Cornered Rat

"Exedra Avernus Draven! Start explaining immediately young man! What the hell happened to you today!"

'...Somehow, I should've known this would happen.'

As soon as Exedra sat down at the table for dinner, Yara immediately unloaded on him with all of her built in questions. 

The dragon looked towards both of his wives for help, only to realize that they wanted to know just as badly!

As a last resort, Exedra looked towards Duke who was stationed motionlessly against the wall.

It didn't take him long to realize that he would be useless as well. 

'Bastard, I'm supposed to be your young master! If you see me drowning, save me!' He thought angrily. 

It wasn't that Exedra didn't want to tell them the truth, but if he told them that he was formerly a human from another world who asked for three magical wishes, they'd look at him like he was crazy!

But how else was he supposed to explain a sudden and drastic increase in appearance, ability, and the miraculous healing of a lifetime ailment?

'Relax, you've made this bed so now you have to lie in it...' He thought. 

He certainly could have hidden everything except his appearance if he wanted to, but he'd already long decided against such a thing.

He had already lived one life as a sniveling rat who hides from conflict, and it wasn't something he wanted to make a habit of in this one.

It wasn't an arrogant decision, nor was it a prideful one but one that was born out of a desire to freely be himself, whatever trouble that might bring.

His brain began to work overtime to come up with a suitable lie that would allow him to escape this current predicament. 

Finally, he came to one inescapable idea utilizing both reality and fantasy.

"These…were gifts." 

"Gifts?" Yara asked in shock.

He slowly nodded and continued. "When I fell ill two days ago, I was stuck in a black space.

It was there that a mysterious entity spoke to me and asked me what I desired the most in my heart. "

"So you weren't joking about the wishes?!"Lailah cried.

Exedra merely shook his head no and earned curious eyes from all of the women at the table.

"And? What did you ask for?" Bekka asked with a glimmer in her eyes.

"A body that could control my mana, and mastery of every weapon in existence."

Yara nodded, seemingly falling into a deep thought. 

"Could Asherah herself have blessed you? But what the hell for?" 

Exedra didn't answer and merely let his mother formulate her own conclusions. 

After a while, Yara finally shook her head and gave her son a concerned look.  "I'm happy my boy is healthy now but… for something so great, I'm sure the price will be costly. "

This moment of concern brought up point that Exedra had not previously considered. 

Why did the entity give him of all people this new life for absolutely nothing in return?

There is no free lunch in the world after all.

Would he ask him to do something terrible as payment?

'Will I have to kill someone...?'He wondered.

Unknowingly, Exedra's new body had also altered his way of thinking.

When he thought of the idea that he might have to kill someone, it did not upset him nearly as much as it previously would have. 

Exedra had realized something upon coming here and receiving all of the old hosts memories. 

This world was just as hypocritical and rotten as his old one. 

The beings here all used their strength to trample upon the weak, and do whatever they wanted without worrying about consequences.

If he had to kill someone like that, he did not think he'd mind. 

If he was destined to always live in a filthy world, he would rather be somewhere like Dola where he could at least play housekeeper.

"Maybe it will be." he muttered as he stared into the glass of wine that matched his hair.  "But I don't really mind having to pay that cost."

"Son! How could you say-"

"Mother, look at me." Exedra said seriously as he stared into her bright violet eyes. 

"I'm healthy, I can fight, I can undergo the change, I am happy." He said firmly.

Without realizing it, Exedra had begun to speak from the perspective of both his current and previous selves. 

"I have dreamed of something like this for as long as I can remember, and it's so much sweeter than I could've ever imagined. There is very little that I could be asked to do that would make me regret my decision."

Yara swallowed hard as she looked at her baby boy who had some how become a man overnight. 

She truly could not remember the last time she had heard him say out loud that he was happy. 

And when she realized that, small tears threatened to fall from her beautiful eyes. 

"You are right, my son... This is a blessing and we should treat it as such." She slowly wiped her eyes and showed a smile that was equally as dazzling as her son's.

"Well..if you feel that strongly about it I have nothing left to say." Yara took her wine glass and took a large gulp, suddenly in a celebratory mood.

"My baby boy is finally healthy after all of these years!" She exclaimed."We should celebrate! I have to tell everyone you're finally healthy!"

At this time Lailah who had been silent this whole time, finally chirped up. "Well, his birthday is next week right? We can announce it then!"

Bekka : "That's a great idea Lailah!"

Yara : "Lailah, you beautiful genius!"

Exedra however immediately felt his body tense up and his hands go clammy. 

"W-Wait a minute, girls. I don't think something like that is really necessary."

Truth be told, he hated any sort of parties. 

Being in one room surrounded by people sounded like the worst fate imaginable. 

Even if he was a dragon now, his introverted nature was something that would not change no matter what body he was in.

Unfortunately, the girls did not seem to understand why he wouldn't want to have a party.

Bekka : "Why not?"

Lailah : "You deserve it!"

Yara : "Something this monumental must be celebrated! End of discussion!"

Still, Exedra tried to get his point across. "But mother I-"

"End of discussion." Yara repeated with a smile that was not a smile. 

The young hybrid finally accepted his defeat as he began to eat his dinner. 

While the girls began to excitedly plan party details, he was already dreading the event that was too come. 

'Fuck this is good... food's making it harder to be upset.'