20 Luck

The screen displayed 'Kenneth' and Mandy could observe in real life, why Kenneth was surprised about August's phone being picked up at all. August's expression was sour and his finger reached towards 'hang up' button almost by instinct.

"I can take it," Mandy offered.

August passed her the phone like it was a hot potato. "Tell him to call in two days. We have that mission tomorrow," he said.

Mandy nodded and picked up.

"Mandy, I presume?" Kenneth asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Are you two out of the city?" he asked next.

Mandy tilted her head about the question. But she didn't need to wonder for long.

"Ha hah, your voice sounds alive, a cursed forest I presume," he explained.

Eh-- Mandy didn't even know what to say to that. She couldn't just outright tell that they were still in the city when Kenneth had figured out she was in a cursed forest.

The room was silent enough for August to hear every word and August was at this point massaging his temple in regret.

Mandy started to get a feeling for why August was not happy about picking up inspector Kenneth's calls.

"We will be back in two days," Mandy avoided the topic like that.

August made thumbs up.

"Hm, that works, something is brewing in your neighborhood, I wanted to ask August to take a look. Maybe do a spectral reading when you come back, not to walk into something unexpected."

August nodded in the background. "I will pass him the message," Mandy said. She couldn't exactly tell that August agreed lest she gives away their situation.

"And I'll send Ian as help, he will give details," Kenneth added.

"Thank you," Mandy said.

"No, no, thank you," Kenneth said, a smile could be sensed in his voice. "Talk to you later, then."

August didn't per se question anything, just took the phone back.

"Voice sounds alive?" Mandy mumbled to herself.

"There's some static in signal when a ghost speaks," August replied, as he was entering alarm clock time. "But you wouldn't normally guess it was a ghost speaking, just that the signal was bad," he added with a wry smile.

Mandy nodded softly. Well, since Kenneth already knew she was a ghost, speaking clearly would give away that her shape had changed. It was a careless little mistake to take the call, but humans made careless little mistakes often. If Kenneth was the type to notice those, then it was no wonder August had a hard time with him.

August placed the phone back on the shelf, sat down in the moss and finally downed his concoction, passing out and falling in the flowers just like snow white after biting the poisoned apple.

Mandy made a wry smile at it all, picked up the now empty mug to place it on the same shelf with other stuff and decided to lie down next to him, she didn't think she would fall asleep, but she did. Soundly and without care and for the first time in seventeen years she dreamed.

Her dream was of a time shortly before her passing. A party that had earned her a nickname of 'the party animal of the humanitarian department', but all that Mandy had known of consciously were pictures and video that came afterward and the memory of herself snapping out up on a roof of a high rise building. Those records were awful enough for Mandy to avoid telling anyone of her full name or surname, as the last thing she wanted was for August (or anyone) to look her up.

Her dream started with the sight of her well-manicured hand holding on to a sunset cocktail, her bestie of the time was sitting next to her with the same drink in hand - skimpily dressed, expressive eyeshadow. Mandy knew that she was dressed no better, as when her eyes wandered down, she could see the hem of her own stockings peeking out - that's how short the dress was.

Her mind felt light like it does when you skip on water and try to use cocktails to ease your thirst.

The air was a bit chilly and felt nice on her skin after all the dancing, the chair was soft and the blue lights and booming music put her in the mood to go dance some more after she finishes this drink.

A coursemate passed the girls by. "Why are you bothering with those," he pointed at their drinks. "It's better to go with the real deal!" he lifted up a bottle of whiskey.

For some reason, Mandy felt like it was a challenge. "If you say so," Mandy snatched away the bottle to take a hefty gulp. After that--

"You crazy--" the coursemate said, as he laughed.

And Mandy's bestie at the time had shaken her head with a sigh. "You know it won't end well," she said to the boy, in full awareness of how much Mandy had drunk this night.

This was the moment where something switched, or when Mandy's memories got cut off.

The bitterness of the drink turned into warmth surging through her veins, yet rather than throwing up or feeling sick, Mandy felt the music like she had become a part of it.

Rather than her mind and vision dulling, she felt clear - it blurred out only the irrelevant, making the important clearer than ever. And the important part was that she was alive and that she had become music.

