*SIGH*

She let out a large sigh as she looked over the camp of her fellow soldiers. All gathering up their supplies and things they were going to be taking with them.

We should have made this a long term campaign. I don’t like how much this is taking a toll on our soldiers.

”Why the long sigh Lira? Still tired?” Asked the elderly man walking up to her.

The woman smiled at her uncle that was walking towards her.

“I am tired. I want this to be over uncle; Our men have been walking for almost two moons. The strain is taking its toll on our moral.”

The old man smiled at his niece.

“Dear child. Your compassion does you good and gives you credit; you will make a fine leader one day when your father hands you the reins.” He clasps her shoulder tightly with his hand in a reassuring gesture. “But don’t forget why we’re here child; why everyone is here. Everyone of us, is willing to sacrifice ourselves to realize your father’s dream. Be strong, stand tall. You should go and encourage your fellow men-at-arms. Remind them why it is, that we are pushing ourselves.”

His niece took a deep breath, then released it in another sigh. She was quiet for a moment before she answered his unspoken question.

“... For honor and glory. For blood and war. For conquer and conquest. For our test of strength and will. Let our enemies tremble before our thunderous charge.” She quoted the motto of their creed of war. She turned her head to look at the wizened old face of her uncle gracing him with a smile.

“Thank you uncle. I'll go remind them, just as you’ve reminded me.”

She turned to him fully, enveloping him in a hug, which he gladly returned.

“Anytime my little Lirania anything for you.” He assured her.

“And what is this?!” Shouted an authoritarian voice from behind the old man.

This startled them apart from each other frantically. Lirania took a look and recognized the voice attached to the man coming towards them.

“*SCOFF* Father! Don’t sneak up on us like that!” Lirania chided the man approaching them.

Her father scoffed back at his daughter.

“And since when do I sneak? You two were so engrossed in your moment, that you failed to realize my approach!” He countered with a taunt, as he made his way ever close to the duo. His daughter, not one to be deterred by a show a strength, steps up to meet her father.

“If there is one thing you do, and do well, is catch people by surprise. Father.” Lirania said accusingly, taking another few step closer to meet him.

Lirania’s father rolls his eyes.

“Then it is your fault for being caught off guard. And what have I said about calling me father while we are not in private!” He groused at his daughter for her blatant disregard for his title and authority.

They stopped inches from one another. He stared down at her, she up at him. She was only about half a head shorter than him.

“Warchief.” Lirania called her father by his title in acknowledgment.

He nodded to her.

“General.” He said back to her.

They stared each down with scowls for half a minute.

Lirania’s uncle had his head down, with his face in his left hand. Grumbling to himself about their constant dominance display.

Both father and daughter smiled at each other, then they started laughing. Lirania’s father reached down and picked her up in a bear hug with ease. She gave a short squeak of surprise, but then continued to laugh as her father spun her around.

“Welcome back father.” Lirania said to her father as she gave him a hug in return. When she pulled back she asked him.

“How was the hunt? Were you prosperous?” She asked, even while knowing the answer.

Her father rolled his eyes.

“Of course I was dear daughter! Do you doubt that your father and warchief, would not be able to provide for you and my men!” He put her down, then made a motion with his thumb behind him.

Two orcs were dragging two large carcasses of two massive bears.

“These little guys thought they could sneak up on me and my men, they thought to try and make dinner out of us. Ha!  But the jokes on them, now they will be dinner for us!” The warchief bragged.

Lirania scoffs at her father’s words.

“Why do I doubt that very much? I would stake my weapon that you knew they were following you guys, then you used yourselves as bait to lure them into attacking you.” She says accusingly to her father.

“I-ppgghh-what?! I would never do such a-“ The warchief stammers incredulously.

“Warchief...” Lirania says with a scowl and glare.

“Alright! Maybe I did! So what! No one got hurt! I was being careful of the lads with me!” He justified. “Besides! You should have seen the look on Gramrin’s face when the bears charged from the trees!” He throws his head back with a laugh. “Priceless!”

Lirania and her uncle share a look with each other, then they both give a sigh, shaking their heads.

“Father... please stop teasing the soldiers like that. Not everyone can handle a bear on their own; let alone two.” Lirania scolded.

This only caused the warchief to laugh harder.

“Buhahahaha! I wish you would have been there! You would have loved it!” He told his daughter.

She huffed at him.

“Some of us have responsibilities to attend to warchief. I have to keep up our soldiers moral and make sure we’re all accounted for.”

He waved off her concern.

“Bah! You are too serious about this. I suspected that we would have lost men by now; if not sooner. But we've yet to lose one!” The warchief said flippantly.

“AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE I CHECK ON EVERYONE, EVERYDAY!” She shouted at her father.

He looked back down at his daughter with a glare and started to breath heavily.

“YOU DARE YELL AT ME! DO YOU WANT TO GO?!”

“ANYTIME OLD MAN!”

“Calm!” Said Lirania’s uncle aloud. Making a few gestures of his hands as a small light emanated in front of his hands.

They both visibly calmed, while relaxing their stances.

“This is no time to be playing around you two.” He chided the father and daughter.

“... Flannik is right. All fun and games aside, we should be getting down to business.” He turned to his old friend. “Thanks for calming us shaman.”

Flannik just nodded his head.

“Anytime warchief.”

“Thanks uncle Flanny.” Said Lirania.

“Again. Anything for you little Lira.”

The warchief scoffs at the shaman’s treatment of his daughter.

“It is always a wonder why, that you always treat my own daughter better than you treat your own warchief.” He said in a petulant tone while crossing his arms.

