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Nills sat in the back of the rundown Brackwater Bar alone and shuffling through the pages of a thick tome. It was customary for the young man to arrive at the not-so-fine establishment exactly seventeen minutes after it opened and take his place where he was currently. If he did not come, it meant only one thing: that he was out on a job. Otherwise, his presence indicated that he was available for hire for a variety of services, most of them violent. He was a bounty hunter after all, and a dark mage to boot. Consulting was a service he could certainly provide, but he was more often hired for tasks he had significant expertise in.

When Nills heard others taking their places in chairs across the table, he spent a moment more examining the spell written with the pages and then looked up. Sitting in front of him was a man and a woman who could not have looked more out of place in the bar despite their attempts to. The man wore rough street clothes, yet his face was clean shaven, his hair cut short, and there were no scars upon any portion of his exposed skin that were typical to the street thug he was trying to emulate. The woman was dressed similarly and did a better job of passing off as a ruffian. Unfortunately, her hair was a giveaway to her profession as well due to its short length and how carefully prepared the bun at the back of her head was, as if she could be subject to a regulation check at any moment.

Nills kept his face impassive as he continued to observe the pair, knowing all too well that they were examining him as well. Once again, the woman was subtler than the man, this time at hiding her disappointment better than he. After a few moments more of silence, the man grunted and folded his arms across his chest. He pointed one finger at Nills.

"Are you Nills?" he asked.

Nills nodded.

"The mage trained by the Dark Arch Sage?"

Nills nodded again. The man snorted and shook his head.

"Don't you talk?"

A sly smile flitted across Nills' face.

"Oh," the man said. "I see. Just going to sit and listen?" "I'm surprised you wouldn't prefer that," Nills said. "Given that you are a soldier--"

"Soldier?" the man scoffed. "Who said I was a soldier?"

"Well, your hair and your manner and your posture. Quite a stiff walk you've got there. Still, most soldiers don't hide their occupation, which means what? We're in the Neutral Zone. Most militaries can be quite open here. I can only think of a few that can't, so what are you? Antidans? Vexxel? Wyren?"

"The first." The woman finally spoke.

The man turned to her. "Ma'am--"

"It's ok, sergeant. It's better he knows. I'm sure he wouldn't have kept his current reputation if he was keen on revealing information of his previous clients."

"Reputation? He's a merc, ma'am--"

"Of that I am all too aware," she said, turning her gaze to Nills. "That's why we're here. We'd like to hire you if you are available."

"I always like to hear what I'm being hired for first," Nills said. "I don't work without knowledge."

"Of course," the woman said. She held out a hand. "I am Major Jeno of the 33rdLogistics Brigade."

Nills shook her hand.

"My subordinate here is Sergeant Vilmos of the 63rd Infantry Division."

Nills turned his attention to the man. Unlike Jeno, Vilmos did not extend his hand. Nills lifted an eyebrow and returned his focus to Jeno.

"We would not have come to you if we had any other choice."

"Damn right," Vilmos said.

"We would do this ourselves, but unfortunately the Antidan military has dwindled since..."

"Since you lost the war," Nills said.

"Yes," Jeno replied through gritted teeth. "Since we lost the war, since we lost our nation, and since we lost so many of our brothers and sisters. I continue the fight because we will return one day, Sergeant Vilmos does so because he doesn't know any better."

Vilmos shrugged.

"When our general was...forced to sign our surrender, we were also required to abandon our operating sites and relinquish our roles. Of course I have not done the latter, but the former concerns me. Our hated enemies occupied most of our bases, but those outside are territory were often taken by other scum."

"Mercs," Vilmos said. "Like yourself."

Jeno shook her head. "Not entirely true this time. The location you'll be going to is just on the fringes of Outsider territory. It's been occupied by a group led by Aladar--"

"Aladar!" Vilmos shouted. "That son of a bitch!"

"One of your own?" Nills asked.

"You've heard of him?" Jeno queried, to which Nills responded with a shake of his head. "I wouldn't have been surprised. Even among other Antidans, Aladar is reputable for all the wrong reasons."

The major reached within her pockets and brought a FlexScreen. She tapped it, whisked through its digital contents, and finally settled on a single frame. It displayed an image of a draconic humanoid with black scales--a dragonkin--smiling sinisterly. Like Nills, he wore the white robes of a dark mage, but unlike Nills his robes were adorned with the symbol of a scorpion pinching an eyebrow between its two claws, a perversion of the Antidans' official icon.

