For a long moment, the three of them simply stood there in the Dragon's Den—afternoon light spilling in from the windows, dust motes drifting lazily through the air, the smell of spices and ozone lingering after the chaos.
Pearl leaned against the kitchen doorframe, breathing easier now that her stomach was empty, one hand resting on her belly as if still making sure the oni was truly gone.
Kurohana, very much not gone, stood in the center of the dining room: tall, red-skinned, hair wild, horns sharp, club still faintly crackling with residual electricity. Her eyes were narrowed, but the murderous edge had softened into wary focus.
Mercer stood between them, the smallest of the three, but somehow the one holding the moment together. He had his hand extended toward Kurohana, that same earnest, unshakable smile on his face.
"Because you are an interesting creature," he said, voice calm, "and society doesn't really have much information on you. So with that said, would you care to join my guild called the Covenant of Fire?"
Kurohana stared at his outstretched hand.
"The Covenant of Fire," she repeated slowly. "What exactly is this guild of yours?"
Mercer didn't flinch under her gaze.
"My soon-to-be-formed guild," he said, "is meant to help unite all races—not just for survival, but for friendship and unity of cultures. A place where everyone can find their place, no matter what they look like, and stand together against the slow growing darkness that once ravaged the world."
He said it simply, like he'd already made peace with how impossible it sounded.
Kurohana's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Electricity crackled between her fingers but didn't quite leap free.
"Unity and survival…" she muttered, rolling the words in her mouth. "And you think someone like me could fit into a guild like that?"
"I don't just think," Mercer replied, eyes bright. "I believe you have so much potential to be one of the many beings that reinforce that dream."
Kurohana's gaze sharpened, searching his face for hidden mockery, for the pity or fear she was used to seeing.
She didn't find it.
"And what if I say no?" she asked, voice quiet but edged.
"I'll be disappointed," Mercer said honestly. "But if that's your choice, I'll acknowledge it. I'll walk away and leave you be."
The oni watched him in silence for a few long heartbeats, jaw working. The afternoon light warmed the scarred wood around them, painting golden stripes across the floor between her and the boy who was asking her to be more than a monster in the woods.
"…You're different from those adventurers," she finally muttered. "They wanted to kill me. You want to… recruit me."
Mercer smiled.
"I'm a dreamer and a child at heart," he said with a soft laugh. "Where people see fear, I see potential for something greater."
That did it.
Kurohana huffed, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward.
"A dreamer and a child at heart, huh?" she said. "Never met anyone like you before."
She stepped closer. Her hand was big and calloused compared to his, but she reached out and gripped his forearm firmly.
"Very well," she said. "I'll join your guild. But don't expect me to play nice with everyone."
"Awesome!!!" Mercer practically exploded, voice ringing in the empty diner.
Magic flared on instinct at his fingertips. He snapped his fingers with boyish enthusiasm, sending a gentle wave of energy washing over Kurohana. Stomach acid stains vanished; small burns faded; her clothes and skin restored themselves to pristine condition.
The oni flinched at the sudden flash, then looked down at herself.
"…You're quite powerful for someone so enthusiastic," she muttered, examining her arms. "And weirdly… thorough."
Mercer grinned.
"Comes with the job," he said. "Well, future job. So, what should I call you? Or do I just keep saying 'hey, terrifying red oni with the club'?"
She folded her arms, spiked club resting across her back.
"My name is Kurohana," she said, chin lifting. "And no, I'm not the only one of my kind. There are other oni scattered throughout the lands. We prefer solitude."
"Interesting…" Mercer's eyes practically turned into stars. "And what kind of creature are you exactly?"
Kurohana's lips curled into a proud smirk.
"I am an oni," she said. "A creature of power and strength. We possess immense physical abilities and command control over electricity and other elements, depending on the type of oni. I control lightning."
She opened her palm and idly conjured a small bolt of electricity that danced between her fingers.
Mercer leaned in, fascinated.
