Chapter 3 : The Dragon Discovers She’s a Little Girl

Richard clutched Obus, swaddled in a sky-blue cloak, as he hurried back to the inn.

Obus writhed like a feral kitten, her small form twisting and thrashing within the fabric, punctuated by adorable, fierce growls. 

“Grah! This king will squash you, puny insect!” 

Passersby cast curious, wary glances.

Richard forced an awkward smile, quickening his pace. 

“Grah!”

A slender, childish arm shot out from the cloak, nails flailing wildly, snatching a hat clean off a nearby stranger’s head.

“Taste my dragon claws, insect! Your head’s mine!” 

Richard stammered apologies, shoving Obus’s arm back under the cloak.

“Sorry, so sorry.” 

“Grah! Too late for apologies!” 

The man, retrieving his hat, glimpsed the arm being tucked away and Richard’s hasty retreat.

A spark of righteous indignation flared, and he pursued.

“Hey, you! What’s with carrying a little girl like that?” 

Richard, caught off guard, answered honestly, “Someone tried to buy her. I wouldn’t sell.” 

“What?! You’re trafficking children!” 

Half the street turned to stare. 

“It’s not like that! Look, my badge—I’m a paladin of the Hand of Tyr.”

Richard fumbled with one hand to display his emblem.

“I mean her no harm.” 

“A flaw! Die!”

Obus, freed from one restraining hand, popped her round head out, baring sharp, shark-like teeth.

“This king will rip you to shreds!” 

Richard swiftly pushed her head back under the cloak. 

The man, catching only a glimpse of an adorable girl, bellowed, “Paladin trafficking a child!” 

The crowd surged forward, some hands reaching for weapons at their belts.

Richard, clutching the squirming Obus tightly, bolted.

With brute strength and his towering frame, he shoved through the zealous mob, vanishing in a blur. 

Panting, he reached the safety of his inn room and tossed the wriggling Obus onto the bed. 

“Grah! Worn out already, insect? That’s all you’ve got?” 

Obus burst from the cloak, standing defiantly.

Bare white feet stomped on the fabric, hands curled into claws near her ears, mouth agape to reveal those gleaming shark teeth, hissing menacingly. 

Richard turned away quickly.

“Put some clothes on first.” 

But Obus, now calling herself Aurina, was undeterred.

“Grah! Think you can flee?” 

She crouched, ready to pounce, when her golden eyes caught her reflection in the room’s mirror.

She froze, turning to face it. 

The mirror revealed her new form: a girl of twelve or thirteen, cheeks soft with baby fat, golden eyes gleaming like polished coins.

Her red hair cascaded like a cloak of crimson roses, pooling behind her.

Once muscular limbs were now slender and pale, her stature shrunken drastically.

Tiny dragon horns and a delicate tail remained, but her wide, blinking eyes held no trace of a fearsome dragon—more like a mischievous sprite. 

Worse still, the proud symbol of her former might, the gift to all females of the world… it was gone. Vanished.

Surely just hidden? 

Obus reached out, delicate fingers grasping at empty air. 

“GRAH!”

She clutched her cheeks, leaping in shock. 

What was this?

Without that, how would the world’s females survive? 

Grief for all womankind overwhelmed her.

Then, eyeing her scrawny reflection—ribs visible—she wailed inwardly.

Heavens, even as a female dragon, why am I so tiny?

So ugly, ugly, ugly!

Richard’s voice broke through.

“Have you dressed yet?” 

Obus whirled, fury reigniting.

This was all his fault! 

She glared at his broad back, but doubt crept in as she noticed her tiny feet on his bed.

A chill ran through her. 

“What do you want?”

She scrambled back, pressing against the wall.

“Insect! Don’t you dare try to taint this king’s body with your vile bloodline!” 

“Impossible. You’re just a child.” 

“Fool! As a true dragon, even this small, I could bear young. You crawling insects know nothing!” 

“Put on some clothes. Desiring a child is immoral and criminal.” 

Obus squinted suspiciously. He seemed… genuinely dim. 

Snatching Richard’s cloak, she wrapped herself tightly, leaving only her small feet exposed.

Perched on the bed, her translucent golden eyes fixed on him.

“Insect, this king permits you to turn around.” 

“Odd.”

Richard faced her, his sword at his hip, and mused, “Why, when you’re newly born, do you speak so much like… your father?” 

Her heart skipped—once, twice, thrice. 

“Uh… ha… haha!”

Obus’s mind stalled, hating lies but fumbling for one.

“B-Because… this king… I… we true dragons inherit ancient memories at birth! We grow stronger in sleep, reaching heights you insects could never dream of!” 

“Hm. I only fought that dragon Obus for half a day, but your tone is eerily similar.” 

Her eyes locked on the sword at his waist, memories of the dragon’s lair flashing—holy slashes, that glowing blade.

Her mind drowned in white light. 

“Obus? No, I’m not Obus! Really, not Obus, not at all! This king doesn’t know any Obus, don’t misunderstand, insect!” 

“What’s your name, then?” 

“Obus—er, no! O-O… Roar!” 

Richard watched her silently.

Obus dropped her gaze to his sword, dreading a sudden cry of “Holy Slash!” 

“You’re newborn, nameless. How about Aurina?” 

“Yes, yes! This king remembers now—I’m Aurina!” 

