Chapter 6

  Chapter Title: Royal Introductions

  “Four Weeks that’s how long it’s been since me and my sister Genja have been taken in by the Royal family of Carrahe and since then I’ve been learning how to be a proper royal” Grace thought “Learning how to properly ride Leah, how to wield a sword Carrahe Barbarian style, learning history, etiquette, politics etc. etc. etc. I feel like I’ve gone to cram school for royals which I very much have. History was the only subject I enjoyed at all” she inner monologued.

  It had been a whirlwind ride for Grace since being adopted. Today things were all going to come together after four weeks of being cloistered in the castle with rumors swirling around of who tamed the Gold Red Dragon AKA Leah.

  It was the middle of the day in an open field. A fair had formed in said open field with lots of tents and food stalls. A carnival atmosphere was in the air. People were walking around happy. “It is Dragon Day. Just think of a Medieval Fair combined with a Dragon-version of an Air Show but with people riding Dragons and not planes and pilots” Grace thought. Now Dragons and their riders were showing off their skills and abilities with Royals, Nobles, and commoners all watching.

  This event was also a good opportunity to show off that a certain former rampaging dragon was now firmly under control and won’t rampage again. And also to introduce new Dragon Riders.

  “Today I make my debut as a Dragon Rider, and become the 5th Princess of Carrahe. Genja will one day do the same as the 6th Princess. I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors swirling around me. Some are considered ridiculous, others not so much. I’m hoping the Golem and the Swallow are here in disguise. I want to find them” Grace inner monologue.

  Grace was wearing some red dress with a child-size leather overcoat with fur trim and leather flying cap and goggles and she was about to get onto Leah.

  They were both inside a specially made stable just for Leah. Since meeting Grace she had experienced what could easily be described as a Dragon growth spurt. She was now bigger than her mother Korra by at least another townhouse and much fiercer looking than the fiercest Red Dragon. To most Leah would be terrifying. But to Grace she was magnificent.

  She got onto Leah secured herself to her dragon saddle and the stable door opened and they were off into the sky.

  Crowds of nobles and commoners alike were aghast at Leah’s size after she made a great roar to announce her flight. She was easily the biggest dragon in the kingdom. And easily the most powerful as she was about to demonstrate.

  Leah performed several loops and barrel rolls without trouble. She could be quite graceful in the air despite her size and the fact that at plenty of times she could be very nervous about everything. But now with Grace in-charge Leah was keeping it together.

  Leah launched several fireballs at several straw dummies incinerating them all. Not burning them like fireballs would have but incinerated them as if they hadn’t been there.

  “Yep, I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong end of Leah’s fireballs” Grace remarked.

  “Are we done yet?” Leah asked. Grace could feel through their connection that her dragon did not enjoy showing off like this.

  “Not yet, we still have to perform in front of the crowd,” Grace replied. “Now use your claws and fangs on the armed straw dummies but spare the unarmed ones” she ordered.

  Leah then unleashed her fangs and claws on all the armed straw dummies she could see while sparing the unarmed ones meant to represent non-combatants. Her claws were like spears and her fangs were swords. And she swept all enemy straw dummies before her without trouble or slowing down. Much like large slabs of butter.

  All of this was meant to show that Leah was under full control. With the demonstration over, the crowd of people that watched cheered.

  Leah came in for a landing at the designated spot with a high wooden platform and Grace leapt off her dragon with the Grace and finesse expected of a Dark Elf.

  At the bottom of the platform she was joined by Hilda who hopped off her Dragon and all her other siblings who hopped off their dragons or were secretly escorted over.

  Now they were Grace’s new siblings and as follows Heidi 18, Helmet 16, Harold 14, Helga 12, Hardigun 10, and Harthur 9. Only Genja and Hannah being infants were at home being watched by the royal nanny. So far all of Grace’s step-siblings had been quite nice to her.

  Grace quickly removed her flying goggles, leather overcoat, and flying cap before joining hands with her step-siblings. She held hands with Hilda and Heidi respectively.

  Hilda chose that moment to speak “People of Carrahe, this is the rider of Leah the Gold Red Dragon and our newest adopted sister Grace Von Kurtz” Hilda introduced.

  The crowd of people clapped politely and to varying degrees. But they were more likely shocked that a Dark Elf was now a Dragon Rider.