Mandy left the now half-empty bottle in the hands of her coursemate with a smile and her feet carried her over to dance. Soon enough she was dancing on a nearby table, stripping, making out with three girls at the same time, joining some rich dude on a limousine ride, jacuzzi with clothes still on, more fun with girls and being filmed while at it, and all along, there was music in her mind, she was a part of it and the music was a part of her.

Her feet were light. Her blood was burning. No amount of water or drinks could bring down the heat, she slipped out of a hotel room to head up and get some fresh air. Up, on the roof, it was silent. Four am in the morning, the sky was painted pink, illuminating the sleeping city. The cold air brought down the heat, yet only the morning sun erased it all, making her snap out of it.

She was no longer music, she was then a human.

The wind howled around her, fluttering her dress and hair and she felt a sense of loss like no other and she had been completely clueless of why it felt that way.

Mandy woke up showing an expression she had resolved to never show. Her mother's expression. The expression filled with regrets about not living up to your potential. A thing she had run from throughout all of her short life as a human, yet now that dream had slapped her in the face telling she had failed so spectacularly she couldn't even laugh. Mandy had always done things as seriously as possible, taking on her roles and living up to them. When she took up cooking for the family, she learned all she could from the neighborhood ladies, till all she got was praise. When she became a teenage girl, she went all into being one - from clothes to hair to nails and when she became a college student, she barely had time to sleep to keep up with studying and partying at the same time.

Living like that was supposed to make her feel like she was truly living and experiencing all life had to offer, or so her mother had believed. Yet the only time Mandy felt that way was in that fleeting moment of being dead drunk, wild and living like tomorrow did not exist.

How pitiful.

In comparison being dead had been a much easier way to be - she had no desire to live up to the name, those seventeen years might have been often boring and certainly lonely, yet sneaking books from the tenants, while they weren't home (or were sleeping), had been fun. It was nice to take her time with reading and re-reading.

Mandy turned her head to see August sleeping just like the day before, flowers surrounding him, flickering lights adding magic to the scene and her expression eased.

What had that dream been about really? To remind her to drink heavily now that she probably could? To remind her that she had only actually lived in a few fleeting moments anyway? Maybe she was drugged? Had she only truly lived in a moment induced by drugs?

It was just too pitiful to even think about. If she hadn't seen some photos of that coursemate - now married, balding and with a big beer belly, she would feel like learning some curses and sending one his way.

Mandy let out a breath and turned to look at the sleeping princess next to her. No matter how she looked at it - he didn't fit the role of the prince, but... she was always kind of more attracted to girls anyways (even if that was not something she would admit). He was far more beautiful than those girls on the limousine, kissing him might erase the thoughts she did not wish to have.

Mandy leaned in to follow August's advice on the previous day on methods of waking him.

It didn't take long for him to wake up and this time Mandy felt like she was the one being devoured. Her mind went blank and she forgot the dream and regret and for a little bit, she felt like she had become music again.

She joined August in showering afterward, but that ended in her devouring him this time, but he learned quickly and by the end, it was hard to tell who had the upper hand.

After all was said and done, Mandy re-discovered that it was nice to have someone else wash your hair.

The phone alarm only rang sometime when she was aiming to seduce him again, but most of the washing was done.

"What would happen if I go to the door like this?" Mandy asked since her clothes were somewhere in another room. Would they reappear on her or would she become a naked ghost?

"No idea," August replied and put a towel over her head, as he disappeared. The alarm turned off moments after.

Mandy sighed, feeling a small pout settle on her lips. It looked like teleportation and no one would convince her otherwise. She used the towel to dry her long hair. Perhaps it wasn't so bad to re-experience being alive in small details like these.

By the time she had finished wiping her body, drying her hair and had reached her scattered clothes, she found him already dressed and busy with drawing over the surface of a shimmering liquid. This time he was enchanting pearls. Bigger than the ones Tia had in her pouch.

Mandy got dressed and overcame her uncertainty about bothering him, by hugging him from behind, to look at him work over his shoulder.

August's hand didn't stop drawing and he didn't do anything to reject her gesture. Like with gems, he drew over the water surface and the drawing only sunk into the pearls when it was completed, glowing up in silver light before it disappeared along with the liquid, being absorbed into the pearls.

"Do you have a bunch of precious gems on you at all times?" Mandy asked only when the drawing was done.

