Chapter 562: Scathach arrives in Vorah
The sky above Vorah was tinged with shadows and fire when four imposing dragons crossed the wall at high speed, leaving trails of energy and fear behind them. The sentries barely had time to ring the alarm bells when the winged monsters were already flying over the central districts of the city.
The streets froze. Children stopped running, merchants dropped coins on the ground. Soldiers, confused and tense, aimed their crossbows at the beasts in the sky with trembling hands.
But before any defense could be mounted, a colossal voice, reverberating off every stone in the city, silenced the bells and the hearts.
“They are not enemies. Lower your weapons, or I will burn every tower in this city.” It was the voice of Tiamat, majestic and threatening like an angry goddess.
The four dragons flew over the city with no hurry to hide or explain themselves. They had a clear destination, and nothing in their path would stop them.
Tiamat, the Mother of Dragons, led the way with her golden scales glistening in the sunlight. At her side flew the mysterious and elegant Ouroboros, her serpentine, silver body undulating in the air. Scarlet, the untamed red, flapped her wings with subtle fury, as if on the verge of combat.
But the fourth dragon was a complete mystery: a creature with black scales and glowing red features, eyes of death, and… in its claws, an unconscious body.
It was Strax.
Without responding to the guards’ calls, without slowing down, without hesitating, the four flew straight toward Strax’s mansion. The private space he had built with the most important people in his life.
They landed in the garden with controlled violence. The impact caused the stained glass windows to shake and cracks to appear in the stone floor of the courtyard. The magical and physical power they radiated was suffocating.
As soon as they touched the ground, they all resumed their human forms. Tiamat appeared with her long golden hair and overwhelming presence. Ouroboros looked like an ethereal figure, almost silent, but clearly attentive to everything. Scarlet, with her feline gait, seemed to be enjoying the chaos they were about to cause.
And last… Scathach. Her eyes burned like live embers. Her hair was long and dark, her posture reminiscent of a warrior forgotten for ages. And in her arms, she still held Strax with fierce care.
The mansion door opened before they could even knock.
Beatrice appeared first, her eyes wide, analyzing every detail. Her protective instincts were on high alert. Behind her was Samira, her arms crossed and a look of doubt on her face. Monica, wielding an already open grimoire, followed by Cassandra, who had unsheathed her sword without even thinking.
Soon Daniela appeared, looking uneasy, Bellatrix, smiling sarcastically, Xenovia and Cristine, observing calmly and tactically. Yennifer, Xyn, Rogue, and Kryssia completed the picture. Each carried a mixture of fear, curiosity, and readiness for war.
But none of them said a word.
All eyes were fixed on the unconscious figure of Strax in the arms of the stranger… and on the fact that no one had warned them of the arrival of another dragon. A fourth. One who carried the man they all loved.
The silence hung heavy, almost suffocating.
Tiamat crossed her arms. Scarlet raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for the first spark. Ouroboros remained motionless, but every muscle in her body seemed ready to react. And Scathach… just looked.
She said nothing.
Lightly, she bent down to the stone floor, knelt, and carefully laid Strax on the garden grass. Everyone’s eyes followed her movement suspiciously.
When she stood up, she finally broke the silence. Her gaze swept across every face present. It fixed on Beatrice, passed over Samira, paused briefly on Monica, until… it stopped on three specific figures.
Daniela. Cassandra. Bellatrix.
Scathach’s gaze softened for a moment, and a smile—rare, slight, almost imperceptible—curved the corners of her mouth. She crossed her arms and, in a voice hoarse with nostalgia, said:
“What are you waiting for? I may be dead, but I still recognize my dear disciple friends.”
The impact of those words made time stand still for a moment.
Daniela’s eyes widened, her heart racing. Cassandra blinked twice, unsure if she had heard correctly. Bellatrix… Bellatrix laughed loudly, in disbelief.
“Wait… is it really you?” she said, taking two steps forward. “You… are kidding me, right?”
Scathach took one step, then another. Her posture was firm, but her gaze was heavy with memories.
“I would recognize you idiots anywhere.” She glanced at Cassandra. “You, little swordswoman… you still have that way of furrowing your left eyebrow when you’re suspicious, even though you already know the truth. And you, Daniela, still hide your hand behind your back when you’re nervous.” Then she turned to Bellatrix. “And you, of course… still have the same idiotic laugh.”
