I didn't have teeth, so I just gnawed on the cookies gumming them until they were soggy with drool. That didn't stop me from devouring eight of the thirteen. I regret nothing.
After our little feast, I wiped my face on the sleeve of my tunic, waddled to the door, and let myself out of old man Francis's house. The door creaked open to reveal the woods beyond, golden sunlight spilling through the trees like melted honey.
Waiting just outside was my trusty companion, the Auroch.
She walked up to me slowly, lowering her massive head to nuzzle her cold, wet nose against my round, cookie-stuffed belly. I giggled uncontrollably, trying to push her back.
"That's enough now," I laughed, squirming. "Let's go home!"
With a few more nudges and snorts, she lowered herself just enough for me to climb onto her back. I settled in, patting her thick, furry hide.
She carried me through the winding forest trail that led back toward town, her hooves thudding softly against the dirt. As we approached the village edge, I spotted a group of three leaving town.
To the left was a lizard-like woman tall, scaled, and wrapped in a flowing cloak. Her staff shimmered faintly with enchantment, and despite her reptilian features, one could not not notice the enormous bosom straining against her robes.
To the right, another woman taller, clad in worn leather armor patched with iron plates. She held a long, spear-like staff and walked with the easy confidence of a seasoned warrior.
Between them was a boy. Slim, smaller than both women, with messy brown hair and black eyes. A sword hung at his side, a bow and quiver strapped to his back, and a cloak draped over his shoulders like it weighed more than his decisions. His cheeks were flushed, as if he'd been blushing since birth.
I blinked.
"Lucky bastard," I thought, a little too bitterly.
MOO
Auroch responded with a perfectly timed moo. Of course she did.
"Like how does he end up with two women?" I groaned internally. "He's got the blushing virgin thing going for him, but seriously. Two? That's greedy. Couldn't he share one? I mean, not now, obviously but how?!"
Still, I shook the thought away. They weren't my goal.
She was.
Melanie.
The reason I came here.
The reason I endure.
The reason I'll become more than anyone expects.
Those women? They're just distractions. Melanie is everything.
But time… it dulls even obsession.
It's already been a couple of years, and I've started forgetting her face. All I have left is a faint memory her standing on a stage next to a man I barely remember, and never really knew. Her smile has faded in my mind's eye. Her voice, her laugh, her scent... all gone. Now she's just a blank face under a spotlight in a memory I'm not sure was ever mine to begin with.
And yet I still chase her.
I snapped out of my thoughts just as the trio of adventurers passed by.
The lizard woman tall, scaled, and cloaked turned her head to me as she walked. Her eyes glinted with curiosity. Then, without warning, she veered toward me and scooped me up off my Auroch's back like a stray kitten.
"Hey! What is all this about?!" I shouted, squirming in her grasp, arms flailing. "Put me down!"
She blinked, then grinned, wide and fangy.
"Ohhh, it talks," she said, tilting her head. "What's your name, little buddy?"
I glared at her. "Liam. And I am not a buddy. I'm a scholar. A spellcaster. And I will set your tail on fire if you don't put me down!"
The warrior woman beside her chuckled. The boy in the middle just stared, stunned, probably unsure if I was some magical illusion or a very bold toddler.
Auroch gave an annoyed moo and nudged the lizard woman's hip, clearly displeased with my sudden abduction.
The lizard woman looked down at my Auroch and smirked. "You've got backup, huh?"
I groaned. "Obviously. Now put me back before my cow "
"Your cow?" the warrior woman cut in, clearly baffled. "That's not a cow. That's an Auroch."
"Yeah, yeah, I know it's an Auroch. I meant my Auroch," I snapped. Then I glared at the lizard woman still holding me up like a prize turnip. "Anyway lady, let me down. Whatever you are!"
She chuckled, clearly amused by my outrage. "Whatever I am?" she repeated with a dramatic hand over her chest. "How rude."
Then, with a flick of her tail and a puff of pride in her voice, she declared, "I am a Cryptovar a rare breed, even among dragonkin. We are second only to Wyverns in bloodline, but I " she tapped her chest with a clawed finger, " am of royal descent. My lineage traces directly back to the Elder Dragon."
I blinked. "A royal? Just… traveling? And here?"
The warrior woman laughed under her breath. The boy between them still looked mildly terrified. I wasn't sure if it was because I was talking or because she'd just casually declared herself dragon royalty.
"Not the reaction I usually get," the Cryptovar said with a toothy grin.
"Yeah, well, royalty usually shows up with guards and golden carriages," I muttered. "You're out here… kidnapping toddlers on the side of the road."
"I didn't kidnap you. I just picked you up."
"Same thing," I deadpanned.
And that's when the chaos began.
The female warrior started arguing arms crossed, voice sharp, accusing the Cryptovar of being reckless.
The Cryptovar, predictably, fired back tail swishing, chin lifted, defending her "harmless curiosity" and royal entitlement.
