“Zutenko-Chan,” Auraiiya spoke. “I and Hilliya will leave soon.”

Zu raised his head from the book he was reading. His mistress was wearing a long, green dress with long sleeves. That, in addition to the golden tiara and the rest of her everyday jewelry, gave her a slightly more formal look.

Only slightly though. Zu tilted his head.

“didn’t you say that ball thingy was arranged by one of the other Kiadrio?” he asked.

“He invited me, yes. It was one of Duatsow’s demon lords that is hosting.” She answered with a questioning stare. “Should I ask why that matters?”

Zu thought for a moment, and then shrugged.

“I don’t know. I kind of expected something more… fancy from the Kiadra of the Abyssal Element.”

“Pardon?”

“I said I don’t know.” Zu frowned, and returned to his book, tale of the scarred armored.

“I’m ready!” Hilliya announced, hurrying into the room. Zu reluctantly raised his head again.

Hilliya actually looked fancy. Her violet dress combined with the pink sparkling fabrics on her sleeves and shoulders looked beautiful. Zu personally thought she might overshadow her own mistress, but he had enough tact to not say that out loud.

Auraiiya smiled at her cub, and turned her attention back to Zu:

“Will you be alright alone for a few hours?” the smile didn’t leave her face, but the concern in her voice was evident.

Zu didn’t understand why she decided on going to that ball anyway. He knew his mistress was not too fond of either social events or the other Kiadrio. However, he felt like after all the changes in the last three months, it made sense she’d want a breath of fresh air.

“don’t worry about me.” he smirked, adjusting the mask hanging from his shoulder. “I’ll just be in my room, in front of the mirror all day. Or at least until I’ll find the other tracing mark Hilliya placed on me.”

The cold stare Zu received from the assassin made him flinch.

“Zutenko!” Auraiiya scolded. “We both know I wouldn’t have gotten there in time, if it wasn’t for your Hilliya’s intervention.”

It was true. Hilliya later revealed it to him. She confessed Kaybol was worrying about him, and she placed a Magyo tracing on him just in case. It just so happened that Ayalinn…

Zu sighed. He wasn’t sure what to think of her actions. Auraiiya seemed like she forgave her, but he, well… he knew full well he couldn’t understand the Nyxian thought process, but that was out of the line.

“I’m joking, I’m joking.” He raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. “Look, worst case scenario is me starving - and as long as you return before I’m going to sleep that just won’t happen.”

Hilliya stared at him for another long moment, before turning away with a “humpf!”

Auraiiya turned and was about to leave too, when Zu spoke:

“Auraiiya-Sama?” he began hesitantly, watching nervously as his mistress turned back and met her golden eyes.

“What is it, Zutenko-Chan?” she asked back.

Zu thought for a moment, trying to phrase his question in a way it won’t expose his situation: “Does all the rooms in the castle have runes?”

Auraiiya studied him for a moment, and Zu struggled with the urge to make a loud gulp.

“Yes. All the rooms in my castle are rune-powered. It gives you both the space needed, as well as powering the lights. You won’t see them though, since they are carved under multiple covers to prevent intervention.”

“I see.” Zu replied lamely, and instantly regretted that. However, it seems Auraiiya understood it differently than what he actually said.

He decided to press on. “And what happens if, let’s say, someone intervened with the runes?”

Auraiiya looked thoughtful. Her hand rose to stroke her chin.

I’m stretching my luck here.

“Best case scenario, the lights will go haywire, or temperature goes off.” She spoke eventually. “Worst case scenario – the room and everything in it will implode and be sucked inward, beyond the void itself.”

She then smiled. “We all are lucky that is simply a hypothetical, aren’t we?”

Zu forced a smile onto his face. He discovered just this morning that he could touch the glowing symbols in his room. He needed Kaybol

 back soon, before he’ll do something stupid and his little brother won’t be there to at least advise against it.

“Obviously. Just a hypothetical. Totally.”