Lirania and Flannik shared another a look between them, then laughed. This only deepened the petulant stare they got from their warchief.

“You wonder, father. But the answer is the same, it reason why I tell you not to terrorize our troops with your pointless fun and games that you seem to like playing. You scare those who don't know you.”

The warchief huffed at her words.

“Then they need to grow up and leave their mother’s teat.”

“Father...” Lirania calls out in frustration as she puts her face in her hands mortified at what her father had just said. Flannik shakes his head in disbelief and disappointment.

“What?! Like either of you disagree with me!” He argued at the reaction to his words.

“It is not that we disagree warchief. It is the simple fact: that you treat all the warriors like your daughter. When none can compare to her.” Flannik explained.

“Bah! Then they are lacking then. If they cannot take a bit of ribbing from their warchief. Then they should have stayed home.”

Lirania look up from between her fingers.

“Running head long into a bear ambush is ribbing to you?!” She exclaimed in disbelief.

“If it was you, you would have laughed!”

Flannik sighs and lifts his hand, palm up.

“My point exactly, my warchief.”

“What do you mean?!”

“He means,” Lirania interjects. “That not everyone was raised by the warchief, who is to be the next Demon Lord. You hold everyone to the same expectations as me.” She tried to show her father the reason why his behavior towards his soldiers was to harsh.

“Bah! They are just weak then! *SIGH* I was expecting a son, but I get a daughter; then she proves herself better than any male in all the orc tribes...” The warchief laments.

“Do you really wish I was rather a male?” She asked him with a raised eyebrow, knowing the answer.

“Hell no!” He answers immediately. “There is no way I would want an heir other than you my child. But now I expect that all others around you should be able to meet your standards. Since you have had the whole deck stacked against you from before you were born. Is it wrong that I wish that other’s would follow your example?”

She gave her father an endearing smile.

“Not wrong, but when you hold them to my own standards they are bound to fall short. As you have said; “I am second to none!”.”

Her father frowned at this.

“I still want a rematch...” He told her petulantly again.

“As I said before; anytime old man.”

All three of them shared a laugh, just as the two men who were dragging bear carcasses, started to pass them.

One of them looked up towards Lirania.

“General.” He said in greeting before moving on.

She nodded back in greeting.

“Kalken.” She returned back to the young man.

He smiled at her, then he looked forward, dragging the corpse faster.

Lirania heard her father laugh. She turned back to face him.

“You know he fancies you, right?” Her father comments.

“*UGH* father!” She groans as she folds her arms together, giving him a glare.

He holds up his hands in defense.

“I am just say! Not suggesting!” He rushes to explain himself.

“You know my stance on this!” She nearly shouts at him.

He continues to hold up his hands, in a futile attempt to ward off her anger.

“I swear! I didn’t mention anything, or suggest anything! He just made the comment that he wanted to go hunting with you!” He told her in his defense.

“*UGH*! Hunting! Father!” She groaned louder.

“Darling. My little sapling.” He tried to sooth. “I am just listening to people talk, and talk about wanting to court you. I hear it almost everyday. You give no one a chance.” Now he was the one trying to clam his daughter; trying to reason with her.

“I give them chances! But only if they are worthy of it! If they cannot even beat me in combat, then why should I waste my time on them?” Lirania told him.

“Didn’t you just tell me not to hold and treat people to your standards?! How is it fair that you can?! Do you really expect other’s to be able to defeat you in combat? How is that giving them a chance?” Her father sincerely asks his daughter.

“You don’t understand father, you never can. Most men expect me to be submissive to them if we were to pair; they would never allow themselves to be less than the leader of their house. Despite my all abilities or training, they would expect me to just stay at home to be their conquest and broodmare.”

“That is not fair!” Her father argues. “Not all of them would do that. I won’t deny that some would try to treat you as such. But I doubt you would allow yourself to be in such a relationship.”

“But that is why I test those that seek a right to ask me on a hunt. If they can’t even beat me, then what right do they have to be my partner? I won’t see them as an equal; because they couldn’t even beat me: I know that most would only want me as a trophy bride; so why would I even want to entertain such fools that weaker then me.” Lirania gave her reasons for what she sought in a partner.

Her father let out a sigh.

“Daughter... I must ask; is this just a way to escape from partnering with a man? Are you perhaps backwards-in-love?” He asks her the question that has been on his mind for a while.

Her eyes widened.

“Did you really just ask your own daughter that?!” She accuses him, scandalized by what he had just implied.

“That is not an answer to my question.” He refuted.

“...” Lirania goes quiet. She looks down at the ground. Arms still crossed, but now she looks to be more upset than she had been before.

“... Would you still love your daughter if she was?” She asks through her unshed tears.

The warchief, seeing the distress his words have caused daughter, while also hearing her confession. Walks to his pride and joy, enveloping her in a loving embrace.

“Of course I will my little sapling. It does not matter who you love, as long as you can bring them to me proudly that they are worthy of your love that is all that matters.”

Lirania sniffed into her father’s chest plate. Then wraps her own arms around him, returning the embrace.

“Thank you apa! Your kindness, generosity and favor you show me know no bounds.” She said to her father, expressing her gratefulness for his understanding.

Her father smiled at her words.

“It is not just you. I do not actually care for the old ways of how the clans had used to restrict who could love who.” He told her as he pulled out of their embrace.

He looked her in the eyes.

“When I am Demon Lord. I plan to make the world a better place. I will see the worlds old prejudices torn down and destroyed. All races will be free to live under my rule: You know I have told you this; but that also includes people of backwards, or of strange love.” He informed her.

She gave him a big smile.

“You’re the best apa!”

