it'll be your heads. Now, why don't you tell me what happened to the wall?" She guided Elise out of the room, their conversation fading away.

The two retainers of the elder princess were resting in their room, the scarlet haired mercenary being unusually pensive."… Beruka?" Selena asked her sister in arms.

"Yes, Selena?" The assassin replied, looking up from her book.

"… What are we supposed to do?" She put a hand to her aching chest and collapsed onto her bed. "There's something wrong with that horn dog, there's no arguments there... but even so, Lady Camilla would be furious with us if we went behind her back and did something she specifically said not to."

Beruka was silent for a moment before she had her answer. "Our orders are to protect Damon to the best of our ability. If that should mean having to talk to him about his problem, then so be it. Orders like the previous one are higher priority and supersede ones like she just gave. If she ends up getting mad at us, so be it. She'd be hard pressed to kill her closest friends anyway."

"But she's clearly obsessed with that fool!" Selena argued, snapping into a sitting position. "You saw how she got when he was dying. She was lucky the child in her didn't die from that attack and she knows it! It may have been subconscious, but it's clear to me the only thing that comes close to being more important than him is that baby, and even that's debatable until she comes out!"

"Selena... you love him too." Beruka stated seeing as Selena was failing at hiding it in front of her.

"… of course I do," she muttered, failing to hide her blush. "I love him as much as you do. I don't know how in the heavens he manages to attract so many girls, but I pray his son didn't inherit that... quirk. Regardless, it must be clear to you this isn't just about being Lady Camilla's retainers anymore. Do we do what we have to and try to get through to him when he gets back like we both know we want to, or follow Lady Camilla's orders and let it fester and grow?" She locked eyes with her partner and gave her the most serious look she could. "Be honest, Beruka... what do we do?"

"What I said we do earlier... with minor changes," she replied in her usual deadpan. "Lady Camilla said she'd give us our time with him whenever we wish, no? So we either talk to him under those pretenses and force our way into his heart, or talk to him after we do the deed and do the same thing later."

"… Graaah!" Selena groaned and flopped onto her bed again. "When did things get so damn complicated?! We were both fine with serving Lady Camilla and killing the occasional assassin, maybe training for the inevitable war between Nohr and Hoshido when we had the time. Now we're crushing over the same guy we've known for as long as we've served her but barely talked to until he was freaking kidnapped!"

"… You just answered your own question, Selena," the blue haired assassin deadpanned. "We started feeling this way in Hoshido. For me, it was likely when he saved my life, nearly at the cost of his own. For you... I'm not quite sure. Regardless, things got 'complicated' when emotions started to mix with our duties."

Selena stared at the cobble ceiling, finally reaching her decision. "To hell with this," the mercenary sighed. "When that damn prince comes back, we're confronting him about this."

"His mental problems or our feelings for him?"

"… Yes."

"That answers nothing."

"It answers everything," Selena countered. "Besides, it's not like we have to do it with him right away if we do confess."

"Even if everyone else has and you want to?" Beruka inquired, raising a brow.

"… Oh, shut up you damn assassin."


Back in the Dragon Realm, Lilith felt the pull of energy in the air... it was heavy and there was no attempt to mask it. "Invaders?" She asked herself, flying out of her temple to the disturbance. "I hope my fire is as strong as it used to be."

Just before she managed to leave, the ceiling broke above her, revealing Demon's dragon form falling down and turning into his Human form before he fell down in the room. "Happy !" Demon groaned out prying his face off the stone floor.

"Lord Damon!" The tiny dragon cried and flew over to the drunken prince. "Are you alright? Better question, how did you force your way in here?!"

"Lilith!... we.. We neverzz does anything no more ….. why iszz that?" He asked Lilith with a drunk tone.

"Besides you only visiting this place to lay with women?" She replied sarcastically before giving a serious answer. "You've been leading a war and insisted on sleeping in a tent when I have more than enough power to let you sleep here and return."

"I just had one glass, of winezz.. And they shoot me with a dart in my neckzz... I don't thinkss it mixeszz.." Demon groaned turning his body laying his head on Lilith's lap.

"Were you being difficult when they were trying to get you to rest?" She asked sternly.

"No... I was being attacked by shadowszzz... Who attacked us, and then this metalic husk thingy... lost a lot of bloodzz.. Can't sleep now..." He tried to explain in his drunken slur.

"So they gave you alcohol to help with the pain, then drugged you to get you to sleep?" The blue dragon asked.

"Are you going to yell at me too?" Demon hugged her body.

Lilith blushed beneath her scales and wrapped her body around the drunk dragonshifter. "No... but I'm definitely saying that you deserved it."

"All I did was save them... it's like I'm being made in to the enemy..." Demon's voice began to stabilize.

"… This isn't just the booze talking is it?" An affirmative nod was her answer.

"It was just a glass, not a bottle..." He said as he rubbed his neck from where he was stabbed earlier.

"And a tranquilizer! You just said drugs and alcohol don't mix, and with your dragon metabolism you probably got even more drunk!" She ranted before calming down. "But, I digress... something's been going on in your end, hasn't it?"

Demon grumbled, shifting his head on her lap and throwing his helmet against the wall, trying not to think about the argument he had. "Damoooon, answer me or I won't let you sleep on my lap like you used to," the dragon threatened.

"Once!" Demon retorted seeing she was there that one time.

"And you enjoyed it, don't deny it!"

"I came here for relative peace, because I'm surrounded by conspirators..." Demon groaned, seeing as he saw himself being singled out.

"… Oh dear gods, you're at that phase aren't you?" Lilith groaned.

"….. What phase?" He asked her, leaning up to shake his head.

"Damon, every leader has trust issues when they not only have to lead a revolution, but also lead an army when they have never done so before," Lilith sighed. "Tell me honestly. Have you let one person in to discuss your stress or even just tactics with you since Scarlet?"

"Youuu... too many.." Demon groaned as he got up from the floor, stumbling to his feet as he moved to the pantry and grabbed a ceramic pot of water.

"… I'd give you a hug right now if I had arms again," the blue dragon sighed wistfully. "Damon... talk to me at least. There is literally no one else here. It's just you and a dragon who is literally bound to not divulge your secrets."

"Then... turn into your Human form..." Demon said as he chugged down the water.

A sad look came over the dragon's face. "I... I can't. That spell was a one off without a special kind of dragon stone and it's so rare that even the king of Valla has trouble getting his hands on them. Until I get one, I'm stuck like this."

"What about True love's first kiss..." Demon joked, while pulling off his Dragon stone necklace.

"As sweet and heartwarming as that would be... that only happens in the books I read as a child," she sighed, moving her gaze to the floor. "The stone I'm looking for is a dragon stone plus. It's marginally different color wise, but the effects are far different."

"what color?" Demon asked as he turned towards her.

"The default jade green only darker and it has flecks of lighter green in it," she described. "The only reason it works is because it temporarily drains a dragon of their power after use, so it forces them into a human form after the spell is used since there's more power used in the process."

Demon's red eyes shimmered as he looked at the Dragon Stone, a red aura formed over his hands engulfing the dragon stone as his mind was clear of all thoughts. "It's just a higher concentration of energy, right?" He pushed his power into the small stone, forcing it to change. "Then this should do the job just fine." A blinding flash of light filled the room and the stone flew from the man's hands. When the light faded, the two saw that it was the gem that had flashed, and it was now radiating green glow.

"That's... I'm not even sure that's a dragonstone plus," Lilith said as she looked at the gem cautiously. "This thing is glowing..."

"Lilith you're going to put it on, or I'm going to put it on you..." Demon said walking over to Lilith, holding out the dragonstone gem.

"… I swear, if this kills me I'm going to haunt you for the rest of eternity," the dragon vowed before pushing her head into the loop. She gasped at the sudden rush of power that filled her. "Um... Damon? Are you sure about this?"

"As sure as I am to believe that I am not a walking corpse..." Demon stated, pausing for a moment thinking of what he just said.

"You've come close a few times," Lilith joked before switching to a different tongue. She chanted for five minutes before a second flash filled the room, this time revealing Lilith in her human form... and buck naked. "… Eh?"

"Um... why are you-"

"Shut up!" The now human Lilith shrieked, covering herself as best she could with her arms. "I forgot that this spell doesn't make clothes too!"

Demon moved the sheets on the bed around Lilith. "Quit your whining. Oh thank you for restoring me back to my human form, Damon!" Demon mocked in a feminine voice.

"I'm not ungrateful... just embarrassed," she argued with a blush on her face, contrasting with her blue hair.

"meh.. I'm not, and it's not just the wine talking..." He retorted, while placing her on the bed as he sat on the chair.

"Alright, I'm human again so fess up," She demanded, tightening the cloth around herself. "What's going on with you, Damon?"

"I'm just a little tired is all... tired of running around feeling like we're accomplishing very little, while I have to keep two countries from killing each other." Demon grumbled as he took off his plated armor.

"Annnd... that was grounds for pushing someone away from you?" She asked skeptically. "Who was it anyway? Kaze? Scarlet? Azura?"

"Elise... I'm trying to fight a war and I'm being punished for it, I don't need that kind of drama..." Demon held great disdain for being held back.

"With all due respect, the only drama I'm seeing was caused by you doing whatever you did to Elise. Elise, Damon. The girl who's looked up to you your whole life," the blue haired dragon reminded him.

"I didn't do anything!" He snapped at Lilith before simmering down again.

"… Tell me exactly what happened before the attack," she ordered him. "All of it. Actions and words."

Demon paused for a moment looking at Lilith. "I don't like talking about the past..." He grumbled seeing to him it brings nothing but heat ache.

"Damon, the past is a part of us," Lilith soothed, embracing him while staying under the sheet. "We may not like what happened, but if we don't face it we don't learn from it and in turn are weakened by it. Wait... you had... relations with her, didn't you?"

"No shit... why did you think I came here, to fumble around by my lonesome?" He groaned out in frustration.

"Well... you must've know I was here," the dragon retorted. "But don't evade the subject at hand. Something happened after, didn't it? It's not like Elise to get upset over nothing, and your hardly the type to force yourself on someone. Talk to me, my lord. I kept my end of the bargain, it's only fair you keep yours."

"… I panicked," Demon admitted. "She... got too close to me and I panicked. Camilla is good at getting under my skin and calming me down, no doubt about that. But Elise? She skips right past skin and burrows into the depths of my mind... my heart... without even trying. My paranoia got the best of me and I tried to push her away from me, despite knowing it would hurt her. Personally... I don't think I deserve girls like you and Elise. The kind, almost blindingly loyal ones who light up the room with even a tiny smile. So... despite wanting to accept her feelings... I pushed her back to keep her safe from ruthless bastards like me."

"… Did she try to stay close to you?" Lilith asked, her yellow eyes boring into him.

"I've never seen her so desperate to in my life," he answered.

"Did she try to open up to you in turn?"

"She might as well have been an open book after what we did."

"Did you, at any point, think of hurting her or me just because we disagreed with you or tried to force you to talk to us?"

"Hell no!"

"Then why do you think you don't deserve us?" She asked, finally getting to the point. "And why just us? Why not Camilla or the twins?"

"Because!... wait us?" Demon was thrown off from that comment.

"Hey, you're the one who said 'I don't deserve girls like you and Elise,'" Lilith reminded him.

Demon leaned in close to Lilith's hazel eyes, looking at her. "Come again?" He asked trying to read her.

"You said, 'I don't deserve girls like'… oh screw it, you already know I've had a crush on you for a while," the blue haired woman sighed. "I heard you and Scarlet in the bathhouse."

