Chương 102: Chapter 99: The Advantages of a [Moonwell]

[Sunrise] wanted to try their hand again at the [Palace of Darkness]. Ellesea felt like she was inches away from reaching level 400, and she wasn't the only one eager to rank up. However, this time Melia was sitting out. It wasn't her first choice of what to do with her precious treasures; in fact, it wasn't anybody's choice, really. Nobody suggested it, and it was only a stray thought from Melia that made her consider it in the first place.

After everything that had happened over the last few days, she knew she had to get accustomed to boundaries and limits. Even if she technically could be around them every second of the day, she most definitely should not. Sending them alone into a dungeon was, perhaps strangely, the safest way for her to get used to the idea of her friends and teammates being subjected to harm. As a compromise, two of the [Retainers] went with them.

One to take Melia's place inside the dungeon (because they were all very skilled in combat), and one to hold down the fort outside. The third was to stay with Melia and attend to her needs. As for how the three huge women decided who was going where and doing what… it all came down to the most iconic method of settling debates since thumb warfare was declared outlawed by the Geneva Convention (in an April Fool's Day joke that went viral decades ago). Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Melia would have been confused to see the ancient kids' game inside her modern kids' game, except that Ro-Sham-Bo was an emote players could use. Plus, if they used it at roughly the same time as a nearby player, the emotes would pause, sync, and go off at the same time as if the characters were playing against each other. Certainly, nobody else in the party thought it was weird.

Jessica, lovable urchin that she was, started yelling enthusiastically about "rock supremacy" and tried to get Y'cennia to bet against her over who'd win. It was a battle for the history books, certainly. As one trained in Classical Ro-Sham-Bo might expect, the first match was a draw. L'menia, known rock employer, went with the eponymous choice. Lethia was wise to her antics and threw out paper. Layalee, who some might consider the dark horse in this engagement, chose scissors.

The second match ended in a draw, too. As did the third, fourth, and fifth. All three [Retainers] fell back on the tried-and-true strategy: when all else fails, choose rock. The stalemate was finally broken in the sixth and final round. L'menia and Lethia both sought to outwit the favorite champion of the game by using paper, a bold but risky move. However, none could ever suspect that Layalee would stoop so low as to throw out a scissors at the same time.

Such underhanded tactics were legendary and would be heralded for the ages to come. Layalee chose to stay with Melia while the others were happy to accompany [Sunrise] back to Whispershade. Melia waved to the others as they warped away from the Trade District's [Aetherstone] and turned to face her beloved cat. … one of her beloved cats. The other two just warped away.

"Midna," Melia asked, reaching up to rub the Nightsaber in the good spot (™) underneath her chin, "What will you do? Can you take the [Aetherstone]? Will you stay home? Or will you visit Melody?" Midna simply purred, her deep, throaty vibrations making Melia's whole body tremble.

"My lady, why not use a [Pet Carrier]?" Layalee bubbled.

"If you don't have one, certainly there should be one to purchase on the Auction House. Or, if there isn't one to be found, I'm certain you could enchant a mundane one to fit your needs." Melia's eyes went wide and her mouth formed a comical O. Why didn't she think of that? What a good idea. Of course, any world with pets would eventually invent a way to carry them safely over great distances, and Ebonvale was no different. But, in the game, mounts were not pets and as such did not go in them.

Mount icons were usually either pictures of the mount itself or what one might use to ride it, such as reins, a saddle, or, in the case of mechanical mounts, a set of keys. With Melia's mastery over nearly every school of magic, she could easily make a nifty little carrier for Midna.

She had all the materials she could ever want in her vault only a dozen or so yards away, but Melia had another reason to go buy one off the Auction House: the [Runecloth] sold well and Melia felt like teasing the wealthy nobles of Horizon. Some of them had too much money and not enough sense. How would they feel about, say… a stack of [Windwool]? Not only was it rare enough in this economy (or so Melia believed, having seen no obvious examples of it recently), but it was functional.

People could really use the light, breezy fabric to beat back this summer heat. This time, Melia didn't bother putting up a preliminary auction at a buyout price and instead rubbed her hand gleefully as she imagined what prices might soar to. Not that she needed the money, but watching several servants run awkwardly into Asdufa's while mildly panicking was always amusing. She dipped her head in respect to the statue of the immortalized bank-alt and scurried away.

