Red, she could only see red. Her first client had such beautiful red hair, as if he were made to pleasure minotaurs like herself. Then again incubi were literally made to pleasure mamono, and the man beneath her was no different. Bright crimson red hair and beard, gleaming red orbs for eyes, much like her own, and the cold winter weather made his cheeks evermore rosy. It was as if he was made to be hers.

"C'mon Estrid is that the best ya got!", He roared, slapping her ass as she rode him harder, "Ya can pull a cart damn far, but you can hardly fuck!"

Estrid was barely nineteen at the time, and had been working for the incubus for about a year now. Her natural instinct had gotten the better of her, and now here she was making love to the married man; at least they got permission from his wives first before they started. She panted as he pumped deeper into her, "Gods, I should have done this sooner!"

"Oh," He smirked, as he moved to pin her beneath him, "say that again, darlin!"

"I should have done this SOONER!", She screamed as she clung to him for dear life, so lost in her pleasure that she couldn't hear him calling out to her.

"That's a bit much, Estrid!", He coughed, as she began to unknowingly crush him. Pushing the hair out her face to caress her cheek, "Estrid, ya need to… ease up there... I can't breathe…"

Estrid's every thought swam with the pleasure of finally finding her husband, the man she would spend the rest of her life with, and the man that would satisfy her every time her damned eyes would excite her. All she felt was bliss and the lovely sensation of his member grinding deep within her. It was all she could have ever asked for and more.

She wouldn't have to restrain herself anymore, she wouldn't have to constantly train her body to distract herself, and to top it all off, she landed an incubus, one who was already satisfying five other girls. She was in heaven, and there was nothing that could ruin this for her.

'Why do I hear screaming?', She opened her eyes to find the incubus with his eyes rolled back, his back arched in a grotesque fashion, and his crimson blood seeping from his mouth. Her once lust filled eyes shot open in horror, as she released the man to find that she had not only broken his spine, but that she had also squeezed him so hard that she had snapped his ribs. Which were now piercing his lungs, as he tried desperately to reach out to his first wife, a succubus woman with platinum blonde hair.

"MURDERER!"

And like that she was drawn back to the present, a now headless body of a succubus at her hooves, laying atop a squirming Tatsuo, and another screaming mamono with the exact hair color as the one in her memory. Her war hammer drenched in grey matter, and the most arousing color of blood on her face and chest. Horror and arousal struck her simultaneously; so disgusted with what she just done, and aroused by the terrible red blood that terrorized her every waking thought.

Estrid turned to the mamono, who had reared back a fist in preparation to strike, and found her horror magnified by the way Mimil's spell of fire consumed her screaming form. Bile came up in her throat, and all she could do was gag as the reality of what she did set in. Tears ran down her face, turning her already bloody red eyes, a deeper crimson. She fell to her knees and wept, even as the Extremist patrol fled from the scene, and the sight of the young hero shooting them down with volley upon volley of arcane power only weighed heavier on her heart.

She did not shed tears for the dead, or the horrible act she committed to save her friend from being ravished by degenerate mamono. No, she wept at the truth that she had enjoyed it, the fact that she could only feel the pleasure after taking the life of another person. The same pleasure she felt that dreaded night she killed her first client.

Guilt finally set in as she fell to her knees with tears streaming down her face. Her face in her hands, and the sudden furry paw on her shoulder telling her that it was all over. That only made her cry harder as she pulled Tatsuo into a tearful, gentle embrace with the werecat sorrowfully patting her back as she cried into his shirt.

The sounds of her crying and the flickering of flames was the only thing the children could hear as Sasha prevented them from peaking out from the confines of the now stained caravan. Mimil uncomfortably staring at the corpses left behind the short but violent battle. The realization of what she just did coming to her as Sasha plucked her from beside the wagon, and held the girl in her arms as she too began crying.

Sasha shook her head, 'This wasn't what I wanted.'

