BOOOOOOOOM!

Hekate is ripped out of her trance by a new shout of the god of thunder. She reacts by flailing back, but suddenly, her heart races back up to speed.

This time, it's not pure fear. Her feet and hands move on their own. "Daniel!"

The fox-eared girl scrambles up and sprints across the massive room, darting through the lingering smoke and dust. Every step, she picks up speed as resolve washes over her. She's not thinking as she does, but her thoughts begin to catch up.

No! Daniel! I have to help him!

She flashes through the room, putting herself between the pinnacle of all fiends and her human companion as the black-haired girl unleashes all of her magic in every element she can summon; fire, stone, lightning, darkness, ice, wind, water, light, death; all but healing magic. While she does so, she uses her body to push backwards into Daniel, forcing him away from the magical monster.

Hekate has gotten a second wind of magic power, and she won't squander it while Daniel fights alone.

It only registers as she and Daniel flop onto the ground in front of the Feral Feldrok's motionless form, and the human tries to wrestle her arms to get her attention.

"Hekate! Hekate! Calm down! It's over! It's dead!"

She finally cuts off the elemental magic with a final fizzle of fire, glancing over her shoulder at Daniel as he hugs her arms to her with his own. "We did it, Hekate. The Feldrok is dead."

Hekate looks up at the humongous muzzle of a titanic hellbeast, where even now, the Feldrok hasn't moved. It didn't shift when Hekate launched her attack. It didn't flinch. It didn't sigh. It didn't wake up. It's not even breathing. And, now that she looks, its blood is pouring down continuously onto the floor.

It all sinks in.

The god of thunder truly is none other than the sorcerer currently hugging her. His staff, which launched four deadly attacks, is the item that called forth the wrath of the gods themselves, striking down the most powerful living creature in the world.

Daniel holds Hekate for a long while, and she finally blinks her disbelief away. She looks over her shoulder. "Daniel?"

"It's dead, Hekate. The Citadel will soon be ours."

Her eyes water, and she twists in his arms to hug him. "DANIEL!" She begins sobbing. He doesn't seem to understand. Or, he feigns ignorance at least. She's not crying because she's happy. She's crying because she thought she had lost him forever. Which, of course, is cause for happiness that it wasn't the case, but she still hasn't gotten over the terror and feelings of loss.

After a long while, Daniel finally urges her to let him up. "We need to collect our spoils, right? Don't want anyone else to come after us." He takes his magic bag back from her, and he extracts one of the giant ones. He murmurs, "Hmmm… Both of these are getting kinda full. Here's hoping." He begins putting the Feldrok into the bag.

The Feral Feldrok. One of the deadliest and most powerful beings in the world.

The monster that dragons fear.

The leviathan that Daniel defeated.

Like it was nothing more than a goblin, he stows the Feral Feldrok's corpse and collects his terrible staff. He slings it over his shoulder with slow and achy movements, and he looks at Hekate, who is still standing in a dumbfounded stupor. She spots a glint on the floor, and she jogs to it. It smells of metal and chemicals that have burned, and she picks it up. She jogs to Daniel, offering it to him. He smiles. "Oh! Thank you. Can't forget that." It's Daniel's small death wand, and he shoves it into the pouch hanging low from his belt. She cocks her head. I'll need to remember to reload it." He pets Hekate's head gently, and she feels immense reassurance and comfort from the small, gentle gesture.

Excited, she spots one of Daniel's other objects; a small glittering tube of gold. She runs to it while Daniel walks slowly towards the back of the massive room, looking around at the ancient structure.

The fox-eared girl returns to Daniel with the tube and presents it giddily to him. He smiles down at her, saying, "Ah! Right. It's not a crisis if I don't collect those, but I can reload it." He takes the tube, but this time, he sticks it into his void bag. He then takes a shiny metal thing off of the belt slung over his shoulder, and he hands it to her. It has mostly the same shape as the tube, but with the open end closed off by an acorn-like point. "That's what it looks like before it's used."

Hekate stares at it silently as she holds it. Peeking out of the acorn-like metal is what could only be a tooth.

He's using dragon teeth as catalyst? That would make sense. But… how powerful does someone need to be to…?

She swallows hard. Daniel seems so calm and… normal. He's his usual self, even after what he just accomplished. Though, he does seem rather tired and sweaty.

"Daniel," states Hekate plainly, wishing she could converse with him. She says her usual, "{I love you, Daniel. Please don't ever leave me.}"

Daniel laughs, taking the object back to return it to his chest belt. "Yes, that's really all I used."