I have some serious problems... I need to control myself.

"But that isn't the point," she persisted. "Why do you not think you deserve us and not the others?"

Demon stood up from the bed, looking down at Lilith. He wanted to avoid the subject long enough, and perhaps he could for a time, but eventually the topic would come back and he'd have to face it. Demon removed his chain mail, sighing. "You're very persistent, Lilith..." Demon stated, seeing as she wanted in.

"I have to be," she replied. "You need to let someone in right now and I'm not letting you leave until you at least let me."

"Is that so?" Demon asked moving his sword by the chair.

"… Have you ever heard of the Hoshidan daimyo Nobunaga?" She asked him.

"No, I grew up in Nohr remember?" Demon asked Lilith.

"Figured they would've at least covered some of the past lords and generals for tactics," the dragon woman sighed before continuing. "He was a man who, in all honesty, reminds me of Garon. He had an ambition to unite Hoshido when it was still broken up, to unite them so they wouldn't need to fear outside threats. However, paranoia gripped him like a vice. He pushed everyone away from himself to keep focus on his goal, going so far as to kill his own brother in order to fulfill his dream. In the end, no one was there to save him when he was betrayed and he died before his ambition could be fulfilled. Huh... starting to sound familiar, isn't it?"

Demon didn't have an amused face. "Nope." He said ever defiantly.

"Damon... you'd never kill your family, I know that much," Lilith admitted.

"No, I wouldn't. I'm doing everything I can so everyone comes out alive from this... If there are sacrifices to be made then I'll be the one to pay them, I just don't want anyone near when I reap the fallout from it." Demon confessed to Lilith.

"Damon... please, you must see what I was trying to tell you with that story," she pleaded, standing up to embrace him and not caring that the sheet fell off. "If you don't let people in and close yourself off, you won't have anyone to pull you of a situation where you could die! Then everyone dies to Valla because we lost our leader!"

"Lilith, please let me have the illusion on that won't happen... I want to save myself from that pain for now..." Demon confessed moving his hands around her back.

"I refuse," she said, not letting him go.

"Well I tried, plan b." Demon stated as he removed his shirt. "You wanted to see what I am? Wish granted.." Demon said showing his scarred filled chest.

"Stop," she sighed, placing a finger to his lips. "I know what you are, Damon. You're kind, caring, nurturing and most of all, you're our leader."

"That and I'm also a demon.." He openly declared. "A husk who's lost everything in his life, and had to have it stitched up piece by piece, to pull my head out of the sand, to see what the world is truly like." Demon said to Lilith.

"… Who the hell gave you such a silly nickname?" Lilith giggled.

"A-holes in Hoshido." He said, growing accustomed to the name.

"Damon... Most demons kill, rape, steal, take whatever they want with no repercussions outside of Niohs and priests," the dragon said with a smile.

"Yeah, give me a few decades and they'll crown me King of the Demons! Purger of the world!" He jokingly declared.

"Let me finish," she chided before continuing. "You... you save people. You protect them from horrible people. Make sure they're alright when the battle's said and done. Hell, you let the Frigid Oasis keep half of both things you desperately needed when you could have taken all of one or the other. You chose to spare the wolfskins instead of subjugate them. Damon... if you're a demon, you're one of the few you benefit the world."

"Right, tell me that when I march them into Valla, then we'll see how they see me." He was skeptical of how'd they follow him into battle against an unknown foe.

"And you know why they'll follow you in the first place?" She asked. "Because you'll have saved them. Gave them hope of a world where they won't have to worry about such things after. They'll fight for you not because they need to... it'll be because they want to."

Demon's heart started to beat through his chest with Lilith's left hand on it as she spoke to him. "Huh... I'm still alive..."

"What is it you keep saying to Azura and Scarlet? 'I'm still Damon'? If you really mean that, then why are you questioning that yourself?"

Demon's eyes began to dilate looking at Lillith. "Reasons..."

"Well, allow me to make something clear. You're still you, whether you're the ruthless charge leader or the diplomatic pacifist. If you weren't... you'd be pushing me away now, wouldn't you?" A grin was present on her face, the fruit of her joy in succeeding her goal.

Demon moved his hands around Lilith pressing her up against his body. "I'm sorry..." He murmured.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," she laughed.

"No I mean I'm sorry for this..." Demon leaned down, kissing her.

Lilith was silent for a moment, her face a crimson red before she burrowed it into his chest. "Apology accepted..." She tightened her hold on him before continuing. "Promise me something?"

She could hear somewhat of an animalistic growl with in him as his heart pounded through his chest. "Uh huh..." He responded.

"Promise me that, if you ever start to doubt yourself or you start getting scared of the future and for us... that you'll just open up," she told him.

"I'll try..." He groaned out hugging her tightly.

"No, Damon," she persisted. "I need a promise from you. Not 'I'll try'. Because I won't be able to sleep well at night knowing you could be suffering."

"If I open up, it'll be the death of me... " Demon complained.

"I can still hear your heartbeat~," Lilith sang.

Demon blinked in silence, hearing that from her. "I hate you..." He groaned out seeing as she used that against him.

"I... I love you too," she replied half-jokingly.

"Careful, love is a strong word... you don't want to love a Demon like me..." Demon confessed, in a moment of darkness.

"Here we go again," she sighed. "You know what?" The blue haired woman got on her toes and kissed the man on the lips. "There. You're right, I wouldn't want to love a demon. I'd want to love the kind, noble dragon right in front of me."

"Bold words, but can you handle it...?" He asked her, popping his neck.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "You know something? Even if you don't return my feelings and we don't consummate our love now if you do, I'd still follow you. Not because I love you... because I want to be there for someone I care for. Because you're a leader I want to follow."

Demon turned Lilith around kissed her on the back of the neck, leaning her against the bed and biting in to her neck, his fangs barely breaking the smooth, pale skin. "Then how about we both let loose for the night? Not as humans... but dragons in human skin?"

Lilith's eyes seemed to glow and a feral grin spread across her face. "I thought you'd never ask... my handsome mate." She twisted her head and bit into Demon's shoulder, returning the favor. "Don't worry about hurting me... we dragons can be a little... rough when we decide to go at it. But let's go outside first, my mate. We wouldn't want to destroy this cute little treehouse now, do we?"

"Too late..." Demon growled pointing her head up at the gaping hole he caused when the Dragon form busted through.

"He he... I'll fix it later then," she shrugged and pulled Demon onto the bed with her.

Damon woke up the next morning, his head pounding and his entire body sore. "Graaaah... what the hell happened?"

"Mmmm... good morning, my mate," Lilith stretched and smiled at the prince. "Did you enjoy last night?"

"Oh right... I came in drunk..." Damon groaned, feeling his head as it throbbed from the inside due to his hangover.

"Well, it's not like we went at it right away like feral beasts," the woman beside him said assuringly. A playful smile danced on her face and she wrapped her arms around Damon. "That came after I got you out of your little mental crisis."

"Mental crisis? Oh yeah!" The realization gave way to a pained groan. "Elise probably hates me now."

"I'm sure she forgave you," Lilith assure him. "After all, she saved your life not long after, right?"

"How long was I here for, I don't remember much from... last night?" He asked seeing if he was out that long.

"Let's see... How long is around a day and a half in your world compared to this one?" Lilith asked.

"Oh for fu... I got to get ready." Damon said trying to get out of bed reaching for his shirt.

"Sorry, I messed up my wording!" Lilith exclaimed. "I meant to say this world compared to yours. We were going at it for a day and a half here. I don't even think a half of day passed there."

"You crazy dragon, this isn't the Deep Realms! Time here moves just as fast!" Damon complained tripping over the chair by his bed falling over and hitting his head.

"Didn't you say otherwise to Scarlet?" She asked, not panicking at all.

"Did I?! I don't know, can't remember!" Damon said falling on his face again picking up his trousers.

"Azura came here a while back and spent three days here looking for dragonstones once," the dragon woman remembered. "If I recall, only a about a day passed there. Besides, it's not like they don't know where you are."

"Time moves so weird here, I don't know morning from night..." Damon stated putting on his chainmail.

"Yeah... Those things are kind of irrelevant when dragons mate," Lilith said bashfully. "If I wasn't a virgin and you weren't so nice, it likely would have been longer."

"I... I don't even remember doing that?! …. that seems like something important to remember right? I remember kissing you, then when I turned you around, everything went blank..." He said as he strapped his sword around his waist.

"Yeah, it's a little hazy for me too... but, technically it's the first time we both used just our instincts," she rationalized. "My mother said it would be like that the first few times. And since you were drunk when you got here, your memory must need some time to actually process it."

True to form, a flash of memories went through his mind. Tangled limbs, bites from both sides, even temporary dragon parts at some points. "Well I'm hoping we didn't go in to our Dragon forms... because I probably would've ended you right then and there... ha...heh..." He joked, seeing he wasn't too keen on forgetting things.

"Don't worry, I took off our stones before we started to really get into it," she laughed. "I will admit though... I was honestly surprised when you bit me with your dragon teeth... didn't think you were that kinky, mate. Then obviously I returned the favor... and then there were claws... and scratching from both sides." A blush started to form on her cheeks. "Woah gods and then there was your eyes... just thinking about how fierce they were and how powerless they made me feel is making me all tingly inside!"

"Wait, wait, claws? Dragon teeth? Lilith, I didn't hurt you did I?" Damon asked worriedly.

"Relax, my mate," Lilith purred and traced a few new scars on his back. "It's nothing I couldn't heal and give back."

"Oh Gods... " Damon shivered, thinking he forgot everything that night, he didn't even know if there was a risk of giving her a child.

"Just... be grateful I wasn't in heat," Lilith told him with a blush. "Not only would we literally have been here for weeks, just eating and screwing... I would have fallen pregnant."

"Lilith you're in human form, you would've fallen risk to that regardless! Don't you know how that works?!" He exclaimed shaking her.

"That'd be true... if I used my human parts," she acknowledged.

"….. I'm sorry?" Damon was offset by what she said, not understand what she was going at.

"What, you thought our biology and reproductive bits were still human in dragon form?" The blue haired dragon asked coyly.

"We were Human while we were mating..." He tried to explain, to her.

"Yes. And we changed some of our anatomy during it frequently," she replied.

"Claws, teeth, and eyes, though even still the risk of doing that, I mean I did that with someone last time, and look where that ended up, she's pregnant..." Damon confessed seeing as he lost all sorts of control.

"Damon," Lilith sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Let me ask you something. What do you think would happen if you dragonshifted your... rod? Now think of what would happen if I, in the middle of our tryst, changed my lady parts into a dragon's before your release, including my internal organs and reproductive system."

"And I'm done..." Damon said, not wanting to think about that, seeing as he was now at a loss with the logic of Lilith and her knowledge of dragon anatomy.

"Look, bottom line is, I'm not getting pregnant from the last day and a half," she clarified. "Would you like help with the rest of your armor, my mate?"

"… It'd be appreciated," he accepted. It took a bit longer than usual to put on the armor ("Where the heck do I strap this?!"), but Damon was ready to leave in half an hour. "Thank you, Lilith, for your help."

"It was no trouble, my love," the dragon woman smiled. "Oh, and before you go... dragons usually go into heat in about a week from now... do try to not visit me for about a week from when that starts unless you want me to have your children." She handed him a thick book as well. "Also, this is a book on how dragons work. Habits, anatomy, the whole package and even a little extra. I suggest you read it when you get a chance. 'Know thyself' and all that..."

"You... wait does this apply for me?" Damon asked Lilith since he was technically a dragon.