"So there are more of your kind," he murmured. "And different types who can control other elements… just like dragons."
"Indeed," she replied. "Some control fire, others water, some even master multiple elements. We're not as diverse as dragons, but we have our own… specialties."
"Fascinating," Mercer breathed. "By the way—Mercer Bloodheart, officially."
Kurohana nodded once.
"Mercer Bloodheart," she said. "A name worthy of a guild master."
She glanced around the room, then back at him.
"So, what now?" she asked. "Should we start planning this guild of yours?"
"Of course," Mercer smiled. "But first—"
He turned.
Pearl was still by the doorway, half-shadowed, arms loosely folded over her middle. Her eyes met his, bright and wary, like she wasn't sure if she should slip back behind her mask or not.
"Hey, Miss Pearl."
She flinched.
"Y–yes?" she answered, trying to sound composed.
Mercer walked up to the counter, looked up at her, and once again extended his hand—this time, toward the dragoness.
"I would like for you to join my guild as well," he said.
Pearl stared at his hand, then at his face.
"Me?" she repeated, incredulous. "Join your guild?"
She glanced between Mercer and Kurohana—the magician who had just pulled a monster out of her stomach, and the monster who had just attacked her insides.
"But I… I'm not like either of you," she said, voice quieter. "I'm just a dragon who… who eats people."
Kurohana snorted.
"That's accurate," she muttered.
Pearl shot her a glare.
Mercer shook his head.
"That doesn't matter," he said simply. "Everyone has their own way of living."
She stared at him.
"You… don't care that I'm a dragon who ate people?" she asked. "That I had one of your potential guild members in my stomach?"
"Well, you're a dragon," Mercer replied with a shrug. "It's only natural that you'd practically be able to eat anything."
He gestured at Kurohana.
"And besides, you didn't really digest her completely, since she's standing right here. So it all works out."
Pearl just stared, jaw hanging slightly.
"You're… impossible," she finally said. "Most people would be running for the hills after what you just saw."
"Well, I'm not most people," Mercer replied, grinning. "And I am very forgiving."
Pearl studied him for a long moment. Slowly, the anger around her eyes eased into something more complicated.
"Forgiving… and reckless," she muttered. "You really are something else, Mercer Bloodheart."
He didn't drop his hand.
"So," he said, "again: would you be willing to join my currently starting-up guild? We could always use a great cook. And it would be a bonus if that cook happens to be a very nice, lovely, and elegant dragon."
Her pride practically glowed. She straightened, shoulders rolling back, wings flexing just a little.
"A guild that values both strength and culinary skill…" she mused. "I suppose I could consider it."
She shot Kurohana a sideways look.
"But I have one condition."
"Sure," Mercer nodded. "Name it."
Pearl's eyes sharpened with familiar authority.
"I want to be the head chef," she said. "I won't be treated like some common cook. If I'm joining this guild, I'll do it on my terms."
"Understood," Mercer answered without hesitation. "The main point of my guild is not just for interesting people to join, but also to have them be themselves and add their own unique flair."
Pearl nodded, satisfied.
"Good," she said. "I'll join your guild. But I expect to be treated with the respect I deserve."
Mercer's smile brightened. He kept his hand raised.
Pearl hesitated for half a second.
Then she took it.
The handshake lasted exactly one beat.
After that, she pulled him straight into her chest.
"W–whoa—!" Mercer yelp
Pearl hugged him tightly like a living plush toy, wings folding around them both. She swayed from side to side, cheeks flushing as her heart thumped faster than it had any right to.
"Finally…" she murmured, nuzzling his head lightly. "Someone who accepts me for who I am."
Kurohana watched, electricity crackling faintly around her shoulders.
"Well, this is going to be an interesting guild indeed," she muttered. "The guild master's already been eaten twice in one afternoon. Once literally, once figuratively."
Pearl shot her a smug, half-lidded look over Mercer's head.