  “I ended up learning why Dark Elves are seen in such a negative light. It seems as if the Dark Elves of Jamon tried to conquer the world of Argea in two different wars and it took an awful lot to stop them. Needless to say, Dark Elves are seen as evil monsters despite the fact that the last war they fought was three decades ago or that’s what I’ve come to understand. I wonder if it’s also due to the fact that Dark Elves also look different too” Grace thought.

  The Commoners, Nobles, Guards, and Dragon Knights all present made way for the royal children as they strode forward and respectfully bowed their heads. Many of them also began whispering about Grace. Her Dark Elf ears being more sensitive than human ears was easily able to pick up on. All the while Grace and everyone else were all smiles.

  “That gigantic monster was tamed by the little girl and a dark ears no less,” someone whispered. Grace wanted to scream at that idiot but stayed smiling. But it wasn’t easy.

  “I heard the child escaped the Gladiator arena of Toa. She sure lucked out” someone remarked.

  “So she’s a slave princess,” someone asked in a whisper.

  “Slave Princess. I despise that nickname” Grace thought. The whispers continued as she walked with her new siblings. “But at least the cover story about me escaping the gladiator arena has taken hold” she also thought. “One day I’ll set the record straight and let everyone know that Haakon Von Kurtz “the Lost Prince” was my father” she vowed.

  “Yeah know, by adopting a Dark Elf into the family the royal family has made a bold move” someone else remarked.

  “Maybe but this is only going to make existing issues in the kingdom worse and maybe tensions rise between the factions” someone replied.

  Grace tried to listen further but the whispers started to get too much and too rude which she was starting to get angry.

  Heidi seemed to notice when she kissed Grace on the top of the head and she whispered “Pretend you don’t hear them” she advised.

  Heidi Von Kurtz was a very kind and compassionate person. She was 8ft tall with Blond Hair. Although she was as tall and muscular as her older sister and also rode a Golden Dragon Heidi acted very much like the princess you would expect in a fairy tale. She was even a fine singer. Except she had some very unorthodox tastes in songs. Well unorthodox for a Medieval world as Grace surmised. But those around her loved her songs. Heidi wore a purple dress with gold trim and a small circlet on her head.

  Together Grace and all of the royal siblings made it to the royal pavilion where Queen Heather and King Oskar were present dressed as two monarchs were meant to be on a special occasion. Dowager Queen Hedy was off to the side dressed as the royal she was on a special occasion. They were dressed in purple. Guards and courtiers surrounded them.

  Grace in her red dress was asked to kneel. She did so. The crowning ceremony began with the Queen speaking about the ideals of what it meant to be a true royal of Carrahe wisdom, courage, and loyalty were expected of a Carriage Royal and Grace was expected to display all three traits. She had to vow before the Dragon God Grall, her new family, the nobles, the clergy, and the commodores alike that she would work in the best interests of the kingdom and the Royal Family and to never betray their trust or forfeit her life forever.

  After so vowing the Queen’s royal scepter was touched to both of Grace’s shoulders, a tiara was placed on her head and was declared the 5th Princess of Carrahe. Everyone present clapped enthusiastically and others politely.

  “Acceptance is going to be an uphill battle” Grace thought.

  The crowning ceremony was soon over.

  Grace was walking around the Dragon Day Fairgrounds. The place was just like a medieval Fair combined with Dragons and their raiders performing the air like an air show. She was followed only by Captain Thane and Princess Hilda acting like they were a couple in love. And doing a too good of a job walking side by side.

  It was obvious to Grace how they really felt about each other. “I figure you two are in love or are about to be, which is interesting and adorable” she thought as she briefly looked over her shoulder.

  Then she turned back to what she was about to do. She appeared to be going around to meet and greet various people, nobles, clergy, and commoners alike. But that was only on the surface.

  “I’m hunting, if the Golem and the Swallow are high ranking members of Carrahe society like I suspect then they have got to be at this event. It’s too important to miss. And since I’ve memorized their voices I just need to hear them speak and they’re marked. Also I saw their son’s face. I’m sure his parents looked at least a little like him.” Grace thought. “After that I’ll find the Ashe and tell them I found their enemies. Of course they would have a hard time believing a little girl but I must convince them somehow” she thought.

  “That isn’t the best plan” Aries criticized.

  “Sometimes it’s better to have a bad plan than none at all” Grace fired back in her thoughts.

