AN: Okay, I want to want everyone know that there is a pole on my profile on whether the one-shots should be posted in The Grand Expedition. They are all a part of the setting, but I don't know how many of them will be canon or just Omakes. I already have two votes from guests to post them in the main story, so those will be added to the pole's results.

Yes, I am aware of the MGE Fandom page getting taken down, but we don't have to worry. There is a new MGE Wiki site now, and we just use that as another source once the fandom gets taken down.

Now onto the chapter, I hope you guys enjoy.

"Interesting story, Hunter," Nelius calmly watched over the crowd of Lescatians, "but why bring them here, and not the Order nations to the south or to Polove?"

"Reinhold is closer to the rift next to Dundorma," Dawn answered, his unease clear in his cadence, "and we are low on supplies. Without funds to procure more, I doubt we could have made it to either of them. As you can tell…"

The immediate duck trail of Sasha Fullmoon and her children made their presence known. The veteran hero nodded her thanks to the hunter, and made her plea to the new king. Though Nelius himself saw no reason to turn down a fellow 'traitor' to the Order, there was a sense of disdain for the woman that made him hesitate. He couldn't truly blame her for her actions, but as he watched her march her children, both human and mamono, into the city proper. A bitter taste coated his tongue, a bitter taste that spiked his righteous fury.

"I take pride as sovereign of Reinhold, as husband to a vampire and as father to her daughter, but I don't think I could sleep at night if my betrayal to the Order was so… blatant.", Nelius growled, "Though she may not deserve my ire… I believe I hate that woman. What do you think of her, Sir hunter? Do I judge her too harshly?"

"If she had betrayed the Guild, I would have killed her, and brought her head back as proof of punishment fulfilled… but no, I cannot say I hold any ill feelings for Miss Fullmoon.", Dawn shrugged, his shoulders heavy, and his expression soft.

"She is more mother than priest," the king grimaced, "I suppose Verona would have done the same for Wicker… Gods above, why can't the world be simple?"

"It is simple, the laws of nature are absolute, and few could ever hope to stray from their rule. The complexity of life lies in the hands of man and Wyvernian." Dawn whispered as he stared off into the distance, trying to ignore the dirty looks the wilier Lescatians gave him.

"You sound like a dryad, Hunter," Nelius chuckled, "but I understand what you mean."

The two men fell silent as they watch the refugees slowly funnel their way into the city. Some of them were thankful, offering thanks to the two, while others showed nothing but spite for them. The men, who had sought to assault Dawn in his sleep, spat at and on the hunter's boots as they crossed the entry. Though most of them shied away from Dawn's towering figure, and simply slinked away, hoping to never see the hunter or his party again.

"Can I assume that Castor escaped the city in his own carriage?", The King asked.

The hunter sighed, "I saw him last in a pit of orcs."

Nelius's eyes lit up with a mix of shock and dismay that slowly fell into slighted disappointment, "I see… I had hoped he would be among the refugees, or that he had escaped the Extremist Assault."

Dawn gave the king a weary look, "Was Castor a friend of yours? I mean no-offense when I say that he was a vile man."

"This is… partially true," Nelius gave the hunter a shallow glare, "but he was my king, THE king, of Lescatie. I would not expect you or your guild to understand the Order or our traditions, but I would highly advise against insulting our nobility."

"Fullmoon told me of Lescatie's corruption…"

"We do what we must as monarchs," the glare grew stronger, "do not mistake our darker dealings for selfish greed, Hunter.", His features softened, "I mean no-offense, Hunter, when I say that you do not know better than I, or even Castor for the matter, when it comes to governing power. The nobility may live in high towers, the kings may lord over the poor and misbegotten, and the peasantry may dwell in muck and shit… We do what we must to insure the continued resistance against Druella and the Demon Realm Powers."

"…I understand.", Dawn looked away, contemplating Nelius's meaning, "Who can I go to learn of the Order's ways? I was not able to... research your people's ways during my time in Order territory."

The king hummed to himself before turning back to Dawn, "You are taking Wilmarina and the other heroes to your world, are you not?"

