The moment Anja landed in the small clearing at the edge of the forest by the path leading into the safe town, Seto could already see several problems.
Problem 1: there was a line, and they would have to stand in it with a visible dragon.
Problem 2: she was an illegal creature Yami had saved, meaning she needed special order protection from an Official—Dartz had mentioned a Board of Magical Creatures, so at least one High-ranking seat-holder needed to vouch for her being non-violent for her to even make it in through the gates.
Problem 3: none of them had any credentials that held enough sway. Marik was a magic-less elf, Bakura was a demon in disguise, and his own horns had grown in full, nearly wrapping around the back of his head. They would all have to register with a 'new refugee' status.
Anja couldn't go in with them this way either, because she wasn't legally recorded as his mount, and she recognized Yami as her owner…who was in jail for being an endangered creature activist.
Their combined credentials were so great.
He quickly relayed these problems to Bakura while Marik listened with wide eyes.
"So if you remember what I learned in school," Seto said smoothly, pulling Anja back further in the trees. "About the board of magical creatures or whatever? The governors decide which endangered creatures get to live in the town, and this town's Governor, according to Yami, is a good fairy. She'll allow just about anyone in if we have a good reason."
"So let's go in. I just want a safe place to live," Bakura prompted, and Seto shook his head with a grimace.
"All three of us can go in, but we can't bring her," he said with a sad tug on Anja's reins. "At least not without someone high in power vouching for her. You can say you're human, and you're running from someone. Same with Marik. He has a Wanted notice for stealing fountain water in District 1, it's not a problem. They're lenient if you can explain yourself, but if you're a beast like Anja, you need additional papers. They need to know you exist so…in case something happens like you go on a rampage."
"She's a tame dragon! Who would she rampage on?" Marik cried, and Seto grimaced again, baring his fangs. "I don't make the stupid rules. Let's not get caught. That's why Yami is in jail right now. He was caught smuggling all kinds of creatures in and giving them false certificates!"
The dragon listened patiently to all their arguing and spoke up. "I will live in the forest and try to…find food," she said awkwardly.
Seto heard her hesitation and replied, "you've been hand-fed your whole life. That's not happening."
She fell silent, and they stood there at the forest's edge until the sounds of more travelers coming down the road echoed in the distance.
"Okay new plan," Seto said, his mind racing as he realized the speed of his thoughts returned with the growth of his horns. "Bakura and Marik can stand in line and beg to be let in. Worst case, they kick you out after the standard two solar rotation stay and reject your application. Best case, you find Mai in there and she speeds up your application process. Meanwhile…"
He glanced at Anja and gave her a pat, "I think she can stay on school grounds until we figure something out for her. Master Dartz lived among dragons, so he'll know what to do."
"Sounds good," Bakura said gruffly, holding his hand out brashly and wiggling his fingers. "Living expenses please, boss."
Seto bit back a smile and opened his knapsack to pull out a hefty bag of coins, watching Bakura tie it around his neck with a grimace.
"There, do I look like I'm desperate now?" he asked, and Marik let out a nervous laugh.
"They have to let me in if they see I'm carrying all my worldly possessions in one pouch." He added, gazing hungrily at Marik and hoping to earn another laugh.
The chatter of the travelers was getting closer, so Seto stepped back into the thicket of trees and gave his two companions a wave.
"I'll definitely find a way to let Anja in to live with Mai," he said evenly, knowing the elf was very attached to this dragon. "See you guys inside. I'll join you soon."
"Yes sir," Bakura said dryly, and he reached down to grab Marik's hand, giving him a gentle smile and leading him to the dirt path where the travelers were just passing by with their beast-drawn carts laden with supplies.
"Is he going to be okay?" Marik asked quietly as they fell into step behind the large crowd of travelers carrying goods. "He's a little kid."
"He's fine," Bakura growled, giving Marik's hand a squeeze and pointing upwards when he saw a shadow pan over their feet from above.
Everyone in front of them also raised their heads to gape at the beautiful dragon soaring overhead, and a couple of beast children clapped their hands and waved.