“Aurina,” Richard said, “I must tell you something.” 

“No way! This king won’t accept your filthy insect bloodline!” 

“Now it’s two things. First, learn manners. Stop calling people ‘insects’ and referring to yourself as ‘this king.’ It’s strange.” 

So the flaw was my title?

Clever insect, spotting two cracks in my disguise.

Aurina nodded.

“Fine… I understand.” 

“Second, Obus, likely your father, was slain by me. He abducted the princess of the Yan Ting Empire, ravaged countless beings, stole wealth, and burned forests. For justice, I vanquished him.” 

Aurina clenched her teeth.

“I see.” 

“You must resent me for killing your father,” Richard said.

“Though he deserved it.” 

“The strong slay the weak, claiming their unguarded treasures. Wealth belongs to the mighty.” 

But one day, you’ll beg under my claws, gasping your last in agony.

This king will take everything back.

“I killed your father.” 

“Eh, dead’s dead.” 

“Though I haven’t used a detection spell, you radiate evil.”

Richard sighed.

“All newborns are innocent, but the auctioneer was right—your nature is wicked.” 

“Why the sigh?”

Aurina tilted her head.

“Isn’t red light a sign of health? Are you going to kill me?” 

“No, you’ve committed no crime and are still a child. I won’t sell you, but leaving you unchecked is irresponsible to you and others. Changing your wicked nature will be a long journey—a trial from Tyr to strengthen my resolve. I hope Viya can help.” 

“Child?”

Aurina mulled the word, vaguely recalling its significance among insects.

“I’m a child. Are children special to insects?” 

“Humans, not insects,” Richard corrected patiently.

“Yes, protecting children is part of human nature.” 

Aurina’s memories stirred.

“So that mob chased you because of me?” 

“Yes. And stop saying ‘insects.’” 

Aurina paused, then clapped, a grin spreading.

“Right! This king’s a little girl now!” 

Richard eyed her curiously. 

“Hey, insect—you’re some holy paladin, right? Believing in silly things like justice, kindness, morality?” 

“Third warning,” Richard said.

“Don’t insult my faith.” 

What a fool.

“Insect! Insect! I’ll keep saying it!”

Aurina’s grin turned smug.

“And you’d better let me go.” 

“Hm?” 

“Or I’ll scream that you’re a child-lover! That you pinned me to the bed, licked my toes, tried to taint me with your vile bloodline—” 

“Are you threatening me?” 

Aurina nodded proudly, smug with her cunning. 

“I’ll explain my innocence to the crowd. To avoid suspicion, my companion—a pure, devout maiden—will watch over you.” 

“Why watch me? Because I’m evil? I’m just a kid, I’ve done no crime, and you’re not my parent.” 

“Many out there would abduct you. If you face the world’s cruelty, scarred and bitter, you’ll become another terror dragon.”

Richard reasoned, “Stay with us until you understand goodness and can defend yourself.” 

“No way I’m sticking with you insects!”

Aurina dashed for the door.

“I’m out! See ya—or get ready to be called a creep!” 

“Wait.” 

Aurina leaped to the door, hand on the handle, when a sweet jingle froze her. 

Coins.

Gold coins! 

Penniless since birth, an hour without gold was torture.

Dragons needed gold to live. 

She spun around.

Richard tossed her a pouch.

She caught it, peering inside—mostly silver, only a few gold coins. 

Her grin soured.

So stingy.

But a dragon’s first gold was precious. 

Aurina clutched the pouch to her chest, greedily. 

“Buy clothes with it, maybe a hooded cloak to disguise yourself,” Richard said.

“When you’re tempted to do evil, remember your first gift.” 

“Grah! The insect yields to this king!”

Aurina cackled, flinging the door open and skipping out. 

Richard resisted the urge to smack her, watching her tiny dragon tail vanish around the corner.

“I hope I’m doing the right thing.” 

He didn’t want to face this bratty red dragon again, only to find her irredeemably wicked, forcing his hand. 

Closing the door, Richard fretted over debts, returning to his desk to strategize. 

Barely twenty minutes later, shouts and screams erupted outside.

Light footsteps raced closer, and the door rattled under frantic pounding. 

“Open up! Idiot, open the door!” Aurina’s voice. 

Richard swung it open.

Aurina, tiny and burdened with a chest of jewels and gold taller than her, stumbled in, dumping it on the floor.

Her tail flicked, slamming the door shut with a bang. 

Hands on hips, cloak hem splaying to reveal slender legs, she declared, “This king, in boundless mercy, will share… one-tenth of the loot! Just help me fight our way out of this insect nest.” 

“What did you do?”

Richard asked. 

“Open the door! Now!” 

The door shook under furious pounding. 

Richard opened it to a mob, hair smoldering, led by the auctioneer, his white beard singed off.

“You dragon whelp, return the stolen wealth!” 

“Grah! Too late! This king’s got a super-strong dummy on my side!”

Aurina, hands on hips, pointed at the auctioneer.

“Go, strongest insect! Hit him with a Holy Slash!” 

Richard’s patience snapped. His fist cracked down on Aurina’s head.

Her skull, harder than steel, rang like a bell.

“Dong!” 

“Grah!” Aurina clutched her head, tears welling.

“Ow! That hurt! I’ve got a bump!”