-Liana's POV-

After healing the injuries inflicted by the dragon, I gave Shaila an earful inside the house then took a long bath with her while showing where the dragon hurt me, but she just stared at my chest without saying anything. Maybe that was not a good idea since she's flat everywhere without muscles and probably reminded her of that...I can't believe it took a dragon to cheer her up though. Argh... Cursed dragon! To punch me in the stomach then hold me down with a paw on my breasts, causing wounds with the claws, and when everything was resolved, he threw dirt on my body, but at least he didn't piss when his rear stopped momentarily over me. This is the second time that dragon almost kills me...is our family cursed or something?

I dress in comfortable black pants and a white tank top loose then grab a thick brush and the black bracelet to go look for Shaila. That girl, couldn't be with the dragon already, could she? I open the door to her room, but it was empty then went downstairs to the kitchen only to find it devoid of the white-haired girl then headed to where the dragon is residing. That place between the granary and Stables stinks...Shaila will need another bath later if she's there. I open the heavy wooden door and go out to find the sunset rays casting shadows from the tall walls, across the courtyard. I can understand now why Lester didn't want to remove the magic lock on the beast, but he rushed to town to do just that before nightfall... I rub my chest walking over the path then over the dirt heading for the granary corner.

I turn right on the granary corner to see Alphonse leaning on the wall, and Shaila on the head of the dragon who is looking at me with his deep black eyes. The space where the dragon is taking residence is wide enough to fit with room to spare and between the solid outter walls and the granary's while the stable side is just a division made of planks. He might eat a horse tonight, but it was brother's idea to put him there, and I'm not saying anything since his ideas almost got me killed earlier.

"Alphonse, Shaila just took a bath." I reproach him powering the bracelet on my right hand.

The signals from each bracelet in sync transmitted to the collar are independant, but anything the dragon sends out can be heard by all bracelets in range. I could peek on their conversation from around the corner, but have to confront the dragon eventually.

"Ah, Miss Liana." He greeted after turning to face me. " Everything's fine here, they are just getting intimate." He explained and noticed the last part made Shaila lower her face as if ashamed.

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded crossing arms and narrowing my eyes at him.

"Miss Shaila just learned that the dragon knows every scent on her body and made her embarrassed." He explained making the girl lower her face even more.

"Well, this is not something to be ashamed about since its just a beast, and not a human." I remind her that is just like any other pet.

"Nu uh...what about sister?" Shaila disagreed and suddenly asked the dragon.

"Dirt woman. Smells terrible. Many men scents." The dragon sends to our bracelets with contempt.

"..." I scowl at the insolent beast tarnishing my image in front of my little sister even more. "If I smell so bad why did you try to eat me back when we first saw you?" I scoffed through the bracelet while getting closer to the beast.

"Pfft...Miss Liana forgot hes intelligent and just named himself after saying all names the little miss said felt wrong, but I'm not sure what it means." Alphonse from the side informed me while laughing to himself again.

"Was hungry. Come closer." He requested getting up and stretching his legs without disturbing the girl sitting on top.

"Why didn't you let her pick a name when you are employed as her pet?" I demanded in front of him while pointing at Shaila holding on to not fall.

Was Shaila naming spree that bad? It always made her happy to name her pets though...right before she killed them, but this time the dragon named himself. I wonder if it has something to do with what Alphonse told us earlier about this beast being intelligent and we have to keep quiet about it until he awakens, but why couldn't he let her choose a name? I recall the conversation after they carried me inside the house.

"You changed. His name too?" He asks sarcastically while pointing at Alphonse to his left.

"Haha...please don't change my name as well..." Alphonse mocked then laughed.

This guy... sometimes I feel he just comes here to have fun at our expense, but the dragon sure sounds like a person even with those short sentences... I squint my eyes glancing between them.

"Nefiru. Truce?" He introduces himself extending towards me the right forearm used to point at Alphonse earlier.

"...What does this mean?" I ask the older man leaning on the wall.

"Seems like a ritual to make peace, but it looks rather unhealthy considering he walks on those and since there's horse poop around here, I recommend washing your hands, but not accepting could be bad for you later." Alphonse advise me to grab the dirty paws and after a bit of consideration extended my right hand to attempt reconciliation.

"We're even. For the subjugation." He announced then accused me for the people who chased him around while squeezing my hand between his claws until it was painful.

"It wasn't me okay! It was that cheap coward guy that sold information about you to the guild, but he's nowhere to be seen lately, so you might not even be able to take revenge."I blurted out fearing my hand would break while the accusing stares of the other two say I gave in too quickly.

