As I fly towards the cave, I contact the Daimyo Dragon. "I need a favor."
The Dragon is hesitant, their voice lacking the complete confidence it normally carries. It's as if they're bracing for the task I'm about to give them.
"Nonsense, this a task that I believe would require recompense. I wish for you to train the Divine Champions currently in my Domain. From what I can tell, it's sorely needed." I try to keep my annoyance out of my voice. I'm too tired to keep up the facade much longer.
I can tell they're grimacing in disgust. Our Master-Servant connection tells me much about their state of mind, even if they'd wish to hide it from me. And Dragonoids from the Death lineage are particularly adverse about humanoids. The only tolerable humanoid, to them, is a dead one.
"I will grant you anything within reason, provided it won't conflict with the rules I've set for you to follow." I dangle the carrot in front of them, knowing full well what they desire.
Ah, yes, Subordinates, any Dragons dream. It's a bit complicated, but more or less, if a Servant is allowed by its Master, it can choose several monsters that are Minions of their Master. Once these Minions become Subordinated to the Servant, they no longer obey the Master directly, instead taking orders from the Servant.
And like Servants getting a boon from their Master, Subordinates grow stronger than normal. Combine that with the Daimyo Dragons' ability to train others...
In fact, there are already some Subordinate monsters in my Domain. The Spriggans that Vir'ava made from those Aurellium assassins were automatically Subordinated to her.
"I will. There's no need to start right this moment; please come by my den tomorrow. I'll be able to introduce you properly then." I finish talking with them as I land in front of the cave beneath Yggdrasil. Receiving a mental nod in response from the Daimyo Dragon, I wearily enter the cave.
Inside, the nine people and one monster I brought from the ruined village are waiting. Valena is the first to run up to me. Her irises are still purple, though the color has lightened into more of a pastel lavender that actually suits her nicely. The discoloration is most likely caused by me regrowing her eyes whilst she was still slightly tainted by Malice. Fixing it would probably require me to remove her eyes and regrow them again...
"I need to sit down, we can talk then." I mumble to her, fighting the desire to just fall asleep on the spot. Settling down into our pelt pile, I accept a hug from Valena, startling slightly as her breath turns shaky and she begins to cry into my mane.
I glance at the others present. Their eyes are tired. It's been a long day, and several of them almost died. Hell, I think if Valena hadn't called for us, they'd all be dead or at the very least grievously wounded.
The large-eyed woman with the strange hair walks towards Valena and me. "I am Terne Fluxbeacon, may I ask how long our stay here will be? Given the abrupt nature of our travel, people are bound to worry about us." Her voice is composed, but I sense some arrogance.
"I've informed the King of your location. Besides, why not wait for the snow to thaw before heading home again? I desire to give you all gifts to help fight the darkness in Illomen Forest, but I need some time to prepare them." My tone remains cordial, though I'm sure Terne senses the implications I'm setting forth. They'll be leaving when I let them.
"In any case, I think we can all agree that your performance against those... abominations... was less than stellar." I continue, having already scanned each of their recent memories with Telepathy. Each on their own, with the exception of Peony, the Delpha look-alike, could probably fight normal monsters with ease.
But these are no normal monsters, and their cohesion left much to be desired. Of course, having better gear should help, but I suspect that even with that aid they'd get in each others way too much for it to be any good.
I pan my gaze across the group before me. There's annoyance, agreement, embarrassment...
"I understand that you've only recently met each other, not to mention how recent your appointment as Champions is. I wonder, why did you engage the abominations?" I know the answer, of course. Overconfidence.
"We- I thought... We could take them on. If we were outmatched, we'd retreat, in the worst case, Valena would call for you." Peony steps forward. So that's how it is.
I glance down at Valena. It's mostly our own fault, for not telling her back then... She's calmed down now, and seems to be barely awake as she breathes steadily into my mane.
"If you're outmatched, retreat's very rarely an option. As for using Namers Call to summon me, since my Domain is such a large distance away, it uses my MP to power the Skill. I was already drained from having aided the neighboring villages, when she called me, it took my last reserves. Only by offering up my SP could I get you out of danger."
The mood shifts. Any annoyance or arrogance there was is no more. The realization that I risked my own well-being to aid them seems to dampen those emotions.
