First Demonic Dragon

Lailah had learned over the course of many years that she was better off getting dressed by herself.

Getting dressed with her lovers, in particular, was very hard to do when everyone had wandering eyes and hands and… everything else, really.

And given her last little exchange with her husband, she needed as few distractions to trouble her as possible.

This was precisely why she had locked herself in her closet to prevent someone from wandering in here to take a peek or harass her for a quickie.

She was nearly fully dressed when she heard a knock on her door and immediately covered herself.

"Whichever one of you that is, leave me alone! I'm not giving you anything, you'll just make me late!"

"Eww!"

Lailah dropped her guard slightly and pressed her ear towards the door.

"Nubby?"

Laialh unlocked her closet door and found her daughter standing outside with a mortified look on her face.

"You know... all of you always say 'how come none of you kids never stop by our room to visit us?' This is why." Nubia responded flatly.

Lailah was partially embarrassed and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, of course I'm glad you stopped by. Come in." She widened the door to allow her daughter inside.

Nubia wandered inside of her mother's closet and immediately looked at her like she was impoverished. "Oh, my god, mom... Yours is almost as bad as Dad's... there's barely anything in here!"

Lailah stared at her daughter with a dry gaze.

Again, most of the rooms inside the house were enchanted to hold impossibly big spaces. Thea's 'room' is just the gateway to her realm.

Similarly, Nubia's closet is large enough that it practically resembles a factory warehouse.

Laialh had never seen anything like it. Her daughter has outfits for the weather and always changes her clothes at least three times a day on average.

For her father and mother, who had little that wasn't ceremonial, royal, or leisure garb, Nubia felt like she was standing next to an impoverished person.

"Yes, well, be that as it may, I assure you that I'm quite content with everything that I have. But since you're here, you might as well pick an outfit for me- even with my closet being so meager." Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

Nubia smiled as her twin colored eyes glimmered.

"This'll be great... I do love a challenge!" She rubbed her hands together like an old rapper.

Now, Lailah was honestly beginning to feel majorly insulted.

She sat down on the sofa nearby and affixed her towel to ensure that it was properly preserving her modesty. Though there was no real need.

Anyone who has grown up in a big family with a lot of women will tell you that their concern for nudity is very, very low. The Tathamets weren't a whole lot different.

"I do wonder why you decided to come visit me now of all times." Laialh yawned as she stretched out. "It's usually so hard to spend time with you since you've gotten married."

"You could always come to spend time with the three of us together, Ma."

"And reduce young Adeline to a nervous wreck with my mere presence? I believe it may be better for me to abstain."

Nubia couldn't really muster up a defense for that. Adeline really was a very frightfully little thing when it came to her parents.

"Be that as it may... she knows you won't bite. She just wants to make a good impression."

Nubia finally scraped together some semblance of a tasteful outfit from her mother's closet and presented it to her.

When Lailah seemed pleased, she grinned on the inside and outside.

Lailah twisted her fingers counterclockwise, and gold runes shone along her fingertips.

In a flash, the outfit went from hanging from its hangers to being plastered across Lailah's body.

She now felt even more bold and beautiful than normal. Which, for her, was really saying something.

"Not my best work, but it'll do in a pinch." Nubia nodded, satisfied.

Lailah felt a little less confident now.

"But really, I think I have to give a lot of the credit to you, Ma. You have such a nice shape that it kind of makes everything work." Nubia said approvingly.

Lailah was back to feeling fully confident.

She flicked her hair behind her ear as she tried not to let the praise go straight to her head. "Well, that's just... The benefits of being in a loving relationship for so long, I suppose."

"Ew." Nubia suppressed her shivers again.

Lailah just rolled her eyes as she patted the seat next to her. "Alright, alright, enough. Tell me what you need quickly, my dear. I must leave for my meeting soon."

"Oh, that's just it." Nubia chirped. "I was hoping to come with you."

"I... really?" Lailah tilted her head.

Nubia just shrugged. "I didn't want to stay home, and everyone seems to be busy today. I know this meeting of yours isn't really a social outing, but still... I'd like to come along if you'd let me."

Lailah sat back and hummed thoughtfully. "You know... Your father really does want you to stay here. It's not safe for us right now."

"I know, I know, but I'll hardly be unprotected, right? And I won't stray from your side for even a minute."

Lailah slicked back her hair in exhaustion. She could feel an ulcer forming in her very horns at this point.

"....Alright then. But don't forget that you've promised me you'll stay close."

Nubia nodded furiously.

"That means holding your hand like when you were a little girl!" Lailah teased.

"Ma!"

"Oh, my. Seems someone doesn't actually want to go that badly."

"Okay, okay, fine."

Nubia put her slightly smaller hand in her mother's grasp. Lailah immediately pulled out her phone and took six different pictures.

"Mom!"

"Okay, okay, let's go."

Lailah stood up with her daughter's hand still in hers.

She was almost out the door when she realized her daughter still had on what could be considered sleepwear. "Are you going to change? Can you do it quickly?"

Nubia scoffed. She seemed almost offended by the question!

She snapped her fingers and was immediately out of her cute pajamas.

Lailah's jaw dropped when she saw her daughter's full outfit.

Nubia, though graceful, would never pretend that the praise didn't go to her head. She was undeniably vain.

"I just threw a little something on, you know. I didn't want to outdo you since you are supposed to be the star of the day." Nubia shrugged.

Lailah was back to feeling like maybe she shouldn't be that confident after all.

-

The girls left Lailah's room shortly after and then vanished from the house.

They reappeared in a different but equally familiar location. Their floating castle above one of Tehom's major cities.

When they exited the portal, they stepped into the throne room.

There, Asmodeus, Jasmine, and Kirina were all arguing about something- each of them dressed in full armor.

"You're all quite lively today." Lailah chuckled.

The chatter of the generals slowly flickered out as they respectfully bowed in front of the royals who had just appeared.

Though Lailah had long started to feel such a thing was unnecessary.

"Is everyone here?" She asked.

"They are." Asmodeus answered. "Just outside, Empress."

Lailah paused to feel the air.

Faint, minute vibrations danced across the pores along her skin.

"That's quite the buzz." Lailah smirked again. "They're all quite excited for a simple meeting."

Jasmine smiled knowingly. "I believe they are all hoping that something will go wrong so that they have some reason to act."

Lailah could see that too.

"Be that as it may... let's hope the day disappoints them just this once, yea?"

The trio nodded and stood up.

They followed Lailah outside of the throne room and through the grand hall.

Rows of maids and attendants dotted either side of the hallway. Each bowed deeply as Lailah and the others passed them by.

The closer that they got to the outside, the less that the buzzing she felt before seemed like simple noise.

Duke was standing at the exit to the castle nd bowed as soon as he saw them approaching.

As soon as he pushed the doors open, a chorus of deafening noises fell in from the outside.

The beat of drums filled her ears as she took in the sight of more dragons than she could possibly see all at once.

Their song, laden with excitement and housing in spirit, was shouting her praises for anyone who cared enough to listen.

Laialh closed her eyes as she walked forward by memory alone.

Her people's emotions were so infectious that she had to be careful to properly steel herself as well.

Lest their expectations for violence rub off on her as well.

"Time to go then."

Lailah raised her finger and made a small cutting gesture in the air.

High above the heads of the dragons, a matching- albeit much larger rip appeared out of thin air.

The excitement of the dragons reached a fever pitch as they flew towards the portal- thanking their deities for all to hear.

"AMENI!"

"AMENI!"

"AMENI!"