"Yes, I am?", Dawn questioned, not entirely sure where Nelius was going.

"Then I would suggest learning from Hero Noscrim of our lore, Knight-Captain Dascaros of our warrior traditions, and of our magic from young Mimil Miltie."

"Should I bother with Concerto?", The hunter found the prospect of questioning the half-elf less than enjoyable, and by the look on Nelius's face, he could tell it wouldn't be a fun experience.

"I do not know much of lady Primera. Other than that, she is a thorny one, but I'm sure you can learn of the elves from her.", The king grimaced, "I would advise that you do not mention human-elf relations or that of her heritage… Half-elves do not like to speak of such things."

"I suppose I will add her to the list of research topics as well.", The hunter sighed as he grounded his sinuses , "I love what I do, but I could use a short vacation from all of this."

"Did you not volunteer for this expedition, Hunter?", Nelius snickered.

"Yes," Dawn cracked his aching back, "but I didn't sign up for an Elder Dragon hunt, nor the interspecies breeding program."

Nelius couldn't hold it in for much longer as a snort and eventual full-blown laughter followed the young man's complaints. Such a joyous laughter was infectious enough to draw snickers from the nearby guards, and the number of laughing men only grew as others questioned the reasoning for the outburst. If Dawn's eyes could have rolled out of his head, they would already be rolling down the road, and down by the castle gate on the other side of the city.

"My," the king's chuckles grew quieter, "my… my apologies, Hunter, but that maybe the funniest way I have ever heard someone refer to marriage before."

"Marriage?"

"Why of course," Nelius grinned, "you slept with those beautiful monster girls, did you not?"

"…"

Nelius's grin grew wider with Dawn's silence, "Dawn, my boy, you are in for a rude awakening for what exactly you got yourself into."

"Do you mind telling me what exactly THAT is?", The sudden clasp on his shoulders from the men around told Dawn he wasn't getting an answer he liked.

"That depends, Hunter," the king bared his teeth in a mock predator gape that then folded into a conman's trademark purse, "do you really want us to spoil it for you?"

-0-

Dragonia, home to brilliant blue skies, loving dragons, grand tournaments, great mountains, and vast landscapes of varying biomes and climate. It was truly a paradise for man and mamono alike. Though the swirling storm clouds following the most recent uncanna visitors was more than slightly concerning to the citizens of this fair empire.

Kushala preferred a cloudy sky anyways and Pluck was all too used to great open skies, so he found the change somewhat interesting. While Lowen spent their trip to the hanger begging the old dragon to dispel the clouds and to stop drawing everyone's attention their way.

"Could you stop that!", Lowen whisper yelled, knowing that their Dragon Knight guides could clearly hear her.

"Stop what, dragon-snuggler?", Though Kushala smirk was painful to the griffon, she was at least glad he kept his teasing outside of the other's earshot.

However, that didn't stop Lowen from turning a bright shade of strawberry red. She punched her elder in the stomach, creating an audible thunk and a squeal of regret as she held her throbbing claw in pain. Kushala, all the while, smirking like a child who had just outsmarted his parents.

"Did that hurt, little Lowen?", He smugly patted her head, "Do you need Pluck to kiss it for you?"

While Lowen cringed as she set her thumb back into place. Pluck decided to sate his curiosity, "Tell me, Kushala, how do you gather all these clouds without using your horns? Its seems like it just follows you wherever you go."

"Hmm, that is a very interesting question, Pluck, you see…"

"And we're here," Alto-Eris's voice rang out, bringing Kushala and Pluck's conversation to an abrupt end.

They now stood in front of the castle hanger. It was situated in a cave with a massive wide opening on the outer wall. The floor was scarred with claw marks that scraped from the stone innards of the mountain though most had been filled with hardened clay to keep the ground nice and level. Dragon Knights took care of their daily duties, most of them ignored the newcomers for their own husbands, or were simply too busy to focus on the new attraction. From their position, on the cliff side next to the hanger, they could see the entirety of Dragonia's capital and the land beyond.

