We’re well on our way to the fortress, and with our current pace, we’ll be there before nightfall, which is great news for actually being seen. The near-constant cloud cover does mean that even daytime is quite gray and gloomy.


    A tap on my horn alerts me to someone wanting my attention. It’s remarkable how easy it is to feel whenever something touches my horns, while they’re strong enough to withstand ripping an iron gate apart. It occurs to me that I might have been underutilizing them for combat, especially considering the kinds of stuff I’ve run into. If I’m built to ram things, I could really ruin someone’s day.


    Another tap to my horn alerts me to someone pointing out that I got distracted... and Lauren telling me as much does the same.


    “Kira, we have to go back. Merciferus has informed me that she has sent an envoy for us to meet in the Field of Punishment. Do you know where that is?”


    I have my suspicions... That’s a pretty obvious taunt from the goddess of attitude and mischief. I am kinda curious what kind of envoy she has sent. Hopefully a polite one, but I’m not sure about how likely that is. And Merciferus sure is using her ability to talk to Lauren a lot lately, especially when it comes to bossing her around.


    I’m sure Merciferus has her reasons for it, and she has been quite helpful when she can be, so it’s not like we’re likely to lose anything significant from this detour. We might even gain something if she’s feeling generous.


    With a little magic in my wings, it won’t take that long anyway, but ways to safeguard my passengers from the weather might be a good thing to think about. Raya and Lauren are whispering about something to do with hunting, but I get the impression that they’re worried about me overhearing. Yeah, I’m just gonna point out that I can hear them. And with a few scratches to make me purr, they change the subject.


    I’m so curious about what they’re talking about, and geez, I hope they’ll tell me when they’re ready.


    “How do you manage to avoid the trees, Kira?”


    I know I’m not flying too high up, but have a little faith, Lauren! I’ve been flying low enough for the tallest trees to poke up, but they’re easy to avoid with a little turning. I tell her as much, pointing out that they’re quite easy to see, so why wouldn’t I be able to avoid them?


    “I think she’s talking about the fog, Kira. I can’t see that far ahead.”


    “Exactly. Neither can I, and you seem to be avoiding everything without much difficulty.”


    Slowing down to a hover, I look around trying to spot the fog, but I don’t see it. I’m not sure if they’re teasing me again, but aside from being a little grayer, I don’t see much of a difference from any other day. Maybe I can’t see as far, I guess, but fog should be imposing and restrictive.


    I just don’t see it... With a little magic directed to my eyes, my sight changes to see the magic of the world and geez, I should have prepared a little. The air around us is saturated with magic, and now I can barely see farther than my nose. Okay, so if that’s magical fog, then my physical vision can’t really see it, which is kinda helpful.


    Reducing my magic sight again turns the world visible, and I’m kinda curious how many foggy days I’ve missed out on. Dang it, I like fog, it’s pretty and mysterious...


    As this terrible news hits me, Lauren uses the opportunity to tell me to get moving so we can meet up with Merciferus’ envoy and see what they want.


    “And after that, we need to head directly south of here. If you can’t see the fog, there’s a beast we need to hunt. It has avoided the Guild for a very long time and hunts on foggy days.”


    “That sounds like an unnecessary detour, and I feel like we’re getting distracted here. We have that whole meeting with Turgai thing to do.”


    It’s usual for Lauren to be the one to take us to weird locations, so maybe we should do as she says. The firm tone of her voice sure suggests that she wants this beastie dead.


    “Please, Kira. It targets merchants and peasants. The Guild has frequently sent out parties to hunt it, but it either hides or hunts them back. Reports say that it strikes from behind and approaches without being seen or heard.”


    Well, when she puts it like that, how can I refuse? Who knows, it might even be delicious. I hope it is. To the south, she said? Yeah, we should hunt it.


    “The envoy first, you silly beast.”


    She laughs as she pats my head, and I may have started flying south... Deliciousness, you tasty temptress, you won’t get me this time!


    “The fog monster has killed Tuiran’s hunters too. It has left us alone lately, but we usually lose a bunch of people every year.”