"A dragon!"
"You reckon it lives in there?!"
"That's an Ancient Fairy Dragon! My goodness!"
"Carrying Seto, the classic attention hog," Bakura muttered under his breath, hearing Marik laugh beside him, and it made his heart wrench happily.
Seto landed gently at the school gates and saw Dartz rushing to greet him, his teal hair flying behind his back as he gaped at the beautiful dragon towering before him.
His amazement rose when the dragon lowered its head respectfully to bow and let Seto step on her tail as a means to get off the high harness, which looked like it had been artfully crafted by several high-level dwarfs with that detailed braid-work.
"You're not hurt? …Bakura? Where is he?" Dartz asked anxiously, kneeling to quickly run a cleaning spell down Seto's body, trying not to shake at the sight of a dragon he idolized as a young boy. He thought they'd all died out thousands of years ago, but apparently not, because Seto had found and tamed one?! His comment about riding a dragon back had been a joke, not to be taken literally…! But Seto had gone and done it…?!
"So fun story," Seto said dryly, appreciating the cleaning spell as he pointed at his fully-formed horns, noting that the headmaster chose not to comment on them and instead asked about Bakura. "Healing spring—not a myth—I have the flasks to prove it! Bakura is in love and has decided to stay in the safe town to protect the magicless elf we found in the ruins under the desert."
"Magicless elf? Ruins under the desert?" Dartz echoed, his two-colored eyes roaming to the top of Seto's head as he reached a gentle hand out to touch the newly formed horns. "Incredible! Sounds like you had a proper adventure. I take it Bakura is not returning, and who is your new friend here…?"
"This is Anja," Seto announced proudly, giving her neck a loving pat, and seeing her lower her head gently to bow again. "She was raised from egg by Yami, and he healed the cracks in her until she hatched. The spring water cured her…thought-impediment…or something. She is more healed now, not that anything was wrong with her to begin with."
"Let's get her something to eat, and send her on her way," Dartz said warmly, standing up to give the dragon a deep, prolonged bow. "Honored to be in your presence, Anja. Please tell me your favorite foods and we will prepare it for you."
Seto beamed and felt Anja radiating with joy as she stepped in through the gates and they were greeted with the sight of many creature children gaping at her and then bowing in fearful reverence.
"More children! Your friends, Seto?" The dragon exclaimed, her heart warming at the respect she was receiving. "So many babies! Is this where you were the whole time? You didn't tell me you were at school. I thought Yami was keeping you for private study until age 100. That's what I heard. I missed you so much!"
"Change of plan, missed you too," Seto muttered, wondering just how much the dragon knew about the inn's happenings. Mai and Yami held arguments at the top of their lungs.
Nothing was really a secret.
Dartz led the dragon into the clearing and bowed again, "We will return with food. Seto, help me levitate some out. A dragon this size must eat a lot."
Yeah, I know, Seto replied calmly, remembering the giant pots of vegetable meals Mai would lovingly make for Anja over the course of several days. He'd helped peel weird potatoes until his fingers ached while she used magic.
Following Dartz into the school's kitchen, he quickly explained his problem to the headmaster, "Anja can't live here. Mai is also her caretaker, and she belongs at the inn where she was raised. She said she missed it there, but we can't get her inside the town without arousing suspicion. How do we put her back in there without getting Yami in trouble for it…again?"
Dartz looked thoughtful before he pulled open a set of metal doors where baskets of food were organized with labels, and he stared at them before he cast a duplication spell on the entire wall, feeling Seto tagging along beside him to help half-heartedly.
He'd think about it…
They made their way back out to the clearing, and Seto was amazed at the change of atmosphere from the time he'd been gone. The creature children were happily climbing atop her back while she laid flat on the ground to let them pet her and stroke her tail.
"I love babies!" She cried, waving her clawed hand at them while a couple of pixies fluttered around her claws, dusting them until they shone. "Babies! Who is next? Flying? Who wants to fly? Yes?"