"He's no Hunter," Nills said. "Do you know who taught him?"

"We can't pinpoint it to one mage," Jeno replied. "Nevertheless, he went through our military training. He wasn't always like that too--he altered himself to be dragonkin. Did the same thing to some of our own troops."

"I bet that made him popular."

"They let him stay in, even when further...perverted accusations rose up. Those weren't the best of times, either. We needed everyone we could take, but now..."

"You want me to kill him."

"No," Nills shook her head. "We want him alive, his cohorts not so much. We would also like the facility destroyed as well."

"And how would I achieve that?"

"Self-destruct, duh!" Vilmos said.

"My subordinate is correct. Any facility that close to Outsider space is equipped with a self-destruction protocol in case of incursion. Once you've accepted this job, I'll send you the coordinates of its exact location."

"Hmm," Nills pondered. "It all sounds routine. Why is Aladar there?"

"Because of the proximity to Outsider space. He always thought they could be our allies."

"So he's...insane?"

"Like most of you," Vilmos said. "I can't wait until I have my hands wrapped around that traitor's throat."

"So will you do it?" Jeno asked.

"It depends on how well you pay."

"We can acquire whatever sum you require." "What I require is more than usual. Just association with terrorists--"

"Terrorists?" Vilmos roared. "We're--"

"Recognized as terrorists within this territory," Jeno said, putting a hand on Vilmo's shoulder. "I understand it won't be cheap, but your work will be difficult too. As routine as it sounds, he's got more than humans in his employ. Aladar is no mere mage."

"Neither am I," Nills said.

"Then will you do it?"

Nills thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well. May we see your SEER?"

Nills procured his SEER ID card and held it to the major. She took it, manipulated the FlexScreen for a few seconds, and then held the card before the device. Afer the device beeped, she handed the SEER back to Nills.

"The facility's location, pass codes, and map has been transferred to your SEER as well as more information on Aladar and the mean by which you may contact us after you have him. Do you need to know more?"

"Only one thing: how long do I have?"

"As soon as possible."

Nills nodded. "Good."

Travel to the facility had been easy. He had taken civilized transport as close as he could to Outsider space but that only got him so far before he had to make it on his own, which he didn't mind. A few simple spells of haste set him at a walking pace faster than running. Nills had left the bar immediately after his meeting with the Antidans so by the time he neared the facility it had been less than half a day and he still had plenty of energy remaining.

The facility itself was quite small. In fact, the "facility" consisted of one four-storied building constructed of concrete and steel. This went against the large bases Antidans were known for, but it made sense given its location. Something too large might attract the Outsider's attention. In addition, the grey soil the building rested upon could produce no life. Thus, any food would have to be brought in to supply those living within the facility or comestible would have to be magically procured and magic was something else that also attracted the Outsiders.

The sole building of the facility sat upon a high cliff that's edge dropped off into the eternal night of Outsider Void. At the moment, Nills stood across from the building, far enough away that the two guards at the entrance were little more than specks in his vision.

"Damn," he swore.

With only one entrance and windows starting only at the highest floor, there would be no way of sneaking through this, which was his preferred way of handling any jobs especially ones like this. It was the first time he would have to go gung-ho in a while, but it wasn't for the worst. His target Aladar was most probably the greatest threat to him and Nills didn't fear the rival mage. Aladar's biography had indicated that the dragonkin was only proficient in the most basic of combat spells. Thus, the most difficult part would be to ensure Aladar didn't harm himself when he tried to escape.

Nills trudged towards the building, maintaining his camouflage spell for now. Right now it perfectly concealed him, but when he was closer the guards would be able to easily spot a grey colored blur. He came to a halt when he was less than one hundred meters away from the building. He gave the two guards a quick examination. They both wore drab olive uniforms and carried Antidan Assault Rifles Mark III. The two humans weren't currently paying attention, giving Nills just the opportunity he needed.

He dropped his camouflage and darted forward, hands upraised. As he did so, a third guard holding what looked to be two mugs of coffee stepped out of the building. He dropped the mugs and shouted, just as two dark jets of flame extended from Nills' hand and towards the inattentive guards. The two men screamed as the flames wrapped around them and then screamed no more as the flame chilled and solidified, freezing the men in place. The third guard fumbled for his handgun, but Nills was quicker to the draw with his own. He squeezed the trigger, placing one round in the guard's head. Before the guard could fall, Nills had re-holstered his pistol, snatched the keys from his side and brushed past him into the buildling.