    And just like that, it’s going to die. If Tuiran’s people are getting killed by it, then it’s hunting in my territory and I don’t like that one bit. I wanna go hunt it now, but noo... I have to be responsible and do things in order. That doesn’t mean I can’t rush things, though. Pushing magic into my wings, we set off and fly toward the northern end of Tuiran.


    It isn’t that far when you can fly, and by the time we pass the town, a lone figure comes into view, standing in the exact spot where Lauren was treated. This woman looks very similar to Merciferus, with feathery wings folded up behind her as she looks our way. The two crates beside her suggest that this might be the Kirarmor that I totally didn’t forget about.


    Slowing our approach, we prepare for landing next to this Merciferus-adjacent person and her eyes lock onto mine as we set down. Moving my head a little proves that her stare follows me. Even when I start moving my head more, she still follows me with her fixated stare.


    Raya’s laughing above me draws my attention to something I might not have considered while I tested our guest here.


    “By the Gods, Kira! Stop moving so much... I feel nauseous...”


    Yeah... I did not consider how they might feel as I jerked my head around, but at least Raya thought it was fun and I’m sure Lauren will be fine. As I lie down, the two differing attitudes descend to the ground and the envoy switches her focus from me to Lauren.


    “Champion of Merciferus. I present to you the blessed protective garments offered by Our Holy Mother. Don your armor so that you may guard yourself against the evils you will come to face.”


    Lauren and Raya are quick to check the crates and pull out all sorts of Kirarmor. I’m curious about this winged woman calling Merciferus ‘mother,’ though. Smelling her doesn’t reveal any similarities in scent, so I’m not sure it’s a mother-daughter relationship. It might be figurative instead.


    “Cease your incessant prodding, beast!”


    “She does that, you can’t really stop it.”


    Lauren sighs at Raya’s proclamation, and yeah, I do do that. But there’s something interesting about this person’s scent, like they’ve been around something dangerous and spicy. It smells fascinating, and I kinda wanna taste whatever it came from because it isn’t her own smell. There’s a tingle to it for sure.


    The winged person pushes at my face, but that’s okay because it lets me smell her even more, since it means she has to get close to me.


    “Why are you so interested in her, Kira?”


    Instead of answering, I get a few more whiffs of the scent, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got it memorized now. What a fascinating scent. I’m not sure what it smells like, but it’s making me feel good.


    “I demand you cease this behavior, beast! Champion, call off your beast this instant!”


    “Raya isn’t wrong. Kira’s attention is a beast born of Chaos, best you can do is distract her with something else. Treats work quite well.”


    The envoy keeps trying to push me away as she listens to Lauren, and with a deft hand, she snakes her fingers into a pouch and pulls out something delicious-smelling.


    “Beast, this is yours if you stop smelling me.”


    She’s holding a small square of something wrapped in a small leaf. I’m pretty sure it’s candy, and I want it. Giving her a moment, she unwraps it, but before she has a chance to throw it to me, Raya snags it out of her hand and eats it.


    Dang it, Raya! That was mine! Judging by the joy in her eyes, it was delicious and she’s chewing a lot.


    “It’sh shtuck to my teef!”


    It’s caramel of some sort! Dang it, I wanted the caramel! Nudging the envoy again, she sighs and pulls out another piece, and as she unwraps it, she readies her arm to throw it to me, but just as she lets go, Lauren snags it out of the air and eats it.


    I’m being cheated out of all the treats!


    “It’sh shtuck to my teef, too.”


    Now they’re both chewing at me, taunting me with their munching of malice! Instead of having pity for my plight, they drag the crates to my side and ask me to unfold my wing to shelter them from the rain. That’s a big demand coming from candy thieves, and this is an atrocity warranting greater punishment than I have ever dished out. I have no idea what that would even look like, but I’ll have to remember to do it.


    As they settle in under the shelter of my wing, they begin undressing in preparation for putting on the Kirarmor.


    With a tremendous sigh, the envoy pulls out a third piece of caramel and after unwrapping it, she holds it out for me and with gentle movements, I close my mouth over her hand and grasp it with my tongue, snatching the candy. It’s delicious and as I let go of the envoy’s hand, I give it a chew, which, unpredictably, gets stuck in my teeth, but that’s okay, I can lick it now and it won’t get stuck under my tongue.


