Electra was sitting on Orion's stomach as he was pressed down to the bed in one of the rooms in the inn.
Electra pushed a green potion towards his mouth, frowning in annoyance. "Come on, hatchling! Do you want to get an infection and die?!"
Orion moved his face around, avoiding the potion, with a disgusted look on his face. "No! Of course I don't! It's just so disgusting! I can't drink this!" He groaned.
Electra's eyes twitched in annoyance as she grabbed his chin with a firm grip, making him look at her. "Now say 'Aaaaah'."
Orion kept his mouth shut, trying to push her off.
"You're so childish, hatchling! Just drink the goddamn potion!" She yelled, frustrated by his opposition to doing what she wants.
Orion shook his head. "No way in hell! You're a sadist! I know that your cruel soul enjoys it!"
Electra let out a gasp, feigning to be hurt by his words. "Oh, ho~? 'Cruel'? I swear that two days ago, you mentioned something about the 'good' in me. I'm hurt~!"
Her lips curved into a smirk as she put her thumb into his mouth, forcing him to open his mouth. "But you're right. I enjoy it~!"
Orion's eyes widened as he felt her thumb crawl in between his teeth, preventing him from closing his mouth because if he did, he'd bite her finger off. "H-Huh?!" His face reddened. "That's a no-no move!" He yelled in embarrassment.
Electra forced the potion into his mouth, massaging his neck on the sides to make sure he swallowed it.
Orion tried to fight back, but in the end, he needed to swallow it, or else he'd choke.
Electra pulled her thumb out of his mouth and rolled off him onto the bed, looking over at him.
"Tasty~?" She teased.
Orion immediately reached for the glass of water that was on the nightstand. He drank all the water in one go, letting out a loud, disgusted gasp afterward.
He looked over at Electra, his eyes full of tears, which he immediately wiped. "You stupid old hag!" He yelled, looking at her thumb, covered in his saliva, a playful smirk widening on his face. "And what now? You gonna lick it off?"
Electra wiped her thumb against the covers and rolled her eyes mockingly. "I'm not Layla~" She chuckled.
Orion grimaced. "That was unnecessary."
Electra sighed and looked down at his bandaged wrist. "You don't feel bad after losing a whole hand?" She asked with a hint of rare worry and remorse in her voice.
Orion looked down at his left arm and moved it up and down. "A hand is nothing when it comes to a human life."
"Saving the girl led to a genocide in the Bleeding Crown Tournament. Don't you feel bad about it? After all, you couldn't be yourself to kill a simple thief." Electra raised a brow.
Orion grimaced again, looking up and down, wondering. "Nope. It's different. Those people... Those damn nobles... They were monsters, they needed to go."
Electra smirked. "Oh~? That's so silly! You wanted to 'end' so many people to save quite literally a monster, not different than a goblin, vampire, or a demon."
Orion's mouth hung open as he hesitated whether he should tell her something or not.
Electra nudged his shoulder with her elbow, wrapping her arm around his neck in a friendly manner. "Oh come on~! Tell me what's on your mind!" She groaned.
"Electra..." Orion still hesitated. "Can I trust you?"
Electra's smirk faltered. This time, she was actually slightly hurt by his words. "After all we've been through together... as a team... No... as a family... You still don't trust me?"
"No, of course not! It's just... something really important... and I don't know... if you want to hear it, as it could be a shock for you..."
Electra scowled, pinching his cheek and pulling on it. "Tell me, you little fuck!"
"Ouch!" Orion squeaked in pain. "Fine!"
Electra was glaring into his eyes, eager to hear whatever was so important.
"I have always been sure of the fact that every monster other than an Ancient Dragon, Vampire, and a Demon is the same. The same mindless creature that only wants to kill everything it sees. That every one of them shares the same mind." Orion said calmly, gripping his knee.
Electra leaned away, her hands shaking slightly. "Uhh, maybe because that's true?!" She said loudly.
"I haven't told anyone, even Layla, one more thing that happened in the cave." Orion paused for a moment, looking back into Electra's eyes. "I was locked up in a cage, ready to be served, but inside that same cage I met a goblin... It might come as a shock to you, but it was a sentient goblin. The one who helped us survive."
