One entire week went by, with Meryda and her father landing in the City where they arrived when Manananggal rescued them from the Alliance’s clutches, the City Byadri.

Upon putting most of her Monsters in the massive building at the entrance of the enormous City, Craydon and Meryda walked to get to the hotel, trying to find out if the Oomans that were captured the same night they left the Alliance were still there.

At the hotel, the receptionist arranged a room for them, and since it was almost dinnertime, she told them to go to the dining room because a lot of Oomans were there.

According to the receptionist, they have been living there ever since they arrived because of Manananggal’s strict instructions so that they could be under close watch.

As soon as Meryda entered the dining room, a familiar face waved at her from a table and shouted, “Look who is here! Come here, Monster Tamer!”

Meryda smiled and went to the young soldier who was seated next to all the Monster Tamers whom she also met that night. As soon as she sat, a female Monster Tamer asked, “How have you been? We haven’t seen you for a while, so we didn’t know if you were still here! When a Fae appeared to all the Oomans here, we immediately knew it was about you, they were talking about! So, you were the one who convinced the Dark Eight to spare us! Nice work! And thanks!”

“I… I didn’t convince them of anything. I just said you guys didn’t even want to be in the Alliance… and not all Oomans were mean…”

“That’s good enough for me, and you are still my hero even if you say you didn’t do anything! Imagine, the Demons… I mean, the Demois are going to help develop Ooman countries! In a few years, my village will have all the wonders that exist here!”

With a curious look, Craydon asked, “Why are you still here? I thought Oomans were going to be set free the moment the Demois started their work!”

“No, we are all spoils of war, remember? Demoi Manananggal explained it very clearly last time. We will never be allowed to leave this country, and we will learn how to become useful to her society. I don’t mind, actually. I could be dead by now if they did not capture me at the Ooman campsite. I consider this a brand-new opportunity. And since I had already got used to all the commodities that exist in this country, I couldn’t live in my village anymore. All the Monster Tamers here are working on Monster farms, helping to take care of all the Monsters there. We are earning a salary, and soon, we will leave this hotel and rent a place of our own.”

“It is nice that you are all settling down. But there are fewer Oomans here than there were the last time we were here. Why is that?”

With a shrug, the female Monster Tamer said, “As soon as Demoi Manananggal left after her speech, a few Oomans started plotting a rebellion, and they were knocked out by the Magic those chandeliers on the ceiling shot at them. The hotel employees took those dumb fools to the Drakes. We never heard anything from them. Then, a few days ago, some Oomans and three Demis refused to go to work, and they demanded to be released and returned to the Ooman Alliance because of the Fae’s message about Demois going to take over all the Ooman countries. They also became Drake’s food. Stupid bastards. Instead of accepting the good life here, they still wanted to return to the Alliance and fight Demois for freedom. As if what the Alliance offered could ever be considered freedom!”

“That’s a pity. At least you are all well. We have been travelling all over the place this past week. There are so many things to see that if we wanted to visit everything, we would be here for a month! But we have to return to our farm. We have been away for far too long.”

“How are you going home? Flying Drakes? Because that will take a while!”

“It is what it is. We live in the Kingdom of Malgudria and to reach the Alliance, we had to fly for days. It was a very tiring voyage, let me tell you!” Craydon said with a shrug.

The woman nodded slightly and then asked, “Why don’t you use a Flying Vessel? Those things can fly way faster than Drakes and carry a lot of weight. They use Magic to protect their passengers from the absurd speeds, so they are extremely safe to use. Even the Monsters that Meryda has can easily fit inside one, as long as there are not many people. You should go to the Flight Control Building to see when the next flight is and if there is still room. We can’t enter one of those vessels, because of, spoils of war, remember? But you are Demoi Manananggal’s guests, so no one will say no to you.”

“Really? That will make things so much easier!” said Craydon, and it was then that he noticed the glances around and asked with a worried look, “It seems some Oomans are not too pleased with my presence.”

“Not exactly. Some Oomans have families in their hometown, and even after being told they can never go home, some of them still have hope that one day they will be allowed to return.”

With a gentle smile, Craydon said as he looked around, “According to what Demoi Azazel from the Dark Eight told me a few days ago, in the future, voyages between this country and all the other countries in the World will be a normal thing. It will happen, but they have a lot of work to do to make that a reality. I am sure they will announce it very soon, probably when everything is going smoothly in the Ooman countries.”

That simple ray of hope for the ones who were still eager to see their families and friends caused a flood of questions about everything he and Meryda heard in the meeting with the Dark Eight, and with the food and drinks coming, it all ended in a massive celebration. Some were celebrating the good life and happy future ahead of them in that new country; others were celebrating the possibility of returning to their hometown and seeing their families and friends once again.