    The envoy stares at her goop-covered hand before grabbing a piece of Lauren’s discarded clothes and wiping off my venom. With another sigh and a grumble about losing her candy, she stands back, leaving Raya and Lauren to continue putting on the Kirarmor. It seems the sets come with both external and internal armor.


    The undergarments seem to be made of leather and fur, and if I had skin exposed, I’m sure that would feel fantastic on it. The leather is covered in symbols and runes that smell quite strongly of power. I’m not sure what they do, though.


    Raya has begun strapping on a leg plate to her thigh. It’s made up of a large scale covering the outside of her leg, and somehow, whoever has made this armor has managed to bend it to fit her. On the inside, there’s a thinner scale, which has clearly been ground down in thickness to avoid getting in the way of movement. The scales themselves overlap to protect her leg all the way around. It also seems to be lined with fur, and I assume it’s to keep it from cutting into the inner garments.


    I have no idea how whoever crafted these managed to get the measurements right, but everything seems to fit perfectly. Even nudging it, the Kirarmor pieces stay in place. Nudging it harder just makes Raya move, but the equipment is very well fitted.


    “Stop it, Kira. I need to get the rest of it on. We will need to wear it for a time to get accustomed to the weight and feel.”


    That’s fair and smart. And I do want to see her in the completed outfit. The chest Kirarmor seems to be made of scales cut into sections horizontally, creating layered protection as they overlap, but maintaining flexibility when its moved around. Somehow they’ve also had all sorts of symbols and images of flowers chiseled into them. And best of all, at the center of it, there’s a golden dragon head, but the horns aren’t straight like mine. Instead, they curl inward toward her collarbone. Geez, this feels like I’m under-dressed... The whole thing smells so fantastic and I want it.


    Looking at Lauren’s Kirarmor, it’s just as amazing. She’s further along in the process and has started putting on shoulder guards. They are quite smooth, with the edge by her neck curling upward. They tie the armor together quite well while protecting her neck and upper arm. And while the shoulderguards block parts of the horns of the dragon icon, it becomes apparent that they replace them instead.


    When Lauren wears the shoulderguards, the gold on them becomes the new horns that do match mine! That’s so awesome! And the straps to tie the shoulderguards to the rest of the Kirarmor follow the horns down, almost becoming hidden as they match the color of the horns. That’s pretty neat.


    “Kira, I know it smells good to you, but I need a little space to put on the rest.”


    Geez, all these complaints. At least Lauren pats my nose as she asks me for some room.


    The whole thing looks like it has incredible flexibility, moving and shifting as they do, and if I had to guess, I’d say the equipment wouldn’t detract from mobility at all. I am curious whether they’re heavy, though. I don’t have a firm grasp of what my scales weigh. Or what I weigh, now that I think about it.


    With all this extra protection, Raya is gonna be a tiny tank. She is already tough from my magic changing her, and now she has an exoskeleton as well.


    Aside from the whole thing being kinda slow, neither of them has had any issues putting on their equipment without assistance. Even the shoulderguards appeared reasonable to put on, as they attach firmly to the back of the chest piece, so they hang loosely until they’re ready to be strapped down in the front.


    Lauren has moved on to gauntlets, which protect her entire forearm, leaving very little of her exposed. The fingers end in sharp points, which I think make them weapons in their own right. As she tests the fit, I notice that the inside of her hands is covered as well, and I’m pretty sure that’s strong enough to allow her to grab enemy weapons.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I’m curious how Raya is gonna handle the gloves, but she has only just begun getting the shoulderguards on.


    Aside from providing shelter, I’m really not doing much here. Giving the envoy a glance, I notice that she’s just standing around keeping an eye on Lauren. And she’s dry. She’s been standing in the rain for some time, and somehow she’s still dry.


    “Are your wings like duck wings?”


    “What?”


    Well, now she’s glaring at me. I think it’s a good question. If she repels water, it’s probably because of some sort of grease or oil, and waterfowl are good at that sort of thing.


    “If they’re like goose wings, then I’m sorry for assuming they were duck wings.”


    “Champion, explain what your beast is referring to.”