Melia didn't find any [Pet Carriers] worth stuffing Midna into. Not to say they didn't exist. Hundreds of listings for mundane carriers could be found as an extension of an actual manufacturer's retail outlet, but there were, indeed, two units that fit the bill as enchanted [Pet Carriers]. What was the difference? Space-bending magic. One of the [Carriers] simply wouldn't work for Midna because it was a bird cage.

Melia shuddered to think what sort of huge, grotesque monster some depraved noble originally desired to stuff inside of it, because the pictures made it out like some twisted, Gothic torture cell with pointy protrusions, twisted iron, and a crimson velvet pillow that made Melia think of vampire bats.

The other she wouldn't buy on principle, because it was pink (which she normally adored), incredibly fluffy (which took away some of the appeal), and featured a small window through which a tiny "yappy dog" could stick its head out and bark. Incessantly. Midna was no chihuahua. So, Melia went back home and made one herself. It didn't need to be fancy (though modern-day [Enchanters] would likely take issue with what Melia considered mundane), and nobody was ever going to see it except her or her small family.

It ended up being small, plain, and very reminiscent of a cheap, store-bought plastic carrier… but it was anything but cheap. Or plastic. It very much was a marvel of [Enchanting] with how it had two-fold space-manipulations. The inside was much larger than the outside, and the carrier itself could shrink down to a fraction of its size, even when occupied. Both of those enchantments were known and workable by masters, but never at the same time.

But to Melia, it was a nifty, keychain-carrier she could link to a belt or a bracelet like a charm. Melia set it down on the ground in front of Midna and tried to coax the giant cat inside. At full size, the box itself was average size for any mundane carrier, meaning it was slightly larger than Melia herself. Midna glared at it suspiciously until Melia sighed, crouched down, and waddled inside. The Nightsaber watched her owner's hand wave from the depths enthusiastically. Melia tromped out with a huff and sighed.

"At least try it, you big doof," she grumped, nudging Midna on the flank. The cat knelt down and sniffed it warily. To be fair, Melia could understand some of the hesitation. The carrier was smaller than Midna's head, and by looks alone, she could barely fit the front of her nose inside. But that was all the carrier needed, as the enchantments did the rest. Midna edged her nose into the box; her eyes widened as she realized she hadn't just wedged a small container onto the end of her sniffer, and she smiled.

At least Melia thought she did. It was hard to tell between the fangs. Midna quickly shimmied her butt and squeezed herself the rest of the way: a cat that normally took up several cubic yards of space stuffed into a box that was barely one. After several seconds of shaking as Midna adjusted herself, the box settled down, still and innocent-looking. Purring could be heard from within. Melia looked ecstatic and Layalee narrowed her eyes.

"If she fits, she sits," the [Retainer] said gravely as she hefted up the box. Melia giggled appreciatively.

The plan was for [Sunrise] to spend the day running [PoD] before heading to the abbey in the evening to check in. Depending on how they felt, they'd either go back tomorrow or take a few days off; they'd cross that bridge when they got there. Melia trusted Brandy to keep them all safe, and if everything else failed… it was a dungeon. Not something Melia liked thinking about, but she respected and understood. Fortunately, there were plenty of things at the abbey to distract Melia. She'd gotten… distracted…

pretty much right after she made the [Moonwell], and she wasn't sure how well the abbey received it. Originally, Melia had a whole sales pitch on why her product was superior to any competitor's and the advantages of having one. Just thinking about it brought a smile to her face, and she gleefully rubbed her hands together as she entered the abbey to go about finding somebody in charge. The Matron wasn't in the abbey itself today, as it was one of her rare days visiting Abbyton proper.

While slightly disappointed that she couldn't practice her [Used Car Salesman] skills on the shrewd elderly lady, Melia was certain she'd have the chance to win her over in the near future. Besides, other members of the church had influential opinions, if maybe not strictly having the same authority, and one of those people happened to be visiting today. The chefs in the kitchen (who were friendly with Melia after the sandwich debacle) told her Bishop Larkin was entertaining a guest from the capital.

