The Damned Demon

"Lori..." Asher began, his voice softer, infused with a rare humility, "I know it's shameless of me, but I need your help."

Asher stepped to the side so as not to look at her back and get cursed with despair.

Lori's triangular head didn't even shift, though Asher could see her dark purple eyes filled with tears from the side.

The fierceness that had once defined her was absent, replaced now by a vulnerability that echoed the deep well of her grief, "Go away... ssss..." She weakly hissed without even lifting her head.

But her voice, barely above a whisper, trembled with the weight of her sorrow as she kept gazing at the bones of her father, relics of her deepest loss.

Asher observed her, the mighty serpent reduced to a figure of despair, submerged in her pain.

The stark contrast between her once majestic and terrifying presence and her current broken state was jarring.

No longer did she radiate the intimidating aura of a predator or assume her true size; instead, she remained small in size and seemed utterly consumed by her emotional turmoil.

The Gaze of Agony must have unearthed memories she had fought hard to suppress, leaving her defenseless in their wake.

Though Asher felt no regret for using his power—necessary as it was to save himself and Lysandra—he couldn't ignore the pitiable state it had left Lori in.

But suddenly, an idea began to form, a possible solution that might serve both their needs.

"I will help you kill the present Moon Guardian. His father killed yours, right? Don't you want revenge? An eye for an eye?" he proposed, watching her carefully.

At his words, Lori's sobbing paused, and she finally shifted her neck to look at him, her eyes flickering with a mix of shock and renewed vigor, "I... I will tear him apart myself! I will make his father weep tears of blood from the Seven Hells," she declared, her voice gaining strength, resonant with deep-seated resentment and a sudden revival of her ferocity.

Asher's eyebrows lifted in mild surprise at her swift return to her previously frightening demeanor, triggered by the mere mention of the Moon Guardian.

He could see that the depth of her hatred for the Moon Guardian was palpable, a smoldering ember that flared at the slightest provocation.

"Can you? Can you really kill him on your own? If you could, you would have done it already instead of hiding in your cave all alone, right?" Asher challenged, his tone deliberately provocative.

"I am not afraid of that wretched wolf!" Lori hissed back, venom lacing her words.

"I know. I know that the real reason you don't like going out is because, as you said... you are the last descendant of Hydra. You can't risk getting ambushed outside where you don't have the home advantage. But with my help, you don't have to be worried about slithering outside your home. With me, you can proudly show your head before everyone else," Asher continued, his voice soothing yet firm, offering her a partnership that promised more than just revenge—a chance to reclaim her dignity and power.

Lori's gaze softened, the anger giving way to a calculated contemplation.

Asher's offer had struck a chord, appealing to her deepest desires and fears. Here was a chance not just for vengeance, but for a renewed assertion of her might and legacy.

However, Lori's suspicion seemed to sharpen as she analyzed Asher's proposition, "You are not offering your help because you are that kind but because the Moon Guardian is a threat to your kingdom. You also can't take him on alone, or you would have done so already," she accused, her vertical pupils narrowing into slits as she scrutinized Asher's intentions.

Asher gave a casual shrug, unfazed by her skepticism, "I am not trying to hide the fact that we need to help each other. But if we have a common enemy, it's a win-win for both of us. All I ask in exchange is you save the draconian queen. Time is of the essence," he said, his tone pragmatic yet urgent, emphasizing the immediacy of Lysandra's dire condition.

Lori's gaze flickered briefly to Lysandra, her expression unreadable as she considered the draconian queen's frail form.

She then turned back to Asher, her voice firm, "You are mistaken, brat. My revenge isn't more important than my bloodline because my father made me promise to never become the last of my kind. It's also my duty towards my ancestors to make sure my bloodline doesn't die out. His Greatness wouldn't let me rest in peace in the Seven Hells if I die without leaving behind an offspring," Lori said with a solemn hiss.