“I know!” He gloated. They both laughed at this. Flannik had decided to take a step back, letting the father and daughter have their moment together.

“So? If you do love backwards? Who is the lucky lady?” He asks with a smile. Surely she is with us in this camp.

But to his surprise, his daughter shook her head.

“There isn’t anyone.”

“No one? But I thought-“ He asked but trailed off as she gave a laughed.

“I told you; that unless a person is able to challenge me and beat me in combat, that I won’t go hunting with anyone that is less then a warrior than I.” She explained. “That includes women apa.”

He looked at her incredulously.

“I guess that just means that you plan to stay single forever...”

She gives him a shrug.

“Who knows.” Offering him a coy smile.

“Cheeky daughter.”

Then his face grew serious once he was finished talking.

“But enough pleasantries!” He barked out. “General, shaman. Give your warchief a status report; general, you first.”

“Sir!” They both answered immediately. Both going into their respective roles. Doing the traditional salute of an arm across their chest to their shoulder.

“Moral is down sir. It is because our soldiers are tired and bored. Besides that, our soldiers are fit and ready to move-out at a moment’s notice my lord. The lack of goblins in the area has them, and frankly, myself included, very concerned warchief.”

He nodded his head.

“As it does myself. Despite my better judgement. Goblins aren’t know for being wise or cautious. The fact that we have yet to run into any sort of populated settlement leads me to believe that the villages on the way up the mountain were some how tipped off.”

“A wise observation my lord.” Flannik comments. “May I have permission to speak?” He asks his warchief.

“Permission granted.”

“Thank you my lord. My report from the scouts are as follows: no traces of life or inhabitants have been found anywhere within the gulch. There doesn’t seem to be any goblins that stayed in this area. It may be as you suspected my lord; that the goblins were somehow tipped off of our coming. Maybe by magical means of some sort.”

“Hmm...” Their warchief makes a thoughtful noise while pondering this dilemma. “How has the scrying been going shaman?” He asks his best friend and uncle.

But Flannik only shakes his head.

“Not well... or I should say, the same. The goblins have started to congregate up on the mountain. But they have not an army, it would seem that could oppose us. But I have been having trouble, as of late, seeing anything at all from father up the mountain.” He informed after he finished his explanation.

“Go on shaman. Anything could help us win this battle more easily.” His warchief encourages.

But he shakes his head.

“I cannot. Something... physically anyways. Is literally blocking my scrying.”

“How is that possible?” Asks the general.

“Scrying: only allows me to see areas that I have been to previously, or if I know the person involved, or object extremely well. The path forward, has somehow since I have last been here... changed in someway. I don’t feel any sort of magical influences. But we can’t discount them. We are dealing with a Demon Lord, need I remind us.”

The warchief frowns at his words.

“You don’t need to remind me, old friend. That power should have been mine!” He said with a growl.

“What is strange about the way forward is that it ends abruptly... almost like I hit a wall of sorts... which is absurd! I am not sure how this is possible.”

“What have you done about this?” The warchief questions.

“I have sent our scouts up on a head. We should hear back from them within at least another week or so, if we start moving forward, we will then catch up some ground with them, rather than just waiting for them to return. Otherwise it might take two weeks before any news gets back to us,” Flannik said, finishing up his report.

“Anything else?”

“Nothing further my lord.”

“Damn. Nothing is going as planned so far.”

“On the plus side my lord. We haven’t lost any men in this army.” Flannik pointed out.

“*SNORT* That is the only sort of luck we’ve had. Moral would have been better if we had more than just beasts to fight. This has just been nothing more than a glorified group hunt.”

Lirania could not help thinking that she agreed with her father at that moment. They had planned to lose men along the way. Or that the Demon Lord goblin would be arrogant enough to try to make their way down the mountain to attack another race. But instead, they couldn’t even find a single goblin, let alone the Demon Lord; even after almost two moons of marching, they had yet to turn up anything so far.

“Warchief.” She called out to him.

“Hmm?”

“I do believe that the Demon Lord has called all the goblins back to the mountain summit.”

“I agree general... And that worries me. Goblins... despite being another of the Dark God’s races, are stupid, pathetic, annoying little disgusting pieces of shit.”

Both the general and the shaman nodded their heads in agreement. No one argued this fact. Ever.

“I am guessing there is nothing else to report?” He asked his commander officers.

“No sir.” They said in unison.

He nodded his head satisfied.

“Good. General, go tell the troops to enjoy the bear and to prepare themselves for another long session of traveling, but spread the word, get them excited that we are almost there: that we will be fight soon.”

“Sir, yes sir!” She then saluted once more, before she turned to sprint away to go complete her duty.

The warchief and his shaman stood side-by-side, watching as she left.

“I don’t like this my friend.” Said Flannik to his warchief.

“Neither do I...”

 

---

 

Athena sighed. It was almost time. A three weeks had passed since they had started their wall project. 

She had not been one-hundred percent certain of this plan at the beginning. As much as she trusted and cared about Crystaria. She felt that the plan was a bit flimsy.

But after it began progressing. Everyone started to really get into it. The work that Crystaria had set up for them to accomplish, how she was there all the time, using her bare hands to carve into stone.

She gave another sigh while thinking of her friend.

She couldn’t help herself. Every time she thought of Crystaria her heart started to beat frantically.

She knew what this was. There was no denying it. She loved her friend. She didn’t even know how or when exactly it started.

She had known for a while now, that her friend felt that way about her. It was hard it seemed for her to hide it, or to be more precise; it felt that her friend somehow was unable to hide it. That every time that her friend turn to look at her. She smiled just a little bit wider.

