“OUCH! ARGH, damn it all to hell!”

Dimi had just finished her morning jog and had entered the house as he heard Aura yell and curse. The sphinx sat in the living-room, sucking her bleeding finger. On her lap, she had some green fabric.

“What are you doing?” The thirteen-year-old human girl asked.

Aura sighed. “I’m trying to make a dress for the wedding.”

“But you have ten thumbs when it comes to sewing.” Dimi picked up the fabric that was supposed to have the shape of a dress suited for a bride. It had… a shape. “It’s a little late to make a dress, ain’t it? Also, I thought you already ordered one.”

A dark shadow came upon Aura’s face. “I did. But when I came to collect it in the store in Onyxville, they told me I had to pay extra for unforeseen difficulties.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Aura made a lifeless laugh. “I think it means that they noticed that my husband-to-be is a minotaur.”

Dimi had spent the first ten years of her life in the castle. Then, she had spent almost four in Jadedale. Both places had shielded her so much that she had not noticed bigotry the way others had. Jadedale was a wonderful little village and it was so weird how different it was in the slightly bigger town Onyxville that was only about seven miles away.

Maybe that was the reason why it made her so devastatingly angry. Because it was relatively new to her.

“Does Ivan know?” Dimi’s whole body stirred in anger.

“No, and you are not gonna tell him. It is enough that I’m upset this close to the happiest day of my life. So here I am, trying to make this dang thing so he won’t notice.”

“Should I have a word with that dress maker hack?” Dimi cracked her knuckles.

“No! Absolutely not.” Aura sucked her bleeding finger again. "Besides, I turned big and made them piss their pants before leaving the shop." Aura snickered.

Dimi sighed. Then, she smiled. “You should have told me. I know the best dress makers in the area.” Dimi opened up a window and placed her fingers in her mouth as she whistled. About less than a minute later, a couple of bluebirds flew in. One of them landed on Dimi’s fingers as the undercover princess gently stroked it. “I call this little guy Perla. She made my bridesmaid dress.”

Aura was baffled as the birds flew dangerously close to her and looked like they were studying her.

“They are taking your measurement by eye. Perla says a dress will be ready for you by tomorrow.”

Aura laughed. “Is this a princess magic thing?”

Dimi kissed Perla on the head before it flew out of the window with her friends. “Nora calls it zoopathy. I can talk with animals with my brain or something, I don’t get the details. I just know that me and animals like each other.” Dimi grinned. “You are gonna have to get used to certain perks you get as a result of marrying my godfather.”

Aura embraced Dimi.

***

The creature with mostly brown scales narrowed her eyes as the head chef of the Captain Duck eatery slammed the door after throwing her bag and hat on the ground first.

“Fine! FIRE ME!” Ruby grabbed her hat and bag. “Your loss, prick! Your food stinks without me!” Ruby adjusted her hat so it would hide her... hair and made sure her dark glasses were on straight as she glared at the closed door one more time and walked away... only to pause and turn around to yell: “WHAT SORT OF SCHMUCK SERVES CURRY WITHOUT YOGURT?!”

Ruby stomped through the streets of Onyxville. Being a creature like her made people worried when she was around them, but her clearly being pissed made them downright scared of her as satyrs, minotaurs and others made sure to not get in her way.

“Alright...” Ruby mumbled to herself as her salamander tail wagged up and down. “I need a new job. Perhaps Maltus will rehire me as kitchen-help if I suck up to him. With minimum pay, I should be able to afford my own place in Jadedale in... ah...” Ruby stopped up as she did the math in her head. “Eh... less than a year, I think. And then I’m out of this stinking town!”

The reptiles hidden under Ruby’s hat hissed.

***

Ikki the Faun was a waiter on the ferry Tanngrisnir. And he was a first-class suckup. The little goat-man’s good looks and his ability to make people buy his cheap flattery made him successful in hunting a fairly big tip. He always made sure to spot the big tippers so he could serve them first and make them like him and would say yes when he offered to do all sorts of little favors.

The creature in cabin seven however was one Ikki wished didn’t like him. He gulped as he was about to knock on the door while holding a tray with sushi and matches.

“The door is not locked. But wait a few seconds, I’m not decent.”

Ikki took in a deep breath as he placed a hand on the handle. He opened the door but began to feel chills down his spine as he realized that the wealthy creature had not quite finished putting on her dark glasses.

She sat on a very comfortable chair that was placed against the wall at the other side of the room so she would be the first thing you would notice when you entered the cabin. The expensive cheongsam she was wearing made it clear that she had been in the kingdom of Rijita. The female creature had a lit cigar firmly cued between her first two fingers. The scent of expensive tobacco and her jewelry made it clear that she had money enough. She would normally be Ikki’s favorite type of passenger… if it hadn’t been for the snakes she had for hair.