    Lauren glances our way before sighing and rolling her eyes, a clear taunt, but I’ll let it slide this time, like water slides off the envoy’s goose wings. The eye roll might not have been directed at me, considering that her gaze is focused on the envoy.


    “I don’t know. Kira, stop teasing her. And you could treat Kira like the person that she is, daughter of Merciferus.”


    It wasn’t my intention to tease the envoy. I genuinely wanted to know how her water-repellent powers work. I should apologize, since she does seem offended. And as Lauren looks at my face, her expression changes a little, I’m sure my mood eyes revealed that I wasn’t trying to be mean.


    “I will not debase myself by consorting with such primitive brutes. Dragons have earned no favor among the Divine. They care for neither honor nor dignity, they hold only greed and brutality as virtues, as evidenced by how easily the simple beast was tricked by basic bribery.”


    Okay, so no apology. And she seems to be trying to move herself onto the food scale.


    “Kira, don’t mind her. Please, for me.”


    Lauren is still looking up at me, waiting for an answer, and glancing at Raya, she nods her agreement with Lauren, leaving me without much choice but to let it slide.


    Well, I’m still allowed to huff with indignation, so I’m gonna!


    “How Our Holy Mother can tolerate an abomination such as this, I will never be capable of understanding. She truly holds the highest virtue of patience."


    Okay, control yourself, Kira. You’re holding back for Lauren. Don’t lose your temper...


    “By the eternal hells, would you shut the fuck up? Consider the dishonor you bring Merciferus for disparaging her choices, such as enlisting the help of Kira. You have delivered the equipment and completed your task, so piss off if you can’t behave. How can you consider yourself an envoy of a Goddess when your behavior reeks worse than the beast you claim superiority to?!”


    Geez, it seems Lauren has reached the end of her rope on this matter. Raya steps up to her and, with a few taps to the healer’s leg, Lauren calms down a bit, letting the anger flow away. I’m getting the impression that Lauren would have attacked if Raya hadn’t interfered.


    “You think yourself my equal, Champion? You were chosen so that Our Holy Mother need not trudge through this lower plane. You are no more than a tool to be wielded and discarded when your usefulness reaches its end.”


    Merciferus, your envoy is insulting Lauren, and I want to eat her. Can I?


    Looking at Lauren, she is smiling for some reason. There is obvious amusement painted on her face.


    “Merciferus says you can’t eat her, Kira. Unless she continues to misbehave.”


    As Lauren speaks, the envoy’s expression sobers and turns from arrogance to worry, and all of a sudden, she seems to have a lot less to say.


    “You would not allow such blasphemy, Champion. It would be a direct strike upon Our Holy Mother’s divinity.”


    “Judging by how much Kira is drooling, I doubt I would have much say in the matter. The choice has become yours. Treat us as we treat you, or we will treat you as you treat us.”


    I hadn’t noticed the drooling, but she’s right, I’m making a mess. I’ll have to make a note of that and try to be less sloppy in the future. Or people could try to be less edible. I’m leaning toward the latter, but we will have to wait and see how that goes, considering we still have an appointment at the fortress city in the southwest.


    Focus, Kira! The opportunity to see what someone like the envoy tastes like is here, and I have to pay attention to any insults to be allowed to eat her.


    “Kira, your wing.”


    At Raya’s words, I glance back, revealing that I seem to have partially folded up my wing, so stretching it again earns me a ‘thank you’ and the two of them get back to putting on their Kirarmor. Lauren practically has it all on, and she looks amazing, but Raya could use some help. I assume this is the first time Raya has ever worn armor, so it’s understandable that she would struggle a little compared to Lauren and her past as an adventurer.


    Watching the two of them work together is quite nice, and with a little effort, they both have their new Kirarmor equipped, looking very nice. The fact that they’re mostly matching sets makes it even better. And getting a good look at Raya’s gauntlets reveals that they’re open at the tip with her nails peeking out, which begs the question: who the heck made these things and how do they know so much about my friends?


    With a nudge, I inquire how it feels for Raya. The equipment appears quite comfortable, and Raya jumps around a few times while running back and forth under my wing. She doesn’t seem to be restricted in movement at all.