Athena gave another sigh. She fell backwards to lay on the grass, staring up at the morning sky, watching clouds go by, thinking of Crysta.

She felt her heart do a little flip at the thought. She didn't dislike it in itself. But it was making her increasingly uncomfortable. Namely around her friend. Every time her friend would turn and look at her. When she called her name. Or even on rare occasions, she just had to be near by, almost as if she could sense her.

And that was he problem for her. She had known, at least for a while, if not almost since they met. That the Demon Lord; Crysta. Had been in love with her, or at the very least, had liked her.

But Athena was sure now, that Crystaria was also very much in love with her. Knowing her friend though; she was sure that Crystaria  was not going to be the one to make the first move. To declare that she wished to be with her.

But that came back to the point of the problem. Since the very beginning, the Demon Lord has had very little control of her amazing aura. She has gotten exponentially greater at controlling her aura, while also at the same time, learned to hide her emotions and keep them from showing on her face. But she has yet to master them. As it stood. She has learned how to hide: anger, sadness, grief, hurt, fear, stress, shock, anxiety, and hatred. But that is her one outlining flaw. She has learned to control almost all the negative emotions. Which makes the positive emotions shine through. So when she is: happy, joyous, content, calm, excited, giddy, and yes, in love. Those feelings would also be infectious to anyone near her if they happened to be present when she was not in control of her emotions and her aura was running rampant.

It was also one of the main reasons that they, namely she; Athena. Did not want to let her know about her aura until they had too. She wasn't sure why she wanted to hide this from the Demon Lord at first. Just that she wanted to keep it to herself to relish the feelings that she let out.

But after she found out, she knew she was going to start learning to suppress them. Which she selfishly didn't want her to do. She loved the feeling of Crystaria's love for her. She wanted to soak and live in it.

Which made Athena come full circle in her thoughts.

She sits up.

How could she be sure that what she was feeling were her true feelings? That it was not just the Demon Lord influencing her with her aura. In one way, Athena really didn't care: she loved her friend and that was enough for her, that it didn’t matter where the feelings came from, just that Crysta would keep giving her that feeling of being loved.

Which is why she was here, at the plateau field, by herself on her day off, to ponder whether or not she should go talk to her friend and confess her feelings.

On the one hand, she loved her friend, one way or another. Which she felt that she could easily go confess to Crystaria and that they could be mated by sundown. The thought of which made her smile go so wide, that it physically hurt her cheeks.

But just as suddenly, her face turned somber as the other thought reared it’s ugly head.

But that was also the other hand as well.

She was also afraid of those feelings. That her feels were being manipulated by Crystaria’s own for her. She suspected at least, that her friend wasn’t doing this maliciously, just unconsciously. It was a fault of her’s: that whenever she was in a good mood or had a positive emotion, she would just unconsciously let her aura come to the surface, which in doing so, let it run free to influence those around her.

Which wasn’t necessary a bad thing. Just an inconvenient one. Because now, here Athena was, back to start of her thoughts of her friend, and what she should do about it.

She laid back down to stare back up at the sky.

Her heart beating wildly in her chest. Her palms sweaty. Her nerves a mess.

She had wanted to train some more today with her sword and shield. But she was told by her grandma that she should take a break and rest while she could.

The wall had been in its final stages for days now. All that was left were some finishing touches.

Crystaria had said to them that they only needed a few more things to do. But that she was satisfied that they were done.

She told everyone, that even with the work finished, that they should train for at least half the amount of the work day that they had been; just to maintain themselves. This brought on a memory of a moment they shared.

 

---

 

 “*PHEW*” Athena made a sound of relief as she sat down on a rock on the outcropping of the half finished wall.

“Need a drink?” Called out a high, almost reedy, melodic voice next to her.

Athena turned her head to see the Demon Lord standing near her with  a cup of water. She smiled at her friend while reaching for the cup.

“Athena would love one, thank you Crysta.” She took a large gulp of water that was surprisingly cool and crisp, like she had just gotten it from the creek.

“*SIGH* That hit the spot.” She looked to her friend. “Did you get this just for me?” She asked teasingly, all while giving her friend a coy smile.

Crystaria instantly blushed at Athena’s words, instantly exposing herself at what she had gone and done.

“Well... I didn’t go out of my way or anything, it was just over there.” She said with a casual point of her finger, towards direction of the stream of the plateau, on the other side of the mountain.

Athena couldn’t help but let out a laugh at her friend.

“Oh Crysta! You really do spoil me!” She tried to hide her embarrassment and glee  with a laugh, for what her friend went out of the way to do for her.

“Really!” Crystaria protested. “It was no trouble. I even got some for a few others.”

“Oh really?” Athena challenged. “Are their names Artemis, Seshat, Gabo, Leaf, Grog, and their sister?”

“N-Not just them! I also brought some for Breeze, Hush and their father!” She refuted.

This news made Athena’s eye twitch involuntarily. She didn’t much care for Breeze. For her blatant proposition to Crystaria. Who did she think she was? That she could come in on the same day and try ask the Demon Lord to be her mate.

But Athena knew that it went a little deeper than that surface level of petty proprietary etiquette: which she knew that was her grandmother talking in her mind.

No. It went deeper. Right where a sting hit, near her heart.

But she mentally shook herself.

“Athena is sorry? What did Crysta just say?” She had heard her say something, but not what she had said.

“...” Crystaria gave her friend an incredulous look. “I said: I also went up to grab a large stone bowl to fill with water to bring back, so that everyone had something to drink.” Her face morphed quickly into one of concern. “Are you okay? Have you been working yourself to much? You haven’t hurt yourself practicing with your sword have you?!” She asked with growing concern leaking out of her from her aura.

