Let's have a heart to heart at the Demon Lord's castle! What's the worst that could happen?!

The trek up the mountain was uneventful-- something which I'm thankful for after our recent excursions. Being able to look at my home from afar, so high up, though?

It's as beautiful as it is decentering.

The others seem to be getting tired, but not me. Not because I was unconscious, of course-- I'm just used to staying up odd hours of the night. Sleep was a commodity in my past life, so I've learned to fight through the mind-haze-- something I'm glad to have not lost after five years of readjustment.

Eventually, we arrive at the doors to the castle. The first thing I notice are the ornate patterns carved therein. Generic, though pretty swirls accent the sides. The center of the door, across both halves, is taken up by an insignia of what appears to be a stylized profile shot of a lion's head, dripping with blood. If I had to guess, a family crest of some sort.

The second thing I notice, and what really takes my attention, is how absolutely massive these doors are. They dwarf me at least three times over-- how does anyone even make doors this big?

"Seems excessive." I speak without thinking.

Exgrave laughs. "Not when you're standing over 10 feet tall."

That's something I'd like to see-- how do you even get that big? Was it part of them becoming a demon lord? ...Or are demons just that tall here? I feel awkward asking, either way.

"You'll come to understand in due time."

"Huh?"

W-wait, how big do dragons get?

...

...

gulp

Before I can ask, Exgrave approaches the door, gesturing us over. "Come, help me pull the doors open." Working together, we pull one of the doors open just enough for us to enter, closing it behind us to make things harder for any prospective thieves to get in.

Inside, the castle is in surprisingly decent shape, despite the owner being dead for five years. I guess it's easier to maintain when the floors are made of stone instead of wood. Even then, there's not a speck of dust or moss anywhere. Has anyone been keeping this place clean in Exgrave's absence? Probably Elioxus, now that I think about it.

Still, it's as dark and drab as I remember. The ornate pillars and red-gold carpeting are pretty, but without any sort of paintings or flora, it lacks a much desired lived-in feeling. Maybe Exgrave viewed this as more of a base of operations rather than an actual home?

"Yeesh!" Khil squints her eyes. "I know we live in a cave, but do you seriously leave it so dim like this??"

"Bah." Exgrave growls out. "Shame on me for having an aesthetic."

"I presume we can all see well in the dark, yeah?" Zephys chimes in. "Just means you can save gold on lighting."

"Exactly."

Khil shrugs her shoulders, clearly dissatisfied with that explanation. Honestly, I don't mind it much, myself. It could use a bit more decoration-- or at least more places to sit --but it's still cozy, in a gothic sort of way.

...I make to light the candles with my fire breath as we pass, just to add some ambience.

Following the carpet, we eventually make ourselves to the throne room.

Wait, Throne room?

"I'm surprised you even have a throne, Exgrave. Everything else so far has been pretty restrained."

No response. For a moment, I almost thought they didn't hear me, before my eyes trace their sightline.

Dried blood.

So much dried blood.

All of it caking one spot.

...I don't need to guess who it belongs to.

After a moment, they perk up. "Ah, sorry? Were you saying something, Penelope?"

They look at me, nervously forcing a chuckle as they come to their senses. "Oh, yes. The throne. I'm still one for theatrics, I suppose. That, and I needed a place to give orders."

I look back to the throne-- quickly noticing Khil is triumphantly sitting upon it, gesturing for us to approach.

"Lookie here! Demon Lord Khil'nub! Bow before me!" She cackles maniacally, arms crossed in confidence. I play along, bowing down in reverence. The others don't, however. "Blehhh." She sticks her tongue out and hops off the seat.

Exgrave gestures to the seat once Khil steps off. "Your turn-- if you desire. You are my heir apparent, after all."

Sure, why not.

I approach the throne proper, eyeing it up and down. The engravings are very elaborate-- gold accenting with what appears to be the family crest from before adorning the center.

Sitting upon it, I look to the others.

"What do you feel?" Exgrave asks.

...

"Powerful."

Like I'm ready to command an army into battle.

It feels strange, honestly. Just five years ago, I was a lowly street urchin who gave up on life, and now I'm heiress to a demon lord who was able to pull me from my world to theirs. It honestly doesn't feel like I deserve it.

But, this is my place now.

Hopping back down to the others, I realize there's several portraits on the wall behind the throne-- all depicting heavyset lionfolk clad in armor. The Exgrave family tree, perhaps? I move to get a better look, making a note of the epitaphs underneath.