-0-

"What did I tell you?", Shizuka crossed her arms, with a very familiar expression Dawn had only seen from worried mothers.

'She's acting like Yumie,' he observed, "Shizuka, it was out of my control…"

"You could have ran! You didn't have to fight those stupid dragons!", She huffed before her murderous gaze fell on the cloaked hellhound at his side, "Who is she? Some mamon…"

Covering the bunyips mouth, before she accidentally caused panic in the crowd of Orderites. Dawn removed his arm from around Chloe's shoulder, and gestured for her to go sit by the wagon. Hoping she would be out of sight of the civilians, heroes, and any of the other onlookers currently watching their conversation. Shifting to look behind himself made the nosier of the civilians look away, but the soldiers watched him warily before turning back to their post.

He gave Shizuka a hushed whisper, still keeping his hand over her mouth, "That's Chloe, she's Druella's agent, and will be travelling with us.", Furious muffled complaints rumbled through his hand, "I know it's not ideal, but it was the only way I could have escaped Lescatie.", Her glare deepened, "If it helps, she has no interest in sleeping with me."

Shizuka sighed into his palm, and forced his hand off her mouth with her weak grip. Keeping it to lovingly cradle it against her cheek, she nodded, and looked back at him with teary golden glowing eyes as she took in his semi-broken form. She whispered back, "She has to be lying, you're the perfect husband.", She gave him a sad smile, "You won't be leaving my sight from now on. I can't bear the thought of losing you… but I think you should go check on Estrid… she didn't take the invasion to well."

Eyes widening beneath his helmet, Dawn nodded, before almost forcefully taking his hand back to pick up Ace's Heath Horn. He looked it over seeing that it had grown worn from use during the invasion. He turned to look over the crowd to find many of them cradling heads, arms, waist, and legs, likely injuries received from a trampling they received from their fellow faithful rather than the attack from the Elders or the wild mamono.

Ace himself looked like some of his fur was singed from both Dragon Blight and fire, that couldn't have come from the dragons. Mia was thankfully unharmed, and was sleeping happily beside him. Both curled up into one another on Shizuka's tail, while the bunyip herself rested her head on the higher rise of her tail's coil. She gave him one last smile, before letting her exhaustion guide her to sleep.

Dawn limped up to the huddled crowd, and waved for them to move aside as he made his way to the center of the camp. Men, women, and children all deprived of what would have been standard back home in the Hunter's Guild. They turned away from him, fearing his might, and hoping to avoid striking his ire as if he were an Order noble trudging through muck and feces.

He shook his head and came to a stop at the center of the refugees, standing far taller than any of the people around, and took off his helmet. The heroes turned his way; Wilmarina gave him a thankful nod with a curious glint in her eyes, Mersé nodded in acknowledgement and curiosity, while Primera and the other hero princesses, only two of them wearing proper attire, looked onto him with interest and annoyance.

Dawn raised the horn to his mouth, and closed his eyes. The song was pleasant to the ears of all, some even humming to the simple tune as their pain fell away from them. Shock ran through the crowd as they bared witness to the power of the Heath Horn, especially at the sight of the floating green notes. The second verse came, wiping away the exhaustion, and filling them with rejuvenation. Leaving the final verse to close wounds, mend bones, and causing old scars to fade, until the horn's song quietly faded as its pieces crumbled in his hand. Leaving the crowd in a confused, yet thankful silence.

Feeling his strength return to him, Dawn felt up his ribs in satisfaction, and tested his leg with a stomp. Happy that he could properly walk again, he carefully stepped through the crowd of thankful peasants, and walked back to the wagon to find Sasha and Tatsuo waiting for him. Both looked distressed, tired, and happy to see the hunter walking without needing someone to support him, once more.