"Eat first!" Seto called, knowing the last time she had something was back at camp.
"I ate," she replied with a huff, but she lowered her head and stared at the enormous baskets of food brought by Seto's school High Elf guardian. She silently appraised him, reading his name as Dartz formerly known as Paradius, and thought it was odd…but fine. For an elf that age, changing names was common.
The children rushed forward to grab the food and began trying to feed her, so she sat down lazily and pointed at the vegetables she liked to eat, opening her mouth and letting them make a game of tossing food into it, laughing when she heard them shrieking with joy.
"In…c-credible…" Dartz was shaking where he stood, and Seto smirked. This man had weaknesses after all…
After a moment of staring, Dartz composed himself and his eyes sharpened.
"I have a solution. You may not like it, in fact, you will hate it," the elf announced, and Seto sat down in the grass with a sigh, crossing his legs in front of him and groaning. Dammnn itttttttt….
"While you were away, I was thinking how you may need a second title to boost your priestly one," Dartz said with a serious expression, and he tapped his chin with one finger. "I insist you aim for a High Elf title and add an embellishment to that. I'm thinking…perhaps a royal title."
"Fuck—how?!" Seto cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "I went around telling everyone I was the Demon Lord and I got laughed at! Even she laughed at me!" He gestured at the dragon, who was rolling around on her back while several kids sat on her stomach, enjoying the way it went up and down when she breathed.
"The trick is…" Dartz's eyes flashed with mischief as he smirked. "To announce it on a large stage. That is how you do it. Where is the nearest stage for you to do that?"
"I don't know!" Seto cried, running a hand through his hair and bumping against horns, and he winced. "Here?"
"Correct. Try it now," Dartz said simply, snapping his fingers and clapping his hands. "Everyone, Seto has an announcement to make. Please pay attention and show him respect."
Faltering slightly when everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at him, he shot Dartz a glare, hissing under his breath, "what do I even say?!"
"What you intend to be! That's how the magic works," Dartz replied, holding a slender finger up to his lips with a handsome wink. "Your horns are all healed. What else is there to do other than assert your title?"
Grinding his teeth, Seto faced the kids sitting atop the dragon and squared his shoulders back, taking a deep breath to announce loudly, "Hey everyone. I'm officially changing my name to Demon Lord Seto. You can still call me Seto, but please remember my title. T-Thanks…"
And he quickly bowed forward out of habit, feeling like he was at the head of a very odd meeting table where his execs were all monster creatures instead of men in suits.
There was an awkward silence where the grasshopper-headed boy slid down Anja's tail and gave him a beaming smile, shouting, "All hail Demon Lord Seto! Bring me a drink from the healing spring, won't you?"
Seto clenched his jaw so hard, he saw spots in the corners of his vision. S-Seriously?
"Yeah, you can have some. It's just water," Seto said heatedly, shrugging off his pack to thunk it on the ground to pull out a flask, tossing it at his sort-of friend. "Knock yourself out."
The grasshopper boy grinned at him and ran back to the circle of children, holding the flask above his head, crowing, "the Demon Lord has bestowed me with water from the Healing Spring!" And he uncapped the flask to take a sip, making a face. "Tastes like dirt. Appraise!"
The ground lit up underneath him and Seto barely blinked at the light wind that passed through his hair, and everyone stared at the flask silently.
"Item: Flask – wood, metal, leather
Crafted by: Goblin Chief Tarruk
Contains: Self-flowing water from the Ruins of Kurat"
"Um. Are you sure that's clean?" The tiger-girl wrinkled her nose and grabbed the flask from the boy, sniffing it and handing it back. "Yuck. Smells like dirt water…from a ruin. But thanks, Demon Lord," she added, throwing him a careless wave over her shoulder. "Glad you're back."
Thanks?! Seto reeled as the other kids resumed jumping and playing on Anja's back, some even having brought out hair brushes and leather ties to decorate her mane.
Dartz turned to give Seto a proud smile, tilting his head at the buildings behind him, "looks like it worked. Appraise yourself."