Athena started to feel concerned in turn because of her friend’s aura. She reached over with her hand, placing it on top of her friends head. Because even though she was sitting, her friend was still about the same hight as she was sitting. 

She ruffled her strip-patch of hair.

Athena knew her friend groused about having her head patted, like she was a child; but she couldn’t hide the fact that she enjoyed it in some way from the feelings that leaked into her aura: Crystaria’s worries, soon started to turn into joy and contentment. She also started to feel gleeful and giddy from having her head scratched.

Athena looked down at her friend, into her eyes. Crystaria doing the same and staring back at her.

Athena had to take in a surprising inhalation of breath at what she had felt. This was probably the strongest she had felt of her friends love for her. She could not only feel it wrapping around her, because of the aura, but she could swear she saw it shine in the depth of her friends eyes.

“Crysta...” Athena started to say. Then realized where her thoughts were taking her. She took a deep breath to expel the overwhelming emotions taking control of her. She plastered a smile on her face with practiced hardship. “... Athena is just fine, just tired today. Athena had just stayed up late last night: Athena was studying some more with grandmother on herbs and remedies.” She told her truthfully. She had stayed up late studying with her grandmother; but that had not the thing preventing her from sleeping.

Crystaria gave her a sad smile.

“Well you need to take better care of yourself. Don’t over work yourself like that. You have an example to keep captain.” Her friend calling her by her new appointed title.

Crystaria had decided that if they were to have an army, then a chain of command needed to be established. Most leaders were automatically given the the rank of colonel, with Artemis being the general of the entire army: for both her experience and for trust Crystaria had in her.

Crystaria could only remember a rudimentary amount of titles and their ranks. General of course, being the highest. But she had to guess work the rest. When it was time to give a title to her friend, she couldn’t remember which was a higher rank; captain or lieutenant. So she just gave Athena the one she liked best and made the other the lower rank.

Athena gave an exaggerated sigh.

“Athena knows! ...Athena knows that is not being a good example by working myself to hard. But Athena needs to be better. Be stronger. Athena needs to be able to protect everyone behind her.” She looked back into her friends eyes. “Athena needs to prove that things can be different if a goblin just trains and tries harder.” Athena looked away from her friend, towards the horizon. She went quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again.

“Has Athena ever told you why Athena’s parents aren’t around?” She looked back over at her friend with almost sad eyes. “Why Athena only has her grandma, grandmother, and grandpa?

“No... You haven’t... I never wanted to pry or bring up bad memories for you. I didn’t want to cause you any pain.” Crystaria confessed as she stood near by awkwardly, holding one arm behind her back with her other hand. She leaned back on her heel on one foot, propping herself on her toes with the other, pointing her toes at the ground. She had her head tilted downward, almost looking like a child that was caught doing something naughty or being dishonest. She gulped down the knot that was suddenly trying to choke her words.

“I... I wanted to ask, to get to know you better... But I that it may have been to presumptuous of me to ask, since we had only really know each other for a few days when I first woke up. Then after that...” Crystaria shrugged. “As you know. We kinda got pretty busy.” She reminded her with a cheeky grin. But it fell away from her face back to a neutral expression. “So what happened to them? To your parents, I mean.”

Athena took a deep breath and leaned back on the rock she was sitting on.

“Athena doesn’t know if you found out about this yet, but my parents were raiders.”

This put a frown on Crystaria’s face. Not because of what Athena’s parents did. But because she knew where this might have been leading.

“I didn’t.” She answered. “And honestly Athena, if you don’t want to talk about it or tell me. I will understand. I know this can’t be easy to talk about.”

But Athena shook her head.

“Athena wants to talk about it.” She looked about out towards the horizon, staring at nothing in particular. “My parents were good parents. Father was a strong independent goblin raised by his three parents. Mama was an orphan from the previous war.” She paused to think about where to start and what to say. “They met young, like most goblins tend to do. But they also didn’t become mates, until their fifteenth summer. I was their only child. As is the case with most goblins.” 

She pushed a strand of hair that had gotten loose, behind her ear.

“My mother was a sibling of three others. She had two older brothers, one younger sister.”

This surprised Crystaria to hear this, but she choose not to comment or to interrupt Athena.

“They were all raiding goblins. They had been a group together, ever since they were young. Father, mother, my aunt and uncle, and uncle Trapper.”

“Your uncle had gotten a name?” Crystaria felt like kicking herself, for letting her curiosity loose her lips and ask that question.

“Yeah. As you probably can guess, he took the name Trapper after he showed remarkable skills in trap setting.”

But this turned Athena’s smile into a frown.

“But I guess you could say that was what lead them to their death as well. You see,” she started to explain. “Uncle Trapper got a bit full of himself on setting traps and leading humans into falling into pit falls. When I was just coming of age at five summers. Athena went with them on my second and only raid Athena has done. My family had a trap set up for a group of humans traveling the road south of the mountain. They had done this a dozen times at the least: with only minimal of injury or losses.” Athena lifted her knees up to rest her head on them as she stared sadly into the sunset. “The group that had come this time was quite a bit larger. But we had a at least three scores of goblins... We didn’t have enough. What we didn’t know at the time, was while there was a large group of humans heading into a few of our traps. The humans had set a trap of their own.”

She took a deep breath a deep breath to steady herself.

“This wasn’t a wagon of supplies. These were wagons full of soldiers and mercenaries. Once the first wagon fell into the trap and hole. The trap was sprung and we launched from the bushes and trees; but they too, launched from the wagons. Once the first line of goblins were almost instantly cut down. My uncle sounded the retreat. He and his brother, my other uncle. Stayed behind with a few others to distract them as we ran away.” Athena closed her eyes against the pain and the memory that came to the suffice.