"Dawn," Tatsuo started, "Estrid is… well she's," unsure of how to explain it; he looked to Sasha for advice. She could only sigh, before continuing for him, "She defended your wagon from Druella's patrols, and was forced to take one of their lives during an attack… Mimil as well had to 'deal' with quite a few of them," a pained melancholic smile ran across her features, "I'm taking care of her, and I need to show you something after you have helped, you're second wife."

"She is not my wife," he shrugged, "but she is a friend. I'll go check up on her in a second," he turned to the chef, "but you need to get some rest, Tatsuo, you don't look too good."

"Yeah, I'll need to tell you what happened at the church later.", He yawned, "We'll go over it in the morning, but just so you know: Elt and his friend want to travel with us for a bit… Said he nyoooowed our help or somethin' about getting his friend out of Order territory."

Dawn nodded, as Tatsuo tiredly waddled up to Shizuka, took off his wok, and flopped onto the mamono's fluffy tail, face first. The hunter took notice of the worn fur around the back of his neck as he too curled up into the bunyip's fur. Thankfully it didn't look too bad, so he would leave it for the morning. He just had to make sure Estrid wasn't tearing herself apart, and then, in how Ace would put it, 'grill the ever-living shit out of Miss Fullmoon' over what happened in Lescatie.

Taking a seat beside the minotaur was easy enough, it was trying to reach out to her, while she continued to bury her face into her knees that was the hard part. Dawn carefully touched her shoulder, feeling a mix of fury and sorrow rip from her form as she slapped his hand away. If he weren't a hunter, no if he weren't as strong as he was, she may have broken his wrist with the force alone. Your average hunter would have at least sprained their wrist from such a strike.

"What's wrong?", He asked as he reached out to her again.

Estrid sprung forth pushing the hunter behind a tree and away from the view of the anyone who could have seen them. She scowled down at the pinned hunter, her red and puffy eyes still flowed with tears. She laid her head on his chest, and closed her eyes, silently whimpering as the memory replayed itself over and over in her head.

"Estrid?"

"What do you want?!", She sobbed, keeping him from looking at her face as she rolled her forehead against his chest.

Grabbing her by the shoulders, and forcing her to face him was all he could really do. She continued to sob even as she shriveled up against his chest and stomach as they laid themselves against the tree. He took her face in his hands, and gently brushed aside the steady flow of tears. She hiccupped, before attempting to bury her face in his chest again, but found herself stuck in the hunter's iron grip.

"Estrid, you need to calm down.", Dawn ran his hand through her wild bangs, giving him a clear view of her face.

Locking eyes with the man that survived her was enough to give her pause, but the thought of crushing Dawn only ended up driving her further down her terror infused bawling. Pushing past his grip to bury her face into his chest, and forcing him to ride up against the tree. Growing, frustrated with the mamono, he pushed her onto her back, and forced her to look him in the eyes. Leaving no escape from her fears, and little more than a vague sense of security in being held in what she saw as her lover's arms.

"Estrid, what happened?", Dawn asked quietly, "I know killing someone will tear you up inside, but you're acting like you're going to die… Calm down, and tell me what's wrong."

She stared back up at him, her red eyes reflecting in his, making the already familiar situation feel all too similar. Her tears began to dry up as she began to swallow her hysteria, as she stared back up at the man she came to love over the past couple of days. The man that proved he could take her; that he was strong enough to survive her. She bit her lip, 'To think a mamono would kill her own husband… I really am a monster.'

"I killed a-a succubus, and she-she… she reminded me of when I first lost my virginity.", She grimaced.

Dawn remained silent for but a moment as he digested what she was trying to tell him. Realization sparked in his blue eyes, "Did you… did you kill someone during you're first time?"

Pushing herself up and moving to lean into his shoulder, she nodded. She wrapped her tired body around him; her arms linking around his back, and her legs linking around his waist. She swallowed her fear, "I was making love to my first client, and…"

"… and what?"

