Amaya

  The celebration was going rather nicely! People were enjoying the food and having fun. I had sent out a lot of invites on short notice and was not entirely certain if everyone made it. This world had magic which helped with travel but there were no planes, cars or trains… yet.

  Soon my train would be fully operational! Hopefully. Now that we had peace once more I could focus on such things. It would greatly benefit the people of this world and it would become easier for myself to see the world. There were a lot of places to explore! I had not really indulged in much seafood since my arrival. I wondered if the ocean had tasty sea monsters? Perhaps I should plan more train routes, once the first one was operational.

  My thoughts were briefly interrupted when I saw a group of kids running around while giggling. Ben was among them, so were a few elves and even two succubi. An adult was keeping an eye on the group, since we were surrounded by debris.

  Ben had been rather unconcerned about demons after travelling with our group. Being Lucy's brother he was a noble in a way, and the local kids took his lead. A lot of parents would not want their child to hang out with a demon, however they very much wanted their child to hang out with the brother of the local lady. So Ben helped to bridge the gap between the worlds. Hopefully we could add a few young fey to the group in time.

  Iris

  As people had fun and celebrated in the streets I walked along the wall, inspecting the troops and encouraging them. The battle might have been over but that did not mean there were no threats. Our proximity to the Black Forest meant that roaming monsters were always a possibility. With the expansion of our town we had more people outside the city walls these days. The dryads did a good job when it came to detecting monsters in our territory, but no system was perfect. In time we would expand the wall and add more of Amaya's towers. With those defenses the wall itself was not even that crucial.

  As I continued my inspections I saw a figure flying towards me. The bright electrical wings made it easy to identify the person.

  I saluted as Lily landed. "Ma'am, everything is in order."

  Lily sighed. "There is no reason to be so formal."

  "You are the grandmaster of the Order of Maid Knights." I pointed out.

  Lily pouted. "But I am also your friend."

  "Demons…" I muttered.

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  Lily produced something from her storage and offered me a bottle of smoking liquid.

  "I am on duty." I stated.

  Lily raised an eyebrow. "It is my understanding that a lot of mortals go into battle drunk."

  "A lot of dwarves do; when it comes to humans alcohol is mostly used for the front line. The Empire used it at times to ensure people did not break as easily when facing the horrors of battle, I prefer not putting my troops in hopeless situations, if possible. It is also not recommended for mages. Further, we are not going into a battle. For normal security it is important to be aware of your surroundings and to keep your wits." I explained.

  "Humans… Are you still a human?" Lily asked while studying me.

  I looked at my hands. "I do wonder at times. Becoming a maid knight has changed me, empowered me, then there was the snack and now the new bond. I am faster, more durable and I have some control over lightning. I honestly do not know what I am."

  "Exciting, isn't it? We are all evolving, we are all becoming more. What is the next stage of a human?" Lily wondered.

  Was that what was happening? Did I stop being a human?

  "Don't worry, you will always be you." Lily said, somehow sensing my inner conflict.

  I looked at her. "Are you sure?"

  "Mhm. All experiences change us, our environment changes us and even our job and the powers we are granted, but you are still you. No matter if you call yourself a human, or something else." Lily said.

  "I suppose, as long as it does not change my body too much, like growing a tail, I guess I am fine." I muttered.

  "Really? What is wrong with a tail?" Lily asked while waving her tail around.

  "You need magical clothing! I would have to get new pants, new underwear… You even have to make sure your chairs are still comfortable!" I pointed out.

  "I can curl my tail around me just fine, if a chair lacks a proper hole for it. And with Lucy most of the furniture around here is very accommodating. Then again, she does not mind using her fluffy tails as a backrest." Lily pointed out.

  "Fine, but the point is I would prefer not too many complicated changes to my body. I can live with a different colored skin, I suppose. Horns would interfere with a helmet but I could likely get something custom made from Tyrell." I mused.

  "Why would you grow a tail anyway? Amaya does not have one." Lily asked.

  "Sure but Shani grew bunny ears, for no reason. Then again, it was probably just her choice and done with her own magic but who knows? When Amaya is involved things just happen, and a lot of people around here have tails." I pointed out.

  Lily grinned. "Are you sure you would not like a tail? You seem awfully fixated in them. They are great, you know. I could stab people with mine."

  I snorted. "You are not a scorpion. If you kicked someone with your legs it would be more powerful than stabbing someone with your tail."

  "I can also open bottles with it." Lily pointed out.

  "I am still on duty." I replied.

  "We have Amaya's magical detectors, the walls and gates are guarded, the dryads are monitoring the soil, we even have some detection wards and the area is protected by demon lords, an archfey, a kitsune, a dragon,..." Lily pointed out.

  I pointed my finger at her. "It's a matter of principle, I am in charge and I need to be an example for my soldiers. If you were not my boss I would report you."

  "You could report me to Amaya." Lily suggested.

  I snorted. "She would probably offer me a drink as well. Fey and demons like to indulge."

  "And we like tempt people." Lily said, while holding a bottle.

  I snorted. "Still no."

  "How about some hot tea then?" Lily asked.

  "That I will accept." I replied.

  It was a really good tea.