Upon entrance to the facility, Nills immediately felt a mystic force acting upon him. He stopped and closed his eyes as he focused on the spell. It was not an enchantment placed upon the building that would effect anyone present, but something being concentrated and cast solely upon him. What was disconcerting about the spell was that he had no idea how to directly counter it at that moment. His best bet was to head up higher to its source, no doubt Alador, and disrupt it from there. Still, he did not worry too much for he could detect nothing malign about the spell. This, however, did not necessarily mean its caster's intentions were not. He would only be able to tell its effects with time. Until then, he would just have to operate like normal and maintain awareness of the force at the same time. Simple, really.

Nills opened his eyes when he heard the sound of booted feet upon the floor. He looked left to see a cluster of four olive-uniformed humans running down the hall towards him. He brought his hands together. A viscous ball of black substance formed between them, which he threw at them just as they prepared to fire. It clung to their bodies and crawled up their uniforms to cover the faces. The blinded humans dropped their weapons to claw at the substance while Nills conjured a finger of flame. He tossed it towards them and turned away as the substance ignited. He ignored their screams as he ran to the other side of the hall and up the staircase.

As Nills climbed up the stairs his skin suddenly tingled. He glanced down at his exposed arms and watched in surprise when overlapping ebony scales quickly replaced his skin, no doubt an effect of the spell upon him. He shook his head and continued up the steps, nearly tripped when he felt the entire skeletal structure of his legs suddenly shift. He caught himself on the railings and looked down at his changed legs. Not only were his joints bent the wrong way and his legs covered with the dark scales as far as he could tell, but his now taloned feet had torn his boots apart. He kicked them off, noting that their value was something he would have to add to what he was going to charge the Antidans. He tentatively took a step up the stairs, walking on his digits as he never had before. It was slow going at first, but he managed to reach the top of the stairway and the door to level two. When he had gone over the building's map, he had found it strange that the stairs did not go all the way to the top. Perhaps it was to prevent intruders like him from reaching the fourth floor where the self-destruct trigger was contained.

Nills opened the door and was immediately greeted by the sight of a large ogre wearing a uniform that was barely big enough for his large body. He slammed Nills across the chest, sending the mage tumbling down the stairs. He didn't roll that far before he bumped into the wall across from the railings, bringing him to a stop with his body laying facedown across multiple steps. He touched his hands to the topmost stair and dragged himself up. As he did so, the scales spread to his hands. His fingers popped and lengthened into clawed digits. He only had a second to flex the unfamiliar extremities before the ogre was upon him.

The ogre reached out one hand to grab Nills. The mage nimbly ducked and swung his arm in a wide arc towards the ogre's head. A sword crafted of a light, unnatural material appeared in Nills' hand midswing much to the ogre's surprise. Nills almost fumbled the weapon, for it did not fit comfortably in his changed hands. Still, he maintained his grip, allowing the sword to continue its path and slice easily through the creature's exposed neck. It clutched at the wound and fell to its knees, already sputtering and choking on its own blood. Nills dashed behind it and kicked it down the stairs, again nearly losing his balance due to his new stance. He grimaced. The spell Aladar was casting wasn't harming him, but it was becoming quite inconvenient.

Nills threw the sword into the air where it dematerialized into the Ether. Afterwards, he clambered up the steps and peered through the door. Multiple sets of closed doors lined either side of the hall and at the end were the stairs to the third floor. The hallway seemed to be empty, but the sounds of scurrying made him believe the rooms were not so vacant.

Though he tried to silently walk through the hall, his claws clicked and clacked against the hard floors. When he approached the first set of doors they opened and a pair diminutive goblins carrying two daggers spilled out of either side. They leapt at the mage who responded by summoning a wave of heated force. The blastwave charred the goblins' flesh and sent them flying back. It also forced the rest of the doors off their hinges, exposing the rest of the goblins that had been lying in wait. With their ambush made pointless, the twenty-something goblins poured out of the rooms and rushed towards the mage. He smirked and sent a bolt of lightning towards the lead goblin. The first one struck was merely stunned, the second's hair singed, the third's skin fried, the fourth died from a cooked brain and the bolt only became more powerful from there. It continued to bounce to each goblin, gaining in energy until those affected literally melted into oozing piles of flesh. Nills finished off the three who had not died with precise thrusts of his sword to their hearts. With all his assailants dead, he walked to the end of the hall, careful not to step into the heated remains of the goblins.