Did it?! Seto cried, and he opened his palm to cast an appraisal on himself, surprised to see the text, "Seto – DEMON LORD" hovering in the air beside his name.
Oh.
SHIT.
There had to be some mistake.
"Why didn't it work before?!" Seto exclaimed, his frustration rising at all the times he'd been laughed at. "No one will take me seriously when I still look like this…!" He gestured at himself and caught an amused smile from Dartz above him.
"Because everyone you've ever met so far saw you as a child with no horns," Dartz replied calmly, turning to walk gracefully back towards the buildings. "Bring your pack up to my office, and we will begin your next lesson. Say your goodbyes to the dragon for now. Tell her you're being sent on another special quest. This next lesson requires that you do this."
Seto frowned and nodded, throwing his knapsack on and rushing forward to give Anja and hug, barging between two slimy children and giving her scales a loving pat.
"I'm being sent on another quest!" He said happily, and she lowered her head to gaze at him with her large, glowing yellow eyes.
"I'll miss you again. May I know where?" She asked quietly, and all the children stopped to watch them interact.
"I'll miss you too, and I don't even know where I'm going, but I know I'm gonna have fun?" Seto ventured, turning to give the grasshopper boy a wave, and then sticking his forked tongue out at the tiger-eared girl. "Thanks for crowning me Demon Lord, guys. I'm off…again."
"Not for more bad-tasting water?" The tiger-eared girl called from the harness, her fist full of the dragon's teal hair in the middle of a braid. "That was a bad quest. Bring something useful back this time."
"We'll see," Seto said solemnly, and he gave the dragon's giant claw a warm squeeze. "Love you. See you soon, okay?"
Much love, the dragon replied warmly in her mind, her scales shimmering in the sunlight. Your friends are most delightful. Travel safely. You are growing up just like Yami, always going on quests. So brave!
Uh huh… Seto thought anxiously as he ran off towards the headmaster's office building, trying to shake off the weird feeling of dread. Anytime he hung out with Dartz alone, he was challenged, and it was always painful. He didn't want to know what awful surprise the headmaster had in store for him now that his horns had fully re-grown.
Pushing the doors open and walking down the hallway into the small office, he set the knapsack down on the floor by the door and folded his arms across his chest, staring at the headmaster who was standing against the window, looking very elf-like with his long hair shining in the sunlight coming in from the outside.
"Okay, I'm here," Seto said anxiously, wondering if he should close the door if he was going to be screaming and bleeding some more. "What now?"
"Now, we help you become…High Priest Seto, potential heir to the Chizao throne of the Sky Elves," Dartz announced grandly, throwing his arms out to the side, his sleeves billowing from the movement. "How's that?"
Dumbstruck, Seto figured he would close the door after all.
Because what the fuck was this nonsense?!
He kicked it shut behind him and let out a derisive huff, "right. Does this place even exist? Sky elves are basically faeries, aren't they?"
"No. They've established themselves as another sub-species of elves—I know you read the books I provided," Dartz replied, his two-colored eyes narrowing as he pulled out a scroll from his pocket and handed it to Seto. "I've taken the liberty of registering you as a competitor for the throne. Every decade, they hold a coronation for a princess and…a prince, to diversify their royal family."
"Lame. Why do I want this title?" Seto prompted, taking the scroll and not opening it. "I'm not trying to be King of Elves. I just need a new identity that isn't 'demon'!"
"You want this addition to your title…because you want to be taken more seriously as a High Priest, because that's not a very powerful rank at all," Dartz said with a smirk, moving to sit at his desk in one fluid motion and lacing his fingers on his knee over his crossed legs. "A Lady Cleric outranks you, and she currently holds a Court Seat, which is what you need to exonerate your Mage Yami from persecution. You need sway and power that goes beyond the seats, beyond the court. You need to be mysterious and powerful, so much that even the Head Elf in central power won't question you."
Seto blinked rapidly and swayed on the spot, considering it.