Only Lowen managed to feel that shrinking sensation that came with standing at the top of the world. From on high she came to realize just how insignificant she was, only once she took a proper look at the world below. Seeing a city so large and so vast from a place so familiar to her; it made her heart skip a beat from both nostalgia and fright.

"Before we can begin with the tour," the dragon girl presented herself and the other knights, "you three have to pick your guide for the evening and tonight."

Before three wild monsters stood Leia, Litia, Shirtiya, a pair of wurms with gold and dark scales respectively, a bonze scaled female they had yet to meet, and Alto-Eris herself. The females before them presented themselves, making sure their bust and their figure was in full view of their guests. All save for the new bronze female dragon who simply watched the newcomers with interest. Kushala saw the act for what it was immediately, but Pluck was the first to speak; his curiosity asking exactly what the old Elder had in mind.

"What do you mean by 'tonight'?", Pluck's confusion was plain to see, "Wouldn't we just go back to our room at night?"

"Exactly, Pluck," Kushala agreed, "and what's with this demonstration? What are you trying to pull here?"

The bronze female chuckled, while the others shamefully relaxed their posture. Alto-Eris, who was just about to push up her breast, shyly rested her claws behind head, "Litia told us that men like to see females looking their best, so we went ahead and dolled ourselves up."

"I would have done the same, but I didn't have the time.", The bronze scaled dragon shrugged, "Based on your reactions I'd say I dodged a ballista. Go ahead and apologize for your trick Litia."

"I wouldn't call it a trick as much a seductive tactic, buuuuuut…", Litia began, but the collective glares aimed her way, for whatever reason, made her mouth run dry.

"Anyways," Alto-Eris grimaced, "you three need to choose your guides for the tour. It is common practice for visitors to choose their hosts… I hope we didn't make too bad an impression."

The uncanna and the griffon looked to each other with uncertainty, while the Immigration Bureau awkwardly recovered from their failed attempt at seduction.

Kushala eyed the guides with suspicion, but relented when they shrunk beneath his icy gaze, finding no hostile intent behind their embarrassment. Though he found his attention drawn to the arrogant bronze dragon staring back with zeal equal to his own. Her expression, regardless of what just happened, told him that there was more than meets-the-eye; he found his pick.

Pluck, still confused as to why these female dragons would try to court him, watched eacg with a critical eye. To him Litia, Shirtiya, Leia, and the wurms were all too eager for his decision, but the commander of their troop seemed the most composed; the most likely to satisfy his curiosity.

Lowen on the other hand had little interest in leaving Pluck alone with any of these girls, "I will be joining Pluck on his tour… You Dragonians aren't exactly the trustworthy types. I bet as soon you two are alone you're gonna come onto him."

"Oh, we weren't going to do anything like that," Litia waved away the accusation with a cracked grin, terrified that Kushala would make good on his threat, "unless that delicious piece of uncanna wants too."

"I have come to my decision!", Pluck proclaimed, seemingly incapable of reading the metaphorical room, "I will have Alti," Lowen jabbed his side, "I mean Alto-Eris… I will have Alto-Eris as my guide for the tour... Her name is Alti right?"

"My friends call me Alti," the commander stepped forward, a vague blush forming across her cheeks, "but you can call me that… if you'd like."

"He'll be calling you by your name, dragon.", Lowen growled.

Kushala chuckled, while playfully pruning his claws along the scruff of the griffon's neck, "There's no need to be so protective, little Lowen," the glare sent his way only amused him further, "friendship among fellow dragons is a good thing.", His playful tone dropped with seconds, "as long as they're just friends for the time being."

"Yes of course," she gave the elder a fearful smile, "friends…"

"Friends…", he grumbled, before turning to the bronze dragon, "You! What is your name?"

"Reina," she answered, "my name is Reina. I don't suppose that I would be your guide for this evening?"