Electra froze, her jaw twitching in disbelief. "I-I don't understand how that fact is connected to Bellatrix, whom you saved." She smiled awkwardly.
"Both Gorrak and Bellatrix were sentient, the second one probably because of partly being a human, but it still counts. I might sound like a hypocrite I am, but killing normal monsters is okay, after all, it's just self-defense. On the other hand, we have sentient monsters, they could be anything: a slime, a kobold, a troll, a skeleton, whatever you want. They're just like humans. Yes, they can choose whether they want to be good or bad." He looked away. "That's why you cannot call Bellatrix a monster as an insult, she's just as human as I am."
"Maybe..." Electra looked down at her hands in shame. "I'd never thought I'd say it... But you may be right..."
Orion paused, taken aback by the fact that Electra didn't burst out laughing or straight up start insulting him.
A sound of something knocking against the small window echoed throughout the room.
Orion and Electra both looked at it, seeing Bellatrix's upside-down face as she was hitting the window softly, a small smile on her face.
Electra walked over to the window and opened it, letting Bellatrix jump into the room.
"Hiya!" She chirped, running over to the bed and jumping onto Orion, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "How are you, Master?!"
Electra glanced at them. She was scowling, but deep inside, she was worried. "Why do I feel bad... I never felt anything like this before... They're so happy, even tho I wanted to take her life, and took his hand... I have always seen people like them as scum... So why... Why am I feeling regret?!"
Orion patted Bellatrix on the head softly. "I'm fine, what about you? Haven't got into any trouble?"
Bellatrix shook her head, brushing her hand against a red line on her forehead. "I found one of the scumbags which were connected to the Bleeding Crown." She huffed proudly, leaning into his hand.
Orion's face turned worried. "I know that you crave justice for those they hurt and will hurt... But I want to ask one thing, okay?"
Electra sat down on the windowsill, watching the two as they talked.
Bellatrix looked up at his face, her big, curious eyes staring into his. "Yes! Ask me whatever you want! I will gladly answer! Like a good daughter!" She said cheerfully.
"I understand that you want to kill those people; they're less than a monster, and if no one acts, they will keep doing it." He paused, looking down at her with worry. "But some of them might have families that are unaware of everything they've been doing."
Bellatrix smiled widely. "No! I would never kill an innocent! I want to be like you, Father! I want to protect the weak!"
Electra hopped off the windowsill. She walked over to them and pulled Bellatrix's ear softly. "The intention is the same, but the execution is different. You kill the bad ones to save the good ones. On the other hand, hatchlings would never kill anyone. Doesn't matter if their evil, he just wouldn't, know why?" She paused, releasing her ear. "Because he is too weak to do so."
Orion rolled his eyes, sitting up on the bed. "I sometimes think that you have only one dialogue, Electra!" He groaned.
Bellatrix frowned, glaring into Electra's eyes in fury. "I have an amazing sense of smell, which is the only reason I'm able to find those who were watching and supporting the Bloody Crown. You, Electra, I recognize your scent, you've been there many times, watching, but doing nothing about it. The only reason I don't want to rip your guts out with my bare hands is because you are Master's friend and you helped me." She said coldly. "Besides, Master is not weak! He went through so much pain to save me!"
Orion smiled softly, putting his hands on Bellatrix's shoulders to calm her down. "You recognize people by their smell? That's amazing!" He patted her on the head again. "Tell me, what do I smell like?"
Bellatrix flicked her attention between Orion and Electra, thinking whether she should continue the confession, or not, but in the end, she threw it away. She looked at Orion, smiling widely. "Master, I don't smell anything from you." She leaned in closer again, sniffing him. "Quite literally nothing, you have no scent." She then looked at Electra. "On the other hand, Electra's scent is intense and intoxicating! It's a lot different than the scent of a normal human! To be honest, it makes me wanna puke!"
Suddenly, Electra launched a punch to Bellatrix's face. It was so fast that Orion couldn't even perceive it.