"And your son and other children to come," she answered and pecked im on the cheek. "Oh, and congratulations on the new baby girl on the way. If she's anything like Camilla and you, she'll be utterly sweet and adorable."

"Um... thanks," Damon sighed, accepting the book. "Hey, is this for both or..."

"Yes, it covers males and females and I suggest reading both." A mischievous smirk crossed her face. "I... might have added a few notes here and there in that area."

"What happens when I go in to heat?" Damon asked seeing he lost control of himself to his dark personality before.

"… Let me just say you're going to want to be somewhere secure when that happens, you're going to want all your lovers there that can procreate and leave it at that..."

"How am I going to isolate my son?" Damn asked thumping his head against the wall.

"He should be fine for... another year or so," Lilith estimated. "Or at least until unclaimed females his age enter the fray... and just so you know, we go into heat every three months. It's usually six but... we're kinda the only ones of our kind. It's a decent part of why you attract so many girls too, and why they don't complain all too much when you advance on them. Well, that last part is only when they actually have feelings for you, but that isn't really too hard since you're such a good person."

"I need to start warning people..." Damon accepted his defeat, seeing as if he wasn't control... there were going to be problem next week.

"Good!" The woman chirped and hugged him. "Best to accept nature than to deny it anyway! Now, why don't you go back and apologize to Elise, maybe eat something to refuel." Another kiss from Lilith was all Damon got before he found himself in his room in Volkern again.

"Um... bye?" He sighed at the hole in his armor and undid the back and chest piece. "Going to need that fixed... anyway, where's Elise?"

"Oh... your back!" The girl in question cheered sleepily, just waking up from a nap on his bed. "I missed you, big broth-... honey!" She leapt at him in a hug, nuzzling her bedraggled hair and head into the crook of his neck.

"Um... how long was I gone?" Damon asked nervously.

"Only... yaaaaawn about three hours before I took a nap..." Elise answered, kissing his cheek. "Big brother, what's that book?"

"It's about dragons," he sighed, placing in on the nightstand. "Speaking of, I need to find and warn everyone about something." He laid Elise back on the bed and kissed the crown of her head. "Sleep well, Elise."

"Big... big brother?" She called to him before he left the room. "Are... well, big sister said not to ask, but... are you ok now?"

Damon was silent for a few moments before sitting on the bed and brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. "Listen, Elise... about what happened... I'm sorry. I was scared about something silly and I hurt you. But, yes, I'm alright now. And I swear, I'll never hurt you like that again."

"Big brother..." Elise sighed contently as her eyes drifted close. "Thank you... I love you, so much..."

"I love you too, Elise," Damon smiled, hearing Elise's light breathing moments later. He crept out of the room and started to search for the others, hoping to rally the troops for his warning as well.

"Hey, Damon!" Selena shouted from behind him, stopping him in his tracks. "The three of us need to talk!" Beruka nodded next to her.

"Oh, Selena, Beruka!" He gave the two a smile that made them nervous in a good way. "Glad I found you! Could you help me find-

"Can it!" Selena snapped, cutting the prince off. She was determined to get through to him by any means she had to. "I said we need to talk!"

"Um... sure, what about?" He asked.

"Not here," Beruka stated. "Our room. Not as many people to overhear us there and Elise is in your room." He was about to tell the two he already knew that but was pulled into their room before he could so much as make a peep.

"Alright, first order of business," Selena sighed, psyching herself up. "What you did to Elise was unacceptable! You need to apologize to her the moment she-"

"I already did," Damon stated, throwing off the red head's momentum.

"You... you did?" The hot headed mercenary asked, shocked.

"Yeah. I actually just got done apologizing and went out to find the others when I ran into you two," he explained.

"… Well, there goes that plan, Selena," Beruka deadpanned to her partner.

"Damn it, I know that Beruka!" She snapped.

"Uh... plan?" Damon asked the two. "Are you two trying to pull something?"

"Technically, we were about to go against Lady Camilla's orders, but you saved us the trouble," the blue haired assassin told him.

"Yeah, Elise said something like that," the man remembered. "What the hell happened while I was gone that applies to you guys and Elise?"

"… That little... quirk of yours," Selena sighed. "You know, where you go from pacifist to ruthless and you get a little more reckless?"

"Kinda?" He replied uncertainly. "I won't deny it anymore... I do have a tendency to do that. But, I've at least learned that I'm me either way while I was gone."

"Whoopty doo, you fixed yourself," Selena groaned, every buildup point she had now in ashes. "Guess you got no other reason to be in here, so let's just leave and we'll listen to what you had to say."

"Um... was there something you wanted to say other than that?" Damon asked, picking up on her frustration.

"Of course not!" She denied, then proceeded to shove him out of the room.

"Hey, hey, I got it, I'm moving!" Damon protested feeling Selena push him.

"Now, what was it you wanted to tell us?" Beruka asked him in an attempt to diffuse any oncoming situation the two might cause. "It sounded important when you saw us."

"… This is kind of awkward... but apparently, half dragons go into heat in about a week," he told the two. "Max is spared because he isn't old enough yet, but... I'm gonna be indisposed for about a week when that happens."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... heat? As in mating season heat?" Selena asked him, a blush forming on her face. "And why a week? What the hell could you be doing in that time?!"

"If I were to guess; rutting with whatever female is willing," Beruka stated, drawing blushes from both Selena and Damon.

"Um... yeah, that," he confirmed, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Well, unless I somehow had the will power of a god. Even then, I'd probably lose control."

"Why... why is it important to tell us this?" Selena questioned. "It's not like we're in your little harem or anything."

"It's more of a warning... get as far away from me as you can when that happens..." Damon ordered them seeing he did not know what to expect of his predator like mind if he lost control. Although, if what Lilith remembered was worth anything, it probably wasn't meant for normal people.

"And who is going to protect you when that comes around?" Beruka inquired. "Lady Camilla is with child, but do we really want to risk the child if you lose control? And, to my understanding, males tend to attack other males when they're around women. And with your instincts and senses at their highest, I doubt even Kaze would be able to hide from you."

"Which is why we'll be in a secure place in a week's time," he countered.

"And if Garon attacks? We just took his most profitable silver mine. I have no doubts that he's going to try." A pointed look from her made it clear she wasn't budging.

"Well if you want I could replace that with blood lust..." Damon joked to the two.

"I'm pretty sure that'd cause Peri to jump you," Selena told him. "Well, her or that older Hoshido woman."

Damon shuddered at the thought. Not entirely for positive reasons either. "Alright, point made. So, what do you two suggest?"

"Well... we could keep an eye on the entrances while you're busy," the assassin suggested, earning a mortified look from her red haired partner.

"Beruka, you do realize that puts us closest to Damon, right? The even more sex crazed one?" Selena reminded her.

"Yes, but it's our duty to ensure his safety as well as Lady Camilla's," Beruka countered.

"Well, it doesn't matter because Damon's not likely to do that," the twin tailed mercenary huffed.

"Um... right here, you two," Damon interjected.

"So, what's your take on this then?" Selena scowled at him. "Maximus is your son, he could do it easily."

"Aren't Scarlet and him in charge when Damon can't command us?" Beruka reminded her. A panicked look started to overtake Selena's features.

"We-well what about Keaton? Or that wolfssegner, Arina?" She asked.

"Both are wolfskins, they're more susceptible to Damon's condition," the assassin said, tearing down that argument.

"Hinoka?"

"Clearly infatuated with him, likely to end up with him."

"The twins?"

"If they're not with him when he's going at it, I'll eat my chainmail."

"E... Elise?"

"We both heard what happened this morning, she's not an option."

Out of the curtains formed a cloaked figure drawing a crimson two handed blade. "I̜͒f̱̯̋ y̨͋͑o̫u̼ͪ ̟ͫw͘a͡҉ń͖͜t͏̟ sọ̃̎m̗̗̏é̠̘ẗ̹́̽h͈in̛ͭg͑̏͡ ̎do̐nȩ͇͒ ͍͋rigͤ͏͂h̘t̹ͭ,̷ ̷y͓ͥ̈́o̠͈u̘ͯ ͣh̸͙ăv̧͍ͫe ͦ͞to̵͎̗ ̭̇͡d̰̘̤o̬͢ ͞y͞ó͌u̯̕ṛ̤s̖̓͢el̾ͣf̷..̶͇͘.̻̀̕..̪̕"

"Stay out of this!" Selena barked and impaled the intruder, pinning the figure to the wall with her sword. "Wait... who the hell is this guy?"

The cloaked figure walked through the blade, his form around the blade was like smoke. "P̂͝ȧthͅe̢̲ticͯ.͝.̳͡.." He taunted as he moved forward towards the trio.

"… What the hell is with the people attacking us lately?!" Selena shrieked, immediately bringing down all of Damon's available officers.

"Seriously?" Maximus sighed as he drew his sword. "This is the third time today. Don't you people take a hint? We killed your golem, your magic shadow creatures and the officers from yesterday. Do you honestly want to try your odds with father's best in one place?"

The cloaked figure levitated in the air avoiding their charge, shaking his head as he swung his two-handed crimson red blade. Everyone either scattered or blocked the hit, pushing them back with the force behind the blow. "Guess so," Scarlet groaned from the floor.

"Iͭ'͍ṁ̼ͧ ͌̄t͂́i̹̖r̥̎ě͒̾ḑ̟̌ o̙͑̅f̹͙ ̢̠́b̮̘͂e͟iṉ̉́g̲͂ͥ p̣at̑ie̬͠n͊t̏̚.̧ͬͥ..ͧ́ͅ ͐͘yͣou͚ͭ͛ weṟè̶ s̀ͭ͞up̲͚p̧̓ȏ͇͉s̽ͤ̕ḛd̓ͮ̎ ̼͙t͘ǒ̧͍ ̋ͣDi̸͙e͉ ̃̊Dä̰̕mo̸̸̓n̺͐" The cloaked figure spoke again his voice twisted and morphed.

"Sorry, but let's be honest here," he taunted, parrying a swing. "I took a whole archer barrage of arrows and went down a river and likely at least one waterfall. If you thought some poison and a stab in the chest was going to kill me, you have severely underestimated me."

"Yo̡̩u͊'̳́ŗ͔e͖ l̙͂͢ű̖c̝k̰̏y ̴̅I ͨ̿a̻m ̳͂nơ̬͛t͍ a̔͗ţ̢ͬ ̡̰mͤy̡̰ fuͤͅlͦl̥̀ ̝̐șť̀̕r̨̺̓e̟͕̓n̨̢̉g͍͔͆t̝ͫͤh͚̀̓ ̨̙ͫin̗ ̔̆̚t̺ḥ͉̳i̺͊͝s͆ ̲̄r͙̓e͓al̲m D̙͌amon.ͤ.̤ͣ." The cloaked figure struck the ground shaking everything around them.

"In that case, I'm going to give you one last chance," the prince offered, keeping his footing. "You tuck that gaudy little cloak between your legs and leave, join us, or die like every person who's tried before you. Because to be honest, you're just running on a finite supply of magic to phase through our attacks. How long until it runs dry?"

"No, stay away from him!" A female voice came from the window tackling Damon out of the way. It was the same cloaked figure who saved him earlier.

"What the hell- woah!" A giant black spike impaled the area he was just standing.

The female turned on her back while on Damon's chest, aiming her left palm at the cloaked figure. "BEGONE!" A red orb blasted out of her palm striking the figure causing him to disappear.

"So... magic gets past him," Felicia stated. "Maybe I should start making ice weapons again..."

"Since when could you do that?" Her twin asked.