August nodded. "They aren't particularly valuable on the seeing side, though." He took the now enchanted pearls, putting them into a small pouch, then took another set to enchant.

"What is valuable, then?" Mandy asked.

"Steion parts, Kekka fruits, Astralea flowers, Soul gems, Lunaris garden herbs. Those go for billions a piece," August replied, as he put various ingredients over the new set of pearls, liquid slowly raising over them.

Hearing the last one gave Mandy a fleeting suspicion that August had Grisham treat them to some ridiculously expensive tea... okay, she better ignores it. Mandy's hands wandered, earning an accusing look from August. Mandy retracted her hands to a safe place with a careless whistle. But really, there was something unbearably alluring about his scent, skin, presence. He was being a Mary Sue when he had complained about his scent, for sure, unless there was some story under it.

Mandy watched him enchant three more sets of gems, while he carefully checked his phone for time, all the while clinging to him. After a while, she got over her urges and felt somewhat really comfortable. Like clinging to August was the best place to be in. That reminded her...

"Are you blocking your presence...?" Mandy asked, since, well - she was an astral and August said they clung on him. And at this moment she could totally understand it. Rather than why cling.... How could you not cling?

August sighed and got up, lifting Mandy along the way, since she didn't let go. "In this space, astral rules do not apply to you."

Mandy turned red and slid down, letting her hands go. Wasn't this the same as asking him if he wasn't using charm? So embarrassing! Mandy put her hands on her cheeks. She was doing the same thing kids did when they blamed the person they liked for causing those feelings.

August shook his head with an amused smile seeing her reaction, then started gathering everything up in his suitcase.

Mandy felt relieved he didn't seem upset this time and since she didn't know what to help with, she merely watched August pack as her cheeks gradually lost their red shade. A few minutes later the doorbell rang and Mandy only refrained from heading to the door, seeing that August was already on the way. He returned with packed sandwiches and coffee.

"When did you make the order?" Mandy asked as she took the set August passed to her. She had been clinging to him over the past two-something-hours and he had only used the phone to check the time. The only time he could have made the order was when he left to turn off the alarm, but no take-out would take that long to deliver.

"After washing," August replied, but seeing her look, he added. "You can set them to deliver at any time."

Ah-- an option Mandy had never used even once in her life. True. You could order for something even a week in advance.

Mandy smiled as she opened the packet. August had actually been listening when she and Tia talked about food favorites the day before. Roasted beef sandwich with tomatoes and coffee with skimmed milk. Now she felt even more like back in college. That said--

Her eyes wandered towards what he had gotten for himself. She didn't need to look to know that the coffee was black, but the sandwich was - turkey. Hm, he did like bird meat, that much she had figured out already seeing what he had ordered in those take-outs before she took over cooking. But he had properly eaten anything she had made without complaint, giving her a sense that he wasn't really picky when it came to food. "Is there any food you aren't good with?"

"Most sweets," August replied. "Baked goods are fine in small amounts, but I don't like candy, honey, jams."

Tia had said as much. "Anything else?" Mandy asked.

"I wouldn't want to eat bugs," he added after a long while of thinking and munching.

Ahaha, means nothing in particular. He might be one of the least picky people she knew in that case. Usually, there were at least two-three pretty common food items people weren't good with, some disliked pickles, some fish, some weren't good with goat milk, many weren't good with strong tasting fermented goods or mold ripened cheese.

"What about your favorites?" Mandy asked as she had shared her own the day before - beef and tomatoes. In Tia's case it was duck and cheeses or all sorts and, of course, sweets of all kinds. For August she only had guesses.

August took a while on thinking. "Things that are easy to chew," he replied.

Eh-- Mandy tilted her head. Did he pick bird meat because it was usually easier to chew compared with bacon and other meats? "How about turkey?" She asked.

"The dustbuns in me make requests for what to eat when I'm ordering," August said. "Black coffee might be my own preference, but it's not due to taste."

Mandy already knew he had some dustbuns in his body, so she passed the detail of them talking to August over. The book hadn't made it seem like dustbuns actually talked to you, but who knows how that worked.

