Just as immense as the walls outside, were the halls of a dwarvish city. The halls were large enough to have three dragons comfortably walk side by side without issue through them. They were ornately made with the finest materials. Audrey didn't exactly know what it was made of. It certainly didn't have the same feel as anything human made. She was sure of one thing. If she spent the rest of her life chipping away at one spot, she'd not even leave a mark.
Of course, no matter how big it was, it never felt empty. Many dwarves still roamed the halls. Most of the ones she saw were soldiers. However she was able to spy a few maids fritting about. It was so odd. She had been raised on tales of dwarven extinction. That they were few in number outside of the monsterized ones. Now though, there were literally hundreds walking past. No doubt many more dwelled further in the city. She already found it odd to have to fight a city full of them. Being inside their city was another matter altogether.
Audrey's nerves were getting the best of her. No doubt they would want something from her. Why wouldn't they? She had helped attack their country. She was at their mercy. A prisoner of war. She knew what happened to people like her. It was never pretty. She didn't have anyone back home to vouch for her so she was basically doomed.
Yua seemed to sense her anxiety. She put a hand on her shoulder, "Everything will be fine. Trust me."
Audrey found it weird to have a monster try and assuage her fears. Yua had taken off her mouthguard so she saw her whole face. She was as pretty as some tales said of mamono. She was a little jealous but she pushed that feeling down. She was still a monster… who had saved her from a terrible fate. So she at least had the former hero's respect.
She was far different than the other monster. The dragon known as Valeriena walked about like she owned the place. Audrey shivered any time the dragon looked in her general direction. There was no kindness in her eyes. Just boredom and spite. She was just like the stories of monsters told her about growing up. She wasn't the only one on edge. The dwarves also didn't like her presence. That wasn't good for her. If a fight broke out, she probably wouldn't make it. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Suddenly the guards led them to a massive door. Engravings of kings and warriors were etched into the golden surface. She'd never seen such craftsmanship in her lifetime. Two guards went to the door, ready to push it open. One of them turned, narrowing his gaze.
"Outsiders," he spoke. "You are about to meet our King. Show respect and you may leave here alive and rich."
"And what if we're naughty?" Valeriena grinned, flames licking her lips.
"We'll mount your heads on pikes outside the walls," the dwarf answered, his gaze stern as stone. "We have felled many a dragon in these lands."
"Ha!" Valeriena laughed, "Maybe in centuries gone by, but I'll be nice. Can't lose out on that reward after all."
The guard grunted before moving back to the door. The two dwarves began pushing it open, showing strength that would take twice as many men to do so. It didn't take them long to create a gap large enough for the group. Audrey was led inside with the rest and her eyes widened as she took in the sight. The decorations and beauty of the halls paled in comparison to the throne room. Battles of yore were depicted in pottery, walls, columns the size of which put any human ones she'd seen to shame. Everything was so massive yet so well built. The guards here as well. Their armor is bigger and thicker then the guards in the halls.
The king had an ornate blue and red set of armor on. His crown shown with a golden hue as well as the blue gems gleaming on every spike. His long, white beard showed his age but his brown eyes still shown with determination. He motioned his hand for them to stop and so they did. The doors were closed behind them, almost making Audrey jump in fright.
"I am King Draztu, lord of Karan Zar." The dwarven king said, "I apologize for not meeting with you earlier when negotiations were in place. The coming battle had my attention."
"That is quite alright, Your Majesty," Yua bowed by leaning her full upper body down in a straight angle. "I am Yua, honored assassin. I have slain the rival king who dared to trespass on your land."
King Draztu nodded, "Assassination is a cowards trick but these humans do not deserve an ounce of honor. I am grateful for your actions."
"He was a villain to the end," Yua said, "Your Majesty made the right choice in wishing for his death."
"Quite so," King Draztu said before eyeing Audrey, "But why have you brought a human to our court? Currying favor with a pretty lass will not work with me."
"She is not a gift," Yua said, gesturing to the human. "I saved her from the vile hands of the human king. I have given my word of protection to her."