She frowns at him, saying a little dryly, though her voice is still a little trembly from the terror of the last few minutes, "Daniel, {do you honestly not realize how powerful you have to be to be you? And, to think… I got to witness it.}" Her sarcasm turns to happiness, and Daniel smiles gently in turn.

Returning to task, though, he then looks towards the back of the room. "Now… to deal with that."

There, standing next to a strange pillar with a glowing light on the surface, is a humanoid golem with a rigid head instantly reminiscent of the beast they just defeated.

Without a second longer of pause, Daniel walks towards the golem. Hekate jumps into step with him, but she keeps behind him, whimpering, "Daniel…"

"It'll be alright, Hekate. I have it on good authority that this will go alright for us."

As he approaches, the golem looks at them. It begins spouting words, but all of them are different languages for the words, "[Please speak.]" It switches between the languages effortlessly, as if urging them to say something.

Daniel asks innocently, "Any chance you can understand it, Hekate?"

Suddenly, the golem says in its mechanical, hollow voice, "Eastern Imperial Trade. Acknowledged. I am the caretaker of the Citadel. As my master asked me to ensure the survival of knowledge, I am to assist you in maintaining the Citadel. Please place your hand here, Master." It gestures at the pillar next to it.

Daniel looks at Hekate. "Well? Go ahead."

Flabbergasted, the fox-eared girl glances at the golem and then at Daniel. And then, she repeats this sequence of stunned glances.

"What's wrong? You wanted the Citadel, right? Looks like to truly conquer it, we have to do what this guy says."

She shakes her head. She tries to gesture with her hands as she speaks in demon common. "[No! Daniel! We can't! It could be cursed!]"

The golem looks at her, and then at Daniel. Daniel states, "I can't understand you, Hekate. Just go ahead and touch it."

"NO!"

The golem translates, "The young one is afraid of curses, but I assure you this Citadel is carefully moderated."

"See?"

"NO!" snaps Hekate. "[That's exactly what it would be programmed to tell us!]"

She tries to block him.

Daniel sighs. "Mr. Caretaker, the Citadel can be transferred again, right?"

"Correct. The procedure is the same."

"Good." With that, Daniel instantly picks Hekate up effortlessly and sets her to the side. He steps up, fending off her frantic attempts to stop him. He places his right hand on the pillar, and it instantly glows.

The golem lets out a sigh of immense relief as its shoulders slump, shocking both of them. It states, "Finally… It's been so long since anyone has enabled our functions. Would you like to engage maintenance protocols, Master?"

"You're… an artificial intelligence?" asks Daniel in surprise. Hekate has no idea what that means, but neither does the golem by its answer.

"Artificial…? Not quite. My former Feldrok masters engaged in many artforms. In this case, I am a soul-bound golem. A volunteer became the golem before you, in charge of the Citadel's maintenance program. Would you like to begin?"

"Not yet. Soul bound?"

"Yes. It's a process by which…"

"A living soul is crammed into a golem, right? A living being was turned into a power source."

"Your surprising knowledge aside, your interpretation is a little inaccurate. I am still myself. I did in fact volunteer, and I am proud. I would have died otherwise, and instead, became a faithful and honored servant of the Feldroks and their most precious home."

"What about your life? Family? Friends?"

"I lived my life. I have no regrets. I've been waiting centuries for someone to be able to restart maintenance."

"What happened?"

"As you can see, the Citadel fell into a state of disrepair in the last war. An apprentice of one of our younger masters, a dragon, learned enough to disable the Citadel, and they were able to defeat all but three of the masters here. The second eldest perished today."

"You considered that one your master?"

"Indeed. Though, communication was impossible, it was a child of my original masters. I would have maintained its home had it simply activated the system."

Daniel nods now that he knows the basic gist of things. "I have lots more questions, but I'll pick your brain in a minute. I want you to transfer control of the Citadel to Hekate, here."

The golem cocks its head. "I cannot."

"You just told me you could before I touched the panel."

"Correct. The procedure is the same. For me to recognize a new master, you will have to cease to exist."

Daniel sucks his teeth, and Hekate flinches. She glances in terror between them both. Daniel turns towards Hekate, and she shouts, "NO! NO NO NO NO NO! NO! No, Daniel. NO!"

He chuckles. "I haven't even said anything."

She points at him, saying in a fiery tone, "NO!"

As they stare at each other, the golem finally chimes in. "If I may, Master; with your permission, I can add administrators to the Citadel's systems. If killing you isn't an option to begin with, it's the next step down from the Master."

"What can administrator do?"

"Anything a master can, save override the master. Conversely, the master can override or veto any action of any administrator. And, only the Master can assign new administrators. Those are the only differences."

"I see."

