Demon Lord Teyva Akura, Queen of the Akurai and ruler of Osan narrowed her eyes at the document in her hands and tried to squint her way through the legalese jargon. More than once one entire portion of a paragraph was riddled with words that were a reference to a paragraph five or six pages further in. Ultimately, she gave up and handed it off to Yaga who flipped through the document in silence. Teyva was sitting in her throne, the high-backed seat having changed since becoming one with the labyrinth. What once was a rigid structure of metal and stone was now an elegantly molded piece made of white metals and gemstones.

She wasn’t a fan. For all the looks it got, it reflected her luminous skin’s aura and made it difficult to look at her head on, making conversations at court all the more awkward. That said, she’d grown accustomed to most of the pomp and circumstance that came with ruling a nation over the past five years. Even so, there were some things she felt like she would never be able to wrap her head around. She cast a sidelong glance at Yaga, beautiful as ever, if a bit grimmer looking-if that was even possible. Her face had thinned a little and her eyes had sunken just a bit but she still radiated that certainty and power she always had.

Yaga nodded a few times and then handed the document back to Teyva who took it in a delicate clawed hand, “The changes requested were made, they made a few addendums but they are acceptable in as far as the ultimate goal is concerned,” Yaga said evenly, nodding at the document. “It’s ready.”

Teyva puffed out a breath and conjured up a pen, signing her name on the line at the very bottom of the last page before handing it off to Yaga who walked it down the steps that wrapped the throne room. She approached the stoic-looking elf standing alone amidst her small army of guards. For all the tension in his throat he appeared remarkably calm, then again, he’d been here dozens of times during this process. Teyva looked him square in the eye, “Is my signature acceptable?”

He looked the document over and nodded, “The process is complete, your Majesty, the Northern Elves are now a Vassal State of Osan,” He bowed low at his waist and held out his left hand, “Allow me to be the first of my kin to thank you for your patronage, mighty Teyva Akura.”

Teyva winced at the comment but nodded nevertheless, “Welcome to the fold, people of the North,” she said, making sure to keep to the rehearsed lines. “I look forward to my first visit and to see King Leo in person, I’ve missed our talks.”

“He will be overjoyed to hear it,” The elf said and bowed one last time.

“You are dismissed,” Yaga chimed in, holding out a hand. The elf turned quickly and made his way out of the room. The moment he did so, Teyva slumped down haphazardly into the throne and kicked her legs out, she sighed long and hard, eliciting a few chuckles from the guards rounding the room. She pursed her lips into a thin smile and winked at a few of them before glancing up at Yaga who stared at her evenly.

“Oh come on! I did good!” Teyva moaned, twisting once and throwing her legs over the arms of her throne, she stretched her arms over her head, “Man that took forever though, three years! I think I’ll just go the conquest route from now on, peaceful transitions take too long.”

Yaga sighed, “Don’t let any outsiders hear you say that.”

“What are they going to do?” Teyva laughed, “Accuse me of being some kind of demon lord?”

Yaga turned her head away and pressed her lips together, forcing back a chuckle, Teyva sat up and pointed at her, “Aha! See! You see!” Teyva flopped back into her lounging position and sighed, “This body is so uncomfortable,” She muttered, stretching out her arms and examining her fingers. In this form she didn’t look very much different from how she did the day Osan was attacked, maybe some minor improvements here and there but nothing like what she’d become over the years.

“You don’t fit in the throne anymore,” Yaga pointed out.

“You make it sound like I gained weight or something,” Teyva shot back.

“You did.”

“Context!”

A small chuckle sounded from the spot to Teyva’s immediate left and she rolled over to look up at the demure winged form of Journey. She had been standing at Teyva’s side throughout the entire proceeding, though she had kept her thoughts and words to herself. Teyva had no interest in pressing the so-called higher being into matters of state anyway. She was there to help her manage the quest system. Teyva raised an eyebrow, at least she was lightening up a little.

“She lives, I thought you’d turned into a statue or something,” Teyva mused playfully.

“I simply find it amusing that you now suffer as I do, forced to maintain a form that confines something greater,” Journey quipped, holding her head high and drawing her wings closer around herself, “You might even see the error of your ways.”

Teyva blinked at her, held her eyes, and then shrugged, “Nope, nothing some exercise can’t work out. Besides, it’s gotta be boring being a grumpy cloud of void-ness all the time.”

“I am a higher being,” Journey growled, “The nature of my existence is beyond that of a ‘grumpy cloud’, you cannot possibly understand that.”

“Well then I guess I’m hopelessly unable to see the error of my ways,” Teyva teased, sitting back up and leaning on her knees. She winked at an aghast Journey who crossed her arms and looked away. Teyva snorted and glanced at Yaga, “Aww, I think she’s upset.”

Yaga stepped around the throne and positioned herself in front of Journey, looking down at her from her more significant height, “You know, if your uncomfortable in that shape, you could always join Teyva and I for some morning stretches,” Yaga murmured.

Journey hesitated, blinked, and then snarled, throwing up her hands, “Do the two of you think of nothing but rutting all day?”

Teyva and Yaga shared a look, “Yes.”

The ancient being let out a groan of disdain and marched away, “I’ve had enough of this, I’m returning to my chambers. I will await any actual business there, Majesty.” She snapped and stormed out of the throne room.

Yaga glanced at Teyva and shrugged, “She’ll come around.”

“Doubt it, nice try though, really got the smolder on. Reminds me of the time you pinned me to a wagon,” Teyva said, resting her cheek on her knuckles and looking her lover up and down. “You know, we could just call it here and not see any more petitioners.”

“Teyva,” Yaga scolded.

“Yaga,” Teyva complained back.

“No,” Yaga said firmly.

“Fine!” Teyva groaned and slipped back into her chair, “I’m just tired, I’ve been doing nothing but building my power-base for the past five years. So much for my spooky threat to the world.”

“You keep a good image up, skirmishes with your manikins remind folk that you are still around,” Yaga pointed out.

“That’s the problem, I have to remind people that I’m still around. You know what? It’s about time we got the Four together to talk about moving south into the Badlands, I-” She paused as something flickered in the corner of her vision. She tilted her head and focused on it, “One sec.”

Warning!

New status effect has been triggered!

[Legacy of the Ancient Queen]

Teyva sat up straight, “What the fuc-”

The instant she moved the tiny icon of a scowling gray face appeared on her status bar and her entire world spun out of control. Her muscles seized and her vision swam, the world turning upwards as she staggered forward. She felt warmth dribble down from her nose and onto her lips, coppery blood tanging on her tongue. She felt her entire shape tense and relax all at the same time, her body growing bigger and bigger until she slipped off of the space between the throne and the audience floor below. She hit the ground, hard, unable to hear the shouts of concern that echoed around her. All she could focus on was the pain, the weakness, the sense of helplessness that suffused every inch of her body.

When it finally passed she found herself on her back, the icon in the corner of her eye had dimmed and a tiny sliver of it was now colored, likely a cooldown. She looked up to see Yaga leaning over her and realized her head was in her lover’s lap. She closed her eyes and groaned, “Damn you Rani, what now?”

She’d had Paraklytus check her over numerous times, she’d destroyed Rani’s soul for goodness sake! She’d done everything she could to expunge even the thought of that vile woman from history. Anything to eliminate the threat she posed. Yet once again, somehow, she reared her head. What legacy? What on earth did she leave behind? She rubbed her temples and tried to find some sense in her surroundings when another voice cut into her thoughts. A voice belonging to someone who had never once seen her in a moment of weakness.

“Mom?”