    There are a few notable differences between the two sets of Kirarmor, it seems. Lauren''s set appears to have been more focused on covering every potential weakness with something. But Raya''s set has a utility belt and a few protrusions that could be used to secure something like a bandolier. She''s quick to grab all the things from her clothes and put them into pouches on the utility belt, and she even keeps her satchel around. The more I watch her pull out flowers, leaves, rocks, and all sorts of tiny things, the more I suspect she might be a hoarder. Which I am not going to point out.


    I haven’t heard anything from the envoy since the possibility of getting eaten dropped onto the table. She seems awfully quiet now, but turning my attention to her reveals that she is seething. I wouldn’t be surprised if she were thinking up a storm about what she’d like to do about this little abomination. I’m not even sure what makes me an abomination, but it’s a little harsh.


    The envoy steps forward, surprising me and causing me to let out a growl as I instinctively shield Lauren and Raya.


    I may have some feelings toward this person. But I don’t have to focus on that right now as I feel two hands patting my arm at different heights. Lying down, the two of them gather up their drenched clothes and climb up on me. As they walk along the back of my neck, I hear Raya comment on the situation while keeping her voice down.


    “Good job holding back the aggression. It gets easier.”


    I’m not sure what that’s about, but considering it was barely a whisper, I''m gonna assume it has to do with that thing they don’t want me to know about yet. Given that Raya is familiar with it and she’s now talking to Lauren about it, while I’m not supposed to know, it makes me suspect that it has something to do with me. It’s been a while since I’ve driven Lauren to anger, so that rules out general shenanigans. All that’s left as far as I know is the transformation. And I can certainly feel aggressive at times, so I know how that goes. I’m not gonna say anything until they’re ready for me to know, though.


    Their trip up my neck comes to an end as they settle in between my horns, and it sounds like Lauren has some parting words for the envoy.


    “Thank you for the delivery, daughter of Merciferus. May your future be bathed in light. Though you may wish to stay alert and identify the source before you embrace it.”


    I have no idea what that gibberish means, but as Lauren spoke, the envoy got quite a bit angrier. That doesn’t mean she’s saying anything, though. I guess I did tattle on her by accident when I asked for permission to eat her. She is not getting an apology for that.


    Spreading my other wing, we take off toward the south. I’m not sure whether it’s foggy or not, and I don’t feel like blinding myself with magic sight in case it is, so I do the next obvious thing: just asking about it!


    Raya is quick to inform me that the fog has lifted and we’re too late to hunt the fog monster, but that just means we have a fun fight in the future.


    Flying toward the fortress city goes off without a hitch and we’re almost at the forest. As we approach the treeline, Raya is quick to point out something that hadn’t really occurred to me.


    “Kira, we need to drop off our clothes. Fly over my home and I’ll jump down with them.”


    Right, obviously... We shouldn''t fly around with bundles of wet clothes.


    So turning around, we head for Raya’s place and hopefully no more detours today. I wanna see if Turgai has more treats for me. It barely counts as a detour given how short the distance is, but that doesn’t matter, we’re here now and Raya is climbing down as Lauren sits on me some more.


    Judging by the thud of Raya landing on her roof, I’m guessing the Kirarmors have a decent weight to them and hers is probably a lot lighter than Lauren’s. It didn’t really make much of a difference for me, so I’m guessing the equipment isn’t too heavy. Raya seems to have returned after dumping her clothes inside, since she’s calling for Lauren to throw her more things. The whole thing is quite fast, and soon enough, Raya is climbing up on me again.


    “How much do those Kirarmors weigh?”


    “Are we settled on that name?”


    “Yes, now answer the question.”


    After a chuckle, Raya tells me that her weight has probably increased by almost a third of her own weight. Lauren chips in and says that hers likely weighs as much as Raya does, but that isn’t all that helpful since I don’t know what either of them weigh.


    I don’t even know what unit of measurement they use for weight.


    I’m not gonna bother with that, it’s time to get to Fort Big Walls. Setting the course for the southwest, we fly off into the distance.