"Could I…even do that?" Seto asked heatedly as he tingled with mild dread at what that would take. "I chose a priestly status because I don't want to attract attention. I'll fuck up and mess it up if I slip up even once."
"You don't want the attention, but you need it," Dartz replied, nodding thoughtfully. "So you will attend the coronation first to win a crown prince title. Open the scroll and see what I have reserved for you."
Seto wrinkled his nose and pried the seal off the scroll with his claws, wincing at the curly Elvish script which he had to translate.
"Dearest Headmaster High-Elf Dartz,
We are pleased to invite you and your friend, [Hopeful Crown Prince of the Chizao Sky Elves, High Priest Seto] to occupy a seat [14B] at the Head table for our darling Alvah's 100th birthday party!
Dress code is formal but playful.
Alvah's favorite colors are blue, pink, and silver.
Mounts and pets are allowed if given 56 hours prior notice so we may have adequate time to make accommodations for them.
Please reply with your mount's name, species, and food preference.
MOUNT NAME_
SPECIES: _
FOODS THEY PREFER: _
*If the food provided surpasses 16 gold coins to create, we will be reaching out cordially to receive compensation for the added hospitality.
We hope to see you there! Gifts are optional because she's only still a baby, but if you wish to give her a fun and age-appropriate gift, there will be a gifting ceremony at the end of her party.
Thank you and best regards,
Alvah's Parents – High Elf Governor of District 3, Lancaster Raxius
High Elf Princess of Zandes Mountains, Shizuka (Serenity) Katsuya"
Seto blinked and he read the scroll again.
And again, and again until his appraisal faded.
A few things.
This sounded like some pompous-ass bullshit.
Dartz had used his real name, Seto.
AND, the girl's mother was a princess sharing the same last name as that knob-headed elf leader, Jounouchi.
Were they related?
Worser still, was Porter going to be there and recognize him?!
"You see, I have great faith in you," Dartz said calmly, flipping a lock of hair down his shoulder to braid it aimlessly with practiced fingers. "I've already registered you as the hopeful Crown Prince with your given name when you haven't won the title yet. I have a good feeling about this."
Shocked beyond words, Seto lowered the scroll and finally found his voice.
"You did that to give me no room to move," he glowered, nearly crumpling it in his fist as he felt himself sweat. "What if I attempt my mirage now and look nothing like a High Elf Priest slash Prince piece of shit?"
"Then do it until you run out of magic, and try, and try again," Dartz said calmly, pulling a golden bead out of his drawer and shrinking it down to size with two fingers to secure the braid he'd done on himself out of boredom. "Ready? Set everything out of your pack and use what you have. The coronation is tonight. The birthday party is in three days. Better hurry."
"TONIGHT?!" Seto cried, his disdain for Dartz rising. "I don't…get a break?!"
"Break if you want. You're merely wasting your own time," Dartz replied coolly, lifting his braid to inspect it and letting it fall back onto his chest with a soft thump. "Hurry up Seto. Let's work together and make you a prince before tomorrow."
This guy…! Seto gnashed his teeth and picked up his pack to toss it on the flat, empty bed in the corner, shaking it out and seeing all the items from his travel tumble out in a giant, packed lump, so he took some time to magically separate it, leaving the furs in a giant pile at the foot of the bed, and the plates of hair beads on Dartz's desk.
He let out a sigh and glared at the pile of treasure. Fucking…pressure.
"Let's think about the clothes you will be wearing as a prince. Look at those nice robes," Dartz nodded approval, pointing a lazy finger at the furs. "Fix it up how you like, and then focus on yourself. I will give you time and leave the room. If you need me, I'll be just outside the door."
With that, the headmaster stood up and walked out and closed the door behind him with a soft click! leaving Seto alone in the office to stare at the giant piles of clothes, gems, swords and daggers laid out on the bed.
Letting out a furious huff, Seto unrolled the robes and set them out, deciding to jump headfirst into formal clothes he knew best from his past life—a fucking Montsuki kimono, because he couldn't think of anything else to wear that would be 'formal enough'.