It was already late in the afternoon when Meryda and her father finally managed to escape the celebration, and as soon as they found their way to the flight control building, they asked the receptionist if there was a vessel going to the Kingdom of Malgudria and when it was scheduled to depart.

To their surprise, they found out there was one departing early the next morning with a couple of dignitaries who were going to that specific Demi country to start diplomatic relationships. Apparently, it was a step in Resolution 12, ordered by the Dark Eight coven.

After Meryda signed a few papers with the description of the Monsters she had and their number, so that proper accommodation could be arranged for them, she left with her father, back to the hotel.

The noise of happy singing inside the hotel guided them to the dining room, and it didn’t take long for the Oomans and Demis there to see them and force them to join the celebration that was still ongoing.

…

In the morning, a very tired and head-beating-like-a-bell-Craydon slowly opened his eyes to a smiling little girl who was shaking him. “Morning, father! Rise and shine! We need to have a quick breakfast, or we are going to miss our ride!”

With an extreme effort, Craydon sat on the bed and blinked at the light coming from the window. A smiling Fae threw his clothes at him while saying, “Come on! Put this on already, or we are going to leave you behind!”

“Ouch!… Lower your voice, you stupid avatar… I am dying here. I shouldn’t have drunk so much. My head is killing me.”

In a flash, Meryda took a small flask from her pocket, and while uncorking it, she said, “I have just the right thing! The Oomans who helped me put you in bed gave me this! They said it is some sort of Healing Potion that Half-Demons sell in the market that makes miracles for hangovers! They said it was bitter, but it works!”

Craydon looked at the strange flask, and the Fae said, “You can trust this. We know the effects, and it works remarkably well.”

With a long gulp, Craydon swallowed the liquid and grimaced. “It is horrible! But…” he blinked a few times and continued, “It does work… strange… My head is so light right now! So, let me get dressed, and let’s go!”

Then, a smooth voice spoke from the corner of the room: “Yes, get dressed already! Let’s get this show starting!”

Craydon looked at the person seated at the table and frowned. “What are you doing here, Manananggal?”

“Nothing much; just waiting to see you naked. I was told you were going home today, so I thought it would be appropriate if I came here to say goodbye.”

While pulling the sheet over his naked chest, as soon as he noticed Manananggal’s kinky smile, Craydon asked, “Weren’t you supposed to be in a meeting?”

“I was, but seeing you leave is also one of my several responsibilities. I was the one who brought you here, so I should be the one to see you leave. And if that makes you more comfortable, I am going to the dining room and waiting for you there. Will that be alright, you shy maiden?”

“Get out already…”

As she was leaving, Manananggal said, “I hope the woman who has your heart is worthy, because if she is a piece of manure, or you have horrible taste in women, I am going to be pissed!”

“She is amazing, and it took me a while to realize how much I care for her. There is no way that you will tempt me, so you better give up.”

“That’s a pity. Let’s go ahead, Meryda, and leave this grumpy old man here! You too, Fae! Let’s see if we have his breakfast ready as soon as he arrives, so that you don’t miss your flight!”

When Craydon was alone, he sighed while getting out of bed. After quickly washing his face in a basin set in a corner of the room on top of a small table, he got dressed, going downstairs while still tying up the knots on his shirt, which worked as buttons.

At a table, Manananggal, the Fae, and Meryda were already eating. In Manananggal’s case, she appeared to be eating because she had a glowing crystal in her hands, which was losing its Magic as she talked with Meryda.

When he sat at the table and grabbed a piece of bread, Manananggal said, “The people of the Flight Control Building told me about your voyage, and I asked them that when the vessel gets to the Kingdom of Malgudria, before they land in the capital, they will make a slight detour in Amberstar to drop you off. That way, you will get home faster. I thought you were rather eager to return home after all the excitement you had here.”

“Thanks for that. I was told the Flying Vessels were faster than Drakes, and there was Magic protecting the passengers from the absurd speed.”

“Yes, there is. Drakes can fly fast if they don’t have to worry about their passengers’ well-being. We made Flying Vessels while thinking about that problem: how to get to places fast without being too hard for the passengers. That specific vessel that you are going to use will have some interesting passengers, most of them diplomats, but also a few teachers and scholars. Still, it will have plenty of space available for all of Meryda’s Monsters. I am sure you will enjoy the voyage because you can see the scenery from the several viewing rooms, but there is also entertainment on board. Games, books, and visioning channels are available in our room or the entertainment rooms, with plenty of programs for you to enjoy. You can also talk with the rest of the passengers and learn more about our country or the work they are going to do in the Demis’ countries.”