Ikki was at a loss for words as the gorgon with white skin stood up from her chair. Ikki was a faun, he was shorter than most. But it really bothered him how tall this lady was compared to him. All of her snakes looked at him while they flicked their tongues. Ikki looked up at Veronica the Gorgon who looked down at him while smiling as she took a drag on her cigar. Despite her sunglasses, Ikki felt vulnerable when she looked at him.

“Pardon me, madam Veronica.” Ikki tried to use his silk-like suckup voice without much success. “I came with your meal as well as… as matches.”

“Thanks, Ikki. You're a dear.” Veronica spoke with a soft voice as she exhaled thick gray smoke from her nose. “Just place it on the table.” She smiled as she placed a small bag of coins in his delicate little hand.

“Anything else I can do to make your stay on our lovely ship any more… any more… ah.” Ikki felt extremely uncomfortable about the situation, but he didn’t want to seem unhelpful to this sort of lady. “But you might wanna be left alone, apologi-”

“Oh no, don’t leave.” The gorgon smiled as she took another drag on her cigar. “Would you at the very least be a sweetheart and tell me if we are far from Nesredna?“

Ikki took half a backward step toward the door while not losing eye contact with the snake-woman. "We should… arrive there tomorrow, madam.”

Veronica’s smile grew wider as she took a long, slow drag on her cigar. She exhaled, and a long gray plume of pungent smoke escaped her lips that took the shape of a cobra. She mumbled something Ikki couldn’t hear.

“You on holiday, madam?” Ikki felt like he had to say something.

“Not at all.” The gorgon smiled again. “I’m actually going home. Been traveling because of business, but decided that it is time to return home and set up shop once more.”

“What sort of-” Ikki stopped talking as he felt the touch of a hand with scales grabbing his chin. The gorgon had gotten down on her knees and now held the poor goat dwarf’s head as she studied his face.

“You are a very pretty boy. And you know that, don’t you?”

Ikki didn’t say a word. He stared into the shades as he thought about the eyes he had been told about. Eyes that could kill. He was frightened by the thought, yet he kept staring at the glasses of the shades, wondering what these eyes looked like.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, the gorgon laughed. She let go of the faun’s chin, got back in her chair and then sucked in a couple of puffs before she extinguished the cigar on a silver ashtray. “Relax, kiddo. I don’t bite.” She gave Ikki another big coin that he instinctively took. “Tell the cook that I want the usual for dinner.”

Ikki left in haste, leaving the gorgon alone once again.

***

Everyone was dressed in green and clapped and stomped their feet along to the beat of the music as Ivan and Aura danced the ceremonial dance required for them to get wed.

Dimi as well as everyone else smiled and clapped as Ivan and Aura looked so happy that they could burst. Sure, they sang horribly, but they were so happy and in love that no one cared. Dimi had been told how weddings worked. You had to be at least ten creatures attending for it to be official, and said creatures had to sign a document. Everyone were dressed in green to celebrate life. And everyone watched as the bride and groom declared their union by dancing and singing the old song Without Defense. Once the song was over, they were officially husband and wife.

… To begin with.

The creatures around who had gathered to watch the union between minotaur and sphinx began to get tired in their hands and feet from stomping and clapping to the beat.

“Psst. Nora.” Dimi stood next to the short elf who looked like she also had had enough of the poor singing. “You told me that the wedding song is about three minutes long, right?”

“Yes.” Nora had a stiff smile on her lips as her hands began to feel a bit sore from all the clapping. “Well, Without Defense is actually fifteen minutes long, but everyone just sings the abridged version that only last three, no one is nuts enough to actually-”

Dimi and Nora realized the same thing at the same time. But their reaction differed since Nora was a bit of a cynic as well as tired of being single, while Dimi was young and sentimental. But their statement was the same, even though Dimi said it with great joy while Nora rolled her eyes in annoyance:

“THEY ARE SINGING THE WHOLE DAMN THING!”

***

The very bearded and long-haired human who had once been quite a handsome man was wearing shackles with chains. These chains were attached to a moldy stonewall, very much limiting his movement. He could stand up, sit down, and take two steps forward.

Pater knew that others were pinned to walls and was grateful for being allowed to stretch a little.

And he smiled as his little guest arrived. She was wearing a cloak to disguise herself. Once the guard had closed the door to the dungeon, the thirteen-year-old girl took off her hood to reveal her green skin and pointy ears. She had come despite her father forbidding it.

“I brought the Conquest board game today.” The girl said. “And some fruit.”

The former human king was very grateful. “It’s a pleasure to see you once again, princess Mayari.”

The heir to the throne smiled awkwardly as she sat on the cold stone floor and placed the board game between them as well as the bowl of fruit.

END OF BOOK ONE