"Additionally, there are guest roles intended for villagers and servants, as well as intermediary roles that can be customized to the needs and desires of the Master."

"That's handy."

"Obviously, I have already added your wife as a guest presence. All others in the Citadel will be purged once maintenance begins. Repairs will follow."

"Wife…? Oh, you mean Hekate. Please make Hekate, here, an administrator, then, please."

"Acknowledged. If I might make a request, Master…"

"Yes. Please tell me how to activate maintenance."

"Thank you."

Hekate watches as the golem guides Daniel through using the 'panel', as Daniel and the golem refer to it, and Daniel operates it as if it were something he's been using all of his life. It's strange, but then, Daniel is a strange person. If he was secretly a Feldrok, Hekate wouldn't be surprised at this point.

It's a long process of finger-swiping and tapping on the panel, 'activating this function' and 'reestablishing that channel'. While Daniel seems to understand, it all flies over Hekate's head. She watches nervously. She doesn't feel any different, now that she was an 'administrator' of the Citadel.

Regardless, whatever they're doing seems to work. Suddenly, light fills the room they're in; not just from the sunlight. Magic stones on the walls and ceiling illuminate, filling the room with natural and comfortable light.

Daniel remarks, "Nice. Can I change the brightness and color?"

"Of course, Master."

And, just like that, Daniel dimmed them to a soft blue color. He chuckles. "Look at that. Feels just like home."

"I'm surprised, Master. I didn't think Humans had low-light vision."

"We don't. But, I liked to keep my house a little darker, personally. It'd… be a bit of a challenge to explain the whole thing. Though, this is a pleasant surprise."

"The Citadel is yours to do with as you please, Master."

With that, doors open around them, and Hekate flinches, keeping her back to Daniel; the only safe direction in the world.

Golems march in a small army. Some instantly begin making a loud whining noise, and Hekate snarls. The golems that started making extra noise are sliding something across the floor, while the others march into other locations. Some crawl up the walls. Others have swords and shields, but they march past Daniel, Hekate, and the Caretaker, splitting up at the hallway and continuing on their way.

The Caretaker explains, "Maintenance protocols active. Are there any further allies in the Citadel, Master?"

"No. But, if there are any sentient races, I'd like your golems to try to communicate first and place them under arrest. We'll decide what to do with them."

"There are a handful of goblins, orcs, and beast folk, Master. I expect hostility."

"If you can immobilize them and contain them, I'd prefer that. Can you speak every language?"

"Indeed. The Citadel's systems can translate intent from any language that processes thought. Even animals produce 'thought', though communication is generally much less successful, depending on the species."

"I see. I don't mind if animals and sentients flee, so please don't attempt to trap them if they are fleeing towards the exit."

"Understood, Master, but what of their life essence?"

Daniel looks at Hekate. She flinches, pointing at herself. She asks, "Daniel?"

Daniel replies, "She doesn't need every drop of death. We'll manage. Can she really absorb all of that from here?"

This shocks Hekate, and she wants answers. "Daniel!?"

However, the golem answers him first. "No. Specifically, the Citadel's magic channels collect the life essence, and it can be extracted at various locations. Shall I guide you to them?"

"Later, thank you. I assume that includes what the other one accomplished?"

"Indeed. Though, in both his and Lady Hekate's cases, some is absorbed on the spot if they were close enough at the time of death. Regrettably, only the magic channels were functioning all this time. Fortunately, this has created an enviable stockpile for Lady Hekate."

"I see. Thank you."

"DANIEL!?" snaps Hekate, demanding attention.

Daniel sighs. "Hekate, I don't know all of your circumstances, but… I'm pretty confident you're a Feldrok."

She stares at him, blinking only once. She shakes her head. "No."

He nods. "Yes."

"No."

"Master speaks the truth, child. It is why you are able to naturally understand languages, even if you can't speak them. It's also why you can use all elements of magic with ease." It gestures towards the pedestal, where a couple of golems are mopping up blood and sweeping up ash and icicles. "And, did you not notice your growing power as you and Master defeated monsters?"

Hekate fidgets. She glances at Daniel. "It seems that Feldroks gain strength from those they defeat. And… your tail and ears definitely looked like the one we defeated today."

She twitches, and then she looks at her own tail, touching her ears.

Daniel then asks the Caretaker, "Is there a way to teach her spells here? It would be extremely helpful if she could learn the spell that teaches to speak and write."

The Caretaker nods in agreement. "Indeed. The library has all of-..." It pauses. "It has sustained damage. I won't make promises I can't yet guarantee, Master, but I shall have units catalog the contents of the library as soon as the library floor is cleared. While intruders are being purged or contained, please make yourselves comfortable in this room. Personal quarters are still being purged and will need cleaned."