“My father, mother, aunt and myself, were all running. We ran, zigzagging through the woods as we tried to escape our pursuers...” Athena took a shaky breath. Her voice falling just a little above a whisper. “My aunt took an arrow to her leg. She fell, cried out for help. My mother stopped to turn to help her, my father grabbed her arm. He tried to stop her, but my mother wouldn’t leave her sister.” She sniffed, wiped her eyes of the tears she could feel leaking out of them, even while they were closed.

“So my father let her go and grabbed me by my shoulders, he said to me: “Go! Run to hunting grounds! Find grandma!” I started to argue back, but he slapped me, told me to go, save self.” Athena took a shuddering breath in before continuing.

“Athena never saw her parents after that. Athena ran all the way to the hunting grounds, but Athena still could not find grandma. Men came out of the forest. Three men. The circled me...” She had to stop to let her emotions settle. “My legs were frozen, fear held me. Athena thought this was it. That she was going to die. But before they could get close: a spear came out of the woods from behind them, it pierced  the shorter one, the dwarf, through his neck, he could not scream or cry out. His companions had turned to look at the friend, so see the spear protruding from his throat. But it was to late for him. The next one got the taller one in the knee. He screamed, clutching his leg as he fell to the ground. The last one readied his shield, eyes weary, scanning the trees behind him now.”

She took a deep breath. Opened her eyes, then looked at her friend, who at the time had tears leaking from her eyes as well. She put on a neutral expression.

“Athena knew at that moment, that was my chance. Athena pulled her dagger from her belt. But my legs were still not obeying me. So Athena got mad; mad at self; mad at humans. Athena stabbed my leg. The pain made me scream, made me feel, made me move. Athena ran forward, blood spilling from leg, the man with the shield turned back to me, just remembering Athena was there. But it was to late for him...”

She closed her eyes again. Remembering his face of surprise as she jumped through the air, dagger drawn. His face going from surprise, to shock, then fear as the dagger sank into his chest above his armor, near his throat.

“Athena killed him,” She said as she opened her eyes. “Athena was happy too. Athena sank my dagger into him, over and over and over again. It wasn’t until Athena’s grandma: now Artemis came and put a hand on Athena’s arm that Athena stopped. When Athena looked up in surprise that someone was there; grandma was staring at me with hard cold eyes. She pulled this one... pulled me up. She shouted at me: “Where son?! Where his mate?!” Athe-“ She hiccuped in the middle of her story.

She reached up to wipe the tears that had started spilling freely.

“Athena just started to cry! Athena cried into her grandma’s chest and told her all of what happened. Grandma’s face got worried, she then told me to wait there and that she was going to go look for my parents. She ran and left me. She left me there in a field, near the mountains base, surrounded by the  corpses of three men. I huddled down in the grass, blood from the man I had killed still dripped from me. A long time passed before anything else happened.” She took another shaky breath, while she wiped the tears from her eyes.

She forced a smile, through the tears and even as the sadness and worry emanating off of Crystaria, continued to affect her.

“Grandma came back. She was carrying the wounded and exhausted body of my aunt behind her. My aunt hung on for dear life. Athena hadn’t moved from the fettle position this she left. She came over to stand over me, to see Athena was still breathing. She had stared down at me with the coldest eyes Athena could ever remember see on her grandma’s face. “Come!” She said. Athena stood, hobbling slightly because of the gash in my leg that Athena had cut. Athena asked her about my parents. But she shook her head. “This one could only find this one. She under leaves like a mouse, shivering in fear!” She said with a hint animosity in her voice. My aunt curled up tighter into my grandma’s back. Athena asked her different, buy similar question. “Does that mean mama and papa are alive? Because you could not find that?” My grandma was quiet for a long time. It took her... Athena has to guess, about five minutes? Hard to say how much time things took back then. But Athena digress, grandma final spoke and said: “This one does not know. If they are home, then all is fine. If they are not... then they are dead”.”

Athena stood up to stretch.

“That is how they died. In a raid, at in a field, defending my aunt. Even when they knew they might have died. They sent me away, buying me precious minutes of time to get away. That is why Athena trains so hard. To be better, why she wants to learn to much. So that Athena will know. So that the next time; maybe Athena’s knowledge could save lives. Athena wants to be better goblins then her parents were: and they were the best parents that Athena could ask for.” She finished as mote tears fell from her eyes. She wiped them away angrily.

“...” Crystaria had a stunned and distraught look to her face. She then closed up her emotions, then brought a happy one to the suffices. She then walked up to her friend and hugged her around her middle.

“Crysta?! What are you doing?”

“I am giving my friend: who is upset, a hug.” She then looked up at Athena as best as she could from at her chest. Her crown, just coming up to Athena’s chest.

“I wanted to let my emotions soothe you. I want to be here for you when you’re sad. I want to be the one you call on when you are unhappy... Athena... I... I... I...”

She took a deep breath and looked away.

She then mumbled into Athena’s stomach.

“I-I like you... like my own sister! Mind you! You have treated me so well so far. You have always been there for me, I... just wanted to let you know, that I am here for you too.”

Athena smiled at what the Demon Lord had just said, while at the same time feeling her cheeks heat up just a little. She reached up to Crystaria’s head and gave it another scratching alone her strap of hair. 

“And Athena loves the Demon Lord as well, you have done so much already for everyone here at the village. Athena does not think there is a goblin here that does not love you.” She expressed you her.

Crystaria was quiet for a moment before she mumbled something more.