  “I question the wisdom of this plan” Aries replied.

  “Then what would you suggest?” Grace asked through her thoughts.

  “Identify an Ashe member and secretly guide them to the Golem and the Swallow” Aries suggested.

  “Okay that’s good advice” Grace remarked “Now hush, I need to concentrate” she added. This ended their brief conversation.

  Grace walked around the fair grounds again, still followed by Captain Thane and Princess Hilda. She met and spoke with many different groups of people. Some were polite enough to talk to their newly minted Princess. While others didn’t give her the time of day and pretended she wasn’t there. And spoke about her once her back was turned. Much of what they said about her was unkind or outright derogatory. All the while Grace was trying to be polite and considered on the outside. While feeling tortured on the inside.

  The possibility of finding her parents killers among the attendees was the only reason she had to continue to do this. So while being called a Dark Ears or some evil monster and so forth behind her back Grace focused on finding them.

  But only got frustrated. Although she persevered.

  While this had the aspects of a Medieval Fair with Dragon’s and their riders performing in the sky. Other games unique to this place were soon discovered. Grace ended up finding one of them.

  It was called Boar Wrestling. Large and muscular men and women wearing close to nothing wrestled wild boars to the ground. With crowds of equally muscular men and women of Carrahe watching and cheering from the sidelines.

  “I know a couple of nuts from a certain franchise in my last life that would love this because it’s violent and over the top” Grace thought while watching the contest.

  Then she spotted the daughter of that one servant woman who greeted Grace after she woke up weeks ago. The child's name was Lenny. She was five years old. The same age as Grace in this world. The child was dressed as the child of a servant would be with a skirt and apron and brown shirt. She hadn’t been seen in weeks but then again Grace had been kept carefully cloistered away from most people.

  Lenny was standing some distance away from Grace staring down in the pit where the Boar Wrestling was going on. She spotted the new princess, waved at her and then fell into the pit where the boars were being wrestled in a bout of bad luck.

  People gasped when a boar ran towards a frightened Lenny. Some shouted at her to run for it.

  Grace looked at the crowd. “Why aren’t you people doing something, No, they can’t do anything” she thought. She looked at Lenny who was still frightened. “I can’t use my Quick Step or my Memory Sphere’s openly. They need to stay a secret. What to do?” she also thought.

  Without thinking Grace jumped into the Boar pit. Landing in front of Lenny she ran at the rampaging boar she had to lift up the hems of her dress to do it. She didn’t hear the crowd's reaction.

  At the last moment Grace lifted up her leg which had been secretly outfitted with an iron heel courtesy of one of her memory sphere’s that she had secretly attached to her shoe as she jumped. She used that iron heel to kick the wild boar in the nose, sending it backwards a few feet. It ran away out of fear after Grace growled at it for a moment like a wild beast. The iron plate on her show disappeared within seconds.

  “Thank you” Lenny said to Grace.

  “Hey your highness” came Captain Thane’s voice. He first helped Lenny out of the boar pit and then Grace. Both looked a bit disheveled and hair slightly out of place. Especially Grace.

  Once out of the pit and back on the ground Grace was hit lightly on the back of the head by Princess Hilda “Owwww” Grace said in a lot of pain. It hurt.

  “You little idiot” came an angry Hilda’s voice. Grace looked and saw the angry face of her adopted older-sister. “What do you think would’ve happened if you were hurt or killed, you're the only one who can stop Leah from rampaging again, you should’ve let those in the pit stop that boar” Hilda scolded.

  “She’s right, I should’ve stayed out of that” Grace thought with a pained look on her face.

  Hilda continued scolding Grace for a few more minutes. Then she suddenly hugged Grace hard “Please don’t do that again Grace, I don’t want you to scare us again” Hilda asked softly. Grace stayed silent. “Promise me” Hilda said with slightly more firmness and squeezed Grace hard. And being very large and muscular, Grace felt very squeezed.

  Grace knew what to say “I promise” she said.

  Hilda released her adopted little sister. “Glad to hear it,” she remarked with a small smile. Grace was left breathing hard from being compressed by Hilda.

  Then they realized that they had generated a crowd of onlookers. “Alright everyone the show is over and it’s time to move on” Captain Thane said.

  The crowd began to disperse. Some muttered under their breath calling Grace a “Dark Ears.”