Daniel understands completely. "Thank you. Hear that, Hekate? If we can find the spell for languages, hopefully you can learn it pretty quick."

She nods with a slightly distant expression, still disbelieving everything happening. Daniel requests politely, "I don't want to be too demanding, but is it possible for us to get some chairs, then?"

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"Of course, Master. Allow me." The Caretaker golem proudly serves, and it seems to give a silent signal to its workers. It then states, "You also don't have to pass courtesy to myself or any of the other units. We exist to serve the Master."

"You say you were a person. I'd like to think we can get along better than mere Master and servant. Thank you for everything so far."

The golem cocks its head, but it bows its head politely. "Very well, Master. Your courtesy is appreciated."

After a few moments, a few more worker golems appear with a pair of chairs. They're not particularly fancy, but Daniel thanks them and takes a seat, positioning himself in front of the panel. From there, he asks the Caretaker what functions are available to him.

The Caretaker guides Daniel through the various screens in the panel. Hekate tries to sit on her knees to watch, leaning on Daniel's shoulder to see better. Again, even though he didn't seem to know what the Citadel was before this day, Daniel operates the control panel like a natural, which the Caretaker remarks on.

Even Hekate notices when he deflects with a simple nervous chuckle.

***

Daniel inspects the many control functions of the ancient Feldrok castle known to all of demon kin as 'The Citadel'. Standing as a testament of time passing, the Citadel was in a state of disrepair for as long as almost anyone can remember, but it was unapproachable to anyone wanting to conquer its riches for themselves.

Lurking in the shadowy halls of the massive castle was a lone Feldrok, feral from being raised by the wild, in spite of its immense power, and thus, it laid claim to the Citadel as its territory, and it couldn't be defeated, even by the full might of the dragons who brought the Citadel low originally.

However, a strange human sorcerer that possesses no obvious magic of his own was able to strike down the feral Feldrok with three quick spells from his unique staff of the thunder god.

As Daniel operates the control panel for the ancient magical and technologically advanced castle, having laughed off the Caretaker's remark that he's a natural in spite of being human, the Caretaker golem states out of the blue. "How very strange, Master…"

"What is?"

"Forgive me for doing so, but indeed, I can detect no inherent mana in your body. All layers of analysis have revealed there is no masking or deceit spells. The only alternative is that you are even more powerful than the builders of this place."

Daniel chuckles again. "Occam's Razor."

"Ock… hawm?"

"Occam. 'Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity'. Or, informally said, 'Often times, the simplest answer is the right answer'. Unless I'm wrong as well, I have no magic of my own. No mana in my body, and no ability to react to spells, which includes beneficial or detrimental spells."

"How fascinating. I would think that would be an impossibility."

Daniel hesitates again, and Hekate looks at him. He glances at her, and then looks down. After a moment of thought, he looks at the Caretaker. "Before I explain myself, can I ask you why the Citadel accepts me if I have no magic?"

"Wisdom beyond my own, though now, making total sense, it seems. My original masters wanted the Citadel to never cease to exist, even if all of them died out. In their nigh-infinite wisdom, they made the decision to ensure that I would be here to guide any new residents, should the worst come to pass. I often wondered why that function was not contingent on mana. Now I know."

Daniel ponders as well. "I see… Then, I suppose it's my turn." He looks at Hekate specifically, saying gently. "I'm not from this world. I was summoned here by magic. For reasons I don't know, I arrived here without mana, even though the person summoned with me did arrive with mana. That is why my weapons don't belong here. And, why they are a threat to the denizens of this world."

Hekate stares at him for a long time silently. The Caretaker speaks casually, "I see. Yes, such spells are mentioned in the archives. I'll try to find them for your reference, Master. My units are currently conquering the current floor. It will still be some time."

Daniel acknowledges the answer with a nod. "Thank you. I haven't held my breath that it's possible, but I have been curious since arriving in this world if it's possible for me to return."

Hekate gasps and jumps up, clutching his shirt. She shouts, "NO! DANIEL NO!"

He chuckles, petting her head. "I didn't say I'd leave. I didn't have really anything to lose, other than some luxuries I haven't missed as much as I thought I would. But, it would be nice to know if it's possible. The man who arrived with me may have desires to return home, if possible."

"Do you know this other summon, Master?"

"I didn't prior to our arrival. We're friendly, though a political situation is how I ended up all the way out here. Never thought I'd be a ruler of a castle."

The golem cocks its head. "Is that not the reason you slayed the feral child?"

