The dragon's harem

As the pigeons spread across the whole Arctic, Merlin could finally watch every city, mountain, and desolate forest as clearly as she could survey the lands of the empire. She had located Alcott’s group and their targeted location in minutes, and quickly sent a message to Kali.

^The map is ready, and I also marked the local landmarks and nearby Temples of Lucy. Feel free to use them as supply points.^ While they could have just flown to their target and finished the mission quickly, it was best for them to take it slow now and use a carriage. After the recent battle, the orcs left around must be quite stressed, and attacking them directly would make it impossible to negotiate peace with them. It was better to give them some time to relax.

Kali waved her hand, and a map appeared floating in front of her. Everything was marked: the road, the nearby monsters, the name of the local area, points of interest, and there was even a clear marker for everyone, from Kali herself to the warhorses drawing the carriage.

”I see, so you’re the pigeon that had been following us for a while now. I knew its gaze looked strange.” As Kali laughed, Kayden looked up. ”So, it was indeed someone watching us.” He crossed his arms. ”Such a faint presence; it’s impressive for a mortal.”

Merlin laughed on her throne. ^Huh! You two noticed me, but what about the rest?^ She did want to know if Alcott noticed her or not, and if she could improve this spell a bit better.

Alcott poked his ear with an annoyed face. ”Of course I knew; no pigeon would fly like that and follow us. There is only one crazy enough to follow us, and it’s Merlin.” He looked up at the pigeon and smiled. ”If I remember correctly, those also feed her sensation as well.”

He suddenly disappeared from his seat and appeared just a few feet away from the pigeon that was flying tens of meters up in the sky. He already had his hand on the hilt of his sword. ”Did you improve them?”

Alcott swung his sword at Merlin’s pigeon, and a massive barrier immediately appeared and deflected his attack before a lightning bolt exploded out of the pigeon and jolted him back to the ground. As he landed, the pigeon spoke in a loud, rumbling voice. ”I can cast spells through my familiars as well. Shall I drop a meteor over your head?”

Alcott laughed. ”I’ll slash it in half...” But before he could finish talking, Merlin seemed to interrupt him. ”What...stop it! You’ll break the... I’m cutting the call. Just use the map!” Back inside the throne room, Lucy had heard Merlin say she could use spells through the pigeon, and so she tried to do the same with her divine magic, quickly burning the pigeon to ash.

”Lucy! You can’t just plug the pigeon into your divine magic. Divine magic is too much for them. The spell I use was refined specially to be cast by the body of a pigeon.” She pointed at Lucy, who was throwing up on the ground as she had experienced the death of her pigeon a second time.

”But... why. Divine magic is pure and healing... I was just thinking I could use the pigeon as a healing support unit.” Lucy growled, and Merlin sighed with a disappointed look. ”It isn’t that easy. Next time, don’t try anything without telling me.”

Looking a bit sad, Lucy made her way back to her seat and took control of a third pigeon to keep doing her part, and Merlin was honestly surprised. She had felt the pain of death twice, yet was still able to think clearly and still listen instead of throwing a tantrum. Forget being a kid; even old mages would’ve already crumbled and stormed out of this throne room in rage.

”Lucy.” As Merlin called, Lucy looked toward her with a surprised face. ”What? I still didn’t kill the third one.” She looked a bit scared, but Merlin gave her a smile. ”Don’t worry about the pigeon; they aren’t really alive. They are familiars made of magic. What matters most is you. Be careful, as feeling that death can damage your mind. If you aren’t feeling well, rest for a bit. This isn’t something that your divine body can protect you from.”

Lucy laughed. ”Aren’t you trying to be a bit too nice? This isn’t that hard to handle. I admit that it feels awful, but I can take it.” She then smiled, ”And I’ve got a very nice idea to try.” She gave Merlin a look and got a sigh.

”What now? Will it kill another pigeon?” As Merlin asked, Lucy clapped her hands. ”I was thinking that I could borrow one of my sister’s angels. She is the goddess of peace and control now, so won’t she have a pigeon angel or two? They should be durable enough to handle divine magic.”

”I... don’t know much about divinity. Try asking her, and make sure Eris or Kali agree. They are the experienced ones.” Merlin relaxed the hold on her own magic to let Lucy try her idea.

^Kali! Can I borrow one of my sister’s angels and get them to turn into a pigeon? One that I can control and use divine magic through?^ As Lucy’s voice boomed inside Kali’s head, the little goddess smiled. ^You can, but the angel must agree as well as Isdis. It isn’t uncommon for gods to borrow troops from other gods.^

^Thank you, Kali! I’ll ask them right away!^ Without wasting a second, Lucy sent Isdis a message through the divine channel and got a confused reply. ^Borrow one of my angels? And one that can turn into a cute and fluffy pigeon?^

^Yeah! I want to try using them as a familiar; got anyone in mind?^

Isdis, who was back in the labyrinth of Arad’s stomach, sitting naked inside a vast frozen room, sighed. She was wearing clothes when she came here, but they had already frozen and crumbled to pieces. Does she even have pigeon angels?

To her surprise, almost a tenth of the peace’s angels had a pigeon form. She called one of them, who was the oldest and most powerful. She thought that the older they were, the more experience and tolerance they had.

When the blond angel appeared inside the frozen room and shifted her eyes toward Isdis, she knelt down. ”My Divine Goddess, did you call me?”

”I did... My sister, do you know her?” Isdis looked up, her frozen face and neck cracking as she moved. Time around her was already slowing to a half, and the entire fabric of space in the room groaned with each move of her jaw.

The angel gulped. It won’t take long for Isdis to become a horrifying divine if this was the effect of her training here to control her powers. ”Her divinity, the goddess of Gluttony, Lucy Lior Ruris. I know her well.”

As an angel, she won’t miss the chance to learn about her goddess and all of those related to her. ”Do I need to deliver a message to her?” The angel hoped this would be a mission that she could fulfill with ease. New gods are known to give their angels unreasonable quests, thinking they are omnipotent beings.

”No, she wanted to borrow one of my angels, especially one that can transform into a white pigeon. She needs you for reconnaissance work.” Isdis spoke, and the angel immediately felt that something was off. ”Reconnaissance? Her angels should be able to turn invisible and do it; why a pigeon?”

”Merlin is using scrying magic to scout the Arctic North for the remaining orcs, and she is using pigeon familiars. Lucy killed two of her, one in a prank and the second while trying to force it to use divine magic. Your job is to join the flock as the pigeon under Lucy’s control, so she can use divine magic from afar through you.”

As Isdis explained, the angel just nodded, then knelt down. ”As you order, I’ll get it done.”

”I thought you’d be against it?”