  Everyone knew what it meant but Lenny seemed to have missed the point “Dark Ears, I was curious as to what one looked like so I’ve been going around looking for one but I never asked what one looked like, oops silly me” Lenny remarked.

  “Well you found one” Grace remarked bristling with anger. Lenny looked confused.

  “Lady Lenny” Captain Thane began “Dark Ears is a derogatory term used by people who are unfriendly towards Dark Elves in which Princess Grace is one” he pointed out.

  “Deragatory” Lenny remarked looking even more confused.

  “It’s a deeply insulting and unfriendly term used to bring others down,” Hilda explained.

  It took a hot second for Lenny to finally get it, but then as if a bell had rung understanding dawned on her and she gave a small yell of surprise “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry” she said to Grace bowing her head up and down in rapid succession. She looked totally embarrassed.

  “Took you long enough,” Grace said, sounding totally pessimistic. “Also goodbye,” she added. She turned and walked away quickly after lifting up the hems of her dress. She had enough of all this. She was going to go someplace nice and quiet and hang out until she made her next public appearance as the 5th Princess.

  “But, but” Lenny tried to say.

  “Leave me alone,” Grace replied.

  “Grace” Hilda said, catching up to her and putting hand on her little sister’s shoulder before leaning down to whisper “Of all the people here who insulted you and called you names, how many of them have apologized to you?”

  And to emphasize her point Hilda then turned Grace around to see Lenny who had tears in her eyes. “So you're one of those who hands their heart on their sleeves” Grace thought.

  She knew what to say "Apology accepted” Grace said.

  “Yay” Lenny cheered her tears gone. Hands raised in the air.

  “Why don’t you walk with us,” Hilda suggested.

  Lenny smiled “Sure, thank you” she replied.

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  After that Lenny and Grace walked side by side like they were friends. And quickly becoming just that. With Thane and Hilda walking just behind them. This went on for some time and Grace was just loving Lenny’s company. She was a kind and friendly child. Who saw Grace as someone her own age and not someone reincarnated from another world. She was also a good conversationalist who kept Grace’s attention on her and not the people staring and whispering at her which Grace was glad for.

  Eventually they all came to Lady Bergen the court magician. She was dressed as a court magician in a brightly colored outfit with a long pointed black hat, blue skirt, blouse shirt, blue jacket, and a ribbon tied in a bow on her chest. She carried her staff with her which was of brown wood and a yellow stone inserted on top of it. She looked just like a magician you would see in an anime.

  Lady Bergen was performing a magic trick involving balls of water floating in the air with tiny flames heating them underneath creating steam. This impressed the children watching quite a lot. They stared in awe of the magical science experiment being performed in front of their eyes.

  As soon as she was done she turned to Lenny and said “Well if it isn’t my missing apprentice” she looked a little cross at Lenny.

  Lenny then realized her mistake “Oops, sorry master I lost track of time” she apologized looking a bit flustered.

  “Master” Grace said the one word like a question.

  “Oh yeah, at the time I met you, your highness Lady Bergen noticed that I had a great talent for magic and she took me under her wing as her apprentice,” Lenny explained.

  “Can you do any spells?” Grace asked.

  “Just this one,” Lenny replied. She lifted up a single forefinger and a tiny flame emerged from said finger. Grace smiled as Lenny did.

  “My apprentice has impressive mana capacity for someone her age, but very little control as it is” Lady Bergen interjected. “Now help me with my next trick” she commanded her apprentice.

  “Yes, Master,” Lenny replied. Then Lenny began to help her master get ready for her next trick.

  Grace continued to talk to Lenny “So you chose to become a magician, that’s not a bad profession” she remarked.

  “You sound like a grown-up” Lenny chided slightly. Grace grimaced in embarrassment. “Actually I want to travel the world and learn how to design and make lots of different types of clothes and get lots of people to see them,” she explained.

  “Sounds like you want to be Argea’s first fashion designer, best of luck to you” Grace remarked.

  “What’s a fashion designer?” Lenny asked.

  “Someone who does what you want to do,” Grace replied. This made Lenny smile.

  “Help Me” Lady Bergen ordered at a distance.

  “Yes Master” Lenny replied and walked away.

  Everyone watched the magic trick being performed. Lenny uncovered a barrel to reveal a yellowish liquid. Lady Bergen used her magic to empty the barrel and she made it and turned the yellowish liquid into many dancing animal shaped images made out of water that began to dance. The children loved it. They clapped and cheered at the display.

