PoV:
1. Malik (Our MC and Humanity's Hero!)
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Mind spinning with the rose-haired dragon trying to crush him in half from the side, Malik didn’t have time to process Ena’s out-of-norm hug since Rose was trying to kill him.
“Stop!” he hissed, choking and coughing; luckily, he couldn’t think about her body against his because he was too worried about dying. “Too much strength—”
Rose frowned and pulled away. “Odd.”
Ena came closer to check on him. “Are you dumb? Obviously, using proportional strength to how I hugged him isn’t the same because our Strength Stats aren’t comparable.”
“Dumb?” The dragon’s brow knitted together, shooting a leery-eyed stare at the wood elf. “I am merely comparing the reactional difference in emotional response. His surprise was not the same when our actions were mirrored; the strength differential was a part of the test to see if more pressure would elicit a stronger response.”
“Dumb then,” Ena sighed, further making Malik anxious that she would upset Rose, but what followed made him realize the wood elf was just matching her energy, which actually made Rose listen. “You’re going about this in all the wrong ways. Your pact allows you to have some insight into how Malik feels, correct?”
“Yes,” she stated, tail whipping to the side. “Only in short bursts of intensity as of now, which is how I felt his heart flutter and react toward your embrace.”
Malik panicked a bit at the framing, rubbing his sore arms and slowing his racing heart. “Phrasing, Rose; we talked about this… I was just surprised t-that you’d hug me,” he honestly admitted, speaking to Ena before returning his focus to Rose since it was easier to lay it plain for the dragon.
“Humans don’t have the best track record with wood elves, Rose, and their culture is very different. Hah. You’re having trouble with human courtship already, so don’t add the challenge of wood elf culture to the list.”
A lump dropped down Rose’s throat, eyes going wide. “You mean…all lesser beings have their own different cultures? That can’t be right.”
Ena giggled, a gentle smile lifted Ena’s face as she moved to put a hand on Rose’s back and guide her to a chair. “I know how it may sound, but I am not like most wood elves. And thank you for explaining to her that the way we think and act is not the same, Malik.”
“It’s what I’ve been trying to get through her thick skull,” he groaned, glad to finally have some help in this quest; Rose could be so touchy, and it made him uncomfortable. “Whatever she’s hearing from the townsfolk is really warping her perception of things—she saw a guy licking his fingers and tried to do that to me!”
“What?” Ena’s understanding face blanked, making Malik curse at himself for blurting it out.
Rose’s hair flickered with rosy flames as she took the chair, the back frosting over instead of burning. “I am only doing things I see and hear from these humans. A group of human females told one another how licking the cream off the fingers of one you were courting is very tasty, so I did it.”
“You did that…because of the rumors?”
Ena’s throat constricted, face going pink as her eyes darted around the room, making Malik’s gut twist; this was probably so awkward and difficult for her. She almost looked like she was going to pass out.
“Yes!” Rose snarled, fingernails ripping through her dress and into her thighs before the fabric started to self-mend. “How is it wrong and right at the same time? Yes, it tasted better. Yet, it upset Malik and made him leave me. Why are humans so contradictory?! I did not hear deception in the other townspeople’s words, Malik’s, or yours, Ena—well, other than the boastful nature of Malik and my origin, which is…quite strange.”
Malik’s arms tightened against his chest at Rose’s confused rant. “Strange, how? Are they exaggerating the story? It’s pretty common in a game of telephone. One person starts a rumor, and then it gets more and more twisted the more it is spread. Ena, are you okay? You don’t look well… Please, tell me if this is getting too much for you.”
Rose glanced between them, more bewilderment swimming in her eyes as her hair flames died down, and Ena’s legs knotted together, her voice somewhat hoarse.
“I…can imagine what they’re saying; the bank is the biggest gossip center. Umm, Malik, I think we should talk about this further—it must be cleared up—I want to minimize your grief, so…” Ena’s hands tightened at her front as she trailed off.
Rose’s mouth parted in the short, ensuing silence as Ena no doubt battled with her discomfort for the sticky position he’d put her in. “What is happening?”
Shit. I’m such an idiot.
Groaning and rubbing his face, Malik forced a laugh. “What’s happening is that I’m putting too much pressure on Ena.”
“No, Malik, I’m—”
“Hey, let me finish!” He cut in, pulling the wood elf’s frightened hazel eyes and the dragon’s studious sky-blue; he felt the Raid Leader in him coming out and bringing him back to familiar ground. “Haaa. Let me put this in perspective for all of us:
“Rose, you came into this pact and bet we made thinking it would be a piece of cake, only to discover it was a lot more complicated than you first imagined. Right?”
“Piece…of cake?” The dragon slowly repeated, focusing on the entirely wrong point. “I heard at the bakery that cake is sweet, but I did not enter this pact and challenge thinking it would be sweet?”
Malik laughed, putting a pout on the dragon’s plump bottom lip. “Exactly. You just proved my point. I’ll get back to you on that. And you, Ena:
“I just showed up in your life after two years. Heh. I made an absolute mess of, I assume, your rather structured day and life, only to drop an even bigger problem on you in the form of a pink-haired dragon…and in an area where wood elves already are uncomfortable and have trouble relating with humans on…”
He cut off and showed her a thankful smile. “Yet, you did drop everything to help me…because we’re friends, and I know that means something to wood elves, who take relationships very seriously. You aren’t like most wood elves, and I love that about you.”
Ena’s coloring ears fell lower, gaining that puppy-dog look that made his heart hurt and smile.
“Now, I know you aren’t putting yourself into this mess for no personal gain,” he mused, happy to clear the air and get everything back on track. “You’re in trouble too, and I want to help you, as your friend. If that means becoming Lord Silverwing, then hey, I’ve had worse gigs,” he chuckled, eyes wandering to the pouty dragon.