"Looks like we'll be guildmates, oni," she said. "I hope you can handle my… culinary demands."
Kurohana snorted and turned away, arms crossed, nose wrinkling.
"As long as those demands don't involve you trying to eat me again," she grumbled, "then I can tolerate your existence."
Pearl laughed, a genuine, warm sound.
"No promises there," she said. "But I'll try to restrain myself… for now."
Mercer wiggled just enough to poke his head up.
"Ladies, ladies," he said, smiling despite being trapped in dragoness cuddles. "Let's not start fighting already. We're supposed to be forming a guild, remember?"
Pearl loosened her grip slightly but kept Mercer close, clearly unwilling to surrender her newly acquired "treasure."
"Fine," she sighed. "For now."
Kurohana smirked.
"Only if she stays out of my blind spot," she shot back.
Mercer chuckled.
"All right," he said. "First members of the Covenant of Fire: a dragoness, an oni, and a magician. Pretty solid start, if I do say so myself."
He glanced around the empty diner.
"But if we're going to be a proper guild," he added, "we're gonna need somewhere to live."
Pearl blinked, then suddenly stiffened.
"…"
Her gaze drifted around the Dragon's Den—the polished tables, the counter she'd scrubbed a hundred times, the well-seasoned kitchen that still smelled faintly of today's cooking and earlier chaos. Through the windows, the late-afternoon sky had deepened, edges tinting orange-pink.
She realized what "leaving" actually meant.
"Hold on," she said, releasing Mercer enough for him to stand at her side instead of in her arms. "If I join your guild… what happens to my restaurant?"
Mercer tilted his head.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Pearl wrapped her arms around herself, tail tip flicking anxiously.
"I've worked so hard to build this place," she said quietly. "The Dragon's Den is… everything to me. I can't just walk away and leave it behind to be ransacked, or claimed by someone else, or destroyed by some wandering beast. I don't want to come back one day and find it in ruins."
Even Kurohana glanced around, expression softening a fraction.
Mercer blinked once, then smiled.
"Oh!" he said. "You're right—that would be terrible to leave behind. So why don't I just bring it along with us?"
Pearl stared.
"…You can do that?" she asked, hope lighting in her eyes despite herself. "You can… bring my restaurant with us?"
"Of course," Mercer said easily. "In fact, I'll do it the same way I carry my home. As long as you'll allow me to."
Pearl straightened fully.
"Yes," she said immediately. "Yes, you have my permission. I can't bear the thought of leaving my restaurant behind. It's… it's everything to me."
"Then let's do it," Mercer said.
He stepped outside first, the other two following. The afternoon air was cooler now, the sun sinking toward the horizon, bathing the grassy plain and the Dragon's Den in orange-gold light.
Mercer took a breath, then cupped his hands together.
Soft, steady light flowed between his fingers, then intensified. He began to chant under his breath, words of power tugging at the edges of reality. The magic condensed into a shimmering sphere between his palms.
He brought the glowing hands to his lips and blew.
A translucent, iridescent bubble floated up and drifted toward the restaurant, expanding as it moved. It reached the roof, hovered, then sank down, swallowing the building slowly from the top down. Walls, windows, foundation—everything vanished inside the glimmering sphere.
Pearl watched, eyes wide, claws pressed to her chest.
The bubble continued to balloon outward until it encompassed not only the Dragon's Den, but the fenced-in cattle and the small vegetable garden behind it—every practical piece of her life out here.
Mercer brought his hands together again and clapped once.
The bubble began to shrink.
It compressed smoothly, the entire scene inside miniaturizing as it collapsed toward its center. The glow brightened, then dimmed. When it was done, resting gently in the grass where the building had stood moments ago was a clear, faceted crystal orb, about the size of both of Pearl's hands together.
Pearl stepped forward as if in a trance and picked it up carefully.
Inside the crystal, suspended in a serene, timeless state, she could see it all—her diner, her cattle, her garden. No wind. No erosion. Just a perfect little world sealed safely away.