When he reached the door up the stairs, his cranium ached. He held his head and barely stopped himself from screaming from the pain. It was only a moment of agony later that his skull had reshaped into a draconic cranium complete with a long muzzle and two horns extended from the back of his skull that pushed against his hood. He lowered his hood and felt the hardened horns, his hairless scaled flesh, and his new snout. He licked the inside of his mouth with his long, rough tongue and winced when his sharpened teeth scratched against it. He looked down his robe and saw that his chest was likewise covered in black scales.

Nills shook his head and began to climb up the stairs. It seemed that the spell was turning him into a dragonkin like Aladar was. What was the point? It wouldn't stop him. A curse of ill fortune would have done more. He wasn't even fully grown!

When he reached the third floor door, sudden pressure pushed at three spots on his back: two near his shoulder and the other lower. He groaned and bent low as a thick tail lined with spikes burst out of the base of his spine and through his robes. Two clawlike nubs extended from his shoulders and then developed into full wings within a matter of seconds. He threw off the ruined robes, securing his necessary possession in a pouch at his side and leaving him in his underclothes. He was surprised to find that he stood with complete equilibrium for once. This alteration actually gave Nills a greater sense of balance rather than take away as it had before.

Nills flapped his new wings experimentally. They would be of no use here--in fact, they actually might make it difficult given that he would have to draw them in close when going through narrower passages like the door before him. He sibilantly sighed as he opened the door, slower this time. His caution was rewarded, for when the door was not even halfway ajar, he caught sight of an automatic turret hanging on the wall. He closed the door and dived to the side of the door as a hail of bullets flew towards his former position and through the door. Another burst followed and then no more bullets shot towards him.

He peeked through one of the holes in the door and saw a wide room--the building's mess hall. Long tables lay scattered around the room and at least fifteen gun turrets covered the ceiling. Sitting in the middle of the mess hall was a human with a multitude of cybernetic implants embedded into his head. They were directly linked to the computer he looked down at that sat in front of him. He looked up and stared with artificial red eyes at Nills' location. Immediately the turrets opened fire. Nills leaned back to his safe spot and winced as an uncountable number of bullets whizzed through the door and ricocheted off the stairway walls below.

A sudden idea struck Nills. He leaned over between a burst and cast a haste spell at the turrets. Their rate of fire and thus bullet output increased so that he no longer had any more opportunities to check their status. While he waited for his plan to come to fruition, he abruptly felt queasy and then he experienced the odd sensation of his genitals churning. He lowered his hand to his nethers and only felt a smooth crotch. He tilted his head as he probed deeper, shivering when his claws came into contact with the outer lips of her feminine sex. Her attention was drawn to her chest, which suddenly felt sore and sensitive. Before her very eyes, the flesh pressed out a little so that she now possessed a set of A-cup sized breasts. Her breasts swelled a little larger and she almost reached out and cupped them when she remembered where she was.

The hail of bullets had stopped. Her hips widened as she got to her feet, causing her ill-fitting undershorts to fall somewhat. They fit, for now.

She moved in front of the ruined door and waited. When no bullets came, her pushed the wrecked portal aside and stepped into the mess hall. Though the turrets tracked her movements, they could not fire, for they were out of bullets. Her plan had worked.

The jacked-in man pounded his fists on the table and got to his feet. He hastily reached and fumbled for his handgun and by the time he had readied it Nills had already lined up her shot. She downed the man with a three shots to his chest. He fell to the ground without a sound, the floor already awash with his blood.

Nills walked through the mess hall, finding the new weight on her chest and the emptiness between her legs so strange. It was not a change she had been expecting yet again it was not so dire. She was confident she could easily reverse it after she had knocked Aladar out.

She opened the door to the last flight of stairs and started to run up it, only stopping when her unsupported breasts bounced uncomfortably against her chest. She climbed the steps slower, unnoticing as her rear expanded into a softer, sensuous shape. By the time she reached the top of the stairs her breasts had grown another size larger and her thighs had thickened to accommodate what lay between her legs.

Nills took a moment to think as she stood before the door to the final floor. She could sense the caster of the spell, Aladar, beyond the door stronger than ever. Looking down at her feminine form, she wondered what the purpose of this was once again. Did he mean to weaken her this way? If so, it wasn't the most effective means of doing so.

The dragoness abruptly kicked down the door and entered with her handgun raised. As expected, the room was small, housing only a large control panel and seats at the back in front of four terminals. In the center of the room stood Aladar, eyes closed and clawed hands raised in concentration. A golden nimbus of light surrounded him.

