Mana and Miasma… They're intertwined…

Felix stumbled back away from the mirror. They're the same! Miasma can corrupt mana and mana can–

He shook his head. It all made sense to him now. The Holy Triumphant can somehow control miasma! They can use it to create and spread mana or… He sucked in a shallow breath. Or use it to take mana away.

A pit formed in the bottom of his stomach. With a weapon like that, it's no wonder all the kingdoms fell or bent the knee. Only the elves stood a chance against them. And he knew how that ended…

But that thought led to another, a more pressing issue. They are coming here.

Felix swallowed, fear blossoming into an existential nightmare. If… If they are able to release their miasma upon the island, then everyone would be at risk–

No. It's far, far worse than that. Torm nearly killed me but if the Holy Triumphant comes prepared, they may kill everyone in one fell swoop.

Devastation played out in his head. He saw elves and dwarves and gnomes, all falling to the ground. He saw them convulsing and begging for him to stop it. He witnessed as he tried in vain to end the corruption in time.

Then he saw them, his family. He saw Eri's lifeless corpse. He felt Kyrith in his death-throws. He screamed as Zira tried to fight, only to be run through by spears and missiles.

It was real. Too real. He blinked and found himself on his knees, his hands clammy and his bones chilled. That wasn't just an imaginary scenario, it was a very real possibility.

Taking in shallow breaths, Felix did all he could to think. He needed a counter… There has to be something! There must be a way to stop them–

His eyes light up. There is! The mana well! I can use that! I can use that and thwart the Holy Triumphant's plans. There was only one slight problem, Yarnel had the mana well. But we're going to see him after the coronation. I can convince him to give it to me– Presuming he hasn't thought of something himself, of course.

The small dragon was often full of surprises. It wouldn't shock me if Yarnel had a plan to combat the miasma. And with that, as he began to calm himself, he felt Zira and Eri desperately attempting to get his attention.

Are you okay?! Zira shouted, as he stood up.

I…am. I had a terrible realization.

Eri decided to add her voice. A terrible realization?! Felix, you were ranting! What happened?

He clenched his teeth together, not wanting to disturb her any more than he already had. And yet, doing that felt even worse. Today was meant to show their strength, to come together and overcome any obstacle.

Felix made his decision…

Do you really think it will work? Eri asked as he finished explaining.

I think so, he said. But I'm glad we'll be going to see Yarnel. I'm sure he has thought about this problem. Hells, he might have a better idea of how to handle it.

Great… And here I was hoping we'd seen the last of him, Zira grumbled. This was the first time she'd learned anything about going to see the small dragon.

He ignored her and focused on Eri as he continued. Honestly, the mana well might solve two problems. This one and… His expression turned dour. Zarrina.

Everyone fell silent at that.

I think I can use the mana well similarly to how Lorenzen uses his mana crystal. Of course, I don't plan on fusing it into her but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Eri gave him a mental nod. The only problem I see is that there is only one.

That's the only issue… I want to speak with Yarnel.

You're wanting to make another, Zira stated.

I am–

A knock at his door interrupted him. Someone's here. We can speak more on this later. He waited until both pulled away from his mind before rushing back into his room.

"Just a moment!" he shouted, quickly throwing on fresh clothes and not bothering with adjusting them. The wedding was still a while out…

"Yes– Oh," he said as he opened the door, surprised by who it was. Standing nervously on the other side was Niri.

"M-master!" She offered him a hasty bow. "Niri have important thing to tell Master!"

"What is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and standing aside. He gestured for her to enter.

The kobold hesitated but after a moment, she bolted inside. Felix closed the door and faced her, curious as to what had her so worked up.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me?" he tried again, after what felt like an eternity of her standing there.

"Kobold…" She trailed off and brought her anxious hands close to her chest. "Watcher die, left kobold with no pack-leader. Kobold need pack-leader…"

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He nodded, doing his best to not frown. "I see. Has any decision been made on who will be the next…pack-leader?"

Niri jerkily nodded. "K-kobold select new pack-leader…"

Oh? That seems a little quick, but maybe they already had someone lined up? "Who is it?"

The poor blue kobold gulped before quickly gesturing to herself. "N-Niri next pack-leader."

Felix raised his eyes in surprise. "You?"

Another nod.

Interesting… He had to admit, Niri wasn't even on the list of contenders in his mind. Not exactly who I thought they would pick to replace Watcher. Still, whether or not he approved mattered little. The kobolds were free to choose their leader.

His surprise slowly morphed into a smile. "Congratulations."

"Niri thanks Master!" She gave a speedy bow, one that nearly sent her toppling over. Catching herself at the last moment, she gave him an apologetic look. "N-Niri sorry… Niri nervous."

He gave her an understanding look. "I can tell… If you need any help, don't be afraid to ask for it."

Her expression changed and she once more looked away from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stepping closer.