"I crushed him in our embrace.", She squeezed her eyes shut to prevent any more tears from flowing, "I was going to marry him… become his wife… become a mother of his children, and-and-and…"

Estrid found herself taken closer to the hunter as she felt his hands touch either side of her arms. She smiled as she felt him hold her in his arms, despite what she did that night, despite what she did tonight, and despite the fact that it could have easily been him, she had crushed. She returned the hug and saw her worries fall away in her mind. She squeezed harder, never wanting him to let go, before opening her eyes to find Dawn unaffected by her deadly strength.

"You did what you had to, right?", Dawn suggested, "You protected everyone, and all of you were able to escape Lescatie, right?"

"I killed someone.", Estrid argued, "I'm a murderer on two accounts… why are you holding someone like me so effortlessly."

He nodded as he began to reassuringly stroke her hair, "I had to kill my fair share of people, myself… Bandits, poachers, rouge hunters, but I didn't enjoy it… It was just something that had to be done, whether I liked it or not."

"But I did.", She nestled deeper into his embrace, "When I saw their blood… I was so-so horny, so-so… so aroused at the sight of death… Dawn, I was dripping wet when I should have been angry at what I had done… I'm a psychopath…"

"No, you're not.", He squeezed, "It's just your instincts getting the better of you that's all."

"I killed an innocent man…"

"You didn't mean too," Dawn interrupted her, "and I doubt you want to enjoy the sight of blood… It's just the color."

They fell back into silence, with Estrid laying still in Dawn's arms with the chilly night wind pushing her closer to him. She nuzzled into his chest, before turning to look up at him. Letting her bright red reflect in his dark blue, and all she could do was imagine what their kids, if they ever had any, would look like. She smiled at the thought, 'Maybe they'll surprise us and have cute purple eyes instead.'

"Can I ask you that question Shizuka and I had on our minds, Dawn?", She whispered into his ear.

"Go ahead."

Her heart swam with desire, not only for the hunter, but for the happiness he could bring her and Shizuka. She beamed though neither of them could see it, "Will you marry us? Shizuka and I... Become our beloved husband."

"…I don't know if I can do that.", Dawn continued to stroke her short curly black hair as she grew tense, "I-I I'm not sure how I feel, myself. I know that there's something here, but… Can you answer my question first, and give me some time to think?"

"I can do that…"

"Why do you love me? Why does Shizuka love me? Why me of all people?"

Estrid tore herself from his embrace, and pulled him into a kiss. A kiss that said far more than she ever could have. Her puffy eyes were returning to their usual red by the time she released him. She stared into his ocean blue eyes, "Why wouldn't we, Dawn?", She fell back into their embrace, "Why wouldn't we need you, want you… you're perfect for us."

Dawn sat there with Estrid in his arms for what felt like hours, coming to understand the feelings of these foreign monsters, and pondering on how this all came to be in but a week and a half. He shook his head, and gently nudged the minotaur off of him. Whispering, "I need to speak with Sasha."

"Fine," Estrid nodded, "but I would rather sleep with you tonight. You still owe me payment… Even if you don't want to marry us; you still have a debt to pay."

"I know, but can we do that at another time?", Dawn suggested as he slipped his helmet on, "I don't think it's wise to do something like that with the Order so close to us."

"Don't worry," she smirked, "just wake me up at the same time you do, and we can get started before anyone else stirs."

-0-

Kushala landed with roll as his mind was assailed by more voices not his own. The female mamono, similar to that lilim, Druella, manifested herself before him. She kneeled beside his writhing form, whisper hushed incantations, and easing his tormented psyche. She called to him, silencing the dozen or so voices tearing at him in an instant.

"Kushala, can you hear me?", She asked.

The Elder stared back up at her, his chest heaving from the sudden quiet, as the beautiful creature spoke to him. His stare turned into a glare, he swiped through where she would have been with his claws, and rolled away. Grumbling, he got to his feet, and roared, "Who are you, creature?!"