“So, Rose, can we put a lid on the whole experimental thing about trying everything you hear from gossiping people that will keep getting you in trouble? Put your trust in me and Ena to teach you how to do things—hah, the proper way—Ena’s a good one. Courtships need good friends, and people in your corner—humans need them—I need them.”
“Okay?” Rose mumbled, narrowed vision drifting between them. “Then I will ask you instead of relying on the knowledge I have heard from other humans… What does that mean?”
Malik held up a thumb with a toothy grin. “It means, let’s work together to cover each other’s weaknesses in our united quest. You want to learn about courtship and find challenges. I want to live and find a peaceful life with someone. Ena doesn’t want to be forced to return home. Let’s, heh, slay this metaphorical dragon!”
Rose huffed but wore a smirk as she got to her feet. “Not funny, but I think I get your meaning. We are to find harmony in our goals. To do this, we must conquer this barony and take on the identity of Lord and Lady Silverwing, as the people are now calling us. From this union, you will educate me more on our roles in this courtship. However, I do find one annoyance with this.”
Spotting Ena’s trembling fingers knotting her skirt, Malik’s mouth drew in. “And what would that be?”
The dragon’s teeth shone with her smile. “I do thoroughly enjoy the knowledge that you are planning my demise. All these conflicting emotions within you are exciting! Plot away, Malik. Sharpen your verbal knives and swords to trick me into plunging my claws into my own breast.”
“Dammit… You’re insane!” A low groan came from Ena as she ran her fingers through her hair, swallowed, and rose to her feet.
Rose’s draconic grin darted to the nervous wood elf. “I am not stupid enough to believe you lesser beings will cease squirming and plotting. Bring your weapons, Ena, the banker. I am a threat. And threats need to be dealt with. Correct?”
“Hmm-hmm-haaa. You aren’t wrong…” Ena chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before showing a pained smile. “Quest objectives evolve… Right, Malik? Conditions can change as time goes on and more…information comes to light.”
Malik pointed at her with a nod. “Eh-haha. I guess Rose does have a point… We need to be fluid and adapt. So, aside from the plots—at least, for now—how bad is it that we’ve made the baron and baroness wait this long? Can it be salvaged?”
“Actually…given what they’ve heard—from what I gather from the rumors—umm, it can work in our favor. My only concern is… Mmgm. Maybe I should sharpen my knives and not say anything at all.”
“Spit out your concern,” Rose said, her chest puffed as if she alone could handle anything the wood elf threw at them. “Malik is far superior to this paltry excuse of a Fighter the System shows this Lord Luca Asquith Whitecollar to be. Malik can dice him into pieces before this man can blink!”
Malik ran his hand over his mouth. “Eesh… Rose, you are too much… You want us to plot against you while also being your friend, challenger, and lover… I don’t think you know what you want!”
“Am I wrong? I think not!” Rose growled, skipping right over his point. “It is true! I will not hear otherwise. There is not a world where Luca would be victorious in this contest of territories with you. I refuse to believe otherwise!”
“Hehehe.” Ena’s stomach shook with laughter. “You are funny and so…unique. If only it were that kind of challenge. Actually, I’m worried about you, Rose.”
The dragon’s face grew more draconic. “Meaning?”
Ena cleared her throat and looked at Malik. “Meaning, Lady Isadora doesn’t like to have any part in the business side of things and has taken an interest in what she has heard about Rose.”
Malik streamed out the stress that suddenly gripped his chest.
“Shit.”
“Why are you drawing this out?” Rose snarled, tail lashing at the nearby chair to shatter it into pieces. Ena winced. “Humans and their half-tongues! Why am I the concern?!”
He walked to the side as Ena tried to explain to the dragon that Isadora wanted to have a casual meet-and-greet with a ‘princess’ of the dragonborn people. She would ask many questions and search for details about Malik and her relationship.
He paused as a thought struck him.
What if this does break the pact, and Rose ends up lashing out at her…
Malik backed up against the wall, unsettling thoughts twisting his gut. His internal debate seemed to be distracting the dragoness as the goddess tried to pay attention to both of them. Without question, she sensed a vague part of his inner struggle.
If Rose’s soul is shattered into five petals, that doesn’t mean she’s gone or dead; from what she said earlier, she could be resurrected over time. Then again, all of that hyper-condensed mana inside her will turn into a living bomb… A goddess bomb.
Just her dancing and singing blows apart mountains, melts whole valleys, and burns away god-created dimensional barriers… What would happen if all of a goddess’s mana exploded at once?
His sober gaze fixated on the pink-haired girl as she rolled her eyes at Ena’s concern that she couldn’t hold her own in a conversation with the baroness. The issue wasn’t intellectual; Isadora was interested in the romantic part.
Something tells me I don’t want to find out.
He hadn’t given much thought about what her broken pact might look like, yet another thorny question popped up from this line of thinking.
Do I have to be on her side in this? If I don’t support her in every way I can, then I’m breaking my pact to instruct, court, and give her the challenge she so desires. Then again, I should have wiggle room to give her a challenge. What a messy contract that is…
Deciding nothing really had changed other than having some help, his mood brightened while seeing the wood elf doing her best to prepare the grumpy dragon. The goddess appeared to be troubled by the idea of struggling with anything; this was what she wanted, though.
At least he had someone whom he could rely on.
I owe you so much for this, Ena…
Her earlier comment about the perception of courtship in elves, when comparing them to humans, and Rose’s ageless lifespan came to mind. He didn’t need to push anything; if something more happened, it happened. Take it one day at a time. Always one day at a time.
He pushed away from the wall to join them, looking forward to learning more about the wood elf. “Where are we at?”
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