Disclaimer: This chapter has themes of child abuse.
If you have a sensitivity to this, feel free to skip the beginning quarter of the chapter.
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Gala
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AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR...
56 YEARS!
Sure, just jump into his memories, Gala! It won't take long, we'll figure out a weakness, Gala! You won't get stuck observing his entire life, Gala!
You stupid disaster bird!
Hhhhhhhhuuuuuuhhhhhh...
Okay... Let me start from the beginning.
First things first: Baby Mordeki was fucking ADORABLE! I got to watch him hatch and stumble out of the egg. ...Kinda made me want to be a mother... Ah stupid maternal bird instincts! Laying eggs hurts!
Some lady cast some magic on him and suddenly he was super smart, you know, for a baby. I wish I picked up her name through this whole ordeal. I admit I was too busy oogling her to pay attention.
But I gotta say she has such a shit personality. She treated him more like a pet then a child. He slept in a cage, ate from a bowl, and even had to wear a leash anytime she brought him around.
AND NO ONE ELSE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS!?
The Talvadi kingdom is such garbage if this woman is their court mage. I think they keep her around because she's hot. The king totally kept her as a concubine, I'm calling it.
Eventually she actually started teaching him magic, which she's actually a good teacher. I learned a few things from her, just wish I could actually practice anything. Can't do magic here. Oof.
But damn if he got anything wrong he got hit, beaten, and starved. She'd also practice magic on him. Burn him, freeze him, break him mentally, and then use healing magic so nothing scarred.
I wish I could get his screams out of my head. Dealing with this woman is like dealing with Leviathan, and that's not an easy feat.
This went on for so many years. Finally she retired and Mordeki took over once he came of age. It seemed nothing much changed as it seemed the woman didn't even do much around the castle as the court mage, and neither did Mordeki.
He'd just get side-eyed by the servant staff and anytime he actually did something important he was just refered to as "Lizard" and wasn't even thanked.
Such a sad, loveless life. Really reminds me of where my life started. I really don't like thinking of "them". The scars on my body are enough of a reminder.
He taught at an academy for a good amount of years. Even trained a really big dragon. I never saw dragons in my world so seeing her was really cool. Pretty damn hot too... Gods, so many years with zero carnal release is seriously messing with me.
But that all changed once Vanity came around. I even got to watch her birth. It was simultaneously amazing and horrifying watching a woman give birth to a child with horns and hooves, and then a normal human child. Twins. Oof.
Baby Vanity was also absolutely adorable! I have so much tease material now. She was about four when she first formally met Mordeki. Even though he's in his thirties and actually has important duties in the castle, the king thought it would be funny if he could be Vanity's pet.
She named him Mordeki.
Blessed.
A little incorrect...
Still blessed.
Oh yeah... I probably should have mentioned this earlier but... ummm... He isn't exactly a he... I won't judge because I can literally change my physical gender on a whim, but does he even... like is he... actually nevermind. Not important.
I guess he kind of just went with it and didn't care to correct her.
Even though he was her pet, he took great care of her, almost like a second dad. So fucking cute! Best boy!
He was so happy. Reading to her, playing with her, teaching her magic. But it was also so boring. Nothing of importance ever happened around here until the king and queen died.
There was a real quick succession war, Vanity's brother won because nobody wanted a woman, nor a demonkin on the throne. Then Vanity did a successful coup, which drastically improved the kingdom. Oh, queendom, my bad. Either way everyone was wrong.
A few years of boring prosperity later and, oh boy, little twin brother is back with a vengeance. He has such a dumb name too. "Thace." Such a spiteful little man.
Too bad Mordeki and Vanity got transported just when they were about to win.
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Back into the present! FINALLY! I've had to live for more than double my life just watching. I almost went mad. Seeing everyone is such a breath of fresh air.
Wow they really put them in a dungeon right off the bat. Huh.
So this is how everything went bad and I had to save Dian that time. I can see the misunderstanding. Damn! I didn't realize just how hard I hit him.
I gotta agree with Vanity. Yoona and Mordeki seem so cute together.
Now that I look at it... I feel like I've seen Yoona's book before. Nah, maybe I just dreamt it.
What is up with this little girl? She is WILD!
Finally back to the match. Let's get this over with.
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Though years had passed in the minds of both fighters, it took only a few real minutes.
With a slight twitch of both bodies, a massive explosion of purple magic blasted out of them. An intense mental backlash that created it's own neural quake that gave every living creature in a five mile radius a serious headache.
Once the pain subsided, the team got a good look into the field where both Gala and Mordeki we're collapsed on all fours. The panted with their head hung low. They both looked up and gave a defeated look...
Right before both vomited on the ground.
The sudden influx of information, though experienced in real time, came at both of them like a near death experience.