Kushala watched her carefully, eyeing her subtle tells, and analyzing her mannerisms. Stocking forward, he watched as the female grew more confident, unlike her fellow Dragon Knights. His breath heavy, his storm rumbling, and his curiosity peaked he leaned closer with intent to intimidate, 'What makes you different from the others?'

"And I thought courting was off the table.", Reina smirked as she pressed her nose to his, "Do I get you raring to go old man?"

Grumbling, Kushala snorted out a gust of wind, and forced his growing storm to quell into distant fluffy cirrus clouds. Huffing, he gestured for her to come along with them, "You will do… now take us somewhere interesting."

"How does the stadium sound to you?", She offered, she hooked her claw around his, "It's right down there, at the Hill of Couples."

"Of course, it is…"

-0-

"We're heading out, already?!", Chloe whined, "But we just got here, aren't we going to stay for a bit?"

"Yeah, we just got here, and yeah, now we're going back home.", Ace booped her, uncaring of the fact that she was actually taller than he was, "We have fuck-all supplies, and fuck-all money to buy more with. We can get back to the rift in an hour with Estrid pulling the wagon."

"I'm a hellhound," she whimpered, "I need space to stretch my legs, ya know."

"And you can wait two more hours.", He shoved back into the wagon, "Now GET IN!"

The rest of the party, as well as the accompanying heroes, Elt, and Princess, were left to wait at the wagon, while Dawn spoke with Nelius. They were left to wait for his return, and for Estrid and Tatsuo to come back with some customer rewards; after Amelia found out that Dawn's spine was still intact, she immediately made a care package for them in hope that he would continue to enlist her friend's services.

"That's ah first," Mersé chuckled, "I've never seen a pussy bully a mut before."

"Like I said," Ace smirked as he went back to laying on his side, "I'm a tabby."

Scoffing, Mersé leaned back against the wagon, "So, what did you used to look like, then? You seem more cat than monster, and I seriously doubt your world has demons like ours."

Yawning, the felyne stretched out his back, and gave the warrior a half-lidded look, "I used to look like that," he pointed to the cat sitting on the castle walls, "just bigger… and I walked on my back paws most of the time."

"So, you were just a bipedal cat, huh.", Mersé shrugged, "I guess that explains the monster parts."

"Where I'm from we're called Felynes, or um… Lynians."

"And you guys just live with humans in your world?"

"We felynes keep to ourselves most of the time, but yeah," Ace rolled onto his stomach and rested his chin on his paws, "we usually live alongside the humies and the Wyvernians."

"And these Wyvernians are like our elves, just not prissy fucks with sticks up their asses?", Mersé made sure Primera heard her.

The palico eyed the half-elf with distaste, "Nah, our 'elves' are much nicer, and a LOT EASIER TO WORK WITH!"

Shizuka slithered up to them, believing she could alleviate the situation, "I bet if you two were nicer to her, then she would be nice to you in turn…"

"Don't defend me whore-mouth," the half-elf scorned, "I'm only following you monsters to the other world to meet this Hunter's Guild. Once we meet this 'His Immenseness' character, I'm abandoning you filth."

Mersé stifled a laugh, while Shizuka gawked in offense. Ace gave Wilmarina a questioning look, but even the lead hero of Lescatie was at a loss for words. He supposed that he could count himself lucky that Mia was still sulking in the wagon, rather than out there taking the brunt of Concerto's abuse.

Mersé looked to Shizuka with mirth, "I've known her for years now, and she's still a shitty bitch to me. I doubt she's gonna warm up to a friendly monster like you, just give up and shit on her like the rest of us."

"My mother…"

"Your mother isn't here," Mersé snapped, jabbing a finger into the bunyip's chest, "you are here, and you have to decide for yourself. Mommy ain't gonna be there for you SWEETHEART, not when it matters."

"Is there going to be a problem?"

The lot of them turned to see that Estrid and Tatsuo had returned. The minotaur was carrying a large crate of dairy products of simple design with an etching reading, 'Amelia's Minotaur Services' on the crate's side. Ace counted at least a dozen bottles through the loose wood grating, and a number of different cheeses.

"No, there won't be.", Mersé grumbled, before going back to leaning on the wagon.