"Not now, damn it!" Selena snapped at them. "Actually, this works out... hey, Damon, when you finish making out with the new girl, you can tell everyone about that thing you learned from Lilith!"

"Eewww! I can't kiss him!" The girl complained.

"Finally someone who resists him!" The red haired mercenary rejoiced.

"I'm not complaining either," Damon agreed with her before turning to the hooded girl, "but... why not? Outside of just meeting I mean."

The hooded girl stopped to think on that. "Because... Reasons.." Her answer was her clearly avoiding that question.

"You do realize that's not fooling anyone, right?" Azura asked.

The girl remained silent for a few moments before rolling off of Damon standing on her feet placing her hands behind her back. "The answer is complicated..."

"Hey, she's saved my life... twice now? I think?" Damon tried to remember. "Regardless, ease off... this time."

"Thanks... Da-… Damon." She giggled hearing herself say that. She immediately cringed at a pain in her tongue. "Gah, damnit! Bit my tongue!"

"Do you need someone to heal it before you go?" Flora offered. "It's the least we could do for saving our leader."

"Uh, well I shouldn't stay here longer than I should... I mean... I don't want to impose..." She started to stammer, while Selena reached for the girl's hood pulling it off quickly to reveal who she is.

"Oh, it's no bother," Flora smiled and pressed the healing rod to her lips. A flash of green and her tongue was healed... though Selena had ample opportunity to pull down her hood and succeeded.

"Eeep!" The girl cried out as she ducked on to the floor covering her head. She was in black light clothing with a pelt like skirt, and dark grey knitted scarf. The girl had pale skin, silver hair in a ponytail fashion her eyes were clenched shut. "Hey give that back!" She complained keeping her eyes shut.

"Why are your eyes closed then?" Selena questioned her, holding the hood out of reach.

"My eyes are sensitive, please give it back!" The girl begged.

"That is the fattest lie I have ever heard!" Selena accused the girl.

She sighed hearing that. "Opening my eyes and revealing her left was Damon's crimson red, while her right was hazel yellow. "Happy?" She asked her.

"Ooo... kay... sorry I asked," the red haired Nohrian apologized and handed the hood back.

"Um... is nobody going to comment on her having an eye like mine?" Damon asked.

"Hey! I'll have you know it's a common trait in... Foreign lands!" The girl defended.

"While that explains how you knew the enemies would attack and how you could kill them, it doesn't explain why you're helping us," Beruka deadpanned, notching an arrow and taking aim.

"You think everyone is content with what the king is doing?" She asked her. "I'm the only person who's been able to escape since the queen and her daughter. Of course I'd want to defend the leader of the army that's trying to take him down."

Maximus found something odd with this girl's story, namely the way she worded it. Although it was true Maximus had little to no knowledge of Valla, something was off. "Azura, can you tell if she's telling the truth?" Maximus whispered to Azura.

"Other than the fact father wouldn't let anyone out since me and mother's escape?" She asked him.

"So why isn't she dissolving? I mean don't you have to be in the realm for that curse to happen?" He asked her.

"It only takes effect if you attempt to disclose the name or location of the kingdom," she replied, putting away her naginata. "I would have told Queen Mikoto and her children by now otherwise."

"It's just something seems... Off about her." He confessed to Azura.

"And how are you going to debunk her alibi?" She asked him.

"Can you detect someone with the ability to shape shift? Or what binds us?" He asked quietly.

"Sadly, no," Azura sighed. "I would have been able to sense Damon's ability when we met otherwise. Same goes for the curse." Azura tried to explain it to Maximus. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh I don't know she's wearing a red Dragon stone right now..." He pointed to her necklace.

"It's likely she's a Vallan noble in that case," she rationalized. "Father can transform if he wishes. As can his generals."

"I think she's my dad's sister... or family, or something... a relative because the way she knew him... I can read it in people." Maximus explained his abilities to Azura.

"Max... what are the odds that Damon is from Valla then?" She asked him in a hushed whisper. "We don't know where he's from... and it's not like he knows his origin either." That managed to silence Maximus.

"Alright, enough grilling her for information," Damon ordered. "Thank you again for saving me... what was your name, miss?"

"… Pauline," she answered with a smile. "My name's Pauline." Max and Selena immediately caught that pause... The girl was lying, for what they didn't know.

"Well, Pauline," the prince smiled back, "thank you for saving me. You sure you don't want to join us officially? We could use someone with your power and skill."

"Sorry, but I have other things to attend to on my end," the heterochronic girl denied. "There's people who support the king in this world, and others he wants dead. If I don't protect them, who will?" She jumped onto the windowsill and flashed them all a smile before putting her hood back on. "Well, I'll see you guys around!" She jumped and teleported away in a similar fashion as last time.

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who doubts that girl," Selena groaned.

"Wait we should've asked who that cloaked figure was... Shit!" Damon smacked his head on the palms of his hands.

Elise walked out of the room and yawned. "Good morning everyone..." She greeted them sleepily. "Did you tell them about that thing yet, Damon?"

"Oh right!" The man exclaimed and turned to the rest of the group. "Alright everyone, there's a bit of a... problem that I'll need to address next week."

"Dad, minus you getting seriously injured twice in the span of a week, we've been on a roll lately," Maximus smirked. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it."

"Um... it's kind of something I have to deal with personally," Damon responded awkwardly. "You too soon enough."

"What is it that could only affect you and your kid, Damon?" Hinoka asked, nursing her aching arms. That blow was strong enough to almost break her arms with the force alone. And other people blocked as well.

"Dragons have their mating season in about a week," Beruka informed them bluntly. "Or at least according to Damon and Lilith."

"Hold up!" Maximus shouted, shocked by the news. "That affects us too?!"

"Part of being a part dragon," Damon sighed and massaged his eyes. "We have to suffer with their biology too."

"So you're going to be hot and bothered for a set amount of time next week and likely need to vent for that period?" Scarlet asked, unable to keep the amused lit out of her voice.

Damon felt a little annoyed from that. "Scarlet where's your maid outfit?" He asked reminding her of the deal.

"Wearing it under my chainmail," she answered. "Heard the fighting and kinda just threw it on."

"Probably should've thought of that..." Damon grumbled, knowing she'd find a loop hole. "Anyways Lilith... said that this time around Dragons would be going in to heat... that means mating season..." Damon tried to word it out.

"As we've discussed," Keaton confirmed. "I'm failing to see the problem here though. Can't we just stay here for the next couple of weeks?"

"Garon would just attack us in that period," Elise countered. "Or at least assuming he knows about our occupation."

"Garon doesn't know we have Volkern, until he starts losing shipments... then he'll take notice," Damon stated, seeing that no one was able to retreat from the siege.

"Shipments come in every couple of weeks," Camilla told him, having overseen them herself a few times. "We could send him one last shipment to throw him off us for a little while, but we'll need to better defend the city in the time following. Judging by the loaded carts, I'd say they were just about ready to send one out when we attacked. If we're going to send that shipment, it has to be today or he'll get suspicious."

"Then as my first orders as Military Governor... I'm ordering a Levy of forces of Volkern, conscriptions if you need to..." Damon sighed as he looked out the window of the undercity.

"Military governor?" Elise giggled. "Why not just say rebellion leader? It sounds less silly."

"Because I'm a commander of this 'Revolution'… " Damon groaned seeing as people are looking up to him as a more permanent solution to the changing of the guard type role.

"Definitely need to workshop the name, but you have a point," his son agreed. "But wouldn't 'High Governor' be more appropriate since you're likely going to leave a proxy here to lead the city when you're not able to?"

"Technically he's a self-proclaimed … illegitimate King," Kaze supplied.

"Peri likes the sound of that!" The blue and pink haired woman smiled. "King Damon... yup, Peri thinks it suits you!"

"I don't think he's ready for that title quiet yet, but I certainly agree," Azura nodded. "I could see you being called King one day."

"Honestly haven't been thinking of him being much else," Scarlet droned. "He's already got queens to make him King. Especially since he did it with Camilla. Can't really call him a prince anymore, can we?"

"Until he has a land to rule over, I think prince will work for now," Reina argued. "With all our victories thus far, I don't think it will be too long before he does."

"Well his sigil does fly over Volkern, I think we just established a temporary capital," Maximus put in his two cents for the topic they were discussing.

"Look, let's just ask him what he thinks," Arina interrupted with a more neutral tone than her usual bored one. "It's his title after all. He should get to choose until it becomes official."

"Good idea!" Elise agreed with a nod, accidentally hitting Damon's shin as her drills swung. "What do you want to be called, honey?"

"Oh, I'm probably going to regret this... fine. King Damon," He relented seeing that this movement needed a poster boy, and Damon as King fit that position. "You do realize Xander will be King of the Nohrian regions I liberated, right? I'm here to quickly restore order and stop this madness from turning into something worse."

"Well, there is Cheve," Scarlet reminded him.

"And Valla," Azura chipped in.

"And, as much as I hate to admit it, there's no guarantee that Xander or Ryoma will survive this," Kaze said, drawing both somber and nasty looks.

"No but then Leo is next in line... even though I'm a year older... it wouldn't be right to take something from him, and or Camilla."

"Please, Damon," the lavender haired woman laughed. "We're already a couple. So if I get Nohr, you're king regardless."

"…. Alright I see you guys aren't going to give this up." Damon felt he needed more time to make his final decision, but time was up regardless of what he would choose, the Continent needed a leader to pull them all together, and he was being thrown in to that role rather quickly.

"Relax, little bro," Hinoka smiled and pat him on the back. "You'll do great! Besides, how bad could you do with all of us going into this with you? Three princesses, an alpha to be, at least one noble and twin daughters of a chief. You're practically drowning in political clout and advice."

Flora was standing by her son, listening to all of this. "Wait... Does that mean I'm like a crown prince then?" Maximus chirped up seeing himself as next in line.

"I suppose so," Felicia shrugged. "You are his oldest child by this world and the deep realm's standards. Even if you end up with a sibling somehow being older than you, you were technically the first to be conceived."

"So... Maximus gets the prince title then?" Flora asked her lover for confirmation.

"Crown Prince, so the first Heir, then it moves down the line from heirs and spares of Princes and Princesses." Damon explained how the role of successors are passed down.

"That makes sense," she acknowledged. "By the way, I ended up chasing that creature to the surface. It was around dusk when I killed it. Shall we get started on making dinner, my lord?" She grabbed her sister's hand and looked at Damon expectantly.

"Yeah, I could go for a bite right after today!" Scarlet agreed. "You wouldn't believe the amount of offers I got to come back to some scumbag's place when I was out recruiting... made me wish you were there... master." She grumbled out the last word, remembering their agreement. The some of the officers, Scarlet included, started to disperse to train and relax.

"I would have gotten similar offers if people didn't already know my face," Camilla predicted. "It didn't stop them from staring... but, I still got some people on board regardless."

"Thanks Camilla, why don't you get some rest... I heard you had quite a day." Damon was worried for Camilla seeing how she was pushing herself, even while with child.

"I'll be fine, my love," she assured him. "I've been through much worse."

"Um... you didn't have a child growing inside you back then," Selena reminded her. "Lady Camilla... at least for the baby's sake, rest up... please?"

Camilla let out an amused sigh seeing the more hot headed and distant of her two retainers being so sincere. "Oh, but who will be with my sweet prince tonight if I go to sleep?" Camilla teased looking at both Selena and Beruka.

Oh no... Camilla, I know what you're suggesting...

"… We could ensure he's unharmed," Beruka offered, picking up on what Camilla was silently offering.