Upon spotting the mage, Nills opened fire. She shot three times, ceasing fire when all of the bullets dissipated harmlessly against the shield. She quickly reloaded her emptied handgun and holstered it. She held her hand out as she stepped forward, calling her sword into existence once more. A smile flicked across her reptilian face when she neared the seemingly unaware dragonkin. The sword was named Spellbreaker for a reason. Its eldritch blade was just as useful for carving through flesh as magical barriers and armor. When she was within striking distance, she raised the sword above her head and--

Nills lowered the blade. Why was she even considering assaulting a friend? She glanced around the room in confusion. There had to have been a reason she had threatened her weapon so close to Aladar. Had there been an enemy in front of her?

The dragoness shook her head. Something didn't seem right. The room was empty save for her and her...

She glanced to Aladar. What was he exactly? He was an ally, a friend, a--no. That wasn't right either. Something was off and she couldn't quite place her claw on it. She stared intensely at Aladar. The dragonkin was more than her ally, more than her friend, he was her...

Lover! Yes, that was it. Nills dropped her sword and stepped towards the mage. She placed her clawed hands on the glowing golden shield and let her tongue hang out of her mouth.

"Aladar!" she called huskily.

The dragonkin opened his eyes and the shield abruptly dissipated. He smiled as his gaze fell upon the dragoness across from him. Nills' undershorts had slipped lowered so that they revealed the top of her nethers. Her tight shirt also did nothing to hide her larger than average sized breasts and her erect nipples.

"And who are you?" he asked, his voice deep and nearly menacing.

"Nills!" she said. "Your lover!"

"Are you certain?"

Nills nodded. It was the one fact her muddled mind was most sure of.

"Good," Aladar said, a smug smile appearing across his draconic visage. "And the others?"

"Others?" Nills asked, searching his mind for whom Aladar referred to. She vaguely remembered killing him, though she wasn't sure why exactly. "I think they're all dead."

Aladar's expression turned grave. "Damn it. Do you know how hard...oh, but that doesn't concern you now. What did I expect? I knew they would send for me eventually. At least I have you."

Nills winked. "You'll always have me."

"Yes, yes, that's true..." Aladar mused. "Were you a Hunter by any chance?"

Nills scratched her head. "I...think so? It sounds familiar."

"The so-called Master of Shadows is putting out some weak recruits then. Still, I don't mind..."

Nills advanced on Aladar and laid her hands on his chest. She drew him in close with her wings.

"You did kill them all. Almost got me too, I expect. Unfortunate. All that blood, all those corpses. Going to be a hell of a clean up..."

"Why don't you worry about that later?" Nills asked, stroking his chin. "We can get nasty now if you want."

"Hmm," Aladar rumbled. "You have been naughty. I should punish you after what you've done. I'll consider this payback."

Aladar abruptly reached down and yanked Nills' undershorts off, revealing her dripping pussy. She squealed and only grew more excited when he tore her shirt off, her large breasts bouncing free. He tweaked her nipples with his claws, causing her to hiss in pleasure.

"Yes, this will do nicely. Face the controls, please."

Nills did as the dragonkin asked, turning her back to him. She bent down and leaned against the control panel, raising her tail at the same time and giving him clear vision of her wet and welcoming vagina. He pulled down his own undergarments and advanced upon her, his manhood hard and ready. He reached around and groped her breasts, the other hand grasping her hips. A moment later, he plunged into her. The slick passage allowed easy access and soon he was thrusting hard in and out. She moaned, holding onto the panel for support, not caring that she was pressing into buttons that might have unforeseen consequences.

Aladar leaned forward and whispered to her: "You like this?"

Nills nodded, eyes glazed over with lust. Aladar chuckled and squeezed at the held breast, heightening her arousal even further. He shoved in even harder now, bringing them both closer to orgasm. It was only a matter of seconds before they finished simultaneously. Nills roared as Aladar unleashed a torrent of his seed into her ready womb, nearly filling it whole. It was at this moment that Nills' true mind broke through the façade fabricated by Aladar with the horrible realization she had just been fucked as a female with her complete and utter consent.

"Was that good?" Aladar asked, grinning lewdly as he pulled out of her. "Give me a few minutes and--erk!"

Nills spun around and wrapped her hands around the dragonkin's thick throat. She squeezed with all of her might, causing the mage's eyes to bulge. He scrabbled futilely at his neck.

"Not again!" Nills shouted. "Not ever again, you freak! They said you were perverted but Strife's Song...I...I should kill you!"

