The bright morning light spilled through the window as the chatter of birds echoed across the territory. Kairo stirred awake, groaning softly as he sat up, stretching his arms until his joints popped. A long yawn escaped him. "Another morning… another busy day," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Let's see what this one brings our way."
Blinking away the sleep, he glanced to his side. Shiri, lay coiled comfortably, his upper half resting lazily over the makeshift bed while the lower half rested on the floor. Theo was curled beside him, clutching one of Shiri's arms as if it were a giant pillow. The boy mumbled something incoherent in his sleep, face buried against Shiri's scales.
Kairo sighed with a small smile. "You two seem to be sleeping peacefully." He leaned forward and nudged Shiri's shoulder. "Wake up, lazy idiot."
Shiri groaned without opening his eyes. "Five minutes… please." Half-asleep, he tightened his coils slightly and dragged Theo closer, using the boy's head as a makeshift pillow.
Kairo's eye twitched. "Don't use Theo as a pillow, idiot," he grumbled. "Up, both of you."
Before he could insist further, a series of knocks came from the door. Then, a familiar gravelly voice called, "Boss! You might wanna see this!"
Kairo exhaled a resigned breath. "What now…" he murmured, running a hand through his messy hair. "I'm coming."
As he walked toward the door, his thoughts flickered back to the night before. The Command Nexus had delivered a message — [Tier Enhancement Complete — Units have reached Tier 3.5]
Kairo could still remember the glow of blue energy that enveloped them, the flash of light as their scales hardened and darkened. Their tails had reshaped into blunt clubs, and two short spikes had sprouted from their backs.
He'd been proud, but the real shock came when one of them hesitated… then actually spoke.
"Boss," it had said. Clear and rough, but unmistakable.
Kairo turned towards the terratory gates as Theo sprinted toward him from. The inside, breathless and wide-eyed, shouting, "He spoke!" Moments later, Flint appeared, scales gleaming, proudly announcing with a grin, "I talked!"
Now, pulling the door open, he found the same two Kabolts from last night standing guard —Kairo asked the kabolts, "Is something wrong outside today?" but then he saw as on one of their shoulders lay a small, bruised girl. Her dark-blue hair shimmered faintly in the morning light, her violet eyes half-open in exhaustion.
"Boss," one Kabolt said carefully. "This girl came in last night. We didn't wanna wake you. She's… injured."
Kairo froze, his morning haze vanishing completely. "...Bring her inside."
After some time, inside the house, Kairo sat back in his chair, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the unconscious girl lying on the makeshift bed. Beside him, Onyx stood silently, ever vigilant. The girl's legs were neatly bandaged, her breathing soft and steady. Her dark-blue hair framed her pale face, and next to her bed lay her hat and broom — both worn, but clearly cared for.
Theo, sitting at the round table, couldn't take his eyes off the hat. His excitement was obvious. Kairo noticed and asked, "Why are you staring at that thing?"
Theo turned, eyes wide. "That's a witch's hat! I've read about them in stories! Kairo, do you think she's a real witch?"
Kairo shrugged. "No idea," he replied flatly, though his gaze lingered a bit longer on the sleeping girl. She looked around seventeen or eighteen — just a year younger than him.
The door creaked open as Shiri slithered in, holding a tray of freshly roasted meat. "Breakfast's ready. Eat it while it's hot."
Theo immediately ran over, grabbing a piece with glee before sitting back down. Kairo took his share, sighing. "Can't we have something other than roasted meat for once?"
Shiri smirked. "You're the leader, so bring me better ingredients. Otherwise, eat what's on your plate. Or Theo can have seconds."
Kairo frowned but started eating anyway, refusing to admit it tasted great.
After they'd finished, Theo asked sweetly for another serving. Shiri chuckled and went outside to get more. Then, a faint murmur came from the bed.
"D-Don't eat me… don't eat me…"
Theo blinked. "Why's she saying that?"
Kairo stood, moving closer. "Let's see…" He crouched beside her.
"Don't disturb her," Shiri teased from the doorway. "And stop staring — you'll scare her, loverboy."
Kairo blushed. "I-I'm not—!"
Before he could finish, the girl suddenly bolted upright and leapt into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
"My prince charming!" she cried, hugging him tightly.
Kairo froze, utterly speechless.
The girl's trembling voice filled the small room as she clung to Kairo.
"I—I knew it! I believed someone would come to save me! My prince charming… you came to rescue me from this monster den, didn't you?"
Kairo blinked, completely frozen. His brain couldn't keep up with the words pouring from her mouth. "Wait—what—monster den?" he muttered, confused.
The girl only sobbed harder, gripping his shirt. "Please, help me! I don't want to die here! I was so scared—so, so scared!" Tears and snot streamed down her face, soaking his sleeve.
From the door, a loud laugh burst out. Shiri had completely lost it, clutching his stomach as tears of laughter rolled down his cheeks.
"Prince charming—pfft—hahahaha! Oh, this is priceless!"
Kairo's face turned red from a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Shut up, you idiot! Stop laughing and get her off me!"
The girl froze mid-cry, her eyes darting toward Shiri. The moment she saw the towering naga with scales and sharp fangs, she screamed. "Aaaah! D-don't eat me! I'm not tasty!"
She scrambled off Kairo and dashed to the far corner, curling into a terrified ball. Kairo groaned, running a hand through his hair, while Shiri sighed and, still chuckling, handed him a plate of roasted meat.
"Here," Shiri said. "The little missy looks scared — and more importantly, hungry. Give her this before she faints again."
Kairo took the plate and slowly walked toward the trembling girl. Her face was streaked with tears, and her legs were covered in cuts and bruises. He crouched down and spoke softly, "You look hungry. You should eat."
The delicious smell reached her nose, and her stomach growled loudly. She froze, then looked up shyly. Her cheeks flushed red as she snatched the plate from Kairo's hands.
"T-thank you…" she mumbled, blushing deeply as she began to eat.
As the girl ate, the room fell quiet. Kairo, Theo, and Shiri watched from the table as she devoured the roasted meat, tears streaming down her cheeks. Between sobs, she managed to say, "This… this is so good! I've never eaten something this delicious before!" Her voice cracked with emotion as she continued, "Not even the palace cooks could make something this good!"
Kairo froze mid-bite, glancing toward Shiri, who returned a wide-eyed look before slowly nodding. The words palace cooks echoed in both their minds. Kairo stood, walking closer to the girl, who looked up at him nervously. After a moment of silence, she blushed, clutching her plate and whispering, "Th-thank you for the meal."
But then her eyes darted to Shiri, and she flinched in fear. "I-Is he not going to eat me?" she stammered.
Kairo sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "No one's going to eat you," he reassured gently. "That's Shiri, and the little one there is Theo. They're my friends."
The girl looked at Shiri, still cautious, but eventually nodded. "T-thank you… for the meal," she said softly.
Kairo smiled faintly and introduced himself. "I'm Kairo, the lord and leader of this territory. And you are?"
The girl hesitated, clutching her chest. Her violet eyes flickered with uncertainty and lingering pain. After a moment, she took a breath, bowed her head slightly, and said, "My name… is Lilian."
Kairo nodded warmly. "Nice to meet you, Lilian." Then, remembering her earlier words, he added, "But tell me—what did you mean by palace cooks?"
Lilian's expression darkened. Her trembling hands tightened around the empty plate.
After a brief silence, she looked up, her voice soft but steady.
"I am… from the Great Arclen Family, of the Kingdom of Astravelle—the Realm of Witches and Magicians."
To be continued.....