"I'll take an ale and roasted chicken!"
"Grape wine and pasta…oh with a salad."
"I've got a hearty appetite today! Grilled Fish, Bread, Cheese, Baked Potato…and what the hell give me a whole cherry pie! Oh and don't forget the beer!"
"Sure thing!" Half-Dragon Mother quickly spun as she rushed toward the kitchen to deliver the order to the chef all the while a huge smile crossed her face.
The first couple days had been a little hectic as she did her best to keep up with Padfoot Waitress and the flood of orders that were coming at her. To say she was a bit overwhelmed would be an understatement, fortunately those she was working with were very understanding and helped her along. The patrons at the guild were also very polite, commenting that it was nice to have another pretty face to see in the guild after a long day of adventuring.
By the end of the first day, Guild Girl had taken both Half-Dragons toward the tailor to see about getting them the appropriate clothing to wear around town. The clothing designs were all very lovely, but of course the biggest issue would be the wings, their tails would be comfortably hidden under a skirt, but what to do about the wings. It was Guild Girl who came up with an ingenious idea for the tailor to make the backs open with strings to tie together like an apron. The tailor got to work modifying a few of the existing dressed and skirts and in a few short hours they were ready. Since it wasn't known how well these would work, the tailor said they were on the house, if successful they could always buy more.
Half-Dragon Mother was nervous as she looked over the clothing, worried her claws would tear through the fabric, especially after all the trouble these people were going through to help her. To her surprise the clothing fit well, her arms went through the long sleeves with no trouble, her head easily went through the neck of the blouse, the only hard part was tying the knot in the back, but with a little help she got it. She looked at herself in the mirror, stunned by the change, save her clawed hands, feet and two purple horns, she could have easily passed for a human. With the open back, her wing could easily move without the worry of feeling cramped; even her tail, hidden under her skirt, could move about freely.
"You look amazing." Guild Girl marveled at Half-Dragon Mother in her outfit.
"You look so pretty mama!"
"It…it feels odd wearing this, but I would agree that it is very lovely." Half-Dragon Mother smiled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
"The outfit is nice, but it is your figure that helps pull it off. I'm sure that when he sees you in this, he'll say the same thing."
Half-Dragon Mother gasped slightly, she had completely forgotten that Lizard Priest would soon see her in this outfit.
"Would…would he think I'm pretty in this?" Half-Dragon Mother noticed her face was flushed as the thought flood her mind. "How silly, to be thinking such things as if I were a young maiden again…still, I hope he does like it."
"Okay, your turn!" The tailor was ready with a simple pink dress in his hands.
Like her mother, Half-Dragon Daughter was nervous as she put on the dress; unlike her mother's dress, this one did not have all the frills and lace and had much shorter sleeves. Half-Dragon Daughter had the same struggles with tying the back of her dress, but with Guild Girl's help she got it.
"How do I look?" Half-Dragon Daughter looked toward her mother and Guild Girl nervously waiting for their response.
"My goodness! You look adorable in that!" Guild Girl smiled brilliantly as she looked down at the young dragon girl.
"Yes, so look so pretty, so…grown up." Half-Dragon Mother had a warm smile on her face, she felt her eyes might start to tear up at the sight.
Half-Dragon Daughter laughed happily as she danced around in place, a quick flex of wings showed she could easily open them up. The two dragons then made their way back to the guild, nervously wondering what the others would think when they showed up with their dresses. The fears were for naught as the moment they entered back in, all the individuals they had met were shocked by the mere transformation of the clothing. Lizard Priest stood there with mouth agape as he looked over the figure of Half-Dragon Mother, Dwarf Shaman quickly took note of this and smirked as he elbowed his companions' leg.
"Say something Scaly."
"You…you both look remarkable in your new wears." Lizard Priest stumbled with his words for a moment, the blush still apparent on his face.
"Th, thank you." Half-Dragon Mother found herself looking toward the floor with a large blush across her face.
Half-Dragon Daughter was delighted to hear the compliment and over the next couple days happily watched the comings and goings of the adventurers. She was surprised by how hard Guild Girl, her mother and Padfoot Waitress worked here at the guild. While her mother was working, Priestess and Half-Demon Thief were kind enough to play with her and show her around the town, she even got to help Guild Girl gather paperwork.