There was enough cloth here to create the garment layers…maybe?
Wincing at himself, Seto held his hand out shakily and shut his eyes, trying to recreate the last one he remembered wearing. It was navy blue, almost black, with golden maple leaves decorating the lower hem of the sleeves.
Fuck it. That's what I'm wearing…with adjustments, Seto kept his eyes tightly shut as he decided to edit the sleeves to match Dartz's more open style and cast the spell in one breath, almost forgetting to add the boots in there as well.
He felt something cold leave his palm, and he lifted on eyelid, dreading what he would see. To his pleasant surprise, the folded garment appeared on the bed beside a set of tall, knee-high dragon-boots, and Seto tilted his head at them, happy with it.
"I did it!" Seto called, and Dartz called back through the wall, "now fit in it…properly!"
Seto blinked and his mind hummed with confusion.
Right. That was why Dartz had left the room.
To give him privacy to…fuck up his own mirage of himself.
Here goes, Seto took another deep breath and walked over to face the full-length mirror propped up on the wall beside the bed, reciting the script he had prepared with Bakura beforehand, already feeling doubtful, which made him start over.
He had to do it with full confidence, or it wouldn't work.
Taking another tense breath, Seto stared at his own reflection and said clearly, "I am…a High Elven Priest, and soon-to-be-Crown Prince of a Sky Elf Kingdom….I am a High Elven Priest named Seto, soon-to-be…" His breath hitched and he felt the wind pick up oddly in the room, and his hair grew to an alarming length, extending past his body and sweeping the floor by his ankles, startling him so much, he cursed. "Shit!"
And the silence was ringing.
Fuck. Back to it.
Seto faced his reflection and squeezed his eyes shut, chanting furiously, "I am an elf! A high elf, a fucking priest who doesn't give a shit about that title, and a god-forsaken crown prince too, but I don't give a shit about that title either, but I definitely look like I do—"
He heard a burst of laughter from behind the wall, and he pried his eyes open to shout at Dartz for laughing at him, but then he caught a glimpse of his own reflection and nearly died.
Someone unrecognizable was standing before him, tall, fully naked, with hair falling to the floor in long sheets, and pale skin, a muscular build and human-like hands, hands he hadn't seen in such a long time.
Gasping in disbelief, Seto held his hand shakily up to his face, crashing into the mirror with a step forward to gaze at himself, celebrating furiously because…he finally looked like himself the way he remembered. Right down his…penis.
"Oh holy fuck… fuck …this?!" Seto lifted a chunk of his hair and wrinkled his nose, spinning around in a tight circle and nearly stepping on his own hair. Holy fuckkkkkkkk….!
He leaned into the mirror again to pat his face.
Sharp cheekbones.
Jaw, handsome.
Eyes, blue.
Horns, nonexistent.
Muscles, yes, thank god.
This body looked like he was back on his regular gym schedule.
His hands were human and manicured. And ears…?
He lifted the hair again, breathing a tiny sigh of relief when he saw delicate, pointed ears.
WELL DAMN, it worked!
Now deeply excited, Seto rushed to put on the clothes, his arms shaking so much, he could barely contain himself. Yami was going to lose. his. fucking. mind!
Dartz hummed and tapped his foot on the ground, sitting idly and listening to the sounds of children laughing outside, thinking it got very quiet inside the office. He had faith in the little demon. Seto was brimming with power and aching to use it.
This was the perfect opportunity to test him.
He had full faith that Seto would succeed.
After all, he'd completed the trek to the spring and back within a week and had returned with a new set of horns.
"Seto? Are you alright?!" Dartz called, thinking he heard more telepathic cussing through the wall, and he bit back another smile.
There was no answer, so he stood up with a sigh and decided to head inside to check to make sure Seto hadn't accidentally turned himself into a slime monster.
