The Damned Demon

"It talks?" Rowena suddenly mumbled, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Her expression mirrored her astonishment, and Asher, noticing her wide eyes, shrugged with a slight chuckle, "Let me officially introduce you two. Lori, the should-have-been Dreadhearth Queen, granddaughter of the Dark Sovereign."

"Ssssbrat, you don't have to rub it in. I am already a queen in many ways," Lori retorted with a hint of indignation, her tone rich with pride yet tinged with the sting of past grievances.

Rowena, momentarily taken aback, raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Granddaughter of the Dark Sovereign?" she mumbled, the pieces falling into place about Lori's ability to speak and her regal presence.

No wonder she didn't seem like just a powerful ordinary beast but something more.

Asher chuckled softly, turning towards Rowena with a warm gesture, "And this is my wife, and obviously, she needs no introduction because everyone knows who she is, including you."

Lori rolled her eyes as if she couldn't get enough of him praising his wife before her.

With a gracious nod, Rowena addressed Lori respectfully, "It's an honor to meet you like this, Queen Lori. I didn't know the Dark Sovereign left behind descendants."

The comment seemed to soften Lori, her eyes gleaming with an unexpected pride as she cleared her throat, surprised by the respectful greeting from someone who had a brash alien as her husband, "Sssss, you seem too good to be this brat's wife but an understanding beauty like myself can understand why you chose him," she remarked, shooting a sly wink at Asher, who deliberately looked away, feigning ignorance.

Rowena glanced between Asher and Lori, her expression tinged with curiosity and mild confusion over their casual banter and apparent familiarity. Did they become that close already? Maybe Asher was better at making friends than she thought.

Lori then turned her attention back to Rowena, her tone slightly more relaxed, "Ssssssyou can just address me as a senior. I will one day build my own kingdom, but I would rather not be called a queen because of my grandfather."

Rowena nodded thoughtfully, storing away the questions about Lori's unexpected sentiments for later.

Yet, another question pressed on her mind, one that seemed crucial in understanding the dynamic between the serpent and her husband, "How did you make acquaintance with each other?" she asked Asher directly.

Her keen gaze flitted between the two, sensing that Lori was not a simple beast to be tamed, but rather a very intelligent creature who must have offered her company for mutual benefits.

Asher sighed, feeling the weight of his decisions as he sensed Lori's gleeful gaze; he deliberately chose to ignore it, focusing instead on his wife.

"It's complicated, but some things happened between Lysandra and us." Asher began, his voice cautious as he recounted the events of the last 24 hours.

He watched Rowena closely, her expression unreadable as her lips pressed tightly together, especially when he revealed the part about impregnating Lysandra.

As Asher concluded his tale, Rowena shut her eyes, her face set in a mask of controlled emotion, sending a ripple of nervousness through him, "Rowena, I am really sorry, but I did it for our—"

"You did well," Rowena suddenly interrupted, her voice soft yet firm as she opened her eyes, catching Asher off guard.

He blinked, a mix of concern and confusion flickering across his features, especially when she seemed so calm, "Rona..."

Rowena's gaze then shifted to Lori with a frost that matched the evening air, "I can understand your motivations to offer an ultimatum to my husband into doing what you wanted. But remember... even if the draconian queen gets pregnant, they are Asher's children as well. You won't have a sole claim on them."

"Sssssare, are we really discussing custody of my unborn children?" Lori hissed back, her tone a blend of disbelief and annoyance while Asher never expected the discussion would take such a turn.

However, the air was too tense between the two for him to intervene, and he remained silent.

"I just wanted to make sure there will be no misunderstanding between us in the future. Even if what happened might have been just a deal between allies, this concerns blood bonds. I am afraid such things shouldn't be misunderstood in the least. As a senior of your stature, you must also believe that. Do you not, Senior Lori?" Rowena's voice was calm but carried an edge that demanded respect and clarity.

Lori grumbled under her breath, "Aren't you a bit too young to be so articulate?" Despite her words, she offered no real challenge to Rowena's assertions, indicating a grudging respect for the young queen's foresight. Still...it wasn't that bad to accept this brat as the father to her children. Who knows...this might just make him reconsider their relationship.