"Your word, eh?" The dwarf king rubbed his beard as though pondering something. His stern gaze turned towards Audrey, "Human, speak now. In what manner were you brought to these lands? As a servant? A commoner?" He waited a few seconds before barking, "Speak."
Audrey gulped. This wasn't good. She knew that she couldn't lie. Her clothes were too fancy for that of commoners. Such was the case for any hero's outfit. She couldn't keep up a lie for long even if she wanted to. Her fear wouldn't let her. She lowered her head, "I am a Hero. The king wanted me to break the walls."
The king threw his head back and barked out a laugh. So did the other dwarves in the throne room. Audrey's cheeks grew inflamed with red from the humiliation. The king eventually stopped laughing as a scowl quickly formed on his lips.
"Well you failed," the king said. "Your arrows flew true but lacked the power to even crack our walls. For that I am grateful. For that I do not ask for your head."
Audrey sighed in relief.
"But you will not walk out of these halls a free human," King Draztu said with a sneer. "You owe the kingdom a debt for your transgressions. Many a moon will you answer to me in these halls."
Audrey wanted to cry. If she wasn't enslaved to one king, then another took their place. She could tell at least this one wouldn't 'use her' but that didn't make her feel any better. She felt like dirt and wished she had been killed by a stray cannon or something in the battle. Then everything would be over already.
"You two," the dwarf king turned his gaze to the others. "You may go. Take your rewards and be gone from these lands."
Valeriena snorted, "And here I thought we were getting along all peachy like. You're lucky I love your jewels." She turned and started to walk out of the room, "Bye, bye for now, little king. I'll be back the next time the big scary humans attack."
The king snarled. It looked to everyone involved that he was going to say something back. Maybe even order an attack but he kept his tongue. He had been king for too long to know that rash decisions were never a good idea.
"My king," Yua spoke up, "I simply can't leave Audrey here on her own."
"She will be taken care of," the king said. "I dislike humans but I am not a cruel king."
"Be as that may," Yua bowed her head. "She is my responsibility since I saved her."
"Is she now?" King Druzta raised an eyebrow, "Do you plan to stay with her here until her sentence is over?"
"If that is what it takes," Yua said.
Audrey's eyes widened. Why was she doing this? She could just walk out of that door like the dragon just did. Why stick her neck out for her? It made no sense. She was a Hero. Well, a former one, but still. She should hate her. It made her head spin trying to make sense of this.
King Druzta smiled, "It is good to see one of your kind so outspoken about oaths. Very well, it will be your duty to watch over the human. Make sure she follows my orders to the letter. Of course, we will have guards watching both of you. Act out of bounds and you will suffer the consequences."
Yua nodded, "I will make sure of it."
With that said, she straightened up. She turned to Audrey and gently helped her to her feet. The former hero noted how pretty Yua's eyes were at this distance. They were filled with warmth. Even if she was a monster, Audrey hoped they stayed that warm throughout her stay here. It was better then the cold stares of the dwarves. Yua gave the king a smile and a nod.
The king returned the nod, "I will imagine you will be letting your sisters know of your decision."
"I will," Yua said, "Thankfully my clan is big enough to move on without me for a while."
"A very long while it shall be," King Druzta said. "I will prepare a room for you two."
"...One room?" Audrey spoke up in confusion, before quickly shutting up.
"The mamono is your caretaker," the king said. "You will share a room. It makes it easier for us to guard you."
Audrey nodded. Her life wasn't her own anymore. She just never thought she would be sharing a room with a mamono. Her teachings told her that this was a bad idea all around. The dwarves would use her for their gain. The mamono might try and convert her. She shivered. She just wanted to go home.
Yua put a hand on Audrey's shoulder, "Don't worry. Things are going to work out. Trust me."
Audrey glanced her way. There was something about the assassin mamono's smile that made what she said seem true. The smile was so calm and nice. She inwardly sighed. She guessed she had no choice but to trust her. This was her life now, after all.