His hand barely grazed the door handle when the door swung open to reveal an angelic man dressed in heavy elf robes with gold embroidery, almost standing as tall as himself with pair of sharp, blue eyes, framed nicely with one delicate braid that hung down the side of his face, paired tastefully with one gold bead at the end.
The effect was slightly overwhelming, and Dartz had to take a step back speechlessly, raking his gaze down Seto's tall form to take in his dragon-hide riding boots and floor-length brown hair which he had cleverly sectioned into a thick ponytail with leather ties as spacers, making the hair puff out prettily and billow around the edge of his sleeves which were elegant and long, with a intentional slit down the outer edge, showing off the patterned fabric underneath.
"Who is this?!" Dartz beamed, giving Seto another up-and-down appraisal, realizing he kept missing details. More appeared the harder he looked.
What a good effort!
Almost perfect.
Now one last test…
"My voice changed," Seto added happily, passing a hand down his throat to feel his adam's apple which he never thought he'd miss, but being stuck in a kid's body really made him appreciate aspects of adult life he sorely missed.
"I will appraise you now," Dartz said calmly, taking another step back and saying it loudly, "Appraise!"
Seto tensed in the doorway and braced himself for the rush of hot air to engulf him, but he only felt a light wind pick up and then die down. Oh. Appraisals affected his adult body way less….
"Species, elf! Very good!" Dartz exclaimed gleefully, his eyes glowing. "Very good, Seto. I'm extremely proud of you. Now, quickly, in order to maintain this mirage, go out there now and re-introduce yourself to everyone. Be careful now… You mustn't act like you know them or the image will break."
Seto nodded stiffly and tilted his head at the bed where the pile of stuff was still sitting and asked nervously, "one last thing. I need to pierce my ears and I'm not sure how."
Dartz narrowed his eyes and nodded, stepping into the room and drawing the door closed behind him, "Very well. I shall help. And you need a head ornament as well. Who hasn't heard of a hopeful crown prince who isn't already play-acting as one?"
Uhg, Seto winced and moved to stand by the bed as Dartz handed him a simple woven leaf crown, plucked from the school's trees and tied together with one, thin golden wire. Cringing at it, Seto placed the crown on his head and told himself to get over it.
Dartz picked up a few pieces of gold and molded them into ear cuffs in his hand, adding casually, "as a priest, you will need a prayer staff and a sword. Please make those now."
Damn it…. Seto growled, and he picked up a straight-edged dagger and quickly grabbed a gold bead to throw it together with a resizing spell, seeing it glow brightly on the bed and form an odd, rounded staff with a pointed end. There. Cheap-ass 'prayer staff'.
For his sword, he merely embellished the sheath with more leather from the remaining flask and clipped a golden embellishment on the sword's handle, never expecting to draw it to use it.
He fought with magic.
He wasn't a heathen who used blades.
"Good enough?" Seto asked, hating how he was asking for approval at every step, and Dartz barely glanced at his additions and nodded, with several earrings clamped between his long fingers, his hand reaching for Seto's face.
"This might sting. Lower your head now," Dartz said calmly, and he slid the jewelry onto Seto's ear, seeing the elf wince when he placed the hooks into the skin, but it was quick, painless and it stayed secure after a minute of waiting.
With both his ears stinging from the residual pain of the quick piercings, Seto turned his head to inspect his ears in the mirror, lifting his hair and asking, "So this will…are these on my ears for real?"
"Yes, when you resume demon form, they will remain on your ears," Dartz replied solemnly, pointing at his own ears. "Cost of the costume, you could say."
Love how he calls it a costume because that's what it is, Seto thought sourly as he turned to admire his reflection one more time. He couldn't deny that it was…impressive. Having his horns back really stabilized his magic.
"Now, to the outside," Dartz said with a gleam in his two-colored eyes. "High Elven Priest Seto, soon-to-be Crown Prince of the Chizao Sky Elves."
Fucking please, Seto growled as he nodded and stepped out into the hallway, bracing himself to be the fakest high elf this world had ever seen.
Author's note:
woooooooooooooooooo Bakura did his transformation and now Seto did toooooo!