CHAPTER 62: BATTLEFIELDS AND FICKLE PHASES

The team walks alongside the dragon-kin, Ka’Lula, as they approach the village. Her clawed hands are clenched tight around the edge of her crate, now only half-full after the rocky descent, but still packed with raw gems, glimmering ore, and ancient treasures.

Penelo chatters non-stop at her side, gushing about Pip’s incredible powers, the local cuisine, and how great hot baths felt after long walks. Ka’Lula doesn’t say much, her amber eyes flicking between the village lights below and the stars overhead.

Then a small voice rings out from a nearby window.

"LULA! LULA’S BACK!"

A child’s face disappears from the window, and in seconds the whole village is stirring. One by one, people emerge from houses and porches, then all at once. Soon the narrow village path stands crowded with villagers of all ages. Some carrying lanterns, others platters of food or mugs of water. Many just have tears in their eyes.

"Lula!" a woman cries, running up and wrapping her arms around the dragon-kin girl’s waist. "We missed you, sweetheart!"

Lula’s lower lip trembles. "I’m sorry," she whispers. "I didn’t mean to burn anything. I didn’t mean to scare anyone. I just... I don’t know what’s happening to me..."

"We don’t care about the houses," the village chieftess says firmly, now roused from sleep in a floppy nightgown, one slipper missing. "We care about you."

Lula bursts into tears.

Pip whistles softly and steps forward, offering her a flower someone had dropped. She takes it with a shaky smile.

The villagers beg her to stay. They say they’d rebuild whatever she burned. They’d douse fields. They’d buy more buckets. She was more important than buildings.

"I can’t," Lula chokes out. "I lose control... I burn things. Sometimes I wake up with singed hair and soot on my face and no idea what I did. I always end up flying back here. But I shouldn’t. I’m dangerous..."

Veena steps forward and folds her arms. "That’s your nesting instinct."

Lula blinks. "My what?"

"Dragons return to their nests when they’re afraid, overwhelmed, or lost," Veena said casually. "It’s instinctual. You were never trying to hurt the village. You were trying to come home."

Penelo narrows her eyes. "How do you know that?"

Veena tosses her hair. "I went through a phase."

Sera leans in, brow raised. "A dragon phase?"

"She read every book she could get her hands on," Vuvi adds, grinning. "She even convinced her mom to get her a dragon egg."

"I was ten!" Veena huffs. "How was I supposed to know it’d take decades to hatch? I got bored and moved on to unicorns."

Penelo gasps. "Did your mom get you a unicorn?!"

"A whole herd."

The villagers, used to chaos by now, have already begun setting up trestle tables and lighting fire pits. Within ten minutes, the main street is alive with food and festivity. Lula tries to object, but her stomach gives a thunderous growl that echoes through the village.

The chieftess turns in her seat. "That you, dear?"

Ka’Lula laughes bashfully. "Y-yeah..."

"Then eat!"

And eat she did. Platters vanish, pots scraped clean. She devours roasted meats, charred vegetables, and even a molten cheese wheel someone dared her to try. In the end, she sits back, mouth steaming, tail swishing happily behind her.

Then her smile slowly fades.

"I should go," she says quietly. "I really appreciate all of this, I do! But it’s too risky."

The villagers protest, but she stands to her feet, wings unfurling behind her with a heavy thrum of heat and power.

"You’re always welcome here!" someone shouts.

"And we’ll always have buckets ready!" another adds.

She laughs tearfully. "Thank you. Really. I’ll... try to figure myself out."

And then with a mighty flap of her wings, Ka’Lula shoots into the sky, trailing embers behind her like a comet.

The village watches her go in silence.

"Well," Vuvi sighs, arms folded. "We tried."

Penelo sniffs. "Poor girl..."

Pip stares after the receding speck in the sky, shoulders low. A low, wistful chime echoing from his chest.

Vuvi notices. She steps beside him and places a hand on his shoulder. "We’re not giving up, Pip. I know she’ll come back. She’s drawn here, remember? Next time, we’ll be ready. We’ll find a way to help. Promise."

Pip beeps softly, leaning into her hand.

Sera steps forward and slaps Vuvi heartily on the back. "You’re a fine leader, Blackthorn. Chaotic team, weird mission, probably too many oils... but I’m proud to walk beside you."

The sun begins to rise behind them, casting warm gold over the village.

The villagers, sleepy and full, begin drifting back to their homes. A few remain behind to pat Pip’s shoulders or thank the team one more time.

Pip takes one last look at the western sky... then turns and follows the others into the inn.

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A continent away, across the Boiling Seas, in the heart of the Demon Lands...

Smoke and ash curl over a shattered battlefield. Maribelle stands at the edge of a ruined crater, her armor half-melted, blood trailing down one arm. Her breathing ragged. Her sword trembling in her grip.

"COME ON!" she screams.

She struts forward, sword blazing with magic then bursts across the battlefield. In a blur of blood and blazing magical fire, Maribelle cleaves through flesh and bone, ripping bodies asunder.

All around her, the crumpled remains of berserking minotaurs lay scattered. Groaning. Unmoving. Mutilated and Dismembered.

Vexena watches from a raised platform, her pale hair fluttering in the unnatural winds on her cursed lands. Beside her stands Eris, arms folded, her long scythe propped against her shoulder, a faint smile edging on her lips.

"She’s still standing," Eris snickers.

Vexena’s eyes narrow. "She’s better than I thought. A lot better."

Maribelle turns her head upward, wiping blood from her mouth as she flicks viscera from her blade. She meets the Queen’s gaze. And grins.

"I’m not done yet," she rasps. "Bring me more!"

Vexena smiles faintly.

"Not today," she replies. "You’ve earned a bath."