"I mean, one of us doesn't even really need to be in the room," the twin tailed red head mumbled, trying to give herself an excuse. "Actually, I think a guard at the door would be outright brilliant for a good part of the night."

"Oh please, Selena," Camilla grinned at her. "All the threats Damon has encountered so far have long since bypassed doors. Don't you think it'd be best if someone was... closer to him than that?"

"We- well... if you insist," the mercenary murmured. "Hear that, Damon? I'll be bunking with you tonight, so be grateful Lady Camilla is letting us stay in your room!"

Damon looked at the wine glass at his desk and the bottle, grabbing the bottle and just drinking from it.

The power of alcohol will save me from my demons...

"Hey, don't go passing out on booze!" The red head ordered, snatching the bottle from his grasp.

"You need proper nutrition too if you wish to lead us effectively," Beruka reminded him. "Neither of us will allow you to fall asleep before dinner, drunken coma or otherwise."

"Peri said something about you being good at cards earlier," Selena huffed, pulling a deck from her pouch. "I guess we could pass some time by playing a few games. Just don't go bending my cards, got it?"

Damon mourned the loss of his bottle for a moment before gracing the two with a response. "Alright then, I'll play," he sighed. "What did you two have in mind?"

"All I know how to play is poker," Beruka informed them. "Even then, my knowledge of the game is sparse."

"Poker it is..." He announced to the two shuffling the card deck. Beruka picked up what she was missing from the game rather quickly and proceeded to wipe the floor with the other two. It helped that she had a perpetually neutral expression and could suppress her emotions. "Remind me, you didn't know how to play poker too well, right?"

"Before today, yes," the assassin confirmed.

"Then how in the gods' names are you so good?!" Selena all but shouted at her friend.

"It's basically a game of deception, skill and luck," she answered, a hint of a smug grin on her lips. "Assassins have all three in spades."

"I'm just glad the pervert didn't talk us into strip poker," the mercenary sighed. "I don't even want to think about how embarrassing it would be..."

"… We could play a couple rounds if you want."

"You would say that now that you're actually good!"

"Is... is this a normal thing for you two?" Damon asked the two girls in front of him. "Because you both look like you're enjoying it too much for it to be a spur of the moment argument."

The two looked him with a shocked expression, which was basically just slightly wider eyes for Beruka. The azure haired assassin cleared her throat before giving her answer. "I suppose it does happen from time to time. Perhaps it's just my complete lack of social ques, but I never noticed until now."

Selena was about to give her retort when Elise popped her head into the room with an innocent smile. "Dinner's ready! We made meat and fish this time!"

"Thank gods," Damon sighed in relief. "I could eat a horse... or a flock of sheep." He and Elise snickered at the joke while Selena groaned and Beruka stayed silent.

Nothing eventful happened at dinner until Azura noticed something missing from Damon's neck. "Damon? Where's your dragon stone?" The songstress asked the newly anointed king.

The dragon shifting king almost choked on his food when he heard the question.

Oh great, how do I tell her that I gave it to Lilith?! Lie through my teeth! Say that I lost it!

"I ended up losing it in the bath house when I was in the dragon realms," he answered neutrally, cutting up some more meat.

"Oh? Would you like me to help you find it then?" The blue haired woman asked innocently. "It should be faster if we both look. We could even ask Lilith to help us if we need to!"

Damon mentally blanched and decided to come up with another lie. He let out a depressed sigh and looked her in her bright yellow eyes. "Alright, you caught me," the temporary king sighed. "I was in the bathhouse soaking and the stone slipped off my neck. It cracked and changed colors, so I asked Lilith to see if she'd be able to help me fix it. When she touched it... she was in her human form again." Well, it wasn't a total lie.

Azura adopted a pensive look and one of realization was painted on her face in seconds. "The crack must have let in some energy from the dragon realm and Lilith and turned it into a different kind of stone! Possibly a dragon stone plus... I only wish you'd told me instead of leaving it off." She put a hand in her dress and rummaged around before pulling out a new dragon stone. "Here. Make sure to change the cord or fix the clasp often this time, alright?"

Damon mentally celebrated and accepted the necklace from Azura. "Of course. Thank you, Azura." He smiled at her and returned to his meal. After the meal was over, Damon headed for his room, stretching as he reached the door. "Damn, Flora and Felicia really outdid themselves this time." He started to open the door, his senses dulled by content. "I'll have to have them..." His words fell silent at the vision in front of him. Selena, the hot headed and irritable mercenary, his sister's retainer... was currently in a night gown. A deep red, thin night gown. Not too surprising as she was a woman, but jarring to the man nonetheless as he expected something along the lines of pants and a shirt.

"Th-the hell are you staring at?!" Selena questioned him, a blush starting to form on her cheeks. "I always wear something like this when I go to sleep! I'm not about to change it just because I'm going to be bunking with a man!"

"Sorry, I just... really didn't expect you to wear something like this of all things," Damon apologized. "Or at least see you wearing it..."

"Yeah, well like I said, I'm not changing," the woman huffed and pointed to the ceiling. "Even Beruka wears one at night."

"Hello, Damon," the assassin waved. Sure enough, she was wearing her usual headband, equipment and a teal blue night gown, only this one was a bit thicker.

"Hey, Beruka," he waved back. "So, um... are you going to leave while I change or..."

"We'll turn around," Beruka told him, turning around on the rafters so her back was to him.

"Just be quick about it," Selena mumbled and turned on her heel, covering her eyes. Damon had the rest of his armor off quickly, mentally making a note that he still needed to get the torso fixed, and started to change into his usual pants and night shirt. Although, he couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes on him as he changed.

"You done yet?" Selena asked him, her eyes still covered.

"Yep," he replied and turned to his bed, only to find Selena lying in it. "Selena?"

"What?" She asked hotly.

"Why are you in my bed?" He was almost afraid to move to it and sit down. 'Almost' being the key word.

"Do you see anywhere else to sleep?" The mercenary questioned him. "The couch is way too lumpy for me and I am not sleeping in a chair!"

"Well I hope you don't mind sharing," Damon sighed as he laid down next to her and under the covers, drawing a gasp from the mercenary. "Because I'm not about to give up my bed."

"I didn't expect you to," she scowled and turned over to face him. "But I hope you realize that I will castrate you if you touch me without permission."

"I'm pretty sure Lady Camilla would never forgive you for that," Beruka deadpanned from next to the two, making them jump as she crawled into the unoccupied spot under the sheets. "It's too cold up there. Would you mind if I slept here with you two?"

"… You're making this very difficult for me not to do anything by accident," Damon informed the two.

"Care to repeat that?" Selena asked him.

"I have you pressing into my chest and Beruka at my back," he deadpanned. "I have no room to maneuver without touching either of you."

"Would you prefer I take the couch?" The azure haired woman asked, a slightly hurt tone in her voice.

"No way, Beruka, I'll take the couch if this jerk is so adamant about it," Selena denied.

"Alright you two, what's going on?" Damon asked, catching on to the ploy.

"What do you mean, lord Damon?" Beruka asked.

"First the way you two were acting when you wanted to talk, now you're trying to let one or the other stay in bed when Selena already said she didn't like the couch? I'm pretty sure something's going on at this point."

Selena decided to break the ice and take the plunge first. "Fine, I'll talk. I... like you a little bit..." She couldn't keep the blush and nervous look off her face as she said it.

Damon blinked at her and was about to respond when Beruka added her two cents. "I'm pretty sure I've fallen for you too, Damon."

"And I'm pretty sure I hit my head harder than I did in Frigid Oasis... why didn't I see this coming?" He asked himself.

"Because outside of combat and tactics, you're as dense as a bag of rocks," Selena snarked.

"Uncalled for, Selena," Beruka sighed. "Even I know that much."

"Do not start with this now, Beruka!" The red head glared at her partner.

"Regardless," the assassin sighed, "Lady Camilla set this up for us so we could at least confess our feelings for you. Anything that happens afterward is merely a bonus."

Damon couldn't answer at first, still trying to process what was happening. "So... you both like me..." A nod from both of them. "You're both willing to share me..." Another pair of nods. "And... if I'm reading the room right... you both want to do it tonight?"

"N-no!" Selena denied, stopping herself from jumping out of the bed. "I might like you, but not that much yet you pervert!"

Beruka blinked seeing Selena distance herself from her crush and decided to hug his body, shocking the two even more.

When was she this affectionate?!

"I'm willing to if you are," she deadpanned, rubbing salt in the wound. In a display of unparalleled skill and acrobatics, she managed to swing herself between the two and push Damon into her spot, now facing the king. "There's so much new ground to explore in terms of these new feelings... I hope you'll do me the honor of helping me, lord Damon."

...WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

"Perhaps starting with the basics?" She suggested with a hint of nervousness. The assassin leaned in and kissed Damon's cheek, leaving a small mark behind. "I heard Lady Camilla say lipstick is to supposed to aid in appeal once when we were younger... was she correct?"

"Wait you're wearing lipstick?!" Damon's eyes widened just noticing it, as she never wore make up. It wasn't much, only enough to draw out and enhance the color of her lips a little, but it was there none the less.

"Just a little bit," she confirmed. "Lady Camilla helped me pick a shade around the time she told me that bit of advice."

Selena was absolutely shocked hearing that from Beruka, Camilla actually advised her of what to put on. "Hold on a second! When was this?!" She demanded to know.

"Before you came to Nohr," Beruka answered. "We were in our teens at the time if I recall correctly. Camilla got interested in makeup to catch a certain someone's eye and used me for practice since we used to share a skin tone. Then she took to tanning her skin slightly to look healthier for him and then you came along."

"I'm guessing this certain someone was me?" Damon guessed.

"Indeed," the assassin confirmed, looking into his crimson eyes with her dark grey ones. "Huh... your eyes are almost like blood... perhaps jewels..."

"Beruka, focus!" Selena ordered her partner. "Why the hell did Lady Camilla give you such advice?!"

"She said, in her own words, 'I want my friend to be able to find a lover of her own when this war is over,'" Beruka answered, not breaking eye contact with the man in front of her. "…" She couldn't help but start to lean in again, her eyes half lidded. "You're so warm..." Instead of catching his cheek again like she intended to, the azure haired woman caught Damon's lips, shocking all three of them. However, despite the jolt and surprise, Beruka pressed into the kiss instead of breaking away from it. After a few seconds, she broke off and a small smile tugged at corners of her mouth. "I... enjoyed that quite a lot."

Holy shit... She smiled...

"Be-Beruka... you're smiling," Selena gasped.

The assassin in question pressed her fingers to her mouth and gasped in shock. That shock gave way to a slightly bigger smile. "I... I think feel happy... happier than when I receive praise from Lady Camilla at least... no, much more than that."

Okay freaking out here, this has to be a really good dream!

Damon moved his left hand up along Beruka's back, moving to the top of her head and navigating to the right side of her face. "You really are happy?" He asked her.

"Very," she confirmed and rested her head against his chest. "Honestly... no one in Nohr can slip a dagger into my chest... but you? You got to my heart." Beruka tightened her embrace around Damon and sighed contently.

Damon was shocked seeing this side to Beruka, he'd never imagine that she'd open up like this to him. He moved his arms around her back holding, her against him. "I'm glad that I helped you feel that way," the king smiled.

"Mmmmn..." Selena squirmed, jealousy rising watching the two cuddle right in front of her. "Oh, gods damn it!" Her arms shot around Beruka and grabbed hold of Damon, pulling both into her. "I can't take this anymore! First of all, I want to know how the hell you made Beruka fall for you so effortlessly! Second... Second, I want to know how you two made me crumble so damn easily!"