    Aside from the complaints about the rain, the flight goes smoothly as we pass over the trees. This time, a little higher to put the passengers at ease. With a clear goal in mind, and no distractions to speak of, we make good time as we fly over the hilly fields past the forest. I should try hunting around here, too. I’m sure there are- no. Fort Big Walls is the first priority.


    We’re closing in on the place, and I’m not sure what a safe distance is. If this were my old world, there wouldn’t be anything called a safe distance, but I don’t know what to expect from magic and how it correlates.


    I think an old strategy is in order, so flying closer, we make sure we’ve been spotted before creating some distance between us and the town again. The sounds of horns blaring inside the walls make it pretty obvious that we have, in fact, been spotted. And just like that, we’re flying away.


    Landing a good distance from the fortress, we settle in and wait, keeping our eyes peeled in case danger approaches. I may be good at antagonizing people, but it’s not the goal.


    I can tell Raya stands up and soon, she’s walking between my eyes and onto my nose, taking a seat as she watches the distance. I hope we’ll meet some friendly people, but we need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.


    “Do you think Banyai will meet us? He talked funny.”


    “I hope so. If it isn’t Lunch or Turgai’s group meeting us, I think we might have to leave.”


    The first red flag is that a group of ten is approaching on horseback. And they’re still far enough away that I don’t recognize any of them. One of them is holding a banner with a fancy horse on it, so maybe they’re important people. Or maybe they’re trying to stake their claim on a fancy magic dragon like me.


    I may be experiencing some mixed feelings right about now. I’m hopeful that they''re friendly, but I’m also anxious about the potential risk of them attacking. At the same time, I kinda want them to attack to justify fighting them and getting a snack out of it. I’m gonna focus on the optimism part.


    They’re getting closer now, and the rascally riders are hiding their faces with hoods. So with that in the way, it’s time to get ready for a retreat. Getting up and spreading my wings, I tell Raya and Lauren to get ready for takeoff.


    One of the riders breaks off from the rest and charges at us, and as the questionable character does, Raya jumps down, landing with a thud before running toward the rider. I don’t like that one bit. Calling out to her, I ask what’s going on as I start to follow. And I’ve got longer legs.


    “It’s Banyai! He gave me a signal they use to let others know they’re friendly.”


    When was this?! Obviously, it was when we met, but I don’t recall any signals. She really isn’t being slowed down by all that new equipment, but the rider is quick to reach us, showing no hesitation at what is essentially a charging dragon. Either Raya is right, or this person is very brave. Or foolish.


    As Raya and the rider meet up, the rider dismounts from the galloping horse, somehow managing to stay standing as he slides across the gravelly road toward Raya. The two collide with a fist bump somehow, when the hell did fist bumps become a thing?


    As the rider lowers his hood, Banyai’s fuzzy face is revealed, and Raya looks back at me with a big ‘I told you so’ smile. Well, at least we have one friendly person here. Or maybe we lost one friendly person, considering the two have quickly begun talking about herbs, poisons, and where to find them.


    “By the hells, she really is the most socially skilled person here...”


    As Lauren’s reality collapses, the other riders approach and lower their own hoods, revealing Lunch, the Commander, and Turgai. I guess the six others are there, too, but I don’t recognize them, so they’re not important.


    Fixing my gaze onto Turgai, I send him a clear message, and he knows what must be done. With a smile, he approaches and tosses me a piece of dried meat, earning me a slap to the side of my head for some reason.


    “At least let me down before you start snapping at flying objects.”


    That’s a fair point, and lowering my head, she climbs down as she chuckles. She’s quick to greet the riders, and to my surprise, Lunch approaches me on his own.


    “I wish to apologize for attacking you. You are truly a greater person than I, and I am deeply grateful for the rescue.”


    He finishes up with a bow, so he gets a nudge. Being all sneaky, I use the nudge to whisper to Lunch, asking who all these weirdos are and why it isn’t just the people I know who came to greet me.


    Given that he covered his ear, I suspect I didn’t whisper as quietly as I wanted to. At least none of the random people look offended all the way over there, so that’s something.


    “These fine folks are the Council of Margwen. They requested to join Ayra’s group should you appear again. And as you no doubt have noticed, Ayra''s group has lost a member, and for the time being, I have joined them.”


    “Big congratulations, Lunch! I’m proud of you for staying strong!”


