First Demonic Dragon-Chapter 1237: Secret’s Out

"MY LADYYYY!!!"

Cora wails like the dead. Her strong voice causes the entire cavern to rumble and wounds young Odie’s ears.

"I-It’s been so long! I-I thought... maybe you forgot about us!"

Thea pouts slightly as she holds Cora’s face in her hands.

"Cora... did you truly think so little of me? I am wounded."

Odie was pretending to be asleep, but when she heard the way Thea was talking, she almost dropped her ruse.

Her sister’s voice is jarringly sultry and warm. Thea normally sounded like a teenage girl, but now she actually seemed like she could be someone’s mother.

’Since when does she talk like that??’

Thrudd fights the urge to laugh. ’It’s a goddess thing, you won’t understand until you’re older... think of it like divine code switching.’

’Gotcha.’

A puddle begins to form on the floor as Cora’s tears run from her eyes like waterfalls.

"I-I never meant to insult you, my lady! Please forgive me for my insolence!"

"It’s fine, Cora, it’s fine. Here." Thea proceeds to gently dab her follower’s face with a white cloth.

Cora’s lip trembles uncontrollably. "H-How unsightly of me... to have soiled the hands of my most precious deity with my own tears." She sniffles. "I have disgraced myself. I have disgraced you-"

Thea suddenly grabbed her follower’s cheeks.

"Now, now, that’s quite enough. You are precious to me, Cora. I will never be too big to pick you up and dust you off if you need it. I love you like my own children."

Thea lifted her head to stare at her other followers.

"Just as I love each and every one of you. Your faith in me is one of my greatest blessings, and I am truly grateful that you have deigned to help me when i needed it most."

Tears ran from the eyes of over two hundred beautiful faces all at once.

"MY LADYYYYY!!!"

The entire room rumbled as Thea’s followers dropped into a second kowtow. She was pretty sure that a few of them cracked the floor when they headbutted it.

Thea was understandably flustered.

"...You know, I’m just gonna say it. You do shit like this and then wonder why nobody wants to have a platonic friendship with you." Thrudd shook her head.

Odie didn’t say anything, but she silently agreed.

"S-Silence, sister! I have friends!" Thea defended.

"If you’re talking about Aubrey’s brother and his wives, I’m like 99 percent sure if you gave them the chance, they’d jump you."

"Shut up."

"I’m just saying. Even dad had to learn not to say certain things to our people after a few years."

It’s impossible to tell in Thea’s current form, but she rolls her eyes at Thrudd’s words. "Bringing you in here was a mistake..."

"But you love me, though?"

Thea grumbles and returns her attention to the elephant in the room.

A crowd of humans has slowly started making their way outside into what appears to be a common area.

They stare at Thea and Thrudd as if they are not sure how to approach them. It isn’t hard to see why.

Thea’s head is a glowing mass of light. Her skin is purple.

Thrudd did not bother to hide her horns, and her tail can clearly be seen swishing behind her back.

"So... should we start some introductions?" Thea floats toward them, and Cora rises to follow behind her.

"O-Of course, my lady. We saved everyone we could, as you requested. Their immediate families as well."

"Hello, everyone." Thea says warmly. "Are you comfortable here?"

The humans nod slowly, in awe and slightly frightened at the same time.

"Be not afraid. I will cause you no harm. Nor will I uproot your lives. All I wished to do was be a beacon of light for-"

"I-Is that Odessa??"

A young man burst through the crowd, his eyes on the girl on Thrudd’s back.

Once he calls attention to her, even more young kids begin to run forward, their eyes teary and shocked.

’Alright, sis. You ready to see the best acting of your life?’ Thrudd discreetly cracks her neck before stepping forward.

Her eyes are wide and full of innocence.

"Oh... Is that this human girl’s name? I found her lying in the forest due west of here, and-"

"That’s your sister, right? Why are you acting like you don’t know her?"

Thrudd’s brain fritzes out.

"... What?"

The boy points at himself. "I played football for your dad... I literally came to your house and saw you guys’ pictures together... You guys look alike too."

Odessa twitches.

"I just saw her move!"

’Aw, dang it...’

Slowly, Odessa lifts her head and stares at all of her former classmates sheepishly.

Shyly, she waves at them.

"Odie!"

"It’s you!"

"Where’ve you been, girlie!?"

"I’ve been in love with you all this time, and I never said anything!"

"Everyone knows that already, go lay down somewhere, Fred."

Slowly, Thrudd placed her sister down and allowed her to stand in front of the crowd.

Several of Odessa’s friends rush up to her. Uncaring of the dirt that covers her figure, they rush to hug her with tears on her eyes.

"Halt!"

Cora places her arm in front of Odessa, and it is like an iron wall no one dares cross.

"The princess did not give you permission to approach. If you wish to greet her, do so with a proper curtsy, and-"

Thea chops her follower on top of her head. "Cora, be nice..."

"Y-Yes, my lady. I’m sorry, my lady..."

Odessa’s eyes are wide. She is completely frozen.

Her hands tingle, and her brain seems to short-circuit.

Cora said princess. The crowd knew she was related to a dragon.

Everything was all out in the open now. She no longer held on to her most closely guarded secret.

What would everyone’s reaction to her be...?

Would they start treating her differently..?

Would they be afraid of her...?

She was terrified of the potential consequences.

"Hey, is your dad around??"

"Yeah, I wanna see that third eye think Cora keeps blabbing about."

"Is he really older than Jesus? Damn, black really don’t crack unless you smoke it."

Odessa blinks slowly.

’You... know?’

The sound of her telepathic voice was jarring to the humans inside; however, it was also eye-opening.

Odessa’s voice was every bit as beautiful as the rest of her. She sounded like an angel of youth and warmth.

"Fear not, Princess." Cora brings her fist to her chest proudly. "I took the liberty of educating these people on your family lineage so that they could better understand the magnanimity and grace that you have bestowed upon them!"

Odessa’s jaw falls open.

Thrudd tries not to snicker, but inevitably fails.

"...Is something the matter?"

"Cora..."

Thea suddenly takes her follower’s face into her hands. Unlike before, she now pulls and tugs on her cheeks like they’re made of taffy.

"Do you remember what I told you before you left the palace...?"

"M-Make sure the humans have enough food to eat for at least three years..."

"Yes, but I was referring to the part where I told you that my sister’s identity was a secret and that none of the people she attended school with knew about it?"

Cora blinks slowly.

She turns her gaze to Odie, to the humans, and then back to Thea.

She repeats this action around eight more times.

Suddenly, she draws a knife from her waist and points it at her neck.

"I will atone with my life."

"NO!"