"No. Well, yes, I guess, but I did it for Hekate, since I'm… looking for someone else."

Hekate grips his shirt, forcing him to look at her by leaning into his eye line. He smiles. "If you can keep a secret, I'm hunting a dragon."

She gasps, shaking her head. The golem simply laughs. "You are!? How ironic… I must confess, Master, that if a dragon had been able to restart the Citadel, I would be bound to them instead. However…" The voice turns soft and feminine. "The dragons cost me everything…"

Daniel sympathizes with her. "I have my suspicions of why Hekate is here. It's impossible that they didn't know she was a Feldrok. I imagine, since she's enslaved, they were hoping she could defeat the feral Feldrok or chalk the Citadel up as a loss if she couldn't."

The Caretaker nods in agreement, "Yes,..." even as Hekate glances between them nervously. "Yes, that makes sense, Master."

"Can the Citadel hold off dragons?"

"Of course, Master. It can hold off any invader. It required a betrayal of trust to shut down in the first place. There is enough power stored now, there will be no invasion unless you allow it, Master. Or…" The Caretaker glances at Hekate. She flinches, looking at Daniel with worried eyes.

Daniel smiles. "I see. Hekate, until I can get rid of your other problem, I'm going to have the Caretaker remove your access to the security systems. Alright?"

She confirms with a nod, leaning against him to hug him. "Daniel… [I just want to be with you…]"

"'I just want to be with you', she says."

The little Feldrok girl is startled, but she hugs Daniel. It's not untrue, it's just embarrassing that she forgot the Caretaker can understand her just fine.

Daniel pets her head and holds her. "Alright. I'll make you a full administrator as soon as it's safe. So long as you are a member of the Citadel, they can't kill you." He nods contentedly with the plan, "Please revoke Hekate's ability to shut down systems, Caretaker."

The golem nods in turn. "Done."

"As for defense, how does the Citadel defend itself?"

"Various strategies can be designed, Master, depending on the goal. For instance, we have currently corralled all of the goblins on this floor via forced paths to subjugation zones. Isolating those cells contains the goblins until they are dealt with in a manner befitting your decision. For a siege, a magic barrier is produced that can withstand all damage for centuries."

"Good. Set the barrier to maximum defense and activate it if anyone new intrudes. Obviously, I'd like myself and Hekate to be able to come and go if needed."

"Of course. Filter barriers are an easy solution, Master."

"Wow! That's handy."

Daniel studies the golems in the room, which have mostly finished cleaning the immediate area while construction golems are building scaffolding under the hole in the ceiling.

Daniel suddenly thinks for a moment. He asks, "Caretaker?"

"Yes, Master?"

"Who were you before you became the Citadel's Caretaker?"

"Pardon?"

"As I mentioned, I'd rather continue to treat you like a person. If you'd allow it, I'd like to know your name and a little about you before you became a golem."

"Is this another test, Master?"

"No. It's a sincere request."

"I… see…" There's a pause, and the feminine tones in the golem's voice return. "I was a Dattakorien woman named Xyreko who resided here in the Citadel's surrounding town and served the Masters as a maid-nurse for the civilian Feldrok children during expeditions."

"Xyreko? Do you mind if I call you by your name, Xyreko?"

"If it pleases you, Master, I will answer to that name."

"Thank you. It does, so from now on, I'll refer to you as Xyreko."

"Thank you."

"And, on that note, you may call me 'Daniel'."

"That is impossible, Master."

"I figured you'd say that. But, if you do warm up to me, I'd prefer to be called just Daniel. Just so you know."

"I will remember. But it'll remain impossible."

"Fair enough."

From there, Daniel asks some more personal questions about Xyreko, learning that she passed away from old age, she had three children, who are among 'the units'; the many golems serving the Citadel. She has existed as a golem for centuries, and the Feldrok-humanoid form of the golems was chosen as a uniform, essentially.

After learning about her, he learns that the Citadel has a full suite of manufacturing, storage, research, archive, learning, combat training, and defensive installations that allow the castle to function autonomously for an extremely long time. Additionally, the massive size of the residential areas of the castle and surrounding land under the structure's protection are large enough to house around 500,000 'human-sized' individuals, with enough supplies in magical storage to sustain that population for several decades. Since the Feldroks invented magical storage technology and the associated spells, the Citadel is the pinnacle of the technology itself.

After a while, the Caretaker reports that the top floor, where they are, has been cleared safe, and all hostiles are currently contained to be moved to the imprisonment facility on the ground floor once the prison is reclaimed.