The group fell silent. None of the heroes wanted to speak to the monsters, and the monsters suddenly found the idea of making small talk less than appealing. Estrid took a seat next to Ace, and Tatsuo went about taste testing the milk, finding it absolutely exquisite.

"Estrid?"

The minotaur turned her bored glare to the werecat, and smiled upon seeing the milk mustache on his face. She asked, "What is it?"

"This milk, it's better than any milk I've ever worked with… Where can I find more?", Before even waiting for an answer, he immediately began taking tasting sips, while staring at her intently.

Ace, out of sheer curiosity, uncorked a bottle of his own, and dipped his tongue to taste the contents. The taste was sensational, he was at a loss for words, and by the time he had put the bottle down, he had drank the entirety of it. Blinking himself back to reality he turned back to the conversation between Estrid and Tatsuo.

"You're drinking Holstaur Milk," Estrid smiled, "it comes from the cowgirls. I think you're drink Lana's brand too, extra thick."

"Extra thick?", Ace and Tatsuo said in unison.

"It's just milk that comes from married Holstaurs," Estrid rubbed the back of head in discomfort, "it's supposed to taste even better than the normal stuff."

Ace licked his lips, enjoying the aftertaste, and asked, "Holstaurs are minotaurs, right?"

"Well yeah…"

"Can we milk you?!", The werecats leapt onto her lap.

Her shy smile faded, and an angry glare bore down on the two werecats. She towered over them now, "No," hope remained in their eyes, "minotaurs CAN'T LAC-TATE..."

-0-

Skeermes did not enjoy fighting in the arena, though it would be a stretch to say he loathed it. The rush when he entered the Dragonian Tournament grounds was not the excitement of a hunt, but the surge of adrenaline that came with facing powerful monsters. He was lucky that there was no blood to find here, no prey to hunt, no monsters to truly fear. He simply had to exploit the weak links in the chain; To break the human, and flee from the dragon that gave chase. He did not fight in the arena for sport, as if one could call what he did fighting, but for the prospects it offered.

A well-known name and some coin would do him well, especially with what he intends to do with it. His opponents were no different, a prize was a prize, and the arena offered many. A potential husband for the lucky mamono in search of a companion, a bag of gold for the greedy human, and renown for a plucky upstart wanting for more than he ought to have.

"Are you sure you don't want my help?", Lyra nagged as she rubbed more of the silver dust on his scales.

The dragon knight had taken to her role rather quickly. She was to act as his 'supervisor', make sure he kept himself in check, make sure that he didn't hurt the fragile humans of this world. He was starting to miss the simplicity of his old life. The Dragonians as he saw it were soft, overtly incapable of real violence, and incapable of true supremacy. The fact that they took human men as husbands baffled him even now as he watched his opponents plan out their strategy.

Skeermes gave his 'caretaker' an annoyed look, "I have told you… many times… I fight on my own… What kind of male… would I be… if I asked for help… from females."

"The kind of 'male' that wants to win.", Lyra elbowed his side, knocking some of the demon silver from his shoulder, "I'm stronger than you, ya know!"

"Then go and… take care of your nest! I hunt on… my own.", He growled.

"This isn't a hunt," she grabbed his arm, "these talons won't be gutting anything. AND you won't be losing anything if I helped you!"

His scales flared in anger, surprising the dragon enough for him to shrug her off, and giving him the time to enter the arena proper. His blue orbs met the harsh glare of the female dragon's and the calculating gaze of the incubus she called husband.

The man armored himself in an ornate green chest piece and helm, with a set of iron guards on his arms and legs. His weapon was a simple demon silver blade, and buckler. While his wife wore no such protection, and carried a standard demon silver lance. The female's green scales grew to encompass her soft fair skin, forming an armor far stronger than any base metal. Though the slight distortion from the man's armor was concerning.