What are you complaining about when you also saw me as food? He released my hand which I then started rubbing but didn't ask anything, so we just moved on. Argh, why are they okay with him treating me like this! I glare at the three of them while calming down to continue the conversation. Sighs... I'm still angry at him, but we need to get along for Shaila's sake...

"Oh, you mean that Tayuma person? He was taken care of." Alphonse sneers as if whatever happened to that guy is of no consequence."Miss Liana should talk slower since he probably didn't understand the first part fully." He reminded me of the beast limitations due to the collar restrictions.

"Was dumb then. Collar broke me. Became smarter. Head is painful." He sigh heavily enough to blow hot air down on my face.

Broke his head? Brother said that the dragon almost died when the guild tried to tame him, but since he behaved and didn't attack anyone after, they stopped.... So he was tricking them while bidding time to escape and living comfortable rehabilitating huh? However, ignoring the absurdity that a creature gained intelligence from just being tamed, then what does this beast even know?

"If you are so intelligent then why did you leave the wild?" I ridicule the dumb actions that got him captured. "Then what are you and what do you know exactly?" Realizing what I meant, Alphonse looked puzzled while Shaila is tilting her head wondering as well.

"Forest too dangerous. Bit of everything. I will be... A Celestial Dragon." He replied while looking at the sky and insinuated what he is don't matter or doesn't want to tell us.

"Don't look at me...I have no idea what a celestial is, and he probably has reasons not to tell us more, so it's best not to press him." Alphonse denies with a quizzically pose raising his hands. "However, I do know about the forest predators since we investigated the level of danger before." He boasted nodding and continued while looking at the dragon. "We were not able to confirm it, but there should be wind snakes probably around Rank 8 near the coast that could kill this dragon in an instant, and even Big Red doesn't fight them because they are too nimble. The Wolf tribe of the Northern part had a Divine Wolf that was killed by the Fox Divine in a territorial dispute, but they still have Ranks around 10 defending their land to the northwest, and we found this from fox kin slaves that were gloating about it. During winter when the snakes are less active, but don't complain about the intrusion on their hunting grounds by the wolves who venture south." He explains, and Shaila resumes ir for the dragon.

The Fox clan is very territorial, yet people are crazy enough to approach and steal their children...well, as long as it doesn't involve prominent descendants, the divine shouldn't make a move. Wind snakes sometimes come closer to our town eyeing someone or our animal stock, but the people of the slums hunt it down to eat it, unless it's high ranking ones where the guild organizes a party to track down. Those serpents use wind magic to accelerate and attack very quick and well as forming shields to protect themselves...in other words, it would be a matter of time before they turn a low-ranking dragon into a snack.

"Where safe then?" The dragon asks with his jaw open.

"There are many territorial beasts, especially high ranking ones occupying a portion of land somewhere and our kingdom is the territory of a human Divine, but if he dies, then we'll be invaded in no time. "Alphonse explains for Shaila to tell him since she's enjoying it. "For a young unawakened dragon, it would be safe to the far northern plains of Erydon kingdom or straight south from here beyond our town to the southern plains of our kingdom where plain dragons live. However, humans also hunt those grass-eaters because they taste delicious, grow fast, and can't fly to get away, though they do defend themselves, but it's possible to thrive there if he can hunt them and I already fed him those earlier." Done with his explanation, he leans against the wall with his arms crossed again.

"Fed me Dragons? Delicious!" The dragon praised, apparently okay with cannibalism.

"Ah, I forgot this." I presented to Shaila an old brush I'm not using anymore, and she almost fell from the dragon to get it. "Are you okay with this dragon?" I ask the beast who might not like it since he stares at the brush in my hand intently.

"Good idea. Shaila, wash me!" The dragon asked enthusiastic at the little girl to clean his big body making the black-haired man chuckle.

"...The little girl can't even lift a bucket of water." I reproved the dragon while he lowers Shaila closer to me."This brush is to clean where you are sitting." I tell her while handing over the brush.

"Shaila, eat more. Be healthy. To play, okay?" The dragon ensures she can wash his body by having her stay healthy.

"Mu...you want me to wash you? B-but your body is large, and everywhere too?" She stuttered looking back at the body of the beast.

"Fine, then. Not the mouth." The dragon teased curving up the corners of his lips into a scaly smirk.

"Jeez...you are making fun of me!" Shaila pouted and started hitting the part of his head between her open legs with the little fists.

"Kuku energetic. I'll lick you. Clean in return." The dragon offered in harass causing her to become redder and turned the other way on his head.

"Haha...I got a good laugh, I'll leave you two alone to wash eachother...pfft."Alphonse found Shaila's reactions amusing and kept laughing on his way to the barracks.

"Dragon..." I call out to him solemnly making him turn serious as well with the pouting girl on his head. "Please don't hurt her." I plead staring at each of his eyes.

