1 Diverging Paths

Birds chirped melodically in the brown, orange, and yellow hued treetops.

A subtle wind blew discarded crumpled leaves along a small dirt path.

A group of women and children walked down a decrepit dirt path surrounded by thick forest on all sides.

A little girl played with her bouncy pigtails, their ivory colored skin almost the same color as their hair.

Ahead of her walked a taller child with golden waves of hair flowing out behind them. Beside them walked a slightly smaller girl with jet black hair like a night with no stars.

"Henri be careful dear, I know your strong but even the strong can trip on rocks and foliage." A woman with a very light complexion frowned, while twirling a small piece of her long white hair.

"Henri will be fine, I'm more worried about you...Savien." Sighed the second woman. Voluminous long black curls blowed in the steady woodland breeze behind her tall curvy figure.

Savien looked at her companion, that succubus really was annoying.

"Can't you let me be motherly without trying to ruin the mood Karsha..." Savien grumbled. Saviens thin white brows furrowed in aggravation, her red eyes clouding for a moment while looking at the black haired beauty beside her before becoming clear again.

Smirking at her friend with her hands clasped behind her back, Karsha sped up her walking pace.

"Jebalth should be back soon... and when that time comes we'll have to depart, my dear Mother Ghoul." The succubus cooed overdramatically.

"Sounds ni-" Savien is cutoff by a large wind being generated nearby above the two. Dead leaves showered down upon them from the autumn colored trees around.

Looking up the party sees a large dragon slowly descending. Sunlight reflected on its bright blood red scales before it entered the canopy with a swishing noise.

"Its about time you got here!" shouted the white haired girl.

"Henri has a headache, do be more mindful of your volume." A small girl says in a hushing manner, a smirk accompiniing her words as she whipped her head around, causing short black strands of hair to fall out of her pigtails.

"Its alright Marie, we need to get ready to head into town." said the gold haired child as they began to fumble with their bag.

The blue flap made a noise as Henri unclasped it and began to rummage through it.

"If you say so, then it must be..." murmured Marie. Her cheeks begining to flush. Green eyes half closed with a mystical look in them.

"Ugh gross get a room you two! Werewolves are still as disgusting as ever I see!" said Rosey raising her voice as her ivory colored skin turned a bright shade of pink.

"Rosey you you're to young to think those thoughts dear, and thats coming from a Succubus." Karsha said a motherly glint gathering in her auburn eyes for a second before dispersing.

The dragon descended and landed on the forest floor, stirring up dead leaves and dust as it came to a halt.

The dragon named Jebalth looked over the party shaking its head internally.

Even when he was human Jebalth never understood women. Ever since he became a dragon roughly two years ago he had hoped he would unravel this mystery, but alas he still did not entain enlightenment when it came to the subject of the opposite sex.

"What is the situation in the Dragi Empire?" Karsha asked Jebalth a dastardly grin warping her face with these words.

This action sent a shiver down Jeblaths scaley hide. This woman, no that wasn't the right term. This "thing" always made his scales ache in discomfort.

Karsha's smirk slowly turned into a glare from waiting for the woman-shy dragon to answer her question.

Sensing a uneasy aura descending upon his body, Jebalth quickly cut to the chase.

"Its what we expected, the Princess Faydol is safely in custody of the Dragi empire's elite guards, and refuse to turn her over to the recently established Gro'tal Monarchy or any other country or party." Jebalth said hastely before releasing a sigh of relief at completing his mission.

The children had turned around and quickly joined the conference taking place.

Rosey was bouncing up and down like a maniac because she knew soon she'd be away from that smelly mutt. She thought Henri was dashing as always but it was hard to get close to them because Marie stuck to them like a fat nobleman to buttery food.

"Thankyou Jebalth, truly I cannot express my thanks enough to you for helping me achieve my goal." said Henri bowing low before the red dragon, a small tear escaping from one golden eye.

Jebalth quickly turned redder if that was even possible for a dragon as red as he, and stammered "Nono, it's natural as I was once a soldier under your noble banner... and as a man who owes your brother a life debt, its the only possible path of life I could walk..."

Savien and Marie narrowed their eyes at the dragon. Was he flirting?!

"Ahem!" Karsha cleared her throat.

Jebalth quickly froze in place at that noise. A large bead of sweat forming on his scaley forhead.

"Ahum- I am ready for departure and further instructions whenever needed." Jebalth declared, before backing up into the surrounding brush hoping he could wish away his exsistance

"Hmmm." Said Savien still looking at the giant hole in the surrounding foliage where the dragon had "disappeared".

Henri stepped up to Karsha and looked her in the eyes.

"Please go protect her, as I am now I can't protect anyone. I'm going to give you your species sceptre now. I can't think of a more respectable cubi to hold onto it."

Henri pinched their right earlobe, a small earing that adorned it now sprouted eyes and jumped into Henri's hands.

"Greetings Master! This bagbug is honored to be of service to you. Please state the item or rare pet you wish to withdraw, and this humble bug shall undoubtedly produce it for you!" The small earring sat up and transformed into a small black bag with a auqa marine sheen to its shelled little body. On its face sat two little white eyes with big black irises that seemed to merge with its pupil at a glance. Atop its head sat a little black crown with tiny flecks of gold writing inscribed on it that said "Arthor".

"Hello Arthor, please take out the Sceptre of Cubi and 10,000 drainos." Henri replied to the little bagbug they had named Arthor.

"As always Mis- I mean Master is as fair and beautiful as ever! Arthor will now take out the sceptre. As for the currency do you want Arthor to put it in a dreadfully inaccurate inchanted item pouch, currency pouch, on the dirty floor, or in a normal ineffective and nonthreatening Potuta sack?" said Arthor.

Henri chuckled a light smile spreading across their seamless and symetrical fair skinned face before replying " A Potuta sack is fine for the moment Arthor."

Arthor the bagbug then opened its mouth and seemingly exhaled the Scepter of Cubi and a low grade vegetable sack with the Dragi Empires mandated currency within.

"Thankyou Arthor that is all require for now" Henri said while handing the bagbug a tiny galdo berry which bagbugs were so widely known to covet.

"Thankyou Master, pleasure working with you as always." Arthor said taking the berry and bowing before hopping back up to clamp down on Henris earlobe in one flea-like motion.

Henri turned to Karsha with the items in hand and was about to give them to her when Karsha put out her hand as if about to speak.

-Chapter End-