Rowena then turned back to Asher, her eyes softening slightly, "You don't have to feel bad about what happened. Maybe this is for the better. We didn't gain one ally but two. With this, we can be sure Lysandra can't betray us... not without signing her own death sentence. We can consider this an unofficial alliance."

Asher, hearing her words, wrestled with a storm of his own emotions.

Rowena's poised, firm response had initially left him baffled, but understanding dawned on him as he realized that she was acting as a queen would in a situation like this.

She was prioritizing the kingdom's survival over her personal feelings, a sacrifice that stirred a mix of admiration and guilt within him.

This realization gnawed at Asher, exacerbating the frustration with his own perceived weaknesses.

His growth as a demon, celebrated by many as a miracle and his capability, felt painfully slow to him, especially when measured against the immense power he once wielded at his peak as a Hunter.

If only he were stronger, he wouldn't have to compromise the feelings of those he cared about.

Meanwhile, Lori, unaccustomed to the heavy emotions swirling around her, shifted uneasily in the air.

Her discomfort was palpable, her scales bristling as she felt this atmosphere needed a change, "Sssssbrat, is this the place you were talking about? This seems too small with all the insects living here," Lori briefly glanced at the people, but her eyes got glued to a giant figure a bit far in the sea, hastily making its way to the shore.

Asher glanced down, spotting the Naiadon Tribe and the Umbralfiends below, their reactions ranging from awe to fear at the sight of the legendary serpent.

But he knew he needed to properly address what happened with Rowena, make her feel better, and discuss the revelations about the Key of Chaos.

Deciding it was time for a private conversation, he took charge.

Standing up on Lori's back, Asher reached for Rowena's hand and glanced down at Lori, "Then you should go ahead alone and introduce yourself. We are getting off here for some other business."

"Ssssss, don't just leave me alone here!" Lori hissed back in exasperation, her voice carrying a tinge of betrayal as Asher and Rowena leaped from her back, their figures cutting through the air toward a secluded spot.

Did those pair of king and queen seriously leave her alone to make acquaintance with her future cohabitants? She didn't like dealing with anyone unless it was to kill or eat them or, of course…to learn some interesting stories or facts from them before killing them off.

"Devilsssss...why does that brat have such complicated relationships with women?" Lori muttered to herself, her words lost in the wind, realizing she had to do this alone.

As she descended towards the Naiadon Tribe and the Umbralfiends, her massive presence sent shockwaves of panic through them.

The people scattered in various directions, their fear of the Dreadspine Serpent palpable as legends of her venomous legacy preceded her, though Lori's attention didn't seem to be on them at all, nor did she seem to notice the commotion she was indirectly causing.

But to their relief, the Dreadspine Serpent gracefully coiled her immense body onto the sandy shore while descending.

Their fear ebbed slightly, replaced by a cautious curiosity as they watched the legendary serpent settle.

However, their brief respite shattered when the tranquility of the scene was violently disrupted.

"KREEEEEE!!!"

From the depths of the sea, a monstrous behemoth resembling a titanic crab emerged with a chilling screech.

The creature, spanning over 60 meters in length, thrashed violently, its massive form causing waves to crash onto the shore and drench Lori in a salty spray. Callisa, with her giant pincers snapping and legs thrashing, seemed a force of nature unleashed.

Yet Lori, unfazed by the sudden emergence of such a young adversary, reacted with the agility that belied her size, "Not so fast, you little Kraken!" she hissed as she maneuvered her body with surprising speed, wrapping herself around the Kraken in an attempt to restrict its movements, "Ssssswhy are you so freakishly big already?" Lori grumbled, struggling to fully encircle the colossal legs of the Kraken as her body was not long enough to contain it entirely.

"KREEEEEE!!" Callisa, screeched in defiance, struggling against this giant serpent's constricting embrace.

Her efforts were frantic and desperate, and she was determined to defend her home and people from this intruder.

"How cute. Do you seriously think size is all that matters, Krakie? You should be more respectful to your seniorsssss," Lori taunted, shaking her head as she tightened her grip, making Callisa falter and let out a low growl of anger, unable to even move properly, "Krrrrrrr..."

The scene drew a mix of fear and sympathy from the gathered tribespeople and the umbralfiends, who felt an unexpected concern for their young guardian.

The tension in the air thickened until it was sliced by a new, melodious, yet firm voice, "Please let go of Callisa. Now."