The dragon's harem

"Nothing strange," Merlin sighed, looking at Roberta with one eye closed and the other one glowing blue, "Except your eyes that can detect lies, but that is a common and easily attained spell,"

Roberta gasped, "Wait? Finished the inspecting?" She looked around, "I didn't even take my jacket yet,"

"Who said you need to take it off?" Merlin blinked to stop her spell, staring at Roberta with a confused face, "Clothes won't block inspection magic unless they were magically enchanted. But I guess you aren't a make, so you don't know that,"

"It's true that I can know when people are lying to my face," Roberta approached Merlin, "You sure that isn't what the devil is after?"

"I'm certain if he wanted that, he could cast a spell and get it," Merlin shook her head. "It's so common that most guards have several mages ready to cast it when interrogating criminals."

"I'm not casting a spell,"

"Even if it's an inborn ability, it won't be that important since anyone can get it if they don't have it," From between her chest, Merlin pulled a small book and showed it to Roberta.

"See? This fits in the palm of your hand and it's only priced at several silver coins at best. Anyone can learn the detect lie spell and casting for little mana, as low as ten if they are talented." Merlin explained, closing her eyes and opening them again, [Detect Lie]

She could see under Roberta's skin, sensing the blood flowing in her veins. When the pressure changes a certain way, the spells signals a lie.

Roberta blinked, her eyes glowing golden. She could see Merlin's body engulfed in a blue haze, burning like fire as she smiled.

"You can have that tome for free, learn the spell, and test it," Merlin said with a smile.

In Roberta's eyes, the aura around Merlin shifted, burning brighter as sparks of red flew from her skin to the edges like crackling flames.

"Nothing is ever given for free," Roberta sighed, "I can take this time for free now, yes. But you'll later ask for a favor if you needed."

"Isn't that why people are for? I scratch your back and you scratch mine," Merlin smiled, "We help each other,"

The two walked out of the room, smiling.

****

"Aella!" Mira opened the front door, walked into the living room, and called for Aella, who looked out of the kitchen door with a pinched nose and long gloves and goggles, "What? I'm busy here,"

Mira looked past Aella, "What are you..." She saw a half lamb carcass laid on the counter, "Oh, cutting meat,"

"It's horrid, the stench stings in the back of my nose," Aella sighed, "So, what did you need me for?"

"I actually needed to talk with Zephyr, it's about Roberta," Mira took her shoe and thick jacked, walking into the kitchen.

"Don't tell me something bad happened to her?"

"Didn't happen yet, but might happen soon," Mira replied, "Long story short, she's stuck in a contract with a devil and could lose her soul if she didn't kill her father and Isdis,"

"Wait! What?" Aella gasped, "How did she end up in a contract with a devil? She isn't that stupid to sign one,"

"Her mother made her sign it when she was a little girl," Mira grabbed the lamb's carcass with her hand, cutting the leg with one swipe of a knife, causing Aella who struggled with it for an hour to gasp.

"How could you do that?" Aella looked at the leg, "And how could her mother do that?"

"I don't know, and it doesn't matter now. Where is Zephyr? I'm sure she can help or at least give advice," Mira replied, showing Aella where the joints of the leg were and how to cut through them.

"She's out hunting in the mountains," Aella replied, "Said she needs to bulk up in case Vlad attacks,"

"Hunt? To think a fairy as small as her would need to go hunt for food like Arad does, he's at least a massive dragon," Mira kept showing Aella how to cut the lamb as they talked.

"She said that a creature's food requirement raises as its power output rises. I've been sensing it for a while, Zephyr's mana quality and level have been increasing rapidly since she started eating like that, as if she was starving before and only now she's getting back into shape." Aella looked out the window.

"How is Arad doing? Any change?" Mira looked back toward the basement's stairs.

"Nothing at all, the usually spikes in magic but nothing else," Aella replied, "Let's cut this first and take it to the cold room and then check on him,"

The two cut the half lamb into pieces, packed it in large steel bowels, and carried it down to the basement.

"Open," Aella called.

"Do! Do! I open!" A squicking voice came from behind the door, pulling it open. A tiny goblin bowed to them, "Welcome, ladies. Can I help you carry that?"

"Thank you," Mira handed him her bowl as she rushed to the kitchen to grab another one, "There are more upstairs, take another send two to bring the rest to the cold room," Aella added with a smile.

"As you wish," The goblin turned and shouted, soon, two more goblins came to carry the meat.

Aella and Mira made their way to the cold room, a large empty space frozen into ice by Isdis's magic. As Arad went into hibernation, they couldn't rely on his stomach to store food anymore, so they are now using this room.

Aella paused for a second, "Now that I'm thinking about it, it sounds wrong, doesn't it"? She shivered.

"What sounds wrong?" Mira looked at her, confused.

"Arad stored the food in his stomach so it won't spoil. Doesn't that mean we've been eating his pu..?" She looked at her.

"STOP RIGHT THERE! TAKE THAT OUT OF MY MIND NOW!" Mira cried, "It's a storage magic! STORAGE MAGIC!"

Aella giggled, "Sorry, can't be helped now,"

"You..." Mira growled, "Fine, let's go check on Arad," She sighed, trying to change the subject and wash the thought out of her head.

The two walked deeper into the dungeon, eventually reaching the kobolds layer, "Ladies, did you come to check on our lord?" The kobold guard bowed.

"How is he?"

"Brimming with magic," The kobold giggled.