"Lilith said something about us being a rare breed makes it easier to find mates, but only if there's already feelings there," Damon answered. "And honestly? I think it's because I managed to make Beruka of all people happy and you wanted in on it."

"… Don't let this get to your head," Selena huffed and climbed over the two, embracing Damon from the other side. "And just because I like you doesn't mean I'm going to let you knock me up so early like the others."

Damon chuckled. "Oh please, I don't think,I'd do anything harsh to you, besides I'm not Camilla who decides to play full body paint with you two as practice to get you to infiltrate..." Damon mentioned to Selena.

"Gods, don't remind me," she shivered.

"What cruel perverse torture did she subject you to?" Damon turned and poked Selena's nose, enjoying getting in Selena's mind.

"I-I don't have to tell you anything!" She snipped at him before going into relapse. "Damn it, those hands..."

"Oh, so her hands are the one that got every inch of you?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

Selena blushed and pounded on him pitifully. "Shut up! She made up some excuse about needing to clean her brushes! It wasn't until later we figured out she was just trying to get a sense of where our 'strong points' were!"

"Oh..." Damon paused, seeing Camilla was that kind of person to get inside people's minds and messing with them.

"She made a few comments about how we complemented each other," Beruka remembered, a light dusting on her cheeks. "Something about me having a better rump and hips and you having better breasts I think?"

"Beruka, I swear I'm going to kill you," the red head growled, her face like an active volcano.

Damon just listened to the two going on about what Camilla did to the two. Even if it was 'practice' to perfect her disguises, it was still Camilla doing it... he'd have to ask Flora and Felicia what happened while he was out. "Hey, you two?" The both of them stopped their argument and looked at him. "The effect I have only takes place if I do something to gain your affection in the first place. So, that being said... what drew you two to me?"

"When you saved my life back in Hoshido," Beruka confessed, her smile fading a little bit at the memory. "That was the first time I felt sad... the first time I cried too. But you know, Selena never did tell me what drew her to you." The two looked at the red head expectantly.

Selena blushed and her eyes shifted away from Damon. "Ever since I was given the order to protect you from Lady Camilla, I always assumed you'd be a spoiled noble brat of a brother. But you weren't... every night your life was in my hands, and I got to know you more and more as I protected you... you were the one mission I had to complete. I couldn't believe it when I was starting to fall for you... when I thought you died, when Camilla informed us about that battle over the bottomless pit... I couldn't accept that you were taken off this world, that you were taken from me. I was overjoyed when I found out that you survived." Selena couldn't make eye contact as she was ashamed of this.

"… Holy crap," Damon gasped. "So behind all that snark and degradation, you felt that way this whole time? Isn't there a word for that?"

"I believe the Hoshidans call girls like her a tsundere," Beruka informed him, her smile beginning to turn from one of pure joy to a more coy look. Specifically directed at Selena. "It usually means that a girl acts mean to a person she likes because she doesn't know how to act otherwise. But in reality, they're about as soft as bread dough."

"Beruka, do not tease me after I just poured my heart out!" The mercenary glared at the assassin.

"You know... it's kind of cute in a way," Damon smiled at the red head.

"Wh... what?" Selena whispered, her blush somehow managing to intensify.

"Yeah, it's like a child flirting with their crush," he joked, earning a feeble punch.

"I'm not some child," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the bed sheets as she hid her face.

"Yeah, I can see... and feel that," Damon deadpanned, referring to the fact that Selena's breasts were pushing into his back still.

Selena's whole face was red, but she didn't move herself from him. Rather, she decided to tighten her hold on him, subsequently pressing them into him more. "Damn pervert... if I didn't know you were such a good person, I'd club you for that."

"I could be a bad person if you want, if that'd make it easier for you." Damon chuckled as he joked about changing himself.

"I think you saw how that worked out this morning," Selena huffed. "Besides... I like you like this."

"I can agree with her on that," Beruka stated, hugging Damon tighter and kissing his cheek again. "I rather like you when you're not breaking people's hearts."

Damon's eyes widened as his heart started to gradually pick up its beat. His senses became more open and free, letting him see and hear more. He could also smell a faint hint of perfume on the two girls, as well as their natural scent. His eyes began to change into a reptilian shape, causing them to become bloodshot. "Girls... how long would a week in the Dragon Realms be compared to here?"

"Hm... about two days?" Selena guessed, having never been there herself.

"Why do you... oh no..." Beruka caught on to what was happening. "Damon... did Lilith mean a week there or a week here?"

"She never specified," Demon growled, trying to keep his instincts in check.

"Wait, so you're..." Selena smelt something that forced her body to heat up and go slack. "Oh gods... what is that?"

"Likely pheromones," Beruka answered, feeling the effects herself. "It looks like Lord Damon just went into heat."

"Selena, give me the book on the nightstand now," the man growled, trying to think of anything to keep his lust down. The moment he had it in his hands, he flipped to a marked page that specified mating season and blanched at a note at the bottom in Lilith's handwriting.

Warning: A body's biological clock needs twenty four hours to readjust when changing worlds. Therefore, if a dragon has their mating season in the span of at least a week in DrR time compared to at least two days regular time, it is likely to go into heat twice in the span of three months. However, the time spent in heat once it starts is also linked to the DrR time, regardless of whether readjustment has occurred or not. Finally, due to the erratic nature of DrR time and biology adjusting, it is possible for a dragon to go into heat in less than a day if they visited the DrR at least a week before the heat period. In such cases, a dragon can go into heat as many as three times.

Verified by: Lilith

Demon groaned and had a feeling he'd be adding his own name to that list. "Yeah... it's not going to be as long, but I'm in heat," Demon clenched his fists as he tried to control the temptation and urges building up. "I suggest you two leave now if you don't want to be a part of anything... I don't know how long I can keep myself restrained."

Beruka took a deep breath and pushed Selena off the bed, snapping the red head out of her trance. "Beruka, what the-" she was stopped short when the azure haired woman gave her a pointed look and pointed to area her womb was. Suddenly, Selena got the picture. The pheromones would only draw them back if they tried to leave now, so Beruka was giving her an out since she said she didn't want to have sex with Damon earlier.

"I'll stay, Lord Damon," Beruka offered and clasped his hand. "You shouldn't have to suffer like this."

"It's... fine.. I'm a little concerned for my son though..." Demon stated seeing his son would be feeling the effect no doubt.

"You said he wasn't old enough to be affected yet, no?" She reminded him.

"He's eighteen though... " Demon said, seeing he was still a young adult, though he didn't know how affected his son would be.

"Dragons might have a different standard of mature, but he's probably not as bad as you are right now if he's still feeling the effects," Beruka persisted. Selena had yet to leave the room, trying to think of what the right thing to do was. She was still apprehensive about doing it quite yet, but she'd at least be able to ease Beruka's burden of being the sole focus of Demon's lust.

"Beruka... Are you sure about this?" Demon asked, feeling his will power nearing its limit. "If you and Selena don't leave right now... I can't promise you'll still be virgins by the end of the night."

"… It's Severa," the red haired woman stated, taking off her nightgown and climbing back into bed. "That's my biggest secret, you two... you better not tell anyone."

"That's her answer," Beruka stated, a small smile on her face. "And this is mine." She kissed Damon deeply, knowing it might unleash his instincts.

Demon's eyes widened as he deepened his kiss with Beruka, his tongue wrestling with hers as he moved his hands on her back, moving down near her ass. "I'll at least try not to get you two pregnant," he said gruffly and took off the azure woman's night gown. "But I make no promises."

"It's a gambit we'll have to take at this point," Severa acknowledged, her fingers rubbing his scarred chest.

Demon moved his mouth around Beruka's right side of her neck, his teeth nearly sinking in to her flesh. "Sorry, your first times are going to be a little... Rough," he chuckled. "My instincts are at work right now... I won't be able to stop myself all the time."

"Then... can we at least get each other ready?" Beruka asked as lust started to haze her mind. "You could watch the two of us..."

"That's probably going to make it worse... but sure..." Demon choked as he took a deep breath.

"Hear that, Severa?" Beruka asked her partner, crawling over to her. "It looks like it's just us for now."

"Ho-hold on!" The red head stammered, caught off guard by her suggestion. "I never agreed to this!"

"Relax... I'm just as inexperienced as you are," the assassin comforted before leaning in for a kiss. "Besides... don't you want to give our lover a quick show?"

Severa swallowed and hesitantly met Beruka half way as a thought crossed her head. 'My second kiss is with a girl... and Beruka no less... I would have punched anyone who told me that this is how my day was going to end.' The two merely kissed for a moment before Severa got a little bolder. She softly cupped the bottom of Beruka's butt and broke the kiss off. "This... this doesn't mean anything, alright?" She told Beruka with a blush. "We're only doing this because Damon will like it."

"That damp feeling on my thigh is telling me otherwise," Beruka teased, the pheromones making her as emotionally open as any other person. "But it'd be rude of me to just take this from you and not do anything in return..." She kissed the red head again and groped her chest, eliciting a muffled mix between a shriek and a moan from the mercenary. The azure haired woman then ran her hands down her torso to her thighs, Severa's eyes beginning to widen as the calloused fingers trialed down to her snatch.

I know I'm extremely turned on because of this Dragon Heat cycle... but... DAMN!

"Be-Beruka..." Severa gasped, her grip going slack as lust gripped her mind. "Not there! Please!"

"For someone so temperamental, you're easily excited aren't you?" The azure haired assassin teased. Her finger traced the lips of her partner's vagina, garnering a series of small gasps from her. "Look at this... my fingers are already drenched but I haven't even gotten started... you're nothing but a filthy little nymph, aren't you?"

"Wh-what does that make you?" Severa countered, her spark returning as she moved Beruka's hand and put her hips to her partner's, the red head's hands gripping both of the azure woman's ass cheeks. "Trying to get me to crumble before Damon can? Being so frisky when you could barely smile a minute ago? Admit it..." A she ground her hips into Beruka's and gave her an evil grin. "You're acting like you're experienced and some kind of sadist, but you're nothing but a meek little masochist under that façade, right?" A loud smack filled the room as Severa spanked Beruka, a look of pleasured shock covering her face.

"Gyah!" Beruka yelped as the cheek quivered from the blow.

Demon could barely contain himself, his instincts were commanding to lay on that azure woman's back and take her as she begged for it. "What do you think, Damon?" Severa asked, pinning Beruka's arms behind her back and turning her so her wet lips were pointed at him. "Think you should teach this little whore what real pleasure feels like?"

Demon stepped closer to the two. "She's not a whore... she's only been denied for so long, and can't hold it in..." Demon said to Severa, moving his hands under Beruka's thighs.

"Even so, she tried to make me submit when that's your job alone," the red head smirked.

"True..." Demon agreed with his red haired mercenary, moving his left hand under Beruka's back and lifted her up, which caused the woman to wrap her legs around Demon's waist. "That is my job..." He said to Beruka kissing her neck and gripping her ass cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Lord Damon," she panted, letting out another yelp when Severa moved her arms back behind her in a pin, the appendages screaming in pain.

"I know it's your job to break her in, lord Damon," Severa grinned and adjusted her pin on Beruka's arms, getting a high moan out of her. "But do you think I could help a little bit?"

"By all means..." He groaned as he fixed himself to enter her body.

"Then I have a suggestion," the red head smiled evilly. "You're not lubed up yet... can you imagine how much it would hurt if you took her from behind?" She released Beruka and left her with a spank before Demon could do as he pleased.