"There's so many different people. Elf, Dwarf, Rhea, Human…this town has quite a large number of adventurers. I wonder if every town is like this?"
As promised, Goblin Slayer and Cow Girl did arrive to see how both Half-Dragons were doing and both dire wolves happily came in. Half-Dragon Daughter was overjoyed to see the two massive wolves as they happily nuzzled against her while she patted them. She looked around to see the others talking but noticed that the armored man Goblin Slayer was over by the quest board by himself. She quickly moved toward him, wondering what he was doing followed of course by the two wolves.
"No goblin quests today." He looked over the board at the various at the different tasks available but those did not concern him. "I will deliver my report with Guild Girl once she has finished speaking. I should also speak with Thief about…"
Goblin Slayer then felt something take hold of his left hand and as he looked down found a pair of bright green eyes staring back at him. Half-Dragon Daughter smiled as she looked up at the armored man, though she found it hard to determine what he looked like with his helmet on.
"Is everything okay? You're all by yourself."
"Fine. Just looking at the quest board for any goblins."
"Goblins? You mean those little green monsters?" Half-Dragon Daughter tilted her head to the side.
"Yes, but there are no goblin quests yet."
"Then come and talk with the rest of us." Half-Dragon Daughter tugged on his arm to pull him away from the board and join the others. "No one wants to be alone."
"Is that so?"
"I think so, don't you?" Once again there was the bright smile on her face as she continued to pull.
Goblin Slayer looked down at the little girl, gone was the scared expression on her face the day she had been locked up in the cage; now there was a bright smile on her face as she urged him to join her and the others, he looked over to see both Wolf and Snow looking up at him with tails wagging.
"Very well." Goblin Slayer relented and moved with her, she still holding his hand to make sure he didn't get lost, towards the table.
The others had seen this sight and the moment she and Goblin Slayer sat at the table, Lizard Priest gave a hearty laugh.
"Congratulations my dear, you've done the impossible!"
"Wha, what did I do?" Half-Dragon Daughter was a bit nervous, thinking she had done something she wasn't supposed to.
"You managed to get Orcbolg to join the rest of us. Every time we try, he often tells us he has something to do, or has to head back to the farm, but you did it on your first try! I'm pretty envious of that power."
"He really can be a handful, but you seem to have been able to get him to do what you want from the get-go." Priestess smiled as she herself had been spending the last two years trying to get her teacher to try new things.
"That's a fine little one you have there Scaly."
"You are too kind Sir Mage, but alas she is not mine to claim."
Half-Dragon Mother found a break in her work to join the others just as Guild Girl had to go back to work on her shift. Half-Dragon Daughter had seen how her mother looked so happy whenever she got the time to spend with the lizardman and had noticed they were getting very close over the last few days, she was not a simple child after all. Her time with her mother in the wild had taught her to read what others were thinking, and hearing the others go by names made her yearn for something more, something she never got the chance to experience growing up. Goblin Slayer then stood and began to move toward the front desk to the minor concern of Half-Dragon Daughter.
"Where are you going?" Half-Dragon Daughter was worried if all the earlier teasing made him leave.
"I need to make my reports on the various goblin quests I undertook. It may take a while. I will be back." Goblin Slayer gave the table a small nod as he continued toward the front desk.
"There goes Orcbolg, some things never change."
"Oh I don't know about that Long-Ears, I'd say that Beardcutter there has changed plenty over the time we've spent with him."
"Why do you call each other by such odd names? Long-Ears? Scaly? Beardcutter?"
The others turned their attention back toward the young girl and her sudden question.
"These are names we have for one another. Some are titles in our own native tongue such as Beardcutter and Orcbolg are the names for Milord Goblin Slayer in the tongues of the dwarves and elves. The names "Scaly" and "Long-Ears" are nicknames Sir Mage has given us, colorful characteristics about his comrades."
"Can…can I also call you by these nicknames?"
"Of course, I'd be offended if you didn't call this walking anvil over here Long-Ears…and secretly she'd be offended to."
"If that's the case, they you can call this fat dwarf over here "Wine Barrel" as that is his proper shape."
Half-Dragon Daughter smiled at how she was being included in the conversation with the adults as did her mother. Then she looked back toward the lizardman and her mother and frowned as there was something she wanted to ask yet was afraid of what might be said.
