Lenny lay in a warm bubble bath back in the Oakman Manor, Mrs.Oakman washing her daughter's hair.
"Sounds terrible what happened in those woods, whatever happened to sweet Iago? Is he really gone?" Mrs.Oakman asked softly as she poured water over Lenny's hair.
"Mother, to be honest he didn't die well I was out there, but the elements and the stupid spirit will handle him." Lenny responded calmly playing with the bubbles in the bath.
"You lied to everyone... why would you leave Iago?"
"He was a waste and you know it, he has just been a burden since he started taking that blueblood. He still thinks I don't know what it really is." Lenny, sniggered.
"Lenny, what makes you think this is okay?" Mrs.Oakman asked, setting the water jug down. Lenny responded rolling over so her chin rested on the edge of the bath.
"Mary, listen. I'm thirteen now, the priest does not have any power anymore now it's me in charge. This house is mine, this town is mine, and I don't want any weak links in my town. I'm lying to help the town." Lenny pulled herself from the bath wrapping a robe around herself. "If you want we can go find him, by now he's probably dead though."
"We're going to find him! With his attacks he'll surely die out there!" Mary Oakman snapped, throwing a shirt length tunic, trousers and a pair of boots at Lenny before going off to her own room to change.
Standing in front of her floor length mirror Mary looked at her bare body and face. She looked so very different from her daughter. Lenny was a near clone of her father, pale skin, dark blue eyes, and silky golden hair.
Mary pulled her undergarments over her bronze skin, tracing her stretch marks wondering what had happened to her sweet little girl. She tied her frizzy hair into a braid and then wrapped her head scarf around her head carefully to make sure no strands of brown curls showed.
Her quilted dress was heavy and hard to push away so that she could pull boots on that would be covered by her dress. She'd feel odd enough without her veil, but if she was trying to keep track of Lenny she needed to be able to see if Lenny ran off.
In the kitchen Lenny was sitting on the table, the family sword slung over her back. Lenny wasn't wearing her headscarf or veil, her hair, she had taken a blade to it. It was now messy and short.
"Lenny dear? You cut your hair and you aren't wearing your scarf, why?" Mary asked, reaching her hand out towards her daughter. Quickly grabbing her mom's wrist, Lenny hissed a reply.
"Less to grab in fights, I wanna be able to use this thing properly. That would be difficult wearing that gitup you like me to wear." Hopping off the table Lenny gestured for her mother to follow her out the house. "Come on, let's go hunt some monsters."
Pulling herself out of the tunnel Mary looked around. The forest was different then what her deceased husband had described it as. It was warm and no fog curtained the trees. The glowing blooms were bigger and the trees she thought were smokey and bare, they were covered in emerald green leaves.
Mary set off walking along a quiet stream. Lenny angrily following.
¨They did something to the woods, it's all green...what if those freaks got stronger?" Jogging to keep up with Lenny, Mary asked softly.
"Maybe the spirit left, or maybe it's just happy now or something?" Mary nearly ran into Lenny as Lenny halted turning to face her mother.
"It can't be, but I know how we can find it quicker. There was a note from the old founder guy. He saved a friend in a cage under the manor, the creature he kept is kept alive off our trash!"
"Dear, I don't see how that will help us find Iago?" Mary asked nervously watching as Lenny unsheathed the old sword. Lenny's toothy smile reflected as coldly as her words.
"Lovers seeker rise from your cage. Nameless freak among the beasts come to my bec and call! Copper you are mine to control!" With a loud crack and a flash of light a humanoid creature sat on the ground. Its thin grey body was obscured by patchy half molted wings. It looked up pulling matts of long white hair away its empty rose pink eyes. As it spoke in a thick accent Mary couldn't place, its yellowed fangs reflected small bits of the light in the woods.
"Oakman, why summon me? You already stole my love from me twice, tell me you feel any guilt or sorrow for what those of your own blood have done?" It looked around slowly seeing Mary and Lenny calmly looking between the two, his eyes settling on Lenny and the sword she held. Not meeting her eyes as she spoke.
"I need you to track Algiz down, he's in these woods. There should also be a crippled blue blood addict with him. Bring both to me."
"What if I refuse? Will you kill me?" The grey man spoke calmly as he flicked his spade tipped tail across the ground. Lenny stammered.
"I gave you a command! The note said you have to obey whoever summons you with the sword!" Lenny frantically pulled a slip of ancient parchment from her pocket reading it over and over again. The grey man laughed, his reply even harder to understand as he struggled to stifle his laughter.
"Old Aurthur Oakman only had true power over me while he had my lover in his bed, you can't even use that sword's magic correctly." Finally stopping his laughter the grey man continued. "Now I must thank you for telling me I can talk to my sweetheart again. I also must apologize, but I won't be able to help him or myself move on if your bloodline still exists; sorry kid." as he pulled himself from the ground, unsheathing metallic claws and shaking out his ugly white wings. Lenny stepped back pulling her sword out her hands shaking slightly.
"I Copper of the second realm's Isles challenge you, Oakman heiress to a duel to the death. Do you accept, or has your line lost its dragon shaming bravery?"