Orien von Exgrave. A visor covers their face, but the ears are a dead giveaway. Their armor is far more worn down; scratches, dents and dried blood suggest many battles fought, and many battles won. A rigid posture.

"My father. A harsh man who struggled with his temper, but he always meant well."

I look to the left.

Artorum von Exgrave. Much like Orien, though there's more blood. Far more blood. A vicious grin paints their face as if to contrast their partner. A relaxed posture.

"...My Mother."

Further to the left.

Urere von Exgrave. A distinctive expression paints their face-- tired, yet radiating a smug charisma. Their mane is longer, reaching down to their hips. A confident posture.

"My grandmother. I've heard she was a seductress of sorts, but we've never met."

I look to the right, past Orien.

Allogor von Exgrave. A fierce individual with a dour expression, clad in less armor than their ascendants. A distinctive scar across their stomach, yet no blood whatsoever. A slouched posture.

"Yours truly."

Khil interjects. "So this is what you looked like before you got all cute!"

"Bah."

Zephys observes the epitaph of Exgrave's grandfather. "Has this castle been passed from generation to generation, then?"

Exgrave nods.

"That explains the lack of decor, then." She gestures to the blood on Exgrave's parents.

"...I suppose. I'd never thought about that." They turn to look towards me. "Are you interested in decorating, Penelope?"

"Probably-- at least when mom lets us live here. Nothing too big though, maybe just some plants here and there, some benches to sit on."

"Benches."

"Yeah. This is our house after all, some places to lounge and relax would go a long way. Maybe some small bookshelves, too."

Granted, I don't know how much I'll be able to sit on a bench myself, but anything to make this place feel more lived in.

"There are some resting quarters for my soldiers, and I do have a personal library. But, I won't object to flora, or some shelves here and there."

"...Bedrooms? Where?" Khil asks. She looks uncomfortable, for some reason.

"Beyond... that hall." Exgrave points, trailing off as Khil rushes for the hallway. Weird.

"What was that about?" Zephys asks.

"I don't know." I'm concerned, to say the least. "I'll go check on her."

"...You would do better checking in on her than me." Exgrave sighs. "We should all get some rest soon, though. I'll be in my quarters," gesturing to a different hallway on the opposite side, "you can either join me afterwards or rest in the quarters alongside your sister. Your call."

I nod, saying my goodnights to Exgrave as Zephys and I set out to check on Khil.

"So, uhm." Zephys rubs the back of their neck, unsure of how to word her question. "How are the two of you siblings, exactly?"

"We're both adopted."

"Ah, of course." I can almost hear them cursing themselves for not realizing something so obvious. "She cares about you a lot-- nearly impaled me on that spear of hers when you and I had fought."

"We've known each other all our lives, so." That, and solidarity is a virtue in the village-- everyone there would stick their neck out for their brethren.

After some time walking, we find the dining hall-- as well as the barracks. Zephys clears their throat, moving to sit on one of the wooden chairs.

"I'll leave this to you-- I'd just get in the way. Just let me know when I'm good to find a bed to sleep in."

Entering the soldiers' quarters, I notice just how many bunk beds there are. Honestly, they all look surprisingly comfortable-- it's immediately apparent that Exgrave spared little expense in the way of making their soldiers feel at home during downtime.

Lying on one of them, of course, is Khil. Not crying or anything, just curled up and staring at the wall.

"Staring at the wall isn't like you, sis. That's my thing, remember?"

"Oh? ...Oh." She laughs to herself. "Yeah, sorry for stealing your thing."

I sit on the ground beside her. "What's up?"

We both sit in silence, giving her the time to think about what to say.

"I just... seeing all of Exy's family...." She trails off.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not even like, a grief thing. I've never known Crux or Kerr-- they were out of my life before I could even speak. But everyone else did, and that's what kills me." She closes her eyes, posture tightening. "I don't even know what to say when people say 'sorry for your loss' when they might as well be complete strangers to me. ...I feel more like Khil'poi than Khil'nub, and as much as I'm glad Mae took us in-"

Tears start to well. "I don't want my family to be such a blank space in my heart, but what if I start to miss them once I actually learn about them?"

...

I... wonder if my family misses me, back in my old world.

...

Quickly shutting out those thoughts, I move to give Khil a hug. "I... don't know what to say, honestly. If I were in your position, I'd probably want to learn about my birth family, myself-- but I can't imagine how hard it would be."