"I am Lilith, the Demon Lord, and sovereign lord of all monsters.", She gestured to Kushala and then to herself, "That includes you by extension now…"

"You are no lord of monsters," he turned to look for his companions. Finding Lowen shaking the unconscious form of Pluck, and began storming off in their direction, "I have witnessed the lord of monsters, and he surpasses your pitiful tricks! Now leave me, Lil-lith, I want nothing to do with you!"

"Don't you want to know why you are here?", She floated up to his front, "Why you are in my world, rather than rotting from a successful hunt. Why, I am speaking to you right now?"

"I don't care.", Kushala walked through her, "Leave, now! Or I will find a way to harm you for what you did to me."

"I had no intention of harming you.", She began floating beside him as he did his best to ignore her, "I needed to reach out to you before you did something you would come to regret."

"Regret?", Kushala came to a halt, and turned to her with his claws on his hips, "I was going to kill the hunter. You should be thanking me, if anything, hunters only bring death to us monsters."

"That is not true, and you know it!", She huffed, "The hunter, Dawn, is very important, and his continued survival will benefit both my world and yours."

"Hmm, let's say I believe you," Kushala tapped his chin, "and this, Dawn, needs to stay alive for however long you need him to be. Won't he just come after me and my kin in a year or so after the Hunter's Guild makes its first foothold in your world?"

"I don't know the future, but I have been watching you and the hunter long before and after your respective arrivals.", Lilith smiled, "The hunter clearly approves of coexistence between our peoples, and your nature, your Dragon, is just what I need to fix my world."

"So, you're a stalker then.", Kushala chuckled, "Do you plan to create a unity between man and beast? Because those humans, and their 'nature' will make it quite difficult for you. I've seen it with my own eyes, back when I was young and still had two, what humans and their 'ingenuity' are capable of, and it isn't pretty for any of us, especially for my closer kin."

"Please, all I ask of you is to listen."

"What is it? What could you possibly want from an old dragon like me?", He gave in.

"I need you to bring yourself, and your companions back to Lowen and Pluck's mountain top.", She pointed to the south, where he first met the Valstrax, "You will meet other dragons there in a day or two. I sent word to the queen of Dragonia, Deonora, so that you can learn what it means to be mamono. I know she will want to take you and your 'kin' in, but I know not what her opinion of you will be. You and Pluck are responsible for Lescatie's destruction after all."

"Is that it?", He tapped his feet impatiently, "I plan to bring my companions back to their nest, whether or not this, Deonora, wishes to see me and Pluck… What do you mean by 'what it means to be mamono?'"

"You will have to see it for yourself.", Lilith stared up into the sky, "I will protect your thoughts for now… The new Chief God would like to deliver righteous judgement upon you two. As my gift of good will, I will keep her and any other of the gods from invading your mind unless you wish to speak with them, yourself."

"Hmm, I thank you then.", Kushala nodded, "I will choose to believe you for now, and not direct my companions elsewhere… But if this proves to be a farce, as I expect it to be, then I will hunt you down and…"

Before he could even complete his threat the form of Lilith disappeared from sight, and left the Elder alone beneath the starry night sky. Relaxing, Kushala waved his storm away, allowing the clouds to clear on their own, while he calmly returned to his walk. Playing with the gathering wind in his claws, 'I suppose my claws are like my horns now. That might prove to be useful if that hunter gets any bright ideas.'

Kushala came to a stop beside the rousing form of Pluck and Lowen. The griffon had propped the young Elder against a boulder, and was wiping rainwater against his face in an effort to revive him. She turned to see Kushala strutting up to them, and sighed, "Did you kill the hunter?"

"No.", He lazily sat himself beside her, and told her a half-truth, "Decided I was feeling merciful today, and let him go with a couple of broken bones to send his Guild a message."

"Sure, you did.", Lowen rolled her eyes, "Probably lost him halfway through the fight, and got bored of looking for him."