  Then Grace noticed a hole in Lady Bergen’s pocket and a small portrait had fallen out. It had the picture of an adult male and a little boy that was Grace’s physical age. They were obviously father and son. She also noticed that the boy looked slightly like Lady Bergen too.

  “Oh so that’s the court magician’s son” Grace thought.

  “Pardon me your highness but I’ll be taking that back” Lady Bergan said, taking the portrait from Grace’s hand. She had obviously finished her magical display.

  “Nice family you have Lady Bergen” Grace remarked.

  “Thank you,” Lady Bergen replied.

  “So where are they? I'm sure they would quite enjoy your magic” Grace asked.

  But it seemed that Lenny had heard her friend’s question and not Lady Bergen. She whispered an explanation into Grace’s ear “Master, has a complicated relationship with the both of them. She gave birth to her son outside of marriage and although she wants to marry the boy’s father those around them won’t allow it due to my master’s humble origins and on top of that her son is convinced his mother abandoned him.”

  “Sounds terrible” Grace remarked but then it dawned on her “Wait, did she explain that to you” she asked with a look of "did I just hear that.”

  “Not directly, but yes” Lenny replied. Then she pointed to Lady Bergen.

  “Oh Alan I love you and although I am of humble origins I shall marry you one day and I hope our son Roland stops hating me someday. I never really abandoned him” Lady Bergen said, prancing around like some crazy lady. But the face she showed as a woman in love.

  “Oh so that’s how you know” Grace remarked with a look of surprise and concern on her face.

  She looked at Lady Bergen some more and a thought occurred to her. “The way your carrying on Lady Bergen reminds me of someone suspiciously familiar, Ugh I saw the Swallow carrying on just like that after dad burned alive just like some crazed woman around the Golem, Your the Swallow aren’t you, Oh gods this is a disaster, your one of the people who knows who I really am, should I expect the Spider-Temple to come and kill me or abduct me, Oh I feel sick” Grace thought as she fixated on Lady Bergen.

  A sense of dread had overcome Grace. She shook visibly. She was shaking in anger. Anger over this discovery and her own carelessness. And no one noticed.

  “Time to move on: Hilda said as she and Thane took Grace somewhere else before something could happen.

  Grace, Hilda, and Thane eventually came to the concert being performed at the Dragon Day Fair.

  Heidi was performing on stage with what appeared to be her band. She and her band wore what appeared to be medieval versions of rock n roll outfits and were singing a song that sounded quite like rock n roll. They even moved like they were rock n rolling.

  All the young people present were just loving this by shouting and cheering. The older people present just looked down their noses at the display.

  Grace at this time was a mixture of angry and fearful over Lady Bergen possibly being the Swallow. She used Hawker’s Sense to look around and see possible threats. Once settled down she did start to enjoy the song. But only just enough.

  The song ended, people clapped and cheered, and Heidi spotted Grace, Hilda, and Thane watching. She came over to her adopted little sister.

  “That was a great song” Grace complemented.

  “Thank you sister,” Heidi said with a smile on her face.

  “I swear you must’ve been a charismatic pop idol in your last life Heidi” Grace thought. “Well if you had one” she also thought “You're certainly one of the more popular of the royals well at least amongst the young people” she too thought.

  Grace was still feeling both angry and vulnerable but was trying to keep an outwardly calm appearance. While staying alert at the same time.

  Then Hiedi noticed someone and smiled a big thousand watt smile. It was obvious this was someone she cared deeply about. “Darling” she shouted.

  Then coming into Grace’s view point was a young man that was well dressed. He was Hiedi’s age. He was almost a foot taller. He had brown hair and brown eyes. And thanks to some passerby that had too much time on their hands gossiped about the young man being Hiedi’s fiance as they criticized him for openly and brazenly kissing her in public. But Grace of course didn’t mind. Some people also gossiped that the Heidi the Wild Princess had to be better controlled. They had hoped that her current fiance would but it was obvious he would do no such thing.

  “Sister, this is the most wonderful man in the world, my fiance Karl,” Hiedi introduced proudly. She was clearly in love with him.

  Karl chuckled in response that showed the feeling was mutual. Then he knelt down so he would be eye-level with Grace. “Hello, I’m Karl Quisling, second son of Duke Cunt Quisling” he introduced politely.