Golems are the soldiers, but because their true form is ethereal now, the Citadel simply regenerates the golems and continues attacking until the enemies are purged, and they have access to weapons and magic. It's slow going, but it's a one-sided massacre, with the exception of the sentient races being intentionally corralled in compliance with Daniel's request.

Hekate's stomach growls, and she blushes when both Xyreko and Daniel look at her. Daniel smiles. "Looks like it's time for dinner."

"The first floor is still in the process of…"

"I know, Xyreko. No rush. I'll handle this one, thank you."

Daniel extracts his camping bag from his magic bag, and he starts setting up the simple campfire and cooking equipment he uses. Xyreko hums in what sounds like disappointment. "Master… I understand the current circumstances, but… This is a little much, is it not?"

"What? The smoke? Apologies for causing more work."

"Not that. It won't do for the Master to do menial work in my presence. Please, allow me."

"It's fine. I don't know how to be a Master, as you can probably tell."

"Still…" She somewhat forcefully inserts herself, and several more golems appear, bringing a dining table and chairs. They ensure to place them where the smoke won't interfere, and Xyreko gestures, "Please take your seats, Master and Lady Hekate. I shall handle the meal."

Daniel chuckles, going along when the golems push the two toward the dining table. "Alright! Alright! Thank you, Xyreko."

Hekate is unintelligible to Daniel, but she complains, "[Daniel is a great cook! You better not mess up!]"

"I would never dream of it, my Lady Hekate. It has been some time, but I assure you, I was quite skilled."

After a little bit, with the ingredients Daniel had pulled out, Xyreko provides two meals that look like they could have come out of the kitchen of a five star restaurant. Slabs of meat grilled to perfection, potato-equivalents and a simple light pasta made with tools provided by the golems as she was cooking.

Hekate pouts, but Daniel nods gratefully. "Thank you, Xyreko. It looks delicious."

"Please help yourselves, Master, my Lady. If you have a drink, I would happily serve you."

Hekate retorts, "[Our water skins are just fine.]"

Daniel extracts water and wooden cups from the bag, and Xyreko tilts her golem head towards Hekate only slightly, causing the young Feldrok girl to flinch as she grits her teeth. Xyreko serves the both of them water from the barrel -probably from rations of the army that he defeated-. Admittedly, the barreled water is more pure tasting than the water skins, which see heavy use, and in storage, time doesn't progress, so the water is as fresh and cool as the day it was put in.

Hekate tries the meal, and she again jumps in place. Daniel is good at campfire cooking. He can make a simple meal with flavor and without burning or ruining any of the food. However,...

Hekate glances at Xyreko, who, although the golem Caretaker can't express emotions with facial features, since the head is fixed like a statue, Xyreko is looking directly at Hekate, and the young girl can feel a smug gaze on her, which causes her tail to begin puffing up as she squeezes her teeth together silently. She lowers her shoulders and shrinks as much as possible as she continues eating, and Xyreko looks away, victorious in this battle.

For his part, and seemingly not noticing the silent battle, Daniel remarks, "This is REALLY good, Xyreko. It's been a while, but this is probably the absolute best meal I've had in this world, and I ate with nobles back in the kingdom."

"I'm flattered, Master. Thank you for such glowing praise."

"You deserve it. I feel like I'm going to be spoiled by you and this place."

"The Citadel is yours, Master, and I am yours." Hekate flinches again at such bold and direct words. Xyreko continues, "I will happily serve you so long as we both exist."

"Thank you. Maybe I really won't go back to Earth…"

Hekate jumps up, "NO! Daniel no! Daniel [stay! You have to stay!]"

Daniel chuckles, "I'm teasing, Hekate. I wasn't going anywhere. But, I definitely don't feel like I earned all this…"

"Perish the thought, Master. You have defeated two dragons and the feral Feldrok. What may seem simple to you has been impossible for all others, including dragons. Your hand reached the panel. The Citadel is yours." Hekate nods in agreement with a hum of approval.

He agrees thankfully. "I appreciate it." He perks up, asking, "Say, Xyreko, I know you're probably tasked to capacity with restoring the Citadel, but I'm curious. What all can manufacturing produce?"

"Hmm? Through magic and with proper materials, virtually anything that can be conceived. Do you have something in mind, Master? Perhaps armor? A mythril sword? Sharmelkolle is rather scarce, but since it's just you, there should be plenty to satisfy any whim you desire."

"We'll come back to that last one then, since now I'm curious. Can I show you what I want to make?"

"Of course. Please do."

