"..."

"Ugh this is like that one time when I'm presenting a project"

"..."

"That reminds me, I wonder if Ella finished the draft- ugh does it matter? I died!"

"...You're quite the talkative individual," Astoria said, glancing at Tiara as they both walked through the halls on a red carpet, stained by their dry muddy shoes and heels. The brown-haired woman who's still hand tied behind her back looks down in shame. "Sorry"

"It's alright, you're nervous, I understand" Astoria nodded. Soon they both have to stop their chatter when they finally reach the end of the hallway, greeted by another long and high door. With two arms, Astoria pushed it open with pure strength to reveal what was inside.

"Who dares to-- OH! My, if it isn't my one and only general! Come, Come quick" Said the large man in the middle of the room, sitting on his throne. "Pour our general a cup, my ladies," said the Emperor, Midas to his concubine who was holding the fancy wine decanter and poured a glass, and with two hands holding the cup, the concubine stridden to Astoria with bowed head as she offered it to her. 

Astoria took it with a smile and toasted with the Emperor. Tiara on the other hand was amazed, she had never seen so many gorgeous women in one room, and all of them were fair and born to be beaut. Her focus shifted to the room itself, it's bright as if the large tall window behind the throne wasn't enough for the sunlight, there are chandelier of candlelight illuminating the painting above, like the inside of a gospel with its religious image but instead, it is a man fighting alongside with a large white beast and four horns, one that is from above its head and the other two is below.

Neat. Tiara thought.

"I heard from a little bird that you have finally defeated Lord Ka, with him dead, his offspring and his army would think twice about attacking our kingdom now," Midas said, loud and proud whilst he chugged the wine like water.

"Indeed, we're able to defeat him with the help of my summon, I can assure you, Your Majesty, that the kingdom will be safe from now on," Astoria said, bowing her head, her hand on her left chest. The Emperor cheered. "That's what I like to hear," his yellow bright eyes gaze on Tiara, and with a curious hum, he pointed at her. "And who is this young lass you're with?"

"She- It's rather complicated Your Majesty," Astoria said, Tiara could only smile.

"I am still sober enough to understand, continue" Said Midas, sipping his glass. 

When Astoria finished explaining what happened during the fight and how the summoning went, Midas hummed deep in his thought as he rubbed his blonde beard. "That is such a curiosity, no matter! what's important is that we won"

"What is your name, summoned one?" Midas gestures to one of his concubines to pour him a drink.

"T-Tiara...Your Majesty...?" Tiara awkwardly did a curtsy without the hand gesture, a seven-year-old could've done better.

Midas turns to Astoria. "Why don't the two of you visit the supreme mage? maybe she might have the answer to this riddle" he said and laid back to the cushion of the throne. "You may leave" he gestured to the door behind them.

With a final bow, Astoria turned her heel and walked, Tiara followed suit but not before trying to do a curtsy once again which earned a giggle from the concubines. Tiara felt embarrassed, and immediately she followed Astoria. 

"Ah- before you leave General Dominus" Astoria halted and turned to face the Emperor. "Chaus is not an easy fret to control, even if it's just a particle of his soul, be sure to keep your dog tamed"

Tiara exhaled, she couldn't hide the glare that she was giving to the Emperor. "I assure you, Your Majesty, she's completely under my control"

And with that, the two left the room, they stood outside for a while. Tiara, this time, glared at Astoria, fist clenched behind her back. "I'm not your dog, nor will I ever be"

"Get used to it, this is your life now"

"I refuse!" Tiara exclaimed, stomping her feet on the carpet. "If you think I'm gonna submit to you then you have another thing coming, because I'm not someone he can just call a dog! I'm--"

"Shut. It." Astoria said, her voice sharp and venomous, Tiara immediately stopped talking, she could still talk if she wanted to, but the overwhelming pressure coming from Astoria's glare, and tone made her feel small, and weak, like a puppy. With her furrowed eyebrows, she looked down on the carpet with a scowl. The brown-haired woman couldn't believe it, so she did shut up.

"We shall head to the Cloud Parthenon this instant, I am going to talk to the Supreme Mage about the situation...will that ease your mind?" The General said, facing the shorter woman.

Hesitantly, Tiara nods her head. "Good, lift your head" and she obeyed, her pupils looking in the other direction. "Eyes on me" With a grumble, Tiara stared right up to Astoria's red eyes.

"Good" She pats her head.

"Stop treating me like a dog!" she shakes her head to swat Astoria's hand away, the General felt offended. She grabbed her by the collar and pulled her closer, those red crimson eyes glowing and sharp.

"You are not the only dog I own, and I can assure you I have multiple ways of disciplining one" Her voice seemed to growl a little. "I will let this behavior of yours slide since you came from another world-- but be more sensitive and know your place...in this world, you are my dog" Her grip tightened, lifting Tiara off the floor. "Am I understood, Tiara?"