  “Pleased to meet you, your Grace, I’m Grace Von Kurtz the 5th Princess of Carrahe” Grace replied with her own polite introduction and a small smile.

  “My aren’t you cute” Karl remarked then he got a bit more serious “But you may want to stay away from my parents they don’t like Dark Elves” Karl warned.

  “Something that has been made more than apparent to me, sir” Grace replied politely. “And yet you don’t hate Dark Elves” she asked.

  “Well if my beloved’s family has taken one in then not all of them are so bad” Karl replied.

  “Me and my sister,” Grace corrected.

  “Of course,” Karl said as he smiled at Grace.

  “He doesn’t seem all that bad,” Grace thought.

  “Karl, why are you here? Where is your father and mother and your older brother Oleg” Hilda asked after some waiting.

  Karl stood up suddenly looking as if he was about to say something he didn’t want to say. “I regret to inform you, your highness, Oleg your fiance is dead” he announced solemnly. He looked very sad.

  Everyone present reacted with various displays of sadness.

  “Oh no,” Hilda remarked. She looked pretty sad too.

  “Whose Oleg?” Grace asked. She was the only one unaffected.

  “He was my older brother, I’m going to miss him,” Karl answered.

  Karl went on to explain that his brother had been on a hunting expedition in the mountains and completely disappeared with his dragon in tow. It was easy to assume that he was dead due to hunting monsters, the rarer the better.

  Hilda certainly felt sad over his passing. But Grace could tell that she wasn’t feeling overly distraught. Not the type of distraught a lover might feel over losing the love of her life. She wondered if her adopted sister would’ve felt that if Captain Thane had suddenly died. Because he acted very comforting to her at the moment.

  The group broke up soon after that.

  Later it was announced that Karl Quisling’s engagement to Princess Hieid was broken off due to his father’s meddling and he was then engaged to Princess Hilda all because Duke Quisling didn’t like Princess Hieid and her choice in music and felt that Princess Hilda would’ve been better for him son.

  Grace was a little suspicious of the situation but she couldn’t do much about it at the time. Dynastic politics could be very cruel in Carrahe.

  At around the time Grace was walking around the Dragon Day Fair with Princess Hilda and Captain Thane in tow. A creature was lurking around the fair grounds.

  Except this was no creature. It was a little girl about Grace’s physical age. But she had no sense of being a person. She was in her mind a wild creature. She was half-Carrahe Barbarian and Half-Wolf Beastmen.

  In the world of Argea there are certainly Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, and Goblins including various variants of those species including Dark Elves. But there are also many different types of Beastmen Lions and Tigers and Bears oh my, including wolves, cats, fox’s rabbits, and even sheep beastmen.

  How a hybrid of a Wolf Beastmen and a Carrahe Barbarian came about was unknown.

  The Wolf-Girl snuck around the fair grounds with well-practiced stealth. Her clothes if you could call them that were in rags and heavily caked in mud along with the rest of her body. She looked more like some strange little creature than some child.

  And at the moment she was at the fair grounds looking for something to eat. She was hungry and hadn’t eaten in several days.

  So she was taking a chance by infiltrating the fair grounds. So with the stealth of a cat she snuck by all the people who were too interested in their own activities to notice her. The guards and knights also didn’t notice her either.

  Eventually she found a large tent with the symbol of the dragon sticking its tongue out at enemies on it. Going inside the Wolf-Girl found what she had been looking for. Food. Plates of steaming food sitting on a long wooden table with long wooden chairs with comfortable padding.

  Wolf-Girl felt like she had hit the jackpot. She tried to sit in one chair or another only to find them too hard or too soft. Until she found one that was just right. Little realizing along the way that she was leaving behind muddy footprints and handprints.

  Then she began to eat the food on the plate in front of her. It was a meat and vegetable dish with bread on the side. With a bowl of soup. It was all really good to the wolf-girl who was starving. She virtually inhaled the food and did so with the plate next to her. Her appetite was so ravenous.

  But before she could finish a leg of chicken that was left on the plate in front of her, a serving made with more plates came into the tent and saw the Wolf-Girl screamed and dropped the plates she had been holding like she was in a traditional movie scene. And she screamed “Monster.”

  Guards were called.

  Wolf-Girl sensed danger. She jumped off the chair. Got on all fours like the wild animal she thought she was.