"Fear not. She's mine. Body and soul." The dragon affirms proudly.

"Umu... embarrassing..." Shaila muttered with her back turned to me.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. Lester is getting a Tamer to remove the magic lock..." I informed the dragon and looked at Shaila's back, then turned to leave.

"Oh really?" He asserts mischievously.

I don't like the sound of that... Brother is late and it's almost dark already, but could it be the Tamer is unavailable? I turn off the collar to leave them alone while praying the beast doesn't go back on his word and make us regret trusting him, then headed inside the house.

-Lester's POV-

After searching in town for the substitute Tamer to operate the collar, I'm finally approaching the iron gates of my state accompanied by the guild employee. To think the original Tamer is nowhere to be found, but I'm inclined to believe he left town because of the dragon's secret and now I have to rely on this person, barely older than me, that might also learn the secret. We reach the iron gates facing the town on the south, and I signal the guards on the lookout above the wall to open it inside.

"Lord Lester, are you sure you want the magic lock released so soon? If something happens, we cannot take responsibility__" The Rank 3 Tamer nervously explains before getting interrupted.

"...I know the risks, but neither you nor the guild will be blamed if something goes wrong." I assured the man while losing my patience.

"I heard it was hard to tame him, but for an offspring of common dragons, I found that hard to believe and it was probably the previous tamer's incompetence." The black-haired man boasts about his ability.

I roll my eyes in annoyance as the gates open just enough for us to go inside then close behind us before continuing for the far side of the stables. The dragon is annoying, but for some reason gets along with little Shaila. We turn around the corner of the stables and see my sister with her legs and a hand dangling lifelessly outside the mouth of the dragon while streams of blood form large drops that fall to the dirt then disappear. WHAT? It's an illusion, right? The dragon, caught in the act, stopped swallowing the little girl that seems to have been attacked from behind, then as my body turn cold, I rush forward while preparing magic arts.

"RELEASE HER!" Enraged while looking at the state of my sister and not wanting to believe my eyes, I proceeded to attack.

I make ten rocks the size of fists float in the air around me, then propel them towards his eyes and jaw while avoiding Shaila's position in hopes it would let go of her, but he lowered his body dodging most while the rest hit the wall behind him. He was impacted in the left side of the chest and right side of the neck, but it didn't cause enough pain to drop my sister who is probably lodged in some fangs. Having lowered his head while staring at me, caused more saliva and blood to pour out between his teeth that made red spots on the dirt. Don't look at me with those cold eyes as if all the conversations we had were nothing but a lie! Drop her...please drop her.

"Alphonse!" I commanded out loud while taking out my sword on the left and crouch down to put my left hand on the ground trying to gain sometime before he gets here.

I let out a torrent of magic and elementals through the hand right above ground then injected them underground near the dragon's forelegs to make it cave in and solidify it above his paws, but having seen this method to restrain him before, he backed away against the wall. As his rear his the back wall and curve the tail to my left, he was out of range for my magic, but I noticed Shaila's right hand moving between the teeth on the right side of his maw. She is still alive in there! Seeing that made me overjoyed and started devising my next strategy while forgetting Alphonse has not appeared. If I could get him to lower the head while closing his eyes, a stab with my sword through the eyelid should reach the brain, and the second method would be inflicting enough pain in the jaw that could make him open up and drop sister then stab my dagger through the roof of his mouth to kill.

I stick the sword on the ground, then pull out my bow to fire arrows at its eyes trying not to hit the hanging limbs of Shaila and get him to lower the head avoiding the projectiles, but close enough for me to rush with the distraction. The arrows bounced off the scales or simply missed going above his head, but got him into position with his eyes closed then dropped my bow and grabbed the sword with both hands before dashing to stab at his right eye with the highest speed possible. Die already!

He recovered his vision at the same time the tip of my sword was approaching, but reflectively moved away avoiding it, then without losing momentum, my target changed to the gap between the teeth that could allow this sword to reach all the way to the brain. Please make it... However, my aim was too high, and the sword clashed between the upper teeth making screeching sounds, then I pulled back and kept attacking at his right eye that is calmly staring at me, but my attacks are parried by neck scales or avoided by dodging the trajectory of the sword. Argh! You bastard...stop moving around. He got fed up with my attacks and raised his head out of the reach of my sword.

If this doesn't work, the last method is making magic inside of him, but our Spirit will clash, and if that doesn't kill him, then I'll surely perish. I go for his chest that can't move much and try to stab the heart through the scales while controlling small rocks from the ground with magic to shoot at his eyes for distraction.

"GRHOUAAH..." He roared in anger after my attack pierced through and started clenching the jaws while narrowed his eyes.