"Mmm." She nods, cleaning her eyes with a sniffle.

"But I'll be here for you, no matter what. Mom will, too."

"Mmm."

We sit there in silence, letting Khil cry out her conflicted feelings.

"...Hey, sis?" Khil speaks up, breaking from the hug to sit up and face me.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"...Sure."

"How did it feel to die?"

...

"What?"

"I overheard you and Exy talking about it a few years back-- that you're not from Arethon, that you were pulled from another world."

I guess I wasn't as careful as I thought. ...Wait, why was I even keeping this a secret from her, anyway? She's my sister, I can trust her. If I had to guess, though, it's probably that I didn't want to let anyone down that I'm not some divine reincarnated beast, or whatever.

But that secret's out now, so no use in pretending.

"Well, I-I don't know." I think it over, trying to put words to something I've pushed away. "It was just like being unconscious-- sudden and disorienting. One minute I was bleeding out, the next I was breaking free from my egg.

She scoffs, bemused. "You can remember being in an egg? That's crazy."

"Yeah, it was." I laugh to myself. "I was 27 when I died, probably like 12-15 in kobold years. It's been weird going through a second childhood."

"I bet!"

She seems to have cheered up a bit. Weird that it was such a morbid subject like this to raise her spirits, but better than nothing.

"What's-"

Before she can ask her question, a crashing sound from the distance catches us off-guard.

"Gahh!! I-I'm awake! I'm awake..." Zephys jolts from the other room, nearly falling from their seat.

"...What was that?"

"Let's go look-- stay behind me, both of you." I take the lead, figuring the 'big scary dragon' should stand in front in case we have an uninvited guest. If nothing else, it helps give Zephys a headstart in blowing up whoever's here.

Slowly, we creep through the hallway to the throne room. Nobody's here. No signs of a struggle.

Wordlessly, I gesture for us to take the other hallway-- to reconvene with Exgrave. Honestly, I don't know if I can take on an intruder, but I figure I at least look the part, if that encounter with the knights was of any indication.

One door at the end of the hall is suspiciously ajar-- this must've been where the noise came from. I take a peek inside...

Realizing we've found Exgrave's bedroom. Or, I suppose, my bedroom as well.

But where's Exgrave? It doesn't seem like they're in bed. Even with their short build, you'd still easily be able to see them.

"Okay..." I whisper. "I'll rush in first and scope things out; get ready to attack if things go south." The two nod.

I burst through the door.

Nothing stands out-- it's just a bedroom. Probably the most lived-in part of the castle I've seen thus far. But honestly, that's what has me unsettled. That mirror that Exgrave cracked five years ago is overturned-- probably the source of the noise we heard --but if there's no struggle other than a shattered mirror, then what happened?

...

...

Unless, of course...

...the mirror was shattered on purpose, to lure us here.

...

I turn around towards the others.

Missing.

I rush back out, looking for any sign of our unknown assailant. I have to be careful-- if they were able to abduct Khil and Zephys so swiftly, then I can't afford to not be on alert.

Back to the hallway--nothing here.

Carefully, I creep back to the throne room, my gaze immediately falling to notice a figure-- no, figures, slumped in the center of the room.

Khil'nub.

Zephys.

Exgrave.

In my panic, I rush over to check in on them.

All of them alive, but unconscious. Thank the gods.

"Hmmh, how disappointing." A low, masculine voice chastises me from behind.

I turn around to see them-- an armored knight clad in blood-red metal, visor black like a domino mask, sitting smugly upon Exgrave's throne. The way they convey themselves suggests they're not related to the knights from before, though the aforementioned armor color was a dead giveaway for that as well.

"You left your guard completely open-- as well as that of your companions. I've had a harder time shoplifting from general stores."

"Who are you?!" I take a combative stance, furious that they've attacked my friends and family.

"You have no need to worry, Miss-- I have zero intent on causing harm to you or your friends. They've only been sedated, is all."

I growl at them. "What the hell do you want, then?"

I realize something.

They're wearing Exgrave's cloak.

"You are the heir to Lord Exgrave's throne, yes?"

"...Yes." They hold reverence to Exgrave, yet knocked them out anyway?

"Then I-- the fearful Crimson Black --shall test if you are worthy of that title." From their belt, they pull out two blood-red daggers, spinning them in their hands in a frightening display of talent, before striking an overly dramatic pose at me. "En garde!"

...Guess I don't have Exgrave to bail me out this time.