"This is…" she whispered. "Remarkable."
She held the orb like something sacred, turning it slightly. The facets caught the afternoon light, sending tiny rainbows across her scales.
"You've truly outdone yourself, Mercer," she said, voice thick with genuine gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Mercer rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish.
"Aw, shucks," he said. "You're welcome, Pearl. I created that spell because I get homesick easily when I'm away. So I figured… why not bring home with me? And other heavy objects, too."
Kurohana squinted into the orb.
"Huh," she muttered. "Neat. So if I break that, does the diner pop back out?"
Pearl clutched it closer to her chest.
"You will not test that," she hissed.
Mercer laughed, then reached into the small magical bag at his hip.
"Well," he said, "now that your home's portable… I should probably introduce you to mine."
He pulled out another orb, this one opaque and softly glowing. He walked a short distance away, into an open patch of grass without trees, and gently placed the orb on the ground.
"Stand back a bit," he advised, stepping back toward the girls.
Pearl and Kurohana joined him, eyes on the orb.
With a snap of his fingers, the orb lit up, bright beams shooting out in all directions. Light flared, forcing Pearl and Kurohana to squint and raise their arms or wings to shield their eyes.
With a loud WHOOMPH and a rush of displaced air, the light collapsed inward.
In its place stood a large, magnificent mansion where there had been only grass moments before.
Pearl slowly lowered her arm, eyes widening.
"That's…" she breathed. "…your home?"
The mansion was grand but warm, built of pale stone and dark wood, with sweeping balconies, wide windows, and banners fluttering faintly along the outer walls. The front doors were massive—tall and wide enough for a dragon in full majesty to stroll through without ducking.
"It's beautiful," she said honestly.
"Thank you," Mercer replied. "I do my best to make sure it's nice and comfortable. I built it with the idea that it could one day be a guild hall, too."
Kurohana whistled low.
"Not bad for a 'rank magician,'" she said, resting her club on her shoulder. "Guess you're not all talk, huh?"
Mercer smiled.
"Come on," he said. "Follow me. I'll show you where you'll be staying."
As they walked toward the mansion, Pearl's eyes kept darting to the huge front doors.
"Those are sized for dragons," she said, half to herself.
"Well, of course," Mercer said. "It'd be rude to invite a dragon and then make her squeeze through a human-sized door."
Pearl hesitated for only a second.
Then she stepped back, closed her eyes briefly, and let her true form expand.
Her body grew, stretching and surging upward, limbs lengthening, wings unfurling in a grand sweep. In moments, the already-tall dragoness towered over both Mercer and Kurohana in her fully unleashed majesty, scales blazing in the last of the afternoon light.
"Much better," she said, her voice deeper in her full dragon form. "This is more like it."
Kurohana glanced up.
"Tch. Show-off," she muttered, but there was grudging admiration in her eyes.
Mercer just smiled wide.
They reached the doors.
Mercer pushed them open with both hands. The hinges swung smoothly, revealing an entrance hall that was clearly much larger on the inside than the mansion's exterior should've allowed—high vaulted ceilings, chandeliers hung with softly glowing crystals, intricately woven carpets spread over polished floors, and staircases curving gracefully upward.
Pearl's eyes widened, her full-sized head turning slowly to take in every detail.
"This is… stunning," she said quietly. "I've never seen anything like it."
Kurohana nodded, taking in the vast interior.
"Okay," she admitted. "This might actually be worth not living in a cave."
Mercer laughed.
"When I was making this place," he said, shutting the doors behind them, "I thought that if it was going to be a guild someday, I wanted to make sure there would be more than enough rooms and essentials for everyone."
He turned, facing the dragon and the oni standing framed by the warm light of the entrance hall.
"Well then," he said, eyes gleaming. "Welcome to your new home, first members of the Covenant of Fire."
Outside, the sun slipped closer to the horizon.
Inside the mansion, the fire of a new future quietly began to burn.