"I…I don't want to just call you Scaly though. Can…can I call you something else?" Half-Dragon Daughter looked toward the lizardman, her heart racing as she worried about the answer.
"Well of course my dear, you may call me whatever you wish."
"Then…can I call you Papa?"
There was a sudden hush over the large table, Dwarf Shaman nearly choked on his wine while the others looked at the young girl then back toward Lizard Priest who himself was stunned by this question as was Half-Dragon Mother by his side. Thankfully, Guild Girl and Goblin Slayer did not hear this, nor did the other guild patrons, though Guild Girl noticed the table had grown quite quiet.
"You and the others came to save my mama and I, even though you knew nothing about us. You wished to help us and…I've seen how happy mama is when she is with you. I did not get to know my papa before, so…I'd like for you to be my new papa. Can I call you Papa?"
Lizard Priest was still shocked by this declaration as he was not sure how to respond to this, then felt something press against his left side, as he turned found Half-Dragon Mother smiling as well as she embraced his arm.
"She's…she's not the only one who wondering about your answer. I can't think of anyone else who could fill that void. So, what do you say…Papa?"
The blush on Lizard Priest's face got bigger, but soon his surprised look turned into a bright smile as he reached over the table and gently squeezed the young girl's hand.
"It would be an honor to be your Papa."
The young girl's eyes lit up and the smile on her face grew even wider, as some of the other girls at the tables were sniffling and ready to cry tears of joy.
"Then if that's the case I want a different nickname as well. You can call me Grandpa." Dwarf Shaman smiled as he patted his belly then looked over toward High Elf Archer and smirked. "Then given how Long-Ears here is the oldest, then by default that would make her…"
"Don't you even think about it dwarf!" High Elf Archer was quick to shut the dwarf's potential nickname down. "I am more than happy being an older sister to this little one here, and I doubt I'll be the only older sister you have."
Half-Dragon Daughter was surprised by this and as she looked around saw Priestess, Half-Demon Thief and Cow Girl all nod their head which only made her smile even more.
"Don't forget that Guild Girl will more than likely be thrilled to be an older sister to you. Which means that you now have a much larger family than you thought you'd get." Priestess smiled as she gently placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder.
"Not to mention you also have a big brother to watch over you too." Cow Girl smiled as she looked back toward the front desk.
Half-Dragon Daughter followed her gaze and immediately caught sight of Goblin Slayer, this man in armor who along with her Papa had come to save her and her mother from those cruel humans.
"Before he comes over here, I'll let you in on a secret little one. Do you know why he is always dressed like that?" Dwarf Shaman smiled as she looked towards his granddaughter and saw her shake her head. "It's because he is what the monsters are scared of. If your Papa isn't there to keep you safe, you can bet that your Big Brother there will fight tooth and nail to protect you."
"Though this family may not share the same blood, know that each of us will do what we can to protect you and each other. On that you can trust your papa." Lizard Priest smiled as he said the word out loud, his tail swaying slightly back and forth as he said it.
The others all smiled at the thought of Goblin Slayer acting like the over protective big brother, but for Half-Dragon Daughter it was surprising to think that in just a few short minutes she now had a large family, something that up until a few days ago consisted of her and her mother and might have never gotten that far if these adventurers had not come to rescue her. Once all was finished and Goblin Slayer had collected his pay, he returned to join the others at the table.
"I have a big brother now!" Half-Dragon Daughter instantly got hold of Goblin Slayer's arm and hugged it tightly.
"Big Brother?"
"I have a huge family now, Scaly…I mean Papa said he'd be my new papa!"
"I see."
"Aw come on now big brother, show a little more emotion." Cow Girl was quick to tease though she was happy this little one had taken a liking to everyone.
"She's right Goblin Slayer sir, you need to set a good example as a big brother." Priestess too added in with a big smile on her face.
"Hmm." Goblin Slayer was confused by the comments made but as he looked down and saw the smiling face of the little girl, he decided not to press the matter any further.
"There is that behavior again beloved…It would seem that she is quite taken with you. These mortal races are not to be trusted…they are…perhaps for now, you can indulge her silly beliefs and allow her to see you as her brother." Lich Queen sighed as she looked at the small child smiling brilliantly and could not bring herself to say negative about her.
