Lohikaarmi

What the hell? I stare at the collapsed woman in perplexity. Under the dirt and ashes is crimson red hair. Two of what seem to be horns stick out either side of her head. Her pale skin is covered in blood and burns, the side of her plumb cheek is no different.

She starts moving and puts her hand on the ground, pushing herself up. She looks at me with familiar purple eyes. There is no expression on her face.

No. It can't be.

The woman sits up and exposes her front to me. I habitually rest my glance away from her.

"Damn, she is hot," Cisca says.

"Cisca."

"Right, sorry. Let me just take some screenshots for… later use."

I ignore whatever Cisca said and walk up to the woman who looks to be around my age.

She struggles a bit to stand up on her bare feet. I reach out my hand as a support for her to grab on, but instead of accepting my help, she drops onto her knees and lowers her head onto the ground, prostrating herself in front of me.

Without looking up, she speaks out in a monotone voice, "I thank Master for sparing my life."

"What?" Cisca and I burst out simultaneously.

Oh, I have so many questions. Is the woman the dragon from earlier? Is she human? How can she speak? Why is she calling me Master? And what is that weird happy face Cisca is making right now?

"Y-You are welcome?" I say, doubtful of the correct response to the current situation.

"May I ask for Master's name?" She says and lifts her head.

"K-Kris Kaplan."

"Very well, Master Kris."

I can get used to being called that.

"Are you the dragon?" I ask.

She nods and says, "That's correct. I am the Dragon Queen Lohikaarmi."

"The Dragon Queen?"

"Yes. I-"

"Hold on one second," I interrupt her, "Can you go put something on before we continue?"

"What? No!" Cisca yells. I ignore her again.

This woman supposedly called Lohikaarmi tilts her head and asks with an expressionless face, "Put something on?"

"Yeah, uh…" I say and look around, "That dead soldier right there. Can you go put on his clothes?"

"Master's wish is my command." Lohikaarmi stands up and walks over to the body.

"What is this Master business?" I mutter to myself.

Lohikaarmi fumbles as she strips the dead body of its armor. She picks off the metal plates and leaves the cloth underclothes. After taking a second to study the armor pieces, she puts them over her own body.

With a chest plate and pair of leggings covering most of her exposed flesh, she walks back to me and sits down on the ground, with her knees bent and feet beside her rear, like a dragon, or sometimes a little girl.

"Is this sufficient, Master?" She asks.

"No. Tell her to lose the chest plate," Cisca says.

"Yes. It's good enough," I say, "First of all, why are calling me Master?"

"Because Master is my master."

"Okay, but why am I your master?"

"Because Master defeated me."

To think that this docile redheaded beauty was spewing fire and trying to crush me a minute ago is… definitely a new feeling.

"And… that qualifies me to be your master?" I ask.

"No. It qualifies me to be Master's slave," she says tonelessly.

Cisca chokes on the beverage she just took a sip of.

"A what now?"

"Master's slave."

"Ooh. This is getting interesting," Cisca says while rubbing her hands together.

"Please explain."

Lohikaarmi nods and says, "Sure. I am a dragon."

"I got that."

"When a dragon is defeated and spared, they devote the rest of their life to their superior."

"And I am your superior?"

"Yes."

"Does that mean you will do anything I tell you to do?" I ask, ignoring Cisca's sinister smile.

"Yes."

"Cool. Give me one second." I say and turn around to face the rocky cliff.

"Cisca, wipe that grin off your face and tell me what to do. You are drooling, by the way."

Cisca clears her throat and wipes her mouth with her sleeve and says, "Right, sorry, I got distracted for a second. They are just… so big."

"Cisca."

"Right, right. I say you keep her."

"What? That's it?"

"Well, yeah. You are basically getting a fire-breathing dragon that can turn into a hottie as a pet. Do I need to say more?"

"Mmm…"

That's true, plus, getting called Master is a pretty nice feeling.

"Alright," I say and turn back around, "I will take you in, Lohikaarmi."

Lohikaarmi leans forward and knocks her forehead on the ground and says, "I thank Master." She lifts her head. "May I ask who Master was talking to?" She asks.

"No." I don't feel like I am the one that should be doing the explaining right now.

"I understand."

I am used to having people obey my orders, but she is… different. It feels as if she takes every word I say to be her life's sole purpose.

It must have been the dirt, but I just now realized that she is still bleeding from her wounds.

"Are you uh… hurt?" I ask while signaling at my own cheek.

Lohikaarmi touches her cheek and looks at her blood-covered hand.

"Yes. Master's fire breathing abilities are much more superior."

"Right… Do you need some help?"

"Can Master also perform the miracles those pesky insects did?"

Pesky insects? Oh, she is talking about the knights. As far as I know, I can't do that.

"Cisca? Do I have anything to patch her up with?" I ask.

"Yeah. There is a growth agitation laser that speeds up cell recovery in the multi-purpose tool," Cisca says.

Wow. I expected it to be multi-purpose, but not this multi-purpose. I reach into my belt and take out the tool. With a brief inspection, I find a laser pointer-looking tool and flip it up.

"That's the one?"

"Yeah. Just point it at her wounds and hold the button."

"Alright."

I go up to Lohikaarmi and hover the tool over the burn wound on her cheek. I press the button, and a green light emits from the end. Her skin quickly heals over the wound right before my eyes. A minute later, she looks like she was never harmed.

"Amazing…" Lohikaarmi mutters and touches her own cheek.

"That's the power of science," I say.

"Cyans?" She asks.

"Just… whatever. Where else are you hurt?"

Lohikaarmi pulls up the sleeve of her legging, exposing another bleeding wound.

"Jeez, I really did a number on you, huh?"

She stays silent. I don't think she understood what I said. Oh well, that doesn't matter. I bring the laser over and begin working on the rest of her wounds.