I returned to the Astral early again that night, much to Amaya's annoyance. It couldn't be helped. I would have a lot to do with the investigation soon enough, and there were some time sensitive things I wanted to take care of.

  The first thing I heard upon entering the base was Ash's maniacal laughter. I quickly followed the sound, not sure whether it was a good thing or not. The view that greeted me when I entered the kitchen stopped me dead in my tracks.

  Sitting on the marble countertop was a cage the size of a five-gallon water cooler. And inside the cage… was a child-sized person.

  She couldn’t have been taller than ninety-two centimeters, maybe three feet if she stood straight. Long, pale blond hair cascaded down her back, and her eyes were large, a shade of cornflower blue that seemed to almost glow. Her ears were long—pointed, delicate, and definitely not human. They were much longer than Ash's, extending back past the back of her head. The prisoner might have been an elf, or something very close to it. She sat with her knees tucked against her chest, a look of utter indignation plastered on her face.

  Above her, Ash was a whirlwind of iridescent blue. Reduced to her fairy size—barely eighteen centimeters tall, wings shimmering—she danced in the air, wiggling her hips in celebration.

  “Look who I found!” she chirped, her voice ringing with triumph. “The illusive, soap deliverin', fruit drink makin', work shop cleanin' menace!”

  The little person, predictably, did not look excited. She was actively pouting, her lips pulled down in a dramatic pout.

  I walked slowly into the room, unsure exactly how to react to the situation. "Uh, good job Ash." I said, offering my hand to her and kissing her tiny cheek when she landed. "Now, let's have a calm talk." Putting Ash on my shoulder, I reached forward to undo the latch on the cage.

  Ash tugged on my ear, "Cai… What are you doin'? I just caught that brownie."

  I paused, glancing at the dragon girl. "A brownie huh? Aren't they supposed to be nice and helpful? At least, they are in all the stories I've heard."

  Ash shrugged her little shoulders. "Sure, they're supposed to be helpful, but this one's a menace!"

  "Uh huh," I said flatly and poked her gently in the stomach. "I think you just got caught up in your work to capture her. She hasn't actually done anything to hurt us has she?"

  My dragon lover pursed her lips to the side in consideration before letting out a sigh. "No, yer right. It just feels a little weird to let her go so soon after capturin' her. Shouldn't ya give an evil monologue? Oh! or you could play some sort o' bondage game first!"

  I snorted and returned to unlatching the cage. I spoke to the pouting girl inside as I worked. "I'm sorry if we hurt you at all. I want you to know we really appreciate everything you've done. It would be nice to get to know you though, so I hope you'll stay and talk for a while before you disappear again."

  I left the cage door ajar and stepped back across the room before sitting on the floor with my legs crossed.

  The girl eyed me warily for a few seconds before she tentatively pushed the door open and uncurled from her sitting position. It was then I discovered that the small brownie was completely nude. Despite her short stature, she was definitely not a child. The girl had all the right proportions to be an adult.

  I blushed deeply, and had to fight the urge to look away for propriety. The illusive girl might transform, change size, turn invisible… Whatever happened, I wanted to see it.

  Ash noticed my reaction and burst out laughing, startling the poor thing. The brownie shrank back, eyes wide. She looked ready to dart away at any second, but Ash waved a hand to calm her down. Through fits of giggles, she spoke, "It's all right. I wasn't laughin' at you, I was laughin' at the big lug." She patted my cheek to indicate I was the lug. "He's a human, and he isn't used to fey customs. Just look at 'im blush!"

  The girl watched us for a moment before smiling shyly. She spoke so softly that I might not have heard if I didn't have enhanced senses. "I know. I've been watching you all for a while. I…" She looked down at her feet shyly and played with her fingers before continuing. "I thought about introducing myself a few times, but… It's just hard. It's not really in my nature." She had a distinct French accent, and her shy manner was definitely cute.

  Ash, still smiling, nodded. "It's certainly been hard the past couple of days." She gave me a meaningful wink, and I couldn't stop my blush from growing deeper. With the nude woman in front of me, I was experiencing the effects of my root chakra even more strongly. My dragon-soul-instincts were screaming at me to take my fairy dragon mate and claim her again here and now.

  I cleared my throat and did my best to use Parallel Thought to relegate those urges to a single mental instance so that I could use the other to speak calmly. Ignoring Ash's comment, I addressed the blond brownie. "I understand. I don't want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable. Like I said, I appreciate you very much." I gave her my most welcoming smile. "I'd actually like to offer you an official position on my team. You could have your own room, and even be a part of our meetings if you want."