Daniel extracts one of the special cartridges that goes into his rifle, and he hands it over to the Caretaker. She inspects it for a moment, though her head doesn't have expressions. "Interesting… These components… Alchemy powder? And a shard of dragon tooth? How peculiar…"

"I've told you I come from another world. This is a component to a weapon that is highly dangerous and could alter the balance of this world. Seeing as the Citadel apparently could as well, I'm trusting you to keep its design confidential."

Xyreko chuckles. "I wouldn't consider anything else, Master. If you ask it, I shall even prevent the design from being recorded. But, it may be beneficial if I know what it's supposed to do. I don't understand the seam between these pieces."

"It's a projectile. The alchemy powder is black powder. A simpler version than what we used in my world's modern time, but same point. It explodes in the canister and projects the smaller piece forward faster than sound. The dragon tooth helps give it the hardness I need to penetrate… uh… Feldrok skin. And, hopefully, dragon scales."

Xyreko is silent for a long time. She finally remarks, "You… didn't use magic?"

"No."

"A-... Anyone… could wield your weapon?"

"Yes. Though, there is a skill curve. I'm not even the best, and my weapon is sub-par. But…"

"You're saying you could arm an army of dragon slayers?"

"Y-...Yes?"

Xyreko suddenly surprises them both again. She darts to Daniel, taking both of his hands. "Do you really mean it?"

"I… If we can make more of these. A-And the weapons." Daniel presents his rifle, and Hekate cautiously murmurs, "Daniel…"

"It's okay, Hekate. Xyreko, obviously, if I allow you to copy this, it's for defense, not offense. I'd prefer you leave the offense to me."

"If that is your desire, Master…"

"Also, my rifle is sloppy work, but it does the job. If possible, I'd like to clean up and improve the design."

She looks at him, and though the golem is expressionless, the surprise is tangible. "There… There are IMPROVED versions of this weapon?"

"W-... Well yeah. In my world… there were cannons that fired projectiles the size of myself miles away and could devastate fortresses like this in a day or so."

She stares at him silently for a long time.

"Tell me more."

"What? Listen, I just want more of these cartridges for my rifle. Make them to the exact specifications of the current one. Oh! But, if you have anything harder than dragon tooth, please core the iron cone with that instead. Only if it's plentiful, of course. Otherwise, I have plenty of dragon's teeth." For effect, Daniel pats his magic bag.

Again, Xyreko is silent for a long time as she stares at him.

She suddenly blurts out, "Master, you can't go back to your world."

He chuckles, and Hekate nods vigorously in agreement, as much as she hates to agree with Xyreko. "I ended up here suddenly, so I can't promise something out of my control, but I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere. That, I can promise. So, don't destroy the spell books, Xyreko."

"I would never!"

He laughs, and she grumbles. "I'm glad, Xyreko."

"Glad, Master?"

"Yes. I'm glad that you have a personality that you're letting slip out. It's endearing."

She 'clears her throat', regaining her composure. "I see. Yes, well,... I am eager to serve you, Master. Please do continue to share anything else you'd like me to make."

"Welllll… Can I get something to draw on?"

With that, the flood gates open. Hekate wishes she could help contribute to the conversation, but she watches admiringly as Daniel works, drawing all sorts of devices and machines that he knows how to explain and how they work, but not necessarily the 'specific dimensions'. Regardless, Xyreko seems to understand more often than not, and she eagerly studies each of his drawings.

Even though she doesn't -and can't- say much, Hekate truly enjoys watching Daniel excitedly talking about the technology of his world.

It's a good way for her to learn more about him, and it makes her feel happy.

***

In the terrifying gloom of darkness, a flash illuminates the sky. And, all at once, a powerful being's magical presence dissolves. A great power was removed from the world, heard around the world, but only as a whisper.

She wakes up with a start, sweating profusely. Her head aches lightly from a weak pressure that is unrelenting. As she massages her temples, she halts as her dream finally pieces itself together in her conscious brain.

"No…" she whispers.

Her home is considered more of a temple than a fortress, and as such, it doesn't look imposing at a glance. It is ornate and beautiful, and the positioning of her own sleeping quarters, decorated with ornately stitched panels that allow the rays of the sun through when she has them closed, and a beautiful view of the sunrise over the mountains if they're open.

Presently, they're open, and the glow of the sun is only just beginning to lighten the far away horizon. Somewhere on that horizon is the direction of the pressure.

Or rather, the lack there of.

"It wasn't a dream…" whispers the woman blessed with unimaginable power. While her race is technically known as Uhl'tall, they are colloquially known by all other races as the 'higher demons', and she is none other than the queen. Of course, to the Uhl'tall, she is a Shrine Priestess; a conduit for the magic of the world and protector of all that is sacred in nature. She is very in tune with the world's magic, and thus, the most powerful wielders of magic possess a presence, like the hum of a singing bird or insect in the distance.