"Oh gods..." Gala mumbled before wiping her beak. "... That lady treated you so terribly!" She yelled out to Mordeki.
"It was nothing --" He coughed up another small pool of bile. "...compared to what happened to you."
Gala attempted to get to her feet only to fall once again. She resolved with just crawling to the downed lizard making sure to miss the messes they made. She put a gentle claw on his back.
"So we both had the idea to dig into each other's memories and got stuck, huh."
"In hindsight, a terrible idea."
"Was it really bad for you?"
"I. Saw. EVERYTHING... I think my fear of women has been replaced by an entirely new trauma. Huh." He let out a light chuckle. It seemed he picked up some of her humor while he was stuck. In turn, Gala picked up exactly what he was talking about.
"You know, it's more fun if you get to join in." Gala teased, causing Mordeki to immediately vomit once more on the ground. "Oh, too soon?"
"Too soon..."
"Can you stand?" Gala asked with a wavering voice.
"No... I think I'm about to black out."
"Me too..."
Both collapsed unconscious. It was a draw.
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"Fucking bullshit!" Bounty yelled standing up with angry gesticulation.
"That's twice now you owe me money!" Dian pompously laughed.
"How!? HOOOOOW!?" There's no way you figured it would end in a draw a second time!"
"What can I say, I'm a master gambler." Dian laughed once again. "So when are you gonna pay up?"
Bounty looked as if he was about to attack, but instead stormed off to cool himself.
While Ag and Vanity helped Gala and Mordeki off the field, and Whistle ran to get Julia to perform a quick medical checkup of the two, Reggie took a seat next to Dian. "So you figured it out too?"
"That depends, what it it that I'm supposed to have figured out?"
"That we can't beat each other." He spoke seriously. Dian gave him a serious look in return.
"It seems you're more knowledgeable and perceptive than I give you credit for... Fine, yes. I figured it out. The gods are paying close attention to us given our purpose here. They wouldn't let us hurt each other so easy.
"God, not gods." Reggie corrected. "I had a long chat with a priest. The god of war, Borial, he intervenes with mortals the most out of any of them, and no doubt he wants to see our story unfold."
"But what does that have to do with us just getting draws?"
"Well that has to do with us being the heros. We are all of equal level. No matter the matchup, it will be a draw. And because of Boriel's influence, even in a 2 v 1, it will likely also be a draw as he always tips the odds towards the underdog."
"Are you say that if the entire team ganged up on one of our own, they'd actually have a decent chance?"
"That's right... and now that I think of it, that explains why we got our asses kicked by a little girl."
"Pfft." Dian let out a surprised laugh. "You lost to a little girl?"
"She stabbed Bounty and ran around like a wild cat! She almost took one of my eyes, was able to disarm Ag, and even ruined Mordeki's spellbook!" Reggie shouted, obviously perturbed.
"I'm liking this girl already." Dian smirked, annoying him once more.
Reggie's anger was quick to grab him once again, but even quicker was Lady's cold hands on his shoulders. A quiet reminder that his anger only hurts him and those close to him in the end.
He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Let's... change the subject. Are you ready for your match with Whistle? Ave's not here and Vanity and Ag want to save their match for last."
Dian sat up straight with a more dignified expression. It seemed when the conversation was focused on her capability, she wasn't going to show any weakness.
"I am always ready. Not being ready would be an insult to my name." She stood, towering over Reggie with a sudden serious tone. "And I will make sure this doesn't end in a draw."
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"They've been knocked out since their match finished. Do you think they'll be okay?" Quietly asked Vanity as she stood over a sleeping Mordeki. Julia, who just arrived, didn't say anything, and only took a single pinprick of blood from him and Gala.
"A mix of acute mana drain and neural backlash. They should be fine with rest, though they may seem a little absent minded for a while after they wake."
She then looked at both and had a quiet, full body squirm and shudder. "I hate my job..." She quietly muttered before giving a resuscitative, tongue-filled kiss to both, much to Vanity's surprise and dismay.
"What was that for!?"
"I'm a vampire, remember? Healing saliva ring any bells? It should wake them up faster and improve the mental recovery." She replied, annoyed and not enjoying being out in the sun. Even though she was a Blood Seer and didn't burn in the sun, it still hurt like a bitch.
Vanity didn't like her tone, but let it be. Instead she focused on Mordeki. A worried expression clear on her face.
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In the forest at the edge of the Palace, Ave and Lily were returning.
"I'm certain this will be a poor outcome for you." Ave said as he snuck through an overgrown, sizable crack in the stone perimeter wall with Lily at his heels.
"I'll be fine. I'll just apologize." She replied with zero sincerity in her voice.
"Everything responds better to actions rather than lies. If you fail, you are on your own."
"I understand."
"And the cat is mine, regardless of the outcome."