Melia hoped it was the Headmaster guy. That would kill two birds with one stone, as she was curious how the studious crew were faring with their research. The Bishop wasn't in the main chapel. He wasn't in the library. He wasn't even in the wine cellar, which was an odd little nook that most people probably didn't know existed. Melia only did because there was an obscure quest to find a missing brother in the game, and it turned out he was slacking off, passed out next to a barrel, completely drunk.

More confused than concerned, Melia was about to ask the next person she passed for clarification when she caught a commotion. From one of the low windows in a courtyard corridor, Melia spied a gathering of people out in the distance. Curious, since that was exactly where the [Moonwell] was. Melia vaulted the low wall that would otherwise mildly inconvenience anybody else and made her way to the group. At least she found the Bishop. Melia quietly approached the crowd so as to not draw too much attention…

not that many people were looking down at the moment. No, that wasn't quite true. As Melia expected, about two-dozen people were standing around the [Moonwell], a good mix of brothers and researchers, and more than a handful had their heads angled towards the water. One of the more fancy-looking [Priests] was standing at the front of the crowd, gesticulating toward the torii arch while people listened on. Were they having some sort of sermon? It was a nice pool, if Melia did say so herself.

But no, as she drew up right beside the crowd, it became clear they were not blessing the pool or using it as a backdrop for a ceremony. The Bishop stood patiently, listening to the man rant on and on… while barefoot. Because, as Melia was quick to notice, the man was standing in the ankle-deep runoff section at the well's entrance. He even had his pants rolled halfway to his knees, and Melia had a sneaking suspicion the man got caught trying to relax.

The Bishop looked like someone whose "jar of care" was almost empty and he was barely skirting by with a miraculously robust fake smile.

"... clearly the work of elvish artisans," the [Priest] said.

"This is a temple to Celestara, Father, not Lunaria. How could you condone such…profanity?"

"But Brother Mathews, is it not the doctrine of The Light to accept all who worship, no matter their faith?" Asked another priestly dude. The fancy [Priest], Mathews, shook his head.

"Within reason, Brother Jacob. Would you invite a follower of Letharion to build a Shrine of War in your backyard? Let the elves worship who they must, but have them do it in their lands." Ah. Politics. Melia wasn't… extremely interested. Okay, fine, she found the thought of fantasy religions bickering at each other fascinating, but only as a thought exercise. She didn't want them spoiling her hot tub! And by the looks of things, neither did the Bishop.

He had his look of everlasting patience plastered on his face, but Melia could tell when nobody was home. The man had completely checked out and looked like he could use a really stiff drink. She just so happened to have a few options in her inventory left over from… who could really say? They had her maker's mark on them, so obviously Melia made them, but they had to be from the game. She hadn't used her [Cooking] to whip up drinks yet.

She thought about it once, after she and Brandy went out snacking in Whispershade, but that was it. Before she could wade over to the man and stealthily pull him out of his stupor, Melia noticed that the group of researchers weren't actually part of the [Priest]'s crew. They were ignoring the bickering brothers entirely, and most of them had small scrolls or pads of paper to take notes with. One of the men bent down, filled a small glass vial of water, put a stopper on it, and passed it to an assistant.

The assistant carefully logged the vial on a note and handed it off to another assistant, who had his arms full of [Moonwell Water]. [Moonwater]? There was probably a correct name for this. The men continued this odd ceremony of filling small vials with water and Melia frowned. If they wanted to bottle the stuff, there were hundreds of better ways to do so. And if that were the case, they should be doing it from the natural fountain at the top, not the overflow basin.

No matter how clean the purified [Moonwater] was. But actually, that seemed to be the whole point of the exercise, as Melia observed the men. They'd take a sample, mix in various additives, and watch it slowly disappear. They'd then scratch furiously at their notepads or dictate their findings to somebody else to do it for them. Then they'd start over with a new sample and a new additive.

Melia watched in fascination as one such experiment turned the water a vile-looking purple, but within 45 seconds, it was crystal clear. Where did the purple stuff go? Melia couldn't say. She was so entranced watching the researchers earn their name that she almost forgot about the Bishop! Fortunately, Layalee coughed lightly and pointed back to the man. Unlike Melia, who was only subduing her presence, the [Retainer] was actually stealthed.

