The dragon's harem

Thud! Aella put the water bucket beside the oven and looked toward Tina, “How is it?”

“It’s almost done. Can you bring me the garlic?” She replied with a smile, looking back as her breath left a trail in the frigid air.

“Ah! We’re out of that.” Aella gasped, “Hold for a few minutes, I will bring some.” She turned to leave.

“Wait! You don’t need to go all the way to the city. We can do without it.” Tina called her, almost spilling the soup from the large iron pot.

TAP! TAP! Aella stopped just before opening the door, “I did smell some in the village. I bet one has some.”

“You’re going to ask for it? Garlic is expensive, you know?” Tina approached the window. She opened it, letting the fresh air in and the smoke out. “What about Master Arad? Won’t he have some in his stomach?”

“Probably not. But I can always find some in the forest.” Aella opened the door and rushed out.

Tina sighed, “She’s too energetic for a bride. Nobles I saw get really docile, trying to figure out what clothes they wear.” She returned to cooking, “And here she is running around like she has all the energy of the world.”

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! Aella ran down in the snow, walking down the dirt paths toward the village.

On her way, she passed by the wyrmling red drakaina standing in the middle of the plaza, breathing fire into the air. GASHAAAAAAAA!

“Ignis, good work. How are you today?”

Ignis stopped and looked at Aella, running toward her. “It’s a bit colder today. Getting the outer edges of the village is becoming harder.” She replied with a strange voice coming down her throat.

Aella looked at her, “That necklace Merlin made is working well, isn’t it?”

Ignis wore a golden necklace around her neck enchanted with Magic from Merlin. The necklace automatically muffles the wearer’s voice, translate it into another language, and then releases the sound as words.

The necklace translates draconic into human language. Since now, only Arad, Eris, Zephyr, and Merlin can understand what Ignis says.

“Do you need anything to make it easier?”?Aella asked with a gentle smile.

“No, it will soon be heated.” Ignis replied, “Minor inconvenience, nothing that I can’t handle.”

“Well then,” Aella turned, “See you later,” She waved her hand, rushing out to search for garlic.

****

Isn’t that lady Aella? A man at the smithy turned toward Mira and Eris, “Isn’t she looking for you?”

Eris stared back at him, “She would have come if that was the case.” Eris replied.

“You’re the one who said you left the house without saying a word.” He replied, lifting a box of hinges and nails and walking with it toward Mira.

“Eris!” Mira looked at her, “Keep the heat up.”

Eris turned back toward the forge, seeing that the flame quickly dwindled. “Really? I was just blasting it.” She extended her hand in, unleashing a burst of fire and sparks of plasma.

“Keep the heat. Welding those things together is a pain.” Mira replied, turning toward the dwarf smith, “How are the frames?”

“Done.” The dwarf woman replied with a smile, “We’re ready to assemble.”

“Then give me a minute, I need to reheat those.” Mira looked at Eris, “Keep the heat this time.”

“Yes! Yes! Why aren’t we using firewood?”

“It’s a valuable resource for the village. We can’t waste it on making boxes and doors.” Mira replied, “Not when we have you. With how hot your fire is, we don’t need to wait that long for the metal to heat up.” She added.

“What am I now? A forge fire?” She looked at the sky, “I wonder what Arad is doing?”

“I heard he’s out with Zephyr trying to find an infernal spark,” Mira replied.

“Really?” Eris looked at her, “Why didn’t he tell me? I’m good with fire. I could’ve helped fetch it out.”

“If he took you with him, who would stay to light the forge?” Mira stared at her with a smile.

“And I was thinking I missed a chance not to be here heating a forge.” Eris looked at Mira, “What’s the infernal spark for?”

“Don’t you know?”

****

Knock! Knock! Arad knocked on Merlin’s tower, “I came back.”

CLICK! A guard opened the door and saw him, “Sir Arad!” He bowed.

“I’m looking for Merlin. Is she up in the lab?”

“Yes.” The guard nodded, getting out of Arad’s way.

Arad walked inside, and the guard closed the door behind him, “Sir Arad, might I say something?”

“Of course, what is it?” Arad turned.

“This place won’t explode into another labyrinth today? Would it?” He asked with a worried smile.

“I don’t know.” Arad replied, “But if it did, it’s just bad luck.”

The guard sighed, “You’re right. I hope it doesn’t happen again.” He smiled.

Arad headed up the stairs until he reached Merlin’s private floor where he could sense her inside.

Zephyr poked her head out of his jacket, “We’re away from the cold?”

“Yeah, we’re in Merlin’s tower.” He replied, lifting his hand to knock on the door.

“Come in, no need to knock,” Merlin called. She already sensed his magic.

Arad opened the door and walked in, finding her in her underwear changing.

“You said I could come in.” He stared at her.

“Close the door.” Merlin pointed out, “And are you worried about seeing this much after everything?”

“Not really,” Arad replied, walking inside. He then looked at the floor beneath Merlin’s feet, seeing a familiar white hide.

“Is this?” He mumbled with a droplet of sweat dripping from his forehead.

“That abominable yeti. I managed to retrieve and skin him.” She replied with a smile, “I said I would use him as a carpet, didn’t I?”

“People don’t usually take those threats literally.”

“But I do.” She replied, pulling a chair toward her desk and sitting, “You brought it, didn’t you?”

Arad pulled a glowing ember from his stomach. “Is this it?”

“Yes! Didn’t Zephyr tell you that it’s what you’re looking for?”

“She said probably.”

Merlin looked at Zephyr, “You said you know it.”

“I’m more proficient with wind-based objects. I did have an idea of what we looked for, but not an exact one.” She waved her hands.

“It doesn’t matter now.” Merlin took the infernal spark and tapped it with a wand. It sparked with a flash.

Zephyr opened her hand, pulling the fire spark she collected after the labyrinth fell.

“I already paid the fire spirit for it. You can start the summoning,” Zephyr said.

“Sorry, you had to deal with her. I know you high spirits don’t like each other that much.” Merlin looked at her.

“Are you joking?” Zephyr replied, “It was humiliating for me to ask that stupid cow for help. That dumb smirk on her face, I will make her cry one day.” She growled.

Merlin placed the infernal ember on a pedestal, and Zephyr sent the flame to it.

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