Eros eagerly licked her ice cream. It had been a while since she had visited the mortal plain. In that time, there was one thing she longed for. The ice cold sweetness of ice cream. She and Ares were currently sitting in a cafe in the country of Belgique. It was a small, neutral country. Not aligned with anyone but open to everyone. Of course, it didn't have many mamono. It's place was a bit too close to some Order countries for some to brave and had a good size population of monster haters. Yet the kingdom did its best to stay out of the affairs of everyone else's. That suited the goddess quite fine right now.
She had forgotten the name of the little town they were in. Perhaps she'd visit later and explore it better. For now, she had a friend to cheer up. Ares only lightly licked her ice cream, still in the dumps.
Now one might wonder how two gods would be able to sit all alone without someone noticing. Thankfully, gods could take mortal 'shells' for a time. It helped them blend in. As well, the two of them were wearing more 'casual' clothes. Ares wore a long sleeve shirt that ended just above her midsection, so some of her muscles and belly button were showing. Alongside her long pants that ended with thick boots. Eros wore a sleeveless, pink dress that had a lot of 'poof' around the shoulders. It was mostly modest except for a heart shaped hole in the front, showing off some of her cleavage that pushed tightly against the rest of the fabric.
Ares huffed, "You know, you do a bad job of trying not to stand out."
"I am a love goddess," Eros ran a hand through her luscious locks, which mesmerized a few passerbyers. "I am supposed to stand out, but I'm sure they'll leave me alone."
"If you say so," Ares kept eating her ice cream.
Eros sighed after another moment of silence, "Look, we came here to relax. Maybe find you someone to be with."
"Finding someone isn't the issue," Ares said with a growl. "You know what's the issue."
"And I told you that you need to get your mind off of it," Eros narrowed her eyes. "Surely there are other conflicts around the world that interest you. Stop paying attention to this one."
"Sure I could focus on another one," Ares said. "Like that war between the dwarf kingdom and human kingdom."
"Then that should get your mind off of it," Eros said. Even if she detested war, it was at least something she could mind. It was her friend's domain. She would not belittle it.
"It's already over," Ares said, leaning back in her chair. "I made sure the moral was low for the humans. They didn't have any heart to continue, especially since most of them didn't want to be there in the first place. Couple that with the dwarves doing so well, bam. War over in one major battle."
Eros grimaced, "We'll have to keep an eye on that country. A loss like that might stir things up."
"And we know what happens when someone stirs things up," Ares grumpilly added.
Eros sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Look, can we talk about something else? Something nice?"
Ares was silent for a moment, "I… I've got nothing." She shrugged, "I haven't done anything except make weapons lately."
"Crafting is a good hobby," Eros said. "How about we talk about that? I'm sure there is a good craftsman here in-"
"I am not getting a boyfriend!" Ares smacked the table.
Eros giggled, seeing Ares blushing in embarrassment. It was a rare sight and one she cherished. "You'll love it~ I'm sure you'll fall in love and have a couple of babies-"
"Why don't you get a boyfriend first," Ares gestured at her with a finger. "I don't remember you ever having a boyfriend before."
Eros gulped, pulling on the collar of her dress. "W-Well that's because I have high standards. I'm sure you have a type that is easier to find. We are here for you, after all."
"I'll get one after you get one," Ares smirked and crossed her arms. "Easy as that."
Eros rolled her eyes. Then a lightbulb lit up in her head. She smirked, "How about I make this fun~?"
Ares paled slightly, "Fun?"
Eros nodded, "Yes, a competition of sorts."
Ares instantly perked up. Competitions were her forte, "What are we competing about?"
"The first one to get a boyfriend, wins." Eros said.
Ares face planted onto the table. Then she quickly lifted it, "Seriously?"
Eros nodded again, "Seriously. It'll be good for the both of us. I think we've both been complacent about this sort of thing and we deserve happiness. I'm sure our little Demon Lord would agree."
Ares knew that would be true. Still, she had some hang ups. "I don't know. A lot is going on these days."
"How about we give it a few years to warm up?" Eros offered, "We are immortal. We can wait a little while longer before we begin."
Ares mulled it over. She wanted to turn it down but it was a challenge. Something to win. Phrasing it like that made her competitive spirit soar. She nodded, "Yes. That sounds fair." She stood up.