Melia could very easily see through it, so if anybody saw her give the huge woman a thumbs-up, they'd be very confused. Melia plodded straight into the water, uncaring how it surged up to the bottom of her calves. The slight splish-splosh of her small steps seemed to snap the Bishop out of AFK mode, as he shook his head like a confused dog ridding its ears of water. But before the anti-elf [Priest] could ensnare the man again, Melia spoke up.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"Hiya!" She cheered in a bubbly voice.

"How are you liking the [Moonwell]?" The brothers looked down at her, shocked at the sudden appearance of a gnome, but Melia ignored them.

"I see you're a man of culture," Melia said, pointing down at his rolled-up pants.

"But if you're really going to get a good soak in, you need to go deeper." The Bishop looked like he wanted to take Melia up on her invitation, but he was still slightly bound by appearances.

"Look," she said, wading deeper.

"It's got seats and everything. And no matter what sort of mood you're in, it's always the perfect temperature!" Melia walked until she was at the cusp of the deep end, where she'd actually have to start swimming if she took another step. She pointed grandly at the steps of various heights and nodded enthusiastically.

"If you want to lounge after a long day at the pulpit," she said, noticing how she'd drawn the attention of the researchers, "Or maybe you've got stiff joints from writing for hours. That's a thing, right? Well, worry no more! With the new [Moonwell], all those worries will be washed away!"

"Y…you…fiend!" spluttered Brother Mathews.

"You can't defile a sacred pool by…by… lounging in it!"

"Weren't you just complaining that the elves should have built this somewhere else?" Melia frowned and gave him some stink-eye.

"Well, they didn't build it; I did, and I say a soak in here beats getting scrubbed down in a large kitchen pot, any day of the week!"

"You…?" one of the researchers muttered, before the entire group, as one, stared intently off into space. They were most likely [Inspecting] it. Melia shrugged. Let them; she wasn't hiding anything. Melia turned back to the Bishop, who seemed to have come back to his senses. Perhaps his previous dealings with Melia had afforded him some extra fortitude, because he was rolling with the punches pretty well.

"Alas," he sighed, looking truly remorseful.

"I would very much love to experience the fullness of this holy spring… but… as you can see…." The man made a show of waving his hand up and down his robes. Clearly, he wasn't the sort to bathe naked in public… for which Melia was incredibly grateful. But that never stopped Melia before, so why would it now? … the inconvenience! The inconvenience of finding bathing clothes!

Melia was about to blurt out that he shouldn't let that stop him from having fun, but then he might get the wrong sort of idea of Melia's sense of fun, which she most definitely did not have. Melia quickly threw up a [Portable Changing Station], gently shoved the surprised Bishop inside, and quickly mocked up a pair of bathing trunks and a shirt. Being a high-level [Tailor] had to count for something, right?

Once she activated a skill, she knew his sizes well enough to quickly pump out something that would be both comfortable, waterproof, and somewhat stylish. Compared to wearing nothing at all. It was a rush job, but it worked. She tossed the clothing over the top of the [Room], and after only about half a minute, the Bishop emerged, dazed and slightly confused, wondering how he'd gotten himself into this mess… not to mention a bathing suit.

Melia guided him gently down into the pool itself, and as he was still in a bewildered state, he followed willingly. Once he sat down on a recliner section of the pool with a spongy, cushion-like protrusion, Melia pulled out a [Passionfruit Cockatrice] drink and slipped it into his hands. He instinctively took a sip, sighed, and closed his eyes. He melted into the pool another inch, but he sank no further.

"You!" The angry [Priest] pointed an accusing finger at Melia.

"What have you done to the Bishop?!"

"Something I should have done long ago," the man moaned in a contented way. He opened a single eye and nailed the [Priest] in place.

"Mathews, join me. Let the waters purify you. The Light approves." The Bishop paused. He opened his other eye, craned his neck backward, and stared up at the starry sky.

"... even if it's night. The Light still approves, Mathews. Perhaps, if you're lucky, you can even trouble Her Excellency for one of these marvelous drinks. They're quite good." Melia assumed "Her Excellency" was referring to her, but she was used to weird nicknames.