So rather than not being picky, he had no preference whatsoever? Easy it was, but also a little sad not to know what to make for special occasions. Potato soup? Would he be happy with puree soups, maybe? No, actually she had options - well-simmered stews where meat and veggies literarily melt into your mouth, well roasted and baked goods, right, terrines, risotto and pasta foods too.

But to make any of that... Mandy cast a sad look towards the place where the kitchen used to be as she sipped her coffee, her sudden ideas wilting.

"I can set up barriers to prevent the plant growth," August said. "But I won't have any time for the next few weeks to help with the restoration."

A smile bloomed on Mandy's face. "If I can re-order all the tools, then that's plenty!" If there was anything Mandy was fully confident in, then that was having stamina, and telekinesis too. If she gets serious about it, cleaning it all up wouldn't take more than twenty-four hours and with the help of internet she was sure she could figure out a way to reconnect electricity and water-- she had telekinesis after all. That might take a while longer, though, since she would need to do that from zero.

August made a soft smile at her, then he checked his phone for the time and finished up his sandwich and coffee.

Mandy matched up and did the same a little while after him when he had already returned to preparing for the road.

"I don't think you'd pick the option, but," August said as he drew the rune over his suitcase to make it shrink. "If you don't want to go with me, you can also head to the library or stay here. You won't be pulled along, since those two places kind of count as having a part of me in them."

Oh-- so rather than sleeping the previous night, she might have also headed to the library? That was good to know for future reference. It also explained why she could stay in the library before.

"I'll go with you," Mandy confirmed his guess. There was no way in hell she would let him go alone on something so exciti-- cough-- dangerous! About this Mandy couldn't lie to herself, she was far too curious about it to stay at home. And going with him would also help her see what kind of ability might be missing or might make things easier. Her plan of learning the most awful seeming magic had not changed, but it would be good to also pick it for its usefulness.

August didn't look surprised and put on shoes and a jacket to head out. By the door Mandy shapeshifted into a tit and perched down on his shoulder. August cast a longer look towards her, but Mandy couldn't tell at all if it was positive or negative.

"What?" Mandy asked, shocking herself in the process. It didn't came out as a chirp!? Huh?

August opened the door, this time taking out keys (for the first time, as far as Mandy could remember) to lock them. That surprised Mandy enough to drop her previous shock. "Is there a reason why you didn't lock the door before?"

"It was a haunted apartment before, even normies wouldn't step in carelessly," he replied.

The bird's back straightened out, as its head slowly turned to face August. Wait. What? There had been tenants before, but they didn't-- no, actually... The later ones had acted rather weirdly at times and the last one went out one day to never return. He did leave a lot of books behind, books Mandy could read over and over for three years before August moved in.

So that's why...

Mandy bird felt down and scuttled closer to August's neck to hide behind his hair. She had never even suspected she had been the reason for things like that. It was something she should have noticed, though.

August felt tickled by her movement, there were some posture shifts giving it away, but he didn't try to stop her. He placed his hand on the door and something dark and shadowy seeped outward from under his palm, covering the door, then dispersing.

Mandy noticed the shadows but didn't ask about it, for now, making herself more comfortable in a spot between his neck, hair and jacket collar. Yet since only his body felt solid, her ghastly bird shape partially sunk into his clothes, only her head ended up sticking out.

August didn't say anything, just headed downstairs. Because she was in contact with him like this, Mandy could feel the warmth and the slight fuzz of her own ghastly feathers, the trace of mold in the air surrounding them - this hallway smelled exactly the same as it did back when she had been alive. Soon her own depressed feelings faded as she re-experienced the outside world anew with all its scents and sensations. She only sharply turned her head when her eyes fell on an odd looking astral. She pulled on August's hair as she did.

"Sorry," she mumbled, feeling August flinch.

"In this shape, no astral would target you even if you cross eyes with them," August said, after checking behind him to see if no one was around.

"Really?" Great news! Mandy perked up and instantly turned her head back to stare a hole into the odd astral - it looked like a snake with tiny hummingbird wings - coiling and twisting through the air.

"You look like a phantom animal," August continued. "They are messenger familiars to necromancers, they offer no nourishment and are hard to stomach, so no astral would bother attacking them."

"Don't I make you look like a necromancer then?" Mandy asked. In most books, necromancers didn't have the best reputation.

"Not necessarily," August replied. "But it would work in my favor if someone mistook me for one."