Shit..."Y-yes"

"Yes what?"

"Yes...Astoria"

With a sharp exhale, she slowly let Tiara down on the floor to arrange her robe and white crumpled collar then placed a hand on top of her head, petting her hair. "Good, let's leave"

The travel to the Cloud Parthenon is rather short given that it's just right above the castle, up to the clouds. The way to travel to the Parthenon is by riding a winged animal or the more efficient way, teleportation- which is rather expensive therefore most people just ride a winged animal. But since Tiara's summoner is The General of this kingdom, she's been given a special case to use the teleportation.

"Don't move," Astoria said, trying to untie the messy ropes that bound Tiara, when the ropes fell on the floor. "Thank you" Tiara could feel her blood flow properly and the soreness made her wince. She looked around and saw all kinds of people and creatures, some she didn't know that possibly existed and a few were fantasy creatures from where she came.

The Cloud Parthenon looks similar to the one where she's from, although it's more well-kept and seemingly brand-new. "Welcome to the Cloud Parthenon, this is a sky base for mages to work, don't be fooled by the look of it, this has been standing for over five hundred decades now after The Great Finitomni defeated Devourer, making it safe for everyone to finally use the sky-- the mages are the one keeping it clean and new"

"Who's Finitomni?"

"I'll answer that question when we have enough time, let's see the Supreme mage...I want to take my rest already" Before walking, Astoria tugged her black blazer forward, shrugging. "Come"

The two marched towards the large entrance of the Parthenon, the first floor of the building is filled with magical components and with mages using their magic to either do chores, or hold up objects with levitation. It seems this is the lobby where mostly these people rest after hours of work and studying. Tiara let out a gasp of awe, she couldn't help but to be giddy seeing magic is real in this world.

"Wow..." her eyes gape, staring at the mage performing basic magic of pouring a coffee in the cup. Others were simply just too lazy to walk and glide through the marble floor. "This is awesome, I wonder if I could do it too..."

Another detail that caught her attention is that they all wore a long purple robe with an imprint of a mark of a beast behind, similar to the ones at the throne room painting. A beast with four horns.

Astoria was striding forward, when she noticed and heard no footsteps beside her, she turned and saw Tiara looking around like a kid in the mall Rolling her eyes she called her out. "Tiara"

"Uhm- sorry, coming!" The brown-haired woman quickly walked to her side, passing the registration area, Astoria nodded her head up to the receptionist, he nodded back. The two headed to the stairs and reached the second floor, where compared to the first is rather empty and silent. 

And finally, they reached the office of the Supreme Mage, without knocking, Astoria opened the door, startling the person inside. "What in the world-"

"Rise and shine, Supreme Mage Layla" Astoria let herself in, Tiara eyes looked over to the large couch with a person that had a blanket over them, they move and what emerge of that fabric is a woman with dark purple hair, the end curls like it was done by a professional hairdresser, it so fluffy to look at. She wore the similar rob as everyone else  but her's has the mark of a sun in front.

"Ugh, you arsehole" The Supreme Mage grunted and threw the covers to Astoria, instinctively she caught it and gave it to Tiara. "Fold it" and she did.

Stretching and squinting her eyes, she yawned and slumped her shoulder to the cushion of the couch. "What do you want" she says, dragging her voice.

"I need your help" Astoria sat down on the opposite couch and crossed her legs, placing her hands intertwined on her knee. She receive another groaning from Layla, dropping herself on the soft surface of the sofa.

"Can't I do it tomorrow?"

"No, it's the Emperor's order" Hearing this made her groan more, her eyes moving to the side, sighing heavily.

"Fine...what is it?" Layla said, sitting properly, facing Astoria. Her eyes moved to the side when she noticed a person. "Wait, who's the cutie?" She pointed her finger with a dragon ring in it, her other hand twirling around as she silently cast magic that made the teacup and teapot nearby to float and pour two cups, slowly being placed down on the small table in between the two women in power.

"She's my summoned" this information had woken the Supreme Mage spirit with her gape eyes and mouth. She looked back to Tiara then to Astoria with a horrified look.

"Y-you--?! Are you out of your mind? That ritual costs half of your life!"

"I must do whatever it takes to protect the kingdom...and the results are not disappointing, I assure you." Astoria leans to pick up her cup with the saucer, she elegantly sip her tea and sigh.

"Sh-she's a human, she doesn't have any mana flowing through her" Layla said like a fact, her eyebrows furrowed up to Astoria's calm demeanor.

"That's what I need to figure out, and with your knowledge hopefully these questions of mine will be answered"

"Go ahead" Layla then picked her own cup of tea. Before starting, Astoria gestured Tiara to sit beside her, the woman- still holding the folded blanket in her hands meekly moving tilt her side.

