#baltazar

[geekgirles]

The Doll and the Dragon

Chapter 8: Hostile Takeover

Word Count: 28,297

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Chapter Summary: "What was supposed to be a success story takes an unexpected turn when Amalia is faced yet again with Efrim's clear distaste for her, much to his sister's chagrin. But as conversations are held, bad memories revisited, and secrets are revealed, Amalia will find out that the most hostile member of the Council of Six's animosity towards her might be rooted in something much deeper. But the real question is, will she be able to come out unscathed from it all?"

“As much as Phaeris hates to question Lady Amalia’s abilities, it has only been two weeks. How could she have made significant progress so soon?” Phaeris mused aloud, his voice laced with scepticism.

“Well, she is a Divine Doll, Brother. Surely her magic must have played an important role.” Mina, who was walking by his side, reminded him gently. The silver curls framing her face bounced with her every step.

“Then she should’ve been done within seconds of stepping foot into the room. It certainly took her less time to remodel her personal quarters.” Chibi pointed out, exchanging a glance with his dragon twin, who nodded.

From that point onwards, the Ebony Dofus twins weren’t quite the same. After what they’d witnessed, the two couldn’t help but keep a safe distance whenever Amalia was around, not keen on her powers startling them again. Much like everyone in the Council had taken to brace themselves whenever it looked like the Divine Doll was about to shapeshift.

“Well, Amalia said she preferred to do things the old-fashioned way.” Yugo, who was leading their march towards the doll’s garden, spoke up. “Maybe that’s why things are growing more slowly?”

Even though that was what he said, the explanation didn’t sound very convincing even to his ears. He, too, had witnessed the things Amalia was capable of with her magic. The fact that she grew giant vines that encircled the room’s pillars in a matter of seconds as opposed to the many years it would have taken had they grown naturally was testament enough of that.

As always, Qilby was quick to point that fact out, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “Last time I checked, some things still took far more time to grow than a mere two weeks. A whole garden being one of those things.”

“Oh, Qilby, there you go again.” Shinonomé chided her twin brother playfully, grasping his shoulder and elbow and squeezing affectionately. “If Lady Amalia has managed to grow her garden in such a short amount of time, all the better! That just means we’ll get to enjoy the fruits of her labour sooner.”

“Shinonomé is right.” Adamaï nodded. Standing close behind Yugo, he had his arms crossed over his torso, his head tilted down as he got lost in thought. “Why look a gifted Dragoturkey in the mouth?”

The Emerald Dofus twins locked eyes and exchanged wordless nods. As expected of a Primordial Eliatrope and his dragon twin, their bond was so deep they could hold entire conversations without so much as uttering a word. Although the psychic link they shared also helped.

While they remained composed and collected on the outside, on the inside both Yugo and Adamaï reminisced on the conversation they had shortly after the king escorted their guest back to her room once she’d been shown to what was to become her garden. The moment Amalia walked into her room and closed the door behind her, Yugo didn’t waste any time in making a beeline with his portals in search of Adamaï, desperate to unload the day’s conversations and worries onto his brother, hoping he’d be able to help him.

As soon as he found him in the palace library, leafing through some tomes now that he had some free time, Yugo did just that, and though startled at first by the severity which his twin spoke with, the dragon still listened intently to his ramblings. Although not before leading his brother to a more secluded area in the library so as to not be overheard by their subjects.

As expected, no one understood him quite like the blue-and-white dragon. He told him everything, from his conversation with Qilby and his idea to have Amalia grow everything they needed under the guise of allowing her to reconnect with her culture, to Amalia’s eventual acceptance of the role she would play and eagerness to carry it out. He didn’t even spare any details when explaining his guilty conscience over potentially taking advantage of the Divine Doll, either, nor did he omit how grateful and relieved he felt now that things were out in the open.

Adamaï had to admit, he also felt very relieved to know his brother had come clean about his intentions and Amalia had agreed to help in turn. Beyond relieving the burden on their people’s shoulders by making their survival easier, the dragon knew how important her consent was to Yugo.

He wouldn’t dare say it aloud, for he knew his twin would vehemently deny it and outright clamp up on the subject, but it was plain to see he cared about the doll immensely. Her disapproval would affect him deeply. That much was obvious from the way his shoulders, taut with tension and stress, sagged in relief as he recounted his later conversation with her.

Therefore, besides fully believing in Amalia’s capabilities himself—it was a bit hard to be sceptical after both witnessing and being on the receiving end of her power’s full extent as he had—, he would support her, for Yugo’s sake. Although, deep down, he had to admit that this being Qilby’s idea caused him to have some reservations. While he could admit to seeing where the eldest Eliatrope was coming from, he couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive. Despite the good he and Shinonomé did for their people, there was something about him that hadn’t been the same ever since they arrived at the World of Twelve and decided to make the planet their new home.

At least he wasn’t anywhere near as distrustful of everything and everyone as Efrim.

It was precisely the latter’s twin sister, Nora, who broke Adamaï out of his thoughts. “It was about time we gave our subjects some good news. I’m sure they will be ecstatic once we inform them of Amalia’s progress.” She called out to her brother slithering over the floor right in front of her, hope tingeing her voice. “Right, Efrim?”

The periwinkle dragon simply grunted with a shrug in response, causing an uneasy knot to tie itself in Nora’s stomach. Around them, their older siblings all braced themselves for what he was sure to say next.

“Perhaps.” The youngest dragon finally said. “Although it wouldn’t be unwise to keep an eye on her, in case we just unwittingly provided her with the perfect method to execute her true orders.”

The moment the words left his mouth, the entirety of the Council of Six visibly tensed up and unconsciously halted in their march, all turning to look at him with varying levels of concern. Some of them soon chose to mask them, even now, knowing there was nothing the youngest dragon hated more than being pitied or regarded like that. He huffed through his snout at his siblings’ reactions, unfortunately far too accustomed to them not taking his warnings seriously or treating him like he was made from glass.

Stealing a glance his sister’s way, he soon averted his gaze once more and scoffed. No matter how much she tried to hide it, his scars were nothing like Nora’s. He still studied his siblings’ expressions from the corner of his eye.

Both Qilby and Shinonomé chose not to say anything or even show any kind of reaction to his words, they just remained where they stood, with their arms crossed inside the folds of their tunics and the dragoness’ tail swaying back and forth. After them, Mina and Phaeris were the most subdued—they simply exchanged remorseful glances, with Mina shaking her head ruefully while Phaeris tucked his wings closer to himself in discomfort.

Chibi and Grougal were less in sync, though their reactions still showed their own unease at their little brother’s mistrusting nature. While Chibi audibly winced, Grougaloragran pinched the bridge of his nose with his claw, not sure what else to do. For his part, Baltazar was about to speak up in defence of the Sadida Doll, but a pointed look and the shaking of his head from Glip dissuaded him from trying, so, with a sigh, he focused back on trying to avoid crashing into anything due to his large girth.

Up ahead, panicking slightly at what Efrim said, Adamaï didn’t waste any time trying to reach out to Yugo, placing a claw over his shoulder to silently urge him to keep a cool head and not do anything rash that he might regret later. Fortunately for him, his attempts seemed to be working, for even though the Eliatrope King couldn’t help but tightly clench his fists and grit his teeth in aggravation, he held himself back from starting yet another argument with Efrim like the one from back when Amalia had just arrived at Oma.

Something told him Mina would not be as willing to break up their argument in a peaceful manner as back then. He could already picture the wakfu spear jabbed into the nearest wall in warning.

Truth be told, Yugo was torn. Torn between speaking up and standing up for the selfless creature that had been sent to them and who only wanted to help, and sticking by his sibling, especially when they all shared his concerns deep down and he wasn’t entirely without reason for thinking like that.

Not for the first time, the Eliatrope found himself with two opposing forces warring within him for dominance. Fairness opposed Loyalty. Past Experiences contradicted New Beginnings. Resentment threatened to overtake Hope.

And it all was up to him to choose who won.

But he mostly contained himself, knowing what he was going through was nothing compared to his little sister. Even if she hid it better because she picked up the rear of their little entourage, the Council of Six didn’t even need to look back to know no one was as affected by her brother’s words as Nora.

The pink-clad Eliatrope could only look on sadly at her twin’s back. The light in her otherwise playful pink eyes dimming the more she stared, his words echoing in her mind like a haunted melody. And yet, she couldn’t keep herself from sympathising with him, from understanding his concerns and even siding with him, no matter how much she wished to be able to confidently say he was wrong.

She just couldn’t. Because, just like Efrim could be wrong, he could be right, and the consequences of ignoring his warnings and brushing them off as mere paranoia wasn’t a price their people could afford to pay. Not after losing so much already.

Still, what really gnawed at Nora, what shattered her heart into a million pieces as if it were made from glass, wasn’t the fear of what could happen. But the knowledge of what did. The knowledge of what their people lost, of what she and Efrim lost.

As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, the youngest Council member couldn’t help but fear they might never get it back, despite their best efforts.

Was there something worse than staring in the mirror and not recognising yourself?

It didn’t take long for her silence to draw everyone’s attention, their eyes reflecting waves of sympathy over their youngest siblings’ plight, especially Nora’s, who was saddled with dealing with her brother whenever he got into one of his moods. As a matter of fact, even Efrim himself couldn’t bring himself to look over his shoulder and hold his sister’s gaze, the sadness in Nora’s eyes stabbing his heart like a dagger, but he shook it off.

She’d get over it and see things from his point of view. She always did.

Golden eyes darting from one sibling to another, Grougaloragran inwardly winced. How he hated when he was forced to break up the tension. Emotions just weren’t his forte.

And so, clearing his throat awkwardly to get the Council’s attention, he lamely jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, his fanged smile strained despite his best efforts to appear friendly and laid-back. “Um… Should we continue?”

After a beat where the Council of Six blinked in surprise and Shinonomé had to glare at her brother so he wouldn’t comment on the black dragon’s awkwardness, Yugo shook his head, walking past Chibi’s twin and in the direction they were headed in the first place, Adamaï close behind him as everyone else followed his lead. 

He sighed. “Yes, let’s. Amalia must be waiting for us.”

The awkward tension hanging heavily over their heads as they made the trek towards their new garden feel nothing short of torturous and endless. Seeing as Efrim still stubbornly refused to retract his previous statement or even speak up, causing a disheartened Nora to further retreat into the crevices of her own mind with each passing second, the rest of the Council decided to remain quiet as well so as to not risk stoking the flames.

Despite his apparent displeasure, Mina had intimidated Efrim into behaving as soon as they reached their destination, so he would refrain from saying anything while in the presence of the Divine Doll. As much as the mere thought of playing nice with her made his skin bristle, that was nothing compared to the way it crawled every time his older sister’s stern glare flashed through his mind.

The Twelvians were truly lucky Mina didn’t share her brothers’ battle-hungry nature—otherwise, she would be a fearsome opponent, utterly ruthless. Same with Phaeris, in fact, who preferred to lead a peaceful existence unless it was absolutely necessary.

After what felt like an eternity, Yugo finally stopped right in front of the large double doors leading to his little doll’s new playground. Despite his best efforts to hide it, the periwinkle dragon’s snout still curled into a quiet snarl before shaking it off, a puff of hot air emanating from his nostrils. Squaring his shoulders up, he readied himself for the very unpleasant times ahead.

“Well, this is it…” Yugo announced unnecessarily. With an encouraging squeeze of his shoulder from Adamaï, their king raised his hand to knock on the smooth surface of the door.

The apprehension gripping at his heart tightly somehow amplified the sound, causing the soft knocks to echo in his ears to the beat of his uneven heartbeat.

After what felt like another eternity, even though it couldn’t have been more than a few seconds, the doll’s cheery voice beckoned them from inside.

“Come on in!”

Efrim’s eyes narrowed in disgust when he took notice of the dopey smile that broke into Yugo’s face at the sound of his ‘guest’s’ voice. More so when he caught wind of the others sharing knowing, pleased glances. The only ones who remained unaffected were Qilby, Shinonomé, and, weirdly enough, Nora.

The dragon forced himself not to dwell too much on that. He knew his sister enough to understand her mind was certainly elsewhere—under any other circumstances, she would not have hesitated to tease their king for his reaction with an almost impish glee—and he wasn’t in the mood to try and dissect what troubled her.

“Well, you heard the lady!” Chibi shrugged, reaching out to grab the handles, “Let’s go!”

However, before his hands could so much as grasp the handles, the door opened on its own accord, causing everyone gathered to take a step back in surprise. The clear shock they felt remained etched onto their faces when a pair of vines revealed themselves as the ones responsible for letting them inside, their green stems waving back and forth in a cheerful greeting before gesturing for them to come in.

The surprises didn’t end there either.

The Council of Six couldn’t help the parting of their lips in astonishment with every step they took into the garden, their gazes lifted upwards as they took everything in. In a way, it still wasn’t much, certainly not the veritable jungle they had been expecting, which in itself was incredible enough, as well as ironic.

The first thing they noticed upon entering was the feeling of soft, cosy grass tickling their feet, causing them to look down and let out appreciative sounds. Indeed, where a mere two weeks prior the same room held nothing but dirt—albeit a very fertile one that took Chibi and Grougal quite some time to acquire—now was a green mantle, glistening under the afternoon sun and muffling their footsteps.

As their eyes scanned the area, they soon spotted some patches of dirt, each of them ready to begin cultivation as soon as possible. Some even had young stems peeking out from the ground, showcasing Amalia’s progress. Although, truth be told, the weirdest thing by far had to be the dug-out hole in the ground on the far end of the room; some smooth-looking, grey rocks were tidily piled up next to it.

Other than that, which was admittedly a huge improvement from how it had first been just a mere two weeks prior, there wasn’t much of notice. The only other thing worth pointing out was the fact that the vines Amalia had summoned back in the day to encircle the pillars supporting the room were now in bloom. The doll in question tended lovingly to the small, white flowers sprouting from them.

She was perched on another large vine that served as both her personal elevator and chair as she completed her task. Perking up at their arrival, a beaming grin spread all over her face as she greeted them.

“Yugo! Everyone! You guys are already here!”

Without so much as a snap of her fingers, her makeshift ladder was reabsorbed by the very earth it came from, lowering its mistress to the ground as it disappeared from sight. As soon as her feet touched the grassy floor, Amalia clasped her hands in front of her, her entire being radiating with excitement.

“I’m so glad you could make it.” She said. “I’ve been working on getting everything ready all day.”

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, Lady Amalia.” Mina apologised on behalf of the Council; her tone diplomatic as she got a little closer to the doll. “As I’m sure you’ll understand, we had other pressing business to tend to before we could come here.”

Never losing her smile, though it became a little shy under the older woman’s kind gaze, Amalia waved her off. “It’s perfectly fine, Lady Mina. Yugo already told me you didn’t know when you’d be able to spare me some of your time.”

“To be honest,” Yugo chimed in, coming to stand close to her, “there was no guarantee we’d even be able to come today. We’ve all been quite busy…”

Amalia was about to retort when Glip’s mock-stern tone beat her to it, “As a matter of fact, so will you, m’Lady.”

“Baltazar must agree with his brother.” Now that he’d finally squeezed himself into the room—not without a little help from one of Nora’s portals—, Baltazar was quick to add, “Don’t think that just because you’ve been working on official business, you’re spared from handing in your homework next time you drop by the classroom.”

“No, of course not…” Amalia chuckled sheepishly, fidgeting with her fingers. She made it a point to evade her teachers’ gaze.

Truth be told, with her tending to the garden, she had forgotten all about her pending homework. She had a lot of reading and catching up to do. And a report on Eliatrope theology to hand in. One she hadn’t even started on.

“I must admit,” Qilby spoke up as he stepped deeper into the room, his hazel eyes taking everything in from behind his glasses. “I expected a bit more from you, Lady Amalia. Compared to what we have seen from you, this is simply underwhelming.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, her brow furrowed in concern. Growing protective, Yugo stepped a little closer to her, not before sending his brother a warning glare.

Scoffing petulantly at his king’s antics to himself, Qilby had just opened his mouth to protest when a light tap on his arm from Shinonomé made him close it shut. The red dragoness by-stepped her twin and closed the distance between herself and the doll, taking both of her hands in hers in a motherly gesture.

“What my brother means is that, given your natural talents, we’re a little surprised you haven’t turned this enclosure into your own tropical paradise by now.” She explained far more gently. With a smile that was meant to be reassuring, she patted the doll’s dark hands affectionately. “Of course, what you have already accomplished is still incredible. So, please, don’t be too discouraged by Qilby’s words.”

“Qilby’s got a point.” Chibi agreed, with Grougaloragran nodding along. “After what you did to your chambers, we expected something a bit… more.” They both flinched when Yugo flashed them a scandalised look. Not so much for expressing their opinion as it was about them agreeing with Qilby.

Frowning deeply at his brother’s lack of tact, Yugo was about to come to Amalia’s defence when his twin’s rich voice reverberated around the enclosure, sounding like he was nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Looking up in surprise, they found him flying over the room with his wings outstretched and peering down at them from up above.

Ad wasn’t one to fly for no reason, being perfectly content with walking around. So when he did take flight, it was usually because he wanted to have a more informed look on everything.

“Pay them no mind, Amalia.” He said as he flew from one place to the other, inspecting her handiwork. “You can’t rush these things. And, if you want my opinion, what you have done so far is nothing to scoff at either!”

Yugo smiled at his brother. He could always count on Adamaï to have his back, even when it included supporting a third person.

Amalia surprised everyone present when, instead of growing offended as they expected, she just laughed. Her giggles loud and clear like a bell as they bounced off the walls. Once her laughter had quieted back down, a small smirk spread over her lips and an unreadable glint in her eyes, almost like she knew something they didn’t.

“Oh, trust me,” she started, turning her back on the Council members and stepping closer to the pillar by her side, her hand outstretched as one of its flowers wrapped itself around her wrist. “This is all deliberate. If I wanted to, I could have it all done sooner than you can say ‘leaf’.”

“Then why don’t you?” Phaeris questioned, an eyebrow raised.

This time, it was Yugo who replied, “Because Sadidas prefer to let nature run its course at its own pace. If they can help it, they won't rush anything unless absolutely necessary.”

“Precisely!” Amalia perked up, smiling back at her friend. He actually remembered! Then, she added, “Besides, I already agreed to help you grow whatever you might need, but I can’t do much until you tell me what it is.” She shrugged, extracting her hand from the flower’s hold and placing both on her hips. “So I’ve been mostly buying time and getting everything ready in the meantime.”

Before any of them could question her further, she pointed at the patches of dirt they’d taken notice of before, silently answering their unsaid questions.

“So you have been preparing the ground this whole time?” Grougaloragran asked aloud. When she responded with a nod, he crossed his arms over his humanoid form, satisfied. “Grougaloragran is impressed.”

The doll preened at his praise, “Thank you.”

Efrim, who had forced himself to remain silent lest he risked saying something his siblings would make him regret—and who raised an intrigued eyebrow when he noticed the wordless conversation going on between Qilby and Shinonomé and wondered what that could even be about—almost did a double-take when Nora turned to address the doll.

She remained calm and polite, but that still was a far cry from the exuberance and mischievousness she was well-known for.

“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, Amalia,” she rolled her eyes when she spotted Yugo’s warning look. That was more like the twin sister he knew and loved. “But have you been doing anything else?” She allowed a small, teasing grin to curl at her lips as she stared at the doll meaningfully, slowly but surely growing back into her usual self. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll have to tell Glip and Baltazar you’ve been slacking off if this is all you’ve been up to for two weeks.”

The aforementioned educators chuckled fondly at their sister’s joke, along with the student in question.

“As a matter of fact, I have.” She answered back with a playful wink. Strutting confidently around the garden-in-process, she gestured for the Eliatropes to follow her. “Come take a look.”

Yugo didn’t need to be told twice. As soon as she turned her back on them, he was standing by Amalia’s side, complimenting her on what she had done so far. While Adamaï smiled kindly at his reaction, not unlike Mina and Phaeris, Efrim had to force himself to suppress the growl that threatened to leave his throat at the pathetic display. Just a few months with them, and their king would already follow her to the ends of the world.

What was worse, he seemed to be the only one who took the situation seriously! While Adamaï, Mina, and Phaeris seemed to downright approve of their relationship, carelessly overlooking the disastrous consequences it could have, Chibi and Grougaloragran couldn’t help but snicker at their king’s demeanour, whispering among themselves about how Yugo ‘behaved like a lovesick puppy’, and seeing nothing wrong with it!

The only ones who at least pretended to remain professional were the Ivory and Crimson Dofus set of twins. But even then, Efrim knew better than to get his hopes up. Not that long ago, he and Glip had been of the same mind when it came to the doll, and now she was essentially his star pupil!

It was sickening, how she managed to manipulate them all into accepting her with nothing but a smile and an innocent act.

As for his sister…

He chanced a glance her way, but looked away before she could sense his attempts at connecting with her. He shook his head ruefully. His sister hadn’t been the same in a very long time.

Finally, the Sadida Doll stopped in front of a particular patch of grass, one located right beneath the largest windowpane in the whole enclosure, the sun’s golden rays raining directly down on it. She shook her hands in front of her and shifted her weight from one leg to the other, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, clearly readying herself for whatever she was about to do.

She sent them a look over her shoulder, a wry smirk on her lips. “Watch this.”

Immediately after, she slammed her hands down on the grass, coming to bend down on it, and the entire Council took a cautious step back, their guards up. Chibi, Grougal, and Adamaï in particular huddled close together for comfort. They were intimately familiar by now with the fact that things tended to get out of hand whenever Amalia’s palms were in direct contact with the ground. They did not want a repeat of their previous experiences.

However, after a beat, nothing seemed to happen. At most, the afternoon breeze coming from an open window rustled the blades of grass, momentarily disturbing the silence. In response, the Eliatrope and dragon siblings couldn’t do much else besides send each other confused glances and awkward shrugs, flabbergasted by the apparent lack of (literally) earth-shattering developments.

Chibi, who had closed his eyes shut in apprehension, tentatively opened one when he didn’t register any changes. His entire posture relaxing, he let out an audible sigh, relieved. “Phew! That was close—.”

Grougaloragran smacked his brother in the back of the head when, no sooner had the words left his mouth, a dim energy wavelength emanated from the spot Amalia was touching and expanded all over the patch of grass, followed immediately after by a small tremor that reverberated around the garden.

“You just had to jinx it, didn’t you?” The black dragon glared at his brother, huffing through his nose.

“I’m sorry…” The prophet said meekly, his shoulders slagging.

As the Ebony twins bickered, it was Mina who first took notice of something strange. For some reason, the fact that Amalia was back to her full height and beaming proudly with her hands clasped before her chest did nothing to alleviate her worries.

“Look!” She exclaimed, pointing at the grass in front of them after registering movement from the corner of her eye.

When the remaining members of the Council of Six peered over at where their sister was pointing at, they all let out small gasps of surprise at what they saw. From deep beneath the soil, a small, rag-like being literally popped out of the ground, stretching and even yawning cutely before taking notice of its captivated audience. Once it became aware of its surroundings, a beaming smile stretched over its stitched lips, and it eagerly waved at the Eliatropes and dragons before dashing forward to properly meet them.

The nearest person was Mina, so the little creature stopped right in front of her, motioning with its little, fingerless arms back and forth. The silver-haired Eliatrope could only blink in astonishment, completely dumbfounded by this little mystery’s needs.

Then it clicked.

“Oh! You want me to pick you up, little one?”

The little thing nodded resolutely, reaching out to the woman in front of it. Not like it was of much help, given Mina was over a metre and a half taller than it was. Still, she obliged, crouching down slightly to scoop the tiny thing up in her arms.

Before Yugo could so much as open his mouth to ask Amalia what was going on, the earth around them began to all but spit more rag-like creatures, all of them looking exactly the same as the one Mina had in her arms.

Each and every one of them seemed to be made from a beige, rag-like fabric. They had tiny bodies and stump-like limbs, and a comically larger head. Their eyes were white and pupilless, and a thin line stitched along the edges comprised their mouths. A big, star-shaped verdant leaf enveloped their tiny form—three leaves framed their face, while the other two hugged their midsection—, its stem curling after them like a tail.