It took them a few more minutes before the girls departed, and Zu could focus back on his book. he looked again at the title. Hilliya once told him that all these books Kaybol was hoarding were actually about his own past incarnations. Zu didn’t know if she was joking or not – the man in the book was far too dry and chivalrous to be Kaybol, even in a past life.

It took almost two hours since they left, when Zu heard knocks on the front door. He wasn’t worried though, since he knew exactly who he invited.

He opened the door, and bowed to the tall fox.

“Hey there, kid.” Said Ta’ala with a smirk, and carrying a bag and a book with him. “Ready to learn magic?”

#

Auraiiya entered the main hall, Hilliya in toe. It was white, almost glittering with gold everywhere. With multiple tables spread across the two floors, a buffet at one side and a bar on the other.

“There is no dancing floor.” Hilliya noted drily besides her.

“We are not in a conventional Vastoari gathering, Hilliya.” The Kiadra of the Abyssal Element replied with a dry smile. “Nyxians care more about the food and the discussions. Dancing is… somewhat childish.”

 Auraiiya glimpsed at her cub; Zutenko was right – she looked a lot fancier than her mistress. Fortunately for her, no one will dare mock a Kiadra. Unfortunately for her, there was another Kiadra in this building – one that started approaching.

“Ah, Auraiiya-Dono!” the Kiadra of the rampaging element said with a joyous smile. “I am so glad that you arrived!”

Seemed like he didn’t plan to dress too formal either, with the same yellow tails of his cap falling from his back. His chest, and the fanged maw that it actually was, was fully exposed. His ears were with little tusks and steel earrings. His face beamed with glee, making him look exceedingly childish despite the lighter marks and their sharp shapes. He was escorted by two more individuals; one was Beqneshi, the host of the current event. She seemed very displeased to see another Kiadra at her domain. The subtle disgust in her face was something to revel at. If Auraiiya was interested at politics, that is. The other was a large reptilian Nyxian, with 3 horns, and remnants of a shattered shell on his body.

An ascended form, perhaps? Auraiiya wondered to herself in silence.

“Hello, O’Kitaar-Dono.” She replied with a respectful bow, but groaned internally.

“I thank you for your generous invitation.” She added with a smile. “I am sure our host Beqneshi-San did not find it easy to contain half of the Kiadrio in the same hall~”

Said host seemed like on the verge of saying something insulting and storming off, but she remained silent. O’Kitaar however, broke into loud laughter.

“Ha! I believe so, dear Abyssal Element-Dono. If I wasn’t such a wholesome friend, Beqneshi-Chan would have never allowed another Kiadra here~” he grinned, jabbing the host with his elbow. Auraiiya could barely hide her frown.

Still so childish. She thought. He can’t even keep proper manners, let alone be the patron Kiadra of a continent.

“O’Kitaar-Sama,” Beqneshi said with a bored tone that perfectly hid the anger Auraiiya was sure she had. “The introductions.”

O’Kitaar seemed confused for a millisecond, before remembering where he was.

“Quite so, I suppose. my apologies.” O’Kitaar’s tone shifted, and he bowed respectfully. “Auraiiya-Dono, I’d like you to meet my newest demon lord, nominated for the western territory.”

As he spoke, the lizard-turtle stepped forward and bowed.

“My name is Gezthour Vithai Estirou, your grace.” He said in a low, deep voice. “It is an honor to finally meet the legendary Kiadra Kagya.”

“My, what a polite fella.” Auraiiya bowed back lightly with a smile. “You seem interesting, Demon Lord Gezthour-San. I might just keep an eye on your future achievements.”

“See?” O’Kitaar grinned even wider, and gave Gezthour a slap on the bask. “I told you - everybody thinks you’re awesome!”

Hilliya rolled her eyes. She seemed almost bored from the conversation. O’Kitaar seemed to notice that, and turned his attention to her:

“The infamous Soft Assassin, I presume?” he asked with a smirk. “I heard a lot about you~ Assassinating the rich, and letting the poor raid for all the gold afterwards.”