Mandy titled her bird head at that.

"Necromancers are light alignment magic users and that would cross me out as being August Garold," he said.

Light magic users? That part was surprising. The part of him not being recognized then made sense, though. Tia had implied that humans only had one alignment and since August was a half-ghost, then his alignment should be dark.

"And paladins don't target them," he added.

Huh? That went against Mandy's sense as a reader. "Don't they re-animate dead and stuff?" How could that not bother church people?

"Most of the time they merely add life to dying beings before their astral body leaves them and church members prefer to prolong their life like that," August said.

Since August said 'most of the time' rather than denying her question, Mandy got a sense that they could reanimate corpses too, but... well, if church members actively made use of necromancers then it really made no sense for them to target them. The more you knew...

"Can you do necromancy?" Mandy asked, as otherwise - wouldn't they find out if such a mistake happened and August had to use his skills?

"No," August replied.

Figures. Well, it wasn't like situations where a half-dead paladin falls on you and you have to save them happened often, right? And it wasn't like there weren't necromancer assholes out there who would reject giving help. Doctors also seldom went around doing surgeries for free. And perhaps doing necromancy took time and special tools. Mandy figured she could look that up if a free moment appeared since they approached a busier street and she couldn't exactly ask August lest she made him look like a weirdo talking to himself or potentially cause another mishap like with Ian.

They took a train, then another train. All the while Mandy looked around with ease, now that she could stare holes in astrals things had become really comfy, not to mention it was nice to snuggle up to August's neck and be carried around. It was almost a pity she was in a bird shape, but it would be too embarrassing to do so in human shape anyhow, so this was perfect.

The train gradually emptied and when August got up to leave, only two old grannies remained. From the windows, Mandy could see that they had long since left the city and suburbs and were now somewhere around one of the National parks. She had been on a camping trip to it a few times, although their family had used a car rather than a train to get here so this spot was unfamiliar.

As soon as August had made a few steps over the platform, his muscles tensed. The train's doors had closed just moments ago and the train had started to move. Mandy couldn't see the reason, but she could feel 'something' too. Like there was a huge animal looming somewhere near.

Yet before August's hand could reach into his chest pocket, someone caught his hand, appearing almost out of thin air. A beautiful girl with long black hair, a bit taller than August and ruby red eyes with slit pupils. Yet from the movement of her hair, it was clear that she had leaped from somewhere rather than teleported. Someone took hold of August from behind as well.

Mandy glanced back to see a-- PRINCE! No, cough, if his bright blue eyes didn't have slit pupils he might pass as one. Long blonde hair braided over one shoulder and elven male sort of beauty. He was a head taller than August.

Their hold on August was firm, yet there was a gentleness to it and rather than showing hostility they both looked happy. Only August was tense and cautious and that made Mandy alert as well.

"Gotcha~!" The girl said with a bright smile.

"...Who sold me out?" August asked with a frown.

"No one did," the prince-like man replied. "I divined you would be here today."

August squinted his eyes. "And what business do you two have with me?" he asked. He was cautious, but Mandy could sense some confusion in his voice.

"That drink you made for us was amazing," the girl said. "We searched far and wide, but nothing came even close to it!"

August opened his mouth, yet nothing came out. His face was pale.

"We did find some other dryads to try their mead, but it felt lacking," the prince added, now starting to cling on August.

August went limp like a straw doll, he was too shocked to speak, but that didn't seem to be a problem - the prince-like person held him firmly in his arms and Mandy had a conflicted feeling about it. It looked good-- and she wasn't even jealous of her own boyfriend being held like that by another man. What was going on even?

The thing she could tell, however was that August was first shocked about the drink, but what did him in completely was the 'other dryads'. It was clear as day that these two knew what August was and it did not seem like August had told them.

A trace of worry passed the red-eyed girl's face. "Do you feel sick, Aug?"

A nickname... this sense of intimacy, the drink-- No way. "Dragons?" Mandy mumbled. Did they want August to make more love potion cocktail? What?? Holy--

Mandy's mumble attracted attention from both of the beauties. "Hm, hm-- you aren't a phantom bird, are you?" The girl leaned closer to look at Mandybird's head.

Yet Mandy's eyes had moved elsewhere, the prince like person had buried his nose in August's neck and August's eyes seemed to tell 'end me'. "Mandy, this is why you should never date dragons," he said in a resigned voice.