  A guard equipped with a bow and arrow tried to shoot an arrow at Wolf-Girl who more than easily dodged it. Then she fully transformed into her wolf form and jumped onto the guard before they could load another arrow and used them as a springboard to jump out the front entrance. The guard and serving maid both fell over due to the Wolf-Girl being half-Carrahe Barbarian.

  The Wolf-Girl tried to escape. But suffered misfortune when she tried to jump over a very long way, mistimed her landing and broke her leg. It was hurting when she tried to get up. Her leg was broken. The pain was excruciating.

  The guards caught up to the Wolf-Girl and with the mud caked on her and in her transformed state they easily thought she was some strange monster. They surrounded her and closed in. Wolf-Girl barked and snarled at them in anger. But it did little to deter them. They intended to kill her.

  “Stand Down” came from someone's command. It was a male voice. Then appeared a large man with red hair and a red beard. He cleared the way for two little girls to show up.

  One had long ears and dark hair. The other also had dark hair but she had green eyes. This was Grace and Lenny. But the Wolf-Girl didn’t know them. They appeared odd to her.

  “My friend” Grace began “When a host provides a meal for a guest it’s considered rude for the guest to leave without finishing the meal” she said holding up the chicken leg the Wolf-Girl had left behind.

  Wolf-Girl hobbled over to Grace holding up the chicken leg and turned back into her humanoid form before taking the chicken leg and she began to wolf it down.

  “Princess that’s dangerous—”

  “Silence” Grace commanded firmly but quietly.

  “When someone does something nice for you what do you say to them” Lenny said to the Wolf-Girl.

  The Wolf-Girl somehow knew the answer to that question “Thank you” she just barely managed to say.

  Then it dawned on the guards present that they had been trying to kill a child and then they lowered their weapons. Some of them even remarked at how bad they felt for trying to kill a child.

  “Princess that child ate your meal” someone remarked.

  “She was probably hungry and starving, I can always get another meal. I’m perfectly willing to forgive this child. So why not the rest of you” Grace replied.

  “Thank you” the Wolf-Girl said after finishing the chicken leg and hugged both Grace and Lenny but she had lunged forward on her good leg and all three of them had fallen over and they fell into a huge puddle of mud.

  All three little girls were now covered in mud. And all three of them had a nice laugh together over how absurd this was. It was the start of a great friendship.

  Since all three little girls had mud on them they had to all take a bath. The Wolf-Girl was extremely reluctant to take a bath by herself. So Grace and Lenny got into a large bath tub with her and so they were washed in the same tub together with warm water and soap. Rowena actually washed her daughter while two random maids washed Grace and the Wolf-Girl. This was taking place inside a private tent on the fair grounds. Activities still took place outside.

  Grace had protested a little herself over this but Lenny got her to relent and Wolf-Girl being reluctant helped with that.

  Wolf-Girl watched as years of caked on mud were washed away.

  “Blonde Hair and Green eyes are very unusual for a Wolf-Beastmen” Grace remarked as she watched the Wolf-Girl get washed behind her wolf ears.

  “I can tell this girl and Lenny will be quite beautiful when they grow up. And by that very same token I would be too when I grow up too” Grace thought idly.

  All three little girls looked at each other and smiled briefly.

  “One of this little girl’s parents must’ve been of Carrahe Barbarian descent” a servant remarked and Grace noticed the girl's physical features that identified her as Half-Barbarian.

  “So just like Lenny she’s going to be likely a large and muscular barbarian Wolf-Girl. That will be quite the combination” Grace thought.

  Then Grace noticed something “What’s that” she remarked. Then she leaned forward towards the Wolf-Girl and said “Please Pardon me” as she stood up to look at what appeared to be a tattoo on the girl’s right shoulder. The servant cleaning her had to stop briefly. “This tattoo looks a lot like a bar code,” she remarked.

  “What’s a bar code?” Lenny asked.

  “Not important” Grace deflected as she sat back down. The servant began to clean her again. “I saw what appeared to be a smear over a name on her shoulder” Grace said “It looked like one word Enkida” she added.

  Wolf-Girl suddenly smiled and began wagging her tail like a puppy-dog would at receiving a treat.

  And Lenny asked “Would you like your name to be Enkida?”