She heads to the window, weary, and walks out onto the balcony. The mountain upon which her temple is built is the highest point in the demon realm, and it is relatively central to the territory. She can see the mountain range separating the east from the west, she can see the ocean beyond the pitch black stain of the darkness consuming the world, and she can see a tiny speck in the distance that represents the mountain-sized fortress known as the Citadel. There is no doubt in her mind what the source is. The feral Feldrok, known far and wide in the demon realm as guarding the Citadel as its own territory, has fallen.

The gears are turning in her brain quickly. War is a tragedy for all races involved, even the ones that push for it, and she has tried to maintain a balance. Their invasion eastward is not without necessity, but some of her ranks, such as the Dragon Lord, are not satisfied with mere necessity. They want conquest and domination. She and her acolytes are the only thing that stand between the dragons and a full-scale global war that would only give the true enemy exactly what it wants.

While the distance doesn't do the truth justice, the dark stain in the far west grows larger every day, and more and more people of all races are driven from their homes. It's only a matter of time before the plague reaches the east. Every means the demon queen Vaergraes possesses of defeating enemies have proven utterly ineffective against the plague. Not even the dragons have been able to push it back, which is why they are so eager to conquer the east.

By now, virtually everyone of import has heard of the fall of the Dragon Lord's brother at the northern most fortress controlled by the Eastern Empire. Accounts are loose and faulty, but it is said most consistently that he was defeated by a single individual. The race of this individual is still unknown for certain, but they are being referred to as either 'The Harbinger of Calamity' or 'The Feldrok Sorcerer', though no first hand accounts have been solidly collected.

Regarding that, lesser known is the fall of the Green Sage, a dragon close in rank to the Dragon Lord's brother, and who was out on typical tribute collection from the villages in the dragon territory. Just as suddenly, the Green Sage vanished and hasn't been seen since.

While it's not a straight line, a general path can be carved from the Empire's fort to dragon territory, and then to the Citadel.

Vaergraes throws her Shrine Priestess Habit on and flies from the room as fast as she can, calling out with magic, "Illianna! Send for the Dragon Lord at once! We must convene the council!"

A reply comes back through their magical connection, "At once, my Queen!"

While she didn't choose to be a ruler, the demon realm as a whole looks to her as a Queen because of her power and wisdom, and yet, in this moment, she feels as helpless as she does against the plague.

I must stop this from spiraling out of control. If we lose any more of the dragons, then there will be no hope at all.

Many of the council members appear with haste, teleporting into the council chambers with magic or arriving within hours of summoning. Those that can't have ambassadors that serve in their stead.

In spite of that, even hours after the summons, the Dragon Lord never arrives.

"Where is he? Illianna?"

Illianna, a servant of the demon queen, shakes her head. "My Queen, I made contact several times, but I only just got a reply. Apparently, the Dragon Lord is headed for the Citadel with his kin. He received a report that the Citadel has been conquered."

"The Citadel…" murmurs Vaergraes. The dragons are powerful enough and excessively prideful enough to ignore the queen if she tried to contact them, meaning it would be futile. In spite of that, she tries anyways, but finds no surprise when she can't establish a connection through her magic.

She bolts to her feet. "EVERYONE! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! THE DRAGON LORD IS IN DANGER! WE MUST AWAY TO THE CITADEL!"

There's a moment of stunned silence, but only a moment. The warriors, mages, and battlemasters of the council bolt to their feet, and they all race for the wyvern stables. Wyverns are avian reptiles large enough to carry a couple of people -or one especially large person in some cases- through the air. They aren't as fast as dragons, but they are the fastest beasts for riding available to anyone.

While the Dragon Lord is too aggressive and militant for Vaergraes' preferences, she still needed him for the battles ahead. And, if he's taking the entirety of the dragons with him, then…

She pushes her wyvern to fly as quickly as it can. It's a lot of shallow climbs and long diving glides, trying to cover as much ground as efficiently as possible with maximum speed. Time is of the essence, but the Citadel is very far.

She could attempt to teleport to the Citadel, but it has been a long time since she has been there. It would be difficult to meaningfully teleport within range, and she wouldn't be able to bring the mounted knights so easily. When the Eastern Empire has to battle against dragons, it takes an entire army -usually-. If the demons are meant to defeat the being that defeated a Feldrok… there is likely no hope, even with an army.

If possible, Vaergraes would have to sacrifice troops to try to buy time for the dragons to flee. It's the only way.

But then, as the Citadel's finer details become more visible in the afternoon haze, it's apparent all at once.

It's already far too late.

***

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