No, no, August, this was the good part. Mandy felt grateful for the lack of expression birds had. She was watching two beautiful men looking so intimate it hurt. Hurt from how good it was---

Mandy didn't doubt that one reason for August ditching the beautiful dragon girl was lacking writing time, but now she learned the probable true reason. And what the prince dragon said next only further confirmed that feeling.

"No, she's the one he's dating right now," he said to the dragon girl, who was showing a small pout at what August had said. His nostrils moved a bit as he leaned away. "Pure dark alignment, either a calamity god or--"

Mandy had not expected dragons to have noses this good-- to tell they were dating and her alignment from smell alone that... it was a wonder why August had been shocked about them knowing he was a dryad. Mandy was almost certain August was doing that presence manipulation thing, but... no, true, Mandy had no idea how that worked, so perhaps there was a solid reason for that shock.

"Ghost," August said with a sigh. "Could you two let me go?"

"You will escape if we do," the girl said.

"I do need to go somewhere," August said, not denying that he really would be escaping.

"Don't you always," the girl complained, her grip turning just a tiny bit tighter.

Yep, that confirmed it. She had totally not given August space to write. Yet... why was she this intimate with August when: a) they had already broken up, b)she had supposedly tried to kill him, c) she had been drugged to fall in love with this prince dragon.

And why were these two so happily requesting more love potion booze? There were a lot of questions when it came to these two. And August looked even more bewildered by it all than her.

"We will let you go if you promise to make more of that drink!" The prince dragon said happily.

"It happens to be hard to make," August replied. He looked sideways as he did, looking to be in deep thought.

"Is there something you want in exchange?" The girl asked.

At least, it didn't appear like the two would try to force it. And by their grip Mandy could feel by borrowing August's senses, they held him in a gentle, treasuring way. The presence of these two was strong, but there was no hostility. August also seemed to have relaxed somewhat, albeit not in a happy way - resigned might be the word.

"Something I want, huh?" He looked over at the girl first, then at the prince dragon over his shoulder. "I don't mind making you all you can drink if you two become mine," he said with an expression that didn't feel all that serious. Like he was deliberately naming a price too high to get away.

The wording left Mandy aghast and the dragons made equally surprised expressions. Mandy was sure that August did not mean 'becoming mine' in the way it sounded like, but-- god. He had said something like that to a beautiful man. He was the best. If Mandy's beak could bleed, it would at this point.

As for why he had asked that - it took Mandy no time to understand. August neededed to become strong and if her fantasy sense was right, dragons should be something incredibly powerful. But her fantasy sense also told that it was a gamble that wouldn't come true.

A smile appeared on the blonde's lips and he moved one of his hands up to take hold of August's chin. Their surroundings lit up as a huge magic circle spread out under their feet, yet it was no single color - it flickered in various shades.

Mandy had no clue what was happening and August's eyes showed shocked disbelief. The dragon girl was smiling in the very same way how the prince dragon did, another magic circle overlapping the first one, originating from her it seemed.

"I won't allow that to be a joke," he said and kissed August on the lips, while the girl did the same with the hand she was holding.

Sax intro started sounding in Mandy's mind, but it abruptly stopped, as two jolts of pain reached her through August's senses - the two had bitten August. The circles under them dispersed - half of the light sinking into August, other half - in the dragons.

All traces of pain disappeared from the places the two had bitten and the pupils of the two turned round. As light faded, the two had lost their intimidating presence and appeared to be completely human.

Only then the two let August go, very gently, making sure he had firm footing.

August opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again. All the while the two now fully human-seeming dragons were making happy smiles like they had won the lottery.

"...Is it really that delicious?" Mandy was the one to break the silence. August had just bought two dragon familiars for booze. For drugged booze. Booze... This was beyond her.

August also looked at the two with the same disbelief that could be heard in Mandy's voice.

The two dragons exchanged looks.

"Don't be mistaken, ghost, no, Mandy was it, the drink truly is exquisite, but we agreed not for that reason," the girl dragon said.

August let out a sigh and took up his phone to check for time, then started moving towards the forest. He looked like he had given up.

"On Urea, there are only benefits in being a dryad's familiar," she continued, following after August like it was natural.