They were as cute as they were disturbing, and, before they knew it, the Council of Six found themselves surrounded and heavily outnumbered by them.

Qilby’s hands shot up in front of his body in surrender, a bead of sweat running down his temple. “This has got to be the cutest takeover I have ever seen.” He mused aloud, earning himself a quizzical eyebrow from Glip, who brandished his staff in front of his body like a weapon.

“Really? In all our lifetimes, you can’t think of anything cuter?”

“I actually find myself drawing a blank, for once.” He admitted.  

A trap! Efrim thought to himself, alarmed. Oh, he knew they couldn’t trust that forsaken doll, let alone leave her to her own devices! If he didn’t do anything, and soon, they were about to pay the price for their complacency.

Snarling furiously at the creatures, his hate-filled gaze strained on the still smiling doll, the periwinkle dragon crouched down low, the grass tickling his softer underbelly. With his long tail coiled around him like a vicious serpent, ready to strike, he set out to unfold his wings and give himself a vantage point from which to deliver a devastating attack.

However, his actions were halted when Yugo, no doubt sensing his intentions and choosing to get in his way for whatever reason, asked, “Amalia, what are these?”

Amalia, who had her focus momentarily stolen by the intimidating young dragon’s strange behaviour, was shaken out of her thoughts by the question. Blinking rapidly, she turned back to Yugo.

“Huh?” Was her eloquent answer.

“These,” the Eliatrope King asked, gesturing down at the little creatures smiling up at him. “What are they?”

“Oh!” That seemed to do the trick. The triumphant grin back on her face, she gestured with both hands at the small army she had literally grown out of her garden. “These are my Sadida dolls. Aren’t they perfect?”

A heavy sense of bewilderment overtook the entirety of the Council, all of them looking at the Divine Doll as if she had just grown a second head. Even Efrim was too flabbergasted to stand up from his position on the floor.

“Um…forgive me if I’m wrong,” Adamaï broke the silence, coughing awkwardly into his claw, “but aren’t you a Sadida Doll?”

“I’m Sadida’s doll.” She corrected, matter-of-factly.

He nodded, at a loss. “Right, right…”

“And you created them?” Phaeris added, staring with an eyebrow raised as a few dolls climbed up his back and swung from his wings. Growing irritated, he groaned and flapped the appendages rapidly to shake them off.

“That’s right.” She nodded.

“So, you’re their mother…” Qilby muttered, only to receive a shake of her head from Amalia.

“Nope.” She said, popping the ‘p’.

“But you just said you’re Sadida’s doll, and we all know he is your father.” Chibi commented, struggling to follow the conversation.

“Father created me as my own being, therefore, he is my father. Sadidas sew their own dolls and are synchronised with them, but they are not their parents.”

“Synchronised…?” Glip could already feel his head spinning.

“Um, Lady Amalia?” Shinonomé called out to her. “I’m afraid we’re going to need you to explain what’s going on. Whatever it is that… this is, clearly eludes us.”

With a patient smile and a nod, the Divine Doll gestured at the Eliatrope Council to take a seat. The latter exchanged confused glances, assuming she meant they sat down on the ground, but they all collectively yelped when each of them was suddenly scooped up by a series of large flowers, their petals arranged so they’d resemble armrests. The only exception was Baltazar who, due to his sheer size in his dragon form, limited himself to contently laying down on the grass with a shrug.

Amalia herself reclined back in the human-sized rosebud she’d summoned with a flick of her wrist. She was surrounded by several of her dolls as she spoke:

“Sadidas are known for their animated dolls.” She started, playing absentmindedly with one of the rag creatures on her lap. “As you can probably guess, it all started as a way to honour Sadida’s creation of his Divine Dolls.”

“Yeah, but… They don’t look anything like you…” Chibi interrupted, earning himself nods of assent from some of the other council members.

“Are you sure?” Amalia shot back, a playful smirk on her lips.

The black-wearing Eliatrope had a very good inkling that it’d be rude to just gesture at the doll’s general direction to bring attention to her very human-looking body as way of answer. So, he pursed his lips in a thin line and simply nodded. “Mm-hmmm…”

Never losing her wry smile but not saying a word either, the Divine Doll simply raised an eyebrow. Then, she disappeared behind a puff of smoke. When the wisps dissipated, in her place was the same dark rag doll they saw in the throne room back when Master Joris ‘introduced’ himself only to eventually extend them an invitation to Bonta.

Now that she was standing beside the other dolls, she turned out to be barely taller than them, and only because of the tuft of green hair on top of her head giving her a few extra centimetres on them.

While Chibi gaped, it was Grougal by his side who voiced his thoughts, “Grougaloragran forgot she could do that…”

Meanwhile, Mina had brought her hands to her face, while Yugo was pinching the bridge of his nose in second-hand embarrassment. The rest of their siblings were trying to contain their laughter at the Ebony Twins’ expense with varying degrees of success. Except for Efrim, who grumbled quietly to himself and burrowed himself deeper into the flower’s folds.

Giggling at their reaction, another puff of smoke enveloped Amalia, bringing back her mahogany curves, and luscious emerald hair. “If you think we Sadida Dolls don’t look alike, Chibi, you should see my older sisters.”

“Huh?”

“Father got better the more he practised.” She explained simply.

“Anyway,” Yugo cut in, desperate to move the conversation along and not to have his siblings embarrassing themselves in front of their guest further. “You were explaining why you created your own dolls, Amalia.”

“Oh! That’s right.” She got a little more comfortable in her seat. “As I was saying, doll crafting became a crucial part of Sadida culture. In fact, alongside nature itself, dolls are a Sadida’s best weapons.”

“Weapons?” Efrim echoed, alarmed. He narrowed his gaze in suspicion on the ragdoll standing at the end of his tail. Squeaking in fright, it immediately scurried off, the dragon’s intense gaze terrifying it to the core. “So, you’re saying these little dolls can actually cause harm?”

Amalia wasn’t faring much better than the doll. If she could, she would be running away from Efrim’s questioning, too. But she didn’t have that luxury.

Swallowing the scared whimper that threatened to leave her throat with an audible gulp, she stammered, “Y-yeah. Th-that’s a way of putting it, I suppose…”

“Explain.” He leaned closer in his seat, his interest (and suspicion) piqued. In the meantime, a quivering Amalia couldn’t help but wonder who anyone was able to make a single word sound like the most threatening of orders.

“Efrim.” Yugo hissed, a blue warning flashing through his eyes. Even Mina was sending him a stern look to get him to ease up on their guest. But their younger brother just ignored them, his focus strained on the squirming Sadida Doll.

“It’s… Um, it’s as I said.” She tried; her voice tremulous under Efrim’s unforgiving scrutiny. “Thanks to the magic used while crafting them, Sadida Dolls are synchronised with their owners, hence, they obey their every wish and command and reflect their masters’ physical state.”

“And that makes them weapons?” He pressed on, like a Bow Wow with a bone.

“Efrim.” Phaeris groaned. Chibi and Grougal were discreetly shaking their heads for the periwinkle dragon to stop.

“Erm, no. What allows them to serve as weapons is their very nature as animated ragdolls. Since they’re not technically alive, they can take hits meant for their master without suffering any real damage, just like they also serve for a wide variety of purposes.”

“What purposes?” Qilby perked up, glad to finally have something to become invested in amidst Efrim’s thinly disguised questioning of the Sadida demigoddess.

“Qilby!” Shinonomé chided her twin, flashing him an incredulous look. She rolled her eyes until they reached the back of her head when all he could do to defend himself was shrug defensively.

Amalia squirmed in her seat, her mouth dry. She was just about to reply when Yugo leaned over and placed his hand on top of hers, smiling at her softly, reassuringly.

Immediately, she felt like she could finally breathe again.

“You don’t have to answer, Amalia. Qilby,” he glared at the bespectacled Eliatrope over his shoulder, “is just being his overly curious, overly annoying self. Don’t pay him any mind.”

“I resent that…” The overly curious and annoying Eliatrope in question mumbled, crossing his arms childishly.

The sincerity, warmth, and care reflected in Yugo’s dark brown eyes was enough to make Amalia want to melt into a puddle of goo, her heart fluttering in her ribcage at the out he was giving her, knowing his family was making her uncomfortable.

Her eyes fell to the ground.

As easy as it would be, she couldn’t take that out. It wouldn’t be right. It was her who had summoned the Council of Six to her garden in order to show them her progress, especially what she’d accomplished with her dolls. She owed it to them, to Yugo, and to herself to see this through, regardless of how uncomfortable Efrim’s attitude towards her was making her feel.

“It’s okay, Yugo. Thanks.” She told him softly, giving his hand a soft squeeze before letting go. “I was planning on telling you guys about it anyway.”

She had to keep her smile from widening when she noticed Yugo hadn’t returned to his seat but had come to stand protectively beside her. Even if she knew it was out of loyalty to his twin, she still felt grateful when Adamaï took his place on the other side of her.

She cooled her features into a calm, confident expression. “To answer your question, Qilby, Sadida dolls aren’t just great at taking hits meant for others, they can also harmlessly inhale toxic substances, grow in size, cushion falls…”

“Sounds like the Sadida equivalent of a Sram army knife.” Nora noted sarcastically, amused. She had to force herself to ignore the betrayed look her twin was sending her for daring to treat the Divine Doll cordially, as well as the pang of pain that threatened to overwhelm her.

“Wait until I grow the explosive ones!” Amalia laughed, already thinking about all the possibilities laid before her. She was so enthralled in her own thoughts, she didn’t notice the scandalised looks from everyone around her.

“…I’m sorry, what?” Adamaï, who had picked one of the dolls up and had been playing with it, asked, dumbfounded. In his unease, he absentmindedly dropped the doll to the floor. Upon hitting the grass, the offended little creature began to wave its fist frantically in his direction and demand an apology from him.

While Ad raised his claws up in surrender at the irate doll, Amalia went on, undeterred, “As I’m sure you can imagine, their versatility, combined with the fact that they obey their master without question, as I already said, makes them extremely useful assets.”

“That goes without question.” Glip agreed, leaning forward with his clasped hands over his knees. “But the better question is, why did you craft them, my Lady?”

That was the question running through everyone’s minds, even Yugo’s. But especially Efrim’s. It was undeniable that there was something very suspicious about what was essentially the god’s peace offering making her own weapons, ones she had just openly admitted were a force to be reckoned with.

Moreover, ones that, due to their very nature, would obey only her, and hence, served no real purpose to the Eliatrope race.

Amalia’s explanation, how she wanted to remain a little closer to her Sadida roots by following one of their most sacred customs as per Yugo’s suggestion, did nothing to alleviate the young dragon’s worries. Quite the contrary, he could feel the pit in his stomach growing deeper and deeper with every second that passed.

She talked about her divine father and sisters and her time in Inglorium. About how, despite his previous feat at literally creating life all by himself, Sadida himself was extremely reluctant to craft any more dolls, even if they weren’t divine—which had to be about the only thing Efrim could believe, judging from the commotion the Leafy God’s youngest child’s birth had caused since the sister preceding her had been born centuries earlier. And how she remembered her sister Dathura—the aforementioned sister that preceded her—had her own horde of loyal dolls she created herself.

He didn’t need Qilby and Shinonomé’s divine gift to know that had to be the flimsiest excuse he had ever heard. As far as he was concerned, manufacturing weapons wasn’t an appropriate way to deal with homesickness!

(Unless you were a Rogue, as he would learn later on).

The whole thing reeked of ulterior motives, and it was becoming damn near impossible to keep himself from roaring in outrage and lunging himself at the Divine Doll to put an end to her machinations once and for all. He was already losing his grip on his worst impulses, if the furious flicking of his long tail was any indication.

But that was nothing compared to how powerless he felt when his siblings chose to remain blind to the clear signs of something sinister going on beneath the surface. Instead, they insisted on giving the doll chances to redeem herself, even though, not that long ago, they would not have hesitated to put an end to their enemy’s misery if it meant protecting their people by any means necessary.

It was as if they simply refused to see what was right under their noses right until the very moment it bit them in the arse.

Somehow, the fact that it was Qilby and Shinonomé who seemed the most understanding of her after Yugo and Adamaï hurt even more. How could they? What happened to their divine gift, the very same one they never stopped alluding to whenever they had the chance? Did they suddenly not remember all the hardships and horrors their people had gone through during the war?

“My, Lady Amalia. You have quite a way to keep your origins close to your heart.” Qilby chuckled airily, leaning back on his seat and adjusting his glasses over the bridge of his nose.

“Indeed. It’s not every day we hear of people crafting weapons to deal with their homesickness.” The red dragoness added, her tail resting on her lap leisurely.

“That’s because you have yet to meet the Rogues.” Amalia pointed out, taking everyone aback by the casualness of her answer. “The only thing they love more than making bombs and setting up ambushes to rob people blind is their family.”

Yugo leaned closer to his twin. “Ad, remind me to never accept an invitation to a family dinner in a Rogue’s home if I can help it.” He whispered.

“Ditto.”

“So, that’s the only reason you’ve been working on your dolls?” Chibi pressed on, examining a doll that had been playfully tugging at his hood closely. As a fellow master craftsman—even if his interests lay elsewhere—, he had to admit they were extremely good quality. And the fact that they were so full of life and yet decidedly not alive was beyond incredible. He flashed an unreadable look at Amalia from underneath his lashes. “To add a little bit of Sadida to your, as of late, Eliatrope-centric existence?”

Smiling softly to herself, growing bashful all of a sudden, Amalia brought a hand to her heart. A sudden prayer to her father to give her strength and help her steel her resolve as she admitted the other reason her little passion project had almost entirely taken over while she waited for further instructions from the Council.

“Truth be told,” she started, her gaze locking with the Eliatrope King’s warm, brown eyes, her grin widening, unbidden. “I actually wanted to contribute to your kingdom in any way I can.”

“But Lady Amalia, Baltazar doesn’t understand. Isn’t this garden supposed to be of help to us in the first place?” The beige dragon pointed out, perking up from his position on the ground. His diminutive wings likewise flattered, a clear sign of his curiosity. “Why would you need to craft your own Sadida dolls, too?”

“Because just like with this garden,” she gestured around, “this way, I feel like I can take on a more active role as I help you gain the Twelvians’ acceptance.”

“By providing us with weapons?” Phaeris found himself asking, sharing a look with his sister. And baring his sharp canines at the dolls that still tried to climb him like some mere monkey bars.

“In case any nation feels especially disinclined to welcoming you.” She retorted, a shadow passing over her features even as she remained the perfect picture of poise and calmness. “By leading my dolls or ordering them to listen to you and your soldiers, your people would gain a new line of defence; one they most likely would not have been expecting.”

Efrims’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when Nora said, “Amalia, you really don’t have to go this far for us…”

As the young dragon could only watch the scene, hopelessness and deep-seated resentment taking root in his heart, that forsaken doll had the nerve to smile warmly and gratefully at her, before glancing up at Yugo, her intentions so clear, they could hardly be called hidden.

“You’ve already done so much for me, Nora. Trust me, this is the least I can do.”

Efrim couldn’t take it anymore. Without another word, he slithered out of his seat and dashed out of the door, ignoring his siblings’ calls and questions. But in his haste, he had missed how Nora’s eyes were trained on him, observing his every move. They had been since they agreed on visiting the garden that same morning, in fact.

The pink light of her irises dimming in sadness and regret, Nora pulled her mask up and averted her gaze, not wanting anyone to notice the stray tear streaming down her cheek. 

................................................................................................................

Nighttime used to be her favourite part of the day because of the quiet it brought. Well, her favourite part of the day after morning, when the sound of their native world’s birds singing would rouse her from her sleep and make her jump from her bed to kickstart her duties and encourage the rest of their people to abandon Draconiros’ realm and welcome the new day. And after noon, when everyone would gather around the table and feast on the chefs’ mouthwatering cooking while they recounted their daily misadventures, their bellies full and their hearts even fuller. And after the evening, when the sun’s dying rays would shine down on them, the lazy comfort it brought providing a much-needed respite from their hectic days. And dinner time wasn’t nothing to scoff at either…

Thinking back, she used to love a lot of things.

Now, however?

Now she couldn’t be bothered to find the strength to show genuine interest for anything other than her duties and spending some time with her siblings. And even that could be emotionally and physically taxing after a while. Some days she had to force herself to tease Yugo over his refusal to admit his feelings for Amalia lest she risked they noticed something amiss with her.

She couldn’t decide whether it was all because she was on a different planet and needed time to adjust, or if she was the one who was different. It was even harder to accept she might never be the same.

When she first noticed the changes, the vast expanse of the Krosmoz was her unfailing companion, its stars as endless as the doubts plaguing her mind after the war. Suddenly, her people had to find warmth and comfort in the small things, mainly in each other, instead of turning to their Joybringer for help.

Not like she would have been of much help in the first place.

Seemingly overnight, she went from brimming with life, fluttering around to see how she could be of help with her twin dragon in tow, to quiet and withdrawn. Lifeless. Pretty much like their homeworld after it had been ravaged by the horrors they endured. Her siblings, noticing her abrupt change in demeanour, tried reaching out to her, asking if she was okay or if there was anything they could do to help.

She always replied the same:

“I’m fine.”

But one night, or day, or mid-afternoon snack, or even week—it was hard to tell the time with no dawn or sunset—, after another fitful sleep that left her even more tired than when she first laid down to rest; the truth became impossible to ignore.

She was not fine.

Perhaps the fact that her usual cheerfulness and joie de vivre had been overwhelmed by panic, uncertainty, and the will to survive, tempered with her ability to sense it all sooner—the adrenaline coursing through her veins and fuelling her every waking moment shielding her from the effects of her own mental and physical exhaustion—, but she certainly didn’t remember feeling like this ever before. She could have always asked Qilby if there had been a point in their lives where something similar had happened, but she would essentially be admitting something was wrong with her, after all. The sole possibility scared her more than whatever answer Qilby might have provided.

But as soon as surviving stopped being their driving force?

It was as if she had left her soul back on their home planet.

In a way, she had. They all had.

They had essentially left their lives behind.

After a while, she gave up trying to look for answers to her new emotional state. Most of the time she even gave up trying to get some rest—sleep was always eluding her, anyway. So, she settled for spending her nights in quiet contemplation, her eyes, the colour of the Stasis emanating from their father’s almost ethereal form, fixated on the stellar mantle above her head, her thoughts lost in its infinite abyss. Her bed, untouched. If she was lucky, exhaustion would eventually win the battle, causing her to fall into a restless slumber right where she was, with her arms laying across her lap, her back leaned against her window frame while she was perched on the windowsill with one knee close to herself and her other leg stretched out.

And if she didn’t fall asleep… Well, there were some perks to no longer being able to fulfil your duty as your people’s Joybringer; you got to fall asleep wherever and whenever you wanted.

She only had to be careful not to fall asleep during a Council meeting, lest she risked alerting her siblings of her current state. Now wasn’t the time to worry over something as silly as her insomnia.

Of course, there was one sibling she could never hide anything from. Just like his attempts at keeping her in the dark would always be futile.

She didn’t even need to open her eyes to know he was there. Even without the soft sound of his landing inside her room announcing his presence, she would always be able to tell where he was.

“We need to talk.”

Straight to business as always, huh? She honestly didn’t know if the fact that he had changed too should bring a small consolation to her or make her fall deeper into despair.

“Hello to you too, Efrim.” She deadpanned; her pale eyelids shut. “How are you this fine evening?”

“I’m serious, Nora. We need to talk.”

“When aren’t you serious?” She scoffed. With a sigh, she slid her legs over to the side until they were firmly planted on the cold, polished stone of her floor, and hoisted herself up to properly talk to her twin.

Her ivory skin shining under the moonlight while her robes hid her body from sight, the pink of her eyes seemed to shine brightly in the dark. Her gaze as piercing and hypnotic as a Meow Meow’s as it settled on the dragon.

“So? To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“It’s about the doll.” Efrim cut straight to the chase, paying no mind to his twin’s usual sense of sarcasm.

“Why am I not surprised you’d want to interrupt my beauty sleep over that?” She muttered, moving past her twin and towards a small corner of her room. Close to her window but standing on the opposite side to her door, were two wicker loveseats surrounding a small coffee table. A remnant from Nora’s past self, from when she would welcome anyone into her room just to chat amicably between friends; a fragment of herself she chose to keep even now that the only person who visited her room regularly was Efrim.

And usually just to complain. Right as he was about to do.

Really, it was the same song and dance they’d been doing since Amalia arrived. She’d be a fool not to see where he was trying to get at the moment he slithered into her room.

But ranting was Efrim’s way of escaping his own demons, so she let him rant his little heart out. And after today’s events at the garden, she knew he especially needed it.

“Don’t give me that, Nora.” He called her out on her flimsy excuse. A rare, amused smile graced the Turquoise Twins’ lips at the familiarity of their good-natured teasing. It was a small comfort. “We both know you have the sleeping schedule of an owl.”

“Maybe, but I’m still the prettiest owl you’ll ever meet.” She winked at him over her shoulder.

She turned around before taking a seat in one of the loveseats, gesturing with her hand for Efrim to do the same. Despite the exasperated roll of his eyes, the dragon still obliged her, his tail curling around the small sofa. He looked down sceptically at the table, his head tilted.

“No tea and pastries?” He snarked, flashing his sister an unimpressed look, though his smirk betrayed his true feelings.

She shrugged, “I can’t possibly call Serviette over to bring me some snacks in the middle of the night. Now, can I?”

“Last time I checked, out of the two of us you’re the twin who can create portals to move from one place to another…” He pointed out, lazily resting his head over his claw in amusement.

“And last time I checked,” she shot back, her expression morphing into a mock-pout that barely managed to conceal her mirth. “It’s rude to intrude upon others’ chambers in the middle of the night without warning.”

“As if you need to be told beforehand of when I’ll be dropping by…”

Nora blew a raspberry at him.

Efrim just raised his claws up in surrender. “All I’m saying is you’ve lost your touch, Sister; you used to be a much better hostess—.”

He tried cutting himself off the moment his words registered in his mind, mentally kicking himself at his slip up while praying Nora hadn’t been paying attention to him. His heart sank when he realised she very much had, all traces of mirth gone from her face, having been replaced by the quiet melancholy he had seen etched onto her face countless nights now.

A kind of melancholy he was powerless to get rid of for her.

“What was it that you wanted to discuss, Efrim?” Now she was the one cutting to the chase, bringing her cloak closer to herself for comfort.

Another thing that changed was their relationship. While still close as only an Eliatrope and her dragon twin could be, what once was endless laughter and camaraderie now could only be described as profoundly bittersweet, marked by the kind of bond only tragedy could forge between two people and constant pangs of pain resonating to their very core. It was akin to the feeling of constantly cutting yourself while picking up pieces of broken glass.

Only the broken glass once was themselves.

As much as Efrim wanted to reach out to his twin sister and apologise, to offer some words of comfort, he ultimately decided against it. Whenever Nora was reminded of what she’d lost, even if she would rather eat her own hat rather than admit anything was bothering her, she tended to close herself off and detach herself from the world going on around her.

It was a miracle she seemed willing to hear him out still, instead of teleporting him away outright, but then again, she never really kicked him out, no matter how bad things got. They both needed each other as much as a dying man needed salvation.

So, with a shake of his head, he forced himself to focus back on the reason why he came to his twin’s room in the middle of the night in the first place. The doll.

“I don’t trust her.” He said at last, his voice low and serious.

“What else is new?” Nora couldn’t help but snark at his expense, a hint of bitterness in her voice. She came to instantly regret it when her brother just grew more defensive.

“Would you just stop?!” He hissed, his tail coiling further around the loveseat in aggravation, not unlike how a snake would curl around its prey until it suffocated; its tip shaking like a rattle. “This is serious, Nora!”

Rather than dignify his small outburst with a verbal answer, the pink-clad Eliatrope simply motioned for him to continue. Her pink eyes could only follow his form as he all but jumped out of his chair, his serpent-like appendage acting like a spring and propelling him forward. He began pacing frantically in front of her—if one could even pace around without actual legs, that is.