He turned to face Auraiiya again.

“What a lovely pet~ Oh, I wish she’ll meet Fijeris’s one – I asked him to bring it here too. Say-” he continued, facing Hilliya again. “What is your favorite game, softie-Chan? Tag? Hide and seek? Arena chains?”

Hilliya gulped at the mention of the last one, and Auraiiya narrowed her eyes. She almost allowed herself to forget O’Kitaar wasn’t the overenthusiastic amateur he pretended to be. He was just as calculating as the other Kiadrio, and knew how to push other’s buttons. Especially as he knew Auraiiya banned the Arena Chains “games” in Paiviaz. It was a simple game, as the Nyxian version of a dog fight, putting two Vastoari pets to fight each other until someone was knocked out. It was okay at first, with both pets by immortality contract being never in danger. But combinations of trying to keep things interesting, and attempts to prevent cheating has devolved the games. When Auraiiya banned it, it became already a cruel entertainment that locked Vastoari children in cages, fighting wild beasts using only the same chains that stopped them from leaving. Kaybol stumbled upon this as an attraction once, and that made him nervous. That was the last straw for Auraiiya, and she passionately worked to ban this. Some claimed she never were so passionate about something, others added “since you destroyed the Feeden factories”. Those who knew, anyway.

“Her hair is so beautiful,” the Kiadra continued with a grin, holding strands of Hilliya's hair between his fingers. “not as beautiful as my wife’s hair, Reshrahita-Chan, of course. but we can have more than one favorite plaything in our lives, are we not?”

“O’Kitaar-Sama.” Beqneshi interrupted, and turned to face Auraiiya with an apologetic smile. “My apologies, your grace. But we have to move on, you see. Many introductions to be had.”

“Oh! right!” O’Kitaar nodded franticly. “I’ll tell Fijeris you’re here when I next see him, don’t worry. Then the pets can play together~”

As they moved away, Hilliya frowned.

“I don’t like the way he looked at me.” She muttered. Auraiiya had to agree.

“There are kinder Nyxians, but not here among the elites. Not in Duatsow, anyway.” The Kiadra confirmed.

“… I need a drink.”

Auraiiya sighed.

“Hilliya, as much as I hate this too, you are here on a pet standard. They won’t give you alcohol.”

The soft assassin groaned silently, and touched her golden necklace that carried the Dernoi crest. Auraiiya winced, remembering it was a collar just as much as a piece of jewelry.

“I’ll get some fresh air then.” She mumbled, and turned away before Auraiiya could’ve said anything else.

“Now I need a drink.” Auraiiya said to herself, and started to make her way to the bar.

“Then I can offer you the best quality, your highness.”

Auraiiya took a deep breath, then turned to look at the speaking Nyxian. He was shorter than her, and resembled a snake given human limbs. His scales were crimson red, with black markings all over it. his chest was exposed, aside from the cape that went down his right shoulder from the front. His arms were covered with golden bracelets, and his fingers with rings. From the back of his head, Auraiiya noticed a second maw from a hanging tendril.

He offered her a glass, pouring from another bottle into it. Auraiiya looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“And who may you be?” she asked.

The snake man smiled, revealing his sharp teeth as he bowed. “I am Fijeris Gelo Viqroa, a mere humble servant of our continent’s Kiadra.”

“I see.” Auraiiya said, faking a smile and returning a bow. “Didn’t your Kiadra plan just a few moments ago to make your introduction to me?”

“Indeed. Unfortunately, you see -” Fijeris paused to sip from his own glass. “I am very fond of rebelling against plans. Innovations are always the key to success~”

“That is,, an interesting philosophy indeed.” She admitted, then tapped her glass. A bit of steam rose from the glass, before vanishing. She began to drink, after returning Fijeris a smile.

If what I just evaporated was poison, she thought to herself, this discussion is going to be interesting.