'Magic… is it repelling, or perhaps is it just magically strengthened? Perhaps the human's armor is enchanted to strike back, but there's always the possibly it will just protect him from the elements.', Skeermes thought to himself, his mind working faster than his tongue ever could, 'Doesn't matter… I just have to hit him in the throat or the hands. The human, incubus or not, should fall after a single barrage.'

His breath hitched as his eyes snapped to a pair of Elders watching him. The Valstrax and the Kushala Daora, were in the stands, or well, at the top of the stands. A pair of dragon knights and the griffon he had seen with them from before. His scales shuddered and his tension soared. Blinking, he calmed his nerves with a role of the neck, 'They're not hunting me. I'm not hunting them… just the male human… just the male human.'

"Todays a special one my lovely boys and girls!", The announcer salamander roared, followed by the surge of cheers from the crowd, "Today we have the illustrious Emerald Duo, renowned champions of the arena! The fifth couple to make it to Blue Flame Liliafrau, and the reigning champs of the WINTER CIRCUIT!"

The crowd only grew louder, "Our favored pair for this morning I see!"

"And in the rookie corner, up against Fia and Merro, we have Skeermes!", The crowd, while not as excited, were still joyous to see him make his way the center of the arena, "Our dear uncanna sweetheart, thanks to his oh so pointy scales, has made himself quite the handful for our gladiators, but… he has also become Dragonia's newest dragon knight! I'M SURE ALL YOU SINGLE LADIES KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!"

A roar followed, one that came from many of the salamanders and dragons in the audience. Though Skeermes was anxious for the actual bout; the faint sense of dread in the uncanna's chest told him that he had more to worry about than a couple scrapes and bruises.

The round began without another word, and Skeermes was immediately put on the defensive. Dragonian dragons, after all, were known to be the strongest mamono to walk the Earth, and while a wyvern like himself carried great strength, there was no way for him to physically match one. Which is why the emerald clad dragon was the first to rush her opponent.

The demon sliver lance shot across his shoulders, before he even had a chance to react, and as rounded to her side to avoid another thrust. The female swiped silver coated talons at his horn. Flexible as he was, he ducked beneath her cleaving claws, his back arcing like a serpent, allowing him to pounce out of her range and into her husband's.

The human raised his silver sword in an attempt cleave down the Seregios's core, but the dozens upon dozens of slave-scales caught the sword mid slash. The wyvern's eyes showed not the vicious desire to rend and tear, but a cold analytical gaze. A gaze that saw the silver dagger moving to pierce his stomach, and the enraged dragon's lance rocketing towards his back.

Wrenching the short blade from the human's grip, Skeermes jumped onto the man's shoulders, and flinging him back at the charging dragon. She caught him as he knew she would, but she was forced to cover herself with her wings as daggers in the shape of scales descended from the sky above.

"WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT BOYS AND GIRLS, OUR WYVERN BOY IS PUTTING THE EMERALD DUO ON THE DEFENSIVE!", The announcer roared with the crowd.

Defensive was not a word the Seregios would have called it. The dragon had already recovered, though scratched and bruised, she was practically untouched. Her husband, while dazed from his most recent rag-dolling, was already on his feet and preparing for another round.

He would have to do more if he could even hope to get passed Fia, and he had yet to learn what Merro's chest piece could do. Swallowing down the stress, he exhaled a hot breath, and lunged back into fight, talons first and scales flared.

His talons struck the mamono, they tore through her corporeal defenses, and sheered through her mana. But that didn't stop her from catching him by his extended leg, and slamming into the rough stone walls of the stadium. Sinking his talons deep into her chest gave him enough space to avoid the incoming silver sword from her husband.

Rolling into a pounce, Skeermes swung his tail impaler into the human, who didn't even bother to dodge. He should have known better; when his tail struck the man, he realized just what exactly that enchantment was. Electric shocks ran the length of his tail, then his legs, and eventually his spine. He had fallen for a shock trap, or at least another version of one.

The crowd was cheering, loud and proud, excited to see where this was going. Of course, Skeermes, spasming as he was, could do little but watch Merro lift him by the scruff of his neck and impale him through the back with her silver lance. He could count himself lucky that the weapon was silver, but the sudden urge to sleep overpowered over any desire to thank his lucky stars. He was exhausted, his mind in a flurry of confused panic and tired carelessness. The only thing keeping him awake was the shocks surging through his system, and the screaming crowd.