“She’s up to no good, I just know it!” He started, his arms flailing around dramatically as he tried to rationalise the direction their lives had taken ever since arriving on the World of Twelve. “It just doesn’t make any sense. Why would the twelve gods go out of their way to send us the personification of their blessing to stay in their world, especially when their own followers clearly don’t want us here?

“They’re gods! They’re supposed to look after their followers’ best interests above all else! Instead, they’ve essentially put us before the Twelvians…” He shook his head, gripping at it tightly with his claws as the beginnings of a pounding headache overtook him from trying to make sense of it all. “Mother would have never chosen outsiders over us, her children! She loved us more than anything; she would have never abandoned us!”

At the mention of their mother, both Turquoise Dofus twins momentarily stopped and locked eyes before they couldn’t take it anymore and had to look away. Swallowing thickly, overcome with emotion, Efrim’s voice cracked as he spoke of her. “S-she…she didn’t…  she wouldn’t…” He swallowed again, his mouth dry and his eyes watery, “She would have never willingly parted from us… She just wouldn’t!”

Fighting back the tears welling up in his eyes—not helped by Nora’s own misty-eyed expression and the clear sounds of her attempts at stifling her own sobs—he went on. He did his best to remain strong and laser-focused on getting his point across, though it was plain to see he remained anything but stoic.

“And even if they indeed just wanted to help us… Why now? Why didn’t they do anything to stop the Mechasms and prevent the war? Surely the combined might of the Krosmoz’s gods would have been enough to put an end to our suffering. But they’re not our gods, they never were. In their eyes, they had no obligation, moral or otherwise, to care about our survival.

“So why would they suddenly go so far as to create an entirely new Divine Doll just for us—with everyone and their mother on this forsaken planet mentioning how rare and special they are—, with  the ‘sole’ purpose of making it easier for their worshippers to welcome us into their home? And why create a Divine Doll, of all things? Surely there must be easier ways to give your blessing other than creating a young woman from scratch only to ship her away immediately after her birth…”

Somewhere along the middle of his rant, the young dragon had forgotten to breathe, too overwhelmed by the many thoughts and questions running through his mind to pay much attention to anything other than getting the words out and out of his system. It didn’t take long for his anxiousness to catch up to him, however, for he now found himself breathing shallowly, his inhaling coming out much more laboured than his exhaling.

A soft, warm hand helped his body slow down, his heaving coming off as less frantic than just a second ago. As his breathing still wasn’t quite back to normal, Nora began to rub gentle circles around his back, her touch a powerful reminder of her presence and her commitment to being there for her twin brother whenever he needed it.

Not once stopping her ministrations, she began to gently guide Efrim through some breathing exercises, her voice barely above a whisper:

“Easy there, Brother. You’re going to accomplish what the Mechasms couldn’t if you keep this up.” She joked lightly to ease up the tension. Furrowing her brow when that didn’t get much of a reaction out of him, she grew more serious. She leaned in closer to him to whisper in his ear. “I’m going to need you to follow my lead, Efrim. Can you do that?”

That earned her a weak nod in response.

“Very good. Now, take a deep breath with me,” she inhaled, deliberately slow, and he copied her actions, “and now, let it all out slowly.” She exhaled, and so did he. “That’s right, you’re doing great. Now, again, take a deep breath,” they repeated the action, “and let it all out…” And again.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there like that, just taking calming breaths and their actions synchronised. In and out, over and over again. Eventually, the dragon’s breathing was back to normal, and he sent his sister a grateful smile.

“Thanks.” He breathed out.

“Don’t mention it.” She smiled back, before her expression sobered up. “You really oughta start being more careful, Brother. Shinonomé warned you about your panic attacks.”

“I know, I know…” He waved her off. “It’s just… How am I supposed to react to this, to her?”

“You could try giving her a chance? Glip was initially just as wary of her and look at him now! He treats her just like any student. Maybe you—" Nora tried, only to be harshly interrupted by her twin swirling around to face her, his dark blue eyes glinting dangerously and causing her to pull her hand away in surprise.

“All he did was give her a chance to worm her way into his defences!” The dragon snapped, weeks of deep-seated resentment over Glip’s perceived weakness coming to the surface with a vengeance. “Don’t you think the events leading up to his change in demeanour are kind of suspicious?”

“What do you mean?” She asked despite herself, the ears of her hat standing in high alert; she brought her hand back into the folds of her robes.

The periwinkle dragon wasted no time in listing off the events taking place that day.

“First, she requests she be allowed to go to his and Baltazar’s class; then she turns out to have been listening and learning about our history and culture long before she even made said request; she effortlessly earned the children’s adoration; and, on her very first day, a little girl has a near fatal accident she just so managed to prevent.” His words were dripping with sarcasm the more he spoke, his snout curling into a sardonic smile before it turned into a vicious sneer. “Don’t you see, Nora? Everything that happened that day was a deliberate attempt to gain his trust!”

Nora actually gasped in horror when he shook his head in disgust and muttered, “I wouldn’t be surprised if she deliberately put Lori’s life in danger just to make herself look like a hero…”

“Efrim!” She hissed, scandalised he would even think such a thing.

After the war, Nora could no longer bring herself to see the best in everyone like she used to, which was why, while she wasn’t above riling Yugo up over his relationship with her and the fact that she was undeniably beautiful—and totally her type—, Nora chose to remain mostly neutral towards Amalia. While she remained cautious, having learned from example, she ultimately understood only time would tell her true intentions.

But for some reason, she just couldn’t picture the beaming doll she’d seen laughing with her brother on her balcony and becoming starry-eyed over every little thing doing something as heinous as knowingly endangering a child to serve her own purposes.

“C-come on, Efrim…” She tried to reach out to her twin, her voice wobbly. “Don’t you think that’s a little too harsh? After all, Yugo is practically glued to her side, and he seems to trust her—” Once again, the pink-eyed Eliatrope was cut off by her dragon twin’s unforgiving rebuttals.

“Yugo is blind, Sister!” He snapped, his voice, sharp and stern, echoing around the walls. Immediately, Nora realised he had to be in a very agitated state, for his crystalline wings involuntarily unfolded around him, glinting in the moonlight. But rather than the beautiful display she was used to, now it only made him look bigger, more intimidating.

It only highlighted the beast he had been forced to become. 

She idly wondered if that was the last thing his enemies saw during the war before he put an end to their lives.

Efrim himself was too out of it to notice his own accidental shapeshifting, so he simply spat, though not any less venomously. “You and I both know—Shukrute, we all know! — that, regardless of what he tells himself to sleep at night, he is absolutely smitten with that doll! Our fearless king is reduced to nothing but a lovesick Bow Wow whenever she is around! Her every wish is his command, and we’re all going to pay dearly for his weakness.”

“While it’s true Yugo has grown particularly close to her despite his initial reservations,” Nora reluctantly admitted, knowing her twin had a point—no matter how much Yugo tried to deny it. “He is still our king; we must have faith in him and his decisions. Besides, it’s not like he holds all the power. Don’t forget, Efrim, together, all of us form the Council of Six. If any one of us had anything to say on the matter, Yugo would no doubt listen to us.”

“Except we already told him our concerns and he brushed them off, remember?” He pointedly reminded her, his mind tracing back to those meetings soon after the doll arrived, and she asked to be taught by the Ivory Twins.

“From the very beginning, Glip and I were against the doll staying with us, but Yugo insisted we just couldn’t kick her out because it could offend the gods and lead to us getting into heaps of trouble. And when she requested to become Baltazar and Glip’s student, Glip was vehemently against it, but Yugo essentially strong-armed him into accepting because he just can’t say no to his little flower!”

“And look at how that turned out!” Nora exclaimed, opening a portal to close the distance between herself and her brother, her hand gently cupping the side of his snout, begging him to listen to her; to try and understand. “Glip came to realise he was wrong about her and now treats her like any of his students.”

She had to stifle a frustrated groan when Efrim countered, “She manipulated him into accepting her, you mean. You forget the circumstances revolving that day are far too convenient for her to be a mere coincidence. And all because Yugo allowed for it to happen…” He grumbled, shaking his head in distaste.

“And you forget it wasn’t just Yugo who insisted Glip gave her a chance!” Nora shot back, growing frustrated with her dragon twin. “Baltazar, for starters, was just as willing to welcome Amalia in as Glip was unwilling to, and I don’t see you trying to claim Amalia somehow won him over as well.”

“Because I don’t need to!” He all but screeched, throwing his arms to the sides in exasperation. “That’s the worst part! It’s not that Yugo’s clearly fallen for that doll’s siren song, or even that she’s managed to turn Glip away from his most primal instincts, but the fact that the rest of you refuse to see anything wrong with her!”

“The rest of… us?” She echoed with a small voice, hurt by the fact that Efrim seemed to think she didn’t have his back. But he just went on, not sparing her a second glance.

“Just like earlier; somehow you think it’s a good idea to entrust what’s essentially a Sadida demigoddess, a creature whose power over nature is second only to her divine father, with her own garden. And you don’t even suspect it might come back to bite you.” He scoffed derisively, letting out a sarcastic, mirthless chuckle.

The young dragon was far too out of it to notice, but Nora watched with concerned, pink eyes when his wings began trembling, letting out a buzzing sound not unlike an insect. She flinched, unconsciously taking a step forward to try and offer some comfort—Efrim’s wings only acted like that when he was in a very distressed emotional state.

“She’s literally created nigh-unstoppable weapons only she can control, Nora!” He pressed on, finally taking flight and coming to hover over his twin as he looked her dead in the eye. “And you don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“Amalia says her Sadida Dolls are her way of offering her help in case we’re ever under attack.” Nora pointed out, but her voice sounded distant, distracted, and not entirely convinced herself.

“And you believed her.” Efrim deadpanned. He shook his head with a sneer. “She’s putting a knife to our throats and you’re actually thanking her for it!”

“How can you be so sure Yugo hasn’t taken everything into account, Efrim?” She challenged, refusing to stand down even as her brother was literally looming over her. “Don’t you remember? Yugo said we could use this opportunity to learn more about the Twelvians and stay ahead of the game if they ever declare war against us.” She made a show of shrugging, though her words were purposeful and irrefutable, “Today we’ve learned Sadidas fight using enchanted, animated dolls; wouldn’t you count that as an advantage?”

“We’ll need much more than that if we want to survive whatever that doll and this world’s gods have planned for us, Sister.” He told her ominously, a puff of smoke coming out of his nostrils.

The Turquoise Twins remained like that, locked into a staring contest, for what felt like an eternity. Despite the intensity in their eyes, all each of them wanted was for the other to try and see their point of view. Each passing day, Nora grew increasingly worried over her twin’s transformation, how he went from cautious but kind and welcoming to paranoid and hostile. Efrim, on the other hand, was desperate for his sister to move on from the uncaring funk the loss of their world had awakened within her and open her eyes to the truth.

And the truth was, the Divine Doll just couldn’t be trusted.

Eventually, the fire in the young dragon’s dark blue eyes flickered practically out of existence, being reduced to nothing but a tired spark. His guarded expression morphing into quiet resignation, he finally averted his gaze, letting out a heavy sigh as he rested his head against his claw.

A small gasp leaving her, Nora was about to reach out and try to console her twin brother when his voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

“I love you, Nora, more than anything. And I know you love me too.” The look he sent her was enough to break her heart in two. “I’d just wish you would listen to me for once.”

And with that and one last flap of his wings, he dashed out of her still open window, leaving Nora alone in the darkness. A few seconds ticked by where the Eliatrope just remained where she was, motionless, her expression one of shock. And then, unable to stop herself, she choked out a broken sob, falling to her knees as she cried into her palms.

Not that long ago, she and Efrim rarely argued. Their siblings would admit to being jealous of their close, unbreakable bond. Their days would be spent laying down on the grass and lazily drawing shapes from the clouds above or gathering flowers to make crowns to gift their subjects to. They would laugh, and joke, and sing, and lead dances in the middle of the main square. During festivals, while the religious aspects fell within Mina’s jurisdiction, the youngest Primordial Twins would lead their people into the actual festivities, organising games and banquets, and just doing about everything in their power to make the subjects they loved so much feel as happy, lucky, and content with their lives as they felt.

The war changed all that. Now the Eliatropes’ Joybringers couldn’t find it in themselves to feel any joy, let alone share it with everybody else. And their dependence on each other had become as much of a comfort as it was a wound they kept reopening whenever they interacted.

Yes, even since the war, things had changed. For everyone, herself included. In fact, maybe she was the first to change. But nothing had changed quite like Efrim did. 

....................................................................................................................

He could still vividly remember the curious smiles plastered on their children’s faces at the arrival of their new neighbours. To be honest, he’d be lying if he said it was only the children that were ecstatic by the fact that they finally had someone to share their world with. It was as if their mother had finally answered her children’s pleas.

Make no mistake, under the Eliatrope Goddess’ care, her followers never wanted for anything. Food and water were plentiful; under the Council of Six’s guidance, their civilisation thrived; they lived in perfect harmony with nature; and the Eliatropes never knew famine, corruption, pestilence, or war…

The one thing their mother failed to provide them with were companions they could learn from and share their ways with, however. The Eliatropes were the only sapient beings on their home planet, and though that wasn’t without its perks, over the course of the centuries, they found themselves wishing for more, their curiosity for the many wonders beyond the frontiers of their world growing more powerful by the day. Harder to ignore.

Needless to say, there was much rejoicing when the Mechasms arrived, looking for a place to call home. Naturally, they were welcomed with open arms, for the Eliatropes had never known ‘stranger danger’.

That was a lesson that was bound to be etched onto the very fabric of their race’s history.

Against all odds, at first, everything was even better than it had been when the portal-making race still lived by itself. It didn’t take long for Eliatropes and Mechasms to form an almost symbiotic bond. The latter used their vast powers to improve the Eliatropes’ already almost idyllic lives, while the former didn’t just offer the Mechasms a place to stay, but they showed them the secrets of their own magic.

For years, it was a match made in Inglorium. If asked, any Eliatrope would immediately sing the Mechasms’ praises, for that deep was their respect and admiration for their new (and not-so-new) neighbours. Whereas the Mechasms, mysterious as they could be, were nothing but gentle and supportive when it came to the wakfu-wielding people.

One race was the other’s fervent supporter, while the other was the other’s staunchest defender.

Which made their betrayal all the more devastating.

The day the Mechasms betrayed them completely out of nowhere wasn’t just the day the Mechasm War started; it was also the day the Eliatropes had their hearts broken for the very first time in their millennia-long history.

Soon, horrified screams replaced giddy laughter. The images of terrified children crying their little eyes out as they desperately called for their parents—who might not even be alive anymore—were burned into his brain. The happy memories where those same children’s favourite game was climbing up the Mechasms’ huge, but ultimately harmless, forms reduced to cinders by that same fire. 

But the one memory that was fundamentally changed was that of their attackers; gone was the warm, grateful feeling that used to spread all over his chest concerning the foreign race, now all that was left was seething hatred whenever he thought back to their lifeless, uncaring eyes as they massacred his people. Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe the vile monster ravaging their land with his armies was the same kind and caring Prince Orgonax who used to be so beloved by everyone. Now he could only reminisce on the bitter hatred and bloodlust reflected in his glowing eyes whenever he thought back to him, a shiver going down his spine at the memories.

Their skies turned red from the wanton destruction going on underneath, while rivers of blood streamed down the desolate land. Everywhere he looked, all he could see were flashes of blue and red clashing against each other, until one of the two colours all but vanished. He remembered cheering to himself whenever it was the red flash that died out, and his eyes stinging as he fought to suppress broken sobs from tearing from his throat when it was the blue light that flickered out first.

And yet, nothing was more heartbreaking than the silence, even amidst the chaos and bloodshed. For the first time ever since the Crimson Twins could remember, the loving, nurturing echo at the back of his head he had been hearing since birth was silent. Their Mother’s voice was gone, his connection to Her all but lost. 

He had never felt so hopeless in his life. And if he couldn’t hope, then did his people have a future at all?

In a desperate attempt to quiet the unforgiving doubts, he spent those days doing everything in his power to fend off attacks and protect the innocent, ensuring everyone was safe as he led them away to whatever safe zone Qilby and Shinonomé had set up to treat their injuries and offer their subjects something to drink and eat. A place to stay until the nightmare was finally over.

And in between fighting, narrowly avoiding deathly attacks, rescuing civilians, and holding onto the very last threads of his sanity to not shut down completely, there was one thought in his mind:

He kept praying with all his might Nora was fine.

When he finally did reunite with his sister, the dam finally broke. Weeks of pent-up emotion tore painful, relieved sobs from his throat as he embraced his twin tightly against his chest, feeling a certain wetness against his scales where her own face was buried. It was a miracle neither her or their siblings had died, although the same couldn’t be said for many of their subjects—warriors and civilians alike had lost everything in the blink of an eye. 

Could they ever rebuild their lives at all?

The Mechasms were once their greatest friends and yet, they turned their backs on the Eliatropes without hesitation, let alone an explanation. And now that forsaken doll claimed they had the twelve gods’ blessing and she was meant to be proof enough of that. 

“Don’t make me laugh.” He derisively thought aloud as he used his forearm to furiously wipe away the insistent tears pooling in his eyes. 

His majestic wings stretching to their full length as he glided under the night sky, he didn’t know where he was going, just that he needed to distance himself as far away from the palace, his siblings, Nora, and the doll as possible. 

So that glorified ragdoll wanted to earn their trust? Well, fat chance. Because if there was anything he’d learned from the Mechasm War, that was that he’d much rather die than make the same mistake that cost their people so much. Even if he became the Eliatropes’ last line of defence against that green-haired schemer, so be it. He would never let them get away with whatever it was they were planning. Even if it was the last thing he did.

...................................................................................................................

“Is it selfish of me to be looking forward to being able to really explore beyond the confines of the island the most?” Yugo wondered aloud with a heavy sigh, his body sprawling all over his desk as he—thankfully—finished with today’s batch of paperwork. 

Watching his brother’s antics in amusement, Adamaï chuckled, “I know what you mean.” His wings kept him aloft as he scanned over his brother’s small collection of memorabilia. To the naked eye, a shelf filled to the brim with trinkets would be nothing but ‘small’, but the twins still vividly remembered what their room used to look like back in their home planet. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say they didn’t remember what it looked like, having been overrun by the countless souvenirs they brought home from their many travels over the years. 

Really, they had so much stuff there was no sight of their walls. 

That was one of the reasons why they no longer shared a room after arriving on the World of Twelve—their siblings had strictly forbidden it. They dared to hope it would take the Emerald Dofus twins slightly longer to turn their living spaces into the world’s most disorganised museum exhibit if they both had to start from scratch. 

Now, normally, such an attempt would have been futile, as Yugo and Adamaï would have already elevated their rooms to the dubious honour of being storage closets with beds; but the rising tensions with the Twelvians and the Eliatropes’ subsequent isolation on Oma Island made moving towards that goal feel like crawling at a snail’s pace. 

Still, Yugo had found a way not to let something as silly as ‘self-imposed isolation’ deter him, hence his small, but still growing, collection. 

Draconic eyes scanning the shelves, Adamaï perked up at the sight of something very interesting. Picking up the torn remnants of the Gobbowl match tickets from their visit to Bonta placed beside a bowl of some sort, he mused aloud, “Amalia seemed very excited with her new garden.”

“Yeah, and here I thought she couldn’t possibly be more excited than when I first showed it to her.” Yugo said, throwing his hands above his head and stretching until he heard a loud pop! “Can’t say I blame her, though. It’s only been two weeks and she’s already doing incredible things.”

“As expected of a Divine Doll.” Adamaï concurred. He glanced at his brother over his shoulder. In the privacy of his room, he had taken his cloak off and hung it on his chair. “You told me at first she was very apprehensive of being given her own garden, right?”

Leaning back on his chair with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, Yugo hummed at the memory. “That’s right. She felt she was imposing herself on us. Luckily, I got her to see how ridiculous that was. She’s not imposing herself on us; if anything, we’re the ones who’re always relying on her help!”

Now it was the dragon’s turn to hum noncommittally. “That’s true, I suppose.” With one last glance over, he put the tickets back in their place. His wings still outstretched and flapping in mid-air, he turned to face his twin. “Then again, isn’t that what she’s here for? To help us?”

This time, he was met with silence. Yugo’s attention was trained on the markings running up and down his ceiling, weak pulses of wakfu making them light up every so often. He was clearly lost in thought. Adamaï sighed good-naturedly, for he was very used to his kind of scene happening and his brother had already explained everything to him when he went to look for him in the library right after parting ways with Amalia that day, anyway. He already had everything he needed. 

Although his mind couldn't help going back to what happened today in the garden. The weak undercurrents of wakfu running through his veins and flashing in his mind told him Yugo, too, was bothered by it. The white-and-blue dragon had a very good inkling that was actually what Yugo had summoned him to his room for in the first place. 

Joined by an endlessly adventurous thrive, the Emerald Twins weren’t ones to stay cooped up in their rooms for long, mostly just to sleep and, especially in Yugo’s case, tend to the kingly duties he had been neglecting during the day. 

And considering how often the latter occurrence took place… Well, let’s just say it was no wonder the Eliatrope King wasn’t the most enthused to be in his room. Which at the same time meant that whenever he summoned you there, it was usually something serious. 

Letting himself fall to the floor as he willed his wings out of existence, Adamaï leaned back against the wall, his claws on his hips and his tail thumping the floor as he patiently waited for Yugo to speak up his mind any minute from now. He knew it wouldn’t take long for him to cut to the chase and get straight to the point. 

“Did you know what she was really mesmerised by at first was the ground used for the room?”

…maybe it would take some prodding. 

“The ground? How so?” Adamaï immediately smacked himself for playing along despite himself. 

“Because, since it was volcanic rock, it was fertile. Meaning she can grow things more easily.” He explained casually. “Apparently, Sadidas need fertile, workable soil to use many of their powers.”

“I’m guessing you just informed Chibi and Grougal of that fact?” Adamaï guessed, his head tilting to the side in surprise when his brother just shook his head instead. 

“I didn’t even know about that until Amalia told me, when she saw the garden.” He admitted, tearing himself from his desk and spinning his chair around to give his dragon twin his full attention. “That was all Chibi and Grougal.”

“Ever the observant ones, I see.”

“Well, they are our people’s greatest inventors. That’s gotta mean something besides them just being good at tinkering and acting like a pair of interior design snobs.”

“And did you know about her plans for the garden?” Adamaï pressed on, his voice wasn’t accusatory—at neither Amalia or Yugo—, but genuinely curious. 

It took the king a second to get what his twin was trying to say. His form was slightly hunched over, with his forearms resting on his knees and his clasped hands in the space in between. After a beat of silence, understanding dawned on him and he shook his head again. 

“I knew she wanted to prepare it for when we started telling her what we need her to grow, but I had no idea she intended to grow her own animated dolls, if that’s what you mean, Ad.”

Again, Adamaï just nodded. “I was just curious, that’s all. Though I can’t deny I was a little alarmed when Amalia mentioned the explosive ones.”

Both brothers couldn’t help but laugh at the memory. It wasn’t easy catching the white-and-blue dragon off-guard, so when something managed to surprise even him… Well, then you knew it was a pretty big deal. And, truth be told, the face he pulled when Amalia mentioned the possibility of making her dolls explode just as he was playing with one was simply priceless.

“I think we were all quite taken aback that something so small and cute could be such a powerhouse.” Yugo pointed out, wiping a tear off his face, his laughter slowly dying down. 

Adamaï closed the distance between the two and placed a claw over his shoulder, smiling down at his twin with a knowing look, “Yeah, well, then it shouldn’t be all that surprising that Amalia was the one to accomplish that.” He winked. “It’s in her blood, after all!”

Wait, did Divine Dolls even have blood…?

He was broken out of his musings by the almost painfully lovesick sigh that escaped his twin’s lips, “Yeah, you’re right. If anyone knows how to be both cute and powerful, that’s Amalia…”

As soon as the words registered in his mind, Yugo’s eyes widened and he clamped his mouth shut. He chanced a cautious look up at Adamaï, and promptly buried his increasingly hot face into his hands at the smug smirk curling at his twin’s thick, blue lips with a loud groan.

“Shut up.” He grumbled, though it sounded a little muffled. 