    He looks quite proud too, and he deserves it. He had a very rough day, so I hope the Commander can help brighten his days going forward. He did prove very useful during the snake hunting, so I’m happy that he’s happy to see me. Now...


    “Who the hell is Ayra?”


    There is a moment of silence before Banyai and Turgai burst out laughing, and the Commander slumps.


    “Am I that forgettable? I thought I made a good impression...”


    So using my keen dragon mind, I deduce that the Commander’s name is Ayra. Who knew? It does sound like something I’ve heard before, but I can’t be expected to hear every little detail spoken in my presence.


    Ooh, another treat flying my way. As I snatch it out of the air, the area becomes saturated with the scent of fear and I’m not sure why, but I do know the source. The six council members seem to be quite scared of something, but I haven’t done anything to warrant being afraid, so that’s on them.


    As I discard that nonsense subject, the Commander approaches me, commenting on the impressive equipment worn by Raya and Lauren. And I agree, the Kirarmor is impressive and I’m an impartial third party with no biases here.


    He seems to have gotten over his momentary melancholy as he rants about the Kirarmors and what features they most likely have. Which seems to include being excellent for infusing magic, fire resistance, and just being very tough. I’m curious if he knows anything about the runes and symbols on the undergarments, but I’m not about to ask my friends to strip here.


    If he visits Tuiran sometime, it’s possible that he could check them while they aren’t being worn. What he can help with is telling me why the council members got afraid when I got a treat, but as I ask him, he just stares at me for a while.


    “You bare your fangs when you grab what Turgai throws. And they are impressive fangs, to say the least.”


    Huh, I didn’t realize I did that. Well, they just need to get used to me, and there won’t be a problem.


    “My turn for a question, then. What brings you here? Not conquest, I hope.”


    He’s got a happy smile on his face as he brings up the topic of conquest, and I suspect he knows that that’s obviously not my purpose here, but there''s a glint of something in his eye. I don''t know him that well, though, so I don''t know what it means. Instead, I tell him that we’re here primarily for Turgai, since we want to go to the Lands Beyond Death. And as a secondary objective, I want my people to be safe, so no more adventuring in my woods.


    He seems to think about it for a moment before shrugging and glancing back at the council members, who start murmuring about what to do. They’re talking about all sorts of things, like game hunting, pelt hunting, herb gathering, and predator control, which are all fair subjects.


    Sneaking closer, I lower my head to their huddle and chip in with my own opinion.


    “It’s not a bad deal. The local dragon only wants you to stay out of the forest, so her people are safe from any wily adventurers. If the adventurers can be trusted to leave my goblins alone, then perhaps we can talk about access.”


    I like that I’m getting all the attention while I’m talking. They’re quiet and focusing entirely on me.


    “I’m inclined to agree with the Dragon, council. When missions for goblins go up, it’s crowd control missions, but that crowd is already controlled. We have very little to gain and so much to lose. Consider what your merchants say when they speak of the goblin village.”


    Ooh! The Commander is coming in with the assist. That’s a beginning, though, so we can probably leave them to talk about it on their own. For now, we need to focus on Turgai and get him to show us the way to his homeland. Looking at the scalefolk makes it clear that he’s been staring at me with a smile.


    Turgai calls to me as he asks me to join him a small distance from the council members, and that hits me right in the curiosity. He takes out another of those fancy metal sticks and jabs it into the ground just like the last time. I’m pretty sure I know what he’s about to ask me, and sure enough, he tells people to stand back before asking me to unleash my flames on the rod. Of course, I help him out because I''m kind and helpful, but I would be lying if I didn''t say that the snacks I smell in his satchel had an impact on my decision.


    Soon enough, the rod is flowing with magic and Turgai pulls out a potion, pouring the contents onto the rod to grow a spire of vile steel. As the potion runs out, he turns to the council members and explains what it is, how he can find it, and what it does. He’s giving away a remarkable amount of details about vile steel here, but the council members don''t seem all that impressed by his knowledge. I am a little curious about something else, though.


    “Lauren, try healing the vile steel. It’s a magic thing, and your healing affects magic things now, so who knows what will happen.”