Lying there, his numb body on the ground, and the announcer proclaim the victor with a shout, with the crowd following. He could only think of the gentle sand that made his bed. He locked eyes with Lyra, who merely crossed her arms in disappointment, and he snickered, 'A loss isn't so bad… I've lost before… This changes nothing.'

-0-

Kushala and Pluck watched the bout with interest, but soon found themselves annoyed with the roaring crowd and, from their point of view, obnoxious announcer. Lowen, despite her disinterest in the tournament, had found herself enthralled with the fight. Their Dragon Knight guides simply watched the battle alongside them, but said nothing, wanting to see how the Elders and griffon would react.

"What will the victor receive?", Kushala asked the bronze dragon.

Reina shrugged, "That depends on what the winning team desires," she waved her claw towards Skeermes, "he will typically take gold, and the next spot in the arena. While Fia and Merro are going to do the same, it is not typical for wyverns and dragons and wurms to just take gold and wait for the next match."

Pluck rolled his eyes, "I still don't know why you people like gold so much."

"We use gold for our horde, Pluck, and it's quite useful for buying land.", She pointed back to the fleeing wyvern, "Skeermes has been saving up his wealth for something… I don't know, but he takes his gold and simply throws it into his storage lot at the castle. We usually take the time to make beds from our hordes, but it seems that boy has something else planned."

Kushala's throat rumbled disgust for the precious metal, but he chose to continue the conversation, "So what is the typical reward for victory in the arena."

"A mate, a husband, a wife, a spouse," Reina listed off, "depends on the gender, but the victor will usually find love by the end."

Kushala's analytical eye laid on the human male fighting with the green dragon, "Explain…"

"If a human man entered the tournament in search of gold and glory, and succeeded. He would have quite the number of suitors seeking him out.", Reina grinned, "A strong male is an ideal husband for any mamono, and that goes doubly so for Dragonians. Strength is valued highly in mates; swordsmanship is very good at drawing salamanders too, and strong men offer strong daughters."

"And if the victor were a female?", He winced as Skeermes was slammed into the arena wall.

"If she liked the man she defeated, she would take him as her own, and you would see a pair like Fia and Merro in the doubles tournament the next year.", She answered calmly, though she found the battle's finally slightly off putting.

Huffing in renewed interest, Kushala turned his back to the stadium, and began making his way down the steps, "So why is the Seregios fighting against a paired group rather than one of your single females?"

The other members of their group followed him down, with Pluck being more interested in the fight than the conversation. His gaze remained on the 'Emerald Duo' embracing one another after they were proclaimed the victors. He then set his sights on Skeermes. He couldn't explain why watching his unconscious body bothered his senses, but the way he laid there rubbed his scales the wrong way.

"Skeermes is a special case," Reina sighed, "that boy really wants the gold reward, and double battles have a higher payout. He wins more often than not, so it's not like he can't take the punishment."

"If this were a turf-war that Merro female would have killed him quickly," Kushala looked to sky, "I'm surprised he was able to last that long in the first place."

"Do you think you could do better?", Reina purred, "I bet you and I would make a fine pairing."

"Are you in heat?"

She wrapped her claw around his arm, "That depends on your answer."

"OKAY," Lowen sidled up between them, "how about we all just settle down, now."

Pluck ignored them and began walking off to try and find the gladiator entrance, with Alto-Eris following after him. Lowen, Kushala, and Reina none the wiser. The young Elder came upon a guarded gate where Skeermes was being carried away by a disgruntled Lyra. His enhanced vision focusing in on the wyverns still back. He saw his chest rise and fall, even if his breathing was that shallow, he knew the Seregios was still alive and well, and that befuddled him the most.

'How does a sword made from metal, not cut flesh?', Pluck thought to himself, before rubbing the still sore cut on his chest. The wound had long since healed from his last confrontation, but he could still remember the hunter's weapon tearing into scales.