  She gave me a confused look, "I don't know if I understand. Brownies aren't given rooms. We work in the shadows to keep the house clean and in good repair. It's just how we are."

  "Hmm," I rubbed my chin and shifted slightly. "That's ok too, if that's what you want. I hope you'll be my friend either way though. I could use all the help I can get."

  Ash, still sitting on my shoulder nodded gravely. "He really is helpless. The first time I met him, he was wanderin' lost in the woods." I rolled my eyes but she ignored me, "Then, I had to save him from a wolf, then the stranglers, then a tentacle monster, then a corrupted Busgosu… It was a whole thing." She ended with a shrug, patting my cheek consolingly.

  I chuckled but didn't correct anything she said. Instead I turned my attention back to the brownie. "Anyway, I would like you to be the head maid if you're interested."

  The blond woman's eyes widened a little. "Head… maid? As in, the one who's in charge of all of the other maids?" Her eyes took on a far away look, "A brownie with that much power and responsibility. I've heard that some of the upper echelons of the fey court hire the noblest of brownie families for such an honor, but someone like me…" Her expression grew determined before turning back to me with a curtsy. "I will do my best, master. Just say my name, and I will be there to help."

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "That would be amazing. I can't wait to work with you, only…" I scratched my cheek a little, then took off my shirt and threw it to her. "I don't think I actually heard your name." I finished.

  She caught my shirt and looked at it in confusion for a moment, then answered my unasked question. "Of course master. My name is Aribelle. I will get this cleaned for you right away." She was now speaking with confidence, as though all she needed was to acknowledge her new station to advance to a stronger version of herself.

  I held up my hand to stop her. "Actually, that is for you to wear. As much as I want to make you comfortable, your current look is a bit… distracting."

  Aribelle looked at the shirt for a moment longer before putting it on. It was way too big for her, and fit more like a dress than a shirt. I would have to ask Trinket if she could help her with that. For now, I had other things to take care of.

  ****

  On the way back to my tree to see what my build queue was looking like, I found Yume. She was escorting two familiar kobolds from the fey portal toward the base.

  Ash zipped forward to meet them. "Skitterspark, Clearscale, good to see you! Yume?" Ash gave her friend a questioning look.

  Yume rolled her eyes. "I haven't forgotten. I was just taking them to the tree, not the base. The sanctity would not have been broken."

  I quirked an eyebrow at that. I wasn't completely sure what they meant, but I had an idea. Ash was pretty adamant that no men were allowed in my base besides me.

  I was a little alarmed to discover that, upon searching my own feelings, her assertions were likely correct. I could feel a sense of territorial defensiveness arise at the mere thought of Skitterspark entering where my women lived. It wasn't reasonable, and I didn't particularly like being unreasonable. The effect of having draconic instincts was intense. I would have to meditate on it later.

  "Skitterspark!" I grinned and clasped forearms with the rust colored kobold. "I was planning to come see you soon. How is the Cleverclaw tribe? Has your time of mourning passed?" I had to fight the urge to apply sarcasm to the word 'mourning'. Their chief had betrayed them, and it was unlikely there were any left alive who would miss him.

  "It is good to see you again, Cai Masaru Ryuzaki. The tribe is well, and the next chief has been decided." At my questioning look he nodded, looking pleased with himself. "I am now the chief of the Cleverclaw tribe. And as the chief, I would like to officially offer you our service and allegiance."

  As he finished speaking, the new chief knelt on one knee and bowed his head. Behind him, Clearscale did the same. I took a moment to consider the solemnity of the situation. This tribe of kobolds was particularly loyal, almost to a fault. I realized that offering me their allegiance was the same as putting their lives in my hands. They would be loyal to the end.

  At least, most of them would. There were still clearly dissidents and aberrations among them. Even so, the significance of the offer was not lost on me. This was an honor and responsibility that I wouldn't take lightly.

  I stood up tall and squared my shoulders. "Skitterspark. It would be an honor to accept your tribe into my service. In exchange, I swear to always treat the Cleverclaw Tribe with respect and consideration. I will extend to them my protection , and offer them a place in the world I am building."

  I reached down and put a hand on Skitterspark's shoulder, smiling as I urged him to stand. "Thank you my friend. I can't wait to see what we can build together."

  The kobold chief bowed his head, his expression stoic. "Thank you, Dark Lord. Together we will crush all who stand before us."