“I didn’t say anything.” Adamaï tried to sound as neutral as possible, but he couldn’t keep his voice from cracking in amusement at his twin’s predicament. If his vehement denial of the obvious wasn’t so frustrating, he’d be doubled over with laughter by now. 

“You didn’t have to.” The flustered king countered, stubbornly refusing to look the dragon in the eye. “Ever since you hit your first growth spurt, you don’t know how to school your expression into something friendly. Either you look all serious and menacing, or you look absolutely deranged. There is just no in-between.”

“Excuse you!” Adamaï gasped, offended, a claw to his chest. He huffed in outrage. “I’ll have you know I can look perfectly normal if I feel like it! Not once have I scared Amailia off, now, have I?”

Now that Yugo was standing to his full height, he was practically in Adamaï’s face as the two of them grumbled at each other. “Exactly! Your problem is that you can’t play it cool to save your life! The moment you have to plaster a smile on your face instead of letting it happen naturally, you get this psycho grimace instead.”

“I do not!”

“Yes, you do!”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

“Do not—!”

“Uh… Is this a bad time?”

At the unexpected sound of the new voice, the two of them whirled their heads around so fast it was a miracle they didn’t give themselves whiplash. There, standing before them and staring at them with the kind of long-suffering resignation only a little sister could possess was Nora, who had just stepped out of one of her diamond-shaped portals. 

“Nora!” Yugo exclaimed, annoyance tingeing his voice. “You can’t just come in like that! Use the door!”

“We’re Eliatropes.” She deadpanned, an eyebrow raised. “Making portals is literally what sets us apart from the other races in the Krosmoz. Why do we even need doors in the first place? We can just go pretty much wherever we like!”

“She’s got a point there.” Adamaï muttered. 

“Well, it’s still common courtesy to at least respect other people’s privacy by not barging into their rooms unannounced.” Yugo couldn’t believe he had to even explain that. Exasperated, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he added through gritted teeth, “Especially now that we actually have a non-Eliatrope guest living with us.”

“Alright, alright.” She rolled her eyes, hoping to get it over with. “I promise not to teleport myself into Amalia’s room unannounced.” She smirked at the way Yugo was scowling at her—she had very deliberately not said anything about not going into his room unannounced. 

A smirk stretching over her lips, she cocked an eyebrow while her hands came to rest on her hips and she shifted her weight to one leg, striking a cheeky pose, “What’s the matter, Brother? Afraid I might see something I shouldn’t?”

Face burning even hotter, Yugo just made a strangled sound while his hands mimicked wringing her pretty, little neck in aggravation.

Chuckling at the display, only to pretend to have a dry throat when his twin flashed him a death glare, Adamaï said, “So, what brings you here?”

The way she seemed to shrink into herself, all semblance of mirth and sass completely gone, immediately got their attention.

“It’s about Amalia…” She paused, swallowing thickly. “And Efrim.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the Emerald Twins tensed up and exchanged worried glances. They had a very good hunch as to what their conversation might be about.

For a moment, a heavy silence hung over all three of them, as neither dared to say a word; they didn’t even know how to begin the conversation. So they just stood there, in the middle of Yugo’s room, bathed by the light blue hue coming from the artificial stone torches perched over the walls. 

In the end, it was their king who spoke up first, letting out a heavy sigh. “Come on. It’s uncomfortable talking while standing up like this.” He beckoned them deeper into his room. “Why don’t you lie down on the bed, Nora? You look like you could use some rest.”

As much as she hated to admit it, Yugo had a point. After her argument with Efrim the previous night, she hadn’t been able to sleep a wink, and her eyes were bloodshot and puffy as a result of both her sleep deprivation and night-long cries. Not even by following her siblings around like usual did Nora grow tired enough to drift off to sleep. The fact that no one had seen Efrim since he left Amalia’s garden only added to her worries. 

When she finally flopped herself down onto her brother’s bed, soft and comfortable, she had to summon every ounce of will power she possessed not to go out like a light. Which was ironic, given all day she wanted nothing more than to find a place she could rest. But nothing about her life was fair anymore, so she would just have to suck it up and pretend things were fine. 

Nothing new, really.

“Had a rough night?” Yugo guessed, offering her a sympathetic smile as he sat down opposite her, at the foot of his bed. Meanwhile, Adamaï opted to remain upright, although leaning against the sculpted frame of his poster bed. 

“You could say that, yes.” She smiled sadly in return. For a moment, neither said a word, until, “I’m worried about him, guys.”

“He’s clearly not taking Amalia’s stay well.” Adamaï observed. 

Nora snorted, “That’s putting it mildly…”

“He was clearly out to get her yesterday. All those questions about her dolls being weapons, and the way he crouched down on the floor, as if ready to pounce…” Yugo trailed off, shaking his head in frustration. “Clearly, Efrim is still convinced Amalia is a threat, and it shows.”

“Yeah, and Amalia is aware of it, too.” The girl pointed out, her eyes falling to her fidgeting fingers on her lap.

“She is?” Adamaï asked, surprised.

“It’s hard not to notice the way Amalia basically shrinks whenever the two are in close proximity.” The casualness of her tone did not take away from the truth of her statement. “She knows Efrim doesn’t like her and it makes her want to stay as far away from him as possible.” She then added with a resigned shrug, “Though, again, it’s not like he does a great job at hiding how he feels.”

“This is such a mess!” Yugo exclaimed tiredly, his hands running through his dirty blond locks and yanking slightly at them in frustration. His wakfu wings—always in sync to his mood swings— went from flickering brightly due to his troubled emotions to lowering slightly, as despondent as he felt. “If we really want the Twelvians to trust us, we can’t afford to have one of our own distrust of Amalia so much! That would only complicate matters, or cause some diplomatic incident, or make them even more suspicious of us, or-or… or I don’t know!”

“Not to mention, Efrim is a member of the Council of Six like us, the rulers of the Eliatrope race.” Adamaï was quick to point out, wincing slightly when he realised he was only adding to his twin’s stress. Though not before saying, “If word gets out that one of us thinks so little of Amalia, the Twelvians could use the excuse of trying to protect one of their gods’ children to attack us or kick us out.”

“Thank you for that summation, Ad.” Yugo deadpanned, his hand holding his head as he sent a look his twin’s way. 

“Right, sorry. Not helping.” He said meekly. 

Groaning loudly, their king jumped to his feet and paced around the room, the motion not unlike that of a caged animal. Stopping abruptly, he threw his head back, his hands having once again found their way to his hair while his wings remained firmly pressed to his head. 

“I just don’t understand the source of Efrim’s animosity!” He complained, throwing his arms to his side. Under his siblings’ curious gaze, he resumed his pacing. “Yes, it’s true Amalia’s arrival was very abrupt and unexpected. I think we can all agree I was the one the most taken aback by it. But Amalia’s presence contributed greatly to the most significant progress we’ve been making in being welcomed by the Twelvians!”

“Nobody denies that, Yugo.” Adamaï said placatingly, sliding off the bed frame and walking towards his twin to rest a pair of comforting claws on his shoulders. “All our subjects know it’s all thanks to Amalia that we were even invited to Bonta. And, from what you told me, she was rather well-liked when you two visited the village.”

“You visited the village together?” Nora questioned, surprised. She had no idea. Then she realised they most likely went without even Adamaï around to act as their chaperone and she found herself feeling personally slighted over having missed such a perfect chance to annoy her brother over his date with his crush like any good little sister would.

Yugo, sensing her intentions, addressed her over his dragon twin’s shoulder, “Yes, to visit Qilby and Shinonomé, nothing more!” Growing more serious and ignoring her mutterings of how ‘she’d have to ask Qilby and Shinonomé later’, he focused back on Adamaï, “And exactly! I simply don’t understand how Efrim could be so judgemental of someone he barely even knows.”

“Can’t you?”

Nora’s quiet yet piercing question immediately drew her brothers’ attention, with Adamaï turning around to look at her while Yugo leaned over his twin’s shoulder to face her better. They exchanged a confused glance before the king muttered, “Um… no? It’s exactly as we’ve been saying, Nora; Amalia’s been a huge help practically since she arrived, and Efrim’s hostility towards her could be taken as an insult by Twelvians and gods alike.”

“True, but that didn’t stop you from keeping your distance from her or suspecting her of having ulterior motives when she arrived.” Hoisting herself up from the bed as well, she pointed an accusatory finger in Yugo’s direction, the action and her words feeling like a suckerpunch. 

While he tried to recover from the blow, she went on, “Because you said so yourself; you were just as suspicious of her true intentions when we first met her. And although for a while you kept good on your promise of keeping her company, you also avoided her for weeks! Shouldn’t you understand Efrim’s feelings better than anyone?”

For a while, Yugo just stood there, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping as he struggled to come up with an appropriate response to her question, even if it was clearly rhetorical. Because, the truth was, Nora was right. He was the first one to distrust Amalia as soon as he heard of her presence on Oma Island. And he did spend weeks keeping her at arms’ length or outright avoiding her altogether after he feared they’d got too close during their visit to the beach, precisely because he felt he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. 

But the worst part was that, deep down, he still had doubts. They would creep up on him when he least expected it, like some thieving Srams lurking in the shadows as they waited for their prey to make their presence known to rob them blind. One moment, he would be happily conversing with Amalia, laughing and joking over everything and anything under the sun, and the next, something she said would send him spiralling down paranoia. Suddenly, he would internally question her true reasons for saying what she said, analysing it from every angle as the ever present fear of betrayal lingered heavy on his mind. 

In the blink of an eye, Amalia would transform from an innocent flower who could never hurt anyone, to a scheming seductress with horns and a tail pointer than an Osamodas’ right in front of him. 

And then, as soon as those fears came, they would be gone when her sweet, melodious voice called out to him, sounding genuinely concerned. 

A part of him was beginning to understand the doll’s aversion to Eliatrope portals. He himself was beginning to feel like he kept jumping in and out of one whenever they interacted and those doubts assaulted him, the neverending exercise leaving him quite dizzy. 

He didn’t know where he found the strength to say, “But I am spending time with her, and learning more things about her every day, Nora.” His voice growing more confident with every word he spoke, he pointed his glowing palm to the floor underneath him and materialised a portal that led him right beside his sister, who regarded him with a raised eyebrow, listening intently. 

He leaned forward slightly to be at the same eye-level as her and placed his hands on her pink-clad shoulders reassuringly, not unlike what Adamaï had done to him mere moments before. “And each day she’s giving me more reasons to trust her.”

Instead of fighting him, the pink-eyed Eliatrope just hung her head in defeat, her snow-white bangs following her movements. “And that’s Efrim's greatest fear. That no matter how much time we spend together with her or how much we claim to know her, we still won’t know anything at all and she’ll turn her back on us.”

Like the Mechasms.

None of them needed to voice their thoughts to know the others were thinking the same thing as them. It wasn’t necessary, not after the war with their former allies had left a permanent scar on Eliatrope history and on each and every one of them—some were just more visible than others. 

It was one of the reasons settling down on the World of Twelve had been such a difficult and risky choice. They were driven off their own world by those who once were their closest allies. Could they really risk suffering the same fate at the hands of countless races that were so different from them? 

In the end, desperation and necessity won out over cautiousness, and the rest was history. 

“That’s what weighs heavily on Efrim’s mind, guys.” Nora continued, her voice tremulous as tears welled up in her eyes, her concern for her twin apparent. “He’s not the same he once was, and I fear he’ll never be. He… He just… he doesn’t seem like he can move on from what happened!”

“And he’s terrified that what happened with the Mechasms will repeat itself with Amalia. That we’ll open our hearts and our home to an outsider only for her to stab us in the back like a treacherous Sram.” Adamaï concluded, his voice distant as he watched the tears streaming down his sister’s face. He clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly, feeling powerless to stop her tears and offer her some comfort while Yugo gently wiped them off and tried to reassure her.

“I understand, Nora.” Her older brother said softly, lifting her chin with one finger to get her to look at him. “Believe me, I do. But trusting Amalia is a risk we must take if we want to be able to call this world our home one day. It really is our best shot.”

“He’s right.” Adamaï agreed, finally willing his feet to move and to stand beside his brother, supporting him. “But I’m afraid Efrim’s attitude towards Amalia will only complicate matters.”

Wiping the remaining tears off, she sighed. “I know, and I’ve tried getting him to at least dial it down, but he refuses to back down. He sees himself as our last line of defence against her, or something. And I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Why don’t you try talking to Amalia instead?” Yugo offered. 

She perked up at that. “What?”

“Yeah, if one side is too stubborn to listen, then maybe you’ll have better luck with the other.” Yugo explained. Then, the all-too-familiar dopey grin they’d come to associate with whenever he was thinking of the Divine Doll came back with a vengeance. “I’m sure if you tell Amalia not to take Efrim’s attitude too personally or you explain to her why he acts like that in the first place, she’ll understand.”

Nora considered it, bringing a finger to her chin pensively. She supposed that could work. She’d just have to be careful not to break Efrim’s trust by revealing anything too personal. 

She gave a satisfied nod and a smile. “Very well, I’ll try talking to Amalia about it.”

“That’s great!” Yugo grinned back. 

“Now, Brother…” He did not like the sound of her voice one bit. It was innocent, too innocent. “Why don’t you tell me all about your date with Amalia at the village?”

Yugo just teleported himself out of his room.

....................................................................................................................

“And that’s all for today, class. Don’t forget, starting next week, we’ll be meeting up at the training grounds back at the village to formally begin your training on Wakfung.” Glip called after his students as they filed out of the classroom, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. 

Amalia picked up the rear end of the throngs of Eliatrope children walking out of the room, sighing in relief, glad that the day was finally over. Since she had been working tirelessly on her garden and her dolls, she had neglected her studies a bit, more specifically, her homework. Meaning she had had a lot of catching up to do the night before to be able to hand in her reports and essays on time. 

She would have also had to give an oral presentation on her findings on her assigned topic regarding Eliatrope worshipping practices if it hadn’t been for class mercifully ending just as it was about to be her turn.

She might have prepared a presentation on Eliatrope worship, but she was going to spend all night thanking Sadida for that save. 

The doll was about to cross the threshold leading to the palace halls and back to her room when she felt the curled end of Glip’s staff grabbing hold of her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. She almost let out a resigned whimper, already lamenting the fact that she hadn't been so lucky after all and her teachers were about to make her share her findings with them. 

“Lady Amalia, do you have a moment?” Baltazar’s kind voice said, his grandfatherly tone revealing nothing. 

“Yeah, sure. Of course…” She all but squeaked pitifully, turning her body fully so she was facing her teachers. She took a deep breath and began to recite the speech she had prepared for the occasion, “Every year, during the month that best corresponds to the Twelvian Descendre, the Eliatrope people gather to celebrate their goddess’ greatest feats: the creation of the Krosmoz, the birth of the Primordial Eliatropes and their dragons, and the creation of—.”

“My Lady, what are you blabbering about?” Glip cut her off, confused. 

“Um, I’m explaining what I’ve found out about my assigned topic on Eliatrope worship?” Amalia replied, unsure, her eyes darting this and that way. “Isn’t that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

Dragon and Eliatrope shook their heads. “Not at all.” Baltazar said. 

“Huh.” Now Amalia was the one who was confused. “Then what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Well, you see,” Glip started. With a sigh, he walked further into the room and hooked his staff with one of the rings hanging from the ceilings that the kids used to practise their moves. Hoisting himself up, he somersaulted in the air until he came to rest atop his twin’s head, peering down at the gaping doll with an unreadable expression (and feeling very smug about his physical feat). “As you know, next week—.”

“Did you really have to do all that just to make it to Baltazar’s head?” The dragon questioned, doing his best to send his brother an accusatory glare even though doing so was considerably difficult when your target was out of your line of vision. “Couldn’t you have just opened a portal? Glip, you’re the Eliatrope!”

The Wakfung master’s expression morphed into a resigned grimace. He went on all fours to lean over the dragon’s head and look his twin in the eye. “Mastering the art of Wakfung requires both physical fortitude and agility, not just proficiency at manipulating wakfu. You’d know this if you didn’t spend all your time with your snout stuck in a book.”

An annoyed puff of smoke abandoning his nostrils and almost causing Glip to choke, the beige dragon was quick to shoot back, “And if you didn’t spend so much time jumping around like a monkey, you would recognise there is no point in mastering Wakfung if you do not know the legacy you’re trying to protect!”

Amalia could only blink as the two people she’d come to see as wise and esteemed masters bickered with each other like children. In a way, she supposed she should be more than used to the sight by now. In the few months she’d been living on Oma Island, she’d come to witness firsthand and on more than one occasion that the Primordial Eliatropes and their dragons had a very interesting relationship. One minute, they were the very picture of leadership, diplomacy, and refinement, and the next they would have the most childish spats over the silliest things.

She didn’t know if she should find it funny or embarrassing that, more often than not, Yugo always found himself squabbling with his siblings.

She shifted in place uncomfortably, digging her big toe into the floor, unsure of what to do. On the one hand, she really didn’t want to interrupt, but on the other hand, they had yet to tell her what they wanted from her in the first place and she was growing rather impatient. She still had a garden to tend to! And who knew the kind of trouble her dolls would get into if she wasn’t there to watch over them until she had them fully under her command?

At last, she had enough. To be honest, she would have summoned forth a set of tendrils to wrap around the twins’ forms to pull them apart, but seeing as, technically speaking, they were still her teachers and, thus, her superiors in a way, the doll limited herself to clearing her throat loudly to gain their attention. 

It was almost comical the way they abruptly stopped their bickering to turn their heads to her.

“Sorry to interrupt, Master Glip, Master Baltazar, but could you please tell me what you wanted to talk to me about in the first place?”

The Ivory Twins shared a sheepish glance before hastily collecting themselves as if nothing had happened. Adjusting his tunic and tightening his grip on his cane, Glip resumed what he was saying, “As I was saying, before we were rudely interrupted,” he yelped when Baltazar used one of his tiny, yet perfectly functional, wings to smack him on the back of his head. “As you know, next week we’ll be starting the children’s formal training on Wakfung.” He finally said, nursing the back of his head while flashing his brother a glare. 

Amalia nodded. “That’s right. You reminded us about it right before dismissing class.” She tilted her head, confused. “But what does that have got to do with me?”

Glip grew sheepish at that, wincing slightly. “Well, as I already mentioned when you first started attending our lessons,” his wince intensified as he remembered the less than stellar way he had treated the Divine Doll back then, “since you’re not an Eliatrope, your magic doesn’t work like ours.”

“Uh-huh.” She mumbled, nodding along to his explanation. 

“So, the thing is… Erm…” He trailed off. He peered down at his brother. “Lend me a claw?”

“What Glip is trying to say, my Lady, is that he simply cannot teach you the art of Wakfung, as your magic is not compatible with it.” Baltazar finished for him, looking the doll straight in the eye. 

“Oh. I…I see.” Was all Amalia could say in response. Truth be told, she already suspected she wouldn’t be able to learn like the rest of the children, as Glip had made that very clear on her first day. But she supposed a small, naïve part of her had hoped the Wakfung master would change his mind upon seeing how diligent she was as a student.

Still, hearing them say she just wouldn’t be able to practise with them hurt more than she cared to admit. 

“Then, what am I supposed to do starting next week?” She chose to ask instead of voicing her hurt feelings. Not like it would have been necessary—the pitiful glances her masters sent her way made it plenty clear she was doing a lousy job at masking her disappointment in the first place. 

She must have looked like a kicked Bow Wow at the moment.

Glip’s voice was uncharacteristically soft and reassuring as he suggested, “You can do whatever you want, really. From working on your garden to watching the children and I train at the village.”

“You could always spend that time at the library with Baltazar.” The beige dragon offered kindly, and Amalia couldn’t help but smile. She knew him well enough by now to know he meant it. “We could always spend that time to help you catch up some more on your studies.”

The doll felt her cheeks grow hot at their next suggestion, innocent as it might have sounded. “Or you could always go look for Yugo and spend time together if he’s not too busy.”

“Oh! Uh… I-I don’t know. I mean, sure! I-if he’s not too busy…” Clearing her throat, she scrambled to change the topic. “I guess I’ll take some time to figure out what I’d like to do first and I'll let you know as soon as I’ve decided?”

Both masters nodded. “Of course.” Glip said, at the same time as Baltazar added, “You let us know whatever it is that you decide to do.”

“Right. Well, if there’s nothing else you would like to talk to me about…” she trailed off purposely, giving them a chance to speak up. When instead they just shook their heads and smiled at her, she returned their smile with one of her own—one she knew didn’t quite reach her eyes— and proceeded to make her way towards the door as she waved goodbye over her shoulder. “Okay, then! Thanks for today’s lesson! See you soon!”

As soon as she was out of the threshold, she closed the door behind herself, knowing the educators liked taking some time to clean up after each lesson before they too had to leave. She let out a sigh and leaned back against the door, feeling thoroughly drained all of a sudden. 

“Sweet Sadida, what a day…”

“Amalia.”

Startled by the unexpected voice, she let out a loud, high-pitched squeak as she jumped away from the door. Immediately, the sight before her let her know the day was far from over. 

“Nora?”

For a moment, as if under a spell, Amalia just blinked, taken aback. To say she was surprised to see the youngest Eliatrope would be an understatement. Not because she wasn’t used to seeing Nora around, quite the contrary, as she was one of the faces she saw the most; but because, for once, she was alone. Normally, whenever Amalia and Nora were in the same room, the latter was accompanying at least one of her siblings for one reason or another. It got to the point where the doll wondered if perhaps she just disliked being on her own. 

She always waved that idea off, however, as, even though Nora was always around, Amalia simply didn’t know her enough to feel confident in her assessment of her. But one thing was for certain: Nora had never approached her like this before, all by herself and with her pink eyes denoting a graveness that felt foreign to the otherwise impish woman.

To be completely honest, Amalia couldn’t help but squirm under her penetrating gaze, subconsciously bringing her arms around her body for comfort, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the white fabric of her wristbands. She had the feeling whatever the reason was that Nora came seeking her out, it had to be important.

“Do you have a moment? I’d like to speak with you.” The Eliatrope girl said bluntly. 

Just as the doll had opened her mouth to reply, the doors to Glip and Baltazar’s classroom creaked open, the two masters in question peeking through and glancing around in worry, no doubt because they had heard Amalia’s embarrassingly loud squeak from earlier. When Baltazar’s eyes set on the young doll, he offered her a kind smile. He was about to speak to her when he finally registered his little sister’s presence, his beady eyes going as wide as Amalia’s must have been just a few seconds ago. 

It was Glip who spoke at last, though his voice betrayed his own surprise. “Nora! We weren’t expecting you. Is there anything we can do for you?”

“Perhaps you have come to return to Baltazar the book he lent you?” The beige dragon smiled weakly, a clear attempt to diffuse the mounting tension. But Nora just shook her head, her expression kind yet unreadable. 

“Sorry, Baltazar. I still haven’t got around to finishing it. I promise I’ll be done with it soon, though.”

“It is quite alright. Take your time.”

Amalia had to suppress the urge to flinch when Nora’s magenta eyes settled on her yet again. “I actually wanted to talk to Amalia. I imagined she’d be done with her classes by now and came to see if she’d be up to some girl time.” She tilted her head to the side invitingly, her snowy bangs following her movements. 

Immediately after, the doll could feel her teachers’ worried gaze on her, silently asking her if she was really okay with this. Wordlessly offering to give her an out. Her own dark brown eyes darting discreetly from Nora to them, she ultimately nodded along, plastering a small smile on her face. 

She was still hugging herself when she said, “Sure, Nora. We can talk, if you’d like.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Amalia. Come, there’s much I’d like to tell you.” And with that, she turned around and beckoned for the doll to follow her. With a quiet yelp, the Divine Doll scrambled to catch up to the white-haired Eliatrope, coming to stand by her side as they made it through the palace corridors in silence. 

As they kept walking, Amalia couldn’t keep her mind from wandering to Glip and Baltazar’s genuine concern for her. Touched, she couldn’t stop the warmth from spreading all over her being even if she wanted to. Not that long ago, the Wakfung master hadn’t exactly been enthused to have her as a student, but now he seemed to care for her about as much as any of the children.