Niri opened her mouth as if to speak but suddenly closed it. She shook her head instead. "Niri fine."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "You don't look it… Are you worried about being compared to Watcher?" That seemed like the most likely problem.

It took her several moments but eventually she confirmed it. "Niri not smart like Watcher… Niri not brave like Fang. Niri fear Niri not good enough and let down kobold."

He had no idea who Fang was but it didn't matter, he understood the sentiment. "Well, that's fine. Niri doesn't have to be like Watcher or Fang. Niri can be Niri."

She cocked her head at him. "What Master mean?"

"I mean exactly that. You aren't Watcher. You aren't Fang. You are Niri. And from what I've seen, you are dedicated, caring, and, in your own way, charismatic. I mean that too. You've done a wonderful job of keeping the manor spotless, without being asked to even take up that responsibility. You're kind and modest to a fault. And, you have a certain charm that makes people like you."

He paused as he considered his own words. Actually, now that I think about it, it's no wonder why they made her the next pack-leader. "I think you will do fine. You might make mistakes but that's part of the process of becoming a leader. You can do this."

She peered up at him with awe. "Master think so?"

His smile grew wider. "Master know so…"

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eri stood like a statue, with arms splayed out in front of her. Haldria was working on her dress, painfully pulling taut, loosening, then tightening straps once more. Behind her several women brushed and combed her hair while several more sat in front of her, working on her nails.

The overall experience was torture. She could not move let alone sit down, and Felix certainly hadn't helped. His thoughts worried her, despite his assurances. What could they really do if the Holy Triumphant were to unleash something so sinister?

What do we really have that could stop them? Only Felix is able to counter the miasma and he was nearly…bested. Even with the mana well, I don't know if it'll be enough.

And that wasn't all, she fretted over losing Felix himself. His last battle had proven that he wasn't invincible. The only thing that kept her from completely breaking down from that was the contract.

What was it that Mirezabeth said? It's what binds his soul to this realm? Does that… Does that mean he can't truly die? That question hung heavy on her heart. If that were true, maybe there wasn't any reason to worry.

And yet, she did. There was no telling what the Dragon Goddess meant by that. And even if it is true, that doesn't mean I want him to suffer…

Eri blinked as something waved in front of her face. A moment later she felt something powdery being applied to her skin.

"What–" She suddenly inhaled some and began to cough.

"Stop moving!" Haldria shouted, grabbing her. "I'm merely accentuating your complexion. But if you keep moving, I'll mess up and have to start all over."

Eri settled down. "My…complexion? What are you–"

"Patience, My Queen! I will show you once I'm done! You'll love it!" The woman proceeded to apply more of that powder to her face.

She felt an eye twitch. "Fine, but hurry up. I need to sit down, it's hard to breathe with how tight this dress is…"

"Almost done and… There we go!" Haldria didn't give her a chance to respond and pulled her forward without warning.

They made their way over to a mirror and stopped in front of it. "Take a look, Your Majesty! See how I managed to bring out your blush? Don't you think it makes you look…seductive?"

"Haldria!" a furious Mari shouted from somewhere behind. "You are speaking about our Queen!"

Eri ignored the resulting squabble as she peered deeper into the mirror. The powder did give her a certain mystique and beauty…

"Like what you see?" Haldria asked.

She nodded.

"Good. Now remember, under no circumstances should you touch your face. Otherwise, it will ruin your looks."

Great… "Good to know," she responded, trying to hide her annoyance.

Haldria let out a wistful sigh. "You know, Your Majesty, Felix is a lucky man. You're quite beautiful all on your own… Now, though…" She leaned in closer and whispered, "Now he might take you the very moment he sees you and ravish–"

A dagger appeared next to her throat as Eri began to blush.

"One more word and I will not hesitate to kill you," Mari said coolly. There was not a hint of humor in her expression. She meant it.

"Both of you stop!" Eri shouted, regaining her composure. She first turned her attention to Mari. "Put the knife down. Haldria's words are hardly a threat."

"Your Majesty! She is–"

She furrowed her brows as the room became increasingly warmer, and it wasn't from any crass comments… "Put. The. Knife. Down."

The elven Chief blinked before slowly pulling the blade away. "A-as you wish…"

She gave Mari a satisfied look as the dagger was sheathed. A moment later, she moved her gaze onto Haldria. "And while I know you were merely teasing, I will ask that you refrain from saying such things in a public setting." She gestured to the other women in the room. "We wouldn't want any misunderstandings…"

The poor leatherworker gulped and gave a deep bow. "I-I apologize, Your Majesty!"

Finally, both Eri and the room began to cool as she let a smile form. "Good. Now with all that taken care of… Can I please sit down?"

"O-of course! Right this way– Your Majesty!" Haldria guided her over to a chair.

"Thank you." She sat down and realized everyone was staring. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Your Majesty…" Mari hesitantly answered. She took a deep breath and her normal expression reappeared. "Right! Everyone back to work!"

The spell broke and soon the women descended upon Eri…

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