"The one I originally called for is Chaus...but for an unknown reason, she's the one who showed up, we won thanks to her-- yet something I found something peculiar" Astoria takes a sip. "A fraction of Chaus soul is merged to her, why's that?"

"Soul devouring..."

The General raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate."

"The summoning ritual I gave you is not just calling out for the God Beast of Finitomni, it's also a door for multiple worlds, connecting each like the root of a tree" Layla blue eyes softly gaze upon Tiara's black one.

"Your soul must have been drifting in those roots, that only happens if you're--"

"Dead, i figured that out earlier." Tiara said in bittersweet.

"Exactly, she died in her previous world, somehow, the reincarnation process must have been interrupted because of the ritual, their soul colliding at each other with hers winning and taking a bite out of Chaus soul with her...which is rather strange"

"How's so?"

"Chaus soul is stronger than humans, how are you able to win?" Layla brought her hands to her chin and squinted her eyes at Tiara as she leaned to rest her elbow on her knee, the robe couldn't hide the milky soft cleavage of the Supreme Mage peaking through the slit of the robe.

Blood rushed to her cheek and Tiara's eyes immediately darted away. "U-uhm s-sheer will?"

Astoria stare at her dog's face, she rose her eyebrows, again and followed her stare, when her red eyes landed on Layla's chest are and saw what was behind them. She couldn't help but to roll her eyes.

"Well let's leave it at that, we can't do anything about it now but to accept it" Layla let our a heave of sigh and rest her back on the cushion.

Clink

Astoria gently placed in down her cup and uncrossed her leg, bowing whilst she's still seated, Tiara looked at her and mimicked what she did.

"Thank you for your help" said the white-haired girl.

"Aw it's nothing, but I am curious, what can she do? She has Chaus soul even if it's just a little, she's still going to be powerful"

The memory of that time in the battle field made Astoria lips curl up a little. "She's definitely strong..."

"Can I check then? It'll be quick!" Layla said, her iris shows stars out of excitement.

"Go ahead" Astoria's hands glow that marks of the chain.

"Alright then, dearie~ come here and seat beside me" Layla patted the space beside her, Tiara stood up hesitantly and walked to the other side, stiffly sitting beside the Supreme Mage.

"Alright let's see" Gently, Layla grabbed Tiara's hand with her palm showing, closing her eyes, she started to hum.

"O-oh my..." Tiara faces turn confused, her eyes would dart to Astoria then to Layla's humming face. "I-" and like almost being bitten by a dog, Layla quickly open her eyes and jerk back, her pupil shrunk in fear.

"A-are you okay?"

"What's the matter?"

She gasp, gripping the arm chair tightly. With a heave she slowly calms down. "I- I saw Chaus, he doesn't like it when someone is snooping around"

"Were you hurt?" Tiara ask, cautiously moving closer to the mage with a soft look on her face, her lips looks like it's pouted like of a dog. This earns a chuckle from the Supreme Mage.

"I'm okay, this isn't my first rodeo dealing with the God Beast" Layla hands travel up to the woman's cheek, pinching them. "...!" With furrowed eyebrows, she continue to squeeze them. "Wow... you're skin is so soft! What in the world" now with two hands, she squeeze and pull them, making the skin red.

"Auua"

"Hehe...now that I get a good look at you, you're really cute!"

"Ahem..." Astoria is already up from her seat, her hands on her hips gazing down with a sharp look. "It's best if we leave, dinner time is almost near and I wish to rest early"

"Aww, can I borrow her for today, I'll bring her back to you tomorrow" Layla pouted, hugging Tiara with her face to her chest, her world was spinning since nose is pressed between the Supreme Mage cleavage, the scent of lavander made her weak.

Oh, she smells so nice... Tiara's will to escape her beholder's arm disappears.

"Some other time, Supreme Mage...Tiara, let's go" Astoria crossed her arms, no response. She raise an eyebrow and raised her voice a little. "Tiara...!"

Opening her eyes wide, Tiara pull herself from the heavenly pillows, bringing herself back to the reality. "Sorry!- I didn't mean to...!" She said immediately pulling herself away and standing up. The color red is still staining her cheeks.

A giggle escapes Layla's pink lips as she leans back. "Looks like your dog has interest~"

The General rolled her eyes. "We're leaving" turning around and walked to the door, it automatically open with the help of Layla.

"I'll see you soon dearie~!" Was the last thing Tiara heard before the door closed behind her.

Tiara, for some reason felt nervous when The General wasn't facing her.

"Behave yourself, don't go humping on someone's leg" Astoria spoke sternly.

"I-I'm not that kind of person!"

This earned a side, glaring eyes from her master, before walking forward, the brown-haired woman followed behind.