"Are there more?" A voice asked.

"For, ah, research purposes." Melia turned and saw the whole group of researchers was now festooned in old-timey swimwear. Did they… carry bathing suits with them at all times? Heck, Melia did, so who was she to judge? She nodded, got the men situated with a drink, and watched them wade to different depths of the pool. Melia was glad she made it large enough for her real form to drink from; it was more than large enough to host an impromptu pool party.

Melia was glad at least one high muckity-muck approved of her [Moonwell], but she didn't want to spend all day relaxing in the pool just yet. The other brothers, either emboldened by the researchers or by the senior clergyman's words, were slowly beginning to enter the pool. Yes, Melia had seen enough. She'd leave them with a stock of drinks and be on her way. Something Layalee was apparently already on top of.

While she didn't have a stock of Melia's [Passionfruit Cockatrices] herself, she set up a table and a small box that was fitted with an [Ice Gem]. Something of a fantasy cooler! Melia filled it with enough to last several hours, though she made one man who didn't appear to be joining act as the designated observer. No drownings needed here.

With the Bishop suitably pacified, Melia dried her clothes and moved on. She would have really liked to see the Headmaster again, but he wasn't there with the Bishop. Either he wasn't the guest she'd heard about, or maybe he had already gone home. Melia was about to check the [Greenhouse] to see if the godly avocado tree had done anything yet when several children ran by. Melia's head instantly swiveled in their direction and she corrected course. Kids! She loved kids, and she had free time.

Maybe they wanted to play? But where were they going? And where were the adults? Who was supervising them? She decided to find out. Kids weren't exactly stealthy. Melia didn't have any problem following them. They soon led her out into the fields along the forest's edge, straight to her new lair. Oooh, maybe they'd discovered it and were now playing a new game? What would it be this time? Treasure Hunters? Some weird, fantasy-variation of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves? Though there were only about 6 kids.

They were a few thieves too short. Maybe they'd stick with the knights and dragons theme, though they were short a dragon right now… Melia could fix that. As they approached the den, Melia's heart started to fall. It seemed the kids weren't the only ones who found her den. While she knew her treasures inside were more than well enough protected, she didn't need somebody else setting up shop next door. Maybe she should have asked those [Ambassadors] how close dragon neighbors usually were.

While it wasn't to the same degree as the research stations near the [Planters], the [Greenhouse], or now the [Moonwell], Melia could see a table already set up outside her purple dome. Two tables, actually. One far enough away that the dome was nearly fully opaque, and one much closer to her lair, where they could see inside. Four researchers were huddled around each table and Melia mostly ignored them. The only reason she wasn't more upset was that she recognized one man at the closer table.

"See if you can isolate the focus prime," the Headmaster said, stabbing his finger into some paperwork on the table.

"If we can understand the rune that tames the wild magic, we can replicate it on a locus for use with other leylines…." The closer Melia got to the man, the more surprised she was. The Headmaster looked tired… exhausted, in a manic way that people only got when they were too excited to sleep and stayed up all night instead. He may have even forgotten to eat; he had a bowl of salad and a platter of assorted meats and cheeses, but he kept trying to stab some lettuce with his pen and use his fork to scribble notes.

Melia very briefly thought about suggesting he take a break and go relax with his old pal over in the new [Moonwell], but she found she didn't really want to disturb him. Was that some sort of passive skill of an [Archmage]? An aura of Do Not Disturb? While she could also answer nearly every question he had about magic (insofar as it applied to her creations), she felt it was more amusing to watch him struggle.

And surely, if he managed to figure things out on his own, he'd be rewarded with a deep feeling of satisfaction, right? But the kids had no such compulsion to avoid the men. They ran right past the first table of [Scholars], right up until they could see inside the barrier and its giant piles of gold. Melia was tense with excitement, wondering how the kids would react to her treasure… but they didn't. Not really. She could feel the wonder of seeing so many gold coins radiate from a few of them, but….