  The Wolf-Girl now wagged her tail even more after she barked. She looked as if she had been given a second treat for being good and she looked as if she had stars in her eyes.

  “Looks like you approve” Grace remarked “Very well your name will be Enkida” she said to the Wolf-Girl.

  Enkida howled in approval. Then barked like an approving puppy. This annoyed the servants washing them and they told her to keep it down.

  “Can you say your name?” Grace asked gently.

  “Please say your name” Lenny encouraged gently.

  “Yes, say your name child” Rowena asked after her daughter.

  “Enkida” the Wolf-Girl barely managed to say and looked a little confused.

  “Good”

  Everyone else present encouraged Enkida to speak more by teaching her small words. It turned into a wonderful moment for all involved.

  After the bath Enkida’s leg was healed and she was put into some new clothes. As was Grace and Lenny who then continued on with the day. The rest of the day was uneventful.

  Rowen would later talk to her husband about Enkida and she was form-elly adopted into Lenny’s family. To be trained as a servant.

  With this Enkida would take her first steps into becoming a little girl living in civilization. And being Grace and Lenny’s friend.

  “What’s wrong darling” The Swallow asked her husband the Golem as he just finished flying on his black Dragon called “Aela.” She was waiting for him in the well-furnished office he used in the official hideout for the Spider-Temple in Carrahe.

  The Golem had walked past Spider-Temple members that had been preparing dragons or sharpening and maintaining weapons. The place was a bit of an underground mansion.

  He walked past all of that without looking at any of them. Closed the door and sat down at a nice looking desk, looking depressed. That’s when the Swallow asked him “What’s wrong Darling?”

  Only when he sat down did he answer his wife “I was just visiting the Alchemist we hired to re-create the secret inventions of the late Haakon Von Kurtz.”

  “The ones we found in the magical pouch we got off his late wife” the Swallow asked.

  “Yes the alchemist recreated all the inventions just so that we can find out how useless they all were—that pouch was a decoy” The Golem announced.

  “Oh no and we worked so hard to get it” the Swallow said with a gasp. She seemed disappointed.

  “Yes the former prince is mocking us one last time from beyond the grave” The Golem remarked despondently.

  “So it’s likely that if the prince had any secrets they’ve been lost to history” The Swallow remarked.

  “I should’ve tried to capture him alive,” the Golem lamented.

  “Nonsense darling, we both know that would take a lot more time and we would’ve needed to sacrifice more of our hard to replace forces here in Carrahe” The Swallow pointed out.

  “At the very least it would’ve been nice to have the plans to the Ashe’s main hideout which the Prince was safeguarding” the Golem lamented.

  “Well then we're just going to have to accept that “Operation Moonstrike” which is going off very soon will have to sweep up most of our enemies instead of all of them” the Swallow said trying to sound comforting.

  “Speaking of which, how is Operation Moonstrike proceeding?” the Golem asked to change the subject.

  “It’s proceeding apace” the Swallow reported much like an assistant.

  “Are the troops practicing at the mock-up for the site for the assault” the Golem asked.

  “Yes darling, also you’ll be glad to hear that we are appearing to continue all normal operations so as to not arouse suspicion from our enemies” the Swallow reported.

  “Good, I don’t want the Ashe to figure out what we're doing” the Golem said. “What about Operation Mirage is it going well we might have to adjust it” he asked as an after thought.

  “So far there are no problems with that either” the Swallow reported. She had been looking at a small book meant to keep notes as she reported to the Golem.

  The Golem then looked at a picture of his now deceased son sitting on his desk. Who had been the Frog. And he got really sad suddenly. Then he broke protocol and removed his mask.

  “Once Operation Moonstrike is over everything in Carrahe will change forever and we can guide the kingdom towards the ideals of Harmony, structure, and order but I wish it hadn’t come at the cost of our son” the Golem lamented at the end. He looked and sounded sad.

  Then the Swallow broke protocol herself and removed her own mask. Then she went and sat on her husband’s lap, and gave him a comforting hug and kiss. “The Gods test us all” she began to say tenderly “And the Spider-God is no exception. Even though his trials are especially harsh, his rewards are especially spectacular for overcoming those trials” she remarked.

  “And the Spider-God possesses the ultimate understanding guiding us all towards a brighter future—I know it all” he remarked.

  He hugged his wife tightly “What did I do to deserve you my darling” he remarked.

  They were together like that for a while.