Bellatrix threw herself to the side, barely avoiding the punch, but Electra still managed to scratch her cheek.
Electra pulled her fist back, an astonished look on her face. "You're fast if you were able to react."
"Electra, what the hell are you doing?!" Orion yelled, grabbing her wrist.
"Yes! Do you want to kill me?!" Bellatrix pouted.
Electra looked at Orion, yanking her hand away. "I just wanted to see if she was fast enough to dodge, that's it."
Orion sighed, glancing back at Bellatrix. "Even tho I don't like the way it happened, I need to admit that you're fast, Bellatrix! I couldn't even see that punch!" He said, amazed by Bellatrix's physical abilities.
"But who taught you to use Sage Arts?" He asked.
Bellatrix stared at him, confused. "Sage Arts? What is that?"
Electra flicked Orion's forehead. "Idiot." She sighed. "Monsters and Demi-Monsters can't use Sage Arts. Bellatrix is using her own power."
Orion looked at her in confusion. "How can she be so strong when she is so young? I thought that monsters grow stronger with time, isn't that how it works?" He raised a brow.
Bellatrix just watched them, staying silent as she didn't understand anything they were speaking about.
"They do, but there are some things that they can do to speed the process up. Bellatrix was fighting her whole life, possibly almost meeting Death herself a couple of times, which made her grow at a quick pace." Electra said, pinching Bellatrix's spine in between the shoulder blades, forcing her horns and tail to grow out from her body instantly. "Since her wings didn't manifest yet, she must be an offspring of a powerful dragon, maybe even the Ancient one."
"But it would be impossible for a full-blooded dragon to interbreed with a human, no? Maybe Bellatrix is the daughter of a half-dragon." Orion touched Bellatrix's horn softly. "But how did you do it, Electra? How did you force her horns out?"
Bellatrix twitched each time his fingers moved against her horn, but she didn't say anything, enjoying the sensation. "My horns were never caressed by anyone other than me... It's... It's so nice!" She smiled widely, her tail swayed softly.
Electra sat down on the bed, pulling Bellatrix onto her lap. "I have a lot of experience with monsters, hatchling." Then she looked down at Bellatrix, grabbing her horns softly. "So, who were your parents, Bellatrix?" She asked softly.
Bellatrix scowled at the mention of her parents. Her tail fell on the bed, not moving anymore. "I don't remember them, but I'm sure that they were full humans, otherwise they maybe would not have sold me." She pouted.
Orion felt bad. He reached his hand towards her and caressed her cheek softly. "Poor child... I already knew that, but I still feel bad for you."
Bellatrix jumped on top of Orion and hugged him tightly, her tail wrapped around his waist. "It's okay! Master, you shouldn't feel bad! I'm happy now! I got a better Father than those filthy excuses for parents could ever be."
A faint smile widened on Electra's face, her heart fluttering as she saw how cute Bellatrix was acting. "That's sweet." She pinched her cheek softly.
Both Bellatrix and Orion looked at Electra in surprise. "Woah, Electra, I didn't know you could be anything more than a sarcastic hag~!" Orion teased her.
Electra smiled to herself, stroking Bellatrix's hair. "The plan was different... By now, we were supposed to be drunk... And I don't deserve to even touch her after what I tried to do... But... It just feels nice to sometimes be nice..." She teared up. "I guess this is how mommy felt raising our seven, haha."
Electra quickly wiped her tears, and a smug smirk replaced her smile. "Nothing, you stupid hatchling~" She chuckled mischievously, joining the group hug.
Bellatrix smiled, looking at Electra with nothing but eagerness. "You stink, but you can always be my new Mother, I forgive you for everything, Electra."
Electra was taken aback. She couldn't believe that what she heard was the reality. That someone forgave her for something so cruel. She kissed Bellatrix on the forehead. "Thank you... and... I'm sorry..."
Orion looked at the two, feeling proud of them like never before. "Bellatrix forgave someone, and Electra said sorry for the first time." He also couldn't help but smile. "We can... we really can... Electra, Layla, and now Bellatrix... we can become one big, happy family."