But then, the rustling sound Nora’s magenta cloak made as she moved reminded her of the reason they had been worried for her in the first place. Not for the first time, she found herself just as concerned. Sneaking a furtive glance her companion’s way, she knew that, deep down, her unease had nothing to do with Nora, but with her brother. 

The core of Efrim’s attitude remained a mystery, even after all this time. All Amalia knew for certain was that the periwinkle dragon didn’t like her. Not one bit. It wasn’t difficult to reach that conclusion; after all, how would one describe the constant glares he shot her way, the warning snarls and growls with bared teeth, and his brusque manner of addressing her?

What, his love language was supposed to be ‘barely restrained aggression’?

No, of course not. The mere thought was ridiculous. Amalia may have been young by virtue of how she was conceived, but she wasn’t a fool. She could tell when something was wrong with almost as much accuracy as she could tell the state of the plants around her. And even they advised her to be careful around Efrim. 

What was more, for a while now she had had the feeling it wasn’t just the plants that grew worried over the tense relationship between her and the young dragon—and that was being generous. Yugo in particular always seemed to keep his eyes peeled whenever the two of them were in close proximity and he was there to see it. And today, Glip and Baltazar’s reactions were only further proof of what she already knew, with what transpired the other day at her garden only serving to cement her beliefs. 

Efrim was out to get her. And she could only speculate the reason why. 

Despite her usual nervousness whenever Nora’s twin was around, for once Amalia had been able to ignore the pit that usually formed in her stomach around him almost effortlessly. She had been far too excited about showing the Council of Six what she had been up to to really pay Efrim much mind. 

How could she not have been ecstatic, right? Not only had she already prepared the soil for when the Council members told her what their people needed her to grow, but she had finally been able to craft her own Sadida Dolls! She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been a little envious of Dathura when she made use of what little time they had together to show her baby sister all her dolls. 

As with everything back then, her natural instincts kicked into gear at the sight of the blue and green ragdolls, the Sadida within her urging her to heed their call and honour her father the best way their people knew. By replicating his greatest feat. 

Which was, ironically, her and her sisters’ own creation.

So when Yugo gave her the go-ahead to cut loose with her powers, she didn’t hesitate to bring that dream of hers to life, especially when she knew her dolls could contribute greatly to the development and defence of the Eliatropes. They would carry out any task asked of them without complaint, and their versatility and resilience turned them into the perfect tools to have at hand when under attack. 

There was a reason why young Sadida learned to craft dolls almost as soon as they had their motor skills under control! What could be better than a vegetable doll?

However, what she wasn’t counting on was that the attack would come from within the kingdom and directed straight at her. 

While Amalia was already expecting she would have to explain Sadida customs to the Council, she certainly hadn’t accounted for the sheer venom that would be dripping from Efrim’s every word as he questioned her on her decision to create weapons, of all things. As his predatory eyes bore into her and his every exhale tore into her skin with unspoken accusations, the underlying message was clear: he suspected her of intending to turn her dolls against them in the future. 

The Divine Doll still felt a shiver running down her spine at the memory, her heart squeezing almost to the point of pain at the silent suspicion Efrim’s cobalt blue eyes screamed as they were trained in on her. When she first met the young dragon, Amalia had been mesmerised by those eyes, shining like sapphires, but now, the more she was forced to lock her gaze to his, the darker they seemed each time. Like obsidians. 

And at that moment when Efrim had struck that pose, ready to pounce on her, the obsidians had melted into tar, sticky and inescapable as it trapped her, surrounding her very being and threatening to plunge her to the dark depths of the abyss, never to see the light of—.

She frantically shook her head, willing those thoughts to leave her mind lest she risked drowning in them again. Loath as she was to think about it, even after Efrim abruptly dashed out of the door, it had taken her longer than she cared to admit for her heartbeat to go back to normal. Thank Sadida for Yugo, who remained by her side through it all, offering her wordless but much needed comfort through his mere presence or even some fleeting, yet lingering touches. 

Regardless of what Efrim made her feel, one thing was for certain: for reasons beyond her, the young dragon didn’t trust her, and she would not be able to feel truly welcomed until he did. 

But that still didn’t explain why Nora would want to talk to her in private. 

Unlike with Efrim, who practically radiated hostility, Amalia didn’t sense any real malice coming from the pink-eyed Eliatrope. On the contrary, whenever they interacted or, at least, both were present, Nora seemed to be rather approving of her. 

(Yugo would go as far as to grumble about how she was, perhaps, a little too approving of her, but whatever he meant by that always flew right over the doll’s head). 

Still, that didn’t change one undeniable fact: Nora and Efrim were twins, and if there was one thing she had learned about the Primordial Eliatropes and their dragons, that was that no bond was stronger than the one each set of twins shared with each other. So, regardless of her own feelings towards Amalia, chances were Nora would always put her brother first. 

“I’m sorry about Efrim’s behaviour towards you, Amalia.” 

…then again, what did Amalia know? She was just a Sadida Doll. 

Upon registering her apology, the doll stopped dead in her tracks as she tried to process what the white-haired Eliatrope had just said. Turning her head to face her, Amalia found herself staring at the back of Nora’s dark pink hood, for she had stopped walking as well and was now standing with her back to the doll, facing the landscape spreading before them. 

They had halted their movements just as they ventured into the outdoors bridge that connected the South and North wings of the palace. Soon they were enveloped by Oma’s natural beauty and the sound of the local wildlife around them. 

As Amalia made up her mind whether she should join her companion or not, the latter continued, “I know my apology isn’t exactly worth much.” She let out a mirthless chuckle. “After all, it should be Efrim apologising to you but…” She trailed off, a moment of silent understanding where words weren’t needed to express what she was trying to convey passing between them. “You still deserve an apology. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Her head hanging slightly as she contemplated Nora’s words, Amalia tentatively slid over to where she was standing. Giving her a sidelong glance, she copied her movements and her hands came to grip at the marble railing of the bridge as the two of them oversaw the scenery. 

“Thank you, Nora.” She told her quietly, almost afraid to break the silence. The light afternoon breeze rocked her bangs, causing her to tuck the rebellious strands away from her face. “You really didn’t have to.”

But Nora just shook her head. Amalia was only noticing it now, but she hadn’t pulled up her mask to cover her lower face. The doll didn’t know why, but that made her feel more at ease. Like Nora was allowing herself to be open and vulnerable for once even in her presence. 

“It’s the least I could do. Efrim was way out of line the other way.” She sent the green-haired woman by her side an apologetic glance. “I can’t imagine how he might’ve made you feel.”

“Can't say being questioned like that was the nicest feeling…” Amalia admitted timidly, rubbing her upper arm up and down for comfort and pulling her wristbands down by accident. She tugged at the garments lightly to put them back in their place. “I just don't understand why your brother seems to be out to get me! What have I ever done?”

“It’s not because of anything you’ve done, Amalia. At least, not really.” The words were out of Nora’s mouth before she even had the time to think them over. Startled by her own admission—and embarrassed, not like she’d ever admit to that—, she clamped her mouth shut, doing everything in her power to avoid looking the Divine Doll in the eye. 

She didn’t have much luck, unfortunately. Because after a few seconds ticked by, she eventually caved and chanced a furtive look the doll’s way, only to immediately avert her gaze when it turned out her bright, brown orbs were staring almost owlishly back at her.

After much consideration, the youngest Eliatrope heaved a heavy sigh, giving up. Still, she weighed what she could say next, careful not to break her twin’s trust, “Efrim has… trust issues with outsiders. Especially now that we're the outsiders. He’s just worried letting anyone else in will have dire consequences.”

Even though she was still reeling by the Council member’s admission, Amalia’s mind locked in on one fact and refused to let it go. “Wait, ‘anyone else’?” She repeated, her eyebrows shooting to the ceiling when Nora flinched. “Nora, have you guys ever had trouble with someone before?”

But Nora refused to speak, refused to even look her in the eye. Instead, she was stubbornly averting her pink gaze, giving Amalia nothing but a view of her hood and her snowy hair waving in the breeze. She silently thanked the Great Goddess her cloak managed to conceal her hands, because her grip on the railing was so tight, her already pale skin turned even whiter around her knuckles. 

Seeing how the other girl closed herself off, Amalia considered letting her be by dropping the subject altogether. Whatever it was that had happened was clearly something she didn’t want to discuss, and the last thing she wanted was to put Nora through an unpleasant experience. Perhaps she could try asking Yugo about it?

But just as she was about to let the matter go, memories of Efrim’s barbed comments and venomous looks flashed through her mind, igniting a new burst of determination to surge through her veins. She was sent by the gods to help Eliatropes and Twelvians alike, but she would be unable to offer much assistance if she didn’t know what happened and instead kept running away from it every time she faced an obstacle. It was about time she let go of her fear of the dragon and got some actual answers, instead of throwaway comments that only served to have the doll question even more things. 

Taking a deep breath to steady her mounting nerves, Amalia leaned closer to Nora, determined to ask the question that had been plaguing her mind since their visit to Bonta. 

“Nora, why do the Twelvians consider your people outsiders?”

Her reply was quiet but blunt, “Because we’re not from this world.”

That… actually took Amalia aback. Though maybe it shouldn’t have, as she had been learning the origins of the Eliatrope race from her classes. Not to mention, it was plain to see Yugo and his people didn’t worship any of the twelve gods native to the World of Twelve, like her father, Cra, Ecaflip… Both their appearance and knack for opening portals was proof enough of that. Instead, their patron and source of their powers was the Great Goddess Eliatrope, the source of all wakfu in the universe, as well as one of the Krosmoz’s creators alongside the Great Dragon. 

And yet, for some unfathomable reason, the possibility that the Eliatropes didn’t resemble any of the Twelvian gods and were considered outsiders precisely because they weren’t native to the World of Twelve had never crossed her mind. 

Much to her chagrin, she felt her cheeks grow hot, embarrassed by her own ignorance. 

Still, sensing how Nora was about to close herself off yet again, she pushed through. She needed to know the truth. 

“Then how come you came all the way here to settle down?” When the Eliatrope refused to answer, Amalia placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to convey how she could tell her anything, as well as the fact that she would not budge on the matter. “Please, Nora, I just want to understand.”

Understand…

Nora perked up at that, at odds with herself. On the one hand, she feared she had already said too much. The last thing she wanted was to breach Efrim’s trust by revealing anything too personal. That, and deep down she couldn’t help but try to heed her twin’s warning—it would be very unwise to provide Amalia with information she could exploit in the future if it turned out Efrim’s suspicions were right and she couldn’t be trusted. 

And on the other hand, Amalia just wanted to understand. Wasn’t that why she reached out to her instead of her brother in the first place? Because Yugo had assured her that, out of the two, Amalia would be more willing to listen to her and to try to understand what Efrim was going through?

With that in mind, it would be very unfair of Nora to disrupt the doll’s day with all the heaviness she brought with her only to then deny her closure when it was no longer convenient for her. 

She slammed her head against the railing, the sudden action causing the green-haired beauty to flinch, and groaned pitifully. What was she supposed to do?

For her part, Amalia was beginning to regret ever bringing the Eliatropes’ past up. The last thing she expected was that the youngest Council member would react… Well, like that. She suppressed the urge to sigh in disappointment. Perhaps it just wasn’t the time for her to know the truth. Tentatively, she reached her hand out to gently place it on Nora’s back when—.

“You’re right. You have a right to know what happened.” Nora said completely out of the blue, straightening herself up and turning towards the doll, her pink eyes piercing through her skin until they reached her very soul. She extended an arm to the side, her palm glowing turquoise, “Come with me.”

Following the direction the Eliatrope’s arm was pointed at, Amalia’s eyebrows shot up and her mouth hung open a little as a burst of the ever-familiar bright blue energy flickered to life. Before she knew it, Nora’s magic had summoned a portal in the middle of the bridge. The doll couldn’t help but tilt her head to the side at the sight of it, intrigued. Now that she thought about it, that had to be the first time she ever saw the youngest Eliatrope make use of her magic—or, at least, really pay attention to it—; that in itself was noteworthy, given she had been living under the same roof as her for weeks. However, it was nothing compared to her surprise as she realised Nora’s wakfu manifested very differently from Yugo’s. 

Even though she’d much rather be caught dead than go through another one of the king’s portals, Amalia had seen enough of them from his daily training sessions to believe herself to be quite well acquainted with them. And Nora’s were nothing like his. 

It didn’t get to the point where, while Yugo, who usually wore blue clothing, created blue portals, Nora, unmistakable with her use of magenta garments, emanated stasis-like pink energy instead. Of course not; that would be ridiculous. But even Amalia, whose way of channelling her wakfu was completely different from any other inhabitant of Oma Island, could sense whose portals were whose from both appearance and a feeling resonating from deep in her gut, almost like how Yugo’s wakfu vision worked. 

Because while the Eliatrope King’s magic manifested in perfectly circular portals, Nora’s had four sides that converged in sharp edges. It took the Sadida Doll longer than she cared to admit—and a little bit of blinking, stupefied—to realise that her portal was actually a square, though its vertical position made it look more like a diamond. 

“Erm… What’s this”? She asked meekly, her finger pointing weakly at the portal in front of her as she finally tore her gaze from it to stare questioningly at Nora. 

Oh, dear Doll Master above, please don’t let her greatest fears come true… 

The Eliatrope just looked at her like she had grown a second head, her brow furrowed, especially when the doll kept watching the portal with as much cold disdain as if it had personally offended her. “That’s one of my portals…” She couldn’t help but state the obvious, gesturing between it and Amalia and not understanding the reason behind her apparent apprehension. “You already know that’s what we, Eliatropes, use as means of transportation… right?” She raised an eyebrow. 

Amalia just waved her off, although her posture remained stiff and the smile curling at her lips was strained. “Yeah, yeah, of course. Yugo’s always opening portals around me, and Glip and Baltazar help the children with their own powers practically every day!”

“Then what seems to be the problem?” Nora ventured. 

The doll got straight to the point. “Do you want me to go through it?”

There was a beat of silence where all Nora could do was blink, flabbergasted.

“Yes, that is the reason why I summoned a portal in the first place. To take us somewhere else quicker than we would arrive on foot.” The Eliatrope explained, although a part of her kept questioning why she even had to explain something so obvious in the first place. Especially to Amalia, who had been living there with them for weeks! Surely she would know what her people used portals for by now, right?

“Oh, I see.” Amalia said, trying to sound casual and unaffected, but she remained as tense as before. “Um, isn’t there… I don’t know, another way we can go wherever you want to take me to instead?” She asked, her voice suspiciously high-pitched. “I’ll gladly let you kidnap me, if that’s what you want!” She joked, and the white-haired girl in front of her thought to herself that the doll was clearly unaware of her attractiveness for her to say something like that so nonchalantly.

She distinctly remembered herself saying she would gladly take Amalia if Yugo didn’t want her.

Unaware of the thoughts running through Nora’s mind, the green-haired girl just went on, desperate to avoid going through another portal for as long as she lived. “But, I mean, can’t we just walk there…?”

Nora blinked once, twice, thrice as she struggled to come to grips with what the doll had just told her. She tried to find sense to her request, only to come up empty-handed. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Yes, it’s just, you see…” The wild beauty stammered, growing increasingly uncomfortable under the other girl’s scrutinising pink gaze. Although that was nothing compared to the building pressure that was having that thing practically right next to her. “The thing is, I don’t go through portals.” A beat. “Ever.”

“What?!” Nora couldn’t believe her ears, her eyes going as wide as the very portal she had created. “Hasn’t Yugo ever invited you to pass through one of his portals before? I could’ve sworn he did…” She muttered that last part to herself. 

“Oh, he has.” She couldn’t help but flinch when Amalia’s voice took on a darker quality, a shadow passing over her features. “That’s why I categorically refuse to go through another!” She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her torso and sticking her nose up in the air almost petulantly with a huff. “No offence, Nora, but those things always do a number on my stomach, and I’m not looking forward to getting reacquainted with my lunch this afternoon. Thank you very much.”

Nora just stood there, her shoulders shagged and her posture hunched over from disbelief, gaping like a fish at the Divine Doll. She couldn't believe it… Straightening herself and bringing a hand to massage her temple as she gathered her thoughts, she had to ask, a hint of exasperation in her voice, “Wait, that’s it? You don’t like going through portals because you get dizzy?”

A stubborn nod was all the answer she got. 

She exhaled deeply through her nose, mustering up every ounce of patience she possessed. “Amalia, I’m sure whatever happened last time to make you sick was just a fluke.” She tried to reason, to no avail. 

“Oh, trust me,” the doll laughed sarcastically, “it was not a fluke.”

How many times would she have to have this conversation before it finally sank in? Her vomiting after going through a portal was as much of an elemental law as water boiling at 100º!

Seeing as the Sadida Doll would not budge in her decision, with a sigh, Nora tried a different approach—appealing to her common sense. 

“Amalia, I understand you might not like going through portals, after all, it’s not the kind of magic you’re used to. The Great Goddess knows nothing takes us quite as aback as when you make use of your powers.” She giggled, thinking back to all the times they’d been startled by vines growing in places where they shouldn’t. Then, she grew a little more serious. “But if you want to understand the reason our people are outsiders, moreover, to learn the reason we came to this world in the first place, then I really need you to come with me. And I’m afraid the fastest way is through one of my portals.”

She extended her pink-clad hand towards the doll, who peered down at it suspiciously, and smiled at her before the two locked eyes, brown meeting pink. 

“What do you say? Do you trust me?”

Eyes darting back and forth between her extended hand and back at Nora, Amalia couldn’t help but comment drily to herself how the Council of Six seemed to always be asking for her trust when they didn’t seem all that willing to extend the same courtesy to her. But, ultimately, her desire to know far outweighed her reservations. After all, if Nora was willing to share her people’s past with her, that must have meant she trusted her, right?

With a soft exhale, Amalia finally gave up, her arms falling to her sides in defeat before flashing Nora a small smile and reaching out to grasp her hand in hers. 

Before they could so much as move a step closer towards the portal, she jabbed a finger in her face, though. “I’m warning you, whatever happens when we go through the other end won’t be pretty.”

Nora couldn’t help but agree with her in private, though not for the same reasons Amalia was referring to. She really had no idea of what awaited her on the other side. Still, it seemed the two of them had made up their minds and neither would back down. 

“I’ll take my chances.”

And with that, she pulled Amalia closer towards her and motioned for her to jump into the portal, disappearing from sight as it closed behind them. And yet, weirdly enough, all Amalia could think of as she went through the portal, the familiar currents of wakfu turning her stomach upside down, was that it felt nothing like Yugo’s. She found herself missing the strange sense of comfort he seemed to imbue to his own magic as it traversed her body…

.......................................................................................................................

As Amalia had predicted, watching her heave loudly as she stood on all fours on the floor wasn’t a pretty sight. Nora couldn’t help but grimace as another loud gasp escaped the doll’s throat, feeling guilty for not taking her warning more seriously. 

Not sure what to do with herself, she mostly stood there, watching as the doll’s heaving seemed to gradually subside. With a wince, she tried reaching out a hand towards her, even though the distance between them meant she wouldn’t actually make contact with her skin. “Are… are you okay?” She asked sheepishly. 

“Well, at least now I only dry-heave.” Amalia said drily, trying to imbue her voice with an optimism she most definitely didn’t feel and her efforts falling flat. “Not that long ago, I would have thrown up all over the place…”

Oh, those poor bushes… They had seen so much horror. 

“Hey, look on the bright side.” Nora offered, her tone light yet cautious. “Before you know it, you’ll be able to go through portals no problem!”

Amalia’s answer was concise and to the point. 

“Over my dead body.”

Neither needed to point out the fact that Divine Dolls were virtually immortal for the message to be crystal clear. 

“Okay…” Nora said, tapping her hands against her thighs awkwardly while Amalia got over the remainder of her affliction. When she finally found the strength to stand on two legs, though her stance was a little wobbly at first, the Eliatrope ventured, “Are you feeling better?”

Amalia wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked at it disdainfully before answering, “Not yet, but I’ll be.” 

Now that she was back on her feet, she spun over herself, eyes darting in every direction as she took in the scenery around her. They seemed to be in some sort of cavernous system, the only source of light coming from the numerous bulbshrooms spread all over the walls. Large stalactites and stalagmites served as columns, and blocks of white sandstone had engravings on them that forced the doll to squint her eyes at them to get a better look at what they portrayed, to no avail. 

One thing was for certain, she had no idea where they were supposed to be.

“So, what was it that you wanted to show me?”

“This.” Nora said simply in return, and instead of elaborating on the matter, she just turned around, her pink gaze staring intently at what she had in front of her. 

One sceptical eyebrow raised at her reaction, Amalia followed suit, turning her head to the direction the young Eliatrope was transfixed by… And promptly gaped at the sight, a gasp leaving her throat and her brown eyes going wide as she scanned every single detail displayed before her. 

Covering every single inch of the sandstone wall standing right in front of them was the biggest mural Amalia had ever seen in her admittedly short life. It burst with colour over its white canvas, splotches of blue, pink, black, red, white and so much more interweaving into each other through intricate strokes until it converged into one huge, unified picture. And while the technical aspects of the mural were nothing to scoff at and were definitely deserving of a good amount of the awe currently rendering her speechless, that wasn’t what Amalia’s mind had fixated on. 

The reason her eyes were glued to the mural before her was the scene it represented. 

Sprawled all over the white stone, the splotches of colour took the unmistakable forms of the Council of Six; seeing the Primordial Eliatropes and their dragons painted so distinctively, she could only assume the remaining purple, yellow, and even blue patches were meant to represent the rest of their race. Despite the mural’s minimalist style, it was easy to perceive the dynamism behind the scene, clearly trying to portray movement and convey constant action. 

Indeed, nothing in the painting suggested a domestic scene taken from the day-to-day chores of the Eliatropes and their leaders. On the contrary, the image before her was something that caused a primal feeling in Amalia, a kind of fear born from the deepest, most inexplicable form of empathy, to resurface. Beyond all else, she hoped that kind of thing would never become a daily occurrence. 

Staring right back at her was a battle. 

Even with the Council’s simplistic design, the Sadida Doll had no trouble making out scenes such as Glip and Baltazar shielding small children from danger—which she was able to deduce thanks to the fact that the spots she believed represented the children were significantly smaller. In another, Qilby and Shinonomé appeared to be treating the injured, a pit forming in the doll’s stomach when she realised the heavy use of red in that corner wasn’t just because of the dragoness’ ruby-like scales; many had got hurt and needed treatment. The black splotches she associated with Chibi and Grougal were isolated from the rest, hunched over a table as they seemed to be working tirelessly in order to find a solution to their problem. The turquoise figures that represented Mina and Phaeris knelt on the floor in front of what she could only assume was a statue of the Goddess Eliatrope, praying for a miracle or begging for mercy, maybe both. Unlike their siblings, who remained by their twins’ side, Nora and Efrim stood at opposite sides of the mural, seemingly running themselves ragged as they struggled to help their people to the best of their abilities. 

But the scene that truly made Amalia’s heart sink was the one displayed at the very centre of the mural. She was so lost in her thoughts, her mind didn’t register when she brought her hands over her chest or she took a step closer. Right then all she cared about, despite her better judgement, was getting a better look; so with a swift flick of her wrist, she summoned a verdant tendril to lift her up until she was face-to-face with the image currently depriving her of breath. 

She gingerly placed a hand on the stone, her fingers delicately tracing Yugo’s figure as he rode on Adamaï, a wakfu sword in one hand and a shield in the other, and the two charged headfirst against their opponent—a monstrous mechanical contraption painted in black as dark as coal and lines redder than blood. 

A shuddering breath escaped her at the sight, causing her to snatch her hand away and tuck it closely to her chest as she wordlessly ordered her vine to put her back on the floor. 

“Nora,” her voice was barely above a whisper, and she was genuinely surprised she was actually able to utter a single word. “What is this?”

Her answer came immediately afterwards, resigned acceptance mixed with something unreadable tinged the Eliatrope’s voice, almost as she had already been expecting that reaction from the doll and had been bracing herself to answer. 