“I... don’t... anyone else... love... you...”

“Hmm?... what was that Crysta?” Athena questioned because she could barely understand her.

She let go and back up from Athena, her head bright red.

“N-N-Nothing! I didn’t say anything important! Y-Y-You heard nothing! Anyways! W-Whatever happened to your aunt?” She asked as a deflection.

“She died.”

“Oh...” Crystaria face turning sorrowful again. “How?-“

“She killed herself. She felt guilty for her family all dying around her, for everyone else she knew and loved being killed, she had lost her mate in the raid as well: her brother, my uncle with no name. From what Grandma told me, she went to the water fall at the plateau, then threw herself from there.”

“Oh... I am sorry-“

“It is not your fault. That was her choice. As it was mine to tell you everything.” She gave her friend a caring smile. “And Athena really appreciates it that you care so much. That you get upset when Athena is sad. You are truly as you have called Athena before; a best friend!” She then picked up Crystaria and gave a her a large crushing hug, which Crystaria didn’t even try to escape.

She in-fact returned it. Wrapping her arms around Athena.

“Anything Athena, if you ever need help. I... I will always be there for you.”

 

---

 

Athena came back to the present from her thoughts.

The memories of their time talking and sharing personal stories had meant so much to Athena. She knew what her friend had said to her in her chest. She wasn’t sure how; but she felt it: Almost literally since her friend has said it into her belly.

“”don’t want anyone else’s love. Just yours.”” Athena said aloud with a smile on her face.

That settled it for her. She stood up and brushed herself off. She needed to tell her friend. Needed to tell Crystaria that she wanted to be her mate and her’s alone. That she would give her friend the love she obviously craved from her. That she too, craved her love from the Demon-

She shook her head, correcting herself mentally. Not the Demon Lord, but from Crystaria.

With that, she didn’t even bother to brush off the grass that had stuck to her backside. Didn’t even think twice about going to go get cleaned up. She just went off to find her heart’s desire.

As she jogged from the fields, to the cave entrance then ran into the caverns, she could feel her heart beat louder with each passing second.

She slowed her pace as she drew near the hall where the entrance to Crystaria’s room lay. Her palms were sweaty, mouth was dry. She became acutely aware of her own state of being at that moment. She was having second thoughts on how she came just straight here without cleaning up. But she shook her head of those thoughts.

This was no time to be nervous. She scolded herself.

She straightened herself up, brushing the grass, and fixing her hair; she decided to let it down her, middle of her back length hair: allowing it to fall freely down her shoulders. Her brown tresses flying almost every which way. She took a few more calming breaths, as she reached the entry way to Crystaria’s room.

This was it... no going back.

 She swallowed her nerves one last time.

“Crysta? Are you there?” She called out tentatively.

“Yeah, I’m here, Come on in! Do you need something?”

Athena smiled despite herself. She then walked through the flaps.

“Athena wanted to talk to the Crystaria about something.” She said to her as she entered the room properly.

Her eyes doing a quick scan of the room before landing on her friend.

What she saw confused her. Cloth fabric was strewn about. Sowing tools were laying on the stone slab that Crystaria was using as a table. Whom said person was sitting on the stump in front of the slab. She was staring into a large shiny metal disk, that she had told Athena was called a serving tray. Her friend was covered in a strange hooded piece of clothing that went from her head, and came down to the back of her legs.

“There! Perfect!” Crystaria exclaimed.

She then turned towards Athena, whom had to stifle gasp at her friend’s appearance.

Her friend had made some sort of hooded robe covered most of her body from front-to-back, and from top-to-bottom. Her arms down to her hands were covered in tight sleeves. But that was not the most shocking and disappointing thing that caught Athena eyes.

It was the fact that her friend had gotten some sort of shiny blue cloth, which she turned into a sort of face covering: it covered most of her face, only leaving her eyes and the top of her head uncovered. The cloth was pulled over past her ears and tied behind her head. It was tied tight across her nose, draping loosely down her face, covering all the way past her chin, to the middle of her neck.

“Well! What do you think?” Crystaria asked Athena. She waited with anticipation shiny in her eyes as she waited for her friends response.

Athena had to school her features with all the long suffering practice she had done, ever since she har realized her friend could read a person through how they reacted.

Smile. She told herself.

She forced a smile to her face as she stared down at her appearance.

Don’t waver, speak. She internally instructed herself.

She let out a breath before she said anything; just so she could remember how: the shock from see her friend like that had hurt her, almost to the point of silence.

“And what is this that you’ve made now?” She asked, but she very much knew just by looking what this was. This was not the get up she made for the rangers. Nor was it a modified version that matches to what Hush and Breeze wore.

No. This was a covering. Plain and simple.

“Well, I just had an idea that I have been meaning to try ever since we met the twins. I wanted to make a mask to cover my face. And as I was making this, I thought about; how it might be good be a good idea to make a covering for the rest of me as well.” She said with enthusiasm.

Athena had to fight back the frown that threatened to over take her smile.

“I... like it... Why did you make it?” She didn’t want to ask, but couldn’t help herself. Worst part was, she was already pretty sure of the answer.

“Well...” The Demon Lord shuffled her feet and look away from Athena, towards her feet. “You know how I was a human before,”

“Yes.” Athena answered, even though they both knew it was rhetorical.

“Well... I still am not used to the way I look... I... I am not comfortable walking around looking like I do...” She looked up at Athena with a pleading eyes. Which were the only thing visible on her face anyways. “What do you think? Do you think this is silly? Do you think people will hate me for wanting to hide my face?”

Athena’s heart broke. For multiple reasons at that moment.

Don’t cry.