"Count yourself lucky that I find your snark endearing, little Lowen.", Kushala ruffled her hair, much to the griffon's chagrin, "How's Pluck doing? He still looks… spent."

"He's fine."

"His chest is broken."

Lowen's eyes widened in shock, "Is it?! He looks okay, and I don't see any cracks on his scales!"

"Look there.", Kushala pressed a talon against a crack, so minor that it was practically invisible to the eye, "It broke after the hunter knocked the wind out of him. It happens when Valstrax are struck at the exact time they are most vulnerable. Pluck is going to have a hard time breathing and flying, while that heals."

"But he can still fly, right?", Lowen ran her own claws along the crack.

"Yes, yes, but he shouldn't be able to take off on his own too quickly.", Kushala chuckled, "Instead of taking off after a second, he'll need to take twice as long to get airborne... TWO WHOLE SECONDS, before he breaks the sound barrier!", He laughed to himself at how insignificant the injury truely was.

Pluck shook his head, and held his helmet like crest in his palms. His eyes opened to see his oddly human shaped claws, before turning to look at Kushala and Lowen. Pluck swallowed the lump in his throat, and looked skyward to see the full moon staring back, faint wisps of green wind flashed across the clear night sky, before coming to a stop by Kushala's wind vents.

He looked down at a puddle beneath him to see his new mamono features staring back at him. His eyes were still the same sky blue with the same bright orange slits, and his crest and horns were now shaped into that of a hunter's helm. He blinked and then turned to his kin and mountain mate, "Did we die and go this world's afterlife?"

Lowen sighed, "No, you're not dead you stupid, stupid, stupid dragon. You just transformed after you went berserk, and started KILLING EVERYONE!"

"Oh," Pluck pursed his new lips with a click of his tongue, "I don't remember much after that floating human touched me… It all felt like a dream; I found myself in some kind of stone forest, then I saw Kushala playing with some mamono, and then I fought a big white wolf with a giant tail… How much of that actually happened?"

"None of it.", Lowen crossed her arms, "After Druella touched you; you went crazy, and started attacking everything in the city. Then you flew off to find Kushala; ended up fighting the hunter's friends and some of the Order heroes instead. After that you fought the hunter, lost, and then I carried you out of the city after he knocked you out."

"And Kushala and I became a mamono halfway through that?", Pluck asked with a shrugged.

"Indeed," Kushala nodded, "though my transformation occurred after I shedded my former body. Now you and I are mamono… monsters… whatever name you would like to give our new form."

"You two aren't mamono.", Lowen refused, "Mamono cannot be male, and we don't kill humans… You two are something else entirely."

"How's that?", Kushala leered with an elbow to her side, "Are we not good enough to be mamono, do we need mate with males, or lay eggs to be proper mamono because we do have female kin, you know."

"Ass.", Lowen huffed, "No, I mean that you two can't be mamono, because you are male! The name literally means monster succubae, which you two are not might I add."

Pluck furrowed his brow and scratched his chin, "What is a succubae?"

"They're temptresses and whores…"

"Are you not by extension a temptress and or a whore?", Kushala sniped.

"NO!", Lowen punched the metal Elder and found his skin to be just as smooth as Pluck's, but just as tough as it was before the transformation. She cradled her nearly broken claw, "We griffons are a proud and noble race! We are not LEWD!"

"Sure," Pluck ignored her outburst and got to his feet. He tested his first step and found that it came naturally, as if he wasn't in a completely new body with new limbs. It bothered him as to how he could so easily walk in a foreign body, but decided it wasn't worth his time to worry about. He turned to address Kushala, "Alright, where to now?"