“This is the reason why we came to the World of Twelve, Amalia.” She said calmly as she walked over to the startled doll, her own gaze fixed on the mural. Had Amalia been looking in her direction, she would have noticed the unmistakable glimmer of sadness and pain glinting in her pink irises. “This is why we’re considered outsiders by this world’s inhabitants. Because we lost our own world.”

“Do the... Do the Twelvians know about it?”

A scoff. 

“Even if they did, I highly doubt it would change anything.”

Amalia was almost too afraid to ask. “What… what happened?”

Though she heaved a mirthless chuckle, Nora’s tone was solemn. 

“To this day, we still don’t know.”

The doll’s previous suspicions were only proven right the more Nora spoke, and the more Nora spoke, the more her heart broke for the Eliatropes. 

According to Nora, their people had lived in perfect peace and harmony for millennia thanks both to their mother, the Great Goddess Eliatrope, for giving her children a safe place they could call home, and the Council of Six, who dedicated their lives, throughout countless lifetimes, to ensuring their subjects never wanted for anything. As they had never known true misery and corruption, the Eliatropes weren’t like the Twelvians, whose distrusting and prejudiced nature was apparent, but they desired to reach out to other races and expand their little world a bit nonetheless. 

Naturally, the Mechasms’ arrival felt like a blessing, and for many years, it was. The otherworldly species that seemed to operate on rules of their own soon formed a quasi-symbiotic relationship with the Eliatropes. Before they knew it, their homeworld was as much of the Mechasms’ as it was theirs. Nothing could break their bond.

Or so they thought. 

Amalia was so engrossed in Nora’s story she failed to even realise the loud gasp she heard echoing around the palace’s walls—as Nora had explained to her they were actually in the palace’s underground levels, which were still under construction and heavy revision from Chibi and Grougal—was actually her own. But Nora paid her no mind, her eyes distant as she revisited the past, seemingly staring right through the doll and into a reality that was only kept alive in her mind.

One day, without warning, the Mechasms, led by their young prince Orgonax, stabbed them in the back and declared war on the Eliatropes. At first, they were naïve enough to believe all could be easily resolved if Mina and Phaeris just led a diplomatic meeting to get to the bottom of the matter and assuage their beloved neighbours. But for the first time in history, the Ochre Dofus twins failed to diffuse the situation, their pleas falling on deaf ears; the Eliatropes and Mechasms would go to war with each other.

The Council of Six immediately took charge, mobilising soldiers and civilians alike in hopes of assuring either victory, or, at the very least, their well-being. The battles spammed over the course of weeks, depleting them of their resources at an alarming rate; and their once lush and prosperous world soon descended into mayhem and madness, blood seeping deep into the very ground. 

Yugo and Adamaï, as their people’s greatest warriors, fought valiantly and with everything they had, but after a while it became apparent they were only postponing the inevitable. If they didn’t find a solution, and soon, the entirety of the Eliatrope race would fall. 

In light of those odds, everything seemed bleak, and their subjects’ morale took a heavy blow; it truly seemed that it would be the end. And yet, right as they were about to succumb to the darkness around them and within, Qilby and Shinonomé offered what seemed to be their only possible saving grace. 

They were to leave their world and travel the Krosmoz in search of another place to call home. 

“And that’s what we did.” Nora continued. Amalia couldn’t help but flinch in surprise when she turned to look her in the eye; truth be told, she came to believe the other girl had forgotten all about her, lost in her memories. “We hopped on the Zenit and travelled the Krosmoz, in search of our new home. After decades where we came up empty-handed, we were about to throw in the towel—.”

“When you found the World of Twelve.” Amalia finished for her, having heard enough to connect the dots on her own. “So that’s why you need help with earning the Twelvians’ trust, because, much like the Mechasms, to them you’re outsiders who might wish them harm?”

“I won’t deny it hurts to be on the receiving end,” Nora admitted. “But given what we went through, I’d be lying if I said I don’t understand where they’re coming from either.” She glanced back at the mural. “Maybe if we’d been half as wary of the Mechasms as the Twelvians are of us, the war wouldn't have happened and we wouldn’t be here in the first place.”

Even though Amalia understood—now more than ever—Nora was speaking from a place of pain, she still couldn’t help the painful thud that resonated in her ribcage at her words. If the Eliatropes had never arrived at the World of Twelve, then she would have never met them. She would have never met Yugo… 

Wait, if the Eliatropes had never settled on their world, then the gods would have had no reason to give them their blessing and try to ensure they maintained a positive relationship with their followers. Without the Eliatropes, she would have never existed…

The realisation hit her like a lightning strike, causing her pulse to spike up while, paradoxical as it was, the flow of the blood in her veins slowed down dramatically. In that state where she toed the line between anxious and numb, Amalia’s jumbled thoughts drowned out Nora’s voice, whatever she was saying then amounting to nothing but white noise. 

The doll buried her hands in her emerald locks, her brown eyes frantic as a million thoughts ran through her mind. She had never given it much thought until now, but suddenly, the very idea of not having been born at all terrified her to her core. 

Could it be that she served no purpose without—?

“My, my, my. What do we have here?” A chillingly cold voice rumbled. “Is it not enough that you have seduced our king, that now you must dig into our past as well?” 

The sound of that voice broke Amalia out of her stupor, while the sheer venom dripping from it froze her to her core. She didn’t even need to turn around to know whom it belonged to. 

“Efrim!” Nora gasped, as taken aback as the petrified doll. 

Slowly, no doubt afraid of what she might encounter, Amalia turned around, flinching when she locked eyes with the dragon, a cold fury making those pools of dark blue come alive as they narrowed in on her. The sapphires turned into ice shards. 

Nora soon came to her rescue, coming to stand between the two with her palms raised up in a placating manner. “It’s not what it looks like, Efrim. Amalia didn’t go digging for anything, I took her here on my own volition; she didn’t even know what I’d be showing her!”

“You needn’t come to her defence, Sister.” Efrim told her gravelly. Even though he was talking to his twin, his eyes looked past her and straight at the doll. “There is no doubt in my mind she manipulated you into telling her exactly what she wanted to hear.”

“That’s not true!” Amalia found herself exclaiming. Once she was past the initial surprise she felt for having stood up to the dragon, she steeled her resolve and pushed through. “Efrim, I understand what happened with the Mechasms probably left a deep scar but—.”

“You know nothing!” Efrim bellowed, his voice booming around the caverns of the palace. Aggravation, fury, and hatred took hold of his body; his shackles raised, his tail thumped against the floor almost rhythmically, and his crystalline wings unfolded over his form. 

Amalia barely had time to marvel at their beauty as they glinted under the bulbshroom light when he snarled, his fangs bared. “You do not know what it is like to be betrayed by someone you trusted with your life! You do not know what it is like to see your loved ones get hurt and feel powerless to stop their suffering! You do not know what it is like to lose everything you have ever known and loved!”

With every word he spouted, he slithered closer and closer to the doll, who, much to her chagrin, couldn’t do much besides stick closer to Nora, who still stood between the two, acting like a wall as she tried to protect Amalia. Deep down, she knew she could use her powers to protect herself, but the fact that it would only confirm Efrim’s suspicions if she attacked him, even if it was in self-defence, kept her from simply ensnaring him with one of her vines. 

And even if she didn’t care about proving Efrim right, she found she couldn’t move at all. A deep, primal fear taking hold of her whole body as the dragon advanced menacingly.

Nora’s startled gasp was all the warning she got. Before she knew it, Efrim had lunged himself towards her, his claws outstretched. She could only watch as Nora opened a portal right in the middle of her twin’s trajectory, only for the dragon to manoeuvre around it at the last possible second and collide right into the Divine Doll, sending both of them tumbling to the ground. Her heart clamouring in her ears, she tried to squirm out of Efrim’s grasp, but it was all for naught; he had her pinned against the floor with his tail, while he immobilised her hands by grabbing her by her wrists and over her head. 

Her brown gaze widened in terror at the close proximity of his fangs, glinting dangerously as he smirked down at her. “Some demigoddess you are.” He sneered disdainfully. “For all your flashy moves and fancy dolls, you can’t even use your powers to protect yourself. Yugo won’t always be there to protect you, you know?”

“Efrim, stop!” Nora pleaded, horrified by the lengths her twin was willing to go. But he just ignored her. 

“And to think you have the gall to say you understand.” He scoffed, his dark blue eyes narrowing as he leaned closer to her to whisper in her ear. “You’ll never understand what it's like to suffer, Little Doll. And I’ll make sure you don’t get to hurt anybody else!”

Amalia gasped, letting out a strangled sound as tears ran down her cheeks when Efrim loosened her grip on her to raise one claw high in the air, ready to strike her down. Paralysed by more than just Efrim’s grip on her, she could only brace herself for the worst. She closed her eyes shut, praying to Sadida that it would at least be over soon, begging him not to punish Yugo and his people for the mistakes of one single Council member. 

When after what felt like an eternity nothing happened, she tentatively opened one eye, the scene unfolding right in front of her tearing another gasp from her throat. 

Efrim had indeed brought his claw down, but instead of tearing right through her as she feared, it was stuck in the ground, in the space right beside her head. Even when all she could hear was her frantic heartbeat in her ears, she could still distinctly feel the way her heart sputtered and constricted in her ribcage, fear and relief clashing against each other in a frenetic dance.

Her breath hitched when Efrim carefully lifted his arm back up and he leaned closer to her once more, his voice, raspy and unforgiving, barely above a whisper. “The only reason I don’t finish this right here and now is because, as of now, your demise would do more harm than good to my people. And only because of that. Don’t you ever forget it.”

Just as the dragon leaned back to look down at the terrified doll scornfully, a blue wakfu tendril shot forward and gripped his wrist tightly, holding Efrim’s claw back, while another wrapped itself around his torso and pulled him away from the Sadida Doll, eliciting a surprised yelp from the dragon. As Amalia scrambled to straighten herself and crawled as further away from him as possible, she took notice of Nora using her magic to hold her brother back.

“Efrim, that’s enough!” She screeched, grunting as she used every ounce of her strength to pull her twin back and away from Amalia. 

Her eyes widened when, rather than resist, Efrim just replied calmly, “Fear not, Sister. As long as she is of use to our people, no harm will befall the doll.” He flashed Amalia a side-glance that froze her to the core, the unspoken threat hanging heavily between them. “You have my word.”

Having said his piece, the young dragon wasted no time in wriggling out of his sister’s constraints, breaking the wakfu binds with as much ease as if they had been made out of mere paper. Before either of them could so much as call out to him and tell him to wait, Efrim had already spread out his crystalline wings and taken flight, a cloud of dust picking up after him. And just like that, he was gone, his silhouette shrinking more and more with each flap of his wings.

Nora remained unresponsive for a spell, her pink eyes fixed on her twin’s retreating form, before everything that happened finally caught up to her and she hurried to help Amalia up, frantically looking her all over to make sure she was alright. But even as Nora apologised profusely on her twin’s behalf and assured her she would take care of it, and begged her to, please, don’t say anything to Yugo because things had been tense between Efrim and their older brother and she didn’t want to make things worse, Amalia was only half-listening. In fact, not unlike Nora a few seconds ago, she, too, had yet to tear her brown gaze away from the direction the young dragon had left.

Her heart still echoing in her ears as she stared at the space Efrim occupied just a mere minutes before, her mind was elsewhere. Her run-in with him and his harsh words and even harsher truths replaying in her mind over and over. 

[madisonthetimewalker]

Got inspired by @loryn-art and decided to make some modern AU Wakfu headcanons because I always love making head canons when I see cool AU’s

1. Yugo cannot skateboard for shit. He always face-plants into the pavement (Adamai can skateboard and laughs his ass off at yugo’s misery)

2. Adamai is surprisingly good at baking, he can make a pretty good looking cake (if he try’s)

3.qilby has horrible fucking sleep schedule I cannot describe how bad it is but it is horrible.

4. Chibi is a morning person and has a decently sized ego.

5. Grougal has the best hair in the family (he gets it from his mom what do you expect?)

6. Shinonome (I cannot spell her name for the life of me oh my god) likes to live a cozy and organized life… qilby does not knowing the meaning of organized

7. Adamai works in retail and has clip on earrings (he doesn’t want to get his ear pierced again it sucked for him he hated it. I also have an example in one of my drawings!)

8. Phaeris is very very good at making sure shit doesn’t go down in the house. Mostly because he has a resting bitch face and I love it

9. Baltazar works at a daycare. He likes the job (quilby is not allowed near baltazar because of what happened in season 2, they will full on fist fight im dead ass)

10. Efrim isn’t very responsible with money (do not give him any he will spend it… and so will Nora)

11. Glip is often tired he has a pretty good sleep schedule (unlike qilby) but still often complains of being tired.

12. For mina I wanted to make her a teacher but since she was known to be basically a lawyer in Wakfu but I feel like a teacher would fit her as well.

13. Adamai doesn’t talk about his private life.. at all for that matter he keeps to himself a lot and you basically have to pester him to tell you what’s wrong.

14. Adamai has a creepy smile (this is canon.. oh my poor boy) and often times won’t smile in photos he just kinda grins and walks away.

15. Yugo has such horrible and I mean horrible taste in fashion (you can hear Adamai holding back tears in the background while Mina or Nora has to tell him to change or else he’s gonna scare their mother to death due to his shitty fashion sense.)

16. If you where to ask qilby about a specific historical event, he will tell it in such great detail it makes it seem like he was actually there.

17. The dragon bros cannot taste spicy foods (I heard somewhere since lizards are cold-blooded they can’t taste that thing that makes you taste spicy foods) so if you see grougal chowing down extreme spicy ramen don’t ask.

18. Efrim is very clumsy and often stubs his toes or accidentally hits something when he walks (everyone thinks he needs glasses but he has 20/20 vision this fucker just can’t walk straight)

19. I like to think Adamai is a bit of a nerd. In his own way of course (if you’re lucky you can catch him reading comic books in his room.. which is always locked)

20. Nora and Efrim collect random stuff they find on the ground and they have this huge stash of random shit. Nobody knows how long they have had this but god is it large

21. Glip can often be seen grading papers (I like to believe baltazar is a daycare teacher while Glip is a high school - collage teacher/professor)

22. Chibi does not know the meaning of “social cues” (and neither does yugo.)

23. Shinonome works at a flower shop (qilby doesn’t like flowers mostly because of bad allergies but he supports his sister anyway.)

25. Efrim hates having to work and I mean HATESSS it he will complain the whole time (Adamai is one step away from hitting him with a shopping cart at 100 miles an hour)

26. Yugo can’t focus for shit, but can surprisingly describe how to make a specific meal in great detail (alibert you have raised a good man.)

27. Phaeris is very good with solving puzzles and likes to do them in his free time, he says he enjoys the “thinking process”

28. Chibi is a horrible flirt if he sees a pretty lady and he wants to say hi? Immediately tripping and stumbling and accidentally embarrassing himself (grougal is laughing his ass off silently in a corner.)

29. (Can you tell I like Adamai?) he’s a pretty good babysitter although he isn’t a huge fan of it but he doesn’t mind helping people out.

30. Nora can’t roller skate while Mina is a fucking mastermind.

31. Baltazar and qilby can be seen giving the meanest fucking side eyes at family dinners (Adamai prefers to eat in his room. But once there’s drama he appears and watch’s from afar.)

32. Qilby has the worst back pain in the world.

33. For someone who can’t focus for shit yugo is an incredibly fast learner! And can learn anything in a matter of seconds (Adamai is often jealous out how quick of a learner he is.)

34. Glip doesn’t like being forced to work at such late hours but he has no choice (the curse of being a teacher)

35. Adamai often runs away from yugo when he’s at work. And yugo likes to chase him down for shits and giggles (yugo please he’s trying to do his job)

Great Lordy I have made so many! I might make some insert modern AU ones as well. Involving ecaflip and Xelor and the rest of the gods, I like to think they also live in the world of twelve but they don’t really show their faces (kinda like Greek gods? If you get what I mean)

Anyway I’m glad I got to share more headcanons! Have a great day!

[bluegumballmf]

so, i still havent seen any eliatrope council DRAGON members quizzes soo

Surprise!!! I made another!!! Have fun <3

[nekolland]

It's been a while but here's resident cat Baltazar! 🐈

Cr. @camigraphys

[guys-moments]

[donnatroyprincessofthemyscira]

Art Credit to Baltazar

[vinyl-artwork]

Peñaranda Y Su Conjunto – Bailamos Esta Cumbia Papito, 1964.

Cover by Baltazar.

[snakeoil2]

Skytober, Day 16, Imaginators

That is three characters. I am surprised I managed it. The three are a magic knight, life brawler, and fire sorcerer. Flamlin, Bast, and Baltazar. I also tried to recreate the background from the creation screen, and it could've gone worse.

[wgm-beautiful-world]

The three wise men

[incorrectoctopathtravelerquotes]

Leon: where's me package...

Baltazar: ahar. Twas cast overboard

Leon: aye... killing meself

[isprinnytaken]

My cat Baltazar

I don't usually make posts but my cat passed away today after a tragic encounter with a car. The street my boyfriend and I live in is very busy and people speed there a lot. There are no speed bumps or signs there although it is packed with elderly folks and pets.

We hope to contact the city regarding this and try to make a change for cats, dogs, even people (lol) and our precious Baltazar.

In memory of him, I remind you; if you have an adventurous village cat that likes to spend time outdoors exploring, check on it, train it to fear cars etc.

Love ❤️

[geekgirles]

The Doll and the Dragon

Chapter 2: Make Yourself at Home

Word Count: 11703

Read on AO3

Previous/Next

Chapter Summary: "Ever since she was welcomed into the Eliatrope palace, Amalia has taken to wandering around the halls, even when left to her own devices. Tensions run high as not all members of the Council of Six have come to truly trust their unexpected guest, nor do they believe her intentions to be pure. And so, it is up to Yugo to find out the truth.

But, just what is the actual cause for the Divine Doll's little excursions around the palace? Could this just be a huge misunderstanding?"

Despite the limited amount of time Amalia spent there, she was sure Sadida’s realm in Inglorium had to be the reason behind the divine dimension’s idyllic nature. A lush paradise where all kinds of plants lived together in perfect harmony, no matter how different they were. Tropical jungles and rainforests showed off the vibrant green of their leaves and palm trees thanks to the constant rains they enjoyed. Grassy plains extended as far as the eye could see, with all sorts of flowers and herbs sprouting over the most beautiful canvas imaginable. 

Mighty oaks, firs, pines and all sorts of trees stood proudly on top of the lands’ mountainous territories. There was even a small, but not any less important, arctic area where rare, exotic plants that could only survive in cold temperatures thrived. Wherever she looked, she could see sources of water everywhere: from the constant rains showering the tropical species, to streams and rivers of all sizes and lengths going down the mountains and plains, to beautiful cascades located in their own secret gardens…

It was simply far too beautiful for words. It was nature in its purest form.

And Amalia could feel how each and every single living being there was a part of her, just like she was a part of them. 

It was such a stark contrast to life inside the Eliatrope palace. She understood her visit was sudden, so much so, it was a complete surprise for the portal-making people. They really hadn’t seen her arrival coming. Which was something her father had warned her about, how it might take her some time to endear herself to the Eliatrope King and his people. 

As expected of a god, her father had been right. Yugo, as he wished to be called if they were to be ‘friends’, had certainly been taken aback by the sight of her when they first met. And it only worsened once she took on her more human form. So much so, the Eliatrope remained quiet and motionless for an awkwardly long amount of time upon the sight of her. 

She truly feared she made a terrible first impression and that was the reason why he didn’t seem so keen on taking her as his bride. Amalia had yet to make sense of the weird wave of sadness and melancholy she felt whenever she thought about it—was that what people called ‘disappointment’? However, despite their unconventional first meeting and Yugo’s apparent disinterest in that thing called marriage, he didn’t seem to be opposed to the idea of the two of them fostering a positive relationship. So, even though she had been ready to abandon his home and return with her father, the Eliatropes seemingly welcomed her in and guided her to her new room.

That had been two weeks ago, and Amalia couldn’t help the melancholic, suffocating feeling that enveloped her. 

It wasn’t as if Yugo hadn’t kept good on his word. He was perfectly kind and cordial towards her; always asking how her day had been, indulging her curiosity a little about his, showing her around the palace, and gifting her with some very nice living spaces that were relatively close to his. 

She had yet to decipher what the odd comments his sister Nora made at that meant, or why they elicited a deep blush from Yugo, too. 

And yet, despite knowing she should be grateful and thank Sadida for the kindness and care she was being treated with despite being an outsider, Amalia couldn’t help but feel trapped. She had yet to be allowed to leave the palace premises and venture into Oma Island, especially if she was on her own. Without Yugo by her side, she really didn’t have anywhere to go. So she remained in her room.

That in itself shouldn’t have been so bad. After all, before being sent to the World of Twelve, she spent most of her time in Inglorium either at Sadida’s hut as he put the final touches on her or in her room. But there was something about this place that made her feel restless. No matter what she did, she couldn’t ignore the constant calls of the world outside, beckoning her to step out of the palace and inside the jungle.

There was a whole other world beyond the castle’s walls, she could feel it in her bones. A world the twelve gods themselves had helped create and replenished with wondrous splendour and experiences. Her whole body just itched and tingled at the thought of going out and exploring. 

But alas, that was but a pipe dream. The Eliatropes and their dragon siblings kept a close eye on her, probably because she had been sent by the gods and, therefore, they felt the need to treat her with care. And seeing as she was specifically there for Yugo, as long as he wasn’t available, there were many things she couldn’t do, so she remained confined to her room. 

She truly didn’t understand why that didn’t feel like enough, after all, her room was spacious and beautifully furnished. Her bed was comfortable and soft. Her closet was big and could hold many pieces of clothing. There was a large vanity with a mirror surrounded by bulbshrooms where she could preen herself all day long if she so wished. And her walls were tastefully decorated with more breath-taking murals depicting the Eliatropes’ history. 

But the more she spent inside those four walls, the more she yearned to get away from them. No matter how much she tossed and turned at night, she just couldn’t fall asleep. As of right now, she really didn’t have more outfits than the one she currently wore she could stash in her closet. The more she looked at herself in the mirror, the more Ibago’s words haunted her and made her feel inadequate, her eyes tracing the lack of stitches on her skin and making her feel like an outsider among her own kind. And, beautiful as they were, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the room’s stone walls were closing in on her the most she remained inside with nothing to do. 

Her one saving grace was the large balcony leading outside. Amalia wasn’t exaggerating when she said she spent most of her time there, leaning against the railing and staring off into the distance, wishing she had a Cra’s gifted sight to see what lay beyond the limits of her chambers. The most she could do was connect with the plants surrounding the castle to feel what they felt, but that only increased her yearning. 

The other thing she discovered her balcony allowed her to do and one she felt quite mesmerised by was seeing Yugo train. Just like she was doing at that very moment, her eyes followed his every move.

She truly didn’t understand why, but the sight of him gracefully jumping in and out of his portals reminded her of the time she witnessed her father dance at moonlight. It was so hypnotic, especially when he took things up a notch and combined his portals with his swordsmanship and hand-to-hand training. Hard as she tried, Amalia found she could not take her eyes off the Eliatrope when he executed complex moves and manoeuvres. Parring an imaginary enemy’s attack with his wakfu shield while he charged forwards with his sword. Or the way he would command dozens of portals to shoot energy beams at once towards a specific target. 

The spectacle was such, her eyes remained glued to it, to him. Even with her limited understanding of the world around her, Amalia understood Yugo was attractive. Very attractive. In a way, it was funny. Her father told her Yugo was her suitor, and as such, it was his intention to make her fall for him. And yet, she couldn’t help but think she was Yugo’s suitor instead. After all, she seemed far more captivated by him than he was by her…

Shaking her head from such thoughts, she got a hold of herself  just in time for Yugo to take notice of her and send her a friendly wave, which she returned with a small smile. Amalia couldn’t help but find it sad that such a small exchange had become the highlight of her day, for that usually meant Yugo was beginning to lose focus on his training, which at the same time meant he would be done for the day soon. 

And sure enough, not even five minutes later, he entered yet another one of his portals, only this time he didn’t reappear from another; at least, not within the doll’s line of sight. 