Just then, the silk flap to the outside opens. In walks Delpha, with Ame and Mabe close behind. Delphas cheeks are flushed red from the cold outside, and she seems to be tired but content.
"A-ah! I heard from Vir'ava that you were back, so I wanted to check in- Who are these people?" She shrinks back a bit when she spots the group standing in front of me. She then does a double take when she spots Peony.
Ame and Mabe walk up next to Delpha, looking from her to Peony and back in confusion. They really look identical now that they're together in the same room. I choke back a guffaw at my poor confused child.
"Delpha, these are the Champions of the Divine; Terne Fluxbeacon, Smaragdina Merogem, Oyvind Mudknell, Wanda Razortide, Merkiv Blastguard, Peony Amberroux, Brocken Voidreiser and Valena Argenfeather, my Namer." I introduce them all, ignoring the stares of bewilderment at me knowing their names without them introducing themselves.
"Oh, and this is Rafflina, she's Oyvinds companion monster, and then there's Grieg Fallowborn, Peonys' guard. Everyone, this is Delphina Voidreiser, the Oracle that used to live at Spring Keep in Harmek. Beside her is Ame and Mabe, my adoptive child and Delphas friend and guardian."
Ame and Mabe are inching closer to Peony, curiosity evident in their mannerisms. Although Peony is clearly nervous about the presence of the pony-sized Pseudo Dragon, she stands her ground.
Ame's mouth opens, revealing just how wide they can open it in a yawning motion before stretching out their tongue. It's thick, the top of it covered in fleshy scales and dripping with saliva. Before anyone can react, they've licked Peony's left cheek. Ame then swallows, seemingly contemplating something.
Mabe looks from Delpha and Peony before turning to me, their words like a deep rumble that makes my chest vibrate. "Mama, Delfa and Peo-ony... Like us!" They state as they excitedly shift their weight left to right in a sort of dance.
I look at the confused Peony, and the equally puzzled Delpha before what Mabe said makes sense. Oh my god, they're twins.
"What Mabe said was that you two are related, siblings, perhaps even twins." I translate for Mabe. A small gasp runs through the crowd.
"That... That makes everything fall into place..." Delpha hesitantly walks up to Peony, absentmindedly running her hand along Ames neck as she passes. "Ever since I was little, I'd have dreams about someone else. I thought it was a side effect of being an Oracle..."
Peony looks deep into Delphas eyes, tears welling up in her own. "I too dreamt, but it was more like a reoccurring nightmare. I'd be stuck in a bed, and my legs wouldn't move..."
"The last Vision an Oracle has foretells the identity of the one to replace them. The Church then moves to take the newborn child after its first milk, even if that child is one half of a pair of twins." I solemnly inform those present.
"That's terrible!" Valena pipes up, startling me slightly. I thought she'd fallen asleep.
"It is." I nod in agreement before feeling my head spin. Alright- time for bed it seems.
"Delpha, I'm sure you and Peony have lots to catch up to, I'll leave you to it. I need some sleep before I faint." I then turn to Yggdrasil, who's been quietly watching from the sidelines. "Could you make some partitioning walls? I'm afraid I'm in no state to do much at all."
"Of course. Please rest well." She curtsies before roots emerge from the floor and ceiling of the cave to create small rooms, suitable for someone to sleep in. Before slumping to the side, I wave my hand, causing nine sleeping rolls to appear. Sure was handy of Millibelle to loot everything of use from that Aurellium camp.
I then let go of consciousness.
"You did so well, Shadow..."
Millibelle's voice echoes around the dreamscape. Everything's slow, muddled. If I move my head too fast, everything smears together into a blur. I sense her at my side though. The changes are slight, but I can tell...
She has changed. Her inner self, who she truly is, it's changed. Still decidedly human, though there's a new wildness about her. That same cold indifference I had for everything but our own convenience. Her teeth are sharp, her nails have become claws.
She's decided, then. To stop being as forgiving as she used to be.
"Are you all right?"
I am so tired. If she needs more time, I'll persevere as she has, but I secretly hope that we can go back to how it was before.
"Not yet. I don't think we ever will be, Shadow. But I can take the reins for a while. We'll get better together."