"Where to now?", Kushala smiled, "We're done Pluck… You completed you're end of the deal, and now you're free to do as you please. Though I would suggest…"

"Finally! FREEDOM!", Pluck shot into the sky a flash of Dragon fire forming his comet's tail, before plummeting back to the earth with his arms and legs flailing out to side as he cratered. He shook his head, and took off again, gaining altitude as he grew accustomed to his new way of flying. He did a once around the forest, before crash landing into the ground beside Kushala with a boisterous grin on his face, "Alright let's go, Kushala! I challenge you to a duel, whoever wins gets the mountain, and has to protect the winner's territory!"

"Are you sure about that?", Kushala smirked, "I never wanted the mountain in the first place."

"It's my mountain!", Lowen butted in, but was ignored by both dragons.

"Hush little Lowen," Kushala ruffled her hair, "the dragons are talking."

"Don't worry," Pluck saluted, "once I secure my territory from my rivals. You won't have to leave your cave or your treasure."

"It was never your territory to begin with!"

-0-

Dawn heard the distant crash of wind through the forest trees, and even felt the breeze pick up from far away. He didn't know what caused the sudden gust, but he could probably assume it was a rather violent burst of air based on the pressure alone. For some reason he got the feeling that a young man was just humbled by his elder, and a woman had just received another pest she would have to learn to live with. He shrugged it off and entered the wagon regardless.

It was filled to the brim with human and mamono children alike, with Sasha Fullmoon at the center of it all, trying her damnedest to settle the two dozen or so children into their beds. Young salamanders and human boys fought with sticks, while the other young mamono and human girls quietly babbled to themselves as they prepared for bed.

Mimil sat alone with a greenworm sleeping at her feet, holding her staff against herself as she slept. Mumbling something unintelligible to herself, and shaking her head with a frown on her face. Dawn gently picked her up and laid her on the bed, while Sasha continued trying to calm the excited boys and girls.

"Quiet down everyone.", Sasha took the sticks from the nameless boy and salamander's hands, "It's time for bed, and we don't want to bother everyone else now do we?"

Quiet voices ran through the crowd of children as they returned to their beds, and hammocks. Most of the human children slept in the wagon's bed, while the young mamono crawled into hammocks or just slept on the floor without issue. Sasha breathed a sigh of relief, and sat down on the supply chest beside the wagon's main entrance. Dawn moved to stand before her, and gestured to the suddenly expanded list of passengers.

"Care to explain?", He asked.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the veteran hero leaned back against the wagon wall, and nodded. Dawn leaned against the wall and gestured for her come out with it. He decidedly chose to allow her to start, knowing that whatever she was going to say was going to be interesting to say the least. She swallowed a dry gulp, and tiredly smiled at the hunter in thanks.

"I'll just come out with it then.", Sasha whispered, "I have been helping Druella for the last three years. I gave her the guards' patrol patterns, the times in which Lescatie was most vulnerable to assault, and the times in which heroes were either visiting or leaving the city. I take full responsibility for the invasion, but I will state that it was for good reason… Do you have any questions before I continue?"

"I would like to hear that reason if you don't mind.", Dawn rolled his shoulders before leaning back into the wall.

"Okay," Sasha nodded, "I was taught by my mother that the most precious thing in the world was a smile… I spent nearly my entire life in dedication to the smiles of the people of Lescatie, but," Sasha's expression fell, "I came to realize that Lescatie was not a place where people could freely live their lives, or live the lives they wished to live most of the time… I knew that the world was not fair, and that it would need my help to protect the smiles of the Chief God's children."

"And this relates to helping Druella how?"

"I know mamono are not the Chief God's children, but I saw it… I saw fear and death in their eyes when I struck them down… My mother said I should protect everyone's smile, so that we could all live happy lives at the end of the day. And make sure that no one would suffer unneeded grief… I saw how most of the people in Lescatie truly lived, and how they never had the chance to smile… how they never had the chance to be fulfilled… to be happy. So, I took it upon myself, and sought out Druella, the Demon Lord's Forth."

"And you believed she would 'fix' Lescatie?"