Lizard Priest could not have been happier as he spent time with his new family. Over the last two years he had come to enjoy his time with his comrades, being an invaluable asset to their party, and during those times he had never lost sight of what his aspirations, but now he felt this was something more tangible that he could attain. When the party was off on their goblin slaying quests, Half-Dragon Daughter would spend most of her time at the guild hall listening to the stories of the other adventurers, but there were times she would get to go to the farm with her big sister, Cow Girl.
"Wow…do you own all this land?"
"This is my Uncles farm."
"Is this where we get all that delicious cheese?"
"Sure is, I even made sure to have some ready if you'd like to join us for lunch."
Half-Dragon Daughter happily joined Cow Girl and her Uncle for lunch, to which she happily referred to the man as Uncle. Slightly taken aback by the comment, he quickly smiled as he allowed the girl to refer to him as her Uncle. The three ate their lunch then continued their work around the farm, Half-Dragon Daughter was quick to offer her assistance. Uncle did not want to make the young girl work but seeing how adamant she was to help he finally relented to allowed her to assist her niece in the fields.
Soon enough, Half-Dragon Daughter saw her mother coming up the road with her Papa and the rest of her family in tow. She happily ran toward her family where Lizard Priest scooped up his daughter and held her high.
"Did you finish your quest Papa?" She giggled as she was raised and lowered back to the ground.
"Indeed, another nest of the vile creatures has been dealt with."
"Did you have fun today on the farm?" Her mother smiled as she patted her head.
"I did! I got to help my big sister with the cows!"
"Are you ready to head back then?"
Half-Dragon Daughter looked over toward Cow Girl and then saw the two large dire wolves, they had gone on this goblin quest, so she hadn't had a chance to play with them.
"Can I stay the night?" Half-Dragon Daughter was nervous her mother say no as she wanted to spend some time with the dire wolves.
Her mother looked toward Cow Girl who happily nodded her head, then smiled as well as she as she nodded back toward her daughter.
"I don't see any harm with you staying tonight; be on your best behavior and we'll see you back in the morning." Half-Dragon Mother smiled warmly as looked toward her daughter.
"Thank you mama!"
"We'll be sure to take really good care of her. So what are going to be downing without your little one there tonight?" Cow Girl happily enjoying making small conversation.
"Oh, I'm sure we'll find something to keep ourselves entertained." Half-Dragon Mother happily squeezed Lizard Priest's hand.
Lizard Priest struggled to clear his throat though the blush on his face was evident, as was the blush on the face of the other women as they realized what was being suggested.
"No sleep for you tonight, eh Scaly."
The only ones not affected by the comment were Goblin Slayer and Half-Dragon Daughter, for her it was because she did not understand the hidden message and for him, it was because he did not care. The evening as the rest of the party members made their way back toward the guild while Goblin Slayer and the others stayed behind. While Half-Dragon Daughter and Cow Girl happily played with the large dire wolves, Goblin Slayer made his rounds around the farm to check for any possible signs of goblins.
They all happily ate their meal, for the first time Half-Dragon Daughter had an opportunity to have stew and, like the cheese, immediately enjoyed the meal. As they readied themselves for bed Half-Dragon Daughter would end up sleep in Cow Girl's bed; Cow Girl realized that she should probably should not sleep in the nude with the little girl so she decided to keep her underwear and wear a long shirt for the night. Half-Dragon Daughter was a bit apprehensive to be away from her mother, the painful memory of being taken captive lingered in her mind, thankfully she was not going to sleep alone.
"You ready to sleep?" Cow Girl carefully set her body into bed, sleeping closer towards the window.
"I guess, it's a little strange being away from mama."
"We can make our way back to the guild if you'd like?"
"No, I like spending time with the rest of my family, and it was a lot of fun being able to play with Wolf and Snow. I wish I had my own wolf too?"
"It's taken a while for them, but they've really warmed up to all of us, but are still very protective of us if there is something they don't like." Cow Girl smiled as she stroked the young girl's head.
Cow Girl looked out the window and saw the bright red moon in the sly, and quickly closed the shutters as she and half-Dragon Daughter readied to sleep. The suddenly heard the knock on the door which startled them, the door slowly opened, and Goblin Slayer could be seen.
"I finished my rounds; I did not find any signs of goblins."