With a heavy sigh, Amalia’s body slagged forward, her head resting against her arms on the railing, wondering if today would be one of those days where Yugo showed her around the castle some more and entertained her for a bit or, if otherwise, she’d be on her own. If it was the latter, seeing as that was her home now as well, she could always wander the palace halls on her own, trying to sate her curiosity and wanderlust the only way that was available.

However, even after enough time had passed for Amalia to know she wouldn’t be seeing more of Yugo today and therefore she was free to explore the palace grounds, the Divine Doll couldn’t shake the feeling the rest of the Eliatrope Council had their eyes on her…

......................................................................................................................

“She spends a lot of time wandering around by herself. I don’t like it.” Efrim emitted a low, warning growl, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. 

“She is allowed to move freely around the palace, Efrim. She is our guest, not our prisoner.” Shinonomé countered, her golden eyes never leaving the orb right in front of her. 

“An uninvited guest, you mean.” Glip corrected pointedly, his chin resting over the handle of his cane as he held it with his hands. “The gods just sent her to us with no warning after months of silence. For all we know, she could be here to spy on us!”

“My point exactly. Thank you, Glip.” Efrim acknowledged his brother with a grateful nod of his head, right before sending his eldest sister a pointed look. 

The female dragon simply exhaled from her nose, puffs of smoke coming out of her nostrils even in her humanoid form. “From our research, Qilby and I have learned that Divine Dolls are difficult to classify and, therefore, to predict. They don’t share the same limitations as other demigods; for all we know, she could be acting independently from the gods’ will.”

Much to her shock and chagrin, this time it was her own twin who refuted her point with a rueful shake of his head. “My dear Shinonomé, you know the dolls’ unique circumstances also mean they’re closer to their creator than most other demigods—in fact, while Divine Dolls get to live in Inglorium alongside Sadida, most demigods have never even met their divine parents!” 

“Which I’m afraid could also mean she will always have his best interests in mind, rather than her own, or ours.” Chibi pointed out without looking up from the small contraption he and his dragon brother Grougaloragran were currently working on, a small wakfu hammer and chisel in his hands. 

“So you mean to say she’s always looking around in search of weaknesses to exploit?” Yugo urged his siblings to voice the thoughts and questions on their minds, growing impatient. He could not believe he had just got back only to be informed his presence was required for an urgent meeting with the Council.

They were all currently gathered at the council room, where the Eliatropes’ leaders met up to discuss urgent matters concerning their people, such as new buildings in need of construction, shortage of food, impending war, or anything that might put their people’s safety in jeopardy. Likewise, seeing as they all had very different duties and talents they used to serve their subjects, another and much more recurrent reason for gathering together was to update their siblings on their advances and struggles in their respective fields. 

The council room was one of the largest spaces inside the palace, second only to the throne room and the communal spaces meant to house large groups of people or protect their civilians when under attack. And with good reason, too. After all, it was supposed to be able to hold both six Primordial Eliatropes and their dragon siblings, even when the latter weren’t in their more humanoid forms. Meaning, it was imperative twelve people, half of them capable of turning into giant, draconic beasts, could be there comfortably. 

Although there were large windows carved onto the stone precisely for the purpose of them being able to join a meeting whenever, the room’s biggest source of light came from the very centre of it, sticking from a round table around which every council member usually sat at. Bathing everything around it in soothing blue, was a giant crystal orb known as the Eliaculus, one of Chibi and Grougal’s greatest inventions. While at first glance it reflected a sea of stars—an impressive feat in itself—, its main purpose was to keep an eye on their territory and help them strategise. All you needed to do to know what was going on on the opposite end of Oma Island was ask the Eliaculus and it would reveal the events unfolding at that very second. 

Another useful feature was that it also projected holographic images to better visualise whatever concerns troubled the Council.

From where he stood in the middle of the room, Yugo’s gaze swept across the council room, landing momentarily on each and every one of its occupants. At that very moment, the only absent members were Baltazar and Phaeris—the former was covering up for his twin in teaching the young ones as the meeting was taking place, for they would have an important exam soon and they couldn’t afford to lose any study time; and it was the latter’s turn to oversee the island and make sure the Twelvians didn’t try attacking them again.

Having just recently arrived, Efrim was seated leisurely against one of the window frames, his long, serpentine tail swaying back and forth in impatience. As Nora’s twin was the smallest of the Eliatrope dragons, he, unlike his siblings, chose to spend most of his time with his true appearance. His body was composed entirely of vivid periwinkle scales, from maw to tail; the only exceptions were his snow-white hair, matching his twin sister’s; his indigo eyelids; and the equally white underbelly and tip of his tail. His eyes were the most unusual out of all of them: instead of white, his sclera was a deep cobalt, and his slitted pupil a bright turquoise, not unlike the wakfu their people manipulated. Nora liked to say that reflected his special connection to their mother. 

Efrim stood out among the other dragons for not having any legs, only arms and a long, snake-like tail, although it was true his natural shapeshifting abilities allowed him to sprout a pair of thin yet strong limbs if he so wished. Even though he preferred to keep them tucked away for most of the time, the youngest dragon also possessed the most beautiful pair of wings out of all of them, thanks to their crystalline quality. 

Much like Nora, the battle with the Mechasms had turned the once joyful and optimistic Efrim into a jaded version of himself, quick to suspect outsiders if it meant ensuring his people’s safety. And, unfortunately, Amalia was an outsider for several reasons. 

Shinonomé, on the other hand, was Qilby’s twin sister, though listening to her retellings of their past lives was much more enjoyable as she never really acted nowhere as insufferable as her brother. Truth be told, even though both of them were technically the oldest of their group, Shinonomé was clearly the most rational one between her and Qilby which, coupled with her sweet demeanour, was the reason their siblings tended to go to her when they needed help. She was seated close to her brother at that very moment, in fact, her eyes going back and forth between Yugo and the Eliaculus.

Given her enormous size and her and Qilby’s natural talent for medicine, the red dragoness was the polar opposite of Efrim, choosing to remain in her humanoid form most of the time as to not frighten her youngest patients. 

Even so, she was far too proud of her origins to suppress her true nature. Such was reflected in her humanoid self. Much like her scales, her skin was ruby red from head-to-toe, with gold markings lining her body along her limbs, sides, and cheeks. Her waist-length hair that she kept in a loose braid—not unlike what her twin did with his beard— was platinum blond and scruffy, highlighted by the four long horns sprouting from her head, with a yellow diamond plastered on her forehead. Beyond her unusual skin colour and horned appearance, there were more details hinting at her true self, like her clawed hands, sharp teeth, and pointy ears; or her eyes—breath-taking and golden, with slitted pupils. Given she had no real use for modesty, she simply covered herself with a simple, sleeveless, yellow silk robe, with no need for shoes for her skin was thick enough to withstand practically anything. 

Glip, leaning back against his own chair at the table, opposite from the eldest twins, was the shortest Eliatrope by far. Always had been. Even when Yugo himself was still in the adolescent phase of his life and his body was that of a child despite his adult mind, back then he was still slightly taller than Glip. A fact he was wise not to say aloud lest he risked getting whacked in the head by his brother’s huge cane. 

Despite not possessing Qilby and Shononomé’s gift for remembering every single reincarnation, or the fact that he was quite ill-tempered, Glip’s passion had always been teaching the younger generations, which he always accomplished admirably thanks to the sheer amount of energy he put into each and every lesson he taught. The fact that, between the two, Baltazar was the most sweet-tempered also helped, as both siblings formed the perfect Firm Hand and Gentle Touch duo—Glip made sure the kids all stayed in line and behaved, while Baltazar was always there to listen to their problems, however small they might be, and encourage them to keep working. 

With a square face and an ever-present scowl, alongside his dark chesnut-coloured goatee, Glip always wore a green and beige tunic over a long-sleeved white undershirt and dark brown pants and pointed slippers. His tunic was tucked around the waist by a leather belt, ancient scrolls he used to keep track of his classes hanging from it. The use of headwear was a huge symbol in Eliatrope culture, and in Glip’s case, he wore a relatively simple hat the same colour as his tunic, though his had a small stump on either side of it. The one thing the shortest Eliatrope was never without was his cane, twice his height and forming a spiral at the top, decorated by three white protrusions. 

Chibi and Grougaloragran were hardly seen apart, and today was no exception as they occupied their respective seats at the table, hunched over their latest invention. In fact, the duo were the most formidable inventors their people had ever known. Although their ingenuity also meant they tended to be quite laser-focused and single-minded when it came to their goals. 

Chibi was the Eliatrope twin, and although he was usually much calmer and more laid-back than Grougal, he tended to be a tad more impulsive as well, especially when it came to battle. Much like his dragon brother, he preferred to wear black, as evidenced by his long cloak, covering his entire body. However, he still felt a fondness for gold that he exhibited in his chest plates and shoulder pads, a body-suit similar to Yugo’s but in black going all the way down from his abdomen. 

His white hair was trimmed into a bob cut and, much like his own goatee, created a nice contrast with his deeply tanned skin and hazel eyes. Despite his love for science, he was the most muscular Eliatrope sibling, and his features—a Roman nose, a strong jawline, an aloof yet cheeky glint in his eyes—only hinted at his hidden depths even more. When he wasn’t covering half his face with his hood, that is. 

Grougaloragran was his brother’s opposite in many ways. While more feisty and quick to anger than Chibi, he also knew when to keep a cool head better than his twin did when faced with aggression. Unlike Chibi, who preferred to keep going until the end, Grougal knew when to take a step back and make a strategic retreat.

Their contrast manifested in their appearance as well, especially when the black dragon decided to take on a humanoid form. As equally muscular and tanned as his brother, given his body was covered in scales, he felt no need to cover himself beyond a white robe, though his wasn’t form-fitting like Shinonomé’s. But that was where their similarities ended. Grougaloragran’s features were sharper, fiercer, befitting a dragon of his power. His cheekbones were sharp, his ears pointy, his golden eyes had slitted pupils and glowed even in the darkness, and he sported a long, silky, dark mane. 

Yugo and his siblings formed a very colourful group. They all had their strengths and weaknesses, and they all complemented each other by seamlessly working together, like a well-oiled machine. Except when they disagreed on something.

And they were all looking at him, their attention drawn by his comment. 

“It’s… a possibility.” Efrim finally said carefully, acknowledging the king’s previous comment about the Sadida Doll looking for weaknesses to exploit. 

“We can’t deny her mere presence on our island is quite suspicious.” Glip added, sharing a nod with the youngest dragon. Then, gesturing at Yugo, he went on, “Don’t forget, dear brother, two weeks ago you weren’t exactly happy with the news of her arrival either.”

Much to his chagrin, Glip had a point. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been fuming when he found out about the gods sending him a bride. Especially when what he needed was for his people to achieve a peaceful coexistence with this world’s natives, not some eye-candy to take his mind off his problems. 

Still, he tried to remain impartial. Even though it was true Amalia’s actions were suspicious, as king it was his duty to give people the benefit of the doubt until proven guilty.

“That’s true, but Amalia said she was sent here by the gods as a sign of good will between their people and ours. We can’t just accuse her of being an undercover agent!”

“One thing is what someone says, and a very different thing is the truth.” Efrim warned ominously, his eyes narrowed. Then, he fluttered open his crystal-like wings and, with one mighty flap, came to meet Yugo face-to-face. “We know nothing about her, for all we know, she could have been trained precisely to get us to lower our guards!” 

“Maybe, but what we do know is that she was both created and sent to us by the gods.” Adamaï countered, making sure to stress that last word so it got through Efrim’s skull as he pushed him back and away from his twin’s personal space. “If we want to be accepted by the Twelvians, the last thing we need is to offend their gods by mistreating one of their own. And considering Amalia is here precisely because of Yugo, he is the one who should be the most careful.”

Yugo flashed his brother a thankful smile at his unyielding support, who returned it with a nod. 

“Exactly, we can’t afford to act rashly and accuse Lady Amalia without tangible proof.” Shinonomé concluded, turning around in her seat to watch the interaction, and even Qilby nodded along to his sister’s assessment, though he was mostly just watching the show. 

“Why are you taking her side?!” Efrim demanded, his eyes flicking back and forth between his siblings in betrayal. Then, he zeroed in on Yugo, jabbing a claw at him. “What, a few days together and you’re already so blinded by lust you fail to see reason?”

A loud gasp echoed around the room, aghast expressions taking hold of their occupants faces. Even Glip and Nora were looking back and forth between their brothers worriedly. In fact, the only ones who didn’t react much were Qilby—who limited himself to rolling his eyes at the unnecessary melodrama—, and Chibi, his eyes fixated on his work. At least Grougal had more tact and actually looked up in alarm at the exchange.

“Efrim, that is quite enough!” Adamaï growled in warning, taking a step closer to his younger brother. He would have got right in his maw if it weren’t for Yugo stopping him by placing his hand on his chest.  

His face hardening into a scowl, his brown eyes narrowed in on his brother, the Eliatrope King tried to keep his voice cool and even as he said, “This has nothing to do with lust. There’s nothing going on between Amalia and I.”

“Oh, so now we’re supposed to believe you aren’t the tiniest bit attracted to her?” The dragon taunted, tilting his head to the side mockingly. Then, he scoffed, smoke coming out of his nostrils. “Please, we all know your brain stopped working the moment she changed forms; Nora had a blast retelling that to us.” 

From the other side of the room, watching the tense exchange with unease, Nora couldn’t help but wince, cursing her mischievous and teasing nature. Luckily for her, everyone’s eyes were on her twin instead.

It was hard to tell if it was on purpose or if he’d meant to mutter to himself, but it didn’t matter, they all heard him loud and clear when he said, “Obviously, your brain has yet to reboot itself…”

In the blink of an eye, Yugo and Adamaï adopted offensive positions, ready to charge, while  Efrim had dropped on his tail, waiting for when his brothers decided to pounce. However, just as it seemed a confrontation was imminent, a clear, authoritative voice cut through the tension: 

“That’s enough, you three!”

Everyone turned towards the origin of the voice. Leaning against the wall, her arms folded over her chest, stood a tall, elegant woman whose sharp, intelligent brown eyes were settled on her siblings. Her features were soft, the only indication of her silver hair being the two strands falling from her Eliatrope hat and delicately framing her face; unlike her siblings’, her hat pointed upwards and was tied in the middle with a piece of robe. She wore a long, sleeveless turquoise dress and armlets—all the same colour as her hat—, another rope tied around her waist as a belt. 

Normally, Mina was the most level-headed and collected member of the Council. But right now, her eyes were blazing furiously. 

She focused on Efrim, her hands on her hips as she adopted a reprimanding posture. “Efrim, enough of this! That is no way to speak to your brother, let alone your king!” 

“But he—!”

“I don’t want to hear it!” She cut him off, raising one hand as if to empathise her point. Her ears perking up at the sound of the other two’s muffled laughter, she swirled on them at lightning speed, causing them to yelp in surprise. “And that goes for you two as well. This is a place meant for debating and reaching compromise; what would our people think if they caught wind of infighting between their leaders?!”

“Tell that to Mr. Accusations over there.” Adamaï jerked a thumb Efrim’s way, who scowled. 

“I simply don’t understand why Yugo’s so quick to defend someone we barely know even when she’s exhibiting suspicious behaviour.”

Yugo was about to open his mouth, a counter on his lips, when Mina beat him to it. “Because Lady Amalia is not here right now to defend herself. It’s not right to accuse someone of something as serious as spying with malicious intent when they’re not even here to explain themselves.” As she said that, she also sent a glare Glip’s way for encouraging Efrim’s behaviour, the shortest Eliatrope shrinking even further in his seat under the heat of her gaze. 

 “Thank you, Mina.” Yugo sent his sister a nod, silently thanking her for intervening when she did as well. Thanks to their gifted wisdom, she and Phaeris were excellent conflict mediators; they always knew how to de-escalate an argument and resolve a dispute the fairest way possible. Be it among their subjects, or their siblings. He turned his focus back on Nora’s twin. “Efrim, I understand your concerns, but we can’t just brand Amalia as a traitor, not when there’s so much on the line. Do you see that now?”

But the furious flickering of Efrim’s tail and the low growl he emitted were signs of his agitated state. To him, it was plain to see they intended to let the doll’s actions go without a proper investigation, and that was a risk he knew they couldn't take, for it might lead to them losing everything. After all, they left the Mechasms to their own devices for millenia, convinced their bond would always remain symbiotic. And yet, next thing they knew, they had inexplicably lost their home at the hands of the very species they once trusted as their own.

Who was to say the Divine Doll, having been sent by the gods the very people that despised them worshipped, would not lead them to a similar outcome? It had only been two weeks since she arrived, that hardly counted as enough time for someone to prove themselves as trustworthy. 

How could his siblings not see that? Did the Mechasm War really mean so little to them? Hadn’t they all experienced the same horrors? Then why were they so willing to put their people’s safety in jeopardy like that? Why—?

A warm, comforting hand he was intimately familiar with made contact with his skin, rubbing soothing circles on his back. Eyes widening slightly, he turned his head to look back at Nora, his twin sister flashing him a small smile to remind him she would always be there. As always, her presence worked like a charm, allowing his shoulders to lose their tension and his mind to think a bit more clearly. 

Now that he wasn’t so overcome by anger and grief, he chanced a look around the room, and noticed everyone’s uneasy eyes on him. Realising what he might have done if he had lost control, the young dragon forced himself to take one deep breath and let it out slowly, the fog in his mind finally clearing.

“I’m sorry. I… I don’t know what came over me. I-I just…”

This time, he was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. When he looked up, Yugo was smiling kindly at him, Adamaï mirroring his expression, although his position remained slightly more guarded.

“It’s alright, Efrim. We’re all just tired from having to fight for the right to exist. It’s not your fault.”

He let out a mirthless chuckle. “Yes, I suppose you’re right, my King.”

“I think your bride’s presence has left us all a little rattled, Yugo.” Chibi commented idly, finally putting his latest invention down. “I propose we take a few minutes to decompress before tackling the subject again.”

“She’s not his bride, remember?” Nora recalled, some levity returning to her voice as she chuckled impishly.  “They’re just ‘friends’.” She made sure to air-quote exaggeratedly. 

She let out a loud yelp when Yugo shoved her not-so-playfully in retaliation, almost knocking her to the ground. After a beat, laughter filled the room, some of it more reserved than the rest, but the Eliatrope family finally began to relax despite the tense meeting they found themselves in. 

Still, Efrim’s words echoed in Yugo’s head. A part of the Eliatrope King had a hard time believing Amalia could be gathering intel on them per the gods’ request. And it wasn’t because he was attracted to her—because he wasn’t! Acknowledging an objectively attractive person was attractive was not lust, just mere facts. But because, despite their limited time together, her childlike wonder for the world around her and slight awkwardness when dealing with him made it plain to see the Divine Doll didn’t have much experience with the outside world. 

Or, at least, she didn’t know much about the Eliatropes. Which made sense, given they hadn’t even been on the same planet until less than a year ago.

Maybe she was just curious and wanted to learn more.

However, she was also quite reserved and courteous. Even when he took notice of the way her eyes glimmered in fascination at some of the things he showed her, she never asked anything about them unless he talked about them first. Which could be her way of throwing them off her trail. If she didn’t appear overly interested and eager to know more, then they would have no reason to believe she was spying on them and trying to learn their weaknesses. She could just be playing dumb.

Just as Yugo was beginning to question the Sadida Doll’s true intentions, Adamaï’s words made him realise how unfair he was being. 

“I understand your concern, Efrim.” He began, sliding up to the younger dragon and snaking his tail around his shoulders for comfort. “It's too soon to claim we know everything about our guest. But if it makes you feel better, when she arrived and we showed her around a little, I took the chance to read her wakfu.”

“You read her wakfu!?” Shinonomé exclaimed in surprise, her eyebrows shooting up to the ceiling. “But, Adamaï, didn’t you learn from that botched meeting with this world’s rulers? That is something extremely invasive here!”

“I know, I know.” The white-and-blue dragon raised his palms up placatingly. “However, I figured it was justified given an outsider would be living with us from now on.”

At his words, the red dragoness paused, seemingly reflecting over what he said, before she finally calmed down with a nod of assent. 

His sister placated, he continued, turning his focus back on Efrim. “What I saw was a clean aura. While it might be too soon to lower our guards completely, at least we can trust we’ll be able to tell if there are any changes.”

“I… suppose that’s fair.” Efrim acknowledged, his claw holding his head pensively. 

“Nevertheless, I could try getting to the bottom of this and figure out why she wanders through the palace alone.” Yugo said, his tone light, but the meaning behind it was serious. 

“But Yugo, what about offending the gods? Won’t accusing Amalia of having ulterior motives for being here cause trouble for us?” Nora asked, her brow furrowed in concern. 

The king just rolled his eyes. “I’m not saying we lock her up in the dungeon and refuse to give her food or water until she fesses up; I’m just going to ask her nicely but directly for an explanation.”

“Uh… Not to be rude, but what makes you think she'll just up and tell you just because you ask nicely?” Glip arched an eyebrow, staring at his brother like he’d grown a second head. 

Blinking in confusion, Yugo could only shrug helplessly, as if the answer was obvious enough. “Um, because I’m clearly the one she’s closest to around here? If she’s gonna be comfortable opening up to someone, that someone is me.”

Silence fell over the council room, the Council looking back at their king and blinking slowly at his thought process. And then, after a beat…

“Yeah. Are you sure there’s nothing going on between you two?” Qilby asked, his tone dripping with ill-veiled amusement. His smirk only grew at the blush colouring his king’s cheeks. 

Oh, who knew having a Sadida Doll around would be this fun!

“There’s not!” Yugo squealed, before realising how his voice sounded and clearing his throat. Purposely making his voice sound deeper, he insisted, “Seeing as she is here because of me, I’m the one who’s been spending the most time with her, meaning she’s bound to feel more comfortable talking to me than any of you.”

“I don’t know.” Nora commented idly. She came to lean against a column, looking disinterestedly at her nails, although the amused smirk on her lips didn’t help hide her true feelings. “I was there when she introduced herself. And she’s just my type; I’m sure I could get her comfortable real quick…”

“Nora, down.” Mina said flatly. With an almost bored flick of her hand, she conjured up a portal directly connected to the sea, causing some of the water to be sprayed straight into her younger sister’s face. 

Nora hissed in displeasure. 

“Thank you, Mina.” With that taken care of, Yugo turned his focus back on the conversation at hand. “The point is, she’s here because of me, so I should be the one talking to her about her daily walks around these walls…” After a beat, he couldn’t help but wonder aloud. “It is a bit odd how often she’s out of her room even when I’m not taking her anywhere…”

“Maybe that’s the problem?” Mina suggested. 

“What do you mean?” Adamaï asked, tilting his head in confusion. 

“Maybe she’s out and about so much precisely because she doesn’t like her room.”

“Oh, no. That’s impossible.” Chibi waved the mere notion off at the same time as Grougal vehemently shook his head. “Girlie got one of the best rooms in the entire palace; she’s got nothing to complain about!”

“Grougaloragran’s interior design is flawless.” The black dragon leaned back in his chair stubbornly. His mere body language was challenging everyone gathered to try and contradict him. 

The thing about genius inventors and master builders was their ego. And when you had literal lifetimes to perfect your creations and master new disciplines like Chibi and Grougal did, your ego was the size of Amakna. 

“Well, whatever it is, I’ll get to the bottom of it. I promise.” Yugo said quickly, not really in the mood to listen to another long-winded spiel about the intricacies of architecture and interior design, or how long it took them to realise the perfect shade to paint their walls in was eggshell white instead of cream white because cream white was too dark for the overall look they were going for. 

“Yes, it’ll be for the best.” Finally leaving her place beside the wall, Mina made her way to her seat, ready to get this meeting rolling and to present her and Phaeris’ latest findings to their siblings at last. As she did so, however, she couldn’t help but mutter, “For all we know, she’s just as much of an adventurer as you two and just wishes to explore a little.”

Yugo and Adamaï exchanged glances at their sister’s comment… and immediately afterwards had to stifle down their laughter. No one was as much of an adventurer as they were. Their wanderlust was insatiable. Part of the reason they were so eager to reach an understanding with the Twelvians—besides their subjects’ safety, of course—was so they could finally go see this whole new world without fear of causing a commotion. 