Athena shifted her smile to, what she hoped, resembled a sad but understanding and compassionate smile. She could feel her eyes burning at just the edges.

She sniffed without realizing she had.

“Of course no one will hate you.” Athena reassured. She walked forward and knelt to envelop her friend in a hug, who gladly returned it. “No one will hate you. No one is going to be mad at you... And no one will hold it against you.”

But I will. Why Crysta?! Why?! Why can’t you just love yourself?!

Athena screamed in her head. She squeezed the Demon Lord just a little tighter. She gave a little sniff as a single tear trailed down her face as she hug her friend. Her sadness and grief hidden by the fact that her head rested on the Demon Lord’s shoulder.

“Athena? Are you okay?” The Demon Lord questioned.

Athena gave an awkward nodded of her head, as her chin rested on the Demon Lord’s shoulder.

“Athena is... *SNIFF* fine.” She tried to assure the Demon Lord, but was having a hard time with her rising emotions.

“... I hate to call you a lier Athena, but you don’t sound find.” The Demon Lord gently pushed Athena away, as she broke the embrace. She looked at her friends sad face.

“What happened what is the matter?” She asked with concerned eyes.

Because you hate yourself!

“Because Athena is so sad for you. Athena feels so bad that... that you are...” She paused before she let her emotions take control and make her say something she would regret. “That you got changed. That you cannot like what you have become.” She lied, giving her friend a plausible cause for her grief.

The Demon Lord gave what looked to be a sad smile of her own to Athena.

Not that Athena could tell!

“I am too Athy. But I don’t think I will ever be okay with what I am. It is just not me. I wish I wasn’t a goblin, and that probably is not going to change.”

There! She said it! Athena screamed within her head.  She then hesitated before asking.

“... Don’t .. Don’t you find yourself pretty at all? Isn’t there at least one thing that you like about yourself?” Her voice coming out almost as a plea.

But Crystaria shook her head.

“Nothing. Honestly Athena, I hate everything about how I look: because it is not me. I feel so... I don’t know. Strange, or ugly. But feel like I am not myself. It makes me feel like I am a freak, or some kind of monster.”

Athena could have sworn that she received a physically punch to the gut. Her heart almost felt like it was really breaking in half.

The concern in Crystaria’s eyes started to grow more prevalent.

“Are you sure there is nothing else wrong?” Crystaria questioned her friend.

“No!” She said a little to forcefully. As she rubbed the tears from her eyes. Her emotions getting the better of her control. But she used them to her advantage. “No... Athena is just so sad that you are feeling like that.” Which was true, from a certain point of view. “Athena is just so sorry that you feel that way about yourself... A-Athena, just wants her friend to, be happy... to love herself.”

Like Athena does!

Crystaria doesn’t seem to buy it, but decides not to pry. The concern in her eyes morphs into what resembles apathy.

“It’s all right; you don’t need to feel sorry for me.” 

“But Athena does, and she always will, you... you are Athena’s best friend. Athena... care for you, so much.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say what she had originally came here to say.

Crystaria’s eye showed she may have smiled at Athena’s words.

“And I care for you a great deal as well Athena. You have been the rock that has help me through out my whole ordeal. I couldn’t thank you enough.”

Athena felt herself about to tip over the edge and start to bawl.

“Well Crysta... Athena just came here to tell you that she was going to go practice more with her sword and shield.” She lied, but also told her the truth, for that is what she was intending to do: to throw herself into her exercises.

Crystaria’s eyes shifted to concern again.

“You should listen to your grandma and I: you need a break.”

But Athena vehemently shook her head, shedding her tears from her eye that threatened to spill.

“Athena needs to do this. Athena... I... I need to get stronger. Be better. Athe- I don think I am ready at the level I am at. Now if you’ll excuse me Demon Lord.” She could barely look at her friend anymore. She didn’t even realize she called her by her title.

But before she could turn fully around and walk away. Her wrist was grabbed by a small soft hand.

“Athena please!? What is wrong? I know there is something bothering you. Will you please tell me?”

“...” Athena thought about it for a second; really thought about it. She wanted to just turn around and tell her everything, how much she loved her; how much she was hurt by her words.

But she couldn’t. She didn’t want to hurt her friend with what was essentially her problem and her fault.

“Please... let Athena go... you’re hurting her...” She lied.

Immediately the Demon Lord let go of her wrist in a panic.

“Athena, I am sorry! I didn’t mean too-“ Her voice trailing off.

Still without looking at her friend, she shook her head.

“It is alright, this-“ She paused to think of the right words. “This is something Athena needs to work through.”

“... Are you sure? Can’t I help you?” Now it was the Demon Lord’s turn to sound pleading.

But again, Athena shook her head.

“No, you can’t. This is my problem. Ath... I need to... do this myself.”

“...” The Demon Lord was quiet for a moment before she said. “I don’t understand why I can’t help you with it, but if you ever decided you want my help. I am always here for you Athena. You know that right?”

Athena nodded her head.

“I know.” With that she walked away. Out of the room, down the hall, racing through towards the plateau once again.

Once she was there, out in the field with relative solitude. She broke down and cried.

“Why?!” She screamed out loud. “Why can’t you just love who you are?! Why can’t you just be happy with what you have?!” Athena cried out her frustrations.

It was all fake all along! She thought to herself. There is no way I would allow myself to love anyone who cannot love themselves.

Athena cried the afternoon away. All the way to mid afternoon. She picked herself up after her cry and subsequent nap. Dusted herself off.

I need to take my mind off this... I need to practice. Need to focus.

So she left the fields to go back to her family’s hut, in search of her weapons to train.