Asher exhaled a deep, frustrated sigh, "Not this again. I told you I can't do it, nor does it make sense. There has never been a child between a man and a beast unless you are a half-blood, which you are not. Even if there was, I can't go against my nature. You will just have to—"

"Then she will take my place, and you will have to impregnate her," Lori suddenly interrupted, her voice ringing with a newfound determination.

Asher blinked, taken aback by her audacious plan, "What? Who are you talking about?" he asked, confusion clouding his expression.

Lori's tail subtly gestured towards a certain direction, her intent clear.

Asher's eyes widened in shock as he saw her point toward Lysandara, "You have to be kidding me. No... No, no. You misunderstand. We don't share any such bond, nor are we lovers or anything. We are just allies, helping each other out. Besides, it's not like your bloodline will magically get extended if I do it with someone else."

Lori hissed sharply, her frustration evident, "Obviously, I will plant my egg into her body, and you can then impregnate her," she proposed, as if it were the most natural solution.

"What the hell? Are you even listening to yourself?" Asher retorted, his expression a mix of incredulity and exasperation. He added quickly, "Who told you that such an absurd method will work?"

On second thought, why did it sound like surrogacy?

Lori's annoyance was palpable as she hissed at Asher, "Sssss, you are too young to know some of the old ways to ensure the continuity of someone's bloodline."

Asher scoffed, his disbelief evident in the sharp tone of his voice, "Even if such a way exists, what's the guarantee it would work? Both of you don't share the same bloodline, and forcing someone of a different race to birth your child will just kill them both."

Lori, undeterred, gestured toward Lysandra with her tail, "Look at her. She is the only one I know who could resist my bloodline's venom to such a great extent, even after entering my lair. Her body has already gotten used to my poison. If anybody can succeed in carrying my child, it has to be her. Whatever the outcome might be, I am willing to spare another 50 years if I have to and see if that works. If it doesn't, I will just find whatever male I can even if it means giving birth to an inferior one. At least my bloodline will be passed down that way. But if you don't do this for me, then you better leave...now, ssssss," Saying so with a peeved hiss, Lori turned around as if she had nothing more to say.

Asher exhaled sharply, frustration lining his face as he shook his head, "Lori, please. You can't just—"

"I will do it..." The weak yet unexpectedly determined voice of Lysandra cut through the cavern's heavy air.

Asher spun around, his eyes widening in shock. He saw Lysandra struggling to sit up, her face pale and strained.

He rushed over, gently helping her lean against the cavern wall as he crouched beside her, "What did you just say?" he asked, as if he wanted to make sure he didn't hear it wrong.

Lysandra met his gaze, her fiery red eyes burning with a resolve that belied her frailty, "Let's do...whatever she wants...Then both of us will...get what we want as well. We could use…

someone like her as our ally."

"Lysandra...are you really willing? Do you also realize the risk it entails? Other than the risks of this whole thing, what if Drakar finds out? You will be in great danger," Asher's voice was laden with worry, each word heavy with the implications of her decision.

"I always am. But…if...by that time we don't succeed...then we can consider ourselves dead already…I can't stand him any longer than that…" Lysandra managed to say between labored breaths. Her words hung in the air, as if she would rather face death than live as she did all these years.

Asher's brow furrowed deeply as he processed her words, understanding the gravity of the sacrifice she was considering.

He could only imagine the resentment and hatred she must have towards Drakar to be willing to do this with him.

But if she was willing to do so to save her kingdom and herself, then why can't he do the same?

He knew doing this will only complicate things to a great extent, especially since it will only get increasingly harder to keep Agonon's true fate a secret from her.

But there was no choice. He can't let his only ally from the Draconis Kingdom die and lose another potential ally whose strength was very well close to the Moon Guardian.

His wives might also feel this was not a good idea. But if Rowena knew what was at stake, she might also agree that there wasn't any other way.

He knew his wives said no more having a intimate relationship with married women which could also involve impregnating one such woman.

But they talked about one from within the Bloodburn Kingdom to avoid complications from within.

However, Lysandra wasn't a bloodburner. At least, this wouldn't affect his kingdom in a negative way even if things don't work out.

"Fine. Let's do it."