“If she turns out to be as much of an adventurer as Yugo and Adamaï, she’d better not clutter Grougaloragran’s beautiful room with her knick-knacks. Grougaloragran did not spend thirty-six hours painting those walls only for a pile of souvenirs to hide them from view.” 

......................................................................................................................

Amalia found herself exploring every nook and cranny of the palace yet again. Even though the Council’s residence would technically be her home for who knew how long, meaning she believed she had a right to know where she lived, a part of her couldn’t help but feel like she was doing something wrong. Especially when she encountered some of the council members besides Yugo. 

She shuddered subconsciously when her mind traced back to a few days ago, where after turning a corner she’d come face to face with Nora and the Eliatrope dragon she introduced as her brother, Efrim. While Nora had remained as polite as when they first met—though the meaning of some of her comments flew right over her head—, her twin was a completely different story. 

His loaded gaze was fixated on the Sadida Doll the entire time. It was so intense, Amalia couldn’t help but feel scrutinised, curling over herself for comfort. She vaguely remembered gulping involuntarily in his presence. For some reason she couldn’t explain, the doll had a feeling Efrim didn’t like her much. 

Fearing she might get the same reaction from the other Primordial Eliatropes and their dragon siblings—the little one, Glip, if her memory didn’t fail her, didn’t seem very nice—, Amalia tried not to get too greedy. In other words, whenever she ventured around the palace walls on her own, she made the conscious effort to always discover new rooms one place at a time, and to never remain away from her room for long periods of time. 

Her first little adventure had been a simple walk from her chambers to the throne room. Deep down she was mostly just making sure she’d be able to remember where her room was even without help. She was just retracing her steps, really.

The next logical step was to include the dining room to her slowly-increasing list. Most of the time her food was actually delivered to her room by some servants, be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner. But sometimes, her time together with Yugo would either start or culminate in the two of them sharing a meal as they made civil conversation. Thinking back, she had yet to have dinner with the entire Council of Six at once. Although Yugo said that was mostly because they were all so busy and had such different schedules, their dining together was a rare occurrence these days. 

Then she considered it best to know where all the delicious food she got to enjoy each and every day came from, so she made her way around until finding the kitchen. Just her luck, she stumbled upon it just as the chef and kitchen staff were getting ready to begin making lunch. 

To say they all had been mutually startled by their presence would be an understatement. 

Even so, as soon as everyone’s heartbeat was once again under control, they all shared brief interactions as they introduced themselves. Amalia learned many things that day, but the one that stood out the most to her was the fact that she didn’t see herself cooking any time soon. 

She had been understandably amazed by the way Chef Telif and his staff transformed raw ingredients into culinary delicacies; it was almost magical. But something about the process—the patience it required, all the cutting, slicing, and chopping involved, how dirty one could get—just didn’t sit right with her, for some reason. 

Today, her usual exploring had led her to the palace school. While she didn’t dare open the door, as she vaguely recognised Glip’s voice and she didn’t want another encounter like the one with Efrim, Amalia couldn’t bring herself to stop listening to his lesson from behind the door. 

She couldn’t quite catch everything he said, but the few things she did understand were incredibly fascinating. The more Glip spoke, the more Baltazar added or put things into context, the more Amalia wanted to know. In the end, she stayed glued to the door for the entirety of the lesson, only tearing herself away from it when she heard the teaching duo dismiss the class, causing Amalia to yelp as she hurried to get away and back to her room. 

It was precisely on the way back to her chambers, that an unexpected but increasingly familiar voice cut through her thoughts. 

“Amalia.”

Gasping in surprise, she turned around, her face breaking into a wide grin at the sight of the one person she could call her friend here. She didn’t really understand why the sight of him made her so happy; she just relished the warm feeling she got whenever he was close. 

“Yugo!” She exclaimed in delight. Skipping closer to him, she couldn’t help but beam, “What a surprise, I didn’t expect to see you today! Normally, you come looking for me in my room shortly after you’re done with your daily training.”

Clearing his throat at the reminder of their daily routine, a small blush coming to his cheeks, the Eliatrope King tried to redirect the conversation where he wanted to without arousing suspicion. “Well, yeah. That’s true. But there’s something I want to ask you and the sooner I do it, the better.”

Then, he gestured for her to follow him as they continued their walk, their pace unhurried.

“Oh.” She could only blink at that, surprised by his reason for seeking her out. Pulling herself together, she shrugged. “I see. And… what is it you wish to ask me?”

“This is just like ripping a band-aid off. The sooner I say what’s on my mind, the sooner we’ll be done.” Yugo told himself, steeling his resolve even as he noticed Amalia’s big brown eyes staring back at him expectantly from the corner of his eyes. He gulped.That made it slightly more difficult. 

Taking one deep breath, he decided to just go for the kill. “Amalia, is there a reason why you’re always wandering around the palace halls on your own?”

Eyes widening at his question, she couldn’t help but avert her eyes, ignoring the way the action caused the Eliatrope to narrow his own eyes at her. Yes, there was a reason for her daily little excursions, but she couldn’t tell him what it was! Her arrival had already shaken them off quite badly, from what she’d gathered; she couldn’t make things even more difficult for them. 

Besides, admitting she just felt lonely while Yugo and his siblings were busy ruling their people just felt childish and selfish. 

“No, there’s no reason.” She said instead. “I just want to know more about you and your people, I guess.”

Unfortunately, saying that had been the wrong move. Alarmed that Efrim and Glip might have been right, and knowing the Divine Doll was lying because of her elusive response and guarded pose, Yugo pressed on. 

“Amalia, I’m not mad. If there’s something bothering you, you can just tell me.” He tried to keep his voice even and reassuring, but nothing could keep the tinges of irritation from leaking through. 

The Divine Doll, of course, picked up on it. “You don’t really sound like you’re not mad… Quite the opposite, really.”

“And it definitely doesn’t look like you have no reason to wander around on your own.” Yugo bit back accusingly, before wincing at how easily he was losing his temper. 

Startled by his words, Amalia bit her lip and averted her eyes. She contemplated on coming clean, but decided against it. It really was nothing, so she told him as such:

“It’s nothing important.” With a flick of her head, she walked ahead of him, hoping that would put an end to their conversation. She was abruptly stopped in her tracks, however, by Yugo’s hand firmly taking hold of her wrist and bringing her closer. 

Seeing the surprised expression on the Divine Doll’s face and worrying he might have gone too far or caused her harm, the King of the Eliatropes let her hand go with a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, “Amalia, please. Just tell me what’s wrong. I promise, whatever the reason, we can talk things out, but I need to know why you’re always walking around the halls on your own.”

He chose to keep to himself how her actions were rather suspicious and putting his siblings on edge, the fear of a potential betrayal lingering in the air. He had the feeling that would only rattle her even more. 

For a while, Amalia said nothing. She just kept looking down to her side, her lips pursed and one hand rubbing the wrist he grabbed absentmindedly. For some reason, that irked him. That irked him beyond belief. 

Here he was, doing everything in his power to give her the benefit of the doubt, to allow her to prove his brothers wrong and clear things out. Great Goddess above, he was actually putting a stranger’s feelings over his siblings! And here she was, not even trying to make things easier for him, doing everything in her power to appear as guilty as possible instead. 

Narrowing his eyes, he opened up his mouth, “Amalia, were you sent here to—?”

But just as he was about to flat-out ask for her true intentions and risk offending the gods with his distrusting nature, the Divine Doll unknowingly saved him when she blurted out, “I just hate being in my room, okay?!”

Mouth dropping in disbelief at her words, his brain struggling to process what she just said, he caught a flicker of blue from the corner of his eyes. Blinking in surprise, his eyes travelling fleetingly to Amalia’s form as she hid behind him with a squeak, Yugo could only look on as two very agitated Chibi and Grougaloragran jumped right out of a portal and in front of them. 

“What do you mean you hate your room?!” They bellowed in unison, incredulous. Their imposing figures only intimidated Amalia even more. 

Taking notice of the Sadida Doll’s discomfort and feeling a surge of protectiveness rising within him even despite the previous tension, Yugo cleared his throat to get his brothers’ attention. Once their eyes settled on him, he discreetly motioned with his head for them to take a step back. 

As soon as they obliged his silent request, he glanced down at Amalia, meeting her gaze. “Is that true? You just don’t like your room?”

He almost felt a vein pop at the way Chibi and Grougal were ‘whispering’ among themselves about how it was a much bigger deal than he made it out to be. 

Amalia, however, was undeterred. Emerging from behind him, despite the fact that she had her arms around herself, hugging herself for comfort, her voice was loud and clear when she said, “Yes, that’s the truth. I spend so much time around the palace because I can’t stand being there.”

“But why?!” Chibi demanded, before a warning look from both Yugo and Grougal forced him to take a better look at the doll and realise he was making her uncomfortable. He sheepishly cleared his throat. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, my Lady, but yours is one of the finest rooms inside these walls.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I just…” The words got stuck in her throat. She still felt so silly for complaining about this after the Eliatropes had been so kind to take her in, even when they had informed her she might not be able to fulfil her original goal. But just as she was biting down on her lip, willing the words to leave her mouth, she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

Looking up, she saw Yugo smiling comfortingly down at her, encouraging to speak up without fear of retaliation. She felt her cheeks grow hot. 

“Amalia, it’s okay. We just want to help, that’s all.”

Recovering from her momentary shock, she gave a determined nod and took one deep breath before explaining herself. “Back in Father’s realm, I could feel everything. Everything was a part of me and I was one with it all. It was like I was never alone and, I don’t know, I guess that was very comforting. 

“But here, in my room… Everything feels so sterile. I know there’s so much more beyond my balcony, beyond these walls, but I can’t connect with it like I did in Inglorium. At least, not when I’m in my room. Everything feels so cold in there, so stifling. The more I spend inside those walls, the more I can feel them closing in on me… I hate it. I only feel better when I’m away from it, like when you come to spend time with me.”

As she admitted how she felt, she looked up at Yugo, hoping to convey what she was saying to him in particular. “I guess I’m always going around the palace to escape that feeling, to escape that loneliness…” She said that last part with a voice so small, Yugo, Chibi, and Grougal had to strain themselves to hear her properly. 

Yugo was taken aback by the waves of sympathy he felt towards Amalia at that moment. He, too, hated being confined to one place, that was the reason why he and Adamaï were always adventuring, just like it explained why he’d been feeling so restless ever since they arrived at the World of Twelve and they’d been more or less confined to Oma Island for months. Thinking back to these past few weeks since the Sadida Doll arrived, he realised with a start he hadn’t been feeling quite as on edge since she arrived. 

Apparently, Amalia was good at taking his mind off certain things, after all.

And seeing her now, so despondent… It just didn’t sit well with him. He had to help her somehow.

Sending a meaningful look his brothers’ way, the three of them silently convened on what to do. With a nod of agreement upon deciding on what course of action to take, he turned his focus back on Amalia.

“Would it help if we tried to make your room feel less lonely?”

She perked up at that. “Can you really do that?”

“Please.” Chibi scoffed playfully, matching smirks on his and his twin’s faces. “Grougal and I designed this whole place’s layout.” He said, gesturing at the palace around them.

Grougaloragran finished for him. “There is nothing we cannot do.”

.....................................................................................................................

After a grateful nod from Amalia for their offer, the four of them made their way back to her room. Thinking back, Yugo had never paid it much mind. Back when it was still unoccupied he, realistically speaking, had no reason to be there, and once Amalia did arrive, the few times he picked her up he would just wait for her by the door, never stepping foot inside. 

But now that he was here, he could sort of see why Amalia would feel so down—though he would never admit it to Chibi and Grougal out of self-preservation. Yes, the Divine Doll’s room was pretty, spacious, and had everything anyone could ever need, but it definitely didn’t feel cosy or lived-in. Maybe it was because it had barely been two weeks since Amalia lived here, or maybe it was the fact that Yugo and Adamaï’s room back in their homeworld was filled to the brim with souvenirs from their many adventures, but this place was just bare.

If it weren’t because of Amalia’s unmade bed and crumpled sheets, the place would look as immaculate as if it didn’t have someone living in it at all. With a quick look inside her empty closet, Yugo momentarily wondered if he should summon the Royal tailor and have some clothes made for the Sadida Doll. She couldn’t just wear the very same outfit forever, no matter how good it looked on her—.

Shaking his head in an effort to dispel those thoughts, Yugo made a show of clasping his hands that momentarily startled the other people present. If he was being honest with himself, however, he was doing it more to get his own attention than his companions’. 

With forced cheeriness, he turned to the doll, “So, Amalia. Do you have any idea on how you’d like your room to look?”

“If you permit us, my Lady.” Chibi cut in, stepping deeper into the room. With a snap of his fingers, he opened a portal from which several papers fell into Grougaloragran’s awaiting arms. “While we insist you don’t change the murals—I’m sorry, but we really did spend a lot of time on those—, we have some suggestions that should really help liven up the room. Don’t we, Grougal?”

The dragon nodded. Picking up what to Yugo and Amalia looked like some random paper, he opened it with a flick of his wrist and pointed at its contents with his claw. “A warm-coloured carpet is a great choice; it can make anything feel more homey in no time at all, as well as help warm things up in winter. Chibi and Grougaloragran can also help you pick any poster you like to add a little personal touch. Not to mention, adding some home décor is another great choice. Personally, Grougaloragran believes you can never go wrong with a little gold.”

“But that’s mostly because he is a dragon and they're known for being such hoarders. Just ask Enutrof.” Chibi whispered to a bewildered Amalia, purposefully ignoring the way his twin huffed at him in annoyance. 

“You say that as if you weren’t wearing gold-plated armour right now.” Yugo pointed out flatly, raising one eyebrow sarcastically. 

Blinking in surprise at the revelation, Amalia tried to steal one quick peek under the muscular Eliatrope’s black cloak and, lo and behold, Yugo was right; he really did wear golden armour underneath!

Chibi made a psh! sound with his mouth as he crossed his arms in mock offence, rolling his eyes. Looking back down at the Divine Doll, he put an arm around her surprisingly small shoulders and brought her closer—and secretly but thoroughly enjoyed the way that small action seemed to ruffle his king’s feathers, judging from the irked grimace on his face and his left eye, twitching every so often. 

Two words: in denial. 

Stowing that for later, the white-haired Eliatrope turned his focus back on the conversation at hand. “Anyway, my Lady, it’s your room. What would you like it to have?”

Glancing back and forth between Chibi’s hand on her shoulder and back at his face, Amalia could only blink for a while, her brain struggling to catch up with the rapid-fire conversation they had just had over things she didn’t understand. She didn’t really know anything about carpets, or home décor, or whatever; but she did know what she wished her room had. 

“I was thinking about adding some plants?” She finally admitted. 

Her response caused the three men in her room to just blink at her for a few seconds, then at each other, astonished, though mostly for not being able to figure that out themselves. After a beat, the Sadida Doll had to do a double take because Chibi went from standing by her side to rejoining his twin brother through a portal. 

She wondered if she would ever get used to that. …or even go through one herself. What would that feel like?

“I mean, technically, she is a Sadida. It makes perfect sense she’d want some plants in her room.” Chibi reasoned, a hand to his hairy chin. 

“Plants do add a lot of life to a room.” Grougal concurred. Then, he pointed at a corner of the room, near her vanity. “We could put a nice ficus there.”

Chibi’s whole face just lit up. “That’s a great idea! Or maybe, we could put the ficus over there,” he pointed at the opposite side of the room, “and place a flower vase on her vanity!”

“Grougaloragran believes Qilby has quite the nice selection of specimens. We could always ask him.”

“Oh, you’re right! And you know Qilby, always eager to show off his entire collection. Though that could also mean he might get a bit cranky if we ask him to lend us some of his plants ‘just to decorate a room’”, he air-quoted with a roll of his eyes his twin couldn’t help but mimic. “Maybe if we told him—”

As they discussed things, Amalia just stared at them while they went at it, feeling a little lost. She might not have spent much time on Oma Island or got to intimately know its residents, but somehow, those two were some of the most eccentric people she had ever met. Suddenly she felt a presence slide up to her, though by then she had a pretty good guess as to who it was. And, sure enough, looking up, she saw Yugo staring down at her with a tentative smile on his lips.

“What do you say, Amalia?” He asked. “Do you think that’ll be enough to make you feel better?”

Instead of answering right away, Amalia bit the inside of her cheek, thinking long and hard about what she wanted and, more importantly, what she could do to get it. She was obviously grateful to Chibi and Grougaloragran for offering their help, but she honestly didn’t see how their suggestions could accomplish much. Especially when she believed she had a much more effective way of doing things…

Her mind made up, a determined glint in her eyes, she called out to the inventors. “Um, excuse me?” When she had their full attention, she continued. “While I’m very grateful for all your help, I think I actually have a better idea?”

Exchanging intrigued glances and a shrug, the white-haired Eliatrope and his dragon twin simply crossed their arms over their chests, giving the Sadida Doll the silent ‘go-ahead’. “Well, let’s hear it.”

However, Yugo, Chibi, and Grougaloragran could only look on, perplexed, when, instead of answering, Amalia simply turned her back to them and walked a little deeper into the room, placing herself just in between her bed and closet door. Jabbing a thumb her way, they tried asking their king for an explanation, but he could only offer a helpless shrug in response, just as lost as they were. 

Taking a deep breath, determination and power coursing through her veins, Amalia slammed her hands down against the floor, a current of green energy leaving her palms and travelling all around the room. 

For a moment, the three men present looked around the space, waiting for something to happen. When after a beat nothing seemed to have changed, Chibi opened his mouth to speak:

“Well, it was a nice try, but don’t worry, we’ll take care of this in no—!”

His words were interrupted by a yelp leaving his throat as a sudden tremor enveloped the room and almost sent him crashing against the floor. It was only thanks to his twin’s quick-thinking he didn’t fall flat on his butt. 

While Amalia was beaming, Yugo and his siblings could only look on, holding onto each other for dear life and their mouths agape, at the events taking place right in front of them. 

From seemingly out of nowhere, countless vines sprouted outside the room and cascaded down the balcony; they were so long they almost formed a rope that reached the ground outside the palace walls. Inside the room proper, a torrent of flowers of all colours bloomed all over the walls—though, Yugo noted, they were careful enough not to cover any of the murals painted on them. As far as met the eye, the few spaces that weren’t covered in flowers or murals had huge, thick vines and ferns forming spirals, be it on the walls or on the floor beneath their feet—Grougal actually had to jump up to avoid one that was literally growing underneath him. Even her vanity’s bulbshrooms shone brighter. Their heads snapped in alarm at the sound of something breaking and, sure enough, a giant, red flower had blossomed right beneath Amalia’s bed, replacing it, and sent the piece of furniture flying in a dozen tiny pieces.

Thinking fast, Yugo conjured several small portals to catch all the broken pieces and deposit them down safely right outside the palace grounds, forming a pile of garbage that raised a few eyebrows among the passersby.

The end result was as if nature had overtaken the Eliatrope castle after centuries of it being uninhabited. It was both breathtaking and a little sobering. And to think this was but a fragment of what a Divine Doll could do with nature…

After all that, the only thing they could say to Amalia’s display of power was:

“Grougaloragran stands corrected. We could not have done that.”

Laughing in delight, Amalia threw herself at her new bed, squealing happily as she rolled back and forth over its petals. Despite his awed state, Yugo couldn’t help but smile fondly at the scene. Seeing her so happy for once was just precious. 

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” She exclaimed, propping herself onto a seated position. Opening her arms wide, she gestured at the space around her. “This is so much better. It finally feels like my room!”

“No need to thank us…” Chibi said, partly because they literally had done nothing. This was all her!

“It was our pleasure.” Grougaloragran agreed with a nod. 

And with that and kind wishes for Amalia, they exited the room, leaving their king and the doll alone. 

For some reason, while Amalia was on her bed, staring back at him expectantly, Yugo remained rooted to his spot. Suddenly, seeing her get comfortable inside the flower was bringing forth all kinds of thoughts he should not be having about her. It was best he remained as far away from her and her new bed as possible. 

“Thank you, Yugo.”

Amalia’s kind words broke him out of his trance. Looking back at her, his breath hitched. Once again, the sweet, warm, genuine grin she had on when they first met and he welcomed her in was curling at her lips, her brown eyes flashing with appreciation and gratitude. It was stunning. She was stunning.

He was starting to really hate Sadida and his prodigious craftsmanship. 

“For what?” He heard himself ask back. 

Amalia tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, almost shyly. “For… for worrying about me. For listening to me even when it was silly. You really didn't have to.”

“Hey, now.” He admonished her gently, subconsciously closing the distance between them. Almost without realising it, she took her by the hand. “Don’t say that. It wasn’t silly.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I mean, you’re our guest. The least we can do is make sure you’re comfortable.”

“I suppose you’re right. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He told her, a small smile growing on his lips. Then, he said a bit more seriously, “Amalia, if you ever feel uncomfortable or like you need anything, don’t hesitate to tell me. It’ll be much better if you’re just upfront about whatever’s bothering you, trust me.”

He chose not to tell her it would also make it easier for him and his siblings to come to trust her if she didn’t act so suspicious all the time. 

“I-I see.” She stuttered. “I-I’ll try to work on that.”

“I’m sure you will.” And with that, he let go of her hand and was about to leave her room when, just as he reached the door frame, she called out to him:

“Yugo, wait!”

Looking at her over his shoulder, her outstretched in his direction, he raised a curious eyebrow. “Yes, Amalia?”

“I-I was just wondering…” Amalia stammered, her hands fidgeting with her dress nervously. Pursing her lips, she couldn’t help but avert her eyes as she admitted, “I’d also really like to leave the palace.”

“Oh.” Was all Yugo could say to that. He rubbed the back of his head in discomfort, though he didn’t take his hood off, the doll couldn’t help but notice. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…” 

“I just want to explore Oma Island!” She rushed out to clarify. “I… I just…” She hesitated. Frustrated with herself, she took a deep breath and started over. “Do you ever get the feeling that there’s so much more out there? Like your world is too small and you can’t wait to broaden it? That’s how I feel, I just can’t help it. Don’t get me wrong, the palace is beautiful and its staff very kind, and you’re always so nice to me but…! But I can’t help myself from wanting—.”

“More.” Yugo finished for her, unbidden. He could only stare at her in awe, his eyes glimmering with something foreign and powerful. Everything she said resonated with his very core. Everything she was expressing was the exact same thing he felt all the time! That pull to see what lay beyond his home, the need to live new experiences, the call of something new, and exciting, and unfathomable luring him in!

The feeling that you were constantly outgrowing what you already knew. 

That was precisely what he and Adamaï always felt, what pushed them to travel the world in search of adventure…

“For all we know, she’s just as much of an adventurer as you two and just wishes to explore a little.”

Mina’s earlier words echoed through his mind. Combined with her call on Amalia’s opinion on her room, it was a little unnerving how on the mark his sister could be sometimes. It was almost as if the prophet was her, instead of Chibi. 

Once again, Amalia put an early stop to his thoughts. 

“That’s right.” She chuckled softly. “My father helped create this world, Yugo, alongside the other gods. I just really want to see what they did.” Then, she grew nervous again, fiddling with her fingers. “So I was wondering if perhaps you could show me around?”

Almost involuntarily, his expression softened. Before he could even register his lips moving, he said, “Of course, Amalia. Let’s go out on an adventure together soon.”

The smile she rewarded him with was blinding.

It wouldn’t be until hours later that Yugo would come to a very unsettling realisation:

“Wait a minute, did she grow all that from stone?!”

[lower-the-volume]

6.15  The French Mistake

[sesshaxiii]

late gift for @trak-the-pichu of her DnD character Jackson and his bat familiar Baltazar, enjoy!

[ghlagatindotcom]

One of the 400 women Baltazar chopped drags him to court for disgracing her

A woman featured in viral videos allegedly recorded by Baltazar Egonga has broken her silence, speaking publicly for the first time in an interview with Television de Guinea Equatorial. Known as Cristina, she expressed her shock and distress, claiming she had been unaware the videos still existed. Cristina recounted that while she and Egonga had recorded intimate moments during their four-year…

[guys-moments]