The Emperor Class

While a part of him wanted to pet the two creatures, Dreu restrained himself. He would think twice before petting a demonic hound or a cursed fox, both clearly capable of either killing him, making him suffer or both. Dreu studied the two creatures in silence as they stared back with their innocent eyes. He could never understand how he could find dangerous creatures cute.

“I promise you these two are very well behaved! Despite their species names, Eglallin had determined neither of them is dangerous to others. The cursed fox has no curses in her arsenal while the demonic hound is more playful than dangerous. They have never once hurt my daughter or anyone in the city.”

“Why did she keep them then?” Dreu leaned forward with his palms facing upwards. "Eglallin doesn’t seem like the kind to keep pets, at least with my impression of her on the battlefield.”

Ilveroz happily jumped onto Dreu’s right palm while Aggich was more hesitant. After a few barks from Ilveroz, Aggich walked onto Dreu’s left palm. The young man brought the demonic creatures onto his lap where they happily laid down. The young man couldn’t suppress his smile as he watched the two of them curl up into tiny balls. Before long, they were both asleep in his lap.

“Eglallin was a different demon on the battlefield compared to home. On the battlefield, she focused solely on results and couldn’t tolerate those who didn’t get her to the desired outcome. At home, she was as carefree as one could be." Tragthan gestured to the two creatures in Dreu's lap. "With her gone, the least I can do is find them a new home. You and them are getting well already so I will leave them in your hands.”

“I don’t know how to care for either of them.”

Dreu had considered getting a pet in Berkton. Sadly, his long hours of work would have made him a terrible pet owner. In addition, the expenses that came with caring for pets were high, especially if those pets were magical in some ways. Magical pets required specific food as they wouldn’t eat anything. In addition, those pets had other special needs that would make them too expensive for most. The young man could only imagine what would be needed to care for a demonic hound and a cursed fox. They sounded like they would be challenging to care for, especially when he was a mere human.

“Don’t worry too much about their food. They’ll find ways to scavenge their own when you let them loose in the wild. As for training them, I know just the place. However, there is a matter I must discuss with you first.”

When Tragthan raised his arms, the dull gray room disappeared. Dreu stared around at the wide open sky before he focused on the forest below him. He knew he was in an illusion because, despite being in the air, he didn’t feel the same exhilaration as what he felt when the griffin picked him up. The young man didn’t have much time to ponder on the experience of flight because his attention was on the soldiers marching single file along a windy path. The banners carried by the soldiers suggested that they were from the kingdom. His conservative estimate of the human soldiers was around ten thousand.

“Those are forces loyal to Xemir and the soldiers are marching towards us right now.” Tragthan directed Dreu’s attention to the city in the distance. “That is where we are at. The humans will be here within two days. Once they are here, it will be a one-sided massacre favoring the humans.”

The illusion vanished, returning Dreu back to the dull room. The sight of so many soldiers made him recall the battle at the capital. Xemir was serious if he was sending so many soldiers on the offensive.

“Wait,” said Dreu. “I saw the hordes of demons attacking the kingdom. Surely, you must have reserves for these situations.”

“If Eglallin and Braglames were both here, the demons can stand a chance.” Tragthan walked over to the window. “With them dead, the humans have been emboldened in their offensive. They fully intend to finish us off once and for all when we are at our weakest. I hate to admit the fact that I'm way past my prime. Even then, my daughter was better suited at fighting human soldiers than any other demon.”

There was a lengthy pause before Tragthan turned to face the young man.

“Tell me, Dreu. Knowing the humans have overwhelming odds in the upcoming battle, will you assist the demons or join the humans?”

“I will assist the demons,” said Dreu without hesitation.

The young man understood that he was marked for death when he refused to side with Rowan. Azorius was close to taking his life and those sent to attack the demons were likely notified of his existence. Dreu was certain they would kill him without hesitation as long as he was labeled a traitor to the kingdom. He then watched the demon study him. He had to steel himself to avoid showing any emotions during the moment.

“Good.”

Without another word, Tragthan gestured to Dreu to follow and walked out. Dreu hastily gathered the two creatures into his arms before he chased after the demon. Upon exiting the room, he got the sense of how small the house was. The upstairs consisted of two rooms of similar size with a single flight of stairs to the main level. The stairs had some creaky floorboards but Dreu still trusted them to hold his weight. Downstairs, Dreu walked past a kitchen and a study of some sort to reach the front door. The place reminded him of his home back in Berkton. Both lacked anything fancy to make them stand out but, for him, the coziness made them perfectly suited for what they were built for. After he stepped out the front door, there was a tiny yard with a small garden filled with plants he couldn't identify.

“Welcome to Gujash,” said Tragthan as the young man stepped out onto the street. “We will take a stand here while we evacuate our young and elderly. I hope you are ready for battle!”