  My eyes grew wide, and I had to stop myself from taking a step back. What in the world? I glanced around seeing a similar look of surprise from Ash and Yume. I wasn't sure how to respond, when I noticed a slight smirk on Clearscale's snout. I breathed a small sigh of relief, and had to fight from letting loose a chuckle.

  "Yes, Skitterspark. Go forth at once and spread fear and chaos in my name!" I spoke with authority and conviction.

  Skitterspark straightened up, eyes wide as he stammered. "Y-Yes? Uh, I was just joking though! When I told Clearscale how you teased me, she thought this would be a good way to—" He broke off when Clearscale and I both burst into laughter, soon joined by Ash and Yume.

  "It was a good joke, Skitterspark. You really had me for a moment." The kobold man's expression changed from panic to relief as realization dawned. He joined in our laughter, only complaining a little at having his prank turned on him.

  Eventually, we all turned and began heading to my tree. While we walked, I turned to look at the white kobold alchemist. "I'm afraid I got caught up in the moment and neglected my greeting to you Clearscale. It's good to see you again."

  She smiled and returned my greeting. "It is good to see you as well. I have been considering your offer to join you for some time. I was torn however, between my service to my tribe and the opportunity to work with you. Now that the Cleverclaw tribe is officially a part of your…" She hesitated, then gestured around us at my domain, "…kingdom? There is no need to hesitate. Should the offer still stand that is."

  I chuckled at her hesitation. So far, I had a small clan of goblins and now a slightly larger tribe of kobolds under my banner. I didn't even have a real banner, only a metaphorical one. Calling this a kingdom was like calling a house cat a tiger. We were perhaps a very feisty cat, but still not a tiger.

  "Of course it still stands. I have no doubt that our 'kingdom' will benefit greatly from your expertise. I'll build your lab now, and you can choose a room in the…" I turned and gestured to my base, but hesitated at what to call it.

  "Dragon's Rest." Ash supplied. I paused, considering her. I had been meaning to give it a name for a while, and that one fit better than any I had thought of so far. After all, I had draconic instincts, and a tribe of kobolds who revered dragons was now under my command. Even my last name meant Dragon's Peak.

  I nodded, accepting the new name. "You can choose a room in the Dragon's Rest." I stopped at the tree and turned to the group. "Actually, I think now would be a good time to introduce you. Aribelle?" I called, only to be startled when the diminutive woman stepped out from behind me as if she had been there all along.

  "Oui Monsieur? How can I help?" She curtsied with elegant grace, something that looked somehow strange in my large t-shirt.

  I cleared my throat. "Yume, Clearscale, Skitterspark, this is Aribelle, my head maid. Aribelle, you probably already know my mate Yume." I gestured to the beautiful kitsune, who was watching with interest, then to Skitterspark. "This is Skitterspark, the new chief of the Cleverclaw kobold tribe, and my loyal retainer. And this is our new alchemist Clearscale." I put my hand on the shoulder of the white kobold and continued to address the blond brownie. "Clearscale will be taking a room in the Dragon's Rest. Please provide her with any help she needs."

  "Bien s?r Ma?tre, —Of course master—right away."

  After that, I spent a few minutes setting up a new build queue for my base. The Aether Harvesters were now complete and upgraded, and combined with the new Fey Shard and spire level, I was making a lot of aether.

  I decided to build the Alchemy Lab as I had promised for Clearscale first. Ash was a little disappointed that I didn't immediately go for the Anchor, but I thought the decision was prudent. I still needed to get set up on the Earth side of things before I designated a place after all, and the Alchemy Lab only cost two thousand aether.

  Next, I queued in the library, figuring that would give me enough time to get everything sorted out in the Material plane before building the Anchor. Ash was slightly mollified at the thought of the library, and its utility seemed incredible. I couldn't wait to see how it would improve our growth.

  After that, I spent some time training with Ash and Yume. It didn't last long however, before it devolved into something far more carnal. I felt like a teenager going through puberty again, with my equipment standing up at random intervals with little to no reason. It was even more difficult working with Ash and Yume, considering both of them gave me plenty of reasons.

  On the upside, I still got some good practice in, as both girls praised my efforts with using telekinesis in the bedroom. I couldn't manipulate the air molecules into doing anything useful yet, but I was able to implement plenty of other things to good effect.

  When we were finished, I returned to Earth earlier than usual. It was going to be Amaya's birthday, and we had plans to go to the festival. I wanted to make sure she had a fantastic day.