"Your Majesty..." Priest Latharon approaches with his head bowed.

He didn't question my appearance during the council meeting. Perhaps he wants to do it now, in a more private moment.

"You came to complain about this appearance as well?"

"Far be it from me to question the will of the Dragonlord. If you wish to appear as an elf, so be it.

I came in search of enlightenment."

"Then ask."

"After unifying all of Dro-Ur, do you intend to invade the demi-human nations?" 

"What makes you think that, priest?" 

"Is this appearance a foreshadow of your plans? The face that will rule over manlings and elves?"

"No." I answer dryly. "This was a mistake. I am no god, much less infallible. Once I have Ialdai under my control, I will start working on a new humanoid form."

The kobold falls silent for a moment.

"If you allow me another question..."

"Ask."

"Have you ever seen an elf before, Your Majesty? As far as I know, you have never left the continent, and elves were eradicated from Dro-Ur almost a century ago. How did Your Majesty come into this form, I wonder?"

At this moment, Kheldash and Farat look startled.

Why did no one question me about this? 

Well, Kheldash is always shady, so she must have her reasons. Now, Farat... He knows for sure that I have never seen an elf in my life. At least not in this life. Why didn't he question me?

"That... It's something you'll know in due time." I dodge.

"I see." The kobold lowers his head again. "Then I won't waste any more of your time. May Ialdai fall under your wings swiftly." The priest prays before leaving.

"Now I should make preparations for the journey as well." Kheldash says. The slippery cambion quickly escapes, leaving only Farat and me in the meeting room.

...

Tec Tec Tec.

...

The sound of my restless finger tapping on the stone table echoes through the cavern. The orc shaman remains silent. Even blind, he knows I am staring at him intently.

"Something troubling you, Your Majesty?" He asks nervously.

"Aren't you curious?"

"About what, Your Majesty?"

Ouch. He's a terrible liar.

"About this form." 

"Why bother about something fleeting?" He tries to dodge.

"If you're not curious, it's because you already know the answer."

"And that would be?"

"That I was reborn." I speak as I stare into his milky eyes. "That I was something... before. But you already knew that, didn't you? And for some reason, Ralkor knew too. I suppose it's for the same reason as yours. It's no coincidence he asked me to find you."

The orc shaman remains silent for a few moments. I patiently wait until he says something.

"My master... He was like you..."

"Like me?" I ask as I start to figure it out. Could it be?

"A lost soul. Taken from his reality and thrown into our world." The shaman says.

So his master was a reborn too? That explains how he knew English and taught Farat and Ralkor. But it doesn't explain how Kheldash also knows the language. I assumed it might be because English, or "halidomite," is spoken in Koradel, and she might have been to that continent before.

"I have been wondering..." The orc shaman speaks with a nostalgic tone in his voice. "...if you came from the same place as he did."

"What do you mean?"

"I've heard that there are more people like you. And they come from different parts of your world. But it would be delightful if you two came from the same place. If you were familiar with each other."

"That would be unlikely. Your master was born a hundred years before me. That means he must have lived in our world almost a century before I did." I say as the orc's eyes sadden.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. But Your Majesty, aren't you curious about others coming from your world?"

"Not really. I prefer this world to mine. And if I can, I'd rather not see any of my classmates."

"Classmates?" Farat asks, intrigued.

"Yes... I was a student when I died."

"Curious." The shaman murmurs. "My master was a student as well."

"It must be one of the prerequisites for being reborn. Being young and virgin, I suppose. Like in sacrificial rituals." I speculate. "My classmates suffered the same accident I did. Maybe some of them were also transported to Erdonya. But I hope I don't come across any of them anytime soon. In fact, I hope they live and die long before I have the chance to meet them. That's the biggest perk of being reincarnated as a beast in a distant continent filled with other monsters."

"You seem to not like your fellow classmates very much..."

"Are you kidding? I hated their guts. I'd much rather be surrounded by goblins and trolls."

"Hahahah." The orc bursts into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"The contrast."

"Contrast?" I question the riddle.

"The contrast between you two. Sometimes you remind me so much of my master. Especially the nonsensical things you say. Things I'll never understand because I've never seen your world. But most of the time, you two are so different."

"I'm not the best example of an Earthling." I roll my eyes. "I also don't know if I'm the best example of a dragon."

"I think you're doing great." The orc smiles at me.

"T-... Thank you."

"After all, you are my pupil. My master would be proud of how I'm guiding a fellow of his homeland."

"Since when are you my master?"

"Since the day you crawled into the cave where I was meditating, begging for me to teach you."

"Have you gone mad? Is that how you speak to your king?"

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. This humble servant is more than grateful to be able to serve you."

He bows and speaks with a tone of mockery, yet at the same time, sincerity. For Ralkor Sake... I think I love this stupid orc. If I had known how good it feels to have friends, I would have made more effort to make some in my past life.

"That's more like it. Now let's get going." I say as I begin to undress.

My skin begins to be covered in copper-colored scales, and my fingers grow, forming wings. A tail emerges as I grow in size. I'm back in my original form. My dragon form.

 

"We have a city to conquer."