A sadistic look appeared on Demon's face, moving Beruka on her hands and knees on the bed Demon shifted himself pressing up against her rear entrance. "Lor- lord Damon?" Beruka asked with nerves and anticipation clear in her voice. "What are you doing?"

"What do it look like, Beruka?" Severa asked and bit down on her ear lobe. "He's going to take you in a different way... it shouldn't hurt... much."

Demon squeezed in the head of his cock by a slither, forcing himself even further inside of Beruka's ass. "Gyaaah!" The assassin screamed. "It hurts! It hurts so much! Please, lord Damon, have mercy!"

"Mercy is for the weak!" He growled spanking Beruka and pumped himself inside her ass again, her ass jiggled from the thrusting power.

"Wow, she really is getting off on this," Severa laughed as she put her fingers to Beruka's pussy and showing them to Damon. "Just look how wet she's getting! You'd probably slip right in if you went in that way right now, my lord." A sadistic grin covered her face as she wiped her fingers off on Beruka's back. "Or... you could keep going, keep letting her know who's really in charge of this army."

Demon smiled hearing that from Selena as he pulled out of Beruka causing her to gasp feeling how he could he fit his length into her, Demon grabbed Selena kissing her. "Maybe I should show her..." Demon said to Selena.

"By all means," Severa whispered in his ear and presented herself to him. "I'm yours to take... my king."

Meanwhile...

Maximus was chained up and gagged on the floor with several of the officers badly bruised from his rough housing. "Gods! That was close..." Kaze breathed out in exhaustion, seeing Maximus was restrained from him going berserk.

"What the hell brought this on?" Keaton asked, picking debris from his fur. "It's like a switch flipped or something."

Flora opened the door seeing her friends around a chained up Maximus. "What did you do to my baby boy?!" She demanded seeing Maximus huffing on the ground trying to break the chains.

"I think he smelt something that set him off, probably because mating season is coming up soon if what Damon said is true," Felicia answered, nursing a black eye. "He just started picking fights with everyone and had this weird look in his eye. I think it'd be a more serious problem if he smelt someone his age in that state."

"Wait... isn't Elise his age?" Scarlet asked, causing everyone to look at the blonde princess.

"Well... I'm already taken," she answered, drawing a gasp from Camilla.

"Elise, dearie..." Camilla giggled. "You had a tryst with Damon didn't you-"

"YES, OH GODS YES!" Severa screamed, causing everyone to fall silent. "FUCK ME YOU DAMN DRAGON! SHOW US WHY THEY CALL YOU A DEMON!"

"Are... are they-?"

"I think it's pretty clear what they're doing," Azura sighed, cutting off Peri.

"Oh my," Camilla purred in a lustful tone. "If I knew they'd be having that much fun I would have joined myself."

"Big sister, little Kana's still growing, remember?" Elise reminded her.

"Oh hush, it won't hurt Kana... not unless I really get in to it..." Camilla blushed, trying to hide her reddening cheeks.

"Actually, I think the only thing to worry about is if you're penetrated vaginally," Scarlet speculated.

"Up until a certain point in development yes," Flora informed them. "But it's always if you lay on your stomach. The side is fine though, as long as you don't put too much pressure on it."

"… How do you know that?" Her sister asked.

"I researched in case Damon tried to rescue me in the deep realms," she answered, drawing weird looks from the others. "A girl can dream."

"Didn't peg Selena of all people to be that loud of a screamer though," Scarlet commented, remembering her first time with Damon. 'Well... I didn't peg myself to be one either.'

"You've never heard her when she's angry then," Camilla smiled, remembering one such moment. "That girl has lungs of steel."

"… Do you think they'd notice if Peri peaked?" Peri asked, a blush on her face.

"Not only that, you'd probably get dragged in," Felicia joked. The deepening blush made people question if that was what she was hoping for or not.

"Wait... didn't Selena say us?" Elise asked. Everyone was silent until Camilla started to laugh hysterically.

"My dear Damon, I did not expect you to make Beruka come around this early as well," she laughed, making everyone worry for the sanity of the Nohrian princess.

Speaking of the assassin, she was currently gagged by her headband as Demon and Selena toyed with her. "I wonder..." The red head giggled as an awful idea crossed her mind. "Can you heat up your hand, Damon? And how hot if you can?"

Demon stopped thrusting into Beruka's body turning his attention to Selena. "You want to know if I can heat up my hands..." He repeated what she asked, moving his right hand and igniting it.

"She enjoys pain so much... why not see how she likes your touch like that?" She suggested. "You know... see how she likes a more... heated touch." The mercenary herself touched the burning hand and recoiled with a hiss. "Definitely not for me."

"Hm... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try," the man chuckled and lightly tapped Beruka's shoulder, immediately feeling her tighten and convulse as she let out a muffled scream. "Whoa! I didn't think she'd react that much."

"Hmm..." Selena had a pensive look before letting out an evil grin. "Hey, Damon. What do you think would happen if you slapped her like that anywhere? The burn and the force of the hit... I think it'd drive her wild, don't you think?"

"Let's find out," Demon grinned ferally and raised his flaming appendage. A quick slap to her rump made Beruka's already hazy mind go blank for a few seconds from the mix pain and pleasure.

"Ooooh... she's going to need a healer for that one," Selena winced before grinning again. It quickly turned into a sadistic smile and her fingers drifted to her most private area. "Do it again!"

"As you wish," the lust addled man chuckled and slapped Beruka's arm, making the woman buckle under Damon's next thrust. Selena ran her fingers over the burn and shivered.

"I honestly didn't think I'd get off on this," she admitted with a lustful look at Demon. "I thought it'd be more of Peri's thing." The light brush turned into a sharp scratch.

"Getting a sexual high over getting hurt like this isn't good for her..." Demon said kissing Beruka's forehead. Demon moved his right hand over her burn mark, rubbing the marred skin and using his mana to clear away the injury.

"I know... but referring to you as big brother isn't really healthy either, now is it?" Selena teased. "You can't honestly tell me you didn't get off on it. Someone so devoted just letting you do whatever... Surrendering all control just for the sake of mutual pleasure..." She let out a sharp gasp as her body seized up from pleasure. "Damn it... Now I'm just getting myself off..." With a cocky look at Demon, she continued from where she left off. "You can't tell me that you aren't that nice of a guy to get off on Elise acknowledging you as something so filthy, big brother." The red head couldn't help but laugh at her own verbal abuse.

Beruka tried to warn her friend of the hand that shot out to grab her one of her red twin tails but was of course stopped by the cloth in her mouth. Selena yelped in pain as she was pulled to Demon by her hair. "Did you just say I get off on something so filthy?" He asked Selena, gripping her hair tighter.

"S-so what if I did?" She asked with her grin ever present. "It's not like you can do anything to me. Or not do to me with you being in heat and all, like the lizard you are."

Demon sighed and pulled out of Beruka, tossing Selena on the bed and pinning her down. "Can't I, though?" He positioned himself over Selena's entrance with a mad grin.

"Yo-you promised not to!" She whined, feeling his tip kiss her lower lips.

"I'm a great liar..." Demon taunted moving his hands on her hips, readying himself for the main prize.

"But what if I get pregnant?" She asked worriedly, hoping to appeal to his more sensible side. "Could you really afford to have two officers with child?"

"You should have thought of that before taunting me," Demon growled before plunging in, feeling a bit of resistance as he broke her hymn.

"Nnnnghn!" Selena whimpered, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream again.

"You should feel honored," he chuckled, nodding towards Beruka. "You're the only I'm taking both ways this time." He adjusted himself inside the red haired woman before started to thrust, driving deeper into her.

Beruka shook her head and removed her headband from her mouth, her senses returning to her. "Perhaps you shouldn't have taunted Damon like that then," she panted, wincing at the soreness in her rear end."

"Besides, I could send you to the Deep realm and let you grow through that period and immediately have the child without me worrying for your ass on the field." Demon growled at Selena.

"You'd miss another birth of your child?" She taunted, not losing her snide attitude. She did however gasp as pleasure started to cloud her mind. "Besides, if you do that, Lady Camilla will be giving birth to your third child instead of your second."

"I could send her there with you, to taunt you for all those months alone with her..." Demon continued to lap it on for Selena.

"Please, what's the worst she could do to me?" Her breath started to pick up and she started to shake her hips against him. "It's not like she'd need to disguise me at any point."

"Well there is always more ways to disguise you... just for the fun of it..." Demon teasingly said, thrusting faster into Selena.

"Kyah! Well, who said I'd do as you say anyway?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I only take orders from Lady Camilla outside of battle, remember, you stupid lizard?" Selena gave him a teasing grin.

"I could just ask Camilla..." He reminded Selena giving her a wink.

"What, the lizard comment not bothering the proud draGON!" Her eyes widened as she came, her body tightening around Demon and her legs wrapping around him. She slightly scratched his back with her nails in her moment of release, leaving a few red lines in their wake.

The dragon shifter's eyes widened as Selena's walls clamped around his length, forcing him to cum inside of her. He let out a pleasured groan and gave her a final thrust before collapsing on her, finally spent after going at it six times in a day. And that was on top of the fights. "Gods damn," he panted, laying between the two women. "I have never been this exhausted... and that's including when I trained with Xander and Gunter..."

"Whatever happened to Gunter anyway?" Selena asked breathily, latching onto one of Demon's arms while Beruka took the other. "I haven't seen that guy in ages."

"I think he was sent on a mission on Garon's orders," Beruka remembered. "He should be back at the castle by now."

"Bah... I'm sure we'll see him again eventually," Demon yawned, pulling the covers over them. "For now, sleep. Too tired to think straight."

"I don't think Beruka and I will be walking straight for a while after that performance," the mercenary groaned half-jokingly.

"I'd like to disagree... but I can't feel my legs," the assassin yawned, detaching herself from Demon's arm and opting to cuddle into his side instead. "Hopefully I'll be better... in the morning..." She was the first to drift off to sleep, her body's healing and exhaustion finally catching up with her.

"… Damon?" Selena asked, feeling herself starting to drift off as well.

"What?" He mumbled, already half asleep.

"What do you plan to do if I'm pregnant?" She asked, grimacing slightly at what she thought was a stupid question.

"I'm... not sure," he answered honestly, slightly more awake now that he actually had to think. "If I'm with Camilla at that time, you'll just have to come after us when the time comes. If not... Well, I promise to be there for the birth, at least. Maybe the last month of pregnancy... I dunno..." He passed out, his light snores accompanying Beruka's light breathing.

Selena subconsciously placed a hand on her stomach and grimaced. "Having a child during a war like she did... could I really go through that?" She glanced at Demon and smiled as her eyes started to close. "Yeah... as long as I have him, at least." The red haired beauty kissed her lover on the cheek before letting sleep take her, dreaming about what the future might have in store for her.


Takumi internally smirked at all of the people who showed up to his rally this time. He had just taken his militia into a village a little closer to the capital for it, but not close enough to bring his brother and sister down on him. Well, only his brother since Sakura didn't know how to fight quite yet. The banished prince was actually considering giving her archery lessons before he appeared. Takumi couldn't help but scowl at the thought of Damon. 'We should have killed him from the start and had been done with it,' he thought to himself as he prepared to address the people.

"People of Hoshido!" The archer shouted, silencing the muttering crowd. "I, Prince Takumi, have visited you all today in order to humbly request you join me in my quest to free our proud land from Nohrian influence! As you might have heard from my current followers, I believe that she is being controled by a Nohrian spell or curse in order to weaken us before they attack! Even my older sister, Hinoka, has seen my mother's state and has fled in order to find a remedy for her!"