Bellatrix laughed genuinely this time and crossed her arms, almost moved. “And I thought I’d seen it all…”
“I should be the one saying that, the three little vampires and their vampire mother turned into dragons,” she replied firmly. “Are any of you going to hug me, or am I going to have to force you?”
Daniela ran first. Before anyone could stop her, she was already hugging Scathach tightly. Cassandra followed her, restrained but visibly moved. Bellatrix hesitated for a second, but then gave in, laughing.
The three embraced her like sisters long separated by fate.
The others, however, did not move.
Samira watched everything suspiciously, Monica remained completely silent, analyzing the magical energy. Beatrice kept her eyes fixed on Strax, trying to understand if he was really okay.
Yennifer approached Tiamat. “This woman… who is she really? Her husband’s mother?”
Tiamat replied bluntly, “You know I wouldn’t bring something false here. Especially something this powerful. She is Strax’s mother.”
The atmosphere was still tense and surprised when Scathach finally pulled away from the three former vampires who were hugging her, taking a deep breath as if trying to situate herself after millennia out of time. She turned slowly, her sharp eyes scanning the other female figures watching the scene from a distance. Strax’s mother had returned… and found herself surrounded by an unbelievable number of women, all visibly powerful — and all with a deep connection to her son.
Scathach frowned slightly. She took a few steps forward, examining each face, each aura, each small gesture.
“Scarlet,” she called, without taking her eyes off the girls. “Those there… who are they?”
Scarlet, still with her arms crossed and a smile of someone enjoying the silent chaos, replied casually, “You should already know, don’t you think?”
Before Scathach could comment, a new presence appeared behind them, coming from the mansion. Light, determined footsteps echoed across the stones, and a calm—but slightly breathless—voice was heard.
“Sorry I’m late. I was testing some things when I saw several guards in a panic, so I came to see what happened.”
They all turned at the same time.
A woman of supernatural beauty crossed the doorway of the house, wearing a light ceremonial robe, her long white hair with a light blue sheen swaying gently in the wind. Her eyes were deep, laden with ancient stories and forgotten battles. It was Frieren—the former Queen of the Elves, the living legend, now transformed into a succubus.
Scathach immediately recognized that aura. She widened her eyes slightly, surprised. “You’re very much alive…”
Frieren, seeing who it was, stopped in her tracks. Her gaze fixed on Scathach, and a small, ironic laugh escaped her lips. “You’re the one who’s very much alive…”
A brief and disconcerting silence fell over the group. They… knew each other. Not just by name—there was history there, and it was not small.
“I didn’t expect to find you here,” Scathach said with a slight tone of reproach. “What are you doing in Vorah? I thought you loved your precious elven kingdom too much to wander around…”
Frieren walked with the calmness of one who had seen the rise and fall of empires. “Living my life,” she replied simply, before pointing her chin toward Strax, who was still lying unconscious in the garden. “With that one there. He turned me into a succubus, to be honest. Fortunately… he took responsibility. Although… we haven’t done anything yet.”
Scathach’s eyes blinked slowly, absorbing the information. For a moment, it looked like she was going to laugh. Or kill someone. It was hard to tell. But before any sharp comments could be made, a soft, elegant roar echoed through the skies again.
Everyone looked up.
A new dragon, colossal, with white and gold scales, descended from the skies with a grace worthy of a celestial empress. It landed in the garden with almost divine lightness. As soon as it touched the ground, its form began to change. The scales turned into golden silk, the wings retracted into a cloak of light, and in place of the divine creature appeared a tall, bronze-skinned woman with an imposing bearing and long golden hair that floated lightly even without wind.
She said nothing to Scathach. She didn’t even look at her. She walked regally over to Scarlet and crossed her arms with a slight sigh.
“Did everything go well?” she asked.
Scarlet nodded. “With a few explosions, screams, and severed limbs, but… yes, it did.”
Kali let out a sigh, as if removing a burden from her shoulders.
“Great,” she said, without changing her tone. “Then let’s make a list of who goes first. A draw is the fairest way. This mess is already too big, and if no one takes the lead, we’ll end up in a civil war in this garden.”
Scathach, confused, turned her face away abruptly. “Draw lots…? Draw lots for what?”
The golden woman finally looked at her for the first time, her eyes shining with sarcasm, but also authority.
“Who gets to have sex first, of course.” She pointed at Strax with her chin. “This one is too busy saving the world, waking up dead mothers, seducing queens, marrying demons, creating runes, facing gods… and he’s forgetting the main responsibility of a man with a harem: to serve them all properly.”