It was more like Hey, this is amazing and less WOOO FREAKING HOOO!!!! … roughly translated, of course. They'd obviously seen it before. Which was further exemplified by their fearlessness in running at a full sprint into the lair. Despite there being an invisible barrier, which they'd clearly seen on the way over, the kids ran right through. They were young, but Melia didn't think they were stupid.

They ran up a huge pile, slipping and tripping (since coins didn't actually lend themselves to solid footing), raced up to the giant T. Rex skull, but eventually skulked back out. Oh no, this simply would not do! Any kid in her lair simply had to smile! There was nothing else for it! Melia diverted her attention away from the Headmaster, who was, sadly for him, entirely forgotten and unimportant now. Layalee followed lock-step behind Melia as she marched toward her lair with a purpose.

She simply had to cheer up the kids! But the kids didn't see her first; they saw Layalee. Obviously.

"Look!" One of the kids froze on the spot and pointed.

"It's [Huge Maid]!"

"[Huge Maid]!" The other kids shouted. Melia gasped theatrically.

"They're right! [Huge Maid] is here!" Layalee simply rolled her eyes at Melia's antics, making the gnome grin. All the kids ran up, nodding to Melia as they approached, but they only had eyes for the [Retainer].

"[Huge Maid]," one boy implored seriously, tugging on Layalee's skirt. Melia nearly squee-ed. It was like he considered that to be her real name or title. Layalee quirked an eyebrow, smiled, and said nothing. The boy took that as encouragement.

"Where's the dragon?" He demanded.

"We finally found its lair, but it's not home! It hasn't been home for several days!"

"That's, like, forever!" Another boy declared theatrically.

"Did it get lost?" A girl asked.

"Or forget the way back?"

"No." Layalee's answer was, of course, unreasonable. And yet, somehow, the [Huge Maid] was excellent with kids! They all nodded seriously as if she'd just gotten done teaching a really interesting lesson. Melia shook her head.

"Hey, do you want to see the dragon?" She asked. The kids all gasped dramatically.

"Do you know the dragon?!" One boy asked excitedly. He leaned down close to Melia and she actually had to back away. She laughed, adjusted herself, and smiled sweetly.

"I sure do! Do you want to meet her?"

"It's a her?!" The boy staggered back, astonished.

"Not an it?"

"Dragons can be boys and girls too," Melia chuckled. The Council of Kids all huddled together to process this revelation.

"Does that change things?" One kid muttered.

"I don't think so," Another one shook his head.

"Didn't we already know this?" The girl asked.

"Jack said so."""Ahhh."" The group all nodded, because apparently, Jack's word was law. Wait. Was that the little boy who originally found her? So maybe he was a credible source. Not that it mattered in the here and now.

"I'll take that as a yes?" Melia prodded. The kids all nodded excitedly. Melia could feel the researchers' attention slowly shift to her and the kids as they made a commotion, but thankfully they were curious rather than cross. She didn't want them spoiling the kids' playtime.

"Okay!" Melia cheered. But she pointed at the kids, and then made a shooing motion.

"Imma need you to back up!"

"Like this?" One boy asked, completely clueless. He took a single, child-sized step backward. While it was more than a gnome's step, that wasn't saying anything and it was practically no difference.

"Yup!" Melia nodded.

"But like, again! And again! A whole bunch of times!" The kids obeyed eagerly. They all scurried away…at least 10 feet. They all seemed extremely proud of themselves.

"Like this?!" The leader shouted, even though there was no reason to. Melia nodded anyway.

"Perfect!" She cried.

"Now close your eyes! No peeking!"

"Aww," a few of them complained, but surprisingly, they complied. Truthfully, Melia didn't need them to back up at all. She just wanted to get them hyped up. Noticing that they were, indeed, not peeking, Melia quickly retreated. In three massive bounds, she hopped her way into the middle of the field behind them. Now that there was plenty of space where she wasn't sitting on anybody, Melia transformed. She could hear the gasps of the researchers as work ground to a halt. Not her problem." Now, open your eyes!"

Meliastraza commanded. The kids all jumped… but not out of fright. They all whipped around, staring at her with sparkling eyes. This bunch had obviously seen her already; they knew exactly what to expect. They quickly all gathered around as she lowered her head down to ground-level, but one quick-witted boy looked around.