Only to instantly fall down onto the ground. Her wind seemingly knocked out of her. In fact, a little bit of fear ran through her form. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
"Ares," Eros said, quickly getting up and over to her friend. She was thankful for having a small glamor spell so that people couldn't exactly tell what they were saying or pay too much attention. Still, a small crowd noticed someone fall over. "Are you alright?"
"I… I…" Ares gulped, shaking slightly. "My legs… It's hard to move them."
Eros's eyes widened. That shouldn't be possible. She wasn't hurt or anything. Why would her legs give out? She had enough devotion to get through anything. She quickly lifted her friend in a bridal carry, "Don't worry. I've got you."
"Do you need help, miss?" The waiter came to them, concerned for the customers.
Eros shook her head, "I've got this. I'm stronger than I look. Thank you anyways."
With that said, Eros quickly raced out of the village. She needed to get to somewhere safe right now and figure out what was wrong. Her friend's state spooked her more than she let on and she'd be damned if the Fallen noticed before she had a solution.
"I could… walk eventually." Ares huffed in her hold. "I think… I guess I haven't slept enough."
"Shush," Eros said as she was far enough away from the village. She closed her eyes, "We'll get you home and you'll get better." With that said, they disappeared.
Usually when she heard her daughter hum in delight, Eliza would be rather happy. Her daughter had a lovely voice and it always pleased her to see her happy. As any proper mother would, of course. Now though, she was anything but joyful. She had rarely felt such a combination of fear and anger before in her life. Just remembering those other times made her want to hug her daughter closer to her as they rode on the horse. One arm hugged Sasha tight to her as the other kept hold of the reigns. She really needed to think about buying a carriage. It would make riding about more comfortable.
"Is something wrong, momma?' Sasha looked up at her.
Eliza smiled. Her daughter was always quick to pick up on these things. She was very empathetic. Just another reason why her daughter was special, "I'm just worried is all."
"Mr. Norscrim seemed nice," Sasha said with a returned smile. "So you don't have to worry. I'll be a strong hero like you when I grow up."
Eliza's smile dropped from her face, "About that..." She wasn't sure how to tell her daughter about everything. Norscrim was not a family that she wanted Sasha to grow close to. Just the thought of that man being around her daughter made her furious. She wouldn't do anything drastic with that fury, but the thought of running him through came to mind.
"I'll be so strong that you can relax," Sasha said, "Then we can have more time to play together."
Eliza sighed, "I would love to play with your more but I think you forgot about one thing."
"What's that?" Sasha tilted her head to the side curiously.
Eliza couldn't help but pat her daughter's head, "If you become a hero, you'll end up just like me. Little time for your family and always on the job. I think you should find something else that suits you. Maybe becoming a florist or a healer."
"Nu-uh," Sasha shook her head. "I want to be just like momma."
Eliza's sigh was far deeper this time. She could spy her house from here so she decided to put off this discussion for later. She could always get Sasha to choose another career another time. "It is your choice, Sasha. Just be sure to make the right one."
She didn't have to walk all the way to the house. Cassie, her ever loyal maid, walked out to meet them. Eliza was happy to see Draco in her arms. She stopped the horse as Cassie came to walk up to them.
"You arrived earlier then expected, My Lady." Cassie noted. "I would have assumed the nobles would have tried to eat you alive."
Eliza laughed as she got off her horse. She quickly grabbed her daughter and put her gently down on the ground, "I couldn't wait to get out of there. Aside from a certain someone, I couldn't stand the place."
"Quite," Cassie said before she held out the dragon baby. Eliza eagerly took her adopted son in her arms, "He was a handful."
"I imagine," Eliza said, playfully teasing her son with a finger. "You took a risk bringing him outside."
"I detected no one around the premises," Cassie said. "As well, I know you are the type to figure out if you are being followed."
Eliza nodded. She personally never put much stock into magic wards around the house. Both her and Cassie were strong enough to deal with anyone coming close to their home. They could detect someone coming from a good distance. However, now with a new member, some precautions might be in order. She held her son close, before eyeing her daughter.
She would protect them, no matter what. From monsters outside and within their country. Eliza would make sure of that.