"Is something wrong?"

Pluck turned to the Dragon Knight, and remembered the time she sliced into his arms with her own, distinctly smaller, sword. She didn't draw blood either, and yet he felt as if he were wounded. He remembered that feeling of injury, but not the rending of scales or carapace like he had with the hunter.

"What is your sword made of?", He asked.

She unsheathed her blade and presented it to him, "The finest demon silver Dragonia has to offer, and the core of the blade is made from dragonium, but that's only to make it last longer."

"Can it cut?"

"Yes," Alto-Eris picked up a piece of discarded cloth, and sliced it into two, "why do you ask?"

"It didn't cut me."

"Well, that's because it can't cut people, or um… mamono like us.", She sheathed her sword, "Demon silver has incorporeal properties," he merely stared back at her, completely unaware of what she was taking about, "it doesn't cut flesh, but it instead attacks the spirit."

Pluck rubbed the scar on his vents in memory, and then his forearms in confusion. He took a seat on the ground, and began contemplating how demon silver was capable of such a thing as 'attack the spirit'. Alto-Eris on the other hand was left to standing there, awkwardly waiting for Pluck to ask another question, or even register that she was there.

"Can you explain a couple of things for me?"

She blanked in surprise, and quickly took a seat next to him, "Fire away! I'll be happy to explain anything your heart desires."

He gave her a quizzical look, "Are you sure."

"Of course," she beamed, "I am here to guide you through Dragonia am I not?"

AN: I've been feeling better after not having to worry about updating. I'm doing well in my classes, and have taken to hanging out with friends and family more often. You guys can expect me to be a bit more chipper than the last couple of chapters updates.

Review responses:

Kamizuma24:

Well, I didn't take that long, now did I? : P

Bucio:

There's a lot going on in this story, it makes sense to lose track of a couple things, so don't worry about forgetting some of the side characters.

Guest:

I'm not really sure who you're referring to, but I wasn't throwing rocks at anyone but the toxic people in NewType's audience (pro and against mamono alike).

54godamora:

If you like mamono, or MGE for that matter, I wouldn't recommend it. But eh, I'm done talking about it. I hope your Civil War paper went well.

Guest (sensible):

I don't have a problem with anyone liking the Knight, just the people constantly shitting on each other in its comments. At least you seem reasonable.

Guest 02:

I ain't no fan of lolies, but I don't think I'll be exterminating any mamono species… Besides that, I like some of the ideas, but I want to go through some of my plots first. I'll be writing a side story after this chapter, so I hope I kick it in the dick as you say.

Wine Buster:

Yeah, edge doesn't equal realistic, and smut isn't that good without a proper story.

I am writing my personal setting's ideas down, but it'll take a while to make sure everything comes together.

Ironwall:

I'll think about it :P.

mildyconcerned:

It's fine, the situation was regarding "KC's" takedown of violent MGE fanfics. No one really agrees with the act, but it's not something we can't really stop, just circumvent.

Stalker Master:

I like these, and I can see Dark Elves trying to catch and sell uncanna.

TorvaMessor and Guest:

Yeah…

Guest (most recent):

Good Review, writing a condescending comment, you really made your point on this one, You really convinced me to shut the fuck up and not share my opinion but oh well, idiots can be idiots, Good Review Mate

Did I make point clear, or do I need to spell out the meaning of patronizing to you?

drakon49:

Glad to know that you're enjoying the story. if you have any criticism, feel free to share it with me. I do want to improve my writing after all.

Guest02 (again):

I'm doing okay, and I don't think Ace would put himself into a situation like that. He maybe a surrogate incubus, but endless stamina is not one of his strengths, lol.

As for the hybrids, I won't be doing that, monsters from MH already exist as their own species, and making them hybrids doesn't make too much sense. Primera was only a hybrid (in canon) because she was an elf, which is typing for succubus in MGE.

As for Bogies, they're cool, but they seem more like a Wonderland mamono rather than a normal ogre.