"You scared us there. Thank you for checking thing for us." Cow Girl smiled as her heart started to slow down from her shocked state.
"I will let you sleep then." Goblin Slayer took hold of the door handle and prepared to close it.
"Uh…would you…would you mind staying with us?" Half-Dragon Daughter was timid in her request as she remembered what her "Grandpa" had mentioned.
"…he is what the monsters are scared of…"
In her mind, the monsters were those that would try to hurt her or her new family and having him there would set her mind at ease. Goblin Slayer was silent for a moment, before he nodded his head and moved into the room. He took a nearby chair and placed it near the head of the bed and looked forward into the darkness. Cow Girl, though slightly embarrassed to have him in the same room as her, felt at ease knowing that he was here.
"Thank you. Do…will you stay the night?" Half-Dragon Daughter was worried that he would leave, her fear was to find herself alone.
Goblin Slayer slowly turned his head toward the two in the bed, still silent then calmly extended his right arm toward the young girl. Half-Dragon Daughter took his hand in hers and gently squeezed as she closed her eyes and felt more comfortable as she drifted off to sleep. Cow Girl smiled as he too closed her eyes and happily went to sleep with the extra body in the bed with her.
Goblin Slayer silently sat there in the darkness constantly looking over the area, then looked back toward the young girl as he felt her squeeze his hand once again. He turned his head to the side as he saw the smile on her face as she silently slept and beneath his helmet there was a small smile.
"If you wish beloved, I can watch over you all while you sleep."
Goblin Slayer looked forward and within the darkness could see the human figure of the Lich Queen standing near the foot of the bed.
"Rest assured beloved I mean no harm; I am simply offering to be of some service to you."
"You…seem different as of late." Goblin Slayer tried to be as silent as possible.
Lich Queen had a small frown about her face as she looked over the two sleeping girls then back toward Goblin Slayer.
"I…I have not changed on my stance on the mortal races, but…maybe not all of them are so bad. I blame you for this change beloved and will still claim your soul for myself." She smiled warmly at Goblin Slayer.
"Hmm." Goblin Slayer was silent for a moment as he looked toward Lich Queen then looked back toward the young girl. "I shall continue to watch over her."
"As you wish beloved."
xxxx
"I'm at my wits end…I don't know what else we can do."
Heavy Warrior, Scout Boy, Half-Elf Light Warrior and Druid Girl lamented as they looked toward the creature within the cage. The monstrous creature charged at the bars of the cage snarling at the four outside, it would reach out with its clawed hands in an attempt to swipe at them as its bright blue eyes angrily focused on them. Though they had seen this creature over and over during the nights of the full moon or moons at time, it was the night of the red moon that this beast was at its most ferocious.
"It's been more than two months, and we're no closer to finding that man who took the wolf away." Half-Elf Light warrior frowned as he looked toward Heavy Warrior.
"And we haven't been able to find a viable cure." Druid Girl added as she looked toward the cage with a solemn expression.
"I know, I know!" Heavy Warrior sighed in frustration as he looked toward the creature. "I…I don't want to even think about the alternative to help her."
"Wh, what do we do? We've done everything to keep this secret from the others, but soon enough they'll find out." Scout Boy was nervous as the creature snarled at them before howling towards the moon above.
"It…it may be time to request some help. We've been going at this on our own for quite some time and have not made any progress." Heavy Warrior thought carefully about what the next steps might be.
"Who can we turn to? Who can we trust not to spread any of this to the others at the guild, it would ruin her reputation as an adventurer?" Half-Elf Light Warrior looked toward Heavy Warrior.
"Someone who knows about wolves."
Author's Note: This should be a good stopping point for our Half-Dragon Daughter's Arc, she and her mother will definitely be sticking around and I'm glad many enjoyed seeing them enter the world of Goblin Slayer. The next arc will introduce Heavy Warrior and the problem he will need help with, but we need to remember that we have an Older Brother looking to avenge his younger brother, so plan to see him show himself and help push us into further torment for Goblin Slayer. The threat of the Necromancer and the descent into darkness also lie before Goblin Slayer so there is much that will challenge our heroes.
Due to the Corona scare, I and other teachers will be on extended vacation until April 6th, which means I should have a little more time ahead of me to work on hopefully a couple other chapters. Stay safe out there and stay healthy, see you guys for next time.