"No, I knew she would create a new order… well, disorder would be more accurate a term.", She sighed, "I knew she would disrupt the cycle that ruined the lives of the people, and grant happiness… smiles… to everyone and anyone. And that she wouldn't harm anyone in the process. Well… I wasn't wrong.", She gave the hunter a pained smile.

Looking to the sleeping children, Dawn nodded his head towards the sleeping mamono, "Did they play a part in your decision to help Druella?"

"Yes," She confirmed, "they were orphaned during one of the crusades I took part in, and I chose to take them in. They are as much my children as the humans are… The fact that these children can always have a smile on their faces makes me happier than anything else."

"I see."

"Is there anything else you wanted to ask?"

"You can skip the details on what exactly happened between you and Druella. The lilim basically gave you away during the invasion, and I doubt you plan on working with her to capture the refugees. But there is one thing in particular that's bothering me."

"And that would be?"

"What were your plans for the invasion?", He gestured to the children, "Were you going to let all of these children be taken by the wild mamono?"

"Heavens no!", Sasha exclaimed, before switching back to her whisper, "I was going to have them leave with a traders caravan, and I was going to raise them in Reinhold or one of the other neutral nations. But then those darn dragons attacked the city, and Druella… forced her hand, before I could make any proper arrangements."

"I see."

"I was considering on getting your help in transporting them out of the city, but I wanted to make sure you could be trusted before I did anything.", Sasha added, "These children… I treat all of them like they're my own flesh and blood, and I wanted to wait for the best and safest opportunity to get them out."

"And what are your plans for when we get to Reinhold?", Dawn shrugged, "There aren't many neutral territories nearby, and I doubt you'll be able do much outside of setting up shop there. So?"

"I am a longtime friend of Nelius.", She smiled, "I'll be requesting that he would let me set up an orphanage after meeting with him."

"Fine," Dawn hopped off the wall, and stretched out his back, "because I doubt Estrid will be able to carry all these kids for more than a couple of days."

"So, you will keep them a secret?", She stared up at him with thankful eyes.

"Yes."

"The Chief God's blessing upon you, Sir Dawn!", She struggled to embrace the hunter, "I will pray for your health for the rest of my days!"

"No offense Miss Fullmoon," Dawn chuckled as she released him, "but I doubt you have the ability to ever bless me with such a deity's favor after what you did."

-0-

Dawn exited the wagon to find Chloe sitting by herself on the other side of the wagon. She watched him walk by and stood up to follow him, but stopped when the hunter turned to face her. He beckoned her to come close, "Come here Chloe. I want to make sure you understand your place."

She gulped and cautiously came to stand before the giant of a man, and swallowed a lump in throat as the feeling of staring down her Alpha overcame her. She nodded, "I will do whatever you ask, Alpha?"

"Alpha?", Dawn gave her a questioning look, but continued anyway, "Doesn't matter… Chloe, you are not to attack anyone in a sexual manner, or seek out a mate during your stay unless stated otherwise."

"Understood."

"You are to follow Ace's orders, and you are to treat him in equal standing to myself.", He continued.

"Understood."

"You are to tell me what you tell Druella, and what you will be telling Druella before you ever reach out to communicate with her."

"I can't do that," Chloe shrunk beneath his gaze, "she casted a surveillance spell on me, and can see whatever I see through my eyes. I have no choice but to show her everything I see."

"Can she hear what you hear?"

"No."

"Then, we will be careful as to what you will allowed to look at moving forward.", Dawn thought aloud, "I am a master hunter, and I deal with quite a few things that are restricted from public view."

"Understood."

"Lastly, you will be treated fairly for the time you spend with us," Dawn finished, "if anyone causes an issue then come to me, and I will sort it out."

"Understood... and thank you, Alpha."

AN: Okay, normal schedule for uploads is in effect again. Aka once a week, and a couple of days. If you guys have any questions feel free to ask, or PM me, yata yata. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and continue to enjoy the story moving forward.