The Reborn Witch had a nice 'Tea Time' with the Dragon Queen today-Chapter 6: With Peace comes a New…Witch? ()

"Demond." The voice was faint, a whisper in the wind that seemed to echo through the charred remains of the forest. He turned to see the pixy again, but instead of sneezy chatters and laughters, that voice...it was Adrei.

"...so," the old mage began, kneeling before the young Alice, his heart swelling with a mix of pride and regret, "is this what you want to show me? That I shouldn't have taken this child?"

The blue pixy behind him grew larger, until it was as tall as a human child, and its eyes held a wisdom it had not gained yet, as it was still a young pixy. "Old one, if you know me, why would I make a sick joke like this?"

"Well," the old mage's sigh is a gentle whisper amidst the crackling flames of his past, "I suppose it's a good time to reflect on the choices I've made, Adalon's daughter. I've always known the path of a hero isn't for me, not when I...have sacrificed so much for this precious young brat."

The pixy, now in the form of Adrei, nodded solemnly. "But Demond, you never regretted it, did you?"

"I did not." Demond's voice was firm as he looked behind him, his sharp gaze into the eyes of the pixy, who now bore the form of a child, yet held the wisdom of a dragon queen. "I've made peace with my choices long ago. I...don't want to die, but if it is my death that bring dragonkind's anger to rest, then so be it."

A silence grew between the human mage and the dragon queen, the fire of the battle shimmered in Adrei's eyes as she studied the man who had once been her savior. She did not know the old man who murdered her father, however, she knew the old man who brought her up, who taught her the value of kindness and peace.

"A long time ago, when I was but a young dragon of fiery temper, I watched you stand up to Adalon. Despite your companions' fateful demise, you...remained alone, as my father's injured claws reached out for the innocent girl. Your bravery, your kindness, it was a beacon that pierced something in me that I...did not understand." Adrei's form grew translucent, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"I long since craved for the prideful eras of our dragon, one not when dragons hid in ignorance, but one when domineering humans in their metal beasts didn't exist." Adrei's words were a stark contrast to the gentle form of the pixy. "But your stubbornness...your strength as the weak brought me to my knees. For the first time in this world, I...was ashamed. And so, I watched you. I watched the way you raised Alice, the way you loved her, the way you rose her to be that young mage who snuffed out the Everflame Mountains with eternal ice. And I knew, the future of our worlds lay in her hands."

"And so, you gathered the elders for the Dragon Council." Demond played with Alice's fingers, as if he could still feel the warmth of her hand in his, the memory so vivid it was almost tangible. "You told them of your vision of peace, not of strength. As the Dragon queen, you believe your kind's fate is not with violence, but with carefulness and coexistence. I've heard from Alice, you are...an exceptional person."

"That exceptional person killed you just now, didn't she?" The pixy's form shimmered and grew, becoming the dragon queen once more, her huge fiery form casting shadows across the burnt earth.

"Tell me, Demond. What will you do now?" The dragon's question pierced the silence like a shard of ice, her eyes never leaving his own. The old mage ignored it and stared at Alice's small figure, the flames of the past licking at his heart.

"The same as I always do." And so, the old mage carried the child, the warmth of her body a stark contrast to the coldness of his, and walked through the ashes of his past. The dragon's shadow grew smaller as they ventured into the heart of the forest, leaving the fiery battleground behind.

The smell of burnt trees and flesh slowly gave out, as gradually, they were replaced with lush green and the sweet scent of blooming flowers. The forest grew denser, the trees grew taller, and the air grew cleaner, as if the very essence of life was being restored around them. The shadows grew shorter and the sun grew brighter, the warmth of the sun kissing their skin as if to bid them welcome to the present.

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And as they reached the clearing, they finally arrived: home. The small wooden hut with a crooked chimney stood tall against the backdrop of the ever-changing forest. The sun's rays danced through the leaves, painting a warm embrace across the well-trodden path leading to the door.

Smiling, the old mage stepped onto the porch, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face. It had been so long since he'd seen the world without the tint of battle or the shadow of his past. Alice looked up at him, her eyes full of questions that had yet to form into words. He knew what she was thinking, the same curiosity that had always driven her.

And so, the old mage arrived at the end of his journey. The hut stood before him, a beacon of comfort and warmth, a stark contrast to the smells of sweats, tears and regrets.

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Demond's eyes woke up again. The scent of freshly brick from the forge mixed with the sweet aroma of the sweat from his coworkers. Yes, freshly and sweet, smells he would've not associated with smelly construction workers, but somehow in this dreamscape, it was a symphony of comfort.

He woke up, his eyes blinking as he felt something...strange. It was the same ceiling, yet it felt different. He looked around and realized he was in the hut, but everything was covered in a fine dust. The embers of the fireplace had gone cold and the room was dimly lit by the early morning light. Adrei's fiery breath had not destroyed his shelter, it had merely left a faint warmth and the smell of burnt oak in the air.

He frowned, but right as he rolled over from his bed, his expected beard...did not exist. He felt his face, smooth and clean. The room was still, save for the occasional crackling from the fireplace. A gentle knock at the door startled him, but the sound was so faint it could have been the house settling.

"Come i-, wait what's this voice?!" Demond's heart pounded as his voice, used to the hoarse tone of his age, resonated with a youthful vigor with a touch of cuteness, not unlike the...the female protagonists in his collection.