"Hey, where'd the gnome go?" He asked." It was me! All along!!" Meliastraza cackled. The crowd of kids all squirmed in glee as she spoke.

"No!" One boy declared dramatically, as if this revelation was too impossible." Yes!" Meliastraza confirmed, before clearing her throat and lowering her volume.

"Now," she said in a haughty voice, "Who dares play in my lair?" She tilted her head so her eye was level with one sandy-haired child.

"Was it you?" The boy squealed and ran in a circle. Meliastraza shook her head. Against a real dragon, that would not be an effective tactic. She slowly raised an arm, and the group all grew still. Slowly, painstakingly, she brought her claw down in front of them, so they could see exactly where it was going. They could also choose to run away, if that's what they wanted, and they'd escape, even at their speed.

But they didn't, and she brought her claw between them, drew an X in the dirt, and listened to them all gasp as if she'd just cast the world's most complicated magic. She chuckled, slowly lowered her hand, and rested it on the floor so she could stand on solid footing. The kids cautiously approached it, and before she knew it, they were swarming over her like ants. Now Meliastraza was afraid to move. She stood, stock still, and let them wear themselves out.

But these kids had more energy than Melia did when she was a kid, so she amused herself by eavesdropping on the researchers, who were… researching. Her. Again… not really her problem. Eventually, one of the little boys climbed up too far, almost reaching her elbow, and fell. Thankfully, Layalee was there to catch him, and he thought it was a swell game, but Meliastraza felt it was time to switch gears.

"Oh no," she said dramatically.

"It seems you've chased me back to my lair!" Layalee quickly picked up on Meliastraza's hidden words and gathered the kids into a bunch.

"I must protect my hoard!" Meliastraza flapped her wings (more to adjust them than anything) and slowly turned around. She was about to go sit down on a giant pile of money when one of the kids groaned.

"Aww," a boy said. The dragon turned her eye on him and Layalee nudged him to explain.

"Hey, slaying a dragon is fun, but something's missing." Surprisingly, the girl nodded enthusiastically before crossing her arms over her chest and making the scowliest pout possible.

"Dragons are supposed to kidnap princesses so [Knights] can rescue them. Are you a real dragon?" Meliastraza caught sight of one of the researchers nearly falling over and the Headmaster face-palming. True that, bud. But as it stood, Meliastraza fit both criteria.

"I am a dragon!" She boasted proudly, puffing herself up.

"And as it so happens, you are correct. Dragons do love princesses!" The girl did a happy little jig in place as she stared up at Meliastraza, eyes wide with amazement.

"You have a princess?!"

"I do!" the dragon cackled.

"But where is she?"

"She's back in her castle," Meliastraza said, rolling her huge eye.

"If you have a princess, you can't keep her somewhere unfitting. Only a castle or a lair will do."

"So when is she going to visit here?" Melia's mouth started to open, but she could see Layalee out of the corner of her eye and she turned her focus on the [Retainer]. Layalee caught on quickly, shaking her head slightly.

"I'm afraid Queen Moeldywn's schedule is rather cramped at the moment," she said matter-of-factly.

"There are no openings for a kidnapping."

"Ah," Meliastraza nodded. She turned her attention back to the girl.

"Soon. Just not yet." Meliastraza didn't want to disrupt the researchers too much (which was far, far too late), so she decided that it was time to settle down. She climbed onto her hoard, surprised at how comfortable it was in reality, and looked around. Most strangely, it wasn't her imagination that gold was more comfortable than silver or copper. Like a giant dog, Meliastraza shook her butt, making her tail wag in a huge arc left and right, turned around three times, and plopped down.

She sent a shower of coins into the air as she dug herself in, pulling one of those motions where she scrunched in on herself as one does into a comfy blanket on a cold winter's day. Perfectly at peace and supremely content, Meliastraza suddenly felt a bit sleepy.

"Layalee," Meliastraza yawned, "Let them slide. If it gets too late, please escort them back before supper. I think I'm going to take a nap."

"Yes, Mistress." Meliastraza curled her neck around so she could have a full view of the tiny tykes scrambling over her huge self, and she smiled. The kids were safe, secure, and most importantly, having fun. Eventually, sleep took her.