"… And how would you know that?" A merchant asked from the crowd. "I was just at the capital myself not a week ago. From what I could hear from Lord Ryoma's cursing, she was going to try and bring back her other little brother, Damon. Actually... wasn't it him that saved Queen Mikoto in that attack? Those shards would have surely killed her along with some of the crowd if he hadn't moved her." Now even a few of Takumi's current followers were starting to have doubts.

The blonde prince bit back a curse and tried to suppress his glare. He hadn't counted on people who were actually well informed to be here and debunk his arguments. Still, he kept calm and gave the merchant a grin. "My friend... how could you be sure Hinoka wasn't going off to bring back the bastard child in order to free mother of her curse?"

"I've seen plenty of aggressive looks in my line of work more times than I'd like to admit," the merchant answered. "The intent to kidnap or even kill among them. Her eyes were determined for sure... but they looked more hopeful than anything. Personally, I think she was trying to bring him back to show he isn't a threat, but that's just my opinion."

Takumi had to bite his tongue in order to keep from shouting at the man for having the gall to even insinuate that Damon wasn't a threat. He was a Nohrian, the enemy, and the only solace he took out of that day was watching him get turned into a fleshy quiver and fall into the river. "The point is moot anyway," he responded coolly. "He died the day the Nohrians invaded us and he renounced both of us in some mad attempt at peace. In fact, he was probably trying to set up a scenario where Nohr could stab us in the back again."

"That's another thing," the merchant spoke even louder as the crowd started to whisper and argue amongst themselves. "He floated down the river after getting shot by both sides, from what I heard. It'd be a damn miracle, but no one was there to confirm him dead. If by some chance he were to still be alive and princess Hinoka brings him back to us, who's to say he wouldn't take back what he said after having more time to think it over than a snap decision? And multiple people saw the Yato blade choose him after the attack. Doesn't that make him a savior in the making alread-"

"He is no savior!" Takumi snapped, his rage finally catching up with him. "He is a traitor and a vile, manipulative Nohrian foot soldier who intends to see us all killed!" Many people gaped at the banished prince's ire, stepping away from him or flat out leaving. "The Yato blade is a flimsy piece of steel that has long since been outclassed by Fujin Yumi and Raijinto! That it chose that traitorous scum only shows how low it has fallen! And its wielder is even flimsier than the blade itself! He couldn't even make the hard decisions that a leader needs to make and paid the price for it! I for one hope that he drowned in that river and suffered the whole way to his demise!" He was panting and his throat burned from his yelling. His rage almost left him when he saw that almost all of the people that had shown up had left, and those who hadn't were trembling in fear. With a final roar of anger, he jumped off the rig the villagers had set up for him to give his speech on, pulled out his sacred weapon and fired a shot into it, reducing it to timber and scrap.

"All of you, get ready to move out!" The prince snapped at his followers, snatching a canteen from his sparse supplies and gulping down some water. He shielded his eyes against the noontime sun, snarling at the thought that it'd be dawn in Nohr right now. "These people are a lost cause!"

"I knew Lord Takumi was hot headed," one militia member mumbled to another, "but that was kind of terrifying."

"I don't care about his temper," his comrade replied. "All I know is that if he tries to have us force people to join him, I'm defecting and going back home."

"Do you even know the way back?" The first soldier asked.

"No, but I can get directions," the second replied. "Now shut up. I don't want to be on the receiving end of that temper unless I have to be."

"Agreed." The rest of the troop mobilized in silence, wondering if it was actually worth sticking around knowing that their leader was so rage filled and determined to win that he'd lie to get his way, the bulk of which were present for his attack on the weakened Damon and his lover. Those thoughts were quelled as the loyalists started assuring them that the village was brainwashed, that they'd come around once they broke Damon's toxic spell.

Meanwhile, in Volkern, Damon and the women in his bed were just starting to stir to the sound of knocking on his door. The impromptu king groaned and clutched his head as the itch to mate still lingered in his veins. He carefully got out of the bed, making sure not to wake Selena and Beruka as he dressed himself to greet the person at the door. "Yes?" He asked groggily.

"Oh my, Damon," Camilla giggled in a husky tone and kissed her beloved. "We could hear the fun you three were having from Maximus's room, once you got to Selena at least. I would have joined you three if I had known you were going to move that fast." She couldn't help but chuckle as she peaked past Damon and saw her two retainers passed out on the bed. "You even managed to tire out Selena, and she's usually so rowdy... I'm almost jealous."

"Gnnngh, keep it down!" The woman in question groaned and halfheartedly swatted at the door. "Tryin' ta sleep."

Beruka, being the lighter sleeper of the two, woke up immediately once she heard her mistress's voice and blushed slightly. "Good morning, Lady Camilla," she greeted as she got out of bed and started to dress herself in her usual assassin attire. "I trust you slept well without us there to guard you?"

"I think the only people who didn't get any sleep were you and your neighbor," the elder Nohrian princess teased, laughing as Beruka stumbled slightly. "My, my, he left you unable to walk? The last he managed that was when he-"

"I remember, Lady Camilla," the azure haired woman interjected, slightly embarrassed that she seemed so weak after a single night.

"Would you people shut... up..." Selena's shout turned into a meek whimper as she saw Camilla at the door. "Oh... Lady Camilla..."

"Good morning, Selena," the lavender haired woman purred. "I trust you enjoyed yourself last night?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" She denied, a blush growing on her face.

"'Fuck me you damn dragon, show us why they call you a demon,'" Camilla mocked, relishing the embarrassed look on Selena's face as she did. "That is what you screamed last night, no?" The red heads look of embarrassment and disbelief only grew as her lady grinned. "And even if you weren't, that must have been a very... vivid dream you had."

Selena looked about ready to burst into tears and tore back to her room with her clothes in hand, shrieking all the while. "She does remember she's naked, right?" Beruka asked to no one in particualar.

"I doubt she cares," Camilla smiled blissfully. "Besides, the majority of the officers are females and we haven't any troops on this floor. The worst that could happen is Keaton or Kaze will see her, and it's not like either would try anything after seeing the state she's in." She turned to Damon and gave him another kiss. "Breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes, my love. The other officers wanted to talk to you about where to go next since the travel system is so vast."

"What're our options," he asked, shaking his head clear so he could focus. He reminded himself that he only had to make it to the end of the day, after that he'd be fine. But then he only had six days until mating season... then he'd be indisposed for a week.

"We have a village that is a local trading hub filled with merchants and blacksmiths," Camilla started to list off, "a village that has better farming ability than most other areas of Nohr, and a village with a surplus of people and not enough food to go around. Or, alternatively, we could attack the connecting fort and pray they at least have a smithy."


So... That just happened... You're welcome. XD anyways with Volkern in Damon's control the capital has a few options to expand, and these choices will either help or hinder their campaign, choose wisely as the war effort can be affected by these choices. Please leave a review and tell us what you think of how we're doing.

-Starknight'Rengade-

-Thank You-

Heya there everyone, newest chapter is finally out! I realize that we're going to get at least a little flak for hurting Elise and doing what we did with Lilith, possibly Beruka. But, that's the direction we decided to got and I think we did alright with it. Besides, it was inevitable that one of the girls was going to be hurt by Demon and that Lilith was going to join at some point. Won't lie, wanted to have a vote on the latter front (those of you who played the dlcs know why), but again, that's the direction we went and I'm satisfied with it. So, if you wanna bash us for our choices as the writers, be my guest. I'll just tear your argument apart in the response section.

-LyokoDragon15-

-Hope you enjoyed-

Commander: Damon

Officers: Camilla, Felicia, Flora, Selena, Beruka, Scarlet, Azura, Elise, Lilith, Peri, Arina, Maximus, Kaze, Keaton

Troops: 615/ Wolfskins: 70/ Total: 685

Liberated/Allied areas: Frigid Oasis area, Mount Garou (Wolfskin Tribe), Volkern area

Corruption: Low

Losses/Gains from Battles-

Frigid Oasis: None/ 35 Humans

Mount Garou: 70 Humans/ 70 wolfskins

Volkern: 48 Humans, 2 wolfskins/ unknown

Current threat against Valla: Laughable

Attacking the trading hub grants Damon and his group easier access to food, recruiting mercenaries and blacksmiths until they find an officer who can do so privately (blacksmithing) and a building to hold prisoners (recruitment). (Moderate chance of being found out by Garon, needs to pay for food, recruits and supplies.)

Attacking the farming colony gives Damon and his group exclusively food and potentially weaker recruits, allowing for a donation of crops at a regular interval. (Higher chance of being found out by Garon, potentially raises corruption slightly if Damon gets greedy)

Liberating the overpopulated settlement will swell Damon's numbers with a chance for stronger than normal troops and a gamble for a new officer should they scout the area after. (Officer will not be specified until after the raid should they decide to scout the area, Damon will need more food while having no income for it yet, lowest chance of being found by Garon)

Attacking a fort potentially swells Damon's numbers with experienced soldiers, guaranteed officer recruitment, moderate supply haul and a potential smithy and/or prison. (Highest chance of being found by Garon, Damon will lose more troops and there may not be a smithy or prison in the complex. Pool for recruits are Effie, Arthur and Silas, but not all three.)

While not specified in the story itself, Damon can choose to wait out the mating season in Volkern so that he has a clear head for his next attack. Maximus may or may not find a lover of his own to start his own harem as the same biology applies to him as his father, ie attracting women who gain a crush on him at any point. However, during this time, they can establish a supply line from Frigid Oasis to Volkern so Damon can start receiving food and soldiers and conscript (not recruit like this and the last chapter) more troops in Volkern with an age limit of 14-60. (Guaranteed pregnancy of at least one of the girls in Damon's harem, Damon will be able to think and fight effectively, chance that Keaton or Arina will be affected in some way, lowest chance of being found by Garon. Moderate-high corruption up and they can immediately begin the liberation of Cheve. [WARNING: This will bring civil war to Nohr, ruining it's army and power as people begin to follow Damon's example. This will also change the mentality of many of Damon's officers and recruits to come to be obsessive or fanatically loyal towards Damon and his goals. There is also a chance that people will target Damon instead of Garon. This can effectively be called the hard mode since Damon will be at the cusp of pure evil, he'll have more enemies and, for a time, be stuck with weaker and demoralized troops. The body count will also be higher.])

(High Risk Gamble Mode: Open up a Hoshidan front... ) - This is Highly not recommended... You are gambling the risks and rewards here and we will not show too much of what this can do... for reasons we already explained to you that Hoshido is in an active Civil War, if Damon attempts to lessen the damage, with the force he has right now and what ever support Damon has left in Hoshido, you are literally gambling his chances of his own war effort, not to mention leaving him open from a devesting attack from Nohr. We will say this, however. There is a high chance that any foundations Damon has put down in Nohr will be destroyed, along with the people who supported him, but Hoshido will start to take Damon's word over Takumi's. (- Flora will be hurt from this decision... as well as Maximus, the current Nohrian royalty in and outside of Damon's forces and possibly many others. Scarlet will leave unless she is pregnant with Damon's child and it will be all but impossible to recruit Leo and Xander. You have been warned. Automatic max corruption with few chances for redemption(I.E. The birth of Demon).) Do not joke and put this one down if you just want to see what would happen. This choice is an almost guaranteed game over. The story will end if things go bad or if Damon has almost no trust from his officers. However, due to this, we will only accept this one if it wins by at least ten votes and has legitimate reasons for choosing, so no just putting down 'Gamble Mode' or some other half hearted crap. Outrageous yes, but it keeps trolls from ruining the story.