"Well, the last time dryads took familiars was back when all the fun was happening and mortals weren't really writing anything down then," the prince dragon said. "Perhaps it makes sense they don't know, then?"

The girl looked over at the tall blonde and made a couple of nods as if in understanding.

Fun times? Was he speaking about mythological age of gods? Mandy felt that there would be a lot of interesting stuff to pry out of them, but, first things first, - "How are you two called?" Mandy asked. They would probably be around each other a lot. It still felt surreal and all of it had happened so fast, but-- well, had to deal with it and since August had expressed a desire to get them as familiars (even if as a high price to get them off his track), it was probably a good thing they had gotten them. Even if Mandy had a feeling she would need to work harder to protect August's writing time--

"Aug, will you be renaming us?" the girl asked.

"No," he said and stopped as soon as reached the forest, then looked around.

"Then I'm Riveria and he's Ceruleum," she introduced.

"Pleased to meet you," the ghastly tit bowed her head a bit. They already knew how to call her, so no need to say it again.

"So," August spoke up. "I'll be going to work, do you two mean to tag along?"

"Of course," Riveria said with a happy look, catching up to August and taking a hold of his arm. "Now you got no reason to leave me behind!"

Looking at their interactions-- well, she could tell that August had no feeling of that sort in his gestures, but wasn't Riveria being a bit too happily intimate, when-- hnnn--- this wouldn't be turning into a harem scenario, would it? And it didn't seem like Ceruleum minded at all either-- these two were supposed to be in love, no?

For reasons Mandy could not explain she did not feel particularly jealous towards these two. It was actually a mystery why she did not. Was it because August did not seem happy about it? Or was it because they were so hot that even if they did anything with August it would merely be a sight to see.

"I'm curious too," Ceruleum said.

August sighed. "I will take you two along if you promise to not get in the way or ask questions. I'll take you to the library afterward, you can find answers on your own there if you want to."

Riveria and Ceruleum exchanged smiles. "Deal!"

"Also, what gave me away?" August asked.

"Gave away what?" Riveria asked.

"That I'm a dryad," August said.

"The drink you offered to us," Riveria replied. "Also, you are too skillful at using fae paths."

"That drink alone is a dead giveaway," Ceruleum added.

Huh? Both Mandy and August tilted their heads at the same time. Was it a dryad thing to mix alcohol with love potions as a fashion cocktail? That... made no sense.

"Hm, interesting. Is it not common sense in urea that brewing alcohol gives away your divinity class?"

"But I only--" August closed his mouth, then paled in grim realization.

Ahh, Mandybird closed its eyes. The true miracle was how August had kept the secret for so long when he keeps messing up--

"By the way, since I don't think I can find an answer to that in the library, why did you think it was a good idea to have us fall in love with each other?"

August made a wry smile.

Mandy also narrowed her eyes. So there had been no reason to avoid the topic-- they knew. They didn't seem to be upset about it either.

"You both are the clingiest dragons I know," August said. "And your hoarding tastes differ."

Riveria had started to pout at the start, but it turned into a exparassed smile at the second bit, while Cerulieum made an amused smile at it all.

"I don't think I need to say this, but about me being a dryad,"

"It's a secret~ We can tell as much," Riveria said with a nod and Ceruleum nodded as well.

August checked his phone for time with the arm that wasn't occupied by Riveria.

"One small question, if I may," Ceruleum said. "Who do you mean to fight if you wanted us as familiars?"

"In worst case," August said as he put the phone away. "A bunch of Solus and Terea's apostles. So, with bad luck on top, it could escalate into a war with guild and church at the same time."

"Oh, that sounds fun," Ceruleum seemed happy about it. Riveria also didn't seem to mind at all.

Fun, huh? Mandy wasn't sure if to congratulate August for nailing strong allies... on the very second day after deciding to become stronger, or should she feel worried. If anything, this was some insane amount of luck at play. Would these two be enough? August didn't seem all that happy like he would if this was a solution to his problems.

"Mandy, hold on tight," August said and reached out to take Ceruleum by arm.

Mandy used one of her feet to grab onto August's hair, as she snapped out of her worries. She didn't need to ask what would happen, they would be teleporting! Fae paths was the real name for it, but internally she could call it however she wanted.