She embraces me, and I her. We'll always be together, whether we want to or not.
[Set.DominanceSwitch: False]
[Switching...]
Millibelle's POV
I slumber.
I'm fairly sure it's the next morning already, but I'm so tired, I want to sleep more.
There's a faint rustle of feathers, and the sensation of something gently moving through my mane. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to ignore the movements that are making my hair stand on end in delight. My one physical weakness; having someone groom my hair.
A small, warm thing is moving upwards, gently preening my mane as it goes. It reaches my right ear, and I hear the distinct rasp of Leraste's breath as she wiggles her beak into my mane.
"Leraste, my child, that is my ear, please don't bite it." I mumble, but make no further effort to ward off the Quetzalcoatl.
"Mama, get up." She warbles into my ear before I feel a gentle tug at it. A clear threat from my daughter. I sigh and grab onto the little Pseudo Dragon, hoisting her up into my lap as I maneuver into a sitting position.
She coos in delight as she wraps her long, noodly body around my wrist, exposing her chin for me to scritch.
"Oh my, you're so cute~" I startle slightly at the unfamiliar voice. Looking around, I see an imposing Minars woman. Ah yes, Smaragdina Merogem, the Champion of Dark. She's wearing her goggles even inside...
Seeming to notice my shock, she makes an apologetic motion before informing me; "There's a Dragon outside... It seems impatient."
Oh- They're here already! I gently unwrap Leraste from my hand, instead letting her hitch a ride on my shoulder, and get up to walk outside. Ignoring the slight dizziness when I move my head too fast, I exit the cave to see that most all of the snow has been removed from the grove.
Indeed, there's even a sizable arena created just past the hillies. In the middle of it, the Daimyo Dragon is waiting, their tail making long sweeping arcs through the air, a clear tell of impatience among Dragons.
"I'm so sorry for making you wait." I apologize to them, only to be met with a snort.
Their arrogance quickly gives way to complete fascination. "I can, but only Eastern Spirits and Undead. It costs a bit of MP too, depending on the species I summon." The Daimyo nods.
They glance with contempt at the gathering Champions. I turn to face them as well, luckily they're in their armors. Peony's guardian... He's still hurt, he's got his arm in a sling and everything.
"Here, let me heal you." I walk over to him.
"W-With all respect, your highness, I doubt you'll be able to do much better than Milady." He seems adamant.
"Nonsense, Grieg, Millibelle knows Miracure. Let her heal you, so you can do your job." Valena chimes in. Seems she's figured out why there's a Daimyo Dragon and an arena here. "We're training, right? I mean... We really need it." She asks me as I tend to Grieg.
"That's the plan. I understand that it's been too short a time between you gaining your powers and even meeting each other, but we have precious little time. Me granting you gear would do no good if you're unable to use it to its full potential. So I've called in my Servant, Daimyo Dragon, to train you. Please do as they say." I address everyone.
They nod grimly. Everyone's aware of the reasons for them being here.
The Daimyo complains. "We don't have time for that. You'll have to talk to them directly." I know it's unheard of for a normal Dragon to talk to a humanoid, the reason it's believed only the Elder Dragons are able to do this is that they're unconcerned with being seen as weird or submissive to humanoids for doing so.
They swallow heavily before addressing the Champions in front of them.
On this cue I summon forth Gozuki and Mezuki. Two large, hulking monsters appear in the arena. The Gozuki looks like a ramped up Minotaur, and it is. A pair of massive gold horns crown its bulls-head, and it's wielding a colossal hammer that's almost the same size as it. It is four meters (~13.1 feet~) of pure beefy muscle.
The Mezuki is similar, though it's carrying two saber-like swords, looking more like esoteric saws than actual weapons. Its horse-head is unsettling, as its mouth is wide like that of a carnivore, and a long, curved, silver horn sits proudly on its forehead. I grant command of them to the Daimyo Dragon, perhaps against my best judgement, but I'm not in the mental state to be keeping those two in check.
The Daimyo announces as both monsters release a harrowing roar, charging all of a sudden towards the Champions.
"Just don't... hurt them too much, okay?"
I can't help but worry if this was a mistake.