I, of course, joined in my voice high and indignant from atop my Auroch. "You don't just go grabbing people! Especially magical infants with complicated backstories!"
Voices overlapped. Accusations flew. At one point, I think someone called someone else a "scaled show-off," and someone may have been accused of being dropped on their head during a mana surge.
The only one not arguing… was the boy.
He stood there in the middle of the path, sword at his hip, bow on his back, cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze frozen in place like a glitching NPC.
His mouth opened.
Someone else yelled over him.
He raised a hand.
Another shout.
He opened his mouth again.
More yelling. Someone gestured dramatically and nearly knocked his hood off.
He just… stood there. Stuck between wanting to speak and realizing no one would ever let him.
Shock. Disbelief. Existential crisis in real time. It was all on his face. A living, breathing painting of a boy wondering how his life led to this moment.
I paused for a beat in the chaos, pointing at him.
"Hey. Uh. I think he's buffering."
Suddenly, the boy snapped.
"Amelia! Sofia! Set the baby down!"
His voice cut through the noise like a lightning bolt sharp, commanding, echoing so loudly it probably reached the town square.
Both women froze.
Then, almost sheepishly, they gently lowered me back onto my Auroch, who gave a triumphant moo as if she'd won a battle of wills.
The boy no, the leader hurried over, eyes wide with guilt and concern. "I'm so sorry about that," he said, bowing slightly as if I were the noble one here. "My name is Mateo. I'm the party leader. Please forgive my friends… they can get a little out of control."
Amelia and Sofia both sighed in unison.
"Sorry," they muttered, looking faintly embarrassed.
Mateo pointed at each one in turn. "That's Amelia she's a Cryptovar. Technically, she's supposed to be keeping her royal status secret, but as you've probably noticed… she's not great at subtlety. She's the princess and heir to the throne of the Votych people."
Amelia flashed a toothy grin and offered a lazy wave. "Hi."
"And this is Sofia," Mateo continued, gesturing to the warrior. "She's our main combatant. The spear you saw? Channel-forged. Custom-built for her affinity. She doesn't talk much unless she's scolding someone or smashing skulls."
Sofia gave a slight nod, her expression unreadable but far less hostile now that the yelling had stopped.
"We're currently on " Mateo began, but then paused, eyes narrowing as he looked me over again. "Actually… what are you doing out here by yourself? Talking. Spellcasting. Riding an Auroch like a warlord."
I sat a little taller in the saddle of my shaggy companion. "I was heading back home after training," I said proudly. "I'm a mage. And soon, I'll be the best mage in the entire world. Even stronger than the summoned heroes. Their systems, their abilities, their levels they'll mean nothing once I surpass them."
I saw their eyebrows rise Sofia's barely perceptible, Amelia's more amused, and Mateo's cautious but curious.
"And how strong are you?" Mateo asked, tilting his head like a teacher humoring an overeager student.
My face flushed instantly. I hesitated. "…I can make sparkles," I muttered. "And a couple other spells."
There was a pause. Amelia snorted.
"Sparkles, huh?" she said, grinning wide. "Is that the deadliest spell you got?"
Mateo stifled a smile. "Well, sparkles are a start."
"I'm working on it!" I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. "Master Francis says I have potential."
"Amelia can perform Fireball," Mateo said casually, nodding toward the Cryptovar.
Amelia flashed a sharp-toothed grin, spinning her staff lazily in one clawed hand. "Big, loud, and beautiful," she said, her eyes crackling with amusement. "Takes down trees, bandits, and bad attitudes. Wanna see?"
I scowled internally. Fireball? That's beginner tier only slightly harder than basic firecasting. I'd assumed she knew something more impressive. Then again, maybe she had other spells. Other elements.
Maybe.
"NO! I mean maybe. Later," I said quickly, waving my hands. "When I'm not sitting on a very flammable Auroch."
She snickered, clearly enjoying herself.
I turned back to Mateo, cheeks burning with frustration. "Okay, fine. So she can cast Fireball. Good for her. I'll still surpass her. Just you wait."
"You're… very ambitious," he said, wearing a half-smile like he couldn't decide whether I was impressive or delusional. "But sparkles to Fireball is a big leap."
The wind shifted. The trees rustled.
And for just a moment, I saw it me, standing tall at the head of a battlefield, stronger than the summoned heroes, my enemies trembling, the Demon Monarch behind me like a looming shadow. The world ahead, mine to claim.
But for now?
Just sparkles.
And maybe some cookies.
If Francis hadn't eaten the last one.
Mateo stepped forward, his tone more serious now. "Well… let's make a promise. We'll come back every year to see your progress."
"Every year?" I asked, blinking.
He smiled. "Every year. We want to see how far you've come. Deal?"
I looked him dead in the eye, holding out my tiny, determined hand. "Promise."
Mateo took it with a warm shake, no hesitation.
"We promise."