A tiny dot high up in the sky, Bael soared, her wings stretched right out, basking in the rays of the sun. She had been gone for the day to pick things up from surrounding towns, herbs and meats, special things for a special occasion.

In the distance, she could see a plume of smoke in the distance, rising into the sky. Freezing for a moment, a pensive look on her face, her face twisted into sheer rage, a slumbering beast inside her, something so dark, something that should have been left sleeping.

She descended, her wings beating rapidly, her face moving to horror as she realises her fears are true.

She saw two small figures, their hands held out, torrents of flame escaping their palms. Her hut was burning, her home for years, in flames. She held her claws out in front of her, colliding with one of the mages from above, just billowing into the air.

“WHERE IS SHE?” She roared, her throat glowing red, her jagged teeth bared. Her eyes glowed like coals, her cheeks streaming with cursed blood.

The mage shook off his daze and shouted, “Cast the binding spell now!” As he tried to push Bael off him. Bael twisted his neck, a horrifying crack ringing throughout the plains.

The mage behind her began to chant in a familiar ancient language, the enraged dragoness span around, glaring at him with glowing blood red eyes. His eyes shifted to panic, holding out a golden orb. Bael stood up, tossing the corpse aside, walking towards the chanting mage.

“WHERE. IS. SHE.” she roared.

A purple haze reached out to her, Bael’s surroundings shifting to darkness. The mage was gone, there was nothing around her but a pitch black void. She roared into the abyss, her thoughts mind an incomprehensible swirl. Where was she? Had they hurt her? Was she alive?

...

An immeasurable amount of time later, she felt the purple haze surround her again, pulling her from the abyss and spitting her out into a colossal throne room.

Bael looked up to see a large man sitting on a throne, surrounded by decorated knights, his personal elite guard. It was the Emperor himself.

“I’ve finally got you, Bael. A revenge most sweet.” He taunted.

Bael stood up and flexed her claws, her face was devoid of almost all emotion.

The Emperor continued his grandstanding, “You killed my grandfather and now I will use you to expand my empire. I spent my life learning about you. I know so much. I own you now.”

Bael cocked an eyebrow, “Is that so?” the dragoness began walking forward, along the walls, the gilded knights reading their weapons hesitantly.

“Stop right there Alastrantrezza!” The Emperor commanded.

Bael froze, shocked to hear a name she hadn’t heard in a very, very long time.

“Yes I know your true name demon, you are mine to command,” The Emperor laughed, a wicked grin on his face, “And all I needed was to drag your plaything here. This was too easy.”

“Please take her away. Thank you, you have my eternal gratitude.” Bael said seemingly to thin air. Her lips spread into a grin, beginning to laugh. The whole court, including the emperor, flinched as she did.

“You… you don’t know what you’ve done have you? You don’t realise the true idiocy of your actions, you self assured fool. You have me in stitches,” Bael wiped a tear from her eye.

“W-why are you laughing?” The Emperor said, beginning to panic. Bael strode forward, “I command you, Alastrantrezza to kneel before me!”

Bael ignored him, grinning in delight, “I will give everyone but the Emperor one chance, and one chance only. If you have families depending on you, please drop your weapons. They need you more than you pointlessly falling here.”

The knights in the throne room shook with fear, more than half dropping their weapons.

“COWARDS!” the Emperor shouted, “All those loyal, arrest them!”

Bael continued forward, “Are you sure you know me as well as you think you do? Alastrantrezza is a part of who I was, but not who I am. She didn’t merge with a demon as she intended.”

The Emperor scrambled back into his chair, fear written on his face as he realised his mistake, “That’s not possible, the ritual was completed! My magus assured me!”

Bael giggled coyly, “The Dragon God, Geomyssa interrupted it and fused with the Witch Queen instead. You have no power here and for your lineage’s crimes, as well as your own, you will be punished.”

“KILL HER.” the Emperor shouted. But no one came. The magi and knights who didn’t drop their weapons couldn’t move, looking down to their horror to see skeletal hands, pulling them down into an abyssal portal. Screams filling the air as those who surrendered could only watch in horror as their former comrades were dragged down into the unknown.

The Emperor was as pale as snow, shaking in his throne, “Please spare me, I’ll give you all the gold I have.”

“The gold you stole from your people? I have no need of wealth,” Bael spat, “No, the only thing you can pay me with is your life.”

The dragoness tore through his chest, cutting his scream short as the Emperor went limp. She tossed the corpse to the middle of the room, it lay there, unmoving.

Bael sat down on the throne, resting her elbow on the arm rest and crossed her legs. No one dared move or speak, for fear of what would happen. The entire court nearly jumped when she finally spoke, “Bring me the next heir,” No one moved, making Bael more irritable, “Now, you two, fetch the heir.” She pointed at two knights, and they scurried off hurriedly, almost sprinting.

From the side, several ghostly warriors emerged, surrounding a small battered and bruised elf, staring down at the ground.

“Shandalar.''

The elf looked up, to see Bael sitting on the throne, and the corpse of the Emperor laying in the middle of the throne room. Tears welled up in her eyes as she ran to the throne, leaping onto Bael, her cries echoing throughout the chamber.

Bael stroked her hair, whispering to her, “I’m sorry I took so long, I’m here now. I’m here now.”

She wrapped up the elf in her arms, sitting there together, just glad to be in one anothers embrace.

The two knights who had run off came back into the throneroom, pushing a young girl out in front of the waiting dragoness.

Bael glared at them with fury, “Did I say drag her here, or bring her here?” The knights immediately dropped to the ground in prostration.

The young girl knelt by the Emperor's corpse, her father's corpse, bowing down to Bael. “How may I serve you, my Empress?” she flinched when Bael laughed.

“Empress? Shandalar, do you think I should rule over this kingdom?” Bael said to her partner.

Shandalar smiled, “I think you would be too much of a nuisance.”

Bael nodded in agreement, “Exactly,” She turned to the princess and smiled, “You are the new Empress.”

“B-but you killed my father. That makes you the new ruler,” She stammered.

“You don’t need to kneel. You are covered in bruises. He did not treat you, or his subjects well. I have no interest in power, I simply wish to live peacefully. Rule with kindness, be a ruler worth celebrating,” Bael rummaged through her satchel, and held out a crystalline orb, “Take this, speak to it if you have a question, I will answer.”

The young girl carefully crept up to the throne and grabbed the orb, “Thank you…”

“Bael,” she stood up with Shandalar in her arms, “Now, our business here is concluded.. I bid you all farewell.”

She walked past the guards, with eyes only for her wife.