"No!" Aladar gasped. "I--"

"Shut up!" Nills growled. She applied more pressure, forcing the mage to his knees. "I wasn't hired to kill you. Consider yourself lucky."

Nills removed one hand from the mage's throat and held it out. Spellbreaker flew into her grasp a second later. Aladar's eyes widened at the sight of the sword.

"No!" he repeated. "You said--!"

Nills struck the dragonkin on the top of his head with the hilt of her sword. His shoulder slumped and then he fell to the ground, unconscious. She stepped away from him and then kicked him in his exposed junk for good measure. He groaned and curled up.

Nills let Spellbreaker float away into the nether. She turned to control panel. It was quite a sight, stained in some portions with her feminine juices and some of his sperm as well.

Nills shivered in disgust. She could feel the dragonkin's seed within her. She looked down at her body. Quite the fertile form indeed...

The dragoness pushed this thought away from her mind as she examined the console. Luckily, the correct sequence to detonate the facility had not been inputted during their coupling. She put it in now. It would be thirty minutes before the place was reduced to dust, more than enough time to find some clothes, loot what valuables there were, and get the unconscious mage moving. More than enough time to get what had just occurred out of her thoughts...

"Keep moving," Nills ordered as she and Aladar walked through the apartment complex. Aladar was in the front, while she was in the back.

Nills was now appropriately attired. She wore Aladar's loose robes and what she had felt comfortable scrounging and wearing between their journey from close to Outsider space to the Neutral Zone.

Aladar looked back dolefully.

"Do it," Nills said. "I might not be able to have a gun at your back constantly like back near Outsider space, but I won't hesitate to fry your perverted mind."

Aladar continued, the threat sufficing. They continued through the halls of the apartment complex until they stopped at number 510. At this location Nills knocked. She heard a flurry of movement inside and then a familiar voice spoke: "Hello?"

"Victory beyond death," Nills said.

The door swung open and there was Major Jeno, this time dressed in civilian clothes that might be expected of a housewife. Her eyes widened at the sight of Nills but narrowed when she caught sight of Aladar.

"Aladar," she murmured.

Aladar gaped. "Jeno?"

Jeno smiled coldly and turned towards Nills. "And who are you?"

"Nills. The mercenary you hired."

Jeno lifted an eyebrow. "And can you prove this?"

Nills procured her SEER, which she handed to the Antidan. The woman gazed at it and took her FlexScreen out. She scanned it and an expression of surprise momentarily flitted across her face.

"So you are," Jeno said. "What happened?"

"Honey!" another voice called. "Who is it?"

Vilmos stepped around the corner. Like Jeno, he was in more casual attire. He stared critically at both arrivals.

"I recognize the bastard," he said. "But who is the busty bitch?"

Jeno opened the door wider and gestured. "Come inside."

Nills stepped in, hand still on the pistol holstered by her side. She drew it when she entered and pressed it into Aladar's back. Jeno closed the door behind them.

"No really," Vilmos said. "Who the hell are you?"

"Nills," Nills answered.

Vilmos laughed. "That punk? Nah. Really?"

"Yes!" Aladar suddenly spoke. "I made her like this and then I fucked her. I fucked her hard and she won't be able to change back. Know why? She's--"

Aladar grunted as Jeno suddenly lunged forward. He nearly fell back had Nills not been supporting him. Embedded in the dragonkin's stomach was a knife. Jeno twisted it and then pulled it out, revealing the edge to be serrated. Aladar slumped against the wall and clutched at the wound, but Jeno forced his talons out of the way. She laid her hands on the wound. They glowed softly and the flesh quickly mended under her touch.

"Take him away, sweetie," Jeno said to Vilmos, keeping her gaze focused on Aladar. "That's just the start for you. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with you."

Vilmos chuckled and dragged the doomed dragonkin away to a room beyond Nills' sight. She turned to Jeno.

"You're a mage?" Nills asked.

"Yes," Jeno asked. "Used to be in Medical Services. I helped some that Aladar had afflicted. I'm sorry I did not warn you--"

"It's fine. It's just going to cost you extra."

Jeno nodded. "I am willing to pay you more. I don't believe you, however. What he has done to you is not right."

"Oh, I know. I was hoping to get some payback. How long are you going to keep him alive?"

"A very long time."

"Mind if I drop by sometime?"

Jeno smirked. "Not at all. Though given your profession, won't you have other matters to attend to?"

"Yeah." Nills frowned. "Interesting situation I'm in. I might have to